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Background: Sleep deprivation during pregnancy is a serious public health problem as it can affect the health of pregnant women and newborns. However, it is not well studied whether sleep deprivation at different stages of pregnancy has similar effects on emotional and cognitive functions of the offspring, and if so, the potential cellular mechanisms also remain poorly understood. Methods: In the present study, the pregnant rats were subjected to sleep deprivation for 6 h per day by gentle handling during the first (gestational days 1–7), second (gestational days 8–14) and third trimester (gestational days 15–21) of pregnancy, respectively. The emotional and cognitive functions as well as hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP) were tested in the offspring rats (postnatal days 42-56). Results: The offspring displayed impaired hippocampal-dependent spatial learning and memory, and increased depressive- and anxiety-like behaviors. Quantification of BrdU-positive cells revealed that adult hippocampal neurogenesis was significantly reduced compared to control. Electrophysiological recording showed that maternal sleep deprivation impaired hippocampal CA1 LTP and reduced basal synaptic transmission, as reflected by a decrease in the frequency and amplitude of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current in the hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. Conclusions: Taken together, these results suggest that maternal sleep deprivation at different stages of pregnancy disrupts the emotional and cognitive functions of the offspring that might be attributable to the suppression of hippocampal LTP and basal synaptic transmission. | https://open.library.ubc.ca/soa/cIRcle/collections/facultyresearchandpublications/52383/items/1.0361942 |
Core Principles and Practices in Forensic Anthropology: All Star Tour, Vol. 1
Primary Course Instructors: Dennis C. Dirkmaat, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Mercyhurst University; Heather Garvin, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Des Moines Medical University); Joseph T. Hefner, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Michigan State University); Nicholas Passalacqua, Ph.D., D-ABFA (Western Carolina University); Alexandra Klales, Ph.D. (Washburn University); Kyra Stull, Ph.D. (University of Nevada, Reno); Sara Getz, Ph.D. (Idaho State University); Erin Chapman, Ph.D. (Erie County Medical Examiner's Office); Christopher Rainwater, M.S. (New York City Medical Examiner's Office); Diana Messer, M.S. (DEPAA); Michael J. Hochrein, Special Agent FBI, Ret.); Luis Cabo, M.S. (Mercyhurst University); and Paul Emanovsky, Ph.D., D-ABFA (DEPAA).
June 3-14, 2019
$1,795.00
*Approved for 35 ABMDI continuing education credit hours*
Core Principles: Comparative Osteology
Primary Course Instructors: Sara Getz, Ph.D., D-ABFA; Joe Adserias-Garriga, DDS, Ph.D.;
Dennis Dirkmaat, Ph.D., D-ABFA; and Rhian Dunn, M.S.
The goal of this five-day short course is to familiarize the participants with bones (human and non-human) frequently encountered in biological, bioarchaeological, and forensic contexts. Emphasis will be placed on differentiating human from non-human skeletal material, identifying and siding human bones, recognizing sub-adult human remains, and identifying skeletal elements from different species of mammals and birds.
The first two days of the course (May 22-23) will focus on the basics of human osteology. Lectures will focus on human skeletal anatomy, bone siding keys, and a consideration of normal variation due to age, sex, ancestry, and pathology. Participants will utilize the extensive collection of over 40 donated human remains curated in the Ted Rathbun Osteology Laboratory at Mercyhurst University. The following two days of the course (May 24-25) will focus on the identification of mammalian and avian bones, based on the collection of over 70 species of animals curated in the Mercyhurst zooarchaeology collection. The last day of the course (May 26) will focus entirely on human and animal dental anatomy.
One of the highlights of this course is the extensive hands-on opportunity of working with the extensive Mercyhurst osteological collections.
May 23-27, 2022
$699
Course Location: Mercyhurst University, Erie, PA
Course Participants: Individuals over 18yrs of age. Limed to 20 participants.
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College and University students (undergraduate and graduate);
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College professors and instructors (teaching classes in Forensic Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Forensic Science, Criminalistics, Medicolegal Death Investigation, and Criminal Law); and
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Professionals in law enforcement, criminal investigation, medicolegal death investigation, and the legal profession (prosecutors, defense attorneys). | https://www.hdforensics.com/comparative-osteology |
Traditional sequencing of the mitochondrial genome in forensic labs has been limited largely to hypervariable regions (HVI and HVII) of the control region due to the high dens...
Moving to Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) in the Forensic Lab
Massively Parallel Sequencing (MPS) is now a mainstream technology in many academic areas, and has led to revolutionary discoveries in medicine, biology and environmental scie...
Clarifying Misconceptions and Acknowledging Advantages of Next-Generation Sequencing in Forensic DNA Casework
Honored to be a part of the Forensic DNA community for nearly a decade, I’ve witnessed what I would consider a rather slow evolution of technology. In recent years, I was ...
Autosomal and Y-STR Analysis of Degraded DNA from 120-Year-Old Skeletal Remains
Angie Ambers of the Institute of Applied Genetics (UNTHSC) describes how she processes skeletal remains to determine an individual’s identity, and how she identified a Confe...
Massively Parallel Sequencing for Forensic DNA Analysis
Massively parallel sequencing (MPS), also called next generation sequencing (NGS), has the potential to alleviate some of the biggest challenges facing forensic laboratories, ...
Autosomal and Y-STR Analysis of Degraded DNA from the 120-Year-Old Skeletal Remains of Ezekiel Harper
I have been involved in skeletal remains work for many years. I am fascinated with bones and their ability to survive for such long periods of time in harsh conditions, and I ...
Identifying 140 Year-Old Remains Using Massively Parallel DNA Sequencing
The goal of forensic DNA testing of human skeletal remains is identification of the unknown individual. A variety of genetic markers can be used to achieve identification, inc...
Toward Validation and Implementation of the MiSeq FGx Forensic Genomics System
Submitted by Illumina Advances in massively parallel sequencing (MPS) and bioinformatics can now deliver more insight from forensic DNA samples than traditional methods... | https://www.ishinews.com/category/forensic/mps/page/4/ |
The round-the-clock pace for emergency crews in South Florida to find victims pinned beneath mountains of concrete and pulverized debris from a partially collapsed condo tower may resume for days or even weeks.
As that laborious process plays out, another challenge presents itself: identifying the bodies. Officials said Friday that DNA swabs were taken from family members of missing loved ones to help confirm identities.
“They’ve all offered their DNA for matching,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said on MSNBC. “There are photographs. And as soon as a person is identified through our victim advocates, through our medical examiner’s office, the first to be notified will be next of kin.”
As of Friday afternoon, at least four people were confirmed dead in early Thursday’s disaster, Levine Cava said. Another 159 people remain unaccounted for, although not all may have been home when a portion of the 12-story Champlain Towers South in the oceanfront community of Surfside imploded. The cause of the collapse is still being determined.
Forensic experts say the nature of the catastrophe — and that it didn’t involve an explosion or fire — should make examining the recovered bodies easier.
Robert Allen, a professor of forensic sciences at Oklahoma State University’s Center for Health Sciences, said that although the deceased will have suffered extensive injuries, their bodies would presumably be identifiable.
During 9/11, in which human remains are still being identified nearly 20 years later, “you had intense heat, intense pressure that dramatically accelerated the decomposition of the biological materials,” Allen said. “In this case, the DNA will be fully intact.”
Allen also compared the process to identifying victims of plane crashes, and said that certain methods, like the matching of dental records and fingerprints, can help in cases where there’s no familial DNA available to immediately compare.
Angie Ambers, a forensic DNA expert and assistant director at the Henry C. Lee Institute of Forensic Science in Connecticut, said the use of DNA technology will become even more crucial if the process of recovering victims drags on.
Soft tissue, which makes visual identification and fingerprinting possible, can decompose, especially when exposed to the high heat and humidity of South Florida.
“This is where DNA testing will become an invaluable tool in the investigation,” Ambers, an associate professor of forensic science at the University of New Haven, said.
She added that it will be important for investigators to have close, first-degree family members like parents, siblings or children, who can submit their DNA.
Given that there may be out-of-state or international victims who were in the building, “the logistics of obtaining family reference samples and making positive identifications will be more challenging,” Ambers said.
Another option, Ambers said, is so-called Rapid DNA machine technology that can be used in the field and has helped confirm victims of disasters, including the 2018 Camp Fire in Northern California that killed 85 people. In that case, such analysis provided identifying information in under two hours. | https://www.newsrantz.com/technology/investigators-collect-dna-samples-to-help-id-condo-victims/ |
Introduction:
The word forensic has been derived from the Latin word “forensis” which implies something pertaining to ‘forum.’ In Rome ‘forum’ was the meeting place where civil and legal matters used to be discussed by those with public responsibility. Thus, the word ‘forensic’ essentially conveys any issue related to the debate in the court of law. The word ‘medicine’ carries wide important. Broadly, it may be considered as a science for preserving health and effecting cure. From the interaction of these two professions of medicine and law, has emerged the discipline of Forensic Medicine, i.e. application of medical and allied knowledge and expertise towards the administration of justice.
The core aim of the Department of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology is to make medical students aware about Medico legal cases and legal proceedings. Mortuary is the vital unit of the department where Post-Mortem examinations of the bodies for the purpose of identification of the dead, cause of death, time since death, time between injuries and death, nature of injuries, type of weapon used to cause these injuries, manner and mode of death, find out/rule out poisoning, trace evidence present and its preservation is carried out. In case of skeletal remains to determine whether human or animal, age and sex, the probable cause of death and time since death and in case of Sexual assault, examine the private parts in detail and preserve required samples.
Students are updated with new advancements in the technogies like DNA Profiling, Narco-analysis and Brain fingerprinting and their medicolegal uses. Students are also made aware about Indian legal system, Medico legal autopsy, Identification by various body materials, Thanatology,Sudden and unexpected death and its cause, Asphyxial/Thermal/Electrocution deaths, Injuries and their medicolegal importance, Firearm/Explosive injuries, Infanticide/Feticide, Abortion/Delivery, Psychiatry and Poisoning cases which play an important role for them to understsnd the present senario of medicolegal cases.
Facilities Available in Department :
1. Departmental Library : Collection of over 200 books/Journals.
2. Museum : Various weapons, poisons, slides, radiological specimens, Photographs showing injuries, soft tissue specimens, Bone/Osteology specimens etc.
3. Mortuary : On an average 4-6 autopsies are carried out every day in the Departmental mortuary. Students are taken to mortuary for demonstrations. Two deep freezers 4 and 6 body capacity respectively, ice box and other essential equipments are available in the mortuary. Doctor’s room, Viscera room and waiting hall are also made.
4. Practical Laboratory : A new ward consisting of 20 bedded has been established to take care of all patients and special attention for Cerebral Malaria, Hepatic Encephalopathy, Encephalitis and Multi Organ Dysfunction etc. Orphan and Immuno-compromised patients are being given special attention round the clock. Once the patients get settled, they are being transferred to various male and female wards for further management.
5. Demonstration Hall : 50 body sitting capacity room where regular seminars and tutorials are organised for the students.
Faculty Details
Name
Designation
Contact No
Email Id
Dr. Shrinarayan Gole
Asstt.Prof. | https://gmcambikapur.co.in/page.php?url=Forensic-Medicine&level=3 |
Another school of feminist thinking attempts to reconcile patriarchal and capitalist critiques. Both ideological systems, according to socialist feminists, are harmful to women and must be combated. Although they draw inspiration from socialist ideas (particularly utopian socialists), the socialist movements of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries were frequently sexist in their policies and practices.
Socialist feminists want to include feminist politics within the socialist agenda while staying away from the excesses of both Marxist and radical feminists.
The second question is how, and socialist feminists have a variety of approaches to both patriarchy and capitalism. One of the most important distinctions between radical, Marxist, and socialist feminism is how they see the origin or foundations of women's oppression.
Radical feminists argue that oppression stems from women's biological role in reproduction or their position in a sex-divided society, while Marxist feminists argue that it stems from capitalism, and socialist feminists argue that both are true and then try to figure out how capitalism and patriarchy are linked.
Of course, there may be a deeper relationship, and some socialist feminists prefer to look for a "unifying concept": something that not only connects capitalism and patriarchy, but also explains all kinds of oppression.
If we imagine each form of oppression as a branch of a very large tree, we can better understand the conceptual structure of oppression by recognizing the "unifying concept," and we can tear out all oppression by its roots rather than continuing to trim away at branches that appear to grow and even flourish despite near constant attack. In feminist writing, a variety of competitors for the unifying theme have been proposed.
One is the concept of 'labor division.' This is understandable because both patriarchy and capitalism use some form of labor division, whether based on sex or class. Of course, the gender distribution of work has its limitations.
Other ideas for a unifying notion include "dominance systems," "alienation," and "either/or dichotomous thinking." Each of these characteristics may be found in many types of oppression, but in different ways.
However, much like with the gender distribution of work, any of these might have issues. Feminism, as a critical movement, must not only provide recommendations, but also evaluate those suggestions for their merits and flaws.
Capitalism and patriarchy, according to certain socialist feminists, are inseparable.
Heidi Hartmann, for example, notably contends that patriarchy is a material state or economic relationship that supports males controlling women's joint labor. She contends that the gender wage gap, which requires women to care for children while men work in the public sector, promotes women's subjugation in all parts of society.
Battling patriarchy will be futile until capitalism is also deposed.
Other socialist feminists see capitalism and patriarchy as two separate ideological systems that exist side by side.
Each oppresses women in various ways, necessitating diverse strategies for fighting oppression. For example, a radical feminist would examine sexism by pointing to the biological basis of women's position in the home and their exclusion from public and political activity.
That same feminist may believe that capitalism is to blame for part of the economic exploitation of women's domestic labor. In other words, the subjugation of women is a result of both women's reproductive potential and capitalism's need on a huge unpaid workforce.
Socialist feminists suggest a variety of answers, but they are unified in their desire to alter or abolish capitalism and patriarchy.
Although some of the proposals to end oppression are more revolutionary than others, socialist feminists generally agree that challenging patriarchy without also challenging society's class divisions, or challenging class division without also addressing sex-based divisions, will not be sufficient to end women's oppression.
They also tend to think that arguing over whether kind of oppression is worse or which kind should take precedence is detrimental for feminists. Instead, socialist feminism contends that all types of oppression are interdependent or interlinked, as the unifying notion demonstrates.
For the socialist feminist, women's liberation, and indeed all emancipation, is defined as independence from social and historical class and gender roles.
But socialist feminists go much farther, emphasizing each individual's right to self-determination within a community. Between the individual and the community, there is a balance. Individual rights should not take precedence over collective responsibility.
One assumption is that people are already part of a community. Humans are biological organisms whose identities or natures are shaped by the community in which they live, as well as their physical makeup and surroundings.
Women's metaphysical and epistemological claims must take into consideration this jumble of influences. Some feminists link socialist feminism to what they call "standpoint epistemology."
To summarize, perspective epistemology is a theory of knowing that maintains that one's perspective or social position affects (or even determines) one's knowledge claims. This is in contrast to liberal feminism, which believes that objectivity in science and knowledge is attainable.
~ Jai Krishna Ponnappan
You may also want to read more about Feminism and Activism here. | https://www.commentarybyjaikrishnaponnappan.com/search/label/Socialist%20feminism |
51
The Main Issues In ‘Passing’ By Nella Larsen
The New Historicism of the ‘Passing’ by Nella Larsen narrations can be used to give insights and explain a period when the American society was segregated on racial lines. Being raised in white Chicago suburb, Larsen was captivated by mixed race dynamics which became the main theme for this novel. Her novel Passing focuses on the two main light-skinned women characters, one of whom, a woman named Clare who is supposedly married to a white man but maintains her African-American cultural ties while the other woman, Irene, who lives in Harlem and is married to an African-American man. The events in the novel took place in New York society in the 1920s, demonstrating the challenges that the gender was constructing during that period as women were powerless against men and race. In Passing Nella Larsen uses themes, symbolism, allegory, and simile to illustrate the struggles Irene Redfield and Clare Kendry were facing because of ‘passing.’
Since Larsen was the only noticeable black individual amongst her nuclear family, the author uses the theme of race and ethnicity to describe the emerging delineations of concepts such as gender, race as well as the inextricable connection between being black or white. Clare is portrayed as being motivated to rejoin the African-American community that is separated from the white community. She suffers from racial disorientation as an African-American woman passing as white and secondly as a participant in the white community who tries to connect with her roots. Moreover, the writer reveals the infeasibility of self-invention which was common in the American society, in which ambiguity and nuance were seen as a significant threat to the social order. Thus, Larsen’s Passing demonstrates an indictment of consumer culture and its consequences on the personal integrity. Irene and Clare’s life reveals their desire to transform and the lengths these characters are willing to go to get what they desire.
Nella Larsen’s Passing was influenced by the theme of privilege and prosperity as well as the forms of social segregation those women encountered in the 1920s. During this time the American minority groups were often subjected to discrimination and racial segregation. Clare’s ‘passing’ helps her escape dreary family and enter the world of affluence and privilege that she used to admire from a distance. The writer reflects on a full social decision that Clare who is African-American who stopped leaving as a black person and “pass” as a white. Equally important, Larsen’s literature depicts a real picture of the world where she used to live and cultural transformations that occurred in the American Society immediately after the World War I.
Irene’s and other lead characters focus on the theme of marriage to indicate the different role men and women play in their homes. The novel pays considerable attention to different marriage dynamics that occur within Bellew and Redfield’s Households. All leading and even minor characters like Irene, Clare, Hugh, Gertrude and Felise marriage seem to provide a source of partnership and security. However, there are strains and conflicts between Irene and Clare about the looming affairs that Brain has with Clare. This consequently brings the theme of deception. This theme expresses some of the challenges that women face while raising their children and when men are the head of the households.
Through symbolism, the writer uses Clare as a character to portray the racial disorientation she experienced as a child. This indicates that Larsen could never be white like her sister and mother neither could she be black like Irene nor other characters who are African-Americans. Larsen’s ideas about the racial segregation that existed in the American society in the 20s are established in the Passing through the historicism approaches and therefore, she uses “passing” as symbolism to show the people who are unrecognizable or who were perceived to have no roots like Larsen. “Passing” or of African-American individuals to pose as white people became a choice some of African-American. The writer portrays “passing” as an opportunity for people of color to escape from injustices and oppression that life in the 1920s could present. Furthermore, “passing” for white not only protected the African-American from racial segregation but also presented them with opportunities that normal white society was entitled. This indicates that during slavery this could even mean freedom to some African-Americans. For example, even after the abolition of slavery, racial segregation was evident in the Southern States in public places like railroad stations. Since Larsen’s Nuclear family was all white, they lived mostly in the white neighborhoods where her family encountered racial discrimination because of her.
Earlier in the story, the writer employs allegory when Clare used the biblical tale of Noah’s child Ham to remind her of the suffering she endured at the hands of her relatives. Clare asserts that people were not sure that good God had the intentions that the sons and daughters of Ham were meant to sweat because of Ham’s behavior towards his father, Noah. She remembers her aunts narrating the story to her that Noah later cursed Ham and his sons forever (Larsen 17). Since Larsen grew up as an African-American child in the white household, due to hostilities, her family was facing because of her race prompted her folks to enroll her in African-American University. Not to mention, when Larsen tried to visit and make contact with her family, later on, they all refused to recognize her perhaps because they were ashamed of her. Thus, this biblical story is an analogy of misfortunes and alienation that African-Americans in the 20s used to encounter. Through her book’s character like Clare, the Larsen observe herself in the different anti- African-American version of Ham and as an outcast from the needed African-American community. Through Irene’s challenging life; the writer is also seen as part of the black community or “Ham’s dark children. (78)” indicating identity conflict that individuals who had no specific roots were encountering at the time.
Larsen also employs simile to demonstrate her work life experiences as a nurse. The racial segregation was also rampant because black Americans’ public amenities like hospitals were all in deplorable conditions. Brian’s conversation with Irene paints this condition to light through unpleasant simile. Brian illustrates how he is always busy like a cat with fleas to try to lift a sick brother which is never an easy task. Also, how he hates his patients climbing filthy steps, dirty hospital rooms and dark hallways in black community hospitals. As a nurse, this demonstrates Larsen’s desire to get rid of her “fleas” which is used to compare the challenges she encountered while working as a nurse. This shows some of the racial discriminations that were later adopted in some of the southern states that required segregations in places like hospitals, schools, transportation and any other public places. Larsen’s narration suggests the difficulties of being black posed while living in America.
In conclusion, Nella Larsen’s Passing is based on racial issues that were rampant in the 1920s. The book not only focuses on racial segregation but also uses themes to expose gender challenges in marriages, relationship and the whole society between women and men. | https://literatureessaysamples.com/the-main-issues-in-passing-by-nella-larsen/ |
During the transition from second to third wave feminism, women recognized that for feminism to be a progressive movement, it needed to focus on the oppression of all women rather than on just those with a high privilege or class standing. African American feminist bell hooks used her position as an oppressed woman to step back and analyze what was happening in society during that time of transition. Because of her work, women of colour gained more respect and notoriety for their oppression, and although racism is still an issue today, women are much less segregated from each other along racial lines than they once were. The Lesbian Feminist movement was gaining popularity during that time as well; feminism was crucial for many lesbians who sought refuge in a community beginning to welcome women of every minority. However, white gay men are still seen as privileged because of their position in society, regardless of their sexual orientation. On top of that, there is overt tension between lesbians and gay men because of their difference in sexual preference, one gender often finding the other “revolting” or less valuable. The strategies of bell hooks can be used to rework feminist theory into the ideal feminism: a new humanism that disregards gender normativity.
In bell hooks’ opinion, privileged white women were unable to truly understand the oppression that coloured women were experiencing. Because of this misunderstanding, they dismissed coloured women when their own immediate oppression was rectified. If the Gay Movement is a fight similar to that of a feminist’s, why is there such a disconnect between the two? Shouldn’t we be able, as a 21st century society knowledgeable enough to reflect on our past experiences, to resurrect a framework like that presented by bell hooks and mold it to correct some of the issues that plague us today? Is fourth wave feminism possible if we look at the progression we've made for race equality and apply it to sexual equality as well?
Marilyn Frye concluded in her essay Politics of Reality: essays in feminist theory that “if there is hope for a coordination of the efforts and insights of lesbian feminists and gay men, it is here at the edges that we may find it, when we are working from chosen foundations in our different differences.” She used the same tactics while examining the relationship between gay men and lesbian feminism as bell hooks did for women of colour. Frye discovered that with little exception, lesbians, and in particular, feminist lesbians, have not seen gay rights or organizations convincing enough to maintain significant interest, and this could be for the same reason expressed by bell hooks as to why white bourgeois women did not include the oppression of coloured women in their feminist movement; because these women directly benefited from the movement, they no longer felt the need to be actively involved in it. Frye suggests that male homosexuality and straight-male supremacist culture are harmonious, but so many straight men refuse to understand the parallel. In reply, the male gay rights movement tries to educate and encourage straight males to appreciate gay culture, but it does not address the male supremacy it is adhering to. And often, if gay men do gain acceptance from their straight male counterparts, the oppression of lesbians is no longer as relevant to them. Lesbians and feminists in turn do not feel a connection with gay men because in this; they are not fighting for the same cause.
How can gay men feel comfortable and part of a movement that has been solely dedicated to the struggle for women’s rights? As important as it is for feminists to continue to raise awareness about the oppression women face, it is just as important for feminists to acknowledge the oppression of individuals such as gay men who, although differing in circumstance, share the same qualities as many of the women who claim to be feminists. On the other hand, gay men must be just as willing to dismiss the expectations of what it is to be masculine, and at the same time reject the principles of the patriarchal society they are trying to be a part of. But how is this possible?
Lesbians and feminists live their lives by the same rule: "claiming their bodies and desires as their own, taking full advantage of its advantages, creating and choosing environments which encourage chosen changes," to quote Frye. It is clear why these two groups would use their oppression to work together for the betterment of both causes. Do gay men not also have to claim their bodies against social beliefs about masculinity? Lesbians and gay men are both subject to alienation, cruelty and violence, for reasons that exist because of our social and political structure. To not love men is a sin in this male supremacist culture, believes Frye, yet the same does not apply for gay men. This is because society is as homophobic as it is patriarchal. Gay men defy the “norm” of what it means to be a man because, to society, it is equally important for men to make love to women as it is for women to love men. A man who does not or will not fuck women is not holding his share of the weight. Gay men want to remove themselves from the feminine implications that are imposed on them, and like other men who have at any time experienced what it’s like to be a woman in a woman-hating culture, they want to protest, not against the discrimination of anyone being treated so poorly, but against the injustice of their being treated like a woman.
White bourgeois women were said to downplay the oppression of the coloured women, if they recognized it at all, because they didn’t want to jeopardize the fight against their own oppression. This is another reason why, in terms of feminism and queer rights, gay men and feminists have such a strong disconnect; gay men try to reject the femininity projected on them by homophobes and male supremacists, and feminists fight against male supremacy. If gay men join the fight for feminism, they could be seen as submitting to the feminine stereotype of being gay and if feminists support gay men, they risk having their ideals called into question. However, it is as essential for gay men in society today to examine the feminist struggle and acknowledge the position their marginality gives them as bell hooks suggested it was for coloured women, and make use of their perspective to critically analyze the current foundations of feminist theory.
If one considers why homophobia exists, one would discover that it cannot only be about sex, as there are no defining lesbian and gay sex acts. People are discriminated against just for being perceived as gay, regardless of what gender they are having sex with. This applies equally for both gay men and lesbians. Both groups are oppressed in the same manner; gay men who are overly flamboyant and butch lesbians who dress androgynously are both subject to more oppression than gay men or femme lesbians who better disguise their sexuality amongst straight individuals. Is queer inequality caused more by the things we do and less by who we are? Is there a distinction between the two? Gay men’s rejection of their femininity, as stated before, causes feminists and lesbians to refuse support in their cause. Yet, why is it that lesbians who identify more with masculinity than theirare still welcomed into the feminist movement and praised for embracing who they are while gay men are not? If feminists do not accept them, and society does not accept them, where can gay men find a community?
If feminists were to absorb the queer movement, there would be more support against discriminatory attacks on queer individuals, politically and physically. To say that queer politics and liberation will become a more important facet of feminism is not to say that the issues or oppression of women is to go unheeded. When feminism was reworked to include the oppression of coloured women, it was done so not to lessen the feminist struggle but to enhance it. As the cultural intelligence as humanity increases, so too does our ability to examine history and evolve. This is what bell hooks suggested, and this is the structure that played a significant part in successfully progressing feminism from its second to third wave. If oppression is inevitable, as some individuals may always choose to participate in it, the best solution is to create a bond among the oppressed strong enough to withstand them.
bell hooks makes a point about the victimization of women, how “they accept their place in life without question, without communal anger or rage,” and this made me think about gay men and their acceptance of the male supremacist culture. This could be why feminists and gay individuals have not been aligned in the fight for equality. Gay men need not agree with the ideals of society to try and gain the acceptance of the majority, which is telling them they are wrong. This position inadvertently defies what it means to be a feminist, but it doesn’t mean their oppression is not similar, if not equal to that of lesbian feminists. Feminism can’t be successful if it does not acknowledge the oppression of every queer individual. In a movement for equality, everyone must be considered equally. We as a society need to challenge what it means to be masculine and feminine. When women dress in the style of clothing typically seen on men, it’s called “androgyny”, yet when the roles are reversed, men are ridiculed as feminine or gay. If feminism is about equality, shouldn’t labels like this be applicable to both genders? Maybe then queer individuals will no longer feel pressured to reject who they are, and some of the segregation caused by that rejection could be expunged.
***
Bailey, Alison, and Chris Cuomo. The Feminist Philosophy Reader. McGraw-Hill, 2008. 241-249. Print.
Cudd, Ann E., and Robin O. Andreasen. Feminist Theory. USA, UK, AUSTRALIA: Blackwell Publishing Ltd., 2005. 60-68. Print.
Frye, Marilyn. "Lesbian Feminism & the Gay Rights Movement: Another View of Male Supremacy, Another Separatism ." Feminist Reprise. n.d. n. page. Web. 14 Apr. 2014 <http://www.feminist-reprise.org/docs/fryegayrights.htm>.
BEA KEELER
Contributing Editor
Other works on The Blasted Tree:
Queer Liberation in Fourth Wave Feminism by Bea Keeler is Blasted Tree original creative nonfiction. | http://www.theblastedtree.com/fp/4 |
The following proposed agenda and template were created to assist high school students to facilitate their own workshops for peers and adults.
The high school students at Little Red School House & Elisabeth Irwin High School used the template and agenda for their student-led diversity dialogue. The titles and descriptions of the workshops they led can be found below.
All parts of the agenda were led by high school students and all workshops were facilitated by students. Adults in attendance were asked to "step back" and allow the students to take ownership of the workshop and conference, but were asked to "step in" to manage discipline issues that should not be placed on students.
Write your script so you don’t spend a lot of time fumbling or forgetting something important.
Share the purpose of the workshop and at least one outcome.
This could be a physical moving activity, a turn & talk to the person next to you about a particular prompt, or a short video and brief discussion to set the stage for your topic.
All videos should be followed by a discussion prompt so participants can speak to each other about the impact of the video on their lives. This way everyone gets to participate.
A good prompt for any video is “After you watch this video we would like you to turn to the person next to you and talk about 1) what was on your mind, 2) did you agree or disagree with parts or all of the video, 3) was there a particular part that stands out for you.
Don’t offer too many prompts for a turn and talk because folks won’t get through them all. Remind them when the time is almost up (a two minute reminder is helpful).
What is the experience you want peers to walk away with? Some of you have activities already set. Others of you may want to share your personal story (write it out).
What can peers do to make things better?
Are there any organizations that are fighting for your cause that you can share with adults?
What is missing for you? (missing from society, missing from policies, or missing from LREI).
Bring your conversation to a close. You can also use videos as a wrap-up instead of as a warm-up.
Together, create an action plan for next steps. This can also be done as part of your exercise/activity.
Don’t forget to thank your peers for choosing your workshop.
Whatever Happened to 40 Acres & a Mule: The Institutional and Social Effects- Facilitated by 11th graders - At our school, we rarely discuss socio-economic class from an intersectional perspective, and the ways in which it affects minority students. In this workshop, we will begin by explaining the ways in which classism is propelled by other systems of oppression. Students will participate in four different activities in order to make the topics discussed more visible to them, and will also reflect on these topics in an activist-oriented manner.
Lost in "Trans"-lation: Transgender Portrayals in Cisgender - Facilitated by 11 & 12th graders - We will examine the ways in which transgender characters are portrayed in the media, including who plays trans characters, which portrayals perpetuate stereotypes, and what plot lines they are most often involved in. We want to discuss how these portrayals feed into a wider societal misconception of trans identity and trans experiences, and try to be solution-based by finishing our conversation with ways in which to bring these discussions into more prominence at our school.
Well-Meaning White Liberals - Facilitated by 12th graders - Where is the line between being an ally and an oppressor? In this workshop, we will be examining the effects of the words and actions of white liberals in this country and in this school. We will work to understand how the voices of white progressives both add and detract from political conversations and movements. We will have discussions about incidences of white progressives overstepping boundaries, especially when they allow their voice to monopolize conversations concerning marginalized groups. We will also discuss alternative avenues for activism.
Exploring Internalized Oppression - Facilitated by 11th graders - Our workshop will explore how internalized racism and sexism affects students at our school. Internalized oppression is the process by which a member of an oppressed group internalizes and/or perpetuates the negative stereotypes applied to their group. While this workshop will focus on internalized racism and sexism, we will also discuss other forms of internalized oppression and how they relate. Participants will learn about this issue in our society and the ways in which it's apparent even at our school. We want to start a conversation about this form of oppression that is not often acknowledged and hear what students have to say.
#gotprivilege - Facilitated by 11th graders - In this workshop, we will be discussing the idea of white privilege and how white people can learn to address privilege. White fragility is a byproduct of privilege that is not acknowledged, especially within liberal communities such as our school. This refusal to acknowledge the privilege we have allows for the creation and cultivation of our own privilege and fragility around that privilege. Through this conversation, we will begin to dismantle the fear around our privilege through addressing how through social trends like being ‘color blind’ and #AllLivesMatter actually cause white liberals to do more harm than good. Our workshop will be discussion based, so we plan on addressing #AllLivesMatter versus #BlackLivesMatter which will allow us to transition into a discussion about white liberals, white fragility, and how these ideas play out within our school community.
#GETIN*FORMATION* - Facilitated by 11 & 12th graders - In this workshop, we will be exploring the ways in which Black women, women of color, and women in general are treated in the media. The current President brought to light many troubling issues women face in our society with his many inappropriate remarks; however, none of this is new. Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other forms of social media have been used by many to insult and harass women of color for so long that it has become almost routine to scroll past it everyday. During our session, we will explore the roots of how this came to be, brainstorm solutions on how we can make social media safer for all women, and reflect on how some of our own actions have contributed to the problem.
Colorism: More Than Just Black and White - Facilitated by 12th graders - Our workshop will discuss colorism among several different racial and ethnic identities such as Black, White, Latinx, and Asian communities. We plan to gain a deeper knowledge of colorism and how it affects us on a daily basis, as well as how to combat it within our school community.
Beyond Bombs and Burqas: Islamophobia and the Media Portrayal of Islam –Facilitated by 10th, 11th & 12th graders, open to all grades - This workshop focuses on the rise of Islamophobia in our country and the large part the media plays. Students will share how Islamophobia has personally affected their daily lives.
Somewhere Over The Rainbow - Facilitated by 10th & 12th graders, open to all grades – We will discuss the dangers of not being an ally and not speaking up against bullying and offensive language.
Diversity Beyond Race - Facilitated by 10th & 12th graders, open to all grades – This workshop will explore various parts of one's identity. Participants will get a taste of what the Student Diversity Leadership Conference is like by exploring how Gender, Religion, and Family structure are important parts of diversity work.
Colorism: #TeamLightSkin vs #TeamDarkSkin - Facilitated by 9th, 10th & 12th graders, open to all grades -This workshop will use popular social media platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, and Facebook to explore the meaning behind, and reasons for, the terms #TeamLightSkin and #TeamDarkSkin.
Equity, Equality and Education - Facilitated by 12th graders, open to all grades – During this workshop we will explore education through the lense of equity and equality. We will share our experiences with the GO Project, a volunteer/internship that works towards creating educational equity for kids and gives them opportunities to feel empowered through education. We hope participants will leave with an understanding of issues of educational inequality within NYC.
Heteronormativity and Homonormativity: Crushing the Suppression of LGBTQ Identity - Facilitated by 12th graders, open to all grades - LGBTQ Students discuss the idea of dismantling identity suppression through society's limitations and expectations for LGBTQ people.
Confronting Whiteness to Understand Privilege in the LREI Community – Facilitated by 10th & 12th graders, open to all grades - What does it mean to have unearned racial privilege? And what should we do about it? Though this workshop is open to everyone, we encourage white students to attend.
The Best of Both Worlds: Biracial Identity - Facilitated by a 12th grader, open to all grades A biracial student shares his experiences, joys, and challenges living in two worlds which culminate in one powerful voice.
Racebook – Facilitated by a 12th grader, open to all grades - Have you ever judged an individual or a group of people based on their race? Have you ever witnessed an individual or a group of people making those judgements? If you want to have conversations about race and the intersectionality of all forces of oppression then you should join this workshop. | http://www.chapequity.com/student-led-workshop-template.html |
Vampires, mediums and witchcraft . Bridgeman is a comprehensive resource for all things supernatural . Here is a sample of the visual history of how the supernatural has been represented around the world within literature and art.
The Devil, Hell and Demons
In Christianity and Islam, Hell is traditionally depicted as a fiery pit of despair, populated with demons and other frightening creatures. The detail (left) from the Isenheim Altarpiece and Hieronymus Bosch's hell scenes are typical of 15th and 16th century depictions of hell: grotesque characters run wild in the lawless underworld. Rebel angels are also a recurring theme of hell and judgement scenes.
Throughout the history of art, Satan and demons take on different forms from snakes to depictions as humans, to frightening animal-like creatures with horns.
From the 14th century through modern times, artists such as William Blake and Gustave Dore, reinterpret Dante and Virgil's journey through the circles of hell in Inferno from The Divine Comedy.
Mythological Creatures
Most mythological creatures originated from garbled accounts of travelers's tales. The dragon and griffin have their origin in traditional mythology. Often mythical creatures are a combination of two or more animals, i.e. centaurs (human/horse), minotaurs (bull/human) and mermaids (fish/woman). Others, like the cyclops, are mutants with special powers originally from Greek and Roman mythology.
Throughout history, legendary creatures have been incorporated into heraldry and architectural decoration.
Witchcraft and The Occult
The occult and witchcraft, in various historical, anthropological, religious and mythological contexts, is the use of certain kinds of supernatural or magical powers. Images include Germanic woodcuts of the witch hunts of Early Modern Europe, colonial illustrations of Native American witch doctors and beautiful enchantresses from Greek mythology.
Although in modern culture, fairies are often depicted as diminutive, sometimes winged, humanoids of small stature, they originally were depicted much differently: tall, radiant, angelic beings or short, wizened trolls.
The Victorian era was particularly noted for fairy paintings. Richard Dadd created paintings of fairy-folk with a sinister and malign tone. Other artists include John Atkinson Grimshaw and Arthur Rackham.
Scandinavia is well-known for its beloved children's folklore and fairy tales with a parade of loveable trolls and other forest creatures, specifically the O.Vaering archive. | https://bridgemanimages.com/en-US/supernatural |
Withers, Stacie F. (1978) Blake's Milton: a critical introduction and a commentary. Masters thesis, Durham University.
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Abstract
Ch. 1: Number of copies of Milton: description; where they are found. Ch. 2; Internal evidence for date of composition (1800-4), different from date on title-page. Length of poem discussed briefly, as external references indicate an epic longer than the present work. Ch. 3; Blake and Hayley; Biography of Blake at time of writing Milton, an intensely personal poem. Details of life and character of Hayley (Blake's patron); how he affected Blake's state of mind; Hayley's appearance as Satan in the Milton and other Pelpham references. Ch. 4; Different eighteenth-century attitudes to Milton; Romantic and view of age of sensibility; contrast between Blake's and Dr. Johnson's views of Milton; popularity of Milton's characters in painting. Ch. 5; Blake's chief mythological characters (the four zoas and their female counterparts). Some explanation of their natures, derivations and development throughout Blake's poetry. Their part in the Fall of Man; how they embody Blake's religious and philosophical Ideas; how eighteenth-century Ideas (moralism, extolling nature and rational mind) are symbolised in Blake's poetry.Ch. 6: Blake's four mythological worlds, particularly Beulah, which figures prominently in the Milton. Existence in several worlds or several planes of being at the same time. Golgonooza, city of art, and also image of the body of man.Ch. 7: Preface to the Milton. Blake's rejection of Plato and Greek classidal authors; ideas on the sublime; 'Jerusalem' lyric. Ch. 8: Book I: plate-by-plate commentary. Reasons, for Milton's journey of self-sacrifice; his spiritual battle to cast off self-righteousness and guilt (casting off his spectre); his example inspires Blake.Ch. 9: Book II; plate-by-plate commentary. Descent of Ololon, Milton's female counterpart (also image of his creative work on earth). Both Milton and Ololon freed from spectre. The vision Is highly intense personal experience of Blake's. Ch.10: Description of the half-plates and ten full-plate illustrations (including the frontispiece) to the Milton. Druid symbolism and influence of Blake's brother Robert, | http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/10120/ |
In this written text, the emphasis will be on Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale and as well as the way Atwood portrays women and how it can be argued to show the oppression of women. The main purpose is to analyze the way women are treated throughout this book and depict why they are represented this way in the society in Gilead. Then, comparatively, observe the men’s domination over women and how they govern this society. In The Handmaid’s Tale, women are stripped of their rights, suffer many inequalities and are objectified, controlled by men and only valued for their reproductive qualities. The Gilead society is divided in multiple social group.
Historical Feminism Criticism Throughout Titus Andronicus we find two leading female characters, Tamora the Queen of the Goths turned Empress of Rome and Lavinia the victim of a rape symbolic of the current chaos the country is in. Through the use of a feminist along with a slight historical analysis, I will explore the importance of these character in relation to the story and to the lead character, Titus. In Douglas E. Greens “Interpreting ‘Her Martyr’d Signs’: Gender And Tragedy in Titus Andronicus.”
Shockingly the entertainers in Fukagawa were thought to be illicit prostitutes – offering both aesthetic and sexual administrations and were migrated to Yoshiwara. World War II denoted a move in contemplating sexual orientation parts. The Japanese government took advantage of steadfastness and strength to support the war exertion. The war additionally pointedly isolated sex parts, much to the inconvenience of ladies. Ladies' energetic obligation was to have kids.
Mammachi, the mother of Ammu and Chacko is representative of the older generation of women in the novel and is a victim of oppression and discrimination at the hands of her husband, Pappachi. She was physically abused as she was beaten either with a brass vase or an ivory handled riding crop and psychologically traumatised by her husband. Mammachi however, kept mum and as a post-colonial Indian woman she succumbs to the lures of pre-colonial caste rules thus, she becomes an instrument of patriarchal domination despite being a victim herself. Moreover, it is evident that the men in the novel, particularly Pappachi, suffer from an inferiority complex. Pappachi expresses jealousy when he refuses to help her when she started a pickle making business even though
The role that women played in the 1920’s was to start to break free from their social cages. Frederick Douglass once said, “The thing worse than rebellion is the thing that causes rebellion.” Years of oppression made women rebel and it was a controversial movement. Throughout “The Great Gatsby”, the female characters ultimately were portrayed in a negative manner, but the actions of those 1920’s women sparked dynamic
Olympe de Gouges can be considered as the pioneer feminism advocate. Her famous work “Declaration of the Rights of Woman and the Female Citizen” (DRWFC) in 1791 was highly controversial. Her work propagated to place women at the centre of politics and society alongside with men. This was highly contentious as women had been subservient to men for much of history. Her work was grounded in the Enlightenment ideas of thinkers such as Diderot, Voltaire, and Montesquieu who questioned the unequal treatment of women (Racz 1952, 151).
Shakespeare, Chaucer and Barnes present elements of power and control through unexpected power shifts that occur regardless of the protagonists’ representation within society. Power shifts within society can be presented within gender roles as patriarchal societies within Othello and The Merchant’s Tale viewed women to be possessions, submissive and meek to manipulate and mould them into their desired representations of spouses. This, therefore, presents the power that husbands demand over their wives and once this control is lost, feelings of helplessness and obsession irrupt, due to the fear of their reputation. Seemingly this could also be explored through the disturbing and dark tone of Before She Met Me as the reader receives a deep insight into the levels of obsession from which the protagonist suffers after believing that he is receiving ocular proof of his wife’s affairs.
In her Declaration of Sentiments, she wrote of the many faults in society and government that considered men were the superior to women. Sijourner Truth declared she too was a woman, in her writing, Ar’nt I
Life experiences play a major role in the way that people view everyday activities and the world around them. The Japanese culture places an emphasis on respect and peace, but it also strongly encourages valuing nature. In the novel, The Samurai’s Garden, by Gail Tsukiyama, the gardens of Sachi and Matsu are similar in the way that they represent their gardener’s lives by exposing their creator’s personality through its ambience and past experiences through its design. Matsu’s garden was a living reflection of himself and his life. Matsu was a quiet person, full of mystery and hidden beauty, and he created his garden with a similar ambience. | https://www.ipl.org/essay/Tale-Of-The-Genii-By-Shikibu-Murasaki-PKF5G6WBGXFV |
The programme will introduce the principles behind developing a growth mindset, through active and interdisciplinary learning.
The programme is fun and engaging and is ideally suited for P6 classes but can be adapted for P5 or P7.
Overview of the Programme
The programme is designed for pupils to learn through training, sharing and being a role model (see driver diagram).
Driver Diagram
Initially, the selected class (or classes) will participate in two half day workshops with follow-on activities to embed the learning. The first workshop will be run over half a day with the second workshop completed approximately 3 weeks later. Pupils will receive a certificate of attendance at the end of Workshop 2.
Overview of the Workshops
Workshop 1
• Learn the differences between Fixed and Growth Mindset
• Introduction of Mindset UK Framework and principles;
o The Brain
o The Process
o The Culture
• How to apply what they have learned about Growth Mindset in school/class
Workshop 2
• Show their learning of Growth Mindset – posters, pictures, learning pits, songs raps, scenarios etc
• Look at how to share the key Growth Mindset messages with younger pupils, parents and school staff.
• How to be a great Ambassador/Mentor
The class teacher is asked to carry out some follow-on activities to embed the learning from workshop 1 in preparation for Workshop 2. This will be done through an interdisciplinary Learning approach and will include activities in;
• Literacy
• Art
• Music/Drama
• Metacognition
After completion of workshop 2 there is an opportunity to work closely with younger children in the school – nursery or P1. In collaboration with the nursery staff or P1 class teacher each pupil is assigned a specific nursery/P1 child and asked to teach and mentor that pupil in learning a skill they ‘can’t do yet’. Examples of these skills included tying their shoelaces, writing their name, counting to 5, skipping etc. The trainee ambassadors are given guidance on;
• How to use the knowledge of the brain to help the nursery child/P1 pupil learn
• How to use the growth mindset strategies they have learned to help the younger children persist and progress
• How to give appropriate praise and feedback
NB: Small group coaching for the trainee ambassadors can be included in this package
Evidence of impact
• Evidence from iMovie, posters, songs, raps etc
• Completion of Pupil Booklet and Pupil Challenge sheet (supplied)
• Staff measurement sheet – engagement scale (supplied)
• Qualitative feedback will be collected from the Early Years Practitioner/P1 teacher, the nursery children and the ambassadors during this time and a report written up. | https://www.keeplearning.org.uk/growth-mindset-ambassador-programme/ |
Re-introduce theatre to the public and preserve the expression of our culture and history through the arts.
Using drama as a means of creating awareness and sensitizing the populace on socio-political and cultural issues.
To be the voice that orientates, educates, and informs the world about African arts and to pass on the gospel of theatre to the younger generations imbibing peace and reconciliation.
Organize school competitions and festivals.
Organizing regular Workshops and professional classes for young people on development and mentorship.
Special attention to children, training and working with school teachers to find alternative pathways to instilling knowledge in children through games and arts.
Collaborating with interested NGOs, corporate bodies and government to promote culture as a developmental tool for young people.
Organize training programs to equip individuals with skills to create job opportunities in entertainment and the creative industry. .
To Train, Harness, Empower and Develop Young people with skills in Communication, Self-confidence, Entrepreneurship, Leadership, Craft and Intellect.
Community service: Regular support for street children on education and materials needed for school, widows through food/material support, and their families, seeking international platform for inter-school exchange. | http://www.kininsokoncepts.com/index.php/about/mission |
The Turner Center for the Arts held its first Instructor of the Year Reception on Monday afternoon. The center employs more than 20 art instructors throughout the year.
Ceramics instructor Julie Smith has been an instructor at the center since 2014, teaching four to five classes weekly including throwing and hand-building pottery classes, empty bowls program, and ceramics on the road, as well as other specialty classes and workshops throughout the year. Hundreds of students across the city and region have benefited from her passion and talent.
Smith has been aptly named as the center’s 2018 Art Instructor of the Year.
“The Turner Center gave me the opportunity to resume pottery in an environment that I would have never thought I could. I started doing this for high school credit , and now here I am doing it for a living. Had it not been for the center, I’d still be wondering how to fire my pottery, instead, I’m sharing that knowledge with fellow artists every day,” said Smith.
Smith completed a degree in art in 1980 and went on to complete her masters in her minor study, archaeology. After nearly 33 years, Smith decided to give pottery another try and purchased a used potter’s wheel that she says is still in her den. She sat down to the wheel with a lump of clay from Hobby Lobby and in her own words: “…here I am. It’s like riding a bike, it doesn’t go away, thank goodness!”
At the reception, Executive Director Sementha Mathews publicly thanked the teachers and instructors for their time and dedication to the Turner Center for the Arts. For information about classes and events, contact the center at 229-247-2787 or visit turnercenter.org. | http://turnercenter.org/julie-smith-named-turner-centers-2018-art-instructor-of-the-year/ |
Growing up in a time when the songs on the radio reflected the general confusion of the next generations’ role in the world, one song sticks with me – Greatest Love of All, by Whitney Houston. Not only because I heard it played continuously to a point of total annoyance, but because the lyrics meant something very important to me as a pre-teen. Now, as an adult, coach and mentor, the lyrics have the same importance, but with a new level of meaning.
The first lines:
I believe the children are our future
Teach them well and let them lead the way
Show them all the beauty they possess inside
Give them a sense of pride to make it easier
Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be
Those opening lines, which I am sure you just sang, made quite an impact on me, and that song is forever burned in my brain. Thankfully so!
In the Summer of 2018, I was asked by two amazing organizations to mentor future generations over the next year through lecture, workshops and panel discussions. What an honor! What an opportunity to be a wealth of knowledge to future generations – knowledge I wish I had when I was their age.
I have often wondered how my life might have been different if as a teenager I had a coach, a mentor – someone that saw me the way I had not yet seen myself. Someone that could empower me and play a pivotal role in my development because of their expertise, education, life experiences, their mental and emotional turmoil and triumphs that developed into those “street smarts” you cannot learn from a book.
I recently gave a lecture to Leadership Management class at a local high school, and afterwards the students gave me a gift – a mug that read “teaching future leaders”. I keep it on my desk as a daily reminder of its importance and of my responsibility to mentor and champion future leaders. A reminder we all need to make a part of our daily routine.
Having the opportunity to pass on to others any kind of wisdom that will have a positive impact on their lives is such an amazing experience for all involved. Think of a time when someones words or actions had such an impact on you that your life immediately changed! Maybe they inspired your educational path or future career. Maybe they just made you feel good about yourself. Those experiences are never forgotten and you will find yourself continuing to pay it forward.
We all lead in our lives, willingly or through default. How we choose to show up in life is entirely up to us. The example we set is crucial when we are mentoring future leaders. You have so many gifts, share them!
I am frequently asked by students “what would you tell your younger self?” I always reply with the following: follow your passion not a paycheck. Find a true mentor. Know your self-worth. And, it will get better I promise!
The future is now. Opportunity is everywhere – help create the leaders you would follow. | https://www.lightbulbeffectscoaching.com/the-future-is-now/ |
:
In the interest of promoting the arts and supporting our local community, we would like to invite artists who are interested in displaying their large-scale art on Peddler’s Village property this summer (and possibly fall) to submit a note of interest along with images of their work. The note can be sent to Christine Hensel Triantos at
ctriantos@peddlersvillage.
com
.
While we unfortunately cannot provide any compensation for the installation or display, we would certainly help to promote participating artists through both digital means (website, social media) and print pieces that would be available on property. Despite the current public health situation, we still expect tens of thousands of visitors to come to the outdoor property each month.
Submissions may be sent to : Christine Hensel Triantos at
ctriantos@peddlersvillage.
com
WORKSHOPS & CLASSES
Wheaton Arts
is offering a series of virtual art workshops for families.
The Pew Center for the Arts and Heritage's list
of 25 ways to engage with Philadelphia arts and culture from home.
Magic Arts Studio has
Art Kits to Go
and instructor
Leanne Purkis
is providing
free art lessons
.
Learn how to
paint with watercolors
with instructor Robert Sussna.
Make art with the
Hopewell Valley Arts Council's Daily Dose of Art
. | http://www.newhopearts.org/default.aspx?pg=479 |
Susan Colville-Hall, University of Akron, Professor Emeritus
“There are some who bring a light so great to the world, that even after they have gone, the light remains” (Leanin’ Tree.) That is so true of our dear friend, Theresa Minick. It’s been almost a year since the passing of our beloved Theresa (June, 2020) and we members of OFLA have missed her greatly. Theresa brought us together in so many ways. First, she helped us celebrate the language profession with her creative ideas to engage everyone in language interaction and culture learning. Second, she thrust new ideas in technology at us and helped us make sense of new-fangled gadgets and procedures through professional development. Third, Theresa seized the opportunity to fund summer workshops for teachers of specific interests and made these opportunities possible for many of Ohio’s teachers. Finally, Theresa was generous with her time and took on the necessary dissemination of state standards and the sharing of curriculum development. While these acts of professional service were ongoing, Theresa taught her own students at Kent State University and served on the board of several other important international non-profit organizations, such as Global Ties- Akron, the International Institute of Akron, and the International Institute Women’s Board. She was also a member of Women’s Interfaith Spiritual Heritage (WISH) and a strong advocate and friend of the Arts in Akron.
Theresa Minick was a facilitator, a mentor, a teacher, and a caring colleague to so many of us. Service to others was certainly a focus of Theresa’s “raison d’être.” Anita Moorjami stated beautifully, “In the tapestry of life we are all connected. Each of us is a gift to those around us, helping each other to be who we are, weaving a perfect picture together.” Theresa did just that in our profession. She brought us together, through OFLA opportunities and the services she helped provide. Theresa energized our professional learning and sharing, first through NEOLA and our OFLA listserv. She connected us like a master magician or weaver, and observed and tallied the threads of those interconnections, touching our lives and our organization deeply. Her legacy will live on for generations to come.
To honor Theresa Minick’s memory, OFLA has created an opportunity for individuals wanting to do so to donate to the Technology Professional Development Fund in her name. Many of us have benefitted from the generosity of our profession in the past. Now is the time to contribute, to make this a living tribute to Theresa Minick, one that will benefit young OFLA members. All contributions will become her legacy and will live on for generations of OFLA members to come. | https://the-ofla-cardinal.org/ofla-news-association/in-memory-of-theresa-minick/ |
Allison is originally from the suburbs of Chicago, and moved to South Carolina to complete her undergraduate degree in mathematics and sociology. About a year after graduating, Allison began her aerial training under the coaching of Kelly VanLeeuwen.
After years of being a dedicated student, Allison began a 200+ hour training program with Kelly to become an aerial instructor, and obtained her certification from the Circus Arts Institute in November of 2017.
Once certified, Allison began teaching for Kelly's company, MAYA Movement Arts, as one of the primary aerial sling instructors through August of 2018, when the company was restructured. In September of that year, Allison formed Skyward Aerial Arts, LLC in order to continue to provide group classes in aerial sling for the Greenville community. Allison is an aerial coach providing sling group classes, private parties and private lessons, as well as a performer available for various events and showcases.
Allison continues to expand her aerial knowledge with her continuing work in aerial sling, as well as her secondary apparatus, dance trapeze. When she's not in the studio training, you will often find her running, at the gym, or with her adorable Australian Shepherd pup, Luna. | https://inspireyourbloom.com/allison-davey |
Get to know ... Dan Saulpaugh, music instructor at Darien Arts Center
DARIEN — Music has always been a part of Dan Saulpaugh’s life.
“It was in the house growing up,” said Saulpaugh, the new music instructor at the Darien Arts Center.
The 28-year-old Bronx, N.Y., resident said his father was a jazz pianist and played in local jazz and rock bands. The first instrument he learned to play was a guitar, which remains his favorite to this day.
“I started playing when I was 7,” he said. “I picked up a bunch of other instruments along the way. I play drums and I play bass in a lot of bands in New York.”
Saulpaugh leads the Young Composers workshop class at the Darien Arts Center, where he teaches kids from fourth to 12th grade how to compose classical music. He also offers a Rock Ensemble Workshop. Through this workshop, students will form a band under Saulpaugh’s direction and play music ranging from 1950s rock and roll to modern indie rock. In addition, he teaches private music lessons for children and adults in guitar and voice at the center.
The group workshops will take place on Saturdays and private guitar and voice lessons take place on Tuesdays, as well as Saturdays.
More Information
Visit www.darienarts.org to register for the Rock Ensemble Workshop and to learn more about programs offered at the Darien Arts Center.
“Teaching is really gratifying,” Saulpaugh said.
Saulpaugh graduated from the City College of New York with a bachelor’s degree in jazz studies for guitar. Coming out of the jazz tradition, there is an idea around handing the torch to the younger generation and continuing tradition, he said. Teaching falls right within this idea.
“It’s great to be in a situation where I can be teaching younger people and showing them how to love and enjoy music as much as I have,” Saulpaugh said.
Teaching also gives him an opportunity to sharpen his own skills. Returning to basics allows him to revisit the fundamental nuts and bolts of the art form, he said.
“For me it’s great for my playing and writing,” Saulpaugh said.
Growing up, he loved the shred style of the 1970s and 1980s. The fast, technical style of proggresive metal was also a favorite. Over the years, the music he listened to would expand.
“Your influences change so much,” he said. “I’ve been playing 21 years now. So it’s developed a lot.”
The first concert he went to at age 12 was to see Santana, another one of his childhood influences. At that time, he was also introduced to jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, who would also become a major influence for him.
“That changed everything for me,” Saulpaugh said.
Pursuing a career in the arts can be challenging, Saulpaugh said, and there are tradeoffs for following a passion. He spent many nights busing tables and working coffee shops; however, he said he is now in a great place with the ability to split time between his two passions: teaching and music.
“I couldn’t imagine doing anything else,” he said.
Saulpaugh has already released his first album, “Before the Fire Is Gone,” and is writing music for his next album. His decision to pursue music as a career has also impacted his personal life, through connections made and places visited while following his passion.
“So many of my closest friends I’ve met through music,” Saulpaugh said. “It’s shaped the places I’ve wanted to live and have been able to live to make a living.”
His career took him from New York to Los Angeles and back, while also teaching him a variety of skills outside of just playing an instrument.
“Like being a band leader is its own whole set of things you need to know how to do,” he said. “It has a lot to do with logistics, how to communicate effectively with your band, how to book a show, how to have a web presence. All this extra musical stuff.”
Saulpaugh plays guitar and bass in bands when he is not leading his own projects. Whether working with bands or on his own solo music, constant work allows him to improve his skills daily.
“Every gig you take you learn a lot from that gig,” he said.
Saulpaugh said the lessons he learned from music could also help kids in life, even if they are not considering making it a career. | https://www.dariennewsonline.com/news/article/Get-to-know-Dan-Saulpaugh-music-instructor-13318532.php |
Eric Burress is an instructor at his alma mater, Sumter High School, teaching all four levels of ceramics. Eric has both a BFA and an MFA from Clemson University, in sculpture and an extensive ceramic course of study. Eric also teaches ceramics classes, at the Gallery, teaching both youth and adults an introduction to tools, techniques, skills, and culture developed throughout history in clay and ceramic technology. Through a series of projects students utilize vocabulary, materials and tools to visually explore and research art, culture, geography, history, methods and application in the visual arts curriculum.
Connie Brennan was born in Verdun, France in 1957 and devoted herself to art at a very young age. Air Force life in France, Japan and Africa broadened her artistic vision, and she studied art at the University of South Carolina and Illinois State U. Her dense, brightly-colored work explores the relationship between the spiritual and the natural and she is represented in many corporate and private collections.
Laura Cardello has taught pottery classes for youth and adults at the Gallery for 22 years and is a very popular instructor among her hundreds of happy students. She is the Curator for USC Sumter, the Division of Arts and Letters Galleries, is an accomplished ceramics artist and is past president of the Sumter Artists Guild. She is also a Reach Teacher for the gifted and talented art students for the school district. Laura has exhibited her work in several solo and group shows in South Carolina and throughout the Southeast.
Kyle C. Coleman, the Director of Art Education, at SCGA, is an art instructor, graphic designer, illustrator, and art historian. He studied at Howard University in Washington, DC and Alabama A&M University in Huntsville and is currently completing a Master’s Degree in Arts Administration, at Winthrop University. Kyle currently teaches comic book illustration classes at the Gallery, and is excited to continue sharing his love of comics, this summer.
Morgan Edwards(RYT-200) began her yoga journey in 2011. Morgan felt, and continues to feel, the transformation that yoga provided her. As a result, she became inspired to share the gift of yoga with others. Morgan’s goal is to support both first-time and experienced yogis in cultivating and piloting physical, mental and spiritual opportunities. Moreover, she looks to bolster her knowledge and training with additional specializations as well as sojourns abroad to deepen her practice. In addition to her yoga practice and teaching, Morgan is currently the Art Education Assistant with the Sumter Gallery of Art and serves as Marketing Director for Southern Bliss Yoga. Furthermore, Morgan devotes her time volunteering with the Sumter Little Theater, the Sumter High Drama Club and the Cypress Gourd Patch.
Sarah J. Jones is a fashion designer, portrait artist and illustrator, and has been doodling and drawing all her life. She started painting portraits when she was a senior at Sumter High School in Sumter, SC, and has been doing so ever since. After finishing her Bachelor’s degree at the University of South Carolina, she moved to New York to attend the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she earned a degree in Fashion Design with a specialization in Fashion Art. After some six years in New York, designing for several fashion companies, Sarah took a design position in Atlanta, Georgia.
Kelly Melton, drama teacher at Sumter High School, has over 20 years of experience as an educator in Sumter School District. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in Theatre/Secondary Education from Boise State University and a Master of Arts in Theatre/Directing from The Chicago College of Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. Under Kelly’s leadership, the drama department has placed first at the International Thespian Society One- Act Play Festival and the South Carolina Theatre Association One Act Play State Competition, has earned numerous Superior ratings at competitions, and has won best director, actor and actress awards. Kelly has taught many workshops at these festivals ranging from ballroom dance for the actor, set design, and playwriting to name a few. The most rewarding aspect of Kelly’s career in education is to see students apply what they have learned.
G. Cole Miller received his Masters of Fine Art from Florida International University. Currently the curator at SCGA, he has taught summer camp through university-level graduate courses. As an exhibiting artist, Miller’s fiber and ceramics have shown nationally, and been featured in several publications including Luxe Magazine. His work resides in various private and public collections including the Frost Art Museum in Miami, Florida.
Alison Smith is an early childhood instructor, with years of experience in the classroom. She is currently completing a Master’s degree in Childhood Education, from Buffalo State University. Alison is joining us an instructor, for the first time, this summer, and is excited to join her educational curriculum with fun and engaging art projects!
Maya Smith is an illustrator, portraitist, and art instructor. Since she was young, she has ha a passion of art, and creating it. So, it was no surprise that she wanted to pursue a professional career as an artist. In order to obtain the best education, possible, she decided to attend the Savannah College of Art and Design and major in Illustration. Since she received her Bachelors in Fine Art from SCAD, in 2006, she has been pursuing a career working as freelance portrait artist and illustrator. | https://sumtergallery.com/teacher-biographies/ |
Graduate teacher with lots of experience working with people from all walks of life. Fast and efficient methods. Personalized approach, whether you are a beginner or a confirmed speaker, my help will be useful. You will benefit from a rich experience from theatrical techniques and the business world. You will work on postures and behaviors that facilitate speaking. You will also explore the dimensions of voice and gestures that improve oral expression and strengthen your impact on the audience. We guarantee confidentiality and a relaxed atmosphere.
JustynaUniversity classes (psychology, philosophy, pedagogy, linguistics)
I graduated from the University of Athens where I attended courses in pedagogics, psychology, philosophy and linguistics. What can I teach? - I can prepare you for exams in pedagogics, psychology, philosophy, linguistics. - Psychology (developmental / school / clinical / social) - Philosophy (mainly ancient philosophy, e.g. Socrates, Plato, Aristotle) - Linguistics / phonology / grammar / syntax During my lessons I use : - Skype/Whatsapp/Messenger to connect with you, - Google Docs to keep notes, which you can check at any time and they are yours to keep, - sketch board me to make mind maps/diagrams to show connections between ideas, etc. I adore my profession and desire each and every one of my students be satisfied with the lesson. That's why I make sure the atmosphere is stress-free and nice. I also want my lessons to be as effective as possible. Therefore, I make sure they are well-prepared, although they can be altered at any point, should such an opportunity arise. I like explaining things in a variety of ways as well as make use of dictionaries, diagrams, etc. When it comes to students who want to obtain certificates, I am very demanding.
SamarLearn egyptian arabic online through conversations
Hello, my name is Samar, a community tutor on many sites online and I am an Italian instructor in Alexandria my city since 2014 I graduated from faculty of arts greek and roman studies in 2013. I also studied at Aristotele University of Thessaloniki in 2016. I speak four languages (Arabic, English, Italian and Greek) This class is for those who want to learn egyptian arabic through conversations or anyone who just wants to practice what he or she already knows with a native egyptian speaker This will help you to speak as i use photos,audio and videos in our lessons and i think it is suitable for adults the lesson will depend on what you need and on your level i provide you with materials,audio files,videos,photos and games etc....... this course is for any level I can teach you in English, Italian, Arabic or Greek The lesson happens online via any social application like skype, zoom etc... Or if the student lives here in Alexandria we can meet in any place Any arrangement will be done here on the site. Don't hesitate to contact me anytime See you ;)
MohanLearn Worlds Ancient Tamil Language in an Easy Way
Learn Worlds Ancient Tamil Language in an Easy Way. Am a Tamil Tutor, Will be helping you in learning the Worlds Ancient Tamil Language in an Easy Way. Which is oriented 2000 years before. Still this language is available in Southern part of India Called the State of Tamil nadu
DidaVOCAL COACHING, VOCAL COURSES, WORKSHOPS, INTERNSHIPS, MASTERCLASS AND PROFESSIONAL TRAINING
Professional artists, Semi professional, Passionate, Curious, Lovers, Singers in the shower: this concerns you! With the CVT Method (Completed Vocal Technique) reach your goals quickly! Everything is possible for everyone !!! Make a first session and see for yourself ... Training possible in: French, English, Italian and Danish Singing lessons are for anyone wanting to sing, from all backgrounds, styles and levels, whatever your goal: professional, leisure, simple pleasure or well-being personal development. Private lessons are 100% personalized, we work according to your wish and your personal goal. Everything is done through music and we add the technique when it is necessary. The purpose of the vocal technique is to readjust muscular tension so that you can sing freely, reach dream notes and find exactly the desired sound.
PascalEnglish conversation with structured corrections in grammar and pronunciation at my place or by Skype
Conversation in English Then I help him / her correct them and get back to grammatical and pronunciation rules. After the lesson, my student will have a list of phrases and words to practice if he / she wants to prepare the next lesson. Conversation in French with pointing of the errors of the student, then correction of his errors by the student with my help. Grammar and pronunciation points from recurring errors. After the lesson, my student will have a series of phrases and words to practice if he wants to prepare the next lesson.
MimiOnline Fitness Coach - Mindset, Fitness, Nutrition
I believe that taking care of our bodies and health is the most important thing anyone can do for themselves. My goal is to share my knowledge and training with others who are also concerned about their health and well-being. I want to help others to meet their weight loss goals, feel more confident in their bodies and reach their desired physical fitness. For me, fitness is a lifestyle: I am constantly improving my physical fitness and I am engaging in active hobbies such as dancing, surfing, yoga, and hiking. Considering my qualifications, I hold an University Certificate as Fitness Instructor from Germany and have a fitness training experience of over five years.
ShulaLife coach, personal development focused on your person with Shula at your own pace and according to your real nature
Create a fulfilling life according to your desires and your passions is your will? This coaching is for you. You will get to know yourself and become the one you want to be deep inside of you, I am here to guide you at your own pace. What I am going to teach you is not a miracle recipe to be happy, nor will it be the magic potion for you to become a star, nor be popular or even an outstanding speaker. What I propose is an introduction to your inner self. What I propose to you is a journey of personal development on all levels of your life, both professional and personal. I propose to you to discover the satisfaction in the small things like way of happiness and not towards the happiness. I invite you in this program to get to know you, to know your desires, the things you like, the things you want to avoid, the relationships you want to attract to you. In this personal coaching, our focus will be solely on your person, what you aspire to be, what you are in the depths of your being. In this program, you will be able to free yourself from your taboos from your culture, your education, your prejudices, your complexes, your phobias and all the obstacles that stand between your self today and your great self. tomorrow.
BénédictePersonal trainer for private classes at your home, outdoor or online (video)
I am a certified personal trainer who have been offering private sessions and group trainings for 9 years. After 7 years in Monaco training international clients, I have been offering trainings in Marseille & around. Specialized in crosstraining & general physical preparedness, I'm used to train both female and male clients. Former head coach at CrossFit Cannes and CrossFit Monaco.
PaulaSpanish: Grammar and lots of speaking to communicate
This class is for people who are willing to improve their spanish. You'll learn a variety of topics, and we'll try to focus a lot on speaking to communicate very well. No matter which is your level you'll make the most out of this classes!
YuClick the Chinese language and Asian culture on/off-line with the help of an articulate and humorous native!
Hey, I am Yu. Nice to meet you. This lesson can help you set out to learn how to speak Hanyu, read, and write Zhongwen. For this purpose, you will study the Chinese alphabet (Hanyu Pinyin), characters(Hanzi), vocabulary, grammar, sentence structure, and common words and phrases. If you want to learn the Chinese language, you've found the right class! Course materials can be: -Standard Course HSK (for language ability test) -Experiencing Chinese (for immersive classes) -Learn Chinese with me (for schoolchildren and teenagers) -AP Chinese -....... -any tailor-made materials that interest you This course is designed in three versions for different kinds of participants: 1) A Beginner! - Have little or no prior knowledge of the Chinese language; - Want to learn how to make yourself understood in Chinese when traveling, for example, understanding and speaking common everyday words (and sentences) in different typical scenarios ; - Hope to express 1-10 and some larger numbers in China in speech or by gesture decently. *Some examples at this stage: - Hello! Thank you. How are you? - Sorry. / You're welcome! - I can speak Chinese! What's your name? - What's the date today? What's the time now? - I'd like a cup of coffee. Is this seat free? - (and other current Chinese usages in any scenarios you're interested in! ) **Naturally, pronunciation and the four vowel tones are an important part of the lessons, but participants also learn the principles of Chinese writing and gain an understanding of Chinese culture! 2) An Intermediate Learner - Have upper-intermediate knowledge of Chinese; - Need to increasingly enhance our active language skills, to expand your vocabulary, practice reading without Pinyin, and master more advanced grammar and fixed structures to be able to make longer sentences; - Interest yourself in being able to express your views on common everyday topics, like foods, drinks, gifts, weather, Chinese habits, and common practice. 3) An Advanced Learner - Can speak and understand Chinese reasonably well; - Attempt to deepen your understanding of Chinese culture and learn more advanced grammatical constructs to communicate more specific and complex ideas in Chinese, both verbally and in writing; - Focus on topics dealt with leisure and hobbies, hospitality, culture, arts, poetry, history, dynasties and civilization, of modern and ancient China. ***I have lived in China for over twenty years, traveled to many cites (including Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Nanjing, Hongkong, Macau, and so on), and have been educated at respected schools and universities. Currently, I am studying Social Sciences in the Netherlands and I am a fan of Chinese literature/Japanese anime/Marvel films, so it's also welcome that you would like to have an informative and interesting talk in Chinese about these topics. +China captures the imagination with its fascinating contrasts. A modern-day global economic entity that proudly upholds ancient traditions. Definitely, a good way to start learning more about China is by taking Chinese!
TaliaEnglish as a second language, passionate teacher!!
English is a very common language used in most great films, books and todays media. English is my first language and I also have been speaking french for over 15 years. Having the opportunity to be fluent in more than one language is useful in multiple aspects such as traveling or have a wider range of jobs available to you. I am very passionate about what I do and would love the opportunity to help you learn a new language :)
CatherinePARCOURSUP: Determine its orientation and obtain it
Teacher and school coach and experienced student, my profession and my vocation is to help you. The Parcoursup platform opens on January 15, 2018. The seizure of your wishes for orientation is from January 22 to March 13, 2018. Each wish must be supported by a letter of motivation. The class council will issue its opinion and send it to the higher education institutions who will choose the best files. So you need right now: - Determine your orientation according to your profile and your choice (s) if this is not done yet - Improve your results to have every chance of being selected - Motivate your training project for each wish by writing up to 1500 words I am listening to you and can provide professional, personalized and necessary help so that you have every chance of success. Possibility of 50% reduction or tax credit if payment by CESU.
AnastasiaOnline 1–on–1/ small group Russian lessons with the native instructor
Hello! I'm Anastasia - an experienced and qualified professional who holds two degrees in teaching English and Russian(BA and MA). I have been teaching for over 13 years at university and K-12 levels in various countries in Europe. I continuously expand my knowledge and specialization to make my lessons more interesting and more effective. My lessons are better suited for those who want to build their vocabulary and fluency, to understand and be understood and be confident in a conversation with Russian native speakers. My online learning class is student-centered, skill-oriented and task-based, targeting fluency and accuracy. I offer Conversational Russian, Russian for work,traveling, Russian for beginners, etc. It's your class, so my main goal is to lead you through a lesson tailored for your own learning level and language goals. The lessons are ideal for students from beginners to advanced and include all four skills i.e. Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking, cultural awareness and traditions. | https://www.apprentus.com/en/private-lessons/online/art-music/personal-training/esl-non-native-speakers |
Mentorship is a kind of a widespread word nowadays. Many people use it during their employment and business practice. But, the true essence of this word is not always explored well. If you are a person who wants to discover the core meaning of this term, keep going with your reading. And we will start from the basics.
What Is Mentorship? In a Nutshell
Many sources that mention this, a bit mysterious word, exist. Who is a mentor, and what its main purpose is? To make a long story short, this is a person who possesses industry-specific experience and transfers such through direct communication with the representatives of a younger generation. This person can guide and help people on their pass of becoming professionals too.
What is the purpose of a mentor? It is not limited to sharing valuable experiences only. It is also focused on pointing out the right direction to young professionals, guiding them, and also preventing mistakes when this is possible.
Does Career Mentorship Is a Really Necessary Thing?
The answer here depends on your priorities. If you are an independent person, having a mentor may distract you. But, you are risking losing valuable time finding out how things work at the same time.
A mentor can facilitate your life by simply guiding you through the process and giving valuable feedback on what mistakes you have (even if you don’t notice such) and how to prevent those.
A good mentor may help you with setting goals and expanding your network of professional contacts. Working with a mentor may speed up your professional (and even personal) growth. Do you still want to skip mentorship if you have such an opportunity?
Signs to Recognize a Good Mentor among Others
Who can be a good mentor? It is very difficult to give a single receipt in this case. But, there are some general points to pay attention to while choosing a mentor.
First of all, this person should possess expertise in the field where he/she works. This should be obvious from the results of one’s work. They are not always associated with different awards presented nearly in each industry. The tricky thing here is that not always a person who gets some award is a good mentor.
For instance, such awards may be given to a person who is very keen on competition games but not so good at making tasks that are directly associated with one’s profession. He/she may probably help you with learning skills of competition games, but it is hard to imagine that such a kind of a person may start mentorship activities for obvious reasons. So, choose better a person who is skilled at doing tasks directly related to one’s profession. This person has something special to share with. If you admire the result of work, that may be the exact person.
The next thing you should pay attention to is the person’s ability to share such knowledge, explain those in an easy manner. A person may know a lot but experience difficulties with explaining such knowledge to other people. This can lead to wasted time from your side (and the other’s person, too) and also to a wave of anger from the side of your mentor. Yes, it is not enough to have lots of experience only. It is extremely valuable to be able to share with such in an easy manner.
The last point to pay attention to is the flexibility of a mindset and approaches to work a mentor has. This is especially important for a business mentor. Employment and business processes are sometimes similar, but it is more than not desired to follow templates in each case. A mentor should have industry expertise, of course, but review each situation on a case-by-case basis and create respective decisions or solutions. A mentor should be able to explain the basic or common approaches and also provide reasons for choosing alternatives for it in a concrete situation.
Why Mentorship Is Useful for Business?
You may naturally wonder why mentorship is important in the case of business, as this sphere nearly always requires competition. That is true, but to participate (and form) truly interesting (and efficient) competition, ensuring proper knowledge exchange is necessary.
The true point here is that during mentorship activities, not only mentees learn, but mentors are also able to revise or adapt existing approaches. They can also add new knowledge to the industry. This knowledge can work twice better, taking into account the fact that such is based on the previous tested experience. The business can only benefit a lot from such exchange of knowledge and its upgrade.
So, mentorship is a useful thing both for the personal growth of a single employee and the growth of the entire organization, or even sometimes an industry. That is another sort of corporate culture that creates a favorable environment for knowledge sharing, testing, and increase. Find opportunities to enjoy mentorship of such kind. | https://www.businessload.com/startups/upgrading-a-business-after-adding-mentorship/ |
Natashia's music journey began in Calgary, Alberta at 4 years old when she started "doodling" on the family piano at home. Having knowledge of the piano, her mother was her first teacher. After performing Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star in an ensemble (piano, violin, guitar, voice) with some friends at a school talent show, Natashia was invited to take piano lessons with one of her elementary school teachers, Jean Blumell.
Her family later moved to Beiseker to build their dream home during which time she continued her lessons practicing at the local community centre during the initial construction stage. With the move came the transition to a new piano instructor, Christine Dandy. Under Mrs. Dandy's tutelage, Natashia discovered her love for performing, attending many recitals and participating in multiple Olds & District Kiwanis Music Festivals. She also had the opportunity to learn multiple duets and ensemble pieces with other students.
With an immense love of music and a passion for teaching, Natashia began her career as a piano instructor in the fall of 2002. She continuously seeks out new ways to teach in her own studio with a the goal of creating a fun, interactive learning environment. Natashia is devoted to providing her students with the same solo, duet and ensemble performing opportunities that she had growing up.
Natashia has completed the Grade 10 requirements for the Royal Conservatory of Music and is currently pursuing her ARCT in Piano Pedagogy. Her continuing education includes the Teacher Ultimate Music Theory Certification course. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Airdrie Performing Arts Society.
Reserve Your Lesson Time &
Meet Your Teacher:
*Due to current Covid-19 restrictions, Mini Musicians, Buddy Classes, and "Piano Party" Workshops are cancelled. We are currently in the process of adapting these classes for online learning, if necessary, commencing September 2021. | https://www.atogpianostudio.com/Your-Teacher |
The Riverport Wooden Boat School (RWBS) was founded by the Hudson River Maritime Museum in 2015 to preserve the maritime craft traditions of the Hudson Valley and to teach and inspire new generations of woodworkers, boatbuilders, and boaters. YouthBoat is the main program for teens and RWBS offers a wide variety of adult woodworking, boatbuilding, maritime arts, and boating courses.
In addition to teaching classes, RWBS also offers restoration services for wooden boats large and small.
In 2017, HRMM added the Riverport Rowing & Sailing School with the assistance of the Kingston Sailing Club and the Rondout Rowing Club to foster a love of the Hudson River through high quality sailing and rowing instruction for people of all ages. Featuring private sailing lessons, sailing instructor training, and youth sailing and rowing workshops. | http://www.hrmm.org/boat-school.html |
The purpose of this subject is to enable you to become a more effective and self-aware leader. This is achieved through a combination of personal reflection and a focus on developing the knowledge and skills necessary to improve your leadership effectiveness. You will be challenged to reflect critically on your leadership behaviour to identify and prioritise the leadership competencies that are applicable to your current and future roles as a leader. You will also use the evidence-based principles and practices explored in this subject to develop a personalised plan for your ongoing development as a leader.
Details
|Academic unit:||Bond Business School|
|Subject code:||EXEC71-105|
|Subject title:||Leadership Skill Development|
|Subject level:||Postgraduate|
|Semester/Year:||May 2018|
|Credit points:||10|
Delivery & attendance
|Timetable:||https://bond.edu.au/timetable|
|Delivery mode:|
Intensive
|Workload items:|
|Attendance and learning activities:||Attendance at all class sessions is expected. Students are expected to notify the instructor of any absences with as much advance notice as possible.|
Resources
|Prescribed resources:|| |
|[email protected] & Email:||[email protected] is the online learning environment at Bond University and is used to provide access to subject materials, lecture recordings and detailed subject information regarding the subject curriculum, assessment and timing. Both iLearn and the Student Email facility are used to provide important subject notifications. Additionally, official correspondence from the University will be forwarded to students’ Bond email account and must be monitored by the student.|
To access these services, log on to the Student Portal from the Bond University website as www.bond.edu.au
Enrolment requirements
|Requisites: ?|
Nil
|Restrictions: ?|| This subject is not available to|
Must be admitted into an EMBA Program.
This subject is not available as a general elective. To be eligible for enrolment, the subject must be specified in the students’ program structure.
Assurance of learning
Assurance of Learning means that universities take responsibility for creating, monitoring and updating curriculum, teaching and assessment so that students graduate with the knowledge, skills and attributes they need for employability and/or further study.
At Bond University, we carefully develop subject and program outcomes to ensure that student learning in each subject contributes to the whole student experience. Students are encouraged to carefully read and consider subject and program outcomes as combined elements.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Program Learning Outcomes provide a broad and measurable set of standards that incorporate a range of knowledge and skills that will be achieved on completion of the program. If you are undertaking this subject as part of a degree program, you should refer to the relevant degree program outcomes and graduate attributes as they relate to this subject.
Subject Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
On successful completion of this subject the learner will be able to:
- Demonstrate the ability to both provide constructive feedback as well as receive it and appropriately respond.
- Evaluate personal values, attitudes, beliefs and behaviours to identify strengths as a leader as well as opportunities for further improvement.
- Design a personalised, actionable plan to improve their competency as a leader by applying an advanced theoretical and practical understanding of leadership.
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge and skills relating to effective development of and behaviour in a team.
- Use a clear, concise, professional writing style to produce a personal leadership development plan.
- Deliver a clear, concise, well-organised presentation appropriate for the intended purpose and audience.
Assessment
Quality assurance
For the purposes of quality assurance, Bond University conducts an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.
Study information
Submission procedures
Students must check the [email protected] subject site for detailed assessment information and submission procedures.
Policy on late submission and extensions
A late penalty will be applied to all overdue assessment tasks unless an extension is granted by the subject coordinator. The standard penalty will be 10% of marks awarded to that assessment per day late with no assessment to be accepted seven days after the due date. Where a student is granted an extension, the penalty of 10% per day late starts from the new due date.
Policy on plagiarism
University’s Academic Integrity Policy defines plagiarism as the act of misrepresenting as one’s own original work: another’s ideas, interpretations, words, or creative works; and/or one’s own previous ideas, interpretations, words, or creative work without acknowledging that it was used previously (i.e., self-plagiarism). The University considers the act of plagiarising to be a breach of the Student Conduct Code and, therefore, subject to the Discipline Regulations which provide for a range of penalties including the reduction of marks or grades, fines and suspension from the University.
Feedback on assessment
Feedback on assessment will be provided to students within two weeks of the assessment submission due date, as per the Assessment Policy.
Disability support
If you have a disability, illness, injury or health condition that impacts your capacity to complete studies, exams or assessment tasks, it is important you let us know your special requirements, early in the semester. Students will need to make an application for support and submit it with recent, comprehensive documentation at an appointment with a Disability Officer. Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Office at the earliest possible time, to meet staff and learn about the services available to meet your specific needs. Please note that late notification or failure to disclose your disability can be to your disadvantage as the University cannot guarantee support under such circumstances.
Additional subject information
This subject will run in Week 10 (16 - 22 July 2018). A peer-evaluation system will be used in this subject to help determine the individual marks for all group assessments. As part of the requirements for Business School quality accreditation, the Bond Business School employs an evaluation process to measure and document student assessment as evidence of the extent to which program and subject learning outcomes are achieved. Some examples of student work will be retained for potential research and quality auditing purposes only. Any student work used will be treated confidentially and no student grades will be affected.
Subject curriculum
An overview of the subject, its objectives and approach. This topic will also include a brief overview of the development of conceptualisations of leadership and current themes and challenges
This topic will explore how leader's develop and discuss the importance of a leadership development plan.
This topic will examine examine the role of positive psychology in the area of strengths based leadership. The topic will build on the pre-class online survey that students have completed.
This topic will encourage students to explore areas in which they would like to become stronger. It will also examine how these areas can be identified.
This topic will examine the influence of the leader's sense of purpose and values on their leadership effectiveness.
This topic will examine the role of effective communication in leadership and how communication skills can be enhanced.
This topic will explore the nature and consequences of conflict and highlight key skills that can help leaders work through personal and organisational conflict
This topic will examine the importance of the leader's emotional intelligence and cultural awareness and how these skills can be developed
This topic will examine the factors influencing a leader's general sense of wellbeing and discuss skills that can increase wellbeing
This topic will examine the importance and development of innovative leadership practices
This topic will examine the importance of coaching and mentoring and how leaders can become more competent in these areas
This topic will examine key components of effective team functioning and the relevant skills that can help to build stronger teams. | https://bond.edu.au/intl/subject/exec71-105-leadership-skill-development?outline=EXEC71-105_2018_MAY_INT_01 |
If there was ever a time to consider development plans for your employees, now is it.
The reasons for emphasizing employee development are numerous. Examples of the positive change a consistent program can achieve include promoting a culture of learning, adding to your competitive advantages, increasing productivity and reducing turnover.
The first step to implementing a program for employee development is to identify the high potentials in your organization.
A typical development plan then begins with an assessment of a person’s skills and abilities. The plan will center on the results of the assessment process to help the high potentials to accentuate their strengths and work around their weaknesses.
Suggested topics you need to consider in a plan include:
• How to communicate clear expectations, measure performance, provide opportunities for growth through stretch assignments and how to hold people accountable.
• How and when to delegate.
• How to resolve conflict and decide when it’s appropriate for you to weigh in.
• How to prepare for and have difficult conversations.
• How to conduct effective performance reviews.
• How to develop a team.
• How to make thoughtful decisions.
• How to determine leadership style and engage employees.
• How to conduct meetings and provide opportunities for subordinates to help solve problems and have input on opportunities.
• How to get early wins.
• How to go about strategic planning, visioning and establish metrics.
• How to be comfortable with public speaking or group presentations.
• How to balance personal production and managing people.
• How to implement change management.
• How to go about process improvement.
• How to implement professional development for self and a team.
• How to determine when you need assistance from those whom you report to.
While this is not a comprehensive list, it is a base for developing key executive competencies.
If company goals are clearly communicated and employees can see a clear path for advancement, they are more likely to stay engaged with your organization.
A development plan can do just that, it can help an employee learn and develop, aligning with the company’s needs while giving growth opportunities and skills that can benefit them in all aspects of their life. | https://biztimes.biz/17-yes-17-topics-to-consider-when-creating-development-plans/ |
Personal development plan is a process of developing a concrete action plan based on your personal strengths and weakness, education and training as well as future goals. Personal development plan usually includes details steps and plans which show how to achieve your future targets.
In general, Personal development is a portfolio of activities that improve self-knowledge and identity, develop talents and potential, build human capital etc. Personal development is not limited to self-development but includes formal and informal activities for developing others. It mainly focus on the following areas: personal development in psychology, personal development in education and personal development in work.
Personal development programs in the workforce basically has focused on two areas: improve the competency and capabilities of employees and leadership and development strategies. Personal development program of the company often design to improve satisfaction, motivation and loyalty. Employee surveys may help organizations find out personal-development needs, preferences and problems, and they use the results to design benefits programs. As an investment, personal development programs have the goal of increasing human capital or improving productivity, innovation or quality. Proponents actually see such programs not as a cost but as an investment with results linked to an organization’s strategic development goals.
Personal development in education has gained widely support in modern higher education. In the UK, the higher education authorities has declared that universities should go beyond academic teaching to provide students with personal development. It is argued that Universities and schools should help students to develop:
* a structured and supported process undertaken by an individual to reflect upon their own learning, performance and / or achievement and to plan for their personal, educational and career development;
* objectives related explicitly to student development; to improve the capacity of students to understand what and how they are learning, and to review, plan and take responsibility for their own learning
A detail actionable personal development plan will help you achieve your objective. In order to create your personal plan, you need to go through the following steps:
** Analyze your skills and attributes: This will assist you in thinking about the various aspects of leadership, your strengths and areas for growth. From this assessment, you can identify the skills or attributes you wish to grow, develop your goals, and ways to accomplish them.
**Define your future goal: Develop a goal for each of the four leadership skills/attributes you would like to develop. They should be specific, measurable, acceptable by you, realistic, and accomplishable by a specific time.
** How to achieve your goals: Now that you have your goals, what activities will you do to achieve them?
A well designed personal development plan will help your achieve your targets in your education as well as your employment opportunities. There are no universal format for your personal development template, you need to have the following key factors: Your personal mission statement and your self-assessment of strengths and opportunities, your action plan and to do list, feedback etc. | http://www.99template.com/template/plan-and-proposal/161-personal-development-plan-template/ |
A weekly column addressing your most sought-after health questions, answered by Harbin Clinics expert healthcare professionals.
Question: Pregnancy and COVID-19: What are the risks?
Dr. Margaret Marion: If you are pregnant or are considering having a baby, youre probably wondering if the COVID-19 virus will have an impact on you and your baby. To better understand, here are a few helpful reminders:
Risks during pregnancy. According to the CDC, recent data indicates that women who are pregnant are at an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19, compared to women who are not pregnant. Because of this, it is important to contact your healthcare provider immediately if you exhibit symptoms or have been exposed.
Impact on prenatal care. Community efforts to control the spread of the COVID-19 virus might affect your access to routine prenatal care. It is highly advised that you speak to your healthcare provider about available options in your area. If virtual appointments are an option, prepare a list of questions ahead of time and take detailed notes.
What can you do? To reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, avoid close contact with anyone who is sick. When in public, or at work, it is important to wear a facemask. In addition to wearing a facemask, it is essential that you practice effective hand hygiene. Upon its availability and after consulting with your OB-GYN, you may want to consider getting the COVID-19 vaccine. Evidence shows that doing so will decrease the risk of contracting the virus.
The obstetricians and gynecologists at Harbin Clinic offer a full range of specialized obstetric and gynecologic services, including adolescent gynecology, family planning, prenatal care, gynecologic surgery, infertility evaluation and treatment.
Dr. Margaret Marion is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist for Harbin Clinic Womens Center Rome. To learn more or to schedule an appointment, please visit: https://harbinclinic.com/womenshealth.
Read more: | https://www.fertilityportal.com/pregnancy/ask-a-doc-pregnancy-and-covid-19-what-are-the-risks-northwest-georgia-news.php |
Introduction: The advent of the Internet and the availability of health information online has posed new challenges and opportunities to the healthcare sector. The amount of people who surf the Internet for health-related purposes is dramatically increasing. Actually, the ‘post-truth’ phenomenon had interested also the healthcare field, where the quality of the online information is really variable. In addition, the health literacy of people and their consequent capacity to correctly understand and therefore use health-related information is crucial. The quality and usability of information provided by the healthcare organizations online appear very important, in order to avoid the risks of fake news as well as of a misunderstanding of information. The websites can be used as a powerful channel for improving the access to care, the use of healthcare services, the health literacy and the empowerment of people.
Methods: By analysing the websites of 167 healthcare organizations from 13 Italian Regions, we verified whatever online communication of Italian public hospitals and local healthcare authorities was readable and comprehensible for people with different level of education and different level of literacy, by using the Gulpease Index and by measuring the adoption of words from the Italian Fundamental Vocabulary the data refers to December 2015.
Results: The results showed that, in Italy, the healthcare organisations’ online communication is still not structured by taking into consideration literacy and health literacy of people who may surf the Internet. In fact, the websites were difficult to read and understand for people with a low educational level according to both the indexes used. The healthcare organisation’s websites appeared built on the healthcare organisations’ needs, rather than on those of the potential readers. The healthcare management of the Regions recognized the importance of these findings. For this reason, the Collaborative of the Italian Regions, coordinated by the MeS Laboratory of Sant’Anna School, decided to monitor and evaluate these aspects by introducing specific indicators in the healthcare Performance Evaluation System they voluntarily adopted.
Implications: In the ‘post-truth’ era, it is important to consider the risks of more readable and comprehensible information available on other than the healthcare organisations’ websites. This suggests an urgent consideration of the health literacy of people, in addition to their information needs. The availability of our findings was fundamental to inform managers of Italian regional healthcare systems and support them in addressing this issue and working for an equal access to good quality but also comprehensible and readable information online. | https://www.ijic.org/articles/abstract/10.5334/ijic.s2249/ |
SEATTLE – Amazon Web Services introduces a specialized data lake for the healthcare industry.
AWS launched Amazon HealthLake, a HIPAA-enabled service for healthcare organizations to ingest, store, query, and analyze their data on a large scale, the company said earlier this month.
Amazon HealthLake is currently available on the AWS console in several regions: US East (N. Virginia); USA East (Ohio); and US West (Oregon).
The company said additional regional availability is coming “soon”.
Amazon HealthLake is set up to use machine learning (ML) to understand and extract meaningful medical information from unstructured data. The information is then organized, indexed, and stored in chronological order.
The ML-based data lake is intended to offer a “holistic view” of patient health. | https://vmvirtualmachine.com/aws-releases-amazon-healthlake-datamation/ |
Following a similar move by a House panel, a Georgia Senate study committee has proposed some major changes in the state’s health care regulatory structure known as certificate of need (CON).
The panel, chaired by state Sen. Ben Watson (R-Savannah), a physician, has formulated draft legislation that could ease restrictions involving Cancer Treatment Centers of America, which has a hospital in Newnan, and clear a path for a planned sports medicine center in Alpharetta.
The proposed Senate revisions take ‘‘a more moderate approach’’ to CON reform than the House plan, Watson said at a committee hearing Friday. The goal, he said, is deregulation – to inject more competition into health care services.
A House panel earlier this month backed more sweeping changes to CON. The influential House Rural Development Council announced recommendations for legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session that include replacing CON with an accreditation and “rigorous licensing system’’ for health care providers.
The proposals of each committee come at the same time the Trump administration is urging states to consider scaling back or repealing their CON laws, and is pushing back against hospital consolidation. And the committee work appears to set up a major legislative battle over health care regulations in the 2019 General Assembly session, which will begin in January.
The CON process governs the construction and expansion of health care facilities and services in the state. A provider must obtain a “certificate of need” to proceed with such a project, and an application for a CON can be challenged by competitors or other interested parties.
Health care regulatory decisions have a big impact on communities and businesses. Hospital groups have been strong defenders of the current CON system in Georgia, constantly opposing any legislative efforts to change it.
The Senate-proposed provisions would provide exemptions from CON review for:
** Medical equipment purchases and most imaging services.
** Mental health and substance abuse facilities.
** Hospitals adding cardiac services, under certain conditions.
It would also allow some multi-specialty doctor groups to operate surgery centers focusing on one specialty. And the draft bill would ease restrictions on the ability of a hospital to expand its bed capacity.
The legislation, if enacted, could help Cancer Treatment Centers of America to expand its capacity and serve more Georgia patients at its Newnan facility. which is the national chain’s center for the Southeast.
CTCA has pushed such legislation at the General Assembly, but has run into strong opposition from other hospitals. The Senate proposal would require CTCA to provide uncompensated indigent or charity care that meets or exceeds 5 percent of the hospital’s adjusted gross revenues, and to provide care to Medicaid beneficiaries.
A proposed sports medicine center in Alpharetta may also gain a route to state approval under the Senate initiative.
Rural areas would get special protections against certain CON changes, just as the House Council has proposed.
Both the Georgia Hospital Association and the Georgia Alliance of Community Hospitals voiced concern about the Senate plan.
Ethan James of the GHA told the Senate panel Friday that CON “preserves access [to care] for all Georgians. CON, at its core, is about the uninsured.”
And the Alliance of Community Hospitals said the current arrangement protects patient safety and preserves quality standards in medical care.
Fifteen states have repealed their certificate-of-need laws. Among the states that still have such laws, Georgia has one of the most restrictive CON systems, the Rural Development Council was told recently at a Statesboro meeting. | https://www.georgiahealthnews.com/2018/12/effort-change-con-laws-gains-momentum/ |
You can forgive…but can you forget?
Lesson One Action Steps
In this lesson, we start exploring the 1st step towards reconciliation: deciding to reconcile. Here’s the first question to ask yourself.
How do you know if the reconciliation is real, or if it is a “false start”? Here’s what to look for.
Why are you wanting to reconcile? It’s important to know your “WHY” before you know the How and the What.
How to tell the kids about reconciliation.
Lesson 2 Action Steps
How to Soften: The Most Important Step to Reconciliation
Accepting Responsibility.
How to Trust Again.
Setting Boundaries in Conversation.
Lesson 3 Action Steps
Recall the Hurt.
Empathize.
Altruistic Gift of Forgiveness.
Hold On to Forgiveness
Lesson 4 Action Steps.
The Phases of Forgiveness.
Lesson 5 Action Steps.
How to Reverse the Negative and Start the Positive.
Remember the Good.
Lesson 6 Action Steps.
Concentrate on Progress.
Return to the REACH Method if needed.
When Accountability Fails…Revisiting the “Altruistic Gift of Forgiveness” from the REACH Method
(This video is a repeat of Dr. Joe Beam going through the Gift of Forgiveness and talking about accountability).
Lesson 7 Action Steps.
How to Fall in Love (or More in Love).
Prioritize Time Together.
Lesson 8 Action Steps.
- Welcome to the course!
- Each weekly lesson is listed to the left hand side of the screen
- Print off 2 sets of each Lesson Guide each week (one for each spouse). The Lesson Guides are located at the bottom, underneath all of the videos for that week. | https://marriagehelper.com/reconciliation-toolkit-course/ |
Why? To activate and strengthen the muscles of the feet.
What excercises strengthen your feet?
Using a sock / small towel / marbles or anything you can think of pick up item with toes, hold for 4 seconds then drop.
Do this from a standing position as it will improve balance on supporting leg. Use a wall or chair to help maintain balance if needed.
Repeat for 2 sets of 12-15 repetitions with 90 seconds between repetitions.
Place a small to medium sized towel on the floor.
From a seated position use toes to ‘claw’ the towel towards you.
Repeat for 2 sets of 4-6 repetitions with 90 seconds between repetitions.
Use a wall/ chair/ pillar to balance and place hands at mid torso level.
Squat or sit as low back as you can go extending arms over head.
Ensure your back is straight and chin is up and try to get thighs horizontal to floor.
Adjust hand position to suit your own range of motion. At your lowest most point arms should be fully extended and back straight.
Start with feet together, step out with right foot and ‘sit’ back into right leg.
Keep chin up and back straight.
Push off right foot to return to starting position.
Repeat for 2 sets of 6 repetitions on right and 6 on left.
Use a pillar or chair for support if needed.
Start off week 3 by walking at a brisk pace in Vibrams/ barefoot for a period of 5 minutes, followed by alternating light jogging for 1 minute, walking for 1 minute for a total of 10 minutes. Finish with 5 minutes walking. Do this three times per week.
For week 4 add 5 minutes to the jogging/ walking portion of each session making sessions 25 minutes in total. Do this three times per week.
Once you have completed Barefoot Running Steps 1 & 2 you can move on to Barefoot Running Step 3. | https://www.barefoot.ie/step-two-exercises |
Memorization is a crucial tool for learning
Memorization is often frustrating and can seem like a waste of time, but it’s healthy for the brain and is an important type of learning. Memorization in school is often criticized as not actually learning. But, memorization is actually a crucial tool for learning new information. Engaging in different learning styles, including memorization, enables students to gain a deeper understanding of new information.
Middle school learning specialist Jennie Sorenson said “memorization, would be considered one of the lower levels of learning” but she still considers it a kind of learning, that can be an important step in the learning process. She believes that it’s easier to remember, or memorize something, if you actually know what it means.
According to an article compiled by UC Denver, there are four main categories for memorizing information: organizing, actively moving the body, pulling it from memory, and recalling it. Organizing information includes selecting the most important pieces, associating the material with something familiar, and visualizing the information. This is a simple way to keep information fresh. Writing, reciting, and drawing the information count towards active ways to remember. Using the brain to memorize includes evenly spreading information, overlearn, and keeping a positive attitude. This is all about working with the brain and not against it. Lastly, recalling forgotten information involves thinking of something similar to the focus, noticing when it is remembered, and imagining it’s unforgettable. From these four techniques, memory is successful. These aren’t extremely strenuous or difficult, so there is no issue for a school to encourage them.
Every person learns differently and it’s important to note that, for some people, basic memorization tactics really help them understand the material. Even though pure memorization may not be best learning method, it is still a helpful way to learn and retain new material. | https://www.rubiconline.com/memorization-is-a-crucial-tool-for-learning/ |
Fourth grade college students are very energetic and their span of attention or focus is very small. The next step in engaged on a middle school science challenge includes research. The children clarify their fourth grade science fair initiatives, while the others watch these tasks and learn. Actively engaging students in learning, as a substitute of being passive learners.
As families, we make investments the steadiness of our power in our children. There’s more to initiatives than science, so even college students who prefer artwork, images, writing, and different disciplines can incorporate their favourite subject of their project. There are a number of reasons why youngsters higher retain information gained through scientific experimentation.
Center and highschool student will in all probability have extra difficult subjects and experiments. If your child has an affinity for science encourage them to do experiments which may be a grade degree or two increased than what they’re presently learning.
You will learn in your house faculty science curriculum that there are two kinds of modifications: bodily and chemical modifications. With this format, students are offered information on both standard and non-standard forms of equine science as there isn’t a single source with answers in equine science.
Many students are likely to thrive in science because it gives the visual facet that many different subject matters don’t. To get you began, here are some issues that lecturers are on the lookout for in good Science tasks. Do the experiments you need to present your kids first so that you can make certain to have the ability to help them by the undertaking if necessary. | https://www.pixel-webdizajn.com/science-and-our-lives.html |
You must memorize a lot of knowledge for many college courses. It might be challenging to memorize material for just one lesson, but when you have many classes, it can be even more irritating. Many pupils believe that they just lack good recall skills. Fortunately, though, memorizing is not just for an elite group of people born with the right skills—anyone can train and develop their memorizing abilities.
There are numerous additional methods you may utilize to aid your brain in remembering information. Here are some simple tips to try.
Understand the information:
It is simpler to memorise information that is arranged and makes sense to you. Spend some time learning the information if you discover that you don’t comprehend it before attempting to memorise it.
Link it:
Make a connection between the material you’re attempting to remember and something you already know. It is harder to retain information that isn’t connected to other ideas than information that is. Make up a ridiculous connection if you can’t think of a way to relate the material to something you already know.
Sleep:
According to studies, your brain stores and analyses information while you’re asleep. Even if it’s just for a little while, try to study material before bed to see if that helps the information stick in your memory.
Self-Test:
Every now and again, test your knowledge by actively remembering the material you are trying to learn. Don’t just read through your notes or a textbook again; actively test yourself. Students frequently assume they recall content simply because it is familiar to them when they revisit it. Ask yourself questions instead and try to recall the information without consulting the solution or the source.
Use mnemonics:
Mnemonic strategies use patterns to aid in helping you remember a phrase or concept. Mnemonic strategies can take the form of rhymes, melodies, poems, drawings, pictures, and acronyms. When you strive to remember anything, mnemonics add meaning to ordinary things to help you remember them.
Write it out:
Because there is a direct link between our hand and brain when we write, it seems to assist us more thoroughly encode the information we’re attempting to learn. During lectures, try taking notes by hand, and afterward, rewrite and rearrange notes or material by hand. Try saying the material aloud and visualizing the topic as you write it down to help you remember it. | https://paperazzimag.com/6-memorization-strategies-to-boost-your-memory/ |
SQ3R: An Effective Reading Method for All Students
SQ3R is five-step technique that you can use to learn more effectively, and to increase your retention of written information. It helps you to focus what you need from a document, and to create a clear structure for the information in your mind.
To use SQ3R, follow the five steps below.
SURVEY Before reading, establish a purpose.
Survey (scan) the chapter
- Read the title of the chapter
- Read each subtitle
- Study any illustrations, graphs, charts, etc.
- Read the study guide questions at the end of the chapter
- Read the chapter summary
QUESTION Before reading, turn headings into direct questions.
Note down any questions that you may have about the subject. These could be the questions that led you to read it in the first place, or ones that you thought of during your survey.
Also, think about what else you want to achieve from this reading. What do you need to find out from this material? What are you most interested in learning? And how will this information help you?
When you question the material, you engage your mind and prepare it for learning. You're far more likely to retain information when you're actively looking for it.
READ Read for understanding, make sure to find answers.
Now read the document, one section at a time. Make a note of anything that you don't understand – you can use these notes later on, when you explore related materials.
You may find that this read-through takes more time than you expect, especially if the information is dense or complex.
Keep yourself focused by turning every subheading or chapter title into a question that you must answer before you move on. For example, you could turn the subtitle, "Juries in Courtrooms" into the question, "When is a jury used?" and run through the answer in your mind before you move onto the next part of the text.
RECITE Use your own words to paraphrase.
Once you've read the appropriate sections of the document, run through it in your mind several times. Identify the important points, and then work out how other information fits around them. Then, go back to your questions from Step 2, and try to answer them from memory. Only turn back to the text if you're unable to answer a question this way.
REVIEW Reread the text for clarification.
Once you can recall the information, you can start to review it.
First, reread the document or your notes. This is especially important if you don't feel confident that you've understood all of the information.
Then discuss the material with someone else – this is a highly effective method of reviewing information. Explain what you have just learned as comprehensively as you can, and do your best to put the information into a context that's meaningful for your team, organization, or industry.
Finally, schedule regular reviews of the material to keep it fresh in your mind. Do this after a week, after a month, and after several months – this helps to embed the material into your long-term memory. | https://www.pediatricsplus.com/parents/therapy-resources/therapy-resources/sq3r-an-effective-reading-method-for-all-students |
Definitely prefer the other book I have better. I really enjoyed reading it; which says a lot about a textbook.
The layout of the book and the writing style made it really easy to follow. The material is presented in a manner that made it easy to comprehend. Not to say that the Malacologist teaching this course wasn't - he just didnt have any money for me!
I do feel that the author attempted to gear the book towards bio students who had to take an invert zoo class rather than solely to students majoring in invert.
Provides good background info; and helps the reader get a grasp on what invertebrates are.
I keep it and still reference to it now that I'm taking vertebrate! With a wide range of interactive, engaging, and assignable activities, students are encouraged to actively learn and retain tough course concepts. | https://bafawasydequl.ettroisptitspointscompagnie.com/a-short-guide-to-writing-about-biology-pechenik-ebook-download220006960xf.html |
Success in college courses requires that you master the material of the course and that you remember what you have learned when you take exams. Many students feel that their academic problems stem not from a failure to learn the course material but rather from a failure to retain it. You have probably had the experience of knowing something "cold" the night before an important exam, then having your mind go blank during the test. But your memory can be improved.
How well you remember academic material depends less upon your inborn talent than upon the specific strategies you follow as you study. These strategies are simple to understand and simple to use:
Distributed practice. Distributed practice means to break up your study into smaller periods; to study a little every day instead of a lot all at once. Studying for an extended period without a break is usually unproductive.
Overlearning. You should not stop studying when you have acquired 100% mastery of the material, but should continue studying to produce overlearning. Continuing to study after mastery gives you a margin for forgetting, a margin that you will need on the exam. The rule here is: after you've learned it, keep practicing.
Repetition. Few individuals are able to retain information seen once. Repetition is necessary in order to get the material into memory storage. For example, many college textbooks introduce a large number of technical terms and names of theories. This vocabulary of terms and names can be mastered by using a flash-card method, just as you might study French or German vocabulary words by going over and over the words on cards.
Elaborative Rehearsal. Rote rehearsal involves repeating the material to be learned over and over. Elaborative rehearsal is a more active learning process. When you rehearse material using this method, you study it by thinking of its meaning, by trying to picture it (forming a mental image of it), and by thinking of things that are associated with it. Material that is elaboratively rehearsed is remembered better than material that is rehearsed in a rote fashion.
Selective learning. No one can memorize an entire lecture series and textbook before the final exam. All that is possible is to select the most important material and to learn it. Knowing what to decide to remember and what to forget is a difficult process. William James once wrote, "The essence of genius is to know what to overlook." In deciding what is important enough to remember, your textbook can be helpful -- note what appears in boldface or italics and what is emphasized in the chapter summary.
Exam Perspective. Your memory would work best if you could study the material exactly as it appears on the exam. Memory problems result when there is a big difference between the wording of a concept in the textbook and on the exam. Such problems can be partially overcome by studying with an exam perspective -- that is, by trying to anticipate exam questions as you study.
Active Learning. Some students think that they are studying when they expose their eyes to the pages of the textbook or their ears to the lecturer. But for information to be retained in memory, a much more active approach must be taken. Ask questions -- out loud or to yourself. Sift out the less important material, and actively decide to retain the important points. Take notes. Organize your notes and review them. Take an active approach to studying.
Learning Skills Department
Located on the second floor of the Life Sciences Building
English: LS 201
Math: LS 205
Testing: LS 206
Math Lab: (323) 953-4000 ext. 2775
Language Arts: (323) 953-4000 ext. 2776
Early Online Enrollment in a Learning Skills Department class only "Reserves" a spot in one of our classes. To complete their enrollment, students must come to the Learning Skills Department, take any necessary diagnostic or placement tests, and receive necessary information about class assignments and textbooks. | https://www.lacitycollege.edu/Departments/Learning-Skills/General-Study-Skills/Memory-Improvement |
In an era of "informational capitalism", information literacy has the power to determine an individual's economic and social capital. Considering the context of the library within the broader epistemological community, LIS professionals must address both theoretically and practically the material conditions surrounding information literacy design, instruction, and outreach. The librarian's approach to information literacy instruction should be informed not only by professional and educational standards, but should also incorporate the needs of the community and the individual. In order to foster an inclusive learning environment, librarians must take into account the perspective and specific needs of an increasingly diverse user population. Inclusive information literacy instruction does not just serve the "majority student", but through outreach and assessment creates a safe space for learning for the entire campus community.
This meant encouraging students to participate as often as possible. Taking cues from the already built outlines and from my internship mentor, I designed my sessions in order to maximize the amount of times that students were actively participating. The more students are invested in the class and activities, the more likely they are to retain the information. My mentor advised me to always let students know why the class or activities are relevant to them personally, as it helps them to really engage.
I pride myself on being a skilled communicator. When working with a classroom of students, communication can become tricky. I have found that listening is perhaps the most important aspect of communication. It’s easy when dealing with a common question to listen for keywords and spit out a pre-loaded answer, but I think this is a mistake. It’s important to take time to really listen to what a student is saying, and to consider where they are coming from. I have found that when I am being a dedicated listener, it makes the interaction more helpful for the student and much easier for me.
Each student is unique in the way that they learn and apply skills. Similarly, each student comes into the classroom with different tools already in their toolbox. Despite the fact that incoming students are part of the “Google generation,” many still struggle with basic information literacy skills. I will never show impatience towards students, or show any sign that they are behind, because this only leads to feelings of frustration. Almost everyone prefers a positive environment, and I enjoy being able to foster this. | https://www.feministlibrarian.co/information-literacy-philosophy.html |
233 parents graduate and celebrate their partnerships
Today, 233 Klein ISD parents and family members graduated and celebrated their commitment to their students and their education.
This year’s class of grads includes participants from the entire Klein Forest feeder pattern including Klein Forest High School, Klein and Wunderlich intermediates, and Eiland, Epps Island, Greenwood Forest, Kaiser, Klenk, McDougle and Nitsch elementaries, and the Grace England Early Childhood and Pre-K Center.
The Parent University initiative originated at Klein Intermediate and looks to empower families to actively participate in their student’s education by engaging in meaningful partnerships with the schools and support the Klein ISD vision that every student enters with a promise and exits with a purpose.
Parents and family members who participate in Parent University attend sessions of their choosing in three categories, academics — courses designed to help parents understand course material, health and wellness — courses designed to provide information about proper nutrition, home environment, adequate sleep, mental and social wellness and more, personal growth and development — courses providing families with opportunities to build upon their own skills for personal and professionals growth.
To graduate, participants had to attend at least five sessions during the school year. This year, more than 1,000 parents attended sessions for Parent University.
Help us celebrate these Promise2Purpose Investors and their work and dedication to their student and to every student who is entering with a promise and exiting with a purpose. | https://news.kleinisd.net/2018/05/17/parent-university-sets-graduation-record/ |
The solar wind swept away lighter elements, such as hydrogen and helium, from the closer regions, leaving only heavy, rocky materials to create terrestrial worlds. But farther away, the solar winds had less impact on lighter elements, allowing them to coalesce and compose Neptune and other gas giants.
What is a Neptune like exoplanet?
The exoplanet, located outside of Earth’s solar system, is called TOI-1231 b. Both Neptune and TOI-1231 b hold a resemblance with one another with their gaseous states and rich atmospheres. This exoplanet orbits a red-dwarf star, NLTT 24399, every 24 Earth days.
How many confirmed Neptune like planets have been discovered?
The Kepler Space Telescope operated 2009—2018 and discovered over 2,600 exoplanets, nearly 1,000 of which were classified as sub-Neptunes.
How did Neptune and Uranus form?
The results show that Uranus and Neptune apparently formed on the Carbon Monoxide (CO) ice line, which would explain why they consist of carbon-rich solids but nitrogen-depleted gas. … Moreover, since the nitrogen ice line is located slightly farther away, the planets formed naturally poor in nitrogen..
Is Earth similar to Neptune?
Like Earth, Neptune has a rocky core made up of iron and other metals, with a mass just greater than our planet. Temperatures in the core could reach 9,260 F (5,127 C). Like the other gas giants, Neptune boasts a series of rings. But the blue planet’s six rings are not as solid as its neighbors.
Is Pluto habitable?
Today, Pluto is a freezing cold world with a surface temperature of about 45 Kelvin, or -380 degrees Fahrenheit. However, the research suggests that early on during its ancient history, Pluto had higher chances of being habitable. … Abstract: Pluto is thought to possess a present-day ocean beneath a thick ice shell.
What planet is Uranus?
Uranus is the seventh planet from the Sun, and has the third-largest diameter in our solar system. It was the first planet found with the aid of a telescope, Uranus was discovered in 1781 by astronomer William Herschel, although he originally thought it was either a comet or a star.
Is Uranus habitable?
Uranus’ environment is not conducive to life as we know it. The temperatures, pressures, and materials that characterize this planet are most likely too extreme and volatile for organisms to adapt to.
What is the new planet discovered in 2020?
List of exoplanets discovered in 2020
|Name||Mass ( M J)||Distance (ly)|
|Gliese 1061 c||0.00547±0.00072||11.98±0.003|
|Gliese 1061 d||0.00516 +0.00076−0.00072||11.98±0.003|
|Gliese 1252 b||0.00658±0.00176||66.49±0.06|
|Gliese 3082 b||0.02759 +0.011−0.01334||54.2|
How many Super Earths are there?
The Solar System contains no known super-Earths, because Earth is the largest terrestrial planet in the Solar System, and all larger planets have both at least 14 times the mass of Earth and thick gaseous atmospheres without well-defined rocky or watery surfaces; that is, they are either gas giants or ice giants, not …
Why is Pluto not a planet?
Answer. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) downgraded the status of Pluto to that of a dwarf planet because it did not meet the three criteria the IAU uses to define a full-sized planet. Essentially Pluto meets all the criteria except one—it “has not cleared its neighboring region of other objects.”
What is Neptune’s composition?
Neptune is very similar to Uranus. It’s made of a thick soup of water, ammonia, and methane over an Earth-sized solid center. Its atmosphere is made of hydrogen, helium, and methane. The methane gives Neptune the same blue color as Uranus.
Who is the Neptune God?
In Greek mythology Poseidon (Neptune to the Romans) was a son of the Titans (Giants) Cronus and Rhea, and the brother of the supreme god Zeus. Poseidon’s attribute is a trident. With it he could stir the waters and split rocks.
Does it rain diamonds on Neptune?
Deep within Neptune and Uranus, it rains diamonds—or so astronomers and physicists have suspected for nearly 40 years. The outer planets of our Solar System are hard to study, however. … Discoveries such as these reveal the complexity of the chemical processes involved in the evolution of these planets.
What are 5 interesting facts about Neptune?
10 Interesting Facts About Neptune
- Neptune is the Most Distant Planet: …
- Neptune is the Smallest of the Gas Giants: …
- Neptune’s Surface Gravity is Almost Earth-like: …
- The Discovery of Neptune is Still a Controversy: …
- Neptune has the Strongest Winds in the Solar System: …
- Neptune is the Coldest Planet in the Solar System:
Is Neptune all water?
Neptune is one of two ice giants in the outer solar system (the other is Uranus). Most (80% or more) of the planet’s mass is made up of a hot dense fluid of “icy” materials – water, methane, and ammonia – above a small, rocky core. | https://astro-imaging.com/stars/how-are-neptune-like-planets-formed.html |
Polyphemus is the second of three gas giants and the fourth planet orbiting the star Alpha Centauri A (ACA) in the Alpha Centauri System. Slightly smaller and denser than Jupiter, Polyphemus has no rings and has fourteen moons, the most notable being Pandora. Humanity discovered the gas giant somewhere between 2030 and 2057, using a ground-based telescope named COSTIN. Originally, the planet was named "Coeus" after a titan of Greek mythology, however the name was later changed to its current one.
Description
Visually, Polyphemus resembles a slightly smaller, blue and purple version of Jupiter, with less prominent bands and a larger vortex storm. This large, eye-shaped storm is the source of the planet's name, being that Polyphemus is the gigantic, cyclops son of Poseidon and Thoosa in Greek mythology, appearing in Homer's epic "The Odyssey". Unlike other gas giants, Polyphemus has no visible rings.
In addition to the fourteen moons orbiting Polyphemus, there is a large and a small planetoid at the gas giant's L4 and L5 Lagrangian points respectively. Since Polyphemus' orbit lies in ACA's habitable zone, appropriately sized planets or moons may have liquid surface water, and therefore support life.
Polyphemus can be seen in the sky on Pandora. Depending on where the moons are in their orbits, Pandora may also have two or even three moons in its sky at once. Depending on ACA's position, Pandora and the other large moons cast dark shadows on Polyphemus, like beauty marks.
As with all gas giants (especially gas giants close to the parent star, as with Polyphemus), this planet is surrounded by a lethal halo of charged particles (the radiation belts around Polyphemus are more energetic than the belts surrounding Jupiter); the innermost moonlets of Polyphemus have reported radiation in excess of 4500 rem per day (Io receives 3200 rem per day), which is aggravated due to the higher metallicity in the planets' internal composition. Pandora resides just outside the main radiation belts of Polyphemus, except for a week, when rotating along the night side of Polyphemus. At that time, the planet is shrouded at night in a shimmering aurora, and receives a scourge of radiation. Pandoran life has evolved to not be bothered by strong ionizing radiation, but humans on Pandora routinely take iodine supplements and seek protection during radiation storms; even then, incidences of radiation-related sicknesses absorb a significant part of medical treatments for personnel stationed on Pandora.
Internal Structure
Beneath the liquid droplet clouds that make up its visible 'surface', Polyphemus's atmosphere gradually thickens as its temperature and pressure build up from gravitational compression. When the pressure reaches about two megabars (approximately 29,000,000 pounds per square inch, which is almost two million times Earth's sea level atmospheric pressure) and the temperature reaches about 6000K (10,340F, slightly hotter than the surface of the Sun), hydrogen undergoes a phase change to its metallic form. The size of the liquid metal portion is about three-quarters of the planet's total diameter. This feature is common to all but the smallest gas giants.
Continuing downward, there is a central core of molten iron, surrounded by a thin jacket of lighter, rockier material. Large amounts of iron are not commonly found in gas giants as they have mainly rocky cores.
Polyphemus has an intense internal heat source that results from the gravitational energy released during the contracting of the gases from which it is formed. Additionally, as hydrogen and helium were compressed, they changed from gases to liquids. This released their 'latent heat' (also called the 'heat of vaporisation', which is the amount of energy it takes to evaporate a liquid into a gas). Finally, some of the helium that dissolved in the metallic hydrogen core condensed out & moved downwards, converting its gravitational potential energy into heat via friction processes.
Source
References
- ↑ MikkoWilson.Com - Avatar: The Exhibition photogallery
- ↑ Pandora was discovered in 'the late 21st century' ie 2050 at the earliest, and Polyphemus two decades beforehand (in 2030 at the earliest), according to Avatar: The Game's Pandorapedia. The first landings on Pandora were in 2084, so allowing time for travel it was discovered in 2077 at the latest, providing us with a latest-possible discovery for Polyphemus in 2057. | https://james-camerons-avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Polyphemus |
Articles >> What Is Saturn Made Of?
Saturn is the sixth planet in our Milky Way galaxy and is most known for its beautiful rings. Saturn was the Roman name for the Greek god ‘Cronus’, who was the Titan lord in mythology. Like so many words that we use today, Saturn is the base word for Saturday. To understand what Saturn is made up, we have to know about the different types of planets.
In the Milky Way galaxy we have two kinds of planets: gas giants and solid planets. Earth is a solid planet, although we have a gaseous atmosphere. Gas giants usually have a solid core, but the rest is totally made of gas. It’s thought that if these gas giants, which includes Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune and Uranus, had continued to develop enough ‘fusion power’, they could have become suns. Instead, they are part of our eight planets that circle around our own sun.
Saturn is so large that over 760 earths could fit inside it. It is believed to have an iron core that is ten to twenty times the size of earths. Its density (weight) is so low, that if you had a Saturn-sized bathtub, it would actually float. Most of the gas that is on Saturn is helium and hydrogen. There are smaller amounts of methane, ammonia, and other gases. Above the solid iron core it is believed there is a layer of methane, ammonia and water. The next layer is very compressed liquid metallic hydrogen and then a very thick layer of hydrogen and helium. As you move further away from the surface, it’s the helium and hydrogen gases that merge to become its atmosphere.
Saturn also has winds that whip around the planet at nearing 1,800 kph. The winds are caused by the fact that Saturn is the fastest spinning planet that we have in our galaxy. This spinning causes the planet to bulge in the center as it completes a ‘day’ in only 10 ½ hours.
There are many curious things about Saturn. The rings of Saturn have been a fascination throughout time, glowing in the night sky. We now know that the rings are made up of both very small and extremely large pieces of ice and rock. When the sun reflects on the ice, it gives the rings a magical bright look. Saturn has a magnetic field that is 578 times that of the earth.
There is another curiosity that scientists have yet to figure out. At Saturn’s North Pole there is a mysterious hexagon shape that is 12,500 km wide. Almost four earths could fit inside this hexagon. No one knows what has caused the shape to be there and thermal images have shown it reaches down nearly 100 km down to near Saturn’s surface.
Many may have their own favorite planet based on color, size or even the number of moons it has. (Saturn has 62 known satellites). Saturn is by far a favorite to many because of its beautiful rings. Each time one of the missions cruise by Saturn, they send back some of the most lovely pictures of all of the planets. | http://planetsforkids.org/what-is-saturn-made-of.html |
This report presents a summary of my Coop training report and the task that I completed in 28 weeks of the training. The report has three sections based on different areas of the study. The first Unit covers the work I completed at Baxter Company Limited under the heat transfer system. The unit operates with three distinct components. It offers consultation services on heat transfer equipment.
The report focuses on heat transfer machines, which include heat exchangers, boiler, and distiller machines. It shows types of equipment, design specifications, and possible equipment failures. Finally, the report covers study cases and consulting assignments I undertook during the Coop training.
Acknowledgments
My thanks and prayers go to Allah for His guidance and protection in my life. I also acknowledge my parents for their support and help and taking care of me throughout my life. They enabled me to achieve all that I have now.
I also thank King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and Mechanical Engineering Department for the wonderful opportunity and support they accorded me during this assignment, which helped me to relate theory and field practices.
Baxter Company Limited also played a significant role by giving a wonderful chance to work alongside its team of qualified and experienced engineers. They provided me with the necessary assistance I required to complete my project successfully. Specifically, I express my profound gratitude to Dr. Forqan for his thorough guidance, reviews, and support at Baxter.
Lastly, I would like to state that the Co-op training session was a magnificent opportunity that exposed me to a real work situation, which will shape my future and career.
Introduction
My attachment was with Baxter Company Limited (BCL). BCL manufactures pharmaceutical products. It also engages in water treatment by eliminating bacteria to provide water for medical solutions and peritoneal dialysis. Rainwater has many impurities from the atmosphere, such as CO2 and other elements, which dissolve in water and could be dangerous to human health. Rainwater also picks certain dangerous chemicals and metals like lead, pesticides, and fertilizers among other dangerous substances.
Likewise, water in reservoirs also has several microorganisms and natural minerals. Tap water and other sources of water for human consumption are treated to remove these impurities and make water safe for human consumption. All countries have regulations that ensure that water for human consumption meets specific quality requirements in terms of mineral and substance contents. While tap water is suitable for human use, they are not appropriate for use in medical solutions and peritoneal dialysis. Water for manufacturing pharmaceutical solutions must be particularly pure. The need for pure water for pharmaceutical solutions and peritoneal dialysis was the main reason that led to the establishment of BCL. BCL provides quality pure water for pharmaceutical purposes. The report will show my Co-op progress while at the company.
Pharmaceutical water must meet safety standards by being free from any form of contamination. The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation ensures the standard of water for pharmaceutical solutions meets the required specifications.
Heat transfer mechanisms have several applications in mechanical engineering. However, only three devices have wider applications. They include a distiller machine, heat exchanger, and boiler. Hence, the Co-op training report will focus on these three equipment and possible technical challenges with these machines.
The Host Company and Co-op Assignment
An Overview of BCL
Founded in the fall of 2009, Baxter Company Limited (BCL) is a joint business between the Olayan Group and Baxter Healthcare Corporation. BCL was the 58th factory of Baxter and the first one in the Middle East region. The company produces intravenous medical solutions and peritoneal dialysis solutions for patients with renal conditions. The relationship between Olayan and Baxter dates back to 30 years ago when it worked with Arabian Healthcare Supply Company (AHSC) to offer products from Baxter. AHSC is a fully owned subsidiary of Olayan Group. Baxter Healthcare develops, manufactures, and promotes medical products for people with immune disorders, kidney disease, hemophilia, infectious diseases, trauma, and other chronic and acute diseases. BCL leverages its knowledge of medical equipment, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals to develop advanced medical solutions. Some of these medical solutions include commercially developed intravenous solutions, kidney dialysis machines, concentrated clotting factors for hemophilia, and pandemic flu vaccine developed from cell cultures.
Co-op Plan and Activities
The KFUPM regulations require an intern to complete 28 weeks of training. This Co-op plan was organized by the supervisor and mentor to meet BCL requirements and comply with training periods as follow:
During the Co-op session, the plan involved working alongside qualified, experienced, and highly skilled professional engineers to accomplish different tasks. The process involved learning and knowledge acquisition. These professionals were responsible for induction into the three main gadgets used in the unit, which included heat exchanger, boiler, and distiller machine. The process involved understanding the functions and operations of these machines and then using the acquired knowledge in real situations and case studies to solve problems.
Heat Transfer Equipment
Heat transfer is a critical role in most engineering processes, particularly where there are several functions, devices, and systems. Heat transfer helps in transferring heat or thermal energy from one system to another. This section discusses three major heat transfer devices used during the Co-op training at Baxter.
Distiller machine
Stage 1
Water treatment chain
BCL determines water contamination by applying three distinct classifications, which include dissolved substances, microorganisms, and particles. Water from external sources, which is pumped into the company’s reservoirs, contains different particles like sand, clay, and iron. These elements cause water turbidity (make water appear muddy). Substances in water are both living and non-living impurities. There are several processes involved in water purification for pharmaceutical purposes. These processes involve pre-treatment and a two-stage process that consists of reverse osmosis treatment.
Pre-treatment process
Several methods are used to produce ultrapure water as demonstrated in figure 1 below (Jacobs 232). Studies have indicated that a distillation procedure results in high-quality water relative to other procedures. However, BCL does not use distillation because the process requires huge amount of energy, but produces small volumes of water.
Treatment system
BCL acknowledges that it is not possible to get ultra pure water from a single process. As a result, it uses several devices with different procedures to treat water. The company uses devices, which can produce the quality of water required for medical purposes. Figure 2 shows the system used at the company’s plant.
The system has a valve to prevent any possible backflow of water. The valve is at the joint that connects the system and the incoming pump from external sources of water. Another booster pump controls the valve gadget and helps the pump to build the minimum needed pressure from the feed line.
Water filtering
BCL pumps water from external suppliers into its storage tanks. After this, it pumps water into a treatment chamber. The first process involves filtering impurities. The system has sand filters, which consist of 25 to 31 inches of sand grains. In order to prevent the growth of microorganisms trapped in the sand particles, BCL removes the top layer regularly. The system also has activated carbon filters to remove dissolved organic elements and chlorine chloramines from the water. Carbon is a part of an adsorptive device and a pre-treatment clearing system. Carbon has great surface area to mass ratio, which is suitable as a component of adsorptive substances. This property allows carbon to absorb chlorine and chloramines dissolved in the water.
Several factors influence the adsorption capacity of carbon. These include quantity and quality of the carbon used, chlorine and chloramines present in the water, and the volume of the incoming water. The company chooses its carbon filters based on the degree of contamination of the water and the source of the water. It also conducts regular backwashing of carbon filters in order to remove accumulated organic elements. This process also restores adsorptive quality by protecting media components from channeling cases. Any failure to maintain carbon adsorptive quality results in passage of chemicals to the next stage.
On this note, engineers should monitor and change carbon and sand filters regularly. While sand filters can be regenerated well, carbon filters lack this quality. Hence, carbon filters are disposable. BCL has a team of technicians who monitor and maintain filters regularly. They also replace old filters in order to maintain the best performing standards.
Water softening
The next stage after water filtration involves water softening. Water from external sources is not soft. It is important to transfer only soft water to the reverse osmosis section to prevent any possible damage to the system. In most cases, water that proceeds to the reserve osmosis chamber has calcium and magnesium. Water softeners lower the level of divalent ion charge and shield the membrane of the system from scaling and building up. Ion exchangers are main substances used in water softeners. They are in cationic forms and exchange two Na+ ions for Ca++ and Mg++ and other cation ions like manganese and iron. The volume of soft water produced depends on the volume of resin.
A function of the total hardness of the incoming water, flow outcome, and consumption ratio, resin quality, and the rate of regeneration cycles are used to determine the effectiveness of a softener. After a complete exchange of Na+ ions, the resin becomes obsolete and must be restored to avoid problems of hard water syndrome. BCL ensures that all processes involved with softeners are done on-site by using a brine sodium chloride solution by altering the ion exchange process. The process leads to the restoration of Na+ ions on the resin by altering the divalent fixed ions. The regeneration of used resins is performed on a large-scale basis outside the site. Calcium from the used resin goes to a non-desired state referred to as a hard water syndrome. At BCL, engineers limit hard water syndrome by conducting daily monitoring and maintenance of the system. Just like in the filtering process, the water softening process may also be affected by the growth of microorganisms. However, engineers use backwashing to avoid the growth of microorganisms in the water softening chamber. In addition, they also conduct regular sanitization in which the softener is flushed with extremely concentrated sodium hypochlorite solution to inhibit the growth of microorganisms. Figure 3 shows the water softener and its functioning processes.
Stage 2
The second stage is the last stage in water purification procedures. Deionisation or reverse osmosis alongside sterilizer equipment may be applied to complete water purification in this stage. While any of the above methods are suitable for water purification, BCL applies both methods at different series in order to enhance the quality of the purified water. After the softening process, water goes through UV sterilizer, deionization, and RO equipment.
UV treatment
The UV sterilizer relies on the solar energy to function. Hence, it is outside the building. Normally, sunlight has spectra like gamma and ultraviolet (UV). UV is effective for eradicating bacteria in the water during purification. However, ultraviolet treatment may not be an effective method of eradicating bacteria in purified water because some species of bacteria may still be present even after the UV treatment. However, the effectiveness of UV treatment depends on the depth of water, the intensity of the sunlight, and the flow rate of water. These factors show that UV treatment should not be applied alone in water treatment. Water treatment firms must use UV alongside other treatment methods to enhance water purification and the effectiveness of the method.
Deionization process
After water sterilization processes, the next process involves deionization where water passes through a deionization device. Hoffmann notes that deionization process removes inorganic ions from the water (Hoffmann 117). This process also uses the principle of ion exchange applied in the water softening stage. Engineers apply two types of ion exchange resin, which are cationic and anionic. Cationic resins replace hydrogen ions with cations. Conversely, anionic resin swaps over hydroxyl ions for anions. The cationic and anionic resins are mixed in a mixed bed deioniser. This process results in formation of water as hydrogen and hydroxyl exchange their ions. The resistivity of the affluent water determines the efficiency of the deioniser. Procedures in mixed bed deioniser result in effluent water. Double bed deionisers, which have cationic and anionic resins in different sections, generate water of low quality relative to water obtained through mixed bed deionisers. It is imperative to ensure that resins from dialysis chambers do not mix with resins from non-medical places, particularly in commercial regeneration of deioniser resins. Likewise, chemicals for regenerating resins should not have toxic elements. It is also important to ensure that chemicals are rinsed well before deioniser can be used in water treatment.
Deionisation is the best method for water purification. As a result, the resistance of water to electric current should be used to determine the quality of water. Several factors influence the quality of deionized water. These include composition of the supplied water, resin tanks involved in the deionization process, an ion exchange.
The reverse osmosis system
Reverse osmosis is affordable process relative to the methods above used in water purification. In addition, the method is also quite effective, particularly in disinfecting water with organic and inorganic elements (Jacobs 239). The method relies on the general principle of osmosis. Hence, osmosis process occurs across semi-permeable membranes because of differences in ionic concentration. Figure 4 below indicates the osmosis process in water purification.
When one considers the left section of the figure above, any change in the hydraulic pressure of the concentrated side exceeds the osmotic pressure. Consequently, the flow of water will be reversed, and it will move from a highly concentrated side to a lowly concentrated side. This is the reserve osmosis process. It functions like a sieve that filters and separates solute above the membrane limit. Reverse osmosis inhibits the flow of incoming water and creates two fluxes.
Just like other processes of water purification, reverse osmosis also has many factors that affect its effectiveness. These may include the size of the membrane, pH, water temperature, characteristics of water components, levels of water contamination and concentration, and the production ratio. Characteristics of components in water consist of structures, surface area, and nature of the solution. Pre-treatment system effectiveness and the maintenance of the reverse osmosis membrane affect optimal performances and lifespan of reverse osmosis. The nature of the membrane may also influence its resistance to reverse osmosis, destructive effects of chemicals, disinfectants, or bacteria. The destructive nature of some bacteria affects cellulose acetate. Likewise, artificial membranes are more prone to caustic effect of some chemical species in water. Generally, thin compound membranes are highly effective and resistant to most corrosive agents.
BCL uses hydraulic pressure on the brine side in order to sift water against osmosis force through a semi-permeable casing (figure 5).
The company has technicians that watch regular performance of the reverse osmosis system. They observe the resistivity of both the produced water and the rejected one. The ratio of 0.85 to 0.95 in production or rejection shows that reverse osmosis system is performing optimally. However, any value that is below 0.80 shows that the membrane component requires a change. Water quality may also become low due to fouling or scaling that takes place on the membrane. The purity of the inflowing pre-treated water affects reverse osmosis. Companies should conduct scheduled flushing of the membrane in order to re-establish optimal performance of the reverse osmosis system. A preservation of the membrane property makes the reverse osmosis the most effective method of purifying water. The process eliminates bacteria based on the bacterial load in water and the proper tightness of the frame.
Therefore, the company can collect ultra-pure water from reverse osmosis and store it in a closed stainless steel storage tank. The tank has a concave design on all its ends while the internal surface has polish to inhibit the growth of bacteria. Pure water from the reverse osmosis system goes into the tank from the upper side of the reservoir. The water then moves to the concave chamber, which controls the flow of the water within the inner surface of the tank. This results in lasting linage of the wall. Ultrapure water can then be directed to distribution channels from the bottom of the tank. The tank works under-maintained water pressure.
Monitoring of water system
Baxter Company Limited has a proper system of monitoring water to ensure maximum operations. This section will cover some critical areas in the water monitoring system that require constant attention. Some of these areas include water softening chambers, carbon reservoirs, reverse osmosis section, deionized, filters, and other ancillary parts. In the water softener chamber, engineers observe water hardness at the end of each day. The water softener should be 1ppm. Measurements could indicate any deviation from the normal water pressure. When the pressure is under 10 Pascals, engineers start backflushing at the water softener junction. In every shift, they must observe the concentration of chlorine and chloramines in the carbon tank.
Engineers must monitor any change in water pressure, resistivity, and rejection ratio in order to ensure that the system works optimally at the reverse osmosis chamber. Moreover, regular monitoring of the system enhances the life of the semi-permeable membrane of the reverse osmosis system. In the deionization chamber, any changes in pressure should not go beyond 10 Pascals because any changes in pressure beyond this level could cause severe clogging in the reservoir. At the same time, engineers must also monitor filters frequently to identify any changes in pressures. The other ancillary parts like pump valves also require regular monitoring for any defects.
Heat Exchanger
A heat exchanger is a device that provides effective transfer of heat from one fluid to another, whether there is a physical separation between the fluids or not. Heat transfer entails a mechanical process that requires conduction and convection. In the convection transfer, heat flows from the hot fluid within the tube to inner parts of the same conductor. By conduction, heat moves through the conductor wall, whereas it moves from the outer surface of the conductor to the outside cold fluid.
Function and Types
Engineers achieve the following objectives when they use heat exchangers:
- A transfer of temperature from a hotter fluid to a colder fluid
- Heat transfer ensures a change of fluid from a liquid state to a vapor state at a constant temperature
All heat exchangers work by using the same transfer principle when transferring heat. However, the fluid, the design, layout, and the configuration of heat exchanger components may differ from one exchanger to another. The major types of heat exchangers are the following:
- Shell-and-tube heat exchangers
- Air-cooled heat exchangers
- Double-pipe heat exchangers
- Plate-and-frame heat exchangers
Heat Exchangers Components
Heat exchangers have several parts that ensure they function effectively as required. This section identifies the most common parts of heat exchangers in the plant (shell-and-tube) and shows various functions of different parts.
Shell-and-tube Heat Exchanger
- Shell
This is the container with the fluid
- Shell side nozzles
These are inlet and outlet ports of the heat exchanger
- Tube side channels and nozzles
These components control the movement of the tube side fluid into and out of the tubes.
- Tubes
Tube is the basic part of the shell, which has the surface for transferring heat
- Tube sheet
This is a round drilled metal plate, which makes the tube
- Girth flanges
Flange bolts the shell cover. Shell cover flanges are primarily designed for the shell-side environments
- Flat covers
Flat covers are designed for internal pass partitions of plates of the exchange
- Pass dividers
This component separates a channel or bonnet of the exchanger with two tube-side passes.
Tubes Failure and Maintenance
Tubes are fundamental parts of the heat exchanger. Its major purpose is heat transfer. These heavy duties may expose the heat exchanger to a number of failures. This section focuses on the most common types of the system failures, which can take place at the heat exchanger tubes. It also shows maintenance methods used on such failures.
Erosion Corrosion
Erosion corrosion is one major challenge that affects the heat exchanger system. Erosion corrosion is the removal of the metal surface because of high-speed friction caused by the flowing liquid. It causes severe attack, which can remove all the protective film on the surface of the tube and enhance the rate of corrosion. The rate of the liquid flow, density, and shape of the system affect the rate of erosion. In most cases, erosion-corrosion failure takes place when the liquid enters the tube or in parts that have U-shaped bends. These parts have extra shear tension that comes from the boundary layer and the movement of the liquid.
The best method for reducing erosion-corrosion involves the use of corrosion allowance. A corrosion allowance is an extra thick metal added to the tube in order to resist the friction and pressure from the load. The added thickness improves the metal thickness and reduces corrosion during heat transfer. In most cases, a process licenser or a mater engineer must determine and specify the corrosion allowance for any heat exchanger.
Fatigue Failure of Tubes
This type of failure occurs in the tube sheets. Tubes go through the tube sheets, and there are tube-to-tube joints. These points are prone to vibration, which causes the tube to be cold-worked. Extra strain weakens the tube and makes them prone to cracks and fatigue failure.
Fouling
During heat exchange processes that involve gases and liquid, a dirt coat slowly gathers in the heat transfer system. The dirt deposit could be coke, boiler scale, rust, silt, or any possible materials capable of forming dirt within the heat transfer system. The outcome of these deposits on the system is referred to as fouling. Fouling increases the heat resistance of the system. Technically, it is difficult for engineers to predict components of dirt deposits or the rate of fouling. Hence, regular cleaning of the heat exchanger guarantees optimal performance. Engineers conduct actual tests to determine the level of heat resistance.
Boiler
The boiler is also a device for transferring heat. Boilers are useful in steam generation. The form and size of the boiler must account for its specific purpose. Steam provides both heat and mechanical energy for the system. The core role of the boiler is to produce steam for mechanical energy to operate different devices and heat to run machines that require heat energy.
Types and Construction
Several types and construction of boilers exist, but the major ones include the following:
- Package or Field Erected
- Fire Tube or Water Tube
- Natural or Forced Circulation
- Electric Boiler
- Waste Heat
Conclusion
During this Co-op training period, I gained significant skills and knowledge from the company, work environment, and colleagues. While there were several challenges during the training, I acquired valuable experience that would be useful once I join another company in my capacity as a qualified engineer. I also noted that tap water could be suitable for human consumption, but it is not suitable for manufacturing medical and peritoneal dialysis solutions. Water for pharmaceutical purposes must be ultra-pure and meet safety standards. I learned about several methods of producing ultra-pure water for such medical purposes. The attachment equipped me with required knowledge to understand different water contaminants and their respective categories. It is imperative to recognize that a single process can never purify water until it achieves ultra-pure status. Hence, manufacturers must meet these standards to ensure patient safety (Herzlinger 203). On this note, BCL uses several devices and processes located in its plant in order to get ultra-pure water. The water purification process has two stages. The first stage involves water filtering and softening while the second stage entails UV treatment, water deionization, and reverse osmosis.
Water goes through filtering processes in the initial procedures of purification. The major components of these machines are mainly sand and charcoal filters. After filtration, water then passes to the next stage that involves softening. Hard water has magnesium and calcium, which must be removed through deionization. The process reduces effects of divalent ion charge and protects the wall of the semi-permeable membrane of the equipment.
The second stage involves the last process used to obtain ultrapure water. Engineers use reverse osmosis or deionization and sterilization techniques to achieve ultrapure water. While a single method can be applied to get water of the highest quality, BCL uses a combination of the two methods to enhance the quality of the purified water. After water softening processes, it then goes through UV treatment, deionization, and reverse osmosis chamber.
A summary of the dialysis water purification system
Water for pharmaceutical purposes must be safe, clean, and be free from any chemicals. As a result, this process requires thorough removal of all impurities contained in the supplied tap water. The dialysis process requires ultrapure water. Hence, any water that goes into the patient’s body must be free from chemicals and other impurities. The plant for analysis in the case study relied on two major processes of water purification to produce water for dialysis. The processes were distillation and reverse osmosis.
Distillation process
Distillation is the initial stage of water treatment. Water treatment devices for this stage include the following:
Feed pump
The feed pump supplies water into the reservoir and ensures that the water flows at the required pressure during the purification process.
Boiler
The boiler heats the water. This process destroys bacteria and removes certain chemicals.
Heat exchanger
Water that evaporates from the boiler passes through the heat exchanger. In this process, the working fluid absorbs heat energy from the boiler. This process results in water condensation.
Reverse osmosis (RO) treatment
The second stage in the water treatment process involves RO. Water treatment devices used in this stage are as follow:
Reverse osmosis feed motor
This ensures that water is pumped into the reverse osmosis chamber at the right pressure throughout the process.
Sand filters
Sand filters remove all solid particles and sediments in the pumped water. There are both slow and fast processes applied in the sand filter method. In most cases, water passes through a sand bed to eliminate all solid suspended particles.
Carbon filtration
The reverse osmosis process cannot eliminate chlorine and chloramines in the water. Hence, carbon filtration is applied in this process.
RO plant
This is the most important chamber in the water treatment plant. It relies on the osmosis principle to eliminate impurities in water.
Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection
Bacteria and pathogens that pass the RO process are eliminated at the UV treatment stage. Apart from UV treatment, engineers can also apply other methods of sterilization to destroy all bacteria and viruses in the water.
Storage tank
Pure ultra water is stored in tanks before it can be used in dialysis.
Shell and Tube Case Study
Introduction
One major part of water purification consists of shell and tube heat exchangers. The heat exchanger transfers heat that originates from the boiler steam to the feed water in order to create condensation. Heat energy in the shell and tube heat exchanger is transformed. In other words, heat energy in the steam is transferred to the running feed water within the heat exchanger. This is a distillation process, which is slow and requires a lot of heat energy to support boiling and condensation processes. In this regard, it is imperative to enhance the effectiveness of the shell and tube heat exchanger. This would result in energy-saving and an efficient condensation process. The case study involved an assessment of the shell and tube heat exchanger in order to determine inherent challenges and formulate solutions to enhance efficiency.
An explanation of the shell and tube heat exchanger
The shell and tube heat exchanger facilitates the movement of heat energy across two different liquids. In most cases, the coolant moves through several small tubes that run symmetrically within the exchanger while the steam runs within the shell. This results in the extraction of heat energy as the coolant or the feed water run on these small tubes. Figure 1 depicts the shell and tube heat exchanger.
Problem identification
In the Co-op session, the case study involved the heat exchanger system in order to discover some possible problems with it. The major challenge identified in this study was ineffective cooling. The rate of cooling was not satisfactory and the resultant water had high temperature. In addition, the system failed to achieve optimal condensation because some traces of steam escaped through the condensed water outlet. Hence, the heat exchanger did not perform optimally and was not sufficient. Further assessment of the system showed several challenges.
Inefficient flow of the dialysis water
Water flows into the tubes was not efficient. Water for distillation should flow at a constant pressure throughout the process. This ensures maximum absorption of heat energy from the steam and full condensation and cooling of the steam to the required temperature.
Poor flow of cooling water within the shell
The system did not maximize water flow within the shell. Cooling water flow should be as best as possible to ensure maximum removal of heat from the purified water.
The tube and shell components
The tube and shell parts hindered effective heat transfer between the coolant and the steam under distillation. As a result, heat transfer between the two fluids was not optimum.
Solutions to the problems
A number of approaches were developed to enhance the effectiveness of the heat exchanger. They included the following:
Improving the flow rate of the steam
Proper cooling requires an optimum flow of the steam. This ensures utmost transfer of heat energy to the coolant within the shell.
Maximizing the flow rate of the feed water within the shell
Coolant should also run at the most favorable rate to ensure efficient cooling and absorption of heat from the steam.
Enhancing the number of baffles
Several baffles would ensure that the steam goes through the system many times. This enhances cooling rate and effectiveness of the cooling process as shown in figure 2.
Adding many passes
Engineers could double the number of passes to facilitate optimal performance of the system. The installed heat exchanger has a double pass shell and tube. In such a setup, the coolant passes only twice in the tubes. Therefore, enhancing efficiency requires the coolant to pass through the system more than twice. This increases the effectiveness of the system and cooling process. Figure 3 captures the flow process of the coolant.
Increasing the number of baffles and the number of times by which coolant goes through the pipes
Increased baffles and the number of times the coolant passes through the heat exchanger enhance cooling efficiency. An increased number of baffles and frequencies of coolant passage will result in increased interaction between the coolant and the steam during distillation. Figure 4 shows the process of increasing baffles and frequencies of coolant passage.
Maintenance of the tubes
Usually, the tube’s surface is the main point of contact between the steam and the coolant involved in heat transfer. Therefore, a dirty coolant into the shell would deposit impurities and the surface and reduce its effectiveness. Any deposit of dirt on the surface of the tube results in poor conduction and transfer of heat, which affects the effectiveness of the cooling system. To this end, regular cleaning of the exchanger is necessary to remove dirty deposits. Corrosion may also occur because of oxidation on the sheet. Therefore, it is imperative to use chemicals to remove oxides.
Case Study 2: determining the tube thickness for heat transfer equipment
This case study involved determining the internal pressure and thickness of the shell. The internal diameter of the shell was 60 inches according to TEMA standard specifications. The maximum possible stress would vary from 17,000, 20,000 to 23,000 psi with joint efficiency that ranges from 0.7, 0.8 to 1.0. The aim was to determine the effect of these variables on the shell internal pressure and the required thickness. It also involved the evaluation of the effect on the circumferential and longitudinal strain.
Works Cited
Herzlinger, Regina. Consumer-driven health care: implications for providers, payers, and policymakers. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2004. Print.
Hoffmann, Stephen. Planet water: investing in the world’s most valuable resource. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2009. Print.
Jacobs, Claude. Replacement of renal function by dialysis. 4th ed. Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic, 2003. Print. | https://chalkypapers.com/summary-of-coop-training-report/ |
Water quality — the suitability of water to be used to irrigate and tend animals — is very important in agriculture.
On this page, find additional water quality information, including legal information, data and tools used for water quality assessment, and links to USDA research units containing relevant videos and scientific research related to water quality.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) works with agricultural producers to implement best management practices that minimize water quality and water quantity — the availability or use of water — issues. A clean and plentiful water supply is essential for productive agriculture to supply the public with adequate food and fiber. But agriculture, like other land uses, can sometimes negatively affect water quality.
Common causes of poor water quality:
- Soil erosion
- Manure runoff
- Over-application of nitrogen fertilizer
- Pollutants
- Excess phosphorus
These sources can deliver pollution to streams, rivers, and lakes, and may contaminate groundwater with nitrate. They can also harm drinking water supplies, aquatic ecosystems, and the recreational uses of water bodies.
Selected Resources
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National Program 211: Water Availability and Watershed Management (ars.usda.gov)
USDA research on fundamental and applied research on water availability, water quality, and technologies for managing agricultural water resources.
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National Water Quality Initiative (nrcs.usda.gov)
Provides a way to accelerate voluntary, on-farm conservation investments and focused water quality monitoring and assessment resources where they can deliver the greatest benefits for clean water.
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Nutrient Pollution Policy and Data (epa.gov)
Policy, reports, tools, data and more on nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) in water.
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State Water Offices (nationalaglawcenter.org) (PDF | 81.4KB)
State law generally governs the right to use surface water for irrigation, manufacturing, or another purpose. Contact your state Water Agency for more information.
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Water Resources - Water Quality (usgs.gov)
Among other resources, provides access to data, tools, techniques, news, multimedia, publications, and USGS laboratories and programs supporting research in many aspects of water quality issues.
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Water Quality (farmers.gov)
Information on water quality practices and USDA programs that help farmers improve water quality.
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Water Quality (fs.usda.gov)
Describes how agroforestry practices improve water quality. Links to relevant agroforestry information, research, and publications.
Legal Issues in Water Quality
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Clean Water Act (nationalaglawcenter.org)
Information about legislation, congressional reports, federal resources, publications, and other relevant resources.
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Regulatory and Guidance Information by Topic: Water (epa.gov)
Laws and regulations, guidance, reports, contacts and other information on 15 topics relevant to water.
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Standards for Water Body Health (epa.gov)
Water quality standards (WQS) are provisions of state, territorial, authorized tribal, or federal law that describe the desired condition of a water body and the means by which that condition will be protected or achieved.
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Water Law (nationalaglawcenter.org)
Information on water quantity, including legislation, federal resources, state organizations and resources, and publications. Topics include water allocation, irrigation, and other problems common to agriculture’s use of water.
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Water Resource Issues in the 117th Congress (congress.gov) (PDF | 1MB)
Congressional Research Service. March 20, 2021
USDA Research Units
Featured Resources
Irrigation Techniques
Irrigation, or water management, is the process of determining and controlling the volume, frequency and application rate of irrigation water in a planned, efficient manner.
Soil
Soil is a fundamental component of agriculture and life, and therefore one of our most important natural resources. | https://www.nal.usda.gov/natural-resources-conservation-environment/water-quality |
Amanzi Mótó- Improved Cookstoves and Water Purifiers Dissemination Programme
The project involves providing access to improved cookstoves that reduces consumption of fuel, currently non-renewable woody biomass. In a future phase the project aims to provide briquettes from renewable biomass cultivated under community-based approach. The project also includes the dissemination of affordable water purifiers which utilize modern technology to facilitate access to cleaner drinking water.
Improved Cookstoves Dissemination Programme
An extensive distribution programme to create nation-wide access of Improved Clean Cookstoves (ICS) to helping households to overcome barriers like affordability, availability, and consumer financing.
Improved Water Purifiers Dissemination Programme
The proposed water purification systems will eliminate the need for boiling of water for purification and thus will reduce fuel consumption for boiling. | https://www.aither.com/our-voluntary-carbon-offsetting-projects/ |
cicheng is surrounded by mountains on three sides, facing the river and enjoying beautiful mountain scenery. however, some villages hidden in the depths of the mountains, due to the high altitude and insufficient water pressure, have not been able to access the water pipe network. the main source of drinking water for the daily life of the villagers is reservoir water intake and barrel drinking. water.
it is understood that the water intake from the reservoir is mainly to store the water to the water tower in the high place, and then to the villagers through the rural pipe network. although the water problem has been temporarily solved, there are many limiting factors for water intake in the reservoir. for example, the water tower is vulnerable to secondary pollution. under the constraints of natural conditions, the ecological environment of the reservoir itself is vulnerable to damage, resulting in the breeding of algae and other microorganisms in the reservoir water. not the standard for daily water use.
in order to let the villagers drink clean and assured water, the cicheng government decided to take the current advanced membrane treatment process from the improvement of water quality. it is understood that the membrane treatment process is currently widely used in mineral water producers. through high-precision filtration of membranes, it can remove impurities, bacteria and retain useful minerals, so that the water quality reaches the level of mineral water.
the cicheng town uses the drinking water purification equipment produced by zhejiang jingyuan membrane technology co., ltd. with a treatment volume of 30t/h. it is the most advanced membrane treatment process, and the water produced by the equipment is water quality. it is superior to tap water, and all indicators meet the demand for drinking water, and also improve the taste of the reservoir water.
jin jing, deputy director of the rural development bureau of cicheng, told reporters that last year mao licun and maoyan village took the lead in using the membrane treatment process, and the water quality was greatly improved, which was also recognized by the villagers. at present, four villages, such as jinsha village and gongyou village, have also used membrane treatment processes. the villagers drank more water than the tap water, and the happiness increased. | https://www.tncrime.com/newsd/cid=133-id=141.html |
Industrial WWTP Consultant Services
Water quality management is one of the priorities in environmental management in Indonesia. The results of water quality monitoring carried out through the Prokasih program still show high levels of pollutants in water bodies. Water has physical and chemical characteristics that greatly affect the life of the organism in it. If there is a change in the quality of the waters, especially by environmental pollution, then the living balance of the organisms that are in these waters.
Human life in particular can be disrupted. Water environment pollution should be controlled at the level of the beginning of a process of pollution that occurs. If the level of water pollutionwater pollution is very dominant, then the prevention and prevention requires very expensive costs.
Besides being a natural resource, water resources are also an important component of the ecosystem for human life. The need for water tends to increase from time to time, both to meet basic human needs such as drinking water, clean water and sanitation as well as resources needed for economic development such as agriculture, industry, power generation and tourism. Water that is used for various needs and needs until now and for the foreseeable future still relies on surface water sources, especially river water. The availability of river water resources tends to decrease due to a decrease in the quality and quantity available as well as the existing quality becomes unusable due to pollution.
Pollution has a negative impact on humans, animals, plants and property or in other words on social life. The impact of socioeconomic pollution can be interpreted as an impact on individuals in a shared life as assessed by monetary units (economics). A product produced through the production process of an industry that causes pollution is sold at a relatively cheap price compared to the price of the same product with the same technology, but does not pollute because it already uses waste treatment equipment. | http://www.b3s.co.id/en/konsultan-ipal-industri-bandung/ |
There is a now-or-never situation on our planet when people are taking potable water (base of our existence) for granted. Although as students, we have known that 71% of our planet is covered with water, 97% of it is unfit for drinking, remaining 3% is available as freshwater but out of which only about 0.01% of it is accessible, we keep forgetting. All the more, being aware of the fact that a major part of freshwater has been polluted by human activities, and more importantly, millions are struggling to get water, we still squander.
Unfortunately, this scenario is leading the world towards a disastrous water crisis with the additional burden of waterborne diseases and climate change. Hence, this is the time when the most ideal solution in the form of water Treatment can come to rescue.
Water treatment or water purification can play a huge role in meeting the drastically increasing water demands of the human population. It can solve a greater part of the water crisis by treating the used water and bringing back for use with the drinking quality replenished. There is much more to understand, with a glimpse of its practical procedure and benefits discussed further.
Standard Process Involved In The Water Treatment
The technology for water treatment has improved over time and has come up with a standard treatment process that can make the wastewater suitable for our daily needs. Different plants and industries may use slightly different water treatment customised to their needs. More or less, the basic principles of the treatment are same which includes:
Step 1: Pre-treatment
As the name suggests, this stage is performed to get rid of the waste that can be collected easily including debris, leaves, trash etc. It involves three substages which are Screening, Grit Removal and Fat or Grease Removal. Screening is used to remove large object like twigs, leaves and cans from the sewage stream. Screening may not be performed if groundwater is used, which already goes through the natural screening function i.e the different layers of earth.
Step 2: Coagulation and Flocculation
At this stage, alum or polymer is mixed with the untreated water which causes the minute particles of dirt in the water to adhere together leading to coagulation. Now, the coagulated particles further adhere together forming heavier particles called flocs that settle at the bottom.
Step 3: Sedimentation
Now, the water slowly enters the sedimentation basins where the heavy floc particles settle to the bottom and are called sludge. The sludge is then directed towards the surface-aerated basins or drying lagoons for removal.
Step 4: Filtration
The filtration process consists of filters made of thick layers of sand and gravel or sometimes crushed anthracite which helps in trapping the suspended particles in the water. This process ensures that the next process of disinfection is carried out effectively.
Step 5: Disinfection
At this stage, the water flows into a closed tank where it is disinfected to kill any disease-causing bacteria, viruses and parasites. There may be different disinfectants used for purifying, but the most common is chlorine due to its effective action against biological contamination. Apart from the chemical method, physical and biological methods are also used in water treatment.
Step 6: Fluoridation
Fluoridation is a process where the free fluoride ions are added to water in controlled concentration so as to make it effective for reducing dental caries. Water fluoridation is done before supplying the water to the community.
Step 7: pH Correction
If the water contains low levels of pH, it may damage the distribution system and the plumbing pipes. To eliminate this problem, lime is added to the filtered water to optimise the pH concentration in the soft water.
After the final step of water treatment is achieved, the water may be tested to meet the federal water quality guidelines before distribution in the community. The water analysis procedure involves inspection for the presence of various kinds of contaminants including unsafe concentrations of organic, inorganic, microbial and radioactive elements.
Healthful Benefits Of Water Treatment
As a matter of fact, water treatment has all the positive aspects so that it could be rendered inevitable for the global community which is already on the verge of the global water crisis. Some of them are discussed below:
1. Protection against diseases
Untreated water is most likely to be polluted with waterborne microorganisms that may cause common symptoms like diarrhoea, dysentery, vomiting or serious health problems like cholera, hepatitis and typhoid. Water treatment ensures that the water supplied to us is void of any disease-causing pathogens making it safe to drink.
2. Protection against toxic metals
Polluted water often contains certain minerals like lead and copper which are fatal when consumed by us. Even traces of such minerals can lead to developmental delays and learning disabilities in children. Water treatment uses filtration systems and chemical methods to remove such toxic elements from the water.
3. Preservation of efficiency in appliances
Bad quality water or hard water tends to degrade the efficiency of appliances used for domestic as well as commercial purpose. Water treatment enhances the quality of water, softens it and keeps your appliances in the best possible condition. For example, water heaters become more efficient.
4. Enhancement of taste
Water treatment not just purifies water but also enhances its taste. The treatment procedure eliminates the earthy flavours and odours that come from organic materials. Hence, it makes drinking water more tasteful and refreshing.
5. Protects the environment
First and foremost, the treated water ensures that our remaining water resources are not depleting. Additionally, it enables consumers to drink directly from the tap instead of spending on bottled water that increases plastic waste as well as pollution. Whether it is wastewater treatment or just water treatment, it indirectly protects the environment from further disruption.
The traditional biological wastewater treatment eats up massive amounts of electricity and consumes a vast land area. Besides, it also demands a huge total cost of operation, electrical and mechanical equipment. On the contrary, the new water treatment systems that are based on latest technology, significantly reduce the power consumption, overall cost of operation and the need for vast lands and electromechanical equipment. Here are some of the new era products listed on Projectlink.
Water Treatment Essentials On Projectlink
1. ADS HDPE Pipe
These are environmentally friendly pipes custom-made for advanced water supply systems. With improved design and quick installation option, it makes it ideal for civil, rail and road applications.
2. Water Treatment Systems
This is an all-around product for the treatment of any type of process water to make it fit for drinking purpose. The product serves as an effective solution for commercial and industrial sectors in Australia while being compliant with the local regulations.
3. Water Recycling Systems
This system provides the commercial sector to treat the stormwater, rainwater or greywater in order to make it safe for reuse. The product has a relatively small footprint and requires no expensive financial and environmental obligations.
4. Membrane Bio Reactor (MBR)
This is a highly advanced wastewater treatment product that combines two well-proven methods of biological degradation and membrane separation. The product is available for quick installation at minimal costs.
5. Quick Break Detergents & Degreasers
If you are looking for versatile yet environmentally friendly surfactant that can remove oil and dirt including grease, hydrocarbons soils from the water, look no further than the Quick Break Detergents & Degreasers. The product offers quick and premium quality cleaning while maintaining the optimal performance of the water treatment equipment.
The post Water Treatment And Its Absolute Benefits appeared first on ProjectLink. | https://www.blogarama.com/business-blogs/332634-project-link-australian-directory-for-building-road-landscaping-mining-products-services-blog/27035442-water-treatment-its-absolute-benefits/ |
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows a higher level of chlorine in tap water (4 parts per million/ppm) than the recommended chlorine levels for public swimming pools (1-3 ppm). In other words, tap water may have more chlorine than your local swimming pool. Would you drink Water from your swimming pool? If the answer is no, then obviously you wouldn’t drink water from your faucet, which has more chlorine than in a swimming pool.
To protect drinking water from disease-causing organisms, or pathogens, water suppliers often add a disinfectant, such as chlorine, to drinking tap water. However, addition of chlorine in tap water can be complicated because some microbial pathogens are resistant and the worst part is treatment with chlorine can react with naturally-occurring materials in the water to form byproducts which may pose health risks ranging from asthma and eczema to bladder cancer and heart disease.
Interestingly enough, the EPA Recommended amount of Chlorine in water exceeds the recommended safe amount for human consumption.
A recent report by the non-profit Environmental Working Group concluded that from 1996 though 2001, more than 16 million Americans consumed dangerous amounts of contaminated tap water. Water supplies in and near Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Pittsburgh in Pennsylvania, and the Bay Area in California were putting the greatest number of people at risk, although 1,100 other smaller water systems across the country also tested positive for high levels of contaminants.
Water systems across the country are changing the way they disinfect drinking water because the traditional disinfectant, chlorine, can leave behind toxic chemicals.
A Glass of water with most common type chlorine can be left in an open container in the fridge (cold air) for 24 hours to reduce the effect of chlorine in the water. However, the time and clearing depends on the container (larger amounts of water require larger time open); also, pathogens tend to develop in the dark, and since the refrigerators are dark then the water you put in the fridge may not be clean by the time you drink it. The chlorine in the water, if left in the fridge will become gas, and spread into other foods in the fridge. The solution to Chlorine is a water Distiller with a Charcoal filter, which is available in most retailed Water distillers in the US and Europe.
Recently, in the last 30 yrs, Chlorine has slowly been replaced by Chloramine in about 20% of the country. However, a recent investigation conducted by NPR found that at the beginning, scientists knew only that chloramine didn’t produce the same byproducts chlorine did but eventually they learned that it could produce damaging byproducts of its own, and scientists discovered this after the Chloramine had already been used by millions of people across the nation.
In Washington DC, the switch from Chlorine to Chloramine became a major problem. Since most of the pipes across the US are old, Chlorine helped the prevent the Lead from the pipes from leaching into the water; Chloramine did not provide the same level of protection. All of a sudden, drinking tap water had a very high –lethal- level of lead. So, if you don’t get sick from Chlorine, or Chloramine, or any of it’s byproducts, you may still get sick simply from the bad quality of the old pipes.
What’s worse, during rainstorms or heavy usage of water, local governments add more chlorine to the water distribution system without fully knowing what the end result is, which may cause further damages to human health. Drinking water with Chlorine is not only a potential danger to humans, simply smelling it or showering in it can cause respiratory and skin problems. Consumption of chlorinated tap water by pregnant women has been linked with miscarriages, birth defects, heart problems, etc.
The government is unfortunately reactive, i.e. when there are problems in the water, the government is too late to found out, and it is too late to fix it. Sometimes the mistake is done over several years, causing cancer, but because it happens over several years, nobody can clearly blame the water supply. Sometimes the effects are instantaneous, such as was the case in Washington DC. In fact, the law says if too much chlorine is knowingly poured into the water system then the public needs to be notified within 30 days, which is too late! The damage would already have been done!
The safest thing to do is to install a water purification system in your house, such as a distilled water through water distiller or a reverse osmosis system, which both systems use multistage purification which ensures removal of VOC (Volatile Organic Contaminants) along with other contaminants by creating pure water close to 100% pure. Some cheaper water filtration systems also remove specifically Chlorine, as long as the filters include a charcoal filter, but do not create the pure quality of water comparable to Distilled Water – Distilled Water is the top water purification system.
Readers of This article also Read: | http://www.distilledwaterassociation.org/chlorine-in-drinking-tap-water-would-you-drink-water-from-a-swimming-pool/ |
Ecocycle contributes to the safekeeping of freshwater resources and the prevention of water-borne diseases by treating sewage and making it usable for non-potable purposes. This is becoming increasingly relevant as climate change threatens the availability of freshwater.
Ecocycle’s technology ensures that raw sewage is treated to a safe quality before being discharged back into the environment. This prevents fresh water sources from being polluted and contributes to the mitigation of many vector- and water-borne diseases as well as providing a secondary source of water used for non-potable uses such as lawn irrigation, toilet flushing, dust suppression, etc.
In times of changes in precipitation patterns and deterioration of water quality due to climate change; thus boosting availability of and improved access to clean water.
Women-led – One of the two directors/shareholders is female, and 55% female permanent staff. | https://www.adaptationcommunity.net/private-sector-adaptation/privaboo/ecocycle-ltd-%E2%80%8B%E2%80%8B/ |
The Best are Found in a Multi-Barrier Approach That Protects Water Quality From Source to Consumption
The best are found in a multi-barrier approach that protects water quality from source to consumption.
Note: The content on this page has been adapted from publications of World Health Organization (WHO) and Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology (CAWST).
The World Health Organization has determined that a multi-barrier approach to household water treatment and safe storage (HWTS) is the best way to reduce the risk of drinking unsafe water.
A multi-barrier approach means ensuring that water is protected and purified every step of the way from the water source to household storage and consumption. Water quality will only be as good as the weakest link in the chain of water handling.
We need to follow a process and not just rely on a single technology to improve water quality.
Both community and household water treatment systems follow the same water treatment process. The only difference is the scale of the systems that are used by communities and households.
There are many pollution problems which may threaten drinking water quality at the source, or point of collection. These risks include the following:
* poor protection of the water supply against pollution
* lack of hygiene and sanitation knowledge in the community
Protecting the water source reduces or eliminates these risks and can lead to improved water quality and health. Actions that are good and that can be taken at the community level can include some of the following:
* regularly cleaning the area around the water source
* moving latrines away from and downstream of water sources
* building fences to prevent animals from getting into open water sources
* lining wells to prevent surface water from contaminating the ground water
* building proper drainage for wastewater around taps and welts
Click here to read more about water source protection.
Sedimentation is a physical treatment process used to reduce the turbidity of the water. Remember that turbid water looks cloudy, dirty, or muddy and is caused by sand, silt, and clay that are floating in the water.
Turbid water usually has more pathogens so drinking it increases your chances of becoming sick.
There are and reduce turbidity by simply letting the water settle for some time.
This can be done in a small container such as a bucket or pail.
The sedimentation process can be quickened by adding special chemicals or native plants, also known as coagulants, to the water.
Coagulants help the sand, silt and clay join together and form larger clumps, making it easier for them to settle to the bottom of the container.
Three common chemicals used as and aid in sedimentation are aluminum sulphate, polyaluminum chloride (also known as or liquid alum) and ferric sulphate.
Native plants are traditionally used in some countries in Africa and Latin America to help with sedimentation. For example, prickly pear cactus, moringa seeds and fava beans have all been used to help sediment water.
Click here to read more about different sedimentation methods.
Filtration methods are and are commonly used after sedimentation to further reduce turbidity and remove pathogens. Filtration is a physical process which involves passing water through filter media.
Sand and ceramic are the most common filter media, although cloth and membranes can also be used. There are various types of filters that are used by households around the world.
Click here to read more about each of these water filters.
Best Water Purification Reviews is your #1 online source for information an all types of water purification systems such as water filters, water softeners, water purifiers, water treatment and bottled water.
The next step in household water treatment is to remove or kill any remaining pathogens through disinfection, The most common methods used by households around the world to disinfect their drinking water are:
Turbid water helps pathogens to "hide" from chemical, SODIS and UV disinfection.
Reducing turbidity by sedimentation (see Step 2) and filtration (see Step 3) is necessary to improve the effectiveness of these disinfection methods.
Click here to read more about different methods of disinfecting water, including electrochlorination.
Clarity Water Products are Water Treatment Professionals - Dedicated to finding without using Harsh, Toxic Chemicals.
Chemical free is all they do, and their years of experience in this specialized field of water treatment allow them to bring you the best products for healthier, cleaner, more comfortable water.
Households do a lot of work to collect, transport and treat their drinking water. Now that the water is safe to drink, it should be handled and stored properly to keep it safe.
If it's not stored safely, the treated water quality could become worse than the source water and may cause people to get sick.
Safe storage means keeping your treated water away from sources of contamination, and using a clean and covered container. It also means drinking water from the container in a way so that people do not make each other sick.
The container should prevent hands, cups and dippers from touching the water, so that the water does not get recontaminated.
Click here to read more about safe water storage.
How do I test significant differences between slopes of 4 different regression lines? I am measuring leaf area expansion rate of plants getting different water treatments.
You didn't mention if you wanted to test the slopes for differences pairwise or as a set of four; but the method is the same.Just re-estimate any model for "all slopes and intercepts different" by restricting it to be "intercepts different; slopes the same". Twice the difference in log-likelihood will be distributed Chi-square with DF = the number of slopes you have restricted. If it's pairwise, that will be DF = 1 on each.A more detailed explanation is here: Chow test, although I prefer using the Likelihood Ratio Test directly.How do I test significant differences between slopes of 4 different regression lines? I am measuring leaf area expansion rate of plants getting different water treatments. | https://www.soy-charger.com/ai-article/ways-to-clean-water.html |
Spanish automaker SEAT claims to have slashed water consumption at its Martorell factory in Barcelona 31% in the past eight years.
SEAT says it is using cutting-edge technology and more efficient processes to reuse and recycle water for manufacturing processes, especially in the paint shop and rain test booth. While producing 450,000 cars in 2018, the plant used 309 million gallons (1.17 million cu.-m) of water, the equivalent of 470 Olympic swimming pools.
However, it expects to cut water consumption a further 7% by 2025 through actions such as capturing water vapor in air-conditioning units to recycling huge amounts of wastewater.
The Martorell paint shop accounts for half of all water consumed, and savings were achieved by a process that collects excess paint spray in a treatment tank where chemicals separate the paint and water.
Once clean, the water is returned into the process and reused.
The factory’s rain test check booth uses a similar method, with all the water collected and carried to a purification circuit before being reused in the same process.
“Digitalization and new technologies are helping us make enormous progress towards a model of circular economy with more recycling and fewer emissions,” says Joan Carles Casas, plant engineering manager. | https://www.wardsauto.com/manufacturing-technology/seat-spain-plant-stingy-water |
Xylem is a leading water technology company committed to "solving water" by creating innovative and smart technology solutions to meet the world's water, wastewater and energy needs. The company offers innovative water technology solutions throughout the water lifecycle, from collection and distribution to reuse and return to nature, with a focus on efficiency to use less energy, reduce lifecycle costs and provide environmental benefits to users and the communities in which Xylem operates. Core application areas include water transport, treatment, testing, smart metering, building services, industrial processing and irrigation.
Investment rationale
Xylem's products and services improve water quality and reduce the environmental impact of human activities by cleaning used water for responsible discharge back to nature. Through its broad portfolio of testing and treatment solutions, the company helps local water operators make water safer for all those they serve. In addition, its products are used to treat wastewater before it is returned, and its analytics products are used to help measure the health of the world’s rivers, lakes and oceans. Xylem helps mitigate the effects of climate change by providing products that aid customers in reducing their own environmental footprint by decreasing their energy and other resource consumption needs.
Furthermore, the company contributes to the development of 'water consciousness' through several citizenship initiatives. To illustrate this, the company wants to provide access to clean water and sanitation solutions to at least 20 million people living at the base of the global economic pyramid by 2025. | https://www.triodos-im.com/projects/xylem-inc |
Assistance of assisted living, supported housing and supported employment can act as a base from which people with severe mental disorders, consisting of schizophrenia, can accomplish many healing objectives as they often face difficulty in getting or retaining a place to live and regular work. Worldwide, roughly 50 million people have dementia.
the capability to process thought) beyond what might be anticipated from normal ageing. It impacts memory, thinking, orientation, comprehension, estimation, finding out capacity, language, and judgement. The problems in cognitive function is commonly accompanied, and periodically preceded, by degeneration in emotional control, social behaviour, or motivation. Dementia is triggered by a range of illness and injuries that impact the brain, such as Alzheimer's illness or stroke.
Much can be done, nevertheless, to support and improve the lives of people with dementia and their carers and households. Developmental condition is an umbrella term covering intellectual disability and prevalent developmental conditions consisting of autism. Developmental disorders typically have a childhood onset but tend to persist into the adult years, causing impairment or delay in functions connected to the central nerve system maturation.
Intellectual special needs is defined by problems of abilities across multiple developmental areas such as cognitive performance and adaptive behaviour. Lower intelligence diminishes the ability to adapt to the everyday needs of life. Symptoms of prevalent developmental disorders, such as autism, consist of impaired social behaviour, interaction and language, and a narrow variety of interests and activities that are both unique to the individual and are performed over and over again.
Individuals with these conditions sometimes show some degree of intellectual disability. Household participation in care of people with developmental disorders is really essential (how to get over depression). Understanding what causes afflicted people both distress and well-being is an important aspect of care, as is discovering what environments are most conducive to much better learning.
Regular follow up by health services of both kids and adults with developmental conditions, and their careers, needs to be in location. The community at big has a role to play in respecting the rights and needs of individuals with disabilities. Factors of psychological health and mental disorders include not only specific qualities such as the capability to handle one's thoughts, emotions, behaviours and interactions with others, but likewise social, cultural, financial, political and ecological factors such as national policies, social defense, requirements of living, working conditions, and community assistance.
Health systems have not yet adequately reacted to the burden of mental illness. As a consequence, the gap between the need for treatment and its arrangement is large all over the world. In low- and middle-income nations, between 76% and 85% of individuals with mental disorders get no treatment for their disorder (Co-Occurring Disorder Treatment).
In addition to support from health-care services, individuals with mental disorder require social assistance and care. They frequently need aid in accessing educational programs which fit their needs, and in discovering work and real estate which enable them to live and be active in their regional communities. WHO's Mental Health Action Strategy 2013-2020, endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2013, acknowledges the necessary function of mental health in achieving health for all people - South Florida Drug Rehab.
WHO's Mental Health Gap Action Program (mhGAP), released in 2008, utilizes evidence-based technical guidance, tools and training plans to expand services in countries, specifically in resource-poor settings. It focuses on a prioritized set of conditions, directing capacity structure towards non-specialized health-care companies in an integrated approach that promotes psychological health at all levels of care.
( 2018 ). Global, local, and national incidence, occurrence, and years coped with special needs for 354 diseases and injuries for 195 nations and territories, 19902017: a methodical analysis for the Global Problem of Illness Research Study 2017. The Lancet. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736( 18 )32279-7Wang et al., (2007 ). Use of psychological health services for anxiety, mood, and compound disorders in 17 countries in the WHO world mental health surveys.
Many people believe that mental health conditions are rare and "occur to somebody else." In fact, mental health conditions are typical and extensive. A projected 44 million Americans experience some type of mental disorder in a given year. Most families are not prepared to deal with learning their enjoyed one has a mental illness.
If you think you or someone you know might have a psychological or psychological issue, it is necessary to bear in mind there is hope and help. Mental Health problems are brain-based conditions that affect thinking, emotions, and habits. Considering that all of us have brains having some type of psychological illness throughout your life is really common.
For some, this suggests experiencing extreme and unforeseen modifications in state of mind like feeling more unfortunate or concerned than typical. For others, it implies not having the ability to believe clearly, not having the ability to communicate with somebody who is talking with them, or having unusual thoughts to assist discuss weird sensations they are having.
Some of the more common disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. Symptoms might include modifications in mood, character, individual routines and/or social withdrawal. Mental health problems might be associated with extreme tension due to a particular situation or series of occasions. As with cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease, mental health problems are typically physical as well as emotional and psychological.
With proper care and treatment many people find out to cope or recover from a psychological health problem or emotional disorder. To hear personal descriptions of mental illness, see feelslike. To get more information about signs that are particular to a specific mental disorder, search under Mental Health Info. The following are signs that your enjoyed one might want to speak with a medical or mental health specialist.
Likewise bear in mind that the beginning of numerous of the signs below, and not simply any one change, suggests an issue that needs to be evaluated. The signs listed below must not be due to recent substance usage or another medical condition. If you or someone you know remains in crisis now, look for assistance immediately.
Confused thinking Extended anxiety (unhappiness or irritability) Feelings of severe low and high Extreme fears, concerns and stress and anxieties Social withdrawal Dramatic modifications in eating or sleeping routines Strong sensations of anger Odd ideas (delusions) Seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations) Growing inability to deal with everyday problems and activities Self-destructive thoughts Numerous unexplained physical ailments Compound use Substance use Inability to handle problems and daily activities Modifications in sleeping and/or consuming habits Excessive grievances of physical ailments Modifications in ability to handle responsibilities - in your home and/or at school Defiance of authority, truancy, theft, and/or vandalism Extreme fear Prolonged unfavorable state of mind, often accompanied by bad cravings or thoughts of death Frequent outbursts of anger Changes in school efficiency Poor grades in spite of strong efforts Modifications in sleeping and/or consuming habits Excessive worry or stress and anxiety (i.e.
You may find yourself denying the caution signs, fretting what other individuals will think due to the fact that of the preconception, or wondering what caused your loved one to become ill. Accept that these sensations are regular and common amongst families going through comparable scenarios. Learn all you can about your enjoyed one's conditionby reading and talking with psychological health specialists.
The outward signs of a mental disease are typically behavioral. An individual might be very peaceful or withdrawn. On the other hand, they might break into tears, have fantastic anxiety or have outbursts of anger. Even after treatment has started, someindividuals with a mental disorder can exhibit anti-social behaviors. When in public, these behaviors can be disruptive and tough to accept.
The person's habits may be as dismaying to them as it is to you. Ask questions, listen with an open mind and exist to support them. Whenever possible, look for assistance from loved ones members. If you feel you can not discuss your scenario with pals or other relative, find a self-help or support group.
They can listen and use valuable suggestions. Therapy can be helpful for both the private with mental disorder and other household members. A mental health expert can suggest ways to cope and much better understand your liked one's disease. When trying to find a therapist, be client and talk with a few experts so you can choose the individual that is best for you and your household. | https://how-many-people-have-depression.mental-health-hub.com/page/triggers-ocd-Jw1-QrjtbwpYe |
For many Americans it is difficult to come to terms with any type of medical diagnosis. Some may know the warning signs and simply ignore them. Unfortunately mental disorders have plagued many people for years. Going without diagnosis and treatment can have devastating effects to themselves and their families. According to the National Institute of Mental Health “Approximately 20.9 million American adults, or about 9.5 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older in a given year, have a mood disorder” (NIMH, 2009). These disorders come in several forms and can have many different warning signs. For some these signs or symptoms can be mild and for others the signs are immediately noticed.
“Mood disorders are characterized by disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state sometimes referred to as affect.” (Psychological Disorders, 2010) Because everyone has their own mental capacity it can be difficult for a professional to diagnose. Some people can’t cry unless it is a highly emotional situation, others can cry at the first sign of emotional distress. While others may show anger in a stressful situation and some may feel the tendency to laugh. These are all nature human behaviors; each of these emotions can also be signs or symptoms of mood disorders. Because these signs and symptoms are so broad and are also specific to several different mood disorders they can be misdiagnosed for years.
The range of mood disorders can vary but there are significant signs and symptoms to look for. For some with mood disorders they have extreme highs and lows, meaning that they are extremely happy one minute and can be extremely sad the next. In patients with depression you may see that the “person feels overwhelmed with sadness; they may... | http://www.studymode.com/essays/Beh-225-Week-8-Assignment-645273.html |
How Do I Know If My Child Needs to See a Therapist?
How do I know if my child needs to see a therapist? If you are asking yourself this question, you are not alone. The CDC reports that, based on a study done in 2009, an “estimated 13 –20 percent of children living in the United States (up to 1 out of 5 children) experience a mental disorder in a given year” (https://www.cdc.gov/childrensmentalhealth/features/kf-childrens-mental-health-report.html). As more recent data shows mental health awareness increasing, it is likely that this number may be increasing as well. So how do you know if what your child is
experiencing necessitates seeing a therapist?
The following are some reasons to seek therapy for your child or adolescent: (1) when your
child appears to be stuck in an unhealthy emotion such as depression, anxiety, or anger, (2)
when your child is struggling to regulate emotions appropriately for their age, (3) when your
child’s behaviors are unsafe for themselves or others, or (4) when your child’s emotions or
behaviors are causing distress at home, school, or socially. Keep reading for further descriptions
to help you determine if your child or adolescent is struggling in one or multiple of these areas.
Getting Stuck
Most of us have experienced times of anger, anxiety, and even deep sadness. These waves of
emotion are natural and even healthy at times. What can be unhealthy is landing on these
emotions for an extended amount of time. It’s important to pay attention to your children and
have conversations with them about their feelings to determine if they are stuck in these
emotions. Here are some ways that children may express these emotions differently than
adults (please note this is not an exhaustive explanation and a more individualized assessment
can be given by a therapist):
Anger: Anger is sometimes called a “secondary emotion.” This means that other emotions may
trigger anger on top of the primary emotion. Because children sometimes struggle to express
their primary emotions, anger may be a sign that other things are going on underneath. Anger
is sometimes a child’s main way of expressing anxiety and depression, difficulty in school,
boredom, or social distress. If your child is frequently angry or acting out, it may be helpful to
seek out a therapist to help uncover the primary cause for the anger.
Anxiety: Children sometimes exhibit physical signs of anxiety before they have the words to
explain what they are feeling. Frequent tummy issues without a medical explanation may be a
sign of anxiety. Children dealing with anxiety also tend to ask a lot of questions and need to
know what is happening. Teens, on the other hand, may express anxiety by saying they are
“stressed,” procrastinating, or isolating.
Depression: The way I sometimes explain sadness versus depression is that sadness sometimes
feels like you’re walking through a mud puddle; it feels heavy and slow, but you’re able to keep
moving. Depression sometimes feels more like sinking sand and you don’t always feel like
you’re able to move forward. Children and teens with depression will often have less interest in
things they used to enjoy (while not replacing these with new passions), isolate from friends
and family, sleep or stay in bed more than usual, or cry often.
Age Appropriate Emotion Regulation
The above descriptions of anger, anxiety, and depression are not complete without putting
them in the context of your child’s age. Please see resources below for a link to age appropriate
emotional development to determine if some of the “signs” your child is showing may be what
is appropriate for his/her developmental stage.
Safety Risks
If your child is having any thoughts about hurting or killing themselves or someone else, it is
important to seek out help immediately by calling 911 or going to your nearest emergency
room. The clinicians there will assess your child/teen’s safety and determine the most
appropriate treatment course. Taking your child to be assessed does not mean they will
definitely be hospitalized. The clinicians will determine if hospitalization is necessary. Upon
discharge (whether or not your child/teen was hospitalized), they should work with you on
developing a safety plan and referrals/recommendations for further treatment moving forward.
If you are unsure whether or not your child/teen needs to be assessed, you can call the national
suicide prevention lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to ask questions.
Distress
Although your child may appear healthy and happy in one environment (home, school, social
settings), you may notice that your child seems upset in one or more of these environments.
Even if the distress is not happening across all environments, it may still be helpful to seek out a
therapist to help your child manage his or her distress in the environment that is upsetting.
Many of the above criteria will be best determined if you sit down and have a talk with your
child or adolescent. Use the above descriptions to explain what anxiety and depression feel like,
ask questions about their zeal for life, and talk to them about things that feel upsetting at home
and school. If you are still unsure whether or not therapy is right for your child, you can speak
to your pediatrician about your concerns or call us at SureHope to discuss your concerns.
I think my child needs therapy. Where do I start?
All of the staff here at SureHope would love to help direct you to a therapist who is a good fit
for your child. You can contact our North Charlotte/University Area office at (980)272-8180 or
our Matthews office at (704)443-8866. If neither of these locations are convenient for you,
we’d love to direct you to another therapist in your area. Another great place to start is talking
to your pediatrician.
Managing your own emotions about your child/adolescent’s mental health:
Sometimes it can feel very overwhelming to parent a child struggling with their mental health.
It’s important to not neglect your own self-care during this time. Many child and adolescent
therapists offer sessions with the parent to address helping the “parent part” of you and to give
parent coaching specific to your child. Additionally, it may be beneficial to seek out an
individual therapist for yourself. This will not only help with your own self-care emotionally and mentally, but will also model for your child that therapy can be a beneficial way to pursue
mental and emotional health.
Resources: | https://surehopecounseling.com/how-do-i-know-if-my-child-needs-to-see-a-therapist/ |
Introduction When a woman gives birth to a child, it can be one of the most joyous and exciting moments in her life, yet it can also be difficult and stressful. There are a range of emotional, behavioral, and physical changes that occur shortly after a woman gives birth. These changes are common; however, many women who experience these emotions may have postpartum depression, with symptoms ranging from mild to severe. Many women require medical treatment. Although all causes of postpartum depression are unknown, there are many factors that can put a woman at risk.
This essay provides an overview of postpartum depression, the impact it has on the individual client, the newborn, and the family, the physical and mental assessment findings, and its impact on my future nursing practice. Overview Postpartum depression is an illness that consists of severe mood swings and feelings of inadequacy that occur within six months to a year after giving birth. These symptoms may be so severe that they may cause suicidal thoughts or an inability for a mother to care for her newborn.
According to Diana Barnes (2008), “50 to 80% of mothers will experience some change in mental health within the first year after delivery…10 to 15% are at risk for postpartum depression” (para. 2). The risk for postpartum depression increases if there is a history of depression, a weak support system, an unplanned or unwanted pregnancy, or a stressful situation (marital conflict, illness, or pregnancy complication). The etiology of postpartum depression is unknown.
According to Smith and Jaffe (2007), within 48 hours after delivery there is a dramatic decrease in estrogen, progesterone, cortisol, and thyroid gland hormones, along with changes in the immune system, metabolism, and blood pressure that may all trigger depression. Emotional factors include feeling less attractive, struggling with a new identity, feeling a loss of control, and anxiety about caring for the newborn. Some lifestyle influences may include difficulty breastfeeding and financial problems.
Impact on individual client, newborn, and the family Postpartum depression has potentially serious consequences for the mother, the newborn, and their families. The impact of postpartum depression causes a mother to frequently feel exhausted, emotionally empty, and guilty because she cannot show love to her baby. The mother feels overwhelmed by feelings of harming her baby and may lack the emotional energy to relate to her newborn, which prevents her from perceiving the baby’s attempts to communicate.
Depressed mothers are less likely to play with, read to, or even breastfeed their baby and tend to be inconsistent in their care causing a disruption in the bonding process. Many mothers are embarrassed to get help out of shame. Postpartum depression also has an extremely high impact on the newborn. Katja Gaschler (2008) states, “three-month-old infants of depressed mothers look at their mothers less often and show fewer signs of positive emotion than do babies of mentally healthy mothers” (p. 5). Postpartum depression during the first few months of life may also cause negative effects on a child’s development including: social problems (difficulty establishing relationships, social withdrawal, and acting out destructively); behavioral problems (temper tantrums, sleep problems, hyperactivity, and aggression); cognitive problems (walking and talking late and learning difficulties); and emotional problems (low self-esteem and anxiety).
The family as a whole is also greatly impacted by postpartum depression and goals of treatment must address the emotions of the entire family, especially the marital couple. A woman’s husband or partner may have his own feelings regarding the birth of their child, his new role in the family, as well as concerns about his partner’s health. Other members of the family may struggle with their own hidden emotions as well. The family should offer support by giving the mother a break from her childcare duties, be understanding, and provide a listening ear.
Physical & Mental Assessment There are many physical and mental assessment findings the nurse may observe in a client with postpartum depression including: a lack of interest in life, negative feelings towards the baby, fear of hurting the baby, decreased appetite, no energy or motivation, along with disturbed sleeping patterns. According to Julia Frank (2005), “as many as 80% of women experience some mood disturbances after pregnancy…they feel upset, alone, afraid, or unloving toward their baby, and guilt for having these feelings” (Overview section, para. ). A woman may have thoughts of suicide, confusion, and an impaired memory. Some physical symptoms include: shortness of breath, headaches, rapid heart beat, numbness, chest pain and unexplained weight gain or loss. The most widely used screening tool to detect postpartum depression is the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, a self-assessment tool used to evaluate mothers after childbirth. Addressing the Issue As a future nurse, I would plan to address this issue by providing the optimal level of care to the client.
I would become familiar with the risk factors associated with postpartum depression and understand the screening methods used to help identify women at risk. I would understand the range of treatment options which involves counseling, medication, and hormone therapy. I would also suggest alternative therapies which, according to Lowdermilk and Perry (2006) include: acupuncture, aromatherapy, herbal remedies, lavender tea, massage, relaxation techniques, and yoga.
I would provide women and their families with the appropriate referrals for treatment, encourage women to share any negative feelings they may experience, and use careful observation when assessing the client. As a nurse, I would also listen actively and show a caring attitude toward the client. I would be sure to ask the appropriate questions regarding her symptoms in order to get a better understanding of the extent of her illness. I would be sure to assess the client’s family members, as they may need to express their feelings about the woman’s illness.
As the nurse, I would also tell the client about the many methods used to deal with postpartum depression while at home, which according to C. Epperson (1999) include; finding someone to talk to, getting others to help with childcare, household chores, and errands, finding time for self (reading, exercising, walking, bathing, or meditating), keeping a diary to write down emotions, assure the client that she does not have to be “supermom”, and encourage her to join a support group. In conclusion, postpartum depression has a significant impact, not just on the woman, but on her partner and the family as a whole.
There is an even greater impact on the infant who is so dependent on the mother for its care. Postpartum depression is a serious condition that can interfere with a mother’s ability to care for her self and her newborn. The symptoms range in severity and there are many predisposing factors. With treatment, support from family, and attention to her own needs, a mother can get on the path to a healthy and happy motherhood. References Barnes, D. (n. d. ) A Closer Look: Understanding Mood Disorders. Retrieved July 14, 2008, from www. ostpartumhealth. com. Epperson, C. (1999). Postpartum Depression and the “Baby Blues”. American Academy of Family Physicians. 59 (8), 2259-2260. Frank, J. (2005). Postpartum Depression. Retrieved July 14, 2008, from www. emedicinehealth. com. Gaschler, K. (2008). Misery in Motherhood. Scientific American Mind. 19 (1), 66-73. Lowdermilk, D & Perry, S. (2006). Maternity Nursing (7th ed. ). St. Louis: Mosby Elsevier. Smith, M. & Jaffe, J. (2007). Postpartum Depression. Retreived July 14, 2008, from www. helpguide. org. | https://amanitabear.com/postpartum-depression/ |
Millions of people are affected by mental health and behavioral health issues every year. One in five adults in the U.S. struggles with a mental illness, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).
During May, Cempa Community Care and its healthcare providers recognize Mental Health Awareness month to end the stigma around mental health, bring attention to therapy, and connect people with appropriate resources.
Mental health encompasses our emotional, psychological, and social well-being, and it helps determine how we act, feel, and react to certain situations. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, many factors influence mental health problems, including biological factors, life experiences, and family history.
Most significantly, if you or a loved one seek treatment for mental health, you are not alone. Mental illness affects just less than 20% of U.S. adults. Millions of people experience anxiety, depression, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and conditions across the spectrum of mental health issues.
The Power of Treatment and Therapy
If you’ve ever experienced symptoms of mental health problems that take away from your overall well-being and quality of life, treatment may help. Treatment and therapy varies based on the symptoms or condition you’re experiencing. If you’ve never sought treatment, consulting your primary care provider can be a great first step to help make a plan.
Cempa clients seeking therapy, counseling, or help diagnosing a mental illness can find support right here at Cempa. Primary care providers can refer patients to an in-house therapist and counselor like Kim Sargent, LCSW. Sargent often interacts with new patients in their primary care setting at Cempa, where she conducts “motivational interviewing” to better understand a patient’s needs.
“I see clients for a variety of reasons, including life issues they’re dealing with or an issue that is getting in their way of fulfilling goals and desires,” Sargent says. “Whether they’re having trouble sleeping or having anxiety, I spend 15 minutes teaching some grounding and stabilization skills or mindfulness techniques. When I introduce myself, I aim to learn more about where each client is in the change process to see if they’re ready for therapy.”
Mental health counseling or therapy can be used as a treatment option for mental health problems or as part of an overall treatment course. Therapy is a space where you can speak with a trained therapist in a safe and confidential environment to explore and understand feelings and behaviors and gain coping skills, according to NAMI.
At Cempa, Sargent uses therapeutic tools and strategies, including EMDR and cognitive behavioral therapy, to help clients process trauma or uncover coping skills for day-to-day life. She encourages clients to see that even when they feel hopeless, just walking in the door to open yourself up to change is a hopeful sign.
“At Cempa, we’re going to meet you where you are — whatever you bring to the door is OK,” Sargent says. “People often come in feeling shame and fear of judgment. We accept everyone. Many times those yucky emotions keep people from coming in. I’m here to help clients work through what’s holding them back from achieving their goals. There is great power in sharing those emotions from deep inside and holding them to the light. There’s healing in that process.”
Processing Emotions During a Pandemic
Since the COVID-19 pandemic and related widespread lockdowns, many individuals have reported trouble sleeping or increased anxiety related to the pandemic. In fact, health officials are anticipating a wave of mental health issues. Seeking the help of a therapist can help. Sargent encourages individuals to seek regular exercise, eat regularly scheduled meals, and renew a hobby or explore a new one to cope with different stressors. And, as always, seek out help from a healthcare provider or therapist.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends “Being Kind to Your Mind” when coping with stress during COVID-19:
- PAUSE. Breathe. Notice how you feel.
- TAKE BREAKS from COVID-19 content.
- TAKE TIME to sleep and exercise.
- REACH OUT and stay connected.
- SEEK HELP if overwhelmed or unsafe.
If you or someone you know requires immediate help, call 9-1-1 or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. If you or a loved one are struggling with mental health or emotional distress related to the pandemic or other disasters, call the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990.
Contact Cempa to schedule an appointment with a primary care provider. | https://www.cempa.org/2020/05/make-time-for-mental-health-awareness/ |
Weak, attention seeker, crazy, nuts, cry baby, anti-social, moody, selfish, psycho, lazy, angry, bitter, bipolar, disturbed, schizo—have you ever said or had these words said to you? These are some of the hurtful words used when referring to someone experiencing a mental health condition.
October is World Mental Health Awareness month, which aims to educate the public about mental health and to reduce stigma and discrimination that people living with mental health condition are often subjected to. We all go through bad days and get anxious over daily life events. But that does not necessarily mean one has a mental condition. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and others define mental health condition, as a broad range of conditions that affect moods, thinking and behaviour. The most common types include; clinical depression, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, dementia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), schizophrenia and others. It is important to note that signs and symptoms of mental health condition are not commonly visible physically, therefore a proper medical diagnosis is critical. The good news about mental health condition is that it is manageable and treatable.
The year 2020 has not been normal and has been triggering for many, to say the least. A lot has been said about the effects of COVID-19 on people with underlying conditions, but mental health condition also needs special attention. Lockdowns in particular were difficult for people living with mental health condition, and a recent South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG) report shows an increase in mental health condition cases during COVID-19 lockdown. People without pre-existing mental health condition are also distressed and contributing to the increased numbers.
A few months ago, I went through the darkest moments of my life and experienced a lot of mental health issues. The events of life such as grief, social isolation, the transition from traditional ways of working to online platforms and not being able to be with my loved ones while they were ill triggered extreme anxiety. I am sure a lot of people went through the same struggles. It’s still a work in progress, but what helped me to cope the most was the application of a holistic approach. I consulted a doctor for assessment, diagnosis and medication. I was further referred to a therapist who helped with the psychological aspects of my anxiety disorder. And following a healthy lifestyle improved my mood and sleep. Above all, support from my family, friends and colleagues played a vital role in my recovery. When I broke down, I appreciated phone calls that came from a caring, judgement-free, asking me ‘how are you doing?’.
As efforts to raise awareness about mental health continue throughout the month of October, you can also do your part. If you know someone showing signs and symptoms or not being their usual self, take the time to check-in on them—especially the ‘strong’ ones. Everyone needs supports especially during these trying times. Instead of calling and saying unpleasant words, provide emotional support so they can feel comfortable expressing their emotions, and feel less lonely and ashamed. Support from family and friends could help mitigate stigma and encourage more people to come out and seek help.
If you are experiencing distress or already know you live with a mental health condition, reach-out for help. There are organisations, such as SADAG, that specialize in providing psycho-support (in-person or virtually), referrals and information. Seek medical and spiritual help and take treatment as needed.
Take care of your mental health! | https://insidemypurse.co.za/2020/10/22/be-kind-how-certain-words-can-affect-your-mental-health/ |
Surviving a traumatic event can bring forth conflicting (and completely normal) feelings:
- grief for those who didn’t survive
- relief, gratitude, and an overwhelming sense of your own good fortune
You might also notice more distressing emotions. Many people who live through trauma and other life threatening situations go on to develop survivor guilt, which refers to strong and persistent feelings of remorse, personal responsibility, and sadness.
While survivor guilt is often associated with large-scale tragedies, acts of terror, genocide, and other mass atrocities, it can also show up in other situations:
- after experiencing military conflict
- when working as a firefighter, police officer, emergency medical technician, or other first responder
- after living through a natural disaster
- after witnessing a mass shooting or other act of violence
- when a sibling or parent experiences abuse
- when a loved one receives a diagnosis of a genetic condition or other life threatening condition, like cancer
- if you’ve kept your job, stayed healthy, or otherwise thrived during the COVID-19 pandemic
Survivor guilt is considered more of a symptom than a specific mental health condition, but that doesn’t make it any less serious. Left unaddressed, it can lead to long-term emotional distress, including thoughts of suicide.
Here’s a closer look at some of the common signs of survivor guilt and coping tips.
People living with survivor guilt experience guilty or remorseful feelings about the traumatic event. When these feelings show up in a cycle or repeating loop, you might struggle to turn your thoughts to anything else.
Your guilt could relate simply to your own survival, but you might also spend a lot of time thinking about what you might have done differently or how you could have helped others — even when you couldn’t have taken any specific action to change the outcome.
Other signs of survivor guilt resemble symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, the new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) lists guilt and self-blame as symptoms of PTSD. Many people with survivor guilt also have PTSD, though you can experience one without the other.
Along with guilt or remorse, you could also experience:
- flashbacks
- obsessive or intrusive thoughts
- insomnia, nightmares, and other sleep problems
- abrupt changes in mood
- trouble concentrating
- anger, irritability, confusion, or fear
- loss of motivation
- disinterest in the things you usually enjoy
- a sense of disconnection or detachment from others
- an increased desire to isolate yourself
- feelings of despair
- thoughts of suicide
- physical symptoms, such as nausea, body tension and pain, or changes in appetite
Along with feelings of personal responsibility for the event or its outcome, even when you couldn’t have done anything to change what happened, you might also develop distorted or extreme negative beliefs about yourself or the world in general.
You might begin to:
- see yourself as a bad person and believe you deserve some kind of punishment
- believe you can’t trust anyone
- question your spiritual beliefs
- consider the world a wholly unjust or dangerous place
Although anyone can experience survivor guilt, many people heal from trauma without ever experiencing guilt.
There’s no definitive formula explaining why some people go on to feel guilty and others don’t, but experts believe the following factors can play a role.
Previous experience with trauma
If you’ve experienced trauma, in childhood or at any other point in life, you could have a greater chance of experiencing survivor guilt.
One
If you have a history of trauma, whether that involves neglect, natural disasters, or a car crash, you’re not only more likely to have feelings of guilt after living through another trauma. You’re also more likely to have more serious symptoms. You could even come to think of yourself as the “common denominator” and taking on all the blame or fixate on the (false) belief that your presence caused the trauma.
Existing mental health symptoms
According to the DSM-5, underlying mental health concerns, including depression and anxiety conditions, can increase the risk of guilt and other PTSD symptoms after trauma.
This risk factor can add a new layer of complication for ongoing traumas like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Distancing guidelines, continued disruption of daily life and routines, and potentially serious health outcomes might add to your stress and prompt feelings of anxiety or depression, even if you never experienced them before the pandemic.
In time, this distress could worsen, especially if more of your loved ones face health consequences or other effects of the pandemic, like job loss.
If you’ve only experienced minimal disruptions yourself, especially in comparison to loved ones, you might begin to feel guilty or ashamed of your own relative security.
Personality factors
suggests a link between survivor guilt and submissive behavior. Researchers believe this could have an evolutionary component.
In other words, you might behave more submissively in social situations if you:
- fear putdowns, threats, or other negative responses from peers
- believe your success or well-being keeps others from experiencing the same
- believe you’re better off than others
Submissive behavior, then, effectively helps promote well-being for your social group as a whole. This could help explain why more socially submissive people often go on to develop survivor guilt when a traumatic event affects group well-being.
The researchers also linked submissive social behavior to introversion. Though introversion doesn’t automatically mean you’re more likely to experience survivor guilt, it could have an impact on the way you cope.
Self-esteem can also play a part. Since low self-esteem often involves fixed ideas about your own abilities or sense of worth, it might fuel thoughts like:
- Why did I survive?
- I don’t deserve to be here.
- If I had done something differently, that wouldn’t have happened.
- I couldn’t stop it, so it’s all my fault.
Less social support
The DSM-5 notes that social support, both before and after trauma, can help protect against PTSD.
Loneliness can make any type of emotional distress worse since feelings you can’t share or otherwise express can easily become overwhelming.
When you don’t have support from others, you might find yourself fixating on false beliefs about the trauma, including your own sense of responsibility. You might even assume others blame you, just as you blame yourself.
Unhelpful coping skills
People cope with the effects of trauma in various ways. Some of these strategies have less benefit than others.
It’s not uncommon to try to suppress or avoid memories of the trauma in order to escape unwanted emotions like guilt and sadness. You might also try to deny feelings of guilt entirely, or alternatively, give in to them by assigning and accepting blame you don’t deserve.
In the absence of social support and other helpful coping strategies, you could also use alcohol or other substances to numb emotional distress and keep feelings of anxiety or depression at bay.
Many people do find this strategy offers some temporarily relief, but it can still have negative effects on long-term physical and mental health. What’s more, increased substance use can sometimes worsen feelings of guilt and depression.
Feelings of guilt, along with any other distress you might experience after a traumatic event, often pass with time.
The strategies below can help you manage guilt and ease its impact until it begins to lift naturally.
Work toward acceptance
After a traumatic event, acceptance can feel incredibly difficult. You have to accept the event itself, which might include acknowledging and coming to terms with the loss of loved ones or your way of life. But you also have to acknowledge and accept guilt, grief, and any other emotions born from that trauma.
Avoiding or blocking memories of the traumatic event sometimes seems more helpful. After all, avoidance keeps you from re-experiencing distressing and unwanted emotions when you don’t feel ready to cope. Still, avoidance and denial generally don’t work as long-term solutions.
When you take time to grieve and fully process your feelings, it often becomes easier to accept all aspects of the trauma, including the fact that you didn’t cause the event and couldn’t have done anything to alter the outcome.
Many people find meditation a helpful approach to practice accepting and regulating painful or difficult emotions.
If meditation doesn’t work for you, keeping a journal can also help with expressing and processing guilt, grief, and other emotional distress.
Try mindfulness and other grounding exercises
Mindfulness techniques can boost focus on the present moment, making it easier to release upsetting thoughts without fixating or judging yourself for them.
A few quick tactics to boost mindfulness:
- Take a walk. Focus your attention on what you see, hear, and feel.
- Color, draw, or doodle.
- Try a quick body scan or other simple meditation.
Find more grounding exercises here.
Talk to loved ones
Emotional support from loved ones can make a big difference after a trauma. Friends and family can offer support by listening to your distress and reminding you that you weren’t to blame.
Loved ones who express gratitude for your well-being can also help you remember there’s nothing wrong with feeling relief or gratitude for your own safety. You can have these feelings and still regret the pain and suffering experienced by others.
Sharing your emotions with loved ones who went through the trauma with you can also encourage them to do the same.
Finding it difficult to open up to people in your life?
- In-person or online support groups can help you connect with people in similar situations.
- Expressing emotions through writing or art can also make a big difference.
If time doesn’t make much of a difference in feelings of survivor guilt, or any other emotional distress, talking to a therapist or other mental health professional is a good next step.
A therapist can offer guidance with:
- exploring underlying factors contributing to guilt, such as feelings of personal responsibility
- working through depression, fear, anxiety, and other distress
- reframe and challenge negative thoughts around not just guilt, but also the trauma itself
- identifying helpful coping skills and putting them into practice
Online therapist directories and search engines can help you connect with a local therapist who specializes in PTSD, if not survivor guilt. A primary care provider or community mental health center can also help you find a therapist.
Not many providers in your area? Concerned about staying safe during COVID-19? You can also access therapy through online platforms. Check out our top 10 picks.
Feeling guilty about surviving, even succeeding, when others have suffered instead only serves to illustrate your empathy and compassion. Still, while these feelings might come from a good place, they can intensify pain and distress.
Instead of punishing yourself for making it through, try reframing your survival as a gift, one you can pay forward with gratitude and kindness toward others. Doing what you can to support loved ones, even strangers, who continue to struggle can add meaning and purpose to your life.
Crystal Raypole has previously worked as a writer and editor for GoodTherapy. Her fields of interest include Asian languages and literature, Japanese translation, cooking, natural sciences, sex positivity, and mental health. In particular, she’s committed to helping decrease stigma around mental health issues. | https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/survivors-guilt?utm_source=ReadNext |
In this article a brief discussion on the nature of psychotherapy is given, followed by a review of the literature concerning psychotherapy and its use with people with intellectual disability. Some issues with regard to best practice when working with people with intellectual disability in the field of psychotherapy are also highlighted.
Bender (1993), in discussing how people with intellectual disability have been neglected historically by psychotherapists, refers to the ‘semantic mayhem’ around psychodynamic psychotherapy, behavioural therapy and cognitive therapy. Turnbull (2000) describes the evolution of psychotherapy as follows. Psychoanalysis, after a period of favour, had its critics who felt that it was rather too introspective and that it relied too heavily on the concepts of instinct and unconscious desires. A move towards a more ‘humanist’ and ‘holistic’ approach became popular and today, psychodynamic therapy is more often referred to than pure psychoanalysis.
Psychodynamic therapy, like other psychological treatments, uses the relationship between the therapist and the client to address issues that contribute to emotional distress (NHS website, 2002). It works in two broad ways. Firstly, in common with all psychological treatments, the client—and whatever difficulty they are experiencing—is accepted as valid by the therapist. Secondly, the therapeutic process itself contributes to the client’s feeling of control and responsibility for finding a solution to the difficulties being encountered and emotions can be expressed freely in a safe environment.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy aims to help people to understand themselves more clearly. The therapist aims to help the client to become more self-aware, uncovering and understanding links between past experiences and current behaviour and relationships. The client is guided towards recognition of emotions and reactions which are rooted in the unconscious rather than the conscious mind. Psychodynamic psychotherapy aims to bring about lasting change in the client’s emotions and patterns of response to others. Psychodynamic psychotherapy undertaken in groups confers possible additional advantages, such as belonging to a group, sharing common experiences and developing trust, which can add to the therapeutic process.
The application of psychodynamic psychotherapy to the difficulties that people with intellectual disabilities encounter has been limited until recent years. Traditionally, it was assumed that the use of a cognitively-based therapy relied on a certain level of cognitive ability. As far back as 1904, Freud suggested that in order to engage in psychoanalysis, patients should possess ‘a reasonable degree of education and a fairly reliable character’.
There was a consensus among many writers in this field, right up to the 1980s, that this kind of intervention was not suitable for clients with an intellectual disability. Some (Tyson & Sandler 1971) went so far as to suggest intellectual disability as a contra-indication for psychotherapy. A glaring error in this assumption is the assumption that people with intellectual disabilities are a homogenous group whose characteristics are similar and generalised across the entire population.
People with intellectual disabilities are referred or, in a few cases self-refer, to psychotherapeutic services for a number of reasons. Psychological distress such as anxiety, depression and traumatic bereavement are examples. Sometimes, people with intellectual disabilities can also be referred in order to explore the reasons why they might display behaviour that challenges.
The Research
A review of the research literature published in this area yields results that fall broadly into two categories: reports on case studies and reports on evidence of outcomes in practice. Considering the relative recency of this therapy being used in the field of intellectual disability, it is not surprising that a majority of the research information available is in case studies form, the emphasis being on the process rather than the outcome. Beail and Frankish (cited in Brandon 1989) and Sinason (1992) are some of the major contributors. Nigel Beail, a psychodynamic psychotherapist, has gone on to produce most of the evidence on outcomes of psychodynamic psychotherapeutic interventions.
Symington (1981) published the first account of psychotherapy with a person with intellectual disabilities. (Beail (1998) points out that studies carried out prior to this which claimed to be concerned with people with ‘mental retardation’ were actually dealing with people who were handicapped by emotional difficulties or were of low average intelligence. This view is supported by Sinason (1992).) Symington concluded that he did not know whether the treatment was a success or a failure, because the client decided to stop attending sessions at the end of two years. Symington presents the case study in order to generate debate and to challenge the assumption that psychotherapy is not suitable for people with intellectual disabilities.
Frankish (1989), Beail (1989) and Sinason (1992) published articles in the late 1980s and early 1990s, describing more case work and supporting the use of psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities. Debate was generated and more case studies were published, Waitman & Conboy-Hill (1992), for example. These publications tended to focus, as mentioned above, on the process of using psychotherapy with people with intellectual disability, rather than the outcome. This makes it difficult to judge the efficacy of the treatment when used with people with intellectual disability.
Beail (2002) proffers one possible reason for the lack of ‘outcomes studies’ of psychodynamic treatment. Some psychotherapists had expressed the concern that the measurement of outcomes of treatment might interfere with the process of the therapy.
As mentioned above, the literature on the application of psychodynamic psychotherapy for people with intellectual disabilities is scanty. Beail and Warden (1996), Beail (1998, 2001), and Newman and Beail (2002) published papers that deal specifically with outcomes of psychodynamic psychotherapy as used with people with intellectual disabilities.
All studies showed positive outcomes for clients. A criticism of the 1996 study was the lack of information on improvement in the clients’ well being, other than the presence or absence of symptoms. Positive outcomes were measured in respect of reduction in adverse symptoms. This issue was addressed in the 2002 study, which looked at the changes that occurred in the clients understanding of their problem during the process of therapy. The 1998 study was criticised for the short follow-up period; again this issue was addressed in the 2001 study which looked at recidivism rates in clients who were offenders over a four-year period.
Clearly more research in this area, focusing on outcomes of psychodynamic therapy, will add strength to the argument that it is indeed an appropriate therapy for people with intellectual disabilities.
Best-Practice Issues
There are a number of issues to be considered when aiming to arrive at a model of best practice in psychotherapy for people with intellectual disability. Many of these were discussed by Dr Nigel Beail (2002) at a lecture held in University College Dublin.
Some issues are to do with service delivery and supports for people undergoing therapy. Some are to do with the therapeutic process itself- Ideally, from a service-delivery point of view, every person with an intellectual disability should have access to appropriately qualified and supervised therapists. People with intellectual disability should know that this type of therapy is available to them and what it aims to treat. Carers and other health professionals should also be aware of this and referrals made as appropriate. Services and carers would also need to undertake to address causal factors where possible. For example, if a person is referred for anger management therapy and one of the causes of their anger is the lack of choice about where they live, the person making the referral would need to be able to address that issue.
Likewise, some people with intellectual disabilities live in somewhat chaotic surroundings. The efficacy of therapy would need to be assessed for the client who has to return to that environment after each session. Carers need to have information about the process in order to support the client outside the sessions. Psychotherapy can be a difficult process personally and clients may need greater understanding and support at this time. Rose et al. (2000) conducted group therapy sessions where carers were present; this is an area that would bear more investigation.
People who do not have intellectual disabilities can generally expect to see their therapists only during their sessions, people with intellectual disabilities, who live in institutions, might come across their therapists in the corridor, on the grounds of the institution or at other meetings. This may cause embarrassment, confusion or doubts about the maintenance of confidentiality. Lastly, clients with intellectual disabilities who are referred for psychotherapy may well be taking medication, psychotropic drugs or sedatives; these may well interfere with the their ability to engage with the therapist.
In discussing the therapeutic process itself, there are a number of issues which may present difficulties for people with an intellectual disability. Consent to engage in the therapeutic process is assumed in the general population by virtue of their attendance. For people with intellectual disabilities, consent must be sought from the person themselves or from their carer. Explanation of the process and aims of treatment must be conveyed in a way the client can grasp. This may present difficulties to some people with intellectual disabilities.
Communication skills are obviously of importance in a therapy that relies on self-reporting, at least in part. The therapist must be prepared to be creative and involved when dealing with clients with intellectual disabilities. Traditionally psychotherapists remained silent during their client’s discourse, in order not to influence it. Beail (2002) reports making use of strategies such as play techniques and picture boards to aid communication in therapy sessions. Stenfert Kroese (1998) discusses the use of open-ended questions to avoid the client being tempted to answer ‘yes’ in an attempt to be ‘right’—and the practice of probing the client’s understanding of an issue with additional questions.
The therapist must become familiar with and fluent in the client’s language. Comprehension and expression of abstract concepts may need to be assisted. People with intellectual disabilities may have differing abilities around maintaining attention and avoiding distractions. The therapist may need to be flexible and accommodating in this regard. An assessment of the client’s ability to concentrate, remember and retain information from session to session will help to shape an appropriate intervention schedule.
Finally, therapists need to be aware that clients with intellectual disabilities may act-out during sessions or after them, and strategies need to be in place to support the client at these times. Beail (2002) reported that in some cases clients felt that the therapists had ended the treatment, rather than the process coming to an end. Termination of the therapy must be handled sensitively with full explanation given to the client in a way that they understand.
Conclusion
Bender (1993) cites Ricks (1990) who stated that ‘eighty percent of the total number of mentally handicapped children and adults in the UK are only mildly handicapped’. Only a proportion of the population with intellectual disabilities is in receipt of services. Most people with intellectual disability do not live in institutions where these services may be on offer—it would seem to follow that the large majority of people with intellectual disability may not have access to appropriately targeted mental health services.
The provision of psychotherapy should be based on the needs of people with intellectual disabilities. Stenfert Kroese (1998) cites Sevin & Matson (1994) who say that people with intellectual disabilities are more likely to experience psychological distress than the general population. As more sophisticated diagnostic tools are developed, there will be accurate information available on the prevalence of mental health issues among people with intellectual disability. In tandem with the provision of appropriate therapy, attention must be paid to the hierarchy of needs of the clients. Perhaps the circumstances in which some people have to live need to be addressed prior to providing for their psychological needs. | https://frontline-ireland.com/the-use-of-psychotherapy-for-people-with-intellectual-disability/ |
So you'd like to form a spin-out company?
We asked Dr Ross Rounsevell, Business Development Manager at the Wellcome Sanger Institute to share his insights into the process of forming spin-out companies. Ross works with academic researchers to facilitate the translation of their scientific discoveries for wider research and healthcare benefit in the form of licenses, technologies, and products.
Essentially the process of spinning out a company can be broken down into four steps. Simple enough:
- You have an idea
- You write a business plan
- You put some resource behind it
- You start operations
And whilst this is definitely the path any fledgling business is likely to follow, there are a few things a founder needs to get right in order to succeed.
But first on the difference between spin-outs and start-ups…
All spin-outs are start-ups but not all start-ups are spin-outs
What distinguishes a start-up from a spin-out is that the latter requires the separation of a capability from the organisation that created it. This process of spinning-out can generally take longer to put together simply because the values of the organisation or ‘parent of the idea’ have to be accommodated and negotiated with both in terms of asset transfer (usually by way of IP license) and the ongoing rights their minority shareholding will grant them.
Founder/ inventor/ entrepreneur
Ross argues that the founder is often the ‘secret sauce’ that helps to make their idea into a successful spin-out but being an inventor doesn’t automatically make you an entrepreneur; or indeed, vice versa. The truth is, that to found a company a person needs to not only have ideas (be an innovator) but to be able to act on them (be an entrepreneur). They must also understand their own value: their limitations as well as their abilities. Ultimately, they need to be honest about their motivations and needs and be clear on what they want out of the endeavour. This is the essence of a successful founder- a tall order indeed…
The founder’s personal journey is crucial to securing interest from investors and understanding how to navigate relationships between all the different stakeholders who are usually involved. In the case of business development practice at the Sanger Institute, there are usually three key stakeholders; the Founder/Researcher, the Institute and the Investor(s). Each stakeholder, naturally driven by their own agendas and obligations, impacts negotiations at every step of the way. The founder must navigate these tricky waters conscious of stakeholder motivations, but Ross argues this is where a healthy dose of honesty and self-knowledge is required to achieve success on an emotional as well as financial levels if you’re spinning out.
A spin-out founder who got it right
Dr Trevor Lawley was in his early-thirties when he arrived at the Sanger Institute to start his postdoc. 10 years on, he is CSO of Microbiotica (a company that was spun-out of the Wellcome Sanger Institute in 2016) and also runs a research group at the Institute that sequences the genome of thousands of bacterial strains from the gut of humans to understand host-bacteria interactions. Trevor encourages his team to perform translational work and has actively shared his experiences of co-founding Microbiotica with peers and students to support the innovation and entrepreneurship culture here at the Wellcome Genome Campus.
At least 4 years’ worth of lab work with Clostridium difficile (klos-TRID-e-um dif-uh-SEEL), led up to the first demonstration of a resolution for a gastrointestinal infection. Trevor’s science showed that you could use a relatively small number of bacteria to address an infection in the gut by selecting bacteria itself as a treatment. Trevor’s collaborator and mentor at the time, Professor Gordon Dougan also runs a research group at the Sanger Institute focusing on the genetic analysis of host/pathogen interactions during infection and he too saw the potential value of this science impacting healthcare. Whilst the process towards the company‘s formation was inevitably complex and took several years, there were a number of things that happened which helped to make the company a success.
The first ingredient of Microbiotica’s success was Trevor himself who was honest about where he could contribute to the company formation process with his existing skills and where he could not. Another important ingredient was that Trevor engaged in discussions with commercial parties to understand the challenges and opportunities in trying to take his academic insights to market. This ultimately resulted in a pharma company showing an interest in the translational potential of Trevor’s science, which immediately added perceived value to a then only a prospective spin-out. Finally, Dr Mike Romanos, encouraged by the pharma interest in the idea, was brought on board through his connection with Professor Dougan who had a wealth of experience as a seasoned drug development expert and had previously worked for GSK, and as an entrepreneur in the biotech sector. Mike Romanos is CEO and co-founder of Microbiotica.
Getting interest from investors
Ross’s informal conversations with at least five investors in his network have revealed that whilst every interaction with a founder is different, there are, it seems, certain things that can be done to secure the success of your fledgling spin-out. Below is a distillation of this advice.
When spinning out…
- Understand your stakeholders
- Be open about your technology’s advantages and limitations
- Understand the value that you and your idea can bring to market
- Make it a team effort
- Engage in discussions/make yourself accessible to other stakeholders
- Start exploring opportunities early
- Always think about application
If you have an idea for a business that relates to your research, or are looking for a partnership or a license we want to hear from you. Our Enterprise & Innovation Team can help you build relationships with the Wellcome Sanger Institute that could lead to new business opportunities. Email us to set up a meeting or a phonecall with either Ross Rounsevell or Emmanuelle Astoul- our Business Development Managers if you have an idea that you would like to take to market.
Latest news
Campus research, innovation and engagement recognised at the 2022 Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards
The Cambridge Independent Science and Technology Awards took place on Wednesday evening at the Hinxton Hall Conference Centre. Campus teams, ... | https://www.wellcomegenomecampus.org/news_item/so-youd-like-to-form-a-spin-out-company/ |
Tell us about your track
I wrote this song about a year ago when I was going through a tough break up, I picked up the ukulele at 1 am in the night and this song came along, it talks about the promises in a relationship that are broken and the thoughts that come after it. “Kaise the vaadein woh, tere mere, kaisi kasmein thi jo, ab nah rahi” At the time I kept wondering if the break up was my fault and how a long lasting relationship (Vaasta) could end, the lyrics express my emotion and how difficult it was to move on.
Tell us your inspiration behind this track
There was no set inspiration for the track, everything just fell in place the day i wrote it, one thing that people might not know is that I wrote the whole song in one go but I ended up scrapping the second verse as a whole and rewrote it a few days after finishing the song, the electric guitar, ukulele and bass combination was inspired by countless indie songs during post production
How long did it take to record the track album EP ?
It was really quick, I was always ready with the song, my producer Larry Lobo and I spent 6 hours in the studio and it was finished. The mix was done by Somanshu within a week as well.
What is the meaning behind the lyrics?
The lyrics are honest, they express vulnerability and exactly how I felt at the moment I wrote them. I believe honest music always connects with people and that’s what i’ve tried to achieve with this song.
What brings next after this release?
I want to keep releasing music, being in the studio made me realise how fun it is to create something out of nothing, listening to the final track after months of dreaming it is an unparalleled feeling. | https://findie.in/delhi-based-singer-songwriter-kush-chanana-strums-on-heart-strings-with-his-emotional-debut-release/ |
You’ve probably already thought of a person attending your Thanksgiving dinner with controversial political views, wondering how they could believe what they believe and how you’re going to dread the political dinner conversation. Let me be bold enough to invite the Clarity Compass to your Thanksgiving dinner. One of the most effective aspects of the Clarity Compass is the emphasis it puts on becoming clear about intentions, both your own and those you’re engaging with, as you try to navigate conflict-ridden situations. By doing this, you can stay in touch with the fact that while you may not agree with each other on the surface, your deeper intentions may be more in alignment than you think, and can therefore be the beginning of finding common ground.”
To do this, first think through your various intentions for the dinner. Among others, I’m imagining that you will likely be intending to be:
- Getting along with others
- Enjoying the company of family and friends
- Having a good meal
- Participating in an American tradition
However, as charged topics come up, such as the recent election, I’m imagining that several other intentions may arise, some of these intentions are conscious and deliberate while others are not:
- I want them to understand my position
- I want them to see where their thinking is off
- I may even see where their thinking is dangerous, so they need to be aware of this
- Probably the least conscious intention is, I want them to see where they are wrong and I am right
Notice where the two sets of intentions may be in conflict, particularly getting along with others versus helping them see the error of their ways. The good news is that you have the ability to choose how you act on your intentions (or choose not to act). Am I going to engage in the actions that support my intention of getting along? Or, am I going to engage in the actions that support my intention to be right?
The trickier question is even if I don’t need to be right, but have the intention of being honest and transparent, how do I meet my intention of being authentic with my desire to have a congenial Thanksgiving dinner? Here I invite you to practice transparency. I’m suggesting that you say what’s true for you by sharing both of your intentions: ‘I want to be open with my position, at the same time I want to have a happy Thanksgiving.” From there, you can navigate the conversation and make note of where your sharing your political position as well as acknowledging where you might want to take a breath, take a break from the conversation, or end the conversation altogether noting that the conversation might be putting the festive atmosphere at risk.
Mastery of the Clarity Compass does not always guarantee that you get the results you want, but bringing in some skills and tools may increase the probability of your having a Happy Thanksgiving! | https://www.clarity-compass.com/blog/will-hillary-and-trump-be-present-at-your-thanksgiving-dinner/ |
Holger offers a private course, “Becoming a Photographer with a Distinctive Perspective”, geared toward students of all skill levels. Students will develop a personal vision and learn basic photography tools with the building blocks provided. The course consists of five, 3 hour long classes and a final critique.
Class Structure
1) History of Photography
2) Developing a Personal Vision
3) Technical Basics
4) Re-defining your Personal Approach
5) Mastering Editing and Archiving Tools
6) Post Course: Final Assignment and Critique
Details
1) Learn about the masters of photography, genres and their significance in history.
2) Understand the creative process:
What inspires you, being mindful of surroundings, what are your intentions and what do you want your work to convey.
3) Basic technical components: light, composition, camera and processing.
4) Adjust your path: question your creative motivations and redefine your true intentions.
5) Create an effective work-flow that compliments your photographic style.
Contact [email protected] for more details. | http://holgerthossphoto.com/more/?p=1433 |
Áidna means The one and only,
Viimmat means Finally.
Behind the stage name is Anneli Guttorm;
a Sámi woman from Nesseby in East-Finnmark, currently residing in Tromsø.
Anneli has been working with yoik and Sámi culture for many years, and has now teamed up with producer/sound designer Kjetil Dalland (musician for e.g. Vamp, Boine and Drecker).
The result is a catchy and heterogeneous pop album containing 10 tracks, with the lyrics reflecting Anneli’s cultural background, the Northern nature and relationships between people. Viimmat reads along the line of longing folk yoik, soft pop and intense groove. The album also contains a powerful collaboration with renowned Sámi film and stage actor Mikkel Gaup.
Every composition, song and yoik sets its unique mood. With this album Áidna wishes to inspire, give purpose and move others; the same way others have inspired her. The music is composed by Guttorm and Dalland together. Anneli Guttorm is behind the text, vokal tracks and yoik, while Kjetil Dalland has played and recorded all instrumental tracks. Producer is Kjetil Dalland. | https://www.aidna.no/bio |
The AOU and COS annual meetings are intended to advance our understanding of birds, their management and conservation through the open and honest communication of research and the exchange of ideas. As scientists and practitioners we work to ensure that the information we communicate at meetings is accurate and reliable and acknowledges the contributions of our colleagues. We understand that effective communication requires that we treat each other with respect and courtesy in face to face, written and electronic interactions and that we respect the intellectual property of our colleagues. We represent the field of ornithology and need to behave as professionals to each other, volunteers, society employees, vendors and meeting venue staff. Meeting participants should be able to engage in open discussions free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation.
If the occasion arises, that an individual’s behavior interferes with the intent of the societies’ annual meetings, then their actions may be reported to the leadership of the AOU or COS and the society leadership will take appropriate action. | http://aoucos2015.ou.edu/?page_id=1128 |
What are the 5 roles of an effective team?
The five functions are trust, conflict management, commitment, accountability and focusing on results.
To have a functioning team, one thing is a must and that is Trust.
Trust is the foundation of a good team..
What are the 5 key factors for a team to be successful?
The five elements of successful teamworkCommunication: Effective communication is the most important part of teamwork and involves consistently updating each person and never assuming that everyone has the same information. … Delegation: Teams that work well together understand the strengths and weaknesses of each team member. … Efficiency: … Ideas: … Support:
What are the key elements of a successful team?
The key elements to successful teamwork are trust, communication and effective leadership; a focus on common goals with a collective responsibility for success (or failure). However, without trust and communication the team will have difficulty functioning effectively.
What are four characteristics of an effective team?
Four Characteristics of Effective Team WorkHonest Communication. Open and honest communication is essential. … Trust. In the competitive startup world, many startup team members struggle to completely trust the others on the team. … Focus on the common goal. … Understanding and tolerance.
What are the three key components of a team?
What are the three key components of effective teams? Context, composition, and process variables.
What makes a successful group?
A thriving team has open and honest discussions, sharing their thoughts, ideas and opinions. They engender a meritocracy, ensuring no-one is above anyone else and allowing everyone to feel as though they can contribute freely. Creating this sort of culture is one of the fundamental foundations of a successful team. | https://ciestateagentsltd.com/qa/what-are-the-four-main-elements-of-a-successful-team.html |
Maxim Boon is an arts and culture writer and editor based in Melbourne. He is the Senior Group Editor and National Arts Editor of The Music, and formerly the Online Editor of Limelight Magazine. He is also a contributor to The Guardian, Time Out, Daily Review, Arts Hub, Dumbo Feather, Same Same and DNA Magazine.
Having studied composition and conducting at the Royal Academy of Music in London before beginning a career in teaching, followed by several years as an arts publicist, producer and freelance writer, Maxim’s pathway into the world of journalism has been a winding one, but one that has also exposed him to wide range of formative insights.
Since relocating to Australia in 2014 from his native UK to become a full-time writer and editor, he has used this experience to explore arts, entertainment and culture stories over a vast spectrum of disciplines, from classical music to stand-up comedy, streaming TV to immersive theatre, tattooing to fashion design, opera to popera, and more or less everything in between.
“I want to throw open the borders of what we celebrate as ‘worthy’ within arts media. The artistic motivations of a yarn bomber can be every bit as beautiful and urgent and uplifting as the most revered makers of our most esteemed companies. I’m excited by stories that celebrate creative diversity, that surprise as they educate and demystify as they engage, and that seek to level the playing field of our cultural hierarchies.”
Maxim also writes extensively about the LGBTQ community, queer culture and politics, hosts a successful podcast, The Lashes, described by the Herald Sun as “Louis Theroux meets My Dad Wrote A Porno,” and otherwise spends most of his time posting pictures of his dog, Paddington, to Instagram.
Follow him on Twitter @maximhboon
As the only person in her immediate family who can hear, Jodee Mundy has spent a lifetime moving between two perceptive identities.
Anchuli Felicia King finds her stories in the space where technology and tradition meet.
On stage together for the first time in nearly 30 years, the stars of Lucy Kirkwood's The Children explore their shared past and our dangerous future.
Strength of community and cultural distinctiveness is something to embrace, not fear, says Wesley Enoch. | https://www.audreyjournal.com.au/people/maxim-boon/ |
“Labels Don’t Define Us” is a song about accepting diversity produced by students and staff at The Woden School, Canberra, Australia. The school is a supported high school and college setting, providing education for students with diagnosed disabilities, including autism and/or intellectual disability. The Woden School is an Australian Capital Territory Public Education Specialist School, where student voice is celebrated and high expectations are set. Learning programs are structured by modifying and adjusting the Australian Curriculum to meet the individual needs of each of our students. The school has a strong social inclusion philosophy.
The idea behind the song began when the class teacher Sasha Posthuma-Grbic began working with the class around the topic of disability. Many students had very little experience discussing their diagnoses from an educational perspective. What Sasha found most confronting was the shame and embarrassment many of them exhibited when discussing their “label”, as well as a lack of understanding about what it meant for them as an individual. The students explored inspirational figures such as Temple Grandin and Dr. Rosie King, who speak openly about their diagnosis, empowering others to feel comfortable in their own skin. Through open discussions, confidence building activities, and intensive social-emotional support, the student’s individual self-acceptance has grown dramatically over time. This past semester the year 9/10 English unit was “Creating Texts”, and in discussions with the class, decided to create something that would become an inspiration to others, and so the idea for the song was born. The lyrics were developed naturally through class discussions and encouraging peer-to-peer conversations, using the concepts that had been discussed and building them into rhyming verses and a chorus.
All students involved are between the ages of 13-16 and have a diagnosis of autism and/or intellectual disability. The students were involved in every single aspect of the project from the song writing, music production, filming and video editing. It was their final project for the semester. Sasha says “It’s been incredible to see them take ownership over the project.” The video and music production was supported by The Woden School’s Youth Support Worker, Luke Ferguson. Luke and Sasha worked with the students in the school’s small studio, recording the vocals of each member of the class. Luke got the studio footage, and Sasha worked with the students to capture the outdoor footage of them with peers throughout the school.
The lyrics to the song are full of messages such as “everyone is different, no need to feel shame”, “what makes you different, makes you a star”, all focussing on the idea of embracing and celebrating difference, as well as being open and honest about disability. “It is only after becoming comfortable with discussing the topic and listening to the voices of those living with disability that we can embed disability education in schools” according to Sasha.
The school’s Principal, Ian Copland, believes education is key, and when people are empowered to be open about what was once shunned, we can pave the way for a fully inclusive society. It must begin with understanding each other and knowing how best to support one another in an increasingly complex world. The school’s philosophy is epitomised by this song and the involvement of the students in its production. Sasha teaches her students that “Whenever you can, expose yourselves to neurodiversity, physical diversity, and diversity of all kinds… Essentially, the message is one of acceptance, empowerment and inclusion of people living with a “label”. | https://unsdn.org/2018/12/21/labels-dont-define-us/ |
Okay. If you are anything like me, one of your biggest struggles is finding a healthy way to deal with your constant desire to want to help people achieve their potential. This is something that I find especially hard to maneuver when it comes to the relationships those close to me are in! In reality, only you can make the decision of entering or ending a relationship, the rest of us can only provide you with the healthy space and conversation you might need to decide. When you enter MY “space and conversation” it usually consist of asking the hard questions and voicing thoughts perhaps you do not want to hear, I don’t beat around the bush. I have sat at both ends of those conversations, and I cannot value enough how they have shaped decisions in my life.
Recently I found my self asking (perhaps more than once) “how do you break up two people that are settling for each other?!”, which lead me down a trail of hard questions for myself- surprisingly! What were those questions? Keep reading (or listening).
1. What brings you to believe this couple is not meant to be together?
Our answer often time brings us to how much we care about our loved one, and how little we like their chosen partner! When Anthony and I were dating, I had family members that did not feel he was a good match for me. As much as I would take these words to heart and stew over them behind closed doors, I learned to not get defensive on WHAT was being said, and to focus on WHY it was being said. Why did they feel Anthony and I were not a good match? If it was a character trait in him, what about that trait was the issue? If it was “just a feeling”, what started that feeling? It is easy to get hung up on the superficial emotions we have about a relationship, but we must always seek to understand the deeper roots of our emotions and rationals. Asking ‘why’ allows us to dig deeper into the thought and understand what the real issue is, it allows us to bring our concern forward in an informative manner, as opposed to an aggressive and emotional one. If you are having a hard time with a relationship that is close to you, sit and try to understand the deeper issue before you turn it into a discussion or make rash decisions on your approach and actions.
Why do you dislike their partner? Why do you feel they are settling? What were your expectations for them? What do you want for them? Would your perspective change if X or Y changed? These are all a good start to help unravel your thoughts.
2. Why do you feel the need to decide who your loved one should be with?
This is often connected to our desire for our loved ones to have the best and be truly happy. However, that desire could be hiding a deeper issue in YOU. In my case, I am a caregiver by nature, causing me to want and step in to help when I feel someone is making choices I see as poor or damaging. My desire is not to control, it is actually to protect and encourage. That being said, sometimes our protection becomes control or even manipulation, and though we justify it with good intentions, it does not make it okay. This is also a good area to start asking why. Why do I feel the need to control? Why do I not trust their decision making? What can I change about my approach to the situation? Again, the more you understand your why, the better you will be able to bring clarity into the conversation you will likely be having with your loved one.
3. What are you going to do about it?
I started this draft with the intentions of turning it into a “here is how to show them they should end the relationship” post, but frankly, I am ending it on an opposite note. I encourage you to be open, be honest, and be present.
Be open: I am a firm believer in expressing your concerns, and I have learned that the more prepared you are to explain why you feel as you do, the less chances of angry outbursts and misunderstandings taking place. Keep an open mind and be willing to hear out the other party as they explain to you why they have chosen their relationship. You do not have to agree with someone’s decision in order to be kind and understand with them. Place yourself in their shoes, and try to see things through their eyes in order to gain better perspective.
Be honest: There is nothing worse than sugar coating and dampening your true feelings only to have the truth exposed later. There has to be wisdom in how much you share, but there should not be dishonesty in deep conversations. I have had my share of tough conversations during my relationship- there was sobbing and goodness did it evert hurt my heart at times, but I always appreciated family being honest with me. It allowed me to feel respect for them when I didn’t have many other positive emotions to feel.
Be present: It is more than okay to not want to support a relationship you do not feel you can stand behind- I have a strict rule when it comes to this! But if you feel to, offer yourself to be present for discussions and a hug (they’ll be needed). One of the worst feelings in my own experience was having someone close all the doors to our relationship without having a two sided discussion to understand why it was happening. I do believe there are times people have to do this to protect their own hearts, I have had to do it too, but show respect for one another and have a discussion. I also believe that the more we isolate someone that is feeling stuck in a hard decision, the more likely they are to run towards comfort and ease, and that is not usually the best path for most of us. So be present in whatever capacity you can.
At the end of the day we all have to understand that we cannot decide on a relationship for someone else, and that just because you feel their decision is a mistaken it does not mean that it in fact is. Once you have sat and sought to understand your feelings and have expressed them to the individual, sit and pray. Often time our best power move is prayer! My best approach? Praying that the heart that needs changing be changed and come to a place of acceptance, because let’s face it, sometimes we are the ones in the wrong and need a little help to see that.
Have you had difficulty accepting a relationship lately? How did you approach the conversation with your loved one? Share your wisdom and experience in a comment below!
With love, | https://yourlifehisvoice.com/2018/08/23/how-do-i-break-them-up/ |
Look at your mobile phone, and the mobile phone of people around you. Chances are that these devices will either be iPhone by Apple, or Android based phones from Samsung, Xiomi, Lenovo, or Sony. Small differences between the two types apart, they are overwhelmingly similar in overall look, use and feel. Just ten years back, smart phone market was filled with very different devices. Ranging from Nokia N series phones dominating the product category, to Motorola devices, to Blackberry by RIM. What was that which transformed the mobile devices landscape in a short span of 10 years? Multi-touch technology and software innovations like virtual keyboard were the primary drivers of this world altering change. Taking keyboard hardware out of the picture, and allowing the extra space to be used for better display experience while using the phone. How did these ideas originate? Who were the key people behind these ideas? What were the motivations of these people? What was their background and work experience? How these ideas then transformed into a delightful product? Study-Group is a powerful medium to get in-depth knowledge of subject, and I invite you to study How iPhone was conceptualized and developed. Having spent almost 5 years in various study-groups, I now move on to understand something that deeply impacts many or all of us. Check out next thread to understand how exactly the journey will begin, proceed, and conclude. | http://forum.objectivismonline.com/index.php?/tags/steve%20jobs/ |
Data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence are three buzzwords we all hear in the retail industry on a daily basis.
But how do these trends in technology apply to returns?
Optoro’s Returns Optimization Platform uses data science to enable retailers to track each return on the unit level, uncover insights in returns trends, and automate routing to the optimal channel.
Our software utilizes algorithms to analyze market, client, and proprietary data inputs to power predictive models that drive optimal business results.
To learn more about how we use data science to optimize returns, download our latest one-pager here. | https://www.optoro.com/2019/05/07/whats-the-science-behind-optoros-returns-optimization-platform/ |
About this Job:
Syngenta Digital is committed to developing digital agriculture tools for our grower customers, seeking to help maximize their farming operations’ profitability, sustainability, and freedom to operate. This goal requires a powerful, scalable and highly connected spatial data management platform to collect, translate, store and transform data from many different sources, including farm machinery, sensors and other IoT devices, and a multitude of cloud-based integration partners.
Having a highly connected data platform provides opportunity and demand for analytics and machine-learning-based models that can make creative use of the available data to solve practical problems for our customers, and to facilitate the scaling of these solutions.
Syngenta, one of the world’s leading crop input manufacturers, seeks two curious, determined and high-performing individuals who are interested in contributing to a global product development and engineering team focused on bringing value to our customer by building upon the infrastructure mentioned above. As an integral member of this team, you’ll experience personal and professional growth as you collaborate in developing solutions and enhancements that contribute to feeding the world in a sustainable manner.
Note: location is flexible
Duration: May 2022 – August 2022
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
- Develop/enhance functionality of machine learning – driven models to solve a variety of agronomic and agricultural operations problems using digital images and other machine and IoT data streams as inputs.
- Organize the annotation of machine learning models, train these models in an AWS EC2 environment, and support an engineering team in the operational deployment of these models.
- Collaborate with machine integration product team to define and implement predictive machine and IoT data infrastructure scalability tools.
- Given a collection of spatial data layers, work independently and with our team to develop scalable agronomic and operational insights that can bring value to our customers.
- Develop data quality metrics and other methods that can determine the suitability of a dataset to a given task; perform automated data cleanup tasks.
- Manage controlled vocabularies and other semantic infrastructure to support machine and IoT data integration and interoperability.
Education & Experience:
- Currently pursuing a Master’s or Doctorate degree in Data Science, Computer Science, Computer Engineering or related field with a graduation date on or after December 2022
- Knowledge of TensorFlow or similar ML tools, AWS, mTurk, and/or other image annotation tools.
- Programming experience with Python is required. Experience with numeric methods and image processing libraries is desirable.
- Working knowledge of relational and document databases is desirable.
- All applicants must be eligible to work in the US
Additional Knowledge, Skills, Traits & Abilities:
- Proactive approach and enthusiasm for problem identification and solving
- Passionate about improving users’ experience
- Curious about and keeps up to date with current technology industry and developments
- Strong ability to research and investigate basic / complex data science related topics.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills including strong interpersonal skills.
- Ability to lead, be self-directed and/or work independently or as part of a team.
- Be able to demonstrate capacity to work in and contribute to a global team work environment.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities.
Syngenta is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or any other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, marital or veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected status. | https://missouri.joinhandshake.com/jobs/5431008/share_preview |
IS it possible for a baby to be born with a positive result If the mother had tested negative?
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Response from Dr. Frascino
Hello,
No. Mother-to-child HIV transmissions (during pregnancy, delivery or breastfeeding) can only occur if the mother is HIV infected.
The only way an HIV-positive baby could be born to a mother who tested HIV negative would be if the mother's negative test wasn't accurate (i.e., she had had a "false negative" test) or she was tested during her "window period" (HIV infected but not yet producing detectable levels of anti-HIV antibodies).
Dr. Bob
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This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material. | http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/SafeSex/Q214223.html |
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a mental condition characterized by severe and ongoing inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive behavior, which impairs a person’s ability to function normally. However, it’s fairly common for an adult or a child who’s easily distracted, frequently irritable, or have difficulty completing tasks to be misdiagnosed as having ADHD.
Here are some of the reasons why it is overdiagnosed.
Before rendering a diagnosis, a certified psychiatrist -- ideally someone who has experience treating ADHD -- must thoroughly examine a person who shows signs of the condition. But one study found that 16.7% of psychotherapists rendered an ADHD diagnosis despite not meeting its diagnostic criteria. These unmet criteria are often discovered when patients get re-evaluated or when they receive a second opinion.
To get an accurate diagnosis, psychiatrists should start by interviewing a patient to obtain his or her medical history and get an extensive overview of his or her health condition. They should also conduct the necessary neuropsychological tests to gain insights into the patient’s social and/or academic circumstances.
Finally, mental health professionals should rule out other that they are not symptoms of similar psychiatric disorders like mood swings, anxiety disorders, learning disabilities, or sleep apnea. Note that in some cases, ADHD-like symptoms may be completely unrelated to ADHD.
Some parents may feel pressured to put a name to an unidentifiable disorder when their child shows ADHD-like symptoms. This may be due to the demands of the current educational system, which exerts undue stress on parents whose 2-3-year old child are expected to read and do well in school.
As a result, healthcare providers prematurely diagnose ADHD and prescribe treatments in order to make the parents feel at ease. Here at Meridian Psychiatric Partners, one of the most commonly asked questions regarding ADHD concerns stimulants, a critical component of the treatment. Stimulants for ADHD are controlled substances, and as responsible mental health professionals, we take great precaution in prescribing them.
Feel free to get in touch if you’d like to learn more.
Healthcare systems also intentionally misdiagnose ADHD due to health policy constraints, which are prevalent in the US. Based on recent studies, some clinicians render an ADHD diagnosis to a person only suspected of having ADHD because a hospital or a small healthcare practice needs a diagnosis “to access and reimburse treatment.” In these cases, clinicians diagnose ADHD in children who have imprecise symptoms, resulting not just in a premature diagnosis but also in inappropriate treatment plans.
Diagnosing and treating a serious mental condition like ADHD should not be left to the guesswork and misconceptions of doctors. To get an accurate diagnosis, seek the help of mental health experts who offer comprehensive evaluations, take the time to educate the patient and his or her loved ones about ADHD, and are willing to work with the patient to find the best therapies.
Meridian Psychiatric Consultant’s mental health professionals in Chicago, Evanston, Lake Forest are ready to take your queries about ADHD. Talk to us today. | https://www.meridianpsychiatricpartners.com/2018/09/adhd-overdiagnosis-need-know/ |
Although I supposedly had the "easier" HCV genotype to treat, my therapy a few years ago (RBV + PegINF), and I attained SVR .... I relapsed. Retesting confirmed I had Geno 2b only. My VL for HIV has always been undetectable and I'm hypercompliant. My CD4s, once down to 96 at Dx (when I had AIDS related CNS NHL) got up to 350 or so ..... then plateaued and steadily decreased to around 260 and has been steady. I'm now 55, and contracted HCV (most probably) from one of 2 field transfusions in Pakistan; and HIV from a week of transfusions (25+ units)... So here's my ?, given all the background: Why can't I get the one of the new retroviral HCV therapies. My HIV dr. & Heptologist says I can't ... because I'm geno 2. Has the FDA cleared bocepevir, etc., for Geno 2, coinfected HIV who relapsed from SVR after conventional Tx.? i can't get a straight answer from anybody. Thank you!
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Response from Dr. Taylor
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I am sorry to hear that you relapsed after competing treatment for hepatitis C genotype 2 infection. This can be so disappointing. It is wonderful that your HIV VL is undetectable as this is important for both your HIV and hepatitis C infections.
There is a good reason why you cannot get one of the new hepatitis C pills, the protease inhibitors telaprevir and boceprevir. These medications are not active against genotype 2 infection. No one with genotype 2 infection should take these medications.
The good news is that there are many medications under study that are active against genotype 2 infection. There are some classes of hepatitis C medications under investigation that are active against all genotypes, while other medications being studied may be particularly suited for your genotype.
There are clinical trials open now for people living with both HIV and hepatitis C genotype 2 infection. Depending on where you live your doctor may be able to help you gain access to these trials. If you cannot access a study, it is looking as though within a few years there will be a number of better options for genotype 2 infection for people with and without co-existing HIV infection.
Hepatitis c and razors
Hep panel
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This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material. | http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Hepatitis/Q225952.html?ic=4003 |
|Would it be okay...
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Jan 9, 2005
Hello Doctor -
Actually, Dr. Sullivan, you answered a question for me back on November 15 - "HIV Window, really stressing over this." I really appreciated the reassurance.
Well, it has now been 13 weeks since that low-risk encounter. I have already had negative HIV tests at four and nine weeks. I have a Home Access test sitting here waiting to be taken. I know the home access phone line says you should test out to six months, and so do some other sources, but I know it's accepted by most health professionals that three months is a sufficient window.
My question is - my husband and I are back on track and considering having a child. If I were HIV positive, even though I know it can be done, I would NOT consider becoming pregnant. So with that... can I truly trust that this 13 week test will be completely accurate? I know flukes can occur, but is there any reason to think I would need further testing or that I could still be positive after three negative tests out to 13 weeks?
I just want to do what's best for my family and want to know for sure before I decide to expand our family.
If you think it's good, then I'll take this test and put it behind me forever.
Thank you in advance for your reply... and thanks for the work you do here.
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Response from Dr. Sullivan
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You can be absolutely comfortable with the 3 month test;JLS.
Possible Semen / Saliva and Strip Club
Please Answer Im in desperate need of help
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This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material. | http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Women/Q162191.html |
The Veterans Mental Health Coalition presents the 2017 VA NY Harbor Summit "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Veterans and Their Family Members" on October 20, 9am-3pm. This summit is an opportunity for the VA to establish and enhance positive working relationships with community partners and better address the healthcare needs of Veterans and their families in our community.
Learn from experts about new initiatives and treatment practices. Gain insights about how Veterans with Other Than Honorable Discharges can gain access to services. Discover new tools and techniques. | https://www.ourveterans.nyc/2017_va_ny_harbor_summit |
The Veterans Mental Health Coalition presents the 2017 VA NY Harbor Summit "Meeting the Mental Health Needs of Veterans and Their Family Members" on October 20, 9am-3pm. This summit is an opportunity for the VA to establish and enhance positive working relationships with community partners and better address the healthcare needs of Veterans and their families in our community.
Learn from experts about new initiatives and treatment practices. Gain insights about how Veterans with Other Than Honorable Discharges can gain access to services. Discover new tools and techniques.
Register here. | https://www.ourveterans.nyc/2017_va_ny_harbor_summit |
Neil Gregory, a staff member at MHM, has spent the last few months supporting local student Chloe McLean to ensure that her BA (Hons) Final Major Project Performance represents mental illnesses on stage in a sensitive and accurate way.
Back in December we received a message from Chloe McLean, a student at the University of Teesside studying Performing Arts. As part of her studies she was planning to write, direct and produce her own stage performance. She decided to theme the production around mental health, in particular the conditions of anxiety, postnatal depression, bipolar disorder and eating disorders.
To gather real-life opinions and experiences, she had distributed an online survey among fellow students and local residents, to be completed anonymously by people who had experiences of one of the four conditions the performance was to focus on. Her lecturer suggested that she also contacted a mental health charity to gain a professional insight into the conditions and the experiences of those who deal with them on a daily basis. In this way, Chloe hoped that her performance would avoid reliance on stigmas or stereotypes.
Photographs courtesy of Chloe McLean
I met Chloe just before Christmas and answered her questions; we had a fascinating conversation covering both regarding mental health in general and the four conditions Chloe wished to look at in more depth. I was inspired by her commitment to give an accurate and realistic portrayal of the conditions, and her dedication for the subject. As a result I offered Chloe as much support as she wanted up to the day of the play, and Chloe gratefully accepted the offer.
Chloe sent through the scripts which made up the performance, which consisted of a variety of brief monologues, comedy pieces, dances and one act plays, each carefully scripted to create a cohesive production. We looked over these and offered advice to help refine the scripts before auditions began.
I was involved in the audition of about 10 people, who all said they has chosen to audition because of the subject material – for most is was close to their heart due to their own experiences or those of a loved one who had struggled with the conditions, hardly surprising given the statistic that 1 in 4 of us will experience a mental health problem each year. The passion that each person’s audition showed for the themes of mental health reinforced for me that that all those involved in the show deserved as much support as I could offer on behalf of MHM.
Rehearsals began in earnest in early February and have continued twice-weekly since. I have attended most of the rehearsals, and my input has involved discussing with the performers practical ways to create faithful depictions of the four conditions, based on my own experience of working with individuals with a range of mental health conditions. For example, I have been able to offer an insight into what body language someone with anxiety might display. All those involved have shown a genuine desire to learn and develop the characters to give an accurate portrayal as well as entertain the audience.
The final product is STIGMA, a show which raises awareness of the misconceptions of mental illness in society, portrayed through drama, featuring aspects of dance, music and physical theatre. It allows the audience to experience what others do on a daily basis; for one night only, mental illness will bare all, and it won’t be the performers that feel exposed!
Come along on Thursday 4th May at 7pm to the Margaret Armstrong Theatre, Stockton Riverside College to see this one-night-only performance!
Click HERE to book you tickets now, and follow the preparations on the STIGMA twitter account.
The performance is not-for-profit; tickets are being sold for a small fee (£5 each/£4 concessions) cover those costs of staging the production.
All audiences must be at least 18 years old, and have proof of identification if questioned. | http://www.mentalhealthmatters.com/mhm-support-mental-health-themes-in-local-stage-production/ |
These are phrases that I've repeatedly heard in some way or another all my life. These phrases are an accurate portrayal of the dismissal of the severity and reality of mental health. Said dismissal causes many people to shy away from seeking mental and emotional guidance, as many people feel as if their mental health struggles will be seen as a joke and/or not be taken seriously.
Although the world is progressing in its knowledge of mental health, it still carries a social stigma. The social stigma causes people to be afraid of speaking up about their own struggles due to the fear of not being taken seriously. Although the progression of mental health knowledge and education is a step in the right direction, it has not prevented suicides as there has been a 25% increase of suicides in the past 2 decades.
Many people who resort to committing sucide feel as if they have no other options, and tend to deal with their emotions alone. No one should suffer in silence and be expected to carry their darkest secrets and feel like burdens alone. As I stated above, the world's inability to recognize mental health issues and real issues causes people to fear seeking mental and emotional help/support. People talk about awareness of all topics on a daily basis to support those in needs, but mental health awareness is often ignored. No one has to suffer in silence because a friend, colleague, boss, teacher etc., plays into the stigma of mental health.
People who suffer in silence often resort to self medication, bottling their feelings, feeling like they're not emotion, and that their emotions are invalid. Due to the stigma around mental health, and other outside factors, around 800,000 people die every year from suicide. Not only that, but in the US around 50% of people meet the criteria of having a mental illness, but only 40% of people seek professional help. This means 10% of the population suffer in silence.
If you are someone who sees a person struggling, unable to get themselves up. Speak up, because the world's silence is leading the world in a direction that we don't want to go. | https://www.myocdfighter.com/post/silence-kills-speak-up |
Thanks for your post.
Seattle has many excellent HIV care providers. If you're looking for a private practice doctor, I'd contact our good friend, Dr. Peter Shalit at Swedish Medical Center. He's highly experienced, a nice guy and has a great ethical compass.
BY
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This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material. | http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Meds/Q195006.html |
HI,
In previous 2 questions regarding SAHA and Vorinostat,you told that SAHA and Vorinostat is same thing and in other reply you told SAHA is not working well and Vorinostat is working pretty well..what is that mean?
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Response from Mr. Vergel
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They are the same thing and showing some early promise for a "flush-and-kill" approach, one of several being studied in HIV cure research.
Nelson Vergel
What is SAHA and Vorinostat?
Probioticos y Enzymas
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This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.
Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material. | http://www.thebody.com/Forums/AIDS/Nutrition/Q221819.html?ic=4003 |
Is there a correlation between the number of T Cells a person has at begining of HIV infection and the value of the viral load once it stabilizes? With more T Cells to infect at the start might that mean higher viral load?
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Response from Dr. Young
Thanks for your post.
As far as I'm aware, there's no relationship between initial CD4 count and viral load.
BY
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A scoping report for a windpower site comprising 12 turbines up to 180m tall on land north and east of Old Caberston, near Walkerburn, was submitted to Scottish Borders Council planners this week, paving the way for an application at a later date.
The wind farm at Scawd Law now being proposed by Fred Olsen Renewables, part of the Norwegian firm Bonheur, is a third smaller than the 18-turbine development originally suggested for the site in 2017.
Explaining that reduction in size, Euan Hogg, author of Dumfries and Galloway-based Natural Power Consultants’ scoping report, says: “The original proposal was for an 18-turbine project.
“However, following a review of the development and a further understanding of the constraints that exist from engineering, planning, landscape and environmental perspectives, taking into account the wind energy resource and the potential energy yield of the proposed development, the current layout of 12 turbines has been proposed.”
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A 35-year lifespan is being suggested for the development.
A consultation process is now about to get under way, but, due to social distancing guidelines still in force in an attempt to curb the spread of coronavirus, it will take place online.
Mr Hogg writes: “Fred Olsen Renewables is keen to engage with local communities close to the proposed development to gather their views, so these can, where possible, inform the planning information required for any forthcoming application.
“In recognition of the current disruptions of the regular dates and format for community council meetings due to Covid-19, it will be seeking to present a virtual presentation and discuss the development via a virtual meeting.
“The views of local communities will be continually sought throughout the planning process and there will be other opportunities for key stakeholders and community members to share their views on the project as it progresses throughout the planning process.”
Fred Olsen Renewables also owns the 85-turbine Crystal Rig wind farm in the Lammermuir Hills, completed in 2004 and extended in 2007 and 2010. | https://www.thesouthernreporter.co.uk/news/environment/plans-being-drawn-up-for-new-wind-farm-near-walkerburn-2940845 |
A Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice
The Urban Coast Institute (UCI) shares Monmouth University’s commitment to advancing diversity, equity, inclusion and justice (DEIJ) efforts that ensure everyone on our campus feels welcome and supported. The UCI also recognizes that communities of color and environmental justice communities bear a disproportionate share of the burden of marine pollution, coastal storms and sea level rise, as well as uneven access to and distribution of benefits from the ocean. In order to support an ocean that will thrive and benefit future generations, we need to design more ambitious and inclusive solutions.
The UCI is dedicated to breaking down barriers across areas of inquiry and working with diverse communities to answer pressing questions about marine justice. We embrace opportunities to advance DEIJ on and off campus, and in our ocean science and policy programs.
Recent Activities
- A short documentary created by student London Jones examines the possibility that climate gentrification could one day push minorities from Asbury Park’s West Side community. The project builds on her UCI-supported research discriminatory barriers to beach access in Asbury Park and other New Jersey municipalities. (December 2020)
- The UCI issued a special call for proposals to support faculty/student research and community-based projects focused on sustainably rebuilding coastal communities and economies after the pandemic while addressing impacts to and needs of our most vulnerable populations. Heidi Lynn Sculthorpe Faculty Enrichment Grants were awarded for projects that will study COVID-19’s impacts on the African American community in Asbury Park, New Jersey, and create Little Free Library installations in low-income coastal communities. (November 2020)
- UCI Artist-in-Residence Kimberly Callas’ Discovering the Ecological Self program provides at-risk youth opportunities to take field visits and classroom lessons focused on nature-based topics, explore them from philosophical and cultural perspectives, and create works of art inspired by them.
- UCI Ocean Policy Fellow Paul G. Gaffney II joined the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine’s Committee on Defense Research at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) and other Minority Serving Institutions (MSI). Gaffney, a retired Navy vice admiral, is examining the methods and means necessary to advance research capacity at those institutions. (September 2020)
- Associate Director Thomas Herrington serves on a national team of researchers focused on understanding climate change’s current and future influence on residential migration from America’s coastal communities. (February 2020)
- The UCI works to engage a broad range of stakeholders on ocean issues in its role as a facilitator for the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean (MACO). In 2020, staff assisted MACO in drafting its Statement on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice.
- As members of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal project team, the UCI is working to develop new maps on the site depicting tribal interests and environmental justice data. The team also regularly provides trainings for users of all needs, including annual sessions designed to instruct New York City public school teachers to use the site as a classroom tool. | https://www.monmouth.edu/uci/diversity-equity-inclusion-and-justice/ |
Job Summary:
|The Education Project Officer (EPO) supports all Concern Education sector activities in the respective geographic location of responsibility, working as part of the broader team. The EPO engages in activity planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of project activities to ensure timely and quality achievement in line with project plans. The EPO builds and maintains effective working relationships with stakeholders at field level, including school teachers, head-teachers, Community Education Committees (CECs), community leaders and wider community, and local government representatives.|
Main Duties &
Responsibilities:
|Programme implementation|
· Ensure that all targeted school communities participate fully in the project work, particularly in the identification and prioritization of needs and through ensuring inclusion of most vulnerable children and households in project activities.
· Proactively engage communities and local stakeholders to support the projects; conduct regular awareness raising of the project/s, activities and intended outcomes.
· Work with Community Education Committees (CECs), school head-teachers and Ministry of Education representatives (DEOs, REOs) for effective implementations of project/s in assigned field locations of responsibility.
· Attend Community meetings; document and share timely key discussions and feedback with line manager and wider team.
· Timely and appropriately engage in problem-solving for any issues arising from the communities/beneficiaries/authorities before escalating; promptly share information with line manager.
· Produce timely quality field project activities reports, clearly highlighting progress and any issues or challenges for attention to line manager.
· Train, support and mentor teachers, CECs and school clubs in order to ensure quality delivery of project interventions.
· Support line manager and collaborate with wider team to develop and roll out clear school and community level monitoring plans; undertake regular monitoring visits per workplan agreed with manager.
· Support schools in the preparation of school improvement plans (SIP), follow up on school grants disbursements and monitor usage against their agreed SIP.
· Monitor community participation, learning and teaching process/quality, safe school environment, attendance of teachers and children, teacher pupil ratio.
· Undertake periodic beneficiary discussions and interviews to keep up to date with community perceptions of the project, changing needs and opinions.
· Keep line manager up to date and informed with the situation on the ground and any contextual developments which may affect activities and require a timely action or change of plan.
· Maintain transparent two-way information flow with targeted communities and key project stakeholders.
Monitoring and Reporting
· In collaboration with M&E focal point, lead field work to conduct baseline, midline and end-line data collection, school assessments, and other data collection that the project might undertake.
· Monitor progress towards programme indicators and milestones, ensuring timely collection and review of required data and information.
· Proactively support and encourage programme participant use of the Complaints Response Mechanism (CRM).
· Compile and submit monthly narrative reports to manager in the required formats and per the agreed deadline.
· Undertake regular visits to the project implementation sites and report back with findings/recommendations.
· Identify, document and share beneficiary case studies, photos and success stories.
Coordination and representation
· Represent Concern in relevant stakeholder forums such as meetings with local authorities and community leaders, keeping line manager informed of discussion points, issues arising and agreements made.
· Participate in other external, partner or consortia level meetings at request of line manager or Education Programme Manager.
· Participate in internal Education and wider team meetings, actively contributing from field level experience and expertise.
Adherence to Concern policies and guidelines:
· Adhere to, support and promote the standards of conduct outlined in the Concern Code of Conduct & its Associated Policies and other key organizational policies and guidelines.
· At all times comply with Concern’s Security Management Standard Operating Procedures.
· Contribute to the establishment and implementation of preventive measures to reduce the potential for abuse or harm in Concern’s programming.
Other:
· Any other tasks as may be reasonably assigned by line manager.
· Participate as relevant in any Emergency response if called upon by Education PM, Emergency Programme Coordinator or Programme Director.
Job Specification:
Qualification and Experience:
Essential:
· Degree or diploma in Education (particularly primary).
· At least 2 years’ experience working in Primary Education sector projects for an NGO.
· Practical experience in implementing and monitoring education programmes in complex humanitarian/development contexts.
· Solid experience with early grade reading, literacy and/or phonics teaching and support.
· Ability to design and deliver training courses for staff and teachers.
· Experience in classroom observation and providing helpful feedback on classroom teaching sessions.
· Good understanding of safeguarding and child protection issues as they apply to school children, teachers and communities.
· Excellent teamwork skills and the ability to build good relations both internally and externally.
· Experience working collaboratively with community and local government representatives.
· Familiarity with key tools for output and outcome level data collection in Education sector, including Early Grade Reading Assessment (EGRA).
· Ability to produce quality written reports in the English language.
· Willing and able to conduct regular site visits in Concern project locations.
Desirable:
· Past experience as a classroom teacher, especially at primary level.
· Understanding of Education in Emergencies programming; working familiarity with the INEE minimum standards is an added advantage.
· Familiarity with project logframes and outcome indicators in the Education sector.
· Proven influencing and negotiating skills with internal and external audiences.
· Ability to develop skills of others including designing and facilitating training sessions for colleagues and school staff.
· Experience designing and delivering adult literacy courses.
· Specific expertise in gender equality, child protection, or disability inclusion would be very welcome.
· Familiarity with child-sensitive complaints response mechanisms (CRM).
Special Skills, Aptitude or Personality Requirements:
· Ability to organize and prioritize workload, using initiative when appropriate.
· Good team player, flexible and capable of working effectively in a team with people from different backgrounds.
· Ability to cope with stress; work under pressure often to strict deadlines.
· Flexibility, adaptability, sense of humour, and patience.
· Ability to motivate and develop skills of others.
· Facilitation and interpersonal skills.
· Analytical and problem solving skills
· Commitment to Concern’s ethos and values, and to the highest levels of Accountability.
Disclaimer ClauseThis job description is not exhaustive and may be revised by the line manager from time to time.How to ApplyInterested candidates, who meet the above requirements, should submit their applications (cover letter and updated CVs) by email to [email protected] with the subject line “Education Project Officer- Mogadishu or Doolow” making sure to specify either Mogadishu or Doolow in the subject line by Saturday 23rd July 2020.
Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply
N.B. Job applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and the position may be filled before the application deadline.
Concern Code of Conduct and its Associated Policies
Concern’s Code of Conduct (CCoC) and its associated policies have been developed to ensure the maximum protection of programme participants, especially beneficiaries, from abuse and exploitation, and to clarify the responsibilities of Concern staff, partner organisations, and anyone engaged by Concern or visiting our programmes, and the standards of behaviour expected of them. In this context all Concern staff have a responsibility to the organisation to strive for, and maintain, the highest standards in the day-to-day conduct of their work in accordance with Concern’s core values and mission.
Any candidate offered a job with Concern will be expected to sign the Programme Participant Protection Policy and Concern Code of Conduct as an appendix to their contract of employment. By signing the Programme Participant Protection Policy and the Concern Code of Conduct candidates demonstrate they have understood its content and agree to conduct themselves in accordance with the provisions of this document. | https://sea.so/job/education-project-officer-2-national-positions/ |
And grant a foreseeable life.
I did suppose”
Said she
((And quickly became derailed by insanity and said))
“I do propose if we could live
A Spineless
Utilitarian
Life
-A
Puddle,
No longer
Gorging on
The girdles of desire-
Then we
Could subsist
Without
Pain or fear
And be content
To find ourselves
Rising with the tide
And riding the modern
Wave of Utopia
Sent from my iPhone
Landfill, Lucy Evetts 2019
Dísir, an exhibition featuring the work of artists Aisha Christison, Anousha Payne and Lucy Evetts explores the correlation of digital and spiritual ‘other worlds’, new and old realities be they algorithmic or folkloric. Free association and creativity is pitted against and merged with automated reasoning. How much expression is left to chance? Fittingly the Dísir of our title were the female deities of Norse mythology known to control fate, be it benevolent or hostile.
Aisha Christison’s paintings are saccharine dreamlike scenes that pay homage to formative years spent between the virtual and physical world. Operating outside of conventional dimensional planes, Christison employs imagery using interwoven fragments of her personal history through a visual language made possible by digital technology yet also shows its origins in European post-expressionism. With a strong sense of nostalgia, her paintings offer the viewer an intimate view to her interior world.
Aisha Christison is a British artist working in Brussels. She graduated from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2012 and completed the Florence Trust residency program in 2016.
Anousha Payne’s work explores the human pursuit of spirituality in object form, as a form of cultural expression that is distinct from religious symbolism. Through the process of psychic automatism and free-association, she is interested in the possibility of imbuing spirituality into an object, and in the material qualities of religious or spiritual objects. Payne is currently researching the anthropological notion of new animism, and is exploring how this can express spirituality through instinctive drawings and watercolour paintings, these are then translated into sculptures. This process seeks to build an aesthetic dialogue and personal visual language as a meditative interaction. A recurring theme is highlighting the incongruity between ancient materiality and modern technology.
Anousha Payne (b. 1991 in Southampton) lives and works in London and graduated from Camberwell College of Arts in 2014.
Lucy Evetts makes paintings and installations using a variety of different approaches that include paint, silk screen and print. Using text and imagery Evetts creates fragmented voices and visual languages that continuously collide juggling private and public experiences. Predominantly sourcing her imagery from social media, led by her own online algorithm, and attempts to question ideas of intimacy and modes of sharing to create paradoxical narratives.
Lucy Evetts (b. 1989) graduated from the Royal Academy Schools in 2018. She lives and works in London.
Dísir
A collaboration between Kristian Day and TM Lighting. | https://www.kristianday.co.uk/disir |
According to scientific knowledge, the first humans (Homo sapiens, the knowledgable ones) came out of Africa 200 000 years ago. These early humans were just like us moderns in basic character and intelligence with the major differences being in cultural style and in the greater organizational complexity of today’s world. Although most scientists currently recognize some 15 to 20 different species of early humans, it is only to Homo sapiens, and possibly the Neanderthals, that one should focus on to discover the earliest traces of religious mentality and practice. This is because many members of the human species, such as the Australopithecus, Homo rudolfensis, Homo ergaster, Homo habilis, and others likely possessed intellectual facilities no better than modem day chimpanzees, which suggests that they did not have the ability to think in abstract terms and possess the potential for developing religious ideas (1).
Limitations in Discovering Pre-Historical Religion
There are limitations to what can be known about the earliest forms of religious mentality, belief, and practice. Scholar of religion Ninian Smart (d. 2001) explains that as one pushes back further into human pre-history he often has to “speculate about the lives of these our predecessors; and so ultimately we speculate about the origin of human religion” (2). Some theorists have attempted to reconstruct pre-historical cultures and religion based upon extrapolations from data derived from modern cultures thought to resemble the pre-historical hunter-gatherer societies. This is, however, controversial and its accuracy is doubted by scholars (3). As Leroi-Gourhan has pointed out there are difficulties facing attempts to reconstruct the religion of such societies on the basis of material remnants alone, and it is even more challenging to gain insight into the mentality of peoples whose cultures are scarcely known (4). Scholar Inna Wunn notes the caution of many scholars to extrapolate from material remnants to religious mentality,
“It seems to be an accepted fact in the field of History of Religion that Palaeolithic man had a specific religion. They performed rituals related to hunting and believed in a master of animals. They buried the dead and acknowledged a life after death. On the other hand, due to traces of cannibalism, they are assumed to have been wild and primitive. Modem archaeologists and palaeanthropologists are more cautious in their interpretations. They describe only fossils and excavations and hardly ever venture to comment on the mentality of their object of research” (5).
Smart largely agrees with these views saying that it is indeed a battle to infer religious mentality “from bones, or feelings from chiseled flint, or wishes from fragments of animals skeletons partly touched by fire” (6). Smart is also cautious over attempts to reconstruct hunter-gatherer societies based upon perceived modern examples, such as the Australian aboriginals or the Tierra del Fuegians (in South America), because all people extant today, the Aborigines included, have lived over numerous centuries during which they have undergone much change. He further cautions against perceiving pre-historical hunter-gatherer societies as homogenous because they were, in fact, diverse. The result is that much about the theories of religion’s pre-historical origin are guesswork and require a great deal of inference (7).
But indeed most scholars believe that something can be said about pre-historical religion because they believe it is possible to draw inferences from empirical remnants such as paintings, figurines, burials, bones, and more. However, before we look to some of these evidences we should bring into the discussion some of the early theorists on religion’s origins.
Early Theorists on the Origin of Religion
A number of thinkers of the Victorian era and of the 19th and 20th centuries attempted to theorize concerning the origin of religion. Herbert Spencer (1820-1903) saw religion as belonging to the constitution of social organisms, namely, to societies, and he observed that religion had been present since the beginning of civilization where it had since regulated forms of social organization. Spencer claimed that religion still performed that same function in the present day where it operates as a means for social control. He then looked into why religion and religious ideas persisted and proposed that religion came about when conceptions (of high generalization) were understood to refer to actual realities. In other words, the origin of religion was traceable to the human mental and cognitive tendency to engage in trans-emprical generalizations. Religion was used to explain particular actions in terms of an overarching agency. He associated religion with reality’s fundamental mysterious nature, and as the mode of intelligence which was able to recognize and encounter mystery.
In his work Primitive Culture (1871), the anthropologist E. B. Tylor (1832-1917) claimed religion’s origin to be in the animistic beliefs. These constituted the earliest forms of religious belief and came into existence as a result of the projection of the ordinary experiences of powerful people onto a supernatural realm. One example is that people came to believe that the world was created by the gods or a God because they witnessed people making things in daily experience, and thus projected this onto the supernatural. To Tylor, this is the most obvious reading of the data given that ancient religions and religious believers so frequently invoke the existence of spirits, souls, and gods to explain events within the world. He saw “primitive” religion as consisting entirely in a belief in, and practice toward, unseen spirits, which constituted religious sentiments he dubbed as “animism.”
James Frazer (1854-1941), notable for his book The Golden Bough (1890), saw a certain evolution of ideas, beginning with the use of magic that used sacred formulae to try to coerce and bend the operations of nature. This, Frazer claimed, lead to the origin of religion, which attempted to propitiate unseen forces rather than to compel them. Such ways of dealing with the world are however replaced in modern times by science, which he claims is the most rational and effective way of harnessing the powers of nature.
A particularly negative view of religion coupled with a somewhat fanciful scenario of its origin was presented by Sigmund Freud (1856-1939), the father of psychoanalytic theory. Freud viewed religion as a mental illness which he describes as a neurosis. In his book Totem and Taboo (1913), Freud attempted to locate religion’s origins in the unconscious, and concluded that it is the result of deep psychological tensions, namely in the Oedipus complex’s powerful emotions that led the sons within hunter-gatherer tribes to murder their fathers, turn their dead fathers into a god through the reverence of a sacred totem animal, and finally to promise sexual renunciation as a way to serve and honour him.
The anthropologist R. R. Marett (1866-1943) proposed the idea of “pre-animism” or “dynamism” as the earliest religious beliefs. On this view, nature is seen as pervaded by non-personal forces, to which humans related through various rites. These powers were sometimes referred to as “mana,” namely a type of sacred power existing within anything unusual, such as in peculiar rocks and mountains, or within unusual human beings like chiefs, beautiful women, or animals such as bears. Religion first began with belief in mana, which then evolved to belief in more personal spirits. From there it moved into polytheism (belief in many gods), where the deities and gods became even more fully personalized, and then into monotheism (belief in a single God). This reached its climax in, depending on the ideology of the theorist, atheism, a total rejection of religious truth and the existence of God or gods.
The Catholic priest and anthropologist Wilhelm Schmidt (1868-1954) claimed that there was a widespread belief in a High God existing “behind” or “above” the multitude of spirits, gods, and powers of many small societies. To him, this was indicative of theism, namely the belief in a single, personal God, and that this God had over time been overlain by belief in many spirits and gods. Whereas the theories presented by some thinkers, notably E. B. Tylor and Sigmund Freud, were out of a negative outlook upon religion, Schmidt’s was the positive effort to persevere the traditional idea of revelation at the beginning of human history, which he wished to reflect the biblical account of Genesis of God’s dealings with the first human beings.
However, it has not been all one way for the evolutionary developmentalists for some other theorists disagreed that religious belief could be explained through progressive development. Swedish historian and professor Geo Widengren (1907-1996), for instance, both challenged and attempted to discredit the evolutionary accounts in his book Religionens Ursprung (1907). He rejected the idea that religions evolved from the simple to the more complex, and challenged the assumption that one could work back from complexity to a singularity in order to determine religion’s origin. The religions of the earliest people were not necessarily the most simple and the religions of later people not necessarily more complex or sophisticated.
But what should one make of all these theorists? Although there is likely some truth to these ideas, few modern scholars would accept or subscribe to any of their accounts. Most of them are immune to empirical evaluation (8) and have also been criticized for their speculative nature. Freud, for example, is thought to have made far too much of totemism on the basis of his claim that the sons had substituted their dead father with a totem animal as a means to worship and revere the father as a god. Totemism, it turned out, was not nearly as universal within small-scale societies and religion as it was once thought (9), and there are doubts that Freud’s psychoanalytic theory is an adequate science itself (10). Some of these theorists also placed a too orderly evolutionary sequence upon events in which the so-called “primitive” peoples and cultures were in basic constitution less developed than modern humans. They were also incorrect to neglect ways in which “primitive” thought could be found among moderns. We also already noted the challenges to theorists attempting to extrapolate back into pre-historical societies based upon perceived contemporary examples. According to Smart, it is no longer fashionable among scholars of religion to create such theories. However, he still thinks it possible,
“to think that prehistoric men and women in some groups combined the ideas of monotheism, belief in a High God, with ideas of many more or less personalized powers (polytheism and animism) and with notions of sacred forces with less personal attributes (dynamics). They may have believed in life after death, and they may have begun to practice self-control in the tradition to a form of primeval yoga” (11).
What Can We Say About Pre-Historical Religion?
Much of what scholars of religion know about the beliefs and practices of religious communities is learned from the many texts written by the members of those communities. However, the first ever recorded writing comes from Mesopotamia and dates to 5500 BP (before present), which suggests that no textual composition exists from members of pre-historical hunter-gatherer societies (prior to 12 000 BP). Scholars of history and religion, therefore, have to rely on physical artifacts of history, from which it is possible to hazard some guesses about the nature of early humans’ religious life.
Symbolic Thinking and Narrative
It is agreed that symbolic thinking is a prerequisite for religion (12). A symbol is something that stands for or represents something else, which means that symbolic thinking allows people to think of their rituals as causing them to participate in the power inherent in the being toward whom their sacrifice or communion is directed. Religion is a particular form of a larger, social symbolic behaviour, and some archaeologists, based upon very ancient discoveries in Blombos Cave in South Africa, have placed the origin of symbolic behaviour as far back as 100 000 BP (13). There was a further flourishing of symbolic expression 30 000 to 35 000 years ago in Europe.
Given the ability for symbolic expression, it was possible for human hunter-gatherers to tell stories, which was certainly likely given that narrative itself possesses a powerful grip upon the human imagination (14). It was a way for the hunter-gatherers to imagine the past, and to bring into focus questions and ideas of how things within the world came to be. It is reasonable to suspect that these people conceptualized from the microcosm to the macrocosm, which means they would have speculated from their human situation to the whole environment. In other words, their view of the world would have proceeded outward from their own experience, and given their almost certain wonder and awe at the world, this would have generated a diverse range of myths. Smart believes such myths would have generated beliefs on,
“how the sky and earth perform together; the way the moon waxes and wanes, and how woman reflections this moonishness; how the spirit of the bison or the fox was created; how humans can turn into animals, and one species into another; the cause of the mountains over there; how the sea was formed; how a spirit below the sea brings the sole to multiply. The concern with fertility, and the analogy of the earth as a woman, no doubt grew in importance as settled agriculture developed in such regions as north China, Thailand, the Indus Valley, Mesopotamia, and Egypt. The story form, laced with symbols, could be well integrated into the rituals whereby early humans celebrated and coaxed the powers about them. Underlying the stories, however, there could be speculative answers to questions of creation, and such thinking is reflected in some of humankind’s earliest texts.” (15)
It is not unreasonable to suspect that ideas and stories surrounding the topics of fear, death, and suffering were also shared within these communities (16). They would have asked questions on how such realities came to be, where they came from, and whether or not death would be the end of life. In fact, evidence from pre-historical burials suggests that there may have been belief in life after death.
The Earliest Religious Practices and Beliefs
1. Burials
Reputable 20th-century scholars in the field of religious studies such as Mircea Eliade (d. 1986) and Ioan Couliano (d. 1991) were convinced that Neanderthals buried their dead (17). Archaeological evidence does indeed confirm that the Neanderthals, prior to their extinction around 40 000 years ago, buried their deceased (18). Their burials are also taken by some scholars to evidence notions of life after death given that the bones had been smeared with red ocher. There is also evidence from a discovery at Le Moustier, Dordogne in France where a young Neanderthal male was buried on his right side with his head pillowed with flat stones, and next to his body placed charred animal bones and a hand axe, which suggests some belief in life beyond death.
2. Shamanism
Shamanism is arguably the oldest known religious practice, and it was practiced within hunter-gatherer societies (19). The fact that these people engaged in Shamanic practice tells us something about their religious experience. Shamans were perceived as special human beings who had spiritual power and knowledge. They had strong visions and dreams, knowledge of how to cure souls and bodies, an affinity with animals, and a special knowledge of which direction to go in hunts. They engaged in altered states of consciousness and visionary episodes in which they would venture into other spirit worlds. This was done in an attempt to alleviate pain, sickness, and community problems through communicating with sacred forces and spirits. An often-cited evidence of shamanism comes in the form of an engraved image that was discovered in the Les Trois Freres Cave in the south of France dating to around 12 000 BCE (20). The image is of a figure dressed in animal skins and antlers, who is thought to represent a sorcerer or a shaman.
At Star Carr in England, there has been found a 10 000-year-old antlered skull with holes drilled in it suggesting it was worn as a headdress, which is reminiscent of some forms of headdress worn by modern shamans in Siberia (21).
3. Figurines and Paintings. We know that pre-historical human beings encountered certain kinds of wild animals because they depicted them in their paintings as well as in figurines. Sometimes these figurines bear religious significance. For example, carved ivory animal figurines from the Vogelherd cave in Wurttemberg, southwestern Germany, dating to 40 000 BP possibly indicate some sort of magic associated with hunting, although much of it remains a mystery (22). For example, cross-hatching appears on many of these figurines which might suggest a religious or magical connection, but this is not clear.
Discovered in 1937, the “Lion Man” figurine, with its combination of human and animal qualities, has been viewed as a strong candidate for belief in a supernatural being or spiritual guide such as a shaman (23). Some have thought it to depict a shaman with a lion mask, and it is also very old dating to 40 000 BP.
Also significant are the Venus figurines, some of which date to 35 000 years BP (24). These objects, which number into the hundreds, were sculpted using different materials ranging from soft stones (calcite, steatite, or limestone), bone, ivory, wood, to ceramic clays. Many have been found in Siberia, Italy, Austria, and France, and, despite some diversity, many of them tend to share a range of characteristics. They depict a female body, usually have no arms, feet, or facial detail, and they strongly emphasize or exaggerate the breasts and stomach. Often the legs are fused together. A major interpretation of these figurines, although there is debate, is that they suggest that a female fertility goddess played a vital role in Paleolithic religious life (25). Some scholars claim that these figurines, which often appear pregnant, may depict a mother goddess or a deity associated with childbearing. Some have purported the figurines to have the function of a priestess or an initiation figure (26). Rather strikingly is that these figures have been the inspiration behind the spawning of a quasi-religious movement in some modern feminist circles, such as in the Goddess movement.
Smart believes that alongside these figurines the likes of caves too played an important religious role. Caves were not solely used for shelter but also for rituals which, according to some cave paintings, were viewed as wombs. Taken together it is apparent that the feminine figure, says Smart, played an important role in these hunter-gatherer societies,
“The feminine figure could have played various roles: as creator of the world, as mistress of the animals (on whom humans were mysteriously dependent), as helper in the location and killing of animals. It would not have gone unnoticed that the woman mimicked the moon in her cycles, and in general, more clearly reflected the rhythms of the season and of life and death. In many ways, the female was more strangely potent that the male” (27).
A final point worth mentioning is the world’s first human-made temple located in Turkey. This is called the Gòbekli Tepe whose first structures were built around 12 000 BP (28). Nomadic hunter-gatherers in the area had carved local limestone into a number of depictions of humans and animals, including a bare human head with a snake crawling up the back. There are also statues of birds, and archaeologists have suggested that the temple’s construction was a huge collective effort as it may have taken more than 500 people to build it. This has led to claims that religious leaders supervised the work and later controlled the rituals that took place at the site, which could mean that the Gòbekli Tepe is the oldest known evidence for a priestly caste (29). It is clear that animal sacrifices occurred at the temple given that the bones of wild animals, including birds, deer, gazelles, goats, sheep, and oxen were discovered scattered around the site. These animals are also depicted in the sculptures and reliefs at the site.
Interpreting the Evidence
To round off this entry I would like to briefly suggest what can be reasonably known from the above. As already stated, it is clear that any reconstructive effort at pre-historical religion requires some level of speculation, as was clearly evident in the diverse, and often conflicting, theories attempting to account for religion’s origin. In light of the empirical evidence, in some cases, it is not at all obvious that an artifact is necessarily religious or, even if it is, provides much insight into the religious beliefs of the nomadic hunter-gatherers themselves. A few scratches, for example, on some animal figurines do not tell us much, at least not that much more than what kind of animals these people were sharing the land with at the time. However, some of the evidence does seem a bit stronger. Neanderthals may have had a notion of the afterlife given their burials, and we can know with some certainty that shamanism played an important role in Homo sapien hunter-gatherer religion. The Lion Man seems quite strong although the figurine itself tells us little, and the same can be said of the painting in the Les Trois Freres Cave in France. Both do seem to suggest, however, that shamanism is possibly the oldest religious practice currently known. This might itself suggest that animistic beliefs were a dominant feature of pre-historical religion. The Venus figurines are also informative for they are very ancient, and seem to suggest a fascination with the female form and possibly a fertility goddess connected with the Earth.
References
1. Wunn, Ina. 2000. “Beginning of Religion.” Numen 47:(4): 417-452. p. 421.
2. Smart, Ninian. 1998. The World’s Religions. Cambridge University Press. p. 32
3. Mclennon, James. 1997. “Shamanic Healing, Human Evolution, and the Origin of Religion.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 36(3): 345-354. p. 347.
4. Leroi-Gourhan, Andre. 1981. Die Religionen der Vorgeschichte. Berlin: Suhrkamp.
5. Wunn, Ina. 2000. Ibid. p. 419.
6. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 32.
7. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 35
8. Mclennon, James. 1997. Ibid. p. 345.
9. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 35
10. Grünbaum, Adolf. 1984. The Foundations of Psychoanalysis. Berkeley: University of California Press.
11. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 41
12. Culotta, Elizabeth. 2009. “On the Origin of Religion.” Science, New Series 326(5954): 784-787. p. 764; Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 37.
13. Culotta, Elizabeth. 2009. Ibid. p. 764.
14. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 38.
15. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 38-39.
16. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 40
17. Eliade, Mircea and Couliano, Ioan. 1991. Handbuch der Religionen. Düsseldorf: Artemis & Winkler p. 27.
18. Than, Ker. 2013. Neanderthal Burials Confirmed as Ancient Ritual. Available.
19. Mclennon, James. 1997. Ibid. p. 346.
20. History of Information. “The Sorcerer” Circa 12000 BCE. Available.
21. Little, Aimee et al. 2016. “Technological Analysis of the World’s Earliest Shamanic Costume: A Multi-Scalar, Experimental Study of a Red Deer Headdress from the Early Holocene Site of Star Carr, North Yorkshire, UK.” PLoS ONE 11(4).
22. Floss, Harald. 2015. “The Oldest Portable Art: the Aurignacian Ivory Figurines from the Swabian Jura (Southwest Germany).” Palethnologie. https://journals.openedition.org/palethnologie/888
23. Culotta, Elizabeth. 2009. Ibid. p. 784; Sidky, Homayun. 2017. The Origins of Shamanism, Spirit Beliefs, and Religiosity: A Cognitive Anthropological Perspective. Lanham: Lexington Books. p. 115.
24. Vandewettering, Kaylea. 2015. “Upper Paleolithic Venus Figurines and Interpretations of Prehistoric Gender Representations.” PURE Insights 4(1):1-8.
25. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 39.
26. Russell, Pamela. 1998. “The Paleolithic Mother-Goddess: Fact or Fiction?” In Reader in Gender Archaeology, edited by Kelley Hays-Gilpin and David S. Whitley, 261-268. New York: Routledge. p. 266-267.
27. Smart, Ninian. 1998. Ibid. p. 40-41.
28. Scham, Sandra. 2008. “The World’s First Temple.” Archaeology 61(6): 22-27.
29. Scham, Sandra. 2008. Ibid. p. 26. | https://jamesbishopblog.com/2019/11/03/the-earliest-religion-and-origin-what-do-we-know/ |
A food safety factory shutdown has Americans hunting for baby formula. Readying themselves for a covid-19 lockdown, Chinese in Beijing emptied store shelves. Emerging from lockdown, some in Shanghai are visiting well-provisioned markets. U.S.-China agricultural trade is booming, but many are still being left hungry. Food security, sustainability and safety remain issues.
The Origins of the Dunhuang Manuscripts
The Ho Center for Buddhist Studies at Stanford presents Stephen F. Teiser. This lecture explores how the genesis of the Dunhuang manuscripts provides invaluable information about Buddhist religious practice and the institutions of literacy in medieval China.
Where
From the time the manuscripts from Dunhuang were first discovered in 1900, curious minds have wondered why the texts were deposited in the library cave (Mogao Cave 17) in the early 11th century. Two major reasons have been proposed. The “sacred waste” theory proposes that the texts, wrappers, and paintings in the cave had outlived their usefulness in religious and social life but were too sacred or rare to be simply burned or disposed of. Hence, batches of manuscripts from several temple libraries were collected and sealed up. Another theory is that the manuscripts were intentionally placed into the cave in order to “avoid disaster,” such as the rumored invasion of the Karakhanids.
These theories have guided research and generated important scholarship. But they have also encouraged us to ignore other important aspects of Buddhist manuscript culture. In particular, in assuming that the entire body of manuscripts from Dunhuang constitutes a library or single corpus, such theories obscure the multiple origins of the manuscripts and the diverse range of religious and social institutions in which the texts were produced. Instead of focusing on the end of the manuscripts, this lecture explores how the genesis of the manuscripts provides invaluable information about Buddhist religious practice and the institutions of literacy in medieval China.
Speaker's Bio
Stephen F. Teiser is the D. T. Suzuki Professor in Buddhist Studies and Professor of Religion in the Department of Religion at Princeton University. He specializes in the study of Buddhism and Chinese religions. His current research focuses on Chinese Buddhist practice and medieval liturgical manuscripts.
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European views toward China are not uniform. Europeans recognize China's economic prowess and clearly favor continued ties, but majorities in much of Europe now have a negative view towards China.
Events
Tensions evident in the recent European Union-China virtual summit reflect the increasing skepticism in Europe toward China and the worries over Ukraine and economic ties as well as human rights and environmental issues. | https://china.usc.edu/calendar/origins-dunhuang-manuscripts |
A panorama of the Tabo monastery compound.
Situated at an altitude of 3500 metres on a plain just above the north bank of the Spiti River in the eastern region of Spiti lies the small village of Tabo. A little south of the town the well tended temple complex of Tabo Chokhor is found. Its structure blends well into the surrounding village of brown and white mud- and stone buildings.
The monastic complex of Tabo (Ta-pho) is the first large religious site found in the barren and desolate moonscape of Spiti, between the Great Himalayan Range and the Zanskar Range, three days drive on hazardous roads from any larger Indian city like Shimla or Manali.
Built in 996 AD under the patronage of the Western Tibetan king Khorre (c. 9671040), who had renounced his throne to become the famous monk Yeshe O, and spiritually conceived by the Great Translator, Lotsava Rinchen Zangpo (9581055), the Tabo Chokhor complex is one of the few surviving monasteries of the earliest period of Tibetan monastic culture and art, and certainly one of the most beautiful and elaborate of its kind. The story of Tabo opens a window both on Tibetan and on Indian culture and history, because of a religion and a style of art that have both disappeared from their land of origin.
Inside its temples one can find extraordinary examples of early Indo-Tibetan art. Pala influence may be well observed in the wall paintings of Tabo, together with the second main influence on the art of Tabo Kashmir, at the time one of the few remaining Buddhist realms in mainland India.
When it was founded the Tabo Chokhor monastic complex was built according to the concept of the mandala, in its outer as well as its inner structure, taking into account the Buddhist philosophy of macrocosm equalling microcosm.
The main temple, Tsug Lhakang was at the centre of the whole complex. The centre of this temple was also the centre of the compound along the eastwest axis, having its major statue, Saravid Vairochana, placed in the central spot not only of its surrounding 32 statues in a perfect three-dimensional mandala around him and therefore of the temple but also of the whole complex.
Entering Tsug Lhakang one is deeply awestruck by the peaceful and serene atmosphere that this temple of worship offers. One cannot hold back the impression that divinity is present. This is due to the unified and harmonious design of the big room with its multicoloured clay figures, its murals in dominating mineral colours of red and blue and its highly skilfully executed religious paintings of Buddhas and Boddhisattvas. The feeling grows that 1000 years of spiritual power conceived in peaceful meditation still permeates the room´s atmosphere.
The 33 deities of the cycle of Tabo´s Vajradhatu Mandala are nothing other than symbols of special moments in the meditation process. The fivefold mandala expresses a particular system of cosmic evolution. Its background stages to be undertaken are called reabsorption. This reabsorption into the cosmic Buddhahood is reached little by little in five stages through eliminating in a final manner the dimness which is caused by the passions and ignorance. Only by attaining the virtue of the intimate essence symbolized by the deities is regeneration and sublimation possible. It is the pure germinal luminosity symbolized by the silver (white) Vairochana, “the Refulgent” being the fourfold Saravid Vairochana at Tabo, “the Omnipresent One” the centre of the mandala from which everything stems, detaching itself more and more, materializing itself and finally becoming dim.
The Supreme Buddhas, the Dhyanibuddhas or Tathagatas surrounding Vairochana are depicted in the four pure colours: red (Amitabha), yellow (Ratnasambhava), green (Amoghasiddhi) and blue (Akshobhya), meaning the first stage of cosmic attachment and materialization in psychological as well as physiological terms, in fact symbolically expressing the lines of cosmic evolution. Each one of these four Dhyanibuddhas has four Boddhisattvas surrounding him, each symbolizing one of the sixteen species of insubstantiality. In realizing these insubstantialities the spiritual seeker discovers the truth that nosubjective or objective perception whether sensual, psychological, physical, believing or knowing is of absolute truth. Only in this all negating manner may truth and insight into the cosmic laws, and therefore the possibility of leaving the everturning cycle of birth and rebirth, the attainment of enlightenment, the state of Nirvana, be obtained.
The strength necessary for this spiritual undertaking is symbolized by another set of twelve deities in the Vajradhatu Mandala, representing the eight perfections and powers like faith, knowledge, consciousness and concentration. The afore-mentioned fivefoldness finds its expression in the structure of the mandala, which consists of five levels.
The Vajradhatu Mandala and its three-dimensional arrangement of deities at Tabo´s Tsug Lhakang.
Entering Tsug Lhakang one is deeply awestruck by the huge number of statues and paintings visible, waiting to be explored. Every little niche and corner, including the wooden beams of the ceiling, seems to be painted. But painting at Tabo followed an exact layout-plan, as did the layout of the Vajradhatu Mandala, and the impression one gets after adjusting to this vastness is that of order and supernatural beauty. Unfortunately many of the paintings, especially in the lower register, are badly damaged. In fact the northern wall has a large area where nothing except for the grey wall can be made out.
Thematically the walls can be divided into three parts: lower, middle and upper. The main part of the lower register, next to inscriptions and historical themes, is taken by narrative friezes depicting two Buddhist legends: On the left part of the western wall, on the southern wall and on the left part of the eastern wall it is the Legend of Prince Sudhana, who gained wisdom at 52 different places and phases of his life and was finally enlightened. On the right part of the eastern wall, on the northern wall and on the right part of the western wall it is the Legend of Prince Siddharta. The middle register as well as being the space for the clay sculptures of the Vajradhatu Mandala, shows symbols and female deities also connected with this concept. The upper register, finally, depicts the celestial abodes of Buddhas and Boddhisattvas, as well as circles of Tantric deities and Bon goddesses.
Detail from the narrative friese on the southern and western walls at the Tsug Lhakang of Tabo.
Rain Goddess Nanda spilling out her water from an elaborate vase onto Prince Siddharta. Detail from the narrative frieze at Tabo´s Tsug Lhakang.
In the estern rear of the Tsug Lhakang lies its sanctum sanctorum, the apse or cella. Here are located probably the most beautiful Buddha and Boddhisattva depictions of all Tabo. The beautifully preserved colours and details of the paintings show the original state of execution of 1042.
The depictions of the Boddhisattvas on the outer walls of the ambulatory lead to the realisation of what makes Tabo´s Tsug Lhakang such a unique and beautiful place apart from its aesthetic and philosophical conception as a whole. It is the extraordinary fineness by which each and every little detail has been executed, be it the delicately painted scarf of a divinity or the splendid intricacy of a stucco crown. It is all accomplished by the use of fine line, clearly articulated forms and brilliant, tastefully applied primary colours, together with tremendous imaginative and visionary abilities and that the deep sensitivity of the artists for the iconographic details “dictated” by the scriptures.
It is said that a layer of gold-dust as thick as a yak´s skin coated the inner surface of Serkhang´s walls. If there is any truth in that, then only fine traces remain today, but art-historically and aesthetically speaking this temple definitely deserves its name. The temple contains a huge number of most beautiful murals almost 4 metres high. They were executed during the second great patronage of Buddhism in Guge under the king Senge Namgyal of Ladakh in the 16th century. Although Chinese influence from Central Tibet was already dominating Tibetan art at that time, Indian influence still dominates the paintings of Serkhang. What is seen today might be overpainted versions of 12th to 13th century murals, since Serkhang dates back almost to the foundation of Tsug Lhakang.
The style of the paintings are is generally accepted as the “Guge style”, a distinctive style that developed there in the mid-15th century and spread as far west as Karsha in Zanskar. It has been characterized as a blend of Kashmiri tendencies and features from Nepali and Chinese traditions, but being influenced most by the Sakya-pa style that came from Central Tibet. This is apparent in the way the themes depicted have been treated: every main deity is surrounded by its lineage, the family circle that belongs to it. Lineage depictions were not known in the Kashmiri paintings of the early period. Although red always dominates (e.g. in the palaces and haloes) it is structured by ornamental lining in darker red and counterbalanced by glowing blue, green and yellow. The paintings bear a close resemblance to the paintings of the red and white temples of Tsaparang, which have been related to the “Second Golden Age of Guge” between the 16th and the 17th centuries.
As the central figure of the right wall is the most beautiful painting of Green Tara in Varada-mudra, her left hand holding a lotus that blossoms at the height of her shoulder.
This Tara shows an exquisite application of shading techniques which bring the grey-green colour of her skin practically to life.
The hourglass shape of her body enhances the width of her bosom revealed at the decolletage of her almost folkloristic looking dress.
The crown she wears is again a masterpiece of stylized creativity.
The right wall´s left figure is the white, four-headed Saravid Vairochana. His heads are topped by beautiful threefold crowns and elephants, lions and small, childish-looking figures.
The columns of his palace look like rays of light that end in two burning wishing jewels, topped by two Apsaras on clouds paying their homage to him.
In the small medallions which encircle the figure the complete mystical circle of Saravid Vairochana is present. It consists of 36 deities, including the four Supreme Boddhisattvas associated with Vairochana.
This magnificent painting is executed with wonderful precision and a surprising richness of detail.
For the later schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Vajradhara is the Adibuddha per se. He is the original, the essential Buddha, the manifestation of the highest degree of wisdom, a level that was taken by Vairochana in the 11th century.
His attributes are the symbols of bell and thunderbolt crossed before his chest as an expression of the unification of the principles of absolute truth and compassion for all beings as the method for attaining the highest wisdom. His colour is blue because he is all-containing and unshakeable like the sky.
Vajradhara´s throne is supported by two elephants. Behind the throne a red “halo-palace” unfolds, its boundaries marked by columns carried by little naked figures. Peacocks roam on the balconies.
The Adibuddha is adorned with heavy jewellery and a highly stylized fivefold crown. He is surrounded by the 84 Siddhas, the ascetics who continuously renew and interpret the experiences of the mystical revelation they have of Vajradhara as the Supreme Truth.
"Forgotten Gods of Tibet" by Peter van Ham and Aglaja Stirn (also available in German and French).
Additional views are contained in the books "Buddha´s Mountain Desert" and "On the Paths of the Buddha" (both in German language).
There is also one audio CD out, entitled "Tabo - Mandala in Stone" containig music inspired by the trips to Tabo. | https://www.petervanham.com/Pages/Tabo_Monastery.html |
The earliest examples of creative expression.
Cave paintings are the earliest known human paintings. Created during the prehistoric period — before the invention of writing — the oldest paintings date back to some 40,000 years ago.
Most cave paintings consist of either geometric shapes and patterns or depictions of various animals. The animals represented were usually the largest and most formidable of those with which our ancestors came into contact, such as mammoths, cave lions, and wooly rhinoceroses. These are perhaps the most visually striking examples of cave art, displaying a surprising amount of artistic mastery.
Cave paintings were mostly created using red and black pigments. The reds were made from iron oxides, like hematite, whereas charcoal and manganese dioxide were used for the blacks. Other colors, such as yellow, white, brown, and purple have also been found. Interestingly, blue and green are missing from the palettes of cave artists.
The exact purpose of the paintings is unknown. Because many have been found in cave areas that are not easily accessible, it’s possible that they had ceremonial or religious purposes. Other theories suggest that some could have been used for communication, either between people or in attempts to contact the sprit world.
The featured image is a replica of a painting from the Chauvet Cave, in the Anthropos Pavilion, Brno. | https://www.pixelmator.com/pro/cave-paintings/ |
By Katherine Anne Paul
The Land of the Thunder Dragon, better known to the west as Bhutan, is a Buddhist Kingdom in the eastern Himalayas (See map p.). It is roughly the size of Switzerland and is cradled by the Indian provinces of Arunachal Pradesh to the East, Assam and West Bengal to the South, and Sikkim to the West. Tibet is located to the North. Bhutan's geology and geography are inextricably inter-woven with its religion and history. The Tiger's Nest, known to the Bhutanese as Taktsang, is a sacred cave in the Paro Valley in western Bhutan. This cave is just one example of how a sacred site embodies Bhutanese religious belief and historical understanding. It also exemplifies a tension between Western and Bhutanese concepts of cultural preservation.
The geology of the Paro Valley reflects that of the middle Himalayas. The Himalayan mountain range is the youngest in the world. It was created when the continental plate of the Indian sub-continent collided with Asia's continental plate. Because it is such a young mountain range the soil on top is less compact. The malleability of the earth makes terracing possible allowing the Bhutanese to create relatively flat fields on steep mountains. There are also disadvantages to the loose soil. Landslides are frequent. Small seismic shifts in the bedrock may cause more drastic changes on the surface. Perhaps due to the dramatic geology, the Bhutanese envision the land as a living and moving entity or groups of entities.
The king who supported the first wave of Buddhism that arrived in Bhutan in the seventh century C.E. was the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. He is known for having 108 temples constructed to pin down the body of a demoness who opposed Buddhism.1 After this period of initial fluorescence, the influence of Buddhism waned. Buddhism was revived in the eighth century C.E. with the arrival of a tantric religious figure, named Guru Rinpoche. Guru Rinpoche is credited with the permanent establishment of Buddhism in Bhutan and other Tibetan cultural areas. The key to his success was his ability to convert local deities to protectors of Buddhism. The integration of local religious traditions with Tibetan Buddhism insured the continued success of Buddhism, and the survival of indigenous Bhutanese religious practice to the present day.2
Taktsang owes its very name to the illustrious Guru Rinpoche. According to legend the tantric master flew to this cave on the back of a tiger or tigress. His purpose was to meditate at this auspicious location. Meditation is an active, not a passive endeavor as practiced in Tantric Buddhism. Meditative retreats in inaccessible caves are believed to assist concentration, heighten meditative powers, and catalyze potent visions. These activities increase the power of the tantric master enabling him to perform super-human feats. In addition to its legendary discovery, the Taktsang cave has had much subsequent activity that has increased its importance as a sacred site. Guru Rinpoche's powerful consort Yeshe Tshogyal and follower Dubthok Singye are reputed to have meditated at Taktsang.3 In the early 12th century C.E. Milarepa, the primary religious figure of the Kargyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism, composed one of his famed 100,000 sacred songs at Taktsung.4 In 1648 a temple was built around the cave.5 The temple complex seems to defy gravity as its clings to the side of the cliff. Over the years the temple complex was expanded to include a monastery. The living presence of Guru Rinpoche came to reside at the monastery in the form of his reincarnation, called a tulku. The relics of the legendary tiger or tigress that Guru Rinpoche rode were enshrined within the monastery.6 Like many Bhutanese temples important ritual paintings, called thangkas, golden statues encrusted with precious and semi-precious jewels, murals and religious texts were installed in the temple complex. The introduction of the tulku lineage, physical relics, artistic treasures, and religious texts, further boosted the prestige of the site, so that cave was only one of several foci for veneration.
The construction of the temple at Taktsang indicates a change in the political climate of the Himalayas in the 17th century. The nascence of the present political Bhutanese State is traced to this period. The founder of Bhutan is referred to as the Shabdrung. He is the "unifier" who succeeded in uniting Bhutan in the early 17th century. Upon unification he named the Drukpa Kargyu sub-sect of the Kargyu sect of Tibetan Buddhism to be the state religion. In 1647 the Shabdrung erected the Drukgyel Dzong, just north of Taktsung, to celebrate both the unification of Bhutan and the defeat of their northern rivals, the Tibetans.7 Thus while Bhutan has many cultural associations with Tibetan cultural areas, it has not been dominated by Tibetan political influence since the 17th century.
Bhutan is also one of the rare areas in which indigenous traditions have had minimal contact with British colonialism. In 1904 the governance of Bhutan shifted from an incarnate system, like that of the Dalai Lama, to a hereditary monarchy. A treaty was signed first with the British Empire and later re-confirmed with independent India, that guaranteed no external interference with Bhutan's domestic matters. However, in international affairs Bhutan agreed to be guided by Britain, and later India.8 This placed Bhutan in a unique position compared to similar Himalayan Buddhist kingdoms. The British, Tibetans, Chinese, and Indians have not had significant political influence within the country.
Like its Himalayan neighbors, Tibet, Sikkim, and Nepal, Bhutan chose to keep its borders closed to western influence in the early part of this century. After the Chinese invaded Tibet in the late 1950's Bhutan began reconsidering its isolationist policies. In 1975 India absorbed Bhutan's western neighbor Sikkim. This confirmed the need for international exposure if Bhutan wished to retain its sovereignty.
Bhutan and Nepal remain the only two independent kingdoms that survive between China and India. Bhutan's current development policies are quite different from Nepal's. Bhutan has far less contact with the outside world and, by its own choice, a slower rate of development. The Bhutanese government is attempting to address the disadvantages of development where it affects the environmental and cultural integrity of Bhutan. Some of Bhutan's worst fears have been confirmed by recent events.
Last spring the 17th century Taktsang temple complex caught fire.9 A plethora of rumors abound regarding the cause of the fire. It may have been an accident. The butter lamps that are used for devotion and illumination are ideal fire hazards and fire is not an unusual occurrence in such structures. Lightening may have caused the fire. Some rumors report that the propane gas tanks used for cooking food exploded. More alarming rumors state the temple was set on fire to conceal the robbing of the temple's riches and the murder of the caretaker. It is unclear from the rumors if the alleged theft was motivated by the valuable jewels and gold, or if the art objects were the desired items.
The controversy about the fire at Taktsang raises many disturbing issues that stretch well beyond Bhutan. The recent popularity of Bhutanese and Tibetan art in international exhibitions has increased interest to the potential detriment as well as benefit of places like Bhutan. Sacred sites and monuments have been desecrated for their material goods. Temples throughout the Himalayas have been robbed. Stupas have been broken into and consecrating items removed.10 The perpetrators of these crimes are not necessarily highly organized black marketeers. Temples throughout the Himalayas have experienced problems with "tourists" filling their rucksacks with items from the altar.
It is disturbing that some opinions in the West attempt to rationalize Western "collecting" of these treasures. One strand in this conversation discusses the abstract concept of cultural preservation and suggests that only through global dissemination of knowledge of Himalayan art, literature, and language, can the culture be preserved. Another more concrete thread of the discussion rationalizes the physical conditions for preserving art. This rational cites instances of political instability where cultural objects were destroyed in the line of fire. It also suggests because only developed nations have the physical ability (such as climate control) to preserve objects, the West's ability to preserve should supercede the indigenous control of cultural objects.
The West's concern for conservation and preservation has a very different perspective and agenda than the Tibetan Buddhist's cyclic vision of life. The West attempts to conserve murals and monuments in a sort of suspended animation that fights the laws of nature. Because of the confrontational relationship between architecture and nature, conservation almost by necessity goes hand in hand with restoration. The cleaning of Michelangelo's murals in the Sistine Chapel sparked frenzied controversy regarding different philosophies of conservation and restoration. Despite the controversy no one suggested that new paintings be created over Michelangelo's originals, as might be the case in Bhutan.
The Bhutanese see the re-building and re-decorating of temples as merit-making activities. According to the Bhutanese conception of life, one may be re-born innumerable times. The objective is to be re-born in the best possible circumstances. The accumulation of merit is the spiritual currency that will help individuals to better future re-births. Merit can be accumulated by donating money, labor, and materials for a number of projects. Temples and temple murals have an additional advantage in the merit-making system. Not only is merit accumulated by donation, but once a temple exists pilgrims who come to view the murals and visit the temples also gather merit from viewing the murals on their visit. This furthers the Tibetan Buddhist philosophy that one's actions should "benefit all sentient beings". Thus redecoration of the temple has spiritual advantages that are overlooked in the West.
Another issue that potentially conflicts with Western concepts of conservation is the spiritual effectiveness of the art and architecture. Most Bhutanese religious art and architecture is consecrated. It may be invested with the spirits of deities or saints that it depicts. Thus there is a spiritual danger when such art-objects are damaged. The spirit that inhabits the art may become angry. Lamas may need to appease those angry spirits and request that they leave the vessel, namely the painting or sculpture that houses them. Once the art object has been freed of its inhabiting spirit it becomes ineffective for Tibetan Buddhist spiritual practice. Therefore the re-decoration and re-consecration of the temple may be a pressing necessity to the religious practice.
The Bhutanese are planing to restore the Taktsang temple. Except for the most rudimentary repairs, major restoration of the temple was postponed for several reasons. The Bhutanese believe that last year was inauspicious. It is preferred that the temple restoration should begin in an auspicious time. Secondly, funds for the restoration are required. Happily, initial funding from global sources has been forthcoming. Tourist interest in Taktsang has increased since the fire. Tourists side by side with Bhutanese pilgrims continue to brave the steep hike required to approach the temple. The West, hopefully, has the courage to respect Bhutanese priority as it assists with the continuation of this sacred site.
Katherine Anne Paul is a doctoral student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, specializing in Himalayan culture. | http://karmicbhutan.com/learn/articles/newsDetail.asp?id=81 |
Reading about the European deities should be done with music in the background.
If you look up the term religion on Wikipedia you will find this definition; «Religion is an organized collection of beliefs, cultural systems, and world views that relate humanity to the supernatural, and to spirituality». If you look up the term atheism on Wikipedia you will find this definition; «Atheism is, in a broad sense, the rejection of belief in the existence of deities. In a narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there are no deities». From the same source we can read that; «In traditional belief, a deity is a supernatural being, and who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred».
This Wikipedia definition does not seem to cover the European understanding of what a deity is though. In Europe a deity (i. e. a god or a goddess) was simply a(ny) force working for the good of something. The Germanic term «god» itself means simply «good». A Scandinavian priest was called a gôði and a priestess a gyðja (yes; both words mean simply «good»). Scandinavian gods were commonly called an æsir («spirits»), sg. âss, and bönd («chain», «binding», «obligation»), sg. band. , but were of course also called gôðir («gods», i. e. «good forces»), sg. gôð. All the terms say a lot about these deities and what our forebears meant about them.
NB! As explained in Sorcery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia as well as here there are no «two families» of gods in Scandinavia, æsir and vanir; there are only one family of gods, but the most beautiful of these gods are called vanir («beautiful»), sg. vanr.
The dangerous forces working to tear down, to break down, to challenge and test the good are called jötnar («hungry», «big eaters»), sg. jötunn. They are not gods, but still forces working in nature. They too are positive though, in the sense that the bad brings forth the opportunity for the good to do its deeds.
The gods in Europe – not just in Scandinavia – were impersonated by living human beings, the best amongst our forebears, and when doing so they became the deities themselves. The best men were selected for this by competing in games, best known today as the Olympic Games or Knight Tournaments, and the best women were selected for this by competing in games and in beauty competitions. The winner was given an apple. Youthful health, strength and beauty was the merits wanted for these deities, and thus the deities were «forever young» — whenver a deity lost in the yearly competitions he or she was replaced, by soemone even stronger, even more skilled and even more beautiful. So the deities were «immortal». They never died, and were kept young forever by the apple given to the winners every year.
The jötnar were also impersonated, but only during religious ceremonies, and they were killed off after such ceremonies, and the actors were «revived» afterwards, when the gods carried their «remains» to the sacrificial tree, where they had hung their clothes (i. e. their life force, colour and shape), and put back on their clothes. All this is more thouroughly explained in Socery and Religion in Ancient Scandinavia, and actually possibly even better in (a PDF chapter from) MYFAROG. Note though that MYFAROG is a game, so the book has other features too.
Every man can and must cultivate the gods and goddesses in him, or else the dangerous forces will take over, as explained in Beyond the River Ifing.
If we return to the Wikipedia definition of deities, mentioned at the beginning of this post, it becomes clear that the European belief in deities is in a sense beyond the Wikipedia definition. It also becomes clear that atheism in relation to the European deities is actually the same as nihilism. If the deities are the good and moral in man then atheism is nihilism; a negation and rejection of the good and moral in man.
A European animal sacrifice is a strengthening of the good in those participating in the sacrifice; the animal is eaten normally afterwards, by the humans impersonating the deities and their tribesmen. They know why they are eating this particular animal; it can be for inspiration, for love, for patience, for strength, for beauty or whatever. For something good. No sacrifice was ever made to jötnar! A prayer to a god, a prayer in solitude, is not a belief in some supernatural being and that this being is listening from somewhere; it is a form of meditation and a reminder to yourself. Be good, be just, be victorious, be skilled, or whatever! No prayer was ever said to jötnar! A temple built to honour a deity is the same; whenever you see it, visit it or even think of it you strengthen that deity in you. No temple was ever built to honour any jötnar!
The European religion is simply «an organized form of goodness-cultivation». The deities and also the jötnar are forces working in us and in other places of nature. They are not «supernatural beings». They are real human beings (or rather were…we sadly no longer impersonate them), they are real statues, real ideas, real images and real symbols, all influencing us and our minds directly. What you sense influences you. No atheist can argue about that.
Being religious is not something to be ashamed of, as long as you are in a European way. Being atheist on the other hand is no better than being a nihilist, rejecting all the deities of Europe, and thus also what they stand for. Being an atheist is even worse than being a Christian, because at least the Christians still value those good old Euroepan morals, that they incorportated into their otherwise Jewish faith, when the Jews failed to anihiliate the European morals during the Christianization of Europe.
To be European in mind and spirit you have to follow the European religion though, in whatever way suits you. It is no good to drink a beverage that is 90% clean water and «only» 10% pure poison. If you do you will poison your mind, your spirit and also your body. Instead we should all become or at least try to become gods or goddesses, just like our forebears! HailaR WôðanaR!
The Vibrations of the Universe. | http://www.14words.net/2013/06/european-religion-versus-atheism.html |
The paintings give a glimpse of eternity between two worlds, the finite and the infinite, the conscious and the unconscious. Put another way, we can see the visions as images of the divine made manifest in animal form. We are reminded of the antique Mithraic mystery cult - like the Eleusinian and Dionysian, the Mithraic mystery cult thrived in Mediterranean countries from ca 700 BC to ca 400 AD - where the bull because of its inordinate, superhuman strength played such a central role. As the super, tutelary animal, the bull here (as in so many other myths) represents the great archetypal symbol for the primordial, eternal forces of creation rolling into time. In the underground mithraic sanctuaries there is always a chamber at the far end of which we find the tauroctony, an image of the god slaying the divine bull. The belief was that the sacrificial death of the bull god would cause the re-birth of nature. I would suggest that the bull-bison paintings of the Palaeolithic temple caves are analogous to the mithraic tauroctony and that they are to be understood as incantations to the bison, the animal divinity who sacrificed his blood and strength to the hunters, to the tribe. By killing and partaking of the bison, man was transformed; he literally and metaphorically transcended his human limitations and became the bison-god.
As this passage so graphically illustrates, man's meeting with the divine is a union of opposites. Sometimes referred to as a 'holy marriage', it describes in symbolic language the profoundly psychological experience of the union of man and God for the birth of something new. In the mystery cults it was the miraculous birth of the newly initiated spiritual man that was celebrated, but taken more widely, the conjunction of opposites is understood to mean the birth or resurrection of light out of the confusion and chaos of the night. The paradoxical union of opposites for the birth of something new is taken by many to be the first principle of man's dualistic state in life, in time. In psychology, as in many philosophies and religions, everything that exists has an opposite, a negative, and it is by bringing the two opposites together that the future is born. We witness this archetypal process every day in and around us; we see it also in the eternal wonder of the changes of the seasons when out of the dead of winter the new spring is born. Based on the mystery-motif parallels, we may not be wrong in speculating that a similar archetypal set of ideas informed Palaeolithic man's descent into the dark depths of the cave, and that the rituals performed there were Spring initiation ceremonies devoted to the reconnection with the eternally generative powers for the re-birth of the sun and the animal herds, and thus, for the renewal of the health of the tribe in the year to come.
If we subscribe to the shamanistic, that is, to a psychological interpretation of cave art, then the cave-metaphor is a powerful symbol for describing the experience of meeting in time the numinous transformative forces of the unconscious out of time. Such imaginative pictorial images as the Palaeolithic cave paintings and the rituals which they seek to express have not been invented by man but are autochthonous psychological statements arising from the deep activities of the unconscious. As such, they will always remain a mystery - and it is right that this is so. As soon as we try and dissect the Palaeolithic cave paintings and state that they either mean this or that, we have unravelled the precious and complicated weave of strands, and their true meaning is lost: their treasure lies in their totality. Psychologically speaking, the rock paintings of Ice-age man, like the mystery cults, indeed like all the great religious belief systems are not a matter of the intellect but a psychic experience which expresses itself in symbols. The unconscious - because it is unconscious - can only communicate and be communicated in the form of symbols, visions, dreams, and metaphors. The symbolic language of the unconscious is at the same time a most primitive language, arising from the remote, bestial instinctive spheres of our being, and it is also the language which gives man insights of the highest order, far beyond what our rational mind could produce by itself. Perhaps being human means being homo religiosus - and there has always been a spiritual dimension to human existence. Man has always had intimations of the divine and he has expressed these feelings in rites and ceremonies long before he could think or articulate why or what he was doing. One can try to replace symbols and the religious experience which they carry with science but to do so may be an impoverishment: symbols are like a treasure chest and harbour an immense wealth of age-old insights. Moreover, no science will ever be able to create or replace the archetypal language of man's visions as we find them expressed in the form of the arts. No science will ever be able to explain why we feel entranced by the Palaeolithic cave paintings; why they have the power to move us, address our deepest hopes and fears, and help us to momentarily transcend our human limitations. | http://www.bradshawfoundation.com/cave_art_an_intuition_of_eternity/decent_into_the_cave/spring_initiation_rites_homo_religioso.php |
"Imagine a world dominated not by technology but by the sights and sounds of nature; by mysterious yet eternal forces-the wind, the moon, the stars. By the boundries between night and day, summer and winter. By spirits and deities who control the cosmos and with whom you can commune only in places alive with magic."
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"Most photographs of ethnographic objects either isolate them from the context, to showcase their "art", or show them "in use", integrated into a culture's daily life. Unfortunately, these treatments frequently fail to convey the powerful spiritual aspect of a given piece. There is, however, a third approach, rooted in surrealist attempts to chart the dreams and vision of the unconscious. Fortunately, Corson Hirschfeld adopts this method in his photographs of African, Oceanic, and Native American objects...still lifes that convincingly communicate the latent power of the assembled artifacts.
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Corson Hirschfeld "is someone who has taken the time to find a spirituality and a message in a simple object.He's a rarity that deserves our attention...It's as if he photographed the spirits that are simply not visible when we view the object itself....in Hirschfeld's lens, stories abound...completely digestable and intellectually and visually refreshing."
"Corson Hirschfeld's passion for photographing ancient temples, shrines, burial mounds, and rock art has led him to the far corners of the globe. What distinguishes Hirschfeld's work from that of hundreds of other photographers is his technique: he makes black and white photos, then paints them. Long dissatisfied with images of ancient sites produced by conventional photography-'they represent the subjects accurately but often convey little of their emotional impact,' he says- Hirschfeld developed this technique 'to convey my impressions of them.'"
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"While museum photography is normally limited to the visual facts of the objects photographed, Hirschfeld has created for (his subjects) a context suggestive of the spiritual, the powerful and the symbolic import with which they were originally endowed but from which they have been disassociated. . Hirschfeld's respectful interpretations and sensitive intuitions . . . capture the objects from a different point of view and insure that we will no longer see them quite as we had before."
Hirschfeld's photographs reflect "a personal response to the power and mystery inherent in...shrines, temples, sculpture, rock paintings and carvings, earthworks and other symbolic landforms. In this pursuit, Hirschfeld has cut his way through jungles, crossed deserts and scaled mountains in North and South America, the Pacific, Europe and the Orient.
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"Corson Hirschfeld has been lured to what he calls 'places of power' . . . reveling in the touch, smell, and sight of the most delicate and intimate details of man's ritualistic past. Hirschfeld studied anthropology on his own. Widely read, he approaches his subject with respect for scholarship, but unencumbered by arcane scholarly prerequisites. His urge to record these places is that of an artist who seeks to come to terms with the ineluctable mystery that emanates from the remains of human dialogue with the cosmos." | http://corsonhirschfeld.com/pages/reviews2.htm |
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