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As new generations enter the workforce, managers must learn how to lead diverse groups with various backgrounds, values, work ethics, expectations and motivations.
Consider that our current workforce is comprised primarily of three generations: Baby Boomers, Gen-xers and Millennials (not counting the bookend demographic groups of Generation Z and The Silent Generation). Managing these different generational groups requires getting into their mindsets to understand what makes them tick — and what makes them more productive and satisfied at work.
Battle of the Boomers and Millennials
Each generational group in the workplace today has been influenced by a combination of profound societal events, demographic trends and cultural phenomena unique to the time in which they came of age.
Because these differences are most pronounced between the oldest and youngest in our workforce, we’ll focus on baby boomers and millennials — even though Gen-Xers are a unique demographic all to themselves. | https://www.griffinbenefits.com/employeebenefitsblog/topic/millennials |
If Middle Earth had a God it would be Peter Jackson. Certainly when it comes to the New Zealand film industry and the city of Wellington in general, Jackson himself is spoken of entirely in reverential terms. Even more than Robert Rodriguez is to Austin or George Miller is to Sydney, Jackson is so identifiably Wellington and a master of all he purveys.
That’s understandable when you consider he’s really the driving force responsible for the establishment of an entire film industry within the city. He led the charge which turned this picturesque, but remote city into a place that boasts world class studio production and post-production facilities, and with WETA a world leader in visual effects and film prop manufacturing.
In person though Jackson remains the unassuming, straightforward, confident and laid-back filmmaker he always has been. The man has always done his films the way he wants, studio demands and scheduling be damned. That probably makes him stubborn to the higher ups, especially those not used to the more sedentary and relaxed approach to filmmaking in New Zealand. On-set though, it makes for one of the most agreeable cinematic working environments around. Even well over a year into the project, Jackson is still having a ball playing in this incredible playground. | http://www.darkhorizons.com/sir-peter-jackson-talks-the-hobbit/ |
In a recent study, researchers found that the drug methotrexate may increase the risk for skin cancer as well as other adverse side effects such as gastrointestinal complications and lung problems.
What is methotrexate?
Methotrexate-based drugs are immunosuppressants which help treat inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The Johns Hopkins Arthritis Center estimates that about 60 percent of rheumatoid arthritis patients are currently using or have used these medications. Methotrexate-based brands include Otrexup, Trexall, and Xatmep.
What does methotrexate treat?
In addition to RA, methotrexate is utilized to treat psoriasis, which causes skin inflammation. It does this by slowing skin cell growth to prevent scale formation. Methotrexate is also used to treat various cancers including lung cancer, breast cancer, certain head and neck cancers, certain kinds of lymphoma, and leukemia. It treats cancer by slowing cancer cell growth.
How is it administered? What is the right dose?
Methotrexate can come in either the form of a 2.5-milligram pill or an injection. The recommended dose is once a week. The typical dosage ranges from 3 to 10 pills. However, the individual dose may be split into two or more to avoid side effects and facilitate absorption. Methotrexate may sometimes be administered through escalating doses. For instance, one may take three tablets once a week for a two-week period and increase the dosage to four tablets starting in the third week.
What are some of methotrexates’ side effects?
These are some of methotrexate’s side effects:
- Drowsiness
- Headaches
- Dizziness
- Decreased appetite
- Hair Loss
More severe side effects include
- Blurred vision
- Sudden vision loss
- Seizures
- Difficulty with moving one or both sides of the body
- Loss of consciousness
- Birth defects in children of individuals, both men and women, who are taking it.
Methotrexate Study Results
The results of the study raising concerns about the safety of methotrexate were published in March 2020 in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The study was a randomized trial comprised of over 6,000 patients. Each of them had a prior history of heart disease or diabetes. The average age of the patients was 66 years. The researchers gave patients either a low-dose methotrexate or a placebo. All the patients also took a one-milligram dose of folic acid on a daily basis. The researchers tracked the test subjects for about 23 months.
The results showed that 87% of patients who received methotrexate-based drugs suffered an adverse health effect, compared to only 81% of patients who received a placebo. Compared to the placebo group, patients taking methotrexate showed a 50% higher risk for skin cancer, 91% for gastrointestinal issues, 50% for lung complications, and 15% for blood-related conditions. Interestingly, the researchers found that methotrexate reduced the risk of renal adverse effects. They also found no increased risk for other cancers.
Institute for Safe Medication Practice Report
In December 2019, the Institute for Safe Medication Practice published a report in which researchers found that patient error when taking the wrong methotrexate dosages was very common. They found that six out of fourteen cases involving accidental daily use of methotrexate involved patient error. The cases involved patients over the age of 65. Older individuals usually take medications daily and may struggle to properly read instructions found on labels. The researchers found that the instructions were confusing. This means a misread of the instructions can be dangerous. They note that the risk was worse if the directions that involve escalating doses. There was one such case of this confusion, which resulted in the patient being hospitalized with hypotension, pancytopenia, and septic shock within five days of taking the medication.
The report also noted that the methotrexate usage nearly doubled from about 560,000 to 1 million patients between 2013 and 2017. This is concerning because more patients may experience these side effects. The study showed that individuals can easily take the wrong doses, which means that more individuals experience methotrexates’ harmful side effects.
Conclusion
The results of these recent studies may signal tough times ahead for methotrexate drugs. Even smaller doses of methotrexate can increase adverse health effects. At a minimum, these results will probably lead to more in-depth studies about the link between methotrexate and skin cancer as well as other health conditions. This could potentially lead to future litigation. | https://www.lawsuit-information-center.com/methotrexate-based-drugs-linked-to-skin-cancer.html |
Thousands of residents in the Philippines evacuated their homes on Monday as a volcano erupted with heavy ash and lava, and experts warn the eruption could become more serious in the coming days.
The Taal volcano, located 65 miles south of the country’s capital, Manila, began erupting on Sunday and sent clouds of ash north through the city, causing the country to shut down their main airport and cancel more than 500 flights. So far, there have been no reports of casualties or major damage, however over 30,000 people have been evacuated from communities near the volcano with more evacuating every hour in anticipation of another eruption.
The Philippines and surrounding islands have a long history with catastrophic volcanic eruptions. In 2006, the Mayon volcano erupted and coated the area with volcanic ash that inevitably created devastating mudslides during a typhoon later in the year. The Pinatubo volcano in 1991 was the second-largest eruption of the 20th century and produced mountainous clouds of hot ash and gas across the entire island, ultimately killing 847 people and leaving hundreds of thousands homeless.
The last eruption from Taal was recorded in 1977. In total, the country houses 25 active volcanoes and all are a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire. | https://www.statista.com/chart/20482/philippines-volcano-eruption/ |
The design of laser radars and the determination of laser radar signatures of various vehicles require accurate data on the monostatic reflectivity of many target materials to far-field laser illumination at many different wavelengths. Modelling software is required that will take the monostatic reflectance data as an input, and combine this data with geometrical models to develop a laser radar signature. Recently a program has been started at Surface Optics Corporation to design and develop a laboratory system for the monostatic measurement of the bidirectional reflectance properties of target samples and generation of laser radar signatures from this data. This system, the Monostatic Bidirectional Reflectometer (MBR), will be flexible enough to accommodate various laser sources and detectors. The MBR will be capable of accurate measurement of the BRDF of target samples and combining this data with geometrical target models for signature predictions which will be further used for development of hardware in the loop simulations at a reduction in the cost of live-fire evaluation of various weapon systems. | http://spie.org/Publications/Proceedings/Paper/10.1117/12.138262 |
Clever structural work and a fresh interior design have created a seamless transition between old and new in this hard-working 1930s Queenslander.
Who lives here: Jared and Sarah Davey, director and interior designer respectively at Davey Constructions, with their three children: Kade and Harry, both 10, and Beau, eight, plus British bulldog Bruce.
Style of home: A 1930s worker's cottage that's grown in size by 170 square metres.
Location: Burleigh Heads in Queensland, traditional land of the Kombumerri.
Timeline: The work took six months from July to December 2020.
When Sarah and Jared Davey acquired their house in 2010, the original home was tired and parts of it were falling down. Built nearly 100 years ago in Queensland's Burleigh Heads, it had been renovated in the 1990s but desperately needed some attention.
"We wanted to keep within the original footprint as best we could," says Sarah. "But with a growing family of boys, we needed space and greater functionality."
Jared is a builder and Sarah a designer, so the pair were able to plan and oversee the renovation through their company, Davey Constructions, with help from building designer Stuart Osman.
While they lost their spare bedroom in the redesign of the floor plan, they were able to carve out a bedroom for each of the children, plus a kids' breakout room and a mud room, in addition to their own bedroom, two bathrooms, a laundry, and the open-plan dining, living and kitchen space, which is connected to the alfresco area and pool via expanding bifold doors.
"We wanted to create a space where the family could come together, and needed more storage to increase the overall functionality of the home," says Sarah. "It was also important for us to be able to view our kids swimming in the pool from the kitchen. It took a great deal of thought and planning to ensure we kept the integrity of the original home while maintaining a more modern aesthetic that translates to the here and now."
Sustainability was at the forefront of their minds during the project, so they reused lots of materials from the original home, including some VJ panels, windows, framing timbers, stained-glass windows and bricks, among many other things.
Furthermore, fixed and motorised skylights and louvres were installed, along with solar panels, rainwater tanks, carbon-neutral tapware and energy-efficient, eco-friendly appliances.
"Working with Stuart, we were able to reach a solution on how to integrate the old with the new, ensuring that the coastal-cottage aesthetic was maintained," says Sarah. "An example of this is the step-down into the extended part of the home, where the floor changes from natural oak to a more modern polished-concrete finish."
The new section is painted in cool neutral shades of white and grey, with warmer tones supplied via the marble kitchen benchtop, brick fireplace and nearby brick arch, and burnished concrete flooring. Sarah also used a different colour in each of the boys' rooms in the older part of the home – a feature typical of old Queenslanders.
"This mix of warm and cooler tones creates a beautiful, homely feel throughout, with lots of texture in the rugs, textiles and artworks to complete the look," says Sarah.
The full renovation was completed within six months, from July to December 2020, and the end result is like a slice of paradise.
"Our home is a unique build with a rich history and character like no other!" says Sarah. "Walking into the place is like receiving a big, warm hug, and the interiors have a laid-back yet luxurious feel – we love it!"
LESSONS LEARNT
"The cost of building is always expensive," says Sarah Davey, owner/designer. "Even though we work in the industry and had a budget, we went above it. So I'd recommend always putting aside a good percentage for all those extras you might want along the way." | https://www.homestolove.com.au/renovated-1930s-workers-cottage-23851 |
This preview shows pages 1-3. to view the full 12 pages of the document.
500-1100- death was accepted as a part of the human existence
- it was governed by laws
- death was considered as being natural and divine
- the teachings of the church provided guidance
TAMED DEATH- means that, death, or the discontinuation of life can mess people
up psychologically, thus if we establish a meaning for death, then we can tame these
emotions that otherwise arise
- the 3 periods on which death is categorized, are different in terms of what
emphasis they place on death
* 500-1100: death was recognized as a shared/collective destiny
- it was the common fcate of all people
- death was religiously ruled, it was believed that a final judgement would occur by
Christ
*1100- 1700: there was a greater awareness in terms of recognizing one’s own death
with personal meaning
- this occured due to cultural and social changes
- people began to emphasize individual identity
*1700-1900: began recognizing “other death”
- emphasized a romanticized death, where the loss of a loved one was fully expressed
- they believed and hoped that there would be a reunion between the family and the
individual who died
www.notesolution.com
Only pages 1-3 are available for preview. Some parts have been intentionally blurred.
- expressing mourning became normal
- high quality of art developed (ex. Tombes, cemetary)
- the dying person was cared for in hospitals and by health care professionals
- they tried to restore life and delay death from happening
*1900- 1960’s: attitudes quickly changed
- death became a taboo
- invisible death means that there is a lack of familiarity with the concept of death
- during this time, both the family and the dying person played the “deception”
game- in order to avoid thinking about death, they pretended like it wasn’t going to
happena
- hospitals and health care professionals treated death like an enemy
- funerals: short/discrete, grief was suppressed
- why did this way evolve?
- due to the development of the market economy: progression of science and
technology- moving away from the religious influence
- death became something that happened to losers- because society emphasized
achievements
- dead world= irrelevant
- thus, death was difficult from a physical and psychologically view: in the past, the
dying person had comfort from the community because the individuals died in a
hospital- thus, the absense of it makes a person feel alone, less important
*Present- death is no longer a taboos
- there is alienated or objectified death-
www.notesolution.com
Only pages 1-3 are available for preview. Some parts have been intentionally blurred.
- education regarding death is increasing
- the purpose is to become desensitized to death if one keeps talkign about it
through education
Death movement:
- people tried to break the taboo that existed against death
- individuals struggled to get information because hospitals avoided exposed
information because they viewed death as an enemy
death is more than just biological:
- person breaks down- not just physically
- along with the development of technology, there still needs to be compassion and
religion
life is not just a matter of length, but also of quality and depth
- one needs to help to control chronic pain, to allow an individual to fully “live life”
until the last minute
death is dfficult, therefore whether one uses religion/philosophy, they need
something
education is needed for people in school, home, and for health professionals
- we need to change our attitudes about death
Prominent psychologists: | https://oneclass.com/study-guides/ca/utm/psy/psy313h5/3837-death.en.html |
I consider Charlie Bishop a friend. I managed his election four years ago to the top spot in the county. Under his leadership, Bibb County has seen an increase in jobs and a stabilized financial picture. As a political strategist however, I think this is going to be a very difficult year for him to get re-elected.
Full disclosure as well: I’m sitting this race out. I’ve known Sam Hart longer than any other person I know in this city. He’s been a good friend for fifteen years and, for my seven years in this city was both an advisor and mentor while I attended Mercer undergrad and law school.
Now, back to the topic.
Four years ago Charlie Bishop was elected under these circumstances:
• His opponent was not trusted by the business community and had serious character issues.
• Voters wanted less linkage between the Mayor of Macon and the County Commission.
• The black turnout was diminished due to John Kerry’s failure to energize the black voter base.
• The GOP and independent voter turnout was energized due to a stellar local Republican party and national GOP ground game for President Bush.
• The business community was fairly united behind Charlie as was the white community.
In 2008, none of those factors exists.
This year, I would venture to say the business community is going to line up behind Sam Hart. I’ve already heard a number of top businessmen in the community say they think the county needs a change of pace. There is perceived discord and dysfunction at the commission because of constant reports in the Telegraph about infighting, stacked decks, high handedness by the Chairman, and fights between Charlie and Joe Allen.
A number of prominent community leaders have been less than enamored with the county’s CAO, saying he has acted more as a campaign manager for the Chairman than a county administrator. That’s left a bad taste in their mouths. Likewise, some of them feel like they’ve been bullied by the Chairman or others on his behalf.
While those complaints are, below the surface, not wholly meritorious, they have created a perception of dysfunction and in politics perception is often the reality.
There is no C. Jack Ellis this year to concern voters. Thus far voters are pleased with Robert Reichert and he is no lightening rod. Likewise, Sam Hart is well respected in the community across racial lines and, unlike the opponent in 2004, I am sure there will be no tapes of Sam Hart circulating with his pants down.
More importantly, and beyond the candidate specific issues, we have a changed political dynamic that is going to hurt the GOP in general in Bibb County with Charlie Bishop and Rick Goddard both suffering. While Goddard will be able to make it up in other counties — perhaps even enough to win — Charlie Bishop won’t have that luxury.
The Bibb County Republican Party has not gotten its game face back since Don Layfield, the former Chairman died. The county and state parties are both suffering under John McCain as the nominee who, though he will be able to turn out the vote, has not been a super inspiring choice for the base.
The Democratic nominee is most likely going to be Barack Obama. Couple Obama’s popularity among liberal white voters and black voters with Sam Hart’s broad appeal in the community and you have an impressive turn out machine on the Democratic side with very little work or cost.
There is also the money disadvantage. Right now Charlie Bishop is at a significant money disadvantage to Sam Hart. Charlie also has a three way primary to get through that will dwindle his reserves for the general election. Sam Hart will not have that. Likewise, with the business community tilting heavily for Hart, Bishop will have difficulties raising money to stay competitive. Add to that an outmanned political party and the operational status of the campaign will be near rudderless.
The best thing for Charlie Bishop would be for Hillary Clinton to somehow get the Democratic nomination for President. Her nomination would suppress black turnout, create a natural rallying for the GOP, and boost his chances. Without that, however, there will be long odds for Charlie’s re-election this year. Even with it, the odds would still be in Sam Hart’s favor. | http://www.erickontheradio.com/2008/04/a-difficult-re-election-for-charlie-bishop/ |
Marketing Analytics: The Only Question You Need to Answer to Improve Campaign ROI
When most marketers plan a campaign, they usually ask the same basic questions: Who should we target? When should the campaign start and stop? Where should we spend our budget?
But there’s a better way to design your marketing strategy — one that helps you avoid wasted spend and forecast where your time and money will generate the most conversions, leads and sales. It’s all a matter of asking different questions.
After this session, you’ll be able to: | https://seattle.digitalsummit.com/sessions/marketing-analytics/ |
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CONLANG Home
CONLANG August 2010, Week 4
Subject:
Re: Morphology marking incremental changes
From:
Veoler <[log in to unmask]>
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Constructed Languages List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 27 Aug 2010 17:21:04 +0200
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Eric Christopherson wrote:
> I'm wondering if any language has a morphological (or even syntactic) marker that applies to a base and changes its meaning in an incremental way. For example, suppose a voice hierarchy:
>
> 1) causative > transitive > intransitive > passive > impersonal.
>
> Would any language have a single affix or particle that attaches to a causative verb to make it transitive, as well as attaching to a passive verb to make it impersonal, rather than just a marker for transitive and a marker for impersonal? I think I've heard of examples of morphology changing intransitive to passive and passive to impersonal, but I don't know if there's ever systematic incremental movement all along the hierarchy.
>
My conlang has several voices both to increase and decrease the
valency (and to manipulate the argument structure in other ways), and
a word (there's only one part of speech) could be marked repeatedly
with any number of affixes. One of the voices to increase the valency
is the causative, and one of the voices to decrease the valency is the
passive. You could add ten causative affixes to a monovalent word to
get a word with a valency of 11, then add eleven passive affixes to
get a word with a valency of 0.
The argument structure of an active word (= unmarked for voices) is
determined by argument structure inflection, and it could have a
valency between 0 and 3. The root itself has no argument structure. | https://listserv.brown.edu/cgi-bin/wa?A2=ind1008d&L=CONLANG&P=109612 |
Water quality, regulations, economics, social trends, habitat, innovation—all these forces contribute to the success or failure of commercial shellfishing and shellfish aquaculture. Rhode Island is developing a shellfish management plan that addresses these issues, and a symposium is bringing together experts from the state, the region, and beyond to discuss them.
Join us at the Radisson Hotel, Warwick, R.I., for the 2013 Ronald C. Baird Sea Grant Science Symposium, “The Future of Shellfish in Rhode Island: Providing sustainable seafood, economic opportunities, and ecosystem benefits,” to discuss the current and the potential value—economic and environmental—of shellfish to Rhode Island. The sessions will focus on Restoration and Public Aquaculture, Commercial Aquaculture, Commercial Wild Harvest, Water Quality, and the “Go Local” Movement. Registration is $45. Student rate and industry scholarships are available at $20. To register, please contact Deborah Lafen at (401) 874-6645 or download the registration.
FIELD TRIPS 11/15: There will be field trips available on November 15 to your choice of the Matunuck Oyster Farm, Roger WIlliams University's Blount Shellfish Hatchery, or the restored Town Pond in Portsmouth. For details on the field trips, please visit the website.
The 2013 Baird Symposium is funded by Rhode Island Sea Grant, the URI Coastal Institute, and the Rhode Island Shellfish Management Plan.
This event is being coordinated in partnership with representatives from the University of Rhode Island Coastal Resources Center, Rhode Island Sea Grant, University of Rhode Island, Roger Williams University, R.I. Department of Environmental Management, R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council, The Nature Conservancy, East Coast Shellfish Growers Association, and the local shellfishing industry. | https://blog.massoyster.org/2013/11/opportunity-to-learn-about-shellfish.html |
MP for Evalue Jomoro-Gwira constituency in the Western region, Catherine Abelema Afeku is heading to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Creative Arts, highly-placed sources divulge to ENEWSGH.
She takes over from Hon. Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare, who has headed the ministry since 2013.
Afeku was MP between 2009 to 2012, and returns to parliament after emerging winner in last month’s polls.
She has also previously served as Government Spokesperson for Infrastructure, and has constantly stressed innate desire and strong passion for public service.
She’s also credited with making key inputs while in parliament, and serves on 3 committees in the house: The Road and Transport Committee, The Communications Committee as the Deputy Ranking Member and the Business Committee.
Established in 1993, the ministry functions to “develop and promote tourism and improve the capital city, Accra. These functions are aimed at optimising the socio-economic growth of the country through tourism-related activities and the promotion of environmental impact for the benefit of deprived communities with tourist sites in the country”.
The Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Creative Arts was realigned through Executive Instrument 2013 (E.I.1) to provide a firm, stable policy environment for effective mainstreaming of Ghanaian culture into all aspects of national life and to ensure the strong emergence of a vibrant creative economy to improve and advance the tourism industry.
The Ministry is to facilitate the interface between government, implementing bodies in tourism, culture and the creative industries as well as international and civil society partners.
(Subject to approval by parliament), Hon. Afeku is expected to help the government fulfil their aims in the creative sector, which include steps to:
a. aggressively develop our tourist sites to bring them to world-class standards, complete with the requisite amenities and facilities
b. pursue a deliberate marketing programme to promote our unique historical sites, flora and fauna, waterfalls and other cultural artefacts
c. take the staffing of these tourist sites and our hospitality industry as a whole seriously. To improve professionalism in the sector, we will partner with the private sector to set up a state-of-the-art hospitality teaching facility, with an operational hotel, classrooms, kitchens, library, and dormitories.
d. encourage local communities to take ownership and be invested in the sustainability of tourist attractions in their localities, The NPP will champion a revenuesharing programme to inject 5% of tourism revenues from fees of well-developed tourist attractions into local community projects
e. promote domestic tourism, by making it an aggressive plank of our tourism strategy with a marketing drive centred on entrenching a tourism culture among Ghanaians
f. reviewed and actively implement the Culture Policy developed under the Kufuor-led NPP government to give our culture pride of place in our national development.
g. build a detailed inventory of all our cultural assets, so the nation has a database of these assets.
h. The Copyright Act 2005 (Act 690), among other provisions, provides for the protection of Adinkra symbols and the older Kente designs as expression of folklore. The NPP will ensure that the provisions regarding the protection of Kente and Adinkra designs are strictly enforced against illicit exploitation by foreign interests, to enable the country maximize revenue through the proper marketing of these heirlooms.
i. establish a Creative Arts Fund to make available funds to modernize and develop the sector
j. create a Division of the High Court, focusing on the Creative Arts to deal with all matters relating to intellectual property rights, complete with a dedicated enforcement unit
k. establish a Creative Arts Council to coordinate and harmonize the various interests and fragmented associations into a well-functioning body to protect the interests of members.
l. collaborate with private sector interests to acquire the technology and equipment needed to log creative works, in order to determine true and deserved royalties.
m. promote regional and district literature, music, dance and drama competitions, particularly in schools and colleges, and
n. pursue the construction of modern large seating theatres in every regional capital except Accra, beginning with Takoradi, Tamale and Kumasi, as well as setting up an additional Copyright Office in Tamale to cater for the northern sector in addition to the existing ones in Accra and Kumasi. | https://enewsgh.com/2017/01/11/profile-know-ghanas-incoming-creative-arts-tourism-culture-minister/ |
Scott Rumel is founding principal of Scott Rumel Architect, an architecture and planning firm established 25 years ago in Tucson, Arizona,which has the experience, staff resources, and methodologies capable of managing multi-million dollar projects as well as small renovations.
Our firm has a long history of successful institutional, commercial and residential projects including new construction, renovation, expansion and tenant improvement work. Our commercial and institutional project experience involves many categories, which includes municipal, retail, industrial, educational, medical, corporate offices, and public safety projects. SRA experience involves projects throughout southern Arizona, with clients in Sierra Vista, Green Valley, Ajo, Elfrida, Willcox, Bisbee, and Tucson.
Many of these projects represent “repeat”clients, which is a reflection upon our successful design process, emphasis on attentive service, dedication to effective construction administration, and our commitment to building long term client relationships. Our goal is to work with Owners and stakeholders as part of a well managed and rewarding team effort.
We always emphasize attentive personal service, which means that as principal of the firm, Scott is dedicated to personal involvement at every phase of the project, which he can offer through selective commitment to projects. Very few firms with similar qualifications and experience can offer the same commitment of a principal to each project.
Furthermore, our experience includes participation with various construction delivery methods such as negotiated contracts, competitive bidding, design/build, and construction-manager-at-risk projects. We also routinely consult with contractors to seek “constructability” advice during design, which informs our decisions and construction expectations from a contractor’s point of view.
Our emphasis on communication, collaboration and owner participation invariably leads to design solutions and construction documents that result in successful projects. For example, our design process emphasizes evaluation of options and alternatives that engage the client in the decision making process in order to understand which design possibilities are best suited as a solution to their project. In our design process, we are also conscientious about maximizing the benefit of construction dollars available for each project. We strive to incorporate energy efficient and sustainable design principles into each project, along with life cycle cost performance of building systems as it relates to maintenance and operations. As an example, our Sierra Vista Aquatic Center project received a Governor’s Energy Award for the Owner. We also secured a LEED Certification for the Sierra Vista Transit Center project.
Our method of operation during preliminary design, and throughout the construction document process utilizes computer aided drafting (AutoCAD), supplemented with various 3D modeling programs such as Sketch-up. We share drawing files electronically among the team members on a frequent basis to provide them with accurate and current plan information, which contributes considerably to efficient and timely coordination of documents. In similar fashion, we edit and produce written specification documents tailored to each project when written specifications are required.
Our attentive participation during construction is an important part of our services, characterized by continuity in personnel from design phase through construction phase; an approach that promotes a knowledgeable and efficient administrative process throughout construction.
In summary, we strive to infuse each project with a logic and certainty of purpose that is unique to each client’s needs. That certainty of purpose is characterized by a convergence of function and quality design that is responsive to Owner needs, site parameters, climate, and budget. We integrate architecture and technical components into logical and innovative design solutions while we conscientiously maintain an alignment between client budget resources, client needs, and a project outcome with exceptional results. | https://scottrumelarchitect.com/about-us/ |
Do others have the right to define what's ethical for me?
Rev. RAY INNEN PARCHELO is a novice Tendai priest and founder of the Red Maple Sangha, the first lay Buddhist community in Eastern Ontario.
Many others are given or conferred with rights to define what is ethical for us in aspects of our lives. Various government decisions, such as abortion legislation, deployment of troops or standards on the treatment of animals are meant to promote and protect specific ethical positions.
Allowing this power establishes some of our identity as a nation and also ensures, through regulatory bodies, that these standards are monitored and enforced on our behalf.
As professionals — doctors, lawyers, police — its is very common for us to have a college or governing body who sets the boundaries of what is acceptable and ethical in that profession.
Again, as members of these colleges, we empower or confer this right onto others. It is these standards, in fact, which give our clients and public the confidence and respect for us that allow us to practice successfully.
Looking more narrowly at our roles here as representatives of our faith communities, we can ask the same question. Can a priest, pastor or minister define what is ethical for their community? Within the tradition of Buddha-dharma, the answer would be a clear and emphatic “no”.
Buddhist clergy hold their positions because of their willingness to take on a leadership role, their openness to have their lives and actions scrutinized publicly and because of their determination to grapple with teachings and interpret them fairly and practically for the community. Buddhist clergy (and I suspect this is true for most faiths) never set ethical standards, but interpret existing traditional teachings for concrete situations.
An example of this has been the debate in Buddhist communities over eating meat. Some leaders, stressing the teaching to refrain from causing suffering, are vocal spokespeople for a strict vegan diet. Others support different degrees of vegetarian discipline. Others still, pointing to the patterns evident in nature, see nothing unethical in eating meat. In all these cases, there are no moral absolutes asserted, but rather ethical positions to interpret. Herein, clergy, by agreement, are given the right/obligation and relied on to articulate ethical stances for their communities. | https://www.religious-information.com/buddhist-ethics.html |
I am a postdoctoral fellow in the Polarization and Social Change Lab affiliated with the Stanford Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society and the Department of Sociology.
I study inequality and why it persists. Unequal social relations and structures can be maintained through force or ideological legitimation. I focus on legitimation. More precisely, I examine factors that ostensibly compensate for inequality—by providing social, psychological, and/or material benefits to subordinated groups—but can paradoxically end up legitimating and reinforcing it. Although legitimation is my focus, I take a broad view of the study of inequality and also examine various injustices and inefficiencies that limit or facilitate people’s opportunity and well-being.
I am working on three interconnected lines of research focused on factors that can compensate for but also legitimate inequality: (1) religion, (2) seemingly positive stereotypes about subordinated groups, and (3) philanthropy. Much of my research to date has focused on religion. In my current postdoctoral position, I am launching projects on positive stereotypes about subordinated groups and philanthropy as additional potential compensators for, but also legitimators of, inequality.
I’m writing a book with Oxford University Press titled Is Faith Feminine? What Americans Really Think about Gender and Religion. The book considers the ways religions are gender-typed, gendered social psychological opportunities and constraints related to religion, and how religion suppresses gender differences in politics.
My work has received several awards, has been published in Science Advances, Social Forces, Gender & Society, Public Opinion Quarterly, and other journals, and has been covered in several print, radio, and television outlets including The New York Times, Washington Post, Economist, and CBS News. | https://landonschnabel.com/ |
Basic concepts of Results Based Management
Not surprisingly, the ‘Result’ is the central concept of Results Based Management. Results are describable or measurable changes resulting from a cause and effect chain. This results chain describes how you will go from the current situation to the desired situation. In RBM, there are three types of results:
- Direct results or outputs, which are produced by the project’s activities, using the project’s resources. These are the things that normally are under our control.
- Intermediate results or effects, which are the consequences of the direct results. Often it takes a while for these effects to materialise. They are not completely under our control, very often there may be other influences at play here. Effects can be expected (as described in the project’s logframe), but also unexpected because of the very fact that there may be other influences at play. Effects can be positive, but our outputs may also lead to some negative effects.
- Final results or the impact of our project. Generally the impact is only visible after a longer period and in the broader environment (not just with the people that were directly involved in the project). Like effects, the impact can have expected or unexpected elements that can be either positive or negative.
According to the Canadian International Development Agency, which pioneered the use of RBM in international development, Results-based management is a life-cycle approach to management that integrates strategy, people, resources, processes, and measurements to improve decision making, transparency, and accountability. The approach focuses on achieving outcomes, implementing performance measurement, learning, and adapting, as well as reporting performance.
RBM is:
- Defining realistic expected results based on appropriate analysis;
- Clearly identifying program beneficiaries and designing programs to meet their needs;
- Monitoring progress toward results and resources consumed with the use of appropriate indicators;
- Identifying and managing risk while bearing in mind the expected results and necessary resources;
- Increasing knowledge by learning lessons and integrating them into decisions; and
- Reporting on the results achieved and resources involved.
Comments
Impact assessment
In Result Based Management, one difficult thing is to measure or assess the impact of your intervention, especially when it comes to intangle projects that are usually based on behavioral change. Can you please account for that?
RBM Flaw
Kamara! Very well raised question. I have evaluated several activities and/or small scaled projects in southern Afghanistan, but always remained doubtfull onthe genuine impact of non-physical projects, though eliminating the practices affecting the overall impact, there were examples of unwillingness among the local population. The only way to assess the impact is beneficiary's appraisal which varies widely especially in post conflict societies. Here, I personaly become skyptical on the role/coverage of RBM. Is this a flaw or what ? | http://logframer.eu/content/basic-concepts-results-based-management |
Rivermen Hall of Fame
Welcome to the Peoria Rivermen Hockey Hall of Fame!
One of the longest running hockey teams in North America, the Peoria Rivermen have been in continuous operation since the 1982-83 season, when they began play as the Peoria Prancers of the International Hockey League. The Rivermen have played in the International Hockey Leauge (1982-96), the East Coast Hockey League (1996-2005), the American Hockey League (2005-2013) and the Southern Professional Hockey League (2013-present).
With the creation of the Rivermen Hall of Fame in 1991, it has allowed the team to recognize, honor and celebrate individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions specifically professional hockey in Peoria. The Rivermen Hall of Fame is divided into two wings: one for players and coaches and one for "builders" which consists of those who have been honored for their contributions to the greater good and/or the administration of professional hockey in Central Illinois.
Each class of inductees is officially enshrined during an on-ice ceremony during a Rivermen game in the season of their induction.
The first class of inductees honored for their outstanding achievements and contributions were head coach Pat Kelly, and players Darrell May and Doug Evans, all of whom were members of the 1985 IHL Turner Cup Championship team. | https://www.rivermen.net/team/rivermen-hall-of-fame |
Dr. Satchidananda (Satchin) Panda is a professor in the Regulatory Biology Laboratory at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. His work focuses on chronobiology, the study of the day-night cycles that drive the multifaceted activities of the human body, using genetic, genomic, and biochemical approaches. He is an expert on circadian rhythms and a pioneer in the field of time-restricted eating. A priority for Dr. Panda when designing his studies is to identify strategies that positively impact public health.
Circadian rhythms, the body’s 24-hour cycles of biological, hormonal, and behavioral patterns, modulate a wide array of physiological processes, including the body’s production of hormones that regulate sleep, hunger, and metabolism, ultimately influencing body weight, performance, and susceptibility to disease. Circadian rhythmicity may have profound implications for human healthspan.
When and how much we sleep, eat, or exercise (and these activities’ effects on our health) are intrinsically linked to our circadian rhythms.
In this episode, Dr. Panda and I discuss...
- 05:31 - How circadian rhythms influence human health.
- 12:30 - How seeking bright light in the morning and avoiding it in the evening can help us sleep better.
- 20:40 - How the ability of supplemental melatonin to counteract evening bright light exposure varies.
- 26:16 - How understanding the relationship between melatonin and insulin secretion might help us decide when to eat.
- 33:15 - How shift work, jet lag, and modern lifestyles contribute to altered circadian rhythms and metabolic dysfunction.
- 45:10 - How naps might aid with afternoon sleepiness and sleep loss.
- 47:05 - How we can tailor our indoor lighting environment to promote healthy circadian rhythms.
- 51:20 - How time-restricted eating (eating within a narrow time range) can be beneficial.
- 01:02:13 - How Dr. Panda’s ongoing study uses a smartphone app to track when people eat.
- 01:03:41 - How most people are unaware of their eating patterns.
- 01:07:58 - How Dr. Panda incorporates his research findings into his own life.
- 01:16:21 - How our circadian rhythms dictate when we should exercise – and how caffeine provides a workaround.
Read the full show notes to learn more: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/episodes/satchin-panda-3
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Details
Episode
The podcast FoundMyFitness is embedded on this page from an open RSS feed. All files, descriptions, artwork and other metadata from the RSS-feed is the property of the podcast owner and not affiliated with or validated by Podplay. | https://www.podplay.com/podcasts/foundmyfitness-33248/episodes/065-dr-satchin-panda-on-circadian-insights-into-exercise-timing-melatonin-biology-and-peak-cognition-67545951 |
A thermometer is a device that registers the temperature of a substance relative to some agreed upon standard. Thermometers use changes in the physical or electronic properties of the device to detect temperature variations. For example, the most common thermometer consists of some sort of liquid sealed into a narrow tube, or capillary, with a calibrated scale attached. The liquid, typically mercury or alcohol, has a high coefficient of thermal expansion, that is to say the volume changes significantly with changes in temperature. Combined with the narrowness of the tube, this means that the height of the column of liquid changes significantly with small temperature variations.
The oldest thermometers were not sealed, which means that air pressure caused inaccurate readings. The first sealed thermometers were manufactured in the seventeenth century. A further improvement took place in 1714, when the German physicist Daniel Fahrenheit (1686-1736) started using mercury instead of alcohol as the measuring liquid. The Fahrenheit thermometer set a standard for accuracy that was accepted by scientists.
All material exhibits a certain resistance to electric current that changes as a function of temperature; this is the basis of both the resistance thermometer and the thermistor. The resistance thermometer consists of fine wire wrapped around an insulator. With a change in temperature, the resistance of the wire changes. This can be detected electronically and used to calculate temperature change from some reference resistance/temperature. Thermistors are semiconductor devices that operate on the same principle.
A thermocouple is another temperature sensor based on electrical properties. When two wires of different materials are connected, a small voltage is established that varies as a function of temperature. Two junctions are used in a typical thermocouple.
One junction is the measurement junction, the other is the reference junction kept at some constant temperature. The voltage generated by the temperature difference is detected by a meter connected to the system, and as with the thermistor, this information is converted to temperature.
A pyrometer is a temperature sensor that detects visible and infrared radiation and converts it to temperature. There is a direct relation between the color of light emitted by a hot body and its temperature; it's no accident that we speak of things as "red hot" or "white hot." All surfaces (including animals) emit or reflect radiation whose wavelength is proportional to their temperature. Pyrometers essentially compare the brightness and color of a reference filament to the radiation being emitted or reflected by the surface under test. They are excellent devices for non-contact measurements.
A wide variety of devices exist for measuring temperature; it is up to the user to choose the best thermometer for the job. For contact measurements requiring only moderate accuracy, a capillary thermometer is appropriate. Thermocouples measure temperature over a very wide range with good precision. A more accurate thermal sensor is a thermistor, which boasts the added advantages of being easy to use and inexpensive. Extremely precise contact measurements can be made with a resistance thermometer, but the devices are costly, and pyrometers are useful for non-contact measurements. | https://science.jrank.org/pages/6817/Thermometer.html |
The fallen trees, flooded basements and power outages that plagued parts of Brooklyn after Hurricane Sandy were not visible in the Little Pakistan neighborhood along Coney Island Avenue in Flatbush.
“There are not any big trees here,” said 21-year-old Iram Imtiaz. And so the storm “didn’t really affect us.”
But even a little damage can have big consequences.
At Quality Fruit Mart, a grocery on Coney Island Ave. near Glenwood Road, Hurricane Sandy had ripped down half of the store’s yellow awning, sending it sprawling onto the sidewalk, where metal pipes poked out of the brightly-colored plastic.
“It’s because the winds were too strong,” said store owner Mohammad Afzal, who watched the whole catastrophe unfold Tuesday morning, when he replayed it on the store’s security camera. Cost to replace the awning could run Afzal $10,000, he said, because he will need to repair electrical wiring, too.
Afzal, however, did not appear too worried, adding the awning had come down last year as well when Hurricane Irene came through the city.
“These things are normal in business,” the middle-aged Pakistani store owner said nonchalantly.
Of much greater immediate concern for Afzal is the dwindling stock of food in his store. Milk, which he gets from dairies in New Jersey, was not delivered today because of closed roads and power outages in the state.
“The bread guy was supposed to show up on Monday,” said Afzal, but he never made it because of the storm warnings that day. “Let’s see if he comes tomorrow.”
Most grocery stores in the tri-state area get their fruits and vegetables from New Jersey or from Hunts Point in the Bronx, areas both heavily hit by Sandy. Indian vegetables such as Indian round gourd and bitter melon are some of the items Afzal gets from wholesalers in Queens that import them via air. Because New York airports were closed, these and other traditional vegetables have run out as well.
“Just enjoy some fenugreek and potatoes (a traditional Pakistani dish),” Afzal told a Pakistani customer who came in with his two children. “These are all the vegetables we have left for now. We don’t know when we’ll get more. ”
Normally, Quality Food Mart sells $1300 to $1400 worth of groceries a day. On Tuesday evening, even though many residents were out after the hurricane, Afzal’s store only earned half that amount.
“People think during such days, stores make a lot of money, but that’s not true,” Afzal said solemnly. “In such weather, there is always a loss.”
| |
In January 2016, IFLA confirmed and welcomed the new Indigenous Matters Section. The section known also as “IM” is section number 50, and sits within Division III, Library Services.
In October 2015, there were 41 registered members of the section; this number is expected to grow and it is an exciting time to be part of Indigenous Matters in IFLA. Founding members of the Section include IFLA members who are associations, institutions, and individuals: Australia, Canada, Greenland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Uganda, and the United States.
Originally established as a special interest group (SIG) in December 2008, the SIG evolved out of IFLA Past President Alex Bryne’s Presidential Task Force on Indigenous Matters, a focus on library services for the traditional owners of the land. The first Convenor of the SIG was Loriene Roy (USA) from 2008-2013. Te Paea Paringatai (NZ) later took on the role from 2013-January 2016, hosting independent indigenous matters open sessions and business meetings at each annual WLIC and leading the SIG into the next stage of development as an IFLA Section.
The Section’s main purpose is to support the provision of culturally responsive and effective services to indigenous communities throughout the world. Its main objectives are to promote international cooperation in the fields of library, culture, knowledge and information services to indigenous communities that meet their intergenerational, community, cultural and language needs, and to encourage indigenous leadership within the sector, exchange of experience, education and training and research in all aspects of this subject. The Section seeks to connect, collaborate and work in cooperation with other IFLA Sections; national indigenous library, culture, knowledge and information associations/groups; as well as the International Indigenous Librarians’ Forum (IILF).
“The Section will be a foundation for all people who are passionate about indigenous language and culture, and its place in the modern library, culture, knowledge, and information society. We need the help of practitioners, libraries, galleries, archives, museums, government agencies, corporations, universities, schools, pre-schools, indigenous groups and organisations and as many supporters as possible,” said Ms Paringatai.
To assist transition and until the Standing Committee for the Section is elected in August 2017, Te Paea Paringatai (NZ) is the Acting Chair, and she is joined by Cellia Joe-Olsen (NZ) who is Acting Secretary.
Members will register for the IM Section during 2016 so that a normal election procedure will be started in October 2016 for a full Standing Committee to begin operating from August 2017. In August 2017 the Standing Committee will elect its Officers as per the usual procedure.
It is likely that the Section will aim to elect 10 Standing Committee members in the first round, then a further 10 to start in 2019; this may change depending on how many nominations are received in the first round. | https://trw.org.nz/professional-development/ifla-indigenous-matters-section/ |
Ben your 3-digit system has been hugely inspiring to make this system, so thanks to you! I hope to get this one ‘finalized’ before long so if you have any recommendations for changes please feel free to share.
Slate System | Phonetic Pronunciation of 1, 2, 3 & 4-Digit Numbers as Single-Syllable Sounds with Word Generator
I hadn’t noticed that either. That would be really nice for dates.
That one was below the belt
Per @Mnemoriam’s suggestion, the system has been updated to simplify the vowel-consonant syllables (500-999) so that those numbers can also be read left-to-right.
Hi, Slate
Thanks to Python, I think this will be easier than I thought. So, I guess I don’t have much of an excuse, do I?
I think I got the most important part of it already:
Given a sequence of phonemes (which, in turn, will be given by a simple lookup based on the number-phoneme assignments), I can already extract all the entries of the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary and sort them first based on “distance to start of word”, then based on length (I decided to calculate length based on the actual ARPABET phonemes list instead of the number of letters in the word, which I think makes most sense).
So, for a number corresponding to, say, the list [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’] (which I know no single 4-digit number will yield, but just as a simple example), the program returns:
(0, ‘explore’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’], 7)
(0, ‘explored’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘D’], 8)
(0, ‘explorer’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘ER0’], 8)
(0, ‘explores’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘Z’], 8)
(0, ‘explorers’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘ER0’, ‘Z’], 9)
(0, ‘exploring’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘IH0’, ‘NG’], 9)
(0, ‘exploratory’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘AH0’, ‘T’, ‘AO2’, ‘R’, ‘IY0’], 12)
(0, ‘exploravision’, [‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘AH0’, ‘V’, ‘IH2’, ‘ZH’, ‘AH0’, ‘N’], 13)
(2, ‘unexplored’, [‘AH2’, ‘N’, ‘IH0’, ‘K’, ‘S’, ‘P’, ‘L’, ‘AO1’, ‘R’, ‘D’], 10)
Note the beginning and ending numbers in each row. These are, respectively, the index (location) of the beginning of the desired sub-list within the full word-list of phonemes, and the length of the full word-list of phonemes. I let them there in the output just for your examination (know that any list starts at index=0 in Python).
Based on my understanding of the problem, what we need now is to:
1 - Hard-code your system-key table;
2 - Create a lookup function to allow retrieval based on numbers instead of list of phonemes;
3 - Make any necessary consolidation of sounds such as the “cot-caught merger (AA and AO)”;
4 - Disregard the lexical stress markers (0, 1, 2);
5 - Maybe add more dictionaries.
I think that’s a good start. I’ll call it a day today and wait for your considerations.
Best,
M.
Mnemoriam, Thanks for looking into this further, this is a great start! Your sample with index numbers and phoneme counts looks right on target.
To help with the first three items on the to-do list, I’ve created a new tab in the system spreadsheet with an equivalent version of the system using the CMUPD edition of ARPABET. You’ll see that the most mergers occur in the list of italicized vowels.
The CMUPD doesn’t use the 2-letter ARPABET version of the schwa (AX for ə), and instead uses an unstressed version of the AH (uh) vowel: AH0. This is sensible because “ə” is pretty close to “uh”. This presents a special case for the script, however, because generally lexical stress markers should be ignored, as you stated in point #4. I suggest still ignoring the stress numbers for the AH vowel everywhere else in the system, and only singling out the AH0 vowel for the 2-digit numbers.
Regarding point 5 it would be great to add more dictionaries, and I would be particularly interested in adding a Spanish dictionary. But if we can get a script for English CMUPD up and running first, that would be most helpful!
Let me know if there’s more I can do to assist you.
The system has been updated with a significant reordering of consonant blends. It was easier than I expected to get approximate numbers for frequency of consonant blends in the CMU dictionary by simply using the web browser’s search function. Based on those numbers the consonant blends have been reassigned to give the more frequent blends higher priority. They are still ordered alphabetically within each section of the system key.
EDIT (again): Additional edits have been made to the above order, since basic searches for phoneme frequency don’t always result in the best phonemes for initial blends. As in former versions of this system, many of the -s and -z endings have been deprioritized to the “Other Finals” section because they are often associated with pluralized versions of words. In addition, care has been taken to avoid groupings of like consonant blends of like first letters spanning across sections of 10 as much as possible. This helps with intuitive pronunciation of the numbers and memorization of the system key. Additionally, all of the numbers in the 900s range now employ the special r endings, instead of a mixture of regular and r endings.
The first two assignments of the “Initial Blends” section are NOT part of the alphabetical order intentionally because “y” and “dh” (as in “this”) are not really consonant blends like the rest of the section. They fit more with the consonants of 00-19, so it’s logical for them to immediately follow that section as 20 and 21.
The ‘ng’ and ‘zh’ sounds are assigned to the ‘Other Finals’ section regardless of their frequency, because they are already part of the secondary consonant endings in the 4-digit section, and need only to be in the 2-digit section for the sake of being available as their own distinct sound.
To simplify the system, I’ve abandoned the idea of incorporating the schwa (ə) sound. The CMU dictionary considers the schwa to be an unstressed version of the ‘uh’ sound (AH0), which should be sufficient. This can be considered a merger like the cot-caught merger for the ‘ah’ sound. 3 initial consonant blends of low frequency (shr, skw, spl) have also been removed from the 50-69 range so that this section can be occupied completely by final blends. In reality the 50-69 is of little consequence to the rest of the system, and could be assigned to a myriad of sounds. In the absence of a better idea, the other final consonant blends can occupy this range.
2-digit numbers can be pronounced as the user deems appropriate. It may be easier to pronounce 00-49 with a slight vowel sound afterward because they are initial sounds, and conversely to pronounce 50-99 with a slight vowel sound beforehand because they are final sounds, but in reality they are just consonant sounds or phonemes without any vowels attached. It is also of note that the ‘st’ sound appears twice in the system. This is intentional since ‘st’ is both a very frequent initial and final consonant sound. Pronouncing them something like “əst” and “stə” can help differentiate them, and of course their images would be different.
The system is now complete! Mnemoriam has been of inestimable help by providing feedback along the way, and having now created a script for searching for any number in the CMU dictionary! This word-generating program is highly useful for finding word matches for any number, and particularly the 4-digit numbers. Anyone wishing to use the program can follow the instructions in the first post.
For my personal use I am now working to fully memorize the system. I’m using my existing system of images for 1 and 2-digit numbers based on number associations to memorize the associated phonemes for each number. For example 22 is “bl”, so I think of Louis Armstrong blasting his trumpet. 37 is “skr”, so I think of Amelia Earhart screaming over the loud sound of her plane’s engine.
I will be working on adding and reviewing images in an Anki deck every day. With 11,110 images to learn, it’s necessary to become quick at choosing images. This is where Mnemoriam’s word-generating script will be very helpful, as well as powerful SRS-type memorization tools like Anki. This Anki add-on is quite useful for pulling images from Google Image search without needing to take extra time to resize the image.
Hey Slate, this looks like a terrific idea! I’ve just skimmed through your post, but it’s honestly got me interested in memorizing your system. It seems dead useful, and I particularly like that words can be approximated.
I’m going to give it a go and try to learn a 3-digit system. Also, Mnemoriam, great work on the word generator! It’s a great program(I’ve looked at the source code and the fact that you call it easy frankly makes me feel inferior). If you don’t mind, could I attempt to add another dictionary if I find one? I doubt I’m going to find another prononciation dictionary that conviniently happens to be machine-readable, but I’d like your permission on the off-chance that I do.
Hi, nkp
You and Slate almost make me feel like a real programmer Really, the program is ugly and amateur as hell, but it allowed us to “solve” the problem in the limited time I had available, so I am glad to have been useful.
I don’t know if you are talking to me or Slate here, but I am pretty sure I can speak for him too on this matter. As far as the code is concerned, please, it is YOURS (and everybody else’s), so use it, modify it, share it, do whatever you want with no attribution of any sort needed (only don’t sell it, of course).
With respect to adding another dictionary, I am sure Slate will love the idea that someone would be willing to do that. I myself think the system deserves it, for sure. Feel free to contact me if you need any help, but, like I believe I’ve hinted above, I’ll be very busy in the near future to actually get my hands dirty. But it is my pleasure to help in any way if I can. I am quite positive that Python’s Natural Language Processing Toolkit (NLTK) has a number of other dictionaries available, including different languages, so I’d start there if I were you; that’s where I got the CMUDict, anyway.
Best of luck and welcome to the site!
M.
Thanks nkp, glad you like it I would certainly welcome any contributions to making the system more accessible, and I’m glad Mnemoriam has already welcomed you to modify the code that he has written.
In devoting my attention now to learning and using this system with Anki, I’ve realized there’s a need for good flashcards. If you’re serious about learning the system, I would think you’d find a good set of Anki flashcards quite useful as well.
It’s simple enough to make a CSV file with the 11,110 numbers in one column and import that into Anki so that there is an Anki note (card) for every number. Adding an image to every one of those numbers within Anki is then a straightforward process of entering each number in the Word Generator to see matching words, and then performing a Google Image search of those words to choose an image. Images can be copy/pasted with resizing very quickly using the add-on I mentioned in post 15.
Adding TTS (text-to-speech) audio to the Anki flashcards is something I feel would greatly enhance their effectiveness. Since every number is uniquely and precisely pronounceable, becoming fluent in the Slate System is really like learning the vocabulary of a new language. In my experience of using Anki for foreign-language vocabulary, hearing the spoken audio for words greatly enhances recall. I feel now that this is a feature that should be all means be included in an Anki deck for this system for those who are serious about learning it.
There is an Anki plugin called AwesomeTTS for converting text to speech within Anki. However, in order to have accurate TTS pronunciation of each single-syllable number, I believe it will be necessary to feed the actual phonemes to a TTS engine. This page regarding Microsoft’s speech engine may be useful for understanding the required syntax for doing the TTS conversion.
What do you think?
AwesomeTTS sounds useful, I’ve installed it in Anki and I’m already working on assigning images to each number. I’m actually stuck in a conundrum there. Selecting an image for 3-digit and 4-digit numbers is simplicity itself. For example, 1235 conveniently becomes ‘hell’. However, I’m having difficulty choosing images for the single digits. 7 becomes ‘eye’ easily enough, but it’s difficult to choose images for the other 9 without ‘encroaching’ on other number-image assignments. 4 could become ‘arm’, but it would interfere with 945 which literally spells out arm. The lack of single vowel words makes it hard to choose appropriate(and memorable) ones.
I don’t know if I’m missing an obvious solution here, but any insight would be appreciated. (Just to clarify, I consider arbitrary assignment a last resort)
Yes, my solution for the issue you describe is to use another association-based system of images for 1 and 2-digit numbers. Since the assignments of this second system aren’t based on phonetics but rather historical information, there isn’t a problem of a second phonetic system interfering with the Slate phonetic system. It does, of course, require memorization of 110 images without the aid of phonetics, as well as practice in referring to them by their Slate pronunciation. For example 23 is an image of Michael Jordan, but is referred to as “br”. So I make a little mnemonic for myself connecting the word “bro” with MJ like a nickname that might be used for a basketballer. Since I use an image of Roger Federer for the number 6, and 6 is pronounced “ay”, I think of Roger Federer being a tennis ace to remember this association.
Beyond the 1 and 2-digit numbers there are still going to be a lot of numbers that don’t have a matching word in English. A full third or so of the numbers in this system don’t have a match based on the preliminary analysis that Mnemoriam did when he wrote the word-generating code. For this reason I would only recommend this system to someone who does want to learn all the 4-digit numbers in addition to 1, 2 and 3-digit numbers.
Thank you for the solution. I think I’ll reuse my 110 Major images for the 1 digit and 2 digit numbers, barring any clashes with the assignments in the other numbers.
It’s been over a year since the last message. Has anyone tried this system?
I’m non-native English speaker and a beginner mnemonist, so I would greatly appreciate a brief tutorial with examples of usage.
Rebumping this thread… Has anyone implemented this system and are they seeing significantly better results in practice? In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice…
I love the thought put into this system but I wonder if anyone has built out the images, memorized it for use and shown that it outperforms the current systems.
I’ve found very helpful tool online for searching words containing certain sounds: https://lessonpix.com/SoundFinder
Great compliment for awesome slate script.
Kudos on a well-turned phrase! I kind of want that on a t-shirt.
Bob
An update: I’ve memorized all number/sounds/words/images up to 99 and working on the rest up to 9999, but I will take a few years I suppose It really doesn’t matter, I’m having a good time with this
The main challenge is to find words that convert nicely to images I can attach to anki flashcards, especially in 4-digit range. This is the most time consuming activity in the process of learning this system.
One more helpful tool I’ve found lately is http://www.yougowords.com/ It’s searching engine is amazingly powerful.
@Numerosata Congrats on your progress with learning/using the system, and thanks for sharing updates with us! | https://forum.artofmemory.com/t/slate-system-phonetic-pronunciation-of-1-2-3-4-digit-numbers-as-single-syllable-sounds-with-word-generator/33305/27 |
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The fourth wall is a performance convention in which an invisible, imagined wall separates actors from the audience. While the audience can see through this wall, the convention assumes the actors act as if they cannot. From the 16th century onward, the rise of illusionism in staging practices, which culminated in the realism and naturalism of the theatre of the 19th century, led to the development of the fourth wall concept.
The metaphor suggests a relationship to the mise-en-scène behind a proscenium arch. When a scene is set indoors and three of the walls of its room are presented onstage, in what is known as a box set, the fourth of them would run along the line (technically called the proscenium) dividing the room from the auditorium. The fourth wall, though, is a theatrical convention, rather than of set design. The actors ignore the audience, focus their attention exclusively on the dramatic world, and remain absorbed in its fiction, in a state that the theatre practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski called "public solitude" (the ability to behave as one would in private, despite, in actuality, being watched intently while so doing, or to be 'alone in public'). In this way, the fourth wall exists regardless of the presence of any actual walls in the set, the physical arrangement of the theatre building or performance space, or the actors' distance from or proximity to the audience. In practice, performers often feed off the energy of the audience in a palpable way while modulating performance around the collective response, especially in pacing action around outbursts of laughter, so that lines are not delivered inaudibly.
Breaking the fourth wall is violating this performance convention, which has been adopted more generally in the drama. This can be done by either directly referring to the audience, the play as a play, or the characters' fictionality. The temporary suspension of the convention in this way draws attention to its use in the rest of the performance. This act of drawing attention to a play's performance conventions is metatheatrical. A similar effect of metareference is achieved when the performance convention of avoiding direct contact with the camera, generally used by actors in a television drama or film, is temporarily suspended. The phrase "breaking the fourth wall" is used to describe such effects in those media. Breaking the fourth wall is also possible in other media, such as video games and books.
History of the convention
The concept is usually attributed to the philosopher, critic and dramatist Denis Diderot in 1758.
The acceptance of the transparency of the fourth wall is part of the suspension of disbelief between a work of fiction and an audience, allowing them to enjoy the fiction as though they were observing real events. Critic Vincent Canby described it in 1987 as "that invisible scrim that forever separates the audience from the stage".
In theatre
The fourth wall did not exist as a concept for much of dramatic history. Classical plays from Ancient Greece to the Renaissance have frequent direct addresses to the audience such as asides and soliloquies.
The presence of the fourth wall is an established convention of modern realistic theatre, which has led some artists to draw direct attention to it for dramatic or comic effect when a boundary is "broken" when an actor or character addresses the audience directly. Breaking the fourth wall is common in pantomime and children's theatre where, for example, a character might ask the children for help, as when Peter Pan appeals to the audience to applaud in an effort to revive the fading Tinker Bell ("If you believe in fairies, clap your hands!"). Many of Shakespeare's plays use this technique for comic effect.
In cinema
One of the earliest recorded breakings of the fourth wall in serious cinema was in Mary MacLane's 1918 silent film Men Who Have Made Love to Me, in which the enigmatic authoress – who portrays herself – interrupts the vignettes onscreen to address the audience directly.
Oliver Hardy often broke the fourth wall in his films with Stan Laurel, when he would stare directly at the camera to seek sympathy from viewers. Groucho Marx spoke directly to the audience in Animal Crackers (1930), and Horse Feathers (1932), in the latter film advising them to "go out to the lobby" during Chico Marx's piano interlude. Comedy films by Mel Brooks, Monty Python, and Zucker, Abrahams, and Zucker frequently broke the fourth wall, such that with these films "the fourth wall is so flimsy and so frequently shattered that it might as well not exist", according to The A.V. Club.
Woody Allen broke the fourth wall repeatedly in his movie Annie Hall (1977), as he explained, "because I felt many of the people in the audience had the same feelings and the same problems. I wanted to talk to them directly and confront them." His 1985 film The Purple Rose of Cairo features the breaking of the fourth wall as a central plot point.
The fourth wall was used as an integral part of the plot structure and to demonstrate the character played by Michael Caine, in his eponymous breakout role in the 1966 film "Alfie", who frequently spoke to the audience to explain the thinking and motivation of the womanizing young man, speaking directly to the camera, narrating and justifying his actions, his words often contrasting with his actions.
Jerry Lewis wrote in his 1971 book The Total Filmmaker, "Some film-makers believe you should never have an actor look directly into the camera. They maintain it makes the audience uneasy, and interrupts the screen story. I think that is nonsense, and usually I have my actors, in a single, look direct into the camera at least once in a film, if a point is to be served." Martin and Lewis look directly at the audience in You're Never Too Young (1955), and Lewis and co-star Stella Stevens each look directly into the camera several times in The Nutty Professor (1963), and Lewis’ character holds a pantomime conversation with the audience in The Disorderly Orderly (1964). The final scene of The Patsy (1964) is famous for revealing to the audience the movie as a movie, and Lewis as actor/director.
In the 1986 teen film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, the titular character breaks the fourth wall to talk directly with the audience.
Mike Myers broke the fourth wall in The Love Guru when he looked directly at the camera for a split-second when a Queen song came on as a reference to the famous Wayne's World head-banging scene. Eddie Murphy makes two brief, wordless glances at the camera in Trading Places. Near the end of Nobody's Fool, Tiffany Haddish breaks the fourth wall by declaring that the film is not over and then proceeding to ruin a wedding ceremony.
In The Railway Children the entire cast breaks the fourth wall and performs a curtain call as the credits roll. The camera moves slowly along a railway track towards a train that is decked in flags, in front of which all of the cast is assembled, waving and cheering to the camera. At the start of the credit sequence, a voice can be heard shouting "Thank you, Mr. Forbes" to acknowledge producer Bryan Forbes. In the end, Bobbie Waterbury (Jenny Agutter) holds up a small slate on which "The End" is written in chalk.
In Mr. Bean's Holiday the entire cast, together with massed extras, break the fourth wall while joining together in singing "La Mer" by Charles Trenet, accompanied by a recording by the song's writer.
Leonardo DiCaprio repeatedly breaks the fourth wall in the 2013 film The Wolf of Wall Street directed by Martin Scorsese.
The movies Deadpool and Deadpool 2 are specifically known for the main character Deadpool, played by Ryan Reynolds, consistently breaking the fourth wall.
In Star Trek, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the last movie depicting the original cast, ends with the cast looking and smiling at the camera, breaking the fourth wall.
Funny Games has Paul and Peter repeatedly breaking the fourth wall by turning around and winking at the camera, talking to the audience by saying they are probably rooting for the family, addressing the film isn't at its feature runtime and smiling at the camera at the end of the film.
On television
On television, breaking the fourth wall has been done throughout the history of the medium.
Fourth wall breakage is common in comedy-based programs, used frequently by Bugs Bunny and other characters in Looney Tunes and other later animated shows, as well as the live-action sketch comedy of Monty Python's Flying Circus, which the troupe also brought to their feature films. George Burns regularly broke the fourth wall on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1950).
Every episode of the sitcom Saved by the Bell breaks the fourth wall with an introduction by the character Zack Morris. Most episodes have several other fourth wall breaks. This is similar to how The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Malcolm in the Middle use fourth wall breaks to set up stories or have characters comment on situations.
Another convention of breaking the fourth wall is often seen on mockumentary sitcoms, including The Office. Mockumentary shows that break the fourth wall poke fun at the documentary genre with the intention of increasing the satiric tone of the show. Characters in The Office directly speak to the audience during interview sequences. Characters are removed from the rest of the group to speak and reflect on their experiences. The person behind the camera, the interviewer, is also referenced when the characters gaze and speak straight to the camera. The interviewer, however, is only indirectly spoken to and remains hidden. This technique, when used in shows with complex genres, serves to heighten the comic tone of the show while also proving that the camera itself is far from a passive onlooker.
In the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, the fourth wall gets broken by Robin Scherbatsky in the episode "Mystery vs. History".
Another approach to breaking the fourth wall is through a central narrator character who is part of the show's events, but at times speaks directly to the audience. For example, Francis Urquhart in the British TV drama series House of Cards, To Play the King and The Final Cut addresses the audience several times during each episode, giving the viewer comments on his own actions on the show. The same technique is also used, though less frequently, in the American adaptation of House of Cards by main character Frank Underwood. The Netflix series A Series of Unfortunate Events, based on Daniel Handler's book series of the same name, incorporates some of the narrative elements from the books by having Lemony Snicket as a narrator character (played by Patrick Warburton) speaking directly to the television viewer that frequently breaks the fourth wall to explain various literary wordplay in a manner similar to the book's narration.
Furthermore, breaking the fourth wall can also be used in meta-referencing in order to draw attention to or invite reflection about a specific in-universe issue. An exemplar of this is in the very first episode of the final season of the show Attack on Titan, where a newly introduced character, Falco Grice, starts to hallucinate about events that took place in the last 3 seasons. This literary device utilises self-referencing to trigger media-awareness in the recipient, used to signpost the drastic shift in perspective from the Eldian to the Marleyan side, and can be employed in all sorts of media.
The use of breaking the fourth wall in television has sometimes been unintentional. In the Doctor Who episode "The Caves of Androzani", the character of Morgus frequently breaks the fourth wall when he is alone in his office. This was due to actor John Normington misunderstanding a stage direction. But the episode's director, Graeme Harper, felt that this helped increase dramatic tension, and decided not to reshoot the scenes.
In video games
Given their interactive nature, nearly all video games break the fourth wall by asking for the player's participation. But beyond the obvious ways in which video games break the fourth wall (for example, by having User Interface (UI) elements on the screen, teaching the player controls, teaching the player how to save, etc.), there are several other ways that games have done this. These can include having the character face the direction of the player/screen, having a self-aware character that recognizes that they are in a video game, or having secret or bonus content set outside the game's narrative that can either extend the game world (such as with the use of false documents) or provide "behind the scenes" type content. Such cases typically create a video game that includes a metafiction narrative, commonly presently characters in the game incorporating knowledge they are in a video game.
For example, in Doki Doki Literature Club, one of the characters (Monika) is aware she is part of a video game, and at times, asks the player to delete game files that are the other in-game characters via their computer's operating system (an action they take outside of the game) to progress the story. The plot of the game OneShot revolves around the fictional universe of the game being a simulation running on the player's computer, with certain characters being aware of this fact and sometimes communicating directly with the player. In other cases of metafictional video games, the game alters the player's expectation of how the game should behave, which may make the player question if their own game system is at fault, helping to increase the immersion of the game.
But since video games are inherently much more interactive than traditional films and literature, defining what truly breaks the fourth wall in the video game medium becomes difficult. Steven Conway, writing for Gamasutra, suggests that in video games, many purported examples of breaking the fourth wall are actually better understood as relocations of the fourth wall or expansions of the "magic circle" (the fictional game world) to encompass the player. This is in contrast to traditional fourth wall breaks, which break the audience's illusion or suspension of disbelief, by acknowledging them directly. Conway argues that this expansion of the magic circle in video games actually serves to more fully immerse a player into the fictional world rather than take the viewer out of the fictional world, as is more common in traditional fourth wall breaks. An example of this expansion of the magic circle can be found in the game Evidence: The Last Ritual, in which the player receives an in-game email at their real-life email address and must visit out-of-game websites to solve some of the puzzles in the game. Other games may expand the magic circle to include the game's hardware. For example, X-Men for the Mega Drive/Genesis requires players to reset their game console at a certain point to reset the X-Men's in-game Hazard Room, while Metal Gear Solid asks the player to put the DualShock controller on their neck to simulate a back massage being given in-game.
Other examples include the idle animation of Sonic the Hedgehog in his games where the on-screen character would look to the player and tap his foot impatiently if left alone for a while, and one level of Max Payne has the eponymous character come to the realization he and other characters are in a video game and narrates what the player sees as part of the UI. Eternal Darkness, which included a sanity meter, would simulate various common computer glitches to the player as the sanity meter drained, including the Blue Screen of Death. The Stanley Parable is also a well-known example of this, as the narrator from the game constantly tries to reason with the player, even going so far as to beg the player to switch off the game at one point.
In literature
The method of breaking the fourth wall in literature is a metalepsis (the transgression of narrative levels), which is a technique often used in metafiction. The metafiction genre occurs when a character within a literary work acknowledges the reality that they are in fact a fictitious being. The use of the fourth wall in literature can be traced back as far as The Canterbury Tales and Don Quixote. Northanger Abbey is a late modern era example. However, it was popularized in the early 20th century during the Post-Modern literary movement. Artists like Virginia Woolf in To the Lighthouse and Kurt Vonnegut in Breakfast of Champions used the genre to question the accepted knowledge and sources of the culture. The use of metafiction or breaking the fourth wall in literature varies from that on stage in that the experience is not communal but personal to the reader and develops a self-consciousness within the character/reader relationship that works to build trust and expand thought. This does not involve an acknowledgment of a character's fictive nature. Breaking the fourth wall in literature is not always metafiction. Modern examples of breaking the fourth wall include Ada Palmer's Terra Ignota, and William Goldman's The Princess Bride.
See also
References
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- ^ a b Wallis, Mick; Shepherd, Simon (1998). Studying plays. Arnold. p. 214. ISBN 0-340-73156-7.
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- ^ Lewis, Jerry (1971). The Total Filmmaker. Random House. p. 120. ISBN 9780446669269.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "The Patsy Movie Ending". dino4ever – via YouTube.
- ^ Stern, Michael (21 August 2017). "Jerry Lewis: b. Joseph Levitch, Newark New Jersey, res. Hollywood". brightlightsfilm.com.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: "WTF Happened to MIKE MYERS?". JoBlo Videos – via YouTube.
- ^ Viacom, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUPK2tTx0tc&t=141s
- ^ Batkin, Jane (2016). "Rethinking the rabbit: revolution, identity and connection in Looney Tunes". Animation Studies Online Journal. 11.
- ^ Langley, William (5 July 2014). "Monty Python : Will the wrinkly revolutionaries have the last laugh?". The Daily Telegraph. London, England. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 15 May 2015.
- ^ Barth, Josie Torres (2019). "Sitting Closer to the Screen: Early Televisual Address, the Unsettling of the Domestic Sphere, and Close Reading Historical TV". Camera Obscura: Feminism, Culture, and Media Studies. 34 (3): 31–61. doi:10.1215/02705346-7772375. S2CID 211651602.
- ^ Wilkinson, Matthew (21 January 2020). "10 Best Shows Where Characters Break The Fourth Wall, Ranked". Screen Rant. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Savorelli, Antonio. Beyond Sitcom: New Directions in American Television Comedy. North Carolina: McFarland, 2010. ISBN 978-0-7864-5992-6
- ^ Sommers, Kat (1 March 2016). "15 TV Shows That Broke the Fourth Wall". BBC America. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
- ^ Cartmell, Deborah (2007). The Cambridge Companion to Literature on Screen. Cambridge University Press. p. 244. ISBN 978-0521614863.
- ^ Macaulay, Scott (24 April 2013). "Breaking the Fourth Wall Supercut". Filmmaker. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
- ^ Lawler, Kelly (13 January 2017). "How Netflix's 'Series of Unfortunate Events' outshines the 2004 film". USA Today. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: TVアニメ「進撃の巨人」The Final Season放送記念生放送 スタッフ兵団座談会#1, retrieved 6 September 2021
- ^ Doctor Who Magazine #279, 30 June 1999, Archive: The Caves Of Androzani by Andrew Pixley, Marvel Comics UK Ltd.
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- ^ a b Muncy, Julie (10 January 2016). "The Best New Videogames Are All About ... Videogames". Wired. Retrieved 18 June 2021.
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- ^ Walker, John (12 December 2016). "Wot I Think: OneShot". Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Retrieved 16 February 2021.
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- ^ "Metafiction as Genre Fiction".
- ^ Turner, Cathy (2015). Dramaturgy and Architecture. Palgrave Macmillan UK.
- ^ "A Dialog on Narrative Voice, Complicity, and Intimacy". Crooked Timber. 18 April 2017.
- ^ Walton, Jo (24 December 2015). "Meta, Irony, Narrative, Frames, and The Princess Bride". Tor.com. | https://wiki2.org/en/Fourth_wall |
“Their crime was against nature. Nature found them guilty” (Long Weekend, 1978) Dynamic contemporary dance choreographers, Sarah Aiken and Rebecca Jensen present the world premiere of Underworld - a dark, thoughtful, humorous and hopeful environmental horror at Northcote Town Hall from 1 to 9 September.
A prequel to Aiken and Jensen’s Dance Massive 2015 and Next Wave 2014 work Overworld, this cautionary tale drawing inspiration from the 1978 Australiana horror film Long Weekend.
Created and performed by Sara and Rebecca with Claire Leske and Louella Hogan, Underworld weaves together movement, sound and film, with the unique soundtrack created by musician/DJ/radio presenter Andrew Wilson (aka Art Wilson/Andras) and production design by Matt Adey.
Sarah and Rebecca have received support, residencies and critical acclaim for their collaborative projects as well as local, national and international recognition. | https://www.artnewsportal.com/art-news/darebin-arts-speakeasy-presents-underworld |
1. When did you start making music, what is/was your motivation to do it?
I have played music since I was nine years old at the Collegium Musicum (Buenos Aires). When I was a child I received my father’s influence; he is a great fun of traditional jazz. When I was ten the music that influenced me the most was Pink Floyd (i.e. “The dark side of the moon”), Alan Parsons Project, and the like; I also listened to The Beatles. They were a huge influence on me enhancing my curiosity for music. Later on I discovered Argentine progressive rock. Being connected with these streams of music pushed me to keep studying music and to be attached to the dream of devoting myself to it.
2. Tell me something about your living environment and the musical education?
Time is a critical factor that I try to manage in order to have time enough to produce, to create and to study in accordance to my needs. I have my studio at home (a separate room) where I have my equipments and instruments and where I teach. Even though I have transited some official institutions, my musical education was mainly based on personal lessons with highly renowned professors in areas such as guitar, piano, audio-perception, harmony, and composition. At the time I finished the secondary school, I spent most part of the day studying music.
3. Is making music your profession? What is the context in which you practice music nowadays?
I am currently making music from somewhat diverse perspectives. This is because of both my own interest and economic reasons. I study instrumental techniques on daily basis and am interested on cutting-edge technologies applied to music. My endeavour is to apply the new technologies to my work. As well as this, I work on different productions ranging from composition either for others’ or personal projects, to edition of digital audio and video.
4. How do you compose or create music or sound? Have you certain principles, use certain styles, etc?
Techniques and the way I compose are different according with the characteristics of the different works (style of music, instrumentation, purpose, et cetera). Rules and principles are valid for each occasion; I try not to repeat them — although it does not mean that it cannot happen. I generally take very seriously the first idea that spontaneously comes up to my mind. Then I develop it following diverse kind of constructions and frameworks. For the last years I have been constantly using digital media for all the projects.
5. Tell me something about the instruments, technical equipment or tools you use?
I use electro-acoustic guitars, real and virtual synthesizers, edition and sound record software as well as MIDI sequencers in PC and notebook. I occasionally use percussion accessorises, as well as concrete sounds and noises, etcetera.
6. What are the chances of New Media for the music production in general and you personally?
It is an established fact that digital media reach all phases of music production and, in its continuous evolution, they create tendencies and define new frameworks and standards. We are living in an epoch where digital media reshape culture in the way of thinking, creating, producing, and also listening music. It is striking that keeping away of this tendency implies an extra work. In my own case, I consider that any tool is valid for expression, either traditional or contemporaries. I also think that the new ways of creation and artistic production are necessarily factors that amplify the possibilities of renovation and the emergence of new languages and forms of expression.
7. How about producing and financing your musical production?
I am involved in three kind of productions: own projects which do not depend on external funding; works for third people which funding is provided by them; and invitations to participate in low budget production; these interest me mainly for artistic reasons. I really appreciate it when public institutions support or give incentives for artistic works.
8. Do you work individually as a musician/sound artist or in a group or collaborative?
I generally work individually, which I enjoy very much. I also enjoy when my work is part of a chain of production for, as I am not involved in the direction, I have to face the challenge of adjusting my artistic contribution to other’s criteria. This is very interesting for these “limits” usually act as triggers for my composition. I find it crucial and interesting the creative dialogue and brainstorming that come out when working in a team.
9. Is there any group, composer, style or movement which has a lasting influence on making music?
I try to give a personal touch to my music. In any case, I try to nourish my composition with something of the music I have acquired along my life. I try my music to be similar to the musical resonances I have in mind of the music I have listened throughout the past. From popular music, I am interested on any kind of musical genre whose rhythm has Afro-American influences. From jazz, I am attracted by improvisation. From contemporary music, I like experimentation and the quest for new schemes, systems, sounds and the like, and the perpetual questioning about language and media.
10. What are you future plan or dreams as a sound artist or musician?
I plan to strengthen the use of composition tools — such as Max — in combination with traditional instruments, synthesised sounds and noises’ signals. My dream is to have more time for composition and production of my own music. | http://sip.newmediafest.org/bas-pablo/ |
This highway was connected to the emperors Chandragupta Maurya and Sher Shah Suri, the latter having become synonymous with this road because of its role in the safety of travelers and the maintenance of the road. Emperor Sher Shah widened and steered the route on other routes and made available about 1,700 roadside inns throughout his kingdom. These hostesses offered travellers free food and accommodation, regardless of their status. “Along this road walked not only the mighty armies of the conquerors, but also the caravans of merchants, scholars, artists and ordinary people. With people, ideas, languages, customs and cultures, not in one sense, but in both directions. Different people – permanent and temporary – from different backgrounds and cultural backgrounds would peacefully meet people of different backgrounds and beliefs, food for different foods, wearing different clothes and speaking different languages and dialects. They would include each other`s food, clothing, fashion and etiquette, and even borrow words, phrases, idioms and sometimes whole languages from others. CETA further optimizes licensing processes, reduces costs and improves the predictability of trade in animal and plant products Historians in many countries have published popular monographs, articles and archival resource collections. A leading journal is the International Journal of Maritime History, a fully labelled scientific journal published twice a year by the International Maritime Economic History Association. Based in Canada with an international editorial staff, he studies the maritime dimensions of economic, social, cultural and environmental history.
A complete overview of the 4-volume encyclopedia published by John B. Hattendorf, Oxford Encyclopedia of Maritime History (Oxford, 2007) is availabelenal. It contains more than 900 articles by 400 scholars and has 2900 pages. Other important reference resources: Spencer Tucker, Ed., Naval Warfare: An International Encyclopedia (3 abc-CLIO volumes, 2002) with 1,500 articles in 1231 pages, and I.C.B. Dear and Peter Kemp, Eds., Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea (2nd edition 2005) with 2,600 articles on 688 pages. Edward Hawke, 1st Baron Hawke was a Royal Navy officer. During the Austrian War of Succession he was promoted to admiral. During the Seven Years` War, Hawke replaced Admiral John Byng in 1756 as commander in the Mediterranean. It covers a variety of policy factors affecting international trade, including tariffs, preferential margins, non-tariff measures, trade defence measures, regional trade agreements and exchange rates. Statistics are reported by country, geographic region and industry. In May 2004, the United States of America signed the free trade agreement with five Central American countries. Control of the shipping lanes dictated the political and military power of the Islamic nation.
The Islamic border stretched from Spain to China. | http://www.stormvilleoil.com/2020/12/through-the-ages-naval-trade-agreement/ |
How do lucid dreams differ from non-lucid dreams in other ways than the definitional criterion of whether or not the dreamer knows it is a dream at the time? For example, do lucid dreams tend to be more visually bright and vivid (another meaning of 'lucid')? You may have noticed that the foregoing sentence is missing something: 'more bright and lucid' compared to what? The comparison is, of course, to non-lucid dreams. But which non-lucid dreams? Whose?
Both dreams and dreamers differ in many ways. A direct and effective way of dealing with this issue is to let each dreamer provide samples of each kind of dream. Thus, we are asking you to fill out a web questionnaire and report form four times; Two of these reports should be lucid dreams, and two should be non-lucid dreams.
First, we would like you to report on your most recent lucid and non-lucid dreams. They might be from this morning, a week ago, or a month ago. Include the date and approximate time (estimated, if necessary) of the dream. These two dream reports must be done today.
Fill out your most recent non-lucid dream report in a text editor or email editor, then paste into the appropriate field on the dream content report form.
Click here for the DREAM CONTENT FORM.
IF YOU USE A DREAM JOURNAL, CLICK HERE FOR ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONS!
Repeat the same procedure with your most recent lucid dream.
Secondly, please record your very next lucid and non-lucid dreams. Record these two dreams as soon after awakening from them as possible.
IN SUMMARY, THE FOUR DREAMS REPORTED SHOULD BE:
1. MOST RECENT NON-LUCID DREAM
2. MOST RECENT LUCID DREAM
3. NEXT NON-LUCID DREAM
4. NEXT LUCID DREAM
FOR ALL FOUR DREAMS: Please describe the dream exactly and as fully as you can remember it. Your report should contain, whenever possible, a description of the setting of the dream, whether it was familiar to you or not; your intentions or goals within the dreams and if you accomplished them. If possible, describe your feelings during the dream and whether it was pleasant or unpleasant. Be sure to tell exactly what happened during the dream to you and the other characters. If the dream was lucid be sure to indicate when you became lucid, and if possible how you knew you were dreaming. Reports should be between 50-500 words each.
We understand that details may be scant from "most recent" dreams if they weren't too recent, but we are adhering to this method for comparison purposes with other studies. Please resist the tendency to select a more interesting example than your most recent or next lucid or non-lucid dream. In another later phase of the study, we will ask for several other types of sample of lucid and non-lucid dreams, for example, "most interesting" or "meaningful", but in this study, we are attempting to obtain a random, unselected sample of dreams.
Participants who complete the study by submitting the four requested dream reports will receive a link allowing them to download a free copy of A TRANCE INDUCTION OF LUCID DREAMING in mp3 format, so be sure to give a valid email address on the questionnaire. Please fill out questionnaires and reports for each of the four dreams as soon as possible, but no later than the End of the World, or the end of this study, whichever comes sooner.
We would be happy to receive additional sets of reports beyond the minimum 2-4 that we have asked for above. Please label them as "Other Non-Lucid Dreams" or "Other Lucid Dreams". Thanks for your contribution to phenomenological oneirology!
Back to Lucidity Institute. | http://lucidity.com/dreams4.html |
As a leading centre in translational R&D, the centre researches and develops innovative solutions in the form of frontier Smart System technologies, which aim to improve the quality of life for citizens in Smart Cities and contribute to sustainable living.
Smart cities are a global phenomenon and many opportunities have arisen worldwide for innovative technologies to be implemented into cities to better connect people and devices, optimise resources and further automate daily services and tasks. With the intent to address challenges and meet the needs of growing Smart Cities worldwide, ST Engineering and the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) have, since December 2015, established the ST Engineering-SUTD Centre for Smart Systems.
Vision
The centre will provide a platform for researchers to collaborate and exchange innovative thinking, to facilitate the creation of new R&D ideas and solutions. By leveraging ST Engineering’s global business networks and other strategic partnerships, the centre also provides a channel for made-in-Singapore Intellectual Property (IP) Smart Cities solutions to be directly commercialised for SUTD researchers and any other collaborators with the centre alike. At the same time, the strengths of SUTD’s unique transdisciplinary and use-inspired research ensures that the centre is also able to translate new knowledge and research into smart technological solutions to solve real-world problems.
In short, the centre synergises the established engineering capabilities and innovative cultures of both ST Engineering and SUTD, as both take a problem-solving approach and multi-disciplinary mind-set towards business and R&D.
Operating Model
The centre has incorporated a versatile operating model to facilitate collaborations between ST Engineering and SUTD. This flexibility and responsiveness is essential to addressing the needs and opportunities that may arise in the fast evolving Smart Nation drive. With the IP and collaboration framework between ST Engineering and SUTD in place, new collaborative R&D programmes and projects can be initiated and executed easily and rapidly, and their outcomes can be readily translated into products and solutions.
Areas of Focus
Supported by funding from ST Engineering and various agencies, the centre has embarked on over 10 research and development projects in its three key innovation focus areas: Smart Cities Technologies and Solutions, Smart Automation, and Smart Digital Manufacturing. The centre is poised for further growth, together with ST Engineering and SUTD, to make a significant impact on Singapore’s Smart Nation drive as well as global developments of smart cities. | https://www.stengg.com/en/innovation/technology-partnerships/st-engineering-sutd-centre-for-smart-systems/ |
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Boardwalk Steel Drum Act Denied
OCEAN CITY – The City Council turned down a Boardwalk musician’s plea to perform in front of a downtown restaurant that has warmly welcomed him, due to a law that provides for no exceptions.
In a letter addressed to the Mayor and City Council, Boardwalk performer Augustine DiGiovanna stated on June 27 while he was playing his steel drum on the Boardwalk on the fence line in front of the Mug and Mallet an Ocean City police supervisor informed him he was no longer allowed to play in that location due to restrictions placed on street performers.
He added that in the past with the permission and encouragement from the owner and staff of the Mug and Mallet he has played his steel drum on many occasions.
Ocean City has passed an ordinance placing regulations street performers must abide by while performing on the Boardwalk. The code includes designated areas, mainly street ends, the artists must perform in due to complaints received in the past caused by observers creating crowds that are intrusive to the traffic of the Boardwalk and surrounding businesses.
DiGiovanna said that he has never received any complaints from any surrounding businesses of the Mug and Mallet, including the Plim Plaza Hotel and the Ocean Gallery, nor does he collect crowds around him while he performs that would impede pedestrian or vehicular traffic. He provided the council with a long list of the benefits as well as a letter of support from the owner of the Mug and Mallet, Shannon Westlund.
“What I would like to do is be allowed to play my steel drum standing on the Boardwalk immediately in front of the fence at the Mug and Mallet restaurant,” DiGiovanna said. “The Mug and Mallet restaurant has allowed me to play there and it’s the only place on the Boardwalk where I can plug in to power my electronic equipment that I need to play.”
Councilwoman Margaret Pillas discussed different options with DiGiovanna in order to work out an area for him to perform without having to make an exception to the ordinance. She suggested him moving just a few feet away from the Mug and Mallet to the street end adjoining the restaurant, running an electric cord to the street end, or asking permission for him to join the Plim Plaza Hotel’s deck that is directly on top of the Mug and Mallet since the restaurant sits below the Boardwalk.
“In the past, we have encouraged street performers to go to the end of the streets so they don’t interfere,” she said. “So everybody can play nice up there between the merchants and the police force and everybody has a territory, and everybody can do business.”
None of her suggestions worked for DiGiovanna because the street end does not supply an electrical outlet in which he needs in order to perform. DiGiovanna said he asked many businesses along the Boardwalk, including the adjoining Plim Plaza Hotel and Ocean Gallery if he could connect to their electric outlets and they have all responded with a confident “no”, but Mug and Mallet enthusiastically has said “yes”.
“I don’t know why their answer was so definitive, I didn’t see any point in being confrontational or antagonistic,” he said.
Council President Jim Hall asserted that if the Mug and Mallet desired to have DiGiovanna perform to attract business to the restaurant then they would figure out a way, for example make room for him to play his drum within the property line.
“The Mug and Mallet may allow you to be out on the Boardwalk but it’s not their Boardwalk,” he said. “They could do away with one table and put a block there, that would solve the problem.”
Mayor Rick Meehan pointed out for DiGiovanna to entertain within the restaurant’s limits would create another issue with its liquor license.
“If you have entertainment, it has to be approved in conjunction with your liquor license if it’s on your property,” he said.
Councilman Lloyd Martin felt that if there is a business on the Boardwalk that invites a performer to perform in front of their establishment then there is no reason why the town should fight it.
“I don’t see why we wouldn’t approve this because you’re not blocking them, the business wants you there, you’re in need of their electric, and then it gives the opportunity for another street performer to be at that street end,” he said.
The conversation came to a standstill when the council looked to City Solicitor Guy Ayres for input. Ayres said there are no provisions within the city code to allow for exceptions.
“We would love you down there but get onto their property [Mug and Mallet] and you’re safe,” Jim Hall said. “If they want you there, they can make accommodations to get you on that property.”
DiGiovanna concluded by asking the council to take into consideration in the future to amend the ordinance concerning street performers and the locations their allowed to perform within.
“It seems to me to not allow businesses to have performers, like myself, if they want is counterproductive to what the ordinances are about,” he said. “I hope that you would revisit the idea that some businesses may want certain accommodations … there may not be any provisions in the ordinance now but I hope you would consider that there could be reasons where exceptions could be made.”
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Students explore the transformation of North America in the nineteenth century and probe this complicated and violent history, considering the major events and policies that accompanied U.S. territorial growth and the effects at a local level.
With this video and graphic organizer, students learn about the concept of settler colonialism, examine the history of U.S. settler colonialism, and explore the primary methods through which the United States displaced Native Americans from their lands.
Objectives
Students will:
- Define “settler colonialism”
- Examine U.S. warfare and violence to conquer Native American lands
- Explore how the United States used treaties—and violations of those treaties—to acquire Native American lands
- Examine the role of U.S. “Indian Removal” programs in colonizing Native American lands
- Consider what it means to acknowledge that U.S. settler colonialism—and resistance to U.S. settler colonialism—is ongoing today
Recommended Reading
Though this lesson can be completed as a stand-alone activity, the following curriculum units provide additional context on the history of settler colonialism: | https://www.choices.edu/conquest-of-north-america/?utm_source=Choices+Newsletter+List&utm_campaign=6aad9a1acd-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_GERRYMANDERING_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_af2c96b5f0-6aad9a1acd-81217505&mc_cid=6aad9a1acd&mc_eid=5915d686b6 |
As air travel using conventional passenger air liners comes under increasing critism for being environmentally unsustainable, older technologies are beginning to be re-examined. One such technology is airships.
Researchers at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research estimate that, even when powered by fossil fuels, the total climate-changing impact of an airship is 80% to 90% smaller than that of ordinary aircraft.
Hydrogen gas figures prominently in the development of this new generation of airships. The airship is the only form of transport that can easily store hydrogen gas, with its low density. The use of hydrogen fuel could help overcome a problem with traditional airships - they become lighter, and therefore harder to control, as fuel is consumed. One potential solution is to inflate a hydrogen bladder inside the helium balloon. As this fuel was consumed the craft would become heavier and therefore, by burning both gaseous and liquid hydrogen the weight of the craft could be kept constant throughout the journey.
New airships have much in common with conventional planes, making use of aerodynamic lift as well as buoyancy. This aerodynamic lift is provided by small wings and the general aerodynamic shape of the craft. They are heavier and more stable than older airships and can land without help on the ground. They can land on and take off from almost any flat surface, including water. | http://www.hydrogengas.biz/airships.html |
Mrs. Pisani started from scratch, by first setting up an automated database with Book Systems, a software company geared to school and church libraries, which she had used in a previous job. Next, she and her volunteers have taken each book, researching online for existing records and call numbers using the Library of Congress classification system. “It’s a painstaking process, like solving a puzzle for each book,” comments Aida. If she can find a record for a book online, either from the Library of Congress or other academic library catalogs, she can simply add it to the collection. However, if no record exists, as in some old Armenian books, she must create the information, a more time-consuming process by doing original cataloging, before she can add it to the new database.
Her dedicated team of volunteers include Beatrice Postian, Vera Watts, Anne Shaterian and Aida’s husband Michael Pisani, who have helped affix barcode labels and call number labels to each book before shelving. Computer savvy volunteers Ashely Murtha and Eve Wolfsohn have searched online for records of books in English, while Gayane Manukyan and Lilit Shakhkyan (wife of Seminarian Dn. Ivan) have been instrumental in searching for Armenian language book records. If an ISBN number exists, Aida can catalog 50 books a day, otherwise 30 or less may be added to the collection if no records exist. Dr. Roberta Ervine, St. Nersess Professor of Armenian Studies, is helping to prioritize the books.
When asked to describe the books in the St. Nersess library, Aida comments, “there are religious and theological books, and books on philosophy, music, and history. Some books date back to the 1800s, and some are very valuable and are the only copy in the world. They don’t exist anywhere else.” Thanks to Aida and her team, St. Nersess seminarians are now able to “check out” books to use as part of their studies. Also, anyone can search the database by keyword, author, title, subject or series to find what St. Nersess has to offer in its library. To access the OPAC (Online Public Access Catalog) for the Abp. Tiran Nersoyan Library, go to http://stnersess.booksys.net/opac/stnas/index.html#menuHome.
Fr. Mardiros is grateful to Aida Pisani and her volunteer assistants for their continuous dedication to the St. Nersess library, as well as to the Women's Guild of St. Gregory Armenian Church for a grant that enabled the purchase of necessary materials for the cataloging of the books. | https://www.stnersess.edu/news/-a-new-era-for-the-st-nersess-library |
This is one of those things that non-homeschoolers (myself included at one point) feel that is a critical piece missing for the homeschooled kids vs. kids attending school. I have heard and read comments about homeschooled kids growing up to be anti-social or just plain weird because they don’t know how to socialize with ‘normal’ kids. I can only speak to my own experience on this one.
When Berrik was in grade one, he was struggling. In every sense of the word. He came home crying or sad many, many days. He told me he had no friends because the other kids thought he was stupid. He told me about kids throwing leaves and twigs at him on the playground. And he hated being singled out in class to do ‘special’ work because it meant he was singled out as ‘different’. In his mind, this equated to ‘unworthy’. Now… I spoke to his teacher and she felt Berrik was over reacting to what was happening. And at the time, I agreed that his reaction probably didn’t match the situation from the outside looking in. But what I knew was that Berrik’s perception was that he was unworthy of friends, and he was not smart enough. So, does the reality even matter, when that is his perception? Not to me. My formerly happy, social boy was beaten down. He lacked confidence. His self esteem was about zero. He didn’t want to try anything. He was negative. ‘I can’t do it’ was a consistent phrase.
Fast forward 10 months. Ten months of encouragement, cajoling, celebrating successes, learning from failures, and my confident, happy kid is back. It took months for this confidence to come back. Months. Imagine a kid who felt like Berrik did for years!? They might never recover. And you know what came with the confidence? Friends. The more sure of himself and his own intellectual abilities (and otherwise), the easier he has made and maintained friendships. He’s back to assuming that kids actually WANT to play with him, and he easily marches up to kids he doesn’t know and chats them up.
My point in this is that the socialization that Berrik was getting at school, was not beneficial to him. Because of his learning disabilities, he was identified (possibly only self-identified, but likely more than that) as being the weird one. So, I would rather my kid be the ‘weird’ homeschooled kid who is confident and friendly and secure in himself, than the kid ‘socialized properly’ at school feeling like a weirdo and feeling like he isn’t worthy, lacking in confidence, and feeling miserable. Is it harder to find friends to play with when you aren’t in school? Yes. But Berrik has friends that he met on the toboggan hill, at Cub Scouts, in the neighborhood. I have to work a bit harder to arrange play opportunities, but it’s not that difficult.
And let’s not forget that socialization happens within families as well. Berrik has to navigate the scary, time-bomb laden world of having teenaged sisters! Talk about reading social cues and adapting to actions and reactions often well out of proportion for the situation!
Homeschooling isn’t for everyone. Neither is a bricks and mortar school. Kids can socialize regardless of how they receive their education. Nothing is black and white (read more about my feelings about ‘black and white’ here). My homeschooled kid is very social and very happy. He’s not a weirdo. (Or at least not any more than his gene pool would indicate!). | https://justagutfeeling.com/tag/travel/ |
Features:
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ATTENTION: A single working time cannot exceed 30 minutes, the machine temperature cannot exceed 80 degrees Celsius. If the working time is too long or the temperature is too high, the device will enter the over-temperature protection state, automatic shutdown. If the machine is too hot, the automatic shutdown is a normal phenomenon, have a rest after a few minutes the temperature can return to normal, then start again.
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Package List: | https://orionmotortech.com/products/air-compressor-pump-hpa-30sd-us |
We derive sharp probability bounds on the tails of a product of symmetric non-negative random variables using only information about their first two moments. If the covariance matrix of the random variables is known exactly, these bounds can be computed numerically using semidefinite programming. If only an upper bound on the covariance matrix is available, the probability bounds on the right tails can be evaluated analytically. The bounds under precise and imprecise covariance information coincide for all left tails as well as for all right tails corresponding to quantiles that are either sufficiently small or sufficiently large. We also prove that all left probability bounds reduce to the trivial bound 1 if the number of random variables in the product exceeds an explicit threshold. Thus, in the worst case, the weak-sense geometric random walk defined through the running product of the random variables is absorbed at 0 with certainty as soon as time exceeds the given threshold. The techniques devised for constructing Chebyshev bounds for products can also be used to derive Chebyshev bounds for sums, maxima and minima of non-negative random variables.
- EPFL-ARTICLE-218452
Keywords: Chebyshev inequality ; Probability bounds ; Distributionally robust optimization ; Convex optimization
Note:
Available from Optimization Online
Reference
Record created on 2016-05-18, modified on 2017-06-27
Fulltext
- There is no available fulltext. Please contact the lab or the authors. | https://infoscience.epfl.ch/record/218452 |
in volumes seven, eight, one and two.
As a general rule, the composer arranged his symphonies for solo piano, piano duet or for two pianos after completing them in full score. Thus the arrangements were the final stages of his composition process. In some instances, for example, his Tenth Symphony, Dmitry Shostakovich introduced certain changes into his piano reductions (for the most part concerning the tempi).
Out of the extant vocal scores of Shostakovich's symphonies, made by the composer himself,2 only those are included in the present edition of his Collected Works that are necessary for practical work with solo singers and choristers in preparing the symphonies for performance.
Symphony No. 13 for bass solo, bass choir and orchestra in B-flat minor, Op. 113, was written in 1962 to verses by Yevgeni Yevtushenko. Its five movements are as follows: 1. "Babi Yar", 2. "Humour", 3. "In the Shop", 4. "Fears", 5. "A Career".
In explaining the general idea of his symphony the composer said: "I
have always been interested in the social behaviour of man the citizen,
I have thought about it a lot. In my Thirteenth Symphony I pose the problem
of civic, repeat civic, morality."3
Dmitry Shostakovich conceived the idea of writing this work upon reading Yevgeni Yevtushenko's poem Babi Yar in Literaturnaya Gazeta of September 19, 1961. Originally he intended to write a one-movement symphonic poem and completed it in vocal score on March 27 (we learn from the last page of the manuscript) and in full score, on April 21, 1962. He entered this work in his list of compositions as "Babi Yar, symphonic poem for solo bass, bass choir and orchestra, Op. 113." Subsequently, however, the idea developed further and the composer wrote shortly before the appearance of this symphony: "It often happens that in the process of writing the form, the choice of expressive media and the very genre of a work undergo a change."
So in July 1962 Shostakovich wrote four more movements, making of his
symphonic poem a symphony in five movements, with "Babi Yar"
as the opening one. For these additional movements he chose poems from
Yevgeni Yevtushenko's collection A Wave of the Hand, Moscow, 1962; the
poem "Fears" (for the fourth movement) was written by Yevtushenko
at the composer's request.5 The dates in the manuscript show that the
second movement, "Humour", was written on July 5, the third,
"In the Shop", on July 9, the fourth, "Fears", on
July 16 and the fifth, "A Career", on July 20.
Dmitry Shostakovich's Thirteenth Symphony was first performed by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the bass group of the Russian A Cappella Choir and the men's chorus of the Gnesin Musical-Pedagogic Institute at the Large Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire on December 18, 1962. Duration: approx. 60 mins. The vocal score is published here for the first time on the basis of the autograph preserved at the Shostakovich family archives.
Symphony No. 14 for soprano, bass and chamber orchestra, Op. 135, was written in 1969 to words by F. Garcia Lorca, G. Apollinaire, W. Kuchelbecker and R. M. Rilke. It consists of eleven sections: I. De profundis; II. Malaguena; III. Lorelei; IV. The Suicide; V. On Watch; VI. Madam, look!; VII. At the Sante Jail; VIII. The Zaporozhye Cossacks' Reply to the Sultan of Constantinople; IX. O Delvig, Delvig! X. The Death of the Poet; XI. Conclusion.
The symphony was completed in vocal score on February 16, 1969, and in
full score, on March 2 of that year. The composer worked on the vocal
score while he was staying at a Moscow hospital, but he completed the
full score at home. Shortly before its first performance Shostakovich
said that the writing of his Fourteenth Symphony "proceeded at a
fairly rapid pace" and explained this by the fact that "the
idea of the new work had long been ripening in my mind."6 Remarking
that "the choice of the lyrics may seem somewhat strange," the
composer pointed out that "the music unifies them in four symphonic
movements."
In discussing the authors of the words Shostakovich paid particular attention to Wilhelm Kuchelbecker, "a Russian poet, one of the Decembrists. His work, unfortunately, is little known today. I chanced upon a book of his poems and was struck by the astonishing depth and beauty of his poetry."
Shostakovich introduced changes into some of the poetic texts, which was called forth by the specifics of the musical interpretation of the words and the demands of the vocal enunciation of poetry. All such changes are discussed in the notes at the end of the volume.
The idea of the symphony came to Shostakovich, according to his own words,
in 1962 under the influence of Mussorgsky. "I was orchestrating Mussorgsky's
Songs and Dances of Death, that great work which I admire very much indeed,
and I thought that its only shortcoming was its brevity—a mere four items
in all.
"So I asked myself why shouldn't I try and continue in the same strain. Yet at the time I simply did not know how to set about it. Now, after listening anew to a whole series of great classical works, Russian and foreign, I have taken up the idea once more.
"I was greatly impressed by the profound wisdom and artistic insight with which the 'eternal' subjects of love, life and death are treated in these works. In my symphony, however, I approach them in my own way.
"I feel deeply the words of Nikolai Ostrovsky who said: 'Life is man's dearest possession. It is given him only once and he should live so as not to experience acute pain at the thought of the years wasted aimlessly or feel searing shame for his petty and inglorious past, but be able to say, at the moment of death, that he has given all his life and energies to the noblest cause in the world—to fight for the liberation of humanity'.
"I want the listeners reflecting upon my new symphony to recall
these words, to realise that they must lead pure and fruitful lives for
the glory of their Motherland, their people and the most progressive ideas
motivating our socialist society. That is what I was thinking about as
I wrote my new work.
"I want my listeners, as they leave the hall after hearing my symphony, to think that life is truly beautiful."
The composer emphasised that in treating the "eternal" problems he opposed the attitude to death as a release from all earthly sorrows and a transition to a better world, which had been characteristic of art in the past. In his opening talk before the dress rehearsal of his symphony at the Small Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire on June 21, 1969, Shostakovich said: "Take for example the death of Boris Godunov: when Boris dies the music acquires a peculiar glow. Then let us recall Verdi's Otello. When the tragedy is over and both Desdemona and Othello perish, the music again becomes permeated with supreme calm. Also in A/da, a calm and exalted music sheds its light upon the tragic end of its heroes. A similar approach is shown by our contemporaries, for instance, that outstanding English composer Benjamin Britten in his War Requiem.
"I think, however, that in my symphony I follow in the footsteps
of the great Russian composer Mussorgsky. His cycle Songs and Dances of
Death—well, perhaps not the cycle as a whole but at any rate the 'Field-Marshal
Death' — is an impassioned protest against death, a reminder to the living
that they should live honestly, conscientiously, nobly, never committing
a base act. This is very important, for—alas! — much time will pass before
the scientists have succeeded in ensuring immortality. Death is in store
for all of us, and I, for one, do not see anything good in the end of
our lives."
Subsequently Shostakovich discussed his own approach to this subject more than once, noting that despite its unusual conception his Fourteenth Symphony was perfectly natural in the general context of his work. "I do not feel that this symphony differes materially from my other works. The new element in it is my approach to the theme of death. In this music I express my protest at death."
Symphony No. 14 was first performed by the Moscow Chamber Orchestra at the Hall of the Academic Glinka Chorus in Leningrad on September 29, 1969. In Moscow it was first performed at the Large Hall of the Conservatoire on October 6, 1969. Before these official premieres under the auspices of the Philharmonic Societies the symphony was performed at a dress rehearsal in the Small Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire on June 21, 1969. Duration: approx. 42 mins.
The vocal score of Dmitry Shostakovich's Fourteenth Symphony is published here for the first time from the autograph preserved at the Shostakovich family archives.
Symphony No. 2, "Dedication to October",
with concluding chorus to words by A. Bezymensky, Op. 14, was written
in 1927.
Shostakovich started work on the symphony upon receiving, at the end of March 1927, a commission from the Propaganda Department of the Gosizdat Music Section to write a symphonic work for the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution.12 At first Dmitry Shostakovich had no intention of composing a symphony. In a letter to L. Shulgin, Chief of the Propaganda Department, he wrote: "I am considering what I shall call my new work. I think 'symphonic poem' will about meet the case."13 When the composition was ready, Dmitry Shostakovich defined it as "Symphonic Dedication", a subtitle under which the work was performed and published for the first time. In his letter referred to above Shostakovich wrote: "The work progresses well. I spend much time on it. The music will last 12 mins., and the performance as a whole from 181/2 to 20 mins. Just now I have started on the most difficult section—the entry of the chorus, and if you remember Bezymensky's words, you'll see that they don't lend themselves to musical interpretation easily."
Dmitry Shostakovich discussed the content of this work and the composition
problems encountered in it in his post-graduate student's reports written
at the end of the twenties. He wrote: "In my October I wanted to
express the idea of struggle and victory. In the orchestration I used
a system of ultra-polyphony (27 simultaneously developed lines), which
is strikingly dynamic."15 "This ultra-polyphony blends to create
a polyphonic timbre. The whole work is largely polyphonic, I.use here
canon and fugue. The chorus is diatonic. The work is conceived as dialectically
linear."
The symphony was completed in the summer of 1927 and in the early autumn Dmitry Shostakovich, then at a health resort in Detskoye Selo, was correcting its proofs. That same year the composer received for it First Prize at the Leningrad Philharmonic competition for symphonic works to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the October Revolution.
The premiere of Shostakovich's Second Symphony was given during the anniversary
celebrations. The rehearsals started at the end of October and the composer
attended them. He wrote to Shulgin on November 7, 1927: "There were
six rehearsals in all, the first just a run-through. I was present at
all but this one and gave instructions to Malko on various points. The
chorus is good."17 He further informed Shulgin that he had sent detailed
instructions to Konstantin Sarajev who was to conduct the symphony's Moscow
premiere. "If, after the words 'O Lenin' he does not accelerate the
tempo and does not adhere in the concluding choral declamation to the
rhythm and tempo specified in the score, the work will be a failure."18
The composer's observations after the performance of this symphony show that he was greatly concerned with the reactions of mass audiences. "The reception accorded my October by the workers' audience has convinced me of the correctness of the road I have chosen. When I compose I always try to make my music accessible and understandable to mass audiences, for only such audiences are real lovers of music, because music is one of the essentially mass arts."
Dmitry Shostakovich's Second Symphony was first performed during the
anniversary celebrations at the concert for Leningrad Teachers' Union
in the Large Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic on November 5, 1927. The
performers were the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and A Cappella Choir.
On November 6 the concert was repeated for the city's scientists. The
symphony's Moscow premiere took place at the first symphonic assembly
of the Association of Contemporary Music in the Hall of Columns of the
Trade Unions House on December 4, 1927.
Nothing is known about the composer's piano score of his Second Symphony. The vocal score of its choral fragment, published here for the first time, is by Yu. Olenev.
Symphony No. 3, "May First" in E-flat Major, Op. 20, for orchestra
and chorus was composed in 1929 while Dmitry Shostakovich was a post-graduate
student at the Leningrad Conservatoire. Originally the composer called
it "A May Symphony", and this subtitle is preserved in his transcription
of the work for solo piano, while in the definitive version of the full
score the wording is somewhat different.
In this symphony Shostakovich continued his searchings for the ways and means of giving a direct reflection to contemporary life in major programmatic instrumental compositions, begun in his First Piano Sonata (originally entitled "The October") and Second Symphony ("Dedication to October"). "Life has shown," he wrote later, "how much our mass audiences appreciate programmatic symphonic music. We composers have a good deal to do to satisfy the listeners' demands in this respect. We are not doing enough in this important and entrancing sphere, with its wealth of creative potentialities. I am positive that work in programme music can considerably enrich the creative ideas of a talented composer and promote his professional skill. The musical embodiment of a vivid and meaningful programme invariably makes him exercise his imagination and inventiveness to the full."20 The programme of the "May First" Symphony determined its peculiar structure: according to Vissarion Shebalin, "after starting work on his symphony Dmitry Dmitriyevich once remarked that 'it would be interesting to write a symphony in which no theme is ever repeated'."
Like his Second, Shostakovich's Third Symphony is a one-movement work with a closing choral section. In comparing the two symphonies the composer wrote in 1929: "I handed in my 'May First' Symphony on the completion of the course [of post-graduate studies—Ed.], a work essentially differing from the 'Dedication to October'. Whereas in the 'Dedication' the main content is struggle, the 'May First' expresses the festive spirit of peaceful construction, if I may put it that way. To make the main idea clearer for the listeners, I introduced a chorus to words by the poet Kirsanov at the end."
Shortly after completing his Third Symphony Shostakovich in assessing the work accomplished during those years, defined it as the most important of his compositions of the late twenties—early thirties. This is what he wrote: "The only work of mine that can, in my opinion, lay claim to 'taking its place' in the development of Soviet musical culture is my 'May First' Symphony, although, of course, it is not free from certain drawbacks."
Whenever Shostakovich mentioned this work in later times, he always emphasised
close ties of its content with contemporary life. Thus in 1940 he said:
"I have always liked working on music reflecting our epoch, the thoughts
and feelings of the Soviet man. In this way came into being my subsequent
[coming after the First Symphony—Ed.] works—the 'Dedication to October'
with a concluding chorus, the 'May First' Symphony and incidental music
to the films New Babylon, Alone, The Counterplan, Golden Mountains and
the Maxim trilogy."24 As he was striking the balance of his life's
work on the eve of his 50th birthday in 1956, Shostakovich once more stated
that the symphonies under discussion, like his First Symphony, "were
attempts at reflecting reality, sincere efforts to give reflection to
contemporary life."
Shostakovich's Third Symphony was first performed by the Leningrad Philharmonic Orchestra and A Cappella Choir at the Moscow-Narva Palace of Culture (today Gorky Palace of Culture), Leningrad, on January 21 (the anniversary of Lenin's death), 1930. On January 22, the symphony was performed at a special concert for the city's youth and Komsomol members, given at the Large Hall of the Leningrad Philharmonic.
The vocal score of the Third Symphony's choral fragment is published here for the first time on the basis of the composer's reduction preserved at the Central State Archives of Literature and Art of the USSR, fond 2048, descriptive list 1, bit of storage No. 3.
The vocal scores of the symphonies in this volume have been collated with the autograph vocal scores and the autograph and published full scores. The numerous tempo, metronome and dynamics markings lacking in the autograph piano reductions have been borrowed from published scores and are given in square brackets. All patent errors encountered in the MSS and published sources have been corrected without comment. Important discrepancies are discussed in the notes at the end of the volume. | https://ale07.ru/music/notes/song/fortepiano/shostakovich9_eng.htm |
The New Mexico Symphonic Chorus will perform a holiday concert of Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio” for the first time in 11 years on Sunday, Dec. 5.
Backed by the New Mexico Philharmonic and the Sunset Mesa School Choir, the concert will take place at 3 p.m. at First Unitarian Church of Albuquerque, 3701 Carlisle Blvd.
“Bach wrote what we call the ‘Christmas Oratorio’ to be done in six weeks, so it’s made up of six parts,” music and executive director Roger Melone said. “We’re doing two of those cantatas.”
The singers will perform part one, “Shout ye exultant this Day of Salvation” and part three, “Ruler of Heaven.”
The work belongs to a group of three oratorios written in 1734 and 1735 for major feasts, the other two works being the “Ascension Oratorio” and the “Easter Oratorio.”
“They’re very typical Bach Christmas (oratorios),” Melone said. “Number one tells the usual story of the birth of Christ.”
The third describes the adoration of the shepherds.
Local soloists Ingela Onstad (soprano), Jacqueline Zander-Wall (mezzo-soprano); Colin Burdge (tenor) and Michael Hix (baritone) will join the musicians.
Burdge sings with the New Mexico Gay Men’s Chorus.
“He’s a Gonzaga (University) graduate,” Melone said.
Both Onstad and Hix teach at the University of New Mexico. Zander-Wall founded the Vocal Artistry Art Song Competition.
Eleven years ago, “Christmas Oratorio” was the last piece the singers performed with the old New Mexico Symphony before it folded in 2011. At the time, the chorus was part of the symphony.
“We reincorporated on our own in 2010,” Melone said. | https://www.abqjournal.com/2451528/the-new-mexico-symphonic-chorus-to-host-holiday-concert-with-nm-phil-sunset-mesa-school-choir.html |
Under the general supervision of the Manager-Clinical Documentation Improvement, reviews medical record documentation to facilitate the accurate representation of the severity of illness, patient acuity and risk of mortality for a specified patient population. Obtains appropriate clinical documentation through extensive interaction with physicians, healthcare providers and Health Information Management (HIM) professionals. Actively participates in meetings and education of staff related to Clinical Documentation Improvement (CDI).
1 Facilitates modifications to clinical documentation to ensure that appropriate reimbursement is received for the level of service rendered to all patients by completing accurate and timely record reviews.
2 Improves the overall quality and completeness of clinical documentation by performing admission and continued stay reviews.
3 Demonstrates knowledge of Diagnosis Related Group (DRG) payer issues, documentation opportunities, and clinical documentation requirements.
4 Demonstrates knowledge of Medicare, general understanding of hospital based quality initiatives, and regulatory environment.
5 Ensures the accuracy and completeness of clinical information used for measuring and reporting physician and hospital outcomes.
6 Completes timely follow up on all cases, especially those with clinical documentation clarifications and ensures points of clarification have been recorded in the patients’ medical record.
7 Formulates ethical and clinically credible documentation clarifications.
8 Processes discharges by updating the CDI software to reflect any changes in status, procedures and treatments, and confers with clinicians to finalize diagnoses.
9 Accurately inputs data into the CDI software.
10 Effectively and appropriately communicates with physicians and healthcare providers.
11 Reviews clinical issues with coding staff to assign a working DRG and reconcile final DRG.
12 Serves as a member of the CDI Task Force.
13 Educates all internal customers on compliant documentation opportunities, coding and reimbursement issues, as well as performance improvement methodologies.
14 Prepares educational materials for presentation at meetings, physician grand rounds, interdisciplinary rounds, physician staff meetings, and participates in new provider orientations.
Ability to facilitate the improvement of overall quality, completeness and accuracy of medical record documentation which requires the candidate to be organized, analytical, self-directed with critical thinking, problem solving and deductive reasoning skills.
At least 5 years of recent acute care experience with a critical care background. | https://www.joinwellspan.org/jobs/RN-Clinical_Documentation_Nurse_-location_can_be_at_Good_Sam_or_York/Lebanon_Pennsylvania/101/182017/ |
The invention discloses a synthesis method of a dibenzoxazole type compound. In organic sovlent, a closed-loop condensation reaction is directly carried out between an aromatic dinitrile compound and substituted or nonsubstituted o-aminophenol hydrochloride to synthesize the dibenzoxazole compound or compounds with different substituents, and the composite proportion of the compound can be regulated according to different raw material proportionings. The method has the advantages of smooth reaction process, short reaction time, high yield rate of products, low cost, little three wastes, environmental protection, etc. and better faciliates large-scale production. The product produced by the method can be applied to the fluorescent whiting of synthesized or natural polymeric materials. | |
The Matrix series features a very cyberpunk-esque story of the technological fall of mankind, in which the creation of artificial intelligence led the way to a race of self-aware machines that imprisoned mankind in a virtual reality system—the Matrix—to be farmed as a power source. Occasionally, some of the prisoners manage to break free from the system and, considered a threat, become pursued by the artificial intelligence both inside and outside of it. The films focus on the plight of Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) trying to free humanity from the system while pursued by its guardians, such as Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving).
Neo (born as Thomas A. Anderson, aka the Prime Program, aka The One, an anagram for Neo) is the protagonist of the Matrix franchise. He was portrayed as a cybercriminal and computer programmer by Keanu Reeves in The Matrix Trilogy, as well as having a cameo in The Animatrix short film Kid’s Story. Andrew Bowen provided Neo’s voice in The Matrix: Path of Neo. In 2008, Neo was selected by Empire as the 68th Greatest Movie Character of All Time.
“When the Matrix was first built, there was a man born inside who had the ability to change whatever he wanted, to remake the Matrix as he saw fit. It was he who freed the first of us, taught us the truth – As long as the Matrix exists, the human race will never be free. After he died, the Oracle prophesied his return and that his coming would hail the destruction of the Matrix, end the war, bring freedom to our people. That is why there are those who have spent our entire lives searching the Matrix looking for him.”
― Morpheus telling Neo of The Fifth One.
Neo is a systemic feature of the Matrix, in which a special code is carried by a randomly selected human being who possesses vast superhuman abilities as an avatar within the Matrix in addition to some extraordinary powers in the real world. The code mentioned has the function to attach to the person that carries all the anomalies (humans rejecting the Matrix) within the Matrix, essentially making him/her an “Integral Anomaly”, the SUM of all anomalies.
The mechanisms by which The One appears are rather simple and arranged in the Prime Program process: when the anomalies in the Matrix begin to cause serious problems, a random human is selected by the machines to be born with a special code (the Integral Anomaly) that, as said before, ties and attaches all the anomalies within the Matrix with the programming of this human.
The Oracle is aware of The One’s existence and purpose because it is her duty to guide humanity to find The One, enlighten him to his true nature and lead him towards the Source where he fulfills his purpose of reinserting the Prime Program and resetting the Matrix. She does this by predicting the return of The One to the people of Zion to aid them in freeing humanity from the Machines’ grip. The Architect, as the creator of the Matrix, is well aware of The One’s existence and purpose, referring to The One as an “eventuality”.
Neo succeeds in reaching the Machine City and meets with the leader of the Machines, the Deus Ex Machina. He argues that Smith, who has completely taken over the Matrix by then, will eventually cause the Matrix to crash, killing humanity thus depriving the Machines of their power source and therefore, wiping out both species from existence. He then states that he can destroy Smith and save both species, and all he wants is peace between the two races.
The Deus Ex Machina agrees to the terms and plugs Neo into the Matrix to fight Smith. After Neo sacrifices himself and Smith is defeated, the Machines uphold the terms of the truce that Neo proposes, and the Machine War ends, with Zion saved from the brink of destruction, and the Matrix successfully reloaded, thus ensuring the survival of both humanity and the Machines.
The story of the Matrix series incorporates references to numerous philosophical, religious, or spiritual ideas, among others the dilemma of choice vs. control, the brain in a vat thought experiment, messianism, and the concepts of inter-dependency and love. Influences include the principles of mythology, anime, and Hong Kong action films (particularly “heroic bloodshed” and martial arts movies). The film series is perhaps most notable for its use of heavily choreographed action sequences and “bullet time” slow-motion effects, which revolutionized action films to come.
Sure, there are some cheesy one-liners in all three films. The simple fact is that The Matrix is more than 20 years old and it is STILL one of the greatest science fiction films ever made.
The Wachowskis has confirmed that a fourth sequel is on its way. Like the first three, Matrix 4 is co-written and directed by both siblings. The film sees the reprise of Neo (Keanu Reeves), Trinity (Carrie-Anne Moss), and Niobe (Jada Pinkett Smith), with Neil Patrick Harris, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, and Priyanka Chopra signing on in undisclosed roles. Under the codename Project Ice Cream, filming began last year in San Francisco, before being halted due to the pandemic. Resuming in Berlin in September and wrapping in November, the film is set for release on December 21st, 2021. | http://www.illustratedfiction.com/characters/memorable-protagonist/neo-in-the-matrix-trilogy/ |
Following Your Conscience In addition, the theme of the struggle to follow your conscience returns again and again throughout the novel. In all sorts of ways, Twain weaves a story that reveals these hypocrisies of this civilized society. Twain shows how a strict adherence to these romantic ideals is ultimately dangerous: Tom is shot, Emmeline dies, and the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords end up in a deadly clash. After all, it is there that Huck is forced to wear civilized clothing, eat and speak in a civilized manner, and act civilized in all possible ways. The Mississippi River The Mississippi River is perhaps the most well-known examples of symbolism in Huckleberry Finn.
In Huckleberry Finn, Twain, by exposing the hypocrisy of slavery, demonstrates how racism distorts the oppressors as much as it does those who are oppressed. Not all is as it seems. The Mississippi River is the largest river in the United States. And others, like Hemingway, felt truly that it was the one book from which all other American works of literature were born. One of the motif examples in the novel that develops these themes is the presence of Doubles: 1 the action takes place in two cities; 2 we find two opposed doubles in the form of the female characters Lucie and Madame Defarge.
To him, their idea of formal schooling would have supported this not-so-accurate concept of civilization anyway. Huck lived in a world in which being a civilized child included schooling, manners, and religion, although Huck wanted nothing to do with it. By the early 1880s, Reconstruction, the plan to put the United States back together after the war and integrate freed slaves into society, had hit shaky ground, although it had not yet failed outright. Although Twain wrote the novel after slavery was abolished, he set it several decades earlier, when slavery was still a fact of life. Neither you, nor the coeditors you shared it with will be able to recover it again.
Jim appears silly to believe in all sorts of signs and omens, but interestingly predicts the coming event. He symbolizes the struggle between a person and his conscience, as well as between society and free-thinking. Mark Twain uses various symbols, such as the river and the land to expose freedom and trouble in his novel, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Analysis In a larger sense, this story follows a young boy as he struggles to make sense of the world in which he lives. The new racism of the South, less institutionalized and monolithic, was also more difficult to combat. Jim, who acts like a father figure towards Huck because no one else is there for him. The river symbolizing Huck and Jim's life always in motion with transitional harmony, and the raft symbolizing their home in motion on the river.
This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant- I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. In contrast to the rest of society, however, he is loyal and honest. Readers meet after he's been taken in by Widow Douglas and her sister, Miss Watson, who intend to teach him religion and proper manners. While the story was one that was widely read, critics often didn't know what to think. This was too many for me, but she told me what she meant- I must help other people, and do everything I could for other people, and look out for them all the time, and never think about myself. Huck bases these decisions on his experiences, his own sense of logic, and what his developing conscience tells him.
Huck and Jim grew an attachment to the lonesome river, but on the raft is where they began to grow an attachment for each other. As the river controlled their journey the raft is what transported Huck and Jim on this journey, without the raft Huck and Jim would not have gotten as far as they did. Huck was more responsive towards Jim then any other adult because Jim didn't try to civilize him like the Widow or 955 Words 4 Pages Rivers are often associated with freedom and growth as they are vast and constantly moving and progressing. Huckleberry Finn is full of malicious lies and scams, many of them coming from the duke and the dauphin. The motif of childhood gives the novel a lighter tone, and makes it enjoyable to read despite its grave central ideas of slavery and racism. However, he is also, at times, struck by the fact that he may not be doing the right thing - that he perhaps should turn Jim in.
And who are the ones who oppose this current? Analyze the significance of the Mississippi River in the novel. There are other themes within Huckleberry Finn, but the above two are perhaps the most prominent and widely discussed. What would these two symbols be today? Throughout the novel, Twain depicts the society that surrounds Huck as little more than a collection of degraded rules and precepts that defy logic. Other places do seem so cramped up and smothery, but a raft don't. Petersburg, Missouri, a town on the Mississippi River. Parodies of Popular Romance Novels Huckleberry Finn is full of people who base their lives on romantic literary models and stereotypes of various kinds.
The difference between a motif and a theme is significant. And to wrap things up just a little more neatly, it turns out that the dead guy from the island was Huck's dad, so that loose plot point is all tied up; plus, Huck still has all the money he found at the end of Tom Sawyer. The title is also used as sarcasm. The Raft and the Mississippi River play a major role in this book. Who cares about a slave's motivations, or character, or background, or feelings? As the novel progresses, then, the river becomes something other than the inherently benevolent place Huck originally thought it was. | http://www.mythingsapp.com/motifs-in-huckleberry-finn.html |
My client is a leading timber processor in Ireland & UK.
Job Description
Reporting directly to the joint Managing Directors, this is an exciting opportunity for the successful candidate to join a newly formed dynamic leadership team in the development and execution of the strategy to grow the business. This person will be responsible for the key customer relationships across our business and the growth and development of a dynamic sales team. The successful candidate will be responsible for implementing the sales strategy and sales plans. They are responsible for hitting or exceeding agreed sales targets for the group. As a member of the Senior Leadership team, this person will play a pivotal role in realising the vision of the organisation and providing guidance and direction on how to achieve the goal and key milestones along the journey. There is a requirement to frequently travel in Ireland and the UK as part of this role.
Key responsibilities include:
- As a critical member of the leadership team, develop and execute the strategic plan to grow the company's sales.
- Build and maintain strong, long-lasting customer relationships with key accounts and Buying Groups across the UK and Ireland.
- Own, hit or exceed annual sales targets and key milestones from a personal and company perspective.
- Work closely with key Production and Log Procurement teams to ensure production schedules maximise sales, yield and profits.
- Report on overall sales performance and key sales metrics.
- Contribute to the successful delivery of the Group's strategy.
- Travel extensively within Ireland and the UK to customers and sales teams.
- Demonstrate a strong willingness to grow, lead and develop their team and themselves in realising the ambitions of the company.
- Ensure that the sales process evolves to meet the needs of the business as it grows.
- Develop the technology plans to enable the sales team deliver on the overall sales strategy.
The Successful Applicant
The ideal candidate needs to be a resourceful, results-driven individual with a strong sense of urgency who can build trusted relationships and understands the importance of developing people. Business degree or relevant equivalent qualification is required, with a minimum of 5 years' experience in leading external and internal sales team in a Senior Sales Leadership role, ideally in an internationally focused organisation. Must demonstrate a proven track record in exceeding sales targets and a brand ambassador. Experience of sales in the B2B sector and in-depth knowledge and experience of ERP/CRM systems are essential. | https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/job-detail/head-group-sales/ref/jn-102021-4509279 |
Assessment is a sensitive field. Behavioural assessing, such as DISC Personal profiling is expensive, time-consuming and not easy to manage because it deals with personality variables. Perhaps, most telling is that it is becoming part of the emerging application of predictive analytics for business.
Testing employees' competencies and their abilities to carry out operational assignments, like recalling information and using it to successfully complete tasks, is fundamental for organisational and business success.
Behavioural assessments typically focus on competencies related to managing priorities, managing others, managing for results and managing change. These are important aspects of life at work, but more difficult to measure.
Cognitive skills are less affected by changes in the work environment than are behavioural traits. It is easier to teach people how to operate or repair something than it is to help them understand the complexity and consequences of interpersonal behaviour.
Behavioural assessments aim to uncover interpersonal abilities, the subjective realm. What is sometimes underplayed in business is that behaviour is driven by value systems: assumptions and beliefs, values, vision/mission and guiding principles, which I have discussed in previous business tips.
As people become more self-aware, they are usually amazed at the abilities of the conscious mind to choose, handle situations with deliberation, and behave appropriately for different occasions. On the flip side, the unconscious mind is a powerful force driving our behaviour. Within our unconscious lie veiled assumptions and beliefs that formulate what is called default behaviour. The dictionary defines default as the “failure to perform a task or fulfill an obligation,” which means that default behaviours are reactive responses that occur when we fail to consider the appropriate response.
Becoming aware of our personal reactive tendencies is crucial if we want to make sense of our toxic behaviours, understand why we have permitted these gremlins to continue, and develop a plan for taming them.
Our attitudes are choices, some of the most important choices we will ever make.
Attitudes are reflections of what goes on inside our heads. They affect everything we do - positively or negatively. A negative attitude acts like the accelerator of a car. When we put our pedal to the metal, we learn very quickly that driving can indeed be dangerous to our health and to our career aspirations. Default behaviours occur when we decide not to act, but to react. And default behaviours may not represent our best side or our ideal self.
Talking in the language of behaviours and outcomes, which managers understand, is the key to addressing the relevance of the data or people intelligence found in an assessment. It is how the results of self-assessments should be reported and incorporated in an organisation's analytics around its people capabilities. | https://pinnaclebusiness.com.au/resources/business-tips/53-management/267-assessment-work |
One of Italy’s most well known and picturesque tourist towns, Positano is also famous for its highly original fashion clothing in distinctive fabrics sold in many of the charming boutiques. You need to visit the little town on foot to appreciate its pretty narrow streets, pastel-coloured houses and endless steps carved out of the rock.
The Amalfi Drive is one of the most spectacular coastal roads in Europe and passes through some absolutely stunning scenery. Starting from Sorrento, it winds its way along the cliff edge offering breathtaking views until it reaches Amalfi, one of the four Maritime Republics and birthplace of Flavio Gioia, inventor of the magnetic compass. In the centre of Amalfi stands the imposing IX-century cathedral with its famous striking façade decorated with gilded XIX-century mosaics.
Undeniably one of the world’s most beautiful islands and an internationally famous tourist resort. Summer retreat for the jet set, the island is awash with designer boutiques and picturepostcard views wherever you turn: lush Mediterranean vegetation with purple bougainvillea climbing over the whitewashed villas and the celebrated “Faraglioni” limestone stacks. Take a trip to the famous blue grotto, visit Villa San Michele in Anacapri, once the home of Axel Munthe, or stroll around the Giardini di Augusto (Gardens of Augustus) and the ruins of Villa Jovis, one-time residence of the emperor Tiberius.
Caserta is known as the "Versailles of Naples" because of the fabulous royal palace built here by Charles of Bourbon in the XVIII century. The palace is one of the most sumptuous in Italy with 1,200 rooms full of rich furnishings, frescoes, fabrics and works of art. However, the real highlight of a visit here is the park, with its magnificent gardens flanking a 75-metre-long series of fountains and cascades.
Pompeii is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. Every year millions of visitors come to see the spectacular ruins of this ancient Roman town destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Excavation work only began in the XVIII century but since then has gradually brought to light the splendours of an ancient civilization, including magnificent frescoed villas and an imposing amphitheatre.
Mt Vesuvius is one of Naples’ most well-known landmarks, and one of the largest active volcanoes in the world. The mighty mountain standing forebodingly over the city and the bay is accessible by bus up to a height of 1,000 m. From there on the visit continues on foot with licensed guides to the edge of the crater.
A unique and very special city, famous the world over for its warm and friendly people. Naples is one of the oldest cities in Europe, founded in the VII century B.C. by the Greeks and later conquered by the Romans. From the XI century onwards it was ruled by the Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spanish and the Bourbons. Each of these foreign dominations left their mark on the city’s art, architecture and culinary traditions. You can feel the history most of all in the old town, a Unesco World Heritage Site and a treasure trove of unparalleled wonders.
Herculaneum, said to have been founded by Hercules, is a remarkably well-preserved Roman town. Built some time between 80 and 70 B.C., it was destroyed by the eruption of Vesuvius in A.D. 79. Unlike Pompeii, however, Herculaneum was not buried by lava and lapilli (burning fragments of pumice stone), but was submerged by thick mud which then solidified into soft tufa rock, thus preserving the many frescoes and artefacts you can still admire today. The town was discovered in 1709 and excavation work since has brought to light sumptuous villas, baths, theatres and even a villa thought to have belonged to the father-in-law of Julius Caesar.
Paestum is one of the most important archaeological sites in Italy. The Greek city of Poseidonia was founded here in the VII century B.C. and developed into a rich and flourishing centre of trade. You can visit the Temple of Poseidon, the Temple of Ceres, the so-called Basilica dating from the VI century B.C. (in actual fact a temple dedicated to the goddess Hera, the main divinity of Poseidonia), and the small museum housing the famous Tomb of the Diver.
The “Eternal City” is one of Europe’s greatest capitals and the centre of the Catholic Church. Rome is a cosmopolitan, dynamic city full of fabulous shops. Despite the hectic nature of modern life, it is still able to enchant visitors with its monuments and historic buildings such as Villa Borghese, Palazzo di Giustizia, Castel Sant’Angelo, the Colosseum, Piazza di Spagna, the Trevi Fountain, Saint Peter’s Basilica, Saint Peter’s Square and the Papal apartments, where every Sunday morning the Pope greets crowds of worshipers.
A great opportunity to spend a relaxing day out enjoying the spectacular scenery of the Amalfi Coast and the island of Capri. During the cruise, on board a comfortable yacht equipped with sun terrace, showers, deckchairs and restaurant, you will have the chance to stop at Capri for a swim in the island’s impossibly azure sea and visit two of the most picturesque towns on the coast, Amalfi and Positano.
The fabulous Neapolitan Show An incredible journey through the ages from 1558 until today. The performance revolves around the most important stories of Sorrento and the Kingdom of Naples in the Iast 500 years. | https://www.hotelleone.com/en/excursions |
What to Expect as a Female Entrepreneur in a Male-dominated Field : A Case Study on Gender Equality in a Swedish Incubator
Abstract: The Swedish entrepreneurial environment is a heavily male-dominated field characterized by unequal conditions, a significant gender gap, and discriminatory practices. Research is filled with contradictory arguments discussing how gender is not an issue in the world of entrepreneurship, when in fact this conceals gender equality issues that are still prevalent today. This study aimed to describe and explain, from an incubator perspective, the challenges and opportunities that arise from working with gender equality in entrepreneurship. The purpose was also to study the effects these efforts have on the ventures partaking in the incubator’s program, as well as their perceptions of it. Based on a literature review of gender equality in entrepreneurship, a qualitative approach deemed necessary to explain the complexity of this issue. This research performed a case study on one Swedish incubator consisting of two samples. Data was collected through in-depth interviews held with the incubator team and online questionnaires were distributed to some ventures currently partaking in the incubator program, as well as to some alumni. The results indicated that there were more challenges than opportunities involved in working with gender equality in entrepreneurship. The most frequently addressed challenges for female entrepreneurs related to contexts of receiving financial aid from investors, the unequal opportunities given by supporting actors such as advisors, banks, lawyers etc., and the effect of gender stereotypes. In the analysis it was identified that women’s unequal opportunities consisted of, among others, women receiving different questions than men, having to defend their ideas to a larger extent, and consistently being viewed in a traditional manner concerning family-care constraints. However, many of the identified challenges for female entrepreneurs could be used in favor of the incubator. Meaning that the incubator could turn the challenges into opportunities for helping female entrepreneurs in their incubator program. For instance, the incubator can help reduce the barriers for entrepreneurs who want to pursue industries typically dominated by the opposite gender, this in turn would create a larger diversity across industries. The incubator had a positive influence on the ventures and their perceptions indicate that equal conditions are provided between the genders. The relationship was difficult to fully describe and explain as the incubator’s gender equality work was novel. Future research could investigate more in-depth the underlying reasons why gender inequality issues still pertain, but also more about what actions could be done to address the issues. | https://www.essays.se/essay/f7afd8dd9c/ |
What is Dyscalculia?
Dyscalculia is an umbrella term referring to a wide range of learning disabilities involving math. There is no single type of math disability, and difficulties experienced vary between individuals and affect people differently.
Signs of Dyscalculia
- Difficulty learning how to count
- Poor memory for numbers
- Trouble organizing things in a logical way
- Trouble learning mathematical facts (e.g. addition, subtraction)
- Difficulty developing math problem-solving skills
- Poor long term memory for math functions
- Difficulty learning math concepts beyond the basic math facts
Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosing Dyscalculia involves examining how a child understands and uses numbers and mathematical concepts. Our psychologist will administer standardised mathematical paper and pencil tests, intelligence tests and examine samples of the child’s schoolwork to determine if the child has Dyscalculia. We will then refer the child to our specialist education partners so that the child will be taught ways to overcome his or her learning difficulty.
Make an appointment
If you think your child has a learning difficulty, please call 6397 6627 or email us for appointment at [email protected] or book here
To help us make the most of your appointment, parents are invited to fill in the intake form and fax it to 6397 6701 or email to [email protected]
Download intake form here
The information which you provide will be kept strictly confidential. Your permission will be sought if any disclosure of information is needed. | http://www.thomsoncdc.com/our-services/dyscalculia/ |
What is Gemology?
Gemology is the scientific study of gemstones, which often involves the study of mineralogical fundamentals such as formations, genesis, localities, physical properties and identification of gemstones. It includes the basic knowledge of structural, crystallographic, chemical and physical characteristics and properties of gems. It also involves the way in which gemstones are fashioned.
Special Gemology deals with categories and varieties of gemstones, synthetic stones and imitations. Conventionally, the organic substances such as amber, pearls, coral and the non-minerals are also included in this subject of special gemology.
Practical Gemology refers to the application of the knowledge of characteristics and properties of gemstones in identification or separation of synthetics and imitations. Diamond grading is included in practical gemology. | https://certificate.jewelry/education/gemology/what-is-gemology |
Even from an early age, ARCS Scholar Nathan Brown had a strong desire to understand the world around him. Now as a PhD student studying aerospace engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology, Nathan is more curious about what lies beyond Earth, or rather, how we can get there more efficiently.
Nathan’s research is in plasma physics, the study of charged particles and fluids interacting with self-consistent electric and magnetic fields. It is a basic research discipline that has many different areas of application—space and astrophysics, controlled fusion, accelerator physics, and beam storage.
Nathan's work with plasma, coupled with his ARCS Scholar Award, enabled him to attend the 2019 International Electric Propulsion Conference in Vienna, Austria. The biannual conference hosted researchers from across the globe, who delivered more than 500 presentations. Nathan presented a paper he co-authored entitled “Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy as an Electric Propulsion Plasma Diagnostic,” which explains a new concept for peering inside plasma rockets.
“The conference in Vienna provided an excellent opportunity to disseminate my work to the field of electric spacecraft propulsion and to learn about novel approaches taken by other research groups,” he later remarked.
Since plasma is one of the four fundamental states of matter, Nathan’s research has applications in many fields ranging from fusion energy production to spacecraft propulsion.
For instance, plasma rockets utilize fuel significantly more efficiently than chemical rockets. Exploration missions, such as the NASA Dawn mission to Vesta and Ceres, utilize plasma rockets to explore regions of space that would be inaccessible with chemical rocket propulsion.
“Improving plasma rockets will also enable us to better study the Universe,” Nathan explains. “The hope is that we will one day be able to probe and explore celestial bodies that we can presently only observe from afar. Plasma rockets may one day even enable travel near the speed of light, which would open up the possibility of traveling to other galaxies.”
Currently, plasma rockets are used to propel satellites in space. Those satellites help scientists study fields, such as geology, climate science, archeology, and sociology.
A defining characteristic of humanity is its immense curiosity about the Universe and a desire to understand our place within it. Nathan looks forward to continuing on the journey to find the answers.
To learn more about how other ARCS Scholars are advancing science in America, follow this link. | https://atlanta.arcsfoundation.org/news/curiosity-engaged-arcs-scholars-plasma-research-propels-him-international-conference |
The Valencia Metro is a subway service in the city of Valencia, Venezuela. It was officially opened to the public on November 18th, 2007. It has 9 stations and two lines. It allows transfers to the trains of the national railway service, as well as between lines 1 and 2. The metro does not go directly to the airport, but there are two stations relatively close to the airport. The standard ticket price is 0.40 USD. The metro service is available between 6:00 am and 11:00 pm. As a tip, bring cash, since it is the only way of buying tickets. If you bring a stroller to the metro, make sure to fold it before you board the train. As a fun fact, the tunnels for the metro were done by a tunnel boring machine also used in the construction of a tunnel in Canada. There are 17 stations planned to be built. There are many malls and other points of interest near the Monumental metro station.
Valencia is the capital of the state of Carabobo, Venezuela. It is one of the cities with the highest number of industries in the country. Valencia is also a city of historic importance, since it hosted one of the most important battles for the independence of Venezuela. Even though it is mostly an urban setting, Valencia also has many parks. One of the most important lakes in Venezuela, the Valencia Lake, is located in this city. The city is surrounded by hills and mountains.
The public means of transportation are comprised of buses, the trains from the national railway, and the metro. There are also taxis available. In the previous century, Valencia used to have a tramway service. However, on March 31st, 1947, the tram service in Valencia was eliminated. The metro service in the city is called the Valencia Metro. It is managed by the Ministry of Infrastructure. The metro offers transportation to over 1,450,000 people that live in the city of Valencia.
The Valencia Metro began construction on 1994. However, due to a lack of financial support, the construction came to a halt. In 1997, there were discussions about resuming the construction of the metro. The tunnels were initially excavated by workers using shovels. However, on 2000, a tunnel boring machine was acquired and utilized to excavate the tunnels for the metro. During this year, the Valencia Metro got fully funded to continue its construction. The total costs for the Valencia Metro project were around 800 million American dollars.
The metro started service on November 18th, 2006, with the opening of line 1. However, it was only partially finished. During this time, only three stations were available. During its initial year, the metro was free for everyone. Afterwards, the Valencia Metro was officially inaugurated on November 18th, 2007. More stations were opened. Nowadays, people need to pay in order to board the trains.
During its official inauguration, seven stations were operational. These stations covered a total length of approximately five kilometers of railway. The latest stations were opened to the public in 2015, with the addition of over 1.4 kilometers of railway to the Valencia Metro. The metro’s line 2 is not fully finished. The construction of its stations started on July, 2007. However, on December, 2009, the works for line 2 were halted. Line 2’s construction was resumed on October 24th, 2011. Once finished, line 2 will have a total railway of over 4 kilometers.
The Valencia Metro has two lines and 9 stations. Every platform has length of 120 meters. All of the electrical equipment is provided by the company Siemens. The tunnels were excavated in a trench-like shape. Every station is located underground. Also, each stations has six escalators. Each building has two underground levels. In the first level, you can buy tickets for the train. Then, in the second level, you will find the platforms. The total number of rail cars is 12. The stations for each line are the following:
Line 1: Its stations are located in the municipalities of Valencia and Naguanagua. Service begins at Monumental station, and ends at Cedeño station. It has the following 9 stations:
Line 2: It has only one operational station.
1) Lara: It is the same station as in line 1.
Lara station is a transfer point between line 1 and 2.
At one of the future stations, you will be able to make a connection with the trains of the national railway service of the Great Venezuela Railway.
The only airport in Valencia is the Arturo Michelena Valencia International Airport. The only other nearby airport is Maiquetía International Airport, located in the district of Caracas. The Caracas airport is at a 2 hour drive from Valencia. Therefore, if you want to travel between the Valencia Metro and the airport, you should go to the Arturo Michelena Airport.
The closest metro station to the Valencia Airport is San Diego station. The travel time between this station and the airport is 15 minutes by car. Another nearby station to the airport is Las Ferias station.
The Valencia Metro is operational from Monday to Friday, with the exception of holidays. The metro starts service at 6:00 am, and remains operational until 11:00 pm. During peak hours, there are trains available every 10 minutes. On the other hand, during off-peak hours, the trains are available every 20 minutes. It takes around 12 minutes to travel between downtown Valencia and Monumental station.
There are two types of tickets available: the regular tickets, and the tickets for students. The price for the regular tickets is 4 Bolivares (0.40 USD). Meanwhile, the price for the tickets for students is of 1.2 Bolivares (0.12 USD). As it can be observed, it is one of the cheapest tickets for a metro service in the world.
Some people do not have to pay to use the metro. Children under four years old travel for free. Additionally, senior citizens and people with disabilities can use the Valencia Metro without needing to pay the metro’s fares.
There are no cards available for the Valencia Metro.
Some of the rules are the same as in most metro services. For instance, you should not smoke within the metro’s facilities. Also, your baggage should not obstruct other passengers. As common sense dictates, you should not assault neither passengers nor the metro’s personnel. Make sure to always obey the personnel’s orders. This includes not entering into areas that are of exclusive use of the metro’s personnel. It is dangerous to try to force open the trains’ doors, therefore, you shall not do it. Also, avoid leaning on the trains’ doors.
Some other rules include:
There are currently four stations under construction, 17 stations that are planned to be built, and two unfinished stations that are open to the public. The stations under construction are El Viñedo, Los Sauces, Guaparo, and Majay. In the near future, Rafael Urdaneta station and Francisco de Miranda station will be finished. The stations that are still being drafted are the following:
Line 1: This line is planned to be divided into three parts. Only the first part is currently finished. The stations for the remaining two parts are the following:
Line 2: The planned stations for this line are the following:
All of these stations will be completed by 2020. Also, there are plans to construct new lines and more stations after 2020. One of the new lines that are planned for the metro is line 3.
Although every station is currently underground, there will be surface-level stations. This is possible because the trains get their electricity from an overhead wire. If the metro had to get its electricity from a third rail from the railway, it would be dangerous for pedestrians. As a consequence, the trains would need to stay underground. Therefore, the Valencia Metro trains will be allowed to travel at surface-level railways.
Line 2 will have a daily ridership of over 145,000 people after all of its stations are built. In San Diego, there will be a line 2 station. At this station, the metro will have an additional transfer point to the trains of the national railway service.
There are many national parks, malls, and many other points of interest in Valencia. Since Monumental station is one of the busiest stations of the Valencia Metro, it will be used as a reference point. Some of the nearby touristic attractions are the following:
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Feel free to contact us if you dont find the system you're looking for and we'll add it as soon as we can!
Thank you very much! | https://mapa-metro.com/en/Venezuela/Valencia-ve/Valencia-ve-Metro-map.htm |
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Teachers are often encouraged to partnerships to support their professional development. In this article we focus on three forms of working partnerships based in English secondary schools. Each has an intended function of developing teaching practices. The cases of mentoring, coaching and an adapted lesson study come from both Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development, but have common practices of one-to-one meetings, planned activity and shared reflection. The participants’ perspectives on these practices were investigated through a multiple case study using semi-structured interviews. We established the degree to which their experiences could be considered to be collaborative, basing our analysis on the extent to which there was evidence of working ‘together’, not just working ‘with’; and working towards a common goal, pooling knowledge and problem-solving. We conclude that collaboration for the development of their own teaching practices allows teachers to engage in more informed decision making and to construct a shared understanding of the nature of the desired learning outcomes and how they might be achieved in their own contexts. The teachers indicate that this experience often runs counter to their experience of the school cultures driven by performativity. | https://eprints.ncl.ac.uk/211126 |
Students will be able to use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
The adjustment to the whole group lesson is a modification to differentiate for children who are English learners.
Introduction(5 minutes)
- Write the phrase Difficult Words on the board and circle it. Ask students to think about what they do when they encounter a difficult word during reading. Record answers around the phrase and circle them to create a concept map graphic organizer.
- Provide feedback about student answers, pointing out the effective strategies all readers should use.
- Read the learning objective aloud, and have the class choral read it. Explain that today’s lesson will teach about good context clues that support a reader in figuring out the definition of new words. Context clues are a skill that readers use to figure out the meanings of unknown words in a sentence. These are found within the same sentence as the unknown words, or they can be found in sentences that come before or after them.
Explicit Instruction/Teacher modeling(15 minutes)
- Share that one of the most important skills a reader needs is figuring out the definitions of new words. Otherwise, we often lose interest and our ability to comprehend. Explain that authors do not always provide context clues, but they are extremely helpful when present.
- Introduce some different examples of context clues that readers could look for when they come across an unfamiliar word. Explain the information a reader could use to determine the meaning of the vocabulary word for the following sentences:
- Example 1 - The elegant dress, which was fancy and beautiful, fit the queen well. (The author provides the meaning of the word in the text, or they explain it with detail.)
- Example 2 - Our tradition that we do every 4th of July is to eat hot dogs and watch fireworks from the roof of the apartment building. (The author shares words that mean the same to help the reader figure out the meaning.)
- Example 3 - When we move, my brother will adapt well and make a new routine, but it will be hard for me to change my routine. (The author uses words that are the opposite to show a contrast from the vocabulary word.)
- Example 4 - I am unable to join in the recess activity because my ankle hurts. (The author uses words with prefixes, roots, and suffixes. If the reader knows the meaning of the word parts, they can figure out the meaning of the vocabulary word.)
- Example 5 - My sister shows courage. For example, she was not scared when she saw a snake in the yard. (The author gives examples that help to define and explain the vocabulary word.)
- Display a copy of the Context Clues Learning Check worksheet. Show only the passage on #1, covering the answer choices. Read aloud the text and think aloud about what you think the word harsh might mean based on the text. Jot down a possible definition in the margin of the worksheet. Underline the context clues that helped you come up with a definition, and reveal the answer choices. Choose the correct answer choice, and continue to explain how you knew. Share that the author offered an explanation of what harsh means. For example, the author stated that it is difficult for living creatures to survive. The text also stated that the cold and wind make it nearly impossible to survive. These explanations serve as context clues.
- Guide students through the second example on the worksheet. Have them take out a whiteboard and whiteboard marker to write down what they think the word means. Follow the same think aloud process as modeled with example #1.
Guided Practice(15 minutes)
- Put students into partnerships. Have them work together to complete the third and fourth examples on the Context Clues Learning Check worksheet.
- Scramble partnerships, and have students check answers and explanations with each other about the word meanings and context clues used. Call on nonvolunteers to explain their answers.
- Instruct the new partnerships to complete the bottom half of the worksheet. Go over the answers as a class. Call on nonvolunteers to supply an answer, and prompt them to explain the context clues they used to help them.
- Introduce the Keeping Up with Context Clues worksheet by displaying it on the document camera. Read aloud the first few pages of Weslandia by Paul Fleischman or another book that lends itself to teaching context clues. Focus on words like outcast and shelter to model how to fill out the graphic organizer. Invite learners to participate by looking up the words in the dictionary.
Independent working time(20 minutes)
- Distribute a copy of the Keeping Up with Context Clues worksheet to each student. Tell students that they will read their independent reading book for 20 minutes with the goal of recording at least three words on the graphic organizer.
- Circulate while students read independently and check-in with learners about the words they have chosen for the graphic organizer.
Differentiation
Support:
- Provide sentence frames for students as they discuss the definitions and context clues throughout the lesson. For example, "I think ____means ____. The context clues are ____."
- Give students a graphic organizer, such as a Frayer Model, to explore a vocabulary word from the lesson in depth.
- Chunk the work for struggling students.
Enrichment: Give advanced students higher-leveled text with more vocabulary words. Then, have them write a new story that uses each of the vocabulary words. Challenge them to identify the different types of context clues in the text so that readers can figure out the meanings of the vocabulary words. Ask, "What type of information did the author provide that helped you figure out the defintions of the words?"
Technology Integration
- Allow students to use an online dictionary, such as wordsmyth.com or learnersdictionary.com.
Assessment(3 minutes)
- Give each student an index card and have them choose one of the vocabulary words from any part of the lesson today. Instruct them to write a sentence using the vocabulary word, and remind them to use context clues in the sentence that help define the word.
Review and closing(2 minutes)
- Go over students’ sentences from the exit ticket. Display them for students to see, and call on nonvolunteers to point out the context clues that help the reader determine the word meaning.
- Remind students that unfamiliar words can make reading difficult, but we gain comprehension when we are able to figure out the definition by using context clues. | https://www.education.com/lesson-plan/get-clued-in-to-context-clues/ |
In 2011, Sherrell Neal founded Sherrell Design Studio, a Cypress, Texas-based firm specializing in full-scale residential interior design. With her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Interior Design from The Art Institute of Houston, she continues honing her natural ability to create simple elegance. Growing up in Houston and spending much of her childhood in New Orleans, she spent a great deal of time with her father on a remodel job, or in the workshop, where she developed a heart for design. Her passion for quality and craftsmanship have led her to develop relationships with some of the area's best makers, as well as the industry's leading manufacturers.
Sherrell strives to emphasize function, while layering simplicity with sophistication. Her endless attention to detail, and the use of natural materials helped to form her point of view. Her commitment to the client relationship allows her to tailor every project to reflect their personal style. Sherrell believes a thoughtfully designed, comfortable space can dramatically improve the lives of the people who live in it, and that everyone deserves this experience.
Sherrell travels regularly, finding antique or unique pieces to support her growing business. These items are blended with original artwork, custom upholstery and fine textiles to create each space. Sherrell designs furniture, accessories, lighting, and an occasional work of art. She enjoys creating something new out of something old, or something original out of something common. Her workshop is always busy restoring, repurposing, or building the things she envisions. | https://sherrelldesignstudio.com/about |
Famous greek sculpture Venus de Milo in 360 degree in Paris Louvre museum. The most famous ancient Greek statue with missing arms is standing in the Louvre Paris, France. The Louvre is the world's largest art museum and a historic monument in Paris, France. A central landmark of the city, it is located on the Right Bank of the Seine in the city's 1st arrondissement (district or ward). Approximately 38,000 objects from prehistory to the 21st century are exhibited over an area of 72,735 square metres (782,910 square feet). In 2017, the Louvre was the world's most visited art museum, receiving 8.1 million visitors. | https://www.sputnik7.com/video/1264/venus-de-milo-louvre-paris-360-vr-video |
The neonatal difficult airway course (NDAC) was established in 2012 as a QI initiative in airway training. The aim is to help individuals, institutions, hospitals, teams and co-specialties develop skills in crisis resource management, human factors and advanced neonatal airway stabilisation.
MPROvE relates to multidisciplinary education of any kind (i.e. multidisciplinary neonatal simulation, or TEL) being used to improve the quality of care and or neonatal outcomes.
The MPROvE neonatal instructor training course was established by neonatologists and experts in simulation education. The course combines lectures, workshops and simulation to help deliver training in approaching different situations dealing with difficulties in managing the neonatal airway. The intention is to provide teams the ability to deal with these emergencies in a structured way using CRM principles.
This course will address the following:
- CRM/HRM principles in managing neonatal emergencies
- Difficult neonatal airway equipment and adjuncts (workshops)
- Traffic light pathway in managing the difficult neonatal airway
- Preparing a difficult neonatal airway trolley
- Evidence-based use of sedation and paralysis in neonates
- Checklists (pre-intubation, pre-extubation)
- Can't intubate and can't ventilate situations
- Videolaryngoscopy training
- Workshops on using the Glidescope, Airtraq, C-MAC, and Bougie intubation
- Simulated practice in managing realistic manikins and modified high fidelity simulators, as well as the preterm airway. | https://www.bapm.org/events/96-neonatal-difficult-airway-course-kerala |
JIS: The Ministry of Education, Youth and Information, in collaboration with the Office of the Cabinet, has launched the Records and Information Management (RIM) Policy Implementation and Sensitisation Programme, geared towards ensuring that all activities and decisions of the Government are fully and accurately documented, managed and monitored.
The policy will govern records and information management across all ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) of the Government.
Implementation of the RIM policy will facilitate accessible, efficient and effective service delivery to the citizenry; data sharing across MDAs; ease of doing business, research and attraction of investments; increased transparency and accountability through the creation, processing, maintenance, use and disposition of records in conformity with local policies, standards and international good practice; preservation of national and cultural identity; leveraging cultural assets; informing the citizenry; and the overall attainment of national development goals.
At the launch, held on October 4 at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston, Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid, said the RIM policy is transformational and will help with the storage of important records.
“Our reality today, in the digital age, is that every small unit has its own de facto registry, and each computer is host to volumes of official records, be it emails or documents, which are saved and stored, often in an unstructured way,” the Minister said.
“While this experience is not at all unique to Jamaica, we accept that without a robust RIM system which provides ready access to relevant and historical documents and which evidences our work, we cannot truly offer to the people of Jamaica good governance, sound policy development and decision-making, efficient and effective services or accountability and transparency,” he added.
The Minister called on the stakeholders present at the launch, who represented various government MDAs, to ensure that during the implementation there is adherence to managing their digital records in conformity with the prescriptions of the policy, especially with respect to emails, which are official records.
Senator Reid also thanked members of the Cabinet Office for their effort, which is contributing to the success of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation (PSTM) Programme.
Meanwhile, Director General, PSTM Programme, Office of the Cabinet, Veniece Pottinger-Scott, shared about the RIM policy.
“Implementation of the RIM programme originated within the overall work of the Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme at the Cabinet Office, and is regarded as one of the major initiatives aimed at driving public-sector efficiency and enhancing the ease of doing business,” Mrs. Pottinger-Scott said.
“It is aligned with Jamaica’s economic growth priorities articulated in the Vision 2030 – National Development Plan. It seeks to address systemic issues that significantly affect public-sector performance, [with] information management being one of them; and records. As such, it is prioritised that the improvement of the quality of government data and the strengthening of information sharing across government, must be our priority,” she added.
Copies of the Government of Jamaica Records and Information Management Policy were also presented at the launch to Permanent Secretaries and Directors of Documentation, Information and Access Services in the various ministries.
CAPTION: Minister of Education, Youth and Information, Senator the Hon. Ruel Reid (left), listens to Director General, Public Sector Transformation and Modernisation Programme, Office of the Cabinet, Veniece Pottinger-Scott, at the launch of the Records and Information Management (RIM) Policy Implementation and Sensitisation Programme on Thursday (October 4) at the Jamaica Conference Centre in downtown Kingston. | https://moey.gov.jm/rim-policy-implementation-and-sensitisation-programme-launched |
Joyce’s Ulysses famously takes place over one day, 16 June 1904, as Leopold Bloom wanders through the city of Dublin in a modernised mimicking of the journey taken by the ancient Greek king Odysseus in Homer’s epic poem, The Odyssey.[i] Odysseus, the crafty and resourceful architect of Greek victory over Troy, is wending his way home to his beloved wife, son, and city. Between Troy and Ithaca he encounters temptations and obstacles that delay but do not derail his voyage homeward. The exhausted Odysseus has to fight monsters, resist sirens and seductresses, before finally arriving at Ithaca, his homeland. Joyce’s Ulysses is all about wandering, and the immitigable loneliness that comes with it.
Joyce’s choice of the figure of the wandering Jew as the modern-day Odysseus was a deliberate one. Christopher Hitchens maintained that Joyce made Bloom a Jew because the Jewish question was uppermost on his mind. From Dublin to Trieste to Paris, Joyce was labouring on the novel amid a crumbling civilisation. Post-WWI Europe had not resolved the challenges and paradoxes of modernity. 19th century enlightenment values failed to dissolve the intractability of Jewish identity. Like Bloom, the Jew in Europe remained a Jew, voluntarily or involuntarily. ‘In some intuitive manner, Joyce seems to have had the premonition that the Jewish question would be crucial to the 20th century,’ wrote Hitchens.
Homer’s Odysseus was not a great mythical warrior like Achilles. No muse sang of his arête. He was a family man, father and a loving husband who had been dragged into war against his will, and to him eventually befell the task of ending that seemingly un-winnable war, resorting to subterfuge. Likewise, Joyce’s Bloom was not a brawny man strutting about the city, but a pacifist whose fellow-Dubliners consider unmanly and who is subjected to their insults.
The Bloom-Dedalus Friendship
Bloom’s co-hero in the novel is Stephen Dedalus, who walks with him part of the day and returns with him to his home at its end. Bloom has grown to love the troubled and (since that morning) homeless young man and wishes to adopt him. His offers are declined. As Stephen departs Bloom’s home at past two in the morning, readers are left perplexed: will Bloom and Stephen remain friends? James Joyce famously said that he ‘put so many enigmas and puzzles [into Ulysses] that it will keep the professors busy for centuries arguing over what I meant, and that’s the only way of insuring one’s immortality.’ The question of the Bloom-Dedalus friendship has certainly given rise to many speculations from the critics. Some assume that friendship to be a near-certainty. The more cautious warn against making such hypotheses. For me, this is not one of those ‘enigmas and puzzles’. The turmoil within Bloom is triggered by many life factors and perplexities, among which the dialectic between antisemitism, Jewish identity and Zionism is major but not singular. But if we pay special attention to that dialectic we can see that the friendship will not outlast the night.
Leopold Bloom, Joyce’s Odysseus, is Jewish. Although he was born to a Catholic mother and a Jewish Hungarian convert, and was baptised at birth, so is not a Jew in any formal Jewish or Irish-Catholic sense, he is known throughout Dublin as a Jew and is treated like one, enduring antisemitic jeers and humiliations, the butt of Jew-baiting jokes, wherever he goes. There are explicitly 25 direct mentions of ‘Jews’ in the entire text, and many other implied references, most of them conveying classically crude antisemitic slanders, fewer samples of modern antisemitic conspiracies, and fewer still neutral mentions (six mentions in the final and 18th chapter ‘Penelope’, which is Bloom’s wife Molly’s interior monologue).
When Bloom tries to avow himself a bona fide Irishman, neither his compatriots nor his author allow him to be one. Indeed, one could argue that had Bloom been an Irishman, fully assimilated, no longer Jewish in any formal or cultural sense of that identity, his author would have had no use for him. No, Bloom is still a Jew. Neither the jeering Dubliners, nor Joyce misread his identity. Perhaps most clueless is Bloom, who longs to belong organically to the Irish nation while being literally incapable of wresting himself from his deeply felt Jewish awareness. It takes Stephen’s proverbial slap near the day’s end to clarify this for him.
Those who are attentive to it may discern in Joyce’s Ulysses a dialectical rhythm between antisemitism and Zionism. Just as a neo-Impressionist Pointillist painting becomes comprehensible to the eye when we step back from the tiny dots of colour, if we pull back from Joyce’s dazzling, dancing textual dots of interlacing micro-events and ruminations, we can trace a certain pattern in which explicit antisemitic manifestations cue in Zionist visions and ideas, and Zionist allusions cue in antisemitic tropes. Over the course of the day, the initially modern ‘rational antisemitism’ we encounter in the morning hours transmogrifies into dark medieval hatred, while the Zionist yearning becomes more heavily invested with Jewish emotional premonition. The day is thus bracketed, opening and ending on the same two notes: Antisemitism, Zionism, Zionism, Antisemitism. Bloom is the main protagonist; Stephen, as his companion and interlocutor, acts as a Greek chorus, commenting and clarifying to Bloom and the reader.
Let’s walk through the pertinent episodes on 16 June 1904 and see where it gets us.
The Pleasures of Antisemitism in the Morning
We meet Stephen Dedalus first on the morning of 16 June 1904, engaging in edgy conversation with Mulligan, his Irish roommate and, a little later, with Haines, who Mulligan describes as ‘a ponderous Saxon… Bursting with money and indigestion.’ Stephen is afraid of Haines, who owns a firearm and has nightmares about hunting black panthers.
Later in the chapter, Stephen realises Haines is ‘not all unkind,’ and Haines’ eyes are ‘unhating.’ Indeed, a few moments after Stephen’s realisation, the Englishman reassures him that he does not hate the Irish.
‘We feel in England that we have treated you [the Irish] rather unfairly. It seems history is to blame. [–] Of course I’m a Britisher, Haines’ voice said, and I feel as one. I don’t want to see my country fall into the hands of German jews either. That’s our national problem, I’m afraid, just now.’
Haines blames history for British oppression of the Irish and, apropos of nothing, his mind turns to the Jews, voicing a more urgent national problem, that of the international Jewish conspiracy.
Later that morning, near the end of the second chapter, ‘Nestor’, the proud Unionist Mr. Deasy, headmaster at the school where Stephen is a teacher, expands ghoulishly on Haines’ theme of Jewish power, mixing old and new antisemitic slanders:
‘Mark my words, Mr Dedalus, he said. England is in the hands of the jews. In all the highest places: her finance, her press. And they are the signs of a nation’s decay. Wherever they gather they eat up the nation’s vital strength. I have seen it coming these years. As sure as we are standing here the jew merchants are already at their work of destruction. Old England is dying.[-] They sinned against the light, Mr Deasy said gravely. And you can see the darkness in their eyes. And that is why they are wanderers on the earth to this day.’
Stephen, mainly passive in this exchange, asks Deasy, ‘A merchant … is one who buys cheap and sells dear, jew or gentile, is he not?’
As Stephen walks out, Deasy runs after him, anxious to belabor his point:
‘I just wanted to say, he said. Ireland, they say, has the honour of being the only country which never persecuted the jews. Do you know that? No. And do you know why? [-] Because she never let them in, Mr Deasy said solemnly.[-] She never let them in, he cried again through his laughter … that’s why.’
These early passages – Haines’ reference to Jewish power and Deasy’s incontinent obsession with Jews – signal to the reader that antisemitism is not only well established in Ireland; it is multi-dimensional and thickly ambient in the culture. The venomous statements prompt Leopold Bloom’s appearance in the novel.
8am. Leopold Bloom on the quayside at Jaffa
While Stephen is receiving his early morning education on Jews, we find Bloom about to prepare breakfast for his wife who is still sleeping. Realising he is short of the necessary meat he needs, Bloom walks to the butcher to buy a pork kidney. At the butcher’s, waiting his turn, he picks up a page from a ‘pile of cut sheets’ used for wrapping meat on the butcher’s counter and reads:
‘.. the model farm at Kinnereth on the lakeshore of Tiberias. Can become ideal winter sanatorium. Moses Montefiore. I thought he was. Farmhouse, wall round it, blurred cattle cropping. He held the page from him: interesting: read it nearer, the title, the blurred cropping cattle, the page rustling.’
The page, containing two advertisements with a common motif and a mention of ‘Moses Montefiore’, confirms for Bloom what he had already guessed, that the Butcher Dlugacz, who reads papers with strong Zionist leanings, must be a Jew.
Bloom’s interior references to Dlugacz are hardly complimentary: ‘ferreteyed porkbutcher .. with blotchy fingers, sausagepink’. A minute later, when the butcher thanks him for his custom, Bloom’s mind continues the animalistic metaphor:
‘A speck of eager fire from foxeyes thanked him. He withdrew his gaze after an instant. No: better not: another time.
— Good morning, he said, moving away.’
Despite Bloom’s interest in the subject of that farm on the shore of Kinnereth and the fleeting spark of mutual recognition between him and Dlugacz, he declines the unspoken invitation to talk about it. We are uncertain why: is Bloom – in his self-perception as an Irishman – reluctant to share a common interest with the Jewish porkbutcher? Is he in a hurry to exit the shop so he can ‘catch up and walk behind’ the ‘nextdoor girl’, a young woman whose ‘vigorous hips’ and ‘strong pair of arms’ are, he lasciviously notes, ‘Pleasant to see first thing in the morning’? Rather than talk to a ham-handed butcher about some ‘model farm at Kinnereth’ he would prefer to ogle the slowly ‘moving hams’ of the young woman, it seems.
Once outside, and with no sign of the girl in sight, Bloom returns his attention to the page he is holding, moving on to the second advertisement:
‘He walked back along Dorset street, reading gravely. Agendath Netaim: planters’ company. To purchase waste sandy tracts from Turkish government and plant with eucalyptus trees. Excellent for shade, fuel and construction. Orangegroves and immense melonfields north of Jaffa. You pay eighty marks and they plant a dunam of land for you with olives, oranges, almonds or citrons. Olives cheaper: oranges need artificial irrigation. Every year you get a sending of the crop. Your name entered for life as owner in the book of the union. Can pay ten down and the balance in yearly instalments. Bleibtreustrasse 34, Berlin, W. 15.’
The ad published by ‘Agendath Netaim’ is a fictional invention composed by Joyce but it was inspired by actual Zionist initiatives for collectively owned agricultural projects to purchase land from the Ottoman government and train Jewish immigrants to become successful farmers.
Bloom’s interest is stirred. We see the natural curiosity of a well-read, relatively broad intellect about a subject that touches intimately upon his own ancestry. Unlikely to respond to the call in the ad, he is nevertheless intrigued: ‘Nothing doing. Still an idea behind it.’ Not for me, he says, but the larger, underlying idea of such initiatives – Zionism – is not to be trifled with.
Bloom casts his imaginary eye on the landscapes the ad’s promised bounties has opened in his mind:
‘… the cattle, blurred in silver heat. Silver-powdered olive trees. Quiet long days: pruning, ripening. Oranges in tissue paper packed in crates. Citrons too. Crates lined up on the quayside at Jaffa, ticking them off in a book, navvies handling them in soiled dungarees.’
Bloom’s sun-bathed daydream dissipates when ‘A cloud began to cover the sun slowly, wholly. Grey. Far.’ Immediately abandoning the vision of a bustling Jaffa port and its crated oranges, his mind reverts to its more conventional view of that land:
‘A barren land, bare waste. Vulcanic lake, the dead sea: no fish, weedless, sunk deep in the earth. No wind would lift those waves, grey metal, poisonous foggy waters. All dead names. A dead sea in a dead land, grey and old. Old now. It bore the oldest, the first race. The oldest people. Wandered far away over all the earth, captivity to captivity, multiplying, dying, being born everywhere. It lay there now. Now it could bear no more. Dead: an old woman’s: the grey sunken cunt of the world.’
Bloom’s flesh physically shudders as his thoughts conjure up the ancient land of the Jews as an old woman’s dead and cold womb. ‘Desolation. Grey horror seared his flesh. ‘
Joyce’s spectral metaphor for an unresuscitable ancient nation would reappear no more than three decades later in Primo Levi’s post-Auschwitz lamentation:
Consider if this is a woman
Without hair, without name,
Without the strength to remember,
Empty are her eyes, cold her womb,
Like a frog in winter.
With this chilling image in mind, Bloom folds the page into his pocket, turns into Eccles Street, and hurries homeward.
5pm: The Rage of Pugilistic Antisemitism in the Afternoon
Bloom’s day as he wanders from one place to another, carrying out his list of errands and tasks, is also an exhausting record of the lacerating antisemitic slights he endures with great patience.
At midday, in episode 6 ‘Hades’ Bloom is made to feel excluded by a group of Irish mourners on the way to a funeral. As they spot a locally known Jewish money-lender, they sneer at the man. ‘We have all been there’ intones one of them before, looking askance at Bloom, he corrects himself: ‘Well, nearly all of us.’ Bloom’s hapless attempts to join in the spiteful badinage about the Jew are callously and categorically snubbed.
Episode 12, ‘Cyclops’, takes place in a bar a few hours later, An anonymous narrator reports what happens when a posse of bellicose drunken antisemites, led by an Irish ultra-nationalist known as ‘the citizen’ pester Bloom for being ‘half and half’. Already inwardly wounded, Bloom is now baited explicitly, with a more belligerent version of the earlier exchange. The volume of hatred meted out to Bloom in this scene has reached a crescendo, too overpowering for his habitual and natural docility to ignore.
‘What is your nation if I may ask? says the citizen.’ Bloom’s clear answer, ‘Ireland.. I was born here. Ireland’ is met with silence and a spitball ‘out of [the citizen’s] gullet and, gob’. Bloom qualifies: ‘I belong to a race too … that is hated and persecuted. Also now. This very moment. This very instant. Robbed … plundered. Insulted. Persecuted. Taking what belongs to us by right. At this very moment, says he, putting up his fist, sold by auction in Morocco like slaves or cattle.’‘Are you talking about the new Jerusalem?’ inquires the citizen
Bloom’s expostulation about the miserable state of world Jewry, follows his avowal as an authentic Irishman as well as a Jew. This honest answer gains him – respectively – a spitball and a suspicious watchfulness from the Citizen. The reference to ‘the new Jerusalem’ should alert us to ‘the Citizen’s awareness of the Zionist movement’s efforts to win over the great powers of Europe and the Ottoman Empire to sponsor an autonomous Jewish state in Palestine.[ii] Arguably, the Citizen regards Zionist yearnings as validating the ancient suspicion of Jews as secret and conniving aliens, hence his scornful attitude towards Bloom’s outburst. For the quintessential Irish antisemite, Jews can never have a legitimate claim or a place to exist as themselves. The idea of a Jewish state draws from him as much ire as the Jewish desire for assimilation. For the Citizen, Jews are irredeemably and perpetually ‘strangers in the house’.
To read ‘Cyclops’ and watch Bloom trying to reason with the antisemites is to enter into a surreal universe. Can he really be that naïve? How can he not realise that his rational arguments and pleas for justice and kindliness only serve to whip up hatred towards himself and any kind of Jewish existence? This long episode isa litany of antisemitic slanders, conspiracies and fantasies, culminating in a physical attack on Bloom and a threat by the Citizen to ‘bloody well worth to tear him limb from limb’, to the raucous laughter of all present.
The minutely-written episode, building up to its violent climax, reveals the depths of Joyce’s intimacy with the livid antisemitism within Irish ultra-nationalism.
2am. Bloom recites a Zionist Poem to Stephen Dedalus…
Like Joyce, Bloom was a student of Spinoza. Among the books on his shelves there is a volume of ‘Thoughts from Spinoza (maroon leather).’ Episode 17, ‘Ithaca’, is the most Spinosist in the novel. The penultimate chapter sees Bloom and Stephen arriving at Bloom’s house, nearing the end of Bloom’s Odyssey. The episode is constructed as a series of questions and answers, in a kind of dogged and sometimes merciless computation of all that had been experienced, imagined, done, thought, felt and spent during that day, from the smallest most insignificant detail to the greatest impressions about the place, time and the individuals at the heart of this novel. It could be Joyce experimenting with Spinoza’s attempt in the ‘Ethics’ to organise the manifold human condition within the precision of Euclidean geometry.
From the conversation that Bloom and Stephen engage in, we realise that the day’s cumulative challenges to Bloom’s ethnic identity are still preying on his mind. He draws similarities between the Jews and the Irish as two nations that suffered great defamation and persecution, and are in the process of re-inventing themselves as distinct in language, culture, literary heritage, political aspirations, and revitalised self-esteem. Bloom is animated, almost giddy, with the exuberance that comes from the easy mutual understanding between intellectual equals.
Agreeing that ‘points of contact existed between these languages and between the peoples who spoke them’, Bloom and Stephen each recite a poem to illustrate the dialectic between Jew and Irishman.
‘What anthem did Bloom chant partially in anticipation of that multiple, ethnically irreducible consummation?
Kolod balejwaw pnimah
Nefesch, jehudi, homijah. ‘
The couplet sung by Bloom translates thus ‘As long as within the heart’s depths / Vibrates a Jewish soul’s quintessence’. Bloom does not know the rest of the poem beyond these two lines which he recites in the original (somewhat antiquated) Hebrew. Joyce does not share with the reader Bloom’s ‘periphrastic version of the general text’, but I will: It is Naftali Herz Imber’s 1878 poem ‘Hatikvah’, expressing Jewish aspiration ‘to return to the land of our forefathers’. In 1887 the poem was put to music and adopted as the anthem of the Zionist Movement and, in due time, the State of Israel’s. At the Sixth Zionist Congress at Basel in August 1903, the poem was sung robustly by those favoring the Jewish homeland in Palestine as expressed in the line ‘An eye still gazes toward Zion’.
That Bloom knows about this anthem, can sing part of it, and explain its meaning, a mere 10 months after that event, suggests that the Jewish porkbutcher Dlugacz, who had wrapped the pork-kidney for Bloom that morning, was not the only Jew in the novel with a keen interest in Zionism.
… and Stephen Dedalus reads an antisemitic poem to Leopold Bloom
It’s now Stephen’s turn. He begins:
Little Harry Hughes and his schoolfellows all
Went out for to play ball.
And the very first ball little Harry Hughes played
He drove it o’er the jew’s garden wall.
And the very second ball little Harry Hughes played
He broke the jew’s windows all.
Then out there came the jew’s daughter
And she all dressed in green.
‘Come back, come back, you pretty little boy,
And play your ball again.’
‘I can’t come back and I won’t come back
Without my schoolfellows all.
For if my master he did hear
He’d make it a sorry ball.’
She took him by the lilywhite hand
And led him along the hall
Until she led him to a room
Where none could hear him call.
She took a penknife out of her pocket
And cut off his little head.
And now he’ll play his ball no more
For he lies among the dead.
Listening with an expectant smile to the first stanza, Bloom is caught unprepared for what unfolds in the rest of this ghoulishly antisemitic poem. Stephen’s neutral explanation about the poem’s ‘victim predestined’ passively consenting to his own murder, disturbs and saddens Bloom as he ‘weighed the possible evidences for and against ritual murder: the incitations of the hierarchy, the superstition of the populace, the propagation of rumour in continued fraction of veridicity, the envy of opulence, the influence of retaliation, the sporadic reappearance of atavistic delinquency, the mitigating circumstances of fanaticism..’.
Neither Bloom nor reader are offered any plausible explanation why Stephen reciprocated his host’s Jewish anthem about eternal hope with a chilling blood libel. The literary critics too appear to be either incurious or flummoxed by this scene; beyond noting it, they offer little help. It is noteworthy, however, that the dialectic between antisemitism and Zionism earlier indicated in this article is repeated here but in reverse order: Bloom’s Zionist song cues in Stephen’s horrific poem.
Soon after, Bloom offers to embrace Stephen in any way the latter would want: as a lodger in his house (Stephen has been homeless since that morning, remember), as an adopted son, as husband to his daughter Milly, as a son to his wife Molly, who had been bereaved of her own son these eight years. His offers are ‘Promptly, inexplicably, with amicability, gratefully … declined.’
Bloom’s Final Reckoning
We are now drawing to the end of Bloom’s turbulent waking hours. Stephen has departed and Bloom is cogitating on his day as he prepares to go to bed. With the focus of this article in mind, two things stand out, suggesting some kind of denouement.
First, Bloom pulls out from his waistcoat the folded page of the ‘prospectus (illustrated) entitled Agendath Netaim’ he had taken from the butcher that morning, and after examining it superficially, rolls it into a thin cylinder to use as kindle to burn some aromatic incense. The piece of paper is then placed in the basin of the candlestick until it is burned out completely. So .. ‘Nothing doing.’
Second, looking at himself in the mirror, Bloom ruefully observes that ‘From infancy to maturity he had resembled his maternal procreatrix. From maturity to senility he would increasingly resemble his paternal procreator.’ Casting his mind across the infinite number of names, places, ideas, events, biographical experiences, and teachings his Jewish father passed to him, his mind, navigating between Irish geography and millennial Jewish wanderings, Bloom comes to a realisation that there will be no single simple solution to who he is: ‘Assumed by any or known to none. Everyman or Noman.’ There can be no perfect synonymy between how he is viewed and what he is to himself.
Throughout his roamings on 16 June 1904, Leopold Bloom’s attempts to be counted as an Irishman made him an easy target for the city’s mindless cruelty. His excellent but fleeting friendship with Stephen – from which he derives so much pleasure and a sense of worth that comes from being genuinely heard – concludes with a doleful recognition that there will be no father and son relationship in the future. Stephen is predestined to greatness that he, Bloom, will not inspire or share. Putting it more bluntly, Stephen (Joyce’s representative in the novel) is an authentic ethnic Irishman through and through, even when he departs from Ireland for good, while Bloom can never be an Irish man, even when he straightforwardly discards Jewish yearnings or joins antisemites in their mockery of other Jews. Bloom rightly feels that his Jewishness – though he does remind us that he is not formally a Jew – represents perpetual alienation from ‘real’ Irish people. But perhaps there is a certain quiet heroism in his final realisation that, when all is said and done, his father’s Jewishness is the key to his own humanity. More about this in a minute.
Final Thought: The Necessity of ‘Animos effoeminarent’
In the late 17th century, the Jewish philosopher Baruch Spinoza famously wrote that ‘were it not that the fundamental principles of their religion discourage manliness, I would not hesitate to believe that [the Jews] will one day, given the opportunity – such is the mutability of human affairs – establish once more their independent state.’
For Spinoza, the key to the possibility of Jewish revival as a nation in the Holy land was ‘animos effoeminarent’ – i.e. manliness, courage, affirmative vitality. Already sundered from the Jewish community of Amsterdam, Spinoza was doubtful that the Jews, long depleted of their vigor due to religious customs and diasporic history, would succeed in revitalising their national spirit. However, he thought it remained a viable undertaking under certain circumstances – ‘such is the mutability of human affairs’.
Bloom is invariably perceived as meek and unmanly by his fellow-Dubliners. When he rues the injustice inflicted upon Jews, Bloom is pleading for something that no one around him can understand or respect. The answer he gets is: stand up to it with force, ‘like men’. All this pleading and speaking of universal love as the corrective for the injustice to Jews and Irish alike is deemed ‘unmanly’ and wins him even more violent vituperation. The ‘love’ Bloom prescribes cannot cure antisemitism or gain him one iota of respect from his fellow-Dubliners. But, contra Spinoza, it is not Jewish laws or customs that have depleted Bloom’s spirits but rather his disinclination to accept himself as a Jew. The only time we see him animated is when he responds to the Citizen’s taunts by shaking his fist and speaking for the Jewish people, as a collective.
Hannah Arendt (born in 1906), a younger contemporary of Bloom and Joyce, created a typology of European Jews living in gentile, often antisemitic, societies. The earlier Bloom, who tries to belong to a society in which it is a disgrace to be a Jew, she would have spurned. The later Bloom, who finally discards this self-deceit at past two o’clock in the morning, she would have considered her natural ally. By accepting his alienation from both Jewish and gentile societies, he is rewarded with the honour, honesty and unflinching clarity that make life worth living: ‘Assumed by any or known to none. Everyman or Noman.’
Bloom’s year, let’s remember, is 1904. Joyce is writing this in 1920, as a witness to the gathering storm of bare-knuckled antisemitism in Europe and the glacial progress of Zionism in the international arena. The Holocaust and Jewish Statehood are still in supposition, barely audible thunderclaps of history to be. Bloom is not yet called on to make the more robust choice that Hannah Arendt was required to make, in 1933 Germany – of which Spinoza would have approved – when she said: ‘If one is attacked as a Jew, one must defend oneself as a Jew. Not as a German, not as a world-citizen, not as an upholder of the Rights of Man, or whatever. But: What can I specifically do as a Jew?’
References
[i] Brittanica.com summarises Joyce’s novel thus:
All the action of Ulysses takes place in and immediately around Dublin on a single day (June 16, 1904). The three central characters—Stephen Dedalus (the hero of Joyce’s earlier Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man); Leopold Bloom, a Jewish advertising canvasser; and his wife, Molly—are intended to be modern counterparts of Telemachus,Ulysses (Odysseus), and Penelope, respectively, and the events of the novel loosely parallel the major events in Odysseus’s journey home after the Trojan War.
The book begins at 8:00 in the morning in a Martello tower (a Napoleonic-era defensive structure), where Stephen lives with medical student Buck Mulligan and his English friend Haines. They prepare for the day and head out. After teaching at a boys’ school, Stephen receives his pay from the ignorant and anti-Semitic headmaster, Mr. Deasy, and takes a letter from Deasy that he wants to have published in two newspapers. Afterward Stephen wanders along a beach, lost in thought.
Also that morning, Bloom brings breakfast and the mail to Molly, who remains in bed; her concert tour manager, Blazes Boylan, is to see her at 4:00 that afternoon. Bloom goes to the post office to pick up a letter from a woman with whom he has an illicit correspondence and then to the pharmacist to order lotion for Molly. At 11:00 AM Bloom attends the funeral of Paddy Dignam with Simon Dedalus, Martin Cunningham, and Jack Power.
Bloom goes to a newspaper office to negotiate the placement of an advertisement, which the foreman agrees to as long as it is to run for three months. Bloom leaves to talk with the merchant placing the ad. Stephen arrives with Deasy’s letter, and the editor agrees to publish it. When Bloom returns with an agreement to place the ad for two months, the editor rejects it. Bloom walks through Dublin for a while, stopping to chat with Mrs. Breen, who mentions that Mina Purefoy is in labour. He later has a cheese sandwich and a glass of wine at a pub. On his way to the National Library afterward, he spots Boylan and ducks into the National Museum.
In the National Library, Stephen discusses his theories about Shakespeare and Hamlet with the poet AE, the essayist and librarian John Eglinton, and the librarians Richard Best and Thomas Lyster. Bloom arrives, looking for a copy of an advertisement he had placed, and Buck shows up. Stephen and Buck leave to go to a pub as Bloom also departs.
Simon and Matt Lenehan meet in the bar of the Ormond Hotel, and later Boylan arrives. Leopold had earlier seen Boylan’s car and followed it to the hotel, where he then dines with Richie Goulding. Boylan leaves with Lenehan, on his way to his assignation with Molly. Later, Bloom goes to Barney Kiernan’s boisterous pub, where he is to meet Cunningham in order to help with the Dignam family’s finances. Bloom finds himself being cruelly mocked, largely for his Jewishness. He defends himself, and Cunningham rushes him out of the bar.
After the visit to the Dignam family, Bloom, after a brief dalliance at the beach, goes to the National Maternity Hospital to check in on Mina. He finds Stephen and several of his friends, all somewhat drunk. He joins them, accompanying them when they repair to Burke’s pub. After the bar closes, Stephen and a friend head to Bella Cohen’s brothel. Bloom later finds him there. Stephen, very drunk by now, breaks a chandelier, and, while Bella threatens to call the police, he rushes out and gets into an altercation with a British soldier, who knocks him to the ground. Bloom takes Stephen to a cabman’s shelter for food and talk, and then, long after midnight, the two head for Bloom’s home. There Bloom makes hot cocoa, and they talk. When Bloom suggests that Stephen stay the night, Stephen declines, and Bloom sees him out. Bloom then goes to bed with Molly; he describes his day to her and requests breakfast in bed.
[ii] We may note that the founder of Zionism, Herzl, who had written his vision of the new Jerusalem, ‘The New Old Country’ (Altneuland) died on 3 July 1904, 18 days after Bloom’s Odyssey. Joyce was writing of Bloom’s confrontation with ‘the Citizen’ in 1904 knowing something neither of his characters know: the existence of The Balfour Declaration of 1917. | https://fathomjournal.org/what-is-your-nation-if-i-may-ask-antisemitism-and-zionism-in-james-joyces-ulysses/ |
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) is developed from the premise that: the way individuals deal with their own emotions affects their partners. Developed for couples in the 1980s, this attachment-oriented therapy assumes that clients have deep needs for emotional contact and safe connections. When these needs are not met, very negative interactional patterns can occur. EFT teaches partners to send emotional messages that result in safe feelings, which are the heart and soul of psychosocial bonds.
EFT sessions have the following three phases:
- Bonding and emotional awareness .
- Determining and exploring maladaptive emotion-schemes.
- Transforming by developing alternatives to maladaptive emotions through reflection on newly aroused emotions .
Empathic therapists guide clients in identifying adaptable and trustworthy emotions as well as emotions based on painful memories that are maladaptive and require change. Emotions such as shame, inadequacy, fear, and abandonment sadness can be changed for adaptive emotions of compassion, empowering anger, and healthy grief.
For example, in one case, a withdrawn husband who was experiencing a sense of helplessness and intimidation was able, through EFT, to assert his need for respect and become more approachable to his wife, whose own feelings of critical anger were traced through EFT to sadness and fear, at which point she was able to ask for comfort and reassurance. Thus, new bonding interactions were developed, replacing negative cycles.
EFT also helps individuals by identifying the fragmented emotional parts of the client and orchestrating enactments between them, helping to unify the client’s inner world. The emotionally fragmented parts of a client include those with conflicting attachment strategies; those tending toward withdrawal opposed to those tending toward pursuit; or a sense of self opposed to a represented attachment figure. Push from one elicits a freeze from the other. Avoidant strategy battles anxious attachment strategy.
To deal with fragmentation, EFT uses enactments of the individual’s opposing internal parts like it does in treating couples. In individual therapy, two chairs are frequently used. These chairs help facilitate either opposing part dialogs or dialogs between self and the attachment figure. Attachment meanings and emotions are identified, and their unhealthy cycles are tracked. The therapist communicates only to the part or person represented by the occupied chair.
Emotional experiences of attachment themes are elicited through enactments, easing the stress of the internal parts. As sessions continue, the client develops a new sense of self through new emotional experiences while in each chair. Integration and bonding occur through the creation of change events. The internal parts now support each other and encourage the development of other relationships.
Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT), specifically between children and parents, was developed more recently. Sessions are either weekly or biweekly and tend to be quite intense, sometimes prohibitively. | https://idakarayan.com/emotionally-focused-therapy-benefit-couples-individuals/ |
Meconium Aspiration Syndrome (MAS) Requires Immediate Treatment
Meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS) is a serious medical condition where a baby inhales meconium (the baby’s first stool) and amniotic fluid deep into the lungs before or around the time of delivery. Meconium is normally stored in the baby’s intestines until after birth. Sometimes, however, the meconium is expelled while the baby is still in the uterus due to stress or being post-term.
Meconium aspiration can cause very serious problems, including:
- Airway blockage
- Hypoxia
- Inflamed airways
- Pneumonia
If a baby is at risk for MAS, staff must conduct fetal monitoring during labor and delivery in order to prevent dangerous complications. When monitoring shows the baby is not receiving enough blood or oxygen, or if the baby’s heart rate is slow, doctors must act quickly to restore blood flow and oxygen supply to prevent hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). An emergency C-section is usually necessary in these cases and a team of pediatric specialists skilled at reviving newborns should be present.
Swift Resuscitation Often Necessary with Meconium Aspiration Syndrome
Even a five-minute oxygen deprivation episode can cause very serious damage to a newborn. It is critical that resuscitation occur immediately to ensure the health of the baby. If doctors suspect the baby has MAS but has a good respiratory effort, heart rate, and muscle tone, resuscitation efforts are probably not needed. If the baby is limp, not crying, or slow to begin breathing, the medical team should begin resuscitation immediately.
Some or all of the following are required to resuscitate a non-vigorous/depressed baby:
- Airway Clearance / Suctioning: This is the process of putting a tube or suction catheter into the baby’s trachea and applying suction pressure to draw out the meconium and mucus that are in the upper airway preventing it from being inhaled deeper into the lungs.
- Positive Pressure Ventilation (PPV) with a bag: When a baby’s heart rate, blood pressure or oxygen level drops or if carbon dioxide rises and the baby needs help breathing, he should be either be intubated or given a mask. PPV with a bag is a procedure in which a member of the medical team attaches a device, called a bag, to the baby’s ET tube or mask and breathes for the baby by squeezing the bag, which forces air or oxygen into the baby’s lungs. This is the method of breathing for a baby during an emergency situation, such as during CPR or while waiting to place the baby on a breathing machine (ventilator).
- Intubation: This is the placement of a flexible tube (endotracheal, or ET tube) into the trachea (windpipe) to maintain an open airway. The tube can be placed through the nose and into the trachea, or, more commonly, through the mouth and into the trachea. Intubation generally occurs if, after PPV with a mask, the baby’s heart rate is still slow, there is not much rise in the chest with each inflation of the bag, and/or the baby’s oxygen level does not improve, or if there are a lot of secretions in the airway that require frequent suctioning. Almost all non-vigorous babies that have aspirated meconium are intubated.
- Oxygen: The administration of oxygen can mean the difference between life and death of the baby. As with all resuscitation procedures, the medical team is required to follow guidelines and target ranges for oxygen levels to ensure that the baby gets enough oxygen in the blood, but not so much that it causes damage. In fact, initial resuscitation efforts should be done using regular air, and oxygen should be added only if the baby’s oxygen saturation falls below the target range.
- Chest compressions/CPR: This is where two or three fingers are used to gently press down on the center of the baby’s chest to help push blood through the heart and surrounding vessels when the baby’s heart rate is slow. When chest compressions are combined with bagging, it is called CPR. The goal is to restore spontaneous breathing and blood circulation and to provide a partial flow of oxygenated blood to the brain so that the tissue doesn’t die and brain damage doesn’t occur or is minimized. The longer a baby is deprived of sufficient oxygen and blood flow, the greater the chances of severe problems, including brain damage and death. It is essential that the medical team initiate CPR quickly.
Additionally, there are other procedures that should be utilized when a baby requires emergency and/or resuscitative efforts following meconium aspiration:
- Umbilical arterial catheter (UAC): This a line inserted into the baby’s artery in the umbilical cord stump. The UAC is used to monitor blood pressure, oxygenation/ventilation, lung and kidney functioning, and carbon dioxide and pH levels in the baby’s blood. The UAC is usually placed in the baby immediately after birth if there is any suspicion that the baby could have heart or breathing problems.
- If there is no UAC placed, a machine connected to a small blood pressure cuff wrapped around the baby’s arm or leg can be used to measure blood pressure. The cuff automatically takes the baby’s blood pressure at regular times and displays the numbers on a screen.
- Cardiopulmonary monitor: This machine tracks the baby’s heart and breathing rates and is important if the baby does not have a UAC. It is connected to the baby by small adhesive monitoring pads placed on the chest. A monitor displays information on the screen, which can be printed onto paper.
- Pulse oximeter: This device is placed on the baby’s finger or toe, and a wire connects it to a machine that continuously displays the oxygen level in the baby’s arterial blood.
When Medical Staff Do Not Follow or Incorrectly Follow Standards of Care
When meconium aspiration is confirmed either prior to or at birth and the baby is in distress, it is the responsibility of doctors and nurses to use these methods quickly and correctly to avoid a lack of oxygen to the baby’s brain. When done too slowly or improperly, it may result in permanent brain damage, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), cerebral palsy, seizures, learning and mental disabilities, and more. This constitutes medical malpractice.
Call Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers for Trusted Help
If you or someone you know gave birth with meconium-stained fluid present and the baby now has brain damage, cerebral palsy, intellectual impairments, or other disabilities, please call our experienced birth injury attorneys at 888-419-2229. Reiter & Walsh ABC Law Centers will review your case along with our team of nationally-recognized medical experts and determine if doctors performed all necessary medical procedures properly and timely. If not, we will aggressively seek compensation for the child. | https://www.abclawcenters.com/blog/2013/01/29/delayed-treatment-of-meconium-aspiration-121484/ |
Alice Hajjar has been commuting to the Eastern Shore beaches for many years now. Formerly a human resources consultant, her passion for dancing is becoming more of a true calling with each passing day. Though a Frederick, Md., resident, she has now found time to introduce her love of ballroom dancing to the Delmarva area, most recently in Ocean View.
“I wanted to get out and meet people,” she said of the time when she first tried ballroom dancing. “It’s a great way for single people to meet other single people with a shared interest, and it’s a great thing for couples to do together. It’s a very social thing. I have met some of my best friends through dance.”
Hajjar began dancing in 1999. She completed a teacher training program at Ballroom Dance in Frederick and began her dance instruction career in 2002. In addition to teaching dance during the week at the Frederick location and the studio Dancing Made Easy, in Westminster, Md., she began to hold private lessons and group classes at the YMCA in Salisbury and Gold’s Gym in Ocean City on weekends.
Still not convinced that she was reaching everyone, she began teaching lessons at Lord Baltimore Elementary School, as part of Indian River School District’s Community Education. “I looked for places to ballroom dance around here,” she noted, “but I could never find any.”
Monday, Jan. 22, marked the very first classes at Lord Baltimore, with Fox Trot for beginners at 7 p.m. and Swing for beginners at 8 p.m. The three-week courses run each Monday, omitting Feb. 5, in hour-long sessions, teaching all the basics for each dance. “Those are the two most social dances,” said Hajjar. “If you’re not in the ballroom world, those are likely dances you could do at a wedding or on a cruise ship.”
“My hope is that people will sign up for both classes,” she said, “so they get a little bit of a variety.” By mid-March, Level 2 courses are set to be held for those continuing form the first courses and others with prior experience. Later, in April and May, Hajjar will hold Level 1 and 2 classes for cha cha and rumba.
Over the years, her knowledge of different dances has grown quickly, covering roughly 12 different styles of dance. She hopes to pursue her instructional courses and eventually expand even a broader selection, including dances such as the waltz and tango.
“Since I just started teaching in Ocean View,” she said, “I haven’t offered private lessons there — partly because I don’t have the most space, but more importantly, I don’t have the time.” On weekends, Hajjar stays at her condo located at Flying Cloud in Ocean City, a property she had once rented out.
She noted that although each style of dance is unique, there are many commonalities between them. “A lot of times, when you’re beginning, you don’t realize it,” she said of those commonalities. “There are so many similarities from one dance to another. An underarm turn is an underarm turn. It doesn’t matter if you’re doing cha cha or swing or whatever. There are similar moves [with the Latin dances]. You’re just doing different things with your feet.”
Her courses aim at a large continuum of students, covering a span of nearly three generations. “In Salisbury, I’ve had teenagers,” Hajjar said. “Then again, I’ve also had 70- to 80-year-olds. I’d say the average range is right around the 40 mark.” She said her Ocean View class probably averages a slightly older crowd, mostly 45 to 50 years of age.
The gender turnout is usually the same wherever she teaches, though. “Invariably, we end up with too many women,” she said. “It’s the single guys I need to get interested. We do have a couple, but the ratio is always pretty consistent. Once we have three or four of one gender, I usually encourage them to wait for another class. It’s frustrating for them when they come, because they won’t get to dance as much.”
However, there’s been a recent wave of dance in the pop-culture eye, with television series such as “Dancing with the Stars” and “So You Think You Can Dance.”
“I think ballroom, in general, is coming back,” she said “even before the shows. Then the shows helped even more. It’s great for men, especially, to see masculine men and jocks doing this. When they brought in Jerry Rice and Emmit Smith, it showed more guys that they can still learn to dance. That’s the biggest thing. I wish I just had some way to draw the men in. I think a lot of it is nerves.”
At the Salisbury YMCA, Hajjar holds monthly ballroom dances. “I take a break from teaching in the summer,” she said, “and people don’t want to lose their touch, so the dances at the Y help to keep people’s skills in check.”
Hajjar said that most people are surprised with how well they perform. “On occasion, you get someone who really has two left feet,” she noted. “Most people, when they come in, they say they can’t dance, and can’t hear a beat. But once they’re taught, they realize they really can.”
For more information about Hajjar’s classes, including registration information, time and dates, visit her Web site at www.DelmarvaDance.com or call her at (410) 629-0050. Visit the Indian River School District Adult Education Web site at www.irsd-adulted.com for more information on these and other classes through the community education program.
This is the second in a series of Coastal Point stories highlighting some of the wide variety of classes offered through the Indian River School District’s adult-education section. Next week: teens and women learn self-defense. | http://www.coastalpoint.com/40030/feature/instructor-brings-dancing-lower-delaware |
873 Northridge Drive, Prescott, AZ 86301 (MLS# 1036078) is a Single Family property with 3 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and 2 partial bathrooms. 873 Northridge Drive is currently listed for $950,000 and was received on February 23, 2021. Want to learn more about 873 Northridge Drive? Do you have questions about finding other Single Family real estate for sale in Prescott? You can browse all Prescott real estate or contact a Coldwell Banker agent to request more information. | https://www.coldwellbankerhomes.com/az/prescott/873-northridge-dr/pid_39994340/ |
Indigenous Roots: Visual Interpretations of Personal Histories
“This exhibit was conceived in order to give gallery visitors a clearer understanding as to the ethnically diverse population of Southern California that continues to contribute to the local art scene.
The 8 foreign-born artists and 5 from the United States continue to work with their distinct backgrounds while merging into the art communities of Los Angeles.
The artists chosen come from heritages connected to Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Guyana, Japan, Indonesia, China, Senegal as well as distinct parts of the United States.. They bring to this project their traditional concepts, symbols, images and media that reflect the aesthetic and cultural history of their homelands. While some of the artists deal with the ancient ideas, some deal with the contemporary scene that stems from their interest in the society at large, particular those that have a connection to modern and contemporary history.
Some use the techniques and materials from their country of origin; Batik inks from Indonesia, burning designs into wood from Senegal and delicate organic textures from Japan while others work with the more western usage of acrylics, collage, assemblage and installation art. | http://avenue50studio.org/indigenous-roots-visual-interpretations-of-personal-histories |
A new aid deal for fragile states?
Senior Adviser in the National Directorate of Aid Effectiveness, Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance; and head of
Speakers:
Dr Helder Da Costa -Senior Adviser in the National Directorate of Aid Effectiveness, Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance; and head of the g7+ secretariat
Koen Davidse - Director, Peace Building and Stabilisation Unit, Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Henry Smith-Director, Saferworld
Marcus Manuel - Director, ODI's Budget Strengthening Initiative (BSI)
Chair:
Andrew Norton - Director of Research, ODI
Dr Helder da Costa – Senior Adviser in the National Directorate of Aid Effectiveness, Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance / g7+ secretariat
In his role at g7+ secretariat Mr Da Costa has been investigating a new deal for international engagement in fragile states. He has just returned from a working party meeting on Aid Effectiveness in Paris to represent Fragile States and their strategy on their way to Busan.
The outcome of the meeting shows that:
- There is a context specific to Fragile States: it is a group of countries lagging behind in the achievement of the MGDs
- No Fragile State will be able to achieve any MGD by 2015
- UK is a big donor in Fragile States, 30% of ODA is spent in fragile contexts – however the results are hard to show
- Business as usual in fragile states however is no longer an option
For the first time a monologue becomes a dialogue: The issue with fragile states that support without political will does not bring to a change in behaviour. There is the need for ownership by recipient countries and we believe the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding offers an excellent forum for Fragile States to gain ownership and leadership.
The g7+ and INCAF have therefore prepared: A New Deal for International Engagement in Fragile States. This deal is based on what we called the Peacebuilding and Statebuilding goals (PSGs) which were agreed in Monrovia in June 2011 – these goals are complimentary for meeting the MDGs but also better reflect the realities and the requirements of Fragile States.
These are:
- A State for all (Inclusive Politics)
- Services for all (Resources and Revenues
- Safety for All (Security)
- Jobs for All (Economic Foundations)
- Equity for All (Justice)
These goals were presented in Monrovia in the presence of the Nobel Peace Prize winner Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on 15-16 June 2011.
Importantly, the MDGs do not include conflict and fragility issues. The g7+ group sees the PSGs as pre-condition for achieving the MDGs that establish interim goals relating to the state, security, justice, jobs and resources. The PSGs are a product of the leadership of fragile states, that have come together and agreed to define the major (and often shared) challenges for them and a strategy on how to tackle them that also takes into account the specific needs of each context.
The new deal is based on FOCUS:F for fragility spectrum: this is a way for Fragile States to develop their own fragility assessment, external indicators like CPIA are not appropriate to assess progress in context of fragility, with the new spectrum fragile states have designed their own indicators.O for one plan, country owned and ledC for country compacts – agreements between governments and development partners on priorities and terms of engagement.U for use PSGsS for Support inclusive political dialogue
To FOCUS on a new deal we need TRUST: which stands for:T for TransparencyR for Risk SharingU use country systems (important to use systems already in place and country owned rather than creating new systems imposed from the outside)S for Strengthen CapacityT for Time: fast and predictable aid (despite pledge to honor Accra Agenda for Action some donor countries have not fully respected their promises – aid has not flowed in a predictable way)
Looking at the road to Busan we had the Monterrey Consensus (2002), Rome High Level Forum on Harmonisation (2003), Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (2005), Accra Agenda for Action (2008), Dili Declaration on Fragile States (2010), Bogota Statement on SSC (2010) and finally the Busan HLF-4 (29 Nov- 1 Dec 2011)
The next event will be a g7+ Ministerial retreat in Juba to finalise details on New Aid Deal on 18-19 October 2011 and then, after Busan, a trialling period (2012-2015) to follow up on Aid Deal.
In terms of agenda and format for Busan the g7+ group have been asked to prepare a building block and will discuss the New Aid Deal in Plenary as well as in an ad hoc session in Busan. The two co-chairing countries, Timor Leste and the Netherlands will announce the New Aid Deal to the world with the support of US, UK, Australia.
Dr Da Costa stated that the g7+ group will start implementing the New Deal in each country and organisation and contributing to shape the post MDGs agenda and its relevance to fragile states. The work will be done at country level through a South-South support network and country aid policy but also at the level of global partnership for development effectiveness: this will be inclusive with a multi-track approach and partnership and knowledge sharing.
The way forward: of course there are some fragile states which are more difficult such as Somalia or Haiti and even Timor is expecting elections next year so need to wait and hope that stability will continue. If after 10 years Timor will still be stable we can say that it can now join the club of more stable countries and constitute a success story.
Koen Davidse – Director of Fragile States and Peace Building Unit and Co Chair of the IDPS
Mr Davidse highlighted the importance that the Nobel Peace Price has been given to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who has participated in the Monrovia process and how this is relevant for Fragile States and highlight her work for women and peacebuilding.
The main points that Mr Davidse highlighted were:
- The monologue has become a dialogue – all countries have agreed to the content of the process
- MDGs – consensus reached is important – no one is diminishing the importance of MDGs but need for specific goals for Fragile States and also monitoring of implementation of Fragile States principles
- Importance of process Monrovia to Busan: it makes things easier to have a concerted effort = the Monrovia goals will influence the final outcome of Busan with a New Deal.
Also highlighted:
- Concept of inclusion
- Concept of specificity – lessons from each other but in context
- A steering group of the Dialogue will meet in Nov 2011
- Discussion in Busan in plenary and focus on fragile states issues
Mr Davidse also described the process of monitoring both as:
- Successful: achievement of Fragile States principle, and
- Painful: it has shown we have not made as much progress as we wanted to.
But the result is increased awareness of context. Moreover focusing some efforts on peace and State building objectives will help achieve the MDGs.
Henry Smith – Managing Director of Safer World
Mr Smith has emphasised how Safer World follows with great interest the work of the International Dialogue on Peace Building and State Building and has been monitoring its work very closely – highlight positive role of IDPS to get to grips with issues of Fragile States.
- International Dialogue: produces tangible outcomes and offers significant opportunity for action on the ground
- Safer World supports Peace building and State Building objectives in Monrovia Road Map
- Safer World welcomes efforts of governments of Fragile States and Donors and the existence of a process is a positive step forward
- The role of Timor Leste is welcomed and supported
The new Deal document suggests two contributions:
- Request g7+ States to control corruption: importance of role of participation and accountability. This calls for an assessment to understand the nature of the challenge in the country and to make a transition to lasting peace.
- Compacts: accountability of donors and States – why not having a triple compact which also includes the civil society and the communities?
- Indicators: develop indicators for Fragile States: develop indicators for Fragile States in addition to indicators for internal mechanisms on aid work it’s important to add participatory mechanisms, for example, does the community have access to justice/ services? What do poor people want and what are their perceptions?
- Highlight importance of context specificity: trying to make development work in different places. The context in Afghanistan is different from the one in Timor Leste which is different from the one in South Sudan. This brings back to the nature of conflict:
- It would be useful to address in New Deal: look at Peace building and State building goals combined in different ways in different contexts – not a cookie cutter approach
- Ensuring primacy of people in decision making but also flexible enough
Marcus Manuel – Director of Budget Strengthening Initiative – ODI
Mr Manuel strengthened the importance to hear the voice of Fragile States through the g7+. Both g7+ and International Dialogue are very important institutions. The situation has changed from early 90s when aid policies were done very simply through Washington consensus. There has been a major shift about process, the g7+ is giving voice and ownership on process. Mr Manuel highlighted two main factors:
- Risk:
- it’s important how we manage risk. The risk approach: as long as we account for all the material to build a school it doesn’t seem to matter how many children do actually go to school. We need to go beyond this narrow approach as there is a bigger set of risks in the longer term. In Fragile States it is difficult for donors to see the results.
- In the context of South - South Learning: if it happened in that country why can it not happen in my country too?
- New Deal - There are areas to improve:
- Trust: transparency, what to do about budget transparency? Timor Leste for example publish all data for the last 5 years (it has been underlined how much emphasis Minister of Finance Emilia Pires has put on the importance of Transparency as a way to combat fragility – if a government is accountable there is much less to say from government opposition/non state actors against the government hence peace and democratic change is preserved)
- Donors:
- Do no harm principles – issue of Technical Assistance to Fragile States, reduce the poor practices – need to change
- Donors too slow to deliver (image of the tortoise) – need to build infrastructure quickly – some countries use emergency humanitarian procedures for 5 years or more
- Donors need to have different views on delivering of statebuilding – systems have to be built together with the states, the systems should not be run by donors. Although they are easier to manage at the beginning they do not work in the longer term so it’s important that Systems are State owned.
I wish the best to g7+ and International Dialogue to tackle challenges ahead.
Dr Helder Da Costa:
Dr Da Costa concluded by commenting on some remarks made by other speakers. He In terms of indicators it’s hard as there are many different types of indicators so we are in the process of defining the best ones. There are 5 objectives for state and peace building. We also want to assess how fragile we are on a 1-10 scale. At Busan we will have the highest political level to get the highest political endorsement – we could convince the world of the need for using PSG instead of MDGs for fragile states.
In terms of Transparency: yes important but also (according to Minister Pires) it takes two to tango, if donors are not transparent then it cannot work.
Description
How aid should be delivered to fragile states is set to be high on the agenda at the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Busan this November. Home to a growing share of the world’s poor and facing some of the most urgent development needs, fragile states pose a unique set of challenges to delivering aid effectively. And while there is broad consensus surrounding the Paris principles – including the importance of country ownership of development policy – questions remain as how these principles should be understood and measured in fragile states.
This event brings together views from fragile states themselves, civil society and the research community to discuss whether a new aid deal is needed for fragile states and what such a new aid deal might look like.
Speakers include:
Dr Helder Da Costa – Senior Adviser in the National Directorate of Aid Effectiveness, Timor-Leste Ministry of Finance; and head of the g7+ secretariat, a global forum composed of 17 of the world's most fragile and conflict-affected states. Fresh from representing the g7+ at high level discussions on Busan being held in Paris, Dr Da Costa will give his perspective on the role aid can play in peacebuilding and statebuilding.
Koen Davidse - Director of the Fragile States and Peacebuilding Unit
Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and co-chair of the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding. Koen will also have attended the same discussions on Busan in Paris, and will talk on support for fragile states from the perspective of donors.
Henry Smith – Executive Director of Saferworld, an international NGO working to prevent violent conflict and promote cooperative approaches to security. Henry will talk about the challenges of delivering effective aid in contexts of conflict, fragility and poor governance as well as what these challenges mean for what is agreed at Busan.
Marcus Manuel – Director of ODI’s Budget Budget Strengthening Initiative (BSI). BSI supports the world’s poorest, most fragile and most conflict-affected states to develop more effective, transparent and accountable systems for managing public finances. Marcus will present results of ODI research that was prepared for the the International Dialogue on Peacebuilding and Statebuilding which identified good examples of innovative practice for delivering aid in fragile states. | https://odi.org/en/events/a-new-aid-deal-for-fragile-states/ |
Get Solved Guess Paper for Class 12th Biology CBSE board exam 2018. According to CBSE Date Sheet 2018, Class 12 Biology board exam 2018 is scheduled to be held on 27th March 2018. It means very few days are left for the exam preparation.
During this time selective study is extremely important and this is the time when students should focus more on practice rather than studying anything new.
Due to this reason, Jagranjosh.com has provided a completely solved Guess Paper for Class 12 Biology board exam 2018.
This solved paper is developed by experts at Jagranjosh.com. Our experts have analysed previous 5 years’ papers and observed that some concepts from Class 12 Biology NCERT textbooks are frequently being asked in board exams, every year. In this Guess Paper, you will learn about all such important concepts.
Latest Cass 12 Biology Sample Paper: 2018 (Issued by CBSE)
In this solved Guess Paper, you will find 5 sections (i.e., Section A, Section B, Section C, Section D and Section E)
• Section A contains question number 1 to 5, these are very Short Answer type questions of one mark each
• Section B contains question number 6 to 10, these are short Answer type I questions of two marks each
• Section C contains question number 11 to 22, these are short Answer type II questions of three marks each
• Section D contains question number 23, this is value Based Question of four marks
• Section E contains question number 24 to 26, these are long Answer type questions of five marks each
Internal choices are present in short answer types questions and long answer type questions as per latest CBSE Class 12 Biology Examination Pattern 2017 – 2018.
Main features of the Solved Guess Paper are:
• Strictly follows CBSE Class 12th Biology syllabus
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• Helps in building your confidence for the final examination
Some questions from the solved guess paper are given below:
Question: Mention the role of 'genetic mother' in MOET.
Answer.
Multiple Ovulation Embryo Transfer (MOET) includes administration of hormones to genetic mother to induce production of more number of mature eggs at a time, i.e. superovulation, which in turn are then transferred to surrogate mother.
Question: Name the technique used to separate DNA fragments in a laboratory?
Answer. Gel Electrophoresis is used to separate DNA fragments in a laboratory.
Question: If 60 children were born in a hospital out of which 6 children died in a week, then what would be the death rate of children in that hospital?
Answer. Death rate of children for the mentioned period is 0.1 child per week.
Question: What is the principle involved in natural methods of birth control.
Answer.
Natural or traditional methods are based on the principle of avoiding chances of meeting of sperms and eggs. These include periodic abstinence, Coitus interrupts and lactational amenorrhoea.
Question: A certain tissue, of a plant, infected with TMV was used to obtain a new plant using tissue culture technique. Identify the technique used and reason out the possibility of obtaining a new healthy plant.
Answer. Tissue culture using meristematic tissue as it is virus free.
Question: Name a genus of baculovirus. Why they are considered good biocontrol agents?
Answer.
Nucleopolyhedrovirus. Being species specific selective and narrow spectrum biocontrol agents, these viruses do not exert any harmful impact on crops, animals and human and non target insects. For example, Nucleopolyhedrovirus targets mainly moths and butterflies.
Question: A single pea plant in your kitchen garden produces pods with viable seeds, but individual papaya plant does not. Explain.
Answer.
Pea plant is a dioecious plant and produce bisexual flowers bearing both stamen and pistel on the same flower. Therefore, self fertilization between pollen and ovule of same flowers produce viable seeds. Papaya is a monoecious plant and produce unisexual flowers which in turn facilitate only cross fertilization. Hence, single papaya plant cannot produce viable seeds.
Question: Retroviruses have no DNA. However, the DNA of the infected host cell does possess viral DNA. How is it possible?
Answer.
Genome or retrovirus possesses RNA genome that can replicates to form viral DNA with the help of the enzyme reverse transcriptase. This viral DNA now gets incorporated into host’s cellular DNA and directs the infected cells to produce virus particles by host’s machinery.
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Manufacturing a new safety culture at the AMRC26 March 2021
The University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) has appointed Alcumus to streamline its processes and effectively monitor and manage risks and compliance through one integrated, scalable software solution.
Recognising the market-leading technology capabilities and expertise Alcumus delivers, Stephen Davies, Head of Health Safety and Environment at the AMRC, chose Alcumus to further strengthen its continuous improvement plan, match specific requirements and digitise manual processes across the organisation.
The Alcumus Info Exchange platform connects people, processes and data, allowing the AMRC to continuously improve its environmental, health, safety and quality (EHSQ) performance and importantly, identify and reduce risks and achieve regulatory compliance.
Specialising in world-leading research into advanced machining, manufacturing and materials, the AMRC has grown significantly since 2001, employing more than 500 researchers and engineers across centres in Sheffield, Rotherham, Preston and Broughton, North Wales. Working with high profile global manufacturing companies that include Boeing, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems and Airbus; the AMRC manages a diverse risk profile beyond health and safety.
To manage its risk profile and demonstrate ‘industry best in class’ standards, the AMRC will be working with Alcumus to manage its incident reporting, audits and inspections, risk assessments, asset register and COSHH management to effectively reduce the risk of working with hazardous substances through software provided by Alcumus Sypol. | https://www.amrc.co.uk/news/manufacturing-a-new-safety-culture-at-the-amrc |
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, commonly known as ADHD, is a developmental neuropsychiatric disorder that is commonly exhibited in children from four to seventeen when they show signs of excessive hyperactivity, impulsivity and inattentiveness to activities and tasks. The cause of ADHD is unknown, however the statistics of the disease are apparent; 11& of children are said to have ADHD (since 2011) and continue to increase year by year and three times of those individuals are males: (13.2% boys to 5.6% girls). ADHD Within this diagnosed population, African American males take up 5.56% because of shown learning disabilities and emotional disturbances. However, the disturbing number of African American males that are characterized of having ADHD is not the only alarming incident, individuals in the medical field have started to question whether the numbers actually match with the symptoms that the individuals show and are genuinely diagnosed aside from cultural misconceptions.
Social Influences[edit | edit source]
Race and Ethnicity[edit | edit source]
Even in today's society, it is still recognized that African American males are extensively generalized as rowdy, unruly and threatening to the society. Though the actions taken against African American men are not displayed as they were in the Jim Crow Era and post CivIl Rights, the destabilization of African American males has been promoted through social institutions and healthcare is one of them. The growing diagnosis of ADHD in African American boys arouses the belief that black boys are uncontrollable and need to be tamed.
Socioeconomic Status[edit | edit source]
The majority of African American males that are diagnosed with ADHD reside in the lower middle class and working class social classes. In relation to their race, socioeconomic status acts as another marker of discrimination in the misdiagnosis of African American males. People in society instantly stereotype children that reside in these classes as facing harsh realities and easily susceptible to acquiring mental conditions and or most likely being affiliated with influences in their neighborhoods such as violence,drugs, and gangs. Due to this expectation, it's been easier to diagnosis African American males living in lower middle class and working class divisions because of the concept of what their home life is like and what has been promoted in the media.
Academic behavior and achievement[edit | edit source]
Most African American males/ youth are pre-diagnosed by school administration because of their inattentive behavior in classrooms and their disregard for their teachers.Students inattention is commonly tied to the structure of their household when the real reason why African American males and youth are inattentive in classrooms is due to the scant amount of minorities in teaching positions and a lack of curriculum that is focused on teaching minority students about their heritage. Since the teachers in the predicament with "inattentive" African American students typically do not know how to relate to the student which further agitates the feelings between the teacher and the student and forces the student to completely detach themselves from the classroom and decreases the attention paid to their academic success.
Disparity in Treatment and Attention[edit | edit source]
Living in lower middle class and working class divisions already present limited or inadequate resources such as medical attention. In order to treat or limit the symptoms of ADHD, parents of the diagnosed child are expected to get immediate treatment that is extremely expensive considering the amount of income their household receives. There are various treatments that are largely promoted but due to the cost, it's imperative to look at treatments if the misdiagnosis is a true diagnosis that fit for the individual and are easily accessible
Psychological Therapies[edit | edit source]
Psychotherapies including cognitive behavioral therapy, interpersonal psychotherapy, neurofeedback, family therapies, and school based interventions are the most popular psychological therapies that are promoted for children that have PTSD; however, the cost of these therapies can range from $120-$210 per session with an expected term of therapy ranging from 10-12 sessions. In addition, therapies that are education and family based, have shown to have little effect on the child's behavior and only last for a short period of time. ADHD
Medications[edit | edit source]
Medications are typically the optimal choice that health professionals approve as being the most effective and long lasting are usually the optimal choice that health professionals approve as being the most long lasting resolution to ADHD. There are two categories of medications, stimulants and non-stimulants. Stimulants help manage hyperactivity, impulsivity and, increase one's attention span by increasing certain levels of neural chemicals in the brain such as norepinephrine and dopamine; popular stimulant medications include Adderall, Concerta, Ritalin, and Daytrana. Non-stimulant ADHD medications only increase the amount of norepinephrine in the system rather than focusing on two receptors like the stimulant medications. Non-stimulants have considerable amount of advantages over stimulant medication including how they don't pose the same risk of abuse or addiction as stimulants and they are longer lasting and easier to transition into. Popular non-stimulant medications include Strattera, Intuniv, and Kapvay. Even though medications are counted as the most significant source of treatment for ADHD, the cost of them can range from $300 if they are brand-name drugs to $500 for liquid formations. Generic brand medications are available and are at a significantly lower cost such as $15, however, these medications do not have the same level of treatment as compared to the name brand ones.
Studies on University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Campus[edit | edit source]
There has been extensive research on the UNC campus that focus on the relationship between the factors discussed in this article and other factors such as family involvement, community involvement, environment and genetics, that play into the growing diagnosis of African American children, particularly boys, with ADHD. The following sources are examples of the extent of the research and departments that are leaders in promoting knowledge about the occurrence to the community. | https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Tarheel_Health_Portal/ADHD_Diagnosis_and_Treatment_Disparity_in_African_American_males |
Unless potential readers are searching for your article by title or are reading the journal your work is published in, chances are they are going to find your article through a research search engine. If effective keywords are not associated with your article, the search engine uses content in your title, abstract, and article to determine if your article is relative to the user’s search efforts. As a result, your target reader may never see your work.
To improve your chances of getting in front of the right audience, keywords let you identify places where your work is a relevant choice for the reader. Below are five ways to select effective keywords for your journal article.
First, this requires knowing who your article is intended to reach – and no, it’s not everyone. Revisiting the research problem or research questions associated with your article can be a good start for identifying the type of need your article fills. What questions does your article answer? How would someone unfamiliar with your research ask those questions?
Keywords is a bit of a misnomer dating back to early search engine optimization practices when a series of single words were used to feed the indexing process, however, when was the last time you typed a single word into any search engine and expected to get the right results? Chances are you search using phrases of 3-5 words each. When selecting keywords to describe your article, think the same way. When a user searches for one of the phrases you have identified in your article keywords, your article is determined to be relevant – even without an examination of the title and content.
Without getting so specific that your audience would not actually use the phrase in a search, consider the specific elements of your study that narrow the field of results. For example, the phrase “journal article keywords” would yield a more targeted (and smaller list of results) than the phrase “keyword searches”. Include key methodologies or techniques used in the study if your reader will be looking for those items.
For greatest relevance, and ultimate readership, what the user is looking for (defined by the keywords) should be consistent with the title and abstract of your published article. Some journals will not allow the use of keywords that are already included in the article title, so be sure to check the submission guidelines. Even if direct use is not permitted, keywords should represent the article content expressed in the other elements.
Before submitting your keywords, perform searches on each phrase you have selected. What articles are returned? Are they similar to your article? Can you envision your article in this same result set? How large is the list of results? If the result set is too large or small, is not related to your article, or otherwise seems like a poor fit, reconsider the use of that keyword.
Remember that keywords are what potential readers will use to find articles of interest. Using those keywords to appear in the right search results is the first step to improved readership. To be sure that they select your article from the list, an engaging title and an effective abstract are also necessary. | https://blog.taaonline.net/2018/06/how-to-select-effective-journal-article-keywords/ |
Learn about a hands-on tool that engages stakeholders in creating a comprehensive inventory of assets and areas of need. Two evaluators from the Improve Group will demonstrate the community mapping process they developed to help local practitioners assess health assets and needs in Faribault, Martin, and Watonwan Counties. This work was done for a broader health needs assessment funded by Minnesota's Statewide Health Improvement Program. Stakeholders used icons to map the depth, connectedness, and gaps in resources in their rural communities. Findings were used to identify activities that were most effective in addressing the problems of obesity and tobacco use. This session will address what materials and resources are needed, which stakeholders should participate, what can be measured using this tool, how its findings can be used to inform a broader needs assessment, and how this process can be adapted and applied to other contexts. | http://comm.eval.org/communities/community-home/librarydocuments/viewdocument?DocumentKey=294d422c-957f-41f8-83be-60f30cca5a39 |
[Cite as State v. Robinson, 2014-Ohio-3581.]
COURT OF APPEALS
STARK COUNTY, OHIO
FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT
STATE OF OHIO : JUDGES:
:
: Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J.
Plaintiff - Appellee : Hon. Patricia A. Delaney, J.
: Hon. Craig R. Baldwin, J.
:
-vs- :
:
TERESA ROBINSON : Case No. 2013CA00244
:
:
Defendant - Appellant : OPINION
CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Appeal from the Massillon Municipal
Court, Criminal Division, Case No.
2013CRB01824
JUDGMENT: Affirmed in Part, Reversed and
Remanded in Part
DATE OF JUDGMENT: August 18, 2014
APPEARANCES:
For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant
ANTHONY LAPENNA EDWARD M. HEINDEL
Assistant Prosecuting Attorney 450 Standard Building
2 James Duncan Plaza #1 1370 Ontario Street
Massillon, OH 44646 Cleveland, OH 44113
Stark County, Case No. 2013CA00244 2
Baldwin, J.
{¶1} Defendant-appellant Teresa Robinson appeals her conviction and
sentence from the Massillon Municipal Court. Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.
STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE
{¶2} On August 9, 2013, a complaint was filed in the Massillon Municipal Court
alleging that appellant had committed the offense of menacing by stalking in violation of
R.C. 2903.211(A), a misdemeanor of the first degree. At her arraignment on August 13,
2013, appellant entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.
{¶3} Subsequently, on October 23, 2013, appellant withdrew her former not
guilty plea and entered a no contest plea. The trial court found appellant guilty of the
charge. As memorialized in a Journal Entry filed on November 27, 2013, appellant was
fined $500.00 and ordered to serve 180 days in jail. Of the 180 days, all except 10 days
were suspended. In addition, appellant was ordered to complete 100 hours of
community service work, was placed on probation for a period of five years and was
ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,600.00.
{¶4} Appellant now raises the following assignments of error on appeal:
{¶5} THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT DID NOT COMPLY WITH
CRIMINAL RULE 11(E) BEFORE ACCEPTING ROBINSON’S NO CONTEST PLEA.
{¶6} THE TRIAL COURT ERRED WHEN IT DID NOT PROVIDE ROBINSON
HER RIGHT OF ALLOCUTION AT SENTENCING IN ACCORDANCE WITH CRIMINAL
RULE 32.
Stark County, Case No. 2013CA00244 3
I
{¶7} Appellant, in her first assignment of error, argues that the trial court erred
when it failed to comply with Crim.R. 11(E) before accepting her no contest plea.
{¶8} Crim. R.11 governs pleas and a defendant's rights upon entering a plea as
follows:
{¶9} “(A) Pleas
{¶10} “A defendant may plead not guilty, not guilty by reason of insanity, guilty
or, with the consent of the court, no contest. A plea of not guilty by reason of insanity
shall be made in writing by either the defendant or the defendant's attorney. All other
pleas may be made orally. The pleas of not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity
may be joined. If a defendant refuses to plead, the court shall enter a plea of not guilty
on behalf of the defendant.
{¶11} “***
{¶12} “(D) Misdemeanor cases involving serious offenses
{¶13} “In misdemeanor cases involving serious offenses the court may refuse to
accept a plea of guilty or no contest, and shall not accept such plea without first
addressing the defendant personally and informing the defendant of the effect of the
pleas of guilty, no contest, and not guilty and determining that the defendant is making
the plea voluntarily. Where the defendant is unrepresented by counsel the court shall
not accept a plea of guilty or no contest unless the defendant, after being readvised that
he or she has the right to be represented by retained counsel, or pursuant to Crim.R. 44
by appointed counsel, waives this right.
{¶14} “(E) Misdemeanor cases involving petty offenses
Stark County, Case No. 2013CA00244 4
{¶15} “In misdemeanor cases involving petty offenses the court may refuse to
accept a plea of guilty or no contest, and shall not accept such pleas without first
informing the defendant of the effect of the plea of guilty, no contest, and not guilty.” Id.
Crim.R. 11 (B) states, in relevant part, as follows: “Effect of guilty or no contest pleas
“With reference to the offense or offenses to which the plea is entered:…
“ (2) The plea of no contest is not an admission of defendant's guilt, but is an admission
of the truth of the facts alleged in the indictment, information, or complaint, and the plea
or admission shall not be used against the defendant in any subsequent civil or criminal
proceeding….”
{¶16} Crim.R. 2(D) defines a “petty offense” as: “a misdemeanor other than a
serious offense.” “Serious offense” is defined as “any felony, and any misdemeanor for
which the penalty prescribed by law includes confinement for more than six months.”
Crim.R. 2(C).
{¶17} “In State v. Jones, 116 Ohio St.3d 211, 877 N.E.2d 677, 2007 Ohio 6093,
* * *, the Supreme Court of Ohio was asked to ‘clarify the trial judge's duties under
Crim.R. 11 when accepting a plea in a misdemeanor cases involving a petty offense.’
Id. at ¶ 1, 877 N.E.2d 677. The court held that ‘[i]n accepting a plea to a misdemeanor
involving a petty offense, a trial court is required to inform the defendant only of the
effect of the specific plea being entered.’ Id. at paragraph one of the syllabus. * * * In
order to satisfy this requirement, the trial court ‘must inform the defendant of the
appropriate language under Crim.R. 11(B).’ Id. at paragraph two of the syllabus.” State
v. Parish, 11th Trumbull Dist. No.2010–T–0105, 2011–Ohio–3751, ¶ 8.
Stark County, Case No. 2013CA00244 5
{¶18} The offense of menacing by stalking as charged against appellant is a first
degree misdemeanor for which the penalty prescribed by law does not include
confinement for more than six months. Thus, the trial court was required to follow the
procedure set forth in Crim.R. 11(E).
{¶19} In the case sub judice, the trial court did not recite the language from
Crim.R. 11(B) to explain the effect of the plea. We find, however, that this error is
harmless. Because the rights contained in Crim.R. 11(B) and 11(E) are
nonconstitutional; appellant must show that she suffered some prejudice from the
court's omission. Jones at ¶ 52. The test for prejudice is “whether the plea would have
otherwise been made.” State v. Griggs, 103 Ohio St.3d 85, 2004–Ohio–4415, 814
N.E.2d 51, ¶ 12, citing State v. Nero, 56 Ohio St.3d 106, 107, 564 N.E.2d 474 (1990). A
defendant who has entered a guilty or no contest plea without asserting actual
innocence is presumed to understand the effect of the plea, and the court's failure to
inform the defendant of the effect of the plea as required by Crim.R. 11 is presumed not
to be prejudicial. See Griggs at syllabus.
{¶20} We note that appellant does not argue that she was prejudiced by the trial
court's failure to advise her of the effect of her no contest plea. Moreover, there is no
evidence of prejudice apparent on the record. Appellant, who was represented by
counsel, never asserted her innocence or indicated that she was unaware that her plea
would constitute an admission of the truth of the facts alleged. At the plea hearing,
appellant admitted that she wanted to plead no contest. Therefore, under the totality of
the circumstances; we find no prejudice resulting from the court's failure to explain the
effect of the plea as defined in Crim.R. 11(B).
Stark County, Case No. 2013CA00244 6
{¶21} Appellant’s first assignment of error is, therefore overruled.
II
{¶22} Appellant, in her second assignment of error, argues that the trial court
erred in denying her right to allocution pursuant to Crim.R. 32.
{¶23} Crim. R. 32 addresses the trial court's duty upon imposition of sentence.
The rule provides, in relevant part, as follows:
{¶24} “(A) Imposition of sentence. Sentence shall be imposed without
unnecessary delay. Pending sentence, the court may commit the defendant or continue
or alter the bail. At the time of imposing sentence, the court shall do all of the following:
{¶25} “(1) Afford counsel an opportunity to speak on behalf of the defendant and
address the defendant personally and ask if he or she wishes to make a statement in
his or her own behalf or present any information in mitigation of punishment….”
{¶26} In the case sub judice, the trial court did not personally address appellant
and ask her if she wanted to make a statement on her own behalf. As noted by this
Court in State v. Letcher, 5th Dist. Stark No. 2010–CA–205, 2011-Ohio-4439, “the
appropriate measure to take is to remand the case for a resentencing in order to give
the defendant the opportunity to speak prior to being sentenced. ‘In a case in which the
trial court has imposed sentence without first asking the defendant whether he or she
wishes to exercise the right of allocution* * * resentencing is required* * *.’ State v.
Campbell, 90 Ohio St.3d 320, 326, 2000–Ohio–183 738 N.E.2d 1178.” Id at paragraph
19.
{¶27} Appellant’s second assignment of error is, therefore, sustained.
Stark County, Case No. 2013CA00244 7
{¶28} Accordingly, the judgment of the Massillon Municipal Court is affirmed in
part and reversed and remanded in part, for purposes of resentencing pursuant to Crim.
R. 32(A).
By: Baldwin, J.
Gwin, P.J. and
Delaney, J. concur.
| |
I was curious which Bangla words come up most frequently, so I wrote a program to analyze articles from the Anandabazar Patrika newspaper. The current results come from the articles from all of 2012. One of the things that came up right away is that in Bangla words get modified in various ways. The word বই might appear as বইটি. A verb like করা may show up in conjugated form as করেছেন. I thought it would be a lot more informative if these words were counted as one word for the purpose of determining frequency. So my program tries to figure out whether a word is a modified form of some other "base" word.
At the top, "Total words" counts how many instances of words it scooped up from the articles. If a word like হয়ে appears 26751 times then it gets counted that many times. Below that are the "Unique Variants", wherein those 26751 instances of হয়ে are only counted once. Below that, "Unique words" is computed by consolidating variants like হওয়া, হয়ে and হবে into a single category and counting them all as a single unique word, in this case হওয়া.
Below those three counts is a header that shows how the entries are formatted below that. The rank just indexes the words in order of their frequency. The word হওয়া is ranked number one because no other word was counted more than 280449 times. The percentile indicates what percentage of the words seen were হওয়া and its variants, plus the words that came before it in the ranking. Thus the percentile continually increases until it gets to 100% at the end of the list. Indented beneath each main entry are all of the variants that were found, sorted in order of decreasing frequency, along with the count for each.
Notice the word হওয়া is highlighted and since the mouse is hovering over it the definition "to become, to happen" is being displayed. Try hovering your mouse over this হওয়া and see if it works for you. You may have to hold the mouse still for a second or two.
Each word and variant has a space before and after it. This can help you search for words with a given prefix or suffix using your browser's Find feature. For example, if you wanted to find all of the causative verbs you could search for "নো " (note the space after it). You'll still get some words that are not causative verbs because other words also end in নো, but you'll get far fewer than if you just searched for "নো".
The system doesn't know what to do about ambiguities. For example, থেকে has its own definition in the dictionary, so it shows up as a base word, not as a variant of থাকা, although that would also be a reasonable way to count it.
The system makes mistakes if a word is not in the dictionary but is a plausible variant of some other word, even though it's really not. As I find these words and add their definitions these errors will diminish. | https://www.banglatangla.com/frequency.html |
I have a hobby project dienos-zodis.lt, which is a popular Wordle game alternative in Lithuanian. It has about 1000 daily players. The idea is simple: players need to guess a daily word in 7 tries, and with each guess, correct and incorrect letters and their placements in the word are revealed.
The game has two dictionaries: one for correct words (i.e., the one’s players need to guess) and one for incorrect words, which the player can enter as a guess. The second list is necessary to make the game more challenging, as it requires players to enter actual words rather than random letter sequences.
Choosing the correct words for guessing is rather easy. Any dictionary does the job, as I need just 365 words per year and just the main word form.
But an incorrect word list is another story… One of the common complaints I received over the past year is that the incorrect word list is limited and does not accept otherwise correct words. For 2023, I have decided to improve this situation. However, I had trouble finding a comprehensive list of Lithuanian words. Many dictionaries include only the main form of the word, but the Lithuanian language is unique in that each word may have many different variants (e.g., vyras [a man] could be vyrą, vyro, vyrui, etc.). I have also been unable to find a dictionary that I can easily scrape or obtain in text files. I need to come up with a more creative solution to get all possible words.
Solution
I realized that the best database of all Lithuanian words would be a collection of books if only I would be able to get it and process it. The challenge was accepted.
First, I needed to obtain a lot of books in digital format. Unfortunately, the easiest way to do this was through illegal means, such as pirating a LT book pack (~200 books) in EPUB format from a torrent website. I apologize to all authors and everyone else for doing this illegally. I promise that I used the books only for this analytical task and removed everything at the end.
Second, I needed to convert the EPUB format to TXT. I used the free Calibre program to do this, which was the easiest part. Now I had 183 LT books in TXT form:
Now the fun part – how do I process it? How to extract all words from all of the books and get the unique word list?
I used Python script to loop through all TXT books and split them into words, store words in an array, and make a distinct list with frequency distribution.
I did a couple of iterations. I needed to fix encoding, needed to clear special characters. But above is the final script. The result was simple, but exactly what I needed:
Next, I continued the process using Excel PowerQuery. I trimmed, lowercased, and created a rule engine to identify “suspicious” words, such as those with digits, those with the letters “x,” “w,” and “q” which do not exist in Lithuanian, and others:
And finally, I got a decent data set:
It is still not perfect, because it still has some nonsensical, English, mistaken words in it:
But because I also have a frequency distribution, I can choose the level of confidence I want. For the purpose of getting the most frequently used words, I can easily eliminate those that are only used once or twice (out of 10 mln. words in total!). If I want to make the game easier, I can include more if I wish so.
What does the Lithuanian language look like in numbers?
Detailed analysis of the Lithuanian language might not be very interesting for non-Lithuanian readers, so I will leave just a general summary here. For a more detailed Lithuanian version, you can jump here.
So how many Lithuanian words are there? After all eliminations, I have got 159 000 words. I eliminated a lot of real infrequent words by dropping used only 1-2 times, so the final number likely is somewhere higher. But if the word is used only once out of 10 mln., then probably it’s safe to assume, we can communicate just fine without it 🙂
How many different words do you need to communicate “good enough”?
Disclaimer. “Word” below will mean any word variant. Vyras, vyro, vyui, vyrą would be 4 words, but in reality, it’s one word with 4 variants.
The answer depends on the “good enough” definition. Here is the cumulative frequency of the most used words:
1000 most used words cover 50% of the language. 5000 words get you to 70%, 10 000 words will get you to 80%. To get to 90% you will need 30 000 words.
What is word frequency by the length of the word? Depends on how you measure it: by its total occurrence in the text (10mln. words) or in a unique word list (159 000 words):
Most words in Lithuanian are 7-9 characters long, but most frequently used words are shorter and have 2-6 characters.
The summary
For my game dienos-zodis.lt, I needed a list of all 5-letter Lithuanian words, so I wrote a Python script and processed 183 Lithuanian books. In total 10mln. words. I have got an initial list of 390 000 distinct words. I dropped 8 000 containing digits or incorrect characters. Furthermore, I eliminated 220 000 words that were used only once or twice as likely mistakes or just very rare words. Ended up with 159 000 Lithuanian words. For my game, I needed only 5 letter words, which bought my final list down to ~10 000 words. Here how does it look like: | https://baltrusaitis.lt/how-to-get-a-list-of-all-possible-words-in-a-language/ |
Graphite in Quartz
Graphite occurs in host rocks such as quartz, mica, schist, feld spathic or micacreous quartzite and gneiss. The minerals get into the growing quartz and row simultaneously. These inclusions are called syngeneic.
Chemical composition:
C - SiO2
Color:
Gray, with shimmering inclusions
Lustre:
Translucent
Hardness:
7
Crystal system:
Trigonal
Healing properties*:
Graphite in quartz can be used to enhance the energy transfer from a healer or from other minerals. A stone of personal freedom it provides inspiration to take control of your own life.
Folklore:
The oldowan tool industry (2.6 - 1.7 million years b.p.) in Tanzania, East Africa is thought to represent the earliest evidence of tool manufacture by early hominid ancestors. Fragments of quartz, which could take an edge were purposefully shaped into scrapers, awls and axes.
* Scientific proof may not be available to substantiate these claims. | https://www.blackstarjewelry.com/stone/graphite-quartz |
Bible students differ as to the exact meaning of the words on healing in James 5:13–18. Many are reluctant to advocate a contemporary use of the “gifts of healings” in the church; but all are unanimous in feeling that the passage is calling for dealing in some way with physical illness among God’s people. Exactly how the teaching of James is to be implemented by the elders of the church, or precisely what circumstances warrant its application, is a matter of debate.
Many see this passage as a formula for church practice which obligates God to grant requests for physical healing. The result of this view is that many Christians are disappointed when God does not answer what He seemingly had promised. God does obligate Himself with His Word, but not to man’s misinterpretations of His Word. This writer suggests that James 5:13–18 is not referring to physical sickness at all, but is rather giving instruction for dealing with persons who are discouraged or depressed.
Contextual Considerations
The interpretation of any verse of the Bible must fit with the thought of the context in both the immediate passage and the overall understanding of Scripture. If James 5:13–18 is a reference to the special healing of physical illness, then it is totally unique to the teaching of the New Testament Epistles and disruptive to the argument of the Book of James.
BSac 138:551 (Jul 81) p. 259
Where in the Epistles, from Romans through Jude, is there emphasis on a special divine healing of the sick through the ministry of church elders? It is not found in the writings of Paul, who gave thorough instructions to the elders regarding their spiritual qualifications and responsibilities. Gaebelein expresses an important observation in this respect. “The Epistles which are the highwater mark of divine revelation, are the Epistles of Ephesians and Colossians; we find nothing in these Epistles about healing of diseases by anointing and prayer. Nor is it mentioned in any of the other Pauline Epistles.”1
“Gifts of healings” is merely mentioned in the list of spiritual gifts in 1 Corinthians 12, but there is a curious silence in the rest of that epistle, as well as in all other epistles, as to any instruction for ministries of healing to the sick. Instead, Timothy was told to take wine as a remedy for... | https://www.galaxie.com/article/bsac138-551-06 |
Understudy Meaning in Urdu
1. Understudy - Standby : قائم مقامی کی تربیت لینا : (noun) an actor able to replace a regular performer when required.
Actor, Histrion, Player, Role Player, Thespian - a theatrical performer.
Useful Words
Able : قابل : (usually followed by `to') having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something. "Able to swim"
Actor - Histrion - Player - Role Player - Thespian : تھیٹر فنکار : a theatrical performer. "You are truly considered a great histrion"
Performer - Performing Artist : اداکار : an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience.
Fixture - Habitue - Regular : پکا گاہک : a regular patron. "An habitue of the racetrack"
Replace : ایک جگہ سے دوسری جگہ رکھنا : substitute a person or thing for (another that is broken or inefficient or lost or no longer working or yielding what is expected). "He replaced the old razor blade"
Needed - Needful - Required - Requisite : ضروری : necessary for relief or supply. "Provided them with all things needful" | https://urdu.wordinn.com/understudy |
# Doom engine
id Tech 1, also known as the Doom engine, is the game engine that powers the id Software games Doom and Doom II: Hell on Earth. It is also used in Heretic, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, Strife: Quest for the Sigil, Hacx: Twitch 'n Kill, Freedoom, and other games produced by licensees. It was created by John Carmack, with auxiliary functions written by Mike Abrash, John Romero, Dave Taylor, and Paul Radek. Originally developed on NeXT computers, it was ported to DOS for Doom's initial release and was later ported to several game consoles and operating systems.
The source code to the Linux version of Doom was released to the public under a license that granted rights to non-commercial use on December 23, 1997, followed by the Linux version of Doom II about a week later on December 29, 1997. The source code was later re-released under the GNU General Public License v2.0 or later on October 3, 1999. The dozens of unofficial Doom source ports that have been created since then allow Doom to run on previously unsupported operating systems and sometimes radically expand the engine's functionality with new features.
Although the engine renders a 3D space, that space is projected from a two-dimensional floor plan. The line of sight is always parallel to the floor, walls must be perpendicular to the floors, and it is not possible to create multi-level structures or sloped areas (floors and ceilings with different angles). Despite these limitations, the engine represented a technological leap from id's previous Wolfenstein 3D engine. The Doom engine was later renamed to "id Tech 1" in order to categorize it in a list of id Software's long line of game engines.
## Game world
The Doom engine separates rendering from the rest of the game. The graphics engine runs as fast as possible, but the game world runs at 35 frames per second regardless of the hardware, so multiple players can play against each other using computers of varying performance.
## Level structure
Viewed from the top down, all Doom levels are actually two-dimensional, demonstrating one of the key limitations of the Doom engine: room-over-room is not possible. This limitation, however, has a silver lining: a "map mode" can be easily displayed, which represents the walls and the player's position, much like the first image to the right.
### Basic objects
The base unit is the vertex, which represents a single 2D point. Vertices (or "vertexes" as they are referred to internally) are then joined to form lines, known as "linedefs". Each linedef can have either one or two sides, which are known as "sidedefs". Sidedefs are then grouped together to form polygons; these are called "sectors". Sectors represent particular areas of the level.
### Sectors
Each sector contains a number of properties: a floor height, ceiling height, light level, a floor texture and a ceiling texture. To have a different light level in a particular area, for example, a new sector must be created for that area with a different light level. One-sided linedefs therefore represent solid walls, while two-sided linedefs represent bridge lines between sectors.
### Sidedefs
Sidedefs are used to store wall textures; these are completely separate from the floor and ceiling textures. Each sidedef can have three textures; these are called the middle, upper and lower textures. In one-sided linedefs, only the middle texture is used for the texture on the wall. In two-sided linedefs, the situation is more complex. The lower and upper textures are used to fill the gaps where adjacent sectors have different floor and ceiling heights: lower textures are used for steps, for example. The sidedefs can have a middle texture as well, although most do not; this is used to make textures hang in mid air. For example, when a transparent bar texture is seen forming a cage, this is an example of a middle texture on a two-sided linedef.
## Binary space partitioning
Doom makes use of a system known as binary space partitioning (BSP). A tool is used to generate the BSP data for a level beforehand. This process can take quite some time for a large level. It is because of this that it is not possible to move the walls in Doom; while doors and lifts move up and down, none of them ever move sideways.
The level is divided up into a binary tree: each location in the tree is a "node" which represents a particular area of the level (with the root node representing the entire level). At each branch of the tree there is a dividing line which divides the area of the node into two subnodes. At the same time, the dividing line divides linedefs into line segments called "segs".
At the leaves of the tree are convex polygons, where further division of the level is not needed. These convex polygons are referred to as subsectors (or "SSECTORS"), and are bound to a particular sector. Each subsector has a list of segs associated with it.
The BSP system sorts the subsectors into the right order for rendering. The algorithm is fairly simple:
Start at the root node. Draw the child nodes of this node recursively. The child node closest to the camera is drawn first using a Scanline algorithm. This can be found from looking at which side of the node's dividing line the camera is on. When a subsector is reached, draw it.
The process is complete when the whole column of pixels is filled (i.e., there are no more gaps left). This ordering ensures that no time is used drawing objects that are not visible and as a result maps can become very large without any speed penalty.
## Rendering
### Drawing the walls
All of the walls in Doom are drawn vertically; it is because of this that it is not possible to properly look up and down. It is possible to perform a form of look up/down via "y-shearing", and many modern Doom source ports do this, as well as later games that use the engine, such as Heretic. Essentially this works by moving the horizon line up and down within the screen, in effect providing a "window" on a taller viewable area. By moving the window up and down, it is possible to give the illusion of looking up and down. However, this will distort the view the further up and down the player looks.
The Doom engine renders the walls as it traverses the BSP tree, drawing subsectors by order of distance from the camera so that the closest segs are drawn first. As the segs are drawn, they are stored in a linked list. This is used to clip other segs rendered later on, reducing overdraw. This is also used later to clip the edges of sprites.
Once the engine reaches a solid (1-sided) wall at a particular x coordinate, no more lines need to be drawn at that area. For clipping the engine stores a "map" of areas of the screen where solid walls have been reached. This allows far away parts of the level which are invisible to the player to be clipped completely.
The Doom graphic format stores the wall textures as sets of vertical columns; this is useful to the renderer, which essentially renders the walls by drawing many vertical columns of textures.
### Floor and ceiling
The system for drawing floors and ceilings ("flats") is less elegant than that used for the walls. Flats are drawn with a flood fill-like algorithm. Because of this, it is sometimes possible if a bad BSP builder is used to get "holes" where the floor or ceiling bleeds down to the edges of the screen, a visual error commonly referred to as a "slime trail". This is also the reason why if the player travels outside of the level using the noclip cheat the floors and ceilings will appear to stretch out from the level over the empty space.
The floor and ceiling are drawn as "visplanes". These represent horizontal runs of texture, from a floor or ceiling at a particular height, light level and texture (if two adjacent sectors have exactly the same floor, these can get merged into one visplane). Each x position in the visplane has a particular vertical line of texture which is to be drawn.
Because of this limit of drawing one vertical line at each x position, it is sometimes necessary to split visplanes into multiple visplanes. For example, consider viewing a floor with two concentric squares. The inner square will vertically divide the surrounding floor. In that horizontal range where the inner square is drawn, two visplanes are needed for the surrounding floor.
This leads to one of Doom's classic limitations which frustrated many mappers for a long time. Doom contained a static limit on the number of visplanes; if exceeded, a "visplane overflow" would occur, causing the game to exit to DOS with one of two messages, "No more visplanes!" or "visplane overflow (128 or higher)". The easiest way to invoke the visplane limit is a large checkerboard floor pattern; this creates a large number of visplanes.
As the segs are rendered, visplanes are also added, extending from the edges of the segs towards the vertical edges of the screen. These extend until they reach existing visplanes. Because of the way this works, the system is dependent on the fact that segs are rendered in order by the overall engine; it is necessary to draw nearer visplanes first, so that they can "cut off" by others further away. If unstopped, the floor or ceiling will "bleed out" to the edges of the screen, as previously described. Eventually, the visplanes form a "map" of particular areas of the screen in which to draw particular textures.
While visplanes are constructed essentially from vertical "strips", the actual low level rendering is performed in the form of horizontal "spans" of texture. After all the visplanes have been constructed, they are converted into spans which are then rendered to the screen. This appears to be a trade off: it is easier to construct visplanes as vertical strips, but because of the nature of how the floor and ceiling textures appear it is easier to draw them as horizontal strips.
### Things (sprites)
Each sector within the level has a linked list of things stored in that sector. As each sector is drawn the sprites are placed into a list of sprites to be drawn. If not within the field of view these are ignored.
The edges of sprites are clipped by checking the list of segs previously drawn. Sprites in Doom are stored in the same column based format as the walls are, which again is useful for the renderer. The same functions which are used to draw walls are used to draw sprites as well.
While subsectors are guaranteed to be in order, the sprites within them are not. Doom stores a list of sprites to be drawn ("vissprites") and sorts the list before rendering. Far away sprites are drawn before close ones. This causes some overdraw but usually this is negligible.
There is a final issue of middle textures on 2-sided lines, used in transparent bars for example. These are mixed in and drawn with the sprites at the end of the rendering process, rather than with the other walls.
## Games using the Doom engine
The Doom engine achieved most of its fame as a result of powering the classic first person shooter Doom, and it was used in several other games. It is usually considered that the "Big Four" Doom engine games are Doom, Heretic, Hexen: Beyond Heretic, and Strife: Quest for the Sigil.
Doom (1993) The Ultimate Doom (1995) Doom II: Hell on Earth (1994) Master Levels for Doom II (1995) Final Doom (1996) Heretic (1994) Heretic: Shadow of the Serpent Riders (1996) Hexen: Beyond Heretic (1995) Hexen: Deathkings of the Dark Citadel (1996) Strife: Quest for the Sigil (1996)
Chex Quest (1996) Chex Quest 2: Flemoids Take Chextropolis Doom 64 (1997) Hacx: Twitch 'n Kill (1997) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doom_Engine |
Daoist tradition is one of the oldest in the world – its history extends back over five millenniums. The fact that it is extant proves its efficacy and reliability.
Nowadays in China a large number of different systems of self-development are known. In general, they all can be referred to as a part of the following directions: therapeutic, or medicinal Qigong, wushu Qigong, Daoist School, Buddhist and Confucian Schools.
Zhen Dao School is regarded as a part of Daoist tradition. Meanwhile, it adheres to the idea of the “unity of three doctrines”, Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. It means that disciples of Zhen Dao School study the way of Inner Alchemy as the main, the highest method of improvement. That is why this school is originally for people with great abilities. These abilities include following: sophisticated mind (to analyse information received); ability to overcome hardships, which a disciple will meet in practice with; ability to get to the root of original and true sense of Master’s instructions; ability to open ones heart and mind to new knowledge, i.e. to be “an empty phial”; to have an outstanding willower and patience etc.
For long time schools of this level were closed, and knowledge was given to chosen disciples only, by contrast to the Lower and Middle Ways that were quite popular all over China. Only in the middle of 80s of the twentieth century a sort of a break-point happened, when some schools of Inner Alchemy partially disclosed their knowledge to public. Their representatives started to teach the techniques, which had been kept in secret for centuries, openly. Zhen Dao School is one of them. Traditional Chinese name for the Schools of Practical Daoism is Dao Jia (道家), which literally means “Daoist family”.
As for Religious Daoism, the term Dao Jiao (道教), which means “Daoist religious doctrine” is used.
Therefore, Practical Daoism (道家) is the most ancient system of self-development methods, well-tried by many generations of practitioners, with the deepest practical methods (Inner Alchemy) and theoretically-philosophical doctrine covering all the aspects of harmonious development of a human being. It is a difficult enough art, which requires a great discipline of excellence from a practitioner.
As Zhen Dao School is not religious (道教), but represents a system of Practical Daoism (道家), its methods can be learnt by any person, notwithstanding ones religion or nationality. An analogy can be drawn between this doctrine and science. As far as sciences have subject of studying – organic and non-organic substances for chemistry, numbers for mathematics – subject of Practical Daoism is a human being, his body, life power and mind, his interaction with the World, and place that he fills in it. | https://zhendaopai.com/daoism/ |
Riverside Energy Systems, serving Kamloops and Kelowna BC, supplies solar PV energy systems for a broad range of projects, including residential, public, commercial, industrial, and recreational applications. We source and provide equipment as part of our full spectrum of services to address both grid-tied and off-grid renewable energy systems.
From individual components to completely integrated systems, Riverside Energy Systems will ensure you receive the components/systems to suit the unique needs of your project. Our designs use equipment from reputable world class manufacturers certified to CSA, ETL, IEEE, and other stringent standards of performance and safety.
Allow our experienced team to guide your solar PV based renewable energy system decisions to ensure reliable performance for years to come. | https://riversideenergy.ca/renewable-energy-equipment-and-sales |
The "Ehipassiko International Meditation Center"which is a Theravada Buddhist Religious center, was established to carry out the noble Buddhist mission of providing guidance to thousands of devotees around the world over providing them with guidance to emancipate themselves from recurring suffering by ‘liberating the transcending’ the construct of the mind, by following the eight fold noble path preached by the Buddha.
Ancient Buddhist Rituals
the ‘Ehipassiko’ International Meditation Center spearheads various programs to preserve the rituals and traditions of ancient Buddhism.
Chevarara, which is created in parallel to the Katina Ceremony, is made in the form of ancient Theravada practice by Buddhist monks in ancient times. Natural herbs such as plants leaves, roots, nuts and flowers…
Every day Buddhist Monks, young and old make their early morning alms collection called Pindapathaya , mostly of prepared food that they eat when they return to the temple. People look out for the monks…
The procession is part of the katina cheevara (robe) offering, a highlight of the Katina Pinkama, a day of religious activities marking the end of the Vas Retreat, when Buddhist monks across Sri Lanka emerge…
The Bodhi-Puja The veneration of the Bodhi-tree (pipal tree: ficus religiosa) has been a popular and a widespread ritual in Sri Lanka from the time a sapling of the original Bodhi-tree at Buddhagaya (under which the Buddha…
Abbot & Monks
Dhamma sermons are programmed based on the teachings of the Buddha while the dissemination of it is delivered by Buddhist monks who are also meditation masters and spiritual advisers in the realm of the Dhamma. | http://www.ehipassikoimc.com/ |
14 Oct Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (ACNP)
An acute care nurse practitioner (ACNP) works closely with doctors to provide emergency care to patients suffering heart attacks, acute respiratory symptoms, shock and many other critical medical conditions.
Typically, an acute care nurse practitioner oversees patients requiring short-term critical medical care. ACNPs supervise the physical examination of the patient, order tests, watch over the nurses performing those tests and interpret the results.
As many highly-trained ACNPs have the same skills as doctors, they are vital in hospital emergency departments, critical care units, ambulatory care clinics, operating theaters, walk-in clinics and community-based health care facilities. The importance of ACNPs will continue to grow in American health care in the coming years.
ACNPs can perform both invasive diagnostic and therapeutic procedures to pre- and post-operative patients and are fully trained to diagnose and treat acute medical problems. This can take a lot of pressure of doctors in critical care situations.
An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Has Many Vital Responsibilities
An ACNP often takes care of a critically ill patient from the moment they enter a hospital’s inpatient department to the day they are discharged, in collaboration with physicians and other members of the critical care team.
It’s the job of an acute care nurse practitioner to help patients manage their symptoms, then prescribe a course of treatment and follow-up care. ACNPs are qualified to prescribe medications and instruct the patient on how to use them. They’ll also closely monitor the patient’s recovery and guide them to the best community health care programs upon their release from hospital.
The Role Of An Acute Care Nurse Practitioner Is More Important Than Ever
Today, with patients overwhelming the American health care system, the role of an ACNP is more important than ever. Their job is to quickly diagnose and treat patients so that they do not continue to clog up the emergency rooms and other critical care facilities.
ACNPs can provide the quality emergency care that is required, decrease the amount of time patients spend in hospitals and provide the reassurance that patients and their families need so they can quickly get on the road to recovery.
The addition of an ACNP to any health care team improves communication and overall patient care. General surgery acute care nurse practitioners assist surgeons during operations, oragnize appropriate after-surgery care and prescribe pain-relief medication.
ACNPs also serve as case managers and team leaders. ACNP duties at teaching hospitals tend to be quite extensive due to the advanced levels of nursing associated with this credential. They often lead research teams too.
To practice as an acute care nurse practitioner, you need to obtain your four-year Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degree with specialized ACNP coursework plus hundreds of clinical study hours.
Most RNs study for their MSN degree while still working to become experts in the care of acutely ill patients, often with multiple and extremely complex problems medical conditions.
ACNP nursing programs focus on critical care, cardio-pulmonary care, and emergency department and trauma response. You’ll also receive academic and clinical training in advanced physical assessment and diagnosis, pharmacology, patient care management, lab and chest X-ray interpretation and education and research.
Neurosurgery, oncology and organ transplants are other areas of specialized critical hospital care that you will study to become a qualified acute care nurse practitioner. And obtain the skills to work in many hospital settings including cardiology, emergency units, nephrology, neurology and surgery.
Once you have finished your specialized ACNP nursing program, you must become certified by your State Board of Nursing or receive national certification from the American Nurses Credentialing Center or the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners.
In 23 U.S. states, ACNPs can work autonomously and open their own clinical practices. In 28 states, ACNPs must work under the supervision of a physician. As a certified acute care nurse practitioner, you can also apply for and receive a DEA registration number that enables you to write prescriptions for federally-defined controlled medications in all states.
The skills of an acute care nurse practitioner are in high demand in the United States. Despite the passing of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), or ObamaCare, there are still millions of uninsured or under-insured people in America.
As they are unable to afford preventative or ongoing medical care, these people often simply go straight to emergency rooms and other acute care settings for treatment. ACNPs are in great demand in these hospital and medical facilities as they can provide the same care as a physician but at a much lower cost.
Becoming an acute care nurse practitioner is not easy. You will have to undertake many years of theoretical and clinical studies specializing in acute and critical care treatment. But the rewards are great and the job exciting and eventful.
Because of their high level of training and knowledge, an acute care nurse practitioner earns more money than most other nurses with salaries typically starting at around $90,650 a year. | https://geriatricnursing.org/acute-care-nurse-practitioner-acnp/ |
On Thursday, September 9th, the Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at the University of Texas at El Paso will bring student art and historical plant collections to life in the exhibition, “Where We Will Grow: Elsie Slater, Plants and Art”.
The plant collections were made by Elsie Slater, a local self-taught biologist, teacher, artist, and writer who documented the natural history of El Paso in the early 1900s. Slater shared her findings and love for plants through both scientific and artistic approaches.
Her work included newspaper articles for the El Paso Herald-Post, three books, over 200 pressed plants, and various art pieces...Read more
UTEP Research identifies Earth’s Extreme Environments as best places for life to grow
A faculty member from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) is at the forefront of research that is shaping new realities about the potential for new organisms to thrive in seemingly harsh, desolate areas of the planet.
A report published Dec. 11, 2020, in the research journal Science dispels the premise that areas such as the Amazon rainforest are biodiversity hotspots because new species tend to evolve there.
"New UTEP Exhibit Shows How Ants Contribute to World Ecosystems"
Unbelievably, fewer than 1% of ants are pests. The rest are valuable members of the Earth’s environment. Those 99 percenters are the basis of “Tiny Tunnels, Big Connections: Ant Relationships Shape the World,” that opens Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in The University of Texas at El Paso’s Centennial Museum and Chihuahuan Desert Gardens.
One of the exhibit’s goals is to raise awareness of the wide variety of ant species and the role they play in the circle of life, said Vicky Zhuang, Ph.D., exhibit curator and collections manager at UTEP’s Biodiversity Collections. Ants aerate soil and distribute plant seeds. They also are a food source for birds, lizards and even humans. For example, honey pot ants, known for their consumption of nectar, are sweet delicacies in Mexico... Read more
"A clever African toad learned to copy a deadly snake to trick predators out of eating it"
(CNN)The Congolese Giant Toad shares its rainforest habitat with one of the most fearsome snakes in Africa. But mimicry might be the key to its survival, even without the fangs.
Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta draws people to Franklin Mountains State Park
Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta educates community on sustainability
The community celebrated the 15th Annual Chihuahuan Desert Fiesta Saturday, Sept. 28 in the Tom Mays Unit of the Franklins Mountains State Park.
The Chihuahuan Desert Education Coalition, along with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, organized the annual event to promote the preservation of open spaces and regional wildlife.
The event included guided hikes, wildlife demonstrations and educational exhibits.
The Chihuahuan Desert is the second largest desert in North America, boasting thousands of different species of plants, insects and hundreds of species of birds and mammals. | https://www.utep.edu/biodiversity/about/press.html |
The role of metabolic imaging in the diagnosis, treatment, and response assessment of diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is poorly defined. We investigated the uptake of 11C-methionine in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed DIPG and evaluated the associations of 11C-methionine PET metrics with conventional MRI indices and survival outcomes. Methods: Twenty-two patients with newly diagnosed DIPG were prospectively enrolled on an institutional review board–approved investigational study of 11C-methionine PET. All patients underwent baseline 11C-methionine PET/CT, and initial treatment-response scans after chemotherapy or radiation therapy were obtained for 17 patients. Typical and atypical DIPGs were assessed clinically and radiographically and defined by multidisciplinary consensus. Three-dimensional regions of interest, reviewed by consensus between a nuclear medicine physician and a radiation oncologist, were delineated after coregistration of PET and MR images. Associations of 11C-methionine uptake intensity and uniformity with survival, along with associations between 11C-methionine uptake and conventional MRI tumor indices over time, were evaluated. 11C-methionine PET voxel values within regions of interest were assessed as threshold values across proportions of the study population, and 11C-methionine uptake at baseline was assessed relative to MRI-defined tumor progression. Results: 11C-methionine uptake above that of uninvolved brain tissue was observed in 18 of 22 baseline scans (82%) and 15 of 17 initial response scans (88%). 11C-methionine avidity within MRI-defined tumor was limited in extent, with 11 of 18 positive baseline 11C-methionine PET scans (61%) showing less than 25% 11C-methionine–avid tumor. The increase in total tumor volume with 11C-methionine PET was relatively limited (17.2%; interquartile range, 6.53%–38.90%), as was the extent of 11C-methionine uptake beyond the MRI-defined tumor (2.2%; interquartile range, 0.55%–10.88%). Although baseline 11C-methionine PET intensity and uniformity metrics did not correlate with survival outcomes, initial 11C-methionine avidity overlapped with recurrent tumor in 100% of cases. A clinical diagnosis of atypical DIPG was associated with borderline significantly prolonged progression-free survival (P = 0.07), yet 11C-methionine PET indices at diagnosis did not differ significantly between atypical and typical DIPGs. Conclusion: Most newly diagnosed DIPGs are successfully visualized by 11C-methionine PET. Baseline 11C-methionine uptake delineates regions at increased risk for recurrence, yet intensity and uniformity metrics did not correlate with treatment outcomes in children with DIPG in this study.
Patients with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) have a stagnant median survival of less than 1 y (1). Despite the recent addition of the “diffuse midline glioma, H3 K27M mutant” histologic entity to the 2016 World Health Organization classification of central nervous system tumors (2), DIPG remains a largely clinical diagnosis based on stereotypic neurologic symptoms of acute onset and characteristic features on conventional MRI (3). Although more routine diagnostic biopsy may be performed at several high-volume centers (4), biopsy is generally reserved in the United States for patients with “atypical” DIPG in which either or both of the above-mentioned clinical or radiologic features are absent or incomplete (5). Primary treatment for DIPG consists of definitive radiation therapy (RT) targeted primarily at the fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) abnormality on diagnostic MRI. However, uncertainties remain concerning the nature and extent of the MRI-defined tumor volume and treatment-response evaluation in DIPG. Conventional MRI remains limited in its ability to differentiate typical from atypical DIPG and to define functionally active disease (6,7).
Metabolic imaging with PET has been widely used for tumor detection and metabolic characterization, target delineation, and treatment-response monitoring of brain tumors. Although 18F-FDG is the most widely used radiotracer for PET imaging and has been evaluated in several studies of pediatric brain stem glioma (8,9), the elevated 18F-FDG uptake in normal brain tissue and at sites of infection or inflammation limits its use (10). Imaging with 11C-methionine has proved useful for several tumors in which 11C-methionine uptake via large amino acid transporter 1 is increased relative to that in surrounding healthy tissues (11,12). Studies on adult brain tumors suggest a role for 11C-methionine PET in prediction of histopathologic tumor grade, target delineation for both diagnostic biopsy and RT planning, prediction of required RT dose thresholds for tumor control, therapy-response assessment and survival prediction, and differentiation between therapy effects and tumor recurrence (13).
Although PET may provide important insights into the biology of DIPG and its response to therapeutic interventions, investigations of 11C-methionine PET imaging in DIPG have been limited, with most studies conducted in heterogeneous pediatric brain tumor populations (14–17). The objectives of this study were to examine the contribution of the 11C-methionine PET–delineated tumor volume to the conventional MRI-based tumor volume at diagnosis and in the early response to chemotherapy or RT and to assess the prognostic value of baseline 11C-methionine PET metrics in a series of children with newly diagnosed DIPG who were enrolled in a prospective study of 11C-methionine PET.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Study Description and Patient Population
Between August 2009 and December 2016, 22 pediatric patients with a median age of 9.3 y (range, 6.8–13.5 y) and histologically confirmed or suspected DIPG were enrolled in a prospective protocol (NCT00840047) at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital to evaluate the biodistribution of 11C-methionine in children and young adults with tumors. With the agreement of the primary attending physician and confirmation of known or suspected neoplastic disease, patients were approached for enrollment. The protocol was approved by our institutional review board, and all enrolled subjects gave written informed consent. The current analysis was restricted to patients with newly diagnosed DIPG who underwent 11C-methionine PET and MRI evaluations before the initiation of therapy. All patients were irradiated using conventional fractionation (1.8 Gy per day) to a total dose of 54–55.8 Gy. The categorization of atypical DIPG was reached by consensus on multidisciplinary review of neuroimaging features and clinical symptomatology. Atypical features included prolonged symptom duration before diagnosis, fewer than 2 characteristic neurologic symptoms (cranial nerve deficits, long tract, and cerebellar signs), radiographic features of limited infiltrative growth pattern, eccentricity within the pons (often occupying less than half the pons and with more dorsal growth without significant basilar artery encasement), and more prominent and heterogeneous contrast enhancement (18–20). Of the 22 patients, histologic confirmation of diffuse glioma was obtained in 10 patients (45%) in the form of diagnostic biopsy, resection of distant metastatic disease, or autopsy.
11C-Methionine PET Acquisition and Reconstruction
11C-methionine was produced starting from 11C-methyl iodide and l-homocysteine thiolactone by the method of Ishiwata et al. (11), as adapted for preparation on a PETChem Solutions automated synthesis module (21). 11C-methionine was administered under an investigational-new-drug authorization. Before undergoing 11C-methionine PET examinations, participants fasted for at least 4 h. They then received intravenous injections of 740 MBq (20 mCi) of 11C-methionine per 1.7 m2 of body surface area (maximum prescribed dose, 740 MBq). Approximately 5 min later, low-dose transmission CT images for attenuation correction and lesion localization and PET images were obtained using a GE Healthcare Discovery LS PET/CT scanner (before April 2011) or a GE Healthcare Discovery 690 PET/CT scanner. CT acquisition parameters included slice thickness of 0.5 cm, tube rotation of 0.8 s, table speed of 1.5 cm/rotation, pitch of 1.5:1, and 120 kV and 90 mA, with dose modulation. Emission images were acquired for 15 min in 3 dimensions. 11C-methionine PET and CT images were reconstructed in multiple planes using a vendor-supplied 3-dimensional iterative reconstruction algorithm. 11C-methionine PET CT scans were obtained within 2 wk of RT initiation and subsequently at the discretion of the treating physician.
MRI Acquisition
Standard MR images were acquired using a 3.0-T scanner. The imaging protocols included an axial T2-weighted FLAIR sequence (T2FLAIR) (repetition time, 10,000 ms; echo time, 103 ms; flip angle, 130), an axial T1-weighted postgadolinium (T1post) sequence (repetition time, 233 ms; echo time, 2.22 ms; flip angle, 70), and an axial T2-weighted fast spin-echo sequence (repetition time, 7,960 ms; echo time, 83 ms; flip angle, 180). Baseline MRI was performed within 2 wk before RT initiation and at 1- to 3-mo intervals after RT completion in accordance with the therapeutic protocol or at the discretion of the treating physician. The median interval from the end of RT to the first surveillance 11C-methionine PET scan, and between baseline and the first surveillance MRI and 11C-methionine PET scans, were 32.5, 6, and 1 d, respectively (Supplemental Table 1; supplemental materials are available at http://jnm.snmjournals.org).
Image Analysis
MR scans and associated 11C-methionine PET scans were coregistered using standard vendor-supplied software (MIM Software Inc.). The anatomic tumor extent was manually delineated on the basis of T2FLAIR and T1post abnormalities on MRI, and the metabolic tumor volume was delineated on the basis of 11C-methionine avidity by using the validated PET-edge technique in MIM software with manual adjustment in regions approximating the midbrain/basal ganglia because of the inherent increased uptake in those regions (22). Segmented tumor volumes were reviewed by a board-certified radiation oncologist and nuclear medicine physician and defined by consensus.
The SUVmax of the tumor was compared with that of the noninvolved left frontal background white matter on 11C-methionine PET scans coregistered with MRI. This choice of background region was based on a desire for reproducibility, its remoteness from the tumor area, and its low probability of having been affected by biopsy. The uptake of 11C-methionine was graded on a scale from 1 to 3, with 1 indicating that uptake was present but less than in noninvolved background white matter, 2 indicating that uptake was approximately equal to background uptake, and 3 indicating that uptake was greater than in the background (Supplemental Fig. 1A). An 11C-methionine PET tumor–to–normal-tissue SUVmax index of 1.3 was considered the threshold for malignant activity (23,24), and an intensity score of 3 was considered positive. 11C-methionine uniformity was defined as the percentage of the tumor (as delineated on T2FLAIR MRI) exhibiting 11C-methionine uptake and was graded on a 4-point scale (1, 1%–24%; 2, 25%–49%; 3, 50%–74%; and 4, 75%–100%) (Supplemental Fig. 1B) (25).
Through Boolean operations in MIM, the concordance and discordance between delineated tumor volumes were defined, respectively, as an overlap and a lack of overlap between 2 segmented volumes of interest. The volumes and proportions of tumor representing tumor edema (T2FLAIR), tumor enhancement (T1post), 11C-methionine–avid tumor (11C-methionine PET), and total tumor volume (defined as either the T2FLAIR volume or the union of all 3 volumes, where appropriate) were delineated, and the percentage and quantitative volume in milliliters were assessed relative to the total quantifiable tumor volume. Within identified regions of interest (ROIs), the SUVs per voxel were extracted and the volume and percentage of the total tumor volume across successive SUV intervals from 1 to 5 (in increments of 1.0) were calculated and compared across imaging time points.
Statistical Analysis
The median values, interquartile ranges, and range, count, and frequency measures were summarized by descriptive statistics. Comparisons across ordinal data were made using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. The signed-rank test was used to evaluate tumor volume change over time. Progression-free survival (PFS) was defined as the time from RT initiation to progression; that is, to local failure, distant failure, or death, whichever occurred first. Overall survival (OS) was defined as the time from RT initiation to death from any cause. Patients who experienced no event were censored at their last follow-up date. Probability estimates of PFS and OS were calculated by the Kaplan–Meier method and compared using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify imaging and clinicopathologic predictors of PFS and OS distributions. Risk estimates, estimated by hazard ratios and P values, and 95% confidence intervals were reported. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS, version 9.4 (SAS Institute). A P value of less than 0.05 for a 2-sided test was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
Study Population and Outcomes
Between August 2009 and December 2016, 22 of 154 eligible patients with newly diagnosed DIPG were enrolled and evaluated with 11C-methionine PET and MRI before receiving definitive RT (Supplemental Fig. 2). Enrolled patients underwent subsequent 11C-methionine PET at the discretion of the treating physician, with 17 patients undergoing 11C-methionine PET and MRI at their first post-RT follow-up (Supplemental Table 1). Eight patients were considered to have atypical DIPG, with all but one undergoing MRI-guided stereotactic needle biopsy. Most patients were coenrolled on phase I clinical trials with concurrent or adjuvant systemic therapy. The patient, treatment, and outcome characteristics are summarized in Supplemental Table 2.
The 6-mo PFS and 12-mo OS rates for the total cohort were 73% (95% confidence interval, 54%–91%) and 63% (95% confidence interval, 43%–84%), respectively (Fig. 1). The OS was significantly longer in patients who underwent 11C-methionine PET imaging than in a contemporary population of 97 patients with newly diagnosed DIPG who were treated at St. Jude but did not undergo 11C-methionine PET (P = 0.03) (Supplemental Fig. 3), suggesting a physician bias toward further defining atypical brain stem lesions through investigational 11C-methionine PET imaging. Consistent with this suggestion within the 11C-methionine PET cohort, a trend for significantly prolonged PFS (P = 0.07) was observed in patients with atypical versus typical DIPG, whereas no significant difference in OS was observed in this limited cohort (Fig. 1).
11C-Methionine PET Metrics and Survival Associations
Scoring of the intensity of 11C-methionine uptake at baseline revealed that the tumors of 18 of 22 patients (82%) exhibited 11C-methionine uptake greater than that of uninvolved brain tissue. Of the 4 patients with negative baseline 11C-methionine uptake, pontine glioblastoma was ultimately diagnosed in two. Conversely, for the 2 patients with biopsy-confirmed pontine low-grade glioma, the baseline 11C-methionine PET scans were positive. Of those patients with positive baseline 11C-methionine PET scans, the extent of 11C-methionine uptake within the MRI-defined tumor volume, or 11C-methionine uniformity, was relatively limited, with 11 of 18 (61%) having positive baseline 11C-methionine PET showing less than 25% 11C-methionine–avid tumor. Interestingly, similar 11C-methionine intensity proportions were observed at the first post-RT imaging, with 15 of 17 patients (88%) having greater 11C-methionine intensity within the MRI-defined tumor than in uninvolved brain. 11C-methionine uniformity was also increased, with 11 of 15 patients (73%) with 11C-methionine PET–positive first surveillance scans showing greater than 50% 11C-methionine–avid tumor compared with 4 of 18 patients (22%) at diagnosis, suggesting that significant decreases in 11C-methionine intensity or extent are not observed acutely with initial 11C-methionine PET imaging after chemotherapy or RT in DIPG. Selected imaging metrics and clinical features are presented in Supplemental Table 3.
Tumor volumes were delineated on T1post, T2FLAIR, and 11C-methionine PET images at diagnosis and first surveillance and were compared over time for those patients with assessable tumor volumes at both time points (Fig. 2; Supplemental Table 4). As observed previously (25), significant reductions in T2FLAIR tumor volumes were noted shortly after RT (P < 0.01), whereas abnormal 11C-methionine PET volumes were significantly increased acutely (P < 0.01).
The impact of imaging metrics and clinical variables on survival outcomes was assessed through Cox proportional hazards models and, within this dataset, failed to show a significant association of 11C-methionine intensity (uptake in tumor ≤ uptake in normal brain vs. > uptake in normal brain) or 11C-methionine uniformity (continuous or ≤ 10% vs. > 10% MRI-defined 11C-methionine–avid tumor) (Table 1). Although the presence of enhancement on baseline MRI also failed to significantly influence outcome, patients with typical DIPG had a borderline-significant increase in the hazard for progression relative to those with an atypical DIPG presentation (hazard ratio, 2.75; P = 0.06). 11C-methionine PET intensity or uniformity, as well as tumor enhancement on MRI, were also assessed by DIPG type, and we again observed no significant differences in 11C-methionine PET or conventional MRI metrics at diagnosis for typical and atypical DIPG (data not shown).
The association between baseline 11C-methionine PET avidity and subsequent MRI-based tumor progression volumes was evaluated by delineating 3-dimensional ROIs and assessing the frequency and extent of overlap of the progressive tumor volume and initial 11C-methionine PET volume (Supplemental Fig. 4). Of the patients with initially positive 11C-methionine PET scans who experienced local progression (64%), 100% developed recurrent tumors within the initial 11C-methionine PET–avid volume, with a median proportion of overlap volume of 13.5% (interquartile range, 5.6%–18.9%) relative to the total recurrent volume.
11C-Methionine PET and Conventional MRI Coincidence
To define the extent to which 11C-methionine uptake contributes to conventional MRI in the identification of tumor abnormalities, volumetric ROIs were delineated on baseline and first post-RT 11C-methionine PET and on T1post and T2FLAIR MR images (Fig. 3). By using Boolean operations, we found that 11C-methionine–avid and T2FLAIR abnormality–delineated ROIs at baseline and first imaging follow-up showed the most overlap, or concordance, whereas the most discordant 11C-methionine PET–MRI ROIs at both time-points were 11C-methionine–avid and T1post abnormalities (Figs. 4A and 4B). As expected, T1post abnormalities were rarely observed outside the T2FLAIR abnormalities on diagnostic or first follow-up MR images. Importantly, although 14 of 18 patients exhibited some 11C-methionine PET avidity outside the T2FLAIR abnormality at baseline, this avidity was significantly limited in extent, with a median percentage volume of discordance relative to T2FLAIR volume of 2.2% (interquartile range, 0.55%–10.88%). Additionally, the region of abnormal 11C-methionine uptake increased the total tumor volume (the sum of the T2FLAIR, T1post, and 11C-methionine PET abnormalities) by a relatively small extent (17.2%; interquartile range, 6.53%–38.90%) (Fig. 4C).
11C-Methionine PET SUV Tumor Proportions
To further characterize abnormal 11C-methionine uptake within conventional MRI-defined DIPG tumors, 11C-methionine SUV voxel values within T2FLAIR-defined tumor volumes were obtained and the proportion of tumor volume within a range of SUVs was assessed at baseline and at the first post-RT imaging for each patient (Fig. 5). At diagnosis, most patients had tumor SUVs between 0 and 2, with the proportion of tumor with these lower SUVs having a relatively broad distribution. However, the initial posttreatment SUV volumes demonstrated a shift to higher SUVs within more limited tumor volumes across patients.
DISCUSSION
This study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of PET imaging with radiolabeled methionine in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed DIPG. We have demonstrated that 11C-methionine uptake is markedly greater within the tumor than in noninvolved white matter, with 82% of enrolled patients (18/22) having been successfully visualized with 11C-methionine PET at diagnosis. Within the limited longitudinal imaging studies of this cohort, 11C-methionine uptake, as assessed by the frequency of positive 11C-methionine scans and the volumetric proportions of the MRI-defined tumor, increased at the first surveillance imaging after irradiation. Although some PET studies of adult patients with glioma have found reduced 11C-methionine uptake soon after RT, there was considerable heterogeneity in the timing of the post-RT imaging (26). Given the similar post-RT increases in 11C-methionine avidity in pediatric patients with supratentorial high-grade glioma (27), the utility of short-interval 11C-methionine PET imaging for assessing treatment response after irradiation is suspect. The observed slight elevation in methionine uptake after RT is most likely due to radiation-induced inflammation or radiation necrosis, although residual/progressive tumor may also contribute. To further delineate the pathophysiology involved will require posttherapy tumor biopsy or additional follow-up methionine studies in patients with DIPG.
PET imaging with 18F-FDG in pediatric patients with brain stem glioma suggests that those patients with more extensive 18F-FDG uptake within the MRI-defined tumor volume may have a poorer PFS, yet neither 18F-FDG intensity nor histogram metrics of skewness or kurtosis were associated with survival (25,28). This is in distinction to our observations, which did not demonstrate a statistically significant correlation between either 11C-methionine uniformity or intensity and outcome. This lack of correlation may be explained by that fact that 11C-methionine uniformity was limited, with only 16.7% of patients with 11C-methionine uptake of 50% or more within the tumor, compared with 42.5% of patients with this extent of 18F-FDG uptake in a cohort with DIPG (25). An additional point of consideration is the inherent limitation of our relatively few study patients, which may further complicate statistical inferences. Despite this limitation, this report represents the largest prospective study of this important neurooncology radiotracer within a disease diagnosed primarily radiographically, and thus, whereas many findings may be more descriptive in nature, these results represent an important benchmark in the role of L-type amino acid transporter–based PET imaging in pediatric brain stem glioma. Looking forward, given the specialized radiochemistry required for, and the short half-life associated with, 11C-methionine, an additional L-type amino acid transporter–based radiotracers that may warrant evaluation in this population is 18F-FDOPA (29). The use of integrated PET/MRI scanners to better synergize the complementary anatomic and biologic information obtained with both modalities and to facilitate rapid image acquisition while minimizing patient variation may also help mitigate some of the current limitations of PET imaging (30).
Uniquely, this study included a larger proportion of patients with atypical presentations of DIPG. We hypothesize that, given the selective enrollment procedures of this clinical trial, these patients were preferentially enrolled in the hope of gaining additional radiographic insight after discordant features were observed on conventional MRI. The distinction between atypical and typical DIPG based on MRI is subjective and often inconsistently defined (6), and there is hope that advanced imaging techniques might better distinguish these entities. Even though most patients with atypical DIPG were ultimately found to have high-grade glioma, we consider this limited sample to have prognostic relevance in view of the trend for significantly longer PFS in these patients. Having said that, our analysis of the data revealed no significant correlations between DIPG clinical types and 11C-methionine PET metrics, including baseline 11C-methionine PET intensity and uniformity indices and the coincidence patterns of 11C-methionine PET and MRI-defined tumor volumes. Further studies including more patients and incorporating molecular pathology and multiparametric MR imaging are needed to better evaluate the utility of advanced imaging in defining this important distinction.
Tumor delineation using 11C-methionine PET imaging has been evaluated in the context of conventional imaging modalities in several studies in adults with supratentorial glioma, with some studies finding frequent discordance between the biologically defined 11C-methionine PET tumor and the anatomically defined tumor (24,31). In one study of 39 adults with resected malignant glioma, the region of 11C-methionine uptake in most patients extended beyond the areas of abnormal enhancement and hyperintensity on T1-weighted postcontrast and T2-weighted MRI, respectively (32). However, when an isotropic clinical target volume expansion of 2 cm surrounding the T2-weighted MRI hyperintensity was used for RT planning, 2 separate studies of resected glioma demonstrated that the 11C-methionine–avid regions were completely encompassed in most of the study patients (24,31). In our study, whereas the 11C-methionine PET–delineated tumor extended beyond the T2FLAIR abnormality in most patients at diagnosis, discordant 11C-methionine–avid volumes were generally limited. Although similar PET studies of pediatric infiltrative brain stem tumors are currently lacking, a study of pediatric supratentorial glioma suggested that the extent of 11C-methionine avidity beyond the FLAIR abnormality was similarly limited (27). The distinct molecular alterations in pediatric supratentorial and brain stem high-grade glioma (33) might account, in part, for the observed discrepancies in 11C-methionine PET and MRI coincidence between adult and pediatric gliomas.
We have also shown that 11C-methionine PET might provide important information concerning heterogeneous tumor regions at the highest risk of treatment failure by demonstrating a correlation between the location of increased preradiation 11C-methionine PET activity and the subsequent region of local tumor progression. Studies in adults with glioblastoma have also demonstrated that regions showing elevated 11C-methionine uptake before concurrent chemotherapy or RT predict areas of subsequent failure and have found altered treatment-failure patterns related to the high-dose RT field in a small subset of patients in whom there was 11C-methionine avidity outside the MRI-targeted tumor volume (34). Furthermore, the extent of 11C-methionine uptake in adult patients with high-grade glioma has been associated with poor local tumor control, with one study suggesting that the optimal RT dose necessary for local tumor control could be determined in relation to the level of 11C-methionine uptake on a case-by-case basis (35). Further prospective studies of 11C-methionine PET in pediatric high-grade glioma are needed to evaluate the utility of 11C-methionine PET–based biologic target volume delineation and the reliability of identifying tumor subregions at the highest risk of local progression.
CONCLUSION
Most newly diagnosed DIPGs can be successfully visualized by 11C-methionine PET, with approximately 80% of such tumors having uptake greater than that of normal brain, whereas early post-RT imaging appears to add little to the treatment-response assessment. We observed abnormal 11C-methionine avidity beyond the conventional MRI-defined tumor in most patients, but its extent was limited. Although 11C-methionine PET indices did not appear to differ between typical and atypical DIPG or predict outcomes in this study, the initial regions of abnormal 11C-methionine uptake appear to be predictive for subsequent tumor progression. Larger prospective studies are needed to better define the role of metabolic tumor imaging via 11C-methionine PET in the diagnosis and prognostication of what is becoming a tumor defined by mutation rather than by clinical findings alone.
DISCLOSURE
This work was supported in part by the American Lebanese Syrian Associated Charities (ALSAC), National Cancer Institute grant P30 CA021765 (St. Jude Cancer Center Support Grant), and National Cancer Institute grant 5R25CA23944 (ECD). No other potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.
Acknowledgments
We thank John T. Lucas, Jr. MD, MS, for helpful discussions, Keith A. Laycock, PhD, ELS, for scientific editing of the manuscript, Roletta Ammons for help with manuscript preparation, and Beth Lovorn for assistance with protocol management and trial enrollment, accrual, and administration.
Footnotes
Published online Aug. 2, 2018.
- © 2019 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging.
REFERENCES
- Received for publication April 9, 2018.
- Accepted for publication July 13, 2018. | https://jnm.snmjournals.org/content/60/3/312 |
Three layers of white and brown hand-cut paper make up this little forest world. Wandering through white birch trees and over the forest floor is a tiny papercut bear silhouette.
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This art piece was carefully hand-cut by Emily Brown with an xacto knife.
Materials : Acid-free cover stock paper
Background : warm gray acid-free cover stock paper
Frame color : dark walnut
Interior dimensions : 5 x 5 inches (13 x 13 cm)
Frame dimensions : 6 x 6 x 1 inches (15 x 15 x 1.5 cm)
Shipping : Framed art packaged in box with amply cushioned space around to prevent damage. | https://www.birdmafia.com/art-shop/birch-forest-bear-papercut-shadow-box |
IELTS Writing Task 2/ IELTS Essay:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Advances in technology and automation have reduced the need for manual labour. Therefore working hours should be reduced.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model Answer:
Work-life balance is a buzzword these days and a group of people think that offices should decrease the working hours. They express their view on the fact that automation and technological advancements enable employees to do more works per hour and hence their office hours should be reduced. This essay delves into the issue and expresses my viewpoint.
To begin with, technological advancements and computerisation in an office greatly enhance the productivity of people. As a result, the staff can produce more output and can perform more efficiently. For example, in the pre-computer era, a bank cashier had to work manually, check different ledger books, verify a person’s identity and then pay a customer. Moreover, at the end of the day, the cashier had to calculate all the transactions before he could leave the office alone with other cashiers. However, this is not longer the case with the automation in the banking industry. A cashier can now serve more than 3-5 customers in 15 minutes and at the end of the day, the banking software does the calculation. Hence, reducing the working hours seems quite logical to me.
Furthermore, motivating employees and retaining the key employees are two challenges every organisation faces in this competitive age. Reducing the working hours could be an effective solution in achieving better success in the long run. Since most of the employees, these days, perform more tasks due to the technological help they should be given more time to spend with their family to establish a healthy professional and personal life balance.
Finally, organisations which need to remain open 24/7 like the hospital, fire-service, hotel and so on should implement a rostering system and take advantages of the modern technology as much as possible to reduce the manual works. This would not only enhance their overall productivity but also establish a healthy and productive work environment.
To conclude, considering everything, I personally believe that the working hours of office employees should be reduced as it would both motivate staff and help organisations retain their better-performing employees and generate more output. | https://www.ielts-mentor.com/writing-sample/writing-task-2/1647-technology-and-automation-have-reduced-the-need-for-manual-labour |
On today’s episode we’ll be discussing the current state of distress in the health care industry, and the value opportunities for acquisition and consolidation that may arise as a result. We’ll explore the drivers of distress and current trends, and how bankruptcy law can be used as a tool for facilitating distressed acquisitions and realizing upon opportunities for post-pandemic health care.
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This podcast is a periodic publication of Ballard Spahr LLP and is intended to notify recipients of new developments in the law. It should not be construed as legal advice or legal opinion on any specific facts or circumstances. The contents are intended for general informational purposes only, and you are urged to consult your own attorney concerning your situation and specific legal questions you have. | https://www.ballardspahr.com/insights/blogs/2020/09/pod-the-state-of-distress-in-the-health-care-industry |
Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis: A Concise Review of the Literature.
Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis (TPP) is a rare disease entity highlighted by hypokalemia, flaccid paralysis, and thyrotoxicosis. It usually presents as sudden profound muscle weakness manifested as almost complete immobility and can affect proximal and distal limb muscles, respiratory musculature as well as the cardiac conduction system. A comprehensive review of Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis from 1885 to date was carried out by an extensive and thorough literature research including but not limited to Pubmed, Medline and EMBASE. This review emphasizes the etiology, pathogenesis, management and prognosis of TPP and aims to highlight clinical awareness of early diagnosis and rapid initiation of treatment. It is extremely important to diagnose this condition as early as possible as it is potentially reversible and prompt treatment leads to rapid resolution with no residual weakness. Missing the diagnosis can result in possible fatal complications such as hypercapneic respiratory failure and ventricular fibrillation.
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December 10 2020
Yuji Itadori has always been a naturally gifted athlete with impressive physical abilities. He would stand apart from his peers and can take anyone by surprise if they underestimated him. So, even before he had become the host for Sukuna, the King of Curses, after swallowing the rotten fingers, Yuji was already exceptional. However, it was never his plan to become a sorcerer. But since he has the misfortune of being a host of a powerful Curse, he is forced to learn how he can control such a devastating curse power.
When Yuji had swallowed the cursed fingers, he was then taken to the Metropolitan Magic Technical College in Tokyo. There were plans for preparations for his exorcism, which meant a death sentence for both Sukuna and Yuji. However, the death sentence was later postponed to ensure that he had ingested all the curses before he was executed. Once he accomplished the task, his execution would mean the end of Yuji and the powerful Curse. It was a way of ensuring that the Curse never returned, which sounds logical. However, it was a surprising turn of events for the teenager who only joined the Occult Club to avoid the track team.
Now, Yuji is someone who would sacrifice himself for the sake of others any day. He values other people’s lives, and therefore, it is not surprising that he did not run away from the challenge put in front of him, even though it meant that he would eventually die. But only good intentions are not enough to get rid of and control the most powerful Curse in existence. Yuji’s natural athleticism and abnormal physiology made him the ideal person for this task. Today we look at the factors that made him the right person for hosting the King of Curses.
Quick Learner
Yuji, just like any other quick learner, is good at asking the right questions. Not only that, he had the patience and dedication that one needs to commit oneself to learn new concepts. He ensures that he has a clear understanding of events by frequently asking questions to his instructor. He also has an uncanny ability to master new things in little time. It was because of these qualities that he learned to use the Slaughter Demon blade so fast. If it hadn’t been for Yuji’s quick learning, he would have struggled to use the new curse powers.
Hand-to-Hand Combat
Yuji is a highly-skilled fighter that is well-trained in many ancient techniques that make him exceptional. The art of Taido Martial Arts along with Knee Release help him do a Manji Kick. The knee, hip, and shoulder release all combine to make him a fantastic fighter. He can kick his opponent’s head with ease; moreover, the Cursed Spirits can be physically harmed once he combines Cursed Energy with Manji Kick. His outstanding control over his body and assessment of the fights makes him exceptional in hand-to-hand combat.
Superhuman Abilities
Although Yuji truly became a force of nature after ingesting cursed fingers, he was quite exceptional even before that. He could run 50 meters in just three seconds, bend a soccer post, and throw a lead ball. All of these things were almost impossible for a typical teenager his age. But not for Yuji, who was naturally gifted. It was his unique and abnormal physiology that made him an ideal vessel for Sukuna. It would have been tough to find any other teenager who could have controlled their body after swallowing that cursed finger. Once he became a host to the King of Curses, his gifts only increased. Now he could easily compete with the sorcerers and even regenerate his body parts. All of this was made possible by Yuji’s superhuman abilities that he was born with.
Control Over Cursed Energy
Yuji’s naturally gifted physical abilities and quick learning skills combine to grant him control over Cursed Energy. Moreover, his martial arts skills come in handy when he combines them with his newly found powers to hurt his adversaries. If it hadn’t been for his great control, he would have never used techniques like Black Flash. Yuji mastered Cursed Energy very quickly to use it to his advantage.
Poison Resistance
Ever since he became host to the King of Curses, he became resistant to all kinds of poison. However, he does feel the pain that the poison causes, but he suffers no further internal damage. So, Yuji can’t be killed using poison. There are still several possibilities that can’t be ruled out because there are a total of 20 Sukuna fingers. As he consumes more fingers, Yuji will get access to more powers and abilities to significantly improve his fighting prowess.
But there is still the danger of Sukuna gaining control over Yuji’s body, which might turn out to be very dangerous. Sukuna has already done it in the past, so there is always a possibility that it will happen in the future. It will be interesting to see how Yuji can withstand Sukuna’s attempts and what happens when he has already consumed all the cursed fingers. | https://thomsonj1947.over-blog.com/2020/12/jujutsu-kaisen-yuji-itadori-s-abnormal-physiology.html |
How do you think decisions from the recent World Humanitarian Summit will change OCHA's work in Myanmar?
The first ever World Humanitarian Summit, held in Istanbul in May 2016, was a once in a lifetime opportunity for world leaders to come together with UN agencies, local and international Non-Government Organizations, Civil Society and representatives of affected communities to agree on priorities and principles for humanitarian action. Few events have brought together such a diverse range of actors. An 18-strong delegation from Myanmar including Government, Non-Government Organizations and civil society representatives attended the Summit. In Istanbul, the global humanitarian community was reminded that affected people should be front and center in humanitarian action and that we should be listening to their voices. There was global consensus that we should be spending more on disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction to reduce the need for humanitarian response and that we should be better at funding and working with local organizations to support crisis responses. On Myanmar’s part, it was great to hear the Government commit to increased investment in disaster preparedness at the summit and restate its commitment to principled humanitarian access to conflict zones. All of these commitments and priorities give us a framework for humanitarian action in Myanmar, not just for OCHA, but for the entire humanitarian community. This is the start of a conversation, not the end. We now have to talk locally about how we can make good on these commitments and priorities. Much of the work is already underway, particularly in terms of improving funding for local humanitarian organizations, but the Summit gives us new momentum to push ahead with these ideas and make them a reality.
There was considerable support amongst local and international NGOs in Myanmar for the Charter for Change following the World Humanitarian Summit. The Charter contains some broad themes but also a very specific target of 20% of humanitarian funding going to national organizations. Do you support the Charter for Change?
In its report to the UN Secretary-General in January 2016, the High-Level Panel on Humanitarian Financing highlighted the fact that globally only 0.2 % of reported humanitarian funding was channeled directly to local NGOs in 2014. This has to change. In Istanbul, local NGOs and Civil Society Organizations were vocal in advocating for the international system to be redesigned to be more inclusive of them and their enormous contribution to humanitarian response. In Myanmar this argument is a strong one. In Kachin and Shan States, local organizations are already central to providing vital humanitarian relief to those in need as they have greater access to affected communities. When flooding strikes in Myanmar during the annual monsoon, a complex network of local organizations and groups swings into action, moving people and food to dry ground and supporting people who are displaced. When a natural disaster strikes or conflict breaks out in Myanmar, it is always the local NGOs and civil society who are the first to respond. To continue this vital work, local organizations need a strong voice at the humanitarian table, they need to receive funding more directly, and they need international humanitarian organizations to invest more in assisting their efforts and building their capacity. The Charter for Change was one of several important initiatives launched at the World Humanitarian Summit which aimed to address these issues. OCHA was a champion of the ‘Grand Bargain’, which is an agreement between the 15 largest humanitarian donors and 16 aid agencies, including the 3 INGO consortia and the Red Cross, to change the way we work. The Grand Bargain goes even further than the Charter for Change in terms of local funding. It establishes a goal that by 2020 at least 25 % of humanitarian funding will be distributed to local and national responders, as directly as possible, to improve outcomes for affected people and reduce transactional costs. When it comes to the Myanmar Humanitarian Fund, which is administered by OCHA, we already aim to disburse 50% of grants to National NGOs (both directly and indirectly). We have some way to go before achieving these targets but our efforts are very much in sync with what is being advocated in the Charter for Change.
In a future humanitarian response if UN resources were placed under local leadership, what do you think would be the main differences from recent responses?
We are already taking steps to ensure that local humanitarian organizations are not just seen as project implementers, but as equal partners and decision-makers in our joint response efforts. For example, this year for the first time we invited representatives from local NGOs and the Myanmar Red Cross Society to become members of the Humanitarian Country Team, which is a strategic and operational decision-making forum for the UN and its partners. I already see that our humanitarian responses have been enhanced by their knowledge and analysis. After all, local organizations are usually the first and last responders to any crisis, with deep roots in their communities and national staff who have an unmatched capacity to navigate the local context. These local organizations are also able to respond more quickly and efficiently due to their extensive in-country networks and lower overheads. Working more closely with them makes good sense and enhances our ability to respond to the needs of affected people which is our overriding goal. This is very much in line with the comments made by the founder of Myanmar’s Metta Development Foundation, Daw Lahpai Seng Raw, at the World Humanitarian Summit where she noted that the most effective way to improve the way we respond to humanitarian need is by tapping into the existing capacity of local actors and their relationships with the governments and communities where they work.
There seems to be a tension in the role of OCHA in any process of 'localization'. On one hand OCHA is a key stakeholder, yet on the other hand it would seem odd for OCHA to be leading a discussion on local leadership. How will OCHA navigate that tension?
Yes, of course the conversation about localization needs to be led by local organizations. In our coordination role, OCHA can facilitate this discussion between local and international organizations to help ensure the humanitarian community is living up to the commitments made in Istanbul. OCHA also has a role to play in designing funding systems which are accessible to local organizations and working with them so that they can have a louder voice at the table. Daw Lahpai Seng Raw said in Istanbul we should be working with local organizations, not around them. She’s right. International Organizations in Myanmar have already been applying this principle for some time but there is more work to do. | https://www.pkforum.org/single-post/2016/08/17/-affected-people-should-be-front-and-center-in-humanitarian-action-and-we-should-be-liste |
eigenvals takes as argument a square
matrix A of size n.
eigenvals returns the sequence of the n eigenvalues of A.
Remark : If A is exact, Xcas may not be able to find the exact roots of the characteristic polynomial, eigenvals will return approximate eigenvalues of A if the coefficients are numeric or a subset of the eigenvalues if the coefficients are symbolic.
Input :
Output :
Input :
Output : | http://www-fourier.ujf-grenoble.fr/~parisse/giac/doc/en/cascmd_en/cascmd_en492.html |
I run the switcher for Arcadia, CA's City Council Meetings. I am in charge of communicating with our cameramen and graphics assistants to collectively provide a top-notch live broadcast experience. I run the Tricaster during the meeting and switch cameras.
Brad Ratliff
Editor/Executive Assistant
Los Angeles, CA
Summary
I am an experienced Executive Assistant/Administrative Assistant, Technical Director, Editor & Assistant Editor. In addition to Final Cut Pro, I am also comfortable editing with AVID, Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects.
Credits
5/16 – Current
Associate Editor (Night Associate Editor) – Disney/ABC Television Group
5/16 – Current
10/15 – Current
Technical Director – Arcadia, CA City Council
Internet — Live / Special Event (TV) — Studio Spectrum Details
10/15 – Current
8/15 – 9/15
Assistant Editor (Final Cut Pro 7) – "Alive and Kicking"
Film (Theatrical) — Swingthedoc.com Details
8/15 – 9/15
Sub-clipped & logged footage and edited supplementary content for the feature film. Uploaded content to youtube as well.
6/11 – 7/15
Editor – Swagit Productions, LLC
Details
6/11 – 7/15
I edit municipal footage that is uploaded via FTP and post online so residents can see it. I also edit PSA's for the City of Allen, Texas using Final Cut Pro.
6/11 – 7/15
Director – Swagit Productions, LLC
Details
6/11 – 7/15
Swagit Productions specializes in directing live webcasts of City Council meetings. I live switched content for all of our Directing clients and I was also the Supervisor of the Directing department. From November 2014 to July 2015 I directed and managed the live streaming of City Council meetings for Bell, California.
10/10 – 6/11
Office Production Assistant – AMS Pictures
Details
10/10 – 6/11
Assisted Script to Screen Manager with various tasks.
10/10 – 6/11
Post Production Intern – AMS Pictures
Details
10/10 – 6/11
Captured/Logged footage, rough cut various projects, compiled footage for studio’s demo reel and oversaw cataloguing process for the studio’s tape library.
3/11 – 3/11
Editor – SXSW 2011
Final Cut Pro — Internet — SXSW Pro Media Crew Details
3/11 – 3/11
I edited red carpet featurettes and standup interviews for the film portion of SXSW 2011.
Recommendations
Education
Class of '07
University of Texas at Austin
B.S Radio-Television-Film
Skills
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The FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Statistics and Information Branch (FIAS) collates world capture and aquaculture production statistics at either the species, genus, family or higher taxonomic levels in 2 309 statistical categories (2016 data) referred to as species items.
ASFIS list of species includes 12 751 species items selected according to their interest or relation to fisheries and aquaculture. For each species item stored in a record, codes (ISSCAAP group, taxonomic and 3-alpha) and taxonomic information (scientific name, author(s), family, and higher taxonomic classification) are provided. An English name is available for most of the records, and about one third of them have also a French and Spanish name. Information is also provided about the availability of fishery production statistics on the species item in the FAO databases.
The file is in Delimited format, Tab is the Delimiter separating each field and the Text Qualifier is "
Records can be also searched and retrieved online through the FAO Aquatic Species Portal developed by the FAO Terminology Team in the Language Support Group, Meeting Programming and Documentation Service, CSCM.
The ISSCAAP code is assigned according to the FAO 'International Standard Statistical Classification for Aquatic Animals and Plants' (ISSCAAP) which divides commercial species into 50 groups on the basis of their taxonomic, ecological and economic characteristics. The taxonomic code is used by FAO for a more detailed classification of the species items and for sorting them out within each ISSCAAP group. The 3-alpha identifier is a unique code made of three letters that is widely used for the exchange of data with national correspondents and among fishery agencies.
Upon receipt for the first time of production statistics for a species item, FIAS had to assign new codes before entering the corresponding production data in the statistical databases. Furthermore, FIAS often receives requests from national institutions and fishery commissions to provide 3-alpha codes to species items of local interest. In order to facilitate such processes, taxonomic and 3-alpha codes have been assigned to a broader number of species. Since 2000 the ASFIS list has been made available on the Internet to provide external users with a standardized codification system covering most of the species items related to fishery activities.
A hard copy version of the ASFIS list of species was published in 2002 and can be requested free of charge (see Contacts). Download the introductory sections and the appendixes.
The list is a part of the ASFIS Reference Series which includes the authority lists, rules and guidelines for Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA).
Presently, the ASFIS list of species includes 12 751 species items. As there are more than 17 500 possible valid combinations of the 26 characters of the English alphabet forming the 3-alpha code, the database can be further expanded using the same codification system. Only FAO-FIAS, being the manager of the list, can create or modify codes.
Each species item stored in a record has an ISSCAAP code, a taxonomic code, a 3-alpha code, a scientific name, taxonomic classification at family and at a higher taxonomic level. About 75% of the records have an English name, 44% a French name and 37% a Spanish name; only those of species items for which there are production statistics can be considered as official FAO names. Information is also provided about the availability of fishery production statistics on the species items in the FAO databases.
Following a recommendation of the 19th Session of the Coordinating Working Party on Fishery Statistics - CWP (Nouméa, New Caledonia, 10-13 July 2001) the names and composition of former ISSCAAP groups 33, 34 and 37 were revised. The species items of the former group 33 "Redfishes, basses, congers" were classified as coastal or demersal fishes and accordingly assigned to the new groups 33 "Miscellaneous coastal fishes" and 34 "Miscellaneous demersal fishes". The species formerly included in group 34 "Jacks, mullets, sauries" were moved to group 37, which was renamed "Miscellaneous pelagic fishes". For further information see FAO's report on ISSCAAP groups (pages 42-49) presented at the 19th Session of the CWP and the ISSCAAP's revision endorsed by the CWP (page 23 of the CWP Report).
The 12 751 species items were selected according to their interest or relation to fisheries and aquaculture. Recent taxonomic revisions have been consulted to use the correct scientific names and taxonomic classification. This allowed the identification of some scientific names and taxonomic codes used in the FAO fishery statistics databases that were no longer correct. However, this list has obviously no authority on taxonomic matters and to resolve uncertain cases specialized sources should be consulted.
A pragmatic and conservative approach has been applied for uncertain cases for scientific and FAO names. Changes of scientific names and creation of new species proposed in the scientific literature by taxonomists will be included in the ASFIS list only when such changes have been recognized by the majority of taxonomists and are well consolidated among people dealing with fishery matters and, in particular, fishery statistics. For the most controversial cases, the ASFA database has been consulted to verify if a newly proposed scientific name has become of current use.
In some cases the taxonomic codes have not been modified according to recent taxonomic revisions as it would have entailed major changes in species items having statistics or because the relevant digits of the taxonomic code were not available. For some genera of scarce importance for fisheries and including many species, a single species has been selected and included in the list to assign a taxonomic code to the genus.
The species of importance to fisheries have been mainly selected consulting the FAO FishFinder publications, such as species catalogues, identification sheets and field guides. FishBase (1998) has been the main source of information on newly included fish species. For fishes, the Eschmeyer's (1998) higher classification was adopted (as in FishBase), for crustaceans the classification by Bowman and Abele (1982) and that of Luning, Yarish and Kirkman (1990) for algae. For the other groups, more than one source has been consulted for the higher classification. A short list of the main references used for compiling the ASFIS list of species is provided (Bibliographic references). | http://www.fao.org/fishery/collection/asfis/en |
This interactive course offers more than a review of hot accounting topics and recent changes in areas such as private company accounting and other specialized subjects. Refresh research skills and practice using codification.
Case studies and real-life examples will help attendees readily apply information covered. This course meets the specific accounting requirements that CPAs are required to meet for reissuance of their license.
Note: As this is an interactive workshop, course materials must be brought to class and a laptop is preferred.
Highlights
- Common types of stock compensation
- Accounting for stock compensation
- Valuing stock based compensation
Objectives
- Understand stock compensation accounting history.
- Identify recent changes to accounting standards in stock based compensation.
- Understand disclosure requirements.
Designed For
CPAs, accountants and financial professionals.
Registration for this course has passed.
Course Pricing
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Member Fee
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Applicable if you are a HSCPA member in good standing.
|$30.00|
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Non-Member Fee
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Applicable if you are not a HSCPA member. | https://www.hscpa.org/professional-development/4193374A19/financial-accounting-standards-stock-based-compensation |
Delivering excellence through insight and innovation.
We work with Clients to define the role of the corporate center beyond monitoring operations, allocating resources, and coordinating shared functions. We shape the company’s direction, identify core capabilities and help business units meet the challenge of competitors by reinventing their strategic planning and management processes.
We work with Clients to facilitate strategy sessions, develop a common view of current strategic challenges and priorities, and mobilize ideas and energies for new strategic initiatives that generate positive change.
We provide the requisite knowledge, experience and expertise on investment opportunities and overall risk identification in multiple sectors – Telecommunications, Banking and Finance and FMCG’s sectors in the Emerging markets of West Africa.
Global Insights + Solutions partners with international development organizations to work towards ending extreme global poverty and enabling resilient, democratic societies to realize their potential. In the areas of Education, Global Health, Economic Growth and Trade, and Agriculture and Food Security particularly in Sub Sahara Africa, we are able to provide technical advisory services, implementation support, monitoring and evaluation, market analysis and other services that support legal, policy, financial, management, governance, infrastructure, technology and other reforms needed for a country’s development goals.
Our Executive and Management programs help executives, managers and front line officers gain insight into their leadership style and learn the tools and techniques required to become an inspiring 21st century leader. The program explores the various dimensions of leadership and management (including communication and presentation skills, authenticity and effective team management), and provides the skills necessary to effectively influence a culture of excellence in the individual and throughout the organization.
Through this program we help Clients understand and discuss multiculturalism, diversity, and cultural competence and examine its impact on the corporation and the individual. The program examines unconscious bias and its impact on others and provides the insights and tools (such as the Myers Briggs Type Indicator – MBTI) to build cultural competence throughout the organization, and foster an environment of greater inclusion.
Through this capability we provide the experience, methodology, tools and frameworks to help our Clients reinvent and revitalize their organizations. Our Lean Six Sigma Black Belt practitioners utilize the Lean Six Sigma methodology and data driven tools to critically Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, Design, Control and Verify the Clients’ business processes, key performance metrics, job definitions, management systems, organizational structure, work flow, and underlying assumptions to achieve operational effectiveness and efficiency.
We provide FIAR support to a number of U.S Federal Government Clients by assisting them in documenting their internal control activities, and provide data extraction, data mining, statistical analysis, business intelligence, data management and process improvement support. Other FIAR tasks we perform include independent verification and validation, accounting systems analysis, internal controls (A-123) and predictive analytics support to our FIAR Clients.
Our PMP’s work with Clients to manage complex project and programs by diligently implementing the various dimensions of project management to define, plan, manage, deliver and close projects and programs successfully.
We work with Clients to enable and sustain lasting change by performing Organization Risk and Readiness, Stakeholder Management and Strategic Communication initiatives. | http://global-insightsolutions.com/services/ |
Jellyfishes in the class Cubozoa are species rich and often abundant in Australian waters. They are geographically widespread in tropical and temperate waters and they have global significance both economically and recreationally as dangerous marine stingers. They are interesting evolutionarily and with respect to ecology and life history. Despite this, the taxonomy of cubozoans is too coarse to allow discrimination of closely related species, hindering further advances in all aspects of cubozoan biology. The objectives of this thesis were to revise the taxonomy of the Cubozoa based on structural characters, and to elucidate the evolutionary relationships of cubozoan species based on qualitative comparison of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses.
I present a detailed historical and contemporary review of 85 morphological characters, many of which have not been previously used. These include (where possible) nematocysts and statoliths (balance stones), that allow the identification of ethanol-preserved specimens, frozen-defrosted material, fragmented or badly damaged samples, and possibly even fossil species. Additional characters that give increased taxonomic resolution include apical decorations, pedalial keel ratios and armament, pedalial canal shape and branching, tentacle decorations and banding forms, phacellae branching and cirri length, rhopalial horns and windows, number of eyes, frenulae, perradial lappets, velarial armament, lips shape, and a new approach to interpreting mesenteries. Accurate identification of cubozoans is based on many morphological characters. There is no small set of characters that can be universally compared to identify taxa with high reliability, but rather, different sets of characters are reliable for different groups and at different levels. For example, the historical split of the chirodropids (with gastric saccules) from the carybdeids (without gastric saccules) is no longer accurate; the undescribed spotted chirodropid (Chirodropus sp. A) lacks gastric saccules. Similarly, rhopaliar niche ostium shape and direction of phacellae work well for separating many (but not all) families of carybdeids, but are uniform in the chirodropids. The synoptic identification tools presented in this thesis will allow for reasonably reliable identification for the species herein, being mindful of preservational distortions, ontogenetic character changes, biological variation, and unrealized species. I recommend the use of the full range of characters presented in this study for identification and recognition of new species and species outside Australian waters.
Phylogenetic relationships within the Cubozoa were inferred by comparing parsimony analysis of 31 species scored for 85 morphological characters against Bayesian maximum likelihood analysis of partial 18SrDNA sequences from 42 individuals representing 13-16 species. Numerous patterns are congruent and well supported in both data sets as follows: separation of the "Carybdea alata" species complex from the other Carybdea spp., a grouping of Carybdea sivickisi with Tripedalia spp., and monophyly of the Chirodropida. Furthermore, there were three distinct groups of highly toxic jellyfish whose stings result in Irukandji syndrome; although differences exist between the morphological and molecular tree topologies, there was nonetheless strong support for a Glade herein referred to by the non-taxonomic common designation "Irukandjiidae".
Based on the combination of morphological and molecular phylogenetic analyses, numerous changes to the existing taxonomic framework were indicated. A revised classification is proposed, along with synopses of the species and a dichotomous key to taxa collected in Australian waters. Furthermore, a new family is proposed, the Alatinidae, with detailed descriptions of a new genus, Alatina, and two new species, A. mordens and A. rainensis. Other new taxa are indicated throughout the text, but will be fully treated in a monographic revision of the Cubozoa generated from this work.
Practical application of these results has already begun. The Irukandji Glade identified in this study contains at least two assemblages of medical interest, the Carukia spp. and the "Pseudo-Irukandji" group. Species from each of these sub-clades have been associated with Irukandji syndrome, the latter linked with a fatal sting event. These two groups are further sorted on numerous macro-morphological features, cnidomes, statoliths, behavioural patterns, and spatio-temporal distribution, and there is some indication that syndrome severity may sort along phylogenetic lines. The link between these species and symptoms remains to be conclusively shown, but the correlative evidence suggests it should be an active area of research.
This study covers new ground in many respects, including detailed examination of a wide range of morphological characters and production of comparable robust phylogenies from molecular and morphological data sets. A sound taxonomy is required as the basis for communication and comparison in all other types of cubozoan studies, such as ecology, toxinology, and basic biology, all of which will, in turn, be necessary for the successful management of Australia's jellyfish problem. | https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/27395/ |
The invention discloses a doubly-fed induction generator-containing dynamic safety domain optimization algorithm, comprising the steps of establishing a doubly-fed induction generator-containing equivalent single-machine infinite system model, and solving mechanical power P<m> and electromagnetic power P<e>; establishing a mapping model; and performing iterative solving on the mapping model. By virtue of the dynamic safety domain optimization algorithm, the overall system stability criterion time can be shortened, the dynamic safety domain accuracy considering the doubly-fed induction generator is improved, and the calculation speed of the dynamic safety domain can be improved. | |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ePaper and in particular to ePaper writing. Still more specifically, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for writing ePaper using a stamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic reusable paper (ePaper) is a display material used to present information and has many of the properties of paper. Electronic reusable paper stores an image, is viewed in reflective light, has a wide viewing angle, is flexible, and is relatively inexpensive. Unlike conventional paper, however, it is electrically writeable and erasable. Although projected to cost somewhat more than a normal piece of paper, a sheet of electronic reusable paper could be re-used thousands of times. Electronic reusable paper has many potential applications in the field of information display including digital books, low-power portable displays, wall-sized displays, and fold-up displays.
Electronic reusable paper utilizes a display technology, invented at the Xerox® Palo Alto Research Center (PARC), called “Gyricon.” A Gyricon sheet is a thin layer of transparent plastic in which millions of small beads, somewhat like toner particles, are randomly dispersed. The beads, each contained in an oil-filled cavity, are free to rotate within those cavities. The beads are “bichromal,” with hemispheres of two contrasting colors, such as black and white, red and white, or blue and yellow, and charged so they exhibit an electrical dipole. When voltage is applied to the surface of the Gyricon sheet, the beads rotate to present one colored side to the viewer. Voltages can be applied to the surface of the Gyricon sheet to create images, such as text and pictures. The image will persist without a voltage applied for a significant period of time.
There are many ways an image can be created in electronic reusable paper. For example, Gyricon sheets can be fed into printer-like devices that will erase old images and create new images. Printer-like devices can be made so compact and inexpensive that one can imagine carrying one in a purse or briefcase at all times. One envisioned device, called a wand, could be pulled by hand across a sheet of electronic reusable paper to create an image. With a built-in input scanner, this wand becomes a hand operated multi-function device, such as a printer, copier, fax, and scanner. The wand device writes the image one line at a time.
For applications requiring more rapid and direct electronic updates, the Gyricon material might be packaged with a simple electrode structure on the surface and used more like a traditional display. An electronic reusable paper display could be very thin and flexible. A collection of these displays could be bound into an electronic book. With the appropriate electronics stored in the spine of the book, pages could be updated at will to display different content.
For portable applications, an active matrix array may be used to rapidly update a partial- or full-page display, much like what is used in today's portable devices. Gyricon displays do not require backlighting or constant refreshing and are brighter than today's reflective displays. These attributes will lead to Gyricon's utilization in lightweight and lower-power applications.
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Please expect longer wait times during holiday rush periods and any postal strikes. Longer postal wait times will be posted on Cabin's homepage in a notice, and also on Cabin's Instagram. Please check these locations if you are worried about late packages.
During this holidays season, Canada Post advises shipping delays are in effect due to continuing Covid delays (see below) in addition to the usual Holiday rush delays; please add the following delay wait times into your consideration:
Shipping within Canada: expect 1-3 weeks
Shipping to USA: expect 2-5 weeks
Shipping Internationally: expect 2-7 weeks
Thank you for your understanding at this time.
IMPORTANT COVID SHIPPING DELAYS
PLEASE NOTE: Due to Covid 19 delays, Cabin Journal + Canada Post cannot guarantee regular shipping times in 2020 & 2021. I appreciate these delays are frustrating, but unfortunately at present this is out of all of our hands and all shipping services worldwide are currently overwhelmed, massively understaffed and behind schedule.
I strongly advise purchasing TRACKING with your order to follow its progress and get updates on its location; orders without tracking cannot be located. While I wish I was able to offer tracking for free on all orders, due to the high cost of Canada Post's additional services and being a small business selling paper goods, the option of covering those fees for all customers at present is financially prohibitive.
For orders placed over Christmas and shipped out the week of January 7th, please allow for a 2 month window of delivery in keeping with current postal delays between Canada Post, Border Customs and USPS. Due to the ongoing pandemic, there continue to be postal delays in effect due to the unprecedented volume of online purchases and decreased staff at post offices, postal sorting stations and border customs.
DELAYS WITHIN CANADA: by current estimate of Canada Post, please allow a 1 month shipping/delivery window for package delivery within Canada from date of shipping notification.
DELAYS TO THE USA: by current estimate of Canada Post, please allow a 2 month shipping/delivery window for package delivery to the USA from date of shipping notification. Please be aware of the pandemic-caused slower sorting, slower customs processing, and delays with USPS.
DELAYS TO INTERNATIONAL: by current estimate of Canada Post, please allow a 3 month shipping/delivery window for package delivery to all International destinations from date of shipping notification. Please be aware of the pandemic-caused slower sorting, slower customs processing, and slower international postal service processing.
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Apologies if the shipping seems high, unfortunately Canada Post has raised their postage prices as of January 2021. While I continue to work to find the most flat, lightweight options for shipping as possible, due to the mere dimensions (of large prints and posters in particular), they are considered large mail and oversize mail respectively by Canada Post, and their fees are unavoidably higher.
Shipping Details
During the pandemic, in order to minimize the risk of contact, orders are only going out once a week on Fridays. Please note this is not my 9-5 work and more frequent trips at this time cannot be accommodated.
All orders are mailed through Canada Post, and while they can provide estimated shipping windows, they cannot guarantee delivery times, which is why the shipping dates posted at checkout are approximated. Please keep in mind that I am not Amazon Prime, but merely one individual running a secondary small business, and overnight shipping etc. is definitely not an option.
Please note that those approximate shipping timeframes are based upon when your order gets mailed, NOT based off when you placed the order. Shipping notifications are emailed to you when your order is in the mail. PLEASE pay attention to your shipping options offered at check out: not all options come with Tracking. If you would like your order tracked, please make sure you select an option with it, otherwise I nor Canada Post will be able to tell you where it is.
Shipping notifications: PLEASE check your spam folders, cache folders etc. for the notification email before emailing requesting it. Sometimes however these notifications get bounced by your mail server; if you have not received a shipping notification please reach out and it will be resent!
Any unforeseen delays in shipping, or dates when the studio shipping is closed for holidays, out of studio etc., will be posted on Cabin's Instagram @cabin_journal and on the main page. Please check those if there seems some delay in your order first, and then please reach out through email at [email protected] to get help locating your order.
Orders will not be refunded once shipped. | https://www.cabinjournal.ca/pages/shipping |
Technically, this is going to be favourite sci-fi book, because this year I have read many books of very different ages, from many different authors dead and alive.
Many of them were indeed in the science fiction genre, which I dearly love. There were three contemporary sci-fi titles I read this year, and they deserve a special mention before I move on to my favourite.
The first two were novels by first-time novelist Ann Leckie: the critically acclaimed, award-winning Ancillary Justice, and its sequel, Ancillary Sword, which only came out this October. Both are thrilling, intelligent, and refreshing additions to the genre of military space opera, written in a manner that will keep you on your toes and challenge your perceptions. Highly recommended. The third instalment of the trilogy, Ancillary Mercy, is coming next year or so, and I’m already looking forward to it.
Another contemporary read was The Martian by another first time novelist, Andy Weir. It’s a riveting survival story, with well-researched science throughout, and with a plot that leaves you asking for more at every twist and turn. However, even though I could barely put the book down until I had reached the end of the story, the novel is not expertly crafted, because the dialogue is flat and the character development is paper-thin. So much so that halfway through the book I realised – all people, without exception, are basically the incarnation of one dude. And he’s not particularly mature or particularly fitting to the scene of space exploration. I would still recommend The Martian for the excellent story arc, but do not expect it to be a pleasant literary experience, because it somewhat lacks in that department.
It might be ironic that I say this, because the following novel was also once criticised for lack of character development. To me, however, it was nothing but splendid.
Favourite sci-fi novel of 2014
“If such a thing had happened once, it must surely have happened many times in this galaxy of a hundred billion suns.”
It was published in 1973, and written by one of the greatest science fiction authors who ever lived, Arthur C. Clarke. Rendezvous with Rama is a classic, but I had not come across it before. I love picking up books and reading them without any pre-meditation, without even a hint of what the story might be about. This was one of those cases. From the first sentence the journey was unknown, but told with such imagination and detail that I felt like I was living every moment of it.
It is my favourite because the story, the way it is told, parallels the feelings evoked in me by the great age of discovery when humans sailed their own planet in search of new shores. Yes, the novel is set in the future, and there is space travel involved, but ultimately it is a story of one of the most captivating experiences humans can have – encounters with the unknown, the way they shape us, change us, challenge us. What would happen, if…?
To me, the what-if brand of hard science fiction is some of the most satisfying literature to enjoy. And Rendezvous with Rama is amongst the very best works in its genre. | http://nevertoocurious.com/2014/12/26/best-sci-fi-novel-2014/ |
We are seven months into the year-long CLARE (Connecting London’s Amphibian & Reptile Environments) project and the partners* have been busy raising awareness of herpetofauna and generating a wider interest in wildlife recording in the capital.
There is a dearth of information on amphibian and reptile populations in London, especially reptile populations. CLARE has focussed on finding every possible source of information on the subject. Strategic surveys may appear to be the obvious route but CLARE has instead been taking advantage of another often over-looked source of information – the public.
At events, both large and small over the summer months, CLARE gathered information on sightings of London’s herpetofauna from the public. This process not only uncovered over 150 new records for London, but also inspired a wider audience to record all manner of wildlife, and share this with GiGL.
At one such event, two young herp-enthusiasts (a boy and a girl) recounted their first meeting with a slow-worm – and an earlier meeting with CLARE staff at the Thames Festival. Word-for-word, they repeated what they had learned from CLARE, including that slow-worms are not snakes but legless lizards, and were able to name all the common native amphibians that are found in London.
We hope that our presence at events like the Mayor’s Thames Festival will continue to be as successful in raising awareness long into the future.
The public has been and will continue to be an invaluable source of wildlife records. One advantage of collecting data in this way is that the recorded species can be validated at the event using photos and comparisons. This saves a lot of time later on during the validation and verification process.
While gathering data from the public, CLARE have been developing relationships with other organisations and local groups to encourage London-wide sharing of herpetological data.
As the spring of 2012 approaches, CLARE will re-focus efforts on surveying and actively gathering data. Knowing where to begin looking for small creatures in an area the size of Greater London is an issue that needs to be tackled before we can begin surveying. Thanks to GiGL’s vast database and modelling skills, we now know the best locations to focus our survey efforts.
Using the GLA’s open space habitat data, we assigned each habitat type a ‘likelihood of presence’ score for each amphibian and reptile species found in London. Together with existing herp data, these scores helped produce maps that show the top 10% most likely locations for reptiles and amphibians to occur within London. The likelihood of a particular animal occurring in a particular area increases if two or more suitable habitats fall within it.
When plotted alongside the existing herpetofauna records these maps reveal areas of potentially suitable habitat for which we have no records. It is these areas which CLARE will target for surveying.
These maps also highlight potential re-introduction sites, helping us to deliver on one of London’s Biodiversity Action Plan targets to increase the distribution of amphibians and reptiles in Greater London.
With help from volunteers and London Wildlife Trust staff, CLARE will set up a number of long-term monitoring programmes. Herpetofauna survey training will be provided this spring, improving the skills of a wider audience and increasing the availability of herpetofauna data in the future.
If you are interested in helping out on any surveys this year please get in touch with Sophie, CLARE Project Officer: e: [email protected] t: 020 7261 0447/m: 07810 184 501 or tell us your sighting by visiting the CLARE form.
*CLARE Project partners: Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (ARC), GiGL, London Wildlife Trust and London Amphibian & Reptile Group (LARG)
ARG UK Network
Jonathan Cranfield, Vice Chair ARG UK
The Amphibian and Reptile Group UK was established in 2005, following the renaming of the Herpetofauna Groups of Britain and Ireland and the formation of a new panel to coordinate the network of volunteer amphibian and reptile groups (ARGs).
The first amphibian and reptile groups were started in Surrey and Sussex in 1986. Today, there are over 60 groups or contacts across the UK, including 43 in England, ten in Scotland, six in Wales and five in other areas including the Isle of Man, Channel Islands, Northern Ireland and Eire. An estimated 1,000+ volunteers are involved in these county groups making ARGUK the grass roots of the UK herpetofauna conservation movement, and complimenting the work of the national charity Amphibian and Reptile Conservation the lead partner of the CLARE project.
One of the newest amphibian & reptile groups is the London group (LARG). As with many of the groups, LARG began with a few enthusiastic individuals keen to become actively involved in the reptile and amphibian conservation. In a short period of time the group has grown and taken on habitat management work, toad patrols and surveying. This band of volunteers has demonstrated a real enthusiasm for reptiles and amphibians in the capital.
The CLARE project has proven an ideal partner project for London group, and they have worked together on a number of events and activities throughout 2011, culminating in the UK’s first ever WildlifeXpo at London’s Alexandra Palace in October. This busy and exhilarating event attracted visitors from as far afield as Middlesbrough, keen to find out more about wildlife. The event stimulated plenty of interest from adults and children alike in reptile and amphibian ecology and conservation.
As an affiliated amphibian & reptile group, LARG is also able to apply for additional funds through the special ARGUK100% fund to help with habitat management and surveying. It can call on the support of experienced volunteers from neighbouring groups in Kent, Surrey, Sussex and Essex to provide field work training for London volunteers, and to help bolster and support the development of reptile and amphibian ecology and conservation in London. | https://www.gigl.org.uk/clare-project-update/ |
This guideline is designed primarily as an educational resource for health care providers to help them provide quality medical genetic services. Adherence to this guideline does not necessarily assure a successful medical outcome. This guideline should not be considered inclusive of all proper procedures and tests or exclusive of other procedures and tests that are reasonably directed to obtaining the same results. In determining the propriety of any specific procedure or test, the geneticist should apply his or her own professional judgment to the specific clinical circumstances presented by the individual patient or specimen. It may be prudent, however, to document in the patient's record the rationale for any significant deviation from this guideline.
Laboratory evaluation of patients with developmental delay/intellectual disability (DD/ID), congenital anomalies, and dysmorphic features has changed significantly in the last several years with the introduction of microarray technologies (array-based comparative genomic hybridization \[CGH\] and single nucleotide polymorphism \[SNP\] array analysis) into the menu of tests available to the practicing clinician. With these techniques, a patient's genome is examined for detection of gains or losses of genetic material that typically are too small to be detectable by standard G-banded chromosome studies. Guidelines for the application of array-based technology in the practice of medical genetics were originally published in this journal in 2007.[@b1-20962661] However, because of the rapidly expanding use of genomic copy number microarrays in the clinical setting, we update the recommendations in this study.
MICROARRAY FOR EVALUATION OF COPY NUMBER VARIATION
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Diagnostic cytogenetic testing has undergone a marked evolution since the introduction of chromosome banding techniques in the late 1960s.[@b2-20962661] DNA-based techniques such as genomic copy number microarrays (cytogenetic microarrays \[CMAs\]) are the latest tools available for clinical use.[@b1-20962661] The initial CGH technology was developed for genome-wide screening for unbalanced rearrangements in a single experiment.[@b1-20962661],[@b3-20962661]--[@b5-20962661] However, the resolution of this "conventional" CGH was only 3--10 Mb[@b4-20962661] comparable with high-resolution karyotyping,[@b1-20962661] thus CGH was further adapted for use on microarrays.[@b6-20962661] With array CGH, cloned (e.g., bacterial artificial chromosomes \[BACs\]) or synthesized (e.g., oligonucleotides \[oligos\]) DNA fragments representing precise chromosomal loci across the genome are immobilized on a glass surface.[@b1-20962661],[@b7-20962661],[@b8-20962661] Copy number variants (CNVs) are determined by the differences in hybridization pattern intensities between patient DNA and control DNA.[@b7-20962661] Hybrid SNP/oligo arrays have been developed for the analysis of CNVs and detection of copy number neutral regions of homozygosity. For these analyses, the patient DNA is labeled and hybridized to the microarray, and the patient results are compared with a well-studied reference DNA.[@b9-20962661] It should be noted that not all CNVs are pathologic, in that it has been demonstrated that the mean number of benign CNVs per person could be as high as 800 or more.[@b10-20962661]
The resolution and yield of an array is limited by the genomic coverage (the length of and spacing between probes) on the microarray[@b3-20962661],[@b11-20962661],[@b12-20962661] and by the specific statistical algorithms used to set the criteria for gains and losses. The increased resolution of microarray technology over conventional cytogenetic analysis allows for identification of chromosomal imbalances with greater precision, accuracy, and technical sensitivity.
CLINICAL UTILITY
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Rauch et al.[@b13-20962661] investigated the diagnostic yield of various genetic tests used in the evaluation of patients with unexplained cognitive impairment. In their study, molecular karyotyping would only miss ∼0.6% of cases with disease-causing balanced de novo aberrations. They noted that molecular karyotyping in every patient with cognitive impairment would have the highest diagnostic yield of any single test (28.9%) and was, thus, suggested by the authors to be considered a first-tier test. Recently, Miller et al.[@b14-20962661] reviewed the evidence for utilization of CMA as a first-tier test for the investigation of DD/ID, multiple congenital anomalies, and/or autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). These authors' recommendation for use of CMA as a first-tier test was based on studies of 21,698 patients referred for the above-listed indications, in whom the diagnostic yield was 12.2% higher than that of a G-banded karyotype. After a review of 36,325 patients with DD/ID, Hochstenbach et al.[@b15-20962661] also recommended that CMA be a first-tier test in this group of patients. In their study, a pathogenic anomaly was found in 19%. Shen et al.[@b16-20962661] specifically investigated the utility of CMA in the investigation of children with ASD. They also provided evidence that analysis should be the first-tier test for children with autism. They found that although abnormalities were found on karyotyping and fragile X testing 2.23% and 0.46% of the time, respectively, a microarray identified deletions or duplications in 18.2% of patients (*N* = 848), with 7% of those clearly abnormal.
In addition to the linking of submicroscopic de novo deletions and duplications identified on CMA to the patients' disorders,[@b17-20962661],[@b18-20962661] de novo CNVs have also been implicated in increasing the risk for ASD and point to regions of the genome that may house candidate genes for autism.[@b19-20962661],[@b20-20962661]
Additional uses for CMA include the investigation of individuals with physical or cognitive impairment but in whom conventional cytogenetic studies demonstrated an apparently balanced translocation. Subsequent CMA investigation demonstrated that the karyotype was actually unbalanced; several studies have shown that approximately 20% of individuals with an apparently balanced translocation (de novo or familial) have loss or gain of genetic material as identified by CMA.[@b21-20962661],[@b22-20962661] More recently, CMA has been shown to be valuable in uncovering chromosomal regions of medical importance apart from the original indication of the study. Adam et al.[@b23-20962661] reported three patients evaluated for DD or dysmorphic features/multiple anomalies who were found by CMA to have microdeletions encompassing known tumor susceptibility genes. In a larger study, Adams et al.[@b24-20962661] found that 0.18% of patients with an identified gain or loss of genetic material had the inclusion of a gene associated with a cancer-predisposing condition. Both sets of authors emphasized that information gained from CMA, such as the unexpected finding of tumor susceptibility, can have a direct bearing on the future medical management of patients with DD/multiple congenital anomalies in addition to providing an explanation of the general phenotype.
In addition to identifying copy number variants that affect the number of copies of a particular gene or genes, microarray analysis could theoretically identify genes that are disrupted by breakpoints in the genome. Disruption could be on the basis of interruption of a coding sequence or of a sequence that affects transcription and translation, e.g., sequence changes in a promoter region. Examples include duplications and deletions involving the *NRXN1* and *CNTN4* genes.[@b25-20962661],[@b26-20962661] Finally, as pointed out by Moeschler.[@b27-20962661],[@b28-20962661] and Saam et al.,[@b29-20962661] an accurate diagnosis for patients will provide the clinician the opportunity to discuss treatment options, prognosis, and recurrence risks as well as to avoid unnecessary future testing.
PLATFORMS
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Although microarray analysis is proficient in characterizing chromosomal imbalances (which ultimately improves patient care),[@b29-20962661] clinicians ordering the test need to be aware of the different clinical platforms (e.g., BAC versus oligo, targeted versus whole genome, and SNP), the variation in resolution among arrays and the information each provides. For example, many clinicians are unaware that a whole genome oligoarray can detect clinically significant copy number changes missed on a targeted BAC array[@b30-20962661] or that a SNP array can detect long contiguous stretches of homozygosity that can be associated with uniparental disomy or consanguinity, both of which increase the risk for autosomal recessive conditions.
Array resolution is dependent on the number and types of probes used and how they are distributed across the genome.[@b31-20962661] BAC probes are larger than oligonucleotide probes used for oligo and SNP arrays (BACs are ∼75,000 to 150,000 base pairs in length, whereas oligos are usually ∼50 to 60 base pairs long). This translates into reduced breakpoint specificity of copy number abnormalities for the BAC arrays. Higher probe density on oligo arrays allows for copy number evaluation to be based on multiple adjacent probes, enhancing the accuracy of the interpretation. Oligonucleotide array construction tends to have better reproducibility and less batch-to-batch variation than does BAC construction.[@b31-20962661]
SNP microarrays are applications of microarray technology that also provide genome-wide copy number analysis. In addition to copy number changes, SNP arrays are able to detect so-called "copy number neutral" abnormalities such as segmental uniparental disomy and areas of long contiguous stretches of homozygosity that can give rise to disease, congenital anomalies, or cognitive impairment.[@b32-20962661],[@b33-20962661] SNP arrays are increasingly being used in the assessment of cognitive impairment or DD, with or without associated anomalies and are likely to be used in the diagnosis of these conditions.[@b9-20962661],[@b11-20962661]
When ordering a CMA, the clinician should be aware of the various platforms currently in use and their limitations. Questioning the laboratory performing the test about coverage of the array in specific regions of interest (e.g., telomeres, X chromosome, and common microdeletions) is justified. The clinician also should understand what type of follow-up tests will be performed, and on whom, in the event of abnormal results. Further, for deletions and duplications, parental studies (by fluorescence in situ hybridization \[FISH\] or metaphase preparations, if possible) should be conducted to rule out the presence of a chromosomal rearrangement such as an insertion or inherited duplication. Although rare, for a family in which such a rearrangement is found, recurrence risk can be as high as 50%. With increased utilization of a diagnostic test comes a better appreciation of the range of possible and sometimes unexpected results. This is certainly the case with array CGH and identification of what we now understand to be benign CNVs. An international consortium of more than 75 laboratories has been formed to address questions surrounding array-based testing. The International Standard Cytogenomic Array consortium (<https://isca.genetics.emory.edu/iscaBrowser/>) is investigating the feasibility of establishing a standardized, universal system of reporting and cataloging CGH results, both pathologic and benign, to provide the clinician with the most accurate and up-to-date information.[@b14-20962661] Databases currently available for referencing gene location and function, CNV listings, and up-to-date clinical information for specific abnormalities include the UC Santa Cruz Database (<http://www.genome.uscs.edu>), the Toronto Database of Genomic Variants (<http://projects/tcag.ca/variation/>), DECIPHER (<http://www.sanger.ac.uk/PostGenomics/decip>), and ECARUCA.[@b34-20962661]
Even though CMA technology has greatly improved since it was initially developed,[@b4-20962661] clinicians ordering these tests must be aware of the limitations that remain. Array CGH cannot identify balanced chromosomal rearrangements, such as translocations or inversions, or differentiate free trisomies from unbalanced Robertsonian translocations.[@b13-20962661],[@b35-20962661],[@b36-20962661] Some aneuploidies can be missed, such as XYY if the wrong gender control is used.[@b31-20962661] Marker chromosomes may also be missed, depending on the size, marker composition, and array coverage of the specific chromosomal region present on the marker.[@b35-20962661] Detection of mosaicism has been reported, but the accuracy of detecting low levels described by some groups[@b37-20962661] has been questioned by others.[@b35-20962661],[@b36-20962661] Recently, Scott et al.[@b38-20962661] suggested that mosaicism for an extra chromosome could be detected at the 10% level, whereas mosaicism for deletion or duplication of part of a chromosome could be detectable at the 20--30% level. These findings remain to be replicated by others. Interpretation of the significance of a rare copy number change can be incomplete if parental samples are unavailable for comparison and published data on the CNV are lacking. Finally, triploidy will not be detected by some forms of microarray.
A microarray should not be ordered when a rapid turnaround time is needed (e.g., a STAT newborn analysis), especially if a chromosomal trisomy is suspected. Currently, a STAT G-banded chromosome analysis can be performed within 48 hours. With some array CGH platforms, hybridization alone can take 48 hours. Although technically some arrays may be run in 3--5 days in some laboratories, analysis and confirmation of results with FISH (development of a unique probe can take weeks) and analysis of parental samples and interpretation may take much longer.
Although microarray is a powerful diagnostic tool for the evaluation of chromosomal copy number changes, its use as a first-tier test may not always be appropriate. For example, conventional karyotyping may be more appropriate when a common aneuploidy (e.g., trisomy 21, trisomy 18, or a sex chromosome aneuploidy) is suspected. FISH with a single probe to confirm a suspected diagnosis of a well-described syndrome, such as Williams syndrome, would be a more cost-effective testing methodology. CMA also should not be used in cases of family history of chromosome rearrangement in a phenotypically normal individual or in cases of multiple miscarriages.[@b14-20962661] Finally, CMA cannot detect low-level mosaicism or, in some arrays, polyploidy.
Recommendations
---------------
1. CMA testing for CNV is recommended as a first-line test in the initial postnatal evaluation of individuals with the following: Multiple anomalies not specific to a well-delineated genetic syndrome.Apparently nonsyndromic DD/ID.Autism spectrum disorders.
2. Further determination of the use of CMA testing for the evaluation of the child with growth retardation, speech delay, and other less well-studied indications is recommended, particularly by prospective studies and after-market analysis.
3. Appropriate follow-up is recommended in cases of chromosome imbalance identified by CMA, to include cytogenetic/FISH studies of the patient, parental evaluation, and clinical genetic evaluation and counseling.
Disclosure: The authors declare no conflict of interest.
[^1]: Melanie Manning, MD, MS, FACMG, Stanford University School of Medicine, 200 Pasteur Drive, H315, Stanford, CA 94305. E-mail: <[email protected]>.
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Populism, American Style
On February 19, 2009, business journalist Rick Santelli inadvertently helped launch a populist movement. Appearing on the cable network CNBC from the floor of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Santelli spoke of rising public anger about the expensive taxpayer-funded bailouts of failed banks, bankrupt corporations, and home owners who had defaulted on their mortgages. These policies were breeding deep concern about the growth of government, Santelli argued, and people were looking for ways to express their opposition. “We’re thinking of having a Chicago Tea Party,” he said, suggesting that participants might throw stock certificates into Lake Michigan.
The tone and substance of Santelli’s complaints struck a nerve. Video of his remarks spread rapidly across the internet, and his reference to the Boston Tea Party seemed to give many the inspiration they were seeking. Just two months later, on April 15, an estimated 500,000 people marked tax day with roughly 800 “Tea Party” protests across the country. There have since been hundreds more such gatherings, including several large demonstrations in Washington and other major cities. Directed especially against the Obama administration’s economic policies and the recently enacted health-care legislation, these events represent a large (if loosely organized) grassroots protest movement. Indeed, this past April, a New York Times poll found that 18% of Americans identify themselves as Tea Party supporters.
American populism, as it has taken shape again and again throughout our history, has not yielded the demagogic figures that so worried the classical philosophers.
Yet as this new populism has spread, it has also generated a great deal of worry and disdain. One might expect a negative response from observers on the left: Tea Party anger is, after all, directed at their favored policies and politicians. But the Tea Partiers have also engendered concern and scorn among many on the right and in the center. New York Times columnist David Brooks, for example, has defined the activists as “a large, fractious confederation of Americans who are defined by what they are against,” and who are characterized by the “zero-sum mentality that is at the heart of populism.” Washington Post columnist George Will, who opposes many of the same policies the Tea Parties reject, has his doubts, too: Populism’s “constant ingredient has been resentment,” he wrote recently. “It always wanes because it never seems serious as a solution.”
This dim view of populists has a long pedigree in political thought. Observers since Plato and Aristotle have warned that democracy’s peculiar failing is its tendency to produce demagogues: popular leaders who can excite the masses through fiery oratory, and then exploit the resulting political fervor to rise to power and destroy the state.
The American founders had the same fears, and so built our republic to contain such outbursts whenever they might arise. By and large, they have succeeded: American populism, as it has taken shape again and again throughout our history, has not yielded the demagogic figures that so worried the classical philosophers. Our exceptional nation has an exceptional political culture, and among its foremost features has always been a distinctive form of populism that, far from threatening to destroy the republic, has at crucial moments helped to balance and rejuvenate it.
This is not to say that we know for sure what our own populist moment will bring. To understand both its significance and its potential, however, we should look not at the classical portrait of populism but rather at its unique manifestation in the United States–a history that is, by turns, both consoling and cautionary.
The Specter of Demagogues
Our view of classical populism is shaped by both the warnings of philosophers and the experiences of some democracies, ancient and modern. In the Politics, Aristotle defines a demagogic democracy as one in which “the decrees of the assembly override the law” and a popular faction “takes the superior share in the government as a prize of victory.” The people’s leader, the demagogue, incites them to pursue such despotism through extravagant rhetoric, playing on the people’s basest desires and fears. The result is laid out ominously in Plato’s Republic: The people–“an obedient mob”–“set up one man as their special leader…and make him grow great.” The masses take the property of the wealthy to redistribute it among themselves; the people’s enemies, meanwhile, are charged with crimes and banished from the city (or worse). The Athenian philosophers were not merely theorizing such scenarios: Their city had lived through them, during the reigns of the 5th century B.C. demagogues Alcibiades and Cleon.
Though classic populism has varied according to time and place, it has generally taken the form of a morality play in four acts. In the first act, the masses come to feel like powerless victims, left helpless against the onslaught of an oppressive “other.” In the second act, often following a crisis, that “other” is defined by a popular leader as an implacable enemy–one who has no concern for the welfare of the people, and whose actions are motivated by selfishness and greed. In the third, the leader proposes a solution: The people must use their numerical advantage to seize control of the state. In the final act, that power is used to take back from the enemy that which rightfully belongs to the people, without regard for the enemy’s consent or rights.
America has never had a classically populist regime. More interesting, however, is the fact that–contrary to Madison’s assumption–the demand for such populism has always been fairly low in America.
This basic outline has been followed by regimes throughout history–from the demagogueries of the ancient Greek democrats, to the modern forms of communism, fascism, and socialism. The enemy can be economic (like capitalists or aristocrats), racial (as the Jews were for the Nazis), religious (as with sects in Lebanon or Iraq), or foreign (think Hugo Chávez’s denunciations of America). The circumstances of each case differ greatly, of course, but the pattern remains the same: The “victim” seeks to vanquish the “victor,” to take what is rightfully his, and to do unto the other what has allegedly been done unto him. When the drama is finally over, the rule of the people has given way to the rule of a despot.
Such a pattern was among the evils James Madison sought to contain through the Constitution. His great fear, as he put it in Federalist No. 49, was that “the passions,…not the reason, of the public would sit in judgment.” If this were permitted, Madison wrote in Federalist No. 10, “the influence of factious leaders may kindle a flame”; the American republic, he believed, should be designed to keep such conflagrations in check.
Madison assumed that Americans would be tempted to demand classical populism; the challenge was to reduce the ability of the government to supply it. In this sense, his creation has clearly worked: America has never had a classically populist regime. More interesting, however, is the fact that–contrary to Madison’s assumption–the demand for such populism has always been fairly low in America. As it turns out, Americans have tended not to launch large-scale quasi-democratic movements in the classical-populist mold. And when such movements have arisen, they have generally not done well at election time–and so have never come close to enacting their agendas.
The relative absence of these movements has always puzzled European and Marxist social scientists, who have struggled to explain why America–in this respect virtually unique in the Western world–never formed a significant socialist or communist party. After all, economic mobility isn’t that different in the United States than in Europe. Inequality is worse. Why, then, haven’t Americans clamored to overthrow the powerful? What is the matter with Kansas?
The answer is to be found in the American soul, shaped as it has surely been by Madison’s system. Americans are a self-governing people through and through, and American populism reflects the American passion for self-determination. That passion certainly leads some Americans to respond powerfully against overbearing elites, and so causes some populist movements to form. But it has also often allowed these responses to be channeled in constructive directions–keeping our politics in balance, and over time giving rise to enduring political coalitions.
In looking at some key populist episodes in our history, then, one finds a pattern that should ease the worries of those now concerned about a politics of resentment. It is also a pattern that offers some crucial guidance for the instigators and cheerleaders of today’s populist movement. . . .
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