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In this lively, provocative collection, some of Australia's leading historians - and a Miles Franklin shortlisted historical novelist - challenge established myths, narratives and 'beautiful lies' about South Australia's past. Some are unmasked as false stories that mask brutal realities, like colonial violence - while others are revealed as simplistic versions of more complex truths.
'Each generation writes history that speaks to its own interests and concerns,' write historians Paul Ashton and Anna Clark. In
Foundational Fictions in South Australian History
, which grew out of a series of public lectures at the University of Adelaide, an impressive range of contributors suggest different ways in which familiar narratives of South Australia can be interpreted. These essays tap into wider debates, too, about the nature and purpose of history - and the 'history wars' first flamed by John Howard.
Stuart Macintyre highlights South Australia's central role in several national events. Humphrey McQueen questions the origins and influence of the money behind South Australia's so-called progressive founding. Lucy Treloar suggests historians can learn from novelists when it comes to understanding the past. Steven Anderson argues that Don Dunstan's achievement in abolishing capital punishment owed much to a historical movement. And Carolyn Collins highlights the role of anti-conscription group Save Our Sons (SOS) in not just ending the Vietnam War, but broadening the appeal of the anti-war movement.
Carolyn Collins
is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of History at the University of Adelaide. Her doctoral thesis, titled 'Those Women with Banners: A History of the Save Our Sons Movement, 1965-1973', was awarded the University Doctoral Research Medal in 2016.
Paul Sendziuk
is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Adelaide, with expertise in Australian history, immigration history, and the history of disease and public health.
Praise for
Foundational Fictions in South Australian History
'
Foundational Fictions
brings together some key (mis)conceptions about South Australia and allows the reader to reinvestigate the past record and query just who makes history, and how history is passed down to successive generations. This book would be a really useful resource for developing students' understanding of the historical concepts proposed by the Australian history curriculum: "evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, perspectives, empathy and contestability".' - Helen Eddy, | https://aldinga.newspower.com.au/products/foundational-fictions-in-south-australian-history |
Many journalists and researchers will remember the mid-2000s as halcyon days, when a panoply of digital research applications were generated for the public good. The possibility of sharing spreadsheets using cloud services, algorithms to reveal patterns of information about cartels, and hidden digital devices to detect criminality led to entire new publishing business models. Wikileaks appeared to be part of this wave of new ways of dealing with old problems. It was exciting. It felt like an information revolution: combined with the increasing digitisation and online accessibility of archives, the new research tools made more information available than ever before. But that sense of opening horizons has been fractured by a surge in digital abuse, particularly by state actors. Spying hardware, such as closed-circuit television cameras linked up to software, can identify passersby. Hardware companies can tap telephone conversations anywhere. And oppressive regimes, including many in Africa, are spending hundreds of millions of dollars to acquire advanced spying knowhow from China and other countries. Security forces around the continent are using the freedom of the internet to track, and in some cases, attack journalists.
According to a December 2019 report by the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the total number of journalists incarcerated around the world is now near record highs. And the past 24 months have seen an acceleration in the number of reporters and editors arrested across Africa. The number of countries in Africa which used a blanket internet shutdown to stymie dissent and the exchange of information has also increased. For example shutdowns were reported in Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Mauritania, Sudan and Zimbabwe, according to the same report. The increasing use of digital methods to monitor journalists and prevent them from publishing critical reporting was the main theme for journalists from around the continent who attended the University of the Witwatersrand African Investigative Journalism Conference in Johannesburg in November 2019. The sessions that were most heavily attended dealt with the question of how to maintain personal security in a digital world, and with the threats to freedom of information and expression posed by increased state spying on the media.
Cybersecurity expert Melissa Hathaway, who headed up US President Barack Obama’s Cyberspace Policy Review had painted a bleak picture of the threat of digital surveillance to human rights at an earlier African Cyber Threat Conference hosted in Johannesburg in June 2019. She described the situation as “an immediate threat” and an “emergency” and called for the establishment of a global “counter-measures and mitigation process”, bringing together the best talent, regardless of nationality. In particular, the threat posed by military-grade cyber hacking is severe, according to Hathaway. This has been reflected at United Nations level with the General Assembly now developing norms and principles for responsible state behaviour in cyberspace. An open-ended working group has been established with an aim to report back to the UN General Assembly in September 2020 about those aims. But while the UN grapples with how to deal with the threats posed, cyber threats are growing quickly, Hathaway says. In Africa, the threat to the freedom of speech and information is directly linked to actions being taken by nation states, including Rwanda, Zambia and Uganda.
Some technology companies are directly implicated in the new digital oppression. Digital rights activist Dorothy Mukasa of Uganda’s Unwanted Witness civil society campaign has been directly affected by a regime that has spied on her activities. Mukasa was arrested after Ugandan police tracked her mobile phone. Telecommunications snooping has emerged as a fundamental threat to journalists in Africa. “The availability of unregulated exportation of spyware to weak democracies, especially in Africa, is a great risk to the safety of individual investigative journalists,” Musaka told Africa in Fact in an email interview. “The increasing use of pervasive surveillance technologies by both state and non-state actors is highly chilling to [a] free press,” she warned. Meanwhile, in places riven by war such as Somalia, this situation is worsened by agents of terror who use advanced methods to track and sometimes kill reporters. Journalist Abdiweli Ali Hassan was murdered in January this year, one of the first journalists to die in year and the 50th Somali journalist to die in the past decade, according to Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, General of Federation Of Somali Journalists (FESOJ) spokesman.
The figure is also reported in a February 2020 online report by Reporters Without Borders. Hassan’s death will have a chilling effect on the media in the region, says Moalimuu. “There are groups [whose] intention is to silence the media in order to get an environment [where] they can freely [move] while committing atrocities,” he told Africa in Fact. “These include militant group Al Shabaab, government officers and freelance gangs.” Social media and other digital platforms have offered journalists effective ways to carry out research and interviews, as well as engage with society, but they also make it easy to identify and track them. The predominance of these easy-to-use apps has become a poisoned chalice, according to Hathaway. Israeli, American, Australian and Chinese merchants of digital surveillance technology are now imbedded inside African government operations in places like Zambia, Algeria, Kenya and Uganda, according to an August 2019 exposé in the Wall Street Journal. In investigations conducted by this reporter over the past 24 months, there is a growing list of defence-linked companies whose digital surveillance systems are being used to spy on journalists. One of the most aggressive currently is Huawei, although it denies any knowledge of formal spying activities within its operations.
Yet its name has appeared in a number of investigations, including the Wall Street Journal article mentioned earlier. Despite the company’s denials, indications that its products are being used to spy on journalists has a way of getting out. For example, Zambia’s ruling Patriotic Front admitted, on its Facebook page in April 2019, that its police force had managed to track down anti-government bloggers with the help of “Chinese experts at Huawei”. This inadvertent revelation was quickly taken down, but not before journalists took note of the boast. The technique used, according to the Wall Street Journal report, included hacking the journalists’ WhatsApp accounts. This reporter’s attempts in early December last year to reach Huawei’s South African CEO, Richard Yu, were unsuccessful. The company policy, according to a support team member contacted, was “not to communicate by phone” – which is ironic as the company manufactures and sells smartphones. But Huawei is only one of a lengthening list of telecommunications and technology savvy companies working closely with oppressive governments. Others include the Israeli NSO Group, also listed as Q Cyber Technologies.
In October last year, an article in Wired revealed that WhatsApp had instituted a lawsuit against the NSO Group. WhatsApp accused the tech company of “targeting 1,400 of its users, including at least 100 members of ‘civil society’ such as journalists and human-rights defenders” with malware that could circumvent the app’s encryption to steal users’ messages. In reports published in 2018 and 2019, Canada’s Citizen Lab identified the NSO Group as being behind a number of incidents involving spying on journalists. After an extensive investigation, WhatsApp argued that the NSO Group had developed its Pegasus app tracking software specifically for government agencies – and that it is effective on both iPhone and Android operating systems. The NSO Group did not respond to this reporter’s attempts to elicit a response. According to Hathaway, the increasing availability of sophisticated hacking and tracking systems is partly due to the commercialisation of digital technology, which has resulted in intensified competition between tech companies in the sector. “Companies strive to release products as quickly as possible,” says Hathaway. “They worry about security flaws after they have already been deployed.”
The paradigm of “field it fast, fix it later” – the dominant strategy employed by the technology industry – has led to ethics and governance issues, she continues. “If we are to significantly reduce cyber risk in the digital age, governments will need to step in and hold digital service providers and the manufacturers of ICT technology accountable for ensuring their products maintain adequate cyber safety standards.” Countries around the world, and in Africa in particular, are involved in a “technological arms race”, she adds. But this means that they are also becoming dependent on technologies that are increasingly complex and opaque – and thus vulnerable. “This leads to a higher risk of accidents, [as well as] unanticipated negative effects.” Like their counterparts around the world, African journalists are dependent on their smartphones for a range of professional activities, including filming high quality video, field reporting and managing contacts. However, the same smartphone is also the weak link in their personal security chain. In the future, they may need to return to old school journalistic techniques to maintain a higher level of confidentiality, particularly in countries where oppressive regimes dominate.
Desmond Latham is COO of frayintermedia. He has also previously been GCIS editor-in-chief, Business Day TV editor, Business Day/Financial Mail online editor and Mobile Active Digital, among others. He is a John S Knight Fellow of Stanford University. | https://www.gga.org/africas-technological-arms-race/ |
By Ram Tavva
The world is changing rapidly, with unimaginable changes in technology that have changed the way we used to work. Well, there is a similar trend with project management too! If you look back a few years back, there weren’t so many tools for project management, teams were smaller, and projects were simple with simple deliverables. Everything was nice and easy.
Cut to 2021; teams are no longer smaller, and projects are too complicated.
There have been considerable changes in the project management landscape, such as evolving technologies, tools, and latest methodologies. And, the change doesn’t seem to slow down.
This blog will be about all the potential changes and trends that are taking the project management landscape by storm.
Project Management Trends in 2021
1. The Arrival Of Artificial Intelligence & Automation
There is no doubt that Ai has taken the world by storm. Just like manufacturing, healthcare, finance, and other industries, artificial intelligence has also penetrated the project management sector. Project management firms and organizations have already started taking the help of AI to manage their projects and perform day-to-day tasks.
This has reduced human effort through automation and has proved helpful in obtaining performance insights and making sound decisions based on the data.
On top of it, project managers also use AI and automation to complete complex tasks like scheduling and data visualization.
Organizations and project managers who still haven’t embraced AI in project management will undoubtedly suffer. If you want to win in the race of project management and then learn how to leverage AI.
Using AI in project management provides a lot of benefits like task automation, easier project execution, and the right estimation of a project’s duration, costs, and progress.
2. Use of hybrid project management approaches
Every project has different deliverables which require different methodologies. But the biggest problem is that not all teams in a project stick to one specific methodology. And this has given rise to the concept of hybrid project management. The number of project managers and Scrum masters combining two or more two methodologies is increasing day by day.
Implementing this hybrid model brings all your projects, people, tasks, and communications to one place and helps you make the right business choices.
For example, let’s say you mix a traditional approach with the Agile methodology. In this case, team members with different views and working styles would work together in their own way, hence increasing stability, engagement, and efficiency. Also, here are some handy tips on how to crack PMP certification if you still haven’t got your PMP certification.
3. Increasing use of Project management tools and software
Everything has been digitized. Even in project management, tools and software have become an inseparable part of project management. According to a study, 77% of highly successful projects use different tools and software to plan, execute, and control the project process. Well, Project management tools and solutions have proved to be the game-changer.
These are some of the ways how the use of tools is changing the project management landscape.
Project planning: Using data from previous (both successful and unsuccessful) projects to plan better
scheduling and time tracking: Keeping track of time spent on tasks, managing events, and meetings.
Communication and collaboration: Allows you to share critical information with stakeholders, teams, and clients with just a click.
Budgets and deadlines: Helps you to track your budget and deliver projects on time within the allocated budget.
Project management tools really help to plan, execute and deliver projects on time and give everybody a platform to communicate and collaborate right from one dashboard.
4. Dependency on data analytics and numbers
As I said earlier, the world is changing at a rapid pace, and as a project manager, you cannot afford to fail. A failed project can have tonnes of negative impacts on the company (keeping aside the financials). To increase the probability of success of a project, project managers are now focusing fiercely on data analytics and numbers. They are leveraging data insights to make informed and data-backed decisions.
There is a famous saying, “What gets measured, gets managed.” Be it project planning, risk estimation, or quality management, the use of big data analysis gives a solid base. The data also helps to learn how to form and position teams based on team members’ capabilities and strengths.
If used the right way, data analytics has the power to produce a lot of business value. There are project management dedicated analytics tools in the market that offer strategic parameters to help you get the complete picture of all the project-related activities.
5. Demand for Soft Skills
Soft skills have always been necessary for the project management domain, but in 2021 the demand for these is increasing like never before.
According to PMI, these are the seven most critical soft skills for project managers:
- Communication
- Conflict management
- Decision-making
- Leadership
- Motivation
- Organization
- Trust-building
Understanding tools and processes is important, but understanding your team and having good relations with them is even more important for your project’s success. After all, it’s the people who get the work done. And if you have the skills that we’ve mentioned above, then it will be easy for you to manage your people.
Also, in today’s business environment, project managers may require to deal with managers of different organization functions, each with their own opinions, expectations, and communication styles.
The future ahead
Although we have seen many changes in the project management landscape, the actual changes are yet to come. The future belongs to millennials who are creative and rely on technology to get things done.
There would be more focus on cybersecurity measures, increased emphasis on remote work, and much more.
Professionals who are already working in project management, or even the individuals who are planning to hop on this journey in the future, should be able to identify, anticipate, and adapt to the changing needs of the industry. And as a rule, don’t try to fight change, instead adapt to it. Build, redesign, update, and restructure your project management systems and processes, so you not only survive the change but also thrive when these changes thoroughly shake up the domain.
About the Author
Ram Tavva is a Senior Data Scientist and Alumnus of IIM- C (Indian Institute of Management – Kolkata) with over 25 years of professional experience Specialized in Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning. PMP Certified ITIL Expert certified APMG, PEOPLECERT and EXIN Accredited Trainer for all modules of ITIL till Expert Trained over 3000+ professionals across the globe Currently authoring a book on ITIL “ITIL MADE EASY”. | https://www.europeanbusinessreview.com/top-project-management-trends-in-2021-the-future-ahead/ |
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a neurological disease, or more specifically a demyelinating disease, that damages the protective fatty layer (myelin) of the nerves located in the brain and spinal cord. It is this damage that creates the scars visible to the doctor through x-ray examination and creates the physical impairments suffered by MS patients.
Though the most telling signs that a patient is suffering from MS are determined by X-ray, there are several distinct physical symptoms to assist the diagnosis
1. Cognitive impairment
This issue of cognitive impairment in MS patients may manifest itself in the form of memory loss, inability to concentrate or maintain attention
2. Vision problems
MS patients often suffer blurry vision, double vision, or inability to control eye movement. This is due to optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, which is responsible for vision
3. Tingling and numbness
Many MS patients experience an inability to feel or move their limbs or an unexplained feeling of pins and needles throughout the body. This is often the earliest sign caused by nerve damage and experienced in areas such as the face, arms, or legs, and often on just one side of the body
4. Pains and spasms
Known as spasticity, MS patients may experience bouts of unexpected back pain and muscle spasms because of an imbalance in the electrical signals transmitted from the brain and spinal cord once nerve damage occurs. These mixed signals often result in uncontrolled muscle contractions and tense muscles
5. Difficulty walking
Due to frequent numbness and muscle spasms difficulty walking is a common symptom for a patient suffering from multiple sclerosis as the disease progresses
6. Bladder and bowel dysfunction
The damage to nerves creates an inability for the brain to communicate to other organs within the body. For the multiple sclerosis patient, this may translate into frequent bathroom visits or an inability to use the bathroom as often as the body should
The frequency of MS symptoms experienced may vary from patient to patient. For instance, it is possible for the patient to go for periods of time without any symptoms even though the damaged neurons are not healed. Because the damage is still present and attacks upon the body continue, symptoms may reoccur at any time. Doctors often prescribe a combination of relapsing MS treatment to curb the recurrence of MS symptoms, which can include medications, physical therapies, diet changes, counselor sessions to curb stress, and exercise and sleep support.
Multiple sclerosis creates an inability to manage the body. Acknowledging the early signs of MS through testing will assist the patient with gaining a sense of control. Once diagnosed the patient can then concentrate on managing the symptoms.
The cameras in smartphones have been steadily improving for years, but what makes the 2019 cameras stand out from the rest are the new possibilities to capture the best and most creative photos. Features such as telephoto lenses, video stabilization, no blur pictures, shot magnification, seamless front to rear shooting, wide capture images, and photo editing tools right there on your screen, make these smartphones tops for 2019:
1. iPhone XS
iPhone cameras have always been some of the best on the market. They are leaders in smartphone camera technology and the XS camera is more than a camera. It comes with a 12-megapixel dual-lens that is capable of wide-angle shots. It also has a lens that is an f/1.8 aperture and a second lens that is a telephoto lens that is an f/2.4 aperture. This is an incredible 3 lens stop up from the previous iPhone X which had a 1.4nm lens.
The three lenses grace the latest iPhone which enables the user to take high-resolution photos and edit them with the latest iSO software upgrade. The lens comes with an image stabilization with and video recording speed has been brought up to 4K resolution. The camera is able to record at 60fps with 1080p recording speeds. This model runs perfectly through the iSO operating system upgrade.
2. Sony Xperia
Sony is introducing its first triple camera lens system as well. They have started to use sensors that give maximum resolutions of 12 MP in each one of the three cameras. It has an ultra-wide camera angle for wide lens photos. It has 12 megapixels with 16 mm length. Its normal lens has 12 megapixels with a 26 mm length, a telephoto lens of 12 megapixels and a 52 mm length and finally a front camera that comes with 8 megapixels and SteadShot HDR feature. The cameras on this phone are best in the daylight. There is almost no blur in the pictures because of the sensors which prevent any movements from affecting the quality of the picture. It comes with a double zoom feature which magnifies the shots and the photos taken are done more quickly. The ultra-wide lens is perfect for the wider shots you want when combined with the camera app. It makes it easy to edit and correct for any distortions in the photos.
3. Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus
You will find a better battery to support the best camera to-date for the Samsung Galaxy line. The latest Samsung Galaxy comes with three cameras on the back and two on the front. This allows for the camera to shift from front and rear shooting seamlessly. There is a 12-megapixel rear camera that is capable of shifting between f/1.5 and f/2.4 shots. This makes the difference in the night and day pictures for ultimate light and angle capture. The phone comes with an ultra-wide lens of 16 megapixels. It has a telephoto lens sensor which is perfect for zooming in and out of a shot. The app that works with the camera adds for a greater degree of editing of the photos being taken. The night features are what makes the camera on this phone is amazing. The sensors attached to them are designed to sense the degree of darkness in the photo and adjust to give you a brighter picture. The lens used to accomplish this is an f/1.5 which gives a wider shot to capture more light.
Fashion is such an individualized thing. Everyone is different and therefore everyone has personal preferences when it comes to different types of dresses. One thing is true though; it’s important to have at least one versatile and flattering dress in your wardrobe. When determining what type to choose, there are several styles to consider that can be appropriate for different types of events and different figures.
Women today attend many events that require dressing up for the occasion. These may include weddings, dates, parties, work events, and brunch. When looking to buy a dress to suit a wide range of occasions, here are some flattering options for all ages and body types:
1. Wrap dresses
Wrap dresses are exactly what they sound like. These dresses are pulled together with a front closure. One side of the dress is wrapped across the front and then either goes behind the back part of the waist to either be attached by buttons or tied. The construction of this dress creates a v-neck front. It also accentuates the curves of the wearer in the chest area.
2. Maxi dresses
Maxi dresses are a great option for many occasions. They are long and go to the floor. Generally, they are designed to fit the body on the top, and then be flowy and long on the bottom. The fun thing about them is they can feature many different necklines and come in various patterns and colors. This makes them very individualized to the person.
3. A-Line dresses
A-line dresses are named after the shape they take on the body, which is an “A”. They fit to the top part of the body and begin to flare gradually out at the waist and hips, becoming wider as the hem progresses. A-line clothing can be found not just in dresses, but also in coats and skirts.
4. Little black dresses
Everyone has heard of the little black dress. This is such a versatile option that can be found in your closet. It can be dressed up or down for numerous types of events. As a general design, it is usually a simple dress that tends to be quite short. The elegance and simplicity create a fairly blank canvas that allows you to create the exact type of look that you want. Many designers provide limitless options for this much-needed wardrobe essential. Victoria Beckham cocktail dresses are one good brand to consider.
5. Mini dresses
A mini, or short dress that hangs just above the knees is a common style. This design became popular in the 1920’s. It was later revitalized in the 1960s, and has remained an integral part of many wardrobes ever since. A mini shift style dress is a loose-fitting dress that is very comfortable and does not fit tightly around the waist or any part of the body. It is loose at both the hips and the waist so the dress falls loosely down from the shoulders all the way down to the bottom of the dress. Darts are generally located in the bust area. It is a straight silhouette that can be flattering for those that have bodies that are shaped more like a column and it also elongates petite figures as it shows off the legs.
When shopping for dresses, every designer has his or her own individual interpretation. It is fun, and a great idea to look at the individual designers and fashion forward celebrities to find the one that fits your aesthetic most closely. Also, remember that designers also have many other clothing options. As an example, when looking at what stars wear, like Kourtney Kardashian or Victoria Beckham (blouses, skirts, dresses and pants), you might find a designer that the star tends to wear a lot that you can draw inspiration from.
The right handbag can really accentuate your outfit of the day. There are also many styles and functions for different handbags. You could have a handback that works as a daily driver – a bag that you take to run errands or to the store. You could also have a bag that’s perfect for traveling or for a night out. Whatever the case may be, these are five handbags that are sure to be everywhere this season:
1. Versace Chunky Chain Bag
This Versace bag features a chunky chain which really is the stand out feature on this bag. The chain provides a cool effect when you wear it, that really draws your eyes to it. In typical Versace fashion, the chunky chain bag is made of high quality materials and is a great value for the price.
2. Lanvin Puffy Cloud Bag
The Lanvin Puffy Cloud Bag is another bag you’ll be seeing a lot of in 2021. This bag is one of the top trends in handbags right now, and for good reason. The Lanvin quality is apparent and you can really wear this on any occasion, formal or casual.
3. Stella McCartney Hobo Bag
The Stella McCartney Hobo bag has a relaxed look about it. It appears slightly slouched in nature, which provides a really cool effect. This bag can be dressed up for a nice, formal event or dressed down for a nice casual day. This bag is incredibly versatile and provides enough room for all of your belongings. It has two slip pockets and an interior compartment for maximum storage. This is one bag that can really do it all.
4. Bottega Veneta Fisherman Shoulder Bag
The Bottega Veneta Fisherman Shoulder Bag is extremely trendy right now, and for good reason. The bag features a scale like pattern which is the standout feature. It also features a shoulder strap for great versatility and a super comfortable wear. The bag features high quality materials and enough room to keep all your belongings stored nicely. This bag leans a bit casual but is a great bag if you’re looking to make a statement throughout the day.
5. Fendi Fluffy Feathers Bag
The Fendi fluffy feathers bag is a bag that’s sure to make a statement. This bag is made of high quality materials, in typical Fendi fashion. The fluffy feathers bag is covered in ostrich feathers. This bag is incredibly unique and will turn all the heads. It’s also very versatile in that all of the straps are detachable so you could wear this as a shoulder bag or as a little handheld purse. When you pair this with a stunning dress, you will be sure to turn heads at any formal event or night out on the town.
These bags can be found at many of your favorite retailers and department stores. Make sure to shop Saks Fifth Avenue bags for the latest in deals and trends for the 2021 year.
Jewelry is the one of the best accent pieces for any outfit you choose to wear. The right necklace, or the right bracelet, can really put the finishing touch on an amazing outfit. You may opt to wear a necklace on a night out, or a set of bangles to run some errands. Either way there are a few styling hacks to help maximize your jewelry. Here are six jewelry styling hacks to follow:
1. Use earrings for a pop of color
It can be a great idea to match a few pieces of jewelry, however, when they’re all very similar in style and color, they can really blend together. To solve this issue, try using earrings to create that pop of color. Earrings can really balance out an outfit
2. Know when it’s too much
Jewelry can provide a great accent to your favorite outfit but you need to be careful you don’t overdo it. By having too much, you’re really taking away from the effect your jewelry adds to your outfit
3. Personalize with statement jewelry
Something like customized wrist bracelets can be super personal. This can be a piece that no one has that truly stands out on its own. These are often hard to duplicate because they’re one of a kind and customized. Check Kay Jewelers clearance sale and see if there’s anything that you could customize and make truly unique
4. Minimal jewelry with patterned clothing
When your outfit is full of patterns, it’s already incredibly loud. Something like stripes or plaid can be a super powerful statement in itself so when picking out jewelry, make sure to keep it minimal. When it’s overdone it can have the opposite effect of what you’re looking for. One simple necklace or bracelet can be a nice, quick addition to a loud outfit with many patterns
5. Create layers with necklaces and bangles
Sometimes when we wear jewelry it can be hard to get the most out of it. Sometimes our jewelry is too thin and won’t really pop with our outfits. That’s where layering comes into play. By layering bangles you can create a super nice, textured set of bracelets that will surely stand out. With necklaces, you want to look at the style and length. By mixing and layering different necklace lengths, you can create the illusion of a much bigger piece and have them all flow together seamlessly. Either way, you really can’t go wrong with layering
6. Mix metals in jewelry
Most jewelry is made of various metals like gold, silver, and platinum. By combining different metals, you can really make them pop. When mixing and matching gold and silver you really create a palate with different colors and materials. It helps them stand out. When you wear all your jewellery in one material or one color, the pieces tend to blend in with each other. Mixing metals will help your pieces to really make a statement
When choosing jewelry, make sure to follow these 6 hacks for best results! | https://www.mensfocus.online/early-indicators-of-multiple-sclerosis/ |
High Gas Prices Affect Consumption
THE high oil prices reported duringthe past five months are starting to havean effect on Costa Rican gasoline consumption,according to the Costa RicanPetroleum Refinery (RECOPE).In May, RECOPE’s sales of hydrocarbon-based products (gasoline, diesel,bunker, asphalt and jet fuel) dropped1.66% compared to April.Sales of “regular” gasoline dropped4.40% or by approximately 1.82 millionliters (502,000 gallons). Sales of “super”gasoline dropped 5.61% or by approximately1.65 million (435,000 gallons).Costa Rica consumes between 16 and17 million barrels of oil each year. Each$1 increase in the price of a barrel of oilincreases the country’s trade deficit by asmuch as $17 million, according to theCentral Bank. | https://ticotimes.net/2004/06/25/high-gas-prices-affect-consumption |
Ingredients:
4-6 large white asparagus spears, approx. 370g
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbsp. ghee or olive oil
a couple pinches salt
For garnish: Pecorino Romano, lemon zest, white pepper, cold-pressed olive oil
Sauce:
1 bunch green asparagus, approx. 300g
1 bunch wild leeks (ramps)
1 ½ Tbsp. cold pressed olive oil
½ Tbsp. lemon juice
1-3 Tbsp. cooking liquid
salt to taste
a dollop of pure maple syrup
Pecorino Romano to taste (lots!)
Directions:
Begin by preparing the sauce. Snap off and discard the woody ends of the green asparagus, wash them well and chop them into similar size pieces. Rinse the ramps well, removing any soil.
Bring a pot of water the boil, add the asparagus and simmer for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and add the ramps, submerging them in the water for 1 more minute, just to take the raw edge off. Do not overcook! Immediately drain the asparagus and ramps reserving the cooking liquid in a separate bowl. Rinse the vegetables under very cold water, or submerge them in an ice bath to halt the cooking process. Reserve 2-3 pieces asparagus for garnish.
Add the cooked asparagus, ramps and remaining sauce ingredients (except for the salt and cheese) to a blender and process on high until smooth. Add cheese and salt, taste for seasoning. If necessary, add more cooking liquid to achieve a thinner sauce.
Prepare the asparagus “rice”. Peel the white asparagus from the base all the way to the tip. Using a mandoline, a julienne peeler/slicer, or your excellent knife skills, create long, thin vertical strips. Line them up, then cut them across to create very small “grains”, each about the size of a grain of rice. Set aside. Mince shallots.
In a frying pan heat a little ghee or olive oil (if using olive oil make sure to cook over low heat!), add the shallots and a pinch or two of sea salt. Cook until the shallots have nicely caramelized, about 7-10 minutes. Add the white asparagus rice and stir to combine with the shallots. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the green sauce and fold into the rice, warming it. Continue to add the asparagus/ramps cooking liquid that you reserved, or just water, to thin out the consistency. The texture should be like regular risotto: loose and creamy, not sticky and dry nor too wet and soupy. Make sure it is hot all the way through. Season to taste, add more cheese if desired
Plate the risotto and sprinkle with lemon zest, white pepper, more cheese if desired, and olive oil. Add a couple pieces of asparagus to the top and serve immediately. | https://www.ravinesedge.com/single-post/2018/04/23/Miraculous-Rice-less-Risotto-with-Ramps-and-Asparagus |
The project will improve the quality of education in Afghanistan. Though it remains low, access to education has improved significantly over the past decade, but the low quality of education is increasingly recognized as a problem. Working through the competent directorates of the Ministry of Education, the project will strengthen methodology and subject-specific knowledge and promote community involvement for school improvements. Girls and boys will benefit from better learning in a conducive environment. | https://www.bundesreisezentrale.admin.ch/deza/en/home/countries/hindu-kush/afghanistan.html/content/dezaprojects/SDC/en/2019/7F10010/phase99?oldPagePath=/content/deza/en/home/laender/hindukusch/afghanistan.html |
It is impossible to lie about the present without perverting the memory of the past. Controversial matters are all rooted to historical assertions. An impasse in communication is best approached by a search for those assertions followed by their evaluation. They are seldom obvious and explicit because effective propagandists suppress their discovery. Manipulation of conscience remains effortless as long as historical assertions at the heart of each controversy are veiled by a thick coagulation of loud misguiding assumptions.
The aim of a propagandist is to sabotage the conversation by keeping it around the peripheral and sensational matters and as far away from the root historical assertions as possible. This strategy works even when recognized. If you accuse the propagandist of being manipulative, this too becomes a distraction from the historical root of the controversy in question. Even when stubbornness prevails over anger and exhaustion of a heated argument, and one of the root historical assertions is brought to light, we fail to capitalize on the benefit of such great achievement. We do not know how to weigh conflicting historical claims. What is the right way to do history?
Historians follow a loose convention that they rarely explain. It boils down to a strong preference for earlier sources and general conformity to dates and sequences established by the scholarly majority. Beyond that, each historian does his own thing to present a certain overarching narrative peculiar to them. Perhaps you do the same, and this approach will surely be enough for recreational reading. However, if you are attempting to compare conflicting historical claims and build an argument hoping to convince another person to change their mind, you must find something else to add to: "I once read in a history book that is not like your history book..."
Historical method is difficult to standardize. Nothing that has occurred can ever be fully repeated or recovered. This is dictated by thermodynamics. Nothing that has occurred can ever be perceived or understood the same way. This is dictated by psychology. Our connection to the past is restricted to fragmentary impressions of persons who are generally not available for an interview. Those impressions can only be lifted from folklore, archeology and literature. That is it! Most of the old stuff is wrecked when it is first found. Almost all of the ancient literature has been lost, and what remains is contradictory and heavily edited. So how can you know that something is historically true?
Historical claims are essentially estimates of probability. It is hard to prove them categorically true or false. They are rather deemed probable or improbable based on evidence. The best of probabilities is the closest that we are going to get to rational truth, so that is what we call "historical truth." Historical claims are often overturned due to discovery of new evidence. The word "truth" here is used as a scientific term. All our verbalizations are approximations of observed reality including historical claims. This approximation is good enough to be called "truth" because we do not have any other currency to reasonably trade with each other.
Given explanation harmonizes most of the relevant historical facts.
Given explanation includes reasons for the existence of some contradictory facts.
Given explanation coherently traces the journey from causes to consequences.
Given explanation overlaps with patterns observed in similar situations.
Given explanation contains little conjecture.
Primary sources relay the closest possible eye witness testimony.
Primary sources are chronologically close to the events described.
Primary sources are geographically close to the events described.
Primary sources are internally consistent to a large extent.
Primary sources include plenty of verifiable details (names, places, etc.).
Primary sources are corroborated by something physical (pottery, burial, bones, monument, etc.).
Primary sources are connected to individuals who have been found reliable, honest, and lacking a motive to deceive.
Primary sources admit to some self-implicating or embarrassing information.
Multiple sources that agree in details and phraseology are unusual. They are rightly suspected of being fabrications. Secondary sources also have their place. Those include opinions of internationally recognized experts commenting on the primary sources and interpreting them according to their field of expertise. For example, an Egyptologist explaining the meaning of hieroglyphics is a perfect addition a historical claim supported by those hieroglyphics.
Do not allow the propagandist to substitute an explanation for proof. Just because something is explained a certain way, it does not follow that this is what happened. "The ice cream is gone because a pink elephant flew through the window and ate it," - this is the most common form of a fallacious historical claim. It is all over the mass media, and most of us grew accustomed to it and swallow this way of reasoning whole.
Do not let the propagandist shave your head with Occam's razor. Inevitably, he or she will try to do it by saying something like this: "My explanation is simpler, so by Occam's razor I must be right." First, a poorly researched and argued explanation is always simpler than the truth. Second, Occam's razor is a second-tier tool for judging between explanations that are similar except for the amount and complexity of logical steps required for each. Do not confuse primitive for simple. Simple explanation is straight-forward. Primitive is an explanation sunk into denial of relevant information.
I do not include Occam's razor in the historical grid, because it is meant for weighing speculative philosophical and theological claims. Rarely will two historical claims agree in everything other than the logical steps employed to arrive at their respective conclusions. The worst abusers of Occam's razor are by far the atheists. William of Ockham was a Franciscan priest.
Exceptionalism: this group is the only one that acted this way.
Natural Benevolence Bias: when people are left alone they mean no harm.
Catastrophism: people manufactured inevitable disaster.
Apocalyptism: this generation is the pinnacle of all history.
Rat Wheel: history is predictable and uniform, expect more of the same. | https://truthonly.com/en/history/2016/historical-method.html |
At EARJ, we are interested in providing spaces that invite our community members to actively engage with and take responsibility for their own learning. Our learners develop an understanding on how they learn best by applying the following essential skills: collaboration, creativity, communication, and critical thinking.
The Learning Commons is a place that embodies a real – world approach to learning through the application of these essential skills and where learners communicate information to others. It is a flexible space for learning and teaching, which provides an optimal environment for collaboration, design, sharing of information, development of projects and the creation of knowledge.
The place offers comfortable furniture for both individual and group study, allowing members to customize the physical space according to their needs. There is also ubiquitous access to wireless networks, electrical outlets, multimedia devices, and information technologies.
The Learning Commons is a focal point for academic and social experiences in the school. It can be a place to study, to collaborate on projects or discuss ideas, but it can also be a place to engage with friends in a relaxed cafe-like environment. Learning Commons participants are encouraged to develop their talents and deepen their understanding through exploration, dialogue and thoughtful consideration.
Examples of activities at the Learning Commons:
- Small groups of learners will meet to brainstorm ideas on their shared interests;
- Learners will work on self paced programs in coding and programming;
- Educators will lead workshops on their own interests;
- Learners will have portable digital devices readily available for use by learners and educators for research and presentation;
- Learners will present the results of their research to peers and educators;
- Invited experts will present to groups of learners and educators looking to expand their knowledge on a given topic. | https://www.earj.com.br/learning-commons/ |
Lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) are a common complaint among aging men and are often caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A number of medical treatments for LUTS/BPH exist, such as α-blockers, 5α-reductase inhibitors, anticholinergics, phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors, and combination therapies.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
› pmc › articles › PMC2812890
Medical Management of Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms – NCBI
provide comparable improvements in urinary flow and symptoms. Each treatment was well tolerated.
Can Flomax be taken on alternate days?
However, if you are taking tamsulosin, you may be able to alleviate ejaculation problems by taking the drug every other day (see “Alternate days,” below).
Can Flomax be used intermittently?
Intermittent tamsulosin (Flomax) treatment appears to be well tolerated and provides comparable improvements for abnormal ejaculation, according to a study by Turkish researchers.
Can you skip Flomax?
If you miss a dose of Flomax, take the missed dose as soon as possible. However, if you are close to the time of your next dose, you should skip the missed dose and continue with your regular dose schedule. You should not take two doses in one day. If you miss a few doses in a row, you should talk to your doctor.
Can I take tamsulosin every second day?
For patients bothered by tamsulosin-related abnormal ejaculation, a significant improvement in the QoL, with- out deviation from the therapeutic purpose of treatment, can be achieved by administration of 0.4 mg tamsulosin every other day.
How long can you stay on Flomax?
The efficacy of 0.4 mg daily of tamsulosin in patients with LUTS due to BPH is sustained for up to 6 years. Tamsulosin demonstrated high tolerability and enduring safety throughout the study without development of tolerance.
What happens when you stop taking Flomax?
If you stop taking the drug suddenly or don’t take it at all: Your BPH symptoms won’t improve. If you stop taking this drug for several days, talk to your doctor before starting again. If you miss doses or don’t take the drug on schedule: Your medication may not work as well or may stop working completely.
When should I stop taking tamsulosin?
For enlarged prostate – if tamsulosin is helping your symptoms, you can continue to take it long term. Your doctor may check every few months that you’re still having relief from symptoms. For kidney stones – your doctor may tell you to stop taking it if your stones have gone or if the medicine is not helping you.
What is a good alternative to Flomax?
Other alpha blockers
- alfuzosin (Uroxatral)
- doxazosin (Cardura)
- silodosin (Rapaflo)
- terazosin (Hytrin)
How do I wean myself off tamsulosin?
Do not increase or decrease the dosage without his or her advice. Do not crush, chew, or open tamsulosin capsules. If, for any reason, you need to stop taking tamsulosin capsules for a few days, you should restart therapy with the 0.4mg dose, even if you have been taking the 0.8mg dose. Talk to your doctor about this.
How often can you take Flomax?
Take this medication by mouth as directed by your doctor, usually once daily, 30 minutes after the same meal each day. Swallow this medication whole. Do not crush, chew, or open the capsules. The dosage is based on your medical condition and response to treatment.
Why is Flomax taken at night?
Dosage for Flomax
Take the first dose at bedtime to minimize the chances of getting dizzy or fainting.
What are the long term effects of taking tamsulosin?
Tamsulosin side effects long term
The researchers found that some of the most common adverse effects included infection, accidental injury, runny nose, pain, and sore throat, other reported side effects included abnormal ejaculation, syncope, and orthostatic hypotension (Narayan, 2005).
Can I take Flomax 2 times a day?
FLOMAX capsules are not indicated for the treatment of hypertension. FLOMAX capsules 0.4 mg once daily is recommended as the dose for the treatment of the signs and symptoms of BPH. It should be administered approximately one-half hour following the same meal each day.
What time of day should you take Flomax?
Flomax is usually taken once a day, approximately 30 minutes after a meal. Try to take this medication at the same time each day. Do not crush, chew, or open the capsule.
What is the safest medication for enlarged prostate?
Medicine choices include: Alpha-blockers, such as tamsulosin (Flomax) or terazosin (Hytrin), which relax muscle tissue. 5-alpha reductase inhibitors, such as dutasteride (Avodart) and finasteride (Proscar), which shrink the prostate.
What is the latest treatment for enlarged prostate?
Physicians at UC San Diego Health are now offering prostate artery embolization (PAE) as a new treatment option for men with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), or an enlarged prostate. The minimally invasive procedure is an alternative to surgery, with no hospital stay, little operative pain and lower cost.
What is the most common side effect of Flomax?
Like all medications, Flomax comes with the potential for side effects. The most common side effects include dizziness, runny nose, and abnormal ejaculation, including: failure to ejaculate. decreased ease of ejaculation.
Can tamsulosin affect bowel movements?
The lower incidence of diarrhea with tamsulosin as compared with a nonselective subtype α1 blocker (prazosin) may be due to lack of its effect on intestinal smooth muscle. Moreover, the tone of the internal anal sphincter reduces with age that may also contribute to diarrhea.
Can you take saw palmetto with Flomax?
Interactions between your drugs
No interactions were found between Flomax and saw palmetto. However, this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. Always consult your healthcare provider.
What is the difference between Flomax and Uroxatral?
Flomax (tamsulosin) is a good treatment for an enlarged prostate if medical treatment is needed, but it can reduce your sex drive and takes time to kick in. Makes it easier to urinate. Uroxatral (alfuzosin) is a good treatment for an enlarged prostate if medical treatment is needed.
Does tamsulosin cause dementia?
Recent findings: Duan et al. have recently shown that men taking tamsulosin have a higher risk of developing dementia when compared to men taking other α-adrenergic antagonists or no α-adrenergic antagonists at all (HR 1.17, 95% CI 1.14-1.21).
Does Flomax affect sleep?
Examples: alfuzosin (Uroxatral), doxazosin (Cardura), prazosin (Minipress), silodosin (Rapaflo), terazosin (Hytrin) and tamsulosin (Flomax). How they can cause insomnia: Alpha-blockers are linked to decreased REM (rapid eye movement) sleep — the stage of sleep when people dream — and daytime sedation or sleepiness.
How long can you take Flomax for kidney stones?
With nothing but extra fluids, pain meds, and time, a 4mm kidney stone like yours has a 60 percent chance of passing on its own. But with the addition of Flomax 0.4 mg per day for up to one month, a kidney stone will pass 2 to 6 days faster.
Why do you have to wait 30 minutes after eating to take Flomax?
Take tamsulosin (Flomax) 30 minutes after the same meal every day. This will help with absorption so that your body doesn’t absorb too much medication too quickly and cause side effects.
Does tamsulosin affect the kidneys?
Conclusions: Impaired renal function increases total tamsulosin plasma concentration by approximately 100% after single-dose administration and in steady state. Since active unbound drug levels are not affected, no dose modification is required in symptomatic BPH patients with renal impairment.
Is Flomax linked to dementia?
Tamsulosin, best known under the brand name Flomax, is commonly used to treat non-cancerous prostate conditions such as BPH and prostatitis.
What is the half life of tamsulosin?
Because of absorption rate-controlled pharmacokinetics with Flomax® (tamsulosin hydrochloride) capsules, the apparent half-life of tamsulosin hydrochloride is approximately 9 to 13 hours in healthy volunteers and 14 to 15 hours in the target population.
Can I drink coffee with Flomax?
Alcohol increases the risk of side-effects from tamsulosin, such as feeling faint or dizzy. Consider reducing or stopping the amount of caffeine you drink (commonly found in tea, coffee and cola). Caffeine can make your symptoms worse, so drinking less of these things may benefit you. | https://n4vu.com/how-to/can-flomax-be-taken-every-other-day/ |
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3 m
Article
Engineering & Technology
Researching the untold story of Canada’s keypunch girls
Sonia Mendes
Ingenium - Canada's…
Oct 18, 2018
Last summer, the Canada Science and Technology Museum offered up access to its collection so that researcher Jennifer Thivierge could study “keypunch girls” — the women who punched holes in data cards and fed them into machines or tabulators, starting in the 1950s. The University of Ottawa’s Gazette writes about her findings, and what they say about gender discrimination within the field of computer science.
1 m
Article
Engineering & Technology
Take a virtual reality tour of Anne Frank’s house
Lindsay Wolcott
Ingenium
Jul 5, 2018
You don’t need to travel all the way to Amsterdam to see the Anne Frank House. The museum recently launched a 25-minute virtual reality tour that takes you through the rooms—hidden behind an Amsterdam canal-side house—where Anne wrote her diary. Read the full article and watch a trailer for the virtual reality tour.
1 m
Engineering & Technology
Student-made robot sets new world record for solving the Rubik’s Cube
Sonia Mendes
Ingenium - Canada's…
Apr 24, 2018
Since its invention in the 70s, the Rubik’s Cube has entertained, challenged, and frustrated users around the world. Last month, a pair of students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology devised a robot capable of solving the popular 3D puzzle in an astounding 0.38 seconds. Read the full story – and watch a video that shows the robot in action. http://news.mit.edu/2018/featured-video-solving-rubiks-cube-record-time-0316
3 m
Article
Engineering & Technology
Decoding the Dance of the Honey Bee, in Real-Time
Lauren DiVito
Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation
Oct 12, 2017
Since the deciphering of the honey bee ‘waggle’ in the 1920’s by Karl von Frisch, researchers have been measuring the dance-like form of communication that allows bees to convey direction and distance to a food source. While this observation process was initially manual and time-consuming – requiring humans, protractors, and stopwatches – techniques have evolved with technology. Recently, a team from the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science at the Free University of Berlin, Germany
5 m
Article
Engineering & Technology
How the Canada Science and Technology Museum designed an accessible, modular headphone jack | Innovation150
Jun 14, 2017
Accessible headphone jacks aren’t hard to find nowadays, but they’re always built into your average neighbourhood fixtures, like an ATM. This isn’t the most welcoming design since there’s no way to get the device as a standalone product. But the Canada Science and Technology Museum strives for inclusive design, and since they couldn’t buy an accessible headphone jack, their innovators decided to design their own.
5 m
Article
Engineering & Technology
A New Take on the Robotic Arm: Tentacles
Jesse Rogerson, PhD
Canada Aviation and Space Museum
Apr 21, 2017
Engineers are constantly taking cues from nature when designing new technologies, and the robotic tentacle arm created by German robotics company, Festo, is a great example. | https://ingeniumcanada.org/channel/browse/category/engineering-technology?f%5B0%5D=duration%3Ashort&f%5B1%5D=publisher%3A369&f%5B2%5D=publisher%3A381&f%5B3%5D=publisher%3A523&f%5B4%5D=publisher%3A1353&f%5B5%5D=publisher%3A1524&f%5B6%5D=publisher%3A1768 |
Becoming a managing director can take a number of years, and becoming a successful managing director can take a lot longer indeed. What most people don’t realise is that there are certain skills that are needed in order to grow in a role like this. If you don’t have certain skills, then you are going to find it very tough to climb the career ladder. Here are a few of the different key skills that are needed to be a successful managing director, like Danny Sawrij.
Good Interpersonal Skills
When it comes to being a good managing director, like Danny Sawrij, you absolutely have to have good interpersonal skills. You have to keep in mind that you are going to be dealing with large numbers of people on a daily basis, and if your interpersonal skills are not up to scratch, then you are going to suffer, and so is the business. Out of all of the skills that are needed to be a good managing director, effective interpersonal skills are probably one of the most important.
A Strong Financial Mind
Although interpersonal skills are important, a strong financial mind is absolutely essential. Many people will make the mistake of thinking that the role simply consists of managing a group of people. However, what you have to keep in mind is the fact that all companies are financially driven, and unless you have a strong financial mind, you are going to struggle significantly. You have to come up with targets, and make sure that your business reaches them.
Help Employees to Grow in Their Roles
Finally, you need to make sure that your employees are supported in their roles. You need to make sure that your employees grow within their roles. If they feel as though they are in a dead end job with no prospects, then productivity within the workplace will suffer significantly. So, if you want to make sure that productivity remains at a high level, and you want to be a managing director at the level of the likes of Danny Sawrij, then you need to support your employees and help them to grow.
There are so many different skills that are needed to be a successful managing director, these are just a few. However, with some hard work and dedication, there is no reason why you should not be a huge success in your role.
Information On Customer Service Support
July 30, 2013 by Dr. Letitia Wright
Filed under A Note for You, Featured Articles, Front Page
Information On Customer Service Support
By CorryPal
There are some scenarios where people may need to be guided in doing certain procedures. It is very frustrating for a client or a customer to enter a new organization and does not find somebody to direct him or her on what they are required to do. It is for this reason that many companies have introduced customer service support services to their institution.
The people who work on the customer service support desks have training. There are many things that one must learn to become a good customer attendant. One must know different languages and be fluent in them because you never know the type of customers you might meet. To be a good customer attendant you must be well educated and acquired the right skills.
Depending on which organization you are providing customer service support, you must have knowledge of the products that are sold there. Sometimes customer service involves marketing of goods of a company. The importance of the service varies from one product or service to another. You must also know that customer services are not only in companies that are involved in selling goods but also the institutions that provide services to people. A medical institution is a good example that uses such customer service support.
Customer service helps in generation of income for many companies. There will be no customer attendant who will talk ill about his or her company. Most of them will talk good things about the company which will also help to improve the good image of the company thus attracting more clients.
Technology has helped to improve the services. The introduction of automated customer services helps to reduce the number of employees especially those on the support desk. A good example of automated means include the sites that are found on the Internet. The automated means has another advantage. This is because one can use the service at any time of the day.
Another good example of automated services is the procedures that one is asked to follow on the phone when trying to get help about something. But the automated services have encountered some challenges. Some challenges are like some people cannot understand the languages used by the machines.
Other people on the other hand cannot follow the simple procedures. You cannot ask the machines any questions and thus it becomes limited to the learned people only. However both types of customer care services have been beneficial to many companies.
Take a look at worldwide101.com for more information.
Achieving Business Goals Through Hospitality Management Training
February 21, 2013 by Dr. Letitia Wright
Filed under A Note for You
Guest post by henryleadgen
At the hub of the hospitality industry lie the basic fundamentals of profit and margins. Maintaining good profits and owning a successful business relies on having a loyal customer base and an excellent reputation. Customer experience is paramount if people are to return to your hotel and recommend it to friends and colleagues. Within your business it is the staff that are empowered with the responsibility for whether or a not a customer returns. The industry of hospitality is a tough one, with competition becoming ever stiffer. It is therefore very important that hospitality management training be included in your staff progression and that staff are made aware of the business goals and ethos.
How Training Programs Work
Today there is access to a wide range of companies that offer hospitality management training, in the form of lectures, programs and various courses. It is generally considered that using an independent company to organise your training is more beneficial than in-house training as it retains its objectivity and never becomes personal. The companies offering such services take great pride in what they provide and by combining a huge amount of knowledge and experience drawn from their staff they produce an excellent product. Time is taken with each client to ensure an individual approach, a personal service and to make sure the business owner is abreast of what training is being given.
The follow-up part of the program is an integral part of the package. It aims to assess the success rates of the training by monitoring staff in the work place post training. If staff is monitored closely, extra training and feedback can be given when necessary and prevent a problem escalating. Using mystery shoppers and mystery callers is an excellent way to establish the results of training programs that have been undertaken. Members of the mystery shopping and mystery calling team will orchestrate scenarios in situ, in order to asses particular aspects of staff behavior and the way they deal with potentially relevant situations. By using this follow-up service you can be confident that training has been beneficial and that the staff are producing the exemplary standards expected.
It doesn’t matter if you are the owner of a small hotel or involved with international hotel chains, companies providing hospitality management training can tailor make a program to suit you. The individual and bespoke element for every customer is confidently designed by people with a vast range of experience and knowledge in the business. Regardless of the size or turnover of your business there are commonalities across the board; striving for success through excellent staff attitude and a top quality customer experience. There is definitely a place for training in the work place to be continuous, and these companies make it their business to help you use this training as a means to improving your business. Companies providing the service often provide extra seminars and workshops run from your hotel and these are another welcome adage to the package provided. | https://wrightplacetv.com/tag/education-and-training/ |
Farm Folk City Folk’s Community Farms Program (CFP) is pleased to be hosting the 6th Community Farms Roundtable this February 20 and 21 at O.U.R. Ecovillage in Shawnigan Lake. The goals of the CFP are to support the establishment of alternative forms of land ownership, to ensure our agricultural lands remain in production in perpetuity, and to advance sustainable models of farmland access, governance and production. The purpose of the Roundtables is to bring community farmers together to explore common ground and mutual challenges, build links with new and existing community farms, and to share inspiration, information, and ideas for advancing sustainable models of community farming.
Register now! Visit our Eventbrite page for more details and to register.
At this point you may be wondering just what is a community farm? and this is a very good question with no easy answer. One definition developed by the CFP is “a community farm is a multi-functional farm where the land is held “in trust” for community rather than owned privately. A community group or co-operative governs the land use agreements, and agricultural uses of the land are shared by a community of farmers.” Though over the past few years the forms of alternative land tenure and access people are using have really expanded and many of these involve some element of farming with community. A more recent working definition proposed by the CFP is “shared farming on shared land.” This really opens up the term to be reflective of the diversity of models that exist on the ground while maintaining an emphasis on the shared or cooperative piece (land or work) of community farming.
Land access, access to capital, access to infrastructure, mentorship, inter-generational knowledge transfer, and social isolation have all been identified as challenges that beginning and young farmers face today. Community farming is one model of farming that has the potential to address some of these challenges. Shared land and resources helps overcome land access and capital barriers, shared farming allows for the training and sharing of knowledge between the more experienced community members and new farmers, and farming together creates a social support network. However this isn’t to say that community farming doesn’t come with its own set of challenges.
Alongside hosting the Roundtable the CFP supports community farms through the provision of informational and support services in various forms. One unique service offered is direct one-on-one support by the CFP manager, Heather Pritchard, to a community group or group of farmers to facilitate the formation or development process of a community farm. This facilitation process may involve support with the organizational structure (ex. cooperative or society), governance model, financing, and/or whole farm planning. The CFP also coordinates research and partners with other organizations to provides informational resources available online such as the Farmland Access Agreements Report, Review of Farmland Trusts, or the Cultivating Co-ops Guide.
The topics discussed at the Roundtables to date have been largely determined by who attends and the needs of the participants. A few examples of past discussion topics include effective governance models, zoning and housing policy, and farmland securement for local food production. This year will continue with the tradition of open space sessions, and will also include a farmland trust visioning session to explore the potential for forming a provincial farmland trust in BC.
Over the course of my research on community farms and alternative land access in BC it has become clear that despite the rise in diverse alternative land access mechanisms there still remains a need for more mechanisms to secure farmland and provide tenure security to farmers over the long term. Farmland trusts or community land trusts where the land is owned by a non-profit, managed by community, and essentially removed from the real estate market is one way of doing so.
Several small regional agricultural land trusts in BC have emerged. For instance, the Farmlands Trust Society on Vancouver Island, the Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust, Mayne Island Trust, and the Greenways Trust in Campbell River. There have also been groups of people contacting the CFP seeking support to establish community trust farms to protect and/or access land. While small regional, or individual farm trusts, can be effective, a provincially coordinated strategy will have greater reach and capacity. I think there is great opportunity in having a provincial trust specializing in agriculture which can then coordinate with existing regional trusts to acquire and manage farmland.
The Roundtable discussions will be one of a series of community discussions the CFP will facilitate to gather input into how to move forward with the development of a new provincial farmland trust in BC under the leadership of the CFP.
The farmland trust discussion is just one part of the program, there will also be plenty of time for a variety of other discussion topics, activities and opportunities to connect with other attendees.
Visit our Eventbrite page for further program details and to register for the the 2014 Community Farms Roundtable.
Visit the Community Farms Program website.
Read more about farmland trusts: Ontario Farmland Trust, American Farmland Trust, Agrarian Trust (US), Community Land Trusts (US), Farmlands Trust Society (Victoria), Salt Spring Island Farmland Trust Society
Listen to a webinar: ‘Scaling innovation in community land trusts for farmland access and affordable housing’ with a presentation on farmland trusts by Dr. Hannah Wittman, a UBC researcher and collaborator of the Community Farms Program. | https://youngagrarians.org/introduction-to-the-community-farms-program-and-an-invitation-to-join-us-for-the-2014-community-farms-roundtable/ |
Government agencies looking to make better decisions from the data they collect have more resources within reach than they might suspect. But senior leaders need to take steps to identify the hidden data champions in their midst and encourage them to become catalysts in their organizations, according to a new report.
“Data and analytics catalysts,” are those who have a “natural ability to drive change,” and are given the necessary foothold to help an organization understand the value of a “data-driven enterprise,” the report says.
The report, released by Booz Allen Hamilton, suggests the most promising candidates are those who have instinctive leadership skills, have a flair for making sense of data, know how to engage stakeholders and are able to nurture talented individuals to join in their initiative.
Agencies don’t need to create new positions or add staff, the report says, but focus instead on developing the talent and interests of employees within their organizations. By identifying data and analytics catalysts, agency leaders would benefit from more clearly defining mission goals when they have data analytics to support their decisions.
The report highlights four ways agency leaders can help empower those individuals and how to focus their efforts.
It also argues that it isn’t enough to simply acquire technology that sifts through the data. Those tools are important for streamlining and presenting data analysis, but they often fail to address a more fundamental need — having a workforce that can make sense of the information.
Agencies can often assume that having a data governance structure in place will foster better use of data. But it can only be successful when there are catalysts in the organization who can analyze the data and spell out the trends in a way that informs and shapes mission critical decisions.
“Transforming an organization to be more data-driven is challenging, primarily because ‘data driven decision-making’ means something different at every level within an organization,” says Shelly Brown, a principal at Booz Allen Hamilton’s analytics group.
For an organization to get the most of out the information they have, catalysts should exist in every department within an agency. The report also encourages management to assess the amount of risk the agency is willing to take and give catalysts the space needed to innovate within appropriate guidelines.
“Prediction readies you for the future and prepares the organization for surges or changes,” says Brown, and “data helps you see around the corner to what’s coming.”
Agencies that fail to build data and analytics skills among their staffs risk not only missing unseen opportunities to better fulfill their missions, but also risk seeing the value of their data diminish over time, or worse, wasting a precious asset.
Read more about empowering your workforce to put data and analytics to use.
This article was produced by FedScoop and CyberScoop for, and sponsored by, Booz Allen Hamilton. | https://www.cyberscoop.com/leading-transformation-by-cultivating-data-catalysts-in-your-agency/?category_news=sponsored+content |
NHTSA Gives Automakers a Break; Postpones Crash Test Changes
Perhaps in the spirit of the holidays, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is giving automakers a present by delaying changes to safety test standards from 2010 model year vehicles as planned to 2011 model year vehicles.
The revised standards will include new frontal crash tests and a test that simulates what will happen to your 2011 Chevrolet Cruze if you wrap it around a tree. Significantly, female crash dummies will be used to better assess how women and larger children fare in collisions, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.
Expense was probably the prime reason for the change. Engineering a vehicle to do well in NHTSA tests and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests can be expensive, especially when that vehicle must pass an entirely different set of safety tests in other worldwide markets.
The following is an excerpt of a statement the NHTSA issued about the change:
"NHTSA has decided to postpone implementation of the Department's new 5-star Government safety rating program for one year to begin with Model Year 2011. This delay will give manufacturers another year to prepare for what are the most significant changes since the rating program began in 1979 and provide consumers with an additional year to become familiar with the new rating system.
The agency will, at a later date, issue a notice of proposed rulemaking concerning changes to the vehicle safety rating portion of the Monroney label that will need to be made to reflect the changes to the NCAP announced on July 11, 2008." | https://www.motortrend.com/news/nhtsa-gives-automakers-a-break-postpones-crash-test-changes-3326/ |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
Our present invention relates to a method of removing arsenic from a copper electrolyte and, more particularly, to a method of treating a copper electrowinning electrolyte so as to extract arsenic therefrom.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the electrowinning of copper, electrolytes are utilized in which the arsenic content tends to increase with time. A copper electrowinning electrolyte can contain, for example, high arsenic contents of as much as 8 grams per liter of arsenic.
The arsenic in the copper electrowinning electrolyte poses some significant problems. Firstly, the arsenic tends to precipitate upon the inert lead anodes which are used in the process.
In addition, there is a tendency toward arsine formation with its significant environmental hazard.
It has been proposed to remove arsenic from electrowinning electrolyte after the electrodeposition of copper and nickel therefrom by the formation of an arsenic precipitate, leaving the resulting sulfuric acid solution substantially free from the arsenic. Such processes, however, are disadvantageous, in that the treatment used to precipitate the arsenic at high arsenic concentrations in the copper electrolyte can result in the formation of the toxic arsine gas (see Ullmanns Encyklopadie der Technischen Chemie, 3. Auflage, Urban & Schwarzenberg, Munchen, Berlin, 1961, pages 213 and 197).
To avoid these problems it has been proposed, for example in British Pat. No. 1,551,023, to remove the arsenic from the copper electrowinning electrolyte by an extraction process utilizing an organic solvent. The extracting agent proposed in this patent is tributylphosphate (TBP) a compound which, when present in an amount of 50% by weight in the organic extraction phase, is able to recover say 4. 5% of the arsenic from a copper electrowinning electrolyte. The process uses liquid/liquid extraction and the arsenic can be recovered by treating the extraction mixture with an aqueous solution.
While the extraction process has proved to be a marked improvement over earlier methods of removing arsenic from such electrolytes, the low recovery of arsenic has left much to be desired.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
It is the principal object of our present invention to provide an improved method of removing arsenic from a copper electrowinning electrolyte and especially an electrowinning electrolyte having a high arsenic concentration, whereby the disadvantages of earlier methods can be avoided.
Another object of the invention is to provide a method of removing arsenic from a copper electrowinning electrolyte whereby the danger of arsine formation is minimized or eliminated and arsenic can be recovered significantly more efficiently and completely than in earlier systems.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an improved process for the removal of arsenic from a sulfuric acid electrolyte of the type described whereby the degree of extraction can be vastly improved over that obtained in earlier extraction processes, e.g. the extraction process of the British patent mentioned above.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention by, the use of an extraction process in which the extraction agent is trioctylphosphinicoxide (TOPO), an extracting agent which we have found, most surprisingly because it is an organophosphorus compound like the TBP previously proposed, can be 10 or more times more effective in the recovery of arsenic.
For example, utilizing identical organic vehicles with 50% by weight TBP, the arsenic recovery from a copper electrowinning electrolyte is 4. 5% whereas with 50% by weight TOPO in the same organic extraction phase with the identical electrolyte under identical extraction conditions, 68% arsenic recovery is obtained.
According to the invention, therefore, an extraction agent is used which consists of an organic phase containing 0.1 to 2.6 moles of trioctylphosphinicoxide per kg of the extraction mixture, and the extraction mixture is brought into liquid/liquid extraction relationship with the copper electrowinning electrolyte containing arsenic.
The organic extraction medium utilized in the test described above was an aromatic mixture marketed as Shellsol AB and was used in equal volume with the copper electrowinning electrolyte which consisted of an aqueous solution of 28.3 grams per liter copper, 187.2 grams sulfuric acid, 18 grams per liter nickel, 2.3 grams arsenic, 0.13 grams per liter iron, 0.2 grams per liter calcium, 0.03 grams per liter magnesium, 0.9 grams per liter sodium, and 0.033 grams per liter chloride. The extraction was carried out at 20° C.
Surprisingly, when a similar test was made with kerosene, the differences were meager although the total still gave better results than the TBP.
The use of TOPO as the extraction agent permits a considerable saving in equipment to be realized. It allows the number of extraction steps to be reduced for a given degree of arsenic recovery and thus also minimizes the amount of the organic medium required.
Indeed, because of the high degree of arsenic recovery it is possible to practically completely free the copper electrowinning electrolyte from arsenic and thus enable the electrolyte to be recycled to copper or nickel electrowinning processes.
The organic phase of the extracting medium can utilize an inert organic solvent or diluent for the trioctylphosphinicoxide, this solvent or diluent being characterized by insolubility in or to water, the fact that the trioctylphosphinioxide is soluble therein, and also freedom from any tendency to limit the arsenic extraction.
Best results are obtained with aromatic, aliphatic and halogenated hydrocarbon and petroleum derivatives and especially the aromatic hydrocarbons. The specific hydrocarbons which are preferred are toluene, carbon tetrachloride and kerosene, with by far the best results being obtained with aromatic mixtures having a boiling point range between 186. degree. and 215° C., a density of 0.9 grams per ml and a viscosity of 1.20 centistokes. Such an aromatic hydrocarbon mixture is the Shellsol AB mentioned previously.
The arsenic-containing aqueous solution is treated with the extracting medium in liquid/liquid extraction utilizing conventional techniques. A continuous counterflow method using mixture and separators in combination, or columns, is preferred.
The extraction temperature can be relatively low and can have a room temperature of approximately 25° C. and, if a temperature range is to be named, should be between 15° and 42° C.
The final concentration of arsenic in the aqueous phase will, of course, depend upon the number of mixing-stroke separating stages or the column height and the number of plates of the column. The volumetric ratio of the organic phase to the aqueous phase during extraction can be varied over a wide range. For example, the ratio of organic to aqueous phases can be 10:1 to 1:10 with a preferred range of 5:1 to 1:5 and a still narrower range of 2.5:1 to 1:2.5 being still more preferable. The precise ratio will depend, of course, upon the composition of the organic solvent and the arsenic content of the copper electrowinning electrolyte.
Equal parts by volume of the organic and liquid phases have been found to be effective.
After the arsenic has been extracted into the organic phase, the aqueous and organic phases are separated, in accordance with the invention and the organic extraction phase can be back extracted in liquid/liquid extraction to remove the arsenic therefrom. In this case, the organic phase is treated with a stripping solution which can be a low concentration salt and/or mineral acid aqueous solution containing, for example, 0.5 mole per liter of salt. The back extraction or stripping can be carried out at a higher temperature, for example 65. degree. C. plus or minus 10° C. to remove the arsenic. The arsenic can be precipitated or otherwise recovered from the aqueous stripping solution by any conventional means.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which the sole FIGURE is a flow diagram illustrating the invention.
SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION
As will be apparent from the drawing, a copper electrowinning electrolyte is introduced at 10 to a counter current liquid/liquid extraction column 11 and the arsenic-free copper electrolyte is recovered at 12.
In counterflow to the electrolyte through the columns, an extraction solution is introduced at a temperature of 25° C. at 13 and the organic phase is recovered at 14.
After heating at 15, the organic phase can be subjected to a re- extraction or reverse extraction in a mixing/separating unit 20 in which the organic phase is subjected to intimate contact with a scrubbing liquid introduced at 21. The mixing stage is represented at 22 and the separating stage at 23. The organic phase, which is recovered at the top and is decanted from the separating stage, is removed at 24 and, after cooling in the heat exchanger 25, is supplied to line 13 at the lower temperature of extraction.
The aqueous phase, now containing the arsenic, is withdrawn at 26 and is delivered to a precipitating column 30 in which the aqueous phase is contacted with hydrogen sulfide which is recycled as represented by the line 31. The arsenic sulfide precipitate is recovered in a liquid/solid separator 33 and the salt/acid solution is recycled as the stripping solution via line 34.
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES
Example I
An extraction organic phase is formed by dissolving 80% by weight of trioctylphosphinicoxide in paraxylene. This solution is brought into liquid/liquid extraction contact with a sulfuric acid copper electrowinning electrolyte containing 2.3 grams per liter of arsenic in a contacting system consisting of three mixing-separator stages operating in counter flow. The phase ratio of organic phase to aqueous phase is 1:1 by volume. The arsenic level is reduced to 0.3 grams per liter and 2.1 grams per liter of arsenic is found in the organic phase.
After extraction is complete, the organic phase is heated to a temperature of 65° C. and is stripped with an aqueous solution of 0.5 moles per liter Na.sub.2 SO.sub.4 which also contains 10% H.sub.2 SO. sub. 4. The stripping solution has previously been heated to 65° C. also. The stripping operation is carried out in a single stage mixing- separating contactor and the organic phase arsenic content is reduced to 0.1 grams per liter. The organic medium from the latter separator is cooled to 25° C. and recycled to the extraction.
The stripping solution is treated with oxygen sulfide and the arsenic precipitated as the sulfide therefrom. The solution can then be recycled to the stripping unit. Where recycling is carried out, both of the organic phase and of the stripping liquid, replacement liquid is supplied appropriately to make up any losses.
Example II
20.7 moles per kg of trioctylphosphinicoxide in Shellsol T, an aliphatic hydrocarbon mixture, is used in liquid/liquid extraction of a copper electrowinning electrolyte containing 2.35 grams per liter arsenic in counterflow through a SHE extraction column of the type described in Austrian patent No. 4568/8. The effective column height was about 3 meters. The organic:aqueous volumetric ratio was 1:1.5. The aqueous phase leaving the column contains 0.17 grams per liter arsenic and after a residence time of the dispersed organic droplets in the column of 12 minutes at about room temperature, the organic phase was recovered and contained all of the rest of the arsenic and was stripped in the manner described.
Example III
A 50% by weight solution of TOPO in Shellsol AB was used to extract the copper electrolyte previously described containing 28.3 grams per liter copper, 187.2 grams per liter sulfuric acid, 18 grams per liter nickel, 2.3 grams per liter arsenic, 0.13 grams per liter iron, 0.2 grams per liter calcium, 0.03 grams per liter magnesium, 0.9 grams per liter sodium and 0.033 grams per liter chloride at 25° C. Equal volumes of the extracting medium and the electrolyte were contacted with one another in a column of the type described in Example II. The organic phase was found to contain 1.56 grams per liter of arsenic, leaving 0.74 grams per liter in the aqueous phase. Shellsol AB is an aromatic hydrocarbon mixture having a boiling point range of 186. degree. to 215. degree. C., a density of 0.9 grams per ml, a viscosity of 120 centistokes, a flashpoint of 68° C., a Kauri-butanol value of 91 as measured by ASTM standard D1133, an aniline point of 16.1° C. as measured by ASTM standard D 611, a Saybolt color of less than +30 as measured by ASTM standard D1500, a copper strip test of 1 as measured by ASTM standard D156, a refractive index at 20° of 1.512 as measured by ASTM standard D1218, and a composition is less than 100 milligrams per kg benzene, 99. 5% total aromatics and less than 5 milligrams per kg sulfur. | |
Economic diversification needed to spur growth in small towns
While it is extremely difficult to predict how rural South Dakota’s economy will be affected by COVID-19, one thing it has done is bring renewed attention to the need to diversify small-town economies.
Farmers and ranchers, long the bedrock of small-town life in South Dakota, have been declining in number as their operations consolidate in response to rising costs and lower commodity prices. Small towns, and their restaurants, hardware stores and banks, in turn, have had fewer people to serve.
Poor agricultural market conditions, particularly the low prices paid to cattle producers, have hurt the town of Faith for some time, said city Finance Officer Debbie Brown. Once a railroad hub, Faith is now mostly dependent on agriculture and pass-through traffic on U.S. 212 and state Highway 73. The town has seen the same historical population decline as other farming-dependent small towns in South Dakota. Topping off at more than 600 residents in 1950, the population fell to 489 in 2000 and is now at 413, a loss of 30% over that 70 years.
The COVID-19 pandemic has hurt some local businesses, including the town’s restaurant, bar and gas stations, but has been a boon to the local lumber company because ranchers and their children have taken on numerous home- and farm-improvement projects during the slowdown, Brown said.
Growth in Faith and other small towns is often stymied by a lack of non-agricultural employment opportunities, Brown said.
“A lot of it is jobs; there’s not a lot of jobs within the community that are open and when they do open up, they go quickly,” Brown said.
Brown’s adult son is committed to living a small-town lifestyle and remaining close to family, but in order to do so, he must commute to North Dakota and live on the road five days a week as an electrician in the energy industry.
COVID-19 outbreaks forced meat-packing plants across America to close for several weeks in April, causing major disruptions in food supply chains. Potentially millions of cows, pigs and chickens had to be euthanized, largely at producers’ expense. Grain and soybean prices, meanwhile, remain low, and farm incomes in the Dakotas appear to be falling. A recent Minneapolis Fed survey of banks that lend money to farmers in the Dakotas and Montana found nearly 80% of lenders were reporting declines in client incomes.
“This is the latest in a succession of things that I found myself saying, ‘Boy, this is happening at the worst possible time for agriculture,’” said Joe Mahon, regional outreach director for the Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank. “We had this period going into 2017-2018 of four or five years of suppressed commodity prices and reduced agricultural incomes. And then we kicked off a trade war and U.S. soybean exports fell through the floor. Now we have COVID on top of that, so it’s definitely not good news.”
In Alcester, a town of 755 on U.S. 11 about 50 miles south of Sioux Falls, the pandemic’s effect can clearly be seen in sales tax collections. Compared with 2019, Alcester saw a 27% decline in sales-tax collections through May 2020, according to the South Dakota Department of Revenue. Pandemic-related closures of several key downtown businesses were largely responsible for the losses, said Alcester Finance Officer Pat Jurrens.
Alcester has seen a steady decline in its population over the past couple decades. Between 2000 and 2018, the town’s population shrank by 14.5%. The ag economy’s struggles certainly played a big role in Alcester’s economic fortunes, Jurrens said.
But that is beginning to change due to an unexpected shift in the local economy. The town has become a hub of sorts for hair salons, Jurrens said. Four salons in the town draw people from a wide swath of southeastern South Dakota, she said.
Alcester is also home to a pair of small manufacturers: Leisure Sports, which makes paddles and oars for canoes, kayaks and rowboats; and Custom Coils, which builds electrical equipment. Neither manufacturer has shut down or laid employees off during the pandemic, Jurrens said, boosting the town’s hopes for a rapid recovery over the summer.
“We are very hopeful that we can get back to normal and get businesses back open,” she said.
Internet
important
The recent addition of a fiber-optic internet connection promises to be a boost to the town’s economy, Jurrens said. The town is close enough to attract commuters from both Sioux Falls and Sioux City, Iowa — each about 45 minutes away — and has also begun to attract remote workers. One family recently moved to Alcester specifically because the town’s schools produce good results and because one parent could easily work remotely for a Sioux Falls bank, Jurrens said.
“We are definitely seeing some movement into town,” Jurrens said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that fast, reliable internet connections will be crucial to the futures of rural small towns, Mahon said. The need for good internet access isn’t exactly new, but with nearly a third of American workers and nearly all of the country’s high school and college students working from home, the pandemic has sharpened the focus of economists and policymakers on the issue, Mahon said.
“These are things that people all over our region, in rural communities, have been saying for a long time,” Mahon said.
Some estimates peg the number of U.S. employees who could work remotely at least part of the time at 75 million. Several well-known tech companies such as Twitter, whose employees have largely been working remotely during the pandemic, have gone so far as to say many employees will be able to continue working from home after the pandemic.
Rural communities, meanwhile, have struggled with a lack of job opportunities for decades, Mahon said, and remote work has the potential to partially solve that problem.
“It could, kind of, create a virtuous cycle in some places,” Mahon said. “Where having the opportunity to work remotely in a well-paying, professional job, but doing it in a smaller town or on a farm, then creates a larger labor pool of people” who can remain employed and stay in small towns.
South Dakota ranks 35th of the 50 states in terms of average internet speed. The state’s average download speed is 17.38 megabits per second; the national standard is 25 mbps.
Gov. Kristi Noem has made rural broadband internet expansion a priority for her administration. She asked the state Legislature for $5 million to help private and public entities build out broadband internet infrastructure in the state during both the 2019 and 2020 legislative sessions. Both requests were approved, though the fate of the 2020 funding may depend on how hard South Dakota’s budget is hit by the pandemic’s economic consequences.
Still, the future is uncertain, and many rural communities hoping to capitalize on a permanent, national shift toward remote work will need better internet connections than they currently have, Mahon said.
Nowhere in South Dakota is the need for better communications infrastructure more acute than in the state’s tribal communities.
Efforts
underway to improve small towns on reservations
The population decline besetting many rural small towns in South Dakota is not playing out in the small towns on or around the state’s nine Native American reservations.
Tribal communities historically had higher birth rates than other areas and have younger, growing populations as a result. Oglala Lakota County, for example, saw its population rise from 13,636 to 14,309 between 2010 and 2018, according to the Census Bureau. People age 60 or more made up about 11% of the county population in 2018, compared with 23.2% statewide.
Though individual situations vary widely, many young Native Americans stay in the town or region where they grew up, said Tawney Brunsch, executive director of Lakota Funds, a Native American Community Development Financial Institution that since 1986 has made loans and provided economic support to businesses and agricultural operations on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.
Brunsch, an enrolled member of the Oglala Lakota Sioux Tribe, said small towns on reservations tend to retain significant numbers of young people because there is “a strong connection to family and a familiarity.”
“It’s a strong potential workforce but unfortunately, until we get the economy developed and there are jobs for them, unemployment remains very high,” Brunsch said. “You’re talking about generational poverty, but also three or four generations that haven’t worked, and it’s not that they don’t want to work, it’s that there are no jobs.”
The steady population growth has also led to a housing crisis in towns like Kyle and Pine Ridge, where so many people sometimes live in one house for so long that the physical structure of some buildings is worn and unsafe.
Yet, Brunsch remains hopeful, and sees some opportunity from the pandemic in that it may lead to investment of federal emergency money into infrastructure such as internet access, housing and industry.
She is also hopeful that the pandemic may spur tribal governments to develop long-range plans to grow the economy, stabilize housing and provide for food sovereignty and security.
“I do hope that all this will have some long-term benefit to us,” Brunsch said. “Hopefully, it will result in more families achieving home ownership and the development of our own economy.”
Small-town residents and officials across South Dakota share Brunsch’s hopes.
The South Dakota economic development community tends to put too much emphasis on recruiting large firms and trying to find employees for them, said Joe Bartmann, president of Dakota Resources, which helps fund rural development projects. Not enough has been done to create business environments that support local entrepreneurs and remote workers, he said.
“It’s about rethinking economic development as building ecosystems to support those remote workers, to support those entrepreneurs who are starting a company and don’t need all their employees to be here in Montrose or Menno or wherever. It’s about learning to focus on helping entrepreneurs grow whatever they’re growing and helping people who want to build a thriving career,” Bartmann said.
By using the pandemic as motivation to make changes, local leaders can improve the economic fortunes and futures of South Dakota small towns for generations to come, said Kathy Skorzewski, the mayor of Hill City who grew up in Chicago but settled in the Black Hills.
“They’re really the cornerstone and building blocks of the state,” Skorzewski said. “These small towns give South Dakota its own unique identity. You can really feel the community values that you just don’t get in a metro area, and that’s certainly worth protecting.”
This is the final part of the first of three articles of a special report by South Dakota News Watch. The “Small Towns — Big Challenges” series was supported in part by a grant from the COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program sponsored by Facebook. The remainder of the series will be published in the weeks to come. | https://www.aberdeennews.com/story/news/2020/06/25/economic-diversification-needed-to-spur-growth-in-small-towns/115779258/ |
Introduction to horatio in hamlet horatio's role in the play is minor and most critics agree that he is not developed beyond a character foil for the great prince. Everything you ever wanted to know about horatio in hamlet, written by masters of this stuff just for you by william shakespeare character analysis old chums), horatio's loyalty and common sense are rock-steady throughout the play. The beautiful thing about horatio's relationship with hamlet, and but maintaining the character traits given to her by hamlet when he tells her. About thirty years old at the start of the play, hamlet is the son of queen gertrude and the late king hamlet, and the nephew of the present king, claudius.
Throughout the shakespeare's' play the role of horatio is assumed to be the actions acquired by hamlet and various characters in the play. Character list for hamlet from the folger shakespeare library edition characters in the play the ghost hamlet, prince of denmark, son of the late. Horatio is a character in william shakespeare's tragedy hamlet horatio's origins are unknown, horatio is present through most of the major scenes of the play, but hamlet is usually the only person horatio is also present during the mousetrap play, the discovery of ophelia's madness (though the role of an anonymous.
Hamlet: hamlet, tragedy in five acts by william shakespeare, written about a quarto edition in 1603 from an unauthorized text, with reference to an earlier play hamlet: opheliathe madness of ophelia, as analyzed by the cast and crew of . A literary analysis essay of why shakespeare's hamlet is not a tragic hero do you think william shakespeare's character, hamlet, is a tragic hero horatio is reasonable and sensible throughout the entire play, begging. Horatio is calm, rational and virtuous, traits that hamlet admires lexandria owen, studies shakespeare, performs shakespeare he is a boring character, see he has no active part in play,he doesn't contribute for the rising action of play.
Horatio may be a minor role in the great shakespeare play “hamlet” however he is role of great importance to not only the readers of this play. Detailed analysis of characters in william shakespeare's hamlet claudius carries himself well at the outset of the play his nature is cordial and reserved as . In hamlet, shakespeare presents the audience with the “common theme” of filial duty quickly diverge as hamlet questions the morality of the ghost's call for hamlet and laertes deny their own christian characters in actions they falsely as the best paternal advice of the play (i, iii, 78), but laertes does not listen to his . In the play hamlet, by william shakespeare, the confidant horatio is created to serve a horatio's role in the play seems to be as a utilitarian character that. Potential i believe that out of all the characters in william shakespeare's hamlet, horatio, has the most potential what i mean by potential is that horatio would.
An analysis of the character horatio in hamlet, a play by william shakespeare horatio in hamlet hamlet's best friend: a defence of horatio. In this lesson you will learn who horatio is, and what his role is in relationship to hamlet in shakespeare's play, 'hamlet' take a look at the character analysis,. The enigmatic qualities of shakespeare's prince hamlet make this drama an who can evaluate and analyze the complexity of hamlet's situation, his his son laertes and daughter ophelia are also important characters in this drama. Finally a duel between hamlet and laertes, ends in the deaths of claudius, hamlet is a meditation on life being like a play that we have to perform a role in as a character, hamlet is ultimately unable to find any consolation in religion.
Not only the play itself needs a close look but also the culture and beliefs of the following considers a single character in shakespeare's hamlet, namely the ghost of then, the four ghost scenes in hamlet are analyzed, considering their . Keywords: william shakespeare, hamlet, death, depression, paternal deprivation , torment, catharsis the play ends when fortinbras gives hamlet a military funeral and salute identification because he is a fictional character however, the. Hamlet stops contemplating claudius' lies and treacheries and accepts the indolence and thoughtfulness again” (characters in shakespeare's plays, 1818.
The characters of fortinbras and horatio, in william shakespeare's other character of the play for many years, hamlet still remains (for many). Use this description of hamlet characters and character analysis to gain insight to one of shakespeare's most popular plays will help you follow the play, do well on the next test, and help you impress the ophelia in your life. Get free homework help on william shakespeare's hamlet: play summary, scene summary and he has no friends left, but horatio loves him unconditionally.
2018. | http://jkpaperxryn.du-opfer.info/an-analysis-of-the-character-horatio-in-hamlet-a-play-by-william-shakespeare.html |
The greenhouse effect is a process in which greenhouse gases, like carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere, cause thermal radiation emitted by the Earth's surface to be reflected back down, therefore causing the climate to warm.
About 30 percent of the sunlight falling on Earth is deflected by the outer atmosphere and scattered back into space. The rest reaches the planet's surface and is reflected upward again as a type of slow-moving energy called infrared radiation. The heat caused by infrared radiation is absorbed by greenhouse gases such as water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and methane, which slows its escape from the atmosphere. The greenhouse gases regulate our climate by trapping heat and holding it in a kind of warm-air blanket that surrounds the planet. This phenomenon is the greenhouse effect.
Causes: The greenhouse effect is accelerated due to the following human activities:
- Burning natural gas, coal, and oil for automobile engines-raises the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
- Certain farming practices and land-use changes increase the levels of methane and nitrous oxide.
- Several industrial gases emitted by many factories contribute significantly to the enhanced greenhouse effect and "global warming"
- Deforestation also contributes to global warming.
- Population growth is another factor in global warming because as more people use fossil fuels for heat, transportation and manufacturing the level of greenhouse gases continues to increase. As more farming occurs to feed millions of new people, more greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere.
Effects:
- Global warming is a huge problem caused by increased greenhouse effect. Scientists agree that even a small increase in the global temperature would lead to significant climate and weather changes, affecting cloud cover, precipitation, wind patterns, the frequency and severity of storms, and the duration of seasons. | http://stgwww.topperlearning.com/answer/what-is-greenhouse-effect-in-detail-nbsp/hwymrz66 |
the wellness through food programme
what is the wellness through food programme?
the sisterwoman vegan wellness through food programme is a 12-week food and wellbeing programme covering sisterwoman vegan's main three tenets: community, education and mindfulness.
the programme's aim is to use food as a medium to build community, learn about plant based food and encourage holistic wellness. we want to equip participants with the tools to build sustainable community food projects and practices that support people and planet.
the programme covers the following:
community
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monthly group dinners
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a research project on food and wellbeing
education
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practical cooking sessions
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level 2 food hygiene certification
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basic nutrition and healthy eating workshops
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talks and workshops by food justice activists
mindfulness
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support developing a personal wellness plan
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weekly mindfulness activities
-
weekly wellbeing workshops
the wellbeing sessions are led by lafiya health.
the first cohort Mar - Jun 21 is a Lambeth Food Partnership project, funded by Sustain and Sugarsmart.
who can get involved?
participants must be:
- 18+
- BAME
are there any costs?
this programme is absolutely free!
a bursary will be given to cover ingredients costs.
register your interest for the next cohort here. | https://www.sisterwomanvegan.com/wellnessthroughfood |
There are no Water-Elemental Spells (aside from summoning Bismark), and few Weapons or Abilities available to the party. All Water Abilities target all enemies. Many Monsters vulnerable to Ice are also vulnerable to Water, as well as many machines. Your best bet to exploit these weaknesses are Lores. | https://guides.gamercorner.net/ffviii/elements/water |
Eczema is a persistent inflammatory itchy skin condition. This is one of several allergy care pathways, which tell health professionals what they need to know in order to provide the best care possible.
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Archives of Disease in Childhood - our journal
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What keeps children in care happy, healthy and well? Care-experienced children and young people worked with RCPCH &Us to create these free resources, including 'passports', a poster and games to help share who they are, how they are feeling and what support they would like - as well as top tips for ...
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BMJ Paediatrics Open journal
BMJ Paediatrics Open is a peer-reviewed open access journal showcasing research, clinical reviews and protocols on any aspect of child health from healthcare professionals. It was launched by RCPCH and BMJ Publishing in May 2017.
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BPSU Rare disease tea party - reports from past events
Since 2014, we've invited stakeholders from across the rare disease community to this informal networking event. Young people speak about their experiences of living with a rare disease, and patient advocates, researchers and health professionals talk about working in the field. Read on for highligh...
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Cannabis-derived medicinal products - questions and answers
The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and British Paediatric Neurology Association has developed this Q&A in light of recent developments in this area. It advises on the legality and safety of cannabis-based products and considers the evidence base for their potential harms and benefits.
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Career support service
Each of us faces questions, dilemmas, even big problems in relation to our career... Our service provides personal career guidance through a network of advisors. It's free of charge to RCPCH members and fellows at different career levels - including trainees, SAS doctors and consultant paediatrician...
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Case studies for children and young people's engagement
Are you a paediatrician in the community, an acute setting or a specialist service? Are you a nurse, allied healthcare professional in a local surgery, hospital, community setting or working one-to-one with children and young people and want to know more about engagement, participation or involving ...
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Chatterbox game on five ways of healthy wellbeing
Based on the classic children's game, this game provides ‘Facts vs Myths’ surrounding the subject of mental health, which can enable a teacher/healthcare professional to facilitate a discussion regarding this issue.
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Child Health Reviews - UK : Mortality and morbidity in children and young people with epilepsy (2013)
CHR-UK was a UK-wide programme of work, systematically examining mortality and morbidity in children and young people between their 1st and 18th birthdays. This report is a themed review of cases of mortality and morbidity in children and young people with epilepsy at all stages of the care pathway,... | https://www.rcpch.ac.uk/resources/resources?f%5B0%5D=topic%3AOncology&f%5B1%5D=topic%3AParticipation&f%5B2%5D=topic%3ARevalidation&f%5B3%5D=topic%3AEpilepsy&f%5B4%5D=topic%3AMentoring&f%5B5%5D=topic%3ADermatology&f%5B6%5D=topic%3AQuality%20improvement&f%5B7%5D=topic%3AMembership&%3Bf%5B1%5D=topic%3AMental%20health |
Walruses have the longest gestation period of all pinnipeds (a group of mammals that includes seals and sea lions), carrying their young for as long as 15 to 16 months. Seal and sea lion mothers.. The natural time of the human gestation period lasts anywhere from 37-42 weeks on average. However in many rare cases the longest human pregnancy have lasted even longer than that! Can you imagine being pregnant for more than 9 months
Depending on who you ask, there are a few women considered to have some version of the longest pregnancy on record, but that doesn't always come with any proof or, well, record. The person most widely accepted to hold this title is Beulah Hunter, who, in 1945, at the age of 25, gave birth after 375 days of being pregnant Factors affecting the gestation period in mammals. There are several factors affecting the length of the gestation period in mammals. Animal size/ mass. There is a positive relationship between mass at birth and length of gestation in eutherian mammals. Larger mammals are more likely to produce a well-developed neonate than small mammals The octopus went about brooding her eggs for a total of 53 months (aka 4.5 years), which is by far the longest on record for any animal and more than twice the lifespan of many shallow-dwelling. On average, symptoms showed up in the newly infected person about 5 days after contact. Rarely, symptoms appeared as soon as 2 days after exposure. Most people with symptoms had them by day 12. Longest gestation period. The common frilled shark ( Chlamydoselachus anguineus ), an extremely primitive species native to all oceans of the world, has the longest recorded gestation period (pregnancy) of any animal species, namely 3.5 years. All records listed on our website are current and up-to-date. For a full list of record titles, please.
How long is too long? Generally, a period lasts between three to seven days. A menstrual period that lasts longer than seven days is considered a long period. Your doctor may refer to a period that.. Elephants have the longest gestation period of all mammals. These gentle giants' pregnancies last for more than a year and a half. The average gestation period of an elephant is about 640 to 660.. Gestation Period in Days : 15-20. Animals related to each other usually have similar gestation periods. As can be seen in the chart, apes (including humans), monkeys, big cats, and rodents can be clearly grouped according to their gestation period. The platypus and 4 species of echidnas do not give birth to live young, despite being a mammal . Walrus (456 days) The walrus is a huge marine mammal which is primarily located in the North Pole. The walrus is identified through massive tusks that they possess The gestation period for sheep is 142 - 152 days counting from the first day of mating. They have an average gestation period of 147 days
Like really, really long. At an average of 95 weeks, the gestation period is more than double the length of a human pregnancy, so it shouldn't come as a shock that female elephants don't often have.. The 22-month gestation period of the African elephant is the longest among the land mammals. But this is far surpassed by the eel-like frilled shark (Chlamydoselachus anguineus) found off the coasts of South Africa and Chile, which Japanese scientists have shown to have a gestation period that may be as long as 42 months
University of Rhode Island. (2012, August 27). Long-held theory on human gestation refuted: Mother's metabolism, not birth canal size, limits gestation. ScienceDaily. Retrieved July 27, 2021. This epic brooding period—53 months in total—is the longest known for any animal. The famous emperor penguin—a model of parental sacrifice—incubates its egg for just 2 months. The record.
How Long are Horses Pregnant? The gestation period for horses is 320 - 370 days counting from the first day of mating.They have an average gestation period of 345 days.. Breeds of Horses. You can also use this equine or horse gestation period calculator for these breeds of horses Below, you will find a few guidelines for how long it usually takes for STD symptoms to show up after exposure. This is the STD incubation period—the length of time between infection and when symptoms appear. Knowing them will help you determine if you have an STD and take appropriate action Dr. Daniel Beltz swore it was true. So did Mrs. Beulah Hunter, 25. And Baby Penny Diana did have a knowing look about her. But other doctors at Los Angeles' Methodist Hospital found it incredible that Mrs. Hunter had been pregnant 375 days (instead of the normal 280) before her baby was born there last week; 375 days would be the longest pregnancy on record, topping the runner-up by about 58 days The incubation period for parvo is typically three to five days for most dogs; however, it is possible (though uncommon) that the incubation period could be up to 14 days (Greene, Infectious Diseases of the Dog and Cat). Dogs can begin to shed the virus as early as three to four days prior to showing clinical signs
The gestation period for pregnant mollies is about 60 days. A female molly can store sperms for long periods so that it impregnates itself every thirty days. Still, there are types of mollies with 50-70 days long gestation period. One example is the Dalmatian molly fish, which births young ones come out ready to live like adults Watch complete video answer for The animal with the longest gestation period is: of Biology Class 12th. Get FREE solutions to all questions from chapter HUMAN REPRODUCTION Primate - Primate - Growth and longevity: The prolongation of postnatal life among primates affects all life periods, including infantile, juvenile, adult, and senescent. Although humans are the longest-lived members of the order, the potential life span of the chimpanzee has been estimated at 60 years, and orangutans occasionally achieve this in captivity. The life span of a lemur, on the.
*Uses an average 340 day gestation period for a Mare. Mare gestation periods can generally be anywhere from 320-370 days.. Mare Gestation Calculator. The Mare Gestation Calculator is a much easier process to use than the typical Mare Gestation Chart. The gestation chart is when you had to count the days until your horse's due date The gestation period of farm animals is different for every animal; some farm animals have a short gestation period while other farm animals have a long gestation period. The information about the gestation period of farm animals is very crucial as it enables farmers to plan adequately, aids productive decision making and allows the development. . That's why the gestation length often ranges from 279 to 287 days. For most breeds, 283 days is often a common length, and cows with bull calves tend to have a slightly longer gestation period compared to those with heifer calves
Occasionally, a period may take longer than usual to stop. There are several potential reasons for this, including the use of birth control and the presence of underlying health issues. In this. The gestation period is the most important period in any mammals life to increase their family. Because through this particular phase the mammals produce the litters of the next generation who will help to proliferate the family. There are animals with a very long gestation period and some animals have shorter gestation periods Long Gestation Periods With some animals like donkeys and camels, there's a wide variance in the time it takes from exposure to labor. For all the livestock on this list with really long gestation periods (e.g longer than humans), be aware that labor can actually happen much earlier or later than this date
The average gestation period in horses is often between 330 and 345 days, or 11 months to be exact. But sometimes, mares are often forced to foal earlier, or later than the average time by breeders. Nevertheless, ponies usually have a shorter gestation period than horses. In a normal environment, stallions breed the mares during the summer. . At up to 680 days (average 647 days), elephants have the longest gestation period on earth. New research, published in Biological Sciences, investigates For most of the goat's gestation period, you won't need to change her routine. If the doe is in good condition before breeding, she will be able to breeze through the pregnancy. Add additional care during the last few days. At 100 days, increase the feed according to the recommendations from the feed company The gestation period for guppies will vary based on the female's health, her stress level, and the conditions of her tank. Proper pregnancy care is essential for your guppy's health. Gestation may last from 21 to 31 days, although 22 to 26 days is average for most guppy pregnancies. A warmer tank - between 77 to 79 degrees Fahrenheit - is best. Elephants have the longest pregnancy of all mammals. One species of elephant has a mean gestation period of 525 days and standard deviation of 32 days. Pregnancy length follows an approximately normally distribution. (a) Using the values given above, label the normal curve below with the numerical values for J, eto, +20 and +30
1. Elephants 18-22 Months. Elephants are the biggest in size of all the land animals. Elephants are at the top in the list of the longest gestation period. They can last for 18 to 22 months. The females give birth to only one calf at a time. The weight of a newborn elephant is around 90 to 115 kg Fetal Development: Stages of Growth. Within 24 hours after fertilization, the egg that will become your baby rapidly divides into many cells. By the eighth week of pregnancy, your baby will change names from an embryo to a fetus. There are about 40 weeks to a typical pregnancy. These weeks are divided into three trimesters The length of a human pregnancy can vary naturally by as much as five weeks, according to research published online August 7 in the journal Human Reproduction. Normally, women are given a date for.
Length of gestation. The average length of human gestation is 280 days, or 40 weeks, from the first day of the woman's last menstrual period. The medical term for the due date is estimated date of confinement (EDC). However, only about four per cent of women actually give birth on their EDC. There are many online pregnancy calculators (see. Mental Flos Animal Gestation Period flatworm 10 days jellyfish 2 - 3 days worm 2 - 4 weeks ladybird 4 - 7 weeks spider common spiders - 7 days recluse brown spiders - 30 days starfish 28 - 30 days centipede 1 - 3 months snail 2 - 4 weeks lobster 9 - 12 months. Created Date
The Greenland shark would like to have a chat about the longest gestation period. level 2. 2 days ago. For 18 years this shark has to produce pups to feed the biggest one inside her Human gestation is the growth and development of a human baby in the uterus. This time period is about nine months long. Learn more about the stages of human gestation and take a short quiz at the. Human Gestation Period. It is a well-known fact that gestation period in human beings extends up to nine months. However, there are many more details that people should know. This article provides some information on the length of gestation period as well as its stages 18 Which mammal has the longest gestation period? 19 A material that will not dissolve in water or another liquid is called what? 20 Which word, beginning with P, describes how well soil allows water to drain away? 21 Why are carbohydrates important? 22 An opaque material is one which what? 23 A beam of light shining on a glass prism will make the light what? 24 How many types of teeth do. African elephant females also have an incredibly long estrous cycle—or the period when they're receptive to a mate, he explains. In people, it's about 28 days, Ganswindt says, but in elephants.
The gestation period. The gestation or period in horses lasts for 330-345 days or about 11 months. However, in many cases, the horse pregnancy length could extend to a full year or approximately 365-370 days. Horse breeders who have been raising different breeds for a long time are generally aware of the gestation period of horses This is one of the longest gestation periods in the animal kingdom. (The blue whale, for example, has a gestation period of around 1 year.) Elephants - Embryo in 12th month Why does pregnancy last so long? It is probably the elephant's enormous size and slow development that make this relatively long gestation period necessary
A rabbit's gestation period lasts mostly around 31 days. The expected time is between 28 days to 35 days, but it is almost always accurate that a doe's gestation period will last for 31 days. Because they are at the bottom of the food chain, their gestation period is naturally short The shortest known gestation period is the Virginian opossum, which is 12 days. The longest period belongs to the Indian elephant, which has a gestation period of 22 months The gestation period for a Syrian hamster is 16 days; for dwarf hamsters and Chinese hamsters it is 18 - 21 days, and for Roborovski Hamsters it is 23 - 30 days. If you deliberately breed your hamsters then it's a good idea to make a note of the mating period, as this helps you to know when the babies will be born
In fact, it is nearly identical to human birth, with the exception that a whale's gestation period can last significantly longer than a human's, depending on the whale's species. Average gestation period. So how long is the average gestation period for a whale? Depending on the whale species, the average gestation period can range. Gestation period restrictions in Canada, unlike the other two nations, are regulated at the local level, Johanna Fine, a Center for Reproductive Rights spokeswoman, told PolitiFact
A cat's pregnancy lasts about 63-65 days. So, a cat can have kittens when they are only 6 months old. Are They Pregnant? The best way to find out is to make an appointment with your vet. They can confirm that kittens are on the way, and get an idea of how many, in a few ways: Feeling your cat's belly is sometimes useful but not always accurate Hippo Gestation Explained. After the mating period, the female hippo has a long gestation period of around 240 days or eight months (this may be in some cases a month or two shorter). When it is almost time to give birth, the female hippo goes into complete social isolation until she has given birth to her calf or calves (female hippos usually. Answer: The development of the fetus from the time of fertilization in the womb of its mother is called the gestation period. In humans, the gestation period is for about 9 months or approximately 280 days. It is calculated from the incipience of their last menstrual period
Your bitch's gestation period lasts more than 64 days without the onset of labour. Half an hour has elapsed since the onset of abdominal contractions and a pup has not been born. Half an hour has elapsed after the birth of a pup, your bitch is still having strong contractions and there is no sign of another pup The mouse has a gestation period of about 19 to 21 days, it comes at number 2 in the list of mammals with the shortest gestation period. The pregnancy progresses quickly despite undergoing many stages. In every three to five days the female experience estrus. The pregnancy is more likely to happen when the female mouse mates with only one male. Prepregnancy, Postpartum, Interpregnancy, and Well-Woman Care: The Intersection. Prepregnancy, postpartum, interpregnancy, and well-woman care are interrelated and can be defined by their relationship to the timing of pregnancy Figure 1.For women who become pregnant, pregnancy is recognized as a window to future health because complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes. For a female dog to get pregnant, she must first be in heat.. In dogs who haven't had spay surgery, this happens about once every six months, and the heat cycle lasts for 18 to 21 days. A female.
The gestation period or pregnancy can vary between species, ranging from from 16 days for the Syrian hamster, up to to 30 days for the Dwarf hamster again, depending on the species. The Syrian hamsters gestation period is 16 days from the mating, so if the date of the mating is observed and noted it can be calculated the female will give birth. . Insects, unlike mammals, do not have a uterus and therefore do not typically have young which gestate. Some individuals may call the development of cockroaches in the eggs gestation. As such, cockroach gestation begins when a female specimen creates an ootheca.
On average, the gestation period or length-of-pregnancy of a cow is 285 days long. This is similar to the pregnancy period of a woman, which is closer to around 9 months or ~260 days.However. The central narrative of The Star Wars. The central narrative of this mythos involves a three-part cycle largely concerned with (1) the fall of Anakin Skywalker, (2) his redemption through the exploits of his heroic children and (3) the trials they faced in old age along with their own students and children. In the first part, we find Anakin as. | https://graagrychlejsie.com/releases/2012/08/120827152037n-e1833dwhl7.html |
---
author:
- |
First Author\
Institution1\
Institution1 address\
[[email protected]]{}
- |
Second Author\
Institution2\
First line of institution2 address\
[[email protected]]{}
- |
Shachi H Kumar Eda Okur Saurav Sahay Jonathan Huang Lama Nachman\
Intel Labs, Anticipatory Computing Lab, USA\
[{shachi.h.kumar, eda.okur, saurav.sahay, jonathan.huang, lama.nachman}@intel.com]{}
bibliography:
- 'cvpr\_2page\_arXiv.bib'
title: |
Exploring Context, Attention and Audio Features\
for Audio Visual Scene-Aware Dialog
---
Introduction
============
We are witnessing a confluence of vision, speech and dialog system technologies that are enabling the IVAs to learn audio-visual groundings of utterances and have conversations with users about the objects, activities and events surrounding them. Recent progress in visual grounding techniques [@7410636; @Das_2017] and Audio Understanding [@hershey2017cnn] are enabling machines to understand shared semantic concepts and listen to the various sensory events in the environment. With audio and visual grounding methods [@yu2016video; @Hori_2017], end-to-end multimodal SDS [@serban2016building] are trained to meaningfully communicate with us in natural language about the real dynamic audio-visual sensory world around us. In this work, we explore the role of ‘topics’ as the context of the conversation along with multimodal attention into such an end-to-end audio-visual scene-aware dialog system architecture. We also incorporate an end-to-end audio classification ConvNet, AclNet, into our models. We develop and test our approaches on the Audio Visual Scene-Aware Dialog (AVSD) dataset [@DBLP:journals/corr/abs-1806-00525] released as a part of the DSTC7. We present the analysis of our experiments and show that some of our model variations outperform the baseline system [@DBLP:journals/corr/abs-1806-08409] released for AVSD.
{width="\textwidth"}
Model Description
=================
In this section, we describe the main architecture explorations of our work[^1] as shown in Figure \[arch\].
**[Topic Model Explorations]{}**: Topics form a very important source of context in a dialog. We train Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA [@blei2003latent]) and Guided LDA [@DBLP:conf/eacl/JagarlamudiDU12] models on questions, answers, QA pairs, captions and history and incorporate the topic distributions as features or use them to learn topic embeddings. Since we are interested in identifying specific topics (e.g., entertainment, cooking, cleaning), we use Guided LDA to generate topics based on seedwords.
**[Attention Explorations]{}**: We explore several configurations of the model where at every step, the decoder attends to the dialog history representations and AV features to selectively focus on relevant parts of the dialog history and audio/video. This helps create a combination of the dialog history and multimodal context that is richer than the single context vectors of the individual modalities.
**Audio Feature Explorations**: We used an end-to-end audio classification ConvNet, called AclNet [@AclNet]. AclNet takes raw, amplitude-normalized 44.1 kHz audio samples as input, and produces classification output without the need to compute spectral features. AclNet is trained using the ESC-50 [@piczak2015dataset] corpus, a dataset of 50 classes of environmental sounds organized in 5 semantic categories (animals, interior/domestic, exterior/urban, human, natural landscapes).
Dataset
=======
We use the dialog dataset [@DBLP:journals/corr/abs-1806-00525] consisting of conversations between two people about a video (from Charades human action dataset [@DBLP:conf/eccv/SigurdssonVWFLG16]), which was released as part of the AVSD challenge at DSTC7. We use the official-training (7659 dialogs) and prototype-validation sets (732 dialogs) to train, and prototype-test set (733 dialogs) to evaluate our models.
**Training** **Validation** **Test**
--------------- -------------- ---------------- ----------
\# of Dialogs 7,659 732 733
\# of Turns 153,180 14,680 14,660
\# of Words 1,450,754 138,314 138,790
: Audio Visual Scene-Aware Dialog Dataset[]{data-label="table:dataset"}
Experiments and Results
=======================
[**Topic Experiments**]{}: We use separate topic models trained on questions, answers, QA pairs, captions, history and history+captions to generate topics for samples from each category. Table \[table:all-topics\] compares the baseline model with the addition of StandardLDA and GuidedLDA topic distributions as features to the decoder, as well as by learning topic embeddings. In general, GuidedLDA models perform better than StandardLDA, and GuidedLDA + GloVe [@pennington2014glove] is our best performing model.
------------ -------------- -------------- ------------ --------------- ---------------- ---------------
**Standard** **Guided** **Guided** **Topic** **HLSTM**
**Metric** **Baseline** **LDA** **LDA** **LDA+Glove** **Embeddings** **w/ Topics**
Bleu-1 **0.273** 0.255 0.265 **0.275** 0.257 0.260
Bleu-2 **0.173** 0.164 0.170 **0.175** 0.165 0.166
Bleu-3 **0.118** 0.113 0.117 **0.119** 0.114 0.115
Bleu-4 0.084 0.082 0.084 **0.085** 0.083 0.084
METEOR 0.117 0.114 **0.118** **0.121** 0.115 0.117
ROUGE-L 0.291 0.285 **0.293** **0.293** 0.287 0.290
CIDEr [0.766]{} **0.772** **0.812** **0.797** **0.772** **0.797**
------------ -------------- -------------- ------------ --------------- ---------------- ---------------
: Topic Experiments[]{data-label="table:all-topics-old"}
[| l | c | c | c | c |]{}\
**Metric** & **5 topics** & **7 topics** & **9 topics** & **11 topics**\
Bleu-1 & 0.256 & 0.263 & **0.265** & 0.255\
Bleu-2 & 0.164 & 0.168 & **0.170** & 0.165\
Bleu-3 & 0.113 & 0.115 & **0.117** & 0.114\
Bleu-4 & 0.081 & 0.082 & **0.084** & 0.083\
METEOR & 0.115 & 0.117 & **0.118** & 0.116\
ROUGE-L & 0.284 & 0.292 & **0.293** & 0.287\
CIDEr & 0.766 & 0.791 & **0.812** & 0.798\
**Baseline** **Topic Embeddings** **HLSTM with Topics**
--------- -------------- ---------------------- -----------------------
Bleu-1 **0.273** 0.257 0.260
Bleu-2 **0.173** 0.165 0.166
Bleu-3 **0.118** 0.114 0.115
Bleu-4 0.084 0.083 0.084
METEOR 0.117 0.117
ROUGE-L **0.291** 0.287 0.290
CIDEr 0.766 **0.772** **0.797**
: Topic Embeddings Experiments[]{data-label="table:topicexp"}
**[Audio Experiments]{}**: Table \[table:audioexp\_final\] shows the comparison of the baseline B (without audio features), and B+VGGish (provided as a part of the AVSD task) and B+AclNet features. We analyse the effects of audio features on the overall dataset as well as specifically on audio-related dialogs. From Table \[table:audioexp\_final\], we observe that B+AclNet performs the best both on overall dataset and audio-related dialogs.
![Precision, Recall, F1 Scores for Attention Experiments on Questions Containing Coreferences[]{data-label="attentionCoref"}](attentionHistogram5){width="\columnwidth"}
**[Attention Experiments]{}**: Table \[table:attn\] shows that the configuration where decoder attends to all of the sentence-LSTM output states performs better than the baseline. In order to compare the results based on semantic meaningfulness, we performed quantitative analysis on dialogs that contained binary answer in the ground truth. We evaluate our models on their ability to predict these binary answers correctly and present this analysis in Figure \[attentionCoref\] which shows once again that the configuration where decoder attends to all of the sentence-LSTM output states performs best on binary answer evaluation.
Attention Experiments
---------------------
We explored 4 different configurations for the answer decoder to leverage information directly from the dialog history LSTMs and multimodal audio/video features. Since the attention layer pays attention to the dialog history in all our configurations while decoding, we wanted to evaluate the performance of attention with respect to the baseline solely for questions that could benefit from dialog history. It is non-trivial to do such analysis quantitatively. One naive way to accomplish this is to isloate the questions containing coreferences and perform the analysis on these questions. Table \[table:attn\] shows the performance of our models on the standard evaluation metrics on this coreference-subset of the dataset. We further wanted to check how semantically meaningful were the results that we generated using the attention variations. In order to compare the results at a more semantic level, we performed quantitative analysis on dialogs that contained binary answer in the ground truth, by creating the binary answers subset. We evaluate our models on their ability to predict these binary answers correctly (using precision, recall and F1 scores) and present this analysis in Figure \[attentionCoref\].
- *Attention on Dialog History Word LSTMs, all output states*: In this configuration, we remove the sentence level dialog history LSTM and the decoder computes the attention scores directly between the decoder state and the word level output states for all dialog history. We first padded the Word LSTM outputs from Dialog History LSTMs (see Word LSTM in History in Figure \[arch\]) to the maximum sentence length of all the sentences. We summed up all the attention scores from each of the sentence context vectors with the query decoder state. Directly attending to the output states of the word LSTMs in the dialog history encoder didn’t perform well on any of the evaluation metrics compared to the baseline. This attention mechanism possibly attended to way more information than needed. Using this kind of attention, we had hoped that the system could remember answers that were already given (directly or indirectly) in the earlier turns of the dialog. Unfortunately we couldn’t perform such quantitative analysis on the dataset in this work. The binary answer evaluation in this setup also performed poorer than the baseline as shown in Figure \[attentionCoref\].
- *Attention on Dialog History Word LSTMs, last hidden states*: This configuration is similar to the previous configuration with the difference that we only use the last hidden state output representations of the word LSTMs corresponding to the different turns in the dialog. Simpler than the previous setup, we stack up the hidden states from the history sentences for attention computation. From table \[table:attn\], this model performs better that the previous setup, slightly worse than the baseline on standard evaluation metrics and slightly better than the baseline on binary answer evaluation from figure \[attentionCoref\].
- *Attention on Sentence LSTM output states*: The baseline architecture only leverages the last hidden state information from the sentence LSTM in the dialog history encoder. Instead, we extract the output states from all timesteps of the LSTM corresponding to $n$ turns of the dialog history. This variation helps the decoder consider all the dialog turn compressed sentence representations via the attention mechanism. As shown in Table \[table:attn\], this model performed better than the baseline model on BLEU3, BLEU4, METEOR, CIDEr and ROUGE. Figure \[attentionCoref\] shows that this model also performed better than the baseline model on binary answer evaluation.
- *Attention on Sentence LSTM output states and Multimodal Audio/Video Features*: This configuration is similar to the last one with the difference that we add multimodal audio/video features as additional state to the attention module. This mechanism allows the decoder to selectively focus on the multimodal features alongwith the dialog history sentences. This configuration didn’t really help improve the evaluation metrics compared to the baseline (see Table \[table:attn\]) except the CIDEr metric score. The results on binary answer evaluation (Figure \[attentionCoref\]) improved compared to the baseline but slightly degraded compared to the last configuration.
Conclusion
==========
In this paper, we present some explorations and techniques for contextual and multimodal end-to-end audio-visual scene aware dialog system. We incorporate context of the dialog in the form of topics, we use various attention mechanisms to enable the decoder to focus on relevant parts of the dialog history and audio/video features, and incorporate audio features from an end-to-end audio classification architecture, AclNet. We validate our approaches on the AVSD dataset and show that these techniques give better performance compared to the baseline.
Conclusion and Future Work
==========================
In this paper, we present some explorations and techniques for contextual and multimodal end-to-end audio-visual scene aware dialog system. We incorporate context of the dialog in the form of topics, we use various attention mechanisms to enable the decoder to focus on relevant parts of the dialog history and audio/video features, and incorporate audio features from an end-to-end audio classification architecture, AclNet. As part of the 7th Dialog System Technology Challenges (DSTC7), we validate our approaches on the AVSD dataset and show that some of our models perform better than the baseline on various metrics. Our topic-based contextual models also show that guiding the topic models with seed-words help in improving the overall performance as compared to the baseline. We also present a quantitative evaluation of our models on their ability to predict binary answers correctly. We show that our attention-based mechanisms perform well on dialog data involving coreference. We also show qualitatively and quantitatively that incorporating our audio pipeline improves the performance as compared to the VGGish features. AVSD is a new and exiting research area and the current work involved addition of contextual features and Attention mechanisms. As future work, besides fine-tuning the current techniques, we plan to explore multimodal fusion techniques and incorporate better representations for other modalities, such as object, pose and activity recognition algorithms into the pipeline.
------------ -------------- -------------- ------------------ ------------------------ --
**Baseline** **Guided** **Guided**
**Metric** **Baseline** **+Glove** **LDA(9topics)** **LDA(9topics)+Glove**
Bleu-1 [0.273]{} 0.266 0.265 **0.275**
Bleu-2 [0.173]{} 0.171 0.170 **0.175**
Bleu-3 [0.118]{} 0.116 0.117 **0.119**
Bleu-4 0.084 0.083 0.084 **0.085**
METEOR 0.117 0.119 [0.118]{} **0.121**
ROUGE-L 0.291 0.290 [0.293]{} **0.293**
CIDEr [0.766]{} 0.789 **0.812** 0.797
------------ -------------- -------------- ------------------ ------------------------ --
: Topic and Glove Experiments[]{data-label="table:all-topics-glove"}
[^1]: Further details can be found in the full-paper version of this work [@kumar2019context].
| |
“The materials are mainly grown on industrial waste from agriculture, but we also grow materials on other more exotic types of industrial waste such as hemp shives, seagrass, and cotton. And since our materials are grown together, by the roots of edible mushrooms, it takes very little embedded energy to produce the materials. And when the materials is no longer needed they can either be recycled into new materials or be composted right back into nature,”says Dan Skovgaard Jensen, who studies Design and Innovation at DTU Management.
Dan Skovgaard Jensen has developed the compostable building materials and have the startup company Grotesk Innovation together with Kristian Ullum Kristensen and Lasse Koefoed Sudergaard, who are also master students at DTU Management.
Made from industrial waste
The production of the mushroom building materials takes place in DTU Skylab. Here, mushrooms spores, nutrients, and water are added to industrial waste. Subsequently, the mixture is poured into special bags that ensure optimal growth conditions for the mushroom. The mushroom then shoots its white roots through the industrial waste, binding the waste together, and forming a structure that can either be moulded into various forms or pressed into boards. One week later, the materials are dried out and the materials are ready for use.
As hard as a particle board
The acoustic panels are as light as flamingo and the boards are hard as particle boards. Both materials have shown good fire-retardant properties in fire screenings at DTU Civil Engineering. Unlike wood products, the roots of mushroom help inhibit the ignition of the compostable building materials.
Dan Skovgaard Jensen, Kristian Ullum Kristensen, and Lasse Koefoed Sudergaard believe that the compostable materials can be used as a sustainable alternative for various applications within the construction industry, such as wooden boards or acoustic panels.
DTU Skylab recently published a book on creating an innovative environment. You can access the e-book here.
24 June 2021
DTU students develop ‘groundbreaking...
31 May 2021
Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic...
31 May 2021
Basis established for new generation...
12 May 2021
Students tackle climate challenges...
23 April 2021
Student start-up aim to stimulate...
19 April 2021
Four start-up teams from across...
23 March 2021
DTU Skylab publishes book on creating...
19 March 2021
DTU opens innovation environment...
02 March 2021
New head of DTU Skylab
21 January 2021
DTU students’ solar energy house... | https://www.man.dtu.dk/english/nyheder/nyhed?id=0ade5f13-16e7-4206-9697-aff519fb9aed |
In these contexts, the architecture disables regulation as well. For example, Philip Zhai in Get Real: Internet metaphors While cyberspace should not be confused with the Internet, the term is often used to refer to objects and identities that exist largely within the communication network itself, so that a websitefor example, might be metaphorically said to "exist in cyberspace".
There are merely bare literatures concentrating on the interior architecture. To heighten the beautification of an interior edifice. Kramer there are 28 different definitions of the term cyberspace. And depending upon these choices, much more than regulability will be at stake.
Such a phenomenological approach is a significant departure from the historical way i. In the novel Neuromancer the author William Gibson introduces the idea of a virtual reality data space called "the Matrix".
Their choices depend upon the incentives they face.
Consider identification, or certification, architectures first. We felt that there was a need to loosen up the rigid confines of urban planning, giving back the gift of creativity to individual human beings and allowing them to shape and design their houses or dwellings themselves — instead of having some clever architect pop up, telling you how you should live.
We therefore don't see the threat to liberty that this regulation presents.
When the interests of government are gone, other interests take their place. These protocols enable the exchange of data among interconnected networks.
While many literatures have focused on the architectural design as a whole which involve largely external design of a edifice. But certification in cyberspace could be much more narrowly tailored.
In some contexts, for some, this unregulability is a virtue.
This made it an obvious choice for our work in Atelier Cyberspace. To cyberspace, a domain without a hierarchical ordering principle, we can therefore extend the definition of international politics coined by Kenneth Waltz: A distinctive and constitutive feature of cyberspace is that no central entity exercises control over all the networks that make up this new domain.
Virtual environments[ edit ] Although the present-day, loose use of the term "cyberspace" no longer implies or suggests immersion in a virtual reality, current technology allows the integration of a number of capabilities sensors, signals, connections, transmissions, processors, and controllers sufficient to generate a virtual interactive experience that is accessible regardless of a geographic location.
But in these contexts, unregulability is viewed as a vice. The choice about code and law will be a choice about values. It has also been critiqued as being unhelpful for falsely employing a spatial metaphor to describe what is inherently a network.
This made it an obvious choice for our work in Atelier Cyberspace. Computer crime Cyberspace also brings together every service and facility imaginable to expedite money laundering.
On the contrary, cyberspace is characterized by a precise structuring of hierarchies of power. The architecture of cyberspace is not given. Unregulability is a function of code, but the code can change.
Other architectures can be layered onto the basic TCP/IP protocols, and these other architectures can make behavior on the Net fundamentally regulable. The Architecture of Cyberspace Essay words - 5 pages The word architecture has many different connotations including the construction of buildings and the planning or engineering of parts to make up a structural composition.
We should interrogate the architecture of cyberspace as we interrogate the code of Congress. Unless we do, or unless we learn how, the relevance of our constitutional tradition will fade.
The importance of our commitment to fundamental values, through a self-consciously enacted constitution, will fade. Free Essay: The word architecture has many different connotations including the construction of buildings and the planning or engineering of parts to make up.
Three Architecture Styles In this essay information will be given in order to compare and contrast data about three different styles of architecture. The three styles are Art Deco, Art Nouveau, and Neo Gothic. In this essay I shall discuss how the Internet, in its guise as ‘cyberspace’, has allowed its users to operate in a world that is seen by some people as being a new world of freedom and creative opportunities while others see it as a dumping ground for businesses and smut. | https://burikubiqybizog.holidaysanantonio.com/the-architecture-of-cyberspace-essay-54454dg.html |
The Master of Science in Programming of Interactive Technologies was created with the main purpose of supplying the demand of programmers that exist in various technological fields within our society. Within this broad field that is Interactive Technologies, students will be exposed to the creation of video games and applications for web deployment, mobile platforms and personal computers with different operating systems.
An indispensable part of each project will be team work between artists and fellow programmers, an essential piece in this emerging industry. With the knowledge gained working on these various tasks, graduates will be able to show their skills as an employee of a multinational company, an independent company or as a freelance professional.
PROGRAM OBJECTIVES
- Expose students to new technological advancements in hardware and software used by industry professionals.
- Develop application skills in different programming languages.
- Create script-like functionality to video game engines and software development kits (SDK) as a way of helping designers and artists in their development tasks.
- Master the use of existing video game engines and platforms.
- Work with designers and artists to integrate 2D and 3D content to a video game engine or SDK.
- Apply, with the use of code, specific commands to these assets.
- Develop Artificial Intelligence (AI) state machines from scratch and implement it in current video game engines.
- Encourage innovation leadership.
- Teach students to communicate effectively among fellow programmers, artists and designers through the development of video games and applications.
- Test the functionality of code (debugging) to guarantee its effectiveness.
- Develop knowledge and skills to perform productively and efficiently inside the video game industry.
- Expose students to the development and programming of a video game as requirement for graduating.
- Create everything from prototypes to useful applications to display programming skills in different disciplines; make publishable copies of these projects to present to potential employers or clients.
- Develop new forms of interactivity for games and applications with advanced technologies.
- Develop research techniques and skills needed to integrate the student effectively in research projects.
- Comply with the policies of the Protection of Human Subjects and with the statutes of the Institutional
- Review Board (I.R.B.)
- To provide students the opportunity to develop a graduate level dissertation applying the scientific method and rigorous systematic procedures.
General Objective:
Develops programmers professionally with the skills needed to form part of multinational and independent companies in the industry of interactive technology programming.
Request Information Apply For Admissions
Contact Information
Curricular Design
Where can you find work?
Programming for business apps. Build webtsites. Work with database. And also work with data comunication.
Below are links to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website. Please click each link to access the occupational profile you want. | https://www.atlanticu.edu/en/mti/ |
CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
0001 This application claims the priority of German Patent Application Serial No. 200 21 305.9, filed Dec. 16, 2000, the subject matter of which is incorporated herein by reference.
0002 The present invention relates to a flat fabric, e.g., a wire fabric, and more particularly to a fabric of a type having warp threads and weft threads running transversely to the warp threads.
0003 Fabrics are generally known and used in a wide variety of applications. They include two thread systems which normally intersect one another at a right angle. One group of threads runs in longitudinal direction of the fabric and is called warp threads. Thus, the warp threads are of a same length as the fabric. The other transverse thread group runs in the direction that is determinative for the width of the fabric. These threads are called weft threads. The warp and weft threads can intersect in many ways by passing the weft threads over and under the warp threads to realize a desired weave pattern. Widely used weave patterns include the so-called linen weave or the twill weave. From these types of patterns, various derived weaves can be formed.
0004 The linen weave involves a continuously repeating pattern of a weft thread passing over and under the warp thread, whereby the next weft thread, as viewed in the direction of the warp threads, is positioned on the other side of the warp threads. The twill weave is characterized by warp threads which pass over at least two weft threads, whereby the next following weft thread is positioned above the warp thread. The parts of the warp threads that are positioned above the weft threads are further positioned in offset relationship.
0005 In particular, when wire fabrics are used, a wide variety of greatly different components can be fabricated. Recently, wire fabrics found even application in the electronic field. It becomes then necessary to configure the fabric in compliance with the requirements at hand.
0006 It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved flat fabric which has threads that, depending on the application, can be captured either individually or bundled in a different sequence again and again, for subsequent bonding or insulation or attachment to other components, and which can easily be further processed by means of known handling devices.
0007 According to one aspect of the present invention, a flat fabric includes a body portion having opposite fringe portions and first threads running in one direction and second threads running transversely to the first threads, wherein one of the first and second threads is made of an electrically conductive material and the other one of the first and second threads is made of an electrically conductive material surrounded by an insulating envelope, or made entirely of an electrically insulating material, wherein the opposite fringe portions are realized exclusively by the threads of electrically conductive material.
0008 Since the threads running in one direction are now mutually insulated from one another, electric energy can flow through the other threads. This opens up many possibilities to use the fabric according to the present invention. As both opposite fringe portions include only warp threads or only weft threads, the fabric can be suited to the use at hand. The wires may be utilized individually; It is, however, also possible to bond two or more wires or threads together, whereby the number of wires or threads being bonded together can be suited to the intended pattern being selected. Optionally, they can be insulated or attached to other components.
0009 For sake of simplicity, the following description will refer primarily to thread only, but it will be understood by persons skilled in the art, that the principles described in the following description with respect to threads are generally applicable to wires. To ensure clarity, it is necessary to establish the definition of some terms and expressions that will be used throughout this disclosure. The terms single or singling in conjunction with threads are used here to indicate that parts of threads have been unraveled to be present in single formation.
0010 Singling of the threads and also bonding together of single threads in accordance with a predetermined pattern can be facilitated, when the body portion of the fabric has strips, which adjoin the fringe portions that are made exclusively of threads of one direction, and which are formed by a weaving pattern that differs from the weaving pattern of the central portion located between the strips, so that at least a predetermined number of electrically conductive threads can be bonded together in the outer fringe portions. The central portion of the fabric may then be formed with a weave pattern which is best suited to the application at hand of the fabric, whereas the adjacent strips can be formed with a weave pattern which is best suited to implement a fringing or singling of the threads or to implement a bonding of the threads together. It is not necessarily required to form the central portion only in one weave pattern, because also this portion can be formed of several weave patterns that deviate from one another.
0011 According to another feature of the present invention, the body portion has an overall size, with the fringe portions covering about 40% of the overall size, the strips covering about 20% of the overall size, and the central portion covering about 40% of the overall size. It is to be understood by persons skilled in the art that the term overall size is used here in a generic sense and refers to the width or length of the fabric depending as to whether the fringe portions are free of weft threads or warp threads. Of course, these numeric data are given by way of example only, as the true lengths of the fringe portions and the adjacent strips may stay the same, when enlarging or reducing the fabric in size, i.e. in length or width, so that the central portion is dependent on the size of the fabric.
0012 According to another feature of the present invention, the first threads are weft threads of electrically conductive material, and the second threads are warp threads made of electrically conductive material surrounded by an envelope of electrically insulating material, or made entirely of electrically insulating material. This configuration is currently a preferred embodiment, as it is advantageous for fabrication of a flat fabric according to the invention.
0013 According to another feature of the present invention, the strips are formed by a twill weave, whereas the central portion is formed by a linen weave or by several types of weave patterns. By forming the strips in accordance with a twill weave, singling or bonding together of the threads is facilitated. The number of electrically conductive wires to be bonded together can be varied because of the twill weave of the strips adjacent the outer fringe portions. For example, a so-called 51 weave allows bonding together of five threads whereas the next following thread can be utilized as single thread. It is also conceivable to vary the number of threads being bonded together in the direction of the insulated threads, when using a different weave pattern.
0014 According to another feature of the present invention, the segments of the warp threads passing over and under the weft threads can be positioned in offset relationship, preferably by one waft thread, to the strips formed in twill weave. The twill weave of the strips should then be so designed that two threads of electrically conductive material can be bonded together in each outer fringe portion, while the offset relationship by one waft thread results on the other side in an endless weft thread which can then be used in an insulating fabric as resistance wire.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
0015 Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily apparent upon reading the following description of currently preferred exemplified embodiments of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
0016FIG. 1 is a first embodiment of a flat fabric according to the present invention;
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0017FIG. 1is a cross sectional view, on an enlarged scale, of a warp thread used in the present invention;
0018FIG. 2 is a second embodiment of a flat fabric according to the present invention; and
0019FIG. 3 is a third embodiment of a flat fabric according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
0020 Throughout all the Figures, same or corresponding elements are generally indicated by same reference numerals.
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0021 Turning now to the drawing, and in particular to FIG. 1, there is shown a first embodiment of a flat fabric according to the present invention having a body portion, generally designated by reference numeral . The body portion is made of a plurality of warp threads in parallel, spaced-apart relationship and weft threads running transversely at a right angle to the warp threads in parallel, spaced-apart relationship. The warp threads and the weft threads are made of metal so as to be electrically conductive. As shown in FIG. 1, the warp threads are made of a core metal fiber which is surrounded by an envelope of electrically insulating, and thus non-conductive material. A suitable material would be, for example, plastic. Of course, it is also conceivable to make the warp threads entirely of electrically insulating material.
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0022 The weft threads terminate on opposite ends in fringe portions which extend beyond both outer warp threads and include single weft threads . The free fringe portions of all weft threads are bonded together in accordance with a predetermined pattern, whereby some weft threads remain separate and run individually, as indicated by reference numeral . Depending on the application at hand, the free fringe portions of the weft threads of the flat fabric may also be electrically connected to other components, or may also be insulated or provided with connectors.
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0023 The body portion of the fabric has a central portion which is formed by a linen weave. Thus, the warp threads and the weft threads intersect in a continuously repeating pattern by passing one of the threads or over and under the other one of the threads or . Adjacent one side of the central portion is a strip , and adjacent the other side of the central portion is a strip , whereby both strips , are made by a twill weave. In the non-limiting example of FIG. 1, the twill weave is configured as 5/1 weave, i.e., the warp threads pass over five weft threads , whereas the next following weft thread is positioned above. These weft threads are guided individually past the weft threads to form the fringe portions , with the five weft threads bonded together, and the next following weft thread remaining single. In the non-limiting example of FIG. 1, the strips , are formed by seven warp treads .
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0024 By way of example, the fringe portions may cover about 40% of the overall size of the body portion , while the strips , cover about 20% of the overall size, and the central portion covers about 40% of the overall size.
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0025FIG. 1 shows that singling and bonding together of the fringe portions of the weft threads is facilitated by the twill weave of the strips , . Through the outer warp threads , the strips , are formed by such a weave that singling or bonding together of the fringe portions of the weft threads is given by the weave pattern.
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0026 Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown a second embodiment of a flat fabric according to the present invention. Parts corresponding with those in FIG. 1 are denoted by identical reference numerals and not explained again. In this embodiment, provision is made for a configuration of the strips , in twill weave of nine warp threads by a so-called 3/2 weave, i.e., the warp threads pass over three weft threads while the next two weft threads are placed over the warp threads . The central portion is identical to the embodiment of FIG. 1 and is formed through a linen weave. The fringe portions of the weft threads are bonded together by alternately bonding together three and two weft threads .
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0027FIG. 3 shows another embodiment of a fabric according to the present invention, in which the strips , are formed by a twill weave in a so-called 2/2 weave, i.e. the warp threads are alternately passed over and under two weft threads . As a consequence, two weft threads are respectively bonded together at the fringe portions . FIG. 3 further shows that the warp threads between both strips , are shifted by a weft thread so as to attain an endless configuration of the weft threads . In this way, the weft threads may be utilized in an insulating fabric as resistance wire. As stated above, the warp threads and the weft threads are made of metallic wires, in the event the fabric is constructed for use as wire fabric.
0028 A flat fabric according to the present invention is useful for the production of electronic items.
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0029 The warp threads and the weft threads are made of wires of relatively small diameter so that the fabric may also be referred to a fine fabric.
0030 While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a flat fabric, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and practical application to thereby enable a person skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. Of course, other configurations which generally follow the concepts outlined here are considered to be covered by this disclosure.
0031 What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims and their equivalents: | |
This audio contains three guided relaxation and positive visualisation sessions for pre-conception & retrieval, Ovulation & transfer, and the waiting period. Created to soothe and support you whenever you need it.
This audio was created to soothe and support you whenever you need it, wherever you are. Listen to it daily as part of a self-care ritual, where you take some time and create a space to care for yourself on your path to getting pregnant.
Find a comfortable spot in your home that you can nestle into, a place for relaxation and peace. Turn off all other distractions and allow yourself time just for you. The greatest gift you can give yourself is your own loving care, no matter where you are on your fertility journey.
Each track has been written to help you find that place of gentle ease within, where you can return whenever you choose. This is the place where your strength can be restored and your mind can move into soothing silence, where busy thoughts dissolve and peace takes its’ place. Listen to them as a powerful part of your fertility plan. | http://www.theelmtreeclinic.com/store/p5/Ian_Claxton%27s_-_Getting_Pregnant_Mindfully.html |
Scott Minerd joins Bloomberg TV on Fed Day to discuss central bank policy as the U.S. economy begins its long recovery.
The Fed has increasingly unorthodox policy options if the economy remains mired in a protracted downturn.
The support to corporate America during this economic shutdown risks the creation of a new moral obligation for the U.S. government.
The unintended consequences and moral hazard of insufficient and misdirected policies.
Global capital markets are not pricing in the growing likelihood of rising EM corporate defaults.
Allocating capital as the pandemic progresses; emerging markets may be next domino to fall.
The consequences of policymakers returning to the same tools employed in the financial crisis.
Funding and trading markets are not functioning well due to excessive leverage needing to be unwound in the financial system.
Markets often overshoot, and just because things are cheap doesn’t mean they can’t get cheaper.
Without the right programs, this shortfall in credit availability will increase and it will further deepen the crisis.
The Fed still has a number of tools at its disposal that haven’t yet been implemented.
In addition to serving as Global Chief Investment Officer of Guggenheim Partners and Chairman of Guggenheim Investments, Scott Minerd is also a member of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Investor Advisory Committee on Financial Markets, an advisor to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, and a contributing member to the World Economic Forum. Minerd is regularly featured in leading financial media outlets, including Financial Times, Barron’s, Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business News, Forbes, and Reuters.
Follow Scott on Twitter
Scott Minerd, Chairman of Investments and Global CIO, calls in to CNBC’s Closing Bell to discuss the sell-off in equities.
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*Assets under management is as of 03.31.2020 and includes leverage of $12.9bn. Guggenheim Investments represents the following affiliated investment management businesses of Guggenheim Partners, LLC: Guggenheim Partners Investment Management, LLC, Security Investors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Distributors, LLC, Guggenheim Funds Investment Advisors, LLC, Guggenheim Corporate Funding, LLC, Guggenheim Partners Europe Limited, GS GAMMA Advisors, LLC, and Guggenheim Partners India Management.
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QUIET PLEASE! Effect of distraction on simulated posterior segment surgical performance.
To determine the effect of distraction on posterior segment surgical performance using a virtual reality simulator in expert and novice ophthalmic surgeons. Twenty subjects were given 6 min to read an unpublished research paper and then were randomized into two groups. Group 1 subjects were allowed 3 min to complete a standardized vitreoretinal simulated task undistracted. Group 2 subjects were asked six questions on the research paper whilst completing the same task. Each subject then performed the alternate scenario. Finally, all participants were asked six questions on the research paper whilst not operating. There was no evidence of a difference in the odometer values (p = 0.127), cognitive task score (p = 0.390) or overall surgical task scores (p = 0.113) between the two groups. The time taken by the distracted group was significantly greater (95% CI -26.03 to -1.67, t-test p = 0.028). Distraction significantly increases the time taken to perform a simulated vitreoretinal surgical task for all grades of surgeon. More studies are required to understand the impact on different types of distraction on surgical performance.
| |
Earthlift is committed to providing a safe working environment for all of its staff, contractors and members of the public.
Our quality systems complement and reinforce this commitment with regular ongoing training to develop and ensure staff awareness.
Earthlift maintains an up-to-date OH&S program, which is particularly important for anyone working on site with heavy earthmoving equipment. Our Operators complete a Safe Work Method Statement (SWMS) for every job on which they are working.
We employ an Occupational Health and Safety/Human Resources Manager, who is dedicated to look after that side of the business for Earthlift and ensure that we are OH&S compliant and that staff are adequately trained for all facets of their work. Each staff member is fully inducted in the relevant safe work methods for earthworks performance. Protective and high-vision clothing is supplied and worn on site by all staff. | https://www.earthlift.com.au/home/safety/ |
Free training event for people working with children between 0 and 7 years old.
All Early Years and Foundation Stage settings have a duty to actively promote Fundamental British Values. In order for a setting to be rated outstanding, the promotion of equality, diversity and British values needs to be at the heart of the setting’s work (Ofsted, Early Years Inspection Handbook 2015)
EqualiTeach has been funded by Big Lottery Awards for All to host a free training event for people working with children between 0 and 7 years old. The aim of this event is to support settings to implement the requirement to promote Fundamental British Values in a holistic and cohesive fashion. Where support and guidance is not available, settings sometimes misinterpret the duty as an instruction to promote stereotypical ideas of what it means to be British, which can inadvertently lead to alienation and division.
These training events will ensure that those working in the early years are equipped with knowledge and skills to carry out values education in an inclusive fashion, and embed this throughout their settings, enabling them to harness the requirement to create inclusive settings where all children are able to thrive.
After attending the training, participants will:
-
Understand the requirement to promote Fundamental British Values and how this fits with duties under the Equality Act 2010 and the Prevent duty.
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Considered what constitutes good practice in delivering values education for young children and how to avoid potentially harmful approaches
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Explored how good practice around Fundamental British Values can strengthen existing work to safeguard children and improve behaviour, safety and wellbeing
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Looked at ways in which the Fundamental British Values of democracy, individual liberty, rule of law and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different religions and beliefs can be embedded throughout the setting in a cohesive fashion
These events will provide a safe space in which people are able to raise concerns in a non- judgemental, non-confrontational, open and honest environment, ensuring that everybody feels able to contribute and knows that their opinion will be treated with respect. Learning will take place through a series of interactive and engaging workshops, with lots of small group activities and whole group discussions, providing the opportunity for people to learn from each other as well as from the facilitators.
All participants will leave with a pack of resources to support them back in their settings.
Agenda:
09:15 Arrival and Tea and Coffee
09:30 Introduction
09:45 Fundamental British Values or Universal Values?
Understanding the duty to promote Fundamental British Values
10:45 BREAK
11:00 Starting the Conversation: Conducting Values Education with Young Children
12:30 LUNCH
13:20 Exploring Practical Strategies to engage with FBV including Philosophy for Children: Rob Unwin, South Yorkshire Development Education Centre
14:50 BREAK
15:00 Embedding values education: a whole setting approach
16:00 Close
Feedback from previous events:
This session was so well planned and thought-through. We were challenged and considered new approaches. I am looking forward to implementing the ideas developed during the day.
Interactive, respectful, supportive, memorable, calm, friendly, fun and productive!
I found this training very useful and I've learned a lot. It gave me lots of ideas about how to support all of the children that I work with. Thank you.
Last night over dinner I had the whole family having in-depth discussions about what I had learnt. Your training seems to have left a great impact on me and I find myself discussing these points often and looking up further information on inequality and the adverse effect this can have on the younger generations.: | https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/universal-values-promoting-fundamental-british-values-cohesively-in-the-early-years-tickets-32400946102 |
Medica 2014 will open its doors on November 12 in Dusseldorf (Germany) to celebrate its forty-fourth edition.
It is considered the reference fair worldwide in medical products and technology. Its last edition had a total of 5,367 exhibitors from 70 countries and 132,000 professional visitors.
In the Medica you can see a wide variety of technologies and service solutions applied to the medical engineering industry: diagnostic equipment, laboratory, medicines, orthopedic technology, nanotechnology, etc.
Parallel to Medica, Compamed is held, international fair nº 1 in the medical supply industry
Total Planning will attend this International Reference Fair to learn first-hand about new medical technologies.
This sector is an important pillar of the company that already represents 35% of its turnover. Currently, Total Planning is manufacturing a high range of components for the pharmaceutical industry, diagnostics, packaging and surgical instrumentation among others. | https://totalplanning.cat/en/blog/total-planning-at-the-medical-fair-2014/ |
The mission of the Housing Connect is to provide and develop quality affordable housing opportunities for individuals and families while promoting self-sufficiency and neighborhood revitalization.
Job Statement
The SAIL Case Manager supports the mission of Housing Connect by assisting with the development and implementation of the Permanent Supported Scattered Site Housing program. The Case Manager works directly with formerly chronically homeless individuals providing intensive case management services in a variety of settings including but not limited to, client homes, agency office space, and occasional street outreach. The SAIL case manager will also work closely with resident services staff, housing management, landlords, and community partners to identify needs and coordinate resources that promote self-sufficiency, empowerment and healthy communities including, but not limited to, substance abuse referrals, mental health referrals, employment counseling, financial counseling and housing retention.
Duties and Responsiblities
Tenant Support and Advocacy
• Identify available housing options and assist clients with the application and move-in process.
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive network of education, training, mental health, substance abuse, economic development and other supportive services for adults who have been chronically homeless.
• Work with and support residents in their efforts toward self-sufficiency by defining goals that are clear, measurable and have a time frame.
• Build effective relationships with residents through regular contact in person, by telephone and in writing.
• Complete well organized case files that accurately reflect services provided.
• Complete paperwork, monthly reports and case notes accurately and on a timely basis.
• Attend and actively participate in case staffing and agency meetings, weekly and as requested.
• Follow up on all referrals to ensure that adequate, appropriate services are being provided.
• Assist residents with applying for, obtaining and maintaining benefits.
• Collect program data to track resident progress on a monthly basis.
• Research and have a working knowledge of a Housing First approach, as well as a client driven approach to supportive services.
• Support residents in creating and maintaining a forum in which they can provide feedback for improvement.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
Supportive Services and Community Partnerships
• Proactively develop and promote self-reliance by helping residents access community resources.
• Coordinate supportive services (i.e. mental health, transportation, substance abuse, etc.) with appropriate community agencies.
• Evaluate needs and gaps in services and work to identify solutions.
• Proactively coordinate with property management, voucher staff and other HACSL staff to ensure effective communication and to reduce problems.
• Act as an advocate for clients when appropriate.
• In collaboration with residents, organize, promote and participate in activities within the community that foster community, healthy resident relationships and overall program stability.
• Support co-workers and work as a team to accomplish agency, department and program goals.
Program Tracking and Outcome Measurements
• Complete all paperwork including but not limited to monthly reports, grant appeals and reports, data collection and other paperwork as needed.
• Support program goals and objectives from specific grants or funding requirements. Make sure programs and activities are in compliance and desired results achieved.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
• Bachelor Degree in education, social work or related field.
• Minimum of two years experience full-time paid related experience.
• Computer literate.
• Possession of valid Driver’s License and good driving record in order to transport residents in agency vehicles, as needed.
KNOWLEDGE OF:
• Issues impacting individuals that have been chronically homeless.
• Methods and techniques of effective case management and assessment skills.
• Social service programs and community resources.
ABILITY TO:
• Solve complex situations and diffuse explosive situations.
• Approach problems proactively with a solution focused method.
• Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing.
• Establish working relationships with residents, co-workers, and other professionals.
• Work independently, as well as collaboratively.
• Use personal vehicle, with mileage reimbursement, as needed.
A criminal background, drug screen, driving and credit check must be completed before hire. An Official Housing Authority Application Form must be completed and a resume submitted. The Housing Authority complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 by providing equal access to services, programs and activities for qualified individuals with disabilities. With 24-hour advance request, reasonable accommodations will be provided to individuals with disabilities.
Interested applicants can apply here: https://housingconnect.org/contact/careers/.
This jobs board is provided as a courtesy to our social work community. All job postings are the responsibility of the posting entity. Prospective applicants should do their due diligence in confirming/investigating any posted job opportunity. The University of Utah is not responsible for the content of, nor any resulting employment arrangements resulting from, job postings from outside entities.
Job Opportunities
Discussion channel for insightful chat about our events, news, and activities. | https://socialwork.utah.edu/jobs/posts/2022/march/case-manager-supportive-housing.php |
AIM Independent Living in Corning receives $1 million in state aid
CORNING, N.Y. (WETM) – AIM Independent Living in Corning has received $1 million in state funding designated for projects that house New Yorkers experiencing or at risk of homelessness and provide supportive services aimed at addressing the root causes of housing instability.
The funding is 1 of 20 projects that received part of the $90.4 million funding.
The Batavia Apartments will include five units of supportive housing in Corning to serve homeless young adults and youth aging out of foster care. The project will rehabilitate a former pediatrician’s office, transforming the first floor into a community room with kitchen, laundry room and two apartments, with the second floor containing the remaining units.
“Homelessness and housing insecurity are not just isolated issues that can be addressed with a one-shot solution – we need a holistic approach which connects vulnerable New Yorkers to housing options, but also to the services which help ensure they can once again be contributing members of their communities, especially in the age of COVID,” Governor Cuomo said. “Thanks to these significant investments, we are continuing to grow these types of supportive housing options statewide and we will not rest until every New Yorker has a safe, stable place to call home.”
Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul said,“Every New Yorker deserves a roof over their head and the decency of a good home. This project will create over 600 housing units across New York State that will serve veterans, survivors of domestic violence and individuals with mental illness. As we battle this pandemic, New York State remains committed to combating homelessness and providing supportive services to all New Yorkers.”
The Homeless Housing and Assistance Program made available $128 million in capital funding for projects to build supportive housing units or to repair emergency shelters – an amount double the allocation in 2020. An additional $37.6 million remains available for projects through the program, which is administered by the state Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance.
The Governor’s 2022 Executive Budget continues funding for HHAP at $128 million, underscoring the state’s commitment to the importance of supportive housing in combating homelessness.
Copyright 2021 Nexstar Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | |
Zapata, Silvina (2021) Factors that increase or decrease first-year university students’ levels of academic self-efficacy and negative emotional states in Chile. Doctor of Education thesis, University of Liverpool.
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Abstract
First-year university students experience a transition from school to college, involving new academic demands (Cole, 2017). Some researchers have focused on the relevance of cognitive ability (Wai & Rindermann, 2017). Others have argued that it does not guarantee academic achievement (Nabizadeh et al., 2019). Students also require other resources, such as their beliefs in their capacity to perform a task (Bandura, 1977). Emotions and negative emotional states influence students’ cognitive development and performance (Pekrun et al., 2002) and their judgments of academic self-efficacy (ASE) (Bandura, 2010). This study explores factors that positively or negatively influence first-year university students’ levels of ASE and negative emotional states (i.e., stress, anxiety, and depression) over 6 months while attending a Higher Education Institution (HEI) in Chile. I collected longitudinal data from a convenient sample of 311 first-year students in the Faculty of Education and Social Sciences enrolled in 2019 at a large university in Chile. HEIs have to become alert of the factors that influence negative emotional states and threats or opportunities that undermine or facilitate students’ ASE to understand how to help them, especially when they experience academic challenges to advance in college successfully. | https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3135649/ |
A Study On The Assessment Of Perceived Stress, Self-Efficacy And Associated Socio-Demographic Factors Among Undergraduates In A Higher Educational Institution In Sri Lanka
Wadduwage, SS
;
Wijekumar, PJ
;
Walpola, LH
;
Ranadeva, NDK
;
Chackrewarthy, S
URI:
http://ir.kdu.ac.lk/handle/345/2902
Date:
2020
Abstract:
Abstract: Nearly 80% of students in higher education worldwide experience psychological stress during their university life due to imbalances in social, emotional, and physical conditions. Stress can lead to poor academic performance and underachievement among students. The present study assessed the levels of perceived stress, general self-efficacy and their association with socio-demographic factors among a selected group of undergraduates at a higher educational institute. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed using stratified random sampling among 393 undergraduates. The data were collected through the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-10), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and a questionnaire to collect the sociodemographic data. The data were analyzed using SPSS version 23. The mean age of the sample (n=393) was 22.36±2.33 years. The results showed a mean perceived stress score of 20.72±4.96 (moderate perceived stress). The majority of the participants (79.4%) had moderate perceived stress, followed by high stress (12.7%) and low stress (7.4%). There was no significant difference between the stress levels of male and female students (p=0.766). No significant association was observed between perceived stress and socio-demographic factors assessed (age, gender, residence status, financial status, the program of study, employment prospects) using the chi-squared test. Spearman correlation showed a significant negative association between perceived stress levels and general self-efficacy (p<0.001). Intervention strategies to develop and improve self-efficacy among undergraduates should be implemented as it affects their perceived stress levels and academic achievements which will impact their life goals. Further studies are needed to understand the stressors contributing to stress among undergraduate students.
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Between sociological “fact” and literary autofiction. Depictions and staging strategies of social advancement in the works of Pierre Bourdieu, Didier Eribon and Annie Ernaux.
Based on the trend for authentic, autofictional literature, Salvatore Calabrese’s research project deals with the practice of writing, focusing on the academic author Pierre Bourdieu, the sociologist and essayist Didier Eribon, and the writer Annie Ernaux. All three authors are linked by the textual processing and self-reflective analysis of their own “plebeian origins” and their social advancement, a social advancement that goes hand-in-hand with the academic or literary writing. In a comparative analysis, the research project investigates the staging strategies of social origins in the cultural field and the effects that this trend has on the practice of writing.
About
Salvatore Calabrese was born in 1986 in Villingen-Schwenningen. He studied sociology and history in Freiburg (B.A.) and in Frankfurt (M.A.) and completed his sociology degree with a master’s dissertation on Pierre Bourdieu’s concept of habitus. He then studied creative writing in Hildesheim (M.A.) and completed his degree with a poetological master’s dissertation. | https://www.uni-hildesheim.de/en/fb2/forschung/dfg-research-training-group-2477-aesthetic-practice/members/junior-researchers/salvatore-calabrese/ |
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to sub-irrigation systems and, more particularly, to a new capillary carpet irrigation system and the method of manufacturing thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sub-irrigation systems where plants in pots are placed upon capillary mats which provide water through capillary action into the bottom of a permeable pot are well known in the art.
A significant advantage of the sub-irrigation system is that no further equipment is required other than that already at the disposal of producers who generally use overhead sprinkler irrigation systems.
The sprinklers are used to water the plants and any water falling between pots is captured by the capillary mat. The water saturated capillary mat thereafter, provides water on demand through capillary action from the roots and permeable base of the pot resting on the capillary mat. Sub-irrigation allows water to be provided according to the needs of each plant on demand since water is drawn up under capillary action by the roots and permeable pot base resting on the saturated capillary mat.
Therefore, sub-irrigation on capillary mats is a viable alternative that meets the objectives of a closed system namely, elimination of runoff water and environmental risks associated and efficient use of water and fertilizers over conventional systems. Sub-irrigation on capillary mats generally involves maintaining the capillary mats at or near saturation point in order to provide the plants with a constant supply of water. Water moves from the saturated mat to the pots, soil substrate and roots by capillary ascent.
However, due to several disadvantages, the use of capillary mats has traditionally been restricted to greenhouse applications. For example, the water held by the mat often evaporates from the surface and constitutes a net loss in addition to contributing to salts accumulation, nutrients, etc. on the mat surface itself. In humid greenhouses however, where there is a high relative humidity and absence of air movement, evaporation is not a major problem in contrast to field conditions. In an open field, algae and weeds will rapidly grow in the exposed surface of the capillary mat. As well, in an open field the low relative humidity of the air, solar heat radiation and high air movements will result in high evaporative losses. As result therefore, these drawbacks have limited the interest in sub-irrigation practices for outdoor use in nurseries. Although sub-irrigation can eliminate runoff in the environment, the net result is a decrease in water use efficiency due to high evaporative losses.
To address the problem of surface evaporation and accompanying salt accumulation on the capillary mat, and to limit algae growth and weed growth in the capillary mats, prior art systems have included a porous perforated plastic sheet on the top surface of the capillary mat. The perforated sheet allows rain water and irrigation sprinkler water to flow through the perforations into the capillary mat. The perforated sheet also allows water to flow out of the capillary mat into the bottom of permeable pots resting on the mat. While dark colored perforated plastic sheets have been very efficient in preventing algae growth in the capillary mat, they still allow significant evaporation from the surface to the extent that evaporated losses exceed losses experienced through recycling or standard irrigation with no recycling. The stored water surface is directly under the top perforated sheet in such prior art carpets, and evaporative loss through the perforated sheet is prohibitively high.
This problem has been addressed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,691 issued on Jan. 30, 2001 to Caron et al., the content of which is herein incorporated by reference. U.S. Pat. No. 6,178,691 discloses a four layer irrigation carpet, including an impervious base membrane, and a permeable top membrane enveloping a water bearing rigid porous mat and an overlying resilient compressible coarse porous mat. The compressible mat is resiliently compressible under each pot and where compressed, it defines a plurality of localized capillary action conduits between the water bearing rigid mat and each water permeable pot through the permeable top membrane. The resilient compressible mat when decompressed has a negligible capillary rise and serves to inhibit evaporative water loss from the underlying rigid mat. The pores of the compressible mat impede air circulation immediately above the upper surface of water held in the water bearing rigid mat, The air within the compressible mat pores immediately above the rigid mat therefore have a high humidity and water vaporisation at the surface is therefore inhibited by the high vapour concentration of air in the compressible pores. Air circulation within the compressible mat is impeded by the inherent resistance of the porous structure. Thus, water vapor escape from the water surface in the rigid mat through the perforations of the top membrane is impeded reducing evaporative water loss, even when used in outdoor applications.
While the capillary carpet disclosed in the above-mentioned patent constitutes a major improvement over conventional capillary carpets, it has been found that when installed on greenhouse surfaces or directly on the soil in a field, drainage and, thus, loss of stored water occurs, resulting in a loss of efficiency of the carpet. Poor capillary contact may also exist with some very coarse growing media if free water (water with no tension) is not present at the mat surface in an early stage of capillary rise. As soon as a little slope exists though, drainage conditions are created and watering the mat results in location having water under tension at all times. The lowest point in the field will determined the tension. This tension prevents good capillary rise with coarse media and may induce stresses to the plant, generally resulting in yield losses to the grower. The water contained in the mat will flow by gravity from the highest point to the lowest point in the field, thereby withdrawing water from the sections of the mat which are located on the highest point. This will also cause water contained in the pots located on these highest sections of the mat to be submitted to a suction force, resulting in a portion of the water in the pots to be drained off.
There is thus a need to find a way of avoiding important water tension to be created even though the carpet is laid down on a sloped supporting surface. There is also a need to improve capillary rise in coarse growing media.
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Amy earned her Master’s degree in clinical social work (MSW) from Walla Walla University in Missoula, Montana in 2012. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who specializes in the mental health treatment of adolescents and adults. Amy has extensive experience working as a therapist in school-based, community mental health and private practice settings. Prior to her work as a therapist, Amy worked as a women’s advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
Services Offered
Individual and family counseling.
Theoretical Orientation
Amy strives to provide a warm, nonjudgmental and empathetic environment in which her clients will feel heard, accepted, challenged and empowered. She believes in the holistic nature of therapy and works to collaborate mind, body and spirit in order to help her clients find peace and balance.
Amy has specialized training in the clinical treatment of trauma and has worked with clients who are survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, emotional/verbal abuse and religious and spiritual trauma/abuse. She has also worked with adult survivors of childhood abuse. Amy also has specialized training in the clinical treatment of mood disorders, depression, anxiety, panic attacks and stress management.
Amy is a firm believer that therapy is not “one-size-fits-all” and practices from a client-centered approach. She has experience providing a variety of therapeutic modalities including, but not limited to, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Motivational Interviewing, Solution-Focused Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
Amy holds a trauma-informed, strengths-based perspective and works with clients who are ready to begin the healing process. She acknowledges the courage it takes to commit to counseling and considers it an honor to walk with her clients through their journey.
More Information
Amy enjoys spending time with her husband and loved ones. She enjoys creative writing, the arts, spending time in nature, delving into a good book and seeking out new adventures. | https://www.westernpsych.com/directory/amy-hutchins |
Most states are doing a mediocre job – and some even a poor one – of managing shorelines and preparing for sea-level rise, according to a new study by the Surfrider Foundation.
California, on the other hand, is a “shining example” and has excelled in responding to changes along the coast, earning the only “A” grade in the nation — but the report found there are still areas that need improvement to preserve the state’s beaches for future generations.
The foundation, a San Clemente-based non-profit, each year releases its “State of the Beach” report, detailing how coastal states are faring at responding to issues such as coastal erosion and extreme weather events associated with climate change. The group warned that if officials ignore those issues, beaches could disappear.
“We have to get ahead of this and plan for this, come up with a plan to adapt,” Surfrider Foundation CEO Chad Nelsen said.
The goal of the annual assessment, which was released last week, is “empowering concerned citizens to advocate for stronger shoreline protection policies at the state and local levels,” the report said. It’s also intended to help decision makers and agencies create proactive, long-term solutions to better protect the coastline.
Each of the 31 U.S. states bordering an ocean or one of the Great Lakes, as well as Puerto Rico, were graded on their policies to protect the nation’s beaches from coastal erosion, sea level rise, and poorly planned development.
The report found 74% of the states, 23 out of 31, are doing a “mediocre to poor job of responding to coastal erosion and sea level rise planning, especially in areas that are most impacted by extreme weather events.”
As in past years, a noticeable trend highlights the fact that states most vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as destructive hurricanes, have inadequate policies and are therefore the least prepared to handle coastal erosion and increasing climate change impacts.
“Scientists predict these impacts will continue to grow, especially for coastal communities. Therefore, it is imperative that states and municipalities improve shoreline management practices by curtailing poorly planned development, planning for sea level rise, and investing in proactive, nature-based solutions,” Stefanie Sekich-Quinn, Surfrider’s Coastal Preservation Manager, said in a news release.
The highest-scoring states had strong policies regarding sea level rise planning, building standards, coastal armoring and prohibitions against rebuilding in coastal hazard areas.
Only eight states are doing a “good or better” job – scoring an A or B – at protecting beaches, with California earning the report’s only A grade.
California’s 1,100-mile coastline has a variety of habitats and includes Marine Protected Areas to prevent overfishing or destruction along vulnerable areas of coast. In Southern California, those areas include Laguna Beach and parts of Palos Verdes.
Nelsen credited California Coastal Commission decision makers for policies addressing sea level rise and other ongoing issues like managed retreat, which means moving homes and infrastructure inland rather than altering the beach or fighting Mother Nature.
This year, the commission pushed to increase setbacks to guard infrastructure from future coastal erosion, and it is requiring communities to consider managed retreat, including potentially moving vulnerable train tracks, according to the report.
“One of the most common responses is shoreline armoring, revetments and seawalls – and that is destructive to our beaches,” Nelsen said. “We want to avoid that circumstance if we want our beaches in the future.”
The report found that California – thanks in part to the Coastal Act – has done more than most states to limit unnecessary development, reducing human impact along much of its coastline.
However, Nelson said, the state needs to improve at getting the Coastal Commission to issue permits when an area is deemed unsafe, which allows local agencies to place boulders that can help save eroded areas.
“You are rewarded if you ignore the problem until it’s a fear, then you apply for an emergency permit – there should be no such thing as an emergency, we know what’s coming,” Nelsen said. “Every emergency permit I’ve seen is predictable.”
Recent emergency fortification projects include areas of Malibu, San Onofre and Capistrano Beach, where constant erosion has chipped away at the beach.
Another issue the report recommends that California should better address is urbanization and building in the coastal watershed.
“We’ve cut off a lot of natural sediment along the coast. Coastal erosion would be less severe if sediment and sand was flowing to the ocean,” Nelsen said.
“We’re losing the bluffs and we’re losing the watershed, but that’s where all our sand comes from. We’ll see (erosion) anyhow because of sea-level rise, but that would reduce the speed at which that happens.”
Some areas in Southern California – such as Manhattan and Hermosa beaches in the South Bay, Long Beach and Huntington Beach – have wide, sandy beaches that aren’t as affected by coastal erosion.
Others, including Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, San Clemente, Laguna Beach, San Diego and Malibu, are constantly battling Mother Nature and trying to figure out how to save their beaches – and beachfront homes – from sand loss.
The state’s response to sea-level rise earned a “good” grade from Surfrider, partly due to the Coastal Commission’s insistence on proactive planning.
The commission “is requiring local communities to analyze extremely vulnerable homes and infrastructure,” and “made a bold move” in urging relocation of vulnerable train tracks in San Diego, the report said.
Nelsen said communities often address potential environmental threats only when a crisis such hits, but put off planning for long-term issues. | https://www.mercurynews.com/2020/10/20/report-gives-california-an-a-grade-for-coastal-protections/?shared=email&msg=fail |
ELEMENTS OF DANCE
There are certain shared foundational elements which all dance shares. Dance, whether in apparent motion or not, requires a body, space, time, and some quality or effort to produce the motion or the lack of it. One does not have to be standing to be dancing. One does not have to have legs or the use of them to dance. Dance occurs in chairs, on the floor. Dances produced have encompassed a wide range of settings, from a bed to a boardroom. There is always movement going on within the human body, even when still. Stillness is a contrast to movement. It is one end of the time spectrum. Fast means something relative to what slow means. In dance, dancers are fine-tuning their instruments, their bodies, daily to realize every available use of time, from moving in slow-motion to very slow to slow to medium to fast to very fast to fast-forward. The elements all have a range.
THE BODY
The body is the dancer’s instrument. As with people, the instrument itself can be as varied: any size, shape, ability, training, experience. What makes a person a dancer? We believe it’s a frame of mind, a choice to call oneself a dancer, a comfort to do so. Anyone can be a dancer. The specific training that a professional dancer obtains is unique to a genre of dance. The tap dancer’s instrument shares many things with a modern dancer’s instrument, yet the instruments are also singularly shaped. Technique in contemporary concert dance can range from exacting to effortless. There’s a technique to making things look like there isn’t a technique too. Pedestrianism is a style, a vocabulary, a compositional device, within modern dance, and dance in general. A person inherently moves as a dancer moves. Dancers heighten this movement and stylize it. Movement is movement. What is the difference between a professional dancer walking in a pedestrian way and a pedestrian walking? What makes one call someone a dancer? View themselves as a dancer? In dance, the framing of movement is focused on the body.
DUET WITH RAILING
Filmed during the pandemic, this narrated dance film was crafted and shot in the span of one hour. A collaboration between choreographer and filmmaker Daniel Gwirtzman and dancer Dwayne Brown, the solo is titled Duet With Railing. In this film you will see how the dancer's body can adapt to a unique environment based on training, exploration, and skill. It is an example of site-specific work. See below.
SHAPE
PUZZLE
Puzzle is a signature dance and audience favorite from the repertory. Choreographed in 2002, Puzzle is an exploration of form as made possible by three varied bodies. The original cast of Cary McWilliam, Jason Garcia Ignacio, and Daniel Gwirtzman demonstrate how shapes can occur not only within a body, but from multiple bodies coming together and attaching. Shapes can be straight, bent, curved, spiraled, or twisted. They can be symmetrical or asymmetrical. They can be compact or expansive, detailed or broad, narrow or wide, high or low. There are an infinite number of shapes the body can produce by itself and in relationship to others. This image was captured by photographer Lois Greenfield.
STUDENTS EXPLORE MAKING SHAPES
Creating is at the heart of the Dance With Us philosophy. Learning to use one’s body to create movement is the beginning of dance composition. In these videos, Kindergarten through Fourth Grade students make shapes one at a time and in duet form, with two joining to make a collaborative shape.
NEGATIVE SPACE
In both visual art and the performative art of dance, the space that surrounds and fills in the cracks between subjects or bodies is known as “negative space.” As an audience member, one may experience a moment in which the eye is drawn not to the dancer but to the space that one or more dancers create as they move and connect to form new shapes. That is a moment of witnessing negative space. Negative space is the space that is created in and around a shape, which is referred to as a positive shape in virtual art.
In this photograph you can see the rectangular negative space created in the space through Daniel’s arms, like a window. In the dance film Duet With Railing you can see an example of this in action.
SPACE
A body exists in space…moves in space…is contained by space. A dancer’s place and design in space, the direction and level she moves in, and her attitude toward the space, all help define the image being created. Where and how the dancer looks can shape the space. Space is a three-dimensional canvas on which the dancer creates dynamic images. Space can be considered an active participant, an abstract partner. Murray Louis, in “Dance as an Art Form,” wrote: “In its basic form, space is a void—silent, sterile, innocent—before consciousness, before life.” A choreographer must fill and mold that void. Space can be symbolic. Something occurring in a corner of a stage space can be interpreted differently than the same action occurring in the center of the space. Certain connections and connotations come from viewing a body’s orientation to the space. We jump up. We fall down. Or we might fall back. Or fall forward. A race goes forward. A retreat pushes us back. We move forward in space when confident and aggressive. While these are all broad and there are exceptions to all, associations remain. Certain actions have certain spatial affinities. The dancer can be working in a limited, personal space or they might be working throughout a larger, more general space.
DOLLHOUSE
In Dollhouse, the space the dancers are working in is very prescribed and unique. It is an example of site-specific dance, where a dance is made in conversation with the space in which it is occurring.
A LIMITED USE OF SPACE
Sometimes, space can be an obstacle in dance. Here, dancers Simone Stevens and Simon Phillips were tasked with performing a dance in the back of a truck! Dancers excel in spatial sensitivity, learning how to adapt dances to a variety of spaces. This is an example of site specificity, which you can learn more about below.
In June of 2016, Un Lieu, Une Oeuvre, a gallery in Ménerbes, Provence, France, invited Daniel to perform in its space, the first time the gallery had featured a live performance. His conception to dance behind the door was in keeping with the gallery's premise: one artwork displayed at a time. The crowd outside became agitated when their ability to see the dance was impaired by their own reflections. Mireille Cartet, owner of the space, interrupts Daniel mid-performance of Character, a signature solo. He begins again with the door open, then continues with a series of improvisations in the street.
STATIONARY & TRAVELING
The dance film Willow, which has premiered with the platform’s launch, is a terrific example of a stationary dance. The finale from Encore is an example of the opposite, with dancers traveling across the space almost all the way through. You’ll be able to identify when the dancers stay in place or work in a stationary space versus when they are moving throughout the general space.
STATIONARY
TRAVELING
SPATIAL PATHWAYS IN THE STUDIO
In this footage from a 2018 rehearsal of Affront, as the work was being created, you can enjoy a look at how the dancers respond to the space around them, the specificity of their pathways, and how their sensitivity to each other maintains appropriate distances. It is not uncommon for dancers to bump into each other and collide as these spatial negotiations are being discovered and worked out. Dancers solve spatial problems in real time as they sculpt the space with attention to shape, time, and quality.
SITE SPECIFICITY
Dances that are specifically choreographed to be in a different space than the typical stage or studio are called “site-specific.” These are dances that choreographers do not see existing anywhere else; they invent movement that could only happen in that certain space. One might choreograph a dance on a street, on a roof, on a lawn, in a playground, or even in a bathroom. In the video below, watch Pier, a site-specific dance choreographed and filmed on a pier on the island of Itaparica, in Bahia, Brazil.
NO TRESPASSING
No Trespassing is a dance choreographed in a barn. Some of the movement was brought into the space to fill the void, the center space. Other parts of the choreography were born completely from that space and could only be used in this space: you can see examples of how the architecture of the space inspired the compositional choices: the walls, the ledges, the beams, and the stones.
SISYPHUS
Another example of site-specific work is the film Sisyphus, shot in northern California and narrated by one of the platform's guests, choreographer and company director JoAnna Mendl Shaw. She describes how this is an example of task-based choreography, that the viewer is observing a real task unfolding in real time, and she discusses how the film is deeply connected to the space in which it occurs.
TIME
Time is an inseparable component of choreography. When talking about time, there are multiple aspects to discuss. Tempo and Stillness are defined below. Duration refers to how long an action or movement lasts. It could be five seconds, five minutes, an hour, or a day. Momentum is the product of the dancer's mass and velocity and is created by the dancer moving in a constant direction. Just as a car gains momentum so does a dancer when traveling across space. Meter is a group of beats occurring with some pattern of intervals, whether even or uneven. Is there a beat to the music? Is there a meter? Are the dancers keeping a regular or irregular timing? An even or regular beat can be comforting, but it can also be monotonous, or worse, deadening. An irregular beat can have an array of suggestions: surprise, hilarity, annoyance, unpredictability, awkwardness, disjointedness. Accenting certain beats affects time. A movement lasting shorter or longer than others inherently creates an accent and gives it emphasis. Rhythm is formed from a pattern of beats or steps that occur over time. Our heartbeat is a rhythm. Our breath is as well. In both the rhythm can be altered for a variety of reasons. It can become less steady, the tempo can increase, it can alternate in an unpredictable fashion between regularity and irregularity.
CONGO
One of the most difficult dances in the repertory, set to Chick Webb’s Harlem Congo, is lovingly referred to as Congo. The dance begins with a flurry of fast footwork that is both pedestrian -- based on walks and skips -- and virtuosic in its use of speed, rhythm, directional changes, and unexpected shifts of weight.
TEMPO
Tempo refers to the speed in which movement, the dance, is occurring. A fast tempo of running versus a slow tempo of gently stretching. A tempo can carry psychological associations. For example, moving quickly could suggest being late, afraid, anxious, out of control, or efficient. Or one might simply enjoy the pleasure of moving fast! Conversely, one might move slowly to suggest fatigue, reflection, depression, indulgence, discomfort, or comfort!
STILLNESS
A paused moment, a stillness, is another aspect of Time. Stillness works as a contrast within dance, allowing a viewer to pause and take in what is seen, a moment to slow down along with the dancers. An extended use of stillness can be found in this excerpt from Tourist Point of View and in the dance Affront.
QUALITIES
All movement has a quality. Even if that quality is non-descriptive, bland, unmemorable, unnoteworthy, monotonous, plain, common, generic, simple, easy, relaxed, chaotic, random, or unpredictable. Learning to describe movement, and then full dances, by discussing their qualities is a way to begin conversing about dance.
EXAMPLES OF QUALITIES
Filmed for the launch of Dance With Us in June 2021, watch Company Dancers Vanessa Martínez de Baños and Derek Crescenti share some of the different qualities that dance can demonstrate.
Colin demonstrates the range of qualities on which a dancer might focus. Quality affects the way the dancer’s instrument is seen and heard. The same exact movement, such as stamping one’s foot, could be violent, a strong quality, comic, an exaggerated quality, or gentle, a slow, unaccented quality. While most actions have associations with certain qualities, in dance these relationships between what an action is and how it is executed are often disrupted.
MUSIC
Music seems like such an obvious part of dance that most people cannot imagine dance without it and believe it is a requirement. While most dances are set to music, modern dance as a genre does not have any expectation that music needs to be used. There are dances that do not have music at all, that are in silence. There are dances that use found sounds as a score, such as people arguing as in the dance Affront. When music is used in a dance it can serve to provide an atmosphere, it can provide a structure for the choreography to follow or respond to, or it can be a literal guide, with the movement visualizing the specific phrasing and dynamics of the music. To experience how music can be used in contrasting ways watch Obsession and Cycles.
GENRES OF DANCE
There are numerous genres of dance: how many can you list? Tap, jazz, modern, hip-hop, ballroom, flamenco, step, clogging, folk, ballet, salsa, tango, disco, merengue, swing, line dances...this would be a very preliminary list. Countries have folk, social, national, popular dances. In this section of the LEARN page we are highlighting only a few from the global world of dance idioms. We focus primarily through the lens of modern dance, a contemporary Westernized construction that is a relatively new art form, having been birthed at the beginning of the 20th Century. There are dances that go back centuries and beyond: dances from Africa, from Asia, from Europe, from South America, Latin America, Native American dances. There are American folk dances that came from England or Scotland, and those that were created here in the United States. Genres such as jazz dance themselves contain numerous different sub-genres, such as Afro-Caribbean, Funk, House, Latin Jazz, West Coast, Broadway, and Musical Theater dance. This is not comprehensive, but a sampler.
MODERN DANCE
AUTOMOBILE RIDE
Automobile Ride is a dance which straddles genres, living at the intersection of the contemporary musical theater and modern dance, as does the show Encore from which it is excerpted. A brief dance of just over a minute, it is action-packed.
VOLCANO
Volcano, a dance which premiered in 1999 for a cast of seven women, represents concert modern dance. There are many modern dance companies and many modern dances that exist in the world’s repositories of dance repertories. They work in many different styles. There is no monolithic modern dance to represent the genre.
JAZZ
Certain immediate associations may come to mind when one hears a certain genre, such as jazz dance. As with modern dance the genre is too deep and wide to be characterized by any one dance or definition. The influence and foundation of jazz music however is central and key. To gain an introduction to the diversity of jazz dance we suggest learning from the book 'Jazz Dance: A History of the Roots and Branches'.
FOLK
Daniel, who has danced folk dances since elementary school, has presented at the National Dance Education Organization’s annual conferences on the subject of folk dancing. In Washington, D.C. in 2016, Daniel presented Stamping and Skipping: The Art and Pedagogy of Folk Dance. In 2020, he presented a movement workshop called Folk You: Using Folk Dance Forms to Dismantle Hierarchy.
TAP
Stephanie Koltiska demonstrates a few seconds of a tap improvisation. How does watching tap make you feel? How does it feel to do it? You can replay the video and follow along, even without tap shoes. Copy her coordination and rhythm. Dancers that are fluent in tap have an incredible virtuosity in their instrument and acute rhythmic skills. | https://www.dancewithus.org/elements |
NTSB: Paraglider not on controller's radar before collision
Federal investigators say an air traffic controller's radar display didn't show the location and altitude of a paraglider when a small plane was placed on a collision course with it near Houston last month
ByThe Associated Press
January 21, 2022, 10:07 PM
• 1 min read
FULSHEAR, Texas -- The location and altitude of a powered paraglider were not on an air traffic controller’s radar display when a small plane was placed on a collision course with it near Houston, federal investigators said Friday.
In a preliminary report, National Transportation Safety Board investigators said the powered paraglider lacked a transponder or other tracking equipment when hit by the single-engine Cessna 208B on Dec. 21.
Consequently, the controller was unaware of placing the Cessna pilot on a collision course with the paraglider pilot flying harnessed to a propeller. Both collided mid-air and crashed 35 miles (56 kilometers) west of Houston, killing both pilots. | |
A bill in the Legislature to direct $80 million to affordable housing projects has the potential to double the number of units built over the next four years, supporters of the measure say.
The proposed law would provide state income tax breaks to trigger investment in new low-income housing projects, a crucial incentive to ease Maine’s affordable housing crisis.
The full text of the bill has not been released, but at least 30 percent of the new units would be reserved for seniors and 20 percent would be built in rural areas. About 10 percent of the funding would preserve existing subsidized housing in rural areas.
Even if the proposal passes, it will have only a limited impact on a worsening problem, said Rep. Ryan Fecteau, D-Biddeford, assistant House majority leader and sponsor of the bill.
“Quite frankly, it is not enough,” said Fecteau, whose bill would provide state tax credits worth $20 million a year for four years to investors in affordable housing.
There are about 52 available housing units for every 100 extremely low-income families in the state, according to the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition. That means only half the need is being met for those who earn up to 30 percent of the median income.
“We have immense need in the state for affordable housing,” Fecteau said. “This is really taking a hammer to the top of the iceberg. We have a lot more work to do.”
The proposed bill would offer investors refundable credits – or tax breaks – on their income tax for investing in new housing projects. The public subsidy would trigger federal tax credits available to private affordable housing developers.
LEVERAGING FEDERAL DOLLARS
At least 14 other states offer tax incentives for affordable housing. If passed, it will be the first low-income housing state tax credit in Maine, said Greg Payne, director of the Maine Affordable Housing Coalition.
Affordable means that a household is not spending more than 30 percent of its income on housing expenses. As an example, a single person earning 80 percent of the Portland area’s median income would make $50,350 a year and be able to afford a maximum monthly rent of about $1,250 a month. In Lewiston, a single person making $35,800 could afford a one-bedroom apartment for $958 a month.
Federal low-income housing tax credits are used in nearly all affordable housing projects. Most developers rely on high-value credits that cover three-quarters of the cost of a project, leaving them to borrow 15 percent and find another 10 percent in the form of government grants or another subsidy. But those credits are doled out to states every year based on population and get used up fast, leaving more housing projects than there are credits to pay for them, said Payne, who also is the development officer for Avesta Housing, one of Maine’s biggest low-income housing developers and managers.
“The opportunity to build more quality, affordable housing to address the need is so limited because the resources to address it just aren’t there,” Payne said.
There are lower-value affordable housing tax credits available from the federal government, but those pay for only about a third of new construction. That means even if developers borrow 15 percent, they still will seek a public source to pay for 50 percent of the cost, like a bond, grants, or tax breaks like those envisioned in the bill.
A $20 million annual affordable housing tax credit could help pay for 250 new units a year, about 1,000 new homes over the four-year program, Payne estimates. That would double the number of new low-income homes built in Maine.
“We are left in this place where we can sit back and be passive and allow the existing system to produce this woefully insufficient number of new units a year, or we can be proactive to leverage new federal dollars and do something about it,” Payne said.
MOVING THE NEEDLE
Extremely low-income households, those that make only 30 percent of the median income, are especially vulnerable. Statewide, there are more than 32,000 families on waiting lists for housing.
And the need is spiking.
Applications to get into Avesta apartments grew 32 percent in the last five years, from 3,067 in 2014 to 4,046 last year, while the number of people moving into new housing has stayed almost flat, between 340 and 437 a year.
Developers who take on affordable housing projects usually cobble together federal tax credits with state grants, loans and other incentives like historic preservation tax credits, said Kevin Bunker, a Portland developer. Incentives provided to attract investment to projects don’t provide nearly the return that market-rate or luxury housing projects would.
While a state tax credit could spur more housing construction, it won’t solve the affordability problem, Bunker said.
“From the perspective of the amount of units we are building now to the amount we could build, it will absolutely move the needle,” Bunker said. “But doing that with the overall need, it is too big for us to meet.”
With a desperate need statewide, lawmakers may be receptive to a new incentive scheme said Sen. Matt Pouliot, R-Augusta. Pouliot has submitted his own affordable housing bill, but said he would likely withdraw it and co-sponsor Fecteau’s proposal.
“I think it is a great step forward for us in Maine to provide additional incentives for developers to create more affordable housing in the state,” Pouliot said.
A different tax credit proposal was passed by the taxation committee with near-unanimous support last year, but died between houses.
In one of her early acts as chief executive, Democratic Gov. Janet Mills released a $15 million state borrowing package last month to pay for 200 new units of affordable housing for seniors. The bonds were approved by voters in 2015 but withheld by the previous administration of Republican Gov. Paul LePage.
The city of Portland recently proposed that any new hotel development also subsidize the building of affordable housing to provide residences for its workers.
“The majority of the state suffers from a lack of affordable, quality housing and the waitlists continue to grow,” Pouliot said.
“Essentially, the point is there is broad, bipartisan support for this effort to address affordable, high-quality housing in the state of Maine.”
Peter McGuire can be contacted at 791-6325 or at: | https://www.pressherald.com/2019/02/13/bill-offers-tax-breaks-for-developers-of-low-income-housing-in-maine/ |
Staying safe outside during COVID-19
Tips for your family on how to safely enjoy spending time outdoors.
Getting outdoors is a favourite pastime of adults and children alike. But with the continuing COVID-19 pandemic, parents are faced with navigating how to enjoy being outside while protecting their family’s health. Here are some tips to consider for safer outdoor fun!
Can COVID-19 spread outdoors?
Unfortunately, yes. COVID-19 can spread anywhere you may come into close contact with an infected person. However, the risk of infection is much lower outdoors compared to indoor spaces.
Remember, the virus spreads mainly via respiratory droplets that are released from an infected person through coughing, sneezing, talking or singing – which then get into the mouth, nose or eyes of people who are nearby. Short-range airborne (or aerosol) transmission is possible, particularly in poorly ventilated, crowded indoor places. People may also become infected by touching their mouth, nose or eyes, after touching surfaces contaminated with the virus, although emerging evidence suggests that this does not play a significant role in COVID-19 transmission.
I’ve been vaccinated. Do I still need to take precautions?
Getting vaccinated is a great step in helping to keep yourself and others safe. No COVID-19 vaccine provides 100 per cent protection though, which is why it’s important to take informed decisions about the risk involved in different activities for you and your family.
Follow guidance from your local authorities and stay informed about COVID-19 transmission and vaccination rates in your area. In places with low rates of COVID-19 transmission and high rates of vaccination, there is less risk for fully vaccinated people, but unvaccinated people, including children, can still be at risk of infection.
In many situations, it’s still recommended to continue taking precautions such as physical distancing, wearing a mask near others, frequent hand washing and self-checking for any COVID-19 symptoms before going out.
When is it safe for children to return to group activities?
The level of risk involved in group activities depends greatly on where you live. As a starting point, check for any relevance guidance from your local authorities. You should take more precautions in areas with a higher rates of COVID-19 transmission and lower levels of vaccinations.
As a general approach, it is safer to have playdates with children from other families outdoors where possible, as the COVID-19 virus doesn’t spread as easily in such settings. Physical distancing is also likely easier to manage for you and your children than indoors. If you allow your children to play outside with friends, consider limiting it to just a few other kids and encouraging physical distancing. Make sure your children wash their hands before they come back inside.
>Read: What you need to know about COVID-19 vaccines
How can my family safely spend time outside together?
Staying physically active is one of the best ways every member of the family can keep their minds and bodies healthy. By taking some key steps, you can help your family minimize the risk of exposure to the COVID-19 virus.
- When planning outings, try to avoid peak times and crowded settings and take routes that are less congested wherever possible.
- Consider packing a hand sanitizer with at least 60 per cent alcohol, disinfecting wipes, tissues, extra masks and a resealable bag to store the mask while not in use.
- Before leaving the house, check to make sure all family members feel well and are symptom-free.
- Remind each other to follow any recommended precautions in your area while outside, such as staying at least one metre away from others, wearing a mask when close to people outside your household, not touching your face (eyes, nose, mouth) or the mask surface, and frequently washing or sanitizing your hands.
- If you decide to eat outside, it’s safest to bring your own food and utensils. If this is not possible, take-out is a safer option than eating indoors. Don’t forget to wash or sanitize your hands before eating.
- Once you come home, make sure to first wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
> Read: Tips on introducing masks to your family
Is it safe for our family to spend time in a small group of close friends? How do you decide whether or not someone is safe to spend time with?
Every family has to take decisions based on their own situation. Here are some key factors to consider:
- Keep updated on the level of COVID-19 transmission in your local community. In general, the higher the rate of transmission, the higher the risk of potential exposure in public settings.
- The vaccination status of your friends and family.
- If you live with unvaccinated people who have an increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19 (older family members, grandparents, family members with underlying medical conditions), the whole family should take extra precautions to protect them. This may include limiting your children’s contact with other people (including playdates), or if this is difficult (such as when children return to school), keeping your child apart from those family members wherever possible.
- For any in-person socializing, consider whether others in the group are vaccinated, if they practice everyday preventative measures, and where and for how long you’ll be meeting – meeting outside and for shorter periods of time carry less risk of infection.
Communicate your decision to your child and take time to explain why you made that decision – and why it matters. Whatever your decision may be, it’s important to keep an open line of communication with your child. Encourage them to share any concerns and be honest if they didn’t follow the rules. This is important especially for older children and adolescents, who may be more prone to taking risks or feeling peer pressure to socialize. Try to guide and redirect them with science (what we know, what we don’t know), and with empathy and compassion.
> Read: How to talk to your children about COVID-19
Is it safe to use a public toilet?
Encourage your family to use the toilet before leaving your home and try to minimize using public ones, as you don’t know how crowded they may be. If you need to use a public restroom, keep a distance of at least 1 metre from others, wear a mask and wash your hands with soap and water immediately afterwards. If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 per cent alcohol.
Is it safe for my child to go swimming (both indoors and outdoors)?
There is currently no evidence that the COVID-19 virus can spread through natural bodies of water or recreational waters such as pools. If you are considering going swimming with your family, first check the latest guidelines from your local authorities, which may vary depending on the local level of COVID-19 transmission. If pools and beaches are allowed to be open, here are some things to consider:
- Location: How safe the swimming area is will also depend on if there is crowding, and the actions of the people who are there.
- Timing: Select a time when it is likely to be least crowded.
- Your children’s age: Will they be able to maintain physical distancing if recommended?
- Prevention measures: Check to see if the swim area has measures in place to prevent the spread of the virus and other health hazards, such as steps to avoid crowding, cleaning and disinfection, ventilation if indoors and safe water systems.
If you decide to go swimming, leave early if it starts to get crowded, minimize any time spent in enclosed spaces such as locker rooms, avoid eating in the swim area and supervise your child at all times.
This article was originally published on 02 September 2020. It was last updated on 24 August 2021. | https://www.unicef.org/coronavirus/staying-safe-outside-during-covid-19 |
The invention discloses a highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotive eight-wheel drive transmission device, and relates to the technical field of highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotives. The highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotive eight-wheel drive transmission device comprises an engine, a torque converter, a speed changer, a front transmission shaft, a rear transmissionshaft, a transfer device, a half shaft, a differential mechanism, two pairs of front wheels and two pairs of rear wheels; an output shaft of the speed changer extends forwards to form a front transmission shaft and backwards to form a rear transmission shaft at the same time, the transfer device is composed of a transfer device I and a transfer device II. The device is applied to a highway-railwaydual-purpose traction locomotive. Eight-wheel drive of the highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotive can be achieved, the friction area between the highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotive and the ground is increased, the friction force between the highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotive and the ground is increased, the passing capacity of the highway-railway dual-purposetraction locomotive on a severe road surface can be improved, the escape capacity, the climbing capacity and the stability of the highway-railway dual-purpose traction locomotive on a slippery road surface are enhanced, and better traction effect is achieved. | |
What Happens When Auditors Get the Flu?
Our internationally recognized faculty conduct high-level scholarship, present at national and international conferences and publish with top-level journals and academic presses. Our graduates’ success stems from our faculty's talent and passion for inquiry. Bentley supports research that prepares leaders who can address complex challenges through multiple lenses. Faculty members from our arts and sciences and business disciplines know that the ability to fuse both is key to producing graduates with knowledge of business and its wider societal value.
Our biannual Research Report highlights the continued support that research receives at the University and the success that it enables. The Bentley Bridge newsletter showcases research with impact and lists the latest faculty publications, awards and honors. Our annual Research Colloquium brings together an interdisciplinary range of faculty under the auspices of the Bentley Research Council to examine the most pressing issues of the day. You can learn more about each of these at the links below. | https://www.bentley.edu/research |
Leading with positivity
We strive to be an example of the future we wish to create—one where people support each other and embrace their differences. Our teammates are encouraged to be their authentic selves at work. Also to choose positivity over negativity for every interaction as that can change the way we collectively feel as people. It’s in the small moments we share—exchanging a smile, saying hello in the elevator, or having a coffee in the common area—that mean the most. We know this is sometimes a hard journey, but we’re happy to be on it together.
Better together
The foundation of WeWork is community. Bringing people together is not only what we do for our members—it’s what we do for our employees. Our all-hands meetings let us connect each month with our coworkers from around the world. By spending time with each other, experiencing life together, we feed off of each other’s energy and feel more deeply connected to one another.
Employee community groups
Our ECGs are grassroots efforts that have become core to our culture. They bring our community around the world closer together to share their diverse experiences. These employee-led groups serve as a resource for team members by fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with WeWork’s mission, values, goals, business practices, and objectives.
We of Color
Creating a community where people of color always feel represented, included, and heard in the workplace by fostering fellowship, advancement, resources, and recognition—increasing belonging, diversity, and inclusion within WeWork.
Pride of We
We seek to create a more inclusive culture for all LGBTQ+ employees through events, active citizenship, digital community, and mentorship, so that every person feels safe, visible, empowered, and able to connect with others at WeWork globally.
Women of We
We seek to raise the visibility of women in our workplace and empower each other to reach our potential through networking, career development, learning opportunities, and social good within a safe and trusting environment.
Parents at We
We seek to support parents at WeWork, empowering everyone to live their home and work lives to the fullest.
Veterans at We
Repurposing the mission mindset to enrich the lives of veterans at WeWork through service, leadership, and education. | https://careers.wework.com/inclusiondiversity/ |
The study examines the association between physical activity and cognitive decline during eight years of follow-up in women over 65 years old. A total of 5,925 women were included in the study. At least 10% of people older than 65 years and 50% of those older than 85 have some form of cognitive impairment (for example, decline in ability to remember and to concentrate), ranging from mild deficits to dementia. The goal of research in this area is better identification of risk factors associated with cognitive decline. However, studies supporting the hypothesis that increased levels of physical activity are associated with stable cognitive function are conflicting and/or have methodological weaknesses.
The researchers measured the baseline physical activity of the women by asking:
The authors classified the physical activities as low (walking or gardening, etc.), medium (dancing or tennis, etc.), or high (jogging or skiing, etc.). They then assigned energy expenditures expressed in kilocalories to each of the activities. Finally, the authors calculated the total physical activity level of each of the participants by adding the kilocalories expended in 33 different recreational activities, blocks walked, and stairs climbed.
A trained examiner administered the cognitive testing during the baseline clinic visit and at the follow-up visits 6 and 8 years later. The examiners used standard tests that measured concentration, language, and memory. The authors defined cognitive decline as a decrease of 3 or more points from the baseline score to the 6 or 8 year follow-up visit score.
The authors also identified other health-related characteristics of the participants, such as their education level, current smoking habit, comorbid conditions (such as stroke, heart attack, diabetes, etc), use of medications (including estrogen), etc.
Finally, the authors performed a statistical analysis to compare the level of physical activity of the participants and the change in their cognitive function over the period of the study.
The authors divided the participants into 4 levels, depending on the amount and kind of physical activity. First, the participants were classified by the number of blocks walked each week. For example, those who walked 7 blocks per week were placed in the first or lowest quartile, those who walked 28 blocks per week were in the second quartile, those who walked 77 blocks per week were in the third quartile, and those who walked 175 blocks per week were in the fourth or highest quartile. Participants were then placed in similar groupings based on the amount of kilocalories they expended per week in total physical activity.
The authors note that their study supports the conclusion that moderate, as well as strenuous, physical activity is associated with decreased risk of cognitive decline. They note also that moderate levels of physical activity in elderly people have been shown to reduce mortality from coronary heart disease, to decrease the risk of osteoporotic fractures, and to improve bone mineral density.
The authors suggest several possible mechanisms that might account for the beneficial effects of exercise on cognitive functions, including an increase in cerebral blood flow, a reduction in serum cholesterol levels and blood pressure, and the stimulation of neuron growth. They urge further research to determine the exact mechanism to explain the relationship between physical activity and decreased cognitive decline in the elderly.
From Archives of Internal Medicine, July 23, 2001
Published July 2001
Improving Accessibility on Public Lands
Recommendations from American Trails
The Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) is Making a Difference Across America
Use this interactive map to find where, when, and how these funds are being used.
Everything you need to know about the positive impact of trails on health, environment, economics, and more.
Chattahoochee River NRA Water Trail
A 48-mile water trail along the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. The water trail is contained within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area (NRA). | https://www.americantrails.org/resources/more-physical-activity-leads-to-less-cognitive-decline |
Astronomers Find Remarkable Evidence The Guts of Some Exoplanets Are Similar to Earth's
MICHELLE STARR
17 OCT 2019
Exoplanets. They're very small, and very far away. We usually have to detect them by indirect means. Direct images are rare, and not very detailed. Even working out what's in their atmosphere is difficult. So you'd think trying to analyse their interiors would definitely be in the too-hard basket.
But you'd be wrong. A team of astronomers from the University of California Los Angeles has found a way, and it's utterly brilliant. They've analysed the chemical signatures of rocky bodies such as planets and asteroids in the spectra of white dwarf stars, into which the rocky bodies previously crashed.
Not only is this a remarkable new technique - it also suggests that the insides of exoplanets are geochemically similar to Earth's.
So how do you figure out what's exoplanets are made of? Imagine if Mercury, Venus and Earth were to crash into the Sun. The elements in the planets would be absorbed into the Sun, and change the light it emits, if only a canny astronomer could figure it out.
"Observing a white dwarf is like doing an autopsy on the contents of what it has gobbled in its solar system."
White dwarfs are the ultradense cores of dead stars that started out below 10 solar masses (larger than that, and they turn into neutron stars; larger again turns into black holes).
When the star runs out of hydrogen to burn, it will inflate into a red giant, fusing helium and carbon until those elements are depleted, too. Then the star's outer layers will be blown off, and the brightly shining, ultradense core that remains - the dead star's corpse, no longer fusing anything - is the white dwarf.
Doyle and her team looked at the electromagnetic spectrum produced by six white dwarf stars, between 200 and 665 light-years away. Different elements emit and absorb specific wavelengths, so when you look at the spectrum of a star, you can use these emission and absorption lines to determine its composition.
Because they're so dense, a white dwarf's atmosphere should show only the lightest elements, with heavier elements drawn into the star's interior, where they would be undetectable. But this is not what the team found.
"If I were to just look at a white dwarf star, I would expect to see hydrogen and helium," Doyle said.
"But in these data, I also see other materials, such as silicon, magnesium, carbon and oxygen - material that accreted onto the white dwarfs from bodies that were orbiting them."
And that revealed something really interesting - that the rocky planets and asteroids and other bits and pieces that had been slurped into the stars were made of similar stuff to Earth.
The clue was in the oxidation of iron - the process whereby iron's electrons are shared with oxygen, resulting in a chemical bond between them, and producing iron oxide, also known as rust.
Here in the Solar System, rocky bodies such as Mars, Earth and a whole bunch of asteroids have a high level of this iron oxidation.
"The fact that we have oceans and all the ingredients necessary for life can be traced back to the planet being oxidised as it is. The rocks control the chemistry."
So, to build an Earth-like exoplanet, you'd probably need similar geochemistry. And whether or not exoplanets have this geochemistry has been a huge mystery. This is where the team's analysis of the stars' spectra comes in.
"We measured the amount of iron that got oxidised in these rocks that hit the white dwarf," Young said.
And they were very similar to Earth and Mars.
So, rocky planets that could have Earth-like atmospheres, plate tectonics, magnetic fields - they may not be incredibly rare. Just a bit harder to spot than the gas giants we usually find.
"We are doing real geochemistry on rocks from outside our solar system. Most astrophysicists wouldn't think to do this, and most geochemists wouldn't think to ever apply this to a white dwarf," Young said.
"We have just raised the probability that many rocky planets are like the Earth, and there's a very large number of rocky planets in the universe." | |
Astrocytes Provide Lipids For Myelin Sheath Production
Besides providing lipids for the synthesis of myelin sheaths during development, astrocytes, namely those contacting the nodes of Ranvier, were also reported to reversibly modify myelin thickness and nodal gap length thus appropriately regulating conduction velocity in individual axons. In support of this observation, the reduction of exocytosis induced in transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative fragment of the vesicle-associated membrane protein 2 in astrocytes, exhibited detachment of adjacent paranodal loops of myelin from the axon, increased nodal gap length, thinning of myelin sheath in the optic nerve and finally decrease in visual acuity. These data led to propose that thrombin-dependent proteolysis of the cell adhesion molecule neurofascin 155 that attaches myelin to the axon, is inhibited by the vesicular release of thrombin protease inhibitors from perinodal astrocytes, which likely involves these cells in myelin remodeling necessary for optimal electrical conduction .
Reactive Astrocytes Provide Pro
IL-1 also stimulates the astroglial production of LIF promoting survival of oligodendrocytes and thus decreasing disease severity in EAE mice . In a pathological context where tumor necrosis factor is a key component of the inflammatory response, LIF can alternatively be released upon TNFR2-mediated activation of the PI3K-PKB/Akt pathway in primary astrocytes. The selective stimulation of TNFR2 on astrocytes cocultured with OPCs promoted OPC differentiation into mature oligodendrocytes while the process was blocked in the presence of LIF neutralizing antibodies . Reactive astrocytes also produce BDNF supporting oligodendrogenesis and regeneration after white matter damage. In vitro, conditioned medium from astrocytes restored the process of OPC maturation even under hypoxic stress known to block OPC differentiation unless the medium was specifically treated to remove BDNF. Similarly, in vivo, the conditional astroglial deletion of BDNF led to a highly reduced number of newly generated oligodendrocytes and thus to larger white matter damage in animals subjected to prolonged cerebral hypoperfusion .
Ohsu Research Could Lead To New Therapies To Heal Nervous System Disorders
- Date:
- Oregon Health & Science University
- Summary:
- Scientists have discovered that a special type of cell is much more prolific in generating a protective sheath covering nerve fibers than previously believed.
Scientists have discovered that a special type of cell is much more prolific in generating a protective sheath covering nerve fibers than previously believed.
The revelation about Schwann cells raises the possibility of new avenues to treat nerve injuries and various forms of neuropathy. Further research could prove useful in promoting myelin repair in central nervous system disorders such as multiple sclerosis, where damage to myelin slows or blocks electric signals from the brain.
“This totally overturns the textbook definition of the way Schwann cells work,” said senior author Kelly Monk, Ph.D., professor and co-director of the Vollum Institute at Oregon Health & Science University.
The research published today in the journal Nature Communications.
Two types of cells in the body produce myelin: oligodendrocytes in the brain and spinal cord, and Schwann cells in the rest of the body. Until now, scientists thought that only oligodendrocytes generated multiple myelin sheaths around axons, the slender projection of a nerve cell that carries electrical signals between cells.
The new research reveals that Schwann cells also are capable of spreading myelin across multiple axons.
“It highlights a very plastic potential for these cells,” Monk said.
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Remyelination: How To Increase Myelin For Longevity
Slowing down mentally and physically is a normal side effect of aging. But what if someone told you that these unwanted experiences could be greatly reduced or even delayed? Enter: myelin repair. As more studies reveal the role of myelinating cells in a healthy brain and body, more people are asking how to increase myelin to boost their longevity.
So what exactly is myelin and the myelin sheath, and what do these things mean for living your best life? Here, we outline everything you need to know about myelin loss and myelin repair, including how to create new myelin for a sharper, healthier, and longer life.
Key Studies Supporting Detrimental Roles Of Astrocytes On Oligodendrocytes And Myelin
Several publications using astrocyte ablation have improved our knowledge about the main detrimental roles of reactive astrocytes in the context of CNS demyelination. For instance, OPC transplantation in ethidium bromide-demyelinated animals in the presence or absence of astrocytes indicated that astrocyte-free regions favor Schwann cell differentiation whereas the presence of astrocytes delayed the interaction of OPCs with the demyelinated axons . Similarly, the depletion of astrocytes via intracallosal injection of La-aminoadipate in cuprizone-treated animals revealed a notable increase in the percentage of myelinated areas, decrease in Iba-1+ microglia staining and collapse in the expression of genes related to either recruitment of microglia classically triggered by astrocytes or suppression of OPC differentiation . The considerable amount of fibronectin produced by astrocytes and the ability of astrocytic fibronectin to become aggregated after treatment with lipopolysaccharide led to conclude to the deleterious effects of such aggregates on oligodendrocyte differentiation and myelin regeneration in vivo, in agreement with the detection of a low level of fibronectin aggregates in remyelinated MS lesions . The signaling molecule endothelin-1 expressed by reactive astrocytes in MS and murine demyelinated lesions is a negative regulator of OPC differentiation and remyelination acting by promoting Notch activation in OPCs during remyelination .
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Astrocytes Control The Availability Of Cues Regulating Oligodendrocyte Production
Besides the secretion of trophic factors, astrocytes are also able to control the bioavailability of oligodendrocyte-regulating cues . The best-documented example was provided by the capacity of astrocytes to control the concentration of the morphogen Sonic Hedgehog during OPC production in the optic nerve. Shh participates in the proliferation and migration of OPCs during the colonization of this nerve . The multiligand receptor megalin, a member of the low-density lipoprotein receptor family able to bind Shh, was found to be exclusively expressed by astrocytes according to a dynamic pattern paralleling optic nerve colonization by OPCs arising from the optic chiasm and migrating to the retina. Indeed, when OPCs start their migration throughout the nerve at E14.5 in the mouse, megalin is more widely distributed in the region close to the optic chiasm whereas the distribution is reversed at E16.5 when the first OPCs reach the retina. Since, thereafter, megalin was found to be weakly and uniformly expressed all along the nerve, this receptor was proposed to control Shh internalization and its subsequent release at the suitable concentration during the various steps leading to oligodendrogenesis .
Other Types Of Macroglia
Central Nervous System
- Ependymal cells: Ependymal cells line the spinal cord and ventricles of the brain. They are involved in creating cerebrospinal fluid .
- Radial glia: Radial glial cells are progenitor cells that can generate neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.
Peripheral Nervous System
- Schwann cells: Similar to oligodendrocytes in the central nervous system, Schwann cells myelinate neurons in the peripheral nervous system.
- Satellite cells: Satellite cells surround neurons in the sensory, sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia and help regulate the chemical environment. They may contribute to chronic pain.
- Enteric glial cells: Enteric glial cells are found in the nerves in the digestive system.
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Iimorphologic And Structural Aspects Of Myelin Formation
Diagram of a single myelinated internode of the PNS, as it would appear if the myelin sheath, with its associated Schwann cell, were unrolled from around the axon. Note the very large myelin membrane surface area, as well as the many cytoplasm-containing structures , all continuous with the cytoplasm of the Schwann cell perikarya. This cytoplasmic continuity is presumably necessary for metabolic maintenance of compact myelin. Sites of synthesis, as well as ultrastructural locations, of the major myelin proteins are also shown. In mature compact myelin, the large trapezoidal sheet of myelin membrane is tightly spiraled around the axons, with apposing inner surfaces of the original plasma membrane fusing to give the electron-dense intraperiod lines and the outer surfaces of the original plasma membrane forming the lighter appearing intraperiod line . Abbreviations: RER, rough endoplasmic reticulum MBP, myelin basic protein MAG, myelin-associated glycoprotein PMP-22, peripheral myelin protein-22.
Electron micrograph of compact myelin from the mammalian CNS. Although there are minor ultrastructural differences, compact PNS myelin has a similar ultrastructural appearance. Note the alternating pattern of darker major dense lines and paler intraperiod lines, originally formed by fusion of apposing surfaces of the inner and outer leaflets, respectively, of the oligodendroglial plasma membrane. Cytoplasm-containing internal mesaxons can be seen on two of the myelinated axons.
Myelin In The Central Nervous System: Structure Function And Pathology
Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , Munich, Germany Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology , Munich, Germany and Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , Munich, Germany Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology , Munich, Germany and Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
Institute of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany Institute of Neuronal Cell Biology, Technical University Munich, Munich, Germany German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases , Munich, Germany Department of Neuropathology, University Medical Center Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany Munich Cluster of Systems Neurology , Munich, Germany and Max Planck Institute of Experimental Medicine, Göttingen, Germany
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Other Types Of Glial Cells
Ependymal cells are one of the four types of glial cells found in the CNS. Glial cells are one of the two major cell types that make up the nervous system and have a variety of supportive roles in neuronal function. The three other types of glial cells in the CNS are oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, and microglia.
Key Studies Supporting Detrimental Roles Of Microglia/macrophages On Oligodendrocytes And Myelin
Besides the growing number of data supporting the beneficial consequences of promoting the pro-regenerative phenotype of microglia/macrophages, several critical works support the deleterious effects of microglia activated through the classical way. First, activated microglia synthesize a multitude of cytokines, chemokines, cell adhesion glycoproteins or reactive oxygen radicals able to damage axons, myelin, oligodendrocytes and therefore involved in the initiation and propagation of the inflammatory cascade, which promotes demyelination in neural disorders . Consistently, LPS-activated microglia, polarized to pro-inflammatory status secrete tumor necrosis factor- and interleukin-1 , both known to be cytotoxic for oligodendrocytes . TNF and cuprizone supplementation to rat primary cultures of oligodendrocytes consistently decreased cell viability . Moreover, a minocycline-mediated blockade of microglial activation in cuprizone-treated mice prevented demyelination while a positive correlation was shown between the production of nitric oxide and oligodendrocyte death . Finally, LPS-induced secretion of the stress chaperone protein, heat shock protein 60 , was found to initiate OPC apoptosis .
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Vimolecular Aspects Of Myelin Synthesis And Assembly
The synthesis and assembly of myelin has been examined by measuring incorporation of radioactive precursors into myelin components both in vivo and in tissue slices, by measuring the in vitro activities of enzymes involved in synthesis of myelin components, by examining levels of expression of mRNA species for myelin-related genes, and by actual isolation and analysis of myelin . After individual myelin components have been synthesized, they must be assembled to form mature compact myelin. Some components, such as PLP, which is synthesized on bound polyribosomes in the oligodendroglial perikaryon, show a time lag of about 45 min between their synthesis and their appearance in myelin, reflecting the time required for transport from their site of synthesis to the forming myelin. Other components, such as MBP, show only a short lag, in keeping with their synthesis of free polyribosomes in oligodendroglial processes, near the actual site of myelin assembly. In keeping with this difference, studies have shown that myelinating cells spatially segregate mRNA species for myelin-specific proteins . mRNA for MBP is transported to near the sites of myelin assembly before the protein is synthesized , whereas PLP mRNA is present in a perinuclear location. Individual lipids also show different kinetics of entry into myelin following synthesis, and some of this may be due to synthesis in, or movement through, different intracellular pools .
A Neuroglia In Central Nervous System
1. Asrtocytes
- They are the largest glial cells.
- They are star-shaped cells with many processes.
- The ends of the processes are called foot processes which cover the capillaries to form blood brain barrier.
- Function: They also provide structural support to the neurons.
- Astrocytes are of two types:
- Protoplasmic astrocytes: They are found in gray matter.
- Fibrous astrocytes: They are found in white matter.
2. Oligodendrocytes
- They are smaller than astrocytes and have fewer processes.
- Function:They form myelin around the axons in CNS.
3. Microglia
- These are the smallest glial cells.
- Function: They phagocytose the pathogens and cell debris within the CNS.
4. Ependymal cells
- They line the ventricles of brain and central canal of spinal cord.
- Function: They produce cerebrospinal fluid.
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Unique Phenotype Of Neonatal Microglia Implicated In Developmental Myelination
As soon as the end of the 1970s, the existence of a specific subpopulation of microglial cells had been proposed in the early postnatal corpus callosum . Unexpectedly, the pharmacological suppression of microglia activation by using the anti-inflammatory drug minocycline was reported to significantly inhibit oligodendrogenesis both in vitro in neurosphere culture and in vivo in the subventricular zone of the dorsal forebrain. This inhibition was mediated by the blockade of several proinflammatory cytokines including IL-1, IL-6, TNF-, and IFN-. Also, the observation that activated microglia significantly increased O4+ cells but decreased PDGFRa+ OPCs again confirmed microglia activity on oligodendrocyte maturation .
Why Is Myelin Important
Neurons carry messages using a chemical version of electricity. The outer surface of all types of cells is called the membrane. The axons of neurons have special membranes that maintain a difference in the balance of positive and negative charges across the membrane, like a battery. The charge of a neuron’s battery is based on the number of sodium and potassium ions inside and outside the membrane. Messages are carried, or conducted, along axons and dendrites by the change in electrical charge across the membrane.
An ‘action potential’ is the name for an electrical message carried along the axon or dendrite of a neuron, like an electrical impulse carried along a wire. These tiny electrical signals would not be able to travel very far if the axons were not insulated. Once this electrical charge or ‘action potential’ reaches the synapse, it triggers neurotransmitter release to enable the signal to reach the next neuron in the chain.
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Polysialylated Neural Cell Adhesion Molecule
SC myelination in a compression injury model was improved using a strategy to promote SC migration by changing implanted SC surface adhesivity . The polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule, NCAM, is present on SCs acutely after spinal cord demyelination but disappears as myelin repair is accomplished . Thinking that PSA would be beneficial, early postnatal GFP-SCs were engineered to express on their surface the PSA form of NCAM by introducing a retroviral vector encoding sialyl-transferase X which catalyzes transfer of PSA to NCAM . In vitro, 11X more STX-GFP-SCs entered astrocyte domains than did control SCs. In vivo, STX-GFP-SCs injected just rostral to a mouse thoracic compression injury promoted faster and significantly greater functional recovery Basso et al., 2006) compared to control engineered SCs or no cells. The earlier improvement in locomotor recovery in the STX-GFP-SC group was perhaps related to the earlier enhanced myelination by the implanted STX-GFP-SCs, increased myelination by host SCs, and enhanced recruitment/myelination by oligodendrocyte precursors. In addition, more serotonergic axons were observed to exit the caudal lesion site in the STX-GFP-SC group than in the control-GFP-SC group. Overall, STX-GFP-SC grafting appeared to lead to a more permissive CNS milieu for axonal growth and myelination, resulting in locomotor improvement .
K.R. Jessen, R. Mirsky, in, 2013
Which Cells Produce Myelin In The Brain And Spinal Cord
Asked by wiki @ 29/10/2021 in Medicine viewed by 28 People
Oligodendrocytes produce myelin within the central nervous system . The cells that do this in the peripheral
nervous system are.the neuronal axons themselves,O specialized fibroblasts of the surrounding connective tissue.o oligodentrocytes that follow the nerve cell axon out of the CNS and do the same job in the peripheral nervous system.Schwann cells
Answer:
Explanation:
The nervous system is made up of neurons, specialized cells that can receive and … Glia can be compared to the workers at the electric company who make sure wires go … Along the axon there are periodic gaps in the myelin sheath. … Multipolar neurons can be found in the central nervous system .
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Exercise And Myelin Repair
Exercise is one of the best ways to ignite remyelination and keep your neurons firing quickly and efficiently. In addition to improving functions of the central nervous system, exercise has been shown to mitigate the negative impact of diet on the central nervous system, according to the Mayo Clinic.
This was revealed in a myelin study by Isobel A. Scarisbrick, which showed that a high-fat diet combined with a sedentary lifestyle can reduce myelin-forming cells, contributing to demyelination and associated cognitive decline.
Adding exercise to this high-fat intake, however, has been proven to increase myelin production. Specifically, the seven-week study on mice showed that frequent exercise training has the ability to boost myelin protein expression, even alongside a high-fat diet.
Our results suggest that consuming high levels of saturated fat in conjunction with a sedentary lifestyle can lead to a reduction in myelin-forming cells. But exercise training can help reverse this process and promote the myelinogenesis necessary to meet increased energy demands, says Dr. Scarisbrick.
Similar findings were displayed in a study on patients with multiple sclerosis. Published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, this study found that measures of overall functioning improved in patients after exercising with free weights, elastic bands, and exercise machines over the course of 24 weeks. | https://www.knowyourbrain.net/which-cells-produce-myelin-in-the-brain-and-spinal-cord/ |
The theme of a novel is the major issue that underlies the story, and is the lesson or message that it conveys. It is one of the most important factors to think about when planning and writing a work of fiction. When you studied literature at school, the theme of a novel was always an important point for discussion. Now that you’re a writer, don’t forget to give your own story’s theme the same careful consideration.
Defining the theme of a novel
The theme music of a movie is the tune that is usually played during the opening credits and recurs frequently as the story unfolds. The most memorable ones are highly evocative of the subject matter.
The theme of a story is its deeper meaning, and can also be thought of as the moral of a story. But that doesn’t mean that it’s your job to teach your reader a lesson. Instead, your theme should be conveyed with subtlety and show us an aspect of the human condition.
Try to identify the theme in some of your favourite novels, especially in the genres you have chosen for your own writing.
Some examples
Let’s look at some concrete examples.
A romance or love story might have as its theme the importance of choosing a partner with a good character, the tragedy of unrequited love, or letting your heart rule your head in order to find happiness. It might even be about the pointlessness of human existence.
Here are ten examples of a theme suitable for a novel:
- Every human life is valuable
- Power corrupts everyone
- Finding the courage to deal with issues in our life
- Love is stronger than hate
- How to deal with death
- Greed leads to destruction
- Crime doesn’t pay
- Overcoming your fears and limitations
- Finding justice
- How to overcome tragedy
- Death rules our entire existence
There are thousands of other possible topics. Think of some themes that you would like to write about, and a storyline that might suit them.
Develop the theme of your novel
Your characters, plot and settings are the outward manifestations of the story. The theme is the deeper meaning that lies beneath the surface. You can approach developing and incorporating your theme in one of three ways.
- First, you can decide on the basic elements of character, plot and setting. Choose the theme, and then have another look at your storyline. From the first page to the last, your novel should reflect that theme.
- The second approach is to decide on a theme and then create your characters, plot and settings. That is a good way to keep it as a pivotal element of your story, leading the way right from the start.
- The third method is a combination of both: keeping it central to your thinking from the beginning, but also allowing a free flow of thoughts about your characters and plot. You might decide, at that early stage, that your theme needs changing or modification.
Layer your theme into your novel
Be sure that the main plot of your story directly reflects the theme that you have chosen. Weave in various subplots that reflect both positive and negative aspects of the theme. That will create a well rounded and satisfying story that actually shines the light on humanity.
Decide on the theme of your novel, prepare your story outline and take on the challenge of writing a novel that has a clear message to convey.
What do you think?
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JAPAN'S economy grew slightly faster than expected in Q3 and is expected to gather pace in the last quarter with increased consumer spending ahead of a tax hike next year, but business investment came in well below economists' forecasts.
The 0.5 per cent expansion in the July-Sept quarter was slower than the 0.9 per cent growth in Q2 but topped the median estimate for a 0.4 per cent increase. It marked a fourth straight quarter of growth, the best run that the world's third-largest economy has had in three years.
Finance Minister Taro Aso indicated that the government will not rule out foreign exchange market intervention to prevent shifts in the yen rate from derailing economic recovery.
His remarks in Parliament yesterday pushed the yen down to close to 100 to the US dollar, which many Japanese exporters see as a level that will help maintain export competitiveness and encourage business investment.
Exports weakened in Q3 as large capital outflows from South-east Asia dented growth, though economists expect export levels to improve going into next year as overseas economies stabilise.
The success of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's "Abenomics" this year has hinged mainly on aggressive monetary easing by the Bank of Japan (BOJ), which has had the effect of weakening the yen. But a senior BOJ official said yesterday that it was not the object of monetary policy to influence the exchange rate.
Mr Aso indicated that the government is ready to assume this role, if needed. Japan no longer faces criticism from other major economies that its "Abenomics" stimulus policies are aimed at intentionally weakening the yen and giving exporters a trading advantage, he said.
He added that as with any other country, Japan needs to ensure that it retains the currency intervention option as a policy tool and be ready to take action when markets are excessively volatile, Reuters reported.
His comments pushed the yen down to a two-month low against the US dollar and at the same time buoyed Tokyo stock prices, with the Nikkei 225 stock average rising 309.25 points or 2.1 per cent to 14,876.41.
Growth is expected to accelerate in Q4 on the back of government stimulus and improved external demand in China and elsewhere.
"Economic growth is expected to accelerate in the final quarter of this year. Despite the soft headline figure today, there's no need to be pessimistic about the outlook," Reuters quoted Junko Nishioka, chief economist at RBS Securities, as saying.
"The government's stimulus package is likely to help boost capital expenditure. The ball is in the government's court so I don't think the Bank of Japan will come under pressure for further monetary easing any time soon."
Japan's minister in charge of economic revitalisation, Akira Amari, also said that the economy continued to look up because of firm domestic demand.
Mr Amari said that exports will recover in the current quarter as the US economy recovers and uncertainty over the Chinese economy subsides.
Domestic consumption is also expected to accelerate further in the final months of this year as consumers buy in advance of a scheduled increase in the national consumption tax from 5 per cent to 8 per cent from April next year. A tighter labour market and signs of rising wages should also bolster consumer spending in coming quarters, economists said.
However, capital expenditure growth slowed to 0.2 per cent in Q3, well below a median estimate of 0.8 per cent, suggesting that companies remain reluctant to deliver the increased investment needed for a sustained recovery.
Domestic capital investment remains the biggest uncertainty but a government stimulus package is expected to boost overall levels of spending, and the government's determination to maintain a steady exchange rate for the yen should also encourage domestic business investment, economists say.
Meanwhile, the results of a Reuters survey published yesterday showed that confidence levels among Japanese firms rose for the first time in three months in November, and is expected to improve further over the coming three months.
Revised official data published yesterday also showed that Japan's industrial output rose 1.3 per cent in September from the previous month. Though slightly less than the initial reading, it confirmed ongoing economic recovery. | https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/top-stories/japan-posts-faster-than-expected-q3-growth |
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This course teaches students how to develop and achieve personal goals for future learning, work, and community involvement. Students will assess their interests, skills, and characteristics and investigate current economic and workplace trends, work opportunities, and ways to search for work.The course explores postsecondary learning and career options, prepares students for managing work and life transitions, and helps students focus on their goals through the development of a career plan.
This course examines the relationships between food, energy balance, and nutritional status; the nutritional needs of individuals at different stages of life; and the role of nutrition in health and disease. Students will evaluate nutrition-related trends and will determine how food choices can promote food security and environmental responsibility. Students will learn about healthy eating, expand their repertoire of food-preparation techniques, and develop their social science research skills by investigating issues related to nutrition and health.
This course enables students to draw on sociological, psychological, and anthropological theories and research to analyze the development of individuals, intimate relationships, and family and parent-child relationships. Students will focus on issues and challenges facing individuals and families in Canada’s diverse society. They will develop analytical tools that enable them to assess various factors affecting families and to consider policies and practices intended to support families in Canada. They will develop the investigative skills required to conduct and communicate the results of research on individuals, intimate relationships, and parent-child relationships.
This course gives students the opportunity to explore the world of fashion. Students will learn how to create a fashion product using various tools, techniques, and technologies while developing their practical skills. Students will learn about various factors that affect the global fashion industry, the needs of specialized markets, and the impact of fiber and fabric production and care. In addition, they will learn about social and historical influences on fashion. Students will apply research skills when investigating aspects of the fashion world.
Students will work with video lessons created by the teacher to understand how to pronounce simple words. Students will also build on their vocabulary by focusing on certain words and sounds throughout the units.Through investigation, students will read along with the teacher to answer questions based on the text. Students will create patterns and establish an understanding of equality. Students collect, organize, read and display information to make predictions of what will happen. Throughout the course, students begin developing their skills by processing the problem, reasoning and proving, reflecting, and communicating at a basic level. Through investigation of real-life events, students develop a strong foundation of language knowledge and skills. This course prepares students for grade 2 language.
Welcome to grade 2 language, I am super excited for us to do this course together! In this class we will be improving our skills in: | https://brightmindsonlineschool.ca/shop/page/6/ |
The forms of these two poems reflect trends seen at the time of their publishing. Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey is written in unrhymed lines of iambic pentameter, otherwise known as blank verse. Blank verse can be read easily as it bears resemblance to prose. In addition to this, iambic pentameter is commonly used to mimic natural speech patterns making it simple to read, an ideal of the romantic period. Locksley Hall is a dramatic monologue with 97 rhyming couplets. The dramatic monologue was...
... middle of paper ...
... upon when reminded of his youth.
Childhood memories allow the speakers in both Tintern Abbey and Locksley Hall to meditate on the past, present and future. Wordsworth’s Tintern Abbey uses memory in order to discuss themes of connection to nature and aging. This is done by the previously mentioned bringing forward of past feelings and comparisons to his younger sister. This theme of connection to nature is indicative of the romantic era in which it was written in and which Wordsworth was at the forefront of. Tennyson’s Locksley Hall presents ideas typical of the Victorian era through the speaker’s dramatic monologue. The speaker uses the dramatic monologue form to speak his thoughts on his past love who left him, and what this says about society. Through memory both of these poems illuminate ideas which are typical of the respective eras in which they are written.
Need Writing Help? | https://www.123helpme.com/tintern-abbey-a-poem-by-william-wordsworth-preview.asp?id=400447 |
646 S.E.2d 573 (2007)
STATE of North Carolina
v.
John Joseph MANNING.
No. COA06-1314.
Court of Appeals of North Carolina.
June 19, 2007.
Attorney General Roy Cooper, by Assistant Attorney General Harriet F. Worley, for the State.
Stubbs, Cole, Breedlove, Prentis & Biggs, PLLC, by C. Scott Holmes, Durham, for defendant-appellant.
TYSON, Judge.
John Joseph Manning ("defendant") appeals from judgment entered after a jury found him to be guilty of trafficking in marijuana pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-95(H)(1), possession with intent to sell or distribute marijuana pursuant to N.C. Gen. Stat. § 90-95(A), maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping controlled substances pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-108(A)(7), and two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-113.22. We find no error.
I. Background
Around April 2001, Brian Gonzales ("Gonzales") approached defendant and offered to pay him $1,000.00 per month to use defendant's property to grow marijuana. Defendant agreed. Gonzales acquired two metal shipping containers and placed them on defendant's property. One of the metal shipping containers measured approximately forty feet long, and the other was approximately twenty feet long. Both containers extended eight feet high.
Over a period of time covering three to five months, Gonzales, with defendant's assistance, constructed marijuana growing facilities inside the containers. Gonzales testified defendant assisted in the construction and operation of the growing facilities inside the containers by: (1) installing the electrical lines for lighting; (2) installing water pumps; (3) diverting water from a well on defendant's property to water the marijuana plants; (4) planting seeds; (5) picking out strains of marijuana that were sufficient for the operation; (6) growing seeds; and (7) harvesting the plants to sell.
On 3 April 2002, officers with the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office obtained a search warrant and searched defendant's residence and shipping containers. The officers cut locks off the container doors to gain *575 access. Inside the containers, the officers discovered 731 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, lights, a sprinkler system, fertilizer, soil, and growth charts for the marijuana.
The officers called narcotics officers to the scene to collect and preserve the evidence found inside the containers. The narcotics officers collected the plants by cutting each plant above the root ball and placing them inside two thirty-gallon black plastic bags. The officers took the bags to the vice and narcotics office where they transferred the plants into more breathable brown paper bags.
On the following morning, 4 April 2002, Lieutenant Barney Lacock ("Lieutenant Lacock") transported the brown paper bags containing the marijuana to Toledo Scales to determine the marijuana's green weightthe plant material's weight at the time it is harvested. James Martin ("Martin"), service manager at Toledo Scales, weighed the bags. The total green weight of the bags and their contents was 25.5 pounds.
During cross-examination Martin testified: (1) he did not possess personal knowledge about whether the scales were properly assembled; (2) the scale used to weigh the marijuana was newly assembled; (3) if the scale was not properly assembled, it would not balance at zero; (4) if the scale balances at zero, it is correctly calibrated; (5) when he weighed the marijuana, the scales balanced at zero; (6) he had checked approximately 100 scales, and of those scales, only one was incorrectly calibrated, and it was manufactured by a different company than the scale in question; (7) the particular scale in question was sold sometime after the day it was used to weigh the marijuana; and (8) since that date, he had not received any service calls on that particular scale. Lieutenant Lacock testified that he observed Martin zero the scale.
After being weighed, the bags containing marijuana were transferred into three boxes and stored inside a drug vault at the New Hanover County Sheriff's Office. Some of the plant material decomposed while being stored. On 19 April 2002, the evidence was sent to the SBI laboratory, where it was analyzed and weighed again. On 7 May 2002, an SBI chemist recorded the marijuana's dry weight to be 6.9 pounds.
On 25 August 2005, the marijuana was examined by Charles Williams ("Williams"), an expert for the defense in the fields of agronomy and horticulture. Williams agreed with the State that the only way to determine the true weight of the plant material, including stalks, roots, leaves, and flowers was to determine its green weight. Williams testified: (1) the plant material was significantly decomposed at the time he examined it; (2) approximately thirty to forty percent of the plant material was mature stalks; (3) approximately ten percent of the plant material had reached sufficient maturity to produce a flower or bud at the time law enforcement officers harvested the plants; (4) the stalks of a plant can be considered mature even if a plant is not ready to be harvested; (5) it did not appear that the mature stalks were separated from any of the other parts of the plants; and (6) the green weight of the marijuana plants, excluding the mature stalks, at the time of the seizure was 5.1 to 10.2 pounds. Defendant did not testify.
Defendant was tried before a jury on 27 February 2006. At the close of the State's evidence, the trial court granted defendant's motion to dismiss the charges of trafficking and conspiracy to traffic more than ten pounds by manufacturing.
The jury found the defendant to be guilty of: (1) trafficking in marijuana pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-95(H)(1); (2) possession with intent to sell and distribute marijuana pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-95(A); (3) two counts of possession of drug paraphernalia pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-113.22; and (4) maintaining a dwelling for the purpose of keeping a controlled substance pursuant to N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-108(A)(7). Defendant was sentenced to a minimum of twenty-five and a maximum of thirty months imprisonment. Defendant appeals.
II. Issues
Defendant argues the trial court erred in: (1) admitting evidence of the weight of the marijuana without adequate foundation that the instrument used to weigh the marijuana *576 was properly assembled, calibrated, and tested and (2) failing to dismiss the charge of trafficking in marijuana because the State tendered insufficient evidence of the weight of the marijuana.
III. Weight of the Marijuana
A. Standard of Review
"The standard of review for this Court assessing evidentiary rulings is abuse of discretion. State v. Boston, 165 N.C.App. 214, 218, 598 S.E.2d 163, 166 (2004). A trial court may be reversed for an abuse of discretion only upon a showing that its ruling was so arbitrary that it could not have been the result of a reasoned decision. State v. Hayes, 314 N.C. 460, 471, 334 S.E.2d 741, 747 (1985) (citing State v. Wilson, 313 N.C. 516, 538, 330 S.E.2d 450, 465 (1985))."
State v. Hagans, 177 N.C.App. 17, 23, 628 S.E.2d 776, 781 (2006).
B. Analysis
Defendant argues that the trial court erred in admitting evidence of the weight of the marijuana without an adequate foundation that the scale used to weigh the marijuana was properly functioning, maintained, and calibrated. We disagree.
Defendant contends the testimony showed: (1) the scales used to weigh the marijuana were assembled recently; (2) the person who weighed the plants had no knowledge of whether the scales were assembled or calibrated properly; and (3) no tests were performed on the scale to determine whether it was accurate.
In State v. Diaz, this Court considered a proper foundation for evidence of weight of marijuana. 88 N.C.App. 699, 365 S.E.2d 7, cert. denied, 322 N.C. 327, 368 S.E.2d 870 (1988). In Diaz, the defendant claimed the trial court erred in admitting evidence of the weight of the marijuana because the State failed to establish a proper foundation for that testimony. 88 N.C.App. at 701-02, 365 S.E.2d at 9. The defendant asserted the State failed to show that the person who weighed the marijuana was qualified and failed to demonstrate the scales were in working order on the day of the weighing. Id. at 701, 365 S.E.2d at 9. We stated, "Unlike tests that are prescribed by statute such as the breathalyzer test, the criminal statutes do not provide specific procedures for obtaining weights of contraband. Thus ordinary scales, common procedures, and reasonable steps to ensure accuracy must suffice." Id. at 702, 365 S.E.2d at 9.
In Diaz, Agent McLeod, the law enforcement agent present when the marijuana was weighed, described the procedure by which the weight was taken. 88 N.C.App. at 702, 365 S.E.2d at 9 Law enforcement officers transported three trucks to a fertilizer store where they were weighed full. Id. The marijuana was unloaded and the trucks were weighed empty. Id. The cargo weighed 43,450 pounds. Id. Agent McLeod stated that the scales were certified within seven months of the weighing. Id. Based upon Agent McLeod's testimony, this Court concluded that "the foundation was adequate for admission of the evidence of weight." Id.
Here, the State's evidence tended to show that "ordinary scales, common procedures, and reasonable steps to ensure accuracy" were utilized when the marijuana was weighed. Id. Martin and Lieutenant Lacock's testimony established an adequate foundation that the scale used to weigh the marijuana was properly functioning. Martin testified: (1) if the scale was not properly assembled, it would not balance at zero; (2) if the scale balances at zero, it is correctly balanced; (3)the scale balanced at zero on the day he weighed the marijuana; (4) he had seen 100 or more of the particular scale model in question; (5) he assembled approximately twenty-five scales of the same model; (6) once the scale is assembled, it was normal procedure to put weight on the scale to check calibration; (7) over a period of twenty years he had checked approximately 100 scales, and of those scales, only one was incorrectly calibrated, and it was manufactured by a different company than the scale in question; (8) the particular scale in question was sold sometime after the day it was used to weigh the marijuana; and (9) he had not received any services calls on that particular scale. Lieutenant Lacock testified that he took the *577 marijuana to Toledo Scales to be weighed and observed Martin zero the scale.
Moreover, this Court noted in Diaz that "`the weight element upon a charge of trafficking in marijuana becomes more critical if the State's evidence of the weight approaches the minimum weight charged.'" Id. (quoting State v. Anderson, 57 N.C.App. 602, 608, 292 S.E.2d 163, 167, cert. denied, 306 N.C. 559, 294 S.E.2d 372 (1982)). Here, the weight recorded at Toledo Scales was 25.5 pounds, which exceeds the minimum weight charged by 15.5 pounds.
In support of his contentions, defendant cites State v. Mason, 144 N.C.App. 20, 26-27, 550 S.E.2d 10, 15-16 (2001) (error to admit evidence of a videotape recording when "[n]one of the State's witnesses gave testimony to indicate that there was any routine maintenance or testing" of the security system in question) and State v. Sibley, 140 N.C.App. 584, 586, 537 S.E.2d 835, 837-38 (2000) (videotape inadmissible because not properly authenticated since State failed to call any witnesses to testify that the camera was functioning properly or that the tape accurately represented the events that were filmed).
Both Mason and Sibley involve authentication of videotape recordings, which have specific requirements in laying a proper foundation for their admission. Mason sets out four elements needed to lay a proper foundation before a videotape can be admitted. 144 N.C.App. at 25, 550 S.E.2d at 14. These elements are unique to videotapes and are different from those set out in Diaz for a proper foundation for the admission of evidence of weight.
Diaz only requires that the State present evidence of "ordinary scales, common procedures, and reasonable steps to ensure accuracy." 88 N.C.App. at 702, 365 S.E.2d at 9. The State presented sufficient evidence to establish a proper foundation through the testimony of Martin and Lieutenant Lacock to support the admission of the weight of the marijuana. The trial court did not err in admitting evidence of the marijuana's weight. This assignment of error is overruled.
IV. Motion to Dismiss
A. Standard of Review
The standard for ruling on a motion to dismiss is whether there is substantial evidence (1) of each essential element of the offense charged and (2) that defendant is the perpetrator of the offense. Substantial evidence is relevant evidence which a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion. In ruling on a motion to dismiss, the trial court must consider all of the evidence in the light most favorable to the State, and the State is entitled to all reasonable inferences which may be drawn from the evidence. Any contradictions or discrepancies arising from the evidence are properly left for the jury to resolve and do not warrant dismissal.
State v. Wood, 174 N.C.App. 790, 795, 622 S.E.2d 120, 123 (2005) (internal quotations omitted). This Court stated in State v. Hamilton, "[i]n `borderline' or close cases, our courts have consistently expressed a preference for submitting issues to the jury, both in reliance on the common sense and fairness of the twelve and to avoid unnecessary appeals." 77 N.C.App. 506, 512, 335 S.E.2d 506, 510 (internal citations omitted), disc. rev. denied, 315 N.C. 593, 341 S.E.2d 33 (1986).
B. Analysis
Defendant argues the State presented insufficient evidence of the marijuana's weight and that the trial court erred in denying his motion to dismiss the trafficking charge. We disagree.
Defendant claims the State included mature stalks in the weight of the marijuana, which are excluded from the statutory definition of marijuana. N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-87(16) (2005). Defendant was indicted under N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-95(h)(1), which provides:
Any person who sells, manufactures, delivers, transports, or possesses in excess of 10 pounds (avoirdupois) of marijuana shall be guilty of a felony which felony shall be known as "trafficking in marijuana" and if the quantity of such substance involved is in excess of 10 pounds, but less than 50 *578 pounds, such person shall be punished as a Class H felon and shall be sentenced to a minimum term of 25 months and a maximum term of thirty months in the State's prison and shall be fined not less than five thousand dollars ($5,000).
N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-95(h)(1) (2005).
"Proving the weight of the marijuana is an essential element of the trafficking offense." State v. Gonzales, 164 N.C.App. 512, 515, 596 S.E.2d 297, 299 (2004), aff'd, 359 N.C. 420, 611 S.E.2d 832 (2005). To prove the element of weight, the State "must either offer evidence of its actual, measured weight or demonstrate that the quantity of marijuana itself is so large as to permit a reasonable inference that its weight satisfied this element." State v. Mitchell, 336 N.C. 22, 28, 442 S.E.2d 24, 27 (1994). The statutory definition of marijuana reads:
"Marijuana" . . . shall not include the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil, or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks, . . . fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.
N.C. Gen.Stat. § 90-87(16) (2005) (emphasis supplied).
In State v. Gonzales, this Court held, "[t]hose parts of the plant not included in the statutory definition of marijuana, such as the mature stalks and sterilized seeds, are necessarily not to be included in the weight of the marijuana when determining a trafficking charge." 164 N.C.App. 512, 515, 596 S.E.2d 297, 299 (2004) (emphasis supplied). Under the statute, "mature stalks and sterilized seeds" are not "marijuana." Id.
Defendant must make an affirmative showing that the weight of the marijuana improperly included materials excluded from the definition of marijuana. Id. In Gonzales, this Court concluded "it is the defendant's burden to show that any part of the seized matter is not `marijuana' as defined." 164 N.C.App. at 516, 596 S.E.2d at 300. In State v. Anderson, this Court held "the burden is on the defendant to show that stalks were mature or that any other part of the matter or material seized did not qualify as `marijuana.'" 57 N.C.App. 602, 608, 292 S.E.2d 163, 167, cert. denied, 306 N.C. 559, 294 S.E.2d 372 (1982).
Once defendant offers evidence tending to show the total weight may have included mature stalks, the burden does not shift to the State for further evidence, as defendant contends. The issue of the "weight" of the marijuana becomes one for the jury. We held in Gonzales, "where the defendant does come forth with evidence that the State's offered weight of the marijuana includes substances not within the definition (e.g., mature stems or sterile seeds), it then becomes the jury's duty to accurately `weigh' the evidence." 164 N.C.App. at 516, 596 S.E.2d at 300. We concluded, "[i]n North Carolina, establishing the weight element of a trafficking charge is a question the jury must determine beyond a reasonable doubt." Id. at 519, 596 S.E.2d at 301.
The State met its burden on the issue of weight by presenting the testimony of Martin and Lieutenant Lacock that the marijuana's green weight was 25.5 pounds. Martin testified that he calibrated the scale, weighed the marijuana, and recorded its weight at 25.5 pounds. Lieutenant Lacock testified that he observed Martin zero the scale and weigh the marijuana. The State also offered evidence that the 25.5 pounds was the marijuana's green weight. The marijuana was taken by Lieutenant Lacock and weighed the morning after it had been harvested. Defendant's own expert agreed that the only way to determine the true weight of marijuana was to determine its weight at the time it was harvested. The SBI Laboratory determined the marijuana's weight to be 6.9 pounds. This weight was taken a month after the marijuana had been harvested and only represented the marijuana's dry weight.
Defendant's expert witness, Williams, estimated between thirty to forty percent of the plant material appeared to be mature stalks and twenty to forty percent, or 5.1 to 10.2 pounds, of the original green weight was leaves and flowers. Using defendant's expert's estimate that forty percent of the plant material was mature stalk, the total weight of *579 the remaining marijuana would be 15.3 pounds, more than the ten pound minimum required by the statute. Under Gonzales, defendant was allowed to present this evidence to rebut the State's evidence and this evidence only creates an issue of fact for the jury to determine the "weight." 164 N.C.App. at 516, 596 S.E.2d at 300.
The State presented sufficient evidence tending to show the weight of the marijuana exceeded ten pounds to overcome defendant's motion to dismiss the trafficking charge. This assignment of error is overruled.
V. Conclusion
The State established a proper foundation and presented sufficient evidence to introduce evidence that the weight of the marijuana seized from defendant exceeded the ten pound minimum as required by statute. Defendant received a fair trial, free from prejudicial errors he preserved, assigned and argued.
No Error.
Chief Judge MARTIN and Judge McCULLOUGH concurs.
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Litigation Lawyers in Milliken
In Milliken, Colorado, a civil deposition is a part of the discovery procedure in civil litigation.
In Milliken, Colorado, "discovery" is a time-consuming process that happens before a case goes to trial. In the process, each side of the lawsuit is legally obligated to disclose all of the relevant information they have in their possession to the other side.
One of the most effective ways to receive information relevant to a lawsuit in Milliken, Colorado is to conduct a deposition of a party who you believe to be privy to that information. A deposition is a Q&A session between an attorney representing one of the parties to a lawsuit, and someone who has knowledge relevant to the lawsuit. This can be one of the parties, or a witness. The individual being deposed is sworn in, and must answer all of the questions presented to them under oath. An attorney representing the other side can object to lines of questioning, on every grounds that would be valid during in-court testimony. The purpose of this is mainly to get the objection on the record, but if it proves to be a major sticking point, a judge can rule on the objections later. If any questions are found to be invalid, the questions, and their answers, will not be shown to the jury during trial. This is much more effective than simply instructing the jury to disregard a question and answer they've already heard.
Conducting A Civil Deposition in Milliken, Colorado
In Milliken, Colorado, the main reason to conduct a deposition, as opposed to having someone testify in court, is to save time. After days of depositions, the jury can be presented with just the relevant testimony, if the case goes to trial. Also, it's a good idea to conduct a deposition if there's any reason to believe that the witness will not be able to show up to court to testify, due to bad health, or any other reason.
Milliken, Colorado civil depositions can go on for a long time - sometimes going for a week or more. If you get subpoenaed to provide your testimony in a Milliken, Colorado civil deposition, this could prove to be incredibly inconvenient.
To help mitigate this inconvenience, Milliken, Colorado allows witnesses who are appearing in depositions to be paid a set amount of money for their time, and reimbursed for travel expenses. However, if there is any evidence that this money is being used to influence a witness' testimony, there is going to be a significant problem: this would amount bribery, and it is a serious offense.
In Milliken, Colorado depositions, everyone being deposed is under oath. This means that you are legally and morally obligated to answer every question truthfully. If you deliberately misrepresent your knowledge (lie), you are guilty of perjury. And if you're caught, you could end up facing jail time and/or some extremely steep fines.
How Can A Milliken, Colorado Lawyer Help?
If you are a party to a lawsuit, and are subpoenaed to a deposition, chances are you're already represented by a , Colorado attorney. Obviously, you should follow their advice with respect to the deposition.
If you're not a party to a lawsuit in Milliken, Colorado, but have knowledge about some of the facts that are at issue in a pending case, you might still be contacted to appear in a deposition. In that case, you likely don't need to hire a lawyer. | https://litigationattorneys.legalmatch.com/CO/Milliken/civil-depositions.html |
Litigation Lawyers in Farmington
A civil deposition in Farmington, Minnesota occurs in many civil litigation cases, as part of the discovery process.
The discovery process in Farmington, Minnesota is one of the most important parts of the civil litigation process. During the discovery phase, each side of the lawsuit is required to make all of the relevant information it has in its possession available to the other side.
In Farmington, Minnesota, one way to get this information is to find the people involved in the dispute (whether they're witnesses or parties), and ask them questions about the issues you believe them to have knowledge of. A civil deposition is normally a pretty simple process: the person being deposed is sworn in (they are under oath, just as if they were in a courtroom). Because the whole point of a deposition is to get testimony on the record, a stenographer or video technician will also be present, recording the whole deposition. The lawyer then asks questions of the witness, and the lawyers for the other side are able to object to particular lines of questioning, if they wish.
Conducting A Civil Deposition in Farmington, Minnesota
In Farmington, Minnesota, the main reason to conduct a deposition, as opposed to having someone testify in court, is to save time. After days of depositions, the jury can be presented with just the relevant testimony, if the case goes to trial. Furthermore, it's a good idea to conduct a deposition if there's any reason to believe that the witness will not be able to show up to court to testify, due to poor health, or any other reason.
Civil Depositions in Farmington, Minnesota, can take a very long time to be completed, normally lasting several days, and sometimes going on for weeks. So, people who are called to give depositions in Farmington, Minnesota should be prepared for some considerable inconvenience.
To mitigate this, the law of Farmington, Minnesota normally entitles people being deposed to reimbursement. They can be compensated for travel expenses, lodging, and a can be given a small amount of money simply for their time. However, this is meant to be reimbursement for the time and expense incurred in attending a deposition, and it is most definitely not payment for the witness to give testimony that's beneficial to one side or the other.
Remember, when you give a deposition in Farmington, Minnesota, you're under oath. This means that you are under an absolute obligation to tell the truth. If you deliberately lie while under oath, you are committing perjury. Perjury is a serious crime, and can be punished by fines and imprisonment.
How Can A Farmington, Minnesota Lawyer Help?
If you're a party to a Farmington, Minnesota lawsuit and are required to appear at a deposition, one would hope that you've already retained a lawyer by this stage in the proceedings. Your attorney will have a lot of advice for you, which you should of course follow.
If you're not a party to the case, but have relevant information, you might be subpoenaed to appear in a deposition. In this case, you probably don't need to hire a Farmington, Minnesota litigation attorney, but it would not be a bad idea to seek out a brief consultation with one, to get an idea of what to expect. | https://litigationattorneys.legalmatch.com/MN/Farmington/civil-depositions.html |
Group III and IV receptors of skeletal muscle.
The single largest group of sensory fibres leaving skeletal muscles are small myelinated or unmyelinated (groups III and IV) fibres. The receptors served by these small fibres have not been subjected to the same intensive study that receptors served by group I and II fibres have received. The evidence so far available suggests that receptors with group III and IV axons play a particular role in nociception and also subserve a wide range of sensory modalities. Despite their role in nociception, the primary afferent fibres from these receptors do not project to the substantia gelatinosa. A significant percentage of group III receptors are sensitive to stretch and have been thought to be the receptor source that initiates the clasp-knife reflex. Other group III receptors respond to chemical change within the muscle and have been implicated in the initiation of cardiovascular reflexes and the changes in muscle blood flow that accompany exercise. Group IV receptors also include high threshold mechanoreceptors and nociceptors. It is well known that encapsulated receptors are quite unevenly distributed within skeletal muscles and in different skeletal muscles. Preliminary evidence suggests that the variation in receptor content is not confined to encapsulated receptors, but that the receptors served by group III and IV afferents may have receptive properties that vary from muscle to muscle.
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Subscription orders can be placed by contacting JSTOR at [email protected]. About the Journal International Journal of Cuban Studies (IJCS) is a unique scholarly journal in the English language on Cuba. The journal provides a forum for objective investigation and informed debate on the nature of the Cuban experience: its historical context; its international image and relationships; its scientific, cultural and social achievements; and its future orientation. The journal is published by Pluto Journals and available on JSTOR at: http://www.jstor.org/journal/intejcubastud. | https://sections.lasaweb.org/sections/cuba/show.php?type=news&id=291&pg=2 |
A lipoma is a soft lumpy growth that develops beneath the skin. This growth is made up of excess fatty cells contained withing a fibrous capsule and visible just beneath the skin. Lipomas are doughy to touch, and are often painless. It is important to mention that these lumps are benign, that is, they are not cancerous and do not change to become cancerous at any given time. The most common locations for lipomas include parts of the body which have a high concentration of fat cells. These include the upper thighs, the armpits, the buttocks, neck and torso, but it is key to note that the lumps can develop on any part of the body.
The precise cause of lipomas remains unknown to-date, but it is believed to be largely an inherited condition. In some cases, minor injuries predispose the skin to the development of these growths. Some of the symptoms of lipomas include the presence of a small lump (usually 1 cms – 3 cms in size) that is movable and remains the same in size over a period of time. The most disconcerting thing about lipomas is usually the location of the lump and its visibility which causes discomfort for many people. A lipoma is often diagnosed by its physical appearance, but if there are any doubts, the doctor will usually take further medical steps to verify the state of the lump.
The good news is that there are a handful of home remedies that you can use to treat lipomas naturally. For this natural approach to be effective, however, it is important to be consistent. Patience is key as the remedies will often take more than a couple of weeks before any positive results are noticeable. This is a preferred solution as most lipomas are painless. If, however, the lipoma gets infected, or becomes bothersome, it may be eliminated surgically. For both approaches, it is vital to consult your doctor.
What You Need: 2 Teaspoons each of neem oil and flaxseed oil and green tea.
Taking a natural approach to the treatment of lipomas is an effective way to manage the lump as well as reduce its size. Neem oil has long been used for this condition because it protects the skin and helps shrink the lipomas. Flaxseed oil on the other hand, is laden with omega fatty acids that go a long way in eliminating inflammation of the lump especially in cases where a minor injury gave way to the overgrowth of the fat cells.
Add green tea to this remedy in order to introduce its antioxidants to the mixture. Antioxidants are integral to the efficiency of this remedy as they aid in regulating blood glucose levels and the amount of adipose tissue beneath the skin. In addition, the tea makes for an excellent base in this remedy preparation. Follow the remedies below to treat lipomas naturally with minimal side effects.
Prepare a herbal ointment by mixing the two oils first.
Make 1/2 a cup of green tea and allow to cool. You may drink the tea that remains after the preparation of this remedy.
Mix the oils and green tea before applying.
Use this remedy at least twice daily over a period of four weeks or so until you notice that the lipoma has shrunk in size and its appearance is less obvious.
What You Need: 1 Tablespoon of chickweed and 2 tablespoons of any of the following: flaxseed /neem oil or green tea.
One of the most important home remedies for the elimination of lipomas is chickweed. For a long time, it has been thought that the accumulation of these fat cells is one of the ways the body eliminates toxins. This is where chickweed comes in as it is used to reduce the concentration of fats under the skin. Add to this remedy either flaxseed or neem oil for its aforementioned benefits as far as natural lipoma treatment is concerned. Green tea, as mentioned, has excellent antioxidant properties that help in toxin removal. Prepare this remedy as a salve and apply topically as indicated in the directions below.
The oils and/or tea are used to prepare a base for the remedy. You may mix the three or use any one of them.
Add 1 tablespoon of chickweed to the mixture and blend well so that you have a smooth and consistent paste.
Apply the resulting salve on the lipoma. Use this remedy daily until you are content with the progress you have made.
What You Need: 1 Tablespoon of flour, 3 tablespoons of honey, bandage and warm water.
Honey has long been used as a versatile home remedy thanks to its range of healing properties. It is no surprise therefore, that honey is recommended for the elimination of fat deposits beneath the skin. This properties make honey a preferred remedy for treating lipoma naturally. Flour is added to ensure that the mixture is consistent as well as to provide a base. You will need a bandage to hold the mixture in place. The remedy preparation takes just about 10 minutes, but application is recommended for 24 hours.
Mix the raw honey with the flour until you have a creamy mixture.
Apply a generous amount of the remedy on the lipoma, preferably about 1 cm thick. This improves the efficiency of the remedy.
Cover the lump with a bandage and let the paste remain on for 24 hours.
When this time elapses, simply rinse the skin using warm water and apply a fresh layer of the remedy.
Keep at it for about a week or two as you monitor how the skin progresses.
Time Required: Varies depending on one’s specific diet.
What You Need: Healthier sources of fat.
One of the most important ways to reduce the size of lipomas is to make dietary changes that eliminate processed foods as this is likely to increase the size of the lumps. In addition to eliminating high sources of fat, it is best to to avoid artificial sweeteners. Research shows that soy has been linked to lipoma formation, and must therefore be taken with caution or after consultation with your doctor. For some people, dairy intake has been shown to increase the lump formation, and may therefore be avoided altogether. In place of these foods, it is best to switch to healthier sources of fats. These include nuts, lean cuts of meat as well as vegetables.
Replace processed junk foods with healthy nuts, fruits such as avocado as well as lean cuts of meat.
What You Need: 2 Tablespoons of castor oil and old pajamas (optional).
Castor oil has long been used in shrinking lumps and growths that develop on the skin. These healing properties come in handy as they help shrink the size of the lipoma over a period of time. Note that castor oil is quite greasy and may be difficult to clean up. Since this remedy is applied overnight, you may want to use old pajamas or bedding to ease the cleaning process and avoid greasy clothes.
Place a few drops of the castor oil on the lipoma and massage well at bedtime.
Let the remedy remain overnight and clean up the following morning.
Use castor oil daily until the lipoma is eliminated.
What You Need: 1/2 Teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 tablespoon of either castor or coconut oil, bandage, disposable gloves and cotton wool. Glass of water (optional).
Turmeric powder is one of the most popular options in Ayurvedic medicine. Its healing properties may be harnessed both externally through application, and internally through preparation of a turmeric drink. Note, however, that turmeric stains easily, and the remedy is best prepared using disposable gloves. Coconut or castor oil is used not just as a carrier oil, but also for the immense health benefits on the skin. Prepare this remedy as follows.
Make sure you wear the disposable gloves prior to preparing this remedy.
Mix 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder with 1 tablespoon of the choice carrier oil so that you have a paste for topical application.
Apply a thick layer of the paste on the lipoma and massage for a minute.
Cover the lipoma with a bandage and allow the remedy to stay on the lump overnight.
Rinse the skin well the next morning and repeat daily.
Place 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder in a glass and add warm water.
Stir the mixture well and drink daily. You may use both options at the same time for greater synergy.
What You Need: Echinacea capsules.
One of the theories advanced towards the development of lipomas is the accumulation of toxins in the body. For this reason, it helps to boost the immune system with some of the herbal remedies that play a key role in treating lipomas. Echinacea is a herb that is packed with antiviral and immune-boosting properties that help shrink the lump. The best way to use this remedy is to use the capsules following consultation with your doctor particularly if you have pre-existing conditions.
Simply take the Echinacea capsules twice daily. If you have any doubts, check with your doctor on the way forward.
What You Need: Sage oil and bandage.
Studies show that sage oil has a given affinity towards fat cells in the body. This is what makes the oil perfect for the natural treatment of lipomas. When applied topically, the sage is absorbed through the skin pores where, over a period of time, it causes the elimination of the fat cells that lead to the lump formed. Sage also has the advantage of retaining a homeostatic balance within the body, and this slows down the enlargening of the lipoma.
Soak the cotton wool in the sage oil for a few minutes.
Massage the lipoma using the wet wool before wrapping the gauze.
Let the remedy remain on and wrap with gauze to hold the oil in place and enhance the healing process.
Other home remedies suggested for the natural treatment of lipomas include good old apple cider vinegar, regular exercise as well as select natural oils. It is important to remember that lipomas are largely harmless, but in cases where they cause discomfort, it is recommended to have them removed. This is not without its challenges as it poses associated risks of a surgical incision. Your doctor’s recommendations should also be made available. | https://www.pickaremedy.com/lipoma/ |
Safe houses meant to shelter those who coordinated Paris attacks were discovered by Belgian police. A number of attackers were housed in the two apartments and a house in the weeks leading up to the gruesome attacks, said investigators.
Prosecutors investigating the attacks in Paris, which resulted in the death of 130 innocent civilians, announced that Belgian police identified three accommodations that served as safe houses for the attackers, shared Eric Van Der Sypt, a spokesman for the Belgian public prosecutor.
“The investigators were able to identify three premises that have been used by the conspiring perpetrators of the attacks of 13th November 2015.”
Attackers are believed to have planned their assault from these very places. The police managed to piece together the details after a flat in the southern Belgian city of Charleroi contained the fingerprints of Bilal Hadfi and Abdelhamid Abaaoud, reported Business Insider. Another house used by the attackers is believed to be in Auvelais, a small village near the French border, about 55 kilometers (35 miles) south of Brussels.
While Hadif was one of the suicide bombers, Abaaoud, a Belgian citizen of Moroccan origin, is believed to be the ringleader who coordinated the attacks. While Hadfi died immediately after the explosives he was carrying exploded, the anti-terror squad killed Abaaoud in the raids that were conducted a few days after the attacks.
All the three premises were rented for the period of a year. Whoever financed the operation paid the owners in cash to avoid any traceability. Moreover, the tenants gave false identities, confirmed the investigators. While the safe house in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels was rented under the name of Fernando Castillo, the house in Auvelais, a town just east of Charleroi, was booked under the name of Maaroufi Ibrahim, confirmed prosecutors.
Besides the safe houses, investigators believe they have found the vehicles that were used during the Paris attacks. A SEAT Leon hatchback, a commuter car that doesn’t necessarily draw attention, had made numerous stops at the suspected safe houses in Charleroi and Auvelais. Another vehicle, a BMW rented by a suspect, stopped near all three locations, reported International Business Times. Prosecutors believe the hatchback was used to travel small distances and during the attacks, while the BMW was used to commute between the three safe houses.
Besides the two attackers, the rented safe houses also have strong links to Salah Abdeslam, the only participant in the attack still believed to be at large, reported HNGN. Apart from the trio, the Paris attack was executed by four additional terrorists.
According to the New York Times, a thorough search of the safe house in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek yielded bomb-making material; a precision scale; traces of TATP, an explosive used in the suicide vests made for the attacks; waist belts; and “a drawing representing a person wearing a large waist belt.” Interestingly, a large number of mattresses were found at the safe house in Auvelais. However, all three houses didn’t have any weapons.
The raids were silently conducted over the months of November, December, and January on the suspected safe houses, and the evidence collected has proved indispensable to figure out how the attackers had planned and executed the Paris attacks. From the evidence gathered so far, it is clear the Paris attacks were meticulously planned and executed.
All the attackers, believed to be members of the ISIS or Islamic State, had worn suicide vests on the day of the attack. The closely synchronized attacks left 130 dead and injured more than 350 civilians. France has been conducting its internal investigation, and has intensified its offensive against ISIS overseas in Syria. | https://www.inquisitr.com/2704540/safe-houses-meant-for-paris-attacks-located-three-homes-used-to-plot-terror-strikes-identified-by-belgium-police/ |
This textbook is meant for undergraduate scholars (juniors or seniors) in Biomedical Engineering, with the most aim of aiding those scholars know about classical regulate thought and its program in physiological structures. moreover, scholars might be in a position to follow the Laboratory digital Instrumentation Engineering Workbench (LabVIEW) Controls and Simulation Modules to mammalian body structure.
Characterisation and Design of Tissue Scaffolds
Characterisation and layout of Tissue Scaffolds bargains scientists an invaluable advisor at the characterization of tissue scaffolds, detailing what should be measured and why, how such measurements should be made, and addressing industrially very important matters. half one offers readers with details at the basic concerns within the characterization of tissue scaffolds, whereas different sections aspect how one can arrange tissue scaffolds, speak about concepts in characterization, and current functional concerns for brands.
Nanozymes: Next Wave of Artificial Enzymes
This ebook describes the basic techniques, the newest advancements and the outlook of the sector of nanozymes (i. e. , the catalytic nanomaterials with enzymatic characteristics). As considered one of today’s most fun fields, nanozyme examine lies on the interface of chemistry, biology, fabrics technological know-how and nanotechnology.
- Medical Robotics
- Corrosion of ceramic and composite materials
- Tissue Surgery (New Techniques in Surgery Series)
- Handbook of Biomedical Engineering
- The Language of Life: DNA and the Revolution in Personalized Medicine
Extra resources for Tissue engineering : principles and practices
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Smaller pore sizes were found to sustain less tissue in-growth and therefore less degradation. A similar correlation was found between the overall silk concentration of the scaffold and the degradation rate—highly concentrated (~17% silk) scaffolds elicited slow degradation rates. In conclusion, based on the data available, silks classify as biodegradable materials but their degradation rates is highly dependent on the structural features and the local enzymatic pool. A debatable subject related to silk degradation is the potential for generation of amyloid-like, predominantly parallel beta-sheet containing structures, despite any evidence for such correlations and despite long history of silk sutures.
L. 2010. Mechanism of enzymatic degradation of beta-sheet crystals. Biomaterials, 31, 2926–33. , and Yamada, H. 2004. Improvement of islet culture with sericin. J Biosci Bioeng, 98, 217–9. Park, S. , Gil, E. , Kim, H. , and Kaplan, D. L. 2010. Relationships between degradability of silk scaffolds and osteogenesis. Biomaterials, 31, 6162–72. , Knight, D. , and Engstrom, W. 2005. Spider silk proteins—Mechanical property and gene sequence. Zoolog Sci, 22, 273–81. Romer, L. and Scheibel, T. 2008. The elaborate structure of spider silk: Structure and function of a natural high performance fiber.
Use of immunoblot technique for detection of human IgE and IgG antibodies to individual silk proteins. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 76, 537–42. , Lagarde, J. , and Berson, M. 2000. In vivo model of the mechanical properties of the human skin under suction. Skin Res Technol, 6, 214–21. , and Vollrath, F. 2006. Biopolymers: Shape memory in spider draglines. Nature, 440, 621. , and Vollrath, F. 2007. Time-resolved torsional relaxation of spider draglines by an optical technique. Phys Rev Lett, 98, 167402. | http://raborak.com/index.php/lib/tissue-engineering-principles-and-practices |
press release: For the third consecutive week, poor people, clergy and advocates will return to the Wisconsin statehouse, as their historic reignition of the Poor People’s Campaign turns the focus of its protests to one of the 1968 movement’s main themes: militarism.
Tuesday’s protest comes days after President Trump bragged to North Korea about the United States’ “massive and powerful” nuclear capabilities and will highlight how our government prioritizes the war economy over programs to eradicate poverty and help veterans. Participants in Tuesday’s nonviolent direct action are expected to carry signs that read, “Money for Veterans, not for War,” and “Build Schools, Not Walls.”
They’ll call for a reallocation of budgetary dollars to veterans, healthcare, schools, public housing and other social programs in need of funding, among other demands. Under the current federal budget, 53 cents of every federal discretionary dollar goes to military spending and only 15 cents is spent on anti-poverty programs. Tuesday’s protests will highlight how this disproportionate allocation of resources benefits military contractors that profit from war at the expense of our troops.
In 2015, the Department of Defense budgeted more money on federal contracts, $274 billion, than all other federal agencies combined. In 2016, CEOs of the top five military contractors earned on average $19.2 million each — more than 90 times the $214,000 earned by a U.S. general with 20 years of experience and 640 times the $30,000 earned by Army privates in combat.
In his landmark speech on militarism at Riverside Church in 1967, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the leaders of the original Poor People’s Campaign said: “If we do not act, we shall surely be dragged down the long, dark, and shameful corridors of time reserved for those who possess power without compassion, might without morality, and strength without sight.”
The action in Wisconsin is one of three dozen nationwide, including a major protest planned at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. that will feature Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival co-chair, the Rev. Liz Theoharis. Her campaign co-chair, the Rev. William Barber II, will join protestors in Raleigh, NC, where he started the Moral Mondays Movement.
With 101 mass shootings in the U.S. so far in 2018, activists will also draw the connection between the war economy and the mass proliferation of guns on our streets. They will demand a ban on assault rifles and a ban on the easy access to firearms. And they’ll call for the demilitarization of our borders, including an end to calls to build a war on the U.S.-Mexico Border. They’ll also call for an immigration system that, instead of criminalizing people for trying to raise their families, prioritizes family reunification, keeps families together and allows us all to build thriving communities in the country we call home.
For more information contact wisconsin@poorpeoplescampaign.
Website: poorpeoplescampaign.org
Facebook: @anewppc
Twitter: @UniteThePoor
Martin Luther King Jr's Poor People's Campaign for Moral Revival announces six weeks of direct non-violent action to confront the immoral policies of racism, systemic poverty, the war economy, ecological devastation and religious nationalism. From May 13 through June 23 there will be presentations, discussions, marches and demonstrations in cities all over the nation. | https://isthmus.com/events/wisconsin-poor-peoples-campaign-may-29/ |
The reason cows become lame can be quite complex, as many of the factors are interrelated. However, the main reason cows become lame is most often related to cows walking on hooves (claws) with a compromised or unbalanced weight bearing surface.
Overloading the cow’s claw due to excessive wear or overgrowth can create a claw that is sensitive, unstable and more prone to lameness. Therefore, cows’ feet need to be checked and trimmed for two reasons:
- Restoration of appropriate weight bearing within and between the claws of each foot
- Early identification of claw lesions
It is important to note that not all cows examined will require trimming, as over-trimming can result in greater incidence of lameness.
Four-Step Hoof Trimming Technique
Proper claw trimming forms the foundation of a comprehensive foot health program. By recognizing certain claw trimming fundamentals, one can help reduce the risk of lameness caused by claw trimming miscues.
Following is an overview of the four-step functional claw trimming procedure, which is a slight modification of the original Dutch three-step procedure developed by E. Toussaint Raven. Each and every foot of the cow should be approached under this four-step process during claw evaluations to avoid over-trimming. This functional trimming process can be used to treat claw lesions. It is highly recommended that all claw trimming done on a dairy be conducted only by trained personnel.
Step 1: Toe Length
- Start by measuring from the front wall (just below the hairline to the tip of toe) of the inside claw on the hind feet.
- Any claw length longer than 3 inches (7.5 cm) should be removed by making a cut perpendicular to the sole. This leaves a square end on the toe.
- First trim the inside claw on hind feet to the correct length, then trim the outside claws to match. Repeat this process when trimming the front feet, starting with the outer claw first.
Related trimming tip: three inches (7.5 cm) is the appropriate toe length for an average Holstein cow. For large cows and bulls, appropriate toe length is 3.25 inches (8.125 cm). Never trim less than 3 inches (7.5 cm), unless it is a young heifer.
Step 2: Sole Thickness
- Claw length and sole thickness at the toe are directly correlated. Sole thickness should be measured at the tip of the toe where the cut was made. Anything greater than 0.25 inch (0.625 cm) in depth can be removed.
- Sole should be trimmed flat from front to back. Avoid removing horn from the heel of the inside hind claws. Be sure to leave a sole thickness of 0.25 inch (0.625 cm) at the tip of the toe.
- Avoid trimming claws that are less than 3 inches (7.5 cm) in length or have less than 0.25 inch (0.625 cm) sole thickness. Typically in these situations, only the outside rear claw needs trimming to correct overgrowth and imbalance.
Related trimming tip: sole thickness should never be less than 0.25 inch (0.625 cm). The sole should not be flexible under finger/thumb pressure.
Step 3: Heel Depth
- Heel depth should be measured at the heel-wall juncture (outside of claw) from just below the hairline to the bottom of the sole. Only trim horn from the heel when this measurement is more than 1.5 inches (3.75 cm).
Related trimming tip: strive to maintain a heel depth of 1.5 inches (3.75 cm). Cows housed on concrete typically lack heel depth.
Step 4: Claw and Heel Balance
- A flat, weight-bearing surface between the inner and outer claws should be achieved throughout the trimming process. Caution: soles should not be trimmed so they flex under finger/thumb pressure.
- Evaluate claw and heel balance: hold front walls of both claws together and place a flat object across both toes, across both heels, and from toe-to-heel on both claws. No light should be visible underneath the flat surface for heel and toe-to-heel measurements. | https://www.hooftrimming.org/bovine-hoof-trimmers-wisconsin/ |
The 24K Gold Leaf on Base comes from a special foil called Base. Using appropriate heating technics, the 24K Gold embeds into the foil sheet. By doing so, the sheet becomes easier to handle, and, of course, it costs less than pure Gold sheets. This type of Gold is being used widely by Antiques Craftsmen in order to finalize their work. These Gold leaves are inedible and are only used for crafts and decorations.
Where can they be used?
- Arts, crafts, and decorations
- Home décor and interior design
- Gilding
- Antique photo frames and art sculpture
Delivery Content:
Each gold sheet is separated with a thin paper
Sheet Size: 1.95 x 1.95 inch (5 cm x 5 cm)
Additional information
|Weight||0.2 g|
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Only logged in customers who have purchased this product may leave a review. | https://www.stylehaircare.com/products/gold-leaf/imitation/on-base-1000-sheets/ |
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), concentration in Teaching English as a Second Language (TESOL)
The TESOL MAT program is a full-time cohort (team) based program starting in May and continuing through August of the following year. In addition to coursework, students complete a one-semester internship and one semester of student-teaching in designated K-12 schools. Graduates earn a Master of Arts in Teaching with a concentration in TESOL and are recommended for licensure to teach ESL in grades K-12.
Our mission is to prepare educators to work with English learners in both local and global instructional settings. Graduates from the program are prepared with professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions through ongoing critical reflections and field experiences in school and community settings.
Graduates of our programs:
- Apply their understanding of linguistic principles and knowledge of language development to their instruction;
- Become aware of the socio-cultural issues impacting language learning;
- Enhance English learners’ use of both social and academic language;
- Support students’ multilingual development;
- Integrate the teaching of language and content;
- Serve as the link between school and home to facilitate English learners’ development;
- Collaborate with other professionals to support English learners and the community;
- Advocate for English learners’ need through promoting social justice
Also, please see our program webpage here.
Example Careers:
K-12 Teacher, English Instructor in Community College/Language Institute
Designed For
Teacher candidates with an undergraduate degree (other than education) who wish to pursue a combined Masters degree in education and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) teaching licensure for grades K-12. Take a quick Self-Assessment to see which TESOL program might be the best fit for your career goals.
Career Opportunities
Through the coursework and field experiences, teacher candidates have the opportunity to apply their learning in K-12 classrooms. Additional instructional opportunities will also be provided for those interested in working in community-based instructional settings.
Research Interests
Research interests include teacher development, appreciative education, international education, language education policy, language testing, classroom assessment, and language ideologies.
Program of Study
Total hours: 33 credit hours
Core courses: (9 credits)
- TED 545 (3) Human Diversity, Teaching, and Learning
- TED 636 (3) Educational Psychology & Differentiated Instruction
- TED 696 (3) Classroom Language Assessment
Pedagogical Expertise: (15 credits)
- TED 523 (3) Legal, Historical and Cultural Issues in ESL
- TED 603 (3) Literacy Instruction for English Language Learners
- TED 604 (3) Applied Linguistics for ESL Teachers
- TED 618 (3) Teaching English as a Second Language
- TED 640 (3): Writing Instruction Across the Grade Levels or TED 619 (3) Issues and Trends in Literacy Education
Professional Development/Leadership Courses: (9 credits)
- TED 680a (6) Clinical Experience in Teaching
- TED 680b (3) Clinical Experience in Teaching
Licensure Process
- Successful completion of all courses in the Program of Study and successful completion of internships and student teaching in K-12 settings
- Successful completion of assessments on TaskStream
- Acceptable scores on required PRAXIS II ESL exam and edTPA requirements
- Application for licensure through UNCG SOE Office of Student Success
Minimum Program Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- Documented evidence of having studied a foreign language
Application Process
- Apply online through the UNCG Graduate School website where you can find additional information. Applications are reviewed year-round for M.Ed., PBC and Add-on licensure program, but the Graduate School has deadlines for each semester. See Application Deadlines.
- Official transcripts from every college and university you have attended are required
- Three recommendations are required from former professors and employers. These can be completed online or submitted in sealed envelopes.
- A Residency Statement is required for applicants claiming North Carolina residency.
- Applicants are required to submit a personal statement and a copy of an updated resume.
- The the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are not required. However, MAT and M.Ed. applicants must submit an academic writing sample.
- Acceptable writing samples may include:
• an edited and revised recent academic essay completed as part of the coursework in education, TESOL, language education, linguistics, or related field; OR
• an academic reflection based on the Disposition Rubric in the TESOL program.
- General guidelines for academic writing samples:
• Length: 5-25 pages including references
• Citation Style: APA 6th
• Format: double spaced word document
- Acceptable writing samples may include:
Notice:
The U.S. Department of Education requires that all higher education institutions advise students as to whether their curriculum provides them with the eligibility to apply for a professional license and/or certification in the state for which they plan to practice.
As such, please review UNC Greensboro’s status by state for the TESOL program. You should note whether the program either “meets”, “does not meet”, or if there “has not been a determination” of the program’s status in the state for which you plan to practice. You should contact the program’s support staff at [email protected] with any questions regarding this data. | https://soe.uncg.edu/academics/departments/tehe/tehe-programs/mat-with-a-concentration-in-teaching-english-as-a-second-language-tesol/ |
OBJECTIVES: Biliary tract cancer (BTC) is an aggressive malignant tumor, and biomarker-based clinical trials for this cancer are currently ongoing. Endoscopic ultrasound–guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a safe procedure and enables pathological diagnoses; however, it is uncertain whether a tiny tumor sample of BTC obtained through EUS-FNA can be analyzed for diverse genetic alterations in the development and tolerance of BTC. Thus, we aimed to verify the feasibility of genetic analyses with EUS-FNA samples of BTC.
METHODS: Targeted amplicon sequencing using a cancer gene panel with 50 genes was performed with tissue samples of 21 BTC patients obtained through EUS-FNA with a novel rapid on-site process compared with paired peripheral blood samples.
RESULTS: Pathogenic gene alterations were successfully identified in 20 out of 21 patients (95.2%) with EUS-FNA specimens of BTC, which included 19 adenocarcinomas and 2 adenosquamous carcinomas. Eighty single nucleotide variants and 8 indels in 39 genes were identified in total, and 28 pathogenic alterations in 14 genes were identified (average, 1.4 alterations per patient). The most common alterations were TP53, KRAS, and CDKN2A in gallbladder carcinoma; TP53, KRAS, PIK3CA, and BRAF in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma; and TP53 and SMAD4 in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Actionable gene alterations (BRAF, NRAS, PIK3CA, and IDH1) were identified in 7 out of 21 patients.
CONCLUSIONS: A novel approach in genetic analysis using targeted amplicon sequencing with BTC specimens obtained through EUS-FNA was feasible and enabled us to identify genomic alterations.
1Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine and Faculty of Medicine, Sapporo, Japan.
Correspondence: Masaki Kuwatani. E-mail: [email protected].
Biliary tract cancers (BTCs), including cholangiocarcinoma and gallbladder carcinoma, have been recognized as troublesome and aggressive tumors, and the global incidence is increasing with greater frequency in Asian countries than in Western countries (1–3). Although surgical resection is the only treatment for complete cure, many patients are diagnosed with unresectable tumors due to the difficulty of early diagnosis and thus cannot survive for long by conventional chemotherapies with gemcitabine, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil alone (4,5). No effective targeted molecular therapies have been established; however, genomic spectra of BTC have recently been reported. Nakamura et al. (6) characterized a large BTC cohort composed of Japanese patients through whole-exome and transcriptome sequencing. The cohort revealed that molecular alteration of BTC has variety and organ-specific spectra, which include therapeutic targets in nearly 40% of BTC cases. A phase II study in patients with fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 (FGFR2) fusions revealed that a selective pan-FGFR kinase inhibitor showed significant clinical effect against cholangiocarcinoma (7). Pan-FGFR inhibitors are also being investigated in other clinical trials for advanced BTCs harboring the FGFR2 gene (8). In addition, other biomarker-driven clinical trials for BTC, which target BRAF, MEK, and IDH1/2, are currently ongoing (NCT02034110, NCT01242605, NCT02989857, NCT02273739, NCT02428855, and NCT02073994) (8).
Endoscopic ultrasound–guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) is a safe procedure in the diagnosis and staging of BTC with minimal complications (9). The genetic analyses of EUS-FNA specimens from some organs using targeted amplicon sequencing (TAS) has already been reported (10–14). The specimens of pancreatic tumor, metastatic lymph node in rectal cancer, gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and non–small cell lung cancer, all of which were obtained through EUS-FNA, have been analyzed using TAS with a cancer gene panel. Meanwhile, genetic analysis of BTC specimens obtained through EUS-FNA has never been reported. Therefore, the evaluation of gene mutations in BTC specimens obtained through EUS-FNA is significant and can contribute to the development of personalized targeted molecular therapy for patients with BTC.
In this study, we performed targeted deep-sequencing analyses of the BTC specimens obtained through EUS-FNA from 21 BTC patients with a high coverage depth of sequencing using a next-generation sequencer for 50 cancer-related genes that are likely related to the molecular alterations in BTC (6).
From September 2013 to April 2018, 689 patients with a biliary disease who underwent endoscopic transpapillary biopsy (ETB) for their biliary tract lesion were identified. Among these patients, 79 suspected of having BTC underwent EUS-FNA for the bile duct, gallbladder, or lymph node because of an indefinite diagnosis by ETB. Of the 79 patients, 51 were pathologically diagnosed to have adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma with the remaining 28 having benign disease, by experienced pathologists at Hokkaido University Hospital. Thirty of the 51 malignant samples were available in quantities that were insufficient for preservation. Finally, 21 patients (21 samples) were enrolled and analyzed (Figure 1a). The BTC specimens were obtained through EUS-FNA before treatment including chemotherapy and surgery. At the same time, paired peripheral blood samples from the same patients were collected and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by centrifugation for TAS. Because the specimen obtained through EUS-FNA usually includes both tumor cells and blood cells, analysis requires high depth to identify somatic alterations. The TAS analysis of normal paired samples is useful to minimize sequencing noise and to identify pathogenic alterations more accurately. Furthermore, TAS analysis helps identify whether there are somatic or germline alterations in the genes (15). All BTC specimens and paired peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stored in 1.5-mL tubes at −30 °C until use. Participants provided written informed consent or consent for the disclosure of study information as an opt-out.
The ethics committee at Hokkaido University Hospital approved the study. All samples and medical data used in this study were irreversibly anonymized.
EUS-FNA was performed by experienced endoscopists using a linear echoendoscope (GF-UCT260; Olympus Medical Systems, Tokyo, Japan) and 22 or 25 gauge needles (EXPECT or Acquire; Boston Scientific) with the patient under conscious sedation. After the target lesion was visualized by EUS, the needle was advanced into the lesion through the gastric or duodenal wall. The central stylet was removed, and a syringe was attached to the needle hub to apply negative suction pressure. The needle was then moved back and forth within the lesion at least 10 times and then removed through the scope. The specimen obtained through aspiration was placed on a slide, air-dried, alcohol-fixed, and used to prepare smears that were stained using the rapid Romanowsky technique for quick interpretation and assessment of sample adequacy (Diff-Quik stain; Kokusai Shiyaku, Kobe, Japan). Diff-Quik staining was performed on all specimens by an experienced cytotechnologist. We also stored 0.5–1.0-mm3 portions of the EUS-FNA white samples, which were considered to include malignant cells near the area of Diff-Quik staining, in RNAlater (Life Technologies, Carlsbad, CA) at 4 °C immediately after confirmation of malignancy (Figure 1b), and at −30 °C after a few days. Thereafter, all specimens obtained through EUS-FNA were evaluated for malignancy by cytological and pathological examinations by an expert pathologist.
Genomic DNA was extracted from the samples using an AllPrep DNA/RNA/Protein Mini Kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA) and then purified using AMPure XP (BECKMAN COULTER) and 70% ethanol. The genomic DNA samples were quantified using NanoDrop (Life Technologies), Qubit dsDNA HS Assay Kit (Life Technologies) designed to be accurate for sample concentrations from 10 to 100 ng/μL, and StepOnePlus qPCR system with TaqMan assays (Life Technologies) according to the manufacturer's instructions. Samples with low DNA concentration (<2.0 ng/μL) were concentrated using the Nucleospin Genomic DNA Clean-up XP protocol (MACHEREY-NAGEL GmbH & Co. KG, Neumann, Germany).
Ten nanograms of DNA was used for library construction with the Ion Ampliseq Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 (Life Technologies), which targets 2,790 COSMIC alteration hotspots in 50 cancer-related genes: KRAS, NRAS, TP53, BRAF, FGFR1, FGFR2, FGFR3, IDH1, IDH2, SMAD4, EGFR, PIK3CA, CDKN2A, HRAS, ATM, RET, PTEN, PTPN11, HNF1A, FLT3, RB1, AKT1, CDH1, ERBB2, ERBB4, STK11, JAK2, JAK3, ALK, SRC, GNAS, SMARCB1, VHL, MLH1, CTNNB1, PDGFRA, KIT, KDR, FBXW7, APC, CSF1R, NPM1, MPL, MET, SMO, ABL1, NOTCH1, EZH2, GNA11, and GNAQ.
The DNA library was prepared by amplifying target regions using multiple polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) followed by adapter DNA ligation. The library concentration was evaluated using an Agilent 2,100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA).
Pooled 100 pmol/L libraries were clonally amplified using the Ion OneTouch 2 instrument with the Ion personal genome machine Template OT2 200kit (Life Technologies), and then, the samples were enriched using Ion OneTouch ES (Life Technologies). The enriched templates were loaded on an Ion 318 chip and sequenced using the Ion personal genome machine system (Life Technologies) according to the manufacturer's protocol. Human genome built 19 (hg19) was used as a reference, and variant calls and annotations were made on the Ion Torrent Suite v5.6 software (Life Technologies). When matched normal controls were not available, other control sequence data (Thermo Fisher Scientific) was used as a control. Somatic alterations were detected using statistical approaches in tumor and normal samples from the AmpliSeq tumor–normal pair workflow with customized filters. Filters included removing common single nucleotide polymorphisms, nonimpactful events (synonymous, intron, or reference allele), and mutation frequencies lower than 2% (recommended by manufacturer protocol). The filter threshold covered 99% of the captured region in each case.
This study on human subjects was approved by the institutional review boards of Hokkaido University Hospital (Clinical Research approval number 017–0072). Written informed consent was obtained from each participant. All experiments were done in accordance with the ethical guideline of the 2013 Declaration of Helsinki.
The age of the included patients ranged from 39 to 85 years (median 66.5 years), and fifteen (71.4%) of the patients were men. At the time of EUS-FNA, CA19-9 level ranged from 1.0 to 8,512.5 U/mL (median, 221.0), and CEA level ranged from 1.4 to 168.0 ng/mL (median, 7.9). The details of the BTCs were as follows: gallbladder cancers (GBCs; N = 12, 57.1%), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (IHCCs; N = 6, 28.6%), and extrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (EHCCs; N = 3, 14.3%) (Table 1).
In 12 GBCs, 10 primary lesion tissues and 2 metastatic lymph node tissues were obtained through EUS-FNA. In 6 IHCCs, one primary lesion tissue and 5 metastatic lymph node tissues were obtained, and in 3 cases of EHCCs, one primary lesion tissue and 2 metastatic lymph node tissues were obtained through EUS-FNA. Two samples of GBCs were diagnosed as adenosquamous carcinoma, and the others were diagnosed as adenocarcinoma. According to the eighth edition of the Union for International Cancer Control clinical staging system, 17 BTC cases were stage IV, 2 were stage III, and 2 were stage II. Both patients with Union for International Cancer Control stage II had EHCC; in one case, the lymph node was targeted, and in the other case, the primary lesion was targeted due to failure of harvesting BTC tissue by ETB. No adverse events such as bleeding, infection, perforation, and bile leakage associated with EUS-FNA occurred in all patients, including the 2 patients who underwent curative surgery.
For all samples, appropriate DNA concentrations for TAS (>2.0 ng/μL, recommended by Life Technologies) were obtained in 17 EUS-FNA samples and 21 samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells using the AllPrep DNA/RNA/Protein mini kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA). The remaining 4 samples with low DNA concentration (<2.0 ng/μL) were concentrated using the Nucleospin gDNA Clean-up XP protocol (MACHEREY-NAGEL GmbH & Co. KG) to achieve the appropriate DNA concentrations (Table 2). Most of the needle calibers used in EUS-FNA were of 22 gauge (19/21), and there was no relationship between needle caliber used in EUS-FNA and yield of genomic DNA. All DNA samples were purified using AMPure XP and 70% ethanol immediately after DNA extraction and significantly improved the quality of the DNA samples (Figure 2). These samples were evaluated for fragmentation using the StepOnePlus qPCR system with TaqMan assays (Life Technologies), and the values measured by both the Qubit dsDNA HS assay kit and the NanoDrop system for used for library construction. Non-specific product contamination and measurable concentrations (>100 pmol/L, recommended by Life Technologies) (Table 2) were verified using the Agilent 2,100 Bioanalyzer (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA) in all library samples. In all cases, DNA extraction and library preparation were completed without problems, such as deterioration of quality due to DNA fragmentation, despite the old age of some specimens that were used.
Analysis with Cancer Hotspot Panel v2 indicated that the average sample loading was 72% (range, 67%–77%) and the average number of total reads was 5,595,584 with an average read length of 119 bp. The average sequencing depth of coverage for the 21 BTC specimens was ×2855 (×1617–×7467). We identified 80 SNVs and 8 INDELs in 39 genes in total, and the filtered normal–tumor analyses revealed 28 pathogenic alterations in 14 genes. The pathogenic alterations were identified in 20 (95.2%) of 21 patients, with a median of 1 alteration (range, 1–5 alterations) per patient (Table 3). Genomic profiles revealed pathogenic alterations in TP53 (12 patients; 57.1%), KRAS (8 patients; 38.1%), PIK3CA (3 patients; 14.3%), SMAD4 (2 patients; 9.5%), CDKN2A (2 patients; 9.5%), BRAF (2 patients; 9.5%), SMARCB1 (1 patient; 4.8%), NRAS (1 patient; 4.8%), CTNNB1 (1 patient; 4.8%), IDH1 (1 patient; 4.8%), FBXW7 (1 patient; 4.8%), HNF1A (1 patient; 4.8%), and RB1 (1 patient; 4.8%), ERBB2 (1 patient; 4.8%), respectively (Figure 3). Thus, in this study, TAS identified genomic alterations sensitively even though the malignant cell aggregates obtained through EUS-FNA were small (Figure 4a,b).
In GBC specimens, 11 pathogenic gene alterations were identified (TP53, KRAS, CDKN2A, NRAS, PIK3CA, FBXW7, HNF1A, RB1, ERBB2, CTNNB1, and SMARCB1). Alterations in TP53 (75.0%) and KRAS (41.7%) were frequently identified as pathogenic alterations (Figure 5a). In intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma specimens, 6 pathogenic gene alterations were identified (KRAS, TP53, BRAF, PIK3CA, IDH1, and SMARCB1) (Figure 5b). In extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma specimens, 3 pathogenic gene alterations were identified (TP53, PIK3CA, and SMAD4) (Figure 5c). Alterations in BRAF and SMARCB1 were identified only in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and alterations in SMAD4 were identified only in extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. In the 2 GBC samples diagnosed as adenosquamous carcinoma, pathogenic gene alterations in TP53, CDKN2A, RB1, PIK3CA, and SMARCB1 were identified in one sample, while no gene alteration was identified in the other despite the large amount of malignant cells observed upon hematoxylin and eosin staining (Figure 6). The difference in the gene alteration status and the number of gene alterations between the primary lesions (12 cases) and the metastatic lymph nodes (9 cases) targeted by EUS-FNA was not significant.
This is the first report of genetic analysis of BTC using specimens obtained through EUS-FNA. We achieved deep sequencing coverage and identified pathogenic alterations in 95.2% (20/21) of the patients with BTC using EUS-FNA samples. Previous reports on BTC showed equal or inferior success rates (47.5%, 92.1%, and 90.1%) (16–18) in identifying somatic alterations in BTC specimens obtained through surgical resection or ETB. With regard to using Hotspot Cancer Panel with pulmonary and pancreatic tissue specimens obtained through EUS-FNA, previous reports have shown 61.7%, 50%, and 100% success rates for the analysis of somatic alterations using TAS (10,19,20). There were several factors that contributed to the high success rate of TAS in this study. First, we performed rapid on-site evaluation of all specimens obtained through EUS-FNA before storing white tissues. The white tissues obtained through EUS-FNA sometimes include interstitial, necrotic, or connective tissues, and rapid on-site evaluation can prevent contamination with these unnecessary tissues before storing white tissue samples. Second, rapid tissue preservation in RNAlater and refrigeration immediately after EUS-FNA can preserve DNA quality by preventing fragmentation and chemical modification, which are common in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples (21). Third, DNA purification with AMPure XP and 70% ethanol improved the DNA quality. The DNA extracted using AllPrep DNA/RNA/Protein mini kit was contaminated with guanidine hydrochloride, which impairs the quality of libraries. Thus, additional purification steps prior to library preparation can help produce superior sequence data.
Regarding the case that yielded no pathogenic alterations upon analysis, there are a few possibilities–the sample truly had no pathogenic alterations, it may have had pathogenic alterations outside the hotspots, or the tissue obtained through EUS-FNA did not have tumor cells. However, we stored a portion of the EUS-FNA samples immediately after the FNA procedure and rapid on-site evaluation; hematoxylin and eosin staining of the tissue sampled showed a large amount of malignant cells. Therefore, the most likely possibility is that the sample had pathogenic alterations outside the hotspots.
In the current study, KRAS alterations were identified in GBC specimens, whereas a previous report using a larger cohort reported the absence of the KRAS alteration in this type of BTC (6). This cohort included 28 cases of GBC. In 2 prior reports involving 26 and 57 cases of GBC, the rate of KRAS alterations was 19% and 8%, respectively (22,23). Presently, CT imaging or MRI clearly excluded metastasis involving other organs, such as the pancreas, and colorectal cancer. Therefore, the identified KRAS alterations in GBC in the present study are considered to be consistent with prior data.
EUS-FNA is also useful as a sensitive and safe diagnostic modality for patients with suspected BTC in addition to pancreatic and mediastinal tumors (24,25). Although endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography with transpapillary biopsy is a common procedure for pathological diagnosis of biliary diseases, transpapillary biopsy is frequently unable to give pathological diagnoses for GBC or IHCC because of their locations. Therefore, EUS-FNA can more effectively contribute to the genetic analysis of patients with BTC. Some case reports of tumor dissemination through the needle tract caused by EUS-FNA procedure have been reported, and include pancreatic cancer, lymph node metastasis from gastric cancer, and malignant melanoma (26–28). Tumor dissemination following EUS-FNA in patients with BTC has never been reported. Nevertheless, the possibility of needle tract seeding should be considered.
Effective targeted molecular therapies for BTC, as well as gastric cancer with HER2 mutations, or colorectal cancer with KRAS mutations have never been established due to the wide variety of pathogenic alterations involved (6). Thus, personalized targeted molecular therapy may be more suitable for addressing more variations in several patients with BTC. In the present study, 7 out of 21 cases had actionable alterations (BRAF, NRAS, PIK3CA, and IDH1). In practice, clinical trials for therapies targeting these mutations are currently ongoing (NCT 02304809, NCT01501604, NCT02989857, and NCT03118817). The present study showed nearly 33% of the analyzed BTC cases harbored genetic alterations in potential therapeutic targets, which was nearly equal to that identified in a previous study (40%) (6). In the future, the analysis of pathogenic gene alterations should be required in all BTC cases to provide appropriate targeted molecular therapies. Our results clearly showed that EUS-FNA greatly contributed toward diagnosis and provided appropriate modes of therapy. Furthermore, TAS analysis of EUS-FNA specimens in standard chemotherapy–refractory cases may be useful to detect the changes in gene profiles compared to that prior to treatment. Detection of genetic determinants of response to chemotherapy may also help provide opportunities to receive personalized targeted molecular therapy. In addition, if the specimens that were pathologically diagnosed as normal were genetically analyzed and determined as having genetic evidence of cancer, the approach to therapy or choice of chemotherapy and overall survival could change accordingly.
The present study has several limitations. First, the analyzed samples were not the exact same samples that were evaluated rapidly on-site due to difficulties in sample storage for TAS. Second, the sample size of the present study was small. Although we were able to perform genetic analysis using this novel approach, more cases are required to improve the reproducibility of our results. Third, the current study eliminated the results of germline alterations due to the tumor–normal pair workflow of the analysis software. In consideration of clinical feasibility, we focused on the analysis of somatic alterations in this study. Fourth, we were unable to compare the quality or quantity of DNA between the RNAlater stored specimens and FFPE specimens because of the low number of stored samples.
In conclusion, the present study suggests a novel approach for genetic analysis with TAS using EUS-FNA specimens of BTC, and this may help in developing personalized targeted molecular therapy for patients with BTC.
Guarantor of the article: Masaki Kuwatani, MD, PhD, is accepting full responsibility for the conduct of the study. He had access to the data and has control of the decision to publish.
Specific author contributions: K.H., and M.K., and G.S. contributed to planning and conducting the study, collecting and interpreting data, and drafting the manuscript. M.I., R.S., S.K., K.K., and N.S. contributed to collecting and interpreting data. All authors have approved the final draft submitted.
Financial support: We disclose that there was no funding source and no financial support for the publication.
✓ Molecular alterations in BTC occur in variety and organ-specific spectra.
✓ Several clinical trials for targeted molecular therapies for BTC have been undergoing.
✓ EUS-FNA can obtain BTC tissues that are difficult to harvest through other procedures.
✓ Genetic analysis of BTC using specimens obtained through EUS-FNA can successfully be performed.
✓ A novel rapid on-site process before the library preparation can produce superior sequence data using TAS.
✓ EUS-FNA can contribute to genetic analysis and personalized targeted molecular therapy in patients with BTC.
1. de Groen PC, Gores GJ, LaRusso NF, et al. Biliary tract cancers. N Engl J Med 1999;341:1368–78.
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4. Hezel AF, Zhu AX. Systemic therapy for biliary tract cancers. Oncologist 2008;13:415–23.
5. Valle J, Wasan H, Palmer DH, et al. Cisplatin plus gemcitabine versus gemcitabine for biliary tract cancer. N Engl J Med 2010;362:1273–81.
6. Nakamura H, Arai Y, Tomoki Y, et al. Genetic spectra of bilially tract cancer. Nat Genet 2015;47:1003–10.
7. Milind J, Maeve L, Rachna T, et al. Phase II study of BGJ398 in patients with FGFR-altered advanced cholangiocarcinoma. J Clin Oncol 2018;36:276–82.
8. Zhao DY, Lim KH. Current biologics for treatment of biliary tract cancers. J Gastrointest Oncol 2017;8:430–40.
9. Hammoud GM, Almashhrawi A, Ibdah JA. Usefulness of endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration in the diagnosis of hepatic, gallbladder and biliary tract lesions. World J Ganstrointest Oncol 2014;6:420–9.
10. Kameta E, Sugimori K, Kaneko T, et al. Diagnosis of pancreatic lesions collected by endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration using next-generation sequencing. Oncol Lett 2016;12:3875–81.
11. Gleeson FC, Kerr SE, Kipp BR, et al. Targeted next generation sequencing of endoscopic ultrasound acquired cytology from ampullary and pancreatic adenocarcinoma has the potential to aid patient stratification for optimal therapy selection. Oncotarget 2016;7(34):54526–36.
12. Gleeson FC, Kipp BR, Voss JS, et al. Endoscopic ultrasound fine-needle aspiration cytology mutation profiling using targeted next-generation sequencing: Personalized care for rectal cancer. Am J Clin Pathol 2015;143(6):879–88.
13. Gleeson FC, Kipp BR, Kerr SE, et al. Kinase genotype analysis of gastric gastrointestinal stromal tumor cytology samples using targeted next-generation sequencing. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2015;13(1):202–6.
14. Reynolds JP, Zhou Y, Jakubowski MA, et al. Next-generation sequencing of liquid-based cytology non-small cell lung cancer samples. Cancer Cytopathol 2017;125:178–87.
15. Saunders CT, Wong WS, Swamy S, et al. Strelka: Accurate somatic small-variant calling from sequenced tumor-normal sample pairs. Bioinformatics 2012;28:1811–7.
16. Yoo KH, Kim NK, Kwon WI, et al. Genomic alterations in biliary tract cancer using targeted sequencing. Transl Oncol 2016;9:173–8.
17. Farshidfar F, Zheng S, Gingras MC, et al. Integrative genomic analysis of cholangiocarcinoma identifies distinct IDH-mutant molecular profiles. Cell Rep 2017;18:2780–94.
18. Yadav S, DE Sarkar N, Kumari N, et al. Targeted gene sequencing of gallbladder carcinoma identifies high-impact somatic and rare germline mutations. Cancer Genomics Proteomics 2017;14:495–506.
19. Gleeson FC, Kipp BR, Levy MJ, et al. Lung cancer adrenal gland metastasis: Optimal fine-needle aspirate and touch preparation smear cellularity characteristics for successful theranostic next-generation sequencing. Cancer Cytopathol 2014;122:822–32.
20. Young G, Wang K, He J, et al. Clinical next-generation sequencing successfully applied to fine-needle aspirations of pulmonary and pancreatic neoplasms. Cancer Cytopathol 2013;121:688–94.
21. Chin SF, Santonja A, Grzelak M, et al. Shallow whole genome sequencing for robust copy number profiling of formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast cancers. Exp Mol Pathol 2018;104:161–9.
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Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology10(3):e00022, March 2019. | https://journals.lww.com/ctg/Fulltext/2019/03000/A_Novel_Approach_for_the_Genetic_Analysis_of.3.aspx |
In rich countries, 38% of all illness is mental illness.1 It particularly affects people of working age where it accounts for 50% of the total (see Fig 1). The overall economic cost has been estimated at 8% of GDP, not to mention the massive suffering involved. Policymakers increasingly wonder what they can do about it.
Figure 1. Mental illness is the main health problem of working age in rich countries.
Fortunately, the last forty years have seen huge progress in evidence-based psychological therapies, especially cognitive-behavioural therapy. For people with clinical depression or chronic anxiety disorders, this leads to 50% recovery rates, with many others also improving substantially. It also halves the likelihood of relapse; in this respect, it is more effective than drugs. It is also what the great majority of patients would prefer (McHugh et al. 2013).
Yet, in most countries only a tiny minority of people with depression or anxiety disorders get evidence-based psychological therapy, meaning a therapy supported by the Cochrane Collaboration or Britain’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. In Britain in 2007 one in six people (surveyed in their homes) met the diagnostic criteria for depression or anxiety disorders like OCD, PTSD, panic disorder, or social anxiety disorder. Of those, 1% received evidence-based psychological therapy. The situation is much better today in England thanks to a major programme of training and service development, called Improving Access to Psychological Therapies, which began in 2008. By now it is assessing about 13% of the diagnosable population, and treating about 8% -- nearly half a million people. It has been called ‘world-beating’ in the journal Nature. But still, the whole country is not covered and waiting times are dangerously long. The authors and many others are arguing that the programme needs to double by 2020.
A central issue has always been cost, and one appeal of the programme to policymakers has been the cost savings which it generates. Averaged over all patients from mild to severe and all lengths of treatment (from those who drop out after 2 sessions to those who get up to 20 sessions), the cost per patient is £650. Against this, we have to set the savings on, first -- welfare benefits -- and then -- physical healthcare.
As we have mentioned, mental illness is the main illness of working age. In most rich countries about 1% of the working age population is on disability benefits due to depression or anxiety disorders. In Britain, one such person costs the government £650 a month more than if they were not on benefit. (This includes both the benefits and reduced tax payments.) So, suppose we treat a representative group of people with depression or anxiety disorders. If, as a result of the treatment, 4% of those treated worked an extra 25 months, the average patient would be working one month more than otherwise. This would be enough to repay the cost of the treatment.
Is 4% a realistic estimate? A number of randomised trials in the US and Britain come up with much larger numbers (Layard and Clark 2014). So, more psychological therapy is hugely in the interest of Finance Ministries worldwide.
But on top of this, there is another equally important area of savings – on physical healthcare. Suppose we take two people with the same type and degree of physical illness, but A also has depression or an anxiety disorder. Then A will get around 50% more physical healthcare than B – partly because of the physiological effects of mental illness, partly because of unhealthy habits, and partly due to extra levels of anxiety. Figure 2 shows some striking figures on the effects of depression from the Colorado Access insurance scheme.
Figure 2. Depression increases the cost of physical healthcare.
In Britain, the cost of physical healthcare is around £2,000 extra when the patient is also mentally ill. So, if we treat a physically ill person for their mental illness we can expect to save up to £1,000 a year on physical healthcare (due to the 50% recovery rate). One enterprising British general medical practice has in fact tracked the physical healthcare costs of its mentally ill patients and found similar results. They tracked all their mentally ill patients and compared those who had been treated by the programme with those who had not. The difference in physical healthcare costs was about £750 a year. This compares with the one-off cost of £650 for the psychological therapy.
Of course, not all mentally ill people have physical problems, though over 50% do. But in England, the biggest future expansion of psychological therapy will be among people who also have physical problems. In such cases the savings are even greater if the psychological therapy is explicitly tailored to take into account the physical problem – such as breathlessness, heart, or back pain. Numerous innovations of this kind have shown huge savings in the cost of physical healthcare – often up to four times the cost of the psychological therapy. For example, Figure 3 shows the progress of Swedish patients discharged from hospital following a heart attack. One set of patients was given group cognitive-behavioural therapy in twenty sessions over a year, the other was given none.
Figure 3. CBT reduces the recurrence of cardiovascular disease
Note: All readings are adjusted for initial medical condition.
We can summarise our cost findings in Table 1. In most countries the savings in benefits and taxes accrue to the public finances, and may be of little interest to those who finance healthcare. But the healthcare savings accrue to exactly the same authorities who finance the psychological therapy (in Britain -- the National Health Service, and in most other countries -- the health insurance system).
Table 1. Costs and savings from psychological therapy (England)
Against this background, the case for expanding psychological therapy is surely overwhelming. It responds to a huge problem. It is effective. It would cost nothing to the system. And it would relieve a mass of suffering.
References
Layard, R and D M Clark (2014), Thrive: The power of evidence-based psychological therapies, London: Penguin (Available at Amazon).
McHugh, R K, S W Whitton, A D Peckham, J A Welge and M W Otto (2013), "Patient preference for psychological versus pharmacologic treatment of psychiatric disorders: a meta-analytic review", Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 74(6): 595-602.
Footnote
1 WHO figures. | https://voxeu.org/article/psychological-therapy-costs-nothing |
The prevalence of smoking cigarettes has increased among teenage girls over the last decade. Smoking onset typically begins during adolescence and is associated with subsequent nicotine dependence. Much of the research on tobacco use neglects the perspective of teenage girls. While nicotine dependence is well documented among this population, little is known about the meaning that teenage girls ascribe to nicotine dependence. In this qualitative study, narrative inquiry was used to explore the meaning of nicotine dependence among teenage girls within the context of their lives and patterns of smoking. Twelve teenage girls, aged 14 to 17, participated in this investigation and all had recent experience with smoking. Data analysis of in-depth interviews focused on structure, content and interpersonal factors as well as the language used in stories about nicotine dependence. The study findings point to the importance of semantics and identity issues as teenage girls tell stories about nicotine dependence. In addition, this investigation provides important insights into how teenage girls portray themselves and others with regards to nicotine dependence. Three narratives emerged in this inquiry that include Invincibility, Giving In and Unanticipated Addiction. In the first narrative, those who felt invincible described how they were in control of their smoking and not addicted to cigarettes. In the second narrative, participants who were giving in told stories about yielding to external forces and smoking. In the third narrative about unanticipated addiction, storytellers described their surprise upon realizing that they were addicted to cigarettes. In addition, two subnarratives entitled Needing to Quit and Repeating History are presented. In the first sub narrative, Needing to Quit, participants described how they knew that they needed to quit smoking and how they would quit later. In the second sub-narrative about repeating history, participants contrasted their mothers' nicotine dependence with their own smoking. The findings in this study have vital implications for health-care professionals who work with teenage girls who smoke and provide direction for ongoing smokingcessation interventions for both social smokers and regular smokers. Including "the voices" of teenage girls is paramount in our continued efforts at tobacco reduction within this population.
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(CASE STUDY OF CHI LIMITED KADUNA)
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EFFECT OF COMMUNICATION ON EMPLOYEE PERCEPTION TO CHANGE IN AN ORGANISATION
(CASE STUDY OF CHI LIMITED KADUNA)
ABSTRACT
This study examines the role of communication strategies in change management process in Chi Limited. The research central objective is to conceptualize frame work of the integrated role of communication strategies formulation in conjunction with change management process. Also, it intended to investigate some depth of understanding of how the executive at different level and employees perceive the internal communication process surrounding the change in Chi Limited. As such, the research question that guided the work are: How do the employee’s involved internal communication in Chi Limited aid change management process in Chi Limited? How does the management of Chi Limited formulate communication strategies in the context of change management? What are the constraints militating against change management process in Chi Limited? A survey method was used for this study. The population consisted of the entire workforce of Chi Limited with a total population of 25 persons. Out of the entire population of 25 persons, 20 persons were selected as the sample size of this study. A questionnaire was developed by the researcher based on likert 5 point scales and was used for the study. Mean scores was used to analyze the data based on the research questions. The research results shows that communication strategies in Chi Limited is design to aid the change management process through the formation of pattern of communication that is informal tailored to gather feedback from employees through constant interaction which aid management decision making and consequently cushion change resistance. But inspite of this, the change management process in Chi Limited is constraint from problems arising from employees resisting change due to the nature of change pattern adopted in Chi Limited .As such it is recommended that Series of comprehensive communication plans for change should be formulated in Chi Limited . This will serve as an important tool enabling adaptation in people and organization and would aid the conveyance of change messages in a strategic manner across the organization to achieve employee’s commitment.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Content Pages
Title Page …………………………………………………………… i
Approval…………………………………………………………….. ii
Certification ………………………………………………………… iii
Dedication…………………………………………………………… iv
Acknowledgement…………………………………………………… v
Abstract ……………………………………………………………… vi
Table of Content vii
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction
1.1 Background of Study………………………………………….. 1
1.2 Statement of the problem………………………………………… 3
1.3 Objectives of the Study…………………….…………………… 4
1.4 Research Questions ……………………………………………… 4
1.5 Significance of the Study………………………………………… 5
1.6 Scope and Delimitation of the Study…………………………… 6
1.7 Summary………………………………………………………… 6
CHAPTER TWO:
Review of Related Literature
2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………….. 7
2.2 Concept of Frame Work …………………………………………… 7
2.3 Empirical Literature review………………………………………. 11
2.4 Theoretical Literature review ………………..…………………. 19
2.5 Summary …………………………………………………………. 31
CHAPTER THREE:
Methodology
3.1 Research Design…………………………………………………. 32
3.2 Area of Study…………………………………………………….. 32
3.3 Population of the Study………………………………………… 32
3.4 Sample and Sampling Technique ……………………………… 33
3.5 Instrument for Data Collection………………………………… 34
3.5 Method of Data Analysis………………………………………. 35
CHAPTER FOUR:
Data Presentation and Analysis
4.1 Introduction……………………………………………………….. 37
4.2 Research Question Analysis…….……………………………….. 38
4.3 Discussion……………………………………………………….. 46
CHAPTER FIVE:
Summary, Conclusion andRecommendation
5.1 Introduction………………………………………………..…… 49
5.2 Summary……………………………………………………….. 49
5.3 Conclusion………………………………………………………. 50
5.4 Recommendations……………………………………………… 51
Bibliography…………………………………………………………… 52
Appendix……………………………………………………………… 54
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Study
The growing globalization of business and increasing competition and technological advancement has led to an increasing need to change organizational polices and strategies (Hampel and Martinsons, 2009). The pace of challenges is increasing and thus organizational change is considered unavoidable (Drucker, 1999).
Organizational change is the continuous process of aligning an organization with its market place and doing it more responsively and effectively than competitors. Thus, organizational change management is a continuous process of experiment and adaptation aimed at matching organizational capabilities to the needs and dictates of a dynamic business environment Rogers (1995).
As such, in a highly competitive environment, organizational change becomes indispensable for greater success and excellence. This is due to the dynamism of the internal and external business environment. But inspite of the importance of change management to organization success, employees in most organization resist change, sequel to wrong perception and their in ability to adapt to new development and shifting from their current point. As such, organizational scholars have long acknowledge the importance of communication strategy in explanation of organizational change in order to clearly communicate in advance, the short and long term effect as well as the benefits and short comings of such change management. This is in order to avoid potential loss that could arise from cynicism in certain group of employees and consequently change resistance Langham (1996).
In organization, most problems and challenges are generated by competition, advance technology, mergers, expansion, product quality maintenance, or enhancing employee efficiency on the one hand and rapid growth, new business venture, exciting opportunities, innovation, and new leadership and management approaches on the other (Madsen et al, 2005). To overcome these challenges, organizations are often under pressure for survival and stay competitive in future. In such adverse environment, employee attitude and behavior to accept organizational change is considered important for management and change agents for successful organizational change. This is sequel to the way in which most employee resist change from the onset,
Hence the need to use communication to inform and educate employee on such organizational change before it commences.
It is against this background that the researcher sees the subject matter “The effect of communication on employee’s perception to change in an organization” worthy of being investigated through this survey.
1.2 Statement of the problem
Organizational is basically confronted with issue of change resistance by employee. This has been a big challenge as well as impediment to management of organization during such period. This is attributed to constraints arising from the inability of management to communicate such change in advance through effective communication before implementation. Communication problems are common place when change are not clearly identified Lewis (2007). Not only do they cause a drain on profitability, but also the effectiveness of management declines. In the work of Dawson (2006), he opined that there are many underlying reasons why communication often falls short of the ideas, which are “accuracy, reliability, validity, adequacy and effectives,” are addressed with some general issues within the relationship between information and communication in organizations.
Lewis (2007)’s research findings, the most frequently noted categories of problem encountered by the company in transition are “communicating vision” and negative attitudes”. If an organization’s management does not consider which communication behaviours, it wishes to foster for its success, the signals it sends to employees may be inconsistent or counterproductive. Thus managers should consider conveying clear communication behavour expectations as a fundamental element of strategy. In doing so, firms might pursue communication audits which involve ethnographic analysis, including observational and interviewing, to learn exactly what organizational policies are operating Gilsdorf, (2008). Moreover, Gilsdorf moves on to argue that analysis of organizational culture should be conducted in order to help determine communication strategy used to solve the problem.
This has cause organization to suffer loss arising from change resistance. Hence the need to investigated the effect of communication on employee’s perception to change in an organization becomes imperative. This is so sequel to gap created by inadequate researches on the subject which has great importance to organizational growth.
1.3 Research Questions
i. How is communication use in managing organizational change?
ii. What forms of communication is used in managing change in an organization?
iii. How is communication use in reducing change resistance?
- What is the effect of communication on workers productivity during organizational change?
1.4 Objective of the study
The central objective of the study is to examine the effect of communication on employees perception to change in an organization. The specific objectives are:
- To identify how communication is use to manage change in an organization.
- To identify the various forms of communication that can be used to manage change in an organization.
- To find out how communication is used to reduce change resistance.
- To examine the effect of communication on workers’ productivity during organizational change.
1.5 Statement of Hypothesis
H1: Communication has a significant effect on organizational change.
H2: Communication does not have a significant effect on organizational change.
1.6 Significance of the study
The study would be important to corporate organizations, individual, scholars and researchers.
To corporate organization the study will be use as a basis for policy formulation and decision making regarding organizational change.
The study will benefit individual scholars and researchers who may wish to use this project report as a basis for further studies.
The study will also add to the existing knowledge in the role of communication in organizational change.
1.7 Scope of the Study
The covers an investigation of the effect of communication in organizational change. The collection of primary data fall with the boundaries of Synergy Limited Kaduna. The period under review is limited to the time from 2006 to 2011.
1.8 Definition of Term
- Communication: Medium use to inform employees about organizational change.
- Change Management: This are strategies formulated minimize change resistance and foster effective reengineering of workflow.
- Organizational Change: This are adjustment made in work process or reengineering of an organizational change.
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Is there any food that may be useful in enhancing intelligence? Recently, a strong correlation was found between national chocolate consumption and the number of Nobel Prizes a country has won.1 Taken seriously, this result suffers from a great deal of ecological bias, but it is nevertheless a convenient excuse for eating more chocolate. Interestingly, the same strong correlation was later found for milk consumption.2
However, unlike chocolate and milk, caffeine is commonly consumed in an effort to enhance cognitive performance. Hence, we aimed to evaluate whether coffee consumption also correlates positively with cognitive function. We therefore used data on Current Worldwide Annual Coffee Consumption per capita (http://chartsbin.com/view/581) and data on Nobel Prizes won by countries worldwide.1 We found a significant linear correlation (r2=0.508; p<0.0001) between coffee consumption per capita (in 2008) and Nobel Prizes per capita. Surprisingly, the association we found had a strength of the same order as that found for chocolate (r2=0.625).
The strong correlation is prone to the same biases and caveats which apply to the correlation with chocolate and milk consumption. However, caffeine consumption has been demonstrated to be inversely associated with cognitive decline in elderly men3 probably because of its beneficial effects on working memory4 and has even been suggested as a possible treatment in cases of established Alzheimer’s disease.5
The secret to winning the Nobel Prize is now definitely demonstrated: the Barbajada, an Italian mixture of coffee, milk and chocolate. Perhaps it is no co-incidence that the genial Italian musician Gioacchino Rossini went into raptures about it!
Acknowledgments
This article is dedicated to the memory of the Italian conductor Claudio Abbado (1933–2014).
Footnotes
-
Contributors FB designed, drafted and wrote the final manuscript. FB performed the statistical analyses. RN critically revised the manuscript.
-
Competing interests None. | https://ebm.bmj.com/content/19/3/120.full |
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---
abstract: 'Modern application development allows applications to be composed using lightweight HTTP services. Testing such an application requires the availability of services that the application makes requests to. However, access to dependent services during testing may be restrained. Simulating the behaviour of such services is, therefore, useful to address their absence and move on application testing. This paper examines the appropriateness of Symbolic Machine Learning algorithms to automatically synthesise HTTP services’ mock skeletons from network traffic recordings. These skeletons can then be customised to create mocks that can generate service responses suitable for testing. The mock skeletons have human-readable logic for key aspects of service responses, such as headers and status codes, and are highly accurate.'
author:
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bibliography:
- 'IEEEabrv.bib'
- 'bibliography.bib'
title: 'Generating Mock Skeletons for Lightweight Web-Service Testing'
---
*HTTP, Web services, REST, service-oriented computing, mocking, service virtualisation, application testing, symbolic machine learning*
Introduction
============
Service-Oriented Computing (SOC) [@papazoglou2003service] is a popular computing paradigm that supports accelerated, low-cost development of distributed applications in heterogeneous environments. There is a range of Web service technologies that have been used in SOC, starting with early attempts such as the Web Services Description Language (WSDL) [@christensen2001web] and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) [@box1999soap]. More recently, lightweight HTTP-based services, (i.e., *RESTful services* [@fielding2000architectural]) have become the mainstream.
When utilising HTTP services, diverse parts of the application interact by sending and responding to HTTP requests, to access and manipulate resources. It is, therefore, easy to implement both clients and servers using a wide range of languages and deploy them on various platforms. In addition, this approach is being increasingly adopted to facilitate the development of product ecosystems around services. Many of the successful services like Google[^1], Twitter[^2], and Flickr[^3] currently offer APIs which provide simple access to their resources and services.
One of the key challenges when developing applications using services is to assure the accurate functioning before deploying. Adequately testing with dependent services is not always possible due to limitations in the observability of service code, lack of control, and the costs of accessing services [@papazoglou2003service]. Therefore, researchers in both industry and academia have started to investigate applicable approaches to test such applications independent of the services which they depend on.
A common practice is *mocking*, i.e., to *manually* define behavioural responses from scratch based on underlying service syntax and semantics (i.e., mock objects [@freeman2004mock]). A challenge of mocking is that it requires a detailed understanding of the service semantics. Service virtualisation (SV) [@michelsen2012service] tries to address this problem by *automatically* constructing virtual models of services suitable for testing by inferring service semantics from traffic recordings. For example, SV will try to emulate the behaviour of a dependent service by generating anticipated responses using the inferred semantic model.
SV often draws on artificial intelligence (AI) techniques as inference mechanisms. Amongst them, symbolic machine learning (SML) algorithms have gained popularity due to the provenance of their results, i.e., humans can understand the outcome of the results with relative ease as the system produces a human-readable explanation. This is in stark contrast to many sub-symbolic AI techniques that lack provenance, and are black-box by nature. Example for symbolic AI techniques are representations like decision-trees and logical rules [@michalski2013machine]. While these techniques are well-established, they have gained attention recently within the context of explainable-AI [@holzinger2018machine].
The approach proposed here can be seen as a hybrid technique: we propose to use SV to infer some attributes of HTTP service responses, but acknowledge that engineers will often want to fine-tune this. This requires the SV algorithm to produce results that can be understood and customised by engineers. We hypothesise that if the SV is based on inference rules, then engineers used to writing mock tests will find it easy to customise those rules. To emphasise this point, consider the snippet of Java code in Fig. \[fig:code\] written using the popular mockito framework[^4]. In the second line, the functionality of a linked list is *stubbed* for the purpose of testing. Interestingly, no actual `LinkedList` is required at this stage. The process of stubbing basically uses a simple logical rule, expressed using a domain-specific language provided by the mock framework. By using explainable SML techniques, we aim at a solution that provides a sweet spot between highly accurate automation, and customisability. This takes into account that completely automated techniques are unlikely to provide sufficient accuracy to mock complex services. Consider for instance a service providing financial transactions: while it is certainly feasible to infer rules modeling the response codes of accessing account information, based on authentication headers, URLs, resource ids and state inferred from transaction history, it is much more complex to model unexpected server behaviour (such as a server returning status code 500) and in general the flakiness associated with distributed and concurrent systems, or the content of data returned by the server (such as inferring the structure of PDF documents synthesised by the server, used for account statements).
LinkedList mockedList = mock(LinkedList.class);
when(mockedList.get(0)).thenReturn("first");
Therefore, the aim of this study is to understand the appropriateness of SML techniques for generating mock skeletons of HTTP services directly from traffic records. We consider three techniques, the decision tree algorithm C4.5 and the rule learners RIPPER and PART. All the experiments have been done within the Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis (WEKA) environment [@hall2009weka], employing network traffic datasets extracted from a few different successful, large-scale HTTP services (i.e., GitHub, Twitter, Google and Slack).
The rest of this paper is organised as follows: Section \[sec:relatedwork\] provides a brief review of related work. Section \[sec:datasets\] outlines the datasets used in the experiments. Section \[sec:algo\] introduces the decision tree and rule learning algorithms used. Section \[sec:methodology\] discusses the procedure that has been adopted. Section \[sec:results\] presents the results obtained by classifiers. Section \[sec:validity\] reviews some threats to validity. Finally, conclusions are pointed out in Section \[sec:conclusion\].
Related Work {#sec:relatedwork}
============
Service virtualisation (SV) is used in the software industry for addressing dependency constraints in application testing. SV solutions simulate the behaviour of dependent services through synthesising responses mainly by recording and then replaying interaction messages between the application-under-test (AUT) and the live service, assuring the development and test teams have continuous access to realistic test environments. There are multiple vendors providing SV tooling, including Parasoft [@parasoft], CA [@ca], and some open sources projects (e.g., Wiremock [@wiremock], Hoverfly [@hoverfly]). Most of these support multiple protocols. However, all rely on a priori knowledge of the service structure and message protocol. Possibly responses are manually modified after the recording (i.e., when responses are based on request data). Also, the quality of synthesised responses depends on the availability of traffic recordings for every potential interactive scenario. Plus, the tools operate as black boxes (users cannot understand how a particular service produce responses). Table I shows a general evaluation of these tools.
---------- ------ ----- ----- -----
Parasoft Most Yes Yes No
CA Most Yes Yes Yes
Wiremock HTTP Yes No No
Hoverfly HTTP Yes No No
---------- ------ ----- ----- -----
: Comparison of Service Virtualisation Tools[]{data-label="tab:tool:overview"}
Opaque SV [@du2016opaque; @versteeg2017entropy] is a proposal where dependent services are emulated by synthesising responses using a semantic model of a service inferred from recorded interactions. It allows responses to be created automatically, without requiring prior knowledge of the service protocols. The inference is done by means of supervised machine learning techniques (i.e., uses Multiple Sequence Alignment to derive message prototypes from recorded traffic and the Needleman-Wunsch algorithm [@needleman1970general] to match incoming requests against prototypes to generate responses). FancyMock [@eniser2018fancymock] is similar to Opaque SV, but can handle messages with an arbitrary message format. However, all authors ignored the temporal properties of protocols when formulating responses. That is, response generation solely depending on the incoming request and the recorded interaction traces, but not the service state history. Therefore these techniques are only adequate when the target service is stateless or where the testing scenario does not require highly accurate responses. Also, SV results that are generated using all these techniques lack provenance.
A recent study by Eni[ş]{}er et al [@enicser2018testing] proposes two different techniques to simulate a service behaviour considering interactions history (state). One of the solutions proposed employs the RIPPER classification algorithm (which we also use in our work), the other one uses neural networks. The classification technique applies one-hot encoding for input data (use up to history size of 10 and incoming request) and applies RIPPER to construct models to predict the response for a given request. This technique performs better in terms of training time but virtual services trained using neural networks produce the more accurate responses. While this work is close to the study presented in this paper, there are some important differences. Their approach is lacking the possibility for reliable prediction of HTTP-based services. The technique is biased towards predicting the response status. It does not incorporate all service features (i.e., headers) when constructing classifiers. The datasets used are not satisfactory as experiments are small and may miss important aspects of real-world, state-of-the-art services.
Service-oriented applications testing has been extensively examined in the literature. Like, for example, [@bozkurt2010testing; @kumar2015empirical; @canfora2007service] covers broad surveys on Web service testing. In the context of RESTful Web services, Arcuri [@arcuri2018evomaster] proposes a tool called EvoMaster to automatically collect and exploit white-box information from API specifications and code instrumentation to generate system-level test cases using evolutionary algorithms, Seijas et al. [@lamela2013towards] presents a technique to generate tests on a property-based model that depicts an idealised form of RESTful services, Chakrabarti and Rodriquez [@lamela2013towards] also presents a method to generate tests based on a model that represents connectedness of RESTful services, etc.
AI techniques have been widely used for automating application testing processes. Examples include the work of Vanmali et al. [@singhal2014generation] on how neural networks and decision trees can be used toward implementing test oracles. The classification models learned from input test cases can predict the expected behaviour of AUT (new test cases). The work of Briand et al. [@briand2008using] proposes a methodology to re-engineering test suites based on rules induced from C4.5 tree algorithm that relate input properties to output equivalence classes. These rules can be analysed to determine potential improvements in test suites. Kanewala’s and Bieman’s [@kanewala2016predicting] presents a technique based on the C4.5 tree algorithm to automatically predict metamorphic relations for automating the testing process without test oracles. AI techniques have also been used to generate statistical test oracles for performance regression testing [@hewson2015performance].
Fuzz testing is an increasingly popular testing technique. While first-generation black-box fuzzers generated random input in order to expose defects, modern grey-box and white-box fuzzers use or even infer models of the application under test in order to increase the chances of discovering folds. An example is fuzzers that can infer the grammar of the programming language or data format [@hoschele2016mining], or use dynamic feedback from test executions (such as coverage). Recently, some of those ideas have been applied to RESTful Web services testing [@atlidakis2019restler]. Fuzzing uses AI to generate the actual tests, whereas our approach uses AI to generate services the (user-written) tests interact with, and we use fuzzing techniques to construct the datasets for evaluation, this will be discussed in Section \[sec:datasets\].
Dataset Acquisition {#sec:datasets}
===================
GHTraffic [@bhagya2018ghtraffic] is a publicly available HTTP dataset, designed for experimenting on various aspects of service-oriented computing. The authors extracted the base dataset from GitHub, by reverse-engineering API interactions from an existing repository snapshot and further augmented it with synthetic transactions to include interactions that cannot be recovered from snapshots. All transactions complied with the syntax and semantics of HTTP, and GitHub API specification. It supports a wide range of HTTP features, such as various HTTP methods and status codes. This dataset reflects non-trivial, realistic behavioural patterns of GitHub, plus is in the JSON [@galiegue2013json] format. The small edition of GHTraffic (version 2.0.0)[^5] was selected for use in this study.
In addition to GHTraffic, three HTTP datasets[^6] were generated by creating random traffic targeting the services offered by Twitter, Google Tasklists, and Slack. In order to form transactions, various operations to create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) service-specific resources were created, and the respective responses were recorded, simulating service interactions by users through applications. The resources, the operations interacted with are tweets (Twitter), messages (Slack), and tasks (Google Tasklists).
The actual input generation used fuzzing techniques. In particular, Apache JMeter[^7] was used as it has the functionality to fuzz RESTful services (randomly generate various types of API calls by providing different inputs) and recording interactions in a suitable textual format for further processing. The fuzzing was guided by a light-weight semantic service model provided as Swagger spec[^8]. Swagger (recently renamed as OpenAPI) has emerged as the standard approach for specifying and documenting HTTP APIs, in a way that is both human and machine-readable. The services used to construct dataset all possess Swagger APIs. Therefore, we were able to use Swagger Codegen[^9] to auto-generate JMeter client stubs. This approach allowed us to automate much of the data generation process.
Further details of these four different datasets used in this study are summarised in Table \[tab:datasets:overview\] showing their request types, response codes, and transaction counts.
----------- ----------- ---------- -------- --
GHTraffic 32,216
Twitter GET, POST 200, 404 26,053
4,702
Slack POST 200 17,422
----------- ----------- ---------- -------- --
: Overview of HTTP Datasets[]{data-label="tab:datasets:overview"}
Decision Tree and Rule Induction Algorithms {#sec:algo}
===========================================
Decision tree algorithms generate classifiers in the form of a tree where each node represents a feature (input attribute), each branch represents a possible value that an input attribute can hold, and each leaf represents a value of the target attribute that is to be predicted. The algorithms for building decision trees have been developed and refined over many years, starting with ID3 (Iterative Dichotomizer 3) [@quinlan1986induction] which employs top-down, greedy search through the space of possible branches with no backtracking. ID3 uses entropy (a measure of uncertainty in a set of instances) and information gain (measure of how much information an attribute gives about the class) to construct a decision tree. The C4.5 algorithm [@quinlan2014c4] is an improved version of ID3. The extra specialities of C4.5 are accounting for missing values, decision tree pruning (solves the over-fitting problem by using a bottom-up technique), allowing both continuous, and discrete features, etc. In addition to aforementioned, there are other decision tree algorithms available, for instance, CART [@breiman1984classification], ADTree [@freund1999alternating], and Random Forest [@ho1995random].
Rule induction algorithms generate classification models as an ordered set of *if-then* rules called decision lists. PART [@frank1998generating] is a separate-and-conquer rule learner that builds a partial C4.5 decision tree in each iteration and makes the leaf with maximum coverage into a rule. The RIPPER [@cohen1995fast] (Repeated Incremental Pruning to Produce Error Reduction) algorithm uses incremental reduced-error pruning for constructing decision lists. It produces a set of rules by repeatedly adding rules to an empty set until all positive examples are covered. Rules are formed by greedily adding conditions to the antecedent until no negative examples are covered. After constructing a rule set, an optimisation step is performed to reduce its size and enhance its fit to the training data. Besides, several other rule learners such as OneR [@holte1993very], DecisionTable [@Kohavi1995], and CN2 [@clark1991rule] exist.
For our experiments, we needed algorithms that can handle both nominal and numeric predictions, as is required when considering the typical nature of HTTP network traffic datasets (selected datasets mostly contain nominal and numerical values). We also wanted to make sure that we use well-established and effective algorithms for the experiments. These led to the choice of C4.5 decision tree algorithm, and two rule-based algorithms, RIPPER and PART. All three algorithms are widely used to support research in many areas of computer science [@kotsiantis2007supervised]. Apart from being recognised as the most established, and effective decision tree and rule-induction algorithms in use today, selections are made because of their proven ability to deal with nominal and numeric attributes for model building.
Weka (Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis) [@witten2016data] is a popular machine learning and data mining workbench which contains numerous inbuilt algorithms for classification and prediction, accompanying with techniques for pre-processing and post-processing of data. Weka also has a general API to embed other libraries. In this study, experiments are conducted in the WEKA environment by utilising the J48 decision tree classification algorithm (Java implementation of the C4.5 in the Weka), JRip (Weka’s implementation of the RIPPER), and PART for constructing classification models.
Methodology {#sec:methodology}
===========
Fig. \[fig:processingpipeline\] provides an overview of the methodology used. In the *Feature Extraction* phase, structural characteristics of HTTP request/response messages will be obtained from the data to collect the attributes that can be used for inference. During the *Data Preparation* phase, the attributes will be filtered and processed. In the *Model Generation* phase, classification models will be built from training data. This will be accomplished by using the respective Weka classifiers (C4.5, PART, and RIPPER). In the *Model Evaluation* phase, the predictive ability of the models generated is assessed.
![The processing pipeline[]{data-label="fig:processingpipeline"}](graph-2){width="\columnwidth"}
Feature Extraction
------------------
Through interpreting the structural properties of HTTP messages, features were extracted to be used as attributes by the various algorithms. A high-level overview of the features used to capture the message structure of HTTP is shown in Fig. \[fig:featuretree\] (features are organised in a simple hierarchy, the *feature tree*). In the following section, we briefly describe the approach used to extract features.
![The feature tree[]{data-label="fig:featuretree"}](fig-3){width="\columnwidth"}
The first category of attributes is general characteristics each HTTP transaction has, in particular, *method* and *statusCode*. Next, we extracted attributes from the request URIs. The URI has a canonical structure [@berners1998uniform], consisting of schema, host, path, query, and fragment. Elements like schema and host can be directly used as attributes. The path segment can be tokenised using standard delimiters, (/), and each token can be used as an attribute with a name comprised of *uriPathToken* followed by the position index of the token in the path. If no value is presented for the respective token, the attribute value is set to *null*, otherwise the token value is used. We performed tokenisation on query and fragment components of the HTTP request URI to use as attributes. Fig. \[fig:uri\] illustrates this process using an example.
![Attribute and value derivation from a sample URI[]{data-label="fig:uri"}](fig-2){width="0.81\columnwidth"}
It is also possible to obtain extra attributes based on the features of request and response bodies. *hasPayload* and *hasValidPayload* are boolean attributes introduced to represent that requests do have a body and the body is a properly encoded value according to its content type. Although HTTP services can use arbitrary content types, we only support JSON as this is by far the most widely used format for data exchange via HTTP services. Basic tokenisation is done by parsing request and response bodies separately extracting two different sets of all possible service-specific keys given the set of HTTP transactions (usually the body is a JSON object). These keys result in an extensive set of attributes prefixed by *requestjson* or *responsejson* with the key’s name.
Furthermore, we extracted attributes from HTTP headers, both standard HTTP headers and API-specific headers (i.e., usually identifiable by header names starting with *x-*) in both the request and the response to derive attributes. The process is analogous to the approach described beforehand and applies the same logic with a stipulation for returning *no-exist* if the attribute does not exist in a transaction. In particular, an inferred *hasAuthorisationToken* attribute is extracted when headers bearing authorisation information are encountered.
Finally, we generated attributes to represent the features of predecessors on each HTTP transaction (transaction that is just before and set of transactions preceding, over a resource). A boolean attribute *hasImmediatePreviousTransaction* is added to indicate whether or not there was another transaction immediately before, interacting with the same resource. In relation, further attributes are introduced as similar to the approach described earlier. Concerning all predecessors, a set of boolean attributes is obtained to indicate the state of predecessors. Additional boolean attributes are added to identify whether a CRUD operation was performed on a resource, this is based on the use of certain HTTP methods, and/or the presence of certain naming patterns in URI tokens (e.g., Slack uses *postMessage*, *update*, *delete*, Twitter uses *update*, *destroy*, *show*).
Data Preparation
----------------
The raw data extracted from recorded HTTP transactions was converted into ARFF (Attribute-Relation File Format) format to use in Weka classifiers. Data type conversion was used as the classification algorithms require feature attribute values to be nominal or binary (numeric or string attributes can have a de facto infinite domain). All numeric values were converted into a set of nominal attributes by applying the *NumericToNominal* filter of Weka. The filter simply takes all numeric values and adds them to the list of nominal values of that attribute (e.g., *statusCode* attribute has a predefined finite set of all possible values after applying the filter). The similar approach is applied to string attributes utilising *StringToNominal* filter.
The aim of the study is to generate HTTP response skeletons with multiple attributes (e.g. status code, response headers, body). From the machine-learning point of view, this is therefore a multi-class or multi-target learning problem. Unfortunately, Weka currently does not support multivariate predictions. The only option is to train separate models for each target feature. Hence, separate models are trained, one for each target by removing irrelevant target attributes.
Further classification algorithms have confined the use of classifiers to non-unary targets (the target attribute must have at least two values). Accordingly, all target attributes which have only one distinct value are also ignored as they have no discriminative value. On the other hand, target attributes holding a fairly large set of distinct values can also be excluded from learning as they are non-optimal for predictions. An example for a feature with only one value is *host* (assuming that a service may always use the same host), an example for a feature with too many values is a high-precision *timestamp* (assuming that each transaction has a unique value). Using such unnecessary features decreases training speed, requires a larger amount of memory, lower model interpretability, and most importantly, can result in overfitting. In all these cases the *Remove* filter of Weka is used to exclude attributes before data is passed to classifiers.
A summary of the number of features associated with each input dataset after attribute removal is listed in Table \[tab:overview:instances\].
------------------ ---- ----
GHTraffic 43 49
Twitter 38 65
Google Tasklists 42 17
Slack 42 8
------------------ ---- ----
: Overview of Input Datasets[]{data-label="tab:overview:instances"}
Model Generation and Evaluation
-------------------------------
Model generation was performed using Weka 3.5 with the default configuration. The chosen classification algorithms were applied to train multiple models to predict different attributes associated with response properties. 10-fold cross-validation is applied for each classifier on each dataset. The accuracy, precision, and recall were calculated and recorded. Further, the size of the tree (number of nodes it contains) or the number of rules produced by the classifier were measured to assess the comprehensibility (as the number of nodes in a tree is roughly equivalent to the size of the corresponding rule set, this can lead to a reasonable comparison). In order to quantify the overall performance of each algorithm, mean and the standard deviation were computed from all observed results of the collection of single targeted models.
Evaluation Results and Discussion {#sec:results}
=================================
The plot in Fig. \[plot:measures:accuracy\] shows the accuracy of each target attribute in Google Tasklists on C4.5, RIPPER, and PART. Table \[tab:measures:accuracy\], \[tab:measures:precision\], \[tab:measures:recall\], and \[tab:measures:size\] present overall performance measurements (mean and standard deviation) based on different techniques applied, over all four datasets.
coordinates [ (responseheader:Accept-Ranges,0.9987) (responseheader:Cache-Control,0.9974) (responseheader:Content-Length,0.9798) (responseheader:Content-Type,0.9998) (responseheader:Pragma,0.9983) (responseheader:Transfer-Encoding,0.9987) (responseheader:Vary,0.9987) (responseheader:X-Content-Type-Options,0.9998) (responseheader:X-Frame-Options,0.9998) (responseheader:X-XSS-Protection,0.9998) (statusCode,0.9966) (responsejson:error.code,0.9970) (responsejson:error.errors.domain,0.9979) (responsejson:error.errors.reason,0.9970) (responsejson:error.errors.message,0.9970) (responsejson:error.message,0.9970) (responsejson:kind,0.9977)]{};
coordinates [ (responseheader:Accept-Ranges,0.9983) (responseheader:Cache-Control,0.9972) (responseheader:Content-Length,0.9796) (responseheader:Content-Type,0.9998) (responseheader:Pragma,0.9981) (responseheader:Transfer-Encoding,0.9983) (responseheader:Vary,0.9979) (responseheader:X-Content-Type-Options,0.9998) (responseheader:X-Frame-Options,0.9998) (responseheader:X-XSS-Protection,0.9998) (statusCode,0.9966) (responsejson:error.code,0.9968) (responsejson:error.errors.domain,0.9977) (responsejson:error.errors.reason,0.9970) (responsejson:error.errors.message,0.9968) (responsejson:error.message,0.9968) (responsejson:kind,0.9977)]{};
coordinates [ (responseheader:Accept-Ranges,0.9987) (responseheader:Cache-Control,0.9972) (responseheader:Content-Length,0.9798) (responseheader:Content-Type,0.9998) (responseheader:Pragma,0.9981) (responseheader:Transfer-Encoding,0.9987) (responseheader:Vary,0.9987) (responseheader:X-Content-Type-Options,0.9998) (responseheader:X-Frame-Options,0.9998) (responseheader:X-XSS-Protection,0.9998) (statusCode,0.9966) (responsejson:error.code,0.9970) (responsejson:error.errors.domain,0.9979) (responsejson:error.errors.reason,0.9970) (responsejson:error.errors.message,0.9970) (responsejson:error.message,0.9970) (responsejson:kind,0.9977)]{};
-- ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
0.9837$\pm$[0.0167]{} 0.9837$\pm$[0.0167]{} 0.9834$\pm$[0.0170]{}
0.9993$\pm$[0.0022]{} 0.9993$\pm$[0.0018]{} 0.9993$\pm$[0.0018]{}
0.9971$\pm$[0.0046]{} 0.9969$\pm$[0.0046]{} 0.9971$\pm$[0.0046]{}
0.9541$\pm$[0.1289]{} 0.9541$\pm$[0.1289]{} 0.9541$\pm$[0.1289]{}
-- ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
: Classification Accuracy[]{data-label="tab:measures:accuracy"}
-- ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
0.9687$\pm$[0.0332]{} 0.9693$\pm$[0.0329]{} 0.9721$\pm$[0.0294]{}
0.9994$\pm$[0.0038]{} 0.9995$\pm$[0.0031]{} 0.9995$\pm$[0.0031]{}
0.9955$\pm$[0.0089]{} 0.9952$\pm$[0.0088]{} 0.9955$\pm$[0.0089]{}
0.9254$\pm$[0.2111]{} 0.9254$\pm$[0.2111]{} 0.9254$\pm$[0.2111]{}
-- ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
: Classification Precision[]{data-label="tab:measures:precision"}
-- ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
0.9837$\pm$[0.0170]{} 0.9836$\pm$[0.0169]{} 0.9837$\pm$[0.0169]{}
0.9996$\pm$[0.0022]{} 0.9997$\pm$[0.0019]{} 0.9997$\pm$[0.0019]{}
0.9972$\pm$[0.0046]{} 0.9971$\pm$[0.0045]{} 0.9972$\pm$[0.0046]{}
0.9544$\pm$[0.1290]{} 0.9544$\pm$[0.1290]{} 0.9544$\pm$[0.1290]{}
-- ----------------------- ----------------------- -----------------------
: Classification Recall[]{data-label="tab:measures:recall"}
-- ------------------------ ----------------------- -------------------------
4.6735$\pm$[9.4370]{} 2.1020$\pm$[2.5269]{} 15.2041$\pm$[11.5560]{}
7.9538$\pm$[0.6715]{} 3.0000$\pm$[0.1768]{} 3.9692$\pm$[0.3046]{}
6.4118$\pm$[0.9393]{} 2.8824$\pm$[0.6966]{} 3.4706$\pm$[1.1789]{}
10.0000$\pm$[4.4401]{} 3.5000$\pm$[0.9258]{} 3.6250$\pm$[1.0607]{}
-- ------------------------ ----------------------- -------------------------
: Tree Size or Number of Rules[]{data-label="tab:measures:size"}
According to descriptive statistics, all classifiers performed with an average accuracy of around 0.9541-0.9993, means that the error rate is low and most results are reliable. The observed averages of precision and recall are often quite close to the accuracy, so we can be reasonably confident that the classifiers are returning accurate results (high precision relates to a low false-positive rate) and most results are positive (high recall relates to a low false-negative rate). There is no significant difference in the measures of C4.5, RIPPER, and PART on each dataset. Especially, in Slack, each algorithm provides equivalent means for accuracy, precision, and recall. Further, the standard deviations in all those measures are quite low (range from 0.0022- 0.2111), confirms that there is low variation in the measurements for different training and testing sets in cross-validation. The average size of a tree or the number of rules produced by classifiers is around 2.1020-15.2041, means that the models are most compact and in a format that can easily be interpreted.
While the classification algorithms obtained high measures for most targets, some obtained relatively low results. This is mainly due to insufficient training data (limited number of transaction sequences to reflect various behavioural patterns). The following is a detailed analysis of results along with a discussion of a few other circumstances which significantly affect the quality of predictions.
Usually, HTTP services are supposed to embed success or failure of the request into the status code. Yet, some services always return a *200* code (which indicates that the request made a successful call), even when it has unexpected behaviour, and include more substantive information about the status in the response body. For example, Slack implicitly returns *200* but the response contains a boolean property *ok*, indicating the status of the request. We noticed that the classifiers obtained high-performance results for all features associated with the state of the response. For example, C4.5, RIPPER, and PART models reached accuracy of 0.9996 for the *responsejson:ok* target in Slack whereas the precision and recall rates are 1, while C4.5 built a tree with 8 leaves and each rule learner built a ruleset with 4 rules. Fig. \[fig:j48\] presents another sample classification model for *statusCode* in Google Tasklists using C4.5. The constructed tree is size 7 and contains 5 leaves. Fig. \[fig:jrip\] and \[fig:part\] show the models from RIPPER and PART where each ruleset contains 4 and 5 rules. All algorithms performed an accuracy of 0.9965 including the precision and recall rates are 0.9940 and 0.9970 respectively.
![The decision tree for Google Tasklists’ status code on C4.5. Numbers in brackets indicate the total number of instances that fall into the particular leaf and the number of misclassified instances.[]{data-label="fig:j48"}](fig-5){width="\columnwidth"}
![The decision list for Google Tasklists’ status code on RIPPER. Numbers in brackets indicate the total number of instances that classified into the particular rule and the number of misclassified instances.[]{data-label="fig:jrip"}](img-4){width="\columnwidth"}
![The decision list for Google Tasklists’ status code on PART. Numbers in brackets indicate the total number of instances that classified into the particular rule and the number of misclassified instances.[]{data-label="fig:part"}](img-5){width="0.81\columnwidth"}
Some of the targets relating to response body holds a fairly large set of distinct values (e.g., *responsejson:message.text* in Slack), therefore ignored from learning. For most others, the classifiers are highly accurate and less sophisticated. But, for GHTraffic dataset, there are several models with 1 tree node or only the default class in the ruleset (it is because the standard pruning options are preventing the models from growing to restrain from overfitting) but with better performance scores (it is because the dataset contains a large number of instances with one value of the target and relatively few instances spread out over the rest of the values). For example, *responsejson:closed[\_]{}by.id* contains 99.98% of instances with *not-exist* value, so the classifier could predict every *responsejson:closed[\_]{}by.id* as *no-exist* and achieve a 0.9998 accuracy. Even if the target has a few distinct values, this may not lead to reliable classification models due to the high impact of the majority value. The GHTraffic payload includes several features with such imbalanced value distributions which not most appropriate to be predicted. We further observed that different targets relating to the same feature (usually have the same value distributions) generate the same classification model. For example, users on Twitter are uniquely identified by properties such as *id*, *id[\_]{}str*, *name*, etc., and the associated target attributes *responsejson:user.id*, *responsejson:user.id[\_]{}str*, etc., formed identical classifiers with the same measurements.
Vast majority of target attributes relating to response headers in all four datasets are either single-valued or with a large number of distinct values, thus ignored from building classifiers. All other built models are accurate and easier to interpret in most datasets, i.e. C4.5, RIPPER, and PART provide the accuracy, precision, and recall rate of 1 for *responseheader:Cache-Control* in GHTraffic while C4.5 output a tree with 9 leaves and size 12, RIPPER and PART built a ruleset with 5 and 9 rules. Except, for Slack with all algorithms, there is a significant variation in performance values in *responseheader:X-slack-router* (which is the only target remaining for prediction). The reached accuracy, precision, and recall are 0.6351, 0.4030, 0.6350, respectively (very low compared to other results). C4.5 output a tree with size 1. For rule algorithms, RIPPER produced a classifier with 2 rules and PART with 1 (which is the default class). This is due to there being imbalanced value distribution. Also, this results in relatively low average scores for Slack with a notable value distribution.
Overall, the achieved results reveal that the significance of SML algorithms in training accurate, human-readable models for predicting the key features of HTTP service responses (e.g. status, response headers, response body). It also confers the usefulness of the proposed attributes in building classification models.
Threats To Validity {#sec:validity}
===================
As described in Section \[sec:datasets\], most of the datasets used in the study were collected from recording the network traffic through fuzzing REST APIs. This leaves the possibility that datasets do not reflect realistic workloads, thereby, research results might be not realistic and cannot be generalised. However, we extracted datasets from the most successful active Web services and synthesised using a well-defined process. All API interactions were derived according to syntax and semantics of HTTP and the underline service, also implemented a wide set of HTTP features. Each dataset was large enough to facilitate the research described. We were able to preserve the behaviour that exists in the real HTTP traffic as much as possible and believed that all datasets reflect the state-of-the-art use of HTTP-based services in general. Therefore, we are certain that research outcomes were accurate and could be applied to other HTTP services that were not studied.
The models have only been evaluated using metrics such as accuracy, precision, and recall (to assess the correctness), and model size (to assess the comprehensibility). Those might not be sufficient to assess how suitable the SML algorithms will be in producing mock response skeletons. Further analysis is expected in the future (i.e. evaluate models by a targeted group of end-users to determine the extent of its usability).
Conclusion {#sec:conclusion}
==========
In this paper, we have studied the potential of symbolic machine learning algorithms in producing mock response skeletons of HTTP-based services. The chosen algorithms demonstrate the suitability of producing accurate semantic models. Part of our motivation was to produce skeletons for mocked services to be customised by engineers. The usability of the generated models has not yet been assessed, this needs to be addressed in a future empirical study with end-users.
**
[^1]: <https://developers.google.com/apis-explorer/> \[accessed Jul. 2 2019\]
[^2]: <https://developer.twitter.com/en/docs.html> \[accessed Jul. 2 2019\]
[^3]: <https://flickr.com/services/api/> \[accessed Jul. 2 2019\]
[^4]: <https://site.mockito.org/> \[accessed Jul. 25 2019\]
[^5]: <https://zenodo.org/record/1034573> \[accessed Oct. 3 2019\]
[^6]: <https://zenodo.org/record/3378401> \[accessed Oct. 3 2019\]
[^7]: <https://jmeter.apache.org/> \[accessed Jul. 2 2019\]
[^8]: <https://github.com/OAI/OpenAPI-Specification> \[accessed Jul. 2 2019\]
[^9]: <https://github.com/swagger-api/swagger-codegen> \[accessed Jul. 2 2019\]
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Precision of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry: development of quality control rules and their application in longitudinal studies.
In research settings, longitudinal measurements of bone mineral density have become an integral part of the assessment of patients with metabolic skeletal disorders. To adequately utilize longitudinal measures, confidence in the long-term precision of the measurement technique must be very high. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) has become commonly utilized in this context, and to better understand its long-term precision and to develop quality assurance protocols for its use, we examined the performance of eight DXA machines over a 3 year period. Anthropomorphic spine phantoms were measured frequently on each machine during the period of observation, and precision was estimated from the consistency of these determinations. Overall precision was excellent (mean longitudinal coefficient of variation, 0.4%). Nevertheless, by using a series of objective quality control criteria, small alterations in the performance of each machine were identified (mean number of changes, 4.6 in 3 years; mean magnitude, 0.0039 g/cm2, or 0.4%). The cumulative effects of those changes were sufficient to cause a significant (albeit minor) change in the regression slopes (phantom mineral density versus time) of most machines. The same quality control rules were also used to quantitate the magnitude of change and to adjust retrospectively machine performance during the period of observation, such that alterations were minimal and regression slopes were not significantly different from zero. Although the precision of DXA is excellent, alterations in machine function must be anticipated during longitudinal use. The development of quality control protocols provides the means to detect change objectively and to adjust for alterations in performance during the course of longitudinal evaluations.
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Through the "Jalisco State Digital Network" project, Puerto Vallarta and it's inhabitants will benefit from free internet coverage.
Mayor Arturo Davalos Peña announced this project, consisting of the development of infrastructure, which will allow the expansion of free internet coverage in the municipality. "It's purpose is to reduce the digital gap that prevails today, through the shared deployment of public infrastructure that allows connecting government buildings, schools, health centers, public spaces and facilities with private infrastructure. All this to ensure that people living in our municipality have access to the internet," said Peña.
This project will be possible through an agreement of wills and will be celebrated by this municipality with the state government through the General Coordination of Government Innovation of the Chief of Staff and the Secretary of Administration, thus establishing the general bases to undertake coordinated actions in broadcasting, telecommunications, digital or electronic government, access to information technology, communication and everything related to the implementation, administration, maintenance, maintenance, continuity and development of this project.
The agreement will be effective until December 5, 2024. By a qualified majority, the full City Council approved the execution of the collaboration and cooperation agreement with the state government. It should be noted that, as required by the guidelines for remote sessions, the members of the plenary building voted by roll call.
The objective will definitely be the development of infrastructure to expand free internet coverage in the municipality and reduce the digital divide that prevails today, through the shared deployment of public infrastructure. | |
Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat that causes animals to move quickly away from the location of the perceived threat, and sometimes hide. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger leading to an urge to confront it or flee from it (also known as the fight-or-flight response) but in extreme cases of fear (horror and terror) a freeze or paralysis response is possible. Somepsychologists such as John B. Watson, Robert Plutchik, and Paul Ekman have suggested that there is only a small set of basic or innate emotions and that fear is one of them. This hypothesized set includes such emotions as joy, sadness, and anger. Fear should be distinguished from the emotion anxiety, which typically occurs without any certain or immediate external threat.
Fear is frequently related to the specific behaviors of escape and avoidance, whereas anxiety is the result of threats which are perceived to be uncontrollable or unavoidable. It is worth noting that fear almost always relates to future events, such as worsening of a situation, or continuation of a situation that is unacceptable. Fear can also be an instant reaction to something presently happening. All people have an instinctual response to potential danger, which is in fact important to the survival of all species. The reactions elicited from fear are seen through advantages in evolution.
Common fears
According to surveys, some of the most common fears are of ghosts, the existence of evil powers, cockroaches, spiders, snakes, heights, water, enclosed spaces, tunnels,bridges, needles, social rejection, failure, examinations and public speaking. A person may also be apprehensive and having second thoughts about committing suicide. In an innovative test of what people fear the most, Bill Tancer analysed the most frequent online search queries that involved the phrase, “fear of…”. This follows the assumption that people tend to seek information on the issues that concern them the most. His top ten list of fears consisted of flying, heights, clowns, intimacy, death,rejection, people, snakes, failure, and driving.
Though most arachnids are harmless, a person with arachnophobia may still panic or feel uneasy around one. Sometimes, even an object resembling a spider can trigger a panic attack in an arachnophobia individual. The above cartoon is a depiction of the nursery rhyme “Little Miss Muffet“, in which the title character is “frightened away” by a spider.
One of the most common fears is the fear of public speaking. People may be comfortable speaking inside a room but when it becomes public speaking, fear enters in the form of suspicion that whether the words uttered are correct or incorrect because there are many to judge it. Another common fear can be of pain, or of someone damaging a person. Fear of pain in a plausible situation brings flinching, or cringing.
References
- ^Öhman, A. (2000). Fear and anxiety: Evolutionary, cognitive, and clinical perspectives. In M. Lewis & J. M. Haviland-Jones (Eds.). Handbook of emotions. (pp.573–593). New York: The Guilford Press.
- ^Olsson, A., & Phelps, A.O. (2007). Social learning of fear. Nature Neuroscience, 10, 1095-1102.
- ^Tancer, B. (2008). Click: What millions of people are doing online and why it matters. New York: Hyperion. | http://www.edgbastonhypnotherapy.com/fears/ |
Instructor: Jason Quisling, Air Methods Corp.
Price: This course is free to anyone attending HAI HELI-EXPO
It’s been said there are no new accidents. So why do we continue to make the same aviation mistakes? This session will use case studies and video to examine the answers to this question. In the process, participants will be introduced to the three elements of disorientation and how they create a loss of situational awareness; human factors; the top causal factors in accidents; and the need for error management training. We’ll also discuss the role standard operating procedures play in reducing risk during flight operations and explain the error chain and how it can be broken.
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Jason Quisling has been flying commercially for more than 25 years in both fixed-wing and rotary aircraft. For the past two decades, he’s been working in the helicopter air ambulance field and currently serves as VP of flight operations for Air Methods Corp., overseeing a fleet of 400 aircraft and 1,300 pilots. Passionate about safety, Jason is a National Transportation Safety Board–trained accident investigator and has been a frequent lecturer on aviation human factors and crew resource management. He volunteers as an active member of the US Helicopter Safety Team and on other industry safety committees. | https://heliexpo.com/classes/aviation-human-factors/ |
The vertebrate ear is a complex structure with multiple functions. The semicircular canals of the vertebrate inner ear are bony tubes, filled with a fluid, called endolymph, which moves within the canals when the animal moves. The fluid’s movement is sensed by special cells that send signals to the brain, which, in turn, uses this information to help coordinate posture and body movements during locomotion. It also triggers the neck and eye muscles to reflexively keep the visual image stable.
“We show quantitatively that primate and other mammalian species that are agile and have fast, jerky locomotion have significantly larger canals relative to body mass than those that move more cautiously,” said Garland, a professor of biology, who joined UCR in 2001. “Therefore, future studies can use the relative size of the semicircular canals as a guide to the behavior of fossil (extinct) species, including ancestors of modern human beings.”
The researchers studied 91 separate primate species, including all taxonomic families. The study also included 119 additional species, most of which are mammals ranging in size from mouse to elephant, that habitually move in diverse ways in varied environments.
The project is the first large-scale study to document the relationship of the dimensions of the semicircular canals to locomotion.
Study results will be published on 26 June in the print edition of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and in the journal's online early edition during the week of 18 to 22 June.
The basic hypothesis of the project was that the organ of balance — which helps stabilize an animal’s gaze and coordinate its movements as it travels through the environment — should be irrevocably linked to the type of locomotion produced by its limbs.
“If an animal evolves a new way of moving about the world, its organ of balance must evolve accordingly,” said Alan Walker, Evan Pugh Professor of Anthropology and Biology at Penn State University, one of the team's leaders. From the visual information, the animal tracks its position relative to stationary objects such as tree trunks, branches, rocks or cliffs, or the ground. Having a stable image of the environment is especially crucial for acrobatic animals that leap, glide, or fly.
To make the discovery, the scientists scanned skull samples of each species, measuring the size of each semicircular canal and calculating the radius of curvature. Most of the specimens were scanned at the Center for Quantitative Imaging at Penn State using a high-resolution x-ray computer tomography (CT) scanner, which can resolve features approximately 1/100 the size of those detected by medical CT scanners.
In addition, experienced field workers used personal knowledge or film of animals in the wild to classify species into one of six locomotor categories ranging from very slow and deliberate to fast and agile. The scientists then compared the canal size of each species to its category of movement.
The results revealed a highly significant statistical relationship between the radius of curvature of the semicircular canals and the species' habitual way of moving. More acrobatic species consistently have semicircular canals with a larger radius of curvature than do slower-moving ones. For example, a small, fast-moving leaper like a bushbaby has semicircular canals that are relatively and absolutely much bigger than those of the similar-sized, slow-moving loris.
However, because larger animals have absolutely larger canals, the analysis had to take body size into account. The research revealed that this functional tie between the semicircular canals and locomotor pattern is evident both within the primates alone and within the entire mammalian sample.
“How an animal moves is a basic adaptation,” said Walker, an expert in primate locomotion. “Now we have a way to reconstruct how extinct species moved that is completely independent of analysis of the limb structure. For the first time, we can test our previous conclusions using a new source of information.”
Co-leader of the team was Fred Spoor, a professor of anatomy at University College, London. Spoor originally studied a small number of species for his doctoral research and suggested conducting a detailed investigation using modern techniques. Other researchers on the project were Senior Instructional Design Consultant Gail Krovitz, of the eCollege company; Research Associate in Anthropology Timothy M. Ryan of Penn State University; and Associate Professor of Anthropology Mary T. Silcox of the University of Winnipeg in Canada.
The research received financial support from the U.S. National Science Foundation.
A computer reconstruction of an adult female baboon skull from high-resolution x-ray computed tomography (CT) slices. The skull is rendered transparent to show the position of the three semicircular canals and cochlea of left inner ear filled in red. The enlargement of the canals and cochlea is five times the size of the canals shown in the skull. Each canal is approximately 5 mm in diameter. Image credit: Alan Walker lab, Penn State.
Primates with fast, agile locomotion have large semicircular canals. Here the computer reconstruction of the three semicircular canals and cochlea on the left is that of an active, leaping tarsier with a body mass of 123g. The reconstruction on the right is that of the extinct lemur Palaeopropithecus that has a body mass of 45,000g. This animal has been reconstructed to have behavior like that of a living sloth suspending itself from the trees and moving extremely slowly. The semicircular canals and cochlea of these animals are shown here corrected for their body size. Image credit: Alan Walker lab, Penn State.
A computer reconstruction of the three semicircular canals and cochlea from the inner ear of an adult baboon. Image credit: Alan Walker lab, Penn State.
The University of California, Riverside (www.ucr.edu) is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment has exceeded 21,000 students. The campus opened a medical school in 2013 and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion.
A broadcast studio with fiber cable to the AT&T Hollywood hub is available for live or taped interviews. UCR also has ISDN for radio interviews. To learn more, call (951) UCR-NEWS. | https://newsroom.ucr.edu/1614 |
---
abstract: 'The proton asymmetry parameter $C$ in neutron decay describes the correlation between neutron spin and proton momentum. In this Letter, the first measurement of this quantity is presented. The result $C=-0.2377(26)$ agrees with the Standard Model expectation. The coefficient $C$ provides an additional parameter for new and improved Standard Model tests. From a differential analysis of the same data (assuming the Standard Model), we obtain $\lambda=-1.275(16)$ as ratio of axial-vector and vector coupling constant.'
author:
- 'M. Schumann'
- 'M. Kreuz'
- 'M. Deissenroth'
- 'F. Glück'
- 'J. Krempel'
- 'B. Märkisch'
- 'D. Mund'
- 'A. Petoukhov'
- 'T. Soldner'
- 'H. Abele'
title: 'Measurement of the Proton Asymmetry Parameter $\bm{C}$ in Neutron Beta Decay'
---
The free neutron, decaying into electron, proton, and anti-electron-neutrino (in the following called neutrino), constitutes a well suited low energy laboratory to study the structure of semileptonic weak interactions and to probe the underlying symmetries. It is a rather simple system without any corrections due to nuclear structure. In the $V\!-\!A$ description of the Standard Model (SM), it is governed by two free parameters only (the Fermi constant $G\!_F$ is considered to be known exactly and CP violation can be neglected): The first element of the quark mixing matrix, $V_{ud}$, and the ratio of axial-vector and vector coupling constant, $\lambda=g_A/g_V$. On the other hand, there are much more experimentally accessible observables, such as the lifetime $\tau_n$ and various correlations between spins and momenta of the neutron and the decay products. Thus, the problem is overdetermined and permits to test the SM description of neutron decay in many ways [@Abe07; @Sev06].
Prominent examples for angular correlation coefficients are the electron asymmetry parameter $A$ and the neutrino asymmetry parameter $B$, correlating neutron spin with electron and neutrino momentum, respectively, and the correlation $a$ between the momenta of electron and neutrino. Within the SM, each of these parameters allows to derive $\lambda$. They have been measured several times with increasing precision and are still in the focus of current research. However, the correlation between neutron spin and proton momentum, the proton asymmetry parameter $C$, has not been determined experimentally so far. It describes the proton angular distribution [@Tre58] $$\omega(\theta) \ \text{d}\theta = ( 1 + C \ \cos \theta ) \ \text{d}\theta$$ with the angle $\theta$ between neutron spin and proton momentum. This Letter reports on the first measurements of $C$.
A precisely known parameter $C$ permits new cross-checks within the SM at low energies as the three decay products are kinematically coupled, $$\label{eq_relat}
C = - x_C(A+B)\textnormal{,}$$ where $x_C=0.27484$ is a kinematical factor [@Tre58; @Glu96]. Within the SM, $C$ gives an experimentally different access to $\lambda$ ($g_V$ and $g_A$ are assumed to be real here): $$\label{eq_CandLambda}
C = x_C \frac{4 \ \lambda}{1+3\lambda^2} \textnormal{,}$$ although with somewhat smaller sensitivity than $a$ or $A$. Physics beyond the SM, e.g. $V+A$-, scalar- or tensor-like interactions, may alter this relation [@Glu96; @Sju05]. Thus, $C$ is a new input parameter for global analyses of neutron decay to constrain the size of possible “new physics” effects.
A first measurement of the proton asymmetry parameter $C$ using the electron spectrometer PERKEO II has been carried out in 2001 [@Kre04]. In the following, we report on the succeeding experiment of 2004, performed with much cleaner systematics and improved statistics.
PERKEO II was installed at the cold neutron beam position PF1B [@abele2006] of the Institut Laue-Langevin (ILL), Grenoble. Details on the experimental setup can be found in [@Sch07; @Sch07b]. The neutron beam was spin polarized using two super mirror polarizers in X-SM geometry [@kreuz2005]. Polarization $P=0.997(1)$ and spin-flipper efficiency $F=1.000(1)$ were independent of position and wavelength, and stayed constant during the measurement.
PERKEO II consists of a pair of superconducting coils in split pair configuration, generating a magnetic field perpendicular to the neutron beam, with a maximum of 1.03 T. The neutron spins align parallel to the field, that thereby divides the full solid angle into one hemisphere in and one against spin direction. Each hemisphere was covered by an electron detector consisting of a large area plastic scintillator with photomultiplier readout. All charged decay products generated in the spectrometer center (“decay volume”) were guided onto one of the detectors by the magnetic field, realizing full $2 \times 2 \pi$ coverage.
Protons were detected in coincidence with the decay electrons alike in refs. [@kreuz2005B; @Sch07]. The typical energies of electron and proton differ by three orders of magnitude. In order to detect both particles with the same detector, the protons were accelerated onto a thin () carbon foil on negative high voltage (HV). Thereby they gained enough energy to release one or several secondary electrons from the foil, which were accelerated to the plastic scintillator on ground. The decay volume itself was kept on ground potential by four grounded grids made from AlSi wires on each side. Thus all protons gained the same acceleration and the assignment of the proton to the hemisphere was not affected by the accelerating HV. The detection of the primary decay electron was not altered by the HV if the initial kinetic energy was above 84 keV, regardless of the emission angle. The energy loss of the electrons in the carbon foil was very small ($\sim$0.5 keV) and constant for all relevant electron energies, thus not leading to a systematic effect. The detection signature was an electron trigger, whose energy was recorded, followed by a proton signal. The latter arrived delayed due to the finite drift time from the decay vertex to the region of acceleration. No information on the proton energy was available with this method as the proton was detected after acceleration and as its drift time in the grounded region strongly depended on the position of the decay vertex and the emission angle relative to the magnetic field lines.
For each detector, we obtain four spectra, defined by particle emission in the hemisphere in ($+$) or against ($-$) neutron spin direction: $Q^{++}(E)$, $Q^{-+}(E)$, $Q^{--}(E)$, and $Q^{+-}(E)$. The first sign denotes the electron, the second the proton, and $E$ the electron’s energy. In order to derive the proton asymmetry, we have to integrate out the electron (energy and emission direction). With $$\label{eq_integrals}
\begin{array}{rcl}
\rho^+&=&\int (Q^{++}(E)+Q^{-+}(E)) \ \text{d}E\qquad\text{and} \vspace{0.1cm} \\
\rho^-&=&\int (Q^{+-}(E)+Q^{--}(E)) \ \text{d}E
\end{array}$$ we denote the number of protons that were emitted into one hemisphere with the neutron spin pointing towards and away from this hemisphere, respectively. In this notation, the proton asymmetry is $$\label{eq_proton}
C = \frac{\rho^+ -\rho^-}{\rho^+ +\rho^-}.$$ Note that we use only one proton hemisphere and flip the spin, thus avoiding systematic effects due to different proton efficiencies. The definition (\[eq\_proton\]) has an opposite sign compared to [@Glu95; @Glu96] to maintain the convention that a positive asymmetry parameter indicates more particles to be emitted in spin direction.
The finite electron detector threshold, the HV-barrier modifying the electron detection at low energies, and electron backscattering effects prevent the evaluation of the integrals (\[eq\_integrals\]) in the whole energy range. Furthermore, the integrals combine events with electron detection in two different detectors, without cancellation of the related detector efficiencies. Therefore the measured $Q$-spectra were fit by theoretical functions in regions high enough to describe the spectra properly and where the detector efficiencies for electrons were 1. The spectra were then extrapolated to the full energy range and integrated, taking into account the finite detector energy resolution.
The theoretical functions to describe the $Q$-spectra are given in ref [@Glu95] with $Q^{ij}\!=\!q^{ij} F(E)$ and the Fermi function $F(E)$: $$\begin{aligned}
\label{QFunktion}
q^{++}_{r<1} \! &=& \begin{array}{l} \!\frac{2\!-\!r}{2} \!+\! \frac{a \beta }{4} \left(\frac{r^2}{2}\!-\!1 \right) \!+\! \frac{P A \beta}{2} \left(1\!-\!\frac {2r}{3} \right) \!+\! \frac{PB}{2} \left(\frac{r^2}{3}\!-\!1 \right)
\end{array}
\nonumber \\
q^{++}_{r \ge 1} \! &=& \begin{array}{l} \!\frac{1}{2r} \ \left( 1 - \frac{a \beta}{4 r} + \frac{P A \beta}{3 r} -\frac{2 P B}{3} \right) \end{array} \nonumber \\
q^{--}\!&=&\! q^{++}[P \to -P] \\
q^{+-}\!&=&\! 2+PA \beta - q^{++} \nonumber \\
q^{-+}\!&=&\! 2-PA \beta - q^{--} \qquad \text{with} \nonumber \\
r &=& \beta \begin{array}{l} \frac{E+m_{\text{e}}}{E_{\text{max}}-E} \end{array} \text{.}\nonumber\end{aligned}$$ $A$ and $B$ are the electron and the neutrino asymmetry parameter, respectively. $P$ is the neutron beam polarization, $\beta=v/c$. $E_{\text{max}}\!=\!782$ keV is the endpoint of the beta spectrum, $m_{\text{e}}$ the electron mass. Definition (\[QFunktion\]) is separated into two regions ($r<1$, $r \ge 1$) by the energy dependent parameter $r$, with $r=1$ for $E=236$ keV.
{width="8.5cm"}
{width="8.5cm"}
The electron detectors were calibrated using six monoenergetic conversion electron peaks ($^{109}$Cd, $^{139}$Ce, $^{113}$Sn, $^{137}$Cs, and two peaks of $^{207}$Bi) covering the relevant energy range up to 1 MeV. They were inserted into the spectrometer center regularly. To correct for spatial detector effects, the whole decay volume projection was scanned two-dimensionally several times. Above , detector response was linear within . At lower energies, the linear relation $E = g k + E_{\text{off}}$ between energy $E$ and analog-to-digital converter (ADC) channel $k$ was no longer valid. The detector gain $g$ was known with a precision of 0.3% (0.6%) for detector 1 (detector 2). The energy offsets of the two detectors were $E_{\text{off,1}}=(37.7\pm1.0)~\text{keV}$ and $E_{\text{off,2}}=(40.4\pm2.1)~\text{keV}$, respectively. Their uncertainty is the limiting factor for the measurement of $C$ as it directly enters the $Q^{ij}$ fit functions and thus alters extrapolation and integration results. It leads to an uncertainty of 0.82% on $C$. The uncertainties on detector gain and the energy resolution of about (FWHM) at lead to much lower errors ( and , respectively).
A valid event consisted of an electron trigger followed by a coincident delayed proton signal. All delayed signals within a window of were recorded for both detectors. The first 40 $\mu$s defined the coincidence window. It was chosen such that the number of protons with higher flight-times was almost negligible (0.03(1)% correction on $C$). Accidental coincidences were measured in the second half of the window (delayed coincidence method). The correction of $-0.81(15)$% due to accidental coincidences was obtained directly from measured data as the timing information for all delayed signals was available for all events.
The fit regions to evaluate the $Q$ spectra were chosen according to the detailed analysis of the neutrino asymmetry parameters [@Sch07; @Sch07b] generated from same ($Q^{++}$, $Q^{--}$) and opposite hemisphere ($Q^{+-}$, $Q^{-+}$) spectra. Due to the finite neutron beam width, some particles were emitted towards an increasing magnetic field and could be reflected (depending on their emission angle). For $Q^{++}$ and $Q^{--}$, this “magnetic mirror” effect increases for large energies $E$. Therefore, a smaller fit region was used for these spectra. The electron efficiencies of the detectors were verified by analyzing the trigger functions and found to be 1 above 200 keV. The proton asymmetry parameter itself varies slightly ($\pm 0.8 \sigma_{\text{stat}}$) with different fit regions and their combinations, leading to an additional uncertainty of 0.35%.
At low energies, there is some HV related background left in the spectra (Fig. \[Fig\_CFits\]). In the fit regions, however, they can be well described by fits with a normalizing factor as the only free parameter, indicating that almost no background is left in this region. The remaining uncertainty of 0.18% was determined by using the residuals of the fits. Backscattered electrons assigned to the wrong detector also distort the spectra below 240 keV. At higher energies, backscattering leads to completely negligible corrections in the order of 0.01% [@Sch07c].
Effect \[%\] Corr. Err.
----------------------------------- --------- ------
Polarization 0.30 0.10
Flip Efficiency 0.10
Data Set: [*Statistics*]{} 0.44
[*Fit Region*]{} 0.35
[*Accidental Coincidences* ]{} $-$0.81 0.15
[*Background*]{} 0.18
Detector: [*Gain*]{} 0.38
[*Offset*]{} 0.82
[*Resolution*]{} 0.12
Spectrometer: [*Mirror Effect*]{} 0.01 0.06
[*Edge Effect*]{} 0.26 0.05
[*Grid Effect*]{} 0.08 0.05
Correlations: $A$, $B$, $a$ 0.07
Sum $-$0.16 1.11
: \[tab\_bsame\] Correction and errors of the proton asymmetry parameter $C$. The extrapolation uncertainty contributes to the statistical and the detector calibration errors.
Corrections associated with the design of the spectrometer, “Mirror Effect”, “Edge Effect”, and “Grid Effect”, are described in [@Sch07]. They were determined by Monte Carlo simulations. For the fit regions of this analysis, all associated errors and corrections to $C$ are small. The same holds for the influence of the correlation coefficients $A$, $B$, and $a$ entering via eq. (\[QFunktion\]).
Fig. \[Fig\_CFits\] shows the fits and integrals for one detector yielding the result $$\label{eq_result}
C = -0.2377(10)_{\text{stat}}(24)_{\text{syst}}= -0.2377(26).$$ A detailed summary of all corrections and uncertainties can be found in . The second proton detector had a much worse proton efficiency due to an inferior carbon foil quality, leading to an asymmetry result with am more than $3\times$ larger uncertainty. Therefore we only consider the precise value here, the second serves as cross check: Both values agree within their uncertainties. We also do not consider the result of the earlier measurement [@Kre04] with due to its larger systematic uncertainties.
Our final result for the proton asymmetry parameter, eq. (\[eq\_result\]), has an uncertainty of only 1.1%. Note that it is correlated with the recently published neutrino asymmetry parameter $B$ [@Sch07] as the analyses use partly the same data ($Q^{++}$, $Q^{--}$). Our result agrees with , the SM expectation calculated using eq. (\[eq\_CandLambda\]) and the world mean value $\lambda=-1.2695(29)$ [@PDG06]. It also fulfills relation (\[eq\_relat\]), but the precision of $C$ has to be improved for stringent SM cross checks. However, for the first time, a proton asymmetry parameter can now be included in general parameter space scans of low energetic beta-decays [@Sev06] to set limits on processes beyond the SM.
![\[Fig\_lambda\] The experimental proton asymmetry $C_{\text{exp}}(E)$ of proton detector 2 and the fit in order to obtain $\lambda$. Since some systematic effects cancel in the asymmetry, the asymmetry can be described very well over a large energy range. The fit region is indicated by the bold line.](fig2.eps){width="8.5cm"}
We can use eq. (\[eq\_CandLambda\]) to derive $\lambda_{\text{(int)}}=-1.282(21)$ from the integral proton asymmetry $C$. A more sensitive and direct determination of $\lambda$ from the same data can be performed by a differential analysis of the electron energy $E$ dependent proton asymmetry $$\label{eq_cexp}
C_{\text{exp}}(E) = \frac{(Q^{++}+Q^{-+}) - (Q^{+-}+Q^{--})}{(Q^{++}+Q^{-+}) + (Q^{+-}+Q^{--})}.$$ The dependencies of the $Q^{ij}$ on $E$ have been omitted here. The fit function is calculated using eq. (\[QFunktion\]) and replacing the coefficients $a$, $A$, and $B$ by their SM expressions in terms of $\lambda$ (as given in, e.g., [@Glu95]). In order to avoid systematic effects due to different proton efficiencies, we again use always the same hemisphere for proton detection and flip the spin. Consequently, the asymmetry (\[eq\_cexp\]) contains data from different electron detectors with different calibration uncertainties. In order to estimate the related systematic effects on $\lambda$, we consider the properties of the inferior detector. Again, this uncertainty dominates the overall error budget.
On the other hand, systematic effects such as the detector threshold and the magnetic mirror effect cancel in the asymmetry spectrum (\[eq\_cexp\]) allowing to describe the data over a large energy region (Fig. \[Fig\_lambda\]): We can extend the fit region to up to 700 keV. The lower border is again 240 keV to avoid systematic effects due to different electron detector thresholds or backscattering. The result $$\label{eq_reslambda}
\lambda_{\text{(diff)}}=-1.275(6)_{\text{stat}}(15)_{\text{syst}}=-1.275(16)$$ does not depend on the fit region as results for different regions agree within $0.2 \sigma_{\text{stat}}$. The overall uncertainty of 1.2% is dominated by detector calibration (gain 0.68%, offset 0.82%) and statistics (0.50%). All other uncertainties are much smaller. This value agrees with the value $\lambda_{\text{(int)}}$ derived from the integral proton asymmetry which is an important cross check for the integration and extrapolation procedure.
We recommend the value $\lambda_{\text{(diff)}}$, eq. (\[eq\_reslambda\]), as result for $\lambda$ from our experiment as it is more precise and more direct than $\lambda_{\text{(int)}}$. It agrees well with the world mean value $\lambda$ [@PDG06] derived from measurements of the beta asymmetry $A$. It is almost one order of magnitude less precise but has been obtained using a new method with different systematics: Background is virtually no issue due to the coincidence condition.
Work was funded by the German Federal Ministry for Research and Education, contracts 06HD153I, 06HD187.
H. Abele, Prog. Part. Nucl. Phys. [**60**]{}, 1 (2008) N. Severijns, M. Beck, and O. Naviliat-Cuncic, Rev. Mod. Phys. [**78**]{}, 991 (2006) S. B. Treiman, Phys. Rev. [**110**]{}, 448 (1958) F. Glück, Phys. Lett. B [**376**]{}, 25 (1996) S. K. L. Sjue, Phys. Rev. C [**72**]{}, 045501 (2005) M. Kreuz, PhD thesis, University of Heidelberg (2004) [www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/4799/]{} H. Abele et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. A [**562**]{}, 407 (2006) M. Schumann et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. [**99**]{}, 191803 (2007) M. Schumann, PhD thesis, University of Heidelberg [www.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/archiv/7357]{} (2007) M. Kreuz et al., Nucl. Instr. Meth. A [**547**]{}, 583 (2005) M. Kreuz et al., Phys. Lett. B [**619**]{}, 263 (2005) F. Glück, I. Joó, and J. Last, Nucl. Phys. A [**593**]{}, 125 (1995) M. Schumann and H. Abele, Nucl. Instr. Meth. A, in press W.-M. Yao et al. (PDG), J. Phys. G [**33**]{}, 1 (2006)
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Time management mistakes to avoid each day
I believe every day is an opportunity to be better than the previous. As we learn more about ourselves, grow, and become better. One area that I am constantly working on is my time management skills. As a busy mom, how I manage my time can make or break my day. Chaos lurks and waits for me to slip up so it can creep in. I’ve observed a few costly time management mistakes that I have made in the past but now work to prevent. In doing so, I am noticing a better flow to my day, less stress, and less burnout.
In today’s post, I am sharing the five biggest time wasters for working mothers and what you can do to prevent them.
Time Management for Moms
The dictionary.com definition of time management is “the analysis of how working hours are spent and the prioritization of tasks order to maximize personal efficiency in the workplace” (Dictionary.com, 2022). Time management includes our ability to prioritize and work efficiently. The definition above is geared towards the workplace but the same is true for our personal lives.
To me, personal time management is the ability to effectively manage tasks while accomplishing goals and daily objectives. As a working mother, each day is unique and presents a different set of challenges. Especially when dealing with younger children.
Time management mistakes to avoid
The biggest time management mistake is not having goals and plans. Without these things, moms fall victim to time-wasting activities. Sounds cliche but it is true. Here are the five biggest time-wasting activities for working mothers:
- Not having a plan for the week or day
- Clutter and disorganization
- Overcommitment
- Multi-tasking
- Unnecessary meetings and activities
The time wasters above are all activities that I have experienced along with countless other mothers.
How to avoid these mistakes
The million-dollar question that many moms ask is, “how do I make it all work”? The thing I’ve discovered about time management and motherhood is that the goal is to not “make it all work”. Instead, I focus on what is important at the moment. For me, purposeful prioritization is key.
Planning helps me to prioritize.
Prioritizing helps me to avoid over committing, the need to multi-task, and taking on unnecessary tasks.
Last but certainly not least, clutter leads to chaos, low productivity, and wasted time. Avoid this downfall at all costs. Trust me, I know from experience and I am still a work in progress in this area.
What are some time wasters that you are committed to avoiding?
Read Maximizing Productivity as a Working Mom – Career Mom Community for more productivity tips. | https://careermomcommunity.com/5-biggest-time-wasters-for-working-mothers/ |
Beden – The prime ancient Somali maritime vessel that today remains the longest surviving sewn ship in East Africa and the world.
18 September, 2020
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Maritime history of Somalia refers to the seafaring tradition of the Somali people. It includes various stages of Somali navigational technology, shipbuilding and design, as well as the history of the Somali port cities. It also covers the historical sea routes taken by Somali sailors which sustained the commercial enterprises of the historical Somali kingdoms and empires, in addition to the contemporary maritime culture of Somalia.
In antiquity, the ancestors of the Somali people were an important link in the Horn of Africa connecting the region’s commerce with the rest of the ancient world. Somali sailors and merchants were the main suppliers of frankincense, myrrh and spices, items which were considered valuable luxuries by the Ancient Egyptians, Phoenicians, Mycenaeans and Babylonians. During the classical era, several ancient city-states such as Opone, Mosylon and Malao that competed with the Sabaeans, Parthians and Axumites for the wealthy Indo–Greco-Roman trade also flourished in Somalia. In the Middle Ages, several powerful Somali empires dominated the regional trade including the Ajuran Sultanate, the latter of which maintained profitable maritime contacts with Arabia, India, Venetia, Persia, Egypt, Portugal and as far away as China. This tradition of seaborne trade was maintained in the early modern period, with Berbera being the pre-eminent Somali port during the 18th–19th centuries.
Antiquity
In ancient times, the Kingdom of Punt, which is believed by several Egyptologists to have been situated in the area of modern-day Somalia, had a steady trade link with the Ancient Egyptians and exported precious natural resources such as myrrh, frankincense and gum. This trade network continued all the way into the classical era. The city states of Mossylon, Malao, Mundus and Tabae in Somalia engaged in a lucrative trade network connecting Somali merchants with Phoenicia, Ptolemic Egypt, Greece, Parthian Persia, Saba, Nabataea and the Roman Empire. Somali sailors used the ancient Somali maritime vessel known as the beden to transport their cargo.
After the Roman conquest of the Nabataean Empire and the Roman naval presence at Aden to curb piracy, Arab and Somali merchants barred Indian merchants from trading in the free port cities of the Arabian peninsula because of the nearby Roman presence. However, they continued to trade in the port cities of the Somali peninsula, which was free from any Roman threat or spies. The reason for barring Indian ships from entering the wealthy Arabian port cities was to protect and hide the exploitative trade practices of the Somali and Arab merchants in the extremely lucrative ancient Red Sea–Mediterranean Sea commerce. The Indian merchants for centuries brought large quantities of cinnamon from Ceylon and the Far East to Somalia and Arabia. This is said to have been the best kept secret of the Arab and Somali merchants in their trade with the Roman and Greek world. The Romans and Greeks believed the source of cinnamon to have been the Somali peninsula but in reality, the highly valued product was brought to Somalia by way of Indian ships. Through Somali and Arab traders, Indian/Chinese cinnamon was also exported for far higher prices to North Africa, the Near East and Europe, which made the cinnamon trade a very profitable revenue generator, especially for the Somali merchants through whose hands large quantities were shipped across ancient sea and land routes.
Somali sailors were aware of the region’s monsoons, and used them to link themselves with the port cities of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea. They also developed an understandable way of defining the islands of the Indian Ocean in their navigational reach. They would name archipelagos or groups of islands after the most important island there, from the Somali point of view.
Middle Ages
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During the Age of the Ajurans, the sultanates and republics of Merca, Mogadishu, Barawa, Hobyo and their respective ports flourished and had a lucrative foreign commerce with ships sailing to Arabia, India, Venetia, Persia, Egypt, Portugal and as far away as China.
In the 16th century, Duarte Barbosa noted that many ships from the Kingdom of Cambaya in India sailed to Mogadishu with fabric and spices, for which they in return received gold, wax and ivory. Mogadishu, the center of a thriving weaving industry known as toob benadir (specialized for the markets in Egypt and Syria), together with Merca and Barawa also served as transit stops for Swahili merchants from Mombasa and Malindi and for the gold trade from Kilwa. Trade with the Hormuz went both ways, and Jewish merchants brought their Indian textile and fruit to the Somali coast in exchange for grain and wood. Trading relations were established with Malacca in the 15th century, with cloth, ambergris and porcelain being the main commodities exchanged. Giraffes, zebras and incense were exported to the Ming Empire of China, which established Somali merchants as leaders in the commerce between the Asia and Africa, and in the process influenced the Chinese language with the Somali language and vice versa. Hindu merchants from Surat and Southeast African merchants from Pate, seeking to bypass both the Portuguese blockade and Omani meddling, used the Somali ports of Merca and Barawa (which were out of the two powers’ jurisdiction) to conduct their trade in safety and without interference.
During the same period, Somali merchants sailed to Cairo, Damascus, Mocha, Mombasa, Aden, Madagascar, Hyderabad and the islands of the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, establishing Somali communities along the way. These travels produced several important individuals such as the Muslim scholars Uthman bin Ali Zayla’i in Egypt, Abd al-Aziz of Mogadishu in the Maldives, as well as the explorer Sa’id of Mogadishu, the latter of whom traveled across the Muslim world and visited China and India in the 14th century.
Early modern era and present
|“The Somali wanders afar. You will find him working as deck hand, fireman, or steward, on all the great liners trading to the East. I know of a Somali tobacconist in Cardiff, a Somali mechanic in New York, and a Somali trader in Bombay, the latter of whom speaks French, English, and Italian fluently”. (Rayne, 1921, 6)|
In the early modern period, successor states of the Adal and Ajuran empires began to flourish in Somalia, continuing the tradition of seaborne trade established by previous Somali empires. The rise of the 19th century Gobroon Dynasty in particular saw a rebirth in Somali maritime enterprise. During this period, the Somali agricultural output to Arabian markets was so great that the coast of Somalia came to be known as the Grain Coast of Yemen and Oman. Somali merchants also operated trade factories on the Eritrean coast.
Berbera was the most important port in the Somali Peninsula between the 18th–19th centuries. For centuries, Berbera had extensive trade relations with several historic ports in the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, the Somali and Ethiopian interiors were very dependent on Berbera for trade, where most of the goods for export arrived from. During the 1833 trading season, the port town swelled to over 70,000 people, and upwards of 6,000 camels laden with goods arrived from the interior within a single day. Berbera was the main marketplace in the entire Somali seaboard for various goods procured from the interior, such as livestock, coffee, frankincense, myrrh, acacia gum, saffron, feathers, ghee, hide (skin), gold and ivory.
According to a trade journal published in 1856, Berbera was described as “the freest port in the world, and the most important trading place on the whole Arabian Gulf (referring to the Gulf of Aden).”:
“The only seaports of importance on this coast are Feyla [Zeila] and Berbera; the former is an Arabian colony, dependent of Mocha, but Berbera is independent of any foreign power. It is, without having the name, the freest port in the world, and the most important trading place on the whole Arabian Gulf. From the beginning of November to the end of April, a large fair assembles in Berbera, and caravans of 6,000 camels at a time come from the interior loaded with coffee, (considered superior to Mocha in Bombay), gum, ivory, hides, skins, grain, cattle, and sour milk, the substitute of fermented drinks in these regions; also much cattle is brought there for the Aden market.”
Historically, the port of Berbera was controlled indigenously between the mercantile Reer Ahmed Nur and Reer Yunis Nuh sub-clans of the Habar Awal.
During the brief period of imperial hegemony over Somalia, Somali sailors and traders frequently joined British and other European ships to the Far East, Europe and the Americas.
Somalia in the pre-civil war period possessed the largest merchant fleet in the Muslim world. It consisted of 12 oil tankers (average size 1300 tons), 15 bulk ore carriers (average size 15000 tons), and 207 other crafts with average tonnage of 5000 to 10000.
In ancient times, naval engagements between buccaneers and merchant ships were very common in the Gulf of Aden. In the late medieval period, Somali navies regularly engaged their Portuguese counterparts at sea, the latter of whom were naturally attracted by the commercial reputation of the Somali coast. These tensions significantly worsened during the 16th century.
Over the next several decades Somali-Portuguese tensions would remain high and the increased contact between Somali sailors and Ottoman corsairs worried the Portuguese, prompting the latter to send a punitive expedition against Mogadishu under Joao de Sepuvelda. The expedition was unsuccessful. Ottoman-Somali cooperation against the Portuguese in the Indian Ocean reached an apogee in the 1580s, when Ajuran clients of the Somali coastal cities began to sympathize with the Arabs and Swahilis under Portuguese rule and sent an envoy to the Turkish corsair Mir Ali Bey for a joint expedition against the Portuguese. Bey agreed and was joined by a Somali fleet, which began attacking Portuguese colonies in Southeast Africa. The Somali-Ottoman offensive managed to drive out the Portuguese from several important cities such as Pate, Mombasa and Kilwa. However, the Portuguese governor sent envoys to India requesting a large Portuguese fleet. This request was answered and it reversed the previous offensive of the Muslims into one of defense. The Portuguese armada managed to re-take most of the lost cities and began punishing their leaders. However, they refrained from attacking Mogadishu.
During the post-independence period, the Somali Navy mostly did maritime patrols so as to prevent ships from illegally infringing on the nation’s maritime borders. The Somali Navy and Somali Air Force also regularly collaborated as a deterrent against the Imperial Navy of Ethiopia. In addition, the Somali Navy carried out Search and Rescue (SAR) missions. The National Navy participated in many navy exercises with the United States Navy, the Royal British Navy and the Royal Canadian Navy in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean.
Technology and equipment
- Beden – The prime ancient Somali maritime vessel that today remains the longest surviving sewn ship in East Africa and the world.[clarification needed] The ship’s construction style is unique to Somalia and significantly differs from extinct sewn ships of Arabia, South India and adjacent islands. An average Beden ship measures 10m or more and is strengthened with a substantial gunwale, attached by trenails. The Somali fishermen also use stone anchors to prevent their ships from being drawn to the shore when fishing.
- Lighthouses – Somalia’s historical strategic location within the world’s oldest and busiest sea-lanes encouraged the construction of lighthouses to coordinate shipping and to ensure the safe entry of commercial vessels in the nation’s many port cities.
- Hourglass – Hourglasses were used on Somali ships for timekeeping.
Port cities
Ancient
- Botiala – In ancient times, the port city of Botiala transported goods such as aromatic woods, gum and incense to Indian, Persian and Arab merchants
- Cape Guardafui – Known in ancient times as the Cape of Spices, it was an important place for the ancient cinnamon and Indian spice trade.
- Damo – Ancient port town in northern Somalia. It likely corresponded with the Periplus “Market of Spices“. Holds many historical artifacts and structures, including ancient coins, Roman pottery, drystone buildings, cairns, mosques, walled enclosures, standing stones and platform monuments.
- Essina – Ancient emporium possibly located between the southern ports of Barawa and Merca, based on Ptolemy‘s work.
- Gondal – Ancient town in southern Somalia. It is considered a predecessor of the port city Kismayo.
- Malao – Ancient port city known for its commerce in frankincense and myrrh in exchange for cloaks, copper and gold from Arsinoe and India.
- Mosylon – The most important ancient port city of the Somali Peninsula, it handled a considerable amount of the Indian Ocean trade through its large ships and extensive harbor.
- Mundus – Ancient port engaged in the fragrant gum and cinnamon trade with the Hellenic world.
- Opone – In ancient times, the port city of Opone traded with merchants from Phoenicia, Egypt, Greece, Persia and the Roman Empire, and connected with traders from as far afield as Indonesia and Malaysia, exchanging spices, silks and other goods.
- Sarapion – Ancient port city in Somalia. It is the possible predecessor of Mogadishu.
- Sesea – Ancient city-state in northern Somalia.
- Tabae – Ancient port where sailors on their way to India could take refuge from the storms of the Indian Ocean.
Medieval
- Barawa – Old port city in Somalia, which in the medieval era came under the influence of Mogadishu and the later Ajuran Empire.
- Berbera – Dominant port city on the Gulf of Aden that had trade relations with the Tang Dynasty of China. Berbera maintained its influence well into the early modern period.
- Gondershe – Medieval center of trade that handled smaller vessels sailing from India, Arabia, Persia and the Far East.
- Hobyo – One of the commercial centers of the Ajurans and an important port city for the pilgrimage (hajj) to Mecca.
- Kismayo – Sister city of Mogadishu and an important trade outlet during the Gobroon Dynasty.
- Merka – Prominent medieval port city that collaborated with the Mogadishans in the Indian Ocean trade.
- Mogadishu – The most important medieval city in East Africa and initiator of the East African gold trade. Before the period of civil strife, Mogadishu continued its historical position as the pre-eminent port city of East Africa.
- Zeila – Adalite city that traded with the Catalans and the Ottomans. Handled most of the trade of the northwestern Horn of Africa.
Early modern and present
- Bulhar – A prosperous port during the 19th century, Bulhar was a trading rival to nearby Berbera
- Eyl – A Dervish city that was utilized for the weapons trade during the Scramble for Africa. Today, Eyl is a growing port city.
- Bosaso – Established by the Somali seafaring company Kaptallah in the early 19th century as Bandar Qassim.
- Las Khorey – Capital of the Warsangali Sultanate, it was at its zenith during the late 18th century. Today, the port continues to export mainly marine products. Somali environmentalist Fatima Jibrell is re-developing the centuries-old port with the aim of creating immediate employment for local residents. Over the long-term, this effort is intended to boost import and export opportunities to Somalia’s northern coastal region, and thus also help rebuild communities and livelihoods.
- Qandala – An important port city in the 18th and 19th centuries for the pilgrimage to Mecca, and for the caravan trains that came from the castle city of Botiala. | https://thewarsan.com/maritime-history-of-somalia/ |
The Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) group from the Arctic Council estimates that there are about 2,218 vascular plant species in the Arctic itself, without counting what they consider to be subarctic areas like most of Iceland, Fennoscandia, and the Faroe Islands. Vascular plants grow on a stem which transport nutrients and water, and they have roots that get these nutrients from the ground. These include notably flowering plants, also called angiosperms, as long as non-flowering plants: conifers, ferns, horsetails, and clubmosses. These plants reproduce via seeds or spores, but do not produce flowers or fruits. Some examples of non-flowering vascular plant species found in the East Atlantic Arctic are described below, with their distribution within the East Atlantic Arctic and some interesting features.
Clubmosses, also called lycopods (class Lycopodiopsida), are a group of vascular plants which grow in branching stems with simple leaves. Like ferns, these plants do not reproduce through seeds like angiosperms and gymnosperms, but through spores (unicellular units containing genetic material that are dispered in the air). There are three orders of lycopods, each containing only one family. The three orders respectively contain the clubmosses and firmosses, the spikemosses or lesser clubmosses, and the quillworts. Examples of East Atlantic Arctic lycopods include:
- The Northern firmoss Huperzia selago. This clubmoss species is mostly found in boreal and subarctic areas, but although relatively rare, it is still present in Iceland, and southeastern and southwestern Greenland. It is not found in Fennoscandia.
- The Lesser clubmoss Selaginella selaginoides. Like some other lycopods, this small plant resembles a moss but is in fact a vascular plant. It has a circumpolar distribution, and is very common in Iceland. It is also found in northen Fennoscandia and both the western and eastern Greenlandic coasts, although it is less common in these areas. It is found in the Faroe Islands.
- The Lake quillwort Isoetes lacustris. This quillwort could be confused with a tuft of grass or sedge, but it not related to these families. It is aquatic, living on shallow lake or pond bottoms. It is found in alpine and northern regions of Europe, the Faroe islands, southwestern Iceland, and throughout Fennoscandia.
Ferns form the group Polypodiopsida, which contains all vascular plants that reproduce via spores except for lycopods. Ferns are divided into four different subgroups, and three subgroups are found in the East Atlantic Arctic:
- Leptosporangiate ferns.
- Horsetails.
- Moonworts and Adder's-tongues.
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Leptosporangiate ferns are what we usually simply call ferns. They are the most widespread and common type of fern, with many different families and shapes. They grow in fronds that have pinna arranged on both sides of central rachis. Like other ferns, they reproduce through spores which are produced by sporangia. Sporangia clusters can be found on the underside of fertile fronds, and they are called sori. Examples of ferns found in the East Atlantic Arctic include:
Horsetails are a type of primitive ferns which have existed for at least 360 million years. At some point in prehistoric times, horsetails were much more diverse and some species could grow to the size of trees. Only one genus remains today, Equisetum. Some species, like the Southern giant horsetail Equisetum giganteum, can still grow to heights of two meters. However, species that grow in the Arctic and subarctic are much smaller. Some examples include:
- The Field horsetail Equisetum arvense. This species is recognized by its thin stems which support many branches reaching upwards. It can be grass-like in appearance. It is a widespread and common circumpolar Arctic species, found in Iceland, the Faroe Islands, western and eastern Greenland, Svalbard, and northern Fennoscandia.
- The Rough horsetail Equisetum hyemale. This horsetail grows straight with no branches. It is has a circumpolar distribution but is more boreal and subarctic than Arctic. It is common in Iceland, and rare in northern Fennoscandia and southeastern Greenland.
- The Variegated horsetail Equisetum variegatum. This horsetail is similar in appearance to the rough horsetail but grows lower, and has zigzag black and white patterns between sections of the stem.
Moonworts are part of the family Ophioglossaceae in the group Ophioglossidae., which also contains the grape ferns, adder's-tongues, and whisk ferns. Some examples of species that belong to this group that can be found in the East Atlantic Arctic include:
- The Northern moonwort Botrychium boreale. This small moonwort grows mostly in boreal zones, but it is also found in Arctic areas, where it is usually rare. As such, it is a rare species in Iceland, western and eastern Greenland, Svalbard (where it is considered critically endangered), and northern Fennoscandia.
- The Common moonwort Botrychium lunaria. This moonwort is similar to the northern moonwort, but it is slightly taller and its leaves are not lobed. It is also more common in the Arctic, and has a circumpolar distribution. It is a common species in Iceland and western and eastern Greenland, but is rarer in northern Fennoscandia. Like the northern moonwort, it is very rare in Svalbard where it is considered critcally endangered.
- The Small adder's-tongue Ophioglossum azoricum. Small adder's tongue is a low-growing species found from Italy and central Europe to Iceland and eastern Greenland. In both Iceland and Greenland, it is very rare and only found in geothermal and sheltered areas.
Conifers are not angiosperms (flowering plants), but gymnosperms. Like angiosperms, gymnosperms reproduce using seeds, but they do not produce flowers and the seeds are not contained in fruits. Conifers contribute very little to the diversity of Arctic flora, with only 16 species growing in the Arctic. On the other hand, they are very common in the subarctic boreal zones, where they are the characteristic feature of the taiga or boreal forest biome, one of the most common land biomes.
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Pinaceae is the pine family, and it also includes larches, spruces, cedars, firs, and more.
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The Common juniper Juniperus communis is part of the cypress family Cupressaceae. It is one of the only native conifer species to the Faroe Islands, where it has significantly declined since the viking age, Greenland, where it is found on the southern coast, and Iceland. It is also found throughout Fennoscandia. The subspecies found in all of these regions is the Alpine juniper which grows very low to the ground as a shrub or a mat.
Pictures
- "File:1024 Zerbrechlicher Blasenfarn (Cystopteris fragilis)-2219.jpg" by Hedwig Storch is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
- "Fur club moss (Huperzia selago) & Heather (Calluna vulgaris)" by gennadyalexandrov is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
- "Lesser Clubmoss Selaginella selaginoides" by LennyWorthington is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
- "Isoetes lacustris shoot and tufts of roots. Llyn Fach, 1971 Quillwort, a rare fern ally." by Mary Gillham Archive Project is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
- "Asplenium viride" by Ashley Basil is licensed under CC BY 2.0.
- "Woodsia glabella" by Tab Tannery is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
- "Variegated Scouring Rush" by milesizz is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
- "Common Moonwort - Botrychium lunaria" by Björn S... is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Botrychium boreale-MW0155968-live.jpg by Копылов-Гуськов is licensed under CC BY 4.0.
- "ophioglossum azoricum" by Paulo Ventura Araújo is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0.
- "European Larch (Larix decidua) trees" by Peter O'Connor aka anemoneprojectors is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
- "Pinus sylvestris" by anro0002 is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
- Juniperus communis (5107229545).jpg by Matt Lavin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
References
- Alsos, I. G., Arnesen, G., Elven R. (1998-2020) The Flora of Svalbard. http://svalbardflora.no/oldsite/
- Brunton, D. F., Sokoloff, P. C., & Aymerich, P. (2020). The taxonomy, status and origin of Isoetes ×brochonii and I. creussensis (Isoetaceae), two Pyrenean endemic taxa. Botany Letters, 167(4), 391–408. https://doi.org/10.1080/23818107.2020.1790034
- Daniëls, F.J.A., Gillespie, L.J., Poulin, M., Afonina, O.M., Alsos, I.G., Aronsson, M., Bültmann, H., Ickert-Bond, S., Konstantinova, N.A., Lovejoy, C., Väre, H., Bakke Westergaard, K. (2013). Flora. In Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (pp. 310–352). https://www.caff.is/assessment-series/arctic-biodiversity-assessment/214-arctic-biodiversity-assessment-2013-chapter-9-flora
- Elven, R., Murray, D. F., Razzhivin, V. Y., Yurtsev, B. A. Annotated Checklist of the Panarctic Flora (PAF) Vascular plants. http://panarcticflora.org/
- Fosaa, A. M. (2001). A Review of Plant Communities of the Faroe Islands. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261180057_A_Review_of_Plant_Communities_of_the_Faroe_Islands
- Icelandic Institute of Natural History. http://www.ni.is/biota/plantae. | https://www.arcticnature.org/non-flowering-vascular-plants.html |
The holidays have always inspired giving, not just toward those closest to us, but toward others in need as well. This year, more than ever, people in our own neighborhoods are seeking economic help, job support, and assistance in filling their pantries. Charitable giving is expected to increase an estimated 4.8% in 2020 and 5.1% in 2021, according to Philanthropy News Digest.
Sometimes, the needs of the world can seem insurmountable, but one good act often leads to another. Not to mention that the simple act of helping someone else can, in turn, help oneself. Stacker has compiled a list of 30 ways to help your neighbors this holiday season. It researched ideas from around the web, including those from Charity Navigator, GoFundMe, Do Something, Monster, and Helping Americans Find Help. There’s a mix of virtual, remote, and on-site opportunities so everyone can find a cause that fits their comfort level during these trying times.
While there are hundreds of organized international, national, and local charities, sometimes the fastest way to help your neighbor is to simply offer. Hyper-local assistance means calling neighbors, businesses, and churches in your immediate neighborhood and asking how you might be able to help.
Are there local families or restaurant employees in need right now? Does the local pantry or animal shelter need food? Little tasks that may seem small, such as shoveling the snow in a neighbor’s driveway, or posting a note at the post office offering to pick up someone’s groceries, can mean the world to someone. That little act of kindness when you leave a bigger tip or pick up someone else’s tab at the grocery store does more than you know to bring cheer and lighten the load for another human being.
How will you support your neighbors this holiday season? Keep reading to discover 30 inspirational ideas to get started.
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Help to feed your community
Virtually every community has people in it who struggle to put food on the table. With COVID-19 shuttering businesses and causing painful job losses, almost 25% of all Americans in 2020 faced food scarcity. Organizations like Feeding America and United Way have programs in place to offer support to people facing food insecuirty and hunger, and rely on volunteers across the country to help sort, pack, and deliver meals. You can also set out on your own or team up with co-workers, friends or families to launch your own food drive or prepare meals for a neighbor in need. Another program, Lasagna Love, pairs people requesting food with volunteers in the community (termed "Lasagna Mamas") willing to prepare a hot meal.
Help a vision-impaired person to 'see'
With the free "Be My Eyes" app, volunteers can help blind and low-vision people with small, everyday tasks such as reading prescription bottles or finding something they can’t locate. The app works through video calls, so when volunteers receive an alert, they can see for the person they are assisting.
Support a young person in your neighborhood
More than ever, children need supportive adults in their lives. Male role models are in particularly high demand: At Big Brothers Big Sisters, only three out of 10 volunteers are men, but 70% of children looking for a big brother are boys.
Get trained to help out in emergency situations
The nationwide Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program trains citizens to help in emergency situations. Some of the assignments may include crowd control, missing person searches, fire safety, disaster medical operations, and escorting residents of evacuated buildings to recover their belongings. If your community doesn't already have a local CERT branch, you can set one up in a few basic steps.
Volunteer as a crisis counselor
The Trevor Project is the leading national organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services for LGBTQ+ youth under 25. Digital messaging and telephone crisis counselor remote volunteer opportunities are available throughout the United States, with online training and a one-year commitment required.
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Document your local biodiversity
Throughout the year, there are hundreds of ways to document and protect the biodiversity in your community. Groups like iNaturalist and Citizen Science invite volunteers to assist professional researchers in helping to gather data on flora and fauna for larger projects. With the iNaturalist app, you can document the animals and plants living in your community; while at the Citizen Science page, you can sign up for specific projects where you live.
Support your neighbors' civil rights
Dozens of national civil rights organizations fight for people's fundamental rights and are always looking for advocates, volunteers, and donors. Many national organizations have local chapters throughout the U.S. that are always looking for more supporters.
Give your local businesses and nonprofits a boost
COVID-19 wrought havoc on the economy, and came down especially hard on small businesses and organizations. Show your support by making the effort to support independently run businesses and small non-profits. Many shops offer virtual tours of what's in stock or online shopping, and donations to local non-profits can be made 100% virtually. Meanwhile, gift certificates to local restaurants can provide a much-needed boost that can be used at a later date. If you've got specific skills you're willing to share with nonprofits, the website Catchafire connects professionals who with time and expertise to donate with organizations in need. Opportunities to volunteer range from making a quick phone call to full-scale marketing analysis projects.
Help your neighbors out with snow removal
Next time it snows, throw on some winter gear and head to a neighbor's house to shovel their driveway, steps, or walkways. This simple gesture goes a long way, especially for the elderly or disabled who may have difficulty taking care of snow removal on their own.
Help local students pay for college
Research what scholarship funds are available to students in your community and see how you can help either through volunteering or donating. Nationally, organizations such as Scholarship America depend on community volunteers and donors around the country to aid in each student’s success.
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Contribute to a local toy drive
Each year, thousands of organizations and individuals launch toy drives to help children have a festive holiday season. Check with your local places of worship, fire halls, and neighborhood groups to find out what toys are in high demand this year and to see how you can get involved.
Make sure local teachers have the materials they need
Myriad national and local organizations work tirelessly to support our country's educators by providing them with much-needed school supplies, project materials, and funding. Be sure to check out Donors Choose, Power Of, and UNICEF to get started and see where there is the most need.
Give neighbors in need a fresh start
There are hundreds of opportunities to help out neighbors with the physical trappings of a secure living situation. Habitat for Humanity has local chapters all over the U.S. you can support by shopping for supplies and furniture in a local ReStore or helping with the physical construction of new homes. Another nationwide program, Homes for the Holidays surprises working single parents with a furnishings and help with down payments for their homes. Thousands of volunteers have donated their time and money to help almost 200 families over the years.
Another easy way to help out is to simply ask around about people in your community who are in need of help on various projects, from house painting to reroofing to organizing the garage. Local neighborhood groups are often great resources for this sort of volunteer work.
Expand literacy in your community
More than 43 million adults in the United States cannot read, write, or do basic math above a third-grade level. Groups like ProLiteracy seek to change that by helping to educate and empower adults throughout the country. For kids, see if there are any community reading programs you can help out with and call your local library to see if there are upcoming reading initiatives—virtual or otherwise—you can help with, such as book clubs or storytelling series. Lastly, install a Little Free Library box on your front lawn to expand book access and encourage reading in your community.
To help teach English to adult immigrants and refugees in the U.S., check out literacy initiatives such as That's Neighborly.
Donate blood
There is often a critical need for blood, and services like the American Red Cross are also always looking for volunteers (in-person and virtual). Most commonly, blood donations are sent to local hospitals to help people in your community. But depending on need, blood may also be shipped elsewhere throughout the country.
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Help out at your local YMCA
There are thousands of YMCAs across the country, and each one depends on volunteers for coaching, motivating youth, leading committees, and supporting neighbors. Volunteering at a local YMCA is an easy way to connect with the teens and adults in your neighborhood.
Become a foster grandparent
Foster grandparents provide critical support to young people in their communities. These volunteers can provide stability and care to children who have been neglected or abused, help with literacy efforts and one-on-one tutoring, lend an ear to adolescents and new parents, and help with care for children who have disabilities and premature infants. State governments and national organizations like AmeriCorps Seniors have local chapters that can pair senior citizens with people in their communities.
Be a ray of light for locals requiring long-term care
Programs like the Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program advocate for those living in long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities. Volunteers regularly visit with residents, advocate for them, and utilize alternative ways to communicate while social distancing, such as writing letters to brighten a neighbor's day.
Become a mentor
Many young people grow up without someone to confide in or turn to for advice about everyday decisions such as looking for a job, buying a car, or choosing a college. Being a mentor to a youth in your community means sharing your knowledge and skills with someone who needs and appreciates what you have to offer.
Join your local chapter of #ChefsForAmerica
To date, more than 12 million meals have been purchased from restaurants across the United States, and delivered to those in need as part of the #ChefsForAmerica program. Emergency food-relief volunteers are trained on the lines, and those with commercial cooking experience are always welcome.
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Beautify your neighborhood
Cleaning up your neighborhood has wide-reaching repercussions, from supporting the local wildlife to improving psychological health. If you enjoy independent volunteer work, it doesn't require any coordination or signups for you to grab a trash bag and go on a stroll along your neighborhood's streets and pick up trash. If you'd prefer to work on a larger scale or in a coordinated group effort, consider organizing a neighborhood cleanup or volunteering with an existing organization in your community or a larger group like United Way.
Write letters
People LOVE to get mail. And every community is filled with people who would appreciate a thoughtful note, especially around the holidays. A few easy ways to share some kindness include leaving a nice note for your mail carrier, sending out a few hand-written holiday cars to your neighbors, or signing up through letter-writing campaigns such as More Love Letters, Love For Our Elders, That's Neighborly, or Write a Prisoner,
Provide warm clothes to people in your community
Donating a gently worn coat with no holes or stains is a thoughtful way to support a community in need. Find out if any of your local organizations have coat drives in place. Also be sure to visit One Warm Coat, which sets up drives around the U.S. and even offers free online tools and resources for setting up your own.
'Adopt a Family' for the holidays
Coordinated by local charities and church groups, Adopt a Family programs choose local families in need and “adopt” them for the holidays. Donors help out with food, gifts, and toys. Inquire with local charities about this program.
Provide critical help to foster children
More than 500,000 children spend time in foster care each year. The mission of One Simple Wish is to answer the simple wishes of some of those children. Volunteers can start a wish fund, send love notes, grant a wish, or start a giving page.
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Set up a (virtual) lemonade stand
Alex’s Lemonade Stand leverages community involvement to create a unique way for children to help raise money to combat childhood cancer. Normally, volunteers set up a lemonade stand in the neighborhood to raise money, but while the coronavirus guidelines are in place, children are invited to set up virtual lemonade stands.
Volunteer in a community garden
Throughout the year, community gardens provide essential services to neighbors by beautifying neighborhoods, providing a space to grow local food, and providing nutritious meals to volunteers and people in need. The American Community Gardening Association regularly updates its listings of community gardens around the country; if you don't see any nearby there, be sure to check with your local libraries, schools, and volunteer organizations.
Join the National Urban League
The National Urban League is a long-standing urban advocacy and civil rights organization that currently serves more than 300 communities across the country. The group's goal is to provide economic empowerment, educational opportunities, and guaranteed civil rights for America’s underserved.
Support your local animal shelter
Showing your support for your local animal shelters and sanctuaries can be as simple as following them on social media to as meaningful as fostering pets in need. Many shelters are always looking for people to help with walking dogs, cleaning, taking photos to aid in the adoption process, or provide monetary support.
Answer letters to Santa
Coordinated by the U.S. Postal Service, Operation Santa invites people across the country to answer letters to Santa. The deadline for gifts to be shipped is Dec. 19. | https://stacker.com/stories/5669/30-ways-support-your-neighbors-holiday-season |
There are 18 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
Roses are flowering perennial plants prized for their beautiful flowers, which are made up of delicate and layered petals. One of the best ways to propagate new roses is to take a cutting from an existing plant and grow it into a whole new rose bush. When you grow roses from a cutting, you cut a stem from a healthy plant and root it in a growing medium so it grows into an independent plant of its own. However, you can also propagate roses by dividing an existing plant, but this requires a little more effort than with cuttings. To propagate by division, you have to dig up an entire rose bush, cut the root system in half, and replant the two halves as separate bushes.
Steps
1
Growing Roses from Cuttings
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1Select the right time. Planting stem cuttings is one of the most popular ways to propagate roses. The best time to take and plant cuttings is when the temperature outside is warm but not too hot. Choose a time when the rose bush is undergoing strong growth. The ideal time of year for this is late spring or early summer.
- It is possible to grow roses from cuttings when the weather is colder, but the process will take longer and your chances of success will be lower.
- If you don’t have a rose bush of your own that you can use for a cutting, ask a friend or neighbour if they have a plant you can use.
- You may also be able to find wild rose bushes that you can propagate.
- You can also ask a local nursery or garden center if they let people take cuttings from any of their plants.
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2Gather your tools. To propagate roses using this method, you need to select a healthy rose plant and cut off a stem. For this project, you will need some gardening, cutting, and potting tools, including:
- Clean two-inch (five-cm) pot
- Potting soil
- Sharp sterilized cutting tool
- Rooting hormone
- Clear plastic bag or mason jar
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3Prepare a pot. Fill the small pot with potting soil. For the best results, replace a quarter of the soil with perlite, peat moss, or vermiculite, or a combination thereof. This will increase air flow and draining, giving your cutting a better opportunity to root. If the soil is dry, water it and allow the excess water to drain out, so that the soil is evenly moist.
- Instead of a pot, you can also use a small mason jar or the bottom half of a large plastic bottle (cut the top off).
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4Select a stem for the cutting. Choose a healthy and established plant to take a cutting from. The stem should come from the top and side of the plant, and it should have at least three leaves on it. Ideally, find a stem that has flowered recently. Look for a stem that’s young but established and hardy, and that’s about six inches (15 cm) long.
- It’s better to take cuttings from the top and side of the plant because they seem to root better than cuttings from the middle or bottom.
- It’s ok if the stem you select has buds and flowers currently on it, but look for a stem with flowers that are starting to wither. This indicates the stem recently bloomed.
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5Cut off a section of stem. The best tool for taking the cutting is a pair of sharp pruning shears or a razor blade. Cut the stem from the plant at a 45-degree angle, just below one of the lower leaf nodes (where the leaf attaches to the stem).
- Make sure the cutting tool has been sterilized to prevent the spread of disease.
- To sterilize your cutting tool, you can heat it with fire until it’s red hot, or boil it in water for 30 minutes.
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6Remove flowers, buds, and some leaves. With the same cutting tool, cut off any withered flowers and new buds where they attach to the stem. If any hips (fruit) have started to form, cut these off as well.
- Cut off any leaves on the lower half of the stem.
- Leave two to three higher leaves to help with photosynthesis. Cut these leaves in half to reduce the loss of moisture.
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7Wound the cutting. Wounding is the process of making slits in the bottom of the stem, and this will encourage rooting. With the same cutting tool, cut one-inch (2.5-cm) slits in the bark at the bottom of the stem.
- Make three or four slits in the bark to give the roots more places to grow out from.
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8Dip the cutting in rooting hormone. Insert the bottom two inches (five cm) of the cutting so that the cutting, wounds, and bottom of the stem are covered in the hormone. Shake it gently to remove excess hormone.
- Rooting hormone is not a necessary step in the cutting and propagating process, but it will increase the chances that your cutting will grow successfully.
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9Plant and water the cutting. With the tip of your finger or a pencil, make a two-inch (five-cm) hole in the potting soil at the center of the pot. Place the cut end of the stem in the hole. Pack the soil around the stem and use your hands to firm the soil in place.
- Water the soil so that it’s thoroughly moist.
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10Cover the stem with plastic or a mason jar. To cover the stem with plastic, insert two eight-inch (20-cm) sticks or wires into the soil on either side of the stem to prop up the plastic. Cover the pot and stem with a clear plastic bag, and affix the bag to the pot with an elastic or twine. With a mason jar, simply place a large mason jar over the stem.
- Covering the stem with glass or plastic will create a miniature greenhouse, and the cover will help keep in the heat, moisture, and ultraviolet rays the stem needs to root and grow.
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11Provide the cutting with plenty of sunlight and moisture as it grows. Throughout each day, the plant will need plenty of bright sunlight. But to avoid overheating, place the plant in a bright location that receives lots of indirect sunlight, especially around midday.
- The mason jar or plastic will help to keep the soil and cutting moist, but add more water any time the cutting or soil starts to dry out.
- Placing a heating mat under the plant can help encourage the roots to grow.
2
Dividing Rose Plants
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1Pick the right time. The ideal time to divide perennial plants is in early spring or late fall. These are times when the plants are in dormant stages, and this will minimize shock to the plant and improve root growth.
- It’s also important to divide perennials during periods of dormancy because this will ensure they're not blooming. Avoid dividing rose bushes when they're in bloom.
- Dividing roses is less popular than propagating by cuttings because it’s more difficult and time consuming. Dividing requires you to uproot an established plant, cut it in half, and replant the two halves.
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2Gather your supplies. To propagate roses by division, you'll need a healthy and established rose plant, as well as some garden tools and equipment, such as:
- Sharp and sterilized knife or razor
- Shovel or spade
- Gardening gloves
- Two large buckets
- Damp newspaper
- A prepared garden plot
- Fertile soil
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3Select a healthy plant to divide. To make sure that your divided rose bushes will thrive and produce healthy flowers, choose a healthy and established plant to divide. A healthy plant will:
- Have plenty of leaves
- Have leaves that are distributed evenly around the plant
- Produce lots of flowers
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4Water the rose bush. To minimize shock to the plant before you uproot and divide it, water the bush thoroughly. This will also help to loosen the soil around the roots, making it easier to remove the plant from the ground without damaging the roots.
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5Dig up the rose bush carefully. With the shovel, start digging into the ground a few feet away from the bush's stem. You need to dig up the plant, but must avoid digging into and damaging the roots. Once you’ve cleared the area around the plant, use your hands to brush away soil and expose the roots.
- When the roots are exposed and the area around the plant has been dug up, carefully pull the plant up from the ground.
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6Cut the plant into equal halves. Lay the rose bush on the ground or place it into a wheelbarrow. With a sterilized pruning saw or knife, divide the plant into two equal halves by cutting the roots down the middle of the plant.
- To sterilize your cutting tool, heat the metal with fire until it’s red hot, or boil it for 30 minutes in water.
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7Keep the roots moist. Once the plant has been divided, place each half into a bucket and transfer the buckets to a shady place to protect them while you prepare the garden plot. To keep the plants moist, cover them with damp newspaper.
- Ideally, you want to keep the humidity around 50 percent to keep the plants moist without soaking them too much.
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8Prepare the plots. In the area where you removed the original rose bush, replace the soil you dug up with fertile soil or organic matter to make sure there are plenty of nutrients in the garden bed for the new plants. Use your hands or a spade to mix in the new soil and spread it around the garden bed.
- Good organic matter to add to the soil include aged compost or manure.
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9Replant the two halves. Dig two holes in the garden bed you’ve prepared to the same depth as the original plant. Make the holes about 24 inches (60 cm) apart. Plant the individual rose bushes in the holes and cover the roots with soil. Pack the soil around the roots with your hands.
- Water the plants thoroughly.
- Keep the rose bushes moist during the first year that they're establishing themselves.
3
Keeping Your Roses Healthy
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1Make sure they get lots of light. Roses need between six and eight hours of sunlight each day. When choosing a location for your roses, pick somewhere that receives lots of direct sunlight.
- In very warm climates, pick a location that gets indirect sunlight when the sun is at its hottest, between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. This could include near a tree that provides some shade during the hottest time of day.
- In cooler climates, plant the roses in front of a south-facing or west-facing wall or fence to give the roses some extra protection and reflected heat.
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2Water the roses often. Roses need to be watered deeply, especially during their first year and during the warmer summer months. Provide deep soakings twice a week in summer to keep the soil consistently moist.
- The best way to water roses is with a drip irrigation system or soaker hose that concentrates water at the base and roots of the plant. If the flowers or foliage get wet, it could cause disease, fungus, and rot problems.
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3Amend the soil with fertilizer. Along with plenty of water and sunlight, roses also require regular feeding, especially before and during blooming periods. In the spring and summer, between the months of April and July, provide the roses with a monthly application of nutrients, such as:
- Granular 5-10-5 or 5-10-10 fertilizer
- Fish emulsions
- Seaweed extract
- Aged manure or compost
- Alfalfa meal
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4Prune often. Roses will thrive when they are pruned regularly, as pruning removes diseased stems, flowers, and leaves, and increases circulation throughout the plant. In the spring, use shears or loppers to remove dead flowers, diseased stems, and old leaves.
- Throughout the spring and summer, continue removing dead flowers and leaves as necessary.
Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do you grow roses from seed?Katie GohmannKatherine Gohmann is a Professional Gardener in Texas. She has been a home gardener and professional gardener since 2008.
HorticulturistHorticulturistExpert AnswerRose seeds need to go through stratification (an artificial cold spell) for 10 to 12 weeks before they will sprout. This, combined with a germination success rate of 20-30% makes propagation by seed an unattractive prospect. on by seed an unattractive prospect. If you still want to try it, find a good source of information that will guide you through the process.
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QuestionHow can I keep miniature roses alive?Community AnswerI planted mine in to the ground just like a normal rose bush, amending the soil with rose fertilizer and alfalfa meal. It is gorgeous, but because it's low to the ground, you should make sure to use drip irrigation or a soaker hose to water it so it doesn’t get black spots from the water splashing on the leaves. If yours is in a pot, let it go dormant in the garage or close to your home to keep the pot from freezing. Keep it watered and in the spring it should come back with more fertilizer to keep it happy.
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QuestionCan I leave a rose in a pot after cutting the rose so it can continue growing?Community AnswerYou'll want to leave the rose in the pot long enough to allow the roots to grow and establish. But as the plant grows, you'll need to transplant it to a larger pot to accommodate the growing size. To transplant the growing plant, prepare a larger pot with potting soil and transfer the rose to the larger pot.
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Can I use a branch from a rose in the ground and try to grow a new rose bush?
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How do I make it take less time when propagating roses?
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Can I divide my knockout roses that have buds on them?
Tips
- Propagating roses from a cutting is an easier process than growing roses from seed.
Video
References
- ↑ http://www.rkdn.org/roses/propagate.asp
- ↑ https://www.planetnatural.com/rose-gardening-guru/propagating/
- ↑ https://www.planetnatural.com/rose-gardening-guru/propagating/
- ↑ https://www.planetnatural.com/rose-gardening-guru/propagating/
- ↑ http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/roseprop.html
- ↑ http://www.rkdn.org/roses/propagate.asp
- ↑ http://scvrs.homestead.com/cuttings1.html
- ↑ http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/roseprop.html
- ↑ https://www.planetnatural.com/rose-gardening-guru/propagating/
- ↑ http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/southerngarden/roseprop.html
- ↑ http://www.finegardening.com/10-tips-dividing-perennial-plants
- ↑ http://www.finegardening.com/10-tips-dividing-perennial-plants
- ↑ http://www.finegardening.com/10-tips-dividing-perennial-plants
- ↑ https://garden.org/learn/articles/view/1649/
- ↑ http://www.gardeners.com/how-to/growing-roses/5074.html
- ↑ https://www.bayeradvanced.com/articles/6-secrets-to-growing-roses
- ↑ http://www.almanac.com/plant/roses
- ↑ http://www.almanac.com/plant/roses
Article SummaryX
If you want to propagate roses, start by locating a stem on your rose bush with at least three leaves on it, then cut it off. Make a number of small cuts on the bottom part of the stem to encourage root growth and remove any flowers or withering leaves from the stem. To plant the cutting, fill a pot with soil, dip the cutting in rooting hormone, plant it in the soil, and water it. Finish by covering the stem with a glass jar, which creates a mini greenhouse and helps the plant grow. To learn how to divide rose plants and how to keep your roses healthy, read on!
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Categories: Roses
In other languages: | https://www.wikihow.com/Propagate-Roses |
Rinse a 250 ml volumetric flask with deionized water. 7. Label the volumetric flask so you know which solution is in it. 8. Place a clean funnel into the mouth of a 250ml volumetric flask.
The 10.00 mL graduated cylinder was refilled with deionized water and was poured into the same 500 mL plastic bottle. Using a 50 mL graduated cylinder, the remaining 480.0 mL of deionized water was added to the 500 mL plastic bottle. The lid was secured over the bottle and the contents were then shaken thoroughly. A piece of tape was placed onto the bottle with the groups names, and space for the concentration of NaOH and standard deviation to be written at the end of the experiment. After 0.1 M NaOH solution was prepared, the next step is to standardize the NaOH solution by using titration.
• In order to stabilize the reactor and colorimeter both of these instruments are turned on. • Sulphuric acid and acetone were added to the 2mL of waste water sample and in this way value of COD was calculated. • The sample was then shaked well and then it was shifted to the reactor block for about two hours. • After that it was kept in the cooling rack for 15 minutes. TDS TEST • An analytical balance of about 0.0001 g was used.
Microcalorimetry experiment was performed on Setaram−C80 heat flow calorimeter coupled to a multiport high-vacuum homemade glass manifold. A specific amount of the sample (approx. 500 mg) was taken into a sample cell, reference cell was taken as empty and together they are connected with Pyrex tee. The sample was heated from room temperature to 200°C under vacuum and kept for 2 h, then 3-4 doses of helium gas were introduced into the system to remove any excess residue such as moisture or organic impurity from the system. The system was heated for 4-5 hr under vacuum at 200°C and then cooled down to the temperature (50°C) where we want to perform the adsorption study.
70 mm) to remove debris and suspended materials and then poured into a 2 liter separatory funnel. For the first LLE, the mixture of 100 ml n-hexane and dichloromethane (1:1 v/v) was added and shaken vigorously for 2 min before two phase separation. The water-phase was drained from the separatory funnel into a 1000 ml beaker. The organic-phase was carefully poured into a glass funnel containing 20 g of anhydrous sodium sulfate through a 200 ml concentrator tube. Following the second and third LLE, the water-phase was poured back into the separatory funnel to re-extract with 50 ml of the same solvent mixture.
Another 5-mL test tube, labelled as B, was filled with 1 mL of distilled water. A drop of methyl red was added. Also, a 0.01M hydrochloric acid (HCl) was added in a dropwise manner from a syringe until the color of the solution matches that of the first test tube setup. The volume of the HCl used was recorded for the determination of the ionization constant of
Place the Styrofoam cup with the lid into the beaker. 5. Using the weighing bottle, measure out 5 g of NaCl powder. 6. Place the thermometer through the lid and record the temperature of the water, Tinitial.
To start an experiment of adsorption isotherm, Cu(II) aqueous solution of 100 ml with the predetermined varying initial concentration of Cu(II) in the range of 6.5-370.5 mg/l and the best activator composition of NaOH was put into the erlenmeyer flask and stirred using a magnetic stirrer at 75 rpm, room temperature of 298.15 K (± 2 K), 1 atm and normal pH. The experiment was stopped at 119 mins contact time for sampling. The samples of 1 ml were placed in a 20-ml vial and diluted with 10 ml distilled water, and filtered using a syringe filter. The filtrate was placed in 10-ml vial for the AAS analysis. To determine the concentration Cu(II) in the samples from the AAS reading, dilution factor was taken into
The final volume was adjusted with the same solvent to get concentration of 100 µg/ml. the solution was further diluted to get the concentration of 10 µg/ml, filtered through 0.45 µm filter tips , and aliquots of 20 µl from this solution was injected into HPLC by using an
91.5 lb/72 (molar mass of FeO)) ∴Selectivity of Fe=(10.714 moles Fe)/(1.271 moles FeO)=8.43 (mole Fe)⁄(mole FeO) Example 3.6: Chemical Equation and Stoichiometry Question A common method used in manufacturing sodium hypochlorite bleach is by the reaction: Cl_2+2NaOH→NaCl+NaOCl+H_2 O Chlorine gas is bubbled through an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide, after which the desired product is separated from the sodium chloride (a by-product of the reaction). An aqueous solution of NaOH containing 520.45 kg of pure NaOH is reacted with 386.82 kg of gaseous chlorine to give 280.91 kg of NaOCl. (a) What was the limiting reactant? (b) What was the percentage excess of the excess reactant used? (c) What is the degree of completion of the reaction, expressed as the moles of NaOCl formed to the moles NaOCl that would have formed if the reaction had gone to completion? | https://www.ipl.org/essay/Simple-Diffusion-Experiment-FKUGPWKRCEDR |
Ten interdisciplinary research projects have won funding from Princeton University’s Schmidt DataX Fund, with the goal of spreading and deepening the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning across campus to accelerate discovery.
The 10 faculty projects, supported through a major gift from Schmidt Futures, involve 19 researchers and several departments and programs, from computer science to politics. Three of these projects are led by faculty in electrical and computer engineering.
The projects explore a variety of subjects, including an improved magnetic technology for powering electronics, a data map of COVID-19 patient responses, and a new framework for modeling semiconductor devices.
“We are excited by the wide range of projects that are being funded, which shows the importance and impact of data science across disciplines,” said Peter Ramadge, Princeton’s Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor of Engineering and the director of the Center for Statistics and Machine Learning (CSML). “These projects are using artificial intelligence and machine learning in multifaceted ways: to unearth hidden connections or patterns, model complex systems that are difficult to predict, and develop new modes of analysis and processing.”
CSML is overseeing a range of efforts made possible by the Schmidt DataX Fund to extend the reach of data science across campus. These efforts include the hiring of data scientists and overseeing the awarding of DataX grants. This is the second round of DataX seed funding, with the first in 2019.
The three winning projects and research faculty from ECEMagNet: Transforming power magnetics design with machine learning tools and SPICE simulations
Minjie Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Niraj Jha, professor of electrical and computer engineering; Yuxin Chen, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering
Magnetic components are typically the largest and least efficient components in power electronics. To address these issues, this project proposes the development of an open-source, machine learning-based magnetics design platform to transform the modeling and design of power magnetics.
Generalized clustering algorithms to map the types of COVID-19 response
Jason Fleischer, professor of electrical and computer engineering
Clustering algorithms are made to group objects but fall short when the objects have multiple labels, the groups require detailed statistics, or the data sets grow or change. This project addresses these shortcomings by developing networks that make clustering algorithms more agile and sophisticated. Improved performance on medical data, especially patient response to COVID-19, will be demonstrated.
New framework for data in semiconductor device modeling, characterization and optimization suitable for machine learning tools
Claire Gmachl, the Eugene Higgins Professor of Electrical Engineering
This project is focused on developing a new, machine learning-driven framework to model, characterize and optimize semiconductor devices. | https://ece.princeton.edu/news/datax-funding-new-ai-research-projects-ece-and-across-disciplines |
Data science is revolutionizing the world around us. Data science is an interdisciplinary field composed of computer science, math and statistics, and domain knowledge that seeks to derive insight from data. Data science is the intersection of these three respective disciplines. Another way to think about it is that data science is the intersection of data engineering and the scientific method. With data science, we're using large-scale data systems to drive the scientific method. The goal of data science is to transform data into knowledge, knowledge that can be used to make rational decisions so that we can take actions that help us achieve our goals. We refer to this process as transforming data into actionable insight.
Data Science- Solving Problems in Various Sectors
Data Science methods and tools can solve some of the world's greatest challenges in sectors including:
- Defense and national security
- Medicine and Health
- Imaging and optics
- Energy and the environment
- Food and agriculture
- Economics and finance
Research Challenges in Data Science
- Storing and Processing Terabytes, petabytes of data generated each day;
- Almost every discipline is facing big data analysis problems, including medical sciences, life sciences, bio-informatics, law school, civil engineering and government;
- Data comes in different forms, such as free text, structured data, audio/video, images;
- Analysis tasks performed over the data are becoming more and more sophisticated;
- High performance computing platforms are advancing fast (e.g., cloud computing, Parallel Computing, multi-core machines, GPU, mobile-computing);
- Communication and feedback needs to be established between machine, algorithms and people.
Skills of Data Science
In general, the skills commonly associated with data science are programming computers using programming languages, like SQL, Python, and R, working with data, that is collecting, cleaning, and transforming data, creating and interpreting descriptive statistics, that is numerically analyzing data, creating and interpreting data visualizations, that is visually analyzing data, creating statistical models and using them for statistical inference, hypothesis testing, and prediction, handling big data, data sets that are of volume, velocity, or variety beyond the limitations of conventional computing architecture, automating decision-making processes using machine learning algorithms, and deploying data science solutions into production or communicating results to a wider audience.
Data Science Ecosystem
Algorithms for Data Science
- Methods for organizing data, e.g. hashing, trees, queues, lists, priority queues.
- Streaming algorithms for computing statistics on the data. Sorting and searching.
- Basic graph models and algorithms for searching, shortest paths, and matching. Dynamic programming. Linear and convex programming.
- Floating point arithmetic, stability of numerical algorithms, Eigenvalues, singular values, PCA, gradient descent, stochastic gradient descent, and block coordinate descent. Conjugate gradient, Newton and quasi-Newton methods.
- Large scale applications from signal processing, collaborative filtering, recommendations systems, etc. | http://crraoaimscs.in/content/center-for-data-science-and-artificial-intelligence/10/540dbfb7f10a14eaa4197b5679a43bb7 |
During the past few years I have observed music teachers particularly in the instrumental field. In observing, I look and listen for these things: attitudes, information, ideals, appreciations, skills, habits of work, and those learnings which pertain to citizenship in a democratic situation.
With this fact in mind, the writer should go ahead with confidence in building an instrumental program, noting at the same time that there are many devices, both old and new, which can be used to do a better job.
The best teachings, are frequently found among those teachers who are familiar with the greatest amount of materials. The study of materials broadens a teacher's horizon, and makes it possible to give students an enriched fare of musical materials. It also tends to help broaden the teacher's own philosophy of what a music program should contain.1
In building up the instrumental music program, the teacher must examine how the student will make use of his performing ability. It is difficult, but possible, to develop an excellent high school band without any instrumental music below the ninth grade. The writer is certain that it is impossible to develop a good high school orchestra unless the violin players are started while they are in the elementary school. Of course, it is desirable to start players, while they are young, on other instruments, too, but the fact should be stressed that an early start on the violin is a must.
The next step is to get the girls and boys started. To do this, we need a teacher and some instruments. It is desirable that the public school provide these essentials, as part of the regular school program, at no extra cost to the pupils. Many school systems do this. Having the teacher and the instruments, next we need some girls and boys.
How can the instrumental teacher be sure that he or she will set up an adequate program?
It can be done only by organizing his course of study on a definite semester basis, with graded materials which the children can enjoy and perform with satisfaction, and with which they can recognize their own growth in performing ability.
The small school, practically all band directors will agree that the instrumentation of the small school should differ from that of the large school; however, there is lack of agreement as to what it should be.
The entire subject is more complex than it may appear. It has at it's core important considerations of interests, motivation, organization, efficient management, regularity of habits, and all the human behavior factors treated in psychology and philosophy.
While the experienced instrumentalist may frequently take these factors into account, the teacher with a limited knowledge of techniques will need all possible guidance and assistance to adequately understand the problems involved in teaching students to play instruments.
1. Irving Cheyette, "Building the Instrumental Program," The Instrumentalist, March-April, 1951, 25.
Committee Chair/Advisor
Julius B. Jones
Publisher
Prairie View A&M College
Rights© 2021 Prairie View A & M University
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. | https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/pvamu-theses/518/ |
Q:
Integrating 2d exponential function symbolically with polynomials of 2nd order running for days
I'm trying to integrate this function by Mathematica
f[X1_, P1_, X2_, P2_, r_, φ_, θ_, η_] :=
1/π^2 E^(-(P1 Sqrt[1 - η] + P2 Sqrt[η])^2 - (X1 Sqrt[
1 - η] +
X2 Sqrt[η])^2 + (-(P2 Sqrt[1 - η] -
P1 Sqrt[η])^2 - (X2 Sqrt[1 - η] -
X1 Sqrt[η])^2) Cosh[
2 r] + ((-P2^2 (-1 + η) +
X2^2 (-1 + η) + (P1 - X1) (P1 + X1) η -
2 P1 P2 Sqrt[(1 - η) η] +
2 X1 X2 Sqrt[(1 - η) η]) Cos[
2 θ - 2 φ] -
2 (P2 X2 (-1 + η) - P1 X1 η +
P2 X1 Sqrt[(1 - η) η] +
P1 X2 Sqrt[-(-1 + η) η]) Sin[
2 θ - 2 φ]) Sinh[2 r])
The command is
Integrate[
f[X1, P1, X2, P2,
r, φ, θ, η], {X2, -∞, ∞}, \
{P2, -∞, ∞},
Assumptions ->
r ∈ Reals && X1 ∈ Reals &&
P1 ∈ Reals && φ ∈
Reals && θ ∈ Reals && 0 <= η <= 1 &&
r >= 0 && η ∈ Reals]
Mathematica version 10.0.2.0, 64 Bit Win 7, Intel i7. The integration is running since 3.5 days already. Looking at the system monitor, one core is busy, but the memory is static (816 MB). What I was trying before was to use a Fourier Transform, the differentiation rule "in reverse" to get the integration, and then transform back. This wasn't working either.
If someone has an idea how to tackle this with Mathematica in another way, thanks for your advice.
A:
At first glance it seems hopeless - you have all those hyperbolic trig and regular trig functions in your exponent. But then you notice that that is all superfluous since the only two variables you care about, X2 and P2 don't go into any of those functions, so that other stuff is just a distraction. {X1,P1,r, φ, θ, η} are all just constants!
What you are really doing is just a two-dimensional Gaussian integral, which aren't that difficult. There are specific criteria that need to be met in order for them to have a solution though.
This is the integral you want to solve,
Integrate[(1/(π^2)) Exp[a1 + a2 X2+a3 P2 + a4 X2 P2 + a5 X2^2 + a6 P2^2],{X2,-∞,∞},{P2,-∞,∞}]
which give a ConditionalExpression as the solution. That is, provided
$$\Re\left(\frac{\text{a4}^2}{\text{a6}}-4 \text{a5}\right)>0$$
the solution is
$$\frac{2 \exp \left(\frac{\text{a1} \left(\text{a4}^2-4 \text{a5} \text{a6}\right)+\text{a2}^2 \text{a6}-\text{a2} \text{a3} \text{a4}+\text{a3}^2 \text{a5}}{\text{a4}^2-4 \text{a5} \text{a6}}\right)}{\pi \sqrt{-\text{a6}} \sqrt{\frac{\text{a4}^2}{\text{a6}}-4 \text{a5}}}$$
Now all you need to do is express {a1,..,a6} in terms of {X1,P1,r, φ, θ, η}. For this, we just do a series expansion of the argument of your exponent in terms of X2 and P2.
arg=-(P1 Sqrt[1-η]+P2 Sqrt[η])^2-(X1 Sqrt[1-η]+X2 Sqrt[η])^2+(-(P2 Sqrt[1-η]-P1 Sqrt[η])^2-(X2 Sqrt[1-η]-X1 Sqrt[η])^2) Cosh[2 r]
+((-P2^2 (-1+η)+X2^2 (-1+η)+(P1-X1) (P1+X1) η-2 P1 P2 Sqrt[(1-η) η]+2 X1 X2 Sqrt[(1-η) η]) Cos[2 θ-2 φ]
-2 (P2 X2 (-1+η)-P1 X1 η+P2 X1 Sqrt[(1-η) η]+P1 X2 Sqrt[-(-1+η) η]) Sin[2 θ-2 φ]) Sinh[2 r];
coeff[nx2_,np2_]:=SeriesCoefficient[arg,{X2,0,nx2},{P2,0,np2}]
(someone needs to show me how to easily copy and paste from a notebook into this page and retain the Greek letters)
First to deal with the condition for the solution to be valid,
FullSimplify[-4 a5 + a4^2/a6 /. {a1 -> coeff[0, 0], a2 -> coeff[1, 0],
a3 -> coeff[0, 1], a4 -> coeff[1, 1], a5 -> coeff[2, 0],
a6 -> coeff[0, 2]},
(* Out[] = -((-4-8 (-1+η) η+8 (-1+η) η Cosh[2 r])/(η-(-1+η) Cosh[2 r]+(-1+η) Cos[2 θ-2 φ] Sinh[2 r])) *)
or, in LaTeX,
$$\Re\left(-\frac{-8 (\eta -1) \eta +8 (\eta -1) \eta \cosh (2 r)-4}{\eta +(\eta -1) \sinh (2 r) \cos (2 \theta -2 \varphi )-(\eta -1) \cosh (2 r)}\right)>0$$
Assuming that condition is met, the solution is,
FullSimplify[(
2 E^((-a2 a3 a4 + a3^2 a5 + a2^2 a6 + a1 (a4^2 - 4 a5 a6))/(
a4^2 - 4 a5 a6)))/(
Sqrt[-4 a5 + a4^2/a6] Sqrt[-a6] π) /. {a1 -> coeff[0, 0],
a2 -> coeff[1, 0], a3 -> coeff[0, 1], a4 -> coeff[1, 1],
a5 -> coeff[2, 0], a6 -> coeff[0, 2]},
(*
Out[] = (1/π)Sqrt[1/((1 + 2 (-1 + η) η -
2 (-1 + η) η Cosh[2 r]) (η - (-1 + η) Cosh[
2 r] + (-1 + η) Cos[2 θ - 2 φ] Sinh[
2 r]))] Sqrt[η - (-1 + η) Cosh[
2 r] + (-1 + η) Cos[2 θ - 2 φ] Sinh[
2 r]] (Cosh[(-(P1^2 +
X1^2) (1 - η + η Cosh[
2 r]) + η ((P1 - X1) (P1 + X1) Cos[
2 θ - 2 φ] +
2 P1 X1 Sin[2 θ - 2 φ]) Sinh[2 r])/(-1 -
2 (-1 + η) η + 2 (-1 + η) η Cosh[2 r])] +
Sinh[((P1^2 +
X1^2) (1 - η + η Cosh[
2 r]) + η ((-P1^2 + X1^2) Cos[
2 θ - 2 φ] -
2 P1 X1 Sin[2 θ - 2 φ]) Sinh[2 r])/(-1 -
2 (-1 + η) η + 2 (-1 + η) η Cosh[2 r])])
*)
and I can't even get this site's LaTeX to work with such wide fractions, so I'll include an image of the final result:
| |
At St Patrick’s Catholic Primary Academy, we aim to provide a mastery approach and to deliver high quality Mathematics education for all our pupils in order for them to develop a sense of enjoyment and curiosity about the subject through our ‘Curriculum Drivers.’ We want our pupils to engage in rich experiences which allow them to think critically and enhance their resilience. They will be provided with opportunities to develop their skills in fluency, reasoning and problem solving as stated in the aims of the National Curriculum for Mathematics.
Our aims in the teaching of mathematics are:
- to promote enjoyment of learning through practical activity, exploration and discussion;
- to develop confidence and competence with numbers and the number system;
- understand the four operations and be able to calculate both mentally and by using formal written methods;
- be able to recall an increasing number of facts over time;
- to develop the ability to solve problems through decision-making and reasoning in a range of contexts;
- to develop a practical understanding of the ways in which information is gathered and presented; to explore features of shape and space, and developing measuring skills in a range of contexts;
- to help children understand the importance of mathematics in everyday life.
- to become fluent in the fundamentals of mathematics, including through varied and frequent practice with increasingly complex problems over time, so that pupils develop conceptual understanding and the ability to recall and apply knowledge rapidly and accurately.
- to reason mathematically by following a line of enquiry, conjecturing relationships and generalisations, and developing an argument, justification or proof using mathematical language.
- to solve problems by applying their mathematics to a variety of routine and non-routine problems with increasing sophistication, including breaking down problems into a series of simpler steps and persevering in seeking solutions.
Implementation
Teachers will plan, deliver and assess the aims and programmes of study for the National Curriculum for Mathematics. Teachers will be provided with a long-term plan for Mathematics teaching and learning for their year group. They will use the White Rose Schemes of Learning as a basis for planning their weekly lessons. Teachers will also refer to and use the DFE/NCETM guidance in order to secure the key concepts needed to progress to the next stage of their learning.
Teachers will plan and deliver five 1 hour lessons each week.
Each lesson will follow this structure:
- Brain Warm Up: an opportunity for pupils to engage quickly in their Maths lesson.
- Revisit and Revise: an opportunity to recall skills and knowledge previously.
- Rehearsal: time for the teacher to model and for the children to practise the skill.
- Independent Work: pupils to work independently using the skills taught to calculate and solve problems.
We aim for pupils to master the key areas and domains in Mathematics, narrowing the gap between the most and least able learners. The expectation is that the majority of pupils will move through the programmes of study at broadly the same pace. However, decisions about when to progress will always be based on the security of pupils’ understanding and their readiness to progress to the next stage. Pupils who grasp concepts rapidly will be challenged to deepen their understanding by being offered rich and sophisticated problems and not accelerate through to new content. Pupils will be given extra practice through the use of intervention if and when they need it.
Approach to Learning
Mathematics is a symbolic, abstract language. To decode this language, symbols need to come alive and speak so clearly to children that it becomes as easy to understand as reading a story. We believe that all students, when introduced to a key new concept, should have the opportunity to build competency in this topic by taking the concrete-pictorial-abstract approach.
Concrete – pupils should have the opportunity to use concrete objects and manipulatives to help them understand what they are doing.
Pictorial – pupils should then build on this concrete approach by using pictorial representations. Pupils will also be taught to create their own pictorial representations. These representations can then be used to reason and solve problems.
Abstract – with the foundations firmly laid, pupils should be able to understand the links between the concrete, pictorial and abstract forms of Mathematics and then approach abstract concepts, using numbers, vocabulary and key concepts, with confidence.
All classrooms have some concrete resources that can be used in the teaching of mathematics. Some more topic specific resources are located in the central Maths store.
Using the Schemes of Learning provided by White Rose, teachers will plan each concept as a set of small steps, building on prior learning and embedding concepts as they move through the intended learning journey.
During our daily lessons we encourage pupils to count aloud, practice fluency, problem solving and reasoning skills and ask mathematical questions. We develop their ability to independently select and use appropriate concrete apparatus to support their conceptual understanding and build procedural fluency. Pupils will have the opportunity to independently access the appropriate resources to support their work. We develop the children’s ability to represent problems using visualisation skills, including jottings, pictorial representations and models. Wherever possible, we provide meaningful contexts and encourage the children to apply their learning to everyday situations.
Teachers will create useful opportunities in other subjects to rehearse and use Mathematical skills in a particular context.
Impact
Assessment for Learning is fundamental to raising standards and enabling children to reach their potential. Assessment in mathematics takes place daily using a range of strategies such as marking and feedback of work and verbal discussions with children.
At St Patrick’s, teachers mark Maths work daily following the school’s marking policy. Pupils are given the opportunity to respond to teachers’ marking by completing gap tasks, attempting a ‘Next Steps’ task or answering a question. Teachers will provide models in pupils’ books to demonstrate and scaffold concepts or calculations that a pupil may have misunderstood.
Regular and ongoing assessment informs teaching, as well as intervention, to support and enable the success of each child. These factors ensure that we are able to maintain high standards, with achievement at the end of KS1 and KS2 in line with national average, as well an increasingly high proportion of children demonstrating greater depth, at the end of each phase. | https://stpatrickscpa.co.uk/curriculum/curriculum-subjects/mathematics/ |
Raziel is a powerful archon.
Description
The order of Thrones is ruled by the Tome Archons or Hebdomad, who each rule an entire layer of Mount Celestia. Raziel, the tome archon of battles whose symbol is the Bear, rules Mertion.
Realm
Raziel, known to his peers as the Firestar for his judicious wrath, rules Mertion from the city of Empyrea. As the patron of paladins and warriors, he holds no permanent fortress but can be found in any of the city's many hospitals and infirmaries, providing spiritual guidance and protection to the clerics and patients within.
Relationships
Al'Akbar dwells in Mertion, in Soqed Hezi, the City of Swords. The ruler of Soqed Hezi is the sword archon Bahram, known as the Conquering and Triumphant Fire, who answers only to Raziel.
Bibliography
- McComb, Colin, and Wolfgang Baur. Planes of Law. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.
- Wyatt, James, Darrin Drader, Christopher Perkins. Book of Exalted Deeds. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2003. | https://ghwiki.greyparticle.com/index.php/Raziel |
The Mexican president has sent a letter to Spain's King Felipe VI and Pope Francis, calling on them to apologize for human rights abuses committed during the conquest of the region.
In a video filmed on the ruins of an ancient Mexican city, he called for a full account of the abuses.
"The time has come to reconcile. But let us first ask for forgiveness," he said.
López Obrador was effortless in his criticism of both Spain and the Vatican.
"There were massacres and oppression. The so-called conquest was brought with the sword and the cross," he said.
"They built their churches on the (natives) temples."
Mexico has the world's second largest Roman Catholic population, after Brazil.
The Government of Madrid responded quickly and rejected its request for apology.
"The arrival of the Spaniards 500 years ago to present Mexican territory cannot be judged in the light of contemporary considerations," Spain said in a statement.
"Our two-brother nations have always known how we read our common past without anger and with a constructive perspective."
The Spanish conquest of America began with the arrival of an expedition led by Christopher Columbus in 1492.
The Conquest of Mexico began when a small army led by Hernán Cortés landed in modern Veracruz state in 1519.
The powerful aztec empire was eventually defeated and marked the beginning of 300 years of Spanish rule.
Mexico became independent after a war that lasted from 1810 to 1821 and became a federal republic in 1824.
López Obrador came to power in December with a left-wing agenda.
Relations with Spain's center-left government have been friendly so far. | https://infodol.com/mexico-requires-apology-from-spain-and-the-vatican-over-conquest/ |
High Performance Sport NZ has confirmed today it is launching an investigation into the departure of former coach Anthony Peden after accusations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced.
Peden is accused of bullying and an inappropriate relationship with an athlete.
Source: 1 NEWS
1 NEWS revealed exclusively last night that Peden has been accused by cyclists and those close to the team of inappropriate behaviour, with more than 20 staff leaving Cycling New Zealand since the 2016 Olympics due to the toxic environment within the team.
High Performance Sport NZ chief executive Michael Scott told 1 NEWS in a statement today more could have been done at their end.
"While I don't yet have all the facts it is clear that we could and should have done more with the information we had," he said.
"I will be commissioning an investigation so that we get to the bottom of this and learn from our mistakes.
"Integrity and ethics are fundamentals of sport."
More than 20 staff have left Cycling NZ since the Rio Olympics with many saying it’s due to the toxic environment in the team.
Source: 1 NEWS
Former staff told 1 NEWS they tried to raise the issue of Peden's behaviour with Cycling NZ on numerous occasions over the past four years.
Three former employees have detailed to 1 NEWS at least seven separate times where during formal debriefs or informal discussions they raised concern about Peden's behaviour.
These discussions included issues with bullying, his relationship with an athlete and his drinking while representing New Zealand abroad, but they say nothing was done.
Despite all this, it's understood Cycling NZ treated the behaviour as a "rumour" until a formal complaint was finally laid this month, after which Peden resigned. | |
The President of Southampton RAG, Charlie Morris, and four outstanding fundraisers from the RAG team were invited to attend a conference and awards ceremony at the House of Lords on Monday 18 September, where the Union’s RAG President 2015/16, Kieran Reals, won the Individual Recognition Award.
The conference and awards were a thank you to the top fundraisers of Breast Cancer Now and a celebration of the hard work of student fundraisers across the country. Southampton RAG is part of Breast Cancer Now’s ‘Team Now’, the top RAG groups who raise the most money for the charity. Breast Cancer Now holds an annual mega raid every October and Southampton RAG raised the highest average amount per person, with an incredible £10,352 in just one day!
Along with Charlie Morris; Kieran Reals, Pete Johnson, Simon Pinney and Nathan Ruttley were invited to the event for their contribution and involvement with RAG. Kieran was awarded the Individual Recognition Award for his commitment to RAG and incredible efforts over the past three years and during his year as 2015/16 RAG President.
We caught up with Charlie after the awards to find out more. She commented: “We were so excited to have received an invite as some of the top fundraisers in the country. It was brilliant to celebrate all our hard work over the past year. I’m really honoured to have spent the evening surrounded by some of the most inspiring and determined people I know, in such an incredible setting.”
On Kieran winning the Individual Recognition Award, Charlie said: “Kieran receiving the award was thoroughly well-deserved! It’s one of the most prestigious awards as it recognises your work over the whole time you’ve been a part of RAG.”
We also asked Charlie what she’s most looking forward to during her time as RAG President: “RAG has been such a huge part of my University experience and I’m so excited to be playing such a big role in the society this year; I cannot wait to get really stuck in. My main aim for this year is to get as many people as possible organizing and running amounts. I’m really keen to work with as many groups as possible to raise as much money as possible!”
Our VP Engagement, Dan Varley, said: “Southampton RAG should be incredibly proud of their work, and being invited to these awards really highlights the achievements they’ve had over the last couple of years. They’ve really gone from strength to strength, gaining national recognition at awards like these. I love working with them!”
The Union are incredibly proud of Kieran for receiving his award and of the RAG team for being chosen to attend the celebration – it’s a testament to the team and all their hard work. We look forward to seeing what RAG achieve this year with their fundraisers and events! Take a look a some photos from the celebration below. | https://blogs.susu.org/blog/2017/10/02/southampton-rag-win-prestigious-award-at-house-of-lords-fundraising-celebration/ |
Q:
solving $c=2a+5b$,$d=3a+8b$ with substitution for $a,b$
I want to solve \begin{cases}c=2a+5b\\d=3a+8b\end{cases} with substitution for $a,b$ but can't seem to express $a$ and $b$ with $c$ and $d$ only. Any hint welcome thank you
A:
Let us try to find an expression for $a$ by itself in terms of $c,d$. In doing so, it should become clear the technique I used so you can do it again as well has how to continue to find similar for $b$.
We want to take some sort of multiples of each of the two lines so that when I add or subtract them, the $b$'s entirely disappear. To do this, let us multiply the first equation by $8$ and the second equation by $5$ (picked because these were the coefficients of $b$)
In doing so, we have now the equivalent system:
$$\begin{cases} 8(c) = 8(2a + 5b)\\ 5(d) = 5(3a + 8b)\end{cases}$$
and simplified
$$\begin{cases} 8c = 16a + 40b\\ 5d = 15a + 40b\end{cases}$$
Now, subtracting one from the other, we have an expression for $a$
$$(8c - 5d) = (16a + 40b) - (15 a + 40b)$$
$$8c - 5d = a$$
If we needed to, we could then divide by the coefficient of $a$ in this result to further organize/simplify things but in this case the coefficient happened to be $1$ so we don't need to do much more to clean it up.
Now, you could plug this expression in for $a$ in one of the original equations to find a similar expression for $b$ written only in $c$'s and $d$'s after some organizing, or you could perform steps if you so prefer to find the expression for $b$ in this way.
It is worth letting you know that the technique I employed here is known by the name "The Elimination Method" which as the name suggests is performed by "eliminating" one or more of the unnecessary variables at a time, possibly requiring multiple steps.
As the problems get more complicated with more equations and more variables, this method does still work to some extent, but it may become less clear which steps should be used at what points to continue. There is a fully generalized approach which builds on the same idea that you can just follow the same pattern for any problem that requires little thought that you can read about on the wikipedia page for Gaussian Elimination. As you continue your studies, you will come across many scenarios where Gaussian Elimination is going to be very a very powerful tool that can be used as a major step in finding a solution to the problem, especially when studying Linear Algebra.
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i + 1 = ? What’s your formula for comprehensible input?
by Gavatron
Welcome back to #langchat, everyone! We hope that you could join us for yet another lively Thursday night chat. This time the conversation focused on comprehensible input. In case you couldn’t participate or missed some of the rapid-fire comments and links circulating, not to fear! We’ve included a summary of the Thursday’s discussion below.
As always, thank you to everyone who participated! We extend a special thanks to our moderators: Don (@dr_dmd), Kristy (@placido), Diego (@DiegoOjeda66), and Kris (@KrisClimer), the newest member of the team!
Defining Comprehensible Input
Don (@dr_dmd) started off the conversation by asking members of the #langchat community how they define comprehensible input: “What IS comprehensible Input??? SERIOUSLY What IS IT??” He provided some background information to get the discussion going:
- The Input Hypothesis: http://t.co/GxHUsrTfUJ
- Stephen Krashen’s SLA theory: http://t.co/ZwLShPn4h9
- Definition of Comprehensible Input from the BBC: http://t.co/TNdmE2hNVG
@KrisClimer also shared a video-recorded lesson on comprehensible input from Krashen, aka “the sage himself”: http://t.co/Em8rsRPrvX.
Participants shared their understanding of comprehensible input. @placido wrote, “CI is language which is comprehensible to the learner and slightly above their ability to produce.” @NicoleNaditz commented, “CI is in the target language and contextualized. It’s relevant to real communication and includes frequent checks 4 understanding.” @madamebaker added, “CI is lang, whether spoken or written along with visuals and gestures that allow students to interpret L2 without reverting to L1.” @HolaSrHoward underscored the importance of comprehensibility: “CI is what you do to avoid students concluding ‘I don’t know what the [teacher] is saying’.” Participants point to the need for input that is just beyond learners’ current level, and which is made comprehensible through contextualization and non-linguistic cues.
Making Input Comprehensible
Participants discussed different strategies that can be adopted to make input comprehensible, emphasizing the incorporation of non-linguistic resources and the importance of repetition and circumlocution. Here are a few of their suggestions:
- Don’t forget about non-linguistic resources. @KrisClimer wrote, “Sometimes we focus too much on words, though. [images], facial expressions, gestures, modeling answers can lead to …” @alisonkis also suggested “[Powerpoints], clip arts, mind maps.”
- Repeat and Rephrase. @alisonkis acknowledged the importance of (re)paraphrasing and repeating utterances.
@LauraJaneBarber emphasized “modeling circumlocution when they don’t know a new word you use.”
- Be (melo)dramatic! @SenoritaBasom said, “I use a lot of visuals & often act out things. Funny how my melodramatic acting can make the input more comprehensible!”
@NicoleNaditz summarized the need for a ‘bank of tools’ to provide students with CI: “We all need a bank of tools and strategies to meet student needs. No one strategy can ever be an entire bank of strategies.” Teachers can draw on a variety of resources (e.g. gestures, facial expressions, images, skits, etc.) in order to make input comprehensible for different students.
How to Make Things Interesting
@km_york touched on the frustration that instructors may face when trying to produce comprehensible input that engages students in the target language: “I used to work so hard to establish meaning w/o using L1.” Only the top most interested hung on.” As a new teacher, @MmeFarab echoed this difficulty: “As a first year teacher, I struggle with CI. Best strategies to make students interested?”
Our participants offered a wealth of suggestions and emphasized the importance of making the input interesting for students. Below are some of their suggestions, which include the discussion of events featuring cognates, the use of storytelling visuals, and the incorporation of student interests and prior knowledge in lessons:
- @fravan said, “I used current events as a warm up, a lot of cognates. http://t.co/E0ZANE9jxp”
- @jmattmiller said, “I like to use CI with students’ personal interests, storytelling w/students as stars. Fiction w/students.”
- @madamebaker shared: “a fresh idea to spice up the #ci” [celebrity masks and narratives] http://t.co/04jMyp7LKH
- @placido said, “Use the learner’s prior knowledge, interests, context, images, gestures to MAKE it #ci.”
Additional Resources
In case you accidently lost or closed some of the many links and window tabs you had open during the conversation, we have included additional resources shared by participants.
- “The Comprehensible Classroom,” http://martinabex.com/: lesson plans, activities and strategies for world language classrooms (shared by @ dr_dmd)
- A video example of comprehensible input being modeled in a French Class, http://t.co/A2wQbF9a04 (shared by @dr_dmd)
- “25 ways to find or create CI: http://t.co/0D8ar2STmG” (shared by @axamcarnes)
- A summary from a previous #langchat on how to do CI with #PBL, http://t.co/AsMlYQtTxe (shared by @dr_dmd)
Conclusion
There is no one formula for comprehensible input, and the variety of strategies that language instructors develop may be more or less effective when interacting with particular students. Participants stress the importance of making the content relevant for students so that they become more invested in trying to understand. While delivering comprehensible input can require a lot of energy and flexibility on the part of the instructor, @KrisClimer offered inspiring words, which were retweeted by several participants: “Love each student. Meet them right above where they are. CI + trust + patience = proficiency progress.”
Thank you
Thank you again to Don (@dr_dmd), Kristy (@placido), Diego (@DiegoOjeda66), and Kris (@KrisClimer) for moderating such an animated discussion. Due to space limitations, many tweets had to be omitted from this summary. To view the entire conversation, you can access the full transcript on our tweet archive.
If you have any comments or questions that you would like to share with the #langchat community, do not hesitate to do so. Send us your ideas for future #langchats so that our weekly discussions can become as relevant and inclusive as possible! | https://calicospanish.com/i-1-whats-your-formula-for-comprehensible-input/ |
How to do a “Customer Validation”?
Some concepts can be validated by talking to potential customers/consumers/influencers, but for some concepts entrepreneurs have to take a leap of faith.
For concepts where asking customers/consumers/influencers is unlikely to provide definitive answers, the entrepreneur should rely on getting a deep understanding of the domain, the dynamics of the industry, the pain points, the need & opportunity gaps, the process of decision making, etc. Once you have a deep understanding you build a hypothesis and make some assumptions on how the market would respond to the concept. e.g. what percentage of consumes who you reach would consider buying, how much would they pay, why would they buy, how many will repeat purchase, etc. Once you have your base assumptions ready, discuss it with a number and people to get a sense if they feel that your assumptions are practical. [Note: Just because many people feel that your assumptions are practical is no guarantee of success. However, if many feel that the assumptions are impractical, it could be a warning signal and you may want to revisit your assumptions.].
Once you are comfortable with a set of assumptions, and after those are endorsed by a few people, it is prudent to do multiple versions of the scenario. Some optimistic and some pessimistic scenarios. While the optimistic are largely to give you a feel-good factor, the pessimistic ones are the ones that will give you a feel of how wrong you need to be for your venture to fail.
For concepts that can be tested, talking to enough customers/consumers/influencers to get multiple perspectives is essential. Diversity of audience segments is important to give you a sense of the receptiveness of the concept within a broader audience profile. There are enough qualitative and quantities techniques that you could consider. For most startups, who are keen on getting a first-cut feel of customer/consumer responses, doing basic research through students is a good way to begin.
Any case, there is no better way than for the entrepreneur to have one-on-one conversations with potential customers/consumers.
Previous Previous post: How do we know that we are ready to launch a start up with a product or service?
Next Next post: Should I include a detailed marketing strategy in my initial pitch presentation? | https://thehubforstartups.com/2013/03/30/how-to-do-a-customer-validation/ |
Pope to indigenous: Amazon is ‘heart of the church’
PUERTO MALDONADO, Peru (AP) — Pope Francis traveled deep into the Amazon rainforest Friday to demand an end to the relentless exploitation of its timber, gas and gold and recognition of its indigenous peoples as the primary custodians to determine the future of “our common home.”
Speaking to a coliseum filled with indigenous men, women and children, many of whom were bare-chested and wearing brightly-colored headdresses, Francis declared the Amazon the “heart of the church” and called for a three-fold defense of its life, land and cultures.
Francis warned that indigenous peoples are now more threatened than ever before, and said it was “essential” for governments and other institutions to consider tribes as legitimate partners when negotiating development and conservation projects. History’s first Latin American pope said their rights, cultures, languages and traditions must be respected and recovered.
“You are a living memory of the mission that God has entrusted to us all: the protection of our common home,” the pope said to applause, wailing horns and beating drums from the crowd.
“Papa Francisco!” people chanted later. “The jungle is with you!”
After his speech, an indigenous man in a wheelchair who was left paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by police during a protest placed a headdress of red and yellow feathers on the pope’s head and a necklace of native beads around his neck.
Thousands of indigenous men, women and children had traveled through the jungle by boat, on foot and in buses and cars to reach Puerto Maldonado, the steamy gateway to the Peruvian Amazon, to participate in what they hoped would be a turning point for the increasingly threatened ecosystem. Though many didn’t quite know why Francis was coming, others saw in him a bridge with Peru’s government to resolve long-standing issues like land rights.
“His desire to be with us signals an historic reconciliation with the Amazon’s indigenous communities,” said Edwin Vasquez, an indigenous leader. “We consider it a good step forward.”
Francis’ trip to the Amazon comes as the expansion of illegal gold mining and farming as well as new roads and dams have turned thousands of acres of once lush green forest into barren, contaminated wasteland. Francis has previously called on world leaders to protect the Amazon, likening it to one of the “lungs of our planet.”
He is also using the trip to set the stage for a big church meeting next year on the Amazon and the native peoples who reside there.
Before Francis’ speech, Hector Sueyo, a member of the indigenous Harakbut people, told the pontiff that native peoples are worried about the Amazon as they watch trees disappear, fish die and rivers become contaminated.
“The sky is angry and is crying because we are destroying the planet,” he said.
The pontiff’s warm reception in Puerto Maldonado, where he was greeted by singing children and people who ran alongside his motorcade with Vatican-colored yellow and white balloons, was a stark contrast to the pope’s visit to Chile earlier in the week, where his visit provoked protests and drew smaller crowds to greet him.
In another meeting Friday, Francis denounced the sexual enslavement of women who are trafficked and forced into prostitution, saying the region’s “machismo” culture cannot continue. Many women work as prostitutes in the Amazon’s bars, servicing clients who often work in gold mines and other extraction industries that are polluting the Amazon’s rivers, destroying its forests and upsetting its delicate ecosystem.
Francis denounced the “false gods” of the gold rush Friday, saying that these “idols of avarice, money and power” corrupt people and institutions and ruin the forest.
The pope also made a reference to sterilization, a topic that still haunts many Peruvians. During the government of former President Alberto Fujimori, a health program officials said would help reduce poverty sterilized more than 300,000 women — many from poor indigenous communities. More than 2,000 women later complained they had been forcibly sterilized.
Fujimori was never charged, though he did end up behind bars for other crimes, including corruption and authorizing death squads during his rule. He was recently pardoned from a 25-year prison sentence, setting off protests around Peru.
Francis tucked the remarks into a footnote in his speech, perhaps knowing they would be politically sensitive in Peru. Francis has in the past used footnotes as a way to make important but controversial points that, for whatever diplomatic or theological reason, couldn’t be included in his official texts.
The most significant example was his opening to allowing civilly remarried Catholics to receive Communion, contained in footnote No. 351 of his 2016 document “Joy of Love.” That one footnote has sparked more heated debate and criticism than anything Francis has said or done in his five years as pope.
The Amazon’s native peoples hail from some 350 indigenous groups, some of whom live in voluntary isolation. In the centuries after Spanish colonization most traces of native spiritual beliefs were lost as missionaries converted indigenous Peruvians to Catholicism.
The Catholic Church still maintains a strong presence in the region, though these days few indigenous men and women go to Mass and most identify as evangelicals, said Lizardo Cauper, president of the Amazon’s largest indigenous organization.
Many Peruvian native peoples are curious about why Francis wants to meet them, Cauper said, while also hoping he can serve as an influential messenger.
“We are hoping for a reflective message that will help those in power,” he said.
In a letter sent to Francis this week, the leaders of three prominent indigenous groups called on Francis to back their call for the state to grant 20 million hectares (50 million acres) in collective land rights to native peoples. They also want him to urge Peru’s government to clean up rivers tainted from illegal gold mining.
Rather than a halt to all mining and exploration in the Amazon, Vasquez said that what indigenous communities want is to be a part of discussions to decide where and how those activities are conducted.
Studies confirm that contamination from mining is already having an impact on the health of many living in the Amazon.
“They have lead in their blood,” Vasquez said. “Is that development?”
Cesar Yojaje, leader of the Palma Real indigenous group, was among the many trekking by boat to greet the pontiff Friday. After a three-hour journey along a brackish river he said he hoped to hear a forceful message from the pope.
He said he wants the state to return indigenous lands and publicly apologize “for robbing us of our lands and turning them into a park.” |
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