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Mayan writing consisted of a relatively elaborate set of glyphs, which were laboriously painted on ceramics, walls or bark-paper codices, carved in wood or stone, or molded in stucco. Carved and molded glyphs were painted, but the paint has rarely survived. About 90% of Mayan writing can now be read with varying degrees of certainty, enough to give a comprehensive idea of its structure.
The Mayan script was a logosyllabic system. Individual symbols ("glyphs") could represent either a word (actually a morpheme) or a syllable; indeed, the same glyph could often be used for both. For example, the calendaric glyph MANIK’ was also used to represent the syllable chi. (It is customary to write logographic readings in all capitals and phonetic readings in italics.) It is possible, but not certain, that these conflicting readings arose as the script was adapted to new languages, as also happened with Japanese kanji and with Assyro-Babylonian and Hittite cuneiform. There was ambiguity in the other direction as well: Different glyphs could be read the same way. For example, half a dozen apparently unrelated glyphs were used to write the very common third person pronoun u-.
The most ancient text that presents the total set of characteristic traits of Maya writing is preserved in Stela 29 of Tikal, dated 292 AD. Glyphic texts documented the lives of Rulers: their births, accessions to the throne, marriages, wars, burials and other important facts about a Ruler’s story.Hieroglyphic writing is composed of signs for ideographs, which are units of meaning, words, or parts of compound words; and of syllables, which are units of sound.
A stele (pron.: /ˈstiːliː/, historically /ˈstiːl/; Greek: στήλη stēlē; plural: στήλαι stēlai), also stela (plural stelae /ˈstiːlaɪ/) Latin, is a stone or wooden slab, generally taller than it is wide, erected for funerals or commemorative purposes, most usually decorated with the names and titles of the deceased or living — inscribed, carved in relief (bas-relief, sunken-relief, high-relief, and so forth), or painted onto the slab. It can also be used as a territorial marker to delineate land ownership.
Stelae were also used to publish laws and decrees, to record a ruler's exploits and honors, to mark sacred territories or mortgaged properties, as territorial markers, as the boundary stelae of Akhenaton at Amarna, or to commemorate military victories. They were widely used in the Ancient Near East, Mesopotamia, Greece, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, and, most likely independently, in China and elsewhere in the Far East, and, more surely independently, by Mesoamerican civilisations, notably the Olmec and Maya
Stela 29 bears a Long Count (184.108.40.206.15) date equivalent to AD 292, the earliest surviving Long Count date from the Maya lowlands. The stela is also the earliest monument to bear the Tikal emblem glyph. It bears a sculpture of the king facing to the right, holding the head of an underworld jaguar god, one of the patron deities of the city. The stela was deliberately smashed during the 6th century or some time later, the upper portion was dragged away and dumped in a rubbish tip close to Temple III, to be uncovered by archaeologists in 1959
Stela 31 is the accession monument of Siyaj Chan K'awiil II, also bearing two portraits of his father, Yax Nuun Ayiin, as a youth dressed as a Teotihuacan warrior. He carries a spearthrower in one hand and bears a shield decorated with the face of Tlaloc, the Teotihuacan war god. In ancient times the sculpture was broken and the upper portion was moved to the summit of Temple 33 and ritually buried. Stela 31 has been described as the greatest Early Classic sculpture to survive at Tikal. A long hieroglyphic text is carved onto the back of the monument, the longest to survive from the Early Classic, which describes the arrival of Siyah K'ak' at El Peru and Tikal in January 378. It was also the first stela as Tikal to be carved on all four faces.
It had been broken in two by burning and the upper half, seen here, placed within semi-demolished Str 5D 33 2nd(site) during construction of 33 1st(site). This is why it is less weathered than most Tikal stelae. The rear face retains traces of red paint.
This top piece we see here may have been placed within 33 1st by Jasaw Chan K'awiil, either after his accession to power in 682, or after his defeat of Calakmul in 695. Possibly this could be seen as a type of cache.
The ruler depicted here may have been named Siyaj Chan K'awiil according to a recent phonetic reading of his name glyphs (Simon Martin). These glyphs earlier yielded the name "Stormy Sky", based on their imagery. He was a particularly powerful and succesful ruler, possibly backed in some way by the might of Teotihuacan.
Siyaj Chan may have presided over a period of political supremacy for Tikal in the first half of the fifth century. This fragment of his stela may have been placed within the fabric of 33 1st as a kind of icon carrying power to accomplish the same thing in the 8th century.
Stela 4 is dated to AD 396, during the reign of Yax Nuun Ayiin after the intrusion of Teotihuacan in the Maya area. The stela displays a mix of Maya and Teotihuacan qualities, and deities from both cultures. It has a portrait of the king with the Underworld Jaguar God under one arm and the Mexican Tlaloc under the other. His helmet is a simplified version of the Teotihuacan War Serpent. Unusually for Maya sculpture, but typically for Teotihuacan, Yax Nuun Ayiin is depicted with a frontal face, rather than in profile.
He(Yax Nuun Ayiin I) took the throne of Tikal on 13 September 379, soon after the death of previous king Chak Tok Ich'aak I, apparently killed by the Teotihuacano conquerors.
Yax Nuun Ayiin was a son of Spearthrower Owl, a lord of Teotihuacan (probably that city's king) in central Mexico. The installation of a Teotihuacano noble on the throne of Tikal marks a high point of Teotihuacan influence in the central Maya lowlands.
Originally posted by sapien82
(snip)or were these sites much older and lost for much longer than we are led to believe !
Originally posted by woodwardjnr
As a Star Wars fan I was more excited about seeing the location of the rebel base than all the Mayan artefacts, but that's just me. | <urn:uuid:21c7f10d-2b90-4861-86d5-9c748f0ad186> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread915208/pg2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397744.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00067-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960814 | 1,591 | 3.796875 | 4 |
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Journal > English Journal
Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report
by Diana Mitchell
|Grades||8 – 12|
Offers 50 diverse suggestions intended to offer students new ways to think about a piece of literature, new directions to explore, and ways to respond with greater depth to the books they read.
Mitchell, Diana. "Fifty Alternatives to the Book Report." English Journal 87.1 (January 1998): 92-95.
Professional Library | Journal
In this article, Versaci details the many merits of using comics and graphic novels in the classroom, suggests how they can be integrated into historical and social issues units, and recommends several titles. | <urn:uuid:45a906eb-a9b9-495b-8e05-39ba902cce8e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.readwritethink.org/professional-development/professional-library/fifty-alternatives-book-report-30452.html?tab=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395560.69/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.857714 | 163 | 2.921875 | 3 |
At the time Spain granted independence to Mexico in 1821, the land now comprising the state of Texas was very sparsely populated. The Mexican government actually encouraged the settlement of the area by American pioneers.
In 1823, Stephen Austin led 300 American families onto land granted to his father by the Mexican government. A prosperous province was greatly in the interest of Mexico, so no alarm was raised. Mexico was also interested in creating a buffer zone between the Mexican heartland and the Comanche tribe.
There were, however, strings attached.
The American settlers were expected to become Mexican. All immigrants from the United States were by law forced to become Catholic. When the Mexican government outlawed slavery in 1829, it expected the Texans to follow suit. None of the conditions were met, and a great cultural war was underway.
In the hopes of easing tensions, Stephen Austin journeyed to Mexico City in 1833. But Mexico's dictator, Santa Anna, was not the negotiating type. Austin was simply thrown in jail. Although he was released after 18 months, relations between the Texans and the Mexicans deteriorated. Finally in 1835, war broke out between Santa Anna's troops and a ragtag group of Texan revolutionaries. On March 2, 1836, representatives from Texas formally declared their independence. Four days later, Santa Anna completed an infamous siege on the Alamo mission.
Despite a 13-day holdout, the 187 Texans were crushed by Santa Anna's forces, which numbered 5000 strong. The deaths of commander William Travis, Jim Bowie, and Davy Crockett angered Americans as cries of "Remember the Alamo!" rang throughout the land. Americans flocked to Texas, and, led by commander Sam Houston, defeated Santa Anna's forces. On May 14, 1836, Santa Anna grudgingly recognized Texan independence.
Texan-Americans were not the only ones fighting for independence. The Tejano people, Spanish-speaking settlers of Texas, also supported the Texas Revolution. They had hoped for greater control over their local affairs. They fought side-by-side with Houston's troops against Santa Anna's soldiers. After the war, there was quite a bit of disillusionment. The Americans who swarmed into Texas did not distinguish between Tejanos and Mexicans. In the decade that followed, the Tejanos found themselves shut out of the new Texas government as well.
Most Texan-Americans wanted to be annexed by the United States. They feared that the Mexican government might soon try to recapture their land. Many had originally come from the American south and had great interest in becoming a southern state. President Andrew Jackson saw trouble. Many Whigs and Abolitionists in the North refused to admit another slave state to the Union. Rather than risk tearing the nation apart over this controversial issue, Jackson did not pursue annexation. The Lone Star flag flew proudly over the Lone Star Republic for nine years.
Texas was an independent country. | <urn:uuid:9ce602c9-438f-458d-bab3-ce8c89b88299> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ushistory.org/US/29a.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396029.85/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00018-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978998 | 597 | 4.125 | 4 |
|14 October 1950
Meeting on Wake Island between Truman and MacArthur
|In early October General MacArthur received a telegram asking
that he meet with President Truman on the progress of the war in Korea.
United Nations forces had just advanced across the 38th parallel into North
Korea, and Truman was concerned about the possibility that the communist
government in China might intervene to protect Kim Il-Sung’s regime. In
addition, MacArthur had recently embarrassed the administration by calling
publicly for the use in Korea of Nationalist Chinese forces from Taiwan—something
that the administration rejected for fear that it would antagonize the
Since the consensus in the administration was that MacArthur should not be kept away from his command for too long, it was agreed that the two men would meet at Wake Island in the Pacific. On the surface the meeting seemed to go well; MacArthur apologized for any embarrassment that his remarks might have caused the president, and assured Truman that the Chinese would not intervene in Korea. Truman, however, was infuriated that MacArthur had shown up for a meeting with the President of the United States dressed in his regular uniform and stained cap. He said nothing at the time, but the meeting did little to ease the president’s misgivings.
- Substance of Statements made at Wake Island Conference, dated 15 October 1950, compiled by General of the Army Omar N. Bradley, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, from notes kept by the conferees from Washington | <urn:uuid:12383cc6-88a0-4120-a667-8d5f13eba1bf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://teachingamericanhistory.org/static/neh/interactives/timeline/data/101450.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00103-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.979019 | 305 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Low temperatures in the Arctic 'ozone layer' have recently initiated massive ozone depletion, which means the Arctic could experience a record loss of this trace gas that protects the Earth's surface against ultraviolet radiation from the sun. The result has been found by a measurement network of over 30 ozone sounding stations spread all over the Arctic and Subarctic.
In the long term the ozone layer will recover thanks to extensive environmental policy measures enacted decades ago for its protection. This winter's likely record-breaking ozone loss does not alter this expectation.
Our atmosphere has five layers; the troposphere, the stratosphere, the mesosphere, the thermosphere, and the exosphere. The so-called ozone layer is in the stratosphere at an altitude of 20-30 kilometers. As you might infer, the ozone layer has high levels of ozone, which is due to interaction between oxygen molecules (composed of two oxygen atoms) and ultraviolet light. Ozone is able to absorb harmful ultraviolet radiation, wavelengths between 290-320 nanometers.
Ozone is lost in three ways: Volcanic eruptions in a small sense (5%), other natural occurrences (20%), but the bulk of the ozone breakdown happens when anthropogenic chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) are turned into aggressive, ozone destroying substances - an effect made worse during exposure to extremely cold conditions.
For several years climate scientists have pointed to a connection between ozone loss and climate change, and particularly to the fact that in the Arctic stratosphere where the ozone layer is, the coldest winters seem to have been getting colder and are leading to larger ozone losses, though "the complicated details of the interactions between the ozone layer and climate change haven't been completely understood yet and are the subject of current research projects," explains Alfred Wegener Institute climate researcher Markus Rex. "The current winter is a continuation of this development, which may indeed be connected to global warming."
The Dobson Unit - how ozone is measured
A Dobson Unit is a measurement of how thick the ozone layer would be if it were compressed into a single layer at zero degrees Celsius with one unit of atmospheric pressure acting on it (standard temperature and pressure - STP). One Dobson Unit (DU) is defined as .01 mm thickness at standard temperature and pressure. This graphic from the University of Michigan shows a column of air over Labrador, Canada. Since the ozone layer over this area would form a 3 mm thick slab, the measurement of the ozone over Labrador is 300 DU.
As stated before, this loss is not a reason to panic, though primarily because environmental changes were made before the situation was critical.
"By virtue of the long-term effect of the Montreal Protocol, significant ozone destruction will no longer occur during the second half of this century," explains Rex. The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty adopted under the UN umbrella in 1987 to protect the ozone layer and for all practical purposes bans the production of ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) worldwide today.
CFCs released during prior decades however, will not vanish from the atmosphere until many decades from now. Until that time the fate of the Arctic ozone layer essentially depends on the temperature in the stratosphere at an altitude of around 20 km and thus will linked to any changes in earth's climate.
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- After Brexit, Italy May Be Next | <urn:uuid:3b2c65e1-4cfa-43ba-9d9a-034a5359aa54> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.science20.com/news_articles/ozone_layer_loss_arctic_may_be_record_dont_panic-77157 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00166-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920987 | 1,098 | 4.125 | 4 |
It is one of medicine's mysteries: what has caused Britain's plummeting rate of heart disease over the last decade? Deaths from heart attacks have halved since 2002 and no one is quite sure why. Similar changes have occurred in countries around the world, but the death rate in England has fallen further and faster than almost anywhere.
Researchers from the University of Oxford suggest part of the reason is that our hearts are getting stronger. We are suffering fewer heart attacks than we did and fewer of them are fatal. The two factors may be linked. By reducing risk factors for heart disease – avoiding smoking, eating a healthy diet, cutting cholesterol and lowering blood pressure – we not only reduce heart attacks but ensure that when they occur they are less life threatening.
The researchers looked at 840,000 men and women in England who had suffered a total of 861,000 heart attacks between 2002 and 2010. Overall, the death rates fell by 50 per cent in men and 53 per cent in women.
The reasons for the decline, they say, are "beneficial changes in the health of the population" and "major improvements in NHS care" for those who end up in hospital. But the findings were not uniform across the country. In London heart attack rates rose between 2007 and 2009 – probably as a result of the financial crisis.
Many puzzles remain. "The causes of the increase and decline in heart disease deaths are not entirely straightforward," said Professor Michael Goldacre, of the Department of Public Health, who led the study published in the British Medical Journal.
For the last 70 years we have been in the grip of a heart disease epidemic that began in the 1940s, rose to a peak in the 1970s and then began to fall. All Western countries were affected and all followed broadly the same pattern.
At first it was thought to be a nutritional disorder linked to fat in the diet. The American epidemiologist Ancel Keys argued that if fat consumption could be reduced, cholesterol levels would fall and the narrow coronary arteries that supply the heart would be protected from atheroma, the thickening with fatty deposits that causes blockages.
His theory has held sway for 50 years and the central role of cholesterol in heart disease is accepted round the world. But the role of fat is less clear. Total fat consumption in the UK has changed little – down from 40 per cent of average calories in the 1980s to 38 per cent today (though there has been a bigger reduction in the most harmful type, saturated fat).
In 2000, a pan-European study by the World Health Organisation was unable to show a convincing link between heart disease levels and fat consumption in the 21 countries studied. Smoking, meanwhile, makes blood more likely to clot and is a known cause of heart attacks. But smoking peaked in the 1940s and then began to decline, just as the heart disease epidemic was taking off.
In terms of diet, epidemiologists have puzzled for decades why the French, despite their love of meat, cheese and cream, suffer fewer heart attacks than we do. Red wine, with its anti-oxidant properties, is usually cited as France's secret weapon.
In the Mediterranean, olive oil and salad are also cited. US researchers suggest a simpler explanation – that the French escape heart disease because they eat less of everything. Obesity rates in France, though rising, are lower than in the UK.
The researchers conclude that just under half the decline in heart attack death rates in England is due to better hospital treatment; the rest is due to changes in lifestyle and medication. | <urn:uuid:efda6a91-fc69-405a-a8a2-4edc843e54f0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.independent.co.uk/hei-fi/entertainment/opinions-are-divided-over-cause-of-huge-drop-in-heart-disease-6295027.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00003-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969866 | 722 | 2.875 | 3 |
Editorial: Worth remembering
From the Mathews Journal of July 10, 1913:
"It must have been an inspiring sight at Gettysburg last week when the heroes of the blue and gray clasped hands in mutual admiration, esteem and friendship. Fifty years ago while thousands of cannon belched forth flame and death these same men grappled in bloody conflict, each willing to die in defense of what he believed to be right. What a tremendous contrast in these two scenes—the one so typical of war which has rightly been described as hell—the other exhaling the sweet beneficent air of peace. Those heroes of Gettysburg may speak with a pride that is pardonable of their exploits of former days but they should be prouder still of the glorious advance of our reunited country and thankful for the assurance that never again will friends and brothers be brought into conflict by civil war.
"More than 20,000 veterans attended the reunion."
To this sentiment, written 100 years ago about the men who were at that terrible battle of 1863, we can only echo "amen."
The hatchet, however, has not always stayed buried. The war was still being fought around potbellied stoves in general stores in 1913, and today echoes of the great division can be heard in our political discourse: Blue states and red states. The Voting Rights Act. Affirmative action. And the endless debate of whether slavery or states’ rights brought the North and South into their fatal clash.
The civil rights debates and legislation of half a century ago renewed feelings of anger that had lain dormant through the long and unchallenged reign of Jim Crow. But now we have a black president. There is much progress.
Re-enactors create the battles anew, but they often switch sides, taking off the gray and putting on blue, or vice-versa, to even up the numbers. Commemorations of Gettysburg and other seminal events of 150 years ago carry dual themes of remembering (so as not to repeat) and reconciliation. Most people in all sections, today, want permanent tickets on the unity train.
But it will take many more generations for the Civil War, our great nation’s greatest mistake, to be truly over and forgotten.
Those old veterans at Gettysburg, who had survived the terrors of that battle and so many others, knew in their bones what their descendants have had to learn academically: that never again should friends and brothers be brought into conflict by civil war.
Scenes of that 50-year reunion at Gettysburg are everywhere on the internet these days. They are worth viewing. | <urn:uuid:1026f6b6-0e75-4cd7-a923-aafef6ab8ab7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gazettejournal.net/index.php/opinion/opinion_article/editorial_worth_remembering | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402699.36/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00053-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960106 | 536 | 2.59375 | 3 |
“…and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.” –Ecclesiastes 4:12b
Why do our good, solid young people seem to flee the local church when out on their own? Even more, why do many preacher’s kids and full-time ministry worker’s kids flee the local church even faster? While there are many possible answers to these tragic questions, I have seen a threefold cord of authority work in my life. A unified authority in the life of a teenager pulls like a threefold cord in the direction of righteous living in the will of God.
The threefold cord of authority is made up of three institutions—home, church, and school. If these three authorities are unified and all pull in the same direction in a young person’s life, a teen is more likely to make positive decisions.
Problems arise when one or more of these authorities are not pulling in the same direction. When this occurs, the young person is forced to agree with part of his authority and disagree with another part.
8 Principles to Unify Authorities
- Line your home up with the beliefs of the local church.
- If you lead a Christian home and attend a Bible-believing church, it would only make sense to educate your children in a Christian environment.
- NEVER CRITICIZE another authority in the presence of a young person.
- Do not make “mountains out of molehills.” If not a “right or wrong” issue, defer to one another in the spirit of humility and unity.
- Speak positively of the other authorities in their lives.
- Encourage the other authorities to play an active role in raising your young person. Do not be insecure or selfish with your influence and leadership.
- Wisely balance the time spent among the three authorities.
- Realize that ultimately your young person will make his own decisions. All that you can do is pull in the right direction. | <urn:uuid:098a9cb8-01d0-466a-8515-7717374ced80> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ministry127.com/student-ministry/8-principles-to-unify-authorities | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391766.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00086-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947484 | 412 | 2.734375 | 3 |
Comoros Table of Contents
Originally an agronomist, Ali Soilih had become politically active as a supporter of RDPC leader Said Ibrahim in 1970. Lasting from January 1976 to May 1978, his rule was marked by continued hostility between France and Comoros. The main issues were the status of Mahoré (particularly after France held a second referendum on the island, on February 7, 1976, in which 99.4 percent of the voters endorsed continued status as a French department) and a radical reform program designed to break the hold of traditional values and French influence on Comoran life. Soilih envisioned accomplishing his revolution in three phases, beginning with independence from France. The second phase, a "social revolution," would abolish such customs as the wearing of veils, the costly grand mariage (great wedding; in Swahili ndola nkuu), and traditional funeral ceremonies. Comoran citizens, including young women, would be mobilized to serve in revolutionary militia and army units in an attempt to create something resembling the Red Guards of China's Cultural Revolution of the late 1960s (see Society , this ch.). The third phase would decentralize government administration by establishing thirty-four local moudirias, or provinces. These would serve not only as administrative centers but would also provide post and telephone service and consumer goods for localities of about 9,000 people on the model of the Chinese people's communes.
Soilih emphasized the central role of young people in the revolution, lowering the voting age to fourteen. He mobilized Comoran youth into a special revolutionary militia (the Moissy), which particularly in the villages, launched violent attacks on conservative elders in Red Guard style (see Comoros , ch. 6).
After the withdrawal of French financial subsidies, the treasury was soon emptied, and in a move having budgetary as well as ideological implications, some 3,500 civil servants were dismissed in 1977. Soilih made a more than symbolic break with the past in 1976 by burning French government archives, which had been kept since the acquisition of Mahoré 135 years before. Tanzanian officers trained the Comoran Armed Forces, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), Saudi Arabia, and other countries provided limited aid.
Soilih, who described himself as a devout Muslim, advocated a secular state and limitations on the privileges of the muftis, or Muslim jurists who interpret Islamic law. These reforms, which were perceived as attacks on Comoran traditions, combined with a deepening economic crisis to erode support for his government. Several attempts were made on Soilih's life, and in a referendum held in October 1977, only 55 percent of the voters supported a new constitution proposed by his government. Attacks by the Moissy on real and imagined political opponents escalated; raids on mosques were common; a number of refugees fled to Mahoré. The eruption of Kartala in April 1977 and the influx of refugees from Madagascar following a massacre of resident Comorans there exacerbated the situation. In March 1978, some fishers in the town of Iconi, south of Moroni, were killed after protesting the government's policy on compulsory sale of their catch to the state. Severe food shortages in 1976-77 required the government to seek aid internationally and forced the young nation to divert its already limited export earnings from economic development to purchases of rice and other staples.
Popular support had dwindled to such a level that when a mercenary force of fifty, consisting largely of former French paratroopers, landed at Itsandra Beach north of the capital on May 12, 1978 the regular armed forces offered no resistance. The mercenaries were led by French-born Bob Denard (an alias for Gilbert Bourgeaud, also known as Said Mustapha M'Hadjou) a veteran of wars of revolution, counterrevolution, and separatism from Indochina to Biafra. (Ironically, Denard had played a role in the 1975 coup that had enabled Soilih to come to power.) Most Comorans supported the coup and were happy to be free of Soilih's ineffective and repressive regime. The deposed head of state was killed under mysterious circumstances on May 29, 1978. The official explanation was that he had attempted to escape.
Data as of August 1994
Comoros Table of Contents | <urn:uuid:b843b601-d9cd-4380-91ec-099bde383228> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-3394.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00121-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97159 | 883 | 2.890625 | 3 |
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Little Shell Tribe History
THE FIRST INDIANS IN CENTRAL MONTANA
Up until 1879 the Indians who were in Central Montana were more or less nomadic tribes of Sioux, Crows, Chippewas, and the half-breed metis.
As early as 1840, individual members of the metis Indians penetrated the area to help the traders and trappers. These Indians were hired as guides, but they did not remain long in the area. One of the guides was Jacob Berger.
The most hostile and troublesome were the Sioux who were scattered in the area and restless. This was their favorite hunting ground, and they visciously resented the white man. They attacked and stole horses, invaded settlements, were a menace to the freighters on the Carroll Trail, and even approached forts and killed soldiers.
At one time, 1873, a proposal was made to move the Crow Indians from their reservation in the Gallatin Valley to Judith Basin. Although plans were carried out as to the exact location in the area, the removal of the Indians was never accomplished; the Crows were left on their reservation in the Gallatin Valley.
In 1879 came the advent of the Chippewa and French Indians into Central Montana and they made permanent settlements on Spring Creek. They were leb by Pierre Berger, a Frenchman(Webmaster note: Pierre Berger was not a Frenchman, but a Leader in the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians).
METIS--THE LANDLESS INDIAN
To understand the Indians of Montana who are unaffiliated with any established reservations, it is necessary to go back to early French Colonizations of North America. For it is from these early explorers that one finds the progenitors of the Landless Indians. Even the surnames are the same, since the French encouraged their men to marry Indian women. These mixed blood descendents, at first concentrated along the Great Lakes, scattered throughout the North Eaastern states and Canada, but maintained their greatest number along the Red River of the North, which had its source in North Dakota and Minnesota, but which flows north into Lake Winnipeg and ultimately Hudson Bay. And so it is that these people living in Montana today, whose ancestry was predominately a non-native, are called displaced.
These people, now known generally as "The Landless Indians", have had various names; half-breeds, bois-brule, and Metis. The early French referred to them as the Metis, a French adjective meaning cross-breed.
Perhaps the word Metis is the best for them, for their degree of Indian blood was seldom fixed at exactly one-half. The child of an Indian mother and French father would be half-blood, but when the offspring reached maturity he might marry either a full-blood Indian or a full-blood Caucasian. Thus as years went by, and intermarrying continued, the individuals could possibly become almost pure Indian or pure white. So too the blood became mixed between Indians of various tribes. For while in Canada it was the Cree with whom the French usually married, in the United States it was the Chippewa. Thus there emerged, along the Red River, particularly, a group of people who were neither Indian nor white; neither Cree nor Chippewa nor French, but a mixture of all these. They represented the emergence of a new race indigenous to the continent.
The new people adapted traits from their French fathers and Indian mothers. For their livelihood they depended primarily upon the buffalo as did their Indian forebears. But unlike their Indian grandparents, the hunt stemmed from Red River settlements, where they each fall returned with pemmican (for which they became famous) to be sold or traded to the Hudson Bay Company for winter food items. Their transportation was not confined to horse alone, as was the Indians', for their distinguishing characteristic was the Half-Breed Cart, a unique invention of their own, made entirely of wood. Its wheels, sometimes six feet in diameter, had very broad tires, while a small body rested upon the axle and shafts. Each cart was drawn by a single pony, and could carry from 600 to 800 pounds. Since no grease was used on the axle, the noise made by these carts was almost insufferable. Nearly every Northern Plains writer has attempted to describe the horrible screeching that a train of such carts made; but probably none has been presented more graphically than did Joseph Kinsey Howard when he said "it was as if a thousand fingernails were drawn across a thousand panes of glass". Later, when metal was used in their construction and the wheels could be greased, the Metis generally called their vehicles Red River Carts. In either case, however, the cart served a double purpose. In long winters, a man would lift the body easily from the wheels, hitch a horse to it, and have a carriole or sleigh.
While the geographical heart of the new race seems to have been along the Red River near present day Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and Pembina, North Dakota, not all of them lived in Canada. True, the majority of the French-Cree descendents lived there. On the American side of the line a goodly number also lived-- those who were closer related to the Chippewa. Their center was Pembina, established as a trading center in 1870, a factor which gives it the distinction of being the oldest settlement in the northwest. These Indians moved constantly westward in their pursuit of the buffalo-- along the Missouri River and its tributaries, but often west and south again to the valleys of the rivers there.
Individual members penetrated the now Montana region, too, often serving as guides for the fur traders. One of them, Jacob Berger (often spelled Bergier or Bercier and always pronounced so by the Metis today) was in the employ of the American Fur Company in 1830; others followed in his steps.
But it was not only with the fur trade that the Metis came into Montana. As the years passed, many carts filled with Red River hunters and trappers came into Montana Territory, and settled in regions where buffalo were plentiful. In making this move, the Metis followed somewhat the pattern of their Indian heritage, a nomadic tendency to follow their food. Unlike the Indians, they built cabins, and stayed sometimes several years. Then, group by group, they returned to relatives and friends in the Pembina region, where after a succession of years of residence, they moved again to Montana. Thus it was that durning the decades of the 1850's, 1860's and 1870's, the creaking carts groaned their way back and forth between the little settlement at Pembina and the unspoiled valleys of Montana.
Perhaps one of the best known settlements (for it became more permanent than did the others who so frequently left their cabins and returned to the Red river) is the one at the present Lewistown in central Montana. A group of Metis left the Pembina district in 1870 and headed Westward with no particular desitination in mind save that of trailing the buffalo. One of the members described facets of that expedition well when she wrote, shortly before her death in Lewistown in 1943, the following account:
"While we roamed the prairies of the western Dakotas, we were always in the company of people of part Indian blood, and traveled in many groups. We left Dakota in 1870 shortly after we were married, and set out traveling all over the plains, just camping here and there without a thought of settling permanently in any place just following the buffalo trails. you might think we lived the life of real Indians, but one thing we had always with us which they did not-- religion. Every night we had prayer meetings, and just before a buffalo hunt we see our men on bended knees in prayer. Our men did all the hunting, and we women did all the tanning of buffalo hides, jerky meat making,pemmican and moccasin making. For other supplies, we generally had some trader with us, like Francis Janeaux, who always had a supply of tea, sugar, tobacco, and so on".
(From the influence of their French fathers, the Metis devoutly followed the teaching of the Roman Catholic Church. So devoted to their church were they that as a matter of general practice they seldom embarked upon a hunt without having a priest accompany them. When they stayed away from the settlement over a long period of time, they observed Sunday with recitations of the rosary and with prayers.)
After having camped along the Milk River for several years, where game was becoming increasingly scarce, Pierre Berger, leader of the group, called the members around him to discuss the situation. he recalled that previously a Cree Indian had told him of a spot across the Missouri River where small game and birds were abundant and where grass grew high. The land sounded promising, so in May 1879, twenty-five families left the familiar Milk river area in their squeaking carts and started for this new region. As it was necessary for them to go by way of Fort Benton and then eastward until they came to the Judith Mountains, it took most of the summer for the group to make the journey.
Here at their destination, the Judith Basin looked fertile and inviting. Berger decided that this area would provide an excellent home site. Twenty-five familiwes built cabins and hurriedly made preparations for the appraching winter. True to the description given by the Cree, game was plentiful. So during the decade of the 1880's (and at a time when the Metis who remained behind in their accustomed haunts on the Red River were starving) the Spring Creek colony flourished. Soon Janeaux established a trading post for them; in time other establishments sprang up, and a colorful Montana frontier village, destined later to become Lewistown, was born. Early Metis occupancy is reflected in the names of two Lewistown streets, Morasse and Oullette, while Janeaux bears the name of ther trader.
In 1869, while Montana Territory was being colonized by Red River hunters-- at least on a temporary basis-- an historical incident occured that left its mark upon the landless Indians of Montana. It has been the prime cause of confusion about them ever since. When the Hudson Bay Company relinquished its charter to Rupert's land and the Dominion of Canada was formed, the Metis in the Red River settlements became dissatisfied. Finally, in 1869, they established a provisional government, a land they called Assiniboia, now Manitoba. Louis Riel, that remarkable Metis, was their leader. When the British successfully overcame the Metis government, Riel and many of his followers went to Montana Territory. A few years later, he was called upon to return to Canada to lead his people in their fight over a land policy, and revolted against the government. Their military leader Gabriel Dumont went to Riel and convinced him that he should return to Canada to head the revolt. When the British army crushed this second rebellion, more Metis than ever came to the United States, particularly to Montana Territory. Riel, however, was captured by the british, tried for treason, and subsequently hanged in Ragina. Gabriel Dumont lived for many years in the Lewistown area, particulary near Grass Range where he brought several boys orphaned by the Rebellion to his childless home, but he later returned to Canada, where he died.
The largest and by far the best Metis Community was that on Spring Creek in Judith Basin. The hunters who founded it had chosen one of Montana's most beautiful locations, midway in the green well-watered Judith Basin. Twenty-five families came in Red River carts in 1879, and thereafter the colony grew steadily; before any appreciable white migration occured, it had 150 families.Tragic Story of the dispossessed Metis of Montana
Montana Magazine of History Spring- 1953
Lewistown Democrat News December 31, 1943
"Strange Empire" Joseph Kinsey Howard 1952
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The Little Shell Tribe Newsletter is FREE to all Enrolled Tribal Members. It is published 12 months a year and is supported by particle funding by the Little Shell Tobacco Abuse Prevention Program. To place your name on the list for the newsletter, Click Here to get the Address/phone number to request your name and address be placed on the newsletter subscription list. The Contact is Toni Jo Atchison, Tobacco Abuse Prevention Specialist
By the LittleShellTribe.com Webmaster:
Toni Jo Atchison, Little Shell Tobacco Abuse Prevention Specialist Announces Tribal Newsletter is FREE to Tribal Members
Toni Jo Atchison, Little Shell Tribal Tobacco Abuse Prevention Specialist has announced that the Tribal newsletter is FREE to all Enrolled Tribal Members. Previously, a subscription of $10 was required for the newsletter and was published quartely. The subscription cost covered monies that funded the creation, mailing of the newsletter, along with helping with office expenses. Now, with funding provided in part under a contract with the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, Montana Tobacco Use Prevention Program, and the Little Shell Tobacco Abuse Prevention Program, the Newsletter will be published 12 months a year. To place your name on the List for the newsletter (if you do not currently receive it), contact Toni Jo at the main office or write a letter requesting your name to be placed on it. Tribal and Non-Tribal members are still welcome and are encourgaged to send donations to the Office to help with tribal expenses.
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In order for the tribal government to operate and represent the members of the Little Shell Tribe through the Federal Recoginition process and enrollment, there is an immediate need for operating funds for office rent, clerical supplies, mailing, telephone services, and copier payments. Any size donation will help our tribe keep the doors open. Many thanks to the people who have contributed to the LST
Webmaster Note: This website and domain is not paid for by any funds sent to the LST. I pay for this out of my own pocket and have donated it's pages to the cause of the Little Shell Tribal members.
This Website and Domain is owned and operated by Little Shell Tribal members, It is not operated or controlled by the Government of the Little Shell Tribe. All Rights Reserved. This website is updated and operated by me, Robert Dean Rudeseal. I am an enrolled member of the Little Shell Tribe of Montana and a direct descendant of Pierre Berger and Judith Wilkie who brought the Little Shell Tribe permanently to Montana.
All items on this website are posted in accordance to the Fair Use Laws of the United States of America. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works | <urn:uuid:3b1d1477-fe82-4213-8483-daf791200f9c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.littleshelltribe.com/miscdocs/history/1st_Indians_Montana.shtml | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399522.99/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00155-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.971397 | 3,136 | 3.734375 | 4 |
A presumed benefit of global warming is the assumption that warmer winter temperatures might decrease excessive winter deaths (EWDs) common in temperate climates. EWDs are defined as the difference between the number of deaths in a region during winter months (December – March) and the average of the proceeding fall and subsequent spring deaths. EWDs are attributable to a number of factors including higher incidences of cardio-respiratory and infectious diseases along with colder temperatures and icy conditions that can cause hypothermia and accidental falls.
With a predicted increase in winter temperatures due to global warming, it was previously assumed that EWDs might decrease. New research published in Nature Climate Change calls this assumption into question. The researchers used 60 years of data from England and Wales about EWDs and combined that with weather and other socioeconomic data. They then statistically analyzed the data to find factors that were associated with EWD trends and annual variation.
From 1951-1970, EWDs showed high yearly variation and a strong decreasing trend. From 1971-2000, the EWD variation halved and decreased more slowly. From 2001-2011 yearly variation became minimal and the EWD rate no longer decreased. The authors found that housing quality, heating costs, number of cold days and influenza activity were able to explain 77% of the EWD variation over the entire 60-year period. However, they found that after 1986 the number of cold days and cold days with large drops in temperature were no longer important predictors of EWDs. Furthermore, EWDs are now strongly correlated with flu activity. Through this analysis the authors have shown that better housing, standards of living and healthcare have all contributed to this decreasing trend. This analysis indicates that the predicted warmer winters will not offset other climate-related deaths.
On the contrary, the authors warn that the predicted increased variability in temperatures might lead to increased EWDs through severe cold spells since people will be less prepared for harsh weather. Furthermore, because of a generally growing and ageing population, total EWD numbers are likely to still increase.
Staddon, Philip L., Hugh E. Montgomery, and Michael H. Depledge. “Climate warming will not decrease winter mortality.” Nature Climate Change 4.3 (2014): 190-194.
Huang, Cunrui, and Adrian Barnett. “Human impacts: Winter weather and health.” Nature Climate Change 4.3 (2014): 173-174. | <urn:uuid:dffd2355-0df4-4b5c-bc5c-7959b1a3d372> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://climate.yale.edu/news/excessive-winter-deaths-dont-expect-reductions-global-warming | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00004-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943113 | 499 | 3.828125 | 4 |
The Swazis are a Bantu-speaking people who are predominantly Nguni in language and culture. They originate from east central Africa. As part of the Nguni expansion southwards, the Swazis crossed the Limpopo River and settled in southern Tongaland (today called Mozambique) in the late fifteenth century. Their leader was Dlamini, a man of Nguni background.
After 200 years the Swazi people, still under a series of chiefs of the Dlamini clan moved into the region on the Pongola River, where they lived in close proximity to the Ndwandwe people. Later on, economic pressures of land shortage finally brought these two groups to blows, after which battle the Swazis retreated to the central area of modern Swaziland. Here the Swazis continued the process of expansion by conquering numerous small Sotho and Nguni speaking tribes to build up a large composite state today called Swaziland.
Museum Swazi History Swazi Culture Cultural Village Archaeology Monuments
Resources Nature Reserves Tourism
Biodiversity Objectives/Legislation Programmes Miscellaneous | <urn:uuid:d2bdcb61-398f-470f-80a3-6baa500a1c4e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.sntc.org.sz/cultural/swazihistory.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397567.28/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00036-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.925816 | 238 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Protestantism, Third Edition explores the origins, customs, and history of Protestantism, from its beginnings in the Middle Ages to its role in today's world. Current issues, such as the development of new religious denominations, its stance on abortion, the ordination of gays and women, and the relationship between religion and politics, are explored within the framework of the fundamental moral tenets of the faith. This accessible volume also examines the political diversity among people of the Protestant faith.
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Rent Protestantism 3rd edition today, or search our site for other textbooks by Bender Richardson White. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Published by Chelsea House.
Need help ASAP? We have you covered with 24/7 instant online tutoring. Connect with one of our tutors now. | <urn:uuid:9ee86b6d-a259-4d6f-8c95-9e3c796c0148> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.chegg.com/textbooks/protestantism-3rd-edition-9781604131123-1604131128?ii=14&trackid=ee52a17b&omre_ir=1&omre_sp= | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00158-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93904 | 168 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Funeral customs have traditionally varied by religion. In Buddhism, death is prepared for through meditation, and death itself is viewed as a rebirth. Once dead, the body is washed, rituals are performed over it, a wake is held, and then it is typically cremated. Christian custom has changed from an earlier period where a funeral was treated as a joyous occasion to one where it is a time for mourning. In the Roman Catholic Church, the body is prepared for burial, usually by embalming; this is followed by a requiem Mass and burial; additional Masses may be conducted periodically over the next year. Protestant churches usually hold one ceremony, followed by either burial (the usual form) or cremation. Hindu ceremonies are closely tied to a belief in reincarnation. Thus an elaborate set of rituals is conducted, mostly by relatives, to ensure a proper rebirth. Islamic ceremonies include washing and preparing the body, prayers, reading from the Qur'an, and placing the body on the right side facing Mecca for burial (cremation is not practiced). Early Judaism, with perhaps the simplest of all ceremonies, included a prayer service, washing the body and wrapping it in linen, followed by a funeral banquet.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:6e9c978b-10b1-486e-82d8-76e1d13b5643> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.factmonster.com/encyclopedia/society/funeral-customs-religious-customs.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395039.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00166-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959299 | 267 | 3.390625 | 3 |
Why does it matter
Most slips occur in wet or contaminated conditions and most trips are due to poor housekeeping. The solutions are often simple and cost effective, a suitable assessment of the risks should identify the necessary controls and these should include (in no particular order):
- prevention of contamination
- management of spillages and cleaning regimes
- effective matting systems
- choice of suitable footwear
- design of workplace and work activities
- maintenance of plant and the work environment
- specification of appropriate flooring
- effective training and supervision
Did you know?
Slips and trips are the most common cause of major injuries at work and can happen almost anywhere. 95% of major slips result in broken bones and they can also be the initial cause for a range of other types of accident such as a fall from height.
Slips and trips are responsible for, on average:
- over a third of all reported major injuries
- 20% of over-3-day injuries to employees
- 2 fatalities per year
- 50% of all reported accidents to members of the public that happen in workplaces
- cost to employers £512 million per year (lost production and other costs)
- cost to health service £133 million per year
- incalculable human cost
- more major injuries in manufacturing and in the service sectors than any other cause.
The biggest barriers to putting the problems right include:
- People not taking the risks seriously.
- Little understanding of the causes of slipping.
- Thinking that slips and trips are inevitable.
- Poor application of risk assessment and management controls.
But simple cost effective measures can reduce these accidents!
What else do I need to know? | <urn:uuid:d2ce75cd-55d3-4ba3-bd55-94ea69dd831f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.hse.gov.uk/slips/introduction.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00172-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95132 | 349 | 2.96875 | 3 |
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Find definitions of terms, groups, movements, proposals and agreements in the conflict.
May 14, 2008 marked the 60th anniversary of the creation of the modern State of Israel.
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On Oct. 6, 1973, the Jewish holy day Yom Kippur, a two-pronged assault on Israel was launched.
Read about the Palestinian uprising during the late 1980s and early 90s in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Check out this list of books about the conflict.
Back to the main Israeli-Palestinian Conflict page. | <urn:uuid:4d785f7d-edc6-4ed2-9740-cf7d8e08d584> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.infoplease.com/world/countries/israel-palestine-conflict/features.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397213.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00122-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.881443 | 204 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Clear, crisp audio is a critical element in any recording. Here are some things to consider in order to get the best possible results.
- If you're using a camcorder with a built-in microphone, make sure that it's within range of the speaker, or subject. You may get a good picture using zoom features by placing it in the rear of a room, but you'll likely end up with a low audio level for the duration of the video.
- Consider using lavaliere or handheld microphones for most presentations.
- If using a handheld or lavaliere microphone, have the subject repeat audience questions.
- For lavaliere microphones, place the microphone close to the speaker’s mouth. Secure microphone cables to the clothes otherwise you may experience noise as it rubs against clothing.
- For handheld microphones, ensure subjects hold the microphone up to their mouths.
- Apply the "3 to 1 rule": if two microphones are used to mic the same sound source, the microphones must be separated by three times the distance each microphone is from the sound source.
- Verify the gain levels of each microphone optimally before the recording.
- Always put new batteries in a microphone before an event. You wouldn't want to lose sound halfway through an important recording. | <urn:uuid:570c7572-efc7-42fe-88f5-69315a135ac7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cpcc.edu/its/departments/digitalmedia/video-multimedia/best-practices/microphones-audio | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00110-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.892873 | 263 | 2.515625 | 3 |
History and science? I have a 10 y.o. DS who is in 5th grade and I can not find a good starting point for history and science. I was thinking maybe American history first, but not sure what to do.
Science I don't know if there is a specific place I should start or just go with what he likes which is just wanting to do all kinds of experiments, chemistry in the fact that he thinks it's cool when you can blow up something, and he wants to make a engine so he can make his "Johnny 5" lego robot move that he built. | <urn:uuid:d53eddee-5eef-46ed-98b3-e3d24c6b5a5a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cafemom.com/group/114079/forums/read/15446928/Whats_a_good_starting_point_for | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398873.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00038-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.985607 | 122 | 2.640625 | 3 |
More than 40 years after Long Island-based Grumman designed and built the lunar module that landed a man on the moon, another local firm has gone to Mars – where its technology is a key part of NASA’s latest mission.
In its motion control facility in Hauppauge, Plainview-based AeroFlex designed and built actuators, a pivotal element in the technology used by the Mars rover Curiosity for steering and operating the robotic arm used to perform experiments.
“Aeroflex’s actuators will drive the rover wheels, provide steering control, robotic arm joint motion, high-gain antenna and camera controls along with various instrument functions on the mobile robotic rover,” AeroFlex spokesman Andrew Kaminsky said in a written statement.
Aeroflex provided technology being used in the flight, landing and the remainder of mission, whose mandate includes determining whether Mars could support life.
Kaminsky said Aeroflex’s actuators, motors used to move or control parts, were designed to “meet the challenges of the grueling Martian atmosphere including 120 degree Centigrade temperatures and a volatile dust environment.”
He said the actuators include a range of low-, medium- and high-torque designs “that were used in almost every motion-related activity on Curiosity.”
Aeroflex’s high performance microelectronics were used in the spacecraft that transported Curiosity to Mars and in the “revolutionary descent system used to safely land the rover,” Kaminsky said.
With the landing accomplished, AeroFlex’s technology remains a key part of the titanium arm with two joints at the shoulder that can reach about 7.5 feet from the front of the rover. The robotic arm was installed in August 2010.
“The Mars Science Laboratory mission will rely on this robotic arm for many frequently repeated research activities,” according to a statement NASA issued when the rover was being tested on Earth. “One crucial set of moves that has never been performed on Mars will be to pull pulverized samples from the interior of Martian rocks and place them into laboratory instruments inside the rover.”
The robotic arm will use a 73 pound toolkit including a drill; magnifying-lens camera; spectrometer; rock brush and mechanisms for scooping and handling samples.
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- Report points to loss of power in fatal crash | <urn:uuid:eba7b96b-2f0b-4cd9-8e80-76f85a056935> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://libn.com/2012/08/07/aeroflex-technology-used-in-mars-rover-curiosity/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397562.76/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00014-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92769 | 613 | 3.078125 | 3 |
|Nearly 19 million Iraqis in 18 provinces will be eligible to vote in national elections [GALLO/GETTY]
On March 7, Iraq will hold national parliamentary elections in what is believed to be a critical stage in the country's political development since the US-led invasion in 2003.
Iraq previously held national assembly elections in January 2005, and parliamentary elections in December of the same year.
A majority of Sunni politicians (and voters) boycotted the election process in 2005, in what they later admitted to have been a miscalculation which paved the way for Shia dominance of the Iraqi government and parliament.
With nearly 19 million Iraqis eligible to vote this year, turnout at the designated 50,000 polling stations throughout the country's 18 provinces is expected to be high.
What is an open-list electoral system?
In 2005, provincial and national elections were conducted under a "closed list" electoral system, in which voters selected a party or coalition list that in turn selected the individual party member to fill the parliament or council seat.
Voters did not know who was on the list because the Iraqi electoral commission had cited sectarian violence and security precautions as reasons to conceal candidates' names.
Such a system paved the way for widespread accusations of corruption and fraud with allegations that some parties relied on family ties and allies to allot seats.
This year, however, Iraqis will be able to cast their votes for either a political party, coalition or an individual candidate in an "open list" system that allows for direct representation and greater transparency. While the voter can choose to elect a list, they can also choose a preferred candidate within that list.
The open-list electoral system was first applied during provincial elections in January 2009.
How many seats in parliament are up for grabs?
In 2005, Iraqis voted for 275 seats. However, due to population growth at a rate of 2.8 per cent a year, the Iraqi elections commission called on the parliament to amend Iraq's 2005 electoral law to increase the number of allotted seats to every province.
In December 2009, after much dispute in parliament, the number of seats were increased to 325 for Iraq's 18 provinces. This translates roughly to 1 seat per 100,000 people.
Some MPs argued that the amendments decreased the number of seats allotted to minorities and did not take into account Iraqis in exile. One of the two vice-presidents vetoed the amendments, which led to the initial election date of January 20 to be pushed back to March 7, giving time for the amendments to be revised and a compromise to be reached.
According to the Electoral Assistance Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Iraq (Unami), eight of the 325 seats are considered "component seats". Three of these seats are reserved for the Yazidi, Sabeaen, and Shabak ethnic minorities. The remaining five are reserved for the Christian minority in Iraq.
Christians in Iraq have complained that this figure is too low and cannot adequately represent them in parliament.
How many candidates are running this year?
According to the Iraqi High Electoral Commission (IHEC), 6529 candidates representing 86 political entities put in their bids before nomination closed on December 20, 2009.
|In 2009, Maliki broke off from the United Iraqi Alliance and formed a new coalition [GETTY]
What are the main parties and coalitions running this year?
The coalition list which won the 2005 elections is the United Iraqi Alliance (UIA), comprising mainly religious Shia parties. However, in early 2009, the UIA split into the State of Law Coalition, headed by Nouri al-Maliki, the prime minister, and the National Iraqi Alliance (NIA), led by Ammar Hakim.
The State of Law Coalition includes Maliki's Dawa party, the Anbar Salvation Front (an Awakening council party), and other smaller parties led by former MPs.
The NIA, a mostly Shia coalition, includes Hakim's Islamic Supreme Council of Iraq (formerly SCIRI), Ahmed Chalabi's Iraqi National Congress, the Badr Organisation, the Sadrists, breakaway Dawa party members led by former prime minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, the Islamic Virtue Party (Fadhilah), the Shia Turkmen Movement, and other parties.
The Iraqi National Movement, headed by Iyad Allawi, a former prime minister after 2003, crosses sectarian lines and says it is a secularist and nationalist party. Among its chief campaign slogans is its strong opposition to regional interference in Iraqi affairs, a veiled reference to Iran, which is seen to strongly back both the State of Law and NIA coalitions.
It includes Allawi's Iraqi National Accord, the Iraqi Front for National Dialogue, and other mostly smaller Sunni parties.
Since the end of the 1991 Gulf War, the Kurdish political landscape had largely been dominated solely between the two ruling parties – the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) led by Jalal Talabani, the Iraqi president, and the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), chaired by Massoud Barzani.
But the two parties now find themselves threatened by Gorran, or the Movement for Change, chaired by Nawshirwan Mostafa, which first made in-roads during the Kurdish region's provincial elections in July 2009 when it won over voters seeking a multi-party system.
For the first time since 2003, Kurdish parties will not be running as a unified coalition in national elections.
Is there a mechanism to ensure that Iraqi women are fairly represented?
According to the post-2003 Iraqi constitution, parliament should be comprised of no less than 25 per cent female candidates. As a result, the amended electoral law of December 2009 stipulated that parliament should comprise 82 female representatives.
Each party and coalition list must ensure that 25 per cent of its nominated candidates are women. However, the women's quota has not been filled since 2005 and as a result, the elections commission said "special measures" must be implemented to ensure the quota is met.
Women's rights groups in Iraq and abroad have complained that the Iraqi parliament has not provided information on what the measures involve or how it would go about implementing them.
The UN says that more than two million Iraqis who fled the post-2003 violence remain in neighbouring countries or have since been given refuge in the West. Will they have an opportunity to vote?
In December 2009, the national elections commission ended debate whether Iraqis living abroad should be given the opportunity to vote by requesting that Out-of-Country ballots be available in 16 countries. These are Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, Germany, Iran, Jordan, Lebanon, Netherlands, Sweden, Syria, Turkey, UAE, UK, and the US.
According to the UN, elections monitors from the commission as well as from UN agencies will be dispatched to voting centres in these countries.
The new electoral law also made provisions for internally displaced persons (IDPs) which it defined as "an Iraqi who has been forcefully displaced from his permanent place of residence to another place within Iraq after April 9, 2003, for any reason".
The Iraqi government says that some 97,000 IDPs in Iraq will be able to vote anywhere in the country as constituents of their place of origin.
Is the US overseeing these elections?
The elections are led, funded, and managed by the Iraqi government and the IHEC is the only authority administering the elections. Some 300,000 election officials and monitors will be deployed throughout Iraq.
According to the US embassy in Iraq, "the US does not play a direct role in Iraq’s elections operations, but we are supporting the Government of Iraq when requested. US partners are working closely with the GOI to provide technical advice to IHEC, as well as political party training and voter education.
"Embassy Provincial Reconstruction Teams (PRTs) engage with government officials, NGOs and political parties to assess election preparations. United States Forces in Iraq will advise, train and assist Iraqi security forces in support of the parliamentary election and in compliance with the Security Agreement."
The Iraqi government is also receiving support from Unami.
Source: Al Jazeera | <urn:uuid:385e576b-f8a7-4a96-9050-6db504666e54> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.aljazeera.com/focus/iraqelection2010/2010/03/20103244723763210.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397695.90/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00178-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966792 | 1,659 | 2.8125 | 3 |
Return to Index
Normal Cell Growth and Development
In normal tissues, the rates of new cell growth and old cell death are kept in balance. Every day thousands of our body’s cells die off. Every day exactly the right number of exactly the right types of cells take the place of those that die off. And if everything is in proper working order, we never even notice.
Normal Cell Growth
The Cell Cycle
To illustrate this process, let’s look at the cells of the epidermis (the outermost layer of the skin). The outer layer of the skin is approximately two dozen cells thick. Under normal circumstances, cells at the bottom of this layer, called the basal layer, divide at exactly the same rate as dead cells are shed from the surface. Each time one of these basal cells divides, it produces two cells. One remains in the basal layer and goes on to divide again. The other migrates out of the basal layer and can no longer divide. This way, the number of dividing cells in the basal layer, and the number of non-dividing cells in the outer layer stays the same. Image 1 illustrates normal cell growth.
|Image 1: Normal Cell Growth|
In order for this process to unfold with such precision, 2 important cellular processes must balance each other perfectly:
Proliferation refers to the growth and reproduction of cells. Apoptosis (cell suicide) is the mechanism by which old or damaged cells normally self-destruct. If these carefully balanced processes are disrupted and cells proliferate uncontrollably, fail to die off at the appropriate time, or both, the end result may be cancer. Image 2 illustrates the difference between normal cell division and cancerous cell division.
|Image 2: Normal Cell Division|
In order to proliferate, both normal and cancerous cells must undergo the process of cell division. This process is the end result of the cell cycle. The cell cycle has 2 major phases:
Mitosis is the process by which a parent cell produces a pair of genetically identical daughter cells. It is part of the normal cell cycle. The cell cycle is divided into 2 distinct periods:
- Interphase (cell growth)
- Mitotic phase (cell division)
Interphase is the period of a cell’s life when it carries out its normal growth and metabolic activities. It is also the time during which a cell undergoes a closely ordered sequence of activities in preparation for cell division.
Interphase is made up of 3 sub-phases. During the G1 phase, the cell produces the proteins needed to copy the cellular DNA, which occurs during the second S phase of the cell cycle. There must be 2 identical copies of the DNA so that one copy is passed to each of the daughter cells. During the final G2 phase, which lies between the replication of the DNA and the beginning of mitosis (when the cell actually divides), the cell produces proteins needed for cell division.
Image 3 illustrates the phases of the cell cycle. See the Focus Box below to learn more about how chemotherapy drugs are designed to disrupt this cycle.
|Image 3: Cell Cycle|
Focus Box: Chemotherapy Drugs
Many chemotherapy drugs are designed to attack cancer cells during a specific phase of the cell cycle where they interrupt the process of cell division. For example, antimetabolites destroy cells that are in the S phase of the cell cycle, while alkylating agents destroy cells in multiple phases of the cell cycle. This is part of the rationale for using combination chemotherapy. Since most tumors are heterogeneous, meaning they are made up of cells in different phases of the cell cycle, they are sensitive to different types of drugs. Combining different chemotherapeutic agents therefore, increases the likelihood that more cancer cells will be destroyed, which in turn, increases the overall effectiveness of the therapy. This approach also allows doctors to gain maximum effect from the treatment without increasing the risk of unpleasant side effects because the dosage of each individual drug is lower. To learn more about the different classes of chemotherapeutic drugs, refer to chemotherapy treatment.
During normal mitosis, the parent cell splits into 2 perfectly identical daughter cells, each containing one copy of DNA. After mitosis, the new daughter cells will either enter another G1 phase and divide again (like the cells of the basal layer of the epidermis), or they may enter a G0 phase, during which no mitosis-related activity occurs. G0 may last for days (like the cells in the outer layer of the epidermis), weeks, years, or a lifetime. Image 4 illustrates the processes of cell mitosis and division.
|Image 4: Cell mitosis and division.|
Cellular differentiation is the process by which a cell changes its structure so that it can perform a specific function. Cells can range from poorly differentiated to well-differentiated. The most poorly differentiated cells (generally called stem cells) are capable of acquiring a range of new functions. Stem cells are important to your overall health. For example, after severe trauma, they provide a pool of cells that can differentiate into specific cell types and repair tissue. Well-differentiated cells are mature, fully developed cells that are ready to carry out their particular function. A good example of cell differentiation is blood cells. There are 3 major types of blood cells: red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. Each has specific characteristics, functions, and life spans, yet all have differentiated from stem cells. Image 5 illustrates the process of cellular differentiation. See the Focus Box below to learn more about the relationship between cell differentiation and cancer.
|Image 5: Cell differentiation|
Focus Box: Cell Differentiation and Cancer
Cell differentiation is important to the study of cancer because a cell’s degree of differentiation is associated with its ability to proliferate. Poorly differentiated cells are highly proliferative, moderately differentiated cells are moderately proliferative, and well-differentiated cells are either unable to proliferate or proliferate at a very slow rate. Aggressive cancers are often characterized by poorly differentiated cells, while less aggressive cancers tend to contain moderately or well-differentiated cells. To learn more about how a cancer cell’s degree of differentiation affects a patient’s prognosis and a doctor’s treatment strategy, see the Cancer Staging and Grading section in Cancer 201.
In healthy tissues, the processes of mitosis and differentiation are tightly regulated. This is how the body ensures that only the correct number of cells is produced. The body has 2 methods for controlling the rate of cell proliferation:
- Growth factors
- Contact inhibition
Growth factors stimulate mitosis and/or cellular differentiation. If a cell needs to be replaced (due to damage, natural apoptosis, or some other reason), it will secrete growth factors that stimulate the cell to either undergo mitosis or differentiate.
Contact inhibition stops cells from proliferating. Normally, individual cells maintain a small amount of “personal space”. Under normal conditions, cells that become crowded and begin to touch each other will simply stop growing. Exactly how contact inhibition works is still unknown, however scientists believe that contact between cells triggers the release of growth inhibitory factors. Unlike growth factors, growth inhibitory factors tell cells to stop dividing.
Abnormal Cell Growth
In order for the tissues of the body to maintain such precise control over the growth of its cells, it has developed a system of feedback loops that detect and compensate for deviations from the norm. For every situation controlled by a feedback loop, the body has a set point it recognizes as normal. One example of this is your own body temperature. If your body temperature becomes too warm, a series of physiologic reactions are triggered in an effort reset it. If your body’s temperature becomes too cold, a different series of reactions are triggered to warm you up. This is an example of a negative feedback loop. In a positive feedback loop, changes in one direction tend to produce even more change in that same direction, such as the stages of labor that lead to childbirth.
In the case of normal cell proliferation,when the appropriate number of cells has been produced (and cells begin to crowd each other) growth inhibitory factors trigger a negative feedback mechanism to reduce the rate of cell growth. While positive feedback can occur normally, the production of excess growth factors by cells drives an abnormal positive feedback loop.
Not all abnormally growing cells are cancerous. For example, the term hyperplasia refers to a type of noncancerous growth consisting of rapidly dividing cells, which leads to a larger than usual number of structurally normal cells. Hyperplasia may be a normal tissue response to an irritating stimulus. Calluses that form on your hand when you first learn to swing a tennis racket or a golf club is an example of hyperplastic skin cells. Although hyperplasia is considered reversible, it some cases it indicates an increased risk of cancer. An example is hyperplasia of the lining of the uterus (endometrium).
Dysplasia is another noncancerous type of abnormal cell growth characterized by the loss of normal tissue arrangement and cell structure. Dysplastic cells lose the normal architecture that characterizes normal tissues, and may show physical and chemical changes that distinguish them from their normal counterparts. They may have changes in their DNA, or they may have visible changes in their cell structures (especially the cell nucleus) that can be seen under the microscope. These visible changes are often useful in detecting dysplasia early, before it progresses, as it sometimes (but not always) does lead to cancer. An example is cervical dysplasia, which may become cervical cancer if left untreated over a long period of time.
The most severe form of dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, can actually be considered a form of cancer. In Latin, the term "in situ" means "in place". Carcinoma in situ refers to an uncontrolled growth of cells that remains in the original location (in place) without invading surrounding tissue, as cancer cells eventually do. Carcinoma in situ however, is considered more serious than moderate dysplasia because the risk of local invasion is much higher. This is why, when discovered, carcinoma in situ is usually removed surgically. Image 6 illustrates the different types of abnormal cell growth.
|Image 6: Types of abnormal cell growth|
Cellular and molecular basis of cancer. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology-and-oncology/overview-of-cancer/cellular-and-molecular-basis-of-cancer. Updated July 2013. Accessed May 1, 2015.
Introduction to overview of cancer. Merck Manual Professional Version website. Available at: http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/hematology-and-oncology/overview-of-cancer/introduction-to-overview-of-cancer. Updated July 2013. Accessed May 1, 2015.
Learning about chemotherapy treatment. American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/treatmenttypes/chemotherapy/understandingchemotherapyaguideforpatientsandfamilies/understanding-chemotherapy-learning-what-is-it-how-it-works. Updated August 24, 2014. Accessed May 1, 2015.
Marieb EN. Human Anatomy and Physiology. 2nd ed. Redwood City, CA: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, Inc;1992.
What is cancer? American Cancer Society website. Available at: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/what-is-cancer. Updated April 15, 2015. Accessed May 1, 2015.
What is cancer? National Cancer Institute website. Available at: http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/what-is-cancer. Accessed May 1, 2015.
- Reviewer: Mohei Abouzied, MD
- Review Date: 01/2016
- Update Date: 05/01/2015 | <urn:uuid:f99f5bdb-768f-4f8f-8c81-96d5a3161ae0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://centegra.org/a-z-health-topics/?chunkid=36702&lang=English&db=hlt | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00156-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.922132 | 2,505 | 4.03125 | 4 |
Information about Titan
How could Titan become more hospitable?
Pictures of Titan
A movie of Titan's atmosphere
Site information and sources
Astrobiology is the search
for life on other worlds. As
unbelievable as that might sound, theoretically all you need for life is
organic components, (molecules with both carbon and hydrogen) an energy
source, and water. (preferably
liquid water) None of these
things are overly rare, so some scientists believe that life could
actually be very common throughout the universe.
In fact, there are several worlds inside our own solar system that
have several of these three components, and are therefore suspected of
harboring living creatures.
While life itself may be a common occurrence, multi-celled
organisms are probably not. Most
of our current astrobiological expeditions do not actually leave the
planet, instead they study extreme environments on Earth that may be
similar to those on other worlds. It
was previously believed that no life could life in areas toxic to us, or
under the pressure of the oceanís water, or in extremely hot areas, yet
on earth we have found an abundance of single celled bacteria in such
places. But while those
single celled organisms, called extremophiles, may thrive in their
environments, it is very unlikely that multi-celled organisms could evolve
It was also previously believed that the only place life could
exist was in a solar systemís habitable zone, an area around the star
that is close enough that a planet orbiting at this distance to get a good
supply of energy, but is far enough that it will not be scorched by the
star. Also, it is the distance where water can exist in a liquid
state. However, contrary to
previous belief, radiation from a star is not the only possible sufficient
source of energy. Some worlds
in the outer solar system have their own energy sources, which may be
enough to support life. The
habitable zone is the best place to look for life, but it is no longer
believed to be the only possibility.
Saturnís moon Titan, despite being far out of the habitable zone, is ranked among the most likely worlds in the
solar system to support single celled organisms. | <urn:uuid:0b16656f-f8f2-4c0c-9056-ecf60510d1ef> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://faculty.cascadia.edu/jvanleer/astro%20sum01/titan%20web%20site/mainpage.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399385.17/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00169-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.943784 | 486 | 3.46875 | 3 |
Four billion new reasons why food will become a local government issue
Citywatch: Whether it’s action or traction in the food world, cities are stepping up to the plate. The world is fast going urban, as are challenges of social, economic and environmental well-being. Citywatch is crucial to Worldwatch. Wayne Roberts, retired manager of the world-renowned Toronto Food Policy Council, has his eye out for the future of food in the city.
Last week, the flashbulb explosion met the population explosion, as news cameras clicked at several newborns identified as the seventh billion humans in the world. Now that the global birthday party is over, it’s time for new thinking about preparing food for a party of seven billion.
Any amount of food multiplied by seven billion is going to be a big number. Resources required will be almost seven times higher than when Thomas Malthus wrote his famous essay on human population, with its doomsday prediction that food production could never expand as rapidly as population growth, thereby condemning large numbers to hunger and want. And there’s little doubt the number will get larger, likely nine billion by 2050.
Human numbers have climbed from about 200 million in Christ’s time, to about a billion at the time of the American and French Revolutions, to some 3.5 billion during the 1960s era of birth control pills and “sexual revolution”—the term “population bomb” was coined in that decade—and then started hitting new growth plateaus every decade, not every other century or millennia. Nine billion people are expected for the birthday party in 2050.
Many see that pace of population growth as a forerunner to doomsday scenarios of some kind, especially if there’s a “perfect storm” of overpopulation, resource depletion (fossil fuels in particular), collapse of bio-diversity and climate chaos. How now brown cow, many prominent scientists and food analysts ask. Be afraid, be very afraid.
But food and population numbers may be one more example that size isn’t everything. While recognizing the need for deep-seated changes, there’s good reason to suspect fear-mongering about some of the food estimates. First, the predicted scale of demand for food production increases could well be way off. Equally important, the assumed location of the disaster and the presumed key actors in avoiding disaster may be different than commonly assumed.
My counter-scenario has two elements: first, that we can nourish as many as nine billion people without breakthroughs in food production technology; and second that cities and not some impersonal “world” have the tools at hand to address the challenges. Development of human agency and civic capacity will tell the tale, not technology.
Vanessa Baird, author of The No Nonsense Guide to World Population, argues in the November 2011 New Internationalist that the “population frenzy” is whipped up by biotech, high-input agriculture and nuclear interest groups that stand to benefit if people are numbed by numbers into accepting that there’s no alternative to high-risk technologies.
Likewise, the United Kingdom’s Soil Association, highly respected among organic advocates, matches solid investigative reporting with a far-out title in its publication Telling porkies: The big fat lie about doubling food production. Double or nothing scenarios presented by well-positioned British scientists, as well as by the United Nations’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) are based on assumptions that will likely be proven dead wrong, it’s argued. The scare scenario, for example, assumes consumption of meat and milk products will continue to rise to Western norms and be raised on Western animal feeds (grains and soybeans instead of grass), without anyone taking action to prevent the epidemic levels of chronic disease or wholesale expansion of grain and soy crops associated with diets delivering so much animal fat.
The doubling scenario also assumes no-one will bring food waste—estimated by authorities such as University of Manitoba geographer Vaclav Smil to be half the food that’s produced—under control by conserving food instead of producing more waste.
In other words, the mind-numbing numbers rely on an assumption of zero human agency capable of managing problems.
Neglect of cities as both locations of need and places of agency is also notable in the doomsday scenarios. This reflects the conventional biases of an impersonal and placeless globalized food system, which treats one face to feed somewhere the same as one face anywhere.
Cities, where people are now almost totally dependent on food that’s brought to them from outside, have many reasons to take this challenge up, albeit with less resources and coordination than nation states and international organizations command. But since nation states and international organizations don’t use their power, city residents may well conclude that a tool in the hand is better than two in the imaginary bushes.
Making do with the power at hand is likely, given the vulnerability of city residents to the new kid on the block of food security—speculators—a more threatening kid than increases in human population, and one that’s not offset by increases in agricultural productivity.
Speculation in food is similar to that long associated with penny stocks, land, housing bubbles, dot com crazes and currencies.
Short-term speculative trades in food-related commodities, quite distinct from both long-term investment and short-term rises and falls in food supply, came to $376 billion in 2010—a 50-fold increase over ten years—according to Hazel Healey, writing in this November’s issue of New Internationalist. In 2011, spending on food derivatives, one speculative device made infamous by the wreckage of the punctured housing bubble in 2008, came to $126 billion, Healey says.
Speculation in food staples was initiated by investment bankers Goldman Sachs in 1991, according to Food First executive director Eric Holt Gimenez in the Huffington Post, and deregulated by US president Bill Clinton nine years later. Several analysts, most notably Peter Wahl of the German NGO, WEED (World Economy, Ecology and Development) blame speculation for the food price crisis of 2008, the first instance of runaway food prices in over 50 years.
To protect their citizens from such predation in the future, cities will likely revert to their role prior to the late 1800s, when their historic role as protectors of local food access came to an end.
Historian Carolyn Steel, author of The Hungry City, says today’s city planners (the same could be said for public health professionals) came on the scene just as fast ships on the ocean and extensive railways on the land ensured, for the first time in history, ready supplies of urban food—without deliberate planning by local governments. The invisible hand of the market morphed with the invisible land of food production, the punful food historian shows.
Planning without regard to local food supply may have worked a century ago, when the world’s population was three billion, mostly rural people, and when cities of a million were considered huge. But in today’s world, there are almost 4 billion urban people’s worth of reasons to classify such thinking as stale, well beyond its best-before date.
Although municipal food planning capacity has, with few exceptions, become scarcer than hen’s teeth, organizations such as the American Planning Association are now stepping up to the plate and food policy councils, such as the one I staffed for Toronto over the past decade, are growing quickly – with about 150 such organizations across North America now.
Greenbelts, such as the relatively new one surrounding the Greater Toronto Area (now the world’s largest) will become the norm, as will other devices such as land trusts and covenants in deeds preventing future sale of farm land for non-farm purposes . Since farmer protection is as essential as farmland protection, there will also be more efforts to support local farmers, such as the farmers markets that have exploded in the food retail scene faster than any other retail trend in the industry. City government purchases of local and sustainable food – perhaps best practiced by Markham, Ontario – will also ensure farmers can make a living on land near to cities.
As city populations without direct access to food face speculators controlling food staples from afar, expect some four billion pressure points on city planners and others to find nearby and loyal sources of food.
It’s not speculation to say that is the big food trend to watch for, as the world moves from seven to nine billion people.
What do you think? Leave a comment below.
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This is a community site and the discussion is moderated. The rules in brief: no personal abuse and no climate denial. Complete Guidelines. | <urn:uuid:0127d6f9-2759-459f-81b8-5570aba55662> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.resilience.org/stories/2011-11-15/four-billion-new-reasons-why-food-will-become-local-government-issue | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00141-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947646 | 1,824 | 2.765625 | 3 |
Your baby just celebrated his first birthday and the pediatrician gives you the green light to try eggs. Soon after he eats the scrambled eggs you whipped up, his nose is running and he starts coughing. Could he be allergic to eggs?
Contrary to popular belief, food allergies aren't all that common, even among children. Just 6 percent of children are allergic in the true sense of the word. That said, food allergies are more prevalent in infants and children under 3.
Fortunately, most children outgrow this problem: Only 1 percent to 2 percent of adults have food allergies.
Furthermore, a mere eight foods cause 90 percent of all food allergies: milk, eggs, peanuts, soy and soybeans, tree nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts, cashews), fish, shellfish and wheat. Among kids, the most common reactions occur in infancy to milk, eggs, soy and wheat.
Inheriting your allergies
If parents have food allergies, their children are more likely to develop a food allergy as they move to solid foods. Breastfeeding for at least 6 months can delay the onset by delaying the exposure to likely culprits, such as cow's milk or soy found in baby formulas. But there is no conclusive evidence breast-feeding prevents allergies altogether.
The onset of allergies also may depend on how early potentially problematic foods are introduced into a child's diet. That's why allergists recommend avoiding certain foods until the child is older: wheat, for example, until 7 to 10 months, or eggs until 9 to 12 months. This is particularly important with a family history of allergies.
Start by offering foods with the lowest allergy potential and monitor your baby's reaction. Offer only single-ingredient foods and wait three to five days before adding another.
Although it is not known for sure, allergies to foods like milk, soy, eggs, and wheat that occur in young children and are often outgrown may be the result of immunologic immaturity. Older kids and adults may lose sensitivity if the responsible allergen can be identified and eliminated, but some food allergies can last forever, particularly those to peanuts and shellfish.
Allergy or intolerance?
A food allergy is an overreaction by the immune system to an ordinarily harmless food. The parts that cause an allergic reaction--known as allergens--are usually proteins.
"The body identifies the allergen as an invader and to protect itself, creates antibodies called immunoglobulin E, or IgE," said Dr. Anita Gewurz, director of the Allergy/Immunology Training Program of Rush Medical College and Hospital, and an allergist at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke's Medical Center in Chicago. "The immune system then releases substances like histamines and other inflammatory substances within minutes, causing an allergic reaction to result that might affect the skin, respiratory system, or gastrointestinal tract."
Although often mistaken for a food allergy, a food intolerance is much more common. An intolerance doesn't involve the immune system. For example, a person may experience abdominal cramps after drinking milk, but this reaction is much more likely to be caused by lactose intolerance (in which a person lacks the enzymes to digest milk sugars) than by an allergy to milk proteins.
Intolerances also may be adverse reactions to ingredients that enhance taste, provide color, or act as preservatives. Those ingredients most frequently cited in adverse reactions are yellow dye No. 5, monosodium glutamate and sulfites. Reactions to food dyes are very rare, though, occurring in less than 1 percent of children and less than 1 in 500 adults.
Although people with intolerances often can eat small amounts of offending foods without triggering a reaction, people with known allergies must avoid them.
How to spot a food allergy
Symptoms may occur after a person consumes even a tiny amount of the offending food. "The most common (reaction) is itching and redness of the skin," Gewurz said. "If the food is repeatedly eaten, the skin may become chronically red, itchy, dry and scaly." Hives and eczema also may occur.
"More serious food allergies can lead to gastrointestinal distresses, such as vomiting or diarrhea, or respiratory symptoms like sneezing, runny nose and shortness of breath," she added. These symptoms can show up a few minutes or a few hours after eating a food.
Much more rarely, allergies can lead to anaphylaxis, characterized by a rapid onset of many simultaneous reactions: itching, hives, difficulty breathing, swelling of the throat, dropping blood pressure, and sometimes unconsciousness. Emergency treatment includes injecting epinephrine to open up the airways and blood vessels. People with severe reactions should carry self-injectible epinephrine.
Testing for allergies | <urn:uuid:bf8efe04-6a37-4c8c-a59d-58a7ce47cce6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2001-06-27/entertainment/0106270170_1_soy-and-wheat-allergy-or-intolerance-allergen | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00000-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95278 | 997 | 3.25 | 3 |
|InfoVis.net>Magazine>message nº 184||Published 2006-10-16|
|También disponible en Español|
The digital magazine of InfoVis.net
Colour plays an important, yet not indispensable, role in data visualisation as we have seen already in other articles about colour within the scope of this digital magazine.
Cynthia Brewer in her page Color Use Guidelines for Mapping and Visualization proposes a set of recommendations for the use of colour in cartographic and visualisation applications that we intend to review here in summarised form as a complement of the previous article.
According to C. Brewer the simplest recommendation that one usually receives about the use of colour in cartography is using hue to represent categorical differences (blue for rivers, brown for mountains green for lowlands...) and saturation to show ordered differences (lighter green, lower lands, etc.).
One of the aspects that Cynthia Brewer highlights of colour is its three-dimensionality. We will not extend ourselves about the colour models that make its codification possible. On the computer world the RGB (Red, Green, Blue) model dominates. It combines the three primary elements of the cathodic ray tubes (CRTs) phosphor and later on the three filters of LCD displays. Printers use to adhere to the CMY model that refers to the primary Cyan, Magenta and Yellow inks. Many design programs use also HSB where the three elements are Hue (the hue of colour), Saturation (how pure it is, a saturated colour has no white in its composition) and Brightness (also called Value in the HSV model).
The latter is closer than the others to more sophisticated perceptual models of colour and makes it simpler to specify a colour since its three dimensions refer to concepts bound to intuition, even though it is completely equivalent to RGB and both of them can be transformed one into the other very easily.
In any case all of them are three-dimensional and, hence, it is of our interest to use cleverly each one of those dimensions. The users of our graphical representations don't ever think in technical but in perceptual terms regarding colour. For any of us it's simpler to describe a colur as for example "light blue" than giving the proportions of red green and blue or the corresponding CMY coordinates. Hence It's important to play appropriately with the perceptual magnitudes of colour.
Brewer considers 4 diferent types of colour schemes and proposes a colour system fitting each one of them:
Finally these four possibilities can be combined among them to obtain up to 10 commendable bivariate schemes. At the beginning of this article you can see an adaptation of the way Brewer presents said combinations. In this case the data has two variables that can be of any of the above mentioned types.
For example we could want to represent the increase or decrease of value (diverging) in the stock market along with its volume of business (sequential). It's worth following th links of the original page of Brewer to see the multiple examples of application of these schemes. In that representation some values appear together with the colours (y, n, etc). Its only purpose is to give an example of what the values could represent. Although the matrices are 2x3 and 3x3 in dimensions it's very easy to widen the number of shades to be represented just by adding intermediate colours.
The main limitation of Brewer's colour guidelines is that it has been thought out for the representation of data variables that have a specific location in the graphic space and the colour appears precisely in that location. This covers cartographic maps, isoline maps where colour fills the space between the isolines, choropleth maps or area maps depicting categories. This limitation leaves us, nevertheless, with a wide range of applications that can benefit from the use of these guidelines.
Cynthia A. Brewer, 1994, "Color Use Guidelines for Mapping and Visualization", Chapter 7 (pp. 123-147) in Visualization in Modern Cartography, edited by A.M. MacEachren and D.R.F. Taylor, Elsevier Science, Tarrytown, NY.
See also the interesting interactive tool ColorBrewer devoted to help finding the appropriate colour scheme.
Links of this issue:
Subscribe to the free newsletter | <urn:uuid:40e6a6e3-5d9f-4cc4-b1e8-0289649f5059> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://infovis.net/printMag.php?num=184&lang=2 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00185-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.916238 | 888 | 3.21875 | 3 |
|Introduction to Field Geology|
|INTRO FLD GEOL|
|CLASS CODE:||GEOL 210||CREDITS: 1||FEE: $50.00|
|DIVISION:||PHYSICAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING|
|GENERAL EDUCATION:||This course does not fulfill a General Education requirement.|
|CATALOG DESCRIPTION:||One week field course covering basic methods of observing, collecting, and recording field data. Students register for this course as part of the fall semester. Field work for the course takes place the week prior to the start of the fall semester.|
|DESCRIPTION:||Field projects will involve use of Brunton compass, GPS, topographic maps, and aerial photos. Basic techniques for plotting field data on maps and photos, collecting samples, recording meaningful field notes, measuring and describing stratigraphic sections, and determining attitutes of rock bodies and geologic structures will be taught in various field localities in Southeastern Idaho, Southern Montana, and Eastern Wyoming. Data will be completed into reports after returning to campus.|
|TOPICS:||1. Using a Brunton compass, GPS, and topography to accurately locate ones self in the field.
2. Plotting field data on topographic maps and aerial photos.
3. Measuring strike and dip, and trend and plunge of geologic structures with a Brunton compass.
4. Taking meaningful field notes.
5. Sample collection techniques: rock samples, oriented samples, photos, etc.
6. Techniques for measuring stratigraphic sections.
7. Measuring and recording data required to construct structure sections.
8. Instruction on presenting data as graphic stratigraphic and structure sections.
9. Producing a simple geologic map.
|OBJECTIVES:||To furnish students with basic field skills that will be required in order to gather data during field projects in subsequent (upper division) geology courses.|
|REQUIREMENTS:||Personal field gear including: canteen, hand lens, rock hammer, field notebook, colored pencils, camera and film, etc. Contact instructor for detailed schedule and supplies list by the end of July.|
|PREREQUISITES:||Geol 112 or instructor’s consent.|
|OTHER:||The field portion of this class will be taught during the week between the end of the summer semester and the beginning of fall semester in order not to conflict with the regular class schedule. Final report compilation will be done during the first block of fall semester.
|EFFECTIVE DATE:||August 2002| | <urn:uuid:6cf4bf9d-e00f-4836-8d33-aff9b6eae41f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www2.byui.edu/catalog-archive/2003-2004/class.asp937.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00032-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.844597 | 549 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Rosalynn Carter Upbeat About Treating Depression
By John Morgan, Spotlight Health
Carter says recovering from depression starts with getting help.
With medical adviser Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.
Former first lady Rosalynn Carter knows that mental illness has long thrived
in the shadows of stigma and shame. That's why as part of her ongoing commitment
to improving mental health, Carter is helping illuminate the truth about depression.
"I have had friends and close associates who suffered
from clinical depression and situational depression," Carter says. "For them,
early recognition and diagnosis has been the biggest difficulty to overcome.
But once the proper diagnosis was made, almost everyone I know who suffered
from depression has been able to get highly effective treatment, or a combination
of treatments, which has allowed them to recover fully and lead healthy, normal
Annually, about 19 million American adults suffer from depression or depressive
disorders, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Women suffer
at almost twice the rate of men. The most prevalent of these illnesses is major
depressive disorder - or more commonly called clinical depression. Depression
is the leading cause of disability in the United States, and the fourth leading
cause of disability in the world.
But getting depressed about day-to-day negative events is markedly different
from clinical depression, which must persist for longer than two weeks.
Depression is diagnosed by a clinical exam, including a detailed patient history.
Often additional supporting information is obtained from spouses or family members.
While they are not used to confirm the diagnosis, medical tests are sometimes
performed to rule out other medical conditions that can cause depression, such
as thyroid disease.
Symptoms of clinical depression include:
- Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness and helplessness
- Persistent sadness and/or anxiety
- Decreased energy or fatigue
- Insomnia or oversleeping
- Apathy or loss of interest in enjoyable activities
- Memory and/or concentration problems
- Weight loss or weight gain, loss of appetite
- Suicidal thoughts and/or suicide attempts
The good news is depression can be effectively treated.
"There are a variety of treatments available, including
medications and talk therapy, and combinations of the two," Carter says. "The
vast majority of people can recover from an occurrence of depression."
"In some people the combination of medication and psychotherapy works better
than either on its own," says Michael Gitlin, professor of psychiatry at UCLA
and director of the Mood Disorders Clinic at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Hospital.
"There's no real evidence that everyone needs both however. Some people do just
fine with only medication, and others do great with therapy alone. But there's
a general sense in the field that the more severely depressed a person is the
more likely it is that medication will be necessary for an optimum response
But ongoing studies have raised concerns that the most widely prescribed antidepression
medications may be exacerbating the very problem they are supposed to treat.
On Monday, the FDA issued a public health advisory cautioning physicians and
patients about the possibility that 10 commonly prescribed antidepressants --
Effexor, Celexa, Lexapro, Luvox, Paxil, Prozac, Remeron, Serzone, Wellbutrin
and Zoloft -- might actually make depression or suicidal thinking worse. The
FDA advises that particularly close attention should be paid to teens and children
receiving the medications.
The FDA also advised that warning labels accompany the medications, which are
predominantly of class of medications called selective serotonin-reuptake inhibitors.
SSRIs increase the amount of serotonin available to brain cells by blocking
the reuptake of serotonin.
"Wellbutrin, Effexor, Remeron and Serzone are not SSRIs but each is in its
own class of medications," Gitlin explains. "I have not seen the data yet, but
I'm at a loss as to why the warning refers to some of the less strong serotonergic
drugs like Remeron or Serzone. And Wellbutrin has no serotonergic effect."
All the ten drugs included in the FDA warning share about the same response
"There is some conflicting evidence right now that the non-SSRIs may cause
people to get a higher level of response than the SSRIs," Gitlin says. "All
of the SSRIs have a relatively low side effect profile - primarily some sexual
side effects. Some are more sedating. Others can be activating, and all can
cause a little bit of nausea."
Gitlin and other mental health experts are a little concerned about the FDA's
On the one hand Gitlin understands that regulatory bodies want to err on the
side of caution to make sure everyone, both physicians and patients, are adequately
warned about potential risks of medications.
"On the other hand I think we have to be careful to avoid focusing on rare
risks too quickly when we don't even know what the risk really is and how frequently
it occurs," Gitlin says. "All of us are especially concerned that in general
the best way to prevent suicide is to treat the underlying disorder that makes
people suicidal. The link between suicide and depression is enormous."
In fact, depression is the single largest cause of suicide. And while counseling
is an alternative to medications, research shows that the more severe cases
of depression are more likely to benefit from antidepression medication.
"Our concern is people will be so focused on this information that they decide
not to get treated with an antidepressant," Gitlin states. "We don't want to
end up withholding treatment from those people who need it the most."
There are other medications besides the newer classes of antidepressants. Two
older classes of antidepressant are tricyclics and MAO inhibitors. Neither was
included in the FDA's warning.
"These medications have been around since the 1950s and are less well tolerated
but just as effective as the newer medications," Gitlin says. "As with every
other disorder, there are no perfect treatments. Every treatment has some risk
associated with it. We shouldn't take that fact and use it to deny appropriate
treatment for people who are suffering any significant disorder like depression."
But what type of medication a person takes only happens after a person seeks
treatment. And while for the first time in 25 years mental health practitioners
believe recovery from mental illnesses is now a real possibility, millions continue
to go untreated.
"Stigma is still a primary obstacle preventing Americans with mental illnesses
from getting the excellent care they deserve," Carter says. "In general, at
The Carter Center we are very concerned about addressing the barriers to care
such as stigma, and we are working to end discrimination in insurance coverage
for mental health."
By erasing stigma and securing insurance parity, the hope is that people will
seek treatment for mental illness when they need it -- just like they seek help
for other health problems.
That help may come from a primary care doctor or other health professionals.
And Carter points out that the family members and loved ones can also help depressives
seek the help and treatment they need.
"Obviously, seeking help
is the best first step," Carter notes. "We know so much more now about the brain
and about effective treatments, including psychosocial supports, for even the
most severe mental illnesses. In fact, we now talk about people recovering
from their mental illnesses. That was unthinkable at one time."
For more information on depression, click here.
is the leading creator of celebrity-featured health-issue awareness campaigns,
connecting consumers with impassioned celebrities whose personal health battles
can open eyes, dispel myths and change lives. Spotlight Health helps sufferers
and caregivers meet the challenges of difficult health circumstances with understandable,
in-depth medical information, compassionate support and the inspiration needed
to make informed healthcare choices.
Created: 3/28/2004 - John Morgan & Stephen A. Shoop, M.D.
Reviewed: 3/28/2004 - Donnica Moore, M.D. | <urn:uuid:aa232aff-4751-4199-afb2-e45a2d417ab4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://drdonnica.com/celebrities/00008441.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399106.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940502 | 1,720 | 3 | 3 |
Divers retrieve the test vehicle for NASA's Low-Density Supersonic Decelerator off the coast of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Missile Range Facility in Kauai, Hawaii. On June 28, 2014, the vehicle was lifted to near-space with the help of a balloon and rocket in order to test new Mars landing technologies. The divers, from the U.S. Navy's Explosive Ordnance Disposal team, retrieved the vehicle hours after the successful test.
NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate funds the LDSD mission, a cooperative effort led by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. NASA's Technology Demonstration Mission program manages LDSD at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama. NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, coordinated support with the Pacific Missile Range Facility, provided the core electrical systems for the test vehicle, and coordinated the balloon and recovery services for the LDSD test.
For more information about the LDSD space technology demonstration mission: http://go.usa.gov/kzZQz. | <urn:uuid:4ae3a7ee-a2fe-49bb-8786-45ea8216338c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/details.php?id=PIA18465 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397428.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00170-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.870847 | 222 | 2.90625 | 3 |
This video gives more detail about the mathematical principles presented in Complementary Angles.
This video shows how to work step-by-step through one or more of the examples in Complementary Angles.
Ten problem quiz, short answers. Students need to solve for missing complementary angles, both with simple arithmetic and algebraically. One problem requires that students identify a complementary angle and prove that it is complementary to the original angle.
A list of student-submitted discussion questions for Complementary Angles.
This study guide reviews angle nomenclature, how to measure angles, different types of angles, congruent angles, and angle pairs. | <urn:uuid:66613026-e24f-4581-b6a0-4a54dd51d7f4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ck12.org/geometry/Complementary-Angles/?difficulty=at+grade&by=ck12 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00026-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.87587 | 135 | 3.953125 | 4 |
Rua Kēnana, of Ngāi Tūhoe, was born in 1868 or 1869. When Te Kooti died in 1893 he claimed to be the successor named Hepetipa (Hephzibah) whom Te Kooti had prophesied would complete his work by regaining the land.
His claims divided the Ringatū Church founded by Te Kooti. Many Tūhoe saw Rua as a symbol of a new era in which their lost lands would be returned and kept in their name. In 1907 he built a new religious community at the foot of Maungapōhatu, the mountain sacred to Tūhoe.
In 1910 Rua sold 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) of Tūhoe land for £31,000 (equivalent to nearly $5 million in 2011). He planned to use this money to develop his community at Maungapōhatu. He also hoped that roads and railways would make it economically viable. None of this happened. People in the settlement continued to die because of harsh winters, poor diet and poor housing. By 1913 Rua’s community had declined from 500–600 people to about 30 families.
The government was suspicious of Rua, and the Tohunga Suppression Act 1907 was aimed mainly at him. When the First World War broke out, he was accused of sedition because he had pacifist beliefs and opposed conscription of Māori into the armed forces. The government harassed Rua, using liquor laws to arrest him for selling illicit alcohol at Maungapōhatu. He refused to attend court, claiming he was busy with a harvest. Later he declined to accompany policemen who came to arrest him.
In April 1916 a large force of heavily armed constables was sent to arrest him. After a shot rang out two Māori, including Rua’s son, were killed in the subsequent exchange of fire. The historian Judith Binney stated that the police later manipulated the evidence to make it appear that Māori, planning an ambush, had fired first. Binney concluded that the ‘weight of evidence’ supported Rua and his followers’ denial of this version of events; in fact, one of the Māori who died might have been shot in cold blood. The way in which the arrest warrant was executed was later found to be highly questionable, if not illegal.
Rua’s trial in the Supreme Court was one of the longest in New Zealand history. Found not guilty of sedition but guilty of resisting arrest, he was sentenced to one year’s hard labour followed by 18 months’ imprisonment. The presiding officer, Judge Chapman, commented that Māori needed to learn that the law ‘reached every corner’ of the land. Eight members of the jury later publicly protested against the harshness of this sentence.
Rua returned to Maungapōhatu after his release in 1918. In 1922 Tūhoe exchanged 40,000 acres (16,000 ha) of land for a government promise to build roads connecting the settlement with the eastern Bay of Plenty and Rotorua. The roads were never built, although some compensation was paid in the 1950s. Maungapōhatu could not survive economically, and by 1930 most of the people had left. Rua died in 1937.
Adapted from the DNZB biography by Judith Binney
Nō te tau 1868, 1869 rānei ka whānau mai a Rua Kēnana. Ko Ngāi Tūhoe tōna iwi. I te matenga o Te Kooti i te tau 1893 ka waiho tana kupu e mea ana ka haere ake he Tangata ki te whakatutuki i ana mahi kia hoki mai ngā whenua. Ki a Rua, ko ia tonu taua tangata.
I tēnei kōrero āna ka tōtara wāhi rua te Hāhi Ringatū nā Te Kooti i hanga. Nui te iwi o Ngāi Tūhoe ka whakapono ki a Rua me tana kī ka hoki mai ngā whenua ki raro i te mana o te iwi. I te tau 1907 ka hangaia e Rua tōna hapori ki te take o Maungapōhatu, te maunga tapu o te iwi.
I te tau 1910 ka hokona e Rua te 40,000 eka (16,000 heketea) o ngā whenua o Tūhoe mō te 31,000 pāuna, hei whakatipu i tōna pokapū i Maungapōhatu. Ko tana tūmanako, ka tae te rori me te rerewē ki reira. Hauwarea tērā tūmanako. Ka matemate ana pononga i te takurua, i te kore kai tika, i te kino o te āhua o ngā whare. Tatū ki te tau 1913 kua heke te rahi i Maungapōhatu mai i te 500-600 ki ngā whānau e 30 pea.
Kāore te kāwanatanga i pai ki a Rua. I te tau 1907 ka whakamanatia te Ture Whakamutu Tohunga, e hāngai tika ana ki a ia. I te tīmatanga o te Pakanga Tuatahi o te Ao, i whiua te whakapae he whana i te mana o te kāwanatanga tana mahi i tana kore i whakaae ki te tuku i ana tāngata ki te pakanga. Kāore i mutu te tutetute a te kāwanatanga i a ia. Ka whakapae te kāwanatanga kei te hoko waipiro a Rua i Maungapōhatu kāore nei ōna raihana hoko i taua kai. Kāore ia i tae ki te kōti i te wā i karangahia ai, ko te wā o te mahi kai hoki. Ka tonoa ētahi pirihimana ki te mau i a ia; engari kāore ia i haere.
I te Āperira o te tau 1916 ka whakaekea a Maungapōhatu e te ope nui o ngā pirihimana mau pū, i whakahaua kia haere ki te mauhere i a Rua. Ka pakū te pū o wai rā ka rere tēnā ki tāna pū, tēnā ki tāna pū. E rua ngā Māori i mate, ko tētahi ko te tama a Rua. E ai ki te tumu kōrero a Judith Binney, ka rāwekeweke ngā pirihimana i ngā taunakitanga, ka whakapae rātou nā ngā Māori te pakū tuatahi i tuku. Whakahē ana a Rua me ana pononga i tēnei. E ai ki a Binney, kei te tohu te rahi rawa atu o ngā taunakitanga ki te tika o te taha Māori. I tua atu, hei ko tāna, te āhua nei i āta whakamatea tētahi o ngā Māori. Nō muri ka nui ngā pātai mō te tika me te mana ā-ture o ngā whakaaetanga mō te whakaeke i a Maungapōhatu.
Ko te whakawākanga o Rua i te Kōti Matua tētahi o ngā whakawākanga roa rawa atu ki Aotearoa. Kāore i eke ngā whakapae mōna he whana i te mana o te kāwanatanga, heoi, ka whakaaetia te whakapae mō tana kore haere me ngā pirihimana i tō rātou haerenga atu ki te mau atu i a ia ki te whare herehere. Ka utaina te kotahi tau e mahi ana i ngā mahi taumaha, mutu ana tērā ko te 18 marama ki te whare herehere. E ai ki te kaiwhakawā o te kōti a Hapimana (Judge Chapman), me ako ngā Māori ki te horapa o te ture. Nō muri ka whakahēhia e te tokowaru o te hunga whakawā te whakataunga a Hapimana.
I te tau 1918 ka hoki a Rua ki Maungapōhatu. Tae ana ki te tau 1922 ka whakawhitia e Ngāi Tūhoe ōna whenua e 40,000 eka (16,00 heketea) i runga i te kī taurangi a te kāwanatanga ka whakatakotoria tētahi rori atu i Maungapōhatu ki ngā rohe o Te Moana a Toi me Rotorua. Kāore he rori, engari ka utua he paremata i te tekau tau atu i 1950. Ka heke haere, ka heke haere te ora o te kāinga o Rua i Maungapōhatu; tae ana ki te tau 1930 kua haere kē te nuinga o ngā tāngata. Nō te tau 1937 ka mate a Rua. | <urn:uuid:b70f9b6b-9f9b-4d71-8c5a-2b079311300b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/people/rua-kenana | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00043-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.841398 | 2,201 | 3.4375 | 3 |
All modern mathematics learning materials build on the insight that students learn more when mathematical concepts are represented in multiple ways. Technology can go beyond what is possible in books by allowing students to directly interact with different representations, including graphs, tables, algebraic expressions, and geometric figures. Research has found strong evidence that appropriate classroom use of graphing calculators increases students’ ability to understand concepts and solve problems (Ellington, 2003). Yet graphing calculators can vary in the quality of the representations they provide. Three key features distinguish TI-Nspire technology from its predecessors:
- Clearer Expression. TI-Nspire technology displays higher quality graphs and presents mathematical expressions as textbooks do (e.g., 231x rather than 1/3 x^2).
-Grab-and-Move. This feature allows students to change a line, curve or location of axis, and observe the impact of changes and mathematical relationships.
-Multiple Representations on the Same Screen. TI-Nspire technology displays up to four representations—algebraic, graphical, geometric, numeric and written—on the same screen. These representations can be dynamically linked, so that changes made to one representation of a concept are automatically reflected in others instantly. Changes can be viewed simultaneously across multiple representations. | <urn:uuid:0153bcd5-10d1-4e59-9513-a6ee10aef3bd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://ti-researchlibrary.com/Lists/TI%20Education%20Technology%20%20Research%20Library/DispForm.aspx?ID=115 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00098-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.89159 | 260 | 4.34375 | 4 |
Sep 29, 2011
Climate change blamed for decreasing Japanese rice quality
Global warming is affecting rice quality in Japan and urgent action is needed, according to a study published in Environmental Research Letters.
Masashi Okada and colleagues from the University of Tsukuba and Japan's National Institute for Agro-Environmental Studies have developed a model that predicts rice-quality response to changes in temperature and radiation levels. Declines in rice quality have been observed in western Japan, especially Kyushu, since the 1990s. The researchers' model suggests that rice quality will decrease even further if management practices remain the same.
"Policy-makers need to support and encourage the further development of high-temperature-tolerant rice cultivars and management practices so that rice growers can adapt to climate change," Okada told environmentalresearchweb.
The main reason for the decline in rice quality is the occurrence of chalky grains, especially milky-white grains. Chalky grains sharply increase when the mean daily minimum temperature for the 20 days after heading (ear emergence) exceeds 22 °C. The underlying mechanisms for the occurrence of chalky grains in rice plants are: reduced carbohydrates in the plant associated with an increased night-time respiration rate; reduced capacity of stems and leaves for assimilation; insufficient solar radiation during the ripening period; and hits of typhoons during the ripening period.
Okada and his colleagues developed a statistical model that has a medium level of complexity to predict rice quality at broad spatial scales – the model is less complex than field-scale process-based models but more complex than simple regression models.
The model accurately reproduced the temporal trend and interannual variation in observed rice quality. However, the model was inaccurate in the occasional years in which non-climatic factors – such as cultivar and management – dominated the quality results.
"We found that the decreasing rice quality is due to the combination of high-temperature stress as a result of night-time temperature rise and the shortening of the length of the ripening period due to a mean temperature rise," Okada said. "Because rice quality is strongly dependent on local management practices and rice cultivars, it is not appropriate to use our model for other areas of the world. However, the model could be applied to other regions if locally calibrated model parameters from observational data were used."
About the author
Nadya Anscombe is a freelance science journalist based in Bristol, UK. | <urn:uuid:d82cc86a-6aa6-4189-8d41-f45a4b3ccaba> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://environmentalresearchweb.org/cws/article/news/47361 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398869.97/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00099-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945121 | 499 | 3.078125 | 3 |
Children and Families Bill — Prohibition on Purchasing Tobacco for a Child and Regulation of Tobacco Products — 10 Feb 2014 at 19:15
The majority of MPs voted to introduce a new offence of purchasing tobacco for an individual under 18 and to allow ministers to make regulations about the sale, packaging, and characteristics of tobacco products in the interests of protecting children.
The approved motion stated:
- That this House agrees with Lords amendments 121 to 124 and 150
Amendment 121 introduced a provision stating a person aged 18 or over who buys or attempts to buy tobacco or cigarette papers on behalf of an individual aged under 18 commits an offence.
Amendment 123 introduced a provision stating the Secretary of State may by regulations make provision prohibiting the sale of nicotine products to persons aged under 18.
Amendment 124 introduced a provision stating the Secretary of State may make regulations about the retail packaging of tobacco products, and other aspects of them including their shape, flavour, size and appearance if the Secretary of State considers that the regulations may contribute at any time to reducing the risk of harm to, or promoting, the health or welfare of people under the age of 18.
Amendment 150 extended the effect of the section titled (Regulation of retail packaging etc of tobacco products) to the whole of the United Kingdom.
- Lords Amendments to the Children and Families Bill - page containing amendments 121-4 - As considered on 10 February 2014
- Lords Amendments to the Children and Families Bill - page containing amendment 150 - As considered on 10 February 2014
Votes by party, red entries are votes against the majority for that party.
What is Tell? '+1 tell' means that in addition one member of that party was a teller for that division lobby.
What are Boths? An MP can vote both aye and no in the same division. The boths page explains this.
What is Turnout? This is measured against the total membership of the party at the time of the vote.
|Party||Majority (Aye)||Minority (No)||Both||Turnout|
|Con||199 (+1 tell)||15 (+2 tell)||3||72.1%|
|LDem||47 (+1 tell)||1||0||87.5%| | <urn:uuid:6b6b9267-81fa-4642-b414-2633505e8b89> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.publicwhip.org.uk/division.php?date=2014-02-10&number=208 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397842.93/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00111-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.912942 | 467 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Rehabilitation is the process of helping individuals minimize the effects of mental illnesses on major role skills and develop greater competencies in employment, activities of daily living, social performance. They promote recovery.
Florida considers the following services as rehabilitation options:
These services include but are not limited to relapse prevention, and are a vital part of recovery in every service level. Aftercare activities include customer participation in daily activity functions that were adversely affected by mental illness and/or substance abuse impairments. New directional goals such as vocational education or re-building relationships are often priorities. Relapse prevention education is essential in assisting the customer's recognition of triggers and warning signs of regression. Aftercare services help families and pro-social support systems reinforce a healthy living environment.
Comprehensive Community Service Team - Individual or Group
Comprehensive Community Service Team (CCST) services render assistance in identifying goals and making choices to promote resiliency and facilitate recovery for adults and children with mental illnesses. The services take place in either an outpatient or community setting. For individuals with mental health problems, recovery is the personal process of overcoming the negative impact of psychiatric illness despite its continued presence. CCST services are intended to restore the individual's function and participation in the community. The services are designed to assist and guide individuals in reconnecting with society and rebuilding skills in identified roles in his/her environment. The focus is on the individual strengths and resources as well as their readiness and phase of recovery. A team approach of services will be used to guide and support the adults and children served with development of a recovery plan focusing on the areas of individual and family living, learning, working and socialization activities. Any therapy is brief and oriented toward skill building. Services provided include Assessment, Case Management, Intensive Case Management, Supported Housing, Aftercare, Supported Employment, Outreach, Outpatient, In-home/On-site, Intervention, Information and Referral, Prevention, Prevention/Intervention and other transition and non-traditional support services as negotiated by the Department and the provider.
These services provide a structured schedule of non-residential services for three (when Medicaid funded) or four or more consecutive hours per day. This may include delivery of services during evening hours. Activities for children and adult mental health programs are designed to assist individuals to attain the skills and behaviors needed to function successfully in the living, learning, work, and social environments of their community. Generally, a person receives three or more services a week. Activities for substance abuse programs emphasize rehabilitation, treatment, and education services, using multidisciplinary teams to provide integrated programs of academic, therapeutic, and family services.
Educational activities are provided in a variety of service settings. These include providing educational assessments; day treatment; case management; drop-in, self-help centers; and the Florida Assertive Community Treatment Team (FACT) program's specific educational service entitled Education, Support and Consultation to Family, and Other Major Supports. With the exception of the FACT-specific service for education, most educational services may be provided on-site of providers, with instructors funded through local school boards.
Florida Self-Directed Care
Florida Self-Directed Care is available in two parts of the state - the Jacksonville area and Southwest Florida. People eligible for public mental health services are given a budget and can choose the services and supports they want to buy, and from whom they will buy them. Their purchases have to be linked to a personal recovery plan, and some of the services have to be clinical. This program has served as a national model for similar efforts in other states.
Supported housing/living services are designed to help people with substance abuse or psychiatric disabilities find and keep living arrangements of their choice. They also provide services and supports to ensure continued successful living in the community. The goal of Supportive Housing is to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to live as independently as possible.
Supported Employment programs help people get or get back to productive employment. These services are community-based and take place in an integrated work setting, which provides regular contact with non-disabled co-workers or the public. A job coach provides long-term ongoing support as needed to give an individual every opportunity to maintain employment.
Mental Health Clubhouse
Clubhouses are structured, community-based interventions where members can strengthen and/or regain interpersonal skills, get psycho-social therapy toward rehabilitation, develop the environmental supports necessary to thrive in the community, meet employment and other life goals, and recover from the bad effects of a mental illness. Services are typically provided in a community-based program with trained staff and members working as teams to address the person's life goals and to perform the tasks necessary for the operations of the program. Clubhouses use a holistic approach focusing on a person's strengths and abilities while challenging that individual to pursue chosen life goals. Florida is invested in the International Center for Clubhouse Development (ICCD) model. Though there are other programs promoting employment across the system, Florida strongly encourages the ICCD approach and certification.
Residential Level 3
These are licensed facilities, structured to provide 24-hour a day, seven days per week supervised residential alternatives to persons who have developed a moderate functional capacity for independent living. For adults with serious mental illnesses, these are supervised apartments. | <urn:uuid:2b74f372-32e5-4969-91e2-3b1bdfb0ca35> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://myflfamilies.com/service-programs/mental-health/rehabilitation | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404826.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00059-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956518 | 1,075 | 2.59375 | 3 |
You will learn five core concepts of how to make better decisions and
avoid making bad ones.
thinking is automatic, unconscious, lightening fast and generates
strong feelings of certainty. System one decisions are difficult to put
into words other than ‘it feels right’.
System two thinking is rational, conscious, requires effort, works slowly, examines,
calculates and considers evidence. System two decisions are
relatively easy to put into words.
Intuitive decision making uses system one thinking and we tend to
use it as our default setting. In fact recent research suggests that over
95% of the decisions we make are made this way. Intuitive decision
making when used appropriately can deal with highly complex
decision problems, quickly and accurately.
Rational decision making uses system two thinking and considers all
the evidence, evaluates the options and then selects the optimal
course of action. We tend to use rational decision making far less
frequently than we believe, often confusing it with post decision
rationalisation. A crucial way to improve decision outcomes is to use
rational decision making more frequently.
Expert decision making uses a combination of system 1 & 2 thinking. It is
crucial when making high risk decisions quickly (i.e. a human resources
professional dealing with a major disciplinary incident with the potential to
escalate into industrial action). | <urn:uuid:52c1a3dc-991b-4aa1-b227-906f03432b78> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.good-decisions-bad-decisions.co.uk/goodbaddecisions_what.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00003-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915508 | 283 | 3.71875 | 4 |
definition 1: to turn to advantage or profit.
example: The country is attempting to exploit its vast mineral wealth.
definition 2: to use to one’s own advantage and to the disadvantage of the person or thing being used.
example: Desperate for work, the new immigrants were easily exploited as a cheap source of labor.
See full entry | <urn:uuid:fd8aacb3-c076-42a8-86c3-cb0b54f42acc> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wordsmyth.net/blog/exploit/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395679.18/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.92628 | 74 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Artificial red dye doesn't usually cause true allergic symptoms, but it can cause allergy-like symptoms in people who are sensitive to it. However, naturally occurring red food coloring can cause a dangerous allergic reaction on rare occasions. A sensitivity to dyes like Red-40 is most likely to result in hives or swelling. However, an allergy to insect-based dyes like carmine and cochineal can result in anaphylaxis, while annatto coloring from achiote trees can produce an allergic response that involves symptoms in the skin, respiratory system and digestive system.
The difference between intolerance to artificial additives and an allergy to the natural colorings is that artificial colorings don't involve the immune system, whereas the natural colorings do. While true allergic response are rare, anaphylaxis is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can be recognized by a drop in blood pressure, constricted airways, a rapid pulse, dizziness and even loss of consciousness. | <urn:uuid:12c6d88d-eb02-4253-a423-0d103471ea9b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://health.howstuffworks.com/diseases-conditions/allergies/allergy-basics/red-dye-allergy-symptoms.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00079-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940469 | 201 | 3.09375 | 3 |
(1) The family of Julius Caesar.
(2) Julia the Elder. Daughter of Augustus (39 BC - 14 AD).
Julia was Augustusí only natural child, the daughter of his second wife Scribonia. She was born the same day that Octavian divorced Scribonia, to marry Livia.
Julia tragic destiny was to serve as a pawn in her father's dynastic plans. At age two, she was betrothed to Mark Antony's ten-year-old son, but the fathersí hostility ended the engagement. At age 14, she was married to her cousin but he died two years later. In 21 B.C., Julia married Agrippa, Augustus' most trusted general and friend. Augustus had been advised by Maecenas, "You have made him so great that he must either become your son-in-law or be slain." Agrippa was nearly 25 years her elder. Agrippa died suddenly in 12 B.C. Julia was married to Tiberius in 11 B.C.
During her marriages to Agrippa and Tiberius Julia took lovers. In 2 B.C., Julia was arrested for adultery and treason. Augustus declared her marriage null and void. He also asserted in public that she had been plotting against his own life. Reluctant to execute her, Augustus had her confined on Pandateria island (modern Ventotene), with no men in sight, forbidden even to drink wine. Scribonia, Julia's mother, accompanied her into exile. Five years later, Julia was allowed to move to Rhegium. Augustus never forgave her and instructed that she should not be buried in his mausoleum. When Tiberius became emperor, he cut off her allowance and put her in solitary confinement in one room in her house. Within months she died from malnutrition.
(3) Livia, Augustus' third wife, mother of Tiberius, took the name Julia after Augustus' death.
DICTIONARY OF ROMAN COINS
View whole page from the Dictionary Of Roman Coins
|Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.|
Julia. This illustrious family is that of Julius Caesar. The name Julius is dervived from Iulus, whom some believe to be Ascanius, the son of Aeneas; and others, the son of that Ascanius. In claiming to be descended from this stock, Julius Caesar prided himself on his origin from the goddess of beauty, and hence the images of Venus, and of Aeneas carrying Anchises, which are often found on his denarii. Be the question of pedigree decided as it may, it appears that after the descruction of Alba, the family came to Rome, and eventually furnished twelve personages, honoured as Imperatores, with the highest offices and dignities of the Roman commonwealth. According to Eckhel it is patrician in the Caesarian branch, and uncertain in that of Buriso, the only two surnames which occur on its coins. There are 75 varieties, of which the rarest type is a silver one, being on its obverse a youthful head, ornamented with wings, and having hair hanging down in ringlets, behind which is a trident and two arrows (in others a scorpion), The reverse is inscribed L IVLI BVRSIO (in another EX A P), with Victory in a quadriga holding a crown. The head which presents itself on the obverse of this denarius is of an unusual kind, and there has been much ado amongst anti-quarians to find out its meaning. Ursin and Vaillant take it to be that of Mercury, whilst Havercamp boldly calls it the head of "Triumph." But it is evidently not a male but a female head, and, as the judicious Eckhel observes, it is scarcely worthwhile to enter into a new field of conjectures about what nymph or goddess (of the sea or sky) it is meant to depicture. And, even after the prolix geussings of Vaillant and Havercamp, it is perhaps better to openly confess ignorance as to who Bursio is, to whom these medals belong.
Those denarii of the Julia family with the elephant trampling on a serpent, and pontificial instryments on the reverse; also woth the head of Venus, and ∆neas bearing the palladium in his hand and his father on his shoulders, are common enough. The name of this family is also found on coins struck by the mint masters of the great Julius. See CAESAR-DICT.
Julia is a name frequently found given on coins to the wives of emperors, and in several instances to their daughters and mothers. Livia, fourth wife of Augustus, assumed it when by adoptions she had passed into the Julia family. We also find medals of Julia Agrippina Senior, mother of Caligula; Julia, mother of Caius and Lucius, by Agrippa; Julia, sister of Caligula; Julia, daughter of Titus, Julia Agrippina Junior, second wife of Claudius, and mother of Nero; Julia Aquilia Severa, second wife of Elagabalus; Julia Domna, second wife of Severus; Julia Maesa, grandmother of Elagabalus and Severus Alexander; Julia Paulina, wife of Maximinus.
Julia, the daughter of Titus, by Furnilla, his second wife; she was a woman of great beauty, at first refused the infamous addresses of her uncle Domitian, married Sabinus her cousin german, afterwards became the mistress of her father's brother and successor, who caused her husband to be put to death, and lived in open concubinage with her. Julia abandoning herself to debauchery, died in the attempt to destroy the fruits of her incestous connection. She was nevertheless placed apotheosis amongst the deities, and is called DIVA on her coins, which in brass and silver are rare, and in gold of the highest rarity. On medals struck during her lifetime, she is styled IVLIA AVGSTA TITI AVGVSTI Filia; also IVLIA IMP T AVG F AVGVSTA. (The August Julia, daughter of the August Titus). The reverse of one of her gold coins bears the legend of DIVI TITI FILIA, with a peacock; and on a silver coin of her appears the word VESTA, and that goddess seated, whence it would seem that she wished at least to be thought chaste; and this incident agrees with the attempt to conceal her pregnancy, to which she fell a victim.
On a large brass of this princess, who died in Domitian's reign, we see her consecration recorded, and the honours of deification paid to her memory at the will of her profligate uncle, by an obsequious Senate, in the following dedicatory inscription, DIVAE IVLIAE AVG DIV TITI F, accompanied with the type of the carpentum, or funeral car, drawn by mules. There is no partrait; but the emperor's titles, and the mark of COS XVI, shew the direct influence under which the coin was struck Senatus Consultu; and in the name of that body and the Roman people (S P Q R). On a silver medal the image of DIVA IVLIA appears on a car, drawn by elephants. | <urn:uuid:26362abf-e3af-4981-b2bc-a4dd9fc5be45> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=Julia | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395166.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00109-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978168 | 1,562 | 3.140625 | 3 |
Courtesy Mark RyanThe bone of a single pinky finger found in a cave in southern Siberia may indicate a new branch in the human family tree. The find could show that besides Neanderthals and Homo sapiens, a third lineage of humans may have shared the ancient landscape of prehistoric Russia.
The piece of finger was found in Denisova cave located in Russia’s Altai mountains by scientists from the Russian Academy of Science. The bone was recovered from sediment layers that have also yielded signs of Neanderthals (Homo neanderthalensis) and modern humans (Homo sapiens). Radiocarbon dating set the age of the layers between 48,000 and 30,000 years old.
Scientists from Germany’s Max Planck Institute and others sequenced 16,569 base pairs of the finger bone’s mitochondrial DNA genome, and the results indicate the new hominen shared a common ancestor with both neanderthals and ancient modern humans sometime around a million years ago. The research team included Michael Shunkov and Anatoli Derevianko, the two Russian archaeologists who discovered the bone in 2008. The study appears in the journal Nature.
Further sequencing of DNA from cell nucleuses will be done next, and could help pinpoint the hominen’s exact origins. If confirmed, the discovery would mean four different species of humans (the 4th would be the Indonesian Hobbit Homo floresiensis) co-existed on Earth some 40,000 years ago. | <urn:uuid:389e1b61-01a7-43c4-807b-99d850161e1d> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.sciencebuzz.org/buzz-tags/hgbj | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402516.86/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00049-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.913896 | 306 | 3.546875 | 4 |
New Meat-eating Dinosaur Duo from Sahara Unveiled
Embargo expired: 13-Feb-2008 7:00 PM EST
Source Newsroom: University of Chicago
Newswise — Two new 110 million-year-old dinosaurs unearthed in the Sahara Desert highlight the unusual meat-eaters that prowled southern continents during the Cretaceous Period. Named Kryptops and Eocarcharia in a paper appearing this month in the scientific journal Acta Palaeontologica Polonica, the fossils were discovered in 2000 on an expedition led by University of Chicago paleontologist Paul Sereno.
Sereno and co-author paleontologist Stephen Brusatte of the University of Bristol say the new fossils provide a glimpse of an earlier stage in the evolution of the bizarre meat-eaters of Gondwana, the southern landmass. "T-rex has become such a fixture of Cretaceous lore, most people don't realize that no tyrannosaur ever set foot on a southern continent," said Sereno. Instead, particularly distinctive meat-eaters arose, some of which bear no resemblance to the 'tyrant king' beyond their taste for fresh meat.
Short-snouted Kryptops palaios, or "old hidden face," was so named for the horny covering that appears to have covered nearly all of its face. "A fast two-legged hyaena gnawing and pulling apart a carcass," remarked even Brusatte, "is how we might best imagine Kryptops' dining habits." Like later members of its group (called abelisaurids) in South America and India, Kryptops had short armored jaws with small teeth that would have been better at gobbling guts and gnawing on carcasses than snapping at live prey. At about 25 feet in length, Kryptops was a voracious meat-eater.
A similar-sized contemporary, Eocarcharia dinops, or "fierce-eyed dawn shark," was so named for its blade-shaped teeth and prominent bony eyebrow. Unlike Kryptops, its teeth were designed for disabling live prey and severing body parts. Eocarcharia and kin (called carcharodontosaurids) gave rise to the largest predators on southern continents, matching or exceeding Tyrannosaurus in size. Eocarcharia's brow is swollen into a massive band of bone, giving it a menacing glare.
"Brow-beating may not be far from the truth," remarked Sereno. He and Brusatte suggest in the paper that the robust bony brow in Eocarcharia and kin may have been used as a battering ram against rivals for mating rights.
The fossil area, in the present-day nation of Niger, was home to a panoply of bizarre species. The hyaena-like Kryptops, the shark-toothed Eocarcharia, and the fish-eating, sail-backed Suchomimus ("crocodile mimic" ) constitute a meat-eating trio that characterizes the Cretaceous Period in Africa and possibly other southern landmasses.
They preyed upon the ground-grubbing, long-necked plant-eater Nigersaurus and lived alongside the enormous extinct crocodilian nicknamed "SuperCroc" (Sarcosuchus). Then, the African continent was part of Gondwana and just beginning to free itself of its land connection to South America.
Funders of the research include the National Geographic Society, The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Pritzker Foundation and the Women's Board of the University of Chicago.
The scientific paper is available at http://www.app.pan.pl. More information is available at http://www.projectexploration.org on the new dinosaurs, their contemporary species and Cretaceous habitat, and the expedition on which the fossils were discovered. | <urn:uuid:0170f8aa-33b9-4b86-ba20-158eb33add01> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://newswise.com/articles/view/537687/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395621.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00119-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.9401 | 799 | 3.09375 | 3 |
When scientists investigate diseases, dysfunctions, and other abnormalities they often learn a great deal about the rules that govern normal life processes. This is especially true in the efforts to understand the origins of cancer - a search that has revealed much about the normal reproduction and development of cells. These revelations and their ...
When scientists investigate diseases, dysfunctions, and other abnormalities they often learn a great deal about the rules that govern normal life processes. This is especially true in the efforts to understand the origins of cancer - a search that has revealed much about the normal reproduction and development of cells. These revelations and their contributions to the fight against cancer are the focus of this elegantly written and illustrated volume. Genes and the Biology of Cancer brings together two of the most distinguished biomedical researchers working today - Harold Varmus and Robert Weinberg. In a book rich with insight and detail, they show how some of the beacons in the study of cancer have illuminated our understanding of normal biological function. What causes the fundamental controls of cellular growth to break down and the unrestrained, unpredictable proliferation characteristic of cancer to begin? Genes and the Biology of Cancer shows how scientists have explored that question by tracing carcinogenesis to its earliest detectable, submicroscopic stages. Drawing on classic and recent research findings, the authors explain how existing predispositions can work with any one of a number of factors (including sunlight, radiation, tobacco, and certain viral infections) to alter the genetic code radically, turning a normal gene into a cancer-causing one. They describe what we now know about the mechanisms of genes that seem to promote cancer (oncogenes) and those that prevent and restrain it (tumor suppressor genes). The authors conclude by looking ahead to possible means of controlling cancer, based upon current advances in research. Genes and the Biology of Cancer is a reportfrom the front lines of one of the most crucial and exciting scientific undertakings of our time. From its exploration of the origins, nature, and mechanisms of carcinogenesis, readers will gain a deeper understanding of natural cellular development - and the dangers that result w
Alibris, the Alibris logo, and Alibris.com are registered trademarks of Alibris, Inc.
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited, Baker & Taylor, Inc., or by their respective licensors, or by the publishers, or by their respective licensors. For personal use only. All rights reserved. All rights in images of books or other publications are reserved by the original copyright holders. | <urn:uuid:26e86afe-e6b7-4b17-bc72-3f5f4b5e3ec7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.alibris.com/Genes-Cancer-Sal-42-Harold-E-Varmus/book/8642727?cm_sp=2rec-_-RHS-_-p1-0 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00097-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.933536 | 524 | 2.53125 | 3 |
B.C. had the second-highest rate of child poverty among the provinces in 2010, according to a report card released today by the advocacy group First Call.
B.C.'s rate of 14.3 percent of kids living in poverty ranked only behind the percentage in Manitoba and exceeded the national average of 13.7 percent in 2010.
Approximately two-thirds of the 119,000 poor children in B.C. lived in the Lower Mainland that year.
The organization notes that B.C.'s top 10 percent of income earners made 13.8 percent times the income of B.C.'s lowest income earners—the greatest gap of all provinces in 2010.
The 11.6 percent poverty rate for kids in two-parent homes was also the highest in Canada; incomes for these families were $13,800, on average, below the poverty line.
In a news release accompanying the dissemination of the data, Dr. John Millar of the Public Health Association of B.C. pointed out that high levels of income inequality have been linked to greater infant mortality, crime, mental illness, addiction, and obesity, as well as reduced educational outcomes.
"This is a recipe for a very sick society, unless we turn this around," Millar stated.
British epidemiologist Richard Wilkinson, cofounder of the U.K.-based Equity Trust, has demonstrated that growing levels of inequality not only shorten the lives of poor people, but also undermine the lives of the better-off. That's because they are more likely to become victims of violence and their kids will be less likely to do as well in school in more unequal societies.
First Call has called on all provincial parties to present a "comprehensive plan" to reduce B.C.'s child-poverty rate before the 2013 provincial election. | <urn:uuid:6ea509f0-ae65-4313-be98-c22e0471fda9> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.straight.com/article-837591/vancouver/bc-had-119000-kids-living-poverty-2010-according-new-report | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397565.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00005-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.967649 | 375 | 2.8125 | 3 |
A new study reported in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health gives men another good reason to have a daily dose of dairy — it significantly reduces their risk for metabolic syndrome.
When people have two or more of the following: high blood glucose, insulin, blood fats, body fat, and blood pressure, it is defined as metabolic syndrome. Having this syndrome increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease and premature death.
In the study researchers tracked the health of men aged 45 to 59 over 20 years (part of the Caerphilly Prospective Study). They also tracked food and beverage consumption using weekly food diaries. Study results showed that men who drank a pint or more of milk per day reduced their risk for metabolic syndrome by 62 percent. And those who consumed dairy products such as yogurt and cheese daily reduced their risk by 56 percent. In addition, the more total dairy consumed, the less likely the men were to develop the syndrome.
To read the full article from Medical News Today, go to: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=76489
Medical News Today | <urn:uuid:e9134f22-4d82-49f4-80c8-fadde7ee1067> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.dairyherd.com/dairy-news/latest/milk-dairy-foods-protect-against-metabolic-syndrome-113965779.html?source=related | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.0/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00144-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.948604 | 230 | 2.984375 | 3 |
A photographic image is successful when it successfully grabs the attention of the viewers. Images can do this in a variety of ways. Eye-catching color is often used for this purpose. Leading curves can also be used. On the other hand, there exists a method that is often overlooked. That method is the use of texture. Consequently, this article will take a look at the various types of texture photography.
Of course, the very first thing that needs to be done is to define texture photography. The definition is really very simple. The images of texture photography derive at least part of their impact through the use of texture.
The next question is “what exactly is texture?” Texture can be formed by surface irregularities, like the surface of an old brick or by small forms that reside on a surface, like that found on a pile of coins.
Three Types of Texture Photography
This article will cover three of the most common forms of texture photography — texture used to enhance detail, drama, or information.
Detail: With this type of photography, the detail in the surface of the object being photographed is the most important feature of an image. The actual object is of lower importance. In order to employ this technique, the camera can be moved in for a close-up of the detail, or a portion of an image can be photographed (the portion with the best texture). An example of this type of texture image would be a close-up of the patterns observed in old rock formations.
Drama: With this next approach, the texture is utilized to add drama to an image. In this type photography, texture actually plays a supporting, rather than the principal, role in an image. Rather, it is one component of the image that serves to spice up the image.
Since the color or contrast of the texture is what usually grabs the viewers’ attention, it is important to pick subject matter that has detail with appropriate color or contrast.
A good illustration of this form of imagery is the shots of large canyons that have numerous layers of different colored rock.
The best light for bringing out the drama in texture is often side light.
Information: Utilizing texture to communicate information about a photographic subject is the last form of texture photography that we will examine. In this kind of photography, the texture communicates information about an object that enhances the impact of the photo. As an example, an image of a rusting, decades old vehicle rusting in the desert sun subtly alludes to the history of which the car was part.
For information texture images, it is crucial to identify precisely what information the texture is to communicate and compose the image in such a way that the texture brings out the proper message. The result will be a much better image.
One other significant point is to make certain that the texture serves a subservient role in this type of image. Put simply, the texture should help to enhance the center of interest not overwhelm the center of interest.
About the Author
Ron Bigelow has created an extensive resource of articles to help you develop your photography skills. The information in this article provides only a hint of what can be done with texture photography (Texture Photography). A great deal more can be learned about texture photography.
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I decided a few days ago that knowing java would be a very handy skill to have. I know a bit of HTML that's about it, I have very limited experience with serious programming languages.
Are there any good websites/books available for the true beginner? I'd like to start out by doing a few simple games or something of that nature. Iv browsed all the stickies and such but didn't catch anything, I apologize if this has been covered.
Welcome to forum. :)
Before dig into the deep of Java world, my suggestion is you must learn basis of Java. Otherwise you'll mess-up quickly.
Best place to start work on is the Sun Java tutorial. At the same time you have to use the Java doc, which explain all the libraries used in programming. At the beginning my suggestion for you is, to coding use the Notepad and the command prompt.
Here are all you want.
The Java Tutorial
Java 6 API Specification
From the Sun fora:
The core Java list (many thanks to PhHein(?) jverd(?) for this list):
Sun's basic Java tutorial
Sun's New To Java Center
Includes an overview of what Java is, instructions for setting up Java, an intro to programming (that includes links to the above tutorial or to parts of it), quizzes, a list of resources, and info on certification and courses.
A general Java resource site. Includes FAQs, forums, courses, more.
To quote the tagline on their homepage: "a friendly place for Java greenhorns." FAQs, forums (moderated, I believe), sample code, all kinds of goodies for newbies. From what I've heard, they live up to the "friendly" claim.
The Java Developers Almanac
Java Examples from The Java Developers Almanac 1.4
Bruce Eckel's Thinking in Java(Available online.)
Joshua Bloch's Effective Java
Bert Bates and Kathy Sierra's Head First Java
James Gosling's The Java Programming Language
Gosling is the creator of Java. It doesn't get much more authoritative than this.
Joshua Bloch and Neal Gafter Java Puzzlers.
Wow thanks for the quick replies guys. Looks like I have a lot to keep me busy | <urn:uuid:2d3dd112-28da-40bb-bd60-f84ee1b9a676> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.java-forums.org/new-java/18076-learning-java-print.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00171-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.903158 | 474 | 2.546875 | 3 |
A rise in oral sex may be pushing up HPV infection rates in men, along with head and neck cancers caused by the virus.
A study finds disturbing evidence that chemicals found in furniture, fast-food packaging and microwave popcorn bags may compromise children’s immune systems.
A promising shot against herpes virus misses the mark. But antiviral drugs can control infection, if only for a short time
Since August, the CDC has logged 12 cases of human infection with H3N2, a new flu virus from pigs. Should we be worried?
It’s cold and flu season, which means you should be washing your hands — a lot. And that rule should apply to health care workers most of all, to protect not just themselves but their patients. Problem is, most doctors are …
If, or when, the NBA season does resume after the lockout, teams will have to address another important off-the-court issue: infectious illness.
A first-ever malaria vaccine tested in children in sub-Saharan Africa cut the risk of infection with malaria by about half, researchers announced in a teleconference on Tuesday.
What’s on your smartphone? Probably fecal matter, according to new research by London scientists.
A team of British and American researchers report that targeting a toxin produced by nearly all Staphylococcus aureus bacteria, including the “superbug” known as MRSA, could lead to potential new treatments for infection.
Wresting DNA from the 663-year-old teeth of victims of the Black Death, researchers have reconstructed the genome of the bacterium that originated in Asia and wiped out up to half of western Europe’s population. It’s the first …
Contagion was high on the box office list again last weekend, proof that millions of Americans are entertained by scenes of infection, suffering, sniffles and autopsies of Gwyneth Paltrow’s brain. The movie can sometimes veer a …
A parasitic infection normally transmitted by deer ticks has made its way into the U.S. blood supply, researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Tuesday.
You like cats because they’re beautiful, elegant creatures, right? Or is it because you’ve been infected by a parasite that influences your brain? | <urn:uuid:47ce80b5-da2e-44f1-8904-0dd985304f58> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://healthland.time.com/category/medicine/infectious-disease/page/7/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.56/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00106-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.942527 | 479 | 2.734375 | 3 |
On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates to the Constitutional Convention met to sign a document, which began, "We the People of the United States..."
222 years later, we're still celebrating their accomplishment. Today, Constitution Day, is a great opportunity to think about what the U.S. Constitution means for you and your family.
Start by taking turns reading from the Constitution out loud. If you've memorized the Preamble, have someone in the family recite it.
After that, here are some great links with history, documents, games, videos, trivia, and more:
Finally, spend some time talking about the role of the Constitution today. How is it used and reinterpreted? How should it be treated in the Supreme Court? Should the Constitution be seen as a "living document"? Is it still relevant?
This is a great opportunity to reflect on our nation's founding and what that means for our country today--and tomorrow.
Happy Constitution Day! | <urn:uuid:1faca589-10cf-4ea4-afbb-154ee1c91913> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.1smartmama.com/2009/09/happy-constitution-day.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397636.15/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956222 | 204 | 3.8125 | 4 |
5-A-Day is a program started in the United States to encourage kids to eat more fruits and vegetables while learning healthy nutrition habits. Everybody needs to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables, every day, to keep them looking and feeling healthy. These foods contain nutrients that the body needs like Vitamin C, which helps teeth stay strong, and Vitamin A, which helps with healthy skin. Eating five servings of fruits and vegetables a day may sound difficult, but using a few easy recipes makes this an easy thing to do.
Try Ants on a Log for a quick afterschool snack. All this is takes is peanut butter, celery sticks and raisins. Spread a small amount of peanut butter on the celery stick to make the "log" and then dot it with the raisins to act as the ants. Those who don’t like peanut butter or those who are allergic can try using cottage cheese, cream cheese or yogurt instead.
Kids can also make an easy fruit parfait at home, either as a snack or for a quick breakfast. Take a large glass or plastic mug and pour a small amount of yogurt in the bottom. Flavored yogurt makes this even yummier. Then add a handful of sliced fruit or berries on top of the yogurt, such as strawberries, raspberries, peaches, apples or any other type of fruit. Keep alternating between the yogurt and fruit until the cup is full.
Another recipe that kids can make with a little help from their parents is vegetable pizza. Take a can of refrigerated crescent rolls and spread them out on a baking sheet, making sure the edges are pressed firmly together. While that’s baking, mix one bar of cream cheese and one cup of mayonnaise with a packet of ranch dressing. Remove the crescent roll "crust" from the oven and let cool. Spread the ranch mixture on top of the cooled crust and top it with chopped vegetables. This makes a great snack. | <urn:uuid:02bca938-a030-46b2-a529-e14308524994> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.gourmetgiftbaskets.com/5-A-Day-Nutrition.asp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397565.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00087-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941303 | 404 | 3.34375 | 3 |
Latest articles from ABC Science
last updated: 23/10/2009Latest News in Science
Science subject and location tags
Articles, documents and multimedia from ABC Science
Monday, 15 February 2016
Battery basics Should you let your phone go completely flat before recharging? Why do lithium batteries explode? And aren't they bad for the environment?
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Great Moments in Science The eye of a 45-million-year-old fly can increase the power output of a solar panel by 10 per cent. Dr Karl is inspired by how an ancient insect helped solve a modern problem.
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Video from the vault As the human population climbs beyond 7 billion and the desire for first world affluence spreads across the globe, the demand for oil has never been higher.
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That subdued roar is the sound of the massive earthquake that caused the Boxing Day tsunami in 2004.
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Opinion The future will always be a risky business. Take nuclear energy; how do we manage the risks of tomorrow in our planning today? asks Paul Willis.
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Video from the vault Towards 2000 captured the birth of modern renewable wind power in 1981.
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Scientists have managed to take their first close-up look at what happens to nuclear fuel when it becomes molten, as it would in a nuclear reactor meltdown.
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Nobel Prizes Three Japanese-born researchers have won the Nobel Prize for Physics for inventing an energy-efficient and environment-friendly light source that led to the creation of modern LED light bulbs.
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Scientists have found a way of generating renewable propane using E coli, a bacterium widely found in the human intestine.
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Scientists say they have turned thin air into an 'optical fibre' that can transmit and amplify light signals without the need for any cables.
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Japanese researchers may have unlocked the key to a new generation of lithium ion batteries that overcome concerns about fire risk.
Friday, 30 May 2014
A new thin-film coating made from titanium dioxide could convert sunlight to a zero-emission fuel more efficiently.
Thursday, 13 February 2014
US scientists have made an important milestone in the costly, decades-old quest to develop fusion energy. | <urn:uuid:30016a46-a917-4913-a5b4-bc28532f5805> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abc.net.au/science/tag/browse.htm?site=catalyst&topic=latest&tag=energy | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403826.29/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00015-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.928914 | 557 | 2.640625 | 3 |
WRI has conducted in-depth studies in a number of key river basins around the world. These basin studies have helped develop, refine, and validate the Water Risk Framework at the core of the Aqueduct global maps, and uncovered a wealth of knowledge about the unique conditions in critical river basins around the world.
The Mekong River stretches over 3,050 mi (4909 km) across Southeast Asia, providing drinking water, irrigation, transportation, and energy for over 60 million inhabitants living in China, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Lao PDR, and Myanmar. The river basin is subject to seasonal flooding and water quality issues including acid sulfate soils and salinity intrusion.
The Mekong River Basin Study focuses on the specific characteristics of the indicator data and calculation in the Mekong River Basin. The data used for the study were developed in consultation with local experts and are publicly available. The details of the data, sources, and methodology are provided in the Mekong River Basin Study metadata document.
The Mekong River Basin Study is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 (unported) License. | <urn:uuid:3c3baafd-3131-4478-aa59-658b3f919065> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.wri.org/resources/data-sets/mekong-river-basin-study | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397696.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00152-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.88031 | 228 | 2.765625 | 3 |
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As far as I know, these are still just ideas, as opposed to the guy in the video who actually did it.
Originally posted by thisguyrighthere
This could be the answer to that floating island of garbage in the Pacific.
Developers have revealed plans to create a habitable island from 44,000 tonnes of waste that is currently floating in the Pacific Ocean.
WHIM architecture is working on the design of a prototype for Recycled island.
First impression prototype Recycled island
The prototype will exist of one single family home and surroundings to make it self-sufficient. With the prototype we want to show and test the realization of Recycled island. The prototype is a small version of Recycled island, but has similar sustainable and self sufficient characteristics as the overall concept.
The creation of the prototype will illustrate:
1: The plastic pollution worldwide.
2: The potential of plastic recycling.
3. Living with the rising sea level.
4. Sustainable and self sufficient housing.
The realization of the prototype still depends on finding the correct funding and collaborations.
Originally posted by jaynkeel
That is super cool, but somehow I don't see it as sea worthy. He claims it survived a few hurricanes but the open ocean and tidal zones are another deal all together. I just cannot see it surviving those extremes. Especially if it bounced around on a reef or something......
Have nothing at all that is valuable. If you have nothing they want, there will be nothing to take. You could also rig the entire outer perimeter with various booby traps.
Originally posted by badkittie748
i only see one problem, ow would one defend her from say PIRATES or other invasions..??? | <urn:uuid:773e5223-c7c0-4cdf-aa01-8807937a938a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.abovetopsecret.com/forum/thread876704/pg1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393533.44/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00005-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.941532 | 409 | 2.703125 | 3 |
Whatever the case may be, common reactions to chocolate in those who are affected include headache, heartburn, skin rashes, and breathing problems. Sensitivity to chocolate ingredients can also trigger asthma attacks.
One reason for the prevalence of reactions to chocolate is that a good part of mainstream chocolate products in the United States contain several additives; it's these that people react to. The purest forms of chocolate contain cocoa liquor, cocoa butter, sugar, maybe vanilla – and nothing else. Mass produced chocolate, on the other hand, is often primarily composed of the additives mentioned above (corn syrup, dyes, etc.).
If an allergist has diagnosed you with an actual cocoa allergy, of course you need to stay away altogether. | <urn:uuid:7cb3fae0-7c43-4ad6-960b-c0ac18856384> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.achooallergy.com/blog/chocolate-allergy/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393332.57/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00123-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956481 | 147 | 2.921875 | 3 |
Judæo-German term carrying the sense of "regret" and "pity." It is used as a noun, an adverb, and most often as an interjection; e.g., "Nebich, the poor man"; "He is a great nebich" (object of pity). The etymological explanation is doubtful. Zunz ("G. V." p. 456)thinks it is of Polish origin; others, as M. Gruenbaum ("Judisch-Deutsche Chrestomathie," 1882, p. 394), derive it from the German "Nie bei euch," based on Lam. i. 12, which Jewish commentators (Rashi, Ibn Ezra, and others) read as "May such a calamity not come upon you." Polish Jews often use the Hebrew words of that passage, "Lo 'alekem," in the same sense. | <urn:uuid:4faf2187-a882-498e-ad75-72a5469a65a1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/11404-nebich-nebbich | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783402746.23/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155002-00074-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949301 | 192 | 3.234375 | 3 |
Afrin for Children
Afrin® (oxymetazoline nasal spray) is a non-prescription nasal spray used to relieve nasal congestion caused by:
- The common cold
- Hay fever or other upper respiratory allergies
- Sinus infections or inflammation (sinusitis).
This medication is approved for use in adults and children. When using Afrin for children, they should be at least six years old. It is not approved for younger children. Talk with your child's healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of using Afrin for your child.
The active ingredient in Afrin is part of a group of drugs called decongestants. Specifically, it works by stimulating certain receptors known as alpha-adrenergic receptors. In the lining of the nasal passages, this action causes the blood vessels to constrict, allowing less fluid to leave the blood vessels and decreasing inflammation. This helps to relieve nasal congestion.
(Click Afrin Uses for more information on using Afrin for children or adults who have nasal congestion. This article discusses how the medication works and describes several different uses.) | <urn:uuid:2582af73-5492-4541-b82a-1b1b599bc2fd> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://cold.emedtv.com/afrin/afrin-for-children.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396224.52/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00162-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.91122 | 225 | 2.953125 | 3 |
Near Culpeper in Culpeper County, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)
Mount Pony Signal Station
Erected 2000 by Department of Historic Resources. (Marker Number F 34.)
Location. 38° 26.665′ N, 78° 0.617′ W. Marker is near Culpeper, Virginia, in Culpeper County. Marker is at the intersection of James Madison Highway (U.S. 15) and Lovers Lane, on the right when traveling north on James Madison Highway. Click for map. Marker is in this post office area: Culpeper VA 22701, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Lee and Pope (approx. 0.6 miles away); Battle of Cedar Mountain (approx. 0.6 miles away); Greenwood (approx. 0.9 miles away); Col. John Jameson (approx. 1.6 miles away); Culpeper Minute Men (approx. 1.8 miles away); a different marker also named The Culpeper Minute Men (approx. 2 miles away); Seventh Ohio Regiment (approx. 2 miles away); Second Massachusetts Infantry (approx. 2 miles away). Click for a list of all markers in Culpeper.
More about this marker. This marker replaced an older marker numbered F-15 with the title "Signal Station" which read "The lone peak to the northeast, Mount Pony, was used by Pope as a signal station, 1862." The same number was duplicated for another marker titled "Stonewall Jackson's Mother" located in Loudoun County also along James Madison Highway (U.S. Highway 15).
Regarding Mount Pony Signal Station. This is one of several markers interpreting the Battle of Cedar Mountain. See the Battle of Cedar Mountain Virtual Tour by Markers linked below.
Also see . . .
1. What was a Cold War Bunker on Mount Pony..... During the Cold War, Mount Pony was one of the Continuity of Government sites. In bunkers built into the mountain, up to a billion in U.S. currency was held as a reserve to revitalize the U.S. economy in the event of a nuclear attack.
2. .... Is now the National Audio-Visual Archives. After the end of the Cold War made such precautions unnecessary, the bunker complex was converted to store movies and sound recordings.
3. Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation. State of the art archival facility where once a wooden signal tower stood.
4. Battle of Cedar Mountain Virtual Tour by Markers. A set markers that document the Battle of Cedar Mountain, August 9, 1862, and the early phases of the Second Manassas Campaign.
Categories. • War, US Civil •
Credits. This page originally submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,604 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on , by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. | <urn:uuid:96a85243-dcfb-4ba3-83d3-b278de462c35> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.hmdb.org/marker.asp?marker=4442 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00110-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934767 | 648 | 2.546875 | 3 |
The Ground Wire
The term "ground" refers to a connection to the earth, which acts as a reservoir of charge. A ground wire provides a conducting path to the earth which is independent of the normal current-carrying path in an electrical appliance. As a practical matter in household electric circuits, it is connected to the electrical neutral at the service panel to gaurantee a low enough resistance path to trip the circuit breaker in case of an electrical fault (see illustration below). Attached to the case of an appliance, it holds the voltage of the case at ground potential (usually taken as the zero of voltage). This protects against electric shock. The ground wire and a fuse or breaker are the standard safety devices used with standard electric circuits.
Is the ground wire necessary? The appliance will operate normally without the ground wire because it is not a part of the conducting path which supplies electricity to the appliance. In fact, if the ground wire is broken or removed, you will normally not be able to tell the difference. But if high voltage has gotten in contact with the case, there may be a shock hazard. In the absence of the ground wire, shock hazard conditions will often not cause the breaker to trip unless the circuit has a ground fault interrupter in it. Part of the role of the ground wire is to force the breaker to trip by supplying a path to ground if a "hot" wire comes in contact with the metal case of the appliance.
In the event of an electrical fault which brings dangerous high voltage to the case of an appliance, you want the circuit breaker to trip immediately to remove the hazard. If the case is grounded, a high current should flow in the appliance ground wire and trip the breaker. That's not quite as simple as it sounds - tying the ground wire to a ground electrode driven into the earth is not generally sufficient to trip the breaker, which was surprising to me. The U.S. National Electric Code Article 250 requires that the ground wires be tied back to the electrical neutral at the service panel. So in a line-to-case fault, the fault current flows through the appliance ground wire to the service panel where it joins the neutral path, flowing through the main neutral back to the center-tap of the service transformer. It then becomes part of the overall flow, driven by the service transformer as the electrical "pump", which will produce a high enough fault current to trip the breaker. In the electrical industry, this process of tying the ground wire back to the neutral of the transformer is called "bonding", and the bottom line is that for electrical safety you need to be both grounded and bonded.
This just touches the tip of the iceberg of the major subject of proper grounding and bonding of electrical systems. See Mike Holt's site for further information.
Practical circuit concepts | <urn:uuid:ab617834-868e-4a3a-8542-4ad83569de09> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/electric/bregnd.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391634.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00077-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.939245 | 572 | 3.484375 | 3 |
Chile Study Abroad Programs
- Capital: Santiago
- Official Language: Spanish
- Currency: Chilean peso (CLP)
So much fun!
Photo credit: USAC Chile
Located at the southwestern tip of South America, Chile is bordered on the north by Peru, on the east by Bolivia and Argentina, on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and on the south by Antarctica. Chile's west coast stretches 2,650 miles along the Pacific and the country's average width is only about 100 miles, making it possible to travel easily from mountains to seacoast in a couple of hours.
There are over 80 active gysers that are a part of El Tatio. Guides will cook a delicious breakfast of eggs in the hot springs.
Photo credit: USAC Chile
Chile is a land of extremes. To the north lies the desert possessing great mineral wealth. The central area supports most of the country’s population and agricultural resources. Southern Chile is rich in forests and grazing lands and has many volcanoes and lakes. The southern extreme is a labyrinth of fjords, inlets, canals, twisting peninsulas, and islands. The entire country is framed by the presence of the Andes Mountains. Numerous islands in the Pacific Ocean belong to Chile, including the Juan Fernandez Islands where Alexander Selkirk—the model for Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe—was marooned, and Easter Island, the site of a mysterious and ancient Polynesian culture.
Chile’s population is predominantly urban. The largest population group is of Spanish descent, with important numbers of Arabic, Jewish, German, Italian, Croatian, Korean, and Chinese immigrants. The most prevalent native families of Chile are: Aymaras, Licanantay or Atacameños, Rapa-Nuis (Easter Island), Mapuches or Araucanians, and Kawazkar.
Chileans have long distinguished themselves culturally as many artists have been leaders in their disciplines. Two Chileans have been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature: Gabriela Mistral in 1945 and Pablo Neruda in 1971. Other important figures in the arts include the writers Nicanor Parra, winner of the 2011 Cervantes Literature Prize, and Roberto Bolaño, the singer and artist Violeta Parra, the painter Roberto Matta, photographer Sergio Larraín, and best-selling author Isabel Allende.
Since Chile is located in the southern hemisphere, seasons are the reverse of those in the United States. Winter begins in June and lasts until September. This season is marked by colder temperatures (normally between 20° F and 50° F) and well known ski resorts such as Portillo, El Colorado, La Parva, and Farellones are just an hour outside of Santiago. However, snowfall is very uncommon in the city. | <urn:uuid:a3996d83-277e-4698-8152-f54113dd95f2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://usac.unr.edu/study-abroad-programs/chile | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00012-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.935613 | 592 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Last fall on the campaign trail, Mike Lee, Utah's new Tea-Party-backed senator, boldly asserted that: "...Congress has no business regulating our nation's public education system, and has created problems whenever it has attempted to do so." Other Tea Party candidates picked up this popular refrain. And increasingly other conservatives are raising the question: What -- if any -- should be the federal role in education?
The issue is sure to be debated in upcoming education hearings in Congress. But the answer isn't to eliminate federal involvement in education. That would be a wrong-headed move that ignores our country's history and would contribute to the decline of the United States. It's also a battle that has been fought and lost before because the stakes are simply too high.
Federal involvement began more than 225 years ago, even before George Washington was president, when Congress passed two laws -- the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 -- to create and maintain public schools in the expanding United States.
Back then, educational opportunities for most children depended on churches, charities, and paid tutors -- and on gender, race and income levels. The founding fathers recognized this problem and emphasized the need for a more educated citizenry in the new democracy.
Over the next two centuries, these two ordinances led to establishing public schools in the 30 new states created out of the territories west of the original 13 colonies. The specifics of federal land grants were outlined in each of the federal acts for admitting these states.
The national government also encouraged the establishment of state institutions of higher education. During the Civil War, Congress passed the Morrill Act, resulting in the University of Illinois, the University of California, and 74 other institutions. Signed by Abraham Lincoln, this Act used the same land grant policy for higher education as was used for public schools.
But there are many other examples of how federal support has been essential for the expansion and improvement of public schooling over time. They include:
Encouraging basic support for education
In the United States, local property taxes pay for about 48 percent of the costs of public elementary and secondary education in fiscal year 2008. State income and sale taxes covered about 44 percent. The federal government picked up the remaining 8 percent through direct grants. Federal support is much greater, however, when various indirect aids are considered.
Taxpayers deduct local and state taxes from their federal tax obligation, making local taxation more bearable and leading to greater financial support for public education.
In addition, local school districts and universities use tax-free bonds to finance construction and remodeling of school buildings. That work is more affordable because those bonds are attractive to taxpayers seeking tax-free income.
These indirect subsidies of education through the federal tax code total at least $21 billion for post-secondary education, and at least $17 billion for elementary and secondary education. These amounts are almost as significant as the direct grants made by the federal government to support education.
If the federal government were to "get out of education," local taxpayers would pay more in total taxes, school districts would struggle to finance themselves, and college costs would be even greater.
Making college more affordable
At the same time, as parents and students worry about escalating college costs, about three-fourths of all college student aid comes from federal sources, whether through the tax code, direct grants or subsidized loans. Many students would not participate in college or post-secondary training without that federal aid.
But, all this would vanish if the feds "got out of education."
Equity and civil rights
Throughout history, the United States has broadened educational opportunities for the less fortunate. After the Civil War, the federal government helped create public schools for freed slaves. After great waves of immigration of the early 20th century, vocational programs provided job training for newcomers.
In the 1950s, federal courts moved to expand educational opportunity, and in the 1960s, Congress broadened civil rights, economic opportunities, and improvements in schooling. African-American adults and children benefited as did women and girls who gained from Title IX, which opened up educational and sports opportunities.
As a result, the achievement gap narrowed between adolescent white and black students. And the percentage of children with disabilities who attended public school rose from only 20 percent in 1970 to 95 percent in 2007.
"Getting the federal government out of education" would endanger the progress made by --
among others -- children with disabilities, African-American children, and women and girls.
"We're (NOT) Number 1!"
Other countries are overtaking the United States in terms of schooling. As President Obama said:
"In the race for the future, America is in danger of falling behind. ...In a generation we have fallen from 1st place to 9th place in the proportion of young people with college degrees. When it comes to high school graduation rates, we're ranked 18th out of 24 industrialized nations -- 18th."
The achievement gap between U.S. students and their international peers deprived the national
economy of as much as $2.3 trillion in 2008, according to the McKinsey Quarterly.
How can the country raise academic achievement if 14,000 local school districts are each making their own decisions on most key aspects of education?
Four Presidents, numerous state governors of both parties, business leaders, and others have advocated for high state academic standards to bring about broad improvement. Currently, 43 states have adopted common standards and now are collaborating on creating assessments.
Federal assistance has helped this movement, but a flash point has been George W. Bush's No Child Left Behind Act enacted in 2002. Nearly a decade of experience under that law has shown its flaws. Obama, congressional leaders and others have proposed solutions for its defects, while still maintaining the core concept of encouraging states to raise their academic standards. Congressional leaders have signaled that they want to move on that legislation.
"Getting the federal government out of education" would undercut these two decades of efforts to raise academic standards.
To argue for no federal support for public schooling might play well with some voters, but it is foolhardy. Over the course of American history, the national government has aimed to better educate the citizenry as a basis for democracy and economic prosperity. Today, our nation must act with greater, not less, unity to improve schools. | <urn:uuid:61d20236-83d4-4138-b2f9-414ec3ca9d11> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jack-jennings/federal-government-education_b_819814.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.71/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00197-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964839 | 1,291 | 3.3125 | 3 |
The Dalles Baby Boomers might be aging, but many are determined not to give up the active and healthy lifestyles that characterize their generation.
Seventy six million Americans born between 1946 and 1964 have defined the culture as they passed through each decade. They have enjoyed the prosperity that followed World War II and many have been financially secure to explore a wide range of sports and other outdoor recreational interests. Unfortunately, these energetic lifestyles have brought achy joints and boomers — who are turning 65 at a rate of 8,000 per day – are the fastest-growing group to undergo total knee replacements.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are people not getting enough exercise and putting undue stress on knee joints by packing around too much weight. The obesity rate in America is now among the highest in the world and many people are experiencing health problems caused by this condition.
Between the two factors, the number of people opting for knee replacement surgery in their 40s and 50s to overcome stiffness and pain is growing at a record rate, according to a recent article published in The Journal of the American Medical Association.
About 500,000 knee-replacement surgeries are now undertaken each year in the U.S. and medical experts expect that number to increase by as much as 600 percent over the next two decades.
Dr. Gregory Stanley, who practices at Cascade Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Center in The Dalles, said it is not the activity that people undertake but the injuries they sustain that leads to mobility challenges. He said a cushioning layer of tissue, called cartilage, prevents direct contact among the three bones that make up the knee. Once the cartilage breaks down from abnormal stresses, previous trauma or ligament instability, the joint surface becomes damaged enough for bone to rub on bone.
“Grandma always said, ‘You will pay for the sins of your youth’ and she was right in that the injuries you get while you are young catch up with you as you age,” he said.
The best way to avoid having knee replacement surgery, said Stanley, is to factor the risk into sports and other activities and take whatever precautions are necessary to avoid getting hurt.
He said people who work in the agriculture industry often end up with knee injuries from operating farm machinery and walking on uneven ground that can lead to torn and sprained ligaments. He said, most of the time, knee discomfort can be treated with a brace to support the leg, injections to alleviate inflammation, medicine and physical therapy.
Genetics also play a role in determining whether a person will have problems with knees, according to Dr. Mark Cullen, an orthopedic specialist who works at Water’s Edge, a Mid-Columbia Medical Center clinic.
“If mom or dad had replacement surgery, there’s a chance you are going to have it also,” he said.
He said the time may come when lesser treatments aren’t working and it is time for the patient and physician to discuss surgery.
Cullen said osteoarthritis in the knee may cause pain that is so severe that it not only bothers a person who is walking or climbing stairs but is even present when they are at rest.
“Most of the people who come in to see me about a knee replacement are not willing to give up their active lifestyles,” he said. “It is my job to help you do what you want to do for as long as you can.”
Surgery and recovery costs are expensive — a national average of $40,000 per knee — and without a change in lifestyle, might not be a permanent fix.
However, Cullen said more than 90 percent of people who undergo total knee replacement experience a significant decrease in pain. It takes nine to 12 months for the person to recover full use of their leg, so surgery is a commitment that extends well beyond two hours in the operating room.
“You are signing up with a big commitment to do the work after surgery to get the results,” he said.
If the person returns to strenuous physical activity or continues to put a lot of weight on the knee, said Cullen, the friction they create can wear out the artificial implants or metal tray fit into the bone and the high-density plastic space that creates a smooth gliding surface.
“You can’t be headstrong about having an arthritic knee — maybe you won’t be able to run marathons, but you can still cycle and keep moving,” he said. He said the vast majority of people who modify their lifestyle to cut down wear and tear on their joints do well with a knee replacement. He said 85 percent of implants last 20 years or more without any kind of significant problem. | <urn:uuid:9b45a82e-61e8-4cc7-a9f5-68f19297e342> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.thedalleschronicle.com/news/2013/jun/17/be-kind-your-knees-injuries-obesity-and-genetics-p/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396538.42/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00109-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.962609 | 983 | 2.578125 | 3 |
Small Business Management
Course Objectives: To provide students with an introduction to the world of small business and an understanding of what is needed to start/run a small business. To state that the small business is the most dominant form of business in society is not an overstatement: over 98% of the businesses in the country employ less than 100 people. Therefore, the majority of you will most likely be either starting, owning, or occupying a significant management position in a small firm sometime in your lifet
Elementary Abstract Algebra
This book is intended for a one semester introduction to abstract algebra. Available in postscript, pdf, and latex formats.
Introduction to String Field Theory
Introduction to String Field Theory
Inquiring Minds: Fermilab
This sie features an introduction to elementary particles and forces in our universe, physics questions answered by Fermilab scientists, an interactive timeline illustrating the history of high-energy physics, links to other high energy physics sites, and more.
Three-Dimensional Modeling, Animation and Rendering Using Blender 3D Software
The Blender 3D Design course is intended to offer students an introduction to the world of computer generated 3-D modeling and animation. As an introductory course, it provides a basic understanding of the skills and techniques employed by 3-D designers in a wide range of applications. This course updates and replaces Three-Dimensional Modeling, Animation and Rendering Using Blender 3D Software (2006), previously on Tufts OCW. In this course we will explore basic mesh modeling, applying textures
Multimedia Training Videos: Introduction to Animation in Macromedia Director
Multimedia Training Videos is a series of free learning videos to show anyone interested in learning packages like Macromedia Director. This video is an introduction to Video in Director.
Put a Spark In It! - Electricity
Uncountable times every day with the merest flick of a finger each one of us calls on electricity to do our bidding. What would your life be like without electricity? Students begin learning about electricity with an introduction to the most basic unit in ordinary matter, the atom. Once the components of an atom are addressed and understood, students move into the world of electricity. First, they explore static electricity, followed by basic current electricity concepts such as voltage, resista
An Arm and A Leg
Students will design and build a prototype of an artificial limb using a simple syringe system as an introduction to bioengineering. Students will determine which substance water (liquid) or air (gas) will make the appendage more efficient.
Setting Goals, Building Solutions
In this lesson, students consider the value of setting goals for themselves and for their community, thinking critically about the idea of defining community and shared interests and concerns. This is an introduction to the concepts that underlie the Millennium Development Goals.
Where Are the MDGs?
By investigating the coverage of the Millennium Development Goals in the media, students learn about both the local and global presence of development issues, as well as gain an introduction to the way the media represents these issues in different parts of the world.
Pathophysiology and Pharmacotherapy of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
The module contains the following levels: Defining Acute Decompensated Heart Failure Precipitating Factors of Acute Decompensated Heart Failure ADHF Pathophysiology Evaluating ADHF via the Forrester Classification System Evaluating ADHF via the Clinical Severity Classification System Lab Parameters and Other Diagnostic Tests Goals of ADHF Therapy Introduction to ADHF Treatment Class Effects Catecholamine-like Agents in ADHF Dosing Dopamine for ADHF Dosing Effects Drug Properties Treatment Consid
The Drug Information Consult
A short introduction on how to write a drug information consult. The module contains the following levels: Introduction to the DI Consult Steps to Writing a DI Consult Sections of the DI Consult Choosing Primary Literature Other Writing Tips Complete Assessment of the Drug Information Consult
Hey, Mr. Producer!
It's not that uncommon for secondary school students to study the ups and downs of the stock market, but in this lesson, students will examine the economic roller coaster involved in the production of a Broadway musical. As an introduction to the lesson, students will read a series of online articles to investigate the similarities and differences between nonprofit theater production and Broadway, or commercial, theater production. They will view excerpts from the PBS series BROADWAY: THE AMERIC
Nanotechnology 501 Lecture Series
Welcome to the Nanotechnology 501, a series of lectures designed to provide an introduction to nanotechnology.
Professor Peter Lambert inaugural lecture: The Priest, the Coup and the Party
In 2008 Fernando Lugo came to power in Paraguay promising a 'new dawn' based on social justice, democracy and greater empowerment of the country's poor but just four years later, with his reform programme in tatters. In his inaugural lecture, Professor Peter Lambert examines the failure of Lugo's reform programme through analysis of both immediate causes and wider factors related to domestic power relations and political culture. This in turn raises questions about the very nature of Paraguay'
Basic radio physics
A general introduction to basic physics relevant for wireless networking.
Introduction to mailing lists
Introduction to basic mailing list concepts, finding and using mailing lists.
Introduction to OpenOffice.org Impress
An introduction to using OpenOffice.org Impress for presentations - aimed at getting learners comfortable with OOo Impress basics and giving them the confidence to go further on their own.
Introduction to MS Access
Introduction to MS Access basics: working with tables fields, records and primary keys.
Introduction to OpenOffice.org Writer
An introduction to the OpenOffice.org Writer word processor. | <urn:uuid:a63d3095-6c27-492d-8a6e-d4017bca69a5> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/xpert/scoreresults.php?keywords=Introduction%20to%20dra&start=8820&end=8840 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403823.74/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00069-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.872886 | 1,171 | 2.53125 | 3 |
Monday, March 10, 2014
Nazi Germany's Connection to the Union of Crimea and Ukraine
Various historical forces have tried to rule both the Crimea and Ukraine. The Russian Empire and then the Soviet Union were the first modern powers to firmly control both. However, Crimea usually remained under different regional authorities than Ukraine itself.
An interesting historical geographical fact I learned from National Geographic: the first time the Crimea fell under rule based in the Ukraine was Nazi Germany's Reichskommissariat Ukraine. | <urn:uuid:53d78d6c-b0ab-4d09-97ff-433fa868ba08> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.geographictravels.com/2014/03/nazi-germanys-connection-to-union-of.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00165-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959477 | 98 | 2.9375 | 3 |
A prize-winning boar named Major has a dream that he shares with the other animals of Manor Farm one night after the drunken farmer who owns the farm, Mr. Jones, has fallen asleep. Major advises the animals to reject misery and slavery and to rebel against Man, “the only real enemy we have.” The rebellion, on Midsummer’s Eve, drives Mr. Jones and his men off the farm.
Major draws up Seven Commandments of Animalism to govern the newly named Animal Farm, stipulating that “whoever goes on two legs is our enemy,” that “all animals are equal,” and that they shall not wear clothes, sleep in beds, drink alcohol, or kill any other animal. The pigs quickly assume a supervisory position to run the farm, and two of them, Snowball and Napoleon, become leaders after the death of old Major. Factions develop, and Napoleon conspires against Snowball after the animals defeat an attempt by Mr. Jones and the neighboring farmers to recover the farm at the Battle of the Cowshed.
Snowball is a brilliant debater and a visionary who wants to modernize the farm by building a windmill that will provide electrification. Two parties are formed, supporting “Snowball and the three-day week” and “Napoleon and the full manger.” Meanwhile, the pigs reserve special privileges for themselves, such as consuming milk and apples that are not shared with the others.
Napoleon raises nine pups to become his guard dogs. After they have grown, his “palace guard” drives Snowball into exile, clearing the way for Napoleon’s dictatorship. Napoleon simplifies the Seven Commandments into one slogan: “Four legs good, two legs bad.” With the help of Squealer, his propagandist, Napoleon discredits Snowball’s bravery and leadership in the Battle of the Cowshed and claims as his own the scheme to build a windmill. Every subsequent misfortune is then blamed on Snowball.
Thereafter, the animals work like slaves, with Napoleon as the tyrant in charge. Gradually the pigs take on more human traits and move into the farmhouse. Before long, they begin sleeping in beds and consuming alcohol. Napoleon organizes a purge, sets his dogs on four dissenting pigs who question his command, and has them bear false witness against the absent Snowball. He then has the dogs kill them, violating one of the Seven Commandments, which are slyly emended to cover the contingencies of Napoleon’s rule and his desires for creature comforts.
Eventually, Napoleon enters into a political pact with one neighboring farmer, Pilkington, against the other, Frederick, whose men invade Animal Farm with guns and blow up the windmill. Working to rebuild the windmill, the brave workhorse Boxer collapses. He is sent heartlessly to the glue factory by Napoleon, who could have allowed Boxer simply to retire. All the principles of the rebellion eventually are corrupted and overturned. Finally, the pigs begin to walk on their hind legs, and all the Seven Commandments ultimately are reduced to a single one: “All Animals Are Equal, but Some Animals Are More Equal Than Others.” The pigs become indistinguishable from the men who own the neighboring farms, and the animals are no better off than they were under human control. | <urn:uuid:41e22494-63d0-4f7c-bdfc-eebafce47eaf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enotes.com/topics/animal-farm/in-depth | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391766.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00034-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965511 | 704 | 2.96875 | 3 |
New York — Although Islam first came to these shores 400 years ago through enslaved Africans, it didn't really register on America's radar in a significant way until the 1960s and '70s with Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X.
This despite the fact that, after slavery was abolished, some African-Americans had converted to Islam as early as the late 1800s, and that Muslims emigrated from the Middle East in the early 1900s, some settling in such unlikely places as Ross, N.D. But these small communities mostly disappeared into the American cultural landscape within a few decades.
Even as Muslims from Bosnia, Albania, and other parts of Europe made the United States their home, it wasn't until the mid-1960s that the numbers of Muslims began to swell significantly.
Many African-Americans began to convert, establishing mosques over the coming decades. At the same time, the government lifted national quotas on immigration, attracting waves of immigrants from the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, Africa, and other parts of the globe. They brought not just a particular sect of Islam, but also the languages and cultures in which they practiced their faith.
From the 1990s onward, Islam became increasingly visible. According to the Pew Research Center, 45 percent of Muslim Americans today arrived after 1990, and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) reports that, between 1994 and 2011, the number of mosques grew from 962 to 2,106. Their construction has sometimes met with pushback, whether in small cities like Murfreesboro, Tenn., or a megalopolis like New York.
Based on its survey of mosques, CAIR estimates that the current number of Muslims in the US may be as high as 7 million, or 2.2 percent of the population. Pew, on the other hand, calculates that Muslims number 2.75 million, or 0.08 percent.
Both, however, agree that the numbers are growing with the influx of new immigrants as well as new converts. One of the fastest growing segments, according to some observers, is the Latino community, which accounts for a fifth of new converts in the US. By 2030, says Pew, their number will more than double to 6.2 million or 1.7 percent of the population – equivalent to the number of Jews or Episcopalians in the US today. | <urn:uuid:7428ac7f-bd58-4a4a-a5e6-477f7745fac1> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2014/0216/Islam-in-the-US-A-brief-history | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393442.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00158-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.968059 | 475 | 3.1875 | 3 |
In each issue, we introduce a teacher who has participated in Teaching with Primary Sources (TPS) professional development and successfully uses primary sources from the Library of Congress to support effective instructional practices.
This issue's Teacher Spotlight features Lisa Brose, an elementary school teacher at Lopez Elementary School in Fort Collins, Colorado. The TPS program at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado, nominated Lisa for her effective classroom use of primary sources to integrate technology. During her 16-year career, Lisa has taught Art, Title One Reading and Math (grades K-6), and general classes (grades 2-5). In this interview, Lisa discusses teaching strategies and her favorite Library of Congress online resources.
How did you first learn about the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program?
I first learned about TPS when looking for resources on communication during the Civil War. I saw a local workshop advertised on the TPS Web site, but it was right before I moved from Pennsylvania to Colorado so I could not attend.
What motivated you to participate in the TPS workshops in your local area?
After moving, I discovered the TPS program at the University of Northern Colorado and signed up for a workshop. The Library of Congress has amazing online collections, but I needed help navigating the Web site.
Tell us about the first time you tried using primary sources in the classroom.
The first time I tried using my classroom's new interactive whiteboard to analyze digitized primary sources, the technology was temperamental and we all ended up more frustrated at what wasn't working than tracing Columbus's sailing routes on a historical map. I became more comfortable teaching with primary sources with or without technology after my TPS workshop experience. Primary sources came alive in my classroom. My students are more engaged when primary sources are used in a lesson. They generate theories in response to questions, such as why a particular object was important to the people who used it, and do research to support their ideas.
How have you used technology to bring primary sources into the classroom to enhance learning for students?
Only accountants used computers when I was a new teacher; my great joy was my overhead projector that let me face my students instead of writing on a blackboard with my back to them. Now I'm able to teach and learn with my students using resources from all over the world if computers with internet access are available. And the resolution capabilities of digitized primary sources offer more teaching opportunities than ever before. For example, the ability to zoom in and check details allows students to analyze historical documents and photographs as if they were actually handling them.
My students embrace combining technology and primary sources. I can print images and provide them to groups working at tables, but the class still wants the images projected while we are working for clarity and detail. Using presentation software or online tools to share information with classmates is as natural to my students as using a pencil to draw a diagram or picture. The media motivates today's students and yet they don't even think about technology since they have never been without it. The range of collections made freely available online through the Library of Congress makes it easier than ever for me to motivate and guide my students to look deeper and find out how and why people may have done what they did in the past. I want my students to experience history with empathy and to understand the possible implications of an event at a particular point in time. Primary sources make this happen.
What are your favorite resources available on the Library of Congress Web site? Why?
My favorites thus far are Abraham Lincoln's writings. When I stumbled upon correspondence to the President regarding Robert E. Lee's entry into Pennsylvania (within days of the start of the Battle of Gettysburg), complete with troop and artillery numbers, near our former home of Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, it gave me chills. Literally. It felt like I was being sucked back in time.
What advice do you have for teachers who have never tried teaching with primary sources?
Just do it! The resources are endless and so are the possibilities. Try searching the American Memory collection or use an artifact or map from a Library exhibition. Start small with one activity and enlist your technology specialist's help if you have difficulty.
Teaching with primary sources involves students in reading, writing, decision-making, and critical thinking. Even experienced teachers can benefit from the TPS program since its methods incorporate 21st century thinking skills and differentiation of lesson components. Your students will thank you and you will enjoy teaching motivated, curious students. | <urn:uuid:7d789305-cc80-4d7c-a708-3fad8f140404> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://loc.gov/teachers/tps/quarterly/technology/spotlight.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392159.3/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00116-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959162 | 918 | 2.875 | 3 |
OpenGL for Win32
A picture is worth a thousand words.
*** The contents of this page are obsolete ***
OpenGL is the most widely adopted, cross-platform standard for 3D rendering
and 3D hardware acceleration. The software runtime library ships with all
Windows, MacOS, Linux and Unix systems.
OpenGL is built for compatibility across hardware and operating systems.
This architecture makes it easy to port OpenGL programs from one system to
The OpenGL Perl module allows a Perl program to use OpenGL by letting it
make OpenGL function calls.
You will find here a ppm package for this module. It uses
GLUT for Win32, a
port by Nate Robins of the original GLUT (OpenGL Utility Toolkit) library written by Mark
This is a port of the version 0.54 of the module. All the functions
supported by the module (and by Windows) works now.
Of course, the GLX library is not implemented: it's an OpenGL library for
the X Window System. So, don't use the
glx* functions in your
script! Caution: the
glpOpenWindow function uses internaly some
GLX functions; don't use it.
- The WGL library is not implemented. I'm working on this extension. Be patient!
- I increased the doc but it remains light well:
Implementation dependent differences:
(from the Nate Robins readme-file README-win32.txt )
There are a few differences between the Win32 version of GLUT and the X11
version of GLUT. Those are outlined here. Note that MOST of these
differences are allowed by the GLUT specification. Bugs and unsupported
features are outlined in the next section.
The following command line options have no meaning (and are ignored) in
GLUT for Win32: -display, -indirect, -direct, -sync.
- glutInitWindowPosition, glutPositionWindow:
Win32 has two different coordinate systems for windows. One is in terms
of client space and the other is the whole window space (including the
decorations). If you glutPositionWindow(0, 0), GLUT for Win32 will place
the window CLIENT area at 0, 0. This will cause the window decorations
(title bar and left edge) to be OFF-SCREEN, but it gives the user the
most flexibility in positioning. HOWEVER, if the user specifies
glutInitWindowPosition(0, 0), the window is placed relative to window
space at 0, 0. This will cause the window to be opened in the upper left
corner with all the decorations showing. This behaviour is acceptable
under the current GLUT specification.
- glutSetIconTitle, glutSetWindowTitle:
There is no separation between Icon title and Window title in Win32.
Therefore, setting an icon title in Win32 has no effect.
As indicated in the GLUT specification, cursors may be different on
different platforms. This is the case in GLUT for Win32. For the most
part, the cursors will match the meaning, but not necessarily the shape.
Notable exceptions are the GLUT_CURSOR_INFO & GLUT_CURSOR_SPRAY which use
the crosshair cursor and the GLUT_CURSOR_CYCLE which uses the 'no' or
'destroy' cursor in Win32.
Win32 seems to be unable to determine if a window is fully obscured.
Therefore, the visibility of a GLUT window is only reflected by its
Iconic, Hidden or Shown state. That is, even if a window is fully
obscured, in GLUT for Win32, it is still "visible".
Window Focus is handled differently in Win32 and X. Specifically, the
"window manager" in Win32 uses a "click to focus" policy. That is, in
order for a window to receive focus, a mouse button must be clicked in
it. Likewise, in order for a window to loose focus, a mouse button must
be clicked outside the window (or in another window). Therefore, the
Enter and Leave notification provided by GLUT may behave differently in
the Win32 and in X11 versions. There is a viable workaround for this. A
program called "Tweak UI" is provided by Microsoft which can be used to
change the focus policy in Win32 to "focus follows mouse". It is
available from the Microsoft Web Pages:
GLUT for Win32 always copies the colormap. There is never any sharing of
colormaps. This is probably okay, since Win32 merges the logical palette
and the physical palette anyway, so even if there are two windows with
totally different colors in their colormaps, Win32 will find a
(hopefully) good match between them.
- glutIdleFunc + menus: The glut idle function will NOT be called when
a menu is active. This causes all animation to stop when a menu is active
(in general, this is probably okay). Timer functions will still fire, however.
If the timer callback draws into the rendering context, the drawing will not
show up until after the menu has finished, though.
Win32 only likes to work with left and right mouse buttons. Especially so
with popup menus. Therefore, when attaching the menu to the middle mouse
button, the LEFT mouse button must be used to select from the menu.
- glutSpaceball*, glutButtonBox*, glutTablet*, glutDials*:
None of the special input devices are supported at this time.
When resizing or moving a GLUT for Win32 window, no updating is
performed. This causes the window to leave "tracks" on the screen when
getting bigger or when previously obscured parts are being revealed. I
put in a bit of a kludgy workaround for those that absolutely can't have
the weird lines. The reshape callback is called multiple times for
reshapes. Therefore, in the reshape callback, some drawing can be done.
It should probably be limited to a color buffer clear.
The video resizing capabilities of GLUT 3.3+ for X11 is currently
unimplemented (this is probably ok, since it really isn't part of the
spec until 4.0). I doubt that this will ever be part of GLUT for Win32,
since there is no hardware to support it. A hack could simply change the
resolution of the desktop.
The package is in my
If you are using ActiveState's Perl distribution (Perl5.6 or Perl5.8),
the easiest way to install this module is to use
Type (or cut & paste) this command in a DOS console:
ppm install http://www.bribes.org/perl/ppm/OpenGL.ppd
The documentation, in html format, is at its usual location.
You can download the patched source file here:
Instructions for compiling the module with MSVC++ are in the
You can also use this patch:
Keep in mind that this module is still in beta stage for Windows.
Report bug (for this version only) to
To test the module, I translated in Perl some classic C programs for OpenGL.
Download the package (
demos.zip) and run
the scripts to test the module on your machine.
The last screenshot is the one of the script
adaptation in Perl of the Chris Halsall's programme
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BðP © 2004 J-L Morel - Contact : [email protected] | <urn:uuid:a5d5577a-af6e-4795-9a69-6acdd004f36f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://bribes.org/perl/wopengl2.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391634.7/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00032-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.865675 | 1,626 | 2.5625 | 3 |
Origin of incandesceClassical Latin incandescere
tr. & intr.v.in·can·desced, in·can·desc·ing, in·can·desc·es
Origin of incandesceLatin incand&emacron;scere, to glow : in-, intensive pref.; see in–2 + cand&emacron;scere, to glow, inchoative of cand&emacron;re, to shine; see kand- in Indo-European roots.
(third-person singular simple present incandesces, present participle incandescing, simple past and past participle incandesced)
- To cause to be (to become) incandescent, especially by the application of heat | <urn:uuid:07b41f06-4ccf-4bc3-84b2-5a5174f1d165> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.yourdictionary.com/incandesce | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398873.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00118-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.721121 | 166 | 3 | 3 |
Ten facts about Red-throated Caracaras
This is a guest post by Sean McCann: photographer, naturalist, entomologist, ornithologist, and graduate student! Sean has spent a LOT of time studying among the most incredible of all the birds, the Caracaras. He kindly agreed to share 10 facts about these birds. You can follow Sean on Twitter, see his photographs on his flickr account, or follow his blog here. Unless indicted otherwise, all the photographs in this post are by Sean, and reproduced here with permission.
1) Red-throated Caracaras (Ibycter americanus) are very colourful, with red facial skin, yellow bill, a blue cere, and orange legs. They are slightly smaller than ravens. The genus name comes from the Ancient Cretan word ἰβυκτήρ (Ibukter), which means “one who begins a war song.” This name is fitting, because these birds are highly territorial and vocal, and spend a lot of time screaming at other caracaras, or humans, who invade their territories.
2) Red throated Caracaras are falcons, albeit from a very strange subfamily called the Polyborinae, which includes the caracaras and forest falcons. It turns out that falcons are not closely related to hawks and eagles, as previously thought, but rather are more closely related to parrots!
3) Caracaras are followed around the forest by a retinue of associates, including oropendolas, toucans, and araçaris. This earned them the name Capitaines des gros-becs (Toucan Captains!) in the 1800s. These other birds are thought to like hanging out with the vigilant caracaras, whose loud alarm calls may warn them of predators.
4) Unlike most caracaras, who are scavengers and generalists, Red-throated Caracaras are specialist predators of social wasps. Up to 80 percent or more of the diet provided to chicks is the brood of social wasps including some very fierce species such as Polybia dimidiata, Synoeca, and Apoica. Here's a video that shows them feeding on large nest of Polybia dimidiata.
5) Red throated Caracaras are social, often sharing large food items, travelling together in groups, and working together to defeat the defences of wasps. Red throated Caracaras are cooperative breeders (which is very unusual for a raptor) with multiple adults providing food to a single chick!
6) Red-throated Caracaras nest in bromeliads, at least in some parts of their range. In French Guiana, the two nest sites we monitored were in large Achmea aquilega bromeliads, which the birds modified for use by tearing the stiff and sharp leaves to create an open depression on the top surface. Here's a video showing nest preparation.
7) Red-throated Caracaras are highly territorial, and will attack a decoy painted to resemble them. This is how we capture them, using a decoy to lure them into a net.
8) Red-throated Caracaras also bring large millipedes to the nest, although the chick does not seem to consume much of them. These large millipedes are highly toxic, being filled with benzoquinones. Could it be that they are using these as some sort of nest fumigation?
9) Caracaras sometimes have compounds from the defensive secretions of Azteca ants on their feet. They are not likely preying on these ants, but probably get attacked by them while preying on wasps. One species of wasp, Polybia rejecta, typically nests in close association with the Azteca ants, which provide protection from army ants. Caracaras perching on a branch next to a P. rejecta nest would likely immediately find their feet covered with defensive ants.
10) Although Red-throated Caracaras are still common in South America, they are declining severely in Central America, and extirpated from southern Mexico. It is unknown why they have undergone these dramatic declines. I speculate that shooting and destruction of forest habitats may have played a role. Because of their highly cooperative breeding system, with only one chick at a time raised by up to 7 adults, they are highly vulnerable. | <urn:uuid:1a9f429b-4ae7-4dfc-84c9-6fbb40eeacb4> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.scilogs.com/expiscor/ten-facts-about-red-throated-caracaras/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403825.35/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00022-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959104 | 946 | 3.546875 | 4 |
Natural selection is the metaphor Charles Darwin used in 1859 to name the process he postulated to drive the adaptation of organisms to their environments and the origin of new species. Natural selection, together with the rules of inheritance discovered by Gregor Mendel at about the same time, stand at the basis of modern evolutionary biology. Before Darwin, naturalists had viewed differences among individual organisms within a species as uninteresting departures from their Platonic ideal or typus. Darwin, however, realized that since such differences can be heritable and affect the survival and reproductive output of individuals, variant traits that most enhance survival and reproduction may become more frequent over the generations. Darwin, moreover, had also to overcome the then dominant view that individual organisms can transmit to their progeny modifications elicited in them by environmental factors. In contrast, Darwin argued that adaptation is the result of the culling by nature of inheritable variation that arises without directionality.
The process of natural selection was first discovered by Darwin and later, independently, by Alfred Russel Wallace, but Darwin published his findings only in 1858 after Wallace shared similar views with him. Darwin and Wallace realized that natural selection had a special significance because it explained the evolution of the astounding ways in which organisms are adapted to their environments and the evolution of the millions of species known to exist and have existed on earth as well as why there are millions of species rather than a single one that does everything best.
Scientists today understand that not all evolutionary change must be driven by natural selection and that natural selection is not sufficient for evolutionary change to take place since not every trait that enhances reproduction needs to be heritable. In general, however, adaptive evolution requires natural selection because the possibility that favorable traits become more frequent across generations due to random fluctuations in trait occurrence, is negligible (see genetic drift). Favorable traits that owe their occurrence in a population to the fact that the genes encoding them became more frequent in the population over the generations through evolution by natural selection are called adaptations.
Differential reproduction due to natural selection can result from differences in functional performance at many levels of biological organization, not only at the level of individual organisms (see unit of selection), but historically the emphasis has been on the selection of individual organisms that differ in some trait(s) which affect individual performance and result in a higher or lower reproductive output (so called positive and negative selection). Elliott Sober in his book "The Nature of Selection" has stressed that natural selection can entail the differential reproduction of many things ("selection of") but that it is the cause of the differences in reproductive output what points to the target of selection and thus defines what the level and the unit of selection are.
As stated above, functional biological performance is what determines the reproductive output (fitness) of individual variants, i.e., whether a variant produces more or fewer progeny (and/or better- or lower-quality progeny) than others in a population. The major fitness components when talking about individual selection are viability (survival) and fecundity (progeny output).
Both the viability and fecundity components of fitness can have an ecological component and a sexual-selection component. The ecological component is determined by a variant's ability to negotiate environmental challenges not related directly to sexual competition (such as the ability to gather food, to fend off or avoid predators, and so forth). The sexual-selection component is determined by a variant's ability to perform in the at times highly elaborated rituals that determine an individual's success at attracting mates and prevailing at such against other individuals of the same sex, which can be a major factor influencing fecundity (and more rarely viability). Because of sexual selection's dire potential to affect total fitness, it is not surprising that evolution by sexual selection has led to traits that are clearly maladaptive from the point of view of ecological performance (a famous example being the tails of male peacocks, which are very important in wooing females during courtship but are obviously detrimental to locomotion).
Natural selection is distinguished from artificial selection which refers to the evolution of domesticated species as a result of human culling rather than culling by the "natural environment". However, the mechanisms of natural and artificial selection are essentially identical, and in fact outstanding cases of evolution by artificial selection like the diversity of dog and pigeon breeds were used by Darwin to illustrate how the process of selection can result in evolution.
The modern theory of evolution by natural selection states that genetic differences between individuals can result in differences in functionally relevant traits, in higher reproduction of the individuals endowed with the better traits, in preferential transmission to the next generation of the genes encoding the traits that result in higher reproduction, and thus in changes in the frequency in successive generations of these genes and of the traits that individuals display.
Although natural selection is often called the mechanism of evolution, the generation of heritable phenotypic diversity is also crucial since without it selection cannot result in adaptive evolution. Such variation is now understood to be generated by the shuffling of genetic material (crossing over) that occurs during meiosis and syngamy, by random alterations of the genetic material like point mutations, insertions, and deletions, and by the insertion and deletion of self-replicating genetic elements like tranposons as well as of viruses that integrate their genomes in that of their hosts. | <urn:uuid:01d3e98e-21ac-48ed-9158-002153b22293> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://deathbycommittee.blogspot.com/2008/05/natural-selection.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00169-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.95248 | 1,081 | 4.1875 | 4 |
In February 1937, National Geographic published “Changing Berlin,” a 47-page feature story by Douglas Chandler. According to Bob Poole, a former NGM editor and the author of Explorers House: National Geographic and the World It Made, Chandler…
“… painted a happy portrait of Berlin, a glittering city where red banners with bold black swastikas rippled along Unter Den Linden; where New Age architecture displaced tired old buildings; where coal was given to the needy in winter; where industry generously provided proper housing for thousands of employees; where ‘flaxen-haired, sun-crisped youths’ splashed in the river and grew strong….
[By April 1939] it was likely that Chandler was on the payroll of Paul Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s minister of propaganda, and probably had been since 1935, long before La Gorce and Bert had launched Chandler’s National Geographic career” (Poole, p. 175-7).
Chandler’s Berlin story, Poole writes, “proved to be perhaps the biggest embarrassment in the history of the National Geographic Society.” It also grew from National Geographic’s fascination with fascism:
“… The month following Chandler’s piece, the magazine published ‘Imperial Rome Reborn,’ an article by John Patric on Mussolini’s Italy, which was only slightly less admiring of Il Duce than Chandler’s ode to Berlin.
… As Europe deteriorated, and Hitler and Mussolini’s true intentions were widely revealed, it would become increasingly difficult for National Geographic magazine to remain above the fray, a position from which it had advanced the view that the fascist regimes of the late 1930s were efficient, benign, even admirable. Coming from a respected magazine like National Geographic, this had been peerless propaganda” [emphasis added] (Poole, p. 176).
On the bright side, National Geographic eventually recognized the threat of fascism, and underwent an editorial transformation: the Magazine would provide vocal support for the Allied war effort and, in subsequent decades, NGM regularly published stories that celebrated the blessings of democracy.
We sincerely hope it’s a lesson our Society will never forget. Sometimes, though, we look and we worry.
(For more about The Hitler Meme, see this.) | <urn:uuid:d17c6494-85a0-441f-befd-8499d665fb1b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://societymatters.org/2010/11/22/hitler-loses-support-of-national-geographic/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398209.20/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00057-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.945487 | 499 | 2.875 | 3 |
Chlorine Factories Cited as Big Source of Mercury Pollution; Industry Says it's Making Changes
Nine chlorine plants in the South and East pour at least eight tons of mercury into the environment each year _ a situation that demands federal action to force companies to convert to cleaner technology, activists said Wednesday.
Environmentalists think the amount of mercury emitted by the plants may be even greater; the industry acknowledges that tons of the toxic metal are unaccounted for each year, though it does not believe that mercury is dumped into the environment.
Chlorine at the plants is made by pumping electrically charged salty water through a vat of mercury, a process devised more than 100 years ago. Environmentalists say these plants are a largely ignored and unchecked source of mercury pollution.
Mercury settles in waterways and accumulates in fish. In humans who eat those fish, the metal can cause neurological and developmental problems, particularly in fetuses and children.
Citing chlorine factories as a "major global source of mercury," the Washington, D.C.-based environmental group Oceana on Wednesday called on the Environmental Protection Agency to require all the plants to convert to mercury-free technology by 2008.
Arthur Duncan, vice president of safety and health for The Chlorine Institute, a trade group based in Arlington, Va., said emissions have been significantly reduced in the past decade.
"Certainly mercury has been a concern for a long time to people and it's an environmental issue that we're working to address," he said.
The calculations of how much mercury is dispersed into the environment are in dispute. The industry, in reports to the EPA, says eight tons _ about three 50-gallon barrels _ were emitted in 2003.
For example, the companies said a plant in Muscle Shoals, Ala., emitted 1,757 pounds of mercury that year; another, in New Castle, Del., released 2,863 pounds.
But the environmentalists say these calculations may be wrong, because while the companies monitor the amount of mercury that goes out of their smokestacks, they merely estimate the amount that evaporates and leaves the factories through vents.
In addition, industry officials acknowledge that they cannot acount for an additional 30 tons a year. They say that it could be stuck in factory pipes, and they are trying to find it.
The environmentalists are skeptical. They think even more mercury is missing, pointing out that more mercury is delivered to the plants each year than is going out _ 65 tons more in 2000 alone, said Oceana's Jacqueline Savitz, co-author of the report.
But industry officials say that mercury purchases do not necessarily equal mercury use, because some of it is simply stored to be used later.
EPA spokeswoman Cynthia Bergman said the question of where all this mercury went is very important to her agency, but that the EPA's "best information indicates that the mercury is not being emitted into the air."
While total mercury emissions in the United States have fallen substantially since 1990, power plants remain the largest remaining human-caused source. They released 90,370 pounds of mercury into the air in 2002, the most recent year for which EPA data are available.
Federal guidelines released last February place strict limits on the amount of mercury that power plants can release.
They place no similar caps on chlorine plants, but do require more frequent emission measurements and equipment inspections, "significantly more stringent requirements" than had been in force before, said Vito Fiore, a vice president of Vulcan Chemicals, which has a plant in Port Edwards, Wis.
Last year, three environmental groups _ Earthjustice, Natural Resources Defense Council and Sierra Club _ sued the EPA and began using other legal channels to get power plant emission limits extended to chlorine plants.
The other plants are in Charleston, Tenn.; New Martinsville, W.Va.; Ashtabula, Ohio; Lake Charles, La.; St. Gabriel, La., and Augusta, Ga.
Source: Associated Press | <urn:uuid:c01dd30f-6a2d-4689-8933-e0263a61629e> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enn.com/business/article/9859 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783403508.34/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155003-00006-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951135 | 815 | 2.90625 | 3 |
Oil exports have been a major topic of discussion in recent months, as the United States has relaxed and considered lifting its long-standing ban on exporting oil to other nations. But a new report outlines exactly how exporting oil overseas would impact the country’s environment, not just in terms of increased carbon emissions but also in terms of the risks posed by transportation and changing land use.
The report, published Friday by the Center for American Progress (CAP), lays out the environmental reasons why Congress, which is expected to vote on a bill to lift the oil export ban once it returns to session next month, should seriously examine the environmental downfalls of oil exports.
“A hasty decision to outsource U.S. refinery capacity might boost oil company profits, but it would also carry a high environmental price tag and create uncertainty for consumers,” Matt Lee-Ashley, director of the Public Lands Project at CAP and co-author of the report said in a statement. “Congress should carefully weigh the full costs and risks of outsourcing American oil.”
The ban on oil exports was instituted by Congress in the 1970s. At that time, lawmakers wanted to save the United States’ reserves of oil, rather than import them overseas. Now, however, as oil production in the U.S. has increased, oil companies and lawmakers see economic potential in foreign markets.
But, as the report notes, that potential would come at a cost, including losing a major amount of land to oil production. The studies CAP analyzed predicted that oil production will increase if the crude oil export ban was lifted. These studies and data showed that an average of 26,385 new oil wells would be drilled in the U.S. each year between 2016 and 2030 if the ban is lifted — 7,600 more wells than would be drilled each year if the ban wasn’t lifted. According to the CAP report, this development means that about 137 square miles of land would be turned over to oil development each year — an area that’s larger than Utah’s Arches National Park.
CREDIT: Center for American Progress
The report also outlined the climate consequences of lifting the ban. If the ban is lifted and the United States increases its oil production by 3.3 million barrels per day between 2015 and 2035 — an estimate that’s on the high end of predictions — burning that oil will release more than 515 million metric tons of carbon pollution every year. According to the report, that’s the same as adding 108 million passenger cars to the road or building an additional 135 coal-fired power plants. The report notes that estimates for oil consumption aren’t certain, but that if oil prices do drop after the ban is lifted, that will likely lead to an increase in consumption.
Shipping the oil also creates a major risk. The report states that the oil production that would occur after the ban is lifted would mostly involve light, sweet crude from North Dakota’s Bakken region — a type of oil that’s extremely volatile, making it among the riskiest to transport, especially via train. If higher estimates for new oil production do pan out, the 3.3 million barrels of oil produced each day would be enough to fill 947 oil tankers each year.
“The environmental impacts of increasing U.S. oil exports can affect the global environment, as well,” the report states. “Outsourcing U.S. refining capacity to countries with weaker environmental safeguards, for example, could result in additional air and water pollution in those countries and globally. In addition, if increased U.S. crude oil exports indeed lower international oil prices, as oil producers argue, these lower prices would disincentivize or slow the transition to cleaner and renewable fuel supplies around the world.” | <urn:uuid:8b0551a0-703c-4c6b-9dda-d56dd4caa58c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2015/08/21/3693885/oil-exports-cap-report/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396887.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963739 | 785 | 3.3125 | 3 |
In one of his communiqués from the Lancandon jungle of Chiapas Subcomandante Marcos, the spokesman of the Zapatista indigenous people’s revolt that burst upon the world in 1994, referred, of all things, to the Magna Carta. Why the Magna Carta, an eight-hundred-year-old document from Medieval England?
Marcos went on to describe how the ejido, or traditional commons of Mexico enshrined in the national constitution, is being destroyed. He invoked the Magna Carta not only to assert the protections against state power that we associate with this famous English document, but to emphasize the right of people to claim common resources as well.
For eight centuries, the Magna Carta has been venerated for its establishment of political and legal rights. The Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution quote its language. Eleanor Roosevelt in her 1948 speech to the UN urging adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, expressed the hope that it would take its place alongside the Magna Carta and the U.S. Bill of Rights. The document has been deemed the foundation of Western democracy and invoked by many, including Winston Churchill, to glorify Anglo-American world dominance and empire building.
There is, I believe, a narrow conservative interpretation of the Magna Carta that stresses “freedom under law,” and a more radical interpretation that establishes the commons and protects the rights of the poor to use it to earn their own livings. belonged to the commoners, and the trees to both. Grazing and hunting, gathering wood for fuel and construction, and picking berries and medicinal plants all sustained country people, especially the poor and widows, who had few other means of support. This is the forest many remember from the Robin Hood legends, based on the Yorkshire fugitive Robert Hod in 1226, who flourished at the moment of the Magna Carta.
The Norman Conquest had disrupted these customs of the forest that had prevailed for centuries. The forest became the sole property of the king, although traditional patterns prevailed in many places. But in July 1203, King John instructed his chief forester, Hugh de Neville, to sell forest privileges “to make our profit by selling woods.” This emboldened his opponents to demand that the forest once again become a commons open to all.
Upon leaving the barons at Runnymede, scarcely had the mud dried on his boots when King John resumed war upon his opponents and began to plot with the pope against them. Innocent III declared the Magna Carta null and void and prohibited the king from observing it. When King John died the next year, the fate of the charter—indeed its whereabouts—was uncertain.
In 1217, the new king, ten-year-old Henry III, was directed by his regents to grant a new charter of liberties, based on the 1215 charter and “also a charter of the forest,” drafted in 1217. But it was only eighty years later when Edward I ordered that the charters become the common law of the land.
What value does the right of access to commons have for people living in modern societies today? Actually the rights laid out in this seminal document of Western law have their equivalents in modern social programs. Piscary, herbage, and pannage, the rights of commoners to fish and graze livestock on the lord’s land, can be compared to food stamps and social security or welfare in the United States. Estover, firebotes, and turbary—the rights to harvest wood and peat from the commons forest—correspond to housing aid and energy assistance.
One aim in bringing this forgotten history of the Magna Carta back to the surface is to put the commons back into view as a fundamental right enshrined in one of the earliest documents of constitutional democracy. Another aim is to rouse today’s commoners to think about protecting the commons through constitutional measures, as is already the case in Mexico, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Bolivia. The Magna Carta is a radical document at the root of our constitutional systems, yet at the root of the Magna Carta is the commons.
Adapted from the book The Magna Carta Manifesto: Liberties and Commons for All © 2008 by Peter Linebaugh, published the University of California Press. It appears in the OTC book All That We Share: A Field Guide to the Commons . | <urn:uuid:f6206692-148a-4cef-9aea-aff317f4810a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.onthecommons.org/magazine/magna-carta-manifesto | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947069 | 924 | 3.515625 | 4 |
CAMP MELVIN. Camp Melvin, a little-known temporary outpost, was established in 1868 on the Pecos River two miles west of what is now State Highway 349 in northwestern Crockett County. The site was called by twenty-four different names between 1864 and 1926: San Pantaleon, Connelley's Crossing, Camp Melbourne, Fennelly's Crossing, Pecos Crossing, Camp Melvin, Camp Milvin, Pecos River Station, Mail Station, Mail Station Bridge, Pecos Mail Station, Melvin Station, Melvin Mail Station, Ficklin, Crossing of the Pecos Station, Crossing of the Pecos, Pecos Crossing Bridge, Pecos Bridge, Pecos Stage Station, Pecos Station, Pontoon Bridge Crossing, Pontoon Crossing, Mail Station at Pecos, and Pontoon Bridge. The site was more significant as a river crossing than as a military installation. On May 22, 1684, Juan Domínguez de Mendoza crossed the river there. His expedition camped at the crossing, and Mendoza called it San Pantaleon. In 1840 Dr. Henry Connelly returned to Chihuahua after a trading trip to North Texas and crossed at the point. Camp Melvin operated as an outpost of Fort Lancaster from 1868 to 1871 on the Government Road from San Antonio to El Paso. A post office operated at the crossing from 1868 to 1870. From 1868 to 1881 stagecoaches crossed the Pecos at the site, and the stage company maintained a station there. By 1871 the number of soldiers at the camp had been reduced to a few men. The crossing was dangerous since it was subject to Comanche attack. In July 1873 Juan Chabavilla was killed by a raiding party of thirteen Indians that stole the horses and mules of the stage company. Indians attacked the place again on June 2, 1874, wounded the owner of the nearby Torres Ranch, and took his thirty-five horses and mules. In October 1875 only two soldiers were stationed at the former outpost to protect stage-company mules. On June 27, 1878, five Indians fired upon the stage five miles beyond the crossing. A passenger was seriously injured.
In 1882 the crossing was labeled Mail Station on a map. Between 1892 and 1926 the site was called Pontoon Crossing. After 1926 no map designation was given the point. By 1960 the only remnants of Camp Melvin were several crumbling walls of former buildings and a stone corral.
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The following, adapted from the Chicago Manual of Style, 15th edition, is the preferred citation for this article.Handbook of Texas Online, Julia Cauble Smith, "Camp Melvin," accessed June 25, 2016, http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbcpp.
Uploaded on June 12, 2010. Published by the Texas State Historical Association. | <urn:uuid:5ebeba8c-d14b-4a22-bdaa-f7fccd47055c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qbcpp | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393518.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00070-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.956992 | 761 | 3.09375 | 3 |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va., June 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The costs of illness and premature deaths in Appalachia related to coal mining far outweigh economic benefits the industry brings to the region, says Michael Hendryx, Ph.D., associate director of the
"The human cost of the Appalachian coal mining economy outweighs its economic benefits," Hendryx and co-author Melissa Ahern, Ph.D., of
"If we were serious about developing a strong economy, we'd develop an economy not dependent on coal," Hendryx says. "Throughout Appalachia, people in counties with no coal mining operations experience better health, a cleaner environment and greater economic prosperity than counties where mining takes place."
While coal mining contributed $8 billion to Appalachia in terms of economic impacts, the costs of shortened life spans associated with coal operations ranged from $16.979 billion to $84.544 billion, the study found. Figures are from 2005, the latest year for which mortality rates were available.
"Those who are falling ill and dying young are not just the coal miners," Hendryx says. "Everyone who lives near the mines or processing plants or transportation centers is affected by chronic socioeconomic weakness that takes a toll in longevity and health."
Coal mining areas in Appalachia experience almost 11,000 more deaths each year compared with comparable areas elsewhere in the nation, with approximately 2,300 of those deaths related to environmental factors such as air and water pollution made worse by mining, Hendryx says. He adds:
"We know that in West Virginia we have high rates of poverty and illness, and we've been led to believe by government and industry that the coal companies help by creating jobs. But that's not true. Premature mortality is strongly linked to socioeconomic conditions where people live, and the evidence is that those areas of West Virginia that do not have coal do better. They develop economic alternatives."
The authors analyzed more than a quarter century of economic and health data in Appalachia coupled with economists' assessments of the coal industry's economic impacts. Hendryx and Ahern compared those assessments with the standard the federal government assigns - the Value of Statistical Life (VSL) - to draw the conclusion that coal mining is a drag rather than a boon to the Appalachian economy.
"VSL is a tool to try to help make policy decisions," Hendryx explained. "It's not the actual value of a real human being. It's a way to estimate how society values investments to protect life."
West Virginia has approximately 20,000 coal miners, down from a high of 130,000 miners in 1940, while the number of tons of coal mined has increased.
Copyright©2009 PR Newswire.
All rights reserved | <urn:uuid:7f9b3c78-910a-49de-a275-e779ed21ae89> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news-1/Research-Examines-Health-Impact-of-Mining----Illness--Premature-Deaths-Cost-Appalachia-Billions-50179-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783393442.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154953-00181-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959372 | 571 | 2.6875 | 3 |
Vigils are divided into two classes, major and minor; major vigils are the vigils of Christmas, Epiphany and Pentecost, and they are called privileged vigils and are celebrated as semi-doubles. The vigils of Christmas and Pentecost are privileged vigils of the first class. The vigil of Epiphany is a privileged vigil of the second class. All others are minor or non-privileged vigils.
Etymology and nature. The word “octave” is from the Latin octavus (eighth) because, in the early ages of Christianity, the Church celebrated the eighth day only after the celebration of the feast itself; not until the twelfth century was the custom of a commemoration on each of the eight days introduced. We have, probably, an example of this still in our Breviaries. The feast of St. Agnes is celebrated on 21st January and on 28th it is mentioned at Vespers and Lauds only, and the name in old Roman service books is Octavo, S. Agnetis. The origin of the octave is Jewish. We read in the Old Testament that God ordered that the Feasts of Pasch and Pentecost should be celebrated for eight days. So, too, the Feast of Tabernacles lasted for eight days, the first and eighth days being days of special celebration and devotion. The Christian Church adopted the method of showing great honour and glory to the principal festivals of the Christian year, to the great saints, the patrons of countries, dioceses, etc. But just as the calendar became overcrowded with saints’ offices, which excluded almost entirely the Sunday and ferial offices, so, too, the additions of octaves created confusion and further tended to the exclusion of the old liturgical use of the Psalter and the supplanting of the Sunday and ferial offices. Hence, in the Motu Proprio Abhinc duos annos, the octaves of the calendar are divided into three great classes, privileged, common and simple. Privileged octaves are further divided into three orders. Those of the first order are the octaves of Easter and Pentecost; the octaves of Epiphany and Corpus Christi belong to the second order, and the octaves of the Nativity and Ascension belong to the third. The Christmas octave admits feasts of saints, but the octaves of Epiphany, Easter and Pentecost do not admit any feasts (Tit. V., sec, 3). A day within an octave has a right to first Vespers, and the antiphon and response should be from first Vespers (S.C.R., June, 1905). But the feast of the day falling within octave has a right to first and second Vespers. The exceptions are, when at second Vespers of St. Thomas, the office of the octave of the Nativity to be observed on 30th December has to be commemorated again, in octaves like octaves of Epiphany when each day has its proper antiphon at the Magnificat, and again on and July in second Vespers of Visitation the office of St. Peter and Paul is to be commemorated. In octaves the suffrages of saints and the Athanasian Creed are not said. When feasts of the Universal Church, which are celebrated with an octave are perpetually transferred to the next day, because of a perpetual impediment, according to the rubrics, the octave day is not therefore perpetually transferred but ought to be kept as in the Universal Church on its own day. | <urn:uuid:13b69b77-d697-4d1e-900c-6adac90f849c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bookrags.com/ebooks/10058/31.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397744.64/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00072-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947723 | 755 | 3.5 | 4 |
This site has already examined a study of the economics of nuclear power for commercial shipping. The study showed that a nuclear ship would be $40 million per year cheaper to operate when bunker oil is at $500/ton.
Those studies had indicated improved economics when bunker fuel is over $300/ton. Bunker oil is currently about $375/ton. Also, changing to nuclear powered container ships would reduce air pollution by the equivalent of about 20,000 cars converted to electric per container ship that is converted.
A second article had more analysis, pictures and video.
There are other benefits if China was to convert thousand of merchant container ships to have nuclear power.
Capacity 15,000 TEU (a big container ship)
Length 405 m
Beam 60 m
Draft 15.5 m
Speed 32 knots
Power 150 MW (200,000 SHP)
1. A Just in Time Nuclear Navy.
2. Move up the experience curve on making nuclear power plants and nuclear ships.
3. Have a lot of mobile power plants that can help supply power in a electrical grid disrupting disaster
4. A low variable cost way to move military personnel
Just in Time Nuclear Navy
Merchant aircraft carriers (MAC) were bulk cargo ships with minimal aircraft handling facilities, used during World War II by Britain and the Netherlands as an interim measure to supplement British and United States-built escort carriers in providing an anti-submarine function for convoys.
The idea of simple adaptations of bulk cargo ships for aircraft had been considered by the Admiralty for some time. It would provide desperately needed air cover for convoys without losing valuable cargo capacity. There was, however, resistance to the concept arising from several technical issues; the 12 knot speed was considered too slow for aircraft operation, the design and development time was expected to take too long and aircraft movements on steel decks over highly flammable fuel cargoes was considered too dangerous
Nuclear merchant aircraft carriers would not have the slow speed penalty and would could be adjusted to not be as flammable since they would not have large fuel tanks. The hulls could also be rapidly upgrade with blast proof wall paper and other strengthening in the event of military need. However, there is a limited need for hardening of hulls as any ship that gets hit with missiles would probably sink anyway. So having more redundancy in military ships would be beneficial. The ships would need to dominate the airspace to prevent being hit.
The ships would not be widely available or in service until 2020-2030. So the flight decks would probably be mostly for launching unmanned aircraft (UAVs) and vessels.
Move up the Experience Curve on Nuclear Ships and Engines
China would learn how to be more efficient in building nuclear ships and engines if they have 1000 nuclear merchant ships. They would also have a lot engineering crews that are experienced in their operation.
Mobile Power in the Event of Disaster
If there was an earthquake, flooding or other disaster that damaged the electric grid, then it would help to have 150 MW powerplants that could quickly arrive and provide power. The nuclear merchant ships of 2020-2040 should have superconducting umbilicles to hook up to provide power to city grids that are cutoff. There also could be local reless power transmission setup.
Low variable cost way to move military personnel
The 20-100 person security teams could be navy, coast guard or marine units that could be more easily moved around the world. This would have various strategic advantages. They could facilitate troop rotations to embassies and foreign bases.
The follow up to this article in creating integrated shipping container lego modules for rapid conversion of merchant nuclear fleets and for lower costs and increasing the speed of deployment for buildings, facilities and structures of all kinds.
Britain and other European governments have been accused of underestimating the health risks from shipping pollution following research which shows that one giant container ship can emit almost the same amount of cancer and asthma-causing chemicals as 50m cars.
Confidential data from maritime industry insiders based on engine size and the quality of fuel typically used by ships and cars shows that just 15 of the world's biggest ships may now emit as much pollution as all the world's 760m cars. Low-grade ship bunker fuel (or fuel oil) has up to 2,000 times the sulphur content of diesel fuel used in US and European automobiles.
Pressure is mounting on the UN's International Maritime Organisation and the EU to tighten laws governing ship emissions following the decision by the US government last week to impose a strict 230-mile buffer zone along the entire US coast, a move that is expected to be followed by Canada.
The setting up of a low emission shipping zone follows US academic research which showed that pollution from the world's 90,000 cargo ships leads to 60,000 deaths a year in the US alone and costs up to $330bn per year in health costs from lung and heart diseases. The US Environmental Protection Agency estimates the buffer zone, which could be in place by next year, will save more than 8,000 lives a year with new air quality standards cutting sulphur in fuel by 98%, particulate matter by 85% and nitrogen oxide emissions by 80% | <urn:uuid:f727ad12-07f6-4741-a8df-5dc53c842e5a> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nextbigfuture.com/2009/12/military-and-resilience-spinoff.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783400031.51/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155000-00015-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.965441 | 1,064 | 3.15625 | 3 |
Artesian Flow and Height of the Piezometric Surface, 1954
Puzzle Directions: Click on a puzzle piece and drag it where you want it. When you connect two pieces correctly, they will join together. This is an extra hard double-sided puzzle. The same map is printed on both sides the pieces. Some of the pieces are turned over to the wrong side. To flip a piece over, hold down the "T" key and click on the puzzle piece. Mix up the pieces again. View finished map in pop-up window.
Title: Artesian Flow and Height of the Piezometric Surface Projection: Unknown Source Bounding Coordinates: W: -81.5 E: -81 N: 28.5 S: 28
Description: This map shows areas of artesian flow and the height of the piezometric surface, in feet, referred to land surface in 1954. "Figure 9 shows also contours which represent the height, in feet, referred to land surface, to which water will rise in artesian wells penetrating the limestone aquifer. It shows that the maximum depth to water is more than 50 feet below land surface in an area near the southwest corner of the county and at Geneva. The artesian pressure head is more than 20 feet above the land surface in an area adjacent to the Little Wekiva River, the east edge of Lake Monroe, and around most of Lake Jessup." — Jack T. Barraclough, U. S. Geological Survey, 1962 Source: Jack T. Barraclough, U. S. Geological Survey, Ground-Water Resources of Seminole County, Florida (Tallahassee, FL: Florida Geological Survey, 1962) Map Credit: Courtesy the University of South Florida Library | <urn:uuid:4349dfa3-5971-4cd0-8b93-7f34c52b21bf> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://fcit.usf.edu/florida/maps/pages/8900/f8974/f8974p3.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397213.30/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00154-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.902266 | 359 | 3.34375 | 3 |
It’s time for another season of Project FeederWatch, Cornell University’s premier citizen science opportunity sponsored by the Lab of Ornithology.
New FeederWatch project director Emma Grieg says anyone can participate.
“Our materials teach what participants need to know. And volunteers don’t need to identify every species they see. Even counts of cardinals and chickadees provide useful data,” she said.
Thanks to last year’s results, I can confidently predict what species you are likely to see. Assuming you have suitable habitat with at least a few trees and shrubs for cover, you can expect 15 to 20 species over the course of the winter.
Most commonly seen
Based on data submitted from 5,941 northeastern sites last year, here are the most commonly seen species. Each was reported from more than half of the FeederWatch sites: Chickadees (black-capped or Carolina, depending on your location), dark-eyed juncos, downy woodpeckers, mourning doves, northern cardinals, blue jays, white-breasted nuthatches, American goldfinches, house finches, red-bellied woodpeckers, tufted titmice, European starlings, hairy woodpeckers, red-breasted nuthatches, house sparrows, American robins, American crows and common grackles.
Last year was a banner year for nuthatches and woodpeckers. Red-breasted nuthatches arrived early and stayed all winter in many areas. Red-breasts visited the greatest number of feeding stations in FeederWatch history (64 percent, versus the previous record of 58 percent in 2007-08).
White-breasted nuthatches, a non-migratory species, visited 88 percent of FeederWatch sites Several other species moved higher on the list of percentage of sites visited. Northern cardinals (90 percent), tufted titmice (68 percent), and Carolina wrens (47 percent) appeared at more feeders than ever.
And for the first time, red-bellied woodpeckers moved into the top 10, visiting 69 percent of FeederWatch sites. One of the virtues of FeederWatch is its ability to detect long term trends.
The abundance of woodpeckers last year seems associated with a new abundant food source. Emerald ash borers, a non-native beetles devastating midwestern forests from Michigan to New York, provide a near unlimiyed food source for downy, hair, and red-bellied woodpeckers and white-breasted nuthatches.
Furthermore, the trees killed by the woodborers provide snags in which woodpeckers and other cavity nesters can nest. So it seems the invasion of an exotic pest may actually benefit some birds.
Another FeederWatch project launched last year involved tracking the behavior of individual birds. Attaching tiny transmitters to wild chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches, scientists were able to monitor their visits to feeders.
More than 470,000 visits to specially “wired” feeders were recorded revealing a wealth of information about how birds use feeders. It turns out that during very cold weather, and despite the risk of predation, birds forage constantly all day long.
Food is a powerful motivator. Launched in 1987, Project FeederWatch compiles information gathered by volunteers from all across North America.
Last year 127,210 checklists were submitted by 20,569 participants who reported a total of 7.3 million individual birds. FeederWatch volunteers devote just a few minutes every week or two to identify and tally the birds that visit their feeders.
Anyone can participate
No special knowledge is required because the material provided to volunteers include posters that facilitate bird identification.
The best time to see the most birds at feeders is on cold, snowy mornings. To become a FeederWatch volunteer, visit www.feederwatch.org, or call 800-843 2473 during normal business hours, or send a check to Project FeederWatch, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, P.O. Box 11, Ithaca, NY 14851-0011.
The $15 fee ($12 for Lab of Ornithology members) covers all materials, data analysis, and publication of each year’s results.
If Project FeederWatch sounds great, but you live in an upper floor apartment or for some reason cannot set up bird feeders, I have great news. Thanks to an Internet-based feeder cam, you can watch live video from a feeder cam in northern Ontario.
It features a variety of northern species, including evening grosbeaks and an occasional ruffed grouse, that we seldom see this far south.
I try to check in every day to get a taste of the far north. Visit http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/38/FeederWatch_Cam/ and enjoy.
(Send questions and comments to Dr. Scott Shalaway, RD 5, Cameron, WV 26033 or via e-mail at his website, http://scottshalaway.googlepages.com.) | <urn:uuid:19a471aa-3bcd-4c10-87b7-f5d2c7327df0> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | https://www.farmanddairy.com/columns/project-feederwatch-returns-full-swing/169473.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783391519.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154951-00136-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.929259 | 1,094 | 2.890625 | 3 |
Year 10 Clothing
There are two categories of colours in Japanese. The group that ends in い and the group that doesn't. To describe the colour of a clothing item it is easy. If the colour ends in い then DO NOTHING! Write the colour word first then the clothing item. If the colour doesn't end in い then you have to link it to the item of clothing with a の. がんばってください！
Use the "Printable HTML" button to get a clean page,
in either HTML or PDF,
that you can use your browser's print button to print.
This page won't have buttons or ads, just your puzzle.
The PDF format allows the web site to know how large a
printer page is, and the fonts are scaled to fill the page.
The PDF takes awhile to generate. Don't panic! | <urn:uuid:ca67e47d-c5b7-4633-a645-b917dcdba450> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.armoredpenguin.com/crossword/Data/2010.09/1121/11213652.373.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00120-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.806096 | 191 | 3.15625 | 3 |
In this film "Zoom into a Lotus Leaf," see an up close look at the tiny nanostructures that give the leaf its unique behavior. The Lotus Leaf is a symbol of purity because it appears to be perpetually clean. We now know that its self-cleaning properties are due to its ability to repel water very effectively; it's superhydrophobic. It gets its superhydrophobicity from tiny nanostructures. We start with a normal digital camera and zoom in using increasingly powerful microscopes as we explore this phenomena.
"Exploring Products - Nano Sand" is a hands-on activity exploring how water behaves differently when it comes in contact with nano sand and regular sand. Visitors learn about the hydrophobic properties of nano sand.
Sand, Plants and Pants is a hands-on activity exploring how the application of nano-sized particles or substances can change a bigger material’s properties. Visitors investigate the hydrophobic properties of plants, nano-fabric pants and magic sand.
"Exploring Products - Nano Fabric" is a hands-on activity exploring how the application of nano-sized whiskers can protect clothing from stains. Visitors investigate the hydrophobic properties of pants made from nano fabric and ordinary fabric.
"Lotus Leaf Effect” is a cart demo that demonstrates how nature inspires nanotechnology by sharing how nanoscale features on a surface can influence how a material behaves at the macroscale. Visitors learn that lotus leaves (and many other plant leaves) are self cleaning and repel water, due to nanoscale features on the leaves. During the program, visitors compare how water interacts with regular lettuce and leaves that exhibit the lotus effect by dropping water onto the different types of leaves.
“Nano sand” is a product that was originally invented to help clean up oil spills in water. Since the “nano sand” is hydrophobic, it does not let water molecules pass through. It does, however, let oil molecules pass through. When oil-contaminated water is exposed to “magic sand”, the oil passes through and leaves clean water behind. And when “magic sand” is sprinkled on top of oil spills, the sand binds with the oil and creates oil- filled sand clumps that fall to the bottom of an ocean or lake.
A Hundred Tiny Hands creates Inventor Kits for kids; the company is led by Michelle Khine, Ph.D., professor at the University of California, Irvine and co-founder of several biotech start-up companies. Kits available for pre-order. "As a nanotechnology lab at the University of California, Irvine, we believe in the power of the small. We ask you to imagine the collective power of the little hands of our next generation of scientists, engineers, and inventors. We need to inspire, nurture, and guide these little hands to do great things." Kits include:
Nonpolar molecules that repel the water molecules are said to be hydrophobic; molecules forming ionic or a hydrogen bond with the water molecule are said to be hydrophilic. This property of water was important for the evolution of life. Hydrophobic interaction plays the most critical roles in the formation of the lipid bilayer of the cell membrane and the folding of proteins and nucleic acids; therefore, hydrophobic interaction is the foundation for the existence of life.
Purpose of the lesson is to: • Explore the properties of molecular bonding • Introduce students to the engineering of hydrophobic surface. • Demonstrate the concepts of hydrophobic and hydrophilic behavior.
Oleophobic Surfaces - Anti-Graffiti Demo is a hands on cart demonstration for spontaneous, 3-10 minute interactions with visitors. The visitors will explore several surfaces that display oleophobic properties due to material science research at the nano scale. | <urn:uuid:17ed7d98-1309-4baa-bd68-90abc6cc867c> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://nisenet.org/catalog/topics/hydrophobic | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395346.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.93295 | 796 | 3.71875 | 4 |
If you have raised garden beds, a deck or a wooden play structure in your back yard that's more than a few years old, you may be exposing your family to toxins such as arsenic and hexavalent chromium through the soil around it.
If you're growing a garden in that soil, it can be especially worrisome. Why garden organically and then grow your veggies in polluted soil?
What are the concerns in CCA-treated wood?
Pressure treated wood is wood that has been treated to protect it from being destroyed by insects, fungus or moisture. Prior to 2004, most pressure treated wood was treated with chromated copper arsenate (CCA), a combination of hazardous chemicals such as arsenic and hexavalent chromium that was used on almost all the pressure-treated lumber in the United States.
At the end of 2003, the EPA banned the sale of lumber treated with CCA for residential use. However, stores were allowed to sell existing stocks, and many residential back yards still contain play structures, garden beds, decks, garden borders, outdoor furniture and other materials made of CCA-treated lumber.
Back then, CCA-treated wood was easy to identify because of its characteristic light green tint. However, that tint fades with time. If you have older wooden structures in your landscape that is not a long-lasting wood such as redwood, there's a high chance that it's CCA-treated lumber.
Studies have shown that toxins do leach from the lumber over time into surrounding soil. One University of Minnesota study found that plants accumulated higher levels of arsenic the closer they were to the lumber. While the plants still contained levels that were considered safe for consumption, there are easy ways to lower your family's exposure.
Here are some easy ways to detox your soil and minimize arsenic exposure from CCA-treated wood.
Plant some ferns
Scientists have found that ferns are excellent at removing arsenic from polluted soil. One study published in the February 2001 issue of the journal Nature found that the fern Pteris vittata, also known as the Chinese brake fern, extracted significant amounts of arsenic from the soil. The fern extracted 200 times more arsenic than any other plant did, mostly into its fronds. The same team later noted other arsenic-loving species in the same genus.
A Virginia-based company known as Edenspace now owns the patent for these ferns, marketing them under the moniker "Edenfern." They note that Edenferns can significantly reduce the arsenic levels in polluted soil in as little as four months. Other ferns are likely to have a similar effect. Another study found that Pteris cretica cv Mayii (Moonlight fern) was just as good as Chinese brake fern for extracting arsenic and LariAnn Garner of Dave's Garden reports, "Edenspace calls their product "Edenfern", but their 'Victory' version is the same Pteris that grows wild in my yard!".
Because most of the arsenic concentrates in the fronds of the plant, harvested fronds should be stored in a plastic bag or other watertight container and then disposed with regular trash or as hazardous waste. Do not compost trimmed or pulled ferns from contaminated areas, as doing so would just add arsenic back into your garden.
Here's lots of information on how ferns remove arsenic for more in-depth exploration.
Plant non-edibles in a buffer zone
The University of Minnesota researchers found that soil by CCA-treated lumber had significantly higher arsenic levels a few inches from the lumber. Consider planting beneficial flowers next to the lumber and planting your edibles farther away (the U of M researchers recommended 15 inches to be safest).
Flowering plants such as dwarf marigolds will greatly help your garden veggies by attracting pollinators to increase your yields and beneficial insects that will feed on the harmful insects threatening those veggies.
Don't mix soil near the treated lumber
Because toxins are highest in the few inches directly next to the treated wood, it's best to leave that soil and not mix it in with the soil farther in the beds.
Many garden experts say this is a good time to increase your compost practices. Fine Gardening reports on the subject, "Brown says that if you already have the older, arsenic-treated wood in your garden, don’t panic. Plants will not take up arsenic unless the soils are deficient in phosphorus. That is not a problem for gardeners who use compost generously."
Think about what you plant
Researchers have found that some plants accumulate arsenic much more than others.
Plants that accumulate more arsenic include radishes and spinach, among others. Plants also accumulate arsenic in different parts. Beets accumulate a fair amount of arsenic but almost all of it is concentrated in the thin, fibrous taproot at the end of the root and not in the part that is eaten.
Some crops have made the news recently because of how well they absorb arsenic from the soil. Rice absorbs heavy amounts of arsenic, which is why there are concerns about arsenic levels in rice these days (here is information about how to minimize exposure from rice). Apple and grape juice have been found to have alarming arsenic levels in some contaminated areas (Consumer Reports found that 10% of these juices contained arsenic levels higher than legal limits in drinking water).
Leafy greens can contain more arsenic, as well. WebMD reports, "“All plants pick up arsenic... Concentrations in leaves of plants are much higher than in grains of plants. Thus, leafy vegetables can contain higher levels of arsenic than rice, especially when they are grown on arsenic-contaminated soils."
Peel root crops like carrots
One easy way to reduce arsenic exposure is to peel root vegetables such as carrots, beets and potatoes. Thoroughly scrubbing these crops also reduces exposure.
Wash hands after contact with CCA-treated lumber
Minimize exposure to the toxins in treated lumber by washing hands after gardening around raised beds and reminding kids to do the same after playing on treated play equipment or decks.
Also keep perspective. The levels that are leached into the soil are already small, and these strategies are quite protective. The benefits of eating fresh, organically grown fruits and vegetables are immense. By implementing a combination of these easy precautions, we can effectively minimize the levels of any harmful chemicals in our foods and maximize the health of the produce we grow in our yards and gardens.
This article is part of a series on naturally removing toxins from soil. Stay tuned in this column for more articles highlighting plants and garden methods that will remove other toxins, such as pesticides, uranium and mercury. | <urn:uuid:7131e288-6d74-44b8-ab6e-90d56fbc3848> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.examiner.com/list/natural-ways-to-protect-your-soil-from-arsenic-treated-lumber | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396459.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00075-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.957808 | 1,378 | 2.84375 | 3 |
The North British Hotel (now the Balmoral). William Hamilton Beattie, 1840-1898. 1895-1902. 1 Princes Street, Edinburgh. This impressively four-square building was designed as the railway hotel for Waverley Station, Edinburgh, which occupies the dip where the city's Old Town and the New Town meet, and is the UK's largest railway station outside London ("Edinburgh Waverley Station"). The project was planned in response to increased passenger volume after the Forth Railway Bridge opened in 1890. Described as "[q]uadrangular in plan, aggressive in bulk, and C16 Franco-German in detail," it has been criticised for its "bulbous" clocktower, but praised for the "massively wrought skyline and extravagant bows and balconies" on its more open sides (Gifford et al. 285). As with the same architect's department store, Jenners, much thought was given to fireproof construction. According to Miles Gledinning and Aonghus MacKechnie, the hotel "consumed over 1,6700 tonnes of steel framing" (172).
Photograph and text by Jacqueline Banerjee, 2010. [You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]
"Edinburgh Waverley Station" (Edinburgh Guide site). Viewed 3 March 2010.
Gifford, John, et. al. Edinburgh (The Buildings of Scotland series). London: Penguin, rev. ed. 1991.
Glendinning, Miles and Aonghus MacKechnie. Scottish Architecture. London: Thames & Hudson, 2004.
Last modified 3 March 2010 | <urn:uuid:02c5e77a-9f07-4e2a-b18e-70f7a58b3434> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://victorianweb.org/art/architecture/beattie/1.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395992.75/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00200-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.930142 | 375 | 2.578125 | 3 |
We all go through bouts of indigestion and gas from time to time. Sometimes, we eat bad food that leads to indigestion. Eating at odd hours can also cause acid reflux. However, if you cannot digest anything that you are eating, then there is a problem with your health that has to be addressed immediately. The causes of chronic indigestion are sometimes unknown to us. However, these causes of chronic indigestion and gas must be treated without delay.
Indigestion is a common health problem only is it happens once in a while. If you are living on antacids and digestive enzymes, then there is something wrong with your system. Thus, you need to make yourself aware of the causes of chronic acidity so that you can treat them without further delay. If untreated, these causes of chronic indigestion can have serious implications.
Apart from the common causes of acid reflux, there are some causes of chronic indigestion that are not often heard of. In fact, your problems with digestion can be caused by some other health problems. So find out what are the hidden causes of chronic indigestion and gas.
Smoking can corrode the inner lining of your stomach. Most smokers develop certain chronic indigestion problems over a period of years.
Deficiency Of Vitamin B12
The deficiency of Vitamin B12 can be one of the causes of chronic acidity. This vitamin is rarely found in vegetables and thus, vegans often have a deficiency of this nutrient.
If you are pregnant, you will find it difficult to keep your food down. This is one of the first symptoms of pregnancy. It is mainly owing to soaring hormones that imbalance your digestive system.
Sometimes minor stomach infections go untreated for a long period of time. If you do not cure the infection from its roots, you will continue to suffer from indigestion and gas problems everyday.
Being obese puts pressure on your stomach and hinders the digestion of food. Sometimes, obesity leads to hormonal imbalances that cause chronic acidity problems.
If you do not get proper 8 hours of sleep, it makes your digestive system slow. Sometimes, your digestive system revolts against the food you are eating because your body is deprived of sleep.
If you have a liver related disease called jaundice, you do not feel like eating. And whatever little food you can eat you won't be able to digest.
Sometimes, certain types of medication can lead to acid reflux. When you take these medicines, you must have an antacid first.
IBS or irritable bowel syndrome is a condition in which you cannot digest anything. Sometimes, even water can cause a acid reflux. IBS usually happens to people who have very irregular food habits. You should ideally find a herbal method to treat IBS. | <urn:uuid:bc342d63-4907-417c-840c-1c5d88d43723> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.boldsky.com/health/wellness/2014/ten-unknown-causes-of-chronic-indigestion-040623.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392099.27/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00134-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953884 | 586 | 3 | 3 |
Analysis of Handedness and Laterality Through Observation of Bipedal Feeding in Captive Chimpanzees
by Blair Quinius
The human brain is an intricate system of highly specialized areas that coordinate our daily functions. Hemispheric specialization is a unique evolutionary characteristic, allowing the brain to be divided into separate halves, each performing specific activities. This conserves volume without decreasing the capacity to execute new functions. Hemispheric specialization and laterality are areas of interest that have been studied for many years in humans, however, not much is known about these topics in other species. Recently, laterality in chimpanzees has become a topic of growing interest in comparative psychology due to the close evolutionary relationship between humans and chimpanzees. Highly illustrative ways of studying hemispheric specialization in chimpanzees include analyses of handedness, grip type, and fingerprint patterns.
Handedness is an indicator of laterality and hemispheric specialization because the use of a dominant hand suggests that one specific hemisphere is in control of producing certain behaviors. A large number of handedness tasks need to be assessed in chimpanzees to obtain a full understanding of laterality and hemispheric specialization. This experiment looked at a specific aspect of handedness in feeding that has never been studied before, bipedal feeding tasks. Bipedal feeding means the chimpanzees are observed while standing on only their feet as they reach for a suspended food item with one or both hands. This feeding task mimics situations in the wild in which a chimpanzee must reach for food and still have posture control. Among the broad array of handedness-related behaviors, this is a more complex feeding task that may provide unique insights into the specializations required for behaviors such as feeding, foraging, and gestural communication.
The methods of the experiment were fairly straightforward. The experiment consisted of suspending food, connected to fishing line, from the roof directly above the chimpanzees. The food hung almost out of the chimpanzee¹s reach causing them to stand up on both feet to obtain the food. Data was collected from 50 chimpanzees (a minimum of 30 responses per individual) over a period of 15-20 weeks, 1-2 days per week. The hand and grip type used to procure the food were recorded and their relationships were analyzed.
This experiment revealed many interesting results. The results suggest and provide stronger evidence than before that there are individual hand preferences among chimpanzees. However, no population-level preference was shown for the right hand. The high percentage of individual-level hand preference could provide support for the theory that population-level handedness developed as a result of bipedalism. This would explain why population-level hand preference is evident in humans, who are bipedal, and only sometimes in chimpanzees, who act in a bipedal manner for only certain tasks. Hand preference also appears to have relationships with grip type. Chimpanzees with a right-hand preference were twice as likely to use a more complex grip type (thumb-index) than left-handed chimpanzees. These results provide evidence in support of hemispheric specialization of motor skills in chimpanzees.
Many handedness tasks need to be studied, but bipedal feeding is an innovative way of observing handedness in chimpanzees. This novel technique for determining handedness provided a broader range of data from which we can determine relationships of laterality and brain specialization. These findings could provide many answers to questions related to the human brain and its development. Since chimpanzees are the closest living relatives of humans, innovative research, such as this, should provide valuable data for understanding the evolution of the unique cognitive, intellectual, and linguistic capabilities of humans and Great Apes. | <urn:uuid:f194fea9-0273-4f1c-b341-978171c8be6f> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.southwestern.edu/live/news/2535-analysis-of-handedness-and-laterality-through/academics/kcf/news.php | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395160.19/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00019-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947305 | 738 | 3.671875 | 4 |
Updated for the latest database management systems -- including MySQL 6.0, Oracle 11g, and Microsoft's SQL Server 2008 -- this introductory guide will get you up and running with SQL quickly. Whether you need to write database applications, perform administrative tasks, or generate reports, Learning SQL, Second Edition, will help you easily master all the SQL fundamentals.
Each chapter presents a self-contained lesson on a key SQL concept or technique, with numerous illustrations and annotated examples. Exercises at the end of each chapter let you practice the skills you learn. With this book, you will:
- Move quickly through SQL basics and learn several advanced features
- Use SQL data statements to generate, manipulate, and retrieve data
- Create database objects, such as tables, indexes, and constraints, using SQL schema statements
- Learn how data sets interact with queries, and understand the importance of subqueries
- Convert and manipulate data with SQL's built-in functions, and use conditional logic in data statements
Knowledge of SQL is a must for interacting with data. With Learning SQL, you'll quickly learn how to put the power and flexibility of this language to work. | <urn:uuid:de4dfc9b-f9e0-45e3-ac38-51e6fc34f029> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.ebookmall.com/ebook/learning-sql/alan-beaulieu/9780596520830 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394937.4/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00073-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.882591 | 237 | 3.34375 | 3 |
In studying the postmortem brain tissue of adults who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, the researchers found that levels of certain gene-regulating molecules called microRNAs were lower among schizophrenia patients than in persons who were free of psychiatric illness.
"In many genetic diseases, such as Huntington's disease or cystic fibrosis, the basis is a gene mutation that leads to a malformed protein. But with other complex genetic disorders ?such as schizophrenia, many cancers, and diabetes ?we find not mutated proteins, but correctly formed proteins in incorrect amounts," said study lead author and UNC professor of psychiatry Dr. Diana Perkins.
The research appears this week in the online edition of the journal Genome Biology. "To our knowledge this study is the first to associate altered expression of microRNAs with schizophrenia," the authors stated.
Since the 1950s, scientists have known that the genetic code stored in DNA is first transcribed into messenger RNA (mRNA) which is then the template from which the body's protein building blocks are made. MicroRNAs are a newly discovered class of mRNA that does not carry the code for a protein. Instead, these tiny strands of RNA act by binding to matching pieces of the protein coding mRNA, thus preventing the translation of mRNA to protein. When a cell needs certain proteins, the microRNAs may disconnect, thus allowing protein expression to resume.
Using postmortem prefrontal cortical brain tissue of people with schizophrenia and persons who had no psychiatric illness, the researchers found for the first time a significant difference in the microRNA expression profile. Fifteen microRNAs were expressed at a lower level and one at a higher level in the brain tissue from persons with schizophre nia. The basic activity of this "executive" brain region is the orchestration of thoughts and actions in accordance with internal goals.
Previous studies have shown that microRNAs play a role in regulating brain development. They also figure importantly in "synaptic plasticity," the ability of neurons to make connections with one another. "And those connections between neurons come and go all the time. It's a normal process for them to be pruned and grow again, depending on what the brain needs to do to interact with the environment," Perkins explained.
"There is growing evidence that schizophrenia may related to disordered synaptic plasticity," she added. "Our study found a striking, significant difference in microRNA expression between people with schizophrenia and healthy people. Using bioinformatic analyses, we found that the distinguishing microRNAs appear to regulate genes involved in synaptic plasticity."
Acknowledging this was a pilot study, Perkins and her colleagues plan further research with larger tissue samples. | <urn:uuid:711fc28d-f10f-43a0-9070-a2c12cd37585> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.bio-medicine.org/biology-news/Brain-tissue-reveals-possible-genetic-trigger-for-schizophrenia-4509-1/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783399425.79/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154959-00016-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.964604 | 540 | 3.59375 | 4 |
43rd Session of the Commission on Population and Development
By Mr. Sha Zukang, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs
12 April 2010, New York
Ladies and gentlemen,
This year the Commission focuses on the themes of health, morbidity and mortality and how these spheres affect development goals. These are complex and far-reaching themes. Health-care systems are not only intricately related to disease and mortality but to all aspects of development. Women who lack basic health services put their very lives in danger when they become pregnant. Men and women cannot lead their families out of poverty if treatable diseases and injuries cause them untold suffering and shorten their lifespan. Good health is the foundation for human development on all fronts.
We take note this year of three core ideas under this theme. Firstly, there have been major reductions in mortality in all countries since 1950, but the least developed countries lag behind. Secondly, there is a shifting burden in many countries today from communicable to non-communicable diseases. Thirdly, in order for health-care systems to be sustainable, they must have comprehensive primary health care at their core.
On the first core idea – the reduction of mortality rates – I can say that without a doubt, a major achievement of humanity in the past century has been the astounding decreases in mortality across the world.
In my own country, China, childhood mortality has been cut dramatically over the past 60 years. In 1950, one in every three children died before the age of five. Today, one in 50 children dies before age five.
Other developing countries have made similar improvements, but many least developed countries have not. Today, one in 8 children dies before age five in the LDCs. So, while we take pride in the success of some countries, we must work harder to support those countries where children start life with so many odds against them.
The same holds true for life expectancies. Major improvements in longevity have come about due to advances in public health, infrastructure, education and medicine. In developed countries, 13 per cent of children born today are likely to die before age 60 compared to 41 per cent in the least developed countries.
Health improvements and medical advances are not reaching huge swaths of the developing world. While we celebrate the miracles of modern science and medicine, we must focus on connecting the most vulnerable people to these advancements. In your deliberations I ask that you focus on the least developed countries and ways in which they can reduce their staggering mortality rates and improve their life expectancies.
These striking differences in life expectancies are closely related to different disease profiles among countries. Communicable diseases and maternal conditions cause most deaths in the least developed countries.
As we all know, most of those deaths are preventable or treatable with low-cost interventions. The prevention, control and treatment of the major killers – HIV/AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, maternal conditions and the major childhood diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhoea – are addressed as part of the Millennium Development Goals. There are other communicable diseases, however, which are not well addressed by the MDGs. Neglected tropical diseases, for example, are endemic in the developing world and cause suffering to millions. Efforts to prevent, treat and control them are not getting enough support. What can the Commission do to bring additional attention to them? Where are the gaps that you can highlight to Member States?
Ladies and gentlemen,
In developed countries and increasingly, middle-income developing countries, non-communicable diseases are the major killers: cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory diseases, cancer, diabetes and mental disorders.
While these diseases lie beyond the scope of the MDGs, they cause 60 per cent of deaths worldwide. With life expectancies increasing, they pose major economic and social burdens because most are chronic and require long-term treatment. Yet most countries today, especially those with middle and low incomes, are ill-prepared to cope with them.
It is urgent, therefore, that your deliberations address ways to reduce the burden of both communicable and non-communicable diseases. Non-communicable diseases can be prevented or delayed by eliminating risk factors like tobacco use, unhealthy diets and physical inactivity. Governments can take simple and effective measures to address them. Outlawing the use of tobacco in public places, for example, is critically important toward improving public health. So is the promulgation of healthy eating guidelines, and the labelling of ingredients and nutrients of food products.
I ask that you think carefully and strategically about how to galvanize maximum support from Member States on these measures. The collaboration of countries from all rungs of the development ladder is needed in combating non-communicable diseases. It is our responsibility to bring attention to them – while delicately balancing attention to the communicable diseases outlined in the Millennium Development Goals.
In every country, those at the bottom of the social scale have poorer health than those at the top. A holistic approach is needed to address the disparity among social groups. The Commission on Population and Development, therefore, should focus on the linkages between health, development and population dynamics.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I pose this question to you: what is the most important linkage in this regard? Comprehensive primary health care.
We know that when people have access to doctors and medicine as a fundamental right of citizenship, they are closer to achieving success on all fronts. Their life expectancy increases and their societies advance.
In this light, I draw your attention to the recent health care legislation in the United States, one of the most prosperous countries in the world. After decades of political debates about health care reform, the US has decided to expand the ways in which Americans can secure health care. The legislation represents a major step toward ensuring that all Americans have access to better health care coverage – a fundamental need for a good, productive life.
Let us use this historic turning point, then, as a way of inspiring and moving other nations to follow suit. I ask that this Commission blend its technical expertise – your deep research reserves and statistical analysis – with the political commitment of its Members to advance the cause of universal health care.
Last year, the Commission achieved its goal. It produced a comprehensive resolution on how the Programme of Action from the International Conference on Population and Development will help achieve the Millennium Development Goals. By doing so, it highlighted the relevance of population issues in the field of human development. It also provided useful input for the upcoming High-level Plenary Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals in the General Assembly.
Your successful strategy last year will allow the Commission to cast a wider net this year. You can also build upon the conclusions reached by the Annual Ministerial Review conducted by ECOSOC last year on global public health.
I ask that you review the comprehensive health agenda in relation to population and development trends. Reduction of mortality in the least developed countries should be a focus, along with the growing problem of non-communicable diseases and the case for comprehensive primary health care.
Of course, the backdrop for your discussions should be the Millennium Development Goals. Three of them relate directly to health ─ child health, maternal health and the fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. In what ways can the Commission push for change and actions by Member States in achieving them? Your guidance will further inform and educate us in advance of the High-Level Plenary Meeting on MDGs.
I am sure that, as usual, you and
your colleagues in the Commission will succeed in moving the population and development agenda forward. Let me wish you, all Members of the Commission and all committed Observers a successful and productive week of deliberations.
Lastly, Mr. Chairman, permit me to thank my colleague, Mrs. Thoraya Obaid, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, for her steadfast collaboration with our Department. I have known Mrs. Obaid not only as a very able leader of UNFPA but also as someone deeply committed to the improvement of the lives of women all over the world. Mrs. Obaid has also been a wonderful colleague, a colleague of integrity, a colleague who is straightforward, trustworthy and with a transparent, no-nonsense approach. The UN system needs more leaders like her. Thank you for your commitment, dedication and the great contributions you have made to this field.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman. | <urn:uuid:ba6f181f-7fc4-4f4f-ab22-033645436388> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/usg/statements/uncategorized/2010/04/statement-to-the-43rd-session-of-the-commission-on-population-and-development.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395613.65/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00180-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.949466 | 1,704 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Soil Production of C02 May Decline As World Warms
Contradicting earlier studies showing that soil microbes will emit more carbon dioxide as global warming intensifies, new research suggests that these microbes become less efficient over time in a warmer environment and would actually emit less CO2. The research, published in the journal Nature Geoscience, could have important implications for calculating how much heat-trapping CO2 will accumulate in the atmosphere as temperatures rise.
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, as well as Colorado State and Yale universities, found that soil microbes, in the form of bacteria and fungi, rapidly exhale CO2 for a short period of time in a warmer environment. But as higher temperatures persist, the microbes begin to use carbon less efficiently in their respiration process, which causes the microbes to decrease in number and emit less CO2 into the atmosphere.
"Microbes aren't the destructive agents of global warming that scientists had previously believed," said the study’s lead author, Steve Allison of UC Irvine. But Allison and his co-authors cautioned that further study is necessary to determine how soil enzymes might evolve as temperatures rise, which could affect the carbon balance in soils. | <urn:uuid:d7adcb9e-062a-435d-921d-02c6a744cc22> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.enn.com/agriculture/article/41260/print | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396459.32/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00033-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.954184 | 244 | 3.515625 | 4 |
New research from the Heiltsuk First Nation points to a sort of bear highway through the Great Bear Rainforest on B.C.'s Central Coast.
William Housty, a director with the Qqs Society, says the grizzly bears that were studied are travelling hundreds of kilometres each year along preferred routes — and one trail in particular along the salmon-producing Koeye River.
'You can follow these trails and really walk the same highway the bears walk.' - William Housty, a director with the Qqs Society
"The bears walk in the same steps every time. Their feet are imprinted in the trail," he told CBC News. "You can follow these trails and really walk the same highway the bears walk."
Researchers from the Heiltsuk First Nation, combining traditional knowledge with scientific principles and techniques, have not only determined the grizzlies' territory is likely much larger than they expected, but they've also found there are more of the salmon-feeding bears than they thought.
For three years, Housty and other bear trackers have lived alongside the bears.
"We were interacting with these bears, we were bumping into them on trails, and really came to the conclusion that we knew nothing," he said.
Part of the study involved setting wire hair-snares scented to attract the bears to rub up against them. The researchers then collected the fur left behind, and sent the fur samples for DNA analysis to do genetic comparisons.
Housty says everyone was surprised to discover there were up to 65 grizzlies living in the Koeye River system alone.
"You know, it was staggering to know there was that many bears. We'd had figured that maybe we were dealing with 10 or 12 bears, based on the ones that we've seen. So it tells us a lot about the health of the system. It tells us that the salmon is fairly healthy," he said.
Housty said the research has given the Heiltsuk a clearer understanding of the size and shape of the bear sanctuary.
They now plan to expand their grizzly bear survey to other salmon streams in the area to help inform a management plan for the region. | <urn:uuid:14cb2f13-6762-43d8-b88f-64304e422ea8> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grizzly-bear-highway-uncovered-in-b-c-rainforest-1.2712737?cmp=rss | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783404826.94/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624155004-00139-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.978459 | 450 | 3.015625 | 3 |
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This podcast is part of the series: Body Systems Series
Jacksonville High School, Jacksonville City Schools
Explore the muscular system of the human body with an overview about the three types of muscle: smooth, skeletal, and cardiac. Appropriate for grades 6-12.
Content Areas: Science
Alabama Course of Study Alignments and/or Professional Development Standard Alignments:
[S1] A&P (9-12) 7: Identify major muscles, including origins, insertions, and actions. | <urn:uuid:412b5f25-a38b-45de-b7ee-14360141e566> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://alex.state.al.us/podcast_view.php?podcast_id=633 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398075.47/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00196-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.777686 | 111 | 2.921875 | 3 |
St. Mary’s Dominican High School owes its origin to the forward looking spirit of a young man who began the Dominican Order in the 13th century, Dominic de Guzman. His followers immediately dedicated themselves to praise, to bless, to preach Jesus, the Word, VERITAS.
Dominican life began in Louisiana with the arrival of seven Dominican sisters from St. Mary’s Convent-Cabra, Dublin, Ireland on November 5, 1860. The foundresses of St. Mary’s Congregation in New Orleans, Mother Mary John Flanagan, Mother Mary Magdalen O’Farrell, Sister Mary Hyacinth McQuillan, Sister Mary Brigid Smith, Sister Mary Osanna Cahill, Sister Mary Xavier Gaynor, and Sister Mary Ursula O’Reilly, came at the request of Rev. Jeremiah Moynihan, Pastor of St. John the Baptist Church in New Orleans, to teach the children of the Irish immigrants. These Dominican women, educated in the humanities and the fine arts, opened St. John the Baptist School for Girls on December 3, 1860, with a recorded attendance of 200.
By 1861, the New Orleans Female Dominican Academy was chartered under Louisiana State laws as an “Institute for literary, scientific, religious, and charitable purposes.” Three years later in October 1864, the Dominican Sisters bought at auction the Mace Academy in Greenville. On April 17, 1865, while some day students remained at the Academy on Dryades St., the boarding students were transferred to the Academy in Greenville. The early curriculum stressed the humanities and the fine arts.
In 1881, permission was received from the Archbishop to build a new academy on the property at Greenville; the cornerstone was laid in 1882. Later the suburban village of Greenville was incorporated into the City of New Orleans.
In 1900, Mother Mary de Ricci, assistant to the Prioress, called a preliminary meeting of all former pupils of Dominican Academy for the purpose of establishing an Alumnae Association. In January 1901, there was a well organized association that selected St. Catherine of Siena as its Patroness.
Until 1914, there were two New Orleans Dominican Female Academies, one on Dryades Street and the other on St. Charles Avenue. In 1914, the Dryades program merged with the St. Charles Avenue campus program and changed its name to St. Mary’s Dominican High School. In September 1927, St. Mary’s Dominican High School was accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. In 1993, an eighth grade five-year program of studies was established.
St. Mary’s Dominican High School and St. Mary’s Dominican College were located on the same premises at 7214 St. Charles Avenue. Increased enrollment in both the High School and the College necessitated physical expansion. Plans were made to construct a new Dominican High School on Walmsley Avenue. On March 22, 1963, Dominican High School made its move from 7214 St. Charles Avenue to 7701 Walmsley Avenue, its present site.
Today, St. Mary’s Dominican High School is a living reality; its growth and development are rooted in its creative response to the call for excellence. In 1989, Dominican was recognized as a School of Excellence by the United States Department of Education. In 1996, Dominican was recognized again by the United States Department of Education and was selected as a National Blue Ribbon School. The O’Farrell Student Complex was completed in 1993. In 1996, Dominican was recognized again by the United States Department of Education and was selected as a National Blue Ribbon School. In 1997 the Erminia Wadsworth Library was completed, and another phase of technological advancement was begun. The Siena Multipurpose Activity Center was completed in 2006. Dominican continues to respond creatively to the changing times.
The seven Dominican women who came to New Orleans in 1860 were not only venturing into new horizons; they carried a heritage. They, like their founder St. Dominic, possessed the intellect, the perception, and the leadership qualities to be missionaries and educators. They, too, were a joyous group eager to share the Gospel message with the New Orleans community.
The transmission of the Dominican charism, to praise, to bless, to preach, continues at St. Mary’s Dominican High School. Rooted in the motto, VERITAS (TRUTH), Dominican is a place of foundations; a place where students learn to integrate prayer and study, community and service, joy and a zest for life. This heritage begun by St. Dominic, continued with the Sisters from Cabra and the succeeding generations of Dominican sisters, priests, brothers, and laity has been sustained in the educational program at Dominican – it is a spirit, an intangible gift. | <urn:uuid:78c4a518-3ed1-4dca-9460-498755312d8b> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.stmarysdominican.org/about-dhs/history/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783392527.68/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154952-00071-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.969911 | 993 | 2.546875 | 3 |
It seems like the busiest gyms are the ones offering youth based fitness training like Kansas City Zumbatomic. Not just any kind of training attracts kids because they have high entertainment expectations. The physical training has to be exercise that introduces fitness in a way that children and parents can appreciate which means it must be fun and productive at the same time.
Kansas City Zumbatomic Grooms Kids to be Healthy
Most people have to exercise and follow a healthy diet in order to achieve fitness. There are plenty of adults who certainly wish they had learned healthy habits while young because developing healthy lifestyle habits would have come naturally. Instead, the growing obesity rate in the U.S. proves that fitness for many people is a distant goal.
It’s much easier to follow a lifetime of good habits if you learn as a child. Unfortunately, many of today’s American children are inactive and that has led to obesity rates increasing in the younger age group too. That’s why Kansas City Zumbatomic is growing steadily in popularity. It offers children the right motivation to get moving and parents approve because the fitness program is safe and effective.
It is estimated that there are over 9 million children in the U.S. who are overweight or obese. It’s tragic that such young people are dealing with excess weight because their health is also jeopardized. There are growing incidences of childhood high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes brought on by poor diet and too much body fat.
Dancing Children are Healthy Children
Exercise can take many shapes and forms, and dancing is one of the most enjoyable. Children need to exercise regularly in order to maintain a healthy weight, but there are other reasons physical activity can be so important. For example, parents may want to insure their son or daughter is fit enough to participate in school athletic programs. Some parents rely on fitness programs as a way to help their child build self-confidence.
Kansas City Zumbatomic dance and fitness classes can fulfill all exercise goals and is fun at the same time. A child that joins a Zumbatomic class and begins exercising with high energy dance develops a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction too. Zumbatomic fitness programs can help children:
- Develop fit bodies
- Minimize the chances of injury when participating in sports
- Improve sports performance
- Enhance sports conditioning
- Gain confidence in the ability to learn
- Encourage social participation
- Teach that non-competitive exercise can be fun
- Encourage self-motivation
In other words, there is plenty for parents and children to appreciate in Zumbatomic. The Kansas City Zumbatomic classes can turn children onto fitness by proving that exercise can be fun. There’s no need for parents to push or plead for their kids to get active once they discover the power of dance. | <urn:uuid:98f8b427-39d3-483a-a0f9-4ab9a32d45e3> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.amoredance.com/kansas-city-zumbatomic-proves-kids-just-want-to-have-fitness-fun/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397873.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00201-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.960443 | 575 | 2.59375 | 3 |
Observing Neutron Stars with X-ray Telescopes to Constrain the Behavior of Matter at the Highest Densities
Neutron stars are the dense remnants of massive stars that have gone supernova (and somehow avoided collapsing down into a black hole). Their central density and pressure are higher than can be probed on the Earth. This makes studies of neutron stars an excellent probe of the behavior of matter at high densities. I will discuss two methods by which X-ray observations can constrain the interior structure and composition of neutron stars; constraints on the sizes of neutron stars from measuring the surface temperature, and constraints on the nature of neutron star cores by observing cooling neutron stars. | <urn:uuid:00085085-ef8b-4143-a3f7-48b23dd96835> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://apps.carleton.edu/curricular/physics/news/?story_id=396363&issue_id=396351 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397795.31/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00013-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.90281 | 140 | 2.953125 | 3 |
In this simulation we began with a weak magnetic field in the y direction, and forced a shear flow in the x direction (u ~ cosine 2 pi y), that was confined to a narrow layer in the vertical z direction. This would cause the magnetic field to be stretched out into two magnetic structures one with positive field Bx > 0 and one with negative field Bx < 0. We found that if magnetic diffusion was strong (low magnetic Reynolds number) then these two structures would find an equilibrium state within the layer (MPG Movie of magnetic pressure B2). However if we tried a less diffusive simulation then this equilibrium would become unstable and these structures would alternately rise (MPG Movie). If we pushed the magnetic diffusivity even lower, then this rising process became much more irregular (MPG Movie). We also discovered that if we decreased the viscosity in these simulations (increasing the Reynolds number) then the action of buoyant rising would occasionally trigger a Kelvin-Helmholtz instability which would briefly twist a magnetic structure into a helical shape (MPG Movie). (Brummell, Cline, & Cattaneo 2002, MNRAS, 329, L73; Cline, Brummell, & Cattaneo 2003, ApJ, 588, 630)
It is believed that the sun is able to maintain its magnetic fields because of a combination of magnetic field shear stretching (the omega effect) and magnetic field twisting (the alpha effect), which together drive the 11-year sunspot cycle. When we saw these twisting events in our shear simulations, we wondered if these might allow our simulations to maintain a field in a stretch-twist dynamo process. So we tried a new set of simulations: We set the weak initial field so that it was positive in the top half of the domain, and negative in the bottom half. In this way, if there was no dynamo activity, all magnetic fields would diffuse away over time. We also changed the shear so that rather than than having a cosine y profile, instead it was more of a sawtooth function of y, so that it would create one strong magnetic structure in the center (with Bx < 0), surrounded by a weaker magnetic field (with Bx > 0). We found that if magnetic forces were weak, then they were insufficient to create enough buoyant activity to trigger a Kelvin-Helmholtz twisting event, and the system would fail to act as a dynamo, with all magnetic fields slowly diffusing away (MPG Movie of magnetic field Bx, with blue = negative, green=positive). However if magnetic forces were strong enough then they would create a strong buoyant flow, triggering a series of intermittent Kelvin-Helmholtz twisting events, thus causing the system to act as a dynamo. In this dynamo process, the system would produce a series of buoyant magnetic structures of a given polarity (say Bx > 0) which would each rise and twist maintaining the magnetic fields. At irregular intervals, the polarity of the system would reverse and it would then make a series of magnetic structures with the opposite polarity (MPG Movie). This was particularly exciting because the magnetic fields in our sun also reverse polarity at the end of each 11-year sunspot cycle. (Cline, Brummell, & Cattaneo 2003, ApJ, in press)
We put a magnetic flux tube into a background where a convective layer lies on top of a stable layer, in the same way that the sun's convective zone sits above its stable radiative zone. We found that if the magnetic tube was weak, then it would be torn apart by the convection with the remains being pumped down below the convecting layer into the stable zone (MPG Movie of magnetic pressure B2). If the tube is stronger, so that it has a magnetic energy density equal to the kinetic energy density of the convection, then it will almost survive before being shredded (MPG Movie). The only way to hold a tube together is if we make its magnetic energy density larger than the maximum kinetic energy density contained anywhere within the convection. In this case the tube rises successfully until it reaches the upper boundary of our domain, where it slowly diffuses, decreasing in strength until it is weak enough that it can be pulled down into the convection (MPG Movie).
Great web pages that talk about the sun and the solar dynamo problem: | <urn:uuid:02bbc6d6-da13-400e-893d-1f9dff108e60> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.carroll.edu/kcline/education.cc | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783395620.9/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154955-00133-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947523 | 920 | 3.546875 | 4 |
St. Dominic de Guzman
Died: August 6, 1221
Feast Day: August 8
Patron Saint of: astronomers
Saint Dominic was born into nobility in Calarvega, Spain. During his lifetime, he was a champion for the Church against the Albigensians - a fight which was aided by the Blessed Mother. The Albigensian Heresy taught that there are two Gods, marriage is a sin, and denied the Trinity, incarnation and redemption.
At the age of 26, Dominic became a cathedral canon to a bishop whose mission was to convert Albigensians back to the orthodox teachings of the Church. At that time, most heresies and other false teachings were handled with by force by the likes of Simon de Montfort, whose armies leveled entire cities and slaughtered many of the cities' inhabitants in the south of France. Dominic, however, believed that the most effective way to counteract these errors was by reason.
Saint Dominic founded the Order of Preachers, which is known today as the Dominicans. | <urn:uuid:74894804-c2fb-46a1-b719-e6390c4b75b2> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.swoycc.org/saints/dominic.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783394987.40/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154954-00112-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.98651 | 215 | 3.109375 | 3 |
The New Normal? Extreme Weather and Climate
When will we connect all these recent extreme weather events we keep seeing with human-caused climate disruption? It's a serious question considering all that's been going on since the beginning of last year.
Check out this exhaustive and in-depth take by Dr. Jeff Masters on the startlingly high number of extreme weather events of the past year-and-a-half. Frankly, last year for our planet was like no other in modern times. "Never in my 30 years as a meteorologist have I witnessed a year like 2010 -- the astonishing number of weather disasters and unprecedented wild swings in Earth's atmospheric circulation were like nothing I've seen," he writes.
Last year tied 2005 for the hottest since official records began, which is weird because 2010 also indicated "the deepest solar energy minimum since satellite measurements of the sun began in the 1970s."
The atmosphere above the Arctic in particular was out of whack: "High pressure replaced low pressure over the Arctic, and the Polar Vortex weakened and even reversed at times, with a clockwise flow of air replacing the usual counter-clockwise flow of air. This unusual flow pattern allowed cold air to spill southwards and be replaced by warm air moving poleward." This explains why the Midwest and East Coast experienced such a deep and relentless freeze during the winter months. Climate deniers continued to spin regardless. But the scientific evidence was all there: climate disruption precipitates extreme weather -- hot and cold -- and last year encompassed this fact.
Masters's column then delves into specific events from around the globe: extremely low Arctic ice and rapid melting in Greenland; a radical shift from El Nino to La Nina; an Amazonian drought; a bizarre period for tropical cyclones and monsoons; floods, heat waves, record rainfalls across the world; the strongest non-coastal storm in U.S. history; and a long list of countries that set record high temperatures.
The pace of extreme weather events has remained remarkably high during 2011, giving rise to the question--is the "Global Weirding" of 2010 and 2011 the new normal? Has human-caused climate change destabilized the climate, bringing these extreme, unprecedented weather events? Any one of the extreme weather events of 2010 or 2011 could have occurred naturally sometime during the past 1,000 years. But it is highly improbable that the remarkable extreme weather events of 2010 and 2011 could have all happened in such a short period of time without some powerful climate-altering force at work. The best science we have right now maintains that human-caused emissions of heat-trapping gases like CO2 are the most likely cause of such a climate-altering force.
All of this brings to mind this snarky and effective Washington Post op-ed penned last month by 350.org's Bill McKibben:
Caution: It is vitally important not to make connections. When you see pictures of rubble like this week's shots from Joplin, Mo., you should not wonder: Is this somehow related to the tornado outbreak three weeks ago in Tuscaloosa, Ala., or the enormous outbreak a couple of weeks before that (which, together, comprised the most active April for tornadoes in U.S. history). No, that doesn’t mean a thing.
It is far better to think of these as isolated, unpredictable, discrete events. It is not advisable to try to connect them in your mind with, say, the fires burning across Texas — fires that have burned more of America at this point this year than any wildfires have in previous years. Texas, and adjoining parts of Oklahoma and New Mexico, are drier than they've ever been — the drought is worse than that of the Dust Bowl. But do not wonder if they're somehow connected.
-- Brian Foley | <urn:uuid:57783903-4265-4663-8b78-4190b405ac20> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2011/06/extreme-weather-climate-disruption.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396959.83/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00147-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.940966 | 789 | 3.015625 | 3 |
MAHRATTAS. The Mahrattas inhabit that portion of India which is known by the ancient name of Maharashtra (Sanskrit for the great kingdom or region). This large tract, extending from the Arabian Sea on the west to the Satpura mountains in the north, comprises a good part of western and central India, including the modern provinces of the Concan, Khandesh, Berar, the British Deccan, part of Nagpur, and about half the Nizam's Deccan. Its area amounts to about 120,000 square miles, and its population to about 12 millions of souls, or 100 to the square mile. The population has increased greatly in the 19th century under British rule; but there had been much decrease during the 17th and 18th centuries owing to war and devastation. Frightful depopulation occurred from the famine which was at its height in 1400 A.D., and was called the Durga Devi or the goddess of destruction. Much mortality was also caused by famine between 1801 and 1803. There was probably a period of high prosperity during the first centuries of the Christian era, under a number of petty indigenous sovereigns, among whom these wide territories had become parcelled out before the first invasion of the Deccan by the Moslems about 1100.
The etymology of the word Mahratta (or Marhatta, as it is written in the vernacular) is uncertain. The name does not indicate a social caste, or a religious sect; it is not even tribal. It embraces the people of all races who dwell iu the region of Maharashtra, both high-casto and low-caste Hindus; it is applied, of course, to Hindus only. Thus there are Mahratta Brahmans, next Mahratta Kumbis or cultivators, and Mahratta Rajputs or warriors, though the latter have but a small infusion of real Rajput blood. The Mahrattas, then, are essentially Hindus in religion and in caste ordinances, not differing in these respects from the Hindus in other parts of India. They have a language of their own, called the Mahratti, a dialect of the Sanskrit, a copious, flexible, and sonorous tongue.
But the Mahrattas have always been a separate nation or people, and still regard themselves as such, though now-adays they are almost all under British or Mohammedan jurisdiction; that is, they belong either to British India or to the Nizam's Dominions. A few states or principalities purely Mahratta,such as Kolhapur and some lesser states clustering round it in the southern Deccan,still survive, but they are under close supervision on the part of the British Government. There are indeed still three large native states nominally Mahratta, namely, that of Sindhia near the borders of Hindustan in the north, that of Holkar in Malwa in the heart of the Indian continent, and that of the gaekwar in Gujerat on the western coast. But in these states the prince, his relatives, and some of his ministers or employes only are Mahrattas; the nobility and the mass of the people are not Mahrattas at all, but belong to other sections of the Hindu race. These states then are not to be included in the Mahratta nation, though they have a share in the Mahratta history, and are con-cerned in the extraneous achievements of that people.
In general terms the Mahrattas, as above defined, may be described under two main heads, first the Brahmans, and secondly the humble or low-caste men. The Mahratta Brahmans possess, in an intense degree, the qualities of that famous caste, physical, intellectual, and moral. They have generally the lofty brow, the regular features, the spare upright figure, the calm aspect, the commanding gait, which might be expected in a race maintained in great purity yet upon a broad basis. In modern times they have proved themselves the most able and ambitious of all the Brahmans in the Indian empire. They are notably divided into two sectionsthe Concanast, coming from the Concan or littoral tract on the west coast below the Western Ghat mountains, and the Deshast, coming from the uplands or Deccan, on the east of the mountains. Though there have been many distinguished Dfeshasts, yet the most remarkable of all have been Concanasts. For instance, the peshwas, or heads of the Mahratta confedera-tion which at one time dominated nearly all India, were Concanast Brahmans. The birthplaces of these persons are still known, and to this day there are sequestered villages, nestling near the western base of the Ghats, which are pointed to as being the ancestral homes of men who two centuries ago had political control over the Indian empire.
Apart from the Brahmans, the Mahrattas may be generally designated as Sudras, or men of the humblest of the four great castes into which the Hindu race is divided. But, as indicated above, the upper classes among the Mahrattas claim to be Kshattriyas or Rajputs. They prob-ably are aborigines fundamentally, with a mixture of what are now called the Scythian tribes, which at a very early time overran India. They have but a slight admixture of the Aryans, who victoriously immigrated from Central Asia and established the Hindu system.
These ordinary Mahrattas, who form the backbone of the nation, have plain features, an uncouth manner, a clownish aspect, short stature, a small but wiry frame. Their eyes, however, are bright and piercing, and under excite-ment will gleam with passion. Though not powerful physically as compared with the northern races of the Punjab and Oudh, they have much activity and an unsur-passed endurance. Born and bred in or near the Western Ghat mountains and the numerous tributary ranges, they have all the qualities of mountaineers. Among their native hills they have at all times evinced desperate courage. Away from the hills they do not display remarkable valour, except under the discipline which may be supplied by other races. For such organization they have never, of them-selves, shown any aptitude. Under civilized authority, however, they are to be reckoned among the good soldiers of the empire. In recent times they enter military service less and less, betaking themselves mainly to cultivation and to the carrying business connected with agriculture. As husbandmen they are not remarkable; but as graziers, as cartmen, as labourers, they are excellent. As artisans they have seldom signalized themselves, save as armourers and clothweavers.
Those Mahrattas who dwell in the extreme west of Maharashtra, within the main range of the Western Ghats, and in the extreme north of Maharashtra near the Satpura mountains, are blessed with unfailing rainfall and regular seasons. But those who dwell at a distance from these main ranges, or among the lower or subsidiary ranges, are troubled with variable moisture and uncertain seasons, frequently, too, with alternations of drought and of flood. Periodically they are afflicted by scarcity, and sometimes by severe famine. They have within the last half century largely extended their area of cultivation. Their industry, which is chiefly agricultural, has grown apace. Their tendency is undoubtedly to increase in numbers; and, despite occasional depopulation from disasters of season, they have increased considerably on the whole. But in some districts, owing to the famine of 1877, and the sick-ness which ensued when excessive rainfall followed the drought, the population has been stationary, while in others it has actually retrograded because epidemics and plagues of vermin were added to the misfortunes of season.
Among all the Mahrattas the land is usually held on the tenure technically known as " ryotwari." This tenure is now established under the British Government by surveying and assessing operations comprehended under the official term " settlement." It practically means peasant pro-prietorship. The proprietor, or ryot, is a cultivator also. His holding may be on the average 20 or 30 acres, divided into small fields. Of these fields he cultivates some, himself working at the plough, and his family weed-ing and cleaning the soil. He will also hire labour, and thus the farm-labourers become a considerable class. He pays to the Government direct the land tax, which is assessed on his holding for tbe long term of thirty years, so that he may have the benefit of his improvements. His property in the land is absolute; it descends according to the Hindu law of inheritance; it can be sold or otherwise transferred by private arrangement; it is pledged or mortgaged for debt, and money is largely borrowed on its security. It is liable to sale for default in regard to land revenue; and Government as a creditor has the first claim. Thus, as a peasant proprietary, the Mahrattas are in the best possible position, and have been so for many years since the completion of the British settlement. Their only fault is a disposition to live beyond their humble means. They have thus been of late years led into debt, which has produced disputes between them and the money-lenders, ending sometimes in agrarian disturbance.
In the Concan there are some superior proprietors termed Khotes. With this and perhaps some other exceptions, notably that of Nagpur, there are not in the Mahratta country many large landlords, nor many of the superior tenure-holders whose position relatively to that of the peasantry has caused much discussion in other parts of India. There are indeed many Mahratta chiefs still resi-dent in the country, members of the aristocracy which formerly enjoyed much more wealth and power than at present. They are sometimes in the position of landlords, but often they are the assignees of the land revenue, which they are entitled under special grants to collect for themselves instead of for Government, paying merely a small sum to Government by way of quit-rent. Under them the cultivators are by British arrangements placed in tbe position of peasant proprietors. The village community Jias always existed as the social unit in the Mahratta territories, though with less cohesion among its members than in the village communities of Hindustan and the Punjab. The ancient offices pertaining to the village, as those of the headman (patel), the village accountant, &c, are in working order throughout the Mahratta country.
The Mahratta peasantry possess manly fortitude under suffering and misfortune. Though patient and good-tempered in the main, they have a latent warmth of temper, and if oppressed beyond a certain endurable limit they would fiercely turn and rend their tormentors. Cruelty also is an element in their character. As a rule they are orderly and law-abiding, but traditions of plunder have been handed down to them from early times, and many of them retain the predatory instincts of their forefathers. The neighbourhood of dense forests, steep hill-sides, and fastnesses hard of access offers extraordinary facilities to plunderers for screening themselves and their booty. Thus gang robbery is apt to break out, gains head with rapidity, and is suppressed with difficulty. In time of peace it is kept under, but during war, or whenever the bands of civil order are loosened, it becomes a cause of anxiety and a source of danger. The women have frankness and strength of character; they work hard in the fields, and as a rule evince domestic virtue. Conjugal infidelity, however, is not unknown among them, and here, as elsewhere in India, leads to bloodshed.
The peasantry preserve a grave and quiet demeanour, but they have their humble ideas of gaiety, and hold their gatherings on occasions of births or marriages. They fre-quently beguile their toil with carols. They like the gossiping and bartering at the rural markets and in the larger fairs, which are sometimes held in strikingly pictur-esque localities. They are utterly superstitious, and will worship with hearty veneration any being or thing whose destructive agency they fear. They will, even speak of the tiger with honorific titles. They are Hindus, but their Hinduism is held to be of a non-Aryan type. They are sincerely devout in religion, and feel an awe regarding " the holy Brahmans," holding the life and the person of a Brahman sacred, even though he be a criminal of the deepest dye. They of course regard the cow as equally sacred. There are two principal sects among the modern Hindus those who follow Vishnu, and those who follow Siva. The Mahrattas generally follow Siva and his wife, a dread goddess known under many names. The Mahratta war-cry, " Hur Hur Mahadeo," which used to be heard above the din of battle urging the soldiers to onset with victorious elan, referred to Siva. All classes high and low are fond of the religious festivals, the principal of which, " the Dasserah," occurs in October, when the first harvest of the year has been secured and the second crops sown. This has always been held with the utmost pomp and magnificence at every centre of Mahratta wealth and power. The people frequently assemble in bowers and arbours con-structed of leafy boughs to hear " kathas " recited. These recitations are partly religious, partly also romantic and quasi-historical. After them national resolves of just resistance or of aggressive ambition have often been formed.
Apart from the Mahratta Brahmans, as already mentioned, the Mahratta nobles and princes are not generally fine-looking men. Their appearance, notwithstanding jewel-lery and rich apparel, is still that of peasants. There cer-tainly are some exceptions, but there is general truth in what was once said by a high authority to the effect that, while there will be something dignified in the humblest llajput, there will be something mean in the highest Mahratta. Bluff good-nature, a certain jocoseness, a humour pungent and ready, though somewhat coarse, a hot or even violent disposition, are characteristics of Mahratta chieftains. They usually show little aptitude for business or for sedentary pursuits ; but, on the other hand, they are born equestrians and sportsmen. As a rule they are not moderate in living, and are not unfrequently addicted to intemperance. Instances of licentiousness and debauchery have always been found among them. They have generally sprung from a lowly origin, and they have been proud of this fact even after attaining greatness. For instance, three Mahratta chiefs, each of whom established a large kingdomSindhia, Holkar, and the gaekwar declared the lowliness of their birth. Holkar was the descendant of a shepherd; Sindhia boasted of having begun life by keeping his master's slippers; and by his very title the gaekwar perpetuates the memory of his pro-genitor having tended the cow (gae). Mahratta ladies and princesses have often taken a prominent part in public affairs and in dynastic intrigues; in some instances their conduct has been of the highest type, in others their in-fluence has been exerted for evil.
Though they have produced some poetry, the Mahrattas have never done much for Oriental literature. Nor have they been distinguished in industrial art. Their archi-tecture in wood, however, was excellent; and the teak forests of their country afforded the finest timber for build-ing and for carving. They had also much skill in the construction of works for the supply of drinking water on a large scale, and for irrigation.
On the whole the Mahrattas will hardly he regarded by Europeans as being among the most interesting of the Indian races. The admirable History of the Mahrattas, by Captain Grant Duff (1826), may possibly awaken enthusiasm, as written under personal ad-vantages and with a living knowledge which will never again be possessed by a historian of the later Mahratta times. At all events, a strange interest gathers itself around the Mahratta history.
In the first place the Mahratta country is for the most part strategically important as well as highly picturesque. Some parts of the Deccan are indeed almost irretrievably ugly. The stretches of low hill have long been disforested, and even laid bare of lesser vegetation, and the champaign tracts are treeless as far as the eye can reach. Still much of the Mahratta country lies in the bosom or near the sTrirts of mountains. The geological formations may-be popularly described as consisting of trap, basalt, and indurated lava in magnificent layers. The black precipices, scarped for thousands of feet, and striped with marks of the layers, are superb. The summits, though generally fiat with horizontal outlines, are often broken into towers and cones. The vapours from the Arabian Sea are propelled by the south-west monsoon against these moun-tain tops, and produce an excessive rainfall. Hence arise a luxuri-ant vegetation and the surprising spectacle (at certain seasons) of cascades tumbling down the perpendicular flanks of the mountains. The forests have suffered during ages from wasteful cutting; but of late years a system of conservancy has been established, and many great forests remain.
The mountains stand in the midst of a fertile and populous country ; on both sides of them are rich valleys, cultivated plains, numerous villages, and large towns. Thus insurgents or warriors had here a complete military base, with sources whence supplies could be drawn, and strongholds for organizing power or for secur-ing refuge. This hill country has been regarded by strategists as one of the strongest, in a military sense, to be found in India. It extends over nearly 500 miles from north to south, and has at least twenty fortresses which in uncivilized warfare were virtually im-pregnable if resolutely defended, and which, though of course un-able to resist a scientific attack in these times, would yet prove difficult of approach. Several of these are surrounded with historic traditions. In former times there was no road worthy of the name across these mountains. No means of passage existed save steep rugged pathways for footmen and pack animals. Within the last generation the British Government has, in Oriental phrase, lifted up the veil of these mountains, piercing them with well-made roads and with railways. There are now seven of such roads, and two lines of railway open, a third being projected. Guns and troops as well as goods and produce can now be moved up and down these once impassable mountains.
It is the range of the Western Ghats which enabled the Mahrattas to rise against their Mohammedan conquerors, to reassert their Hindu nationality against the whole power of the Mogul empire, and to establish in its place an empire of their own. It is often held that in India British conquest or annexation succeeded Mohammedan rule ; and to a considerable extent this was the case. But, on the other hand, the principal power, the widest sovereignty, which the British overthrew in India was that of the Mahrattas.
During the earlier Moslem invasions in 1100 and in subsequent years, the Mahrattas do not seem to have made much resistance. They submitted to several Mohammedan kings under the changing circumstances of those times. They were despised by their conquerors, and were called "mountain rats" in derision. It was against the Mohammedan king of Bijapur in the Deccan that Sivaji, the hero of Mahratta history, first rebelled in 1657. Sivaji and his fighting officers were Mahrattas of humble caste, but his ministers were Mahratta Brahmans. When the Mogul empire absorbed that kingdom he defied the emperor. He imparted a self-reliant enthusiasm to his countrymen, formed them into an army, and organized them as a political community; his mountaineer infantry, though limited in numbers, proved desperately courageous ; his cavalry was daring and ubiquitous. Having once overcome the Hindus in almost all parts of India, often after heroic resistance, the Moslems had not for centuries met with any noteworthy up-rising. Sivaji, however, planned their expulsion, and before the end of his restless life made much progress in the execution of that design. The new Mahratta state which ho founded was maintained under various vicissitudes after his death. Still Mahratta resist-ance, once aroused by him, was never extinguished, and the im-perial resources were worn out by ceaseless though vain efforts to quell it. The great Mogul emperor's impoverished and en-feebled successor was fain to recognize the Mahratta state by a formal instrument. The Mahratta king, a descendant of Sivaji, was a roi faineant, and the arrangement was negotiated by his Brahman minister, whose official designation was the peshwa. The office of peshwa then became hereditary in the minister's family, and grew in importance as the Mahratta kingdom rose, while the king sunk into the condition of a puppet. Thus the Mahratta power was consolidated throughout nearly the whole of Maharashtra under the Brahman peshwa as virtual sovereign, with his capital at Poona, while the titular Mahratta raja or king had his court at the neighbouring city of Sattara. Despite his political importance,' however, the raja was still venerated as the descendant of Sivaji.
Then several chiefs carved out principalities of their own from among the ruins of the Mogul empire. Thus Eaghoji Bhonsla established himself in the tracts lying underneath the southern base of the Satpura range (namely, Nagpur and Berar), overran Orissa, and entered Bengal. Dammaji Gaekwar descended from the Western Ghats upon the alluvial plains of Gujerat around Baroda ;_ Takaji Holkar subdued the uplands of Malwa beyond the Vindhya range on the north bank of the Nerbudda ; and Madhaji Sindhia obtained possession of large tracts immediately south of Agra and Delhi, marched into Hindustan, and became virtually the master of the Mogul emperor himself. Princes of Sivaji's own family founded a dominion at Tanjore, in the rich delta of the Kaveri south of Madras.
But these principalities, though really independent respecting internal administration, and making war or peace with their neigh-bours according to opportunity, yet owned allegiance to the peshwa at Poona as the head of the Mahratta body. On state occasions heads of principalities would visit Poona by way of acknowledging the superior position of the peshwa. On the other hand the peshwa was careful to obtain the sanction of his nominal sovereign at Sattara to every important act of state. Thus a confederation was formed of which the Brahman peshwa or head was at Poona, governing the adjacent territories, while the members, belonging to the lower castes of Mahrattas, were scattered throughout the con-tinent of India. Such was the Mahratta empire which supplanted the Mogul empire. The Mahratta power grew and prospered till it embraced all India with certain exceptions. Its culminating point was reached about 1750, or about a century after Sivaji first rebelled against his Mohammedan sovereign.
Its armies drew soldiers from all parts of India. The infantry was not of good quality; but its cavalry was really an enormous force, numbering fully a hundred thousand in all. The horsemen were splendidly audacious in riding for long distances into the heart of a hostile country, without support, striking some terrific blows, and then returning rapidly beyond reach of pursuit. They could truly boast of having watered their horses in every Indian river from the Kaveri to the Indus. If attacked, however, in a competent manner they would not stand ; and afterwards, in con-flict with the British, whole masses of them behaved in a dastardly manner. As their ambition grew, the chiefs began to organize their troops after the system learnt from the English and French. In this way several FrenchmenDe Boigne, Perron, and others rose in the Mahratta service to a position dangerous to the British. But the hew system was unsuited to the Mahratta genius ; it hampered the meteoric movements of the cavalry, which was obliged to manoeuvre in combination with the new artillery and the disciplined battalions. Mahratta elders hence uttered predictions of military disaster which were in the end more than fulfilled.
While the Mahrattas collected vast quantities of treasure and valuables, the ordinary revenue of the confederation hardly exceeded ten millions sterling annually. Large amounts, however, were drawn by feudal tenure-holders, which never appeared in the public accounts. The area and population under the dominion or the control of the confederation could hardly have been less than 700,000 square miles and 90 millions of souls.
The rapid and amazing success of the Mahratta confederation rendered it the largest Hindu sovereignty that ever existed in India. But it lacked the elements of true greatness. It was founded by plundering expeditions, and its subsequent existence was tainted by the baseness of this predatory origin. With the exception of the peshwas, its chiefs were little more than freebooting warriors, for the most part rude, violent, and unlettered. Their custom was to offer their neighbours or victims the alternative of paying "chouth," that is, one-fourth of the revenue, or being plundered and ravaged. Thus the Mahratta chouth came to have an ominous significance in Indian history. Desultory efforts were made to establish a civil government, but in the main there was no administration formed on statesmanlike principles. The peshwas, on the other hand, as Brahmans, were men of the highest education then possible in India. But they were absorbed by the direction of military and political combinations, and by intrigues for tho preservation of their own power ; and, even allowing for all this, they failed to evince the civil capacity which might have been anticipated. While several displayed commanding abilities, and some possessed many virtues, one only attempted to conduct an administration in an enlightened manner, and he died prematurely.
There were at the same time powers existing in India to keep the Mahrattas in check, and it has just been mentioned that some parts of India were excepted from their depredations. The English power was rising at Calcutta, Madras, and Bombay. The nascent Sikh power prevented Mahratta incursions from being permanently successful in the Punjab. As the Mogul empire broke up, some separate Mohammedan powers rose upon its ruins. The nizam of the Deccan established himself at Hyderabad, comparatively near the headquarters of the peshwa. Hyder Ali was proclaimed sultan of Mysore in tho south. Ahmed Shah Abdali burst upon India from Afghanistan. The Mahrattas bravely encountered him at Panipat near Delhi in 1761, and were decisively defeated. The defeat, however, did not essentially shake the Mahratta empire. It was collision with the English that broke that wonderful fabric to pieces.
The first collision with the English occurred in 1780 ; it arose from a disputed succession to the peshwaship. The English Government at Bombay supported one of the claimants, and the affair became critical for the English as well as for the Mahrattas. It was at this conjuncture that Warren Hastings displayed his political genius and rendered signal service to his country.
The next collision happened in 1803. The peshwa had fallen into I grave difficulties with some of the principal members of the Mahratta confederation, namely Sindhia, Holkar, and the Bhonsla raja of Nagpur. He therefore placed himself under British protection, and this led to the great Mahratta war, in which the Marquis Wellesley displayed those talents for military and political combina-tion which have rendered him illustrious. It was during the cam-paigns which ensued that General Arthur Wellesley defeated Holkar and the Bhonsla raja at Assaye, and General Lake won the victories of Farrukhabad, Dig, and Laswari over Sindhia and Holkar. The three confederates, Sindhia, Holkar, and the Bhonsla, concluded peace with the British Government, after making large sacrifices of territory in favour of the victor, and submitting to British control politically. Thus the Mahratta empire was broken up. It was during these events that the British won the province of Orissa, the old Hindustan now known as the North-Western Provinces, and a part of the western coast comprising Gujerat.
The third collision came to pass between 1816 and 1818, through the conduct, not only of the confederates, but also of the peshwa himself. During the previous war the peshwa had been the protege and ally of the British ; and since the war he had fallen more completely than before under British protection and guidance, British political officers and British troops being stationed at his capital. He apparently felt encouraged by circumstances to rebel. Holkar and the Bhonslas committed hostile acts. The predatory Pindaris offered a formidable resistance to the British troops. So the peshwa ventured to take part in the combination against the British power, which even yet the Mahrattas did not despair of overthrowing. After long-protracted menaces, he attacked the British at Kirki, but failed utterly, and fled a ruined man. Ulti-mately he surrendered to Sir John Malcolm, and was sent as a state pensioner to Bithur, near Cavvnpnr. Thus the last vestige of the Mahratta empire disappeared. The British, however, released the raja of Sattara from the captivity in which ho had been kept during the peshwa's time, and reinstated him on the throne. Owing to these events the British Government became possessed of the Con-can and of the greater part of the Deccan.
It remains to mention briefly the fortunes of each remaining member of the once imperial confederation. The principality of Sattara was held to have lapsed in 1849 by the death of the raja without lineal heirs, and was annexed by the British Government. The Bhonsla raja of Nagpur and Berar was obliged to surrender Berar to the nizam, as the ally of the British, in 1803. Berar then remained under the nizam till 1854, when it came under British administration, though it is still included in the nizam's dominions. The raja of rTagpur died without lineal heirs in 1853, and his territory, being held to have lapsed, was annexed to the British territories. The house of Holkar has, during the last sixty years, remained faithful to its engagements with the British Government, and its position as a feudatory of the empire is well maintained. In Sindhia's territory, by reason of internal feuds, the British had
to undertake measures which were successfully terminated after the battles of Maharajpur and Panniar in 1843. But on the whole the house of Sindhia has remained faithful. Sindhia himself was actively loyal during the war of the mutinies. The gaekwar gradually fell under British control toward s the close of last century, and his house has never engaged in hostilities with the British Government. The gaekwar Khande Bao signalized himself by loyalty during the war of the mutinies. His successor, Malhar Bao, has recently been deposed by the British Government on account of gross maladministration. The ex-peshwa lived to old age at Bithur, and died in 1851. His adopted son grew up to be the Nana Sahib, of infamous memory, who took a leading part in the war of the mutinies. (R. T.)
The above article was written by Sir Richard Temple, Bart., D.C.L. | <urn:uuid:be93bac5-8a8d-4330-bf96-8ccefec729de> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.1902encyclopedia.com/M/MAH/mahrattas.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783397565.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154957-00183-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.974187 | 6,781 | 3.5 | 4 |
- to immerse (an individual) in water, or pour or sprinkle water over (the individual), as a symbol of admission into Christianity or a specific Christian church
- to subject to an initiation or an ordeal that purifies or cleanses
- to give a first name to as part of the baptismal ceremony; christen
Origin of baptizeMiddle English baptisen ; from Old French baptiser ; from Ecclesiastical Late Latin baptizare ; from Classical Greek baptizein, to immerse, baptize, substituted for earlier baptein, to dip (used in post-classical Classical Greek chiefly in sense “to dip in dye”) ; from Indo-European base an unverified form gw?bh-, to dip, plunge from source Old Norse kvefja, to plunge
verbbap·tized, bap·tiz·ing, bap·tiz·es
- To admit into Christianity by means of baptism.
- a. To cleanse or purify.b. To initiate.
- To give a Christian name to a person; christen.
Origin of baptizeMiddle English baptizen, from Old French baptiser, from Late Latin bapt&imacron;zare, from Greek baptizein, from baptein, to dip.
(third-person singular simple present baptizes, present participle baptizing, simple past and past participle baptized)
From Old French baptiser, batisier, from Ecclesiastical Latin baptizare, from Ancient Greek βαπτίζω (baptizō, “to immerse, plunge, baptize”). | <urn:uuid:9b32f6ac-bcb1-44da-8657-42ea85f31351> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.yourdictionary.com/baptize | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783398628.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154958-00008-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.846673 | 350 | 2.875 | 3 |
The Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857
On September 11, 1857, the Baker-Fancher emigrant wagon train was rolling through Mountain Meadows, Utah, about 35 miles southwest of Cedar City. The train was made up of several smaller parties that joined together on their journey northwest from Arkansas. Some of the emigrants were on their way to settle permanently in California; others were simply searching for greener pastures, and split off from the train when it suited them.
The train rolled through Kansas and Nebraska before entering the Utah Territory, which was home to a large number of Mormons. In Cedar City, which was supposed to be the last stop before the train moved on to California, the train tried to take on supplies but the Mormons living there refused to sell to outsiders.
To be fair, the Mormons had experienced a great deal of criticism, prejudice, and even violence from those who weren’t also Mormon, which is partially why they’d moved to Utah in the first place. Besides the need to keep their grain stores stocked for the coming winters, they had also been instructed by their church to hoard guns and bullets in the event that they needed to protect themselves against raiders and those who would persecute them. Plus, they were wary of selling items that might help these people who were potential enemies.
The Mormons’ fears were not unjustified. After the Mormon religion was founded in the 1820s-1830s, the Mormons had been persecuted relentlessly; their own founder had been imprisoned multiple times before being killed by a mob; they had suffered massacres such as the Haun’s Mill Massacre, which had been carried out for no reason other than that they were Mormon. Before the massacre at Mountain Meadows, the United States Government had sent 1500 troops into Utah, frustrating the Mormons living there and raising tempers and tension.
The stop in Cedar Creek was unsuccessful for the Fancher party. But that was the least of their worries. Soon, further misfortune befell them: they had drawn attention to themselves, and, as outsiders, they were seen as a threat.
When the train reached Mountain Meadows, a group of Mormons attacked. Several members of the Fancher party were killed before the group was able to pull their wagons into a tight circle, for some measure of protection. The Mormons persisted, however, attacking the camp several more times while the Fancher group remained under siege, unable to continue on to California.
On September 11, 1857, John D. Lee, part of the Mormon group, raised a white flag. He entered the Fancher party’s circle and asked them to lay down their guns, convincing them that there would be no more bloodshed. His group led the women and children from the circle before escorting the men out as well. Each Fancher man was escorted by an armed Mormon militia man.
The group walked about a mile, after which the militiamen turned their guns to the Fancher men, shooting and killing them. A group of Native Americans then surged out of their hiding places and attacked the women and children, most of whom also perished.
Exactly why the Native Americans became involved in the conflict isn’t known. It’s possible they simply wanted to decrease the number of people settling on their lands. However, there was also a story that circulated around Utah after the massacre that justified their actions. The story went that, after being denied supplies, the Fancher party deliberately poisoned a stream which resulted in the deaths of a some of the Native Americans. Most likely, the story isn’t actually true, but it’s possible that the Mormons fed this poisoning the river story to the Native Americans in order to spur them into helping to kill the Fancher party.
All in all, about 120 people died for the crime of asking for some grain on their way to a new life. Only 17 children survived the raid, all of whom were then adopted by local families before being reunited with other relatives in Arkansas by the U.S. government some years later.
If you liked this article, you might also enjoy subscribing to our new Daily Knowledge YouTube channel, as well as:
- The Year That Had No Summer
- The Largely Forgotten Paris Massacre of 1961
- Why Native Americans Didn’t Wipe Out Europeans With Diseases
- Why There Are Bibles in Hotel Rooms
- The conflict between the federal troops and the Mormons living in Utah is often called “The Utah War” and is usually characterized as “bloodless.” However, the massacre at Mountain Meadows is almost certainly a result of that conflict, and the loss of 120 innocent lives demonstrates the war wasn’t bloodless at all.
- The Church of Latter-Day Saints was technically not involved in the Mountain Meadows massacre; rather, it’s thought that the Mormons at Cedar City acted alone. The church’s general attitude towards outsiders and the orders to conserve grain and ammunition likely fuelled some of the conflict, but they didn’t tell their followers to kill innocents outright.
- It’s difficult to have a sad event that shares the same day with another one without drawing comparisons between them. Some parallels have been drawn between the Mountain Meadows massacre and the September 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Both have been attributed to religious fanaticism, though it could be argued that the Mountain Meadows massacre was less about religious fanaticism and more about extreme paranoia.
- The movie September Dawn was based on the events at Mountain Meadows and was released in time for the 150-year anniversary of the event. During the anniversary memorials, descendants of the victims of the attack were able to lay a wreath at the site of the massacre. They also heard from Elder Henry B. Eyring, who proposed a reconciliation with the descendants and his regrets about the suffering the attack had caused both the victims and their descendants.
|Share the Knowledge!| | <urn:uuid:8bd68138-ff1d-4b8e-afa4-2533447394c6> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2014/05/mountain-meadows-massacre-1857/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396106.25/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00000-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.983749 | 1,228 | 3.5 | 4 |
SAN FRANCISCO—NASA's Curiosity rover team reported on Tuesday surprising spikes in methane gas, raising the possibility of microbial alien life on the red planet.
On Earth, most methane, better known as natural gas, is released by microbes that belch out the gas as they digest food. The rover mission scientists hedge the new results carefully, saying there's no way to tell whether the methane spikes have a geological or biological origin.
"It is a very, very puzzling result," says planetary scientist Joel Levine of the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, who was not part of the study team. "Either Mars is geologically alive, which would be surprising, or Mars is biologically alive, which would have profound implications."
Decades of up-and-down measurements of methane in the Martian atmosphere have intrigued scientists hunting for signs of life on Mars. So when Curiosity first recorded a sudden tenfold increase in methane in November 2013, scientists were startled. (Read "Field Trip on Mars" in National Geographic magazine.)
"It was an 'oh, my gosh' moment," said planetary scientist Christopher Webster of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, who led the study team. Reported in the journal Science and presented Tuesday at the American Geophysical Union meeting, the spikes, he said, "disappeared only six weeks later."
Curiosity went on to record a total of four sharp jumps in methane concentrations in the Martian air during its travels. The pulses lasted only a few weeks and lingered over a small area, roughly 2,625 feet (800 meters) of the rover's path. That points to a local, concentrated vent as the origin of the releases, says team scientist Sushil Atreya of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, most likely to the north of the rover inside Gale Crater.
Biological explanations aside, interactions between water and rock could produce methane, as could sunlight cooking off meteorite debris on the Martian surface, the Curiosity team cautions. But the scientists leave the possibility open that microbes could be the methane's origin.
"As to biological versus geological, we are really not in a position from these data to say what the origin is," says Atreya.
The discovery is puzzling even apart from the possibility of microbes on Mars.
Previous estimates suggested that methane delivered by meteorite impacts on the planet's surface, or otherwise released there, should linger in the atmosphere for 300 years. Instead, Curiosity found, the gas vanished within weeks.
Another puzzle: The background amount of methane in the thin Martian air was about half the level expected based on past telescope and spacecraft measurements.
Despite caution by the rover mission scientists, some experts outside the team voiced more optimism for someday finding microbes on Mars. As evidence against a geologic origin for the methane spikes, Mars has been volcanically dead for at least the past few million years, notes geophysicist Vladimir Krasnopolsky of the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
In his view, "methanogenic [methane producing] bacteria are the most plausible source of methane on Mars."
Levine similarly said he would "put my money" on Martian microbes as the source of the methane spikes, though he places that bet cautiously.
But Atreya says that even if the methane spikes came from microbes, that doesn't mean any are alive on Mars now. Methane produced long in the past by microbes or rocks might have been preserved under the surface of Mars for "billions of years," he says, in frozen deposits called clathrates. Those might have slowly surfaced and released the gas as Mars eroded in dust storms. (Learn more about the history of mystery objects on Mars.)
Long Roads Ahead
NASA delivered the rover to Mars in 2012, in a thrilling "Seven Minutes of Terror" descent from a rocket-powered crane. Inside the 96-mile-wide (155 kilometers) Gale Crater, the rover has sought to find out whether past chemistry on the desert planet once could, or might still, support life.
Along with the methane spikes, the mission scientists reported tentative signs of organic chemicals, simple building blocks of more complex biological molecules, in a sample of clay rocks taken by the rover.
The rover is in good health, the team said, and will continue to ascend Mount Sharp, an eroded mountain in the center of the crater, for the next one to three years, looking for more signs of organic chemistry in rock layers.
If the rover lucked out, a sufficiently large plume of methane might permit its instruments to distinguish whether carbon atoms in the outburst bore a chemical signature consistent with life on Earth.
But Curiosity rover team science chief John Grotzinger of Caltech warned that Curiosity's search for life on Mars will likely always give "ambiguous" results, given the difficulty of making scientific measurements on the red planet. (Related: "Mars Curiosity Milestone: Top 5 First-Year Discoveries.")
"We're just going to have to respect that possibility [of life]," Grotzinger says, and keep exploring on Mars.
Follow Dan Vergano on Twitter. | <urn:uuid:6def781f-46d2-4731-9a0d-f6875831efe7> | CC-MAIN-2016-26 | http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141216-mars-methane-curiosity-space-science/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2016-26/segments/1466783396872.10/warc/CC-MAIN-20160624154956-00034-ip-10-164-35-72.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.947108 | 1,056 | 3.828125 | 4 |
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