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Symato Team 6

Having learned the basic multiplication tables (please see previous blog posts – 1,2,3) for single digit numbers, i.e. 2 to 9, it is now time to generalize multiplication to multi-digit numbers, starting with multiplying 1-digit numbers with 3-digit numbers. Before jumping into the standard algorithm, it is better to lay some important foundation. Here, a strong grasp of place value is important. Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 First, let’s start with multiplying by 10. Instead of using rules such as “add a zero behind”, it is better to use place value charts, so that students can visualize the process on each of the place values. For example: Multiply a 1-digit number with a 3-digit number without regrouping After we understand multiplication by 10, we’re ready to tackle the main tasks of multiplication. Firs,t we’ll start with cases without regrouping. Again, we start with place value charts, e.g. for 3 x 212: Nex,t we’ll introducethe partial product, which is just an abstract representation of the place value example (remember C-P-A). We can help students by adding place value labels at the top (e.g. H T O): Now, we’re ready to introduce the standard algorithm for multiplication: Multiplication with regrouping – 1-digit number with 2-digit number That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, how about cases with regrouping? Now, things get more interesting. We’ll start with multiplication involving 2-digits first. Before we work on the standard algorithm, let students construct own understanding of multiplication involving regrouping. Use an example, say 3 x 35 and let students come up with different ways to find the product. Here are a few examples. - Place value - Using number bond - Partial products Finally, we introduce the standard algorithm, explain the concept of regrouping with the help of the place value chart: Multiplication with regrouping – 1-digit number with 3-digit number Now that we have a good understanding of multiplication with regrouping, multiplying 1-digit numbers with 3-digit numbers is straightforward. E.g. 3 x 145 using standard algorithm: Solve simple 1-step word problems We’re now ready to introduce simple 1-step word problems. E.g. Question: Abby earns $890 in one week. How much would she earn in 3 weeks? Even though students may see the number equation the question is asking in the head already, it is beneficial to visualize what we want to find using bar modeling. This lays the groundwork for more complex multiplication and division word problems later on. Video explanation and lesson plan (member’s resource) Common Core Standards - 3NBT.A3 Multiply one-digit whole numbers by multiples of 10 in the range 10–90 (e.g., 9 x 80, 5 x 60) using strategies based on place value and properties of operations. - 4NBT.B5 Multiply a whole number of up to four digits by a one-digit whole number. Suggested Workbook Series - Math in Focus workbook (3A) Chapter 7 – Multiplication (pages 119 to 146) - Primary Mathematics workbook (Common Core Edition) (3A) Chapter 3 – Multiplication and Division (pages 97 to 124) For more related resources, please refer to our Multiplication and Division page.

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Energy Efficiency of Foods We understand that food contains energy as described by the number of Calories.1 It also takes energy to make food and that energy can be estimated. The energy efficiency of a food item can then be defined as the total amount of energy required to produce the food divided by the total amount of energy the food contains.2 Published estimates show that vegetables and grains such as potatoes, rice, and corn have an energy intensity of about 1.2 to 2.5, whereas the energy intensity of meats such as chicken, pork, and beef ranges from 16 to 68.3So, in general, it takes significantly more energy to make food from animal products than it does to grow vegetables. In terms of understanding the impact of food on climate, we note that, in addition to energy, the production of animal-based foods generates significant emissions of methane, an important greenhouse gas. So when we compare different food items, the carbon intensity, or the carbon emissions (associated both with the energy to grow the food and any animal-related emissions) per 100 Calories of food item, is a more accurate method for measuring the impact of food on climate.4 Let’s compare the carbon intensity of different foods using Figure 1.5For example, whereas 100 Calories of corn emits 11 grams (0.024 pounds) of carbon dioxide, 100 Calories of pork emits 308 grams (0.7 pounds). Red meats (beef, pork, and lamb) have the largest carbon intensity; chicken and dairy are more efficient.6 The carbon intensity of fish products varies; farmed salmon has about the same as most red meat; farmed shrimp has a higher carbon intensity (more than 400 grams (0.9 pounds) CO2 /100 Calories)7 , and other fish, such as herring, have a lower carbon intensity (about 25 grams (0.025 pounds) CO2 /100 Calories). Vegetables and fruits, in comparison, generally have the lowest carbon intensity. Figure 1. Estimates of the carbon dioxide intensity of various food products given in grams of CO2e per 100 Calories. Calculation includes emissions of methane and nitrous oxide. For example, 100 Calories of milk produces 247 grams of CO2e, while 100 Calories of potatoes produces 23 grams of CO2e. Although issues relating to how products are farmed, processed, and packaged affect these estimates, generally speaking, the carbon intensity of animal products is much higher than that of vegetable products. We also note that these estimates come from analyses of commercial farms, and that organic farms may use less energy and thus produce fewer emissions in growing these foods.8 1. North Americans commonly think about food energy in terms of “Calories.” By definition, a calorie of energy is actually quite small, so common practice is to refer to Calories in multiples of 1,000 or as kilocalories (kcal). It is also common practice to use the term, Calorie (with an uppercase ‘C’) to mean kcal, which we follow in this book. We note that most other countries report food energy in kilojoules, where 1 Calorie = 1kcal = 4.18 kilojoules (kJ). 2. The energy required to produce the food incorporates all aspects of growing, including farm machinery, irrigation, production, and application of fertilizers and pesticides. 3. In this case, energy intensity is defined as the ratio of energy required to produce the product divided by the amount of protein energy in the food. See D. Pimentel and M. Pimentel, Food, Energy and Society, 3rd ed. (Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, 2008). 4. The calculation of carbon intensity includes the emissions associated with energy used to grow the food item, and any methane emissions associated with animal products. Nitrous oxide emissions due to fertilization of cropland have not been accounted for in this analysis and thus these calculations serve as a lower range for these intensities. 5. Figures for each food item come from estimates of Pimentel and Pimentel (2008). The input energy associated with each food item has been converted into CO2 emissions based on U.S. national emissions and energy-use statistics in a manner similar to that described in Eshel and Martin (2006). The agriculture-related methane or nitrous oxide emissions are also included through a conversion into CO2 equivalent using the procedure of G. Eshel and P. A. Martin, “Diet, Energy, and Global Warming,“Earth Interactions 10 (2006), 1-17. See also U.S. Department of Energy, Energy Information Administration, Emissions of Greenhouse Gases in the United States 2003 (Dept. of Energy, 2004), http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/FTPROOT/environment/057303.pdf, accessed Jan. 25, 2008. 6. There are significant uncertainties in these estimates depending on both the method of growing the food and on the methodology of calculating the emissions. For example, Pimentel (2008) finds that energy inputs may be reduced by up to 50 percent or more for free-range beef and sheep. Comparisons with other published estimates of energy intensity can differ by less then 20 percent up to 200 percent or more as described by Carlsson-Kanyama (2003). 7. The relatively large emissions from some fish products reflect the relatively large energy demands of long-distance voyages required for fishing particular species. 8. At present, studies offer differing conclusions regarding the energy and yield differences between conventional and organic agriculture, although consensus is found on the improved soil health and water quality associated with organic agriculture. See P. Maeder, et al., “Soil Fertility and Biodiversity in Organic Farming,”Science, 296 (2002), 1694-1697; C. Forster, et al., “Environmental Impacts of Food Production and Consumption: A Report to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)” (Manchester Business School, 2006), http://www.defra.gov.uk/science/project_data/DocumentLibrary/ EV02007/EV02007_4601_FRP.pdf, accessed Oct.31, 2007; and J. Ziesemer, “Energy Use in Organic Food Systems” (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2007), http://www.fao.org/docs/eims/upload/233069/energy-use-oa.pdf, accessed Oct. 31, 2007.

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Diamonds factsMinerals quiz Where do you have the best chance to find a natural diamond? Near the volcano. It is sometimes mistakenly believed that diamonds are made from coals. High pressure and heat is required for the formation of diamonds from carbons, but these carbons are not the ones that form coal. Diamonds are formed deep under the surface and are brought up during outbreaks of volcanoes. Which of this mineral is the best diamond alternative? Moissanite is regarded as a diamond alternative, with some optical properties exceeding those of diamond. Its lower price and less exploitative mining practices necessary to obtain it make it a popular alternative to diamonds. Due in part to the similar thermal conductivity of moissanite and diamond, it is a popular target for scams; however, higher electrical conductivity and birefringence of moissanite may alert a buyer to fraud. What is the first diamond cut called? Point cut. Cut of diamond does not refer to shape (pear, oval), but the symmetry, proportioning and polish of a diamond. The cut of a diamond greatly affects a diamond's brilliance; this means if it is cut poorly, it will be less luminous. The first guild of diamond cutters and polishers was formed in 1375 in Nuremberg and the first cut was called the point cut.

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In Part I of this paper sound transmission through double leaf lightweight partitions was examined. It was shown that an important part of the overall transmission is determined by structure-borne sound transmission between the two leaves of the wall. In this report, Part II of the paper, structural coupling is examined in more detail. Two theories are presented. One is appropriate where the connection behaves as a series of points and the other where the connection behaves as a continuous line. It was found that an appropriate transition frequency between these two theories was where a half bending wavelength on the plate fitted between the nails or screws that form the coupling. In the most common forms of construction the connection will behave as a series of independent points for most of the frequency range. The continuous line model included the frame either as a beam or as a short plate. It was found that the agreement with the experimental data was better when the frame was modelled as a plate. There was good agreement between the measured and predicted data for transmission between the two leaves of the wall for a wide variety of structures. These theories can be incorporated into a statistical energy analysis model to enable the sound transmission throughout the entire structure to be predicted as was shown in Part I of this paper.

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First Aid Courses Canberra provide all the training needs of you and your family. We provide first aid courses Canberra with great trainers, excellent hands on experiences and free first aid manuals, parking and CPR face mask. Women who are exposed to polluted air and stressful situations during their pregnancy are more likely to have children with asthma, a new study claims. Boys whose mothers were exposed to both of the risk factors were more likely to develop the condition by age six. Researchers at Mount Sinai said there was already a known link between the race of the mother and the likelihood of being exposed to air pollution. Now the experts are saying these factors contribute to the respiratory health disparities that ethnically mixed urban populations commonly have. Women who are exposed to polluted air while they are stressed, have an increased chance their children will have asthma, a new study claims Lead author Dr Alison Lee, of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, said the research was done to examine why these factors contribute to poor respiratory health in urban communities. She said: ‘We know from prior research that lower income, ethnically mixed urban populations are more greatly burdened with asthma and other respiratory health problems. ‘Given that populations disproportionately exposed to ambient air pollution are also more likely to be exposed to social stressors such as financial strain, discrimination, housing difficulties, and crime or violence, we were particularly interested in combined effects of both factors starting in early development, even in pregnancy.’ The study looked at more than 700 women who were primarily African-American and Latina, and were pregnant and living in urban settings. The researchers found that being exposed to high amounts of air pollution during a woman’s second trimester increased the odds for the child developing asthma. When this was combined with mothers reporting being stressed during this time period, boys had an increased chance of having asthma. Dr Lee added: ‘Prevention is not a matter of eliminating stress but rather, we need to develop strategies to reduce stress to more normative levels – for example, implementing prenatal programs that provide resources to address the more prevalent stressors or to promote better coping strategies, particularly among disadvantaged, high-risk populations.’ In a recent study by experts at the University of California, Berkeley, they found a correlation between children and teenagers exposed to high levels of traffic pollution and premature aging and asthma. Those with higher levels had a specific type of DNA damage called telomere shortening – the main cause of age-related break down of our cells. Telomeres are vital to our health – they can be described as the caps at the end of each strand of DNA that protect our chromosomes, like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces. ‘Children may be especially vulnerable to the effects of telomeric DNA damage due to their physical development as well as developing immune system,’ wrote Dr John Balmes from the University of California, Berkeley, and his colleagues who carried out the study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine. A new study by the Imperial College London found the first evidence that diesel fumes can cause coughing and shortness of breath. It was known that people with asthma are worse affected than those in less polluted areas. Researchers can now explain the effect of diesel particles, which are so tiny that the body mistakes them for natural molecules and draws them deep into the lungs. They discovered diesel fumes trigger a receptor in the airway, starting a chain reaction which causes nerves in the lungs to fire wrongly.

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Machine Learning & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Machine learning is the subfield of computer science that, according to Arthur Samuel, gives “computers the ability to learn without being explicitly programmed.” Samuel, an American pioneer in the field of computer gaming and artificial intelligence, coined the term “machine learning” in 1959 while at IBM. - Introduction to Artificial Intelligence - Introduction to Machine Learning - Applications of Machine Learning - Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning - Database Mining & Machine Learning - Supervised Learning Introduction & Examples - Unsupervised Learning Introduction & Examples - Linear Regression & implementation - Introduction to Gradient Descent Algorithm - Linear Algebra review - Introduction to Neuron - Introduction to Network Architecture - Designing Neural Network Model - Model Representation Methods - Single Layer Neural Network - Multilayer Neural Network Architecture - Training the Network - Backward Propagation Training - Using the Network - Importing & Exporting Network - Importing & Exporting Training Data Introduction to Neural Network - Introduction to Dynamic Neural Network - Neural Network Blocks Examples and applications - Case Study: Character Recognition - Case Study: Iris Clustering - Case Study: Sales Prediction The Charges includes: - Handouts and training material - Certificate of Excellence from Elan & nVision IIT Hyderabad & Robotech Labs Certificate of Excellence from Elan & nVision IIT Hyderabad and Robotech Labs. - Do we need to carry laptop along with us? Its better if you can carry your laptop with you , if not then you can share with your friends if coming in a group or with fellow workshop participants. - Where to report ? When to report? You will get the details of exact workshop venue inside the campus a day before the workshop. You can reach at 8.30 AM at the campus/venue. If you have opted for accommodation then please follow accommodation rules and timings. Accommodation & Tranportation Details: You can check the details and FAQ : Click Here 9540 93 2700

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Acetylcholine is an organic chemical that functions in the brain and body of many types of animals as a neurotransmitter—a chemical released by nerve cells to send signals to other cells. Its name derives from its chemical structure: it is an ester of acetic acid and choline. Parts in the body that use or are affected by acetylcholine are referred to as cholinergic. Acetylcholine is the neurotransmitter used at the neuromuscular junction—in other words, it is the chemical that motor neurons of the nervous system release in order to activate muscles. This property means that drugs that affect cholinergic systems can have very dangerous effects ranging from paralysis to convulsions. Acetylcholine is also used as a neurotransmitter in the autonomic nervous system, both as an internal transmitter for the sympathetic nervous system and as the final product released by the parasympathetic nervous system. Inside the brain acetylcholine functions as a neuromodulator—a chemical that alters the way other brain structures process information rather than a chemical used to transmit information from point to point. The brain contains a number of cholinergic areas, each with distinct functions. They play an important role in arousal, attention, and motivation. Partly because of its muscle-activating function, but also because of its functions in the autonomic nervous system and brain, a large number of important drugs exert their effects by altering cholinergic transmission. Numerous venoms and toxins produced by plants, animals, and bacteria, as well as chemical nerve agents such as Sarin, cause harm by inactivating or hyperactivating muscles via their influences on the neuromuscular junction. Drugs that act on muscarinic acetylcholine receptors, such at atropine, can be poisonous in large quantities, but in smaller doses they are commonly used to treat certain heart conditions and eye problems. Scopolamine, which acts mainly on muscarinic receptors in the brain, can cause delirium and amnesia. The addictive qualities of nicotine derive from its effects on nicotinic acetylcholine receptors in the brain.

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Integrated Pest Management (IPM) has become the very foundation of virtually all pest management programs. According to an article by Texas A&M University, “The concept and impetus for IPM grew out of the discontent with using a purely insecticidal approach to insect control in many areas in the 1950s.” Pesticide overuse was resulting in insect resistance and environmental damage, so the concept of integrated control, which emphasized the use of selective insecticides, was developed. It was later expanded into what we know today as IPM; that is, what A&M describes as: “What began 30 years ago as a lofty notion to partner with nature when controlling pest problems has blossomed into a nationally accepted practice that saves the environment, money, and reduces pesticide use.” So, what is IPM? IPM is a holistic approach to pest management, involving a partnership between the pest management company and the commercial facility, for the control of insects, rodents, and other problem pests. It is a method advocated as “an effective and environmentally sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices,” by the EPA. They describe IPM as using current, comprehensive information on the life cycles of pests and their interaction with the environment, in combination with available pest control methods to manage pest damage by the most economical means, and with the least possible hazard to people, property, and the environment. IPM includes five key elements that are customized to the unique needs of each establishment: - Inspection. The first step of an IPM program is the thorough inspection of the interior and exterior of the structure. The primary purpose is to determine the presence of any existing pests as well as any conducive conditions that may attract pests of any type. - Identification. From the inspection, an identification is made of existing pests to determine the extent of the population, cause of their presence, and the most effective method of control. - Prevention. The inspection also reveals areas where preventive controls can be implemented to eliminate potential entry – or re-entry – of pests and reduce their ability to survive in the facility. This can include measures such as increased sanitation, exclusion (as discussed here), employee training, etc. Ongoing monitoring also provides preventive control by alerting you to pest presence before it can become an infestation. - Control. Based on the existing pests that were identified and the potential threats of the unique environment and conditions of your establishment, a control plan will be developed. The initial focus will be on physical and mechanical methods, similar to the exclusion and sanitation methods of prevention, as well as trapping and other applicable non-chemical measures. Although pesticides are used in an IPM program, they are used only when necessary. - Documentation. Documenting all that is done not only records and validates your IPM efforts, it enables you to proactively manage pest risk by understanding and preventing issues of the past from re-emerging. It is particularly applicable when electronic reports are maintained by your service provider in a secure, easy-access system. Implementing a comprehensive IPM program can help protect your facility from pests and guard against negative customer reviews.

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Remote kidney clinic heralds a homecoming for Aboriginal patients after years spent away Barbara Reid wishes she could have been there for those important early moments in her granddaughter's young life — her first steps, first words and big smile... Kidney Transplant Rates For Aboriginal Australians Data released by Kidney Health Australia in December 2017 showed: - Indigenous patients are 10 times less likely than non-Indigenous patients to be added to the waiting list for a kidney donation transplant. - About 13% of patients receiving dialysis treatment in Australia are Indigenous. Only 241 of 10,551 patients with a functioning kidney transplant are Indigenous. - According to Kidney Health Australia, about 30 of 800 kidney transplants performed each year are received by Indigenous Australians. Indigenous Health Minister Ken Wyatt said he was disheartened with the figures and wants to focus on building a heightened awareness of the issue. This under-representation can be attributed to a variety of reasons such as comorbidities, delays in listing and significant tissue matching issues as well as some structural racism. Importantly, the outcomes from transplantation are considerable poorer than among non-Indigenous people. To improve access to transplantation by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander renal patients, there needs to be a better understanding of how to address the barriers. There also needs to be improved support services for patients. The reasons for poor access to transplantation experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians are complex and can be attributed to: - The greater burden of comorbid illness amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dialysis patients leading to fewer patients being judge medically suitable; - The shortage of living and deceased donors from within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities; - The length of time on the waiting list and matching system; - The challenges in delivering appropriate health services to people living in remote areas who might also have low health literacy and not speak English as a first language; - The dislocation that follows from moving to transplant centres in distant capital cities; and - The high complication rate, particularly in terms of early infectious complications leading to poor transplant outcomes, including substantially higher death and graft loss rates. The poorer outcomes among Indigenous people who receive transplants are due to higher rates of rejection, less well-matched kidneys, higher rates of infection and infection-related deaths. Poor access to transplantation can also result from the requirement for significant work up tests and assessments which require visits to major centres. After transplantation there is the prospect of a post-operative stay and side effects away from home and supports.

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July 20 – National Lollipop Day Posted on July 20, 2012 National Lollipop Day Five Food Finds about Lollipops - The world’s largest lollipop was made in June 25, 2002. It was as tall as a Giraffe(15 feet tall) and about the weight of 23 full grown tigers. Oh ya it was Cherry flavored. - There are many things named after Lollipop, movies, songs, paintings etc. - The original lollipop machine would produce 40 Lollipops per minute but the modern ones make 5,900 a minute. - Lollipops were first made in 1908, in Connecticut by George Smith. He had named it after a horse he fancied, Lolly Pop. - In the Midwest Lollipops are known as Suckers. Today’s Food History on this day in… 1801 Elisha Brown Jr. pressed a 1235 pound cheese ball on his farm. He presented it to president Thomas Jefferson at the White House. 1836 Sir Thomas Clifford Allbutt was born. An English physician, he invented the short (6 inch) clinical thermometer. Before this a foot long meat thermometer was used that took 20 minutes to determine a patient’s temperature. Ouch! Thanks Sir Allbutt 1851 The first cheese factory in the U.S. to make cheese from scratch was started in Rome, New York in 1851 by Jesse Williams. He had his own dairy herd and purchased more milk from other local farmers to make his cheese. By combining the milk and making large cheeses he could produce cheese with uniform taste and texture. Before then, companies would buy small batches of home made cheese curd from local farmers to make into cheese, each batch of curds producing cheese with wide differences in taste and texture from one another.

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Encryption basically has two use cases: 1. Moving information from point A to point B and not letting anyone else be able to see it during transit. 2. Making sure that when the information is at rest (data, email, etc.) that unauthorized people cannot use it or read it. You often hear claims like "AES 256 bit encryption" or "We use military grade encryption". Doesn't mean much. All encryption uses keys. These keys are mathematical constructs, when used properly, provide the amount of security necessary. Who ever has access to the keys, can see your information. Key management is a very big deal. Your first consideration is who generates the keys and how do they do it. For instance, if you are storing data off site, and the service provider generates and stores the key, you have to ask yourself "Do I trust them"? This is the model of Google Drive for instance. In that case you are at the mercy of rogue Google employees, stolen equipment, or unknown subpoenas from government agencies. Amazon Web Services also will generate the key for you, but not store it. That's a little better, but you are vulnerable if a copy is being made surreptitiously. The best case scenario is you generate your own keys using a proven key generation mechanism (a topic for discussion in itself). Now comes the hard part. Whoever has the key can read the information. How are you protecting and distributing those keys? What is your access control and audit? What happens if an employee leaves and has a key? The best scenario is to assess the balance of risk and usability. If it is too difficult it won't be used. One of the slickest methods I've seen for protecting a user / application communicating to a server works like this: 1) The user / application starts a secure session using a public key (PKI uses a lot of overhead) 2) After the connection is made, a single use symetrical key is created (very fast) 3) The session switches to using the same symmetrical key This gets more interesting when you're talking about backups and disaster recovery. To fail over to a cloud warm site, that site needs your key to restore the data. One way to get around this is to have the service provider hold the key and have that key encrypted. To release the key, you would simply log into the recovery site, enter your credentials and now the key would be released. They don't need to store your password, just an encrypted hash of the password to verify (and maybe 2 factor authentication to your cell phone). This is all doable and well worth the time to think through the process from beginning to end.

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The first step for anyone working to protect children, especially in the context of migration, should be listening to their needs, desires, and plans for the future. The need to listen to children and consider their views was one of the key messages delivered by Msgr. Robert J. Vitillo, Secretary General of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) in Athens on 14 March. Msgr. Vitillo, a social worker by training, spoke at the Intergovernmental Consultations on Migration, Asylum, and Refugees (IGC). His intervention focused on lessons that social work practice can contribute to the determination of what actions are in the children’s best interest. Msgr. Vitillo highlighted two essential values of social work practice: belief in the uniqueness and inherent dignity of the person, and belief in the person’s right to self-determination. These values should always be taken into consideration when dealing with children, especially with unaccompanied and separated children in the context of migration. Msgr. Vitillo reminded participants that children in migration are first and foremost children and should be treated as such. Their best interest should always be the primary consideration in all actions concerning them. Building a bridge between social work practice and the assessment of children’s best interest, he urged participants to keep in mind that children have a right to express their views freely in all matters affecting them. They also have the right to have their opinions taken into consideration in accordance with their age, maturity, and understanding of the available options. The IGC is an informal forum for the exchange of information and policy debate on issues relevant to the management of international migratory flows. The IGC brings together 17 states and the UN Refugee and Migration agencies (UNHCR and IOM). The 13-15 March meeting in Athens addressed specific challenges and best practices related to best interest determination procedures for unaccompanied and separated minors.

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The Pilgrims celebrated their first successful harvest and bounty of crops with the Wampanoag Indians in 1621 by eating wild fowl, venison, corn, grains, and nuts. Unlike this “first Thanksgiving,” today’s celebrations are feasts with spreads quite different than the Pilgrims’. Food has become a public health issue. When social issues aren’t adequately addressed, they become health issues. A characteristic unchanged over the centuries is that one’s socioeconomic standing dictates the quality of food available. Lower incomes force families to make choices in foods, not nutrients. Some communities and neighborhoods have limited access to affordable, high-quality, nutritious foods. These areas are called “food deserts.” The unfortunate paradox is that those who can least afford higher-priced nutritious foods end up paying the most. How did this happen? As food shopping became suburbanized, large superstores replaced traditional “mom and pop” shops, making food more affordable. But rural residents who once resisted commercial supermarkets now find themselves miles away from stores that sell high-quality food. Many inner-city neighborhoods also suffer from lack of healthy alternatives. Americans’ love affair with food—the pleasures of acquiring, sharing, exchanging, and eating food socially—is reaping unintended consequences. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 17% of children and 30% of adults are obese—an increase of 37% over the last decade. Americans are eating one-third more calories than we did 40 years ago. Obesity often leads to increased blood pressure, higher cholesterol levels, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, and cancer. These diet-related diseases disproportionately affect people of color and those with lower incomes. The government has been helping to provide nutritious food options for low-income families for decades. Since 1974, the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program has helped low-income perinatal women as well as infants and children up to age 5 to acquire food to meet special nutritional needs. The number of persons benefiting from WIC has grown from 88,000 to 9.3 million in 2009. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as the Food Stamp Program, began in 1939 and now helps more than 33 million children and low-income persons obtain healthy food. Currently, the Health Resources and Services Administration is creating a Prevention Center for Healthy Weight to accelerate the implementation of evidence-based actions to prevent and treat obesity in our communities. Earlier this year, the government launched a $400 million Healthy Food Financing Initiative to bring healthy food retailers to underserved urban and rural communities. The private sector is doing its part, too. Chain retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Target, CVS, and Walgreens, are bringing fresh produce into underserved communities to alleviate “food deserts.” First Lady Michelle Obama started the “Let’s Move” program (www.letsmove.gov), whose goals include healthy eating, being more active, and encouraging families, schools, and communities to take action to ensure a healthier generation of children. With growing concerns over public health, one possible approach to changing eating behavior is to levy higher taxes on unhealthy foods. Research suggests people consume less of a product when it’s taxed at a higher rate, as occurred with tobacco. Some models suggest lower consumption of unhealthy foods equate to weight loss, although the evidence isn’t conclusive. In a backlash against government intervention or control, Americans Against Food Taxes (www.nofoodtaxes.com) is using TV ads to try to rally Americans against threatened taxes on soda, juice drinks, sports drinks, and flavored milk. Meanwhile, obesity is raising healthcare costs. Growing girths have necessitated the development of larger-bore openings in computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scanners. Bariatric equipment purchases have surged 20%—and this gear comes at a premium of 20% to 50% with no commensurate reimbursement. Musculoskeletal injuries from handling larger and heavier patients have contributed to injuries among healthcare workers. Debate on the causes of and solutions for obesity—and the public health consequences of being overweight—is emotional. What’s the main culprit—fast food? Food fads? High-fructose corn syrup? We’ve gone from a country obsessed with being thin to a country struggling to meet basic needs. Michael Pollan, best-selling author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, describes the fluctuations in our eating habits fueled by constantly changing nutritional wisdom as our “national eating disorder.” It’s time for therapy. As individuals and community leaders, we can step up and help restore a path to healthier eating and lifestyles. Pamela F. Cipriano, PhD, RN, FAAN, NEA-BC

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Not to be confused with the much larger world Judaic Karaite movement, the Karaite (or Lithuanian Karaite, or Karaim) are as perplexing as the confusion surrounding their name suggests. Settled in Trakai from the Crimea by Grand Duke Vytautas at the end of the 14th century, the Lithuanian Karaite form a link in a bizarre chain connecting the two distant and contradictory worlds of Lithuania and Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq), the birthplace of the original Karaite movement. The original Karaite were a puritanical Jewish splinter group who among other things rejected the Talmud and who somehow initiated the conversion to the Karaite faith of several Turkic tribes living on the Black Sea shores. It was some of these ethnically Turkic families who came to Trakai and other parts of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, first as bodyguards and later as successful farmers. Today’s Karaite population is dwindling fast, and it’s unlikely that the culture will survive for much longer.

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21 Feb Understanding Evolutionary Trees Following some links on other blogs I’ve recently seen an excellent article by T. Ryan Gregory called “Understanding Evolutionary Trees”. It introduces and explains evolutionary (phylogenetic) trees and highlights the importance of tree thinking. It even has a section on how NOT to read evolutionary trees, outlining common misunderstandings, misconceptions and misinterpretations. I wish I had had this available a few months ago when I was giving my introductory phylogenetics lectures. I think this will be compulsory reading for my students in next year’s course. T. Ryan Gregory (2008) Understanding Evolutionary Trees. Evolution: Education and Outreach doi:10.1007/s12052-008-0035-x Abstract: Charles Darwin sketched his first evolutionary tree in 1837, and trees have remained a central metaphor in evolutionary biology up to the present. Today, phylogenetics—the science of constructing and evaluating hypotheses about historical patterns of descent in the form of evolutionary trees—has become pervasive within and increasingly outside evolutionary biology. Fostering skills in “tree thinking” is therefore a critical component of biological education. Conversely, misconceptions about evolutionary trees can be very detrimental to one’s understanding of the patterns and processes that have occurred in the history of life. This paper provides a basic introduction to evolutionary trees, including some guidelines for how and how not to read them. Ten of the most common misconceptions about evolutionary trees and their implications for understanding evolution are addressed.

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The theory can be put into practice by a) encouraging healthy behavior and through proper maintenance. For example, studying the behavior pattern in sickness can permit unhealthy practice of an individual to be taken into consideration. Similarly, analyzing beliefs of an individual can be helpful as it will help to change the behavior pattern. b) It has been seen that health psychologist try to study treatment and preventive strategies of “illness”. By adapting different coping strategies one can easily prevent the onset of different illness. People do not only seek for health by engaging in healthy behaviors, they also anticipate on avoiding illness by not engaging in the unhealthy behaviors. As a consequence, persuasive health communication does not only focus on promoting healthy, but also discourages unhealthy behaviors. Both objectives can be achieved by framing: a communication Public health focuses on in intervention in the area of improving health and quality of life through prevention and treatment of disease and other physical or mental health conditions. This is carried out through surveillance of cases and health indicators and promotion of healthy behaviors It is extremely important that health care professionals practice virtue. Going beyond ones duties could greatly benefit the patient also making the health care provider the patient advocate. It’s important for physicians and other medical personnel to understand their duties in their profession. When they go to extreme measures to ensure the health of a patient is when this obligation is proven. As a patient you may be in a vulnerable state or may lack a clear judgment of your health. Other relevant matters include social interaction and overall mental health. Mental health is a crucial one as it has to do with your self-perception, your will, your patience, your knowledge and your skills. This detailed description is familiar to one of ‘health’, because they are tightly knit together. The difference is how health includes more measurable values. Someone’s health is either good or bad, whilst lifestyle is the way of living that goes on to affect your health. The model explains the factors that motivate individuals to engage in behaviour for a healthy living. The health belief model proposes that a person 's health-related behaviour depends on the person 's perception of four critical areas: 1. the severity of a potential illness, 2. the person 's susceptibility to that illness, 3. the benefits of taking a preventive action, and 4. the barriers to taking that action. • The model postulates that health-seeking behaviour is influenced by a person’s perception of a threat posed by a health problem and the value associated with actions aimed at reducing the threat. • HBM addresses the relationship between a person’s beliefs and behaviors. It provides a way to understanding and predicting how clients will behave in relation to their health and how they will comply with health care therapies. Community health assessment (CHA) is a systematic examination of the health status indicators of a specific population that is used to determine key issues and assets in a community. The main objective of community health assessment is to establish plans to address the community’s health needs and issues. Variation of tools and processes, community engagement and shared participation are utilized to conduct a community health assessment. According to NACCHO (n.d.b), a CHA can be used to answer the following questions for a community: “What are the health problems in a community? Why do health issues exist in a community? In both the private and public health care system there are facilities such as: hospitals, health centers, pharmacies, birthing centres, psychiatric care centres, outreach centres and clinics located throughout the regions. These facilities are implemented to work towards improving people’s health; treating, monitoring and keeping safe persons who are sick or injured. The facilities are also there to educate doctors, patients, health care professionals and members of the general public and by doing this improving the perception of health and disease. The public health care facilities are limited compared to the private managed health care facilities which offer an exceptional standard of health care services in Trinidad and Tobago. A major facility in health care is a hospital, which caters to patient’s treatment with remarkably educated and greatly trained specialized staff and apparatus. According to the survey of American Public Health Association (1941), people define health simply as “the absence of disease, that living without disease is to be healthy.” Such a definition relegates health to the medical professions charged with protecting good health and overcoming or managing poor health. This broader context of health was repeated in the 1946 World Health Organization Constitution, which defines health as “a state of complete physical, social, and mental well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. Unfortunately, a small definition fails to recognize the multifactor that influence health. Although these definitions of health have been criticized as utopians, they are important in their recognition that numerous factors influence the ability to be healthy, known as health determinants, these include biological, social and economic, environmental, lifestyle, services, Optimism hope and positive expectations are elements that can protect health in challenging situations for peoples equilibrium by means of dirsct paths. There is tendency that optimism can affect health through the behaviour manifested in life problems also generally in health problems. This behaviour however can prevent chronic stress and complication of physical and psychological problems if used appropriately. It is very relevant as it encourages active strategies to cope with health problems which are related to problems solving behaviours self-care and recovery

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By implementing a “zero tolerance” immigration policy, the United States Department of Homeland Security has forcibly separated thousands of families in the past six weeks, sending children to massive detention centers across the country while their parents are placed in detention centers or deported. Many are rightly saying that this policy is unjust. As an organization dedicated to policy and support related to children who have been separated from their birth families, we are calling it government-sanctioned traumatization. Working daily with children who are or have been in foster care and their parents, we have seen the devastating effects of family separation firsthand: the loss of a parent or family can be one of the most distressing experiences a child can undergo, and the effects can be lifelong. Not only must the children currently entering our country cope with the traumatic experiences that made them flee their home country, but they now must also suffer the psychological effects of parental separation and the emotional strain of adjusting to the massive, bare, and unfamiliar detention centers. While some in the administration have responded to the outcry about this practice by pointing out the quality physical care these children are receiving— in detention centers like the converted Walmart in Texas that houses more than 1,400 boys—we know that physical needs are only part of the equation. These children are being denied the essential comfort of love and family during what is probably the most tumultuous and isolating time of their lives. The result of this undeniable trauma cannot be understated — these early years of development are essential to a person’s later well-being, and disruptive experiences at this stage can mean a lifetime of challenges related to brain development, relationship-building skills, and physical and mental health. Research shows that children experiencing this type of trauma face higher rates of mood disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), self-esteem issues, regressive behaviors such as bedwetting, and cognitive delays. Our government should be dedicated to making children’s lives better, not inflicting lifelong damage to score political points. Government intervention in removing children from families should be used only in desperate times, when a child is being harmed and has no one to turn to. No moral society forcibly removes children from caring, able families — especially not as a deterrent for other people’s future actions. Harming thousands of children cannot be touted as teaching a lesson to future immigrant families facing their own desperate situations. When asked about this practice of separating parents from children at the border, the White House chief of staff John Kelly told National Public Radio that “the children will be taken care of — put into foster care or whatever.” Not only does this statement demonstrate the administration’s dismissal of their inherent responsibility to offer all children safety, well-being, and care—it also completely disregards the serious challenges facing today’s foster care system. Largely due to the opioid crisis, many children in foster care are staying in group homes, shelters, hotels, and even social work offices because there aren’t families to care for them. By removing children from their families inappropriately and unjustly, the government places the weight of thousands more children on this already struggling system, effectively creating a child welfare crisis. Since our founding, we at the North American Council on Adoptable Children (NACAC) have fought for a government that protects children’s best interests — the best and most elemental principle of child welfare law. This means building laws, policies, and practices that not only defend a child’s physical safety, but also their need to grow and develop in a loving, safe, and familiar environment—no matter who they are or where they come from. Our decades of experience have repeatedly shown that keeping children with their loving families is the first and best way to ensure positive outcomes for children. NACAC calls upon the U.S. government to return to this fundamental principle, rescinding this new zero-tolerance policy and keeping immigrating families intact. It is unconstitutional and immoral to do anything else.

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Tobacco and oral health: the role of the World Health Organization Oral Health & Preventive Dentistry (Volume 1, No. 4, 2003, 309-315) Poul Erik Petersen, Chief, WHO Oral Health Programme World Health Organization This article highlights the activities undertaken by WHO Oral Health Programme to strengthen its involvement in tobacco cessation at the global level and initiatives related to co-operation with NGOs in oral health and WHO Collaborating Centres in Oral Health. In addition to several other chronic diseases, tobacco use is a primary cause of many oral diseases and adverse oral conditions. For example, tobacco is a risk factor for oral cancer, periodontal disease, and congenital defects in children whose mothers smoke during pregnancy. The epidemic of tobacco use is one of the greatest threats to global health; sadly the future appears worse because of the globalization of marketing. The World Health Organization (WHO) has strengthened the work for effective control of tobacco use. At the World Health Assembly in May 2003 the Member States agreed on a groundbreaking public health treaty to control tobacco supply and consumption. The treaty covers tobacco taxation, smoking prevention and treatment, illicit trade, advertising, sponsorship and promotion, and product regulation. Oral health professionals and dental associations worldwide should consider this platform for their future work for tobacco prevention since in several countries they play an important role in communication with patients and communities. The WHO Oral Health Programme gives priority to tobacco control in many ways through the development of national and community programmes which incorporates oral health and tobacco issues, tobacco prevention through schools, tobacco risk assessment in countries, and design of modern surveillance systems on risk factors and oral health. Systematic evaluation of coordinated efforts should be carried out at country and inter-country levels. The epidemic of tobacco use is one of the greatest threats to global health today. Approximately one-third of the adult population in the world use tobacco in some form and of whom half will die pre-maturely. According to the most recent estimate by the World Health Organization (WHO), 4.9 million people worldwide died in 2000 as a result of their addiction to nicotine (WHO, World Health Report, 2002). This huge death toll is rising rapidly, especially in low- and middle-income countries where most of the world’s 1.2 billion tobacco users live. As shown in Fig 1 developing countries already account for half of all deaths attributable to tobacco (WHO, World Health Report, 2002). This proportion will rise to 7 out of 10 by 2025 because smoking prevalence has been increasing in many low - and middle-income countries even though it is decreasing in high-income countries. Developing countries also account for about half of the world’s disease burden related to tobacco as measured by DALYs (Fig 2) (WHO, World Health Report, 2002). Within countries the prevalence of tobacco use is highest amongst people of low educational background and among the poor and marginalized. In several developing countries there have been sharp increases in tobacco use especially among men and as the tobacco industry continues to target youth and women there are also concerns about rising prevalence rates in these groups. The shift in the global pattern of tobacco use is reflected in the changing burden of disease and tobacco deaths. Sadly, the future appears worse. Because of the long time lapse between the onset of tobacco use and the inevitable wave of disease and deaths that follow, the full effect of today’s globalization of tobacco marketing and increasing rates of usage in the developing world will be felt for decades to come. Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of premature death and also a common risk factor to several general chronic diseases and oral diseases. The negative impact relates not only to smoking but use of smokeless tobacco. In addition to smoking tobacco smokeless tobacco is widely used in a number of countries of the world depending on socio-cultural conditions. Chewing tobacco is known as plug, loose leaf and twist. Pan masala or betel quid consists of tobacco, areca nuts and staked lime wrapped in a betel leaf. They can also contain other sweeteners and flavouring agents. Moist snuff is taken orally while dry snuff is powdered tobacco that is mostly inhaled through the nose. In comparison to smoking habits, the patterns of use of smokeless tobacco are less documented, particularly in developing countries. READ FULL ARTICLE - Tobacco Free Initiative Tobacco and oral health – the approach of the World Health Organization Oral Health Programme

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On February 15, asteroid 2012 DA14 is scheduled to pay us a visit. The 150 foot (45 meter) rock has no chance of hitting us — but it'll be the closest approach that's ever been observed by astronomers. Here's everything you need to know about this unique event. Asteroid 2012 DA14 was discovered last year by astronomers in southern Spain using the La Sagra Sky Survey at the Astronomical Observatory of Mallorca. The object was about 2.7 million miles (4.3 million kilometers) away at the time. Subsequent analysis showed that it was heading right for us — and that it was going to give us a close shave. A really close shave. The asteroid, which is half the size of a football field and 130,000 metric tons in mass, will pass by our planet at a paltry distance of 17,200 miles (27,000 kilometers). Putting that into perspective, the average distance from the Earth to the moon is 238,607 miles (384,000 km). That places the distance of 2012 DA14's closest approach to 1/14th our distance to the moon, or 7%. That means it'll pass to within about 3.5 Earth radii of the Earth's surface. What's more, the asteroid's trajectory will put it closer to Earth than our satellites in geosynchronous orbit, which is about 22,245 miles (35,800 km) above the equator. That's about 5,000 miles (8,046 km) closer to Earth than those satellites. Now, it's unlikely that 2012 DA14 will smash into a satellite, but NASA issued a warning to satellite operators anyway, providing them with detailed information about the flyby. But to reassure them, a NASA statement indicated that: There is very little chance that asteroid 2012 DA14 will impact a satellite or spacecraft. Because the asteroid is approaching from below Earth, it will pass between the outer constellation of satellites located in geosynchronous orbit (22,245 miles/35,800 kilometers) and the large concentration of satellites orbiting much closer to Earth. (The International Space Station, for example, orbits at the close-in altitude of 240 miles/386 kilometers.). There are almost no satellites orbiting at the distance at which the asteroid will pass. Nor will the asteroid hit the Earth — which would have been a Tunguska-like event were it to happen. "Its orbit about the sun can bring it no closer to the Earth's surface than 3.2 Earth radii on February 15, 2013," notes NASA. At its closest point, 2012 DA14 will be above Sumatra, Indonesia at 2:24 PM EST (19:24 GMT). This flyby represents a remarkable opportunity for astronomers to study a near-Earth object (NEO). To that end, NASA will be monitoring its approach using the Goldstone Solar Systems Radar in California's Mojave desert. One of the things that NASA will be interested in learning is how the flyby will impact on its subsequent trajectory shift. That said, the space agency is confident that it won't loop around for a return visit. Astronomers are also curious to see what it looks like. They've already classified it as an S-type asteroid on account of its silicate composition, but it'll be interesting to see it from up close. Regrettably, 2012 DA14 won't be visible with the naked eye. Its luminosity is estimated at a magnitude of less than seven, which is just beneath human visual capacity. Moreover, it will make its approach during daylight hours in the Western Hemisphere. That said, stargazers in the Eastern Hemisphere using a telescope — and with a bit of luck — might be able to catch a glimpse. The asteroid will look like a small pinprick of light zipping across the sky from the southern evening sky into the morning north sky. And zip it will. Asteroid 2012 DA14 is moving extraordinarily fast, about 17,450 mph (28,100 kph). That's 4.8 miles per second (7.82 kilometers per second) relative to Earth. Four minutes after its closest approach to Earth, the asteroid will pass into the Earth's shadow for about 18 minutes before reappearing from the eclipse. It will be within the Earth/Moon system for about 33 hours. Scientists say there are about 500,000 near-Earth asteroids the size of 2012 DA14 in our solar system. Of those, less than one percent have been discovered. Flybys like this one only happen about once every 40 years or so. NASA will be livestreaming this celestial event from the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. The action gets started at 6:00 PM EST on Friday February 15, and will run until 9:00 PM EST. Images: Credit: ESA/La Sagra Sky Survey and NASA.

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Growing these sun lovers; keeping them over the winter. Geraniums (pelargoniums) thrive in most garden soils. Their showy blossoms range from bright red to pink to white. The variously shaped leaves of some are delightfully scented. In a frost-free climate, they can grow outdoors permanently. In other areas, after the last frost, set out established plants in full sun in flower beds, in window boxes, or in planters, spacing them 8 to 15 inches apart. (Or simply sink the pots into the soil.) Feed monthly with a fertilizer low in nitrogen; pinch back new growth to keep plants bushy. Keep flowers coming by removing old ones as they fade. Let the soil get slightly dry between waterings. To keep plants over the winter, bring them indoors well before the first frost. Cut them about halfway back, pot them in the smallest pot that will accommodate their roots, and place them on a sunny windowsill. They do best in low humidity and cool temperatures (65°F to 70°F by day, 5°F to 10°F lower at night). Cut the plants back again when new shoots are 4 to 5 inches long. Grow new geraniums from 3 to 4 inch tip cuttings taken in August or September. Remove all but three healthy leaves from each and insert the stems in moist sand or perlite. Cover with a clear plastic bag in which you have poked a few holes. After they root, plant them singly in small pots and keep them in a cool, sunny window. Repot in medium-size containers in January or February.

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How does the moon get smaller? The moon changes size in two ways. It has an elliptical orbit, which means that sometimes it is a bit nearer and bigger, sometimes a bit further away and smaller. It also waxes and wanes (appears to change shape, getting more or less round), depending on how it reflects the sunlight. Join Alexa Answers Help make Alexa smarter and share your knowledge with the worldLEARN MORE

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Healthy Eating Habits We are all familiar with the saying “you are what you eat.” Well as true as it is, we not only are what we eat, but how we eat. When and how we eat affects our enjoyment of the food we eat. Healthy digestion and assimilation of our food is effected by our food choices, our attitude and environment of consumption, both external and internal. Have you ever wanted a good meal and eaten a bad one, then walked away still feeling hungry? Somehow unfulfilled, even with a stomach full of food? Can you remember what you ate for dinner last night? You may have forgotten, but perhaps you didn’t notice to begin with. Bringing more attention and thought to our meals may help us to make healthier food choices, and experience the joy of our food. The process of digestion is an involuntary function (one which we do not consciously direct) and is governed by our autonomic (involuntary) nervous system. The autonomic nervous system governs all of the involuntary functions in our body. In order to accommodate our wide variety of needs, it has two distinctly different yet interdependent sub-systems within in called the sympathetic and the parasympathetic division. The sympathetic division is “on alert”; it is the yang or action nervous system. This division is responsible for our ‘flight or fight’ mechanisms. It becomes our dominant system when our mind sends signals to our body to mobilize it to action, in response to a perceived threat or danger, real or imagined. In our modern society it is often called into play in response to fear, excitement or anticipation. You can tell when you are sympathetic dominant when you are breathing more shallow and from higher in your chest, your pulse quickens, you have a sensation of excitement (butterflies) or ‘tension’ deep in your stomach and throughout your muscle structure. You may also be perspiring (especially your hands) even though your surroundings are not too warm, or you may feel fidgety, generally ‘hyper’ and perhaps, at times, less comfortable inside. When you are stressed, your body says run, and your digestive system shuts down. The parasympathetic division is a more yin or nurturing nervous system. It is responsible for quite a different set of physiological responses and is called into play when we make time for rest, and relaxation. It favors assimilation, repair and regeneration and is dominant when our breathing is slower, more rhythmic and from lower in our chest and abdomen. There is a decrease in muscle tone, the abdomen is relaxed and comfortable, with no sense of tension in it. If we are to digest our food properly and to derive full nutritional value from it we need the nurturing, parasympathetic division. How conscious are you of your state of mind and body before, during and after your meals? This awareness is important to proper digestion and health as any other aspect of your lifestyle. The following mindfulness practices help us to use our nurturing nervous system so we can better enjoy and utilize our food. Source: Arlington Acupuncture

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WASHINGTON — They toiled unrewarded, died in obscurity and were buried anonymously. They are remembered only because of the fame of their owner. Thomas Jefferson's slaves will not be forgotten, however. The foundation that owns and operates his historic Monticello estate near Charlottesville, Va., plans to erect a permanent, sculpted memorial to what may be as many as 110 or more black slaves whose graveyard was discovered by archeologists last spring. "We want people to know and honor the significance of the slave community here and the contributions of these people to Monticello," said Sara Bon-Harper, archeological field manager for the Thomas Jefferson Foundation and chairman of its cemetery committee. The foundation is calling for architects, landscape architects, artists and even schoolchildren to submit design concepts for the memorial. "We're looking for sketches at this point," Bon-Harper said, "and we're open to almost any ideas." The graveyard was found in April by Bon-Harper and a team of archeologists in a flat, wooded area about 2,000 feet down the slope from Jefferson's famous hilltop manor house. Archeologists identified the graves of 20 adults and children, a few of which had small blank stone markers. There are no records indicating exactly who is buried in the cemetery, though Bon-Harper estimates the burial ground may contain as many as 110 graves. The slave cemetery is to be fenced and landscaped, and constructions near it will be removed. The 75-foot by 65-foot tract will be commemorated in ceremonies Oct. 6. "There may be one or more other slave cemeteries at Monticello," she said. "The enslaved community numbered about 350 people during the years Jefferson owned the estate." There are no plans to dig further in the cemetery or to exhume bodies or intrude on individual graves, some of which at this point may contain little more than coffin nails, she said. Because the soil at Monticello is highly acidic and so many years have passed, the coffins and contents, including bones, would have largely decayed. Bon-Harper said the same conditions occur in the soil of the family cemetery where Jefferson is buried, though it is some distance from the slave burial ground. "The remains would be in very poor condition," she said. Bon-Harper said there has been no objection to the slave memorial from the Monticello Association, which owns and maintains the family cemetery. The all-white family association, made up entirely of Jefferson descendants, has vigorously disputed findings that strongly indicate Jefferson fathered children by Sally Hemings, a slave. Hemings was Jefferson's wife's half-sister through a relationship between Hemings' slave mother and Martha Jefferson's father. The group has refused requests from Hemings' descendants to be buried in the family cemetery. After examining the results of DNA tests and other evidence, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation has taken a position supporting the "strong likelihood" of a liaison between Jefferson and Hemings, and in recent years has incorporated many aspects of slave life at Monticello in its presentation to visitors. Hemings' remains are not thought to be among those in the slave cemetery. She was freed after Jefferson's death and moved to Charlottesville. She is believed to have been buried on the grounds of her house. A motel is now on the site.

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Seven major themes: - Climate Research & Impacts - Environmental Chemistry - Seafloor Processes - Marine Ecosystems - Protection and Restoration of Marine Resources - Tsunami Observations & Modeling - Ocean & Coastal Observations UW and NOAA scientists collaborate on a broad range of research projects within these themes, spanning the globe from pole to pole, focusing on such critical issues as climate change, ocean acidification, tsunami forecasting, and fisheries assessment by: - collecting, and analyzing data to better understand physical, biological, and chemical processes of ocean and coastal areas; - understanding climate variability and change; - improving our understanding of ocean and atmospheric processes associated with climate change and determining adaptation strategies; - studying how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide and the resulting increase in acidity of ocean water; - studying hydrothermal vents and volcanoes on the seafloor; - studying effects of interactions between human communities and natural ecosystems; - developing tools and technology to restore and protect marine habitats; - improving our ability to predict and forecast tsunami impacts. A comprehensive list of JISAO's research can be found in our Annual Reports. Visit our News Archive to see what research is being covered by the local and national media.

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In the Wikipedia article it is written that fiefs were not necessarily lands: However, not only land but anything of value could be held in fee, including governmental office, rights of exploitation such as hunting or fishing, monopolies in trade, and tax farms. Can anybody recommend me some reading about this? A book or an article where these details are discussed. (In Wikipedia they don't give references on this. Actually, an article in an encyclopedia with some examples will also do.) EDIT 18.08.2020. From people's reaction I see that there is no common agreement about the meaning of the term "fief", so perhaps it will be reasonable to clarify how I understand it. From what I read about this I got an impression (people can correct me) that a fief is a source of income (not necessarily, land, this as well can be a permission to trade somewhere, or a monopoly on the production of something, etc.) with the following three distinguishing features: - this source of income is granted to a person (called a "vassal" in Europe, but of course the concrete words are not important), by another person (called a "seigneur" in Europe) under a certain treaty (which is a part of the tradition), - in this treaty it is supposed that (in gratitude for this gift) the vassal is obliged to provide certain services to the seigneur (again, the content of these services can be very different, it can be regular payments to the seigneur, or military service, or service at the seigneur's court, or, as far as I understand, even something unclarified), and - the seigneur has a formal right to cancel this treaty if he decides that the vassal does not fulfill his obligations (of course, the possibility to do this depends very strongly on the tradition and on the concrete situation, but in this culture everyone recognizes the formal right of the seigneur to cancel the treaty). My question is where all these details are described? I see many books about fiefs understood as lands, but only fragmentary mentionings of fiefs understood as other sources of income. I cannot find a text where these things are discussed in detail (or even simply explicitly formulated as I did here). Does anybody know such a text? EDIT 29.08.2020. I've added a reference request to the Wikipedia page.

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Dijon (dēzhôNˈ) [key], city (1990 pop. 151,636), capital of Côte-d'Or dept., E France, the old capital of Burgundy. It is a transportation hub and industrial center with food, metal-products, and electronics industries. Its mustard and cassis (black currant liqueur) are famous, and Dijon is also an important shipper of Burgundy wine. It is at least equally noteworthy for its art treasures. Founded in ancient times, Dijon flourished when the rulers of Burgundy made it their residence (11th cent.); after Burgundy was reunited with France (late 15th cent.), Dijon remained a thriving cultural center. The orator and writer Bossuet and the composer Rameau were among the noted figures born in the city. Dijon Univ. was founded in 1722. Rousseau's prizewinning essay written for the Academy of Dijon in 1749 made him famous. Among the city's art treasures are the funeral statues of the dukes of Burgundy by Claus Sluter and his disciples, housed in the town hall, originally the 12th-century ducal palace. Noted buildings in Dijon include the Cathedral of St. Bénigne (13th–14th cent.), the Church of Notre Dame (13th cent., in Burgundian Gothic), St. Michael's Church (Renaissance), the Hôtel Aubriot (14th cent.; now containing a museum of Burgundian folklore), and the palace of justice (15th–16th cent.), which once housed the powerful parliament of Burgundy. A 1990s building campaign has produced modern foci like the new performing arts center. The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. More on Dijon from Infoplease: See more Encyclopedia articles on: French Political Geography

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Publication Year: 2006 Edition: 1st Ed. Authors/Editor: Fernandez, Francisco; Ruiz, Pedro Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins (LWW) Doody's Star Rating®:Score: 87 This comprehensive text focuses on psychiatric issues associated with HIV/AIDS and provides clinicians with a basic understanding of epidemiology, virology, transmission, and medical treatments inclusive of occupational exposures. Psychosocial, spiritual, and sociocultural aspects of HIV/AIDS are covered, describing implications of HIV/AIDS across minority groups. The treatment section allows clinicians to organize an effective psychiatric treatment plan for all mental disorders associated with HIV/AIDS. Issues of adherence, prevention, and public well-being are emphasized throughout. The management of medical problems such as delirium, dementia, and pain management in special HIV/AIDS patients with co-morbid substance abuse as well as end of life care is also included. Psychiatric Aspects of HIV/AIDS

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If you were looking for some advice in the form of "connect red to green" you will not find it here. Instead, you will be given a simple, logical, concise method and the information necessary to make the connection. STEP 1: IDENTIFY NMEA-0183 STANDARD COLORS AND SIGNALS The NMEA-0183 standard for wire color identification of signals is: TALKER A = White TALKER B = Brown LISTENER B = Green LISTENER A = Yellow Unfortunately, this is seldom followed in actual practice by manufacturers. Information on the NMEA-0183 Interface of various devices will be given using a standard form, as follows: DEVICE: Device NameSource: [Hyperlink to primary source of the information.] TALKER A = Wire Color TALKER B = Wire Color LISTENER B = Wire Color LISTENER A = Wire Color (The reason for the ordering in my list of the A/B signals in the TALKER and LISTENER to be opposite--ABBA instead of ABAB--will be seen in a moment, when I describe the connection arrangement that I have found works very simply and consistently. The hyperlinks to primary reference material are very useful, as those resources usually include additional information that will be helpful in making these connections.) Browse the listings below (in articles appended in this thread) to locate your particular device. Identify the signals and wire colors for your particular device. Once NMEA signals are identified by their wire color, interconnection of them can be done. STEP 2: RULE FOR INTERCONNECTION OF NMEA-0183 DEVICES Interconnection between devices will then always follow these simple rules: RULE 1: LISTENER connects to the TALKER of the other device with the same A/B notation. RULE 2: If a LISTENER B has no corresponding TALKER B signal, that LISTENER B connects to ground or the power source common (i.e., negative battery bus in most boats). RULE 3: If a TALKER B has no corresponding LISTENER B, that TALKER B is insulated and left unconnected. STEP 3: SIMPLE METHOD OF WIRING FOR INTERCONNECTION A five-pole terminal strip makes a very simple way to interconnect devices. A terminal strip with compression clamp connections is often used. A typical example is shown below. These can be obtained from many sources at low cost (about $1.20). Finding a terminal block with five terminals may be a problem as the terminal blocks seem to be stocked only in even-number of terminal. A solution is to get a larger one (6-position) and cut off the unused terminals Compare at On the left side of the terminal strip you connect one device, and on the right side you connect the second device. If you lay out the signals as I show below, you have a very consistent method. IMPORTANT: the middle connector of the five pole terminal strip is always connected to the boat 12-Volt power negative bus by its own dedicated conductor. Here is the layout in ASCII drawing: NMEA-0183 FIVE POLE TERMINAL STRIP TALKER A---[O-O]---LISTENER A TALKER B---[O-O]---LISTENER B ---[O-O]---(connect to power negative) LISTENER B---[O-O]---TALKER B LISTENER A---[O-O]---TALKER A When wiring two NMEA devices to the terminal strip, there is only one possible inconsistency that can occur: if a LISTENER B has no corresponding TALKER B, wire that LISTENER B to the middle terminal or power negative. If two devices which adhered to the NMEA-0183 standard for wire color and each provided both A and B signals were interfaced with a five-pole terminal strip, the connections would look like this: SAMPLE TABLE OF CONNECTIONS NMEA-0183 FIVE POLE CONNECTION ---[O-O]---(connect to power negative) Note that the order of the colors is the same on each side, just inverted top-to-bottom. Make a similar table for your two devices. This table will be a record of the wiring arrangement. If you follow my design, the table will also aid you in remembering the functions of each wire. STEP 4: MAKE CONNECTIONS Using the information on connections from your table and using the five-pole connector method, connect the two devices to the wiring device and interconnect them as your table indicates. At this point you will have finished with the electrical interconnection of the devices. REVIEW: FOUR STEPS TO MAKE INTERCONNECTION There are four steps in making a NMEA-0183 wired connection: --locate the manufacturer's information about signal names and wire colors in the articles below --apply the three interconnecting rules given above --develop a table of wire connections for your two specific devices --connect the signals according to your table of connection using the wiring pattern and rules above When you have made the electrical interconnections, you have finished the actual wiring portion of the interface. You may have to continue the process by making changes to settings for the data characteristics of the interface ports and by selecting what data will be send across the interface. These topics are covered in other articles. Please see Guide to NMEA-0183 Interconnections NMEA-0183 Interface: Signal Data Rate; Data to be Exchanged The above articles will review the interconnection method, explain addition parameters or settings that need to be configured, and explain how the particular data to be exchange must be configured by the installer. Appended below this article are additional articles that are specific to particular manufacturer and particular models of devices with NMEA-0183. Browse the following articles to find information about the two particular devices you wish to interconnect.

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A subdomain is a part of a web address which is under the main domain, for instance name.example.com. Technically, even in www.example.com the "www" part is a subdomain given that the fully qualified domain name is only "example.com". Each subdomain can have its own site and records and can even be hosted using a different provider if you wish to use a feature that's not provided by your current provider. An example for using a subdomain is if you have a business website as well as an online store under a subdomain where customers can acquire your products. Additionally, you can have a forum where they can discuss the products and by using subdomains rather than subfolders you are going to avoid any chance of all websites going down when you perform maintenance, or update one of the website scripts. Keeping the websites separated is more secure in case of a script security breach.

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The Definition of Fire Mitigation Fire mitigation means clearing fire fuels from a given area. Removing fire fuels helps to starve fires and makes room for first responders to work. Fire fuels include pine needles, sticks, branches and leaves. The Mitagator | Fire Mitigation Tools | Mitagator.com

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Why should we care? - Amphibians are among the oldest organisms on earth, having survived the last five mass extinctions. - They play a tremendous role in ecological studies due to their ability to act as bio-indicators, representing climate change and environmental stress. - They are a tremendous ecological asset due to their ability to act as both predator and prey, thereby maintaining a balance of nature. - Amphibians are found to be very useful for agricultural purposes due to their ability to act as a biological pest controlling agents. - They can help control the spread of diseases, such a malaria, by controlling the population of vectors such as mosquitos. - Compounds derived from amphibian skin offers a promising pathway towards new medicinal discoveries. - Amphibians have played an important role in human culture, from religion to fables and traditional medicine. - 122 amphibian species have become extinct in the last 25 years. - The current rate of amphibian extinction is 211 times the background amphibian extinction rate. - One-third of the world’s 6,000 amphibian species are under threat of extinction. - 427 of the world’s amphibian species are listed as Critically Endangered by The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. - 38 species that are classified as Extinct in the most recent Red List are indigenous to Asia. - 21 of these species are native to Sri Lanka. Habitat loss destroys the ecological balance of amphibian communities and represents the most critical threat to amphibians worldwide. These threats are compounded by: - Human encroachment into their habitats - Climate change - Pollution and pesticides - Introduced species - Over-exploitation for food and pet trade In recent years a new threat has developed - Chytridiomycosis - a previously unknown pathogenic killer fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) that is now spreading rapidly worldwide and depleting amphibian populations. Web pages here contain specific information on amphibian hotspot countries in the Asia region. Please explore these pages. There is also important actions that you or your organization can get involved in. To learn more, visit the section on taking action.

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PLA is already being used in a number of packaging applications today, such as fruit and vegetable packaging in supermarkets, single-use shopping bags and disposable drinking cups at concerts and sports events. For those packaging applications where heat resistance is not required, standard PLA offers a number of benefits. It is biobased, compostable, transparent and recyclable. Fresh fruit and vegetable packaging: prolonging shelf life The shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables can be extended, thanks to the water permeability of PLA: moisture can more easily pass through the film and isn’t trapped inside the packaging. This helps to prolong the shelf life of fresh fruit and vegetables. Dual-use shopping bags: encouraging organic waste collection and reducing littering In Europe, approximately 6 billion carrier bags are used each year. These bags are mainly distributed via large food and non-food retail stores. On average, EU citizens use 198 plastic bags per year1. Lightweight plastic shopping carrier bags are a most convenient and useful product, just a few grams of plastics are necessary to carry loads of goods safely. However, negligent consumer behavior, e.g., wrong disposal (littering) or excessive use, has harmed the image of this useful product and challenged its future in Europe. A re-usable bag is the preferred article for carrying goods but is not always at hand. A growing number of retailers now wish to offer shopping bags with an improved ecological profile. Carrier bags made of bioplastics represent a valuable alternative to conventional fossil-based bag types. PLA based compounds are an excellent material of choice for single use shopping bags. They can replace traditional oil-based shopping bags, and have a lower carbon footprint. Furthermore, in countries where organic waste is collected, shopping bags that are biobased and compostable according EN13432 (such as those made from PLA based compounds) can be used to collect organic waste, in effect making it a dual use bag. Studies2 have shown that compostable biowaste bags help to increase the amount of biowaste collected, and thus diverted from landfills, improving the quality of compost. Dual use also reduces the number of bags that are littered or end up in landfills: only 0.17% of single-use biodegradable bags are littered – this stands in clear contrast to the 6.7% of single-use non-biodegradable plastic bags being littered3. Drinking cups: closed-loop recycling PLA drinking cups are already being used at major sports stadiums, festivals and concert halls. Such densely populated events are ideally suited to PLA cups because their closed-loop collection systems allow for easier collection of a single-material stream, which can then be recycled into new cups. For more information on recycling PLA, please click here. 1 European Commission: Assessment of impacts of options to reduce the use of single-use plastic carrier bags. Croatia was not yet included in this assessment 2 BASF: http://www.basf.com/group/pressemitteilungen/P-12-179 3 Commission Staff Working Document: Impact Assessment for a Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 94/62/EC on packaging and packaging waste to reduce the consumption of lightweight plastic carrier bags, table 3, p. 15.

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-n.b. the Latin inscription on the enflamed Heart of God St John is holding, which is difficult to read in this image, says “Cor Jesu et Mariae fornax amoris”, his thumb is covering the “amo” in “amoris”, a prime example of why much contextual training in interpreting, appreciating art is absolutely required, when the artist in 1673 would just assume when the literate devotee would view, would immediately know what was intended, albeit un-illustrated, hidden. “The Heart of Jesus and Mary, furnace of love” As many of you know, the McCormick family has a very special devotion to the Sacred Heart. I cannot remember a time as a child when my parents and I did not end our grace before meals w/out “O Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in Thee!” Modern (17th century until the present) devotion to the Sacred Heart was a response to Jansenism. Jansenism is a Catholic heresy, condemned by Pope Innocent X in 1655, and was a product of the Counter-Reformation. Jansenism emphasizes original sin, human depravity, the necessity of divine “efficacious grace” as it relates to the free will, and predestination. It is a form of Catholic Calvinism. It’s principal architect was the Dutch theologian Cornelius Otto Jansen. It held sway over Catholic thought, and strains can still be found, between the 16th-18th centuries. Born on a farm in northern France, John died at 79 in the next “county” or department. In that time he was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two religious communities and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. He joined the religious community of the Oratorians and was ordained a priest at 24. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow religious, he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field during the plague. At age 32, John became a parish missionary. St John Eudes was dedicated and worked towards “restoring the priestly order to its full splendor” in his time. His gifts as preacher and confessor won him great popularity. He preached over 100 parish missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months. In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy, he realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from his general superior, the bishop and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this work, but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and counsel, John decided it was best to leave the religious community. The same year he founded a new one, ultimately called the Eudists (Congregation of Jesus and Mary), devoted to the formation of the clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture, while approved by individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists and some of his former associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy, but was unable to get approval from Rome (partly, it was said, because he did not use the most tactful approach). Fr. John Eudes was a disciple of St Vincent de Paul. In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary shelters were found but arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain Madeleine Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said to him, “Where are you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you’ll gaze at the images and think yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent house for these poor creatures.” The words, and the laughter of those present, struck deeply within him. The result was another new religious community, called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge. St John Eudes is probably best known for the central theme of his writings: Jesus as the source of holiness, Mary as the model of the Christian life. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary led Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. “Continual submission to the holy will of God is the most universal of all virtues. Its practice should be most familiar to you, since at every moment there arise opportunities of renouncing your own will and submitting to the will of God.” — St. John Eudes “O Heart all loveable and all loving of my Savior, be the Heart of my heart, the Soul of my soul, the Spirit of my spirit, the Life of my life and the sole principle of all my thoughts, words and actions, of all the faculties of my soul and of all my senses, both interior and exterior. Amen.” -St John Eudes “Holiness is the wholehearted openness to the love of God. It is visibly expressed in many ways, but the variety of expression has one common quality: concern for the needs of others. In John’s case, those who were in need were plague-stricken people, ordinary parishioners, those preparing for the priesthood, prostitutes and all Christians called to imitate the love of Jesus and His mother.” (www.americancatholic.org for Aug 19, Feast of St John Eudes) “Our wish, our object, our chief preoccupation must be to form Jesus in ourselves, to make His spirit, His devotion, His affections, His desires and His disposition live and reign there. All our religious exercises should be directed to this end. It is the work which God has given us to do unceasingly” (-St. John Eudes, The Life and Reign of Jesus in Christian Souls). “Let us therefore give ourselves to God with a great desire to begin to live thus, and beg Him to destroy in us the life of the world of sin, and to establish His life within us.” “Father of mercies and God of all consolation, You gave us the loving Heart of your own beloved Son, because of the boundless love by which You have loved us, which no tongue can describe. May we render You a love that is perfect with hearts made one with His. Grant, we pray, that our hearts may be brought to perfect unity: each heart with the other and all hearts with the Heart of Jesus…” “The air that we breathe, the bread that we eat, the heart which throbs in our bosoms, are not more necessary for man that he may live as a human being, than is prayer for the Christian that he may live as a Christian.” “The worthy priest is an angel of purity in mind and body, a cherub of light and knowledge, a seraph of love and Charity, an apostle of zeal in work and sanctity, a little god on earth in power and authority, in patience and benignity. He is the living image of Christ in this world, of Christ watching, praying, preaching, catechizing, working, weeping, going from town to town, from village to village, sacrificing Himself and dying for the souls created to His image and likeness… He is the light of those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. He is the destroyer of error, schisms and heresies, the converter of sinners, the sanctifier of the just, the strength of the weak, the consolation of the afflicted, the treasure of the poor. He is the confusion of hell, the glory of heaven, the terror of demons, the joy of angels, the ruin of Satan’s kingdom, the establishment of Christ’s empire, the ornament of the Church…” Prayer for the intercession of St John Eudes Father, You chose the priest John Eudes to preach the infinite riches of Christ. By his teaching and example help us to know You better and live faithfully in the light of the Gospel. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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Medical communication refers to the production and development of materials prepared by medical communicators, which deals specifically with health care or medicine. Whatever type of scientific or medical content you’ll need, hiring an agency that specializes in medical communications can help you achieve your goals. In this post, you’ll learn about medical communication and the benefits of hiring a medical communications agency. This way, you can make a sound decision when choosing one. What Is Medical Communications? Medical communications refer to all healthcare or medical materials that are created, written, edited, or developed by professional medical communicators or a dedicated medical communications agency. Professional medical communicators are communications experts with high healthcare knowledge and awareness of medical ethical standards. A medical communications agency collects, organizes, interprets, and presents medical or scientific information to the target audience in the best way possible. Medical communicators work independently or collaborate with others to come up with the best output. Here are the medical or healthcare materials that a medical communications agency can help you with: - Manuscripts and journal articles for scientific and medical publications - Continuing education (CE) materials for healthcare professionals - Government agencies’ regulatory documents - Healthcare news articles - Patient education brochures - Medical website content - Scientific or medical books for the general public - Grant proposals for research institutions and independent scientists - Health care policy documents - Sales and marketing training materials for healthcare products, such as medical devices, hospital equipment, and pharmaceutical supplies Benefits Of Hiring A Medical Communications Agency - Helps You Disclose Your Research A medical communications agency can help you disclose your research in scientific congresses, peer-reviewed journals, or business conferences in an accurate, ethical, and timely manner. Whether you want to launch an innovative solution to advance patient care or instill awareness among stakeholders, government leaders, or the general public, a medical communications agency will ensure that you deliver the right information to your target audience and meet your goals. Here’s how a medical communications agency can help you: - Data Collection: Gather all relevant data about your research. You probably have a bulk of information that needs sorting and prioritizing. A medical communications agency can do the job for you. - Medical Writing Services: A medical communications agency can perform medical writing services so you can present scientific data and medical information to your target audiences in various formats, such as nurses, pharmacists, doctors, hospital staff, and patients. In this way, you can influence your target audience to improve their healthcare. - Get Expert Consultancy Services Medical communications agencies are also called ‘MedComms’ agencies. If you’re into the pharmaceutical industry and you’re planning to create materials for your new research, you can hire the consultancy services of a medical communications agency to keep you abreast of the best and trending medical communications materials used today. You’ll get to work with a global medical communications team that’s built on top-notch scientific intelligence and professional integrity. You can discuss your scientific content to a Scientific Communications Manager or a dedicated Scientific Director. - Save Time and Effort If you want quick results and outstanding medical communications output, consider hiring a medical communications agency. It’ll save you time and effort writing, printing, and preparing your required medical communications for your next research presentation, product development, or sales and marketing. - Accurate and Objective Medical Communications Output By hiring the services of a professional medical communications specialist, expect accurate writing of your needed materials. Of course, it eliminates subjective conclusions or assumptions because medical writers have undergone stringent training to ensure objectivity and accuracy in developing content based on scientific data or medical information supplied by their clients. - Keep Everyone on the Same Page With the digital revolution observed in the healthcare sector, it’s important for all parties to be on the same page. Patients, doctors, nurses, and other medical professionals, as well as government regulators, scientists, pharmaceutical companies, and researchers, should collaborate and understand each other – that’s when medical communications can help. Here are the important things to consider when hiring a medical communications agency to help you deliver your message to your target audience: - Types of medical communications services offered - Customer service - Knowledge on latest medical communications practices Medical communications encompass all processes involved in creating materials for scientific and medical exploration, data validation, and even sales and marketing of pharmaceutical and healthcare products. That’s why medical communications agencies play a vital role in the healthcare sector, helping companies and medical professionals show results, educate, and express their insights to their target audience.

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Skunks are North and South American mammals in the family Mephitidae. Not related to polecats which are in the weasel family, the closest Old World relative to the skunk is the stink badger. The animals are known for their ability to spray a liquid with a strong unpleasant smell. Different species of skunk vary in appearance from black-and-white to brown, cream or ginger colored, but all have warning coloration. 1630s, squunck, from a southern New England Algonquian language (probably Abenaki) seganku, from Proto-Algonquian */šeka:kwa/, from */šek-/ "to urinate" + */-a:kw/ "fox." "Skunk" has historic use as an insult, attested from 1841. Skunk cabbage is attested from 1751; earlier skunkweed (1738). In 1634, a skunk was described in the Jesuit Relations: The other is a low animal, about the size of a little dog or cat. I mention it here, not on account of its excellence, but to make of it a symbol of sin. I have seen three or four of them. It has black fur, quite beautiful and shining; and has upon its back two perfectly white stripes, which join near the neck and tail, making an oval which adds greatly to their grace. The tail is bushy and well furnished with hair, like the tail of a Fox; it carries it curled back like that of a Squirrel. It is more white than black; and, at the first glance, you would say, especially when it walks, that it ought to be called Jupiter's little dog. But it is so stinking, and casts so foul an odor, that it is unworthy of being called the dog of Pluto. No sewer ever smelled so bad. I would not have believed it if I had not smelled it myself. Your heart almost fails you when you approach the animal; two have been killed in our court, and several days afterward there was such a dreadful odor throughout our house that we could not endure it. I believe the sin smelled by Saint Catherine de Sienne must have had the same vile odor. Skunk species vary in size from about 15.6 to 37 in (40 to 94 cm) long and in weight from about 1.1 lb (0.50 kg) (spotted skunks) to 18 lb (8.2 kg) (hog-nosed skunks). They have moderately elongated bodies with relatively short, well-muscled legs and long front claws for digging. Although the most common fur color is black and white, some skunks are brown or grey and a few are cream-colored. All skunks are striped, even from birth. They may have a single thick stripe across back and tail, two thinner stripes, or a series of white spots and broken stripes (in the case of the spotted skunk). Some also have stripes on their legs. Skunks are omnivorous, eating both plant and animal material and changing their diets as the seasons change. They eat insects and larvae, earthworms, grubs, rodents, lizards, salamanders, frogs, snakes, birds, moles and eggs. They also commonly eat berries, roots, leaves, grasses, fungi and nuts. In settled areas, skunks also seek garbage left by humans. Less often, skunks may be found acting as scavengers, eating bird and rodent carcasses left by cats or other animals. Pet owners, particularly those of cats, may experience a skunk finding its way into a garage or basement where pet food is kept. Skunks commonly dig holes in lawns in search of grubs and worms. Skunks are one of the primary predators of the honeybee, relying on their thick fur to protect them from stings. The skunk scratches at the front of the beehive and eats the guard bees that come out to investigate. Mother skunks are known to teach this behavior to their young. Skunks are crepuscular and solitary animals when not breeding, though in the colder parts of their range, they may gather in communal dens for warmth. During the day, they shelter in burrows which they can dig with their powerful front claws. Males and females occupy overlapping home ranges through the greater part of the year, typically 2 to 4 km2 (0.77 to 1.54 sq mi) for females and up to 20 km2 (7.7 sq mi) for males. Skunks are not true hibernators in the winter, but do den up for extended periods of time. However, they remain generally inactive and feed rarely, going through a dormant stage. Over winter, multiple females (as many as 12) huddle together; males often den alone. Often, the same winter den is repeatedly used. Although they have excellent senses of smell and hearing, they have poor vision, being unable to see objects more than about 3 m (10 ft) away, making them vulnerable to death by road traffic. They are short-lived; their lifespan in the wild can reach seven years, with most living only up to a year. In captivity, they may live for up to 10 years. Skunks mate in early spring and are polygynous, meaning that successful males mate with more than one female. Before giving birth (usually in May), the female excavates a den to house her litter of four to seven kits. They are placental, with a gestation period of about 66 days. When born, skunk kits are blind, deaf, and covered in a soft layer of fur. About three weeks after birth, their eyes open. The kits are weaned about two months after birth, but generally stay with their mother until they are ready to mate, at about one year of age. The mother is protective of her kits, spraying at any sign of danger. The male plays no part in raising the young. Anal scent glands Skunks are notorious for their anal scent glands, which they can use as a defensive weapon. They are similar to, though much more developed than, the glands found in species of the family Mustelidae. Skunks have two glands, one on each side of the anus. These glands produce the skunk's spray, which is a mixture of sulfur-containing chemicals such as thiols (traditionally called mercaptans), which have an offensive odor. A skunk's spray is powerful enough to ward off bears and other potential attackers. Muscles located next to the scent glands allow them to spray with a high degree of accuracy, as far as 3 m (10 ft). The smell aside, the spray can cause irritation and even temporary blindness, and is sufficiently powerful to be detected by a human nose up to 5.6 km (3.5 miles) down wind. Their chemical defense is effective, as illustrated by this extract from Charles Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle: We saw also a couple of Zorrillos, or skunks—odious animals, which are far from uncommon. In general appearance, the Zorrillo resembles a polecat, but it is rather larger and much thicker in proportion. Conscious of its power, it roams by day about the open plain, and fears neither dog nor man. If a dog is urged to the attack, its courage is instantly checked by a few drops of the fetid oil, which brings on violent sickness and running at the nose. Whatever is once polluted by it, is for ever useless. Azara says the smell can be perceived at a league distant; more than once, when entering the harbour of Monte Video, the wind being off shore, we have perceived the odour on board the Beagle. Certain it is, that every animal most willingly makes room for the Zorrillo. Skunks are reluctant to use this weapon, as they carry just enough of the chemical for five or six uses – about 15 cc – and require some ten days to produce another supply. Their bold black and white coloration makes their appearance memorable. It is to a skunk's advantage to warn possible predators off without expending scent: black and white aposematic warning coloration aside, threatened skunks will go through an elaborate routine of hisses, foot-stamping, and tail-high deimatic or threat postures before resorting to spraying. Skunks usually do not spray other skunks, except among males in the mating season. If they fight over den space in autumn, they do so with teeth and claws. Most predators of the Americas, such as wolves, foxes and badgers, seldom attack skunks, presumably out of fear of being sprayed. The exceptions are reckless predators whose attacks fail once they are sprayed, dogs, and the great horned owl, which is the skunk's only regular predator. In one case, the remains of 57 striped skunks were found in a single owl nest. Skunks are common in suburban areas. Frequent encounters with dogs and other domestic animals, and the release of the odor when a skunk is run over, have led to many myths about the removal of skunk odor. Due to the chemical composition of the spray, most of these household remedies are ineffective. The Humane Society of the United States recommends treating dogs using a mixture of dilute hydrogen peroxide (3%), baking soda, and dishwashing liquid. Skunk spray is composed mainly of three low-molecular-weight thiol compounds, (E)-2-butene-1-thiol, 3-methyl-1-butanethiol, and 2-quinolinemethanethiol, as well as acetate thioesters of these. These compounds are detectable by the human nose at concentrations of only 10 parts per billion. It is rare for a healthy skunk to bite a human. While a tame skunk with its scent glands removed may defend itself by biting, there are few recorded incidents. The most prevalent cause of skunks biting humans is the rabies virus. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recorded 1,494 cases of rabies in skunks in the United States for the year 2006—about 21.5% of reported cases in all species. Skunks trail raccoons as vectors of rabies, although this varies regionally (in the United States, raccoons dominate along the Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, skunks throughout the Midwest and down to the western Gulf, and in California). Mephitis mephitis, the striped skunk species, is the most social skunk and the one most commonly tamed. When a skunk is kept as a pet, its scent glands are often surgically removed. Skunks can legally be kept as pets in the UK, but the Animal Welfare Act 2006 has made it illegal to remove their scent glands. The legality of keeping of skunks as pets in the US varies by state, with it being illegal in a majority of them. In alphabetical order, the living species of skunks are: - Family Mephitidae - Genus: Conepatus - Genus: Mephitis - Genus: Spilogale - Harper, Douglas. "skunk". Online Etymology Dictionary. - Thwaites, Reuben Gold, ed. (1633–1634). The Jesuit Relations and Allied Documents. Travels and Explorations of the Jesuit Missionaries in New France 1610—1791. VI. Quebec. - ADW: Mephitis mephitis: INFORMATION. Animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu. Retrieved on April 5, 2012. - Virtual Nature Trail. Striped Skunk. The Pennsylvania State University (2002). - "Skunks Management Guidelines". UC Davis IPM. - Darwin, Charles (1839). Voyage of the Beagle. London, England: Penguin. ISBN 0-14-043268-X. Retrieved June 27, 2006. - Biology and Control of Skunks. Agriculture and Rural Development. Government of Alberta, Canada. June 1, 2002 - "Oregon Zoo Animals: Great Horned Owl". Oregonzoo.org. Retrieved February 9, 2012. - "Great Horned Owl". The Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Retrieved March 21, 2013. - Hunter, Luke (2011). Carnivores of the World. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15228-8.[page needed] - Is it true that tomato sauce will get rid of the smell of a skunk?. Scienceline. Retrieved on April 5, 2012. - "De-skunking your dog". The Humane Society of the United States. - Andersen K. K.; Bernstein D. T. (1978). "Some Chemical Constituents of the Scent of the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 1 (4): 493–499. doi:10.1007/BF00988589. - Andersen K. K.; Bernstein D. T. (1978). "1-Butanethiol and the Striped Skunk". Journal of Chemical Education. 55 (3): 159–160. doi:10.1021/ed055p159. - Andersen K. K.; Bernstein D. T.; Caret R. L.; Romanczyk L. J., Jr. (1982). "Chemical Constituents of the Defensive Secretion of the Striped Skunk (Mephitis mephitis)". Tetrahedron. 38 (13): 1965–1970. doi:10.1016/0040-4020(82)80046-X. - Wood W. F.; Sollers B. G.; Dragoo G. A.; Dragoo J. W. (2002). "Volatile Components in Defensive Spray of the Hooded Skunk, Mephitis macroura". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 28 (9): 1865–70. doi:10.1023/A:1020573404341. PMID 12449512. - Wood, William F. "Chemistry of Skunk Spray". Dept. of Chemistry, Humboldt State University. Retrieved July 27, 2010. - Wood, William F. (1999). "The History of Skunk Defensive Secretion Research" (PDF). Chem. Educator. 4 (2): 44–50. doi:10.1007/s00897990286a. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2003-09-02. - Aldrich, T.B. (1896). "A chemical study of the secretion of the anal glands of mephitis mephitica (common skunk), with remarks on the physiological properties of this secretion". J. Exp. Med. 1 (2): 323–340. doi:10.1084/jem.1.2.323. PMC . PMID 19866801. - Blanton J.D.; Hanlon C.A.; Rupprecht C.E. (2007). "Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2006". Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 231 (4): 540–56. doi:10.2460/javma.231.4.540. PMID 17696853.; Updated in Dyer JL, Yager P, Orciari L, Greenberg L, Wallace R, Hanlon CA, Blanton JD (2014). "Rabies surveillance in the United States during 2013". J Am Vet Med Assoc. 245: 1111–23. doi:10.2460/javma.245.10.1111. PMC . PMID 25356711. - "Rabies Surveillance US 2006" (PDF). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. - "Animal Welfare Act 2006" (PDF). Retrieved December 5, 2009. - US states where skunks can be kept. skunksaspets.com - Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M., eds. (2005). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. ISBN 978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC 62265494.

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The Impact of Foster Care and Adoption in Treating Children, Youth, and Families: A Training to Enhance Skills and Improve Outcomes For several years, NACAC has been offering states, provinces, agencies, and others the opportunity to provide Impact of Foster Care and Adoption in Treating Children, Youth, and Families: A Training to Enhance Skills and Improve Outcomes in their area. This in-depth training, developed in adherence to the national best practice advisory committee’s identified goals and objectives, helps mental health practitioners and child welfare workers understand the importance of building skills and knowledge related to working with adoptive families. NACAC’s goal is to emphasize families’ strengths, ensure practices are family-based and value all members of the adoption triad, acknowledge that adoption is a process and not an event, and focus on the many systems affected by adoption. Providers (including parent mentors, school personnel, community support workers, pastoral counselors, and mental health workers) who work with adoptive families will benefit from the opportunity to build their skills, knowledge, empathy, and understanding of this journey, as they learn to seek resources in their home states and counties that can also meet families’ needs. Adoption Competency Matters Research has shown the importance of adoption-competent mental health services to stabilize and support adoptive families. At NACAC we know how expensive and challenging it is to get staff to the training they need to enhance their adoption competence. Through this comprehensive training, you can greatly enhance the efficacy of your program. And, because you will own the curriculum and can use it to train other providers in the future, you can continue to improve the support your community provides to foster, adoptive, guardian, and kinship families. NACAC staff and other nationally recognized child welfare experts co-train this 64-hour curriculum, providing learning on both foundational and clinical issues that arise when working with foster or adopted children and their families. “The examples provided by all the trainers on the concepts were wonderful to anchor the concepts and theories to how it actually applies to practice.” —attendee at a NACAC adoption competency training Among the objectives covered are: - Identify and define developmental issues and survival behaviors of children and youth. - Build knowledge and skills for trauma-based parenting. - Identify behavior and mental health issues that are impacted by time in care and prenatal exposure to substances. - Identify relational difficulties and effective interventions. - Build knowledge and skills for intervention on behalf of children with attachment difficulties. - Discuss race and racism as they affect children and families in the child welfare system. This eight-day training can be scheduled to meet your community’s needs. The following is a sample agenda: • Core Issues in Adoption • Normative Developmental Capacities • Qualities of Successful Parents • Child Welfare Practice • Permanency Planning and Impact of Trauma Days Three and Four • Impact of Trauma, Abuse, and Neglect • Fetal Alcohol Effects • Special Needs of Children • Diagnosis and Effective Treatment Modalities • Attachment: Assessment, Diagnosis and Intervention • Effective Strategies for Caregivers and Clinicians • Building Child/Parent Systems • Culture and Diversity • Supporting a Positive Sense of Self • The Openness Continuum • Kinship Issues • Older Adoptees: Transitions and Adult Supports • Effective Post–Adoption Services and Model Programs • From Learning to Practice • Community Inventory • Curriculum Practice • Evaluation Methods

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Very-large-scale integration (VLSI) refers to the process of integrating thousands of transistors into a single chip. Over the past few decades, VLSI design has advanced tremendously, enabling the development of more powerful and efficient computer processors, graphics cards, networking devices, and other electronics. By continuing to miniaturize components and integrate more transistors onto silicon chips, VLSI design plays a key role in driving improvements in computing performance. This blog will discuss how advances in vlsi design system are enabling high-performance computing and discuss some of the latest innovations. Advances in Lithography Lithography is the process used to etch circuit patterns onto silicon wafers. As transistors get smaller, lithography techniques must also improve to continue printing ever-finer details. One innovation is extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography, which uses shorter wavelength light compared to traditional lithography methods. This allows for finer resolution and the ability to print smaller transistors. EUV lithography is now used to manufacture some of the most advanced computer chips. Another technique gaining adoption is directed self-assembly (DSA), which uses block copolymers to self-assemble nanoscale patterns that can then be etched into silicon. DSA could help extend Moore’s Law beyond what is possible with lithography alone. 3D Integration and Packaging As transistors are packed ever more densely, simply laying them out flat on a silicon wafer becomes inefficient in terms of performance, power, and cost. 3D integration techniques are being developed to stack silicon dies on top of each other, connecting them with thousands of vertical interconnects known as through-silicon vias (TSVs). This allows for shorter interconnect lengths between components and a smaller footprint. Advanced 3D packaging techniques are also being used to stack memory dies directly on top of processor dies, providing faster memory access speeds. Looking ahead, 3D integration will be key to continuing performance gains in computing as 2D scaling limitations are reached. Advanced Materials and Channels New materials are being explored to replace traditional silicon in transistors. Germanium and III-V compound semiconductors like indium gallium arsenide allow for higher carrier mobilities compared to silicon, enabling faster switching speeds. 2D materials like graphene, silicene, and transition metal dichalcogenides are also being researched for their potential in future nanoscale transistors. Replacing the silicon channel with these new materials could help overcome limitations in scaling. However, integrating new channel materials into high-volume manufacturing remains a challenge. Meanwhile, strain engineering is being used to improve carrier mobility in silicon and enhance its potential. Advanced Interconnect Technologies As transistors shrink, the wiring that connects them must also scale down to avoid bottlenecks. Traditional copper interconnects are facing resistance-capacitance delay issues as widths shrink below 10 nanometers. Low-resistance materials like cobalt are being evaluated as potential replacements. New interconnect architectures are also being explored, such as using graphene for on-chip wireless interconnects. 3D interconnect structures like stacked vias are allowing vertical connections to be packed more densely. Meanwhile, new dielectric materials with lower permittivities help reduce parasitic capacitance between wires. Continued progress in interconnect technologies will be needed to fully leverage performance gains from advanced transistors. Simply adding more transistors is not enough – they must be efficiently organized into useful processor architectures. Chip designers are developing new architectures optimized for parallel workloads. Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) pioneered massively parallel designs that are now being applied to general computing. Other novel architectures include field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) that can be reconfigured for different parallel tasks. Neuromorphic chips attempt to mimic the human brain through dense arrays of simple neuron and synapse circuits. Meanwhile, multi-core and many-core designs integrate large numbers of processing elements, each with their own cache hierarchy and execution units. Novel architectures will play a key role in unlocking the full potential of advanced vlsi system on chip design. Specialty Computing Engines Not all workloads are suited to general-purpose CPUs. Specialized computing engines are being developed to vastly accelerate performance for targeted applications. Application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) are custom-designed for workloads like machine learning inference. Tensor processing units (TPUs) are optimized for deep learning training and inference. Cryptographic accelerators boost security and blockchain tasks. Hardware accelerators also target domains like genome sequencing, molecular dynamics simulations, and more. These specialty engines leverage VLSI to provide orders-of-magnitude speedups over general CPUs for important applications. Their development will be crucial for high-performance domains like artificial intelligence. Integrated Photonics and Spintronics Emerging technologies are exploring using light and electron spin for information processing and communication. Integrated silicon photonics leverages advanced CMOS fabrication to build photonic circuits alongside electronic circuits on a chip. This could enable high-speed optical interconnects as an alternative to electrical wires. Spintronic devices make use of electron spin and its associated magnetic moment, in addition to charge, to perform logic and memory functions. Racetrack memories and spin-based logic gates are examples of emerging spintronic technologies. While still in early research phases, integrated photonics and spintronics offer promising approaches to overcome limitations in traditional electronics and push computing performance to new levels. Thermal and Power Management Challenges As transistors become smaller and more densely packed, heat dissipation becomes a critical challenge. Advanced VLSI chips can consume hundreds of watts of power, yet must operate within strict thermal budgets to avoid reliability issues. Innovations in cooling technologies like immersion, vapor chambers, and heat pipes are helping remove heat. New insulating and conductive materials improve heat spreading. Dynamic voltage and frequency scaling helps reduce power consumption during less demanding periods. On-chip regulators and power gating further improve efficiency. Meeting thermal and power constraints will be essential to fully utilize the performance potential of future nanoscale VLSI designs. Reliability and Variability Concerns As components approach atomic scales, variability in manufacturing becomes a serious concern. Minute differences in dimensions or doping levels can significantly impact transistor performance. Statistical design techniques help address this, along with process technologies that provide tighter control. Reliability also degrades as feature sizes shrink. New failure mechanisms must be understood and avoided through design, materials choices, and process optimizations. Redundancy and error correction help address soft errors from cosmic rays. Continued progress in addressing variability and reliability will be needed to develop robust nanoelectronic systems. VLSI design innovation has been a driving force behind improvements in computing performance for decades. Continued advances in lithography, transistor structures, 3D integration, new materials, and specialized architectures are helping push the limits of Moore’s Law and enable new applications. Meeting challenges in thermal management, power efficiency, variability, and reliability will be crucial to fully leverage these performance gains. Looking ahead, emerging technologies like photonics, spintronics, and neuromorphic computing offer promising approaches to extend scaling beyond traditional silicon electronics. With continued progress, advanced VLSI semiconductor process engineer promises to continue delivering high-performance computing capabilities with vast potential to tackle society’s most pressing challenges.

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The high tide mark in Venice reached its sixth-highest level since 1872 on Sunday, after heavy rains and intense winds caused flooding in the Italian city. While some flooding is typical in Venice during this time of year — including some instances earlier in November — news reports have estimated that 70 percent of the city was inundated by water this week. Three more die in Italy floods; Venice waters receding 7:56 a.m. EST, November 13, 2012 FLORENCE, Italy – Three people died when their car fell off a collapsed bridge on Tuesday, as flooding battered central Italy for a third straight day, forcing part of Italy’s main north-south highway to close. Water levels were receding, however, in Venice, the lagoon city and Unesco world heritage site that at the weekend saw its sixth-worst flooding since records began in 1872. St Marks’ Square, one of the lowest lying areas of the city, where some tourists were able to swim in high water on Sunday, was returning to normal, a city official said.

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Math Instructional Materials Math supplies can include essential learning components or nice-to-have tools for reinforcement and better understanding. Whether it's little ones who need a tactile counting experience or older students who want calculators for complex equations, The Classroom Store's collection of math materials for sale makes it easy to find what they need. Math Teaching Supplies for Elementary, Middle and High School Little ones have the world at their feet when it comes to math supplies. From counting items to games and fake money, there are many opportunities to turn math into a hands-on experience for higher engagement and multimodal learning. Some of the math teaching materials we carry for early learners include: - Block sets. Help students learn their shapes and get creative with attribute blocks, pattern blocks and building blocks. - Counting items and sorting games. From bears and dinosaurs to fruit and transparent circles, there's no shortage of fun, colorful items students can use to hone their counting skills. - Abacuses or rekenrek. Use these sliding-bead tools to help students learn about counting, colors and patterns. - Games. A wide range of math games can help students bring some healthy competition into their math learning activities. - Dice. Support a range of games and learning activities with standard, foam, double-sided, polyhedra and math games dice. - Fake money. Kids can learn all about exchanging money with play money sets, magnetic money and cash registers. - Time-telling resources. Use tools such as mini clocks, dry-erase clock faces and flashcards to teach kids how to tell time. - Number charts. With number charts and boards, you can create instructional materials for counting, addition, subtraction and other operations. As they get older, students often need more structured math resources, including daily practice activities and drills to help them better retain the concepts they learn in class. Flashcards are an excellent way to help students increase their mental math speed and become more familiar with equations, such as multiplication and division. When fractions and decimals come into play, we have color-coded decimal squares and number lines to help. Calculators are another important part of math education. We have a wide range of calculators, including simple pocket calculators, graphing calculators and scientific calculators. For all the different subjects involved in math education, you can also find books full of assessments, lesson plans and activities, as well as workbooks for students to practice in. Order Math Materials From The Classroom Store The Classroom Store understands the needs of math educators across different grade levels, which is why we offer such a massive selection of resources. You can choose the right tools for your class and students, all at affordable pricing. These quality math supplies for teachers can help you turn math into a more experiential class, full of tactile and visual information to reinforce concepts and appeal to different learners. Check out all our math teaching supplies for sale and buy online today. Our team is always happy to assist if you have any questions!

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The word is undergoing rapid transformations thereby offering challenges and opportunities to a number of people in their life. Therefore, career planning has become an important aspect to achieving success in the present century. Career is not just about what you do for a living; in fact, it is about striving to learn and work in order to achieve your desired purpose in life. While living is something that everyone does, learning and working offers a wide variety of choices and options. You live to learn and work to fulfill your purpose. Planning involves the utilization of your imagination to determine how you want to love, what choices you want to choose to learn and work and which course of action to take. When it comes to career planning, there are three major aspects to consider, no matter what age you are. A number of people pick a career path by keeping in mind their financial prospects, without realizing who they are. A person is not just a physical body that needs food to survive. Man is a spiritual being with a soul. The soul is put in a body to live a physical life on earth. Out of three main human dimensions, only the human body is visible. Therefore, many people simply rely on their physical strength and skills to survive on earth. The spirit and soul are not visible. This is the reason why you only feel or experience their behavioral aspects. In order to carry out proper career planning, there are six major behavioral aspects that you need to know about. These factors may include your skills, values, passion, interests, abilities and personality. Knowing oneself is a lifelong process. You can never be able to know all about your personality as human personality undergoes frequent changes over time. To understand who you are, you will have to explore and look deep inside yourself to find out about the treasures and potentialities that exist within your inner environment. However, the opportunities to complete your potentials lie in your external environment or physical setting. The next important factor to consider in career planning would be your work environment, the opportunities to exploit profitably and threats to adapt. The environment is all about the labor market as well as environmental factors that design and mould the whole economic system. Understanding your personality and traits can help you learn about your strengths and weaknesses. Likewise, exploring your environment will help you know the opportunities and threats in your environment for decisions on what you should do. You may know yourself and know what to do, but you may lack the knowledge, talent, and expertise necessary to accomplish what you wish to as your life work or goal. Understanding the world of education will help you to know what educational options are available to you so that you can maximize your gifts and talents to perform productive work. The purpose of education is not just about getting certificates or degrees in order to land a job. The purpose of education is to take steps to improve upon your body, soul, and spirit for leading a better and fruitful life. Knowing yourself and the world of work tells you what to do, but learning about the world of education allows you to determine what to study towards the preparation for your work or goal in life. If these factors are not present, many people tend to pick anything they think will get them money to live a life; and go to school to study anything they believe will get them a degree or certificate. They just want to get a job to fulfill their basic physical needs on earth. They may get frustrated and depressed when their body, soul and spirit are not in agreement with what they do. Such type of people can never achieve job satisfaction and fulfillment in their work or life. Thus, this post should help you re-evaluate or re-strategize your career success. We wish you all the best in your future career. By implementing these guidelines, you can manage to achieve the success you are looking for.

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The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a shorter form of the Divine Office in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through its psalms, antiphons, readings, responsorials & prayers the Little Office stresses the role Our Lady played in salvation history, and how through her fiat the divine Word took flesh in her womb and achieved salvation. The Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary has long been the Church's daily liturgical prayer to Our Lady, and these hours of praise have been used by Priests, religious and the laity throughout the centuries. Lay people used to flock to the great Cathedrals to publicly recite The Little Office during the Middle Ages, and during the great persecution, when the practice of the Catholic Faith was illegal in Great Britain, Bishop Challoner commended The Little Office to his flock. Features include: Based on an edition published just after the Reform Act in 1850 (allowing English Catholics to openly practice the Faith); English translation uses traditional language – with scripture taken from Bishop Challoner's version of the Douay-Rheims Bible; Fully updated to comply with the editio typica of the Breviary (1961) permitted by the Holy Father's Motu Proprio 'Summorum Pontificum'; The first ever edition to include the complete Gregorian chants for the Little Office; Meditations before each hour from the mediaeval Mirror of Our Lady; Preface by the Very Reverend Fr. Berg, superior of the FSSP; Latin-English, red and black text; Psalms from the Vulgate; Flexible leather cover with stitched edge, gold gilding and 2 ribbons.

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History, Facts and Information about Twelve Tables The Law of the Twelve Tables (Lex Duodecim Tabularum, more informally simply Duodecim Tabulae) was the ancient legislation that stood at the foundation of Roman law and formed the centerpiece of the constitution of the Roman Republic. This legal code was written so that Plebeians would know the law. The Twelve Tables included Laws relating to Debtors, Laws relating to Inheritance, Laws relating to Marriage, Rights of a Father, Laws relating to Property, Will and Testament and Laws relating to a Women. For more facts and information regarding Roman Law click the following links: Rights of Roman Citizens A Council of Ten were appointed to draw up a code of laws, and, at the same time, to carry on the government and administer justice. This code of Law came to be called the Twelve Tables. They entered upon their office at the beginning of B.C. 451. They were all Patricians. They drew up a Code of Ten Tables, in which equal justice was dealt out to both orders, the Patricians and the Plebeians. The Ten Tables was sanctioned and became law. A new Council of Ten was elected, of whom Appius Claudius alone belonged to the former body as he had been seen as fair and just. But this only an act and he turned into a tyrant. Under his direction two new Tables were added to the Code, making twelve tables in all; but these new laws were of the most oppressive kind, and confirmed privileges of the Patricians. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to Debtors By the laws of the twelve tables, it was ordained, that insolvent debtors should be given up to their creditors, to be bound in fetters and cords, and although they did not entirely lose the rights of freemen, yet they were in actual slavery, and often more harshly treated than even slaves themselves. To check the cruelty of usurers, a law was afterwards made that no debtors should be kept in irons, or in bonds; that the goods of the debtor, not his person, should be given up to his creditors. The people, not satisfied with this, as it did not free them from prison, demanded an entire abolition of debt, which they used to call new tables; but this was never granted. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to Inheritance Each clan and family had certain sacred rights, peculiar to itself, which were inherited in the same manner as effects. When heirs by the father's side of the same family failed, those of the same gens succeeded in preference to relations by the mother's side of the same family. No one could pass from a Patrician family to a Plebeian, or from a Plebeian to a Patrician, unless by that form of adoption which could only be made at the comitia curiata as decreed by the laws in the Twelve Tables.. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to Marriage No Roman citizen could marry a slave, barbarian or foreigner, unless by the permission of the people as decreed by the laws in the Twelve Tables.. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to the Rights of a Father A father among the Romans had the power of life and death over his children. He could not only expose them when infants, but when grown up he might imprison, scourge, send them bound to work in the country, and also put them to death by any punishment he pleased as decreed by the laws in the Twelve Tables. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to Property A son could acquire no property but with his father's consent, and what he thus acquired was called his peculium as of a slave. Things with respect to property among the Romans were variously divided. Some were said to be of divine right, and were held sacred, as altars, temples, or any thing publicly consecrated to the gods, by the authority of the Pontiffs; or religious, as sepulchres—or inviolable, as the walls and gates of a city. Others were said to be of human right, and called profane. These were either public and common, as the air, running water, the sea and its shores; or private, which might be the property of individuals. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to a Will and Testament None but a Roman citizen could make a will, or be witnesses to a testament, or inherit any thing by it. The usual method of making a will after the laws of the twelve tables were enacted, was by brass and balance, as it was called. In the presence of five witnesses, a weigher and witness, the testator by an imaginary sale disposed of his family and property to one who was called familiae emptor, who was not the heir as some have thought, but only admitted for the sake of form, that the testator might seem to have alienated his effects in his life time. This act was called familiae mancipatio. Sometimes the testator wrote his will wholly with his own hand, in which case it was called holographum, sometimes it was written by a friend, or by others. Thus the testament of Augustus was written partly by himself, and partly by two of his freedmen. Testaments were always subscribed by the testator, and usually by the witnesses, and sealed with their seals or rings. They were likewise tied with a thread drawn thrice through holes and sealed; like all other civil deeds, they were always written in Latin. A legacy expressed in Greek was not valid. They were deposited either privately in the hands of a friend, or in a temple with the keeper of it. Thus Julius Caesar is said to have entrusted his testament to the oldest of the vestal virgins. Twelve Tables - Guardians In the Twelve Tables a father might leave whom he pleased as guardian to his children; but if he died, this charge devolved by law on the nearest relation by the father's side. When there was no guardian by testament, nor a legal one, the praetor and the majority of the tribunes of the people appointed a guardian. If any one died without making a will, his goods devolved on his nearest relations as decreed by the laws in the Twelve Tables. Twelve Tables - Laws relating to a Women Women could not transact any business of importance without the concurrence of their parents, husbands, or guardians as decreed by the laws in the Twelve Tables. The Twelve Tables The Twelve Tables contain Debtors Laws, Inheritance Laws, Marriage Laws, Rights of a Father, Property Laws, Will and Testament and Laws relating to Women. The content of this Twelve Tables category on life in Ancient Rome provides free educational details, facts and information for reference and research for schools, colleges and homework. Refer to the Colosseum Sitemap for a comprehensive search on interesting different categories containing the history, facts and information about Ancient Rome.

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Who was known as the Iron Lady? She was the longest-serving British Prime Minister of the 20th century. The soviet press nicknamed her the “Iron Lady” because of her leadership style and uncompromising politics. As Prime Minister, she introduced and implemented policies of her own, that later became known as Thatcherism. Favorite this Trivia. In order to be able to favorite the trivias you find most interesting, you need to have an account. Favoriting a trivia means you are also bookmarking it and have it available on your profile. Report a trivia answer. We are sorry that you feel the need to report one of our answers. Please, tell us more regarding this problem.

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This exhibit, originally developed for the Nobel Prize Centennial Exhibition of the Nobel Foundation in Sweden, and displayed in the Museum of Science and Industry in the fall of 2003, has been adapted for display in the John Crerar Library, with a focus on Nobel Prize winning scientists such as Enrico Fermi, Subramanyan Chandrasekhar and James Watson. From DNA to the Expanding Universe: The University of Chicago and the Nobel Prizes in the Sciences The Nobel Prize knows no boundaries of geography or nationality and individuals from around the World have received this prestigious award. But a few institutions have produced an especially large number of Nobel Prize winners. The University of Chicago is an excellent example. Seventy-eight Nobel laureates have been faculty members, students or researchers at some time during their careers. In the sciences, 26 were awarded in Physics, 15 in Chemistry, and 11 in Physiology or Medicine. The University of Chicago's legacy of Nobel Prizes began in 1907, when Albert Michelson received the prize for measuring the speed of light. Nov. 7, 2005 Feb. 4, 2006 Crerar Library, 1st Floor Space Type: Case

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WebSafety is a FREE app for parents to monitor social media and web browsing on mobile devices. After school, your child hops on the computer. He could be playing silly games or watching a cute cartoon video, but sometimes, he may be placing information online that you don't know about. Even if your child is too young to go online, he can still make a digital footprint that will last forever. Make sure you stay in control of that information by knowing some of the things online predators can discover about your child. Instagram hashtags and location features may seem cute to add to a photo, but they also tell anyone exactly where your child is. If you post a picture of you and your child at home, and if you add a location tag to that photo, people can easily find out more about where you live. 2. Full name and birthday Many sites, even seemingly harmless gaming websites, ask for your child's name and birthday to login. This seems like useless information, but when an online hacker receives those two pieces of knowledge, he can begin to unlock your child's world. If you're a blogger, and if you often write your child's full name, you may be to blame too. Many parents who blog often write only their children's initials in a post. Or they give their children nicknames to avoid oversharing. 3. Interests and hobbies If your child loves baseball or gummy worms and talks about that online, predators may find out. Even the silly pages on Facebook that let you like them (such as "basketball is awesome!") can reveal a lot about your child. Skilled hackers can piece together information and lure your child. When your child gets home from school at the same time each day and logs on to the computer, people on the other side of that computer will know. If you post online about weekly traditions or picking up your child at 2:30 every day, you increase the chance of personal invasion. It may seem like a long shot, but once someone knows your child's name, school and pickup time, the situation becomes a lot more dangerous. Yes, people post hundreds of photos at every hour of the day, but some online predators take these photos and reproduce them. Some even alter the photos or begin to stalk your child, waiting for your next posts. That doesn't mean every time you post, someone is grabbing your photo and harvesting it, but if a skilled hacker is deep into your personal life, they'll overtake your identity and your family, and they'll use those photos in their files. According to 2machines, "with children making digital footprints at an earlier age - thanks in part to parents eager to immortalize their kid's images and information in the cloud - the available bank of data for hackers and other unsavory types to scour will only grow." If your child shows signs of bullying or trouble at home, the online world will find out. Maybe your child went to a friend's house after school and got caught up in drinking, viewing inappropriate photos or bullying. Somehow, these things can leak into the virtual world. You may be the one to discover your child's secrets simply by searching her history and friends. Instead of snooping around, talk to your child about her online activity. Another great way to keep tabs on your child's social media activity is through WebSafety. WebSafety is an app that lets you monitor what your child does on their mobile phones and tablets. The app notifies parents of cyberbullying, inappropriate language, downloaded apps, visits to pornographic websites, and Facebook and Instagram activity. Click to visit WebSafety's Kickstarter page to find out how to give you the peace of mind you deserve. Jenna Koford is on the content team at FamilyShare. She graduated with a degree in Communications—Journalism and a minor in editing. Jenna enjoys painting and calligraphy, planning a wedding, and Pinterest and Netflix.

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10.4 Graham's Law of Effusion and Real Gases In this lesson you will learn: -An explanation of Graham's Law of Effusion -How to perform calculations involving Graham's Law of Effusion What is Effusion? Before we can talk about Graham's Law of Effusion it would be helpful to know what effusion is. Simply put, effusion is the passing of a gas through a narrow slit or hole. An example that is easy to visualize often occurs when you get a flat tire. Let's say you run over a nail and it punctures your tire. When you remove the nail from your tire it will begin to deflate as the gases inside the tire exit through the puncture hole...that's effusion. Graham's Law of Effusion Graham's Law of Effusion gives the mathematical relationship between the rates of effusion of two gases based upon their molecular weights. Ultimately, the rate at which a gas effuses is inversely proportional to the square root of its molecular weight; the lighter the gas the faster it effuses. This makes intuitive sense. One of the tenets of Kinetic Molecular Theory is that two gases at the same temperature have the same average kinetic energy. But this does NOT mean that the two gases have the same rms speed. With the same average kinetic energy the lighter gas will have be moving faster and have a higher rms speed, and therefore pass through a narrow hole or slit faster. Take for example a balloon filled with an equal number of moles of H2 and O2 gases having a small hole. Being in the same balloon for any significant amount of time will result in H2 and O2 being at the same temperature and having the same average kinetic energy. But H2 is significantly lighter than O2 (16 times lighter) and therefore will have a higher rms speed and effuse out of the balloon faster. As Graham's law relates the rate of effusion to the square root of the molecular weight, a molecule that is 16 times lighter will have a rate of effusion that is 4 times greater. van der Waals Equation for Real Gases Two of the major assumptions that are made for ideal gases are that there are no attractive forces between molecules and that the molecules themselves have negligible volume. van der Waals attempted to correct for the inaccuracies in both of these assumptions in what is now referred to as the van der Waals equation of state. You'll note that this has similarities with the Ideal Gas Law but with the addition of two terms into the equation. These two terms contain the van der Waals constants, 'a' and 'b,' which are determined empirically for a gas and are published in tables for a variety of gases. The first additional term to appear in the van der Waals equation accounts for the attractive intermolecular forces that all gases have which are more significant at lower temperatures and for gases with larger attractive forces. 'a' is the first van der Waals constant. The greater the attractive forces between atoms/molecules the greater this correction will need to be leading to a greater magnitude of this van der Waals constant. A gas that has lower attractive forces is said to behave more ideally and would be expected to have a smaller value for this constant. The second additional term to appear in the van der Waals equation accounts for the volume occupied by the atoms/molecules themselves. While the ideal gas law assumes that this volume is negligible, this is less and less true as pressure increases and the molecules are pressed closer and closer together. 'b' is the second van der Waals constant. The greater the volume of the atoms/molecules the greater this correction will need to be leading to a greater magnitude of this van der Waals constant. A gas with a smaller volume is said to behave more ideally and would be expected to have a smaller value for this constant. More accurate equations of state such as the virial equation of state are more commonly used today than the van der Waals equation. But the van der Waals equation was one of the earliest attempts to model real gases and generally gives more accurate calculations of pressure, volume, or temperature than the ideal gas law.

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Apparently, there is no rest for the thousands buried at the African Burial Ground National Monument in lower Manhattan. Last year, offensive graffiti suggesting African-Americans should be killed defaced the site. When the burial ground was discovered — or rediscovered — in 1991 during excavation for construction of a federal office building, it became the focus of controversy and debate. For hundreds of black activists, the excavation was the desecration of a gravesite holding the remains of more than 419 men, women and children of African descent — most of them enslaved — who were buried in the 18th and 19th centuries. Formerly called the Negros Burial Ground, the site’s fate was hotly debated, with black scholars and activists demanding that construction be halted and the sacred burial grounds preserved. To assuage the growing discontent, Michael Blakey, a noted physical anthropologist, was retained to lead a team of Howard University scientists who did forensic examinations of the fossilized remains. They were mainly concerned about the cultural background and origins of the people buried there, including their possible links to known resistance to enslavement at the time. In 1993, the 6.6-acre site at Duane and Elk Sts., near 290 Broadway — with the remains reinterred — was designated a National Historic Landmark, and by 2006, it was named a National Monument. In addition to highlighting the history of the burial ground, the National Monument designation includes documents, clippings, photographs and vivid accounts of racial and racist incidents, all of which provide more evidence of the significant African-American presence in the city’s evolution — and the extent to which slavery was a vital element in its growth and development. It is not widely known that New York City at one time had more African-Americans in captivity than some major cities in the South, and that it was the site of at least two major slave insurrections. These and other turbulent time periods in the city’s history, including the Draft Riots of 1863, are extensively chronicled in the monument’s collection. Over the years, the site has grown exponentially, with a wide variety of artifacts and displays in its interactive visitor center — including an impressive outdoor memorial designed by architect Rodney Leon, replete with symbolic African images; an attractive gallery; a 40-seat theater, a gift shop and bookstore. It now offers U.S. Parks Ranger-led tours that have attracted millions of residents and tourists from all over the world. Each year, programs are presented at the site, particularly during celebrations of Kwanzaa, Black History Month and the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday.

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Pitcairn as the home of the descendents of the Bounty mutineers is fairly well known, and certainly, this is the defining mythos of the people who live there now. However there are other stories of Pitcairn that still survive as whispers, hidden in the dense groves and rocky coasts of this small and remote island. Daughters of Tahiti One of these stories still relates very directly to the current inhabitants. It’s the story of these people as the descendants of Tahitian women who left their homeland to settle a new land with white visitors whom they had come to know during the sailors’ roughly 6 month sojourn on Tahiti. Since most of the sailors and all of the Tahitian men were killed within a few years of settlement, much of the Pitcairner’s culture came from the Tahitian women, until more regular contact with Europeans was established after 1814. While John Adams, the last surviving mutineer, forcibly encouraged the use of English, and taught everyone in the ways of the Bible, the basic domestic tools and functioning of the island were being run by the women in the ways that they knew. One of the most visible signs of this influence was the manufacture and use of traditional Polynesian tapa cloth for loincloths and skirts. Today, Meralda Warren keeps close to these traditions. She makes her own tapa cloth by hand, and has even produced a short video to spread the word about “the inspirational story of the Polynesian women and the Bounty mutiny.” In addition, Steve and Olive Christian have begun contacting research facilities in Tahiti, trying to learn what happened to the relatives of the Tahitian Pitcairners after the Bounty departed. Since the people were high-ranking, they hope some records or stories have survived. Mementos of the Wayfinders The other story goes back even further than this. As remote as it is, for hundreds of years Pitcairn was home to prehistoric Polynesians, who through their masterful knowledge of the seas and skies navigated and settled throughout the Pacific, spreading their culture from Tahiti as far south as New Zealand, north as Hawaii, and east as Easter Island, even visiting South America. (I’ll write more about NG Explorer-in-Residence Wade Davis‘ research on the amazing Polynesian wayfinders in a future blog post.) Archaeological excavations and serendipitous discoveries have shown that the island’s solid rock formations were important sources for raw materials to make tools in a part of the ocean dominated by islands formed of little more than coral rubble. Pitcairn’s remoteness has discouraged the kind of intensive investigations that have occurred at other places like Hawaii and Easter island. The small museum on Pitcairn houses at least 70 small stone tools made from local materials perhaps a thousand years ago, and many more have been given and traded away. In addition, tools made from Pitcairn stone have also been found on Henderson Island, more than 100 miles to the north, an important source of wood for both ancient Polynesians and modern Pitcairners. However it seems that when Polynesians discovered the resources of more conveniently located islands, or exhausted the wood supply for canoe building on Henderson and Pitcairn, the life-sustaining trade that linked the prehistoric Pitcairners and Hendersonians to the rest of Pacific disappeared. For a fuller discussion of theories of what happened, see NG Explorer-in-Residence Jared Diamond’s book “Collapse.” There are other more prominent material reminders of the early Polynesians on Pitcairn as well. For those who know what they’re looking for, stone foundations for buildings, earth ovens, and quarry areas built by the early Polynesians are still to be found hidden in the overgrowth of places such as the green hillside of Tautama on Pitcairn’s southern shore. According to Bob Ching, Pitcairn aficionado and chief engineer on our ship, Tautama is not the best site, or the likely position of any ancient village though. The village, he reckons, would have been above the beach at a place called Tedside, which afforded much better access to the water and the island’s interior. I may be able to go ashore at Pitcairn tomorrow as we make our way to Oeno atoll. If I do, Polynesian sites are at the top of my sight-seeing list. Ancient Presence Still Felt Today The most visible remnants of Polynesian life on the land are the plants the Polynesians brought with them, including coconut trees, but the most striking are the collections of rock art carvings found at the bottom of the treacherous climbs to places called Down Rope (see photos) and Down the Gods. Brenda Christian also says there are four remaining standing-stone “gods” around the island as well. Notoriously difficult to interpret, rock art leaves as many questions as it answers, but there is an immediacy to it that makes the reality of these people’s presence on the island keenly felt. It is fortunate for us that such art was made, given the sad fate of the rest of the Polynesian cultural items once found on the island. When the Bounty mutineers arrived, they found hewn stone gods at sacred sites around the island. They ultimately pushed them into the sea. I wonder what the Tahitians thought of that. Polynesian culture is alive and well on many islands throughout the Pacific. While its story is largely still hidden on Pitcairn, perhaps it can yet be refound. Perhaps after all these generations, the efforts of mutineer-and-Tahitian descendents like Meralda Warren and others will help reestablish an awareness and appreciation of the Polynesian history and heritage of Pitcairn at home and in the outside world.

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The Somers Central School District Visual and Performing Arts department believes that the arts provide unique ways of knowing, creating, and being. As a K-12 department, we will offer pathways that encourage all students to become lifelong participants in, and patrons of, the arts. Through the Arts, students develop essential skills needed for success: creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication. The arts are therefore accessible and integral to all students. As a critical component in the development of the whole child, we are committed to: - · Providing students with a safe, supportive and challenging environment to explore, create and perform - · Developing instructional practices that respect the multiple intelligences of each child - · Embracing hands-on learning - · Maintaining and fostering our partnerships with the community - · Providing a variety of integrated arts experiences SCSD Art Department Curriculum and Instruction Guided by the NYS Learning Standards for the Visual Arts the Art Department’s curriculum begins with the introduction to the Elements of Art and Principles of Design, the basic grammar for understanding and analyzing artworks from across all cultures and time periods. Each step in every sequence builds from fundamental principles, to their application to specific art problems and develops the student’s preparedness for pursuing and promoting a life long appreciation for the arts. With our hands-on classroom activities, students learn materials, tools, methods and art making techniques. They also discover their own innate non-linear, abstract problem solving capabilities: how to break down non-verbal problems into their separate components and understand their differences and relationships. These abstract problem-solving skills will serve them across the wider curriculum and in whatever career path they choose. Our curriculum also incorporates art historical and cultural components with every lesson at every level. These not only make the student aware of past artists, styles and movements, but also situate their learning experiences within the continuum of the greater historical and cultural context. Along with production, they acquire the vocabulary for discussing and understanding the historical and cultural dimension of art objects, resulting in critical thinking skills necessary for analyzing, interpreting and judging works of art. This is the higher order thinking that is the ultimate aim of all education. There’s never been a better economic environment in which to discover, develop and enhance artistic talent and ability: - 3.34 million Americans work in the arts - one in 111 jobs is in art and design - jobs in design have increased 43% in the past ten years The Art curriculum encourages active participation in learning and self-expression, developing awareness of the subject matter itself, as well as how it can be applied. Students who participate in the arts at the commencement level may consider pursuing a future in the field of art and are therefore exposed to possible careers in the arts while preparing portfolio quality work appropriate for gaining admission to college art and design programs. SCSD Arts offers a wide range of courses that introduce students to a host of viable career paths for the commencement level, including Architecture, Graphic Design, Illustration, Game Design, Industrial Design, Fashion Design, Textile Design, Film and Video, and Photography. The SCSD Arts Department prides itself on the multitude of higher level educational studies its students move on to in the field of Art/Design including; School of Visual Arts, Cornell’s Fashion Program, Art Institute of Chicago, Manhattanville College, Rochester Institute of Technology, Syracuse University, Alfred University, Marist College, The School of Visual Arts, The College at New Paltz, The Fashion Institute of Technology, Cooper Union, and Savannah College of Art and Design, to name a few.

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NASA study-buddy Scott Saslow of NY face-booked me a link to Gizmodo, showing a collection of what their blogger calls "mechanical contraptions", LOL... Ancient Greek orreries were rumored to exist, but the first modern gadget is credited to, unsurprisingly, a clockmaker. Around 1700, Englishman George Graham created an orrery of the Moon orbiting the Earth, with both then orbiting the Sun. A colleague with advanced instruments, John Rowley, elaborated on Graham's invention, adding all the known (at that time) planets and their moons, demonstrating the first proportional motion machine of our solar system. The gentlemen inventors presented it to patron Charles Boyle, the fourth Earl of Orrery (a peerage of Contae Chorcaí in Ireland) in 1713, for whom the device was ultimately named. Interesting, how many things in science are credited to entirely the wrong people! This should probably be known by a Greek word, or even simply "The Graham Device" –- but I guess he has to be satisfied with one of his descendants baking crumbly crackers. #5 on their list is easily recognizable as Eise Eisinga's 1774 Planetarium, still the world's largest operating orrery. I quite like the uniqueness of #7... and I noticed they pinched #16 from NASA... I had to go back through Kepler's pages to find it again, but I knew I remembered it! I should get out more. It was designed for teachers to help students make solar system models out of Legos. Very clever! While poking about for other interesting types, I found this terrific video of an astronomy teacher organizing her class into a human orrery. Would that all science teachers had this kind of time and inspirational ideas! Around the two-minute mark, it speeds up so all the kids sound like chipmunks, which cracked me up! At 7 minutes, the teacher adds the Voyager spacecraft at the edge of the solar system, whereby the class leaves the building to use the surrounding museum grounds to complete their simulation. Awesome. With my apologies for sheer nostalgic kitsch -- as great as this video is, and as much as I hope everyone has a science teacher like her at least once in their life, the best orrery ever, ever, ever... was in Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal. Gelfling Jen happens upon Aughra's Observatory, where "Everything in the heavens is here, moving as the heavens move!" in her giant orrery, which was a genuine operating prop on the film's most complex set (so genuine that the crew and puppeteers were often forced to duck to keep from being smacked by beams and rotating planets). Too bad it's in the Thra solar system and not ours, LOL... but it's still pretty remarkable!

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What is used motor oil? New lubricants are generally 90% Base Oil and 10% Additive Pack. The Additive Pack is mixed with the Base Oil to enhance the lubricating qualities of the Base Oil. With use, it is the Additive Pack that breaks down under the stresses and strains of an internal combustion engine. It is for this reason that engine oil has to be changed at regular intervals. Whelan Refining extracts the Additive Pack by distillation such that the Base Oil can be re-formulated with a fresh Additive Pack to make a new lubricant - over and over again. Base Oil - a valuable resourceBase Oil is refined from Crude Oil and is a valuable resource both in its original form and as a waste oil. It can be reused and recycled again and again through reconditioning, reprocessing and re-refining. These recycling efforts help to:

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We all know that Americans — leading the way for the rest of the developed world — are getting fatter. We hear about the “obesity epidemic” on the TV news, with footage of people depicted from the waist down shuffling around in XXL sweatpants and carrying supersized sodas. The majority of us are overweight, complaining about how our jeans are getting tighter and wondering why, despite all our efforts to diet and go to the gym, the number on the scale keeps edging higher. For years, the explanation for weight gain was straightforward: it was all about energy balance, or calories-in versus calories-out. This Gluttony and Sloth theory held that obesity simply came from overeating and underexercising, and the only debate was about dieting — whether it was better to join the low-fat or the low-carb camp. Some scientists explored genetic differences associated with fat, but others said genes couldn’t possibly explain the rate at which Americans were gaining weight: “We just aren’t evolving that fast,” one obesity expert noted. Environmental scientists have long suggested that there were likely external factors at work, but until recently, the traditional obesity-research community rejected such claims. Now it seems that the tide is turning: This month’s issue of Obesity Reviews features an extensive look at the accumulating body of research linking the environment with obesity. The idea of our surroundings contributing to weight gain is nothing new, of course. But past discussions about the role of the “environment” focused mostly on the fast-food culture that we live in, where highly processed, highly caloric foods are constantly available, eating times are chaotic, kids run around drinking sugar-saturated sodas all day, no one has time to cook, fruits and vegetables are scarce in low-income urban areas, a venti frappuccino has 760 calories, and muffins are the size of melons. Add to that our changing physical environment — the fact that everyone sits in front of computers every day, instead of working out or working on the farm — and the “calories in” excess of the weight equation seems obvious, and obesity over-determined. But even allowing for such influences, something wasn’t adding up. There are plenty of people out there who eat well and exercise like Gwyneth Paltrow and still feel like their weight is out of control. Then there are those annoying people who eat everything they desire, never work out, and stay thin. There had to be more to it than calories. We know that hormones — the chemical messengers produced by our endocrine system to control things like blood pressure and insulin production — can fatten up animals for slaughter; that some drugs increase your weight; and that a change in hormones at midlife shifts where your fat is distributed. Researchers began to recognize that obesity is much more complicated than calories in and out, and that a lot of other mechanisms involving the hormonal regulatory system are involved in our bodies’ delicate weight balance. Paula Baillie-Hamilton, an expert on metabolism and environmental toxins at Stirling University in Scotland, was among the first to make the link between the obesity epidemic and the increase in the chemicals in our lives. “Overlooked in the obesity debate,” she wrote in 2002 in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, “is that the earth’s environment has changed significantly during the last few decades because of the exponential production and usage of synthetic organic and inorganic chemicals.” Exposure to those chemicals, said Baillie-Hamilton, can damage the body’s natural weight-control mechanisms. She calls toxic chemicals that act as endocrine disruptors — mimicking hormones, and blocking or exaggerating our natural hormonal responses — “chemical calories,” and those in question include Bisphenol A, phthalates, PCBs, persistant organic pollutants such as DDE, a breakdown product of the insecticide DDT, and pesticides containing tin compounds called organotins. Many studies have shown that endocrine disruptors have been linked to early puberty, impaired immune function, different types of cancer, birth deformities, and other diseases. Now obesity and metabolism are on that list. Environmental researchers call these chemical calories “obesogens.” Bruce Blumberg, a University of California at Irvine professor of developmental and cell biology, studies the effects of endocrine disruptors on obesity in mice and sees clear differences between those who are exposed to them and those who aren’t. “Pretty much anyone who observes people knows that obesity is way more than eating and exercise,” says Blumberg. Instead, metabolism, appetite, and the number and size of fat cells you have come into play, all of which are affected by hormones, and therefore by hormone disruptors. Blumberg has shown that the organic pollutants tributyltin and triphenyltin derail the hormonal mechanisms that control the weight of mice. He’s found that when pregnant mice are fed a dose of organotins that is equivalent to normal human exposure to those chemicals, their offspring have 10 percent more fat cells than normal mice, the fat cells grow bigger than normal, and they end up, overall, 10 percent fatter than your average mouse. Other compelling research that fat is not just about eating and exercise comes from studies that show that animals that live in human environments get fatter just by virtue of being around people. Researchers at the University of Alabama recently found that chimpanzees, macaques, mice, rats, dogs, cats, and other species that lived in proximity to humans got fatter than animals that didn’t live in an industrialized environment — even when their lab chow and exercise was highly controlled. The authors suggested that endocrine disruptors were one likely culprit in this cross-species obesity epidemic. For her article in the new Obesity Reviews, Jeanett Tang-Peronard, of the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen, looked at some 450 studies on endocrine disruptors and obesity and found that nearly all of them showed a correlation between exposure to those chemicals — particularly in utero and in early childhood, when hormonal mechanisms are vulnerable — and an increase in body size. She says that in early life, chemicals seem to alter the epigenetic regulation of certain genes, disrupting the programming of hormonal signaling pathways that affect fat storage, fat distribution, and appetite. (The epigenome governs patterns of gene expression.) This reprogramming could explain how we are indeed evolving so fast. Tang-Peronard says that it is impossible, now, to tease out how much of obesity is caused by chemicals, and how much by energy balance. They’re intertwined, anyway, with imbalances in appetite-regulating hormones like leptin and ghrelin causing us to want to eat more of the available food. “Endocrine disruptors may play a significant role in obesity,” she says. But the research is in its infancy. She also points out that only a few of the tens of thousands of known environmental chemicals have been tested for their association with obesity. “We are only scratching the surface,” she says. What to do about the problem of endocrine disruptors and obesity? It’s hard to say, given that virtually all humans have been exposed. Pediatrician Maida Galvez is involved in the Mt. Sinai “Growing Up Healthy” study of 330 children in East Harlem, monitoring their exposure to endocrine disruptors and their body weight. “Even if these chemicals play a small role in obesity, it’s a preventable exposure,” she says, explaining that if certain substances can be determined to have deleterious effects, we can avoid them at critical stages of development and ultimately replace them with safer alternatives. For now, Galvez recommends that parents steer clear of Bisphenol-A — present in many plastic water and baby bottles, and in microwavable and dishwasher-safe food containers. (If you find a printed “7” on the bottom, get rid of it.) She also suggests avoiding shampoos, cosmetics, and soaps containing phthalates — up to 70 percent of “top-selling products,” according to a 2002 report by the Environmental Working Group. (Look for fragrance-free products, which are less likely to contain phthalates, or for anything from the Illumina Organics range or The Body Shop.). And, she says, eat fresh fruits and vegetables, instead of foods that are processed and/or packaged in plastic. That’s one point on which traditional obesity researchers and environmental scientists agree: Eat plenty of fresh, organic vegetables. And while you’re at it, get out into the fresh air and get some exercise.

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By Clarence McKee A Central American migrant takes part in a caravan called 'Migrant Via Crucis' towards the U.S., and hangs clothes to dry in Matias Romero, Oaxaca State, Mexico, on April 3, 2018. President Trump lashed out in fury on April 2 over immigration. A caravan of an estimated 1,500 future illegal aliens from Central America is marching across Mexico on its way to sanctuary cities in the United States. You can bet that Gov. Jerry Brown, D-Calif., the two Democratic U.S. senators from California — Diane Feinstein and Kamala Harris — Libby Schaaf, the Democratic mayor of Oakland, Democratic Party leaders in the Congress and progressives throughout the nation will welcome them with open arms. Included in this illegal alien cheering squad is the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). It's just shown that it has forsaken its original black constituency and become a wholly owned subsidiary of the Democratic party and its open borders lobby, which welcomes the illegal immigrant invasion. The NAACP has filed a lawsuit against the federal government over its decision to include a question on citizenship in the 2020 Census form. It argues that the addition of a citizenship status question will lead to an undercount of minority and immigrant communities, and that it will misrepresent true U.S. population. As a black American, I say "Yes" to whether such a question should be included. April 4 of this year will mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Black Americans have paid in blood, and the nation fought a Civil War over their right to citizenship. Something which was not gained until the adoption of the 13th Amendment ending slavery and the 14th Amendment which guaranteed their citizenship. The 14th Amendment says, in part, "All persons born or naturalized in the United States . . . are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside." Therefore, black Americans should have no problem with any census question on citizenship. They should respond with a resounding "Yes," meaning that "you are right I am an American citizen — my ancestors were brutalized and murdered for that right!" Note that the 14th Amendment also guarantees citizenship to naturalized persons. That means that legal immigrants are citizens and should also have no problem answering a question on citizenship — and should also be proud to do so. Unfortunately, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) feels otherwise. It is not alone. California has filed a similar lawsuit. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said he will follow and initiate a multi-state lawsuit; and, at least 10 other states have announced they would join his suit. Why are they so concerned? They fear that a citizenship question will deter illegal immigrants from participating and decrease the numbers used to determine congressional representation and how billions of federal dollars are allocated. As NAACP President Derrick Johnson said at a National Press Club press conference in Washington, D.C., "We know , , , that the under-counted African-American Latino community has been a persistent problem across the country." Wait a minute. Since when has the mandate of the NAACP been expanded to represent the Latinos? Isn’t that what Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organizations are charged with doing? When was the last time any Hispanic advocacy group, or for that matter, any liberal white group — or even the NAACP — demanded intervention from the Department of Justice (DOJ) to address the ongoing slaughter of black youths in Chicago, South Florida, Baltimore, and other cities? This entire crusade against inclusion of a question on citizenship is merely an attempt to protect illegal immigrants and make sure that sanctuary and other cities with large numbers of illegals, including criminals, do not lose federal funds or congressional representation. As I have written in this space on numerous occasions, blacks and legal Hispanic immigrants are economically harmed by illegal immigration and open borders policies. At a time when black unemployment rates are at historic lows, here comes the NAACP assisting those working to make sure that as many illegal immigrants, including criminals, get into our country as possible. The result: they take low skilled jobs; burden taxpayers with increased education and healthcare costs; and, will be recruited to become Democratic voters — by fraud or any other means. When was the last time a mayor warned their black communities when feds were going to conduct operations against criminals in the black community as the mayor of Oakland is doing to protect illegal immigrant criminals in her city? Wake up blacks. You are no longer the favored minority. Democrats and the NAACP are telling you to "move to the back of the political bus" which now only stops for illegal aliens. Does anyone think that Democratic leaders would be as protective of illegal aliens and the criminals among them if they were from Haiti or Africa? Don’t bet on it. Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns. He is a former co-owner of WTVT-TV in Tampa and former president of the Florida Association of Broadcasters. Read more of his reports — Go Here Now.

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Species group: Corydoras Other common names: Bronze Corydoras; Bronze Catfish; Albino Cory; Green Corydora; Green Cory; Lightspot Corydoras; Wavy Catfish Scientific name: Corydoras aeneus The Bronze Cory is a small member of the armored catfish (Callichthyidae) family, which is native to quiet, shallow waters throughout much of South America - from Columbia to Argentina. The Bronze Corydoras is one of the most popular Corydoras species for freshwater tanks. They are charming, expressive, and easy to care for. The most commonly found color forms are the natural bronze and albino colors. Other color variations are green and black. Sometimes the fish may be injected with dye to enhance their tones. Following the pattern of all Corydoras, the Bronze Cory possesses an armor of overlapping scales known as plates. There is a leading spine on the fins, which is locked in place to create hindrance for bigger fish trying to swallow them. The upper jaw barbels reach the gill slits. The fish is darker at the center on either side than the rest of its body. The dark patch extends to the start of the caudal fin. It is mainly pale brown or brownish yellow in color. A remarkable feature of this fish is that its colors may appear varied depending on the light and angle of vision. The head and side areas display a metallic sheen that may appear green, copper or a fascinating golden color. It is a peaceful and hardy bottom-feeding community fish, and does best when kept in groups of six or more fish. These are community fish that are peaceful by nature. It is best that they be kept in a group of six or more as this enhances their boldness and activity. They are not to be housed with larger and aggressive species like Cichlids or Barbs. Suitable tank mates include Livebearers, Tetras, Barbs, Danios, Discus, Angelfish, Rasboras, Gouramis, Rainbowfish, Plecos, and peaceful scavengers. Bronze Corys are housed in a tank with a capacity of about 10 gallons. The tank should be adequately planted with bunch plants like Elodea and Cabomba as well as root plants like sword plants and Vallisneria. It may be decorated with driftwood and smooth rocks with plenty of space at the center for swimming. A sand substrate is ideal to protect the sensitive barbels. These fish are bottom dwellers. The water in the tank should be aerated well. Filtration and water changes are done regularly. ideal addition, peaceful fish, display cute behaviors, best bottom-dwellers sand substrate, food sinking tablet, little bull dozers

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I was told years ago by a teacher at a Carden School that they teach their students that English homonyms, especially those with diphthongs, can be told apart by the pitch profile of the vowel sound. Now I see in wiki that all English diphthongs have a falling tone. This does not necessarily mean it won't work, but it makes it a little harder to achieve. I can listen to myself talk, but my bias interferes. Is there any scholarship on this? The example I remember is "meat" versus "meet". It was said that "ea" has a flat profile while "ee" has a rising profile. This might be relative to each other. I also think that 'pitch' may have been a paraphrase and it actually means something else like emphasis or volume?

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Part 2. The Franklin and the Cook; Feasting in Chaucer's Poetry One of the longer food descriptions in the Tales occurs during the Franklin's introduction in the prologue: A Frankelyn was in his companye;/A Franklin was in his company; Whyt was his berd, as is the dayesye./White was his beard, as the daisy. Of his complexioun he was sangwyn./Of his complexion he was ruddy. Wel loved he by the morwe a sop in wyn./Well loved he in the morning a sop in wine. To liven in delyt was ever his wone,/To live in delight was ever his wont, for he was Epicurus owne sone,/For he was Epicurus' own son, That heeld opinioun, that pleyn delyt/Who held the theory, that complete delight Was verraily felicitee paryft./Was verily perfect felicity. A householder, and that a greet, was he;/A householder, and a great one, was he; Seint Julian he was in his contree./Saint Julian he was in his country. His breed, his ale, was alwey after oon;/His bread, his ale, were always equally good; A bettre envyned man was no-wher noon./A more envied man was nowhere found. With-oute bake mete was never his hous,/Without meat pie was never his house, Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous,/Of fish and flesh, and that so plenteous, It snewed in his hous of mete and drinke,/It snowed in his house of meat and drink, Of alle deyntes that men could thinke./Of all dainties that one could think of. After the sondry seasons of the yeer,/According to the various seasons of the year, So chaunged he his mete and his soper./He varied his meat and his supper. Ful many a fat partrich hadde he in mewe,/Full many a fat partridge he had in coop, And many a breem and many a luce in stewe./And many a bream and many a pike in pond. Wo was his cook, but-if his sauce were/Woe to his cook, unless his sauces were Poynaunt and sharp, and redy al his gere./Poignant and sharp, and ready all his carvers. His table dormant in his halle alway/His table stationed in the hall always Stood redy covered al the longe day./Stood ready set all the day long. A "table dormant," filled with food The Franklin's wealth and fondness for well-prepared food is reminiscent of another famous 14th c. literary figure, the Goodman of Paris, whose advice to his young bride survives today as Le Menagier de Paris, one of the best examples of medieval domestic duties and cookery. The cook, Roger Hodge, also called Hodge of Ware, was actually based on a real London cook known to Chaucer, a Roger Ware. (Hodge was a nickname of Roger). Chaucer obviously intended for his London readers to recognize this poor cook with the sore on his knee. Although his introduction in the Tales is not as long as the Franklin's, it is just as rich in the mention of food and prepared dishes: A Cook they hadde with hem for the nones,/A Cook they had with them for the occasion, To boille the chicknes with the mary-bones,/To boil the chickens with the marrow-bones, And poudre-marchant tart, and galingale./And tart flavoring, and spice. Wel coude he knowe a draughte of London ale./Well could he appreciate a draught of London ale. He coulde roste, and sethe, and broille, and frye,/He could roast, and boil, and broil, and fry, Maken mortreux, and wel bake a pye./Make stew, and well bake a pie. But greet harm was it, as it thoughte me,/But a great pity was it, as I thought, That on his shine a mormal hadde he;/That on his shin a bad sore had he; For blankmanger, that made he with the beste./As for blancmange, that he made with the best. A contemporary portrait of Roger Hodge Another description of his abilities occurs in the Cook's prologue to his tale, but is far from complimentary. The host of the pilgrimage accuses Roger of not only selling warmed over and stale pasties, but of having so many flies in his shop that they often end up in the food. His poor, stubble-fed geese were so badly prepared that the host tells him, "From many a pilgrim hast thou Christ's curse." Cooks are also featured in an unsavory manner in The Pardoner's Tale. After a long discourse on the sin of Gluttony, we read: Thise cooks, how they stampe, and streyne, and grinde,/Those cooks, how they pound, and strain, and grind, And turnen substance in-to accident,/And turn substance into accident, To fulfille al thy likerous talent!/To fulfill all your greedy appetites! Out of the harde bones knokke they/Out of the hard bones they knock The Mary, for they caste noght a-wey/The marrow, for they throw nothing away That may go thurgh the golet softe and swote;/That may go through the gullet soft and sweet; Of spicerye, of leef, and bark, and rote/Of spices, of leaf and bark and root Shal been his sauce y-maked by delyt,/Shall his delicious sauce be made, To make him yet a newer appetyt./To provide him with a newer appetite. |Feasts are mentioned several times throughout Chaucer's including the seldom discussed Troilus and Criseyde. But as previously, these are all very brief and seldom include descriptive helpful to modern cooks. An elaborate banquet featuring a pantomimic siege is described in The Franklin's Tale: "For often at feasts, I have heard told, that magicians within a large hall, have made appear water and a barge, and made it sail up and down the hall. Sometimes there seemed to appear a fierce lion; and sometimes flowers sprang up as in a meadow; sometimes a vine and white and red grapes; sometimes a castle made of stone and mortar; and when they pleased made it disappear." Such spectacles, designed for the entertainment of feasters, were common during Chaucer's period. On January 6, 1378, Charles the V of France entertained the Emperor Charles IV in the Royal palace of Paris with a pantomime representing the arrival of the Crusaders and the capture of Jerusalem in 1099. Charles V's famed pantomime for the Emperor A Chaucerian Cookery continues with: Book I. A Chaucerian Cookery Part 3. Chaucer's Foods © James L. Matterer Return to: Table of Contents Book I. A Chaucerian Cookery Part 1

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SWIR Area Cameras Extremely Compact Micro SWIR Cameras Ideal for Covert Surveillance Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) short wave infrared (SWIR) cameras are useful tools for high temperature thermography applications, where object temperatures are above 100 degrees Celsius. Some examples of these applications include industrial furnace monitoring, hot end glass bottle inspection, and detection of slag impurities in molten metal. Thermal emissions above 100 degrees celsius can be imaged with a short wave infrared camera: Thermography, synonymous for infrared thermal imaging, is simply defined as the use of an infrared sensor to detect radiation emitted from an object in the 0.9 to 14 micron region of the spectrum. Any object higher in temperature than absolute zero will emit radiation. The amount of detectable radiation depends on the temperature and emissivity of the object, as well as the type of infrared thermal imaging camera used for imaging. In general, higher temperatures amount to more radiation and shorter peak wavelength emission. This is illustrated via the curve in the figure above. InGaAs SWIR cameras are able to detect emitted radiation specifically in the 0.9 to 1.7 micron region. In practice, InGaAs is used to image thermal radiation from objects ranging in temperature from 100 degrees C to above 1600 degrees C. For more information and examples of thermographic applications, go to industrial furnace monitoring, hot end glass bottle inspection, and detection of slag impurities in molten metal. The image below shows the black body source set to 120 degrees C with room lights on (left) and off (right) imaged with the SU320MX camera.

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Stage 2 baby food is a type of baby food designed for babies aged 6-8 months and older. It typically consists of pureed fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients that are safe for babies to eat. This type of baby food usually comes in jars or pouches and is available in a variety of flavors. Stage 2 baby food is an important part of the weaning process as it helps to introduce new flavors and textures to the baby’s diet. It also helps babies learn how to chew and swallow more solid foods. The consistency of Stage 2 baby food is thicker than that of Stage 1, making it easier for babies to handle. The ingredients used in Stage 2 baby food are carefully chosen to provide the proper nutrition for growing babies. Most brands use organic fruits and vegetables as well as grains, proteins, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that are essential for healthy development. Some brands also offer fortified foods that contain additional nutrients such as iron or zinc. When introducing Stage 2 baby food to your little one, it is important to follow the instructions on the packaging closely. Start with small amounts at first and slowly increase the amount over time as your baby gets used to the new texture and flavor. It’s also important to watch out for any signs of allergies or digestive issues after eating Stage 2 foods as these can indicate a problem with certain ingredients or combinations thereof. Overall, Stage 2 baby food is an important part of a balanced diet for young babies who are learning how to eat solid foods for the first time. With so many different flavors available, you can easily find something your little one will enjoy! what ingredients are used in Stage 2 baby food Stage 2 baby food is typically designed for babies who are 6 to 8 months old and are ready to move onto more solid foods. The ingredients used in Stage 2 baby food vary depending on the specific brand, but generally include a combination of fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Fruits such as apples, bananas, pears, peaches, apricots, and prunes are commonly used in Stage 2 baby food. These fruits provide essential vitamins and minerals that help support healthy growth and development. Additionally, they contain natural sugars which can help to sweeten the taste of the food. Vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, spinach, broccoli, and peas are also often included in Stage 2 baby food recipes. These provide a variety of important vitamins and minerals as well as dietary fiber which helps to keep babies regular. Grains such as oatmeal or barley are also commonly used in Stage 2 baby food recipes. These grains offer carbohydrates for energy as well as important B-vitamins which support healthy brain development. Finally, proteins such as chicken or beef can be included in Stage 2 baby foods. These proteins provide essential amino acids that help support healthy growth and development. They also contain iron which is important for forming red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body. Are Stage 2 baby foods organic? Organic Stage 2 baby foods are foods specifically designed for babies aged 6 to 8 months and older. These foods are made from ingredients that are grown without the use of synthetic pesticides, herbicides, or fertilizers. Additionally, organic Stage 2 baby foods do not contain any artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, or sweeteners. Organic Stage 2 baby foods typically contain more nutrients than non-organic options because the ingredients used to make them are grown in healthier soil and are free from chemical additives. Organic fruits and vegetables used in these products are often richer in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than their non-organic counterparts. Organic grains such as oats, barley, quinoa, and brown rice provide essential fiber and protein that helps babies grow and develop. Organic Stage 2 baby foods also have a lower risk of contamination with harmful bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella because they do not contain any added antibiotics or growth hormones that can increase the risk of contamination. Additionally, organic products are not exposed to genetic engineering techniques which can lead to unexpected changes in food composition that can be harmful to a baby’s health. Organic Stage 2 baby foods can be found in most grocery stores as well as online retailers. Prices for these products may vary depending on the brand and type of product purchased but generally range from moderate to expensive when compared to non-organic options. What age range is appropriate for Stage 2 baby food? Stage 2 baby food" refers to the second stage of solid foods that a baby can be introduced to once they have started on their weaning journey. This stage is typically recommended for babies between 4 and 6 months of age, although some parents may choose to wait until their baby is closer to 6 months old before introducing Stage 2 foods. Stage 2 baby foods are typically more nutrient-dense than those in Stage 1 and are designed to provide additional energy, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that a growing baby needs. These foods are usually mashed or pureed, making them easier for babies to digest and swallow. Common Stage 2 foods include vegetables such as sweet potato, carrots and squash; fruits such as applesauce or mashed bananas; proteins such as cooked chicken or fish; grains such as oatmeal or barley; and dairy products such as yogurt or cheese. It is important for parents to remember that all babies develop at different rates and may not be ready for Stage 2 foods until they are closer to 6 months old. Signs that your baby may be ready for Stage 2 include being able to sit up with support, having good head control when sitting up, showing an interest in what you’re eating, being able to move food from the front of their mouth to the back with their tongue, and having lost the tongue-thrust reflex (where they push food out of their mouth instead of swallowing it). It is also important for parents to remember that introducing solids should always be done under the guidance of a healthcare professional who can assess your individual baby’s development and make sure they are getting all the nutrients they need. If you have any concerns about introducing solids at any stage it is best to speak with your doctor or health visitor before proceeding. What types of flavors are available in Stage 2 baby food? Stage 2 baby food typically includes a variety of flavors and ingredients, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats. Some common flavors of Stage 2 baby food include: Fruits: apples, bananas, pears, peaches, plums, apricots, and mangos. Vegetables: sweet potatoes, peas, carrots, squash, green beans, and broccoli. Meats: turkey, chicken, and beef. Combination foods: vegetable and meat blends, such as sweet potato and chicken, or pea and turkey. It's important to note that some brands of Stage 2 baby food may offer a wider variety of flavors and ingredients than others. Also, there are different options for organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and even with no added salt or sugar. Also it's worth mentioning that, at stage 2, baby can handle different textures of food, so the option of purees, mashed, and chunky textured food are available for more variety in the diet. It's always a good idea to try different flavors and ingredients with your baby to see what they enjoy and to introduce a variety of tastes and textures to their diet. However, it's also important to be aware of any food allergies or sensitivities your baby may have, and to consult with a pediatrician before introducing new foods. Are there any special instructions for preparing Stage 2 baby food? Preparing stage 2 baby food is an important step in introducing solid foods to your baby. It is recommended that babies begin eating stage 2 foods at around 6 months of age, once they have already been introduced to stage 1 purees. There are a few special instructions to keep in mind when preparing stage 2 baby food. First, it is important to make sure that the food you are preparing for your baby is age-appropriate. Stage 2 baby foods are designed for babies who are 6-8 months old, so it is important to not give them any food that is meant for older babies or toddlers. Second, you should always be sure to check the ingredients label on the packaging of any baby food you purchase. Make sure that there are no added sugars or salt in the ingredients list, as these can be bad for your baby’s health. Also look for organic and natural ingredients whenever possible, as these tend to be healthier choices than processed foods. Third, it is important to ensure that all of the food you prepare for your baby is properly cooked and not overcooked. Overcooking can reduce the nutritional value of the food and make it more difficult for your baby to digest. If reheating pre-prepared foods, make sure they reach an internal temperature of at least 74°C (165°F). Finally, always wash and rinse all fruits and vegetables before preparing them for your baby. This will help remove any bacteria or dirt that may be present on the produce before feeding it to your little one. Following these simple instructions will help ensure that your baby enjoys safe and nutritious meals as they transition from purees to solids! How many ounces are in a container of Stage 2 baby food? The amount of ounces in a container of Stage 2 baby food can vary depending on the brand and specific product. Most Stage 2 baby food is sold in jars that hold between 4 and 7 ounces. However, some brands may sell smaller or larger jars. It's best to check the packaging of the specific brand and product you're interested in to see how much it contains. It's also worth noting that, some of the baby foods manufacturer will give the weight of the product in Grams as well, in that case, it's 28 grams per ounce. Therefore you can convert the weight in grams to ounces by dividing it by 28. Does Stage 2 baby food contain added sugar or preservatives? It depends on the brand and specific product of Stage 2 baby food that you are looking at. Some brands of Stage 2 baby food may contain added sugar or preservatives, while others may not. It's important to read the ingredients list and nutrition information on the packaging to see what a particular brand or product contains. Some baby food manufacturers will also provide sugar content, serving size and other nutritional information on the packaging as well, that might help to make a decision. It is worth mentioning that in general, homemade food, or some organic baby food brands can be a better choice as they tend to have a shorter ingredient list, fewer additives and preservatives. However, it's also important to make sure that the homemade food is properly prepared and stored to prevent foodborne illness. It's always a good idea to consult with pediatrician if you have any questions or concerns about the food you're feeding your baby. They will be able to provide advice based on your baby's specific needs and dietary restrictions. Are there any nutritional benefits to feeding my child Stage 2 baby food? Yes, there are many nutritional benefits to feeding your child Stage 2 baby food. These foods are specially formulated for babies who are 8-10 months old and are ready to transition from pureed Stage 1 foods to more textured, solid foods. Stage 2 baby food is typically made with whole ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins that provide essential vitamins and minerals. These foods also contain added iron, zinc, calcium and other important nutrients that help promote healthy growth and development in babies. Additionally, the texture of these foods helps babies learn how to chew properly which is an important skill for them to learn before transitioning to table foods. Stage 2 baby food can also be beneficial for picky eaters as it allows parents to introduce a variety of flavors and textures in a safe way. This can help expand their palate and make them more willing to try new things when they get older. Overall, feeding your child Stage 2 baby food can be a great way to ensure they get the nutrition they need while also helping them develop important skills like chewing and learning about different flavors. It's important to always consult with your pediatrician before introducing any new foods though as they can provide personalized advice on what is best for your child's specific needs. Is it safe to feed my child Stage 2 baby food if they have allergies or intolerances? It is important to be aware of any food allergies or intolerances your child may have before introducing new foods, including Stage 2 baby foods. Some children may have allergies or intolerances to certain ingredients found in baby foods, such as dairy, soy, wheat, or nuts. It's always a good idea to check the ingredients list and nutrition information on the packaging of any baby food you're considering feeding your child, and to consult with a pediatrician or a certified allergist if you have any concerns. They will be able to provide advice based on your child's specific needs and dietary restrictions. If your child has a food allergy, it's especially important to be vigilant about reading ingredient lists, as even small amounts of an allergenic food can cause a reaction. Also, if your baby has a family history of allergies, it's a good idea to start introducing allergenic foods like peanuts, tree nuts, fish and seafood, and eggs around 6 months old, under the guidance of a pediatrician or certified allergist. If your child has a food intolerance, symptoms may be less severe than with a food allergy but could still cause discomfort such as gas, bloating, stomach cramps or diarrhea. If you are unsure, you can also prepare your baby's food at home, so you can control the ingredients and avoid any potential allergens or intolerances. It's always important to keep communication with the pediatrician when it comes to feeding your child, and if there is any symptom of an allergic reaction, seek medical attention immediately.

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Covers us and european history before the 19th century, the 1950s and 1960s, the gay liberation movement of the 1970s, and the 1980s through today. Princeton, nj -- the american public estimates on average that 23% of americans are gay or lesbian, little changed from americans' 25% estimate in 2011, and only slightly higher than separate 2002 estimates of the gay and lesbian population these estimates are many times higher than the 38% of. Americans' views toward those who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (lgbt) have changed substantially in recent years, and a majority of us adults now say homosexuality should be accepted by society the legal landscape for lgbt people has also shifted, including through a supreme. Over the past two decades, there has been a dramatic increase in public acceptance of homosexuality, as well as same-sex marriage still, the partisan divide on the acceptance of homosexuality has widened in views of challenges facing women, a majority of americans say women continue to confront. 8% of all high school students in america, report being lesbian, gay, or bisexual nearly 18% of lesbian, gay, and bisexual students reported having been raped at some point in their lives—more than three times the rate of straight students they were twice as likely to be bullied, both online and on school. The military and treatment towards homosexuals has been an ongoing issue since the 1700's homosexuals were treated as criminals and received less than human treatments this article will focus on. The idea that gay people in the uk would be denied the right to marry seems antiquated – let alone the idea that they would be jailed but if the last few years of political upheaval have taught us anything, it is that the path to equality is rarely a linear one in america, nearly two thirds of lgbt people say they. Wickedness, it perpetuated beliefs that homosexuality represented mentally and socially aberrant behavior in need of correction lib/thedoublelifeofkertbenypdf 1889: jane addams founds hull house in chicago, america's first “settlement house” offering services for the poor addams. J homosex 200651(2):39-56 explaining comfort with homosexuality in rural america eldridge vl(1), mack l, swank e author information: (1)department of sociology, social work and criminology, morehead, ky 40351, usa [email protected] morehead-stedu while recent research has explored the determinants of. Until alfred kinsey claimed that the large majority of americans had homosexual interests and john d rockefeller's empire marketed kinsey's voluminous sexual behavior in the human male (1948) and sexual behavior in the human female ( 1953) studies10 five decades ago, few ever spoke of homosexuality in public let. The american right presents homosexuality as something alien to the american experience – an intruder that inexplicably gate-crashed america in 1969 in the form of a rioting drag queen clutching a high heel in her fist as a weapon the statements of michele bachmann, rick santorum, or mitt romney. It's only been five years since don't ask, don't tell was repealed, finally allowing gays, lesbians and bisexual people to openly serve in the military for most of our nation's history, the military systematically excluded and discriminated against homosexual people but despite attempts to ban gay service. Upon returning to the us and settling in chicago, gerber organized the first documented public homosexual organization in america and published two issues of the first gay publication, entitled friendship and freedom meanwhile, during the 1920s, lgbt persons found employment as entertainers or entertainment. So the most fundamental of all church teachings about gay and lesbian people is this: god loves them they are beloved children of god, created by god and in need of god's loving care and mercy—as all of us are moreover, in his public ministry jesus continually reached out to those who felt ignored. 1950 - the mattachine society is formed by activist harry hay and is one of the first sustained gay rights groups in the united states the society focuses on social acceptance and other support for homosexuals april 1952 - the american psychiatric association's diagnostic manual lists homosexuality as a. The scholars have also documented the remarkable life of its author, a gay jewish world war ii veteran, allen bernstein “bernstein's eccentric essay – personal, sociological, and historical -- is a major discovery in gay american history,” said jonathan ned katz , co-director of outhistoryorg, the website on lesbian, gay. Adapted with permission from out of the past: 400 years of lesbian and gay history in america (byard, e 1997, wwwpbsorg/outofthepast) with additions and updates from bending the mold: an action kit for transgender youth (nyac & lambda legal) the american gay rights movement: a timeline just the facts. Aftah's peter labarbera joins massresistance, leading grassroots pro-family group fighting lgbtq agenda contact: peter labarbera at aftah: 312-324- 3787 [email protected] april 13, 2018 peter labarbera, founder and president of americans for truth about homosexuality (aftahorg), issued the.

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Project Access: Coordinated Healthcare for the Uninsured Poor Medical emergencies can happen to anyone, regardless of income level, but for a person who cannot afford them, the impact is much more severe. For instance, one woman who had heart surgery for a tumor, said, "My medical bills, including after care, were in the neighborhood of $200,000." Luckily for her, help arrived in the form of an innovative organization called Project Access. "Project Access covered all of the expenses, including a week in ICU, doctors' bills, hospital and medication charges, and outpatient care at Heart Path. If I had not had a Project Access card in my purse, I would not have gone to the ER because of my fear of not being able to pay for treatment, and I would be dead today. The doctors estimated that I would have died of a massive heart attack or been killed or incapacitated by a massive stroke within a week." Healthcare reform in the United States has led to contentious debates and a 2012 Supreme Court ruling. While the issue remains controversial, millions of working Americans currently live without health insurance. The traditional stopgap has been the physician, the cornerstone of patient health, so much so that many doctors willingly give free healthcare to those who cannot afford their fees. According to the W.W. Kellogg Foundation, "Most of the health care received by the poor and uninsured is provided in doctors' offices." About 70% of physicians in the US provide care to uninsured patients. While free or low-cost healthcare services are provided by individual doctors acting on their own, Project Access, a physician-driven program, was established to facilitate the delivery of these services to uninsured patients. Project Access started in Buncombe County, North Carolina, where its headquarters are located in Asheville, in the heart of the Great Smoky Mountains. Founded in 1996 as the first of its kind, the award-winning Project Access is an initiative by the Buncombe County Medical Society to coordinate access to local healthcare for uninsured people who are not eligible for public assistance. While doctors in the Asheville area had previously been providing care on their own, Project Access was an effort to systematize and manage the process of obtaining and delivering healthcare, thereby streamlining access for patients and doctors. Project Access organizations and similar groups have since sprung up across the country to coordinate medical services to the uninsured. Aiding Generous Physicians Project Access in Buncombe County was founded by Drs. Suzanne Landis, Phil Davis, James Powell, and Paul Martin. At that time, the county was home to an estimated 15,000 uninsured low-income people. Dr. Landis stated that previous to establishing Project Access, "Doctors' efforts were not well-coordinated." With the aid of a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to create a physician-led system, Project Access began enrolling patients in June 1996. Among the many patients she has seen, Dr. Landis in particular remembers a janitor with asthma who she treated for free. "He was on a rocky course with his asthma," she said. She enrolled him in Project Access and he was able to obtain lower-cost medication and an inhaler. His health subsequently improved. Project Access is allied with the Buncombe County government and various county healthcare institutions, such as the health department, local hospitals, pharmacies, and clinics. County funds help pay for medications at pharmacies. Project Access has been such a success that 13,000 out of 15,000 qualified county residents receive healthcare access now. Emergency room and clinic visits by Project Access patients has been reduced. Uninsured residents who enroll with Project Access are less likely to go to the ER and more likely to report being in good health than insured residents. Nuts and Bolts of the Program Buncombe County physicians who volunteer pledge to see a certain quota of patients annually: 10 patients for primary care physicians and 20 patients for specialists. About 85% of county doctors have enlisted in the program. The enthusiasm for Project Access is so marked that, according to Miriam Schwartz, CEO and executive director, "In some practices, volunteering for PA is expected of new physicians who join the practice." Doctors provide medical services valued at $4 million a year, and the success of the Buncombe County has sparked other North Carolina counties to introduce their own programs. Project Access functions as a referral service, matching up patients with the appropriate healthcare provider. Patients must meet the eligibility criteria, which includes an income below 200% of federal poverty standards and county residence for at least six months. This organization is meant to serve as a safety net for low-income, uninsured people who do not qualify for programs such as Medicaid but who cannot afford health insurance and do not have insurance through their employers. It is meant to provide short-term assistance to low-income patients, not as an alternative to health insurance. When a patient is accepted into the program, Project Access makes an effort to find an appropriate physician for the patient's condition, either a primary care physician or specialist, from its volunteer pool. A primary care doctor who sees the patient is then responsible for evaluating the patient or referring the patient to a specialist. Positive Patient Responses Patient feedback attests to the benefits provided by this program to individual patients as well as the community as a whole. A letter to the local Mountain Express newspaper, written by a former patient, expressed the feelings of many of those who have been helped. A native of the county who was disabled by a shoulder injury, Troy Amastar exemplifies the dilemma of those who do not have health insurance though their work. He wrote, "I can't tell you how grateful I am to Project Access that I was able to get an MRI done and am now getting physical therapy for my shoulder, without the added worry of how I will pay for it." Another recipient of Project Access' help wrote, "Because I am one of the many working people living below the poverty level I was not eligible for any federal assistance (ie, Medicaid) at all. And again, because I was (and am still) living below the poverty level, I did not have the funds to properly attend to my health." She was diagnosed with endometrial cancer. "I knew nothing about Project Access at that time and I thought that my diagnosis was a death sentence. . . . I am alive because of Project Access, and the grace of God. I have had several major health issues, a couple which could have been deadly, since enrolling in Project Access. Thanks to the generosity of those involved with this program, my medical needs have all been met." As of late 2012, 92 organizations in the US have adopted the Project Access model for their own communities. While these organizations are stand-alone efforts, they aid each other through an informal network. The members of Buncombe County's program were instrumental in encouraging the formation of a Project Access in nearby Chattanooga, Tennessee. Dr. Joe Cofer became familiar with the activities of Buncombe County's organization and helped to found a similar system in Hamilton County. Directed by Rae Bond, this group began operation in 2004. Similar to the original program, the Chattanooga group is also a partnership of local healthcare entities such as hospitals, clinics, health centers, and the Hamilton County health department. The needs of the program change from year to year but, since its inception, Hamilton County Project Access has provided $65.5 million in healthcare services. As it received support and training from the Buncombe County group, it has reciprocated by providing encouragement and aid to other communities seeking help in creating their own Project Access organizations. While programs such as Project Access should not be considered an alternative to health insurance or healthcare reform, for many sick people who must work but still cannot afford health insurance, Project Access offers assistance and helps to change lives. For doctors, it confirms why many of them chose the profession. According to Dr. Landis, "Project Access really brings back why we went into medicine. It's extremely satisfying to be involved in this." About the Author Shyla Nambiar is a freelance writer based in Atlanta, Georgia. She can be reached at [email protected]. Other articles by Ms. Nambiar on Angels in Medicine: - Reaching New Heights: The Himalayan Health Exchange (2/8/11) - Women for World Health: Saving the World, One Patient at a Time (5/4/09) - Remote Area Medical: Making Global House Calls (12/8/08) - Treating Pediatric AIDS Globally: Mark Kline, MD and BIPAI (8/25/08) - Dr. Lanny Smith and Doctors for Global Health (4/29/2008) About Angels in Medicine Angels in Medicine is a volunteer site dedicated to the humanitarians, heroes, angels, and bodhisattvas of medicine. The site features physicians, nurses, physician assistants and other healthcare workers and volunteers who reach people without the resources or opportunities for quality care, such as teens, the poor, the incarcerated, the elderly, or those living in poor or war-torn regions. Read their stories at www.medangel.org.

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How barnacles put the 'farm' in offshore wind farm Offshore wind farms can have some benefits for marine life, according to researchers. The wind turbines can serve as artificial reefs for barnacles, which attracts hungry fish and hungry seals. No one doubts that the rotating turbines of offshore wind farms can hazardous to avian life, and that the devices’ constant whine can scare off some marine mammals from traditional habitat. Now there’s new evidence that at least some sea life can actually benefit from these structures. Researchers from Britain, the Netherlands and the United States report in the new issue of Current Biology that wind farms can be rich sources of the foods that sustain harbor seals. The report says the team studied wind farms in the North Sea and found that they serve as artificial reefs that become bases for barnacles and other crustaceans. These crustaceans, in turn, attract hungry fish, which in turn attract hungry seals. Speaking to The Independent, Dr. Deborah Russell, the lead researcher, explained why this works. The base of each wind turbine is hard, not soft like the sea floor. As a result, she said, “Things like barnacles and mussels will settle on hard structures and then that in turn will attract other marine species, and it builds up over time.” Russell, of the Scottish Oceans Institute at the University of St. Andrews, said these other species include fish such as cod and whiting, which are delicacies for harbor seals. But how does Russell’s team know that the seals are availing themselves in this rich smorgasbord? In 2008 researchers attached global positioning system (GPS) tags on gray and harbor seals in the North Sea, and have since been tracking the mammals’ movements. (Related Article: U.S. Announces Major Offshore Wind Auction) They found that 11 of the seals visited two North Sea wind farms -- the Alpha Ventus off the coast off Germany and the Sheringham Shoal off Britain. The report said several of these tagged seals repeatedly visited these artificial reefs. “The data strongly suggest that these structures were used for foraging and the directed movements show that animals could effectively navigate to and between structures,” said the report, which was funded in part by Britain’s Department of Energy and Climate Change. In fact, one seal returned regularly returned to the British wind farm, Russell said. “I was shocked when I first saw the stunning grid pattern of a seal track around Sheringham Shoal,” she said. “You could see that the seal appeared to travel in straight lines between turbines, as if he was checking them out for potential prey and then stopping to forage at certain ones.” In an interview with the Christian Science Monitor, Russell said the study also shows how seals can tailor their life patterns to their habitat. She said it was “surprising to see how much their behavior was affected by the presence of these artificial structures and how they could actually adapt their behaviors to respond to that.” The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best energy bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs.

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What is a distribution and how does it differ from the distribution next door? Do they provide a different-enough experience to the user who is in search of a capable desktop?Note: The author is Norwegian, please excuse any grammar/syntax errors. What is a distribution? A distribution is the thing that makes Linux an operating system – in addition to the kernel it includes basic tools to put together an operating system. As my technical reference puts it, “software designed to control the hardware of a specific data-processing system in order to allow users and application programs to make use of it.” Each distribution has its own goals. While a commercial product might want to hit a more mainstream group of users, a distribution can be targeted against anything from a huge data server to a client system on a USB hard drive. Commercial companies like Microsoft and Apple tries to encapsulate the main hop, and has succeeded, dare I say. For a desktop user, there are many dependencies, that is, the user expects that the system is equipped with all the tools required to use, maintain and upgrade the system – programs for doing the main tasks and the managing of software and hardware. The programs should be strong and flexible, and the settings connected all-together in an easy-to-use panel. No distribution reassembles these factors today. Why do they not? The open source applications are reaching a very high-quality level – I would say that the most recent version of the K Desktop Environment (KDE) is in itself easier to manage than the Windows environment. The problem many new users experience is the huge leap in software architecture – libraries, source code, the quite complex way of installing programs and the managing of the kernel. The Linux kernel is high-quality work – the problem of it lies in the complicated way to upgrade and maintain it. But this architectural leap as mentioned, first of all the organization of files, folders, settings and the understanding of environment variables, is the base of Linux. It cannot be changed, but it can be made more understandable to the user. Mac OS X managed it, although it is fairly different (based on another branch of UNIX), the system, software and hardware management in this system is ideal for the desktop. Many of the commercial distributions, of Xandros and SuSE tries to reassemble this – and has come significantly closer in simplifying the architectural leap, but not as good as the complete novice would be comfortable. For the Linux to rival Microsoft and Apple on the desktop, standards must be developed. The programs that are included in most modern distributions are superb, but when the user wants to add more possibilities to the system – for example by increasing his hardware, or by applying for more recent versions of software, he gets stuck – either in missing libraries, or a dependency problem. And the usual question after a somewhat succeeded installation, “Where’s my program, I can’t see it?” Experiences from modern distributions The management of software was made very easy for me as a desktop user when Xandros released its second version around Christmas last year. The process of installing had now been simplified significantly. Although I of course am aware of, that this way of management is not unique for this distribution, and that the methods have existed for many years, this was the first distribution that made it easy for me, a quite experienced user to seamlessly manage my system. My experiences from Red Hat and Fedora was of professional and mature ones, but not ideal for desktop use. At first, nothing comes out-of-the-box. The immediate support of multimedia – is very important. I shall also mention that I have tried Lindows, and that my experiences from this one were rather bad. I felt that the track was laid for me, that I was not in charge of the system, and that the possibilities were rarely beyond those defined by the distribution manufacturer. Click-And-Run is indeed a very nice system, but too commercialized for me to use– then I would rather stick to Mac OS X or Windows. Although Xandros also is a commercial distribution, I felt that Xandros Desktop was more of an all-rounder than Lindows, and much easier to use and with much more potential and possibilities. In an operating system I want to do whatever I want – I felt claustrophobia in Lindows, and liberated in Xandros. However, the biggest and most serious problem in all distributions is, that when one is released, the kernel has either moved to the next stage, included important hardware support, or the software that’s bundled is out of date. The very first version of Fedora, dated November last year, is now old, providing the kernel three from 2001 (2.4) and the older version of KDE which through the last months has gone through a complete refreshment. A novice would be completely helpless in upgrading this system to a more recent state, without installing a more recent binary version from a CD, or through a network. The challenge is to emerge all this fantastic software, into a superb distribution, where one can combine strong elements from each product. Last week Novell, the owner of Ximian and SuSE, announced a merge between GNOME and KDE. While I think both sides have strong points, I think a merge between those two would be great to less experienced users. The freedom of choice is the main aim in Linux, but making the choice easier for a novice is a requirement if Linux shall succeed on the desktop. The challenge of a desktop operating system is to make the core of it very easy to manage and seamlessly to use – and then use the potential of this environment to extend the possibilities by adding more software. I think that is where Linux is lacking from the desktop users today, and where Microsoft and Apple have succeeded. Although Linux is a very good alternative for experienced users, the desktop distribution maker’s challenge is not only to do deploy easy-to-use applications, they have to clarify the architecture of Linux, and put together the different pieces of it. This is not the software developer’s job. While the developers should be coordinating their products in accordance with for example FreeDesktop.org – it is the distribution manufacturer’s job to shape the work offered by the developers. As you can see, I do not think that there are too many Linux projects, but that there is too many distributions trying to assemble these projects. About the author: I have been using Linux regularly since 1998. Missing a fast internet connection, I was during the first years of my career stuck with a retail version of Red Hat. Over the past two years, I have been trying most of distributions.

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WE ARE OF THE SAME BLOOD Contents of works of art are multi-level. They are inundated with countless psychological states of mind, symbols and allegories. In physical sciences (exact, natural, etc.) researches apply a few hypotheses and assumptions based on which they arrive at a resolution and interpretation of phenomena under study. In the arts (or generally humanities) researchers deal with countless, diverse and complicated layers, points of view and nuances. Obviously it is impractical to use numerous hypotheses for as many diverse conditions. For this reason they too resort to grouping layers, and sub-texts, which often result in generalizations, loss and disregard of delicate nuances and minute variations. Artists do not always wish to express their ideas or opinions directly. They very often, deliberately or subconsciously “hide” or “transform” what they wish to express, due to personal or public taboos and circumstances. There are scores of very personal feelings or conditions: sentiments, relation-ships, emotional instances, etc., which the artist hesitates to express. On the one hand he or she has insurmountable urge to get these feelings out, and on the other hand hesitates or fears to share them with others. In order to overcome this dichotomy the artist sometimes replaces events, phenomena and objects by different forms and images, thus expressing whatever he or she wants, and in the meantime hiding it from direct interpretation of the audience. As a result yet another general layer is added to the existing ones. It is important to note that such and similar solutions are mostly adopted by the artist instinctively, instead of deliberately and predetermined. This is the basic difference between a physical scientist and an artist. Iskandaryan, besides the above-mentioned general layer, has at least two more layers: the surrealistic and the allegoric ones. Adding a layer of artist’s personal, as well as communal-collective symbols has resulted in a multi-color, deep-layered and complex body of works. For a moment let us assume that the artist is absent, or does not wish to “expand on” or describe her work, but non-the-less we feel mesmerizing wisdom of the works, which we are unable to completely comprehend or interpret. Perhaps social and collectively held symbols can be partially recognized and comprehended by the age-group, contemporaries, and compatriots of the artist, but her personal and individual symbols and allegories, if not revealed or explained by the artist, can only be felt, albeit partially, never fully and distinctly… Instead of discussing and analyzing Iskandaryan’s works one-by-one, we propose to pay attention to the following distinctive features and try to form your own, although personal interpretation of the works, which perhaps could be considered yet another, alternative explanation. Why are people presented in the form of beasts? What is the meaning of double-sided animals, whose different sides express different conditions: coexistence, confrontation, jealousy, etc.? What is the signifi cance of introduction of contemporary technological objects (cellular phones, battleships, automobiles, etc.) around beasts? It feels like some works have political connotation. Try to discover and decipher them. There is major presence of theatricality. Why?

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What is in this article?: • More and more growers are finding top yields from adding irrigation water, but when to apply it and how it affects different varieties has been a challenge. COTTON YIELDS across the South benefitted from irrigation in a two-year study of the impacts of irrigation on yield and quality. Cotton is considered to be among the most drought tolerant crops grown in the Southeast. More and more growers are finding top yields from adding irrigation water, but when to apply it and how it affects different varieties has been a challenge. A recent survey by Cotton Incorporated of 885 cotton growers across the U.S. Cotton Belt indicates moisture shortage is the No. 1 cause lack of yield and lack of sustainable yield. The survey also emphasized the need for drought tolerant cotton varieties, which are rapidly being developed by major cottonseed companies. The water for cotton issue isn’t a new one. Back in the 1940s researchers established that cotton yield is related to cotton plant height, which is related to cell elongation, which is closely related to drought stressed, lower yielding plants. The Cotton Incorporated grower survey initiated a series of tests across the Southeast and Delta to determine how different varieties respond to irrigation at different stages in plant development. Tests with varying types of irrigation equipment were conducted in 2011 and 2012 in Arkansas, Mississippi, Tennessee and South Carolina. Clemson University Cotton Specialist Mike Jones conducted these tests at the PeeDee Agricultural Research and Education Center near Florence, S.C. He used an overhead irrigation system to apply four inches of water to 15 different cotton varieties, including two Americot varieties, one DynaGro variety, one FiberMax variety, three Stoneville varieties, three PhytoGen varieties and six Deltapine varieties — all commonly grown in the Southeast. “Moisture stress for nine days during peak cotton bloom seems to be the most critical time,” Jones says. “During vegetative growth of the cotton plant, root growth out-paces shoot elongation, so we don’t usually see much impact of water stress during the early part of the growing season, he adds. “If we see moisture stress during construction of the cotton canopy, we can get significant reduction in fruiting sites, which will reduce yield. With increased irrigation, the plant gets greater sunlight interception by the canopy, which leads to increased yields, he adds. Technically, under limited soil water conditions, the reduction in transpiration is caused by a highly complex feedback mechanism in the plant that tells the stomata to close and thus limit further water loss from the leaves. As the stomata close, plant temperature rises and the plant undergoes water stress. Stress may not be visible initially, but plant processes begin to slow down as plant temperature goes up.

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It's definitely intriguing how the meanings of words can change over the years. A Blog Around the Clock recently presented a quote that claimed that Charles II described the newly-built St Paul's Cathedral as "awful, pompous and artificial". This was entirely complimentary - "awful" indicates something that inspires awe, "pompous" roughly means "majestic", while "artificial" means that it indicated a great deal of artifice on the part of its builder - and "artifice" would have meant "technical or artistic skill", having not yet gained its current connotation of duplicity and deception. "Automaton" is another word that has changed significantly in meaning. It literally means "self-moving", and so when it was first coined would have indicated the independent, undirected movement and action of the subject - almost the complete opposite of its current usage. I bring up those examples to segue into another change in meaning that I came across yesterday. I happen to have in front of me a copy of the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London for 1866, in which (amongst other things) W. Lilljeborg presented a revised classification for birds. In explaining the principles on which he based his classification, Professor Lilljeborg notes: Irritability seems to us to be the most distinguishing character for birds, and this should consequently be taken into consideration more than others with regard to their classification. I'm sorry? You're classifying birds according to how irritable they are? Fortunately, Lilljeborg further explains, "We do not by irritability mean the muscular strength alone, but vivacity and activity generally". Lilljeborg was basing his classification on a principle that evolution had proceeded from less derived, more sluggish forms to more derived and accomplished forms. All horribly Scala Naturae-based, of course, and more than a little inaccurate in some regards: The swimmers seem to us the lowest, from their showing a tendency to the lowest form of vertebrated animals - the fish-form. In the [penguins], where the wings resemble fins, and where they, as in all other diving birds, serve as such, we have this form most strongly designated. The heavy, clumsy structure, with small wings and short legs, also makes them generally less active than other birds, and shows a lower development of the type of bird. A description obviously heavily biased by observations of penguins almost solely on land, not in the water where they are far more adept. I also had to snicker somewhat at Lilljeborg's complaint about the previous tradition of placing the birds of prey (rather than the passerines he favoured) at the "summit" of avian evolution: A system that places the dirty vultures highest, does not seem to us to indicate a correct idea of the nature of birds. Lest I give you too negative impression of Lilljeborg's skills as a systematist, his final classification stands up fairly well by the standards of the time. The classification itself was generally based on good anatomy - the philosophical considerations mostly affected what order he listed things in. Still, I couldn't read that section on "irritability" without getting the mental image of Professor Lilljeborg, his fingers heavily bandaged, making his way down a row of birds sitting in cages, poking each one in turn with a chopstick and seeing how long it took to snap back. One suspects he probably left the eagle until last. Lilljeborg, W. 1866. Outlines of a systematic review of the class of birds. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1866: 5-20.

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What is sufficient and why informed consent so important for patient care? Why do health practitioners generally have problems in this area? Consent is a basic legal principle that reflects a person’s agreement to something. In a healthcare context it means a person’s agreement to something being performed on them or a sample being taken from them. Informed consent, in a legal sense, reflects that a patient has received the information relevant to them to make an informed decision and they have given permission for the healthcare to be provided. In an ethical sense the provision of informed consent by a patient reflects the end point of a process of engagement in which one or more health practitioners have supported the patient to come to an informed decision to agree to the healthcare offered. Patient-centred care is widely recognised as a core dimension of a quality modern health service. Informed decision-making – a two-way dialogue between patients and their health practitioners about the benefits, risks and alternatives of treatment, taking into account the patient’s personal circumstances, beliefs and priorities – is vital to truly patient-centred care. A well informed patient can be an active partner in decision-making about their care, with realistic expectations about the likely or potential outcomes of their treatment and an additional layer of vigilance and protection against errors or adverse events. Performed well, the informed decision-making process builds trust, prevents harm and reduces surprise and distress if complications or adverse events occur. While consent forms are often necessary for risk management, completing the form is the final step in documenting the patient’s decision about consent; it is not the entire informed decision-making process. Patients need to be given sufficient information to enable them to make informed decisions about their healthcare. Notes of consent discussions often simply say something like ‘risks discussed’. Practitioners should consider the following; - Nature of the problem - Proposed treatment including the expected benefits, common side effects and alternative healthcare options - Risks of treatment - Approximate likelihood of risks (eg. High risk or moderate risk) - Assessment of the patient’s understanding of the proposed treatment - Noting that the patient was given the opportunity to ask questions For particular risky or complex treatments a fact sheet or brochure should be given to the patient. If a brochure is given, it should include the above notes. You should also note in your patient records that the fact sheet/brochure was given and the specific risks listed were discussed. Informed decision-making’ reflects that the aim is for the patient to make the right decision about healthcare (or for the decision-maker acting on their behalf to do so), considering all circumstances of their life. It is still a successful outcome if a patient receives and understands all information appropriate for them to make a decision, and then decides to decline consent to the healthcare, even if it is considered by the health practitioner to offer the best clinical outcome. Failure to obtain a patient’s consent to treatment may result in a civil action for negligence. Registration Board disciplinary action may also follow. Remember your records are your evidence, unfortunately your word against another is generally not effective, many allegations can be years down the track. If you are a Chiropractor, Physiotherapist, Podiatrist, Psychologist, Osteopath or Health Specialist who owns their own practice or clinic & are looking for help with your practice or clinic then using Ideal Practice as your healthcare business coach is the first step.

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Please study the Sacred Peacock and its closest relatives, the Phoenix, Quetzal, Golden Pheasant, Mediterranean or Persian Cockerel etc., which were sacred and propagated around the World by the Devotees of the Supreme Lord. Some of them Heralded the Dawn, and were thus widely revered for their sensitivity to the first light of the day. The Peacock and Persian or Domestic Cock (Rooster, see Wiki) were both important in Judaism, and in the Schools devoted to Asclepios Iasas (Jesus, Ananta-Charaka) the Great Physician. The most familiar Peacock itself was imported from India by the Bible’s King Solomon (Jewish Scriptures [Christian Old Testament], Kings 10:22, 2 Chron. 9:21), and was the Symbol of the Royal Messianic Lineage of David. Scholars have long recognized that the ancient Biblical word for Peacock comes from Tamil Nadu South India. The Sacred Peacock was the Symbol of the One True God and the True God’s Sacred Cities of Jewish Jerusalem (Greek Hiero-Solym), and Heliopolis in Egypt. Some Traditions say that Peacocks adorned the entry before the Holy of Holies. Peacocks are traditionally used to decorate the spice containers used in the Jewish welcoming of Queen Sabbath. Peacocks decorate the Sacred Plates used in Jewish Services and the Royal Vows (Ketubah) that the Jewish Groom makes to his betrothed wife. In the earliest Catholic Christian Art, the Peacock represented Jesus and Eternal Life through Him in Christian Tomb Art. Later the Peacock was frequently depicted in Catholic scenes of the Birth, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are many other Peacock connections that can be found in the related Bhakti Traditions World-wide.

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The fluorescence of dyes added to squid giant axons was studied during action potentials and voltage-clamp steps. One goal was to find fluorescence changes related to the increases in membrane conductance that underlie propagation. A second goal was to find large changes in fluorescence that would allow optical monitoring of membrane potential in neurons and other cells. Attempts were made to measure fluorescence changes using over 300 different fluorescent molecules and positive results were obtained with more than half of these. No evidence was found that would relate, any of the fluorescence changes to the increases in membrane conductance that accompany depolarization; most, instead, were correlated with the changes in membrane potential. The fluorescence changes of several dyes were relatively large; the largest changes during an action potential were 10-3 of the resting intensity. They could be measured with a signal-to-noise ratio of better than 10:1 in a single sweep. ASJC Scopus subject areas - Cell Biology

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The popular science shows that strip science down to its bare essentials. <p>Designed to develop stronger maths and practical skills, helping students tackle the demands of AS and A-level Science.</p> <p>Study and revision guides to provide essential support for exam preparation.</p> Rheology is an enormously far-reaching branch of physics (or physical chemistry) and has a number of different guises. Dipak K. Sarker Classroom activities and resources for students aged 11-19 years with film clips, online games and quizzes. IET offers a range of free secondary curriculum support posters, related to various aspects of electricity and power. IOPSpark has been designed to give teachers, trainees and teacher trainers a one-stop-destination to access the best physics resources available. Authoritative guidance for teachers on practical physics from the Nuffield Curriculum Centre and the Institute of Physics. Institute of Physics Could de Broglie's revolutionary idea that an electron in an atomic orbit can behave as a wave have been inspired by a Himalayan singing bowl? Kaye and Laby provides tables of data, formulae, graphs and charts covering a wide range of science and engineering topics. National Physical Laboratory In this activity students consider how research into variations in the uptake of radioactive isotopes by crop plants could be used to reduce human int The King in a car park - Explore what isotope analysis reveals about the lifestyle of the king.

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Stay safe during National Food Safety Education Month When in doubt, throw it out 9/24/2015, 11:30 a.m. (STATEPOINT) Food poisoning, an illness caused by bacteria or other pathogens in food, causes an estimated 48 million illnesses (representing one out of six Americans), 128,000 hospitalizations and 3,000 deaths annually in the U.S., according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention statistics. With proper food safety practices you can lower your risk substantially, say experts. “Whether whipping up dinner from scratch or simply reheating leftovers, there are important food safety practices you must remember,” says registered dietitian nutritionist and Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics spokesperson Joan Salge Blake. Salge Blake and the experts at the Academy are encouraging everyone to learn four simple steps for food safety during National Food Safety Education Month this September. Harmful bacteria can survive in many places around your kitchen and be spread to food and family, without correct precautions. Wash hands for at least 20 seconds in warm, soapy water. Scrub the backs of your hands, between fingers and under your nails. Proper hand washing may eliminate nearly half of all cases of food poisoning and significantly reduce the spread of the common cold and flu. Use hot, soapy water to wash surfaces and utensils after each use, including appliances, countertops and cutting boards. Don’t forget dishcloths and towels. Wash them frequently on the hot cycle of your washing machine. Disinfect sponges in a chlorine bleach solution and replace worn sponges frequently. Cross-contamination occurs when juices or bacteria from raw meat, poultry, seafood and eggs touch cooked or ready-to-eat foods. Keep these items separate from other foods in your shopping cart, grocery bags and refrigerator. Place them in plastic bags to prevent juices from leaking, and on the refrigerator’s bottom shelf, so their juices don’t drip on other foods. As you cook, keep raw meats, poultry, seafood and eggs separate from ready-to-eat foods by using different cutting boards, plates and utensils. “Many people think they can tell when food is done simply by checking its color and texture, but one out of every four hamburgers turn brown before reaching a safe temperature,” says Salge Blake. A food thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure food has been cooked to a high enough internal temperature to kill harmful bacteria. Internal cooking temperatures vary from food to food. Cooling foods promptly and properly slows the growth of harmful bacteria and helps prevent food poisoning. Refrigerate perishable foods within two hours, or one hour if the temperature is above 90 degrees Fahrenheit. Use a refrigerator thermometer to ensure the refrigerator is set at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or below and the freezer at zero degrees Fahreinheit or below. Tasting just a tiny bit of contaminated food can cause serious illness, so toss all expired foods. If you’re unsure, remember: when in doubt, throw it out. Check out free resources, including the Is My Food Safe? app and the information available at HomeFoodSafety.org. Food poisoning is a serious concern that can often be avoided. Use National Food Safety Education Month as an opportunity to learn more.

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"Keep absolutely still. Its vision's based on movement."A Living Motion Detector is a person, monster, or robot that can only detect you if you're moving. Depending on its level of intelligence, it may forget about you when you stand still, or it may go looking for you. A common tactic in combating one is to somehow make objects around you move while you yourself stay still, causing it to attack the moving object instead of you. — Dr. Grant, Jurassic Park open/close all folders Anime and Manga - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: - Notorious B.I.G., a Stand in Vento Aureo, has this trait. Trish manages to confuse it by using her Stand to shake the chairs on the train she was riding, leading it to attack them instead. - Diego's raptor form (achieved via Scary Monsters) from Steel Ball Run works like this, similar to the T-rex in Jurassic Park. - In explaining why their zombies are different, High School Of The Dead posits that, since the brain and the optical nerves are dead, zombies detect through vibrations instead of visual signifiers. This can be useful for distracting zombies, as a wet cloth thrown against a locker will cause a horde to turn away from the human standing right in front of them. Films — Animated - On How to Train Your Dragon, Gobber tells his students that Deadly Nadders have a blind spot due to the horn on their snout. Unfortunatly, the don't have a "deaf spot", as Ruffnut and Tuffnut find out after their arguing over the blind spot clues the Nanner to their location. - When the T. rex appears on Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Manny tells everyone to stand perfectly still. Unfortunately, one hedgehog doesn't take the hint, and his screaming and running away alerts the T. rex. Films — Live-Action - A variant in Pitch Black, in that the monster can't see you if you stand between its eyes, because of a blind spot caused by their armored heads. - The underground Graboids in Tremors can only detect you by the vibrations caused by your movements. - In a variant, the Blind Dead from the Spanish film series Tombs Of The Blind Dead can only track you down if you make a sound. Staying still helps. It can't save you forever, however — they can hear your heart beating. - The Deadly Spawn has very toothy grinning aliens who are blind but hunt by sound. Be very quiet and it won't notice you. - Invoked in The Ugly Dachsund, where Mr. Toyama plays dead after he mistakes Brutus for a lion. - The Tyrannosaurus rex from Jurassic Park has "vision based on movement." - The Tyrannosaurs in Jurassic Park are thought to do this, as a side effect of their frog DNA (frogs really can't see prey if it doesn't move). In the second novel, it's explained that T. rexes can see things that were standing still perfectly well, as one man fatally finds out. The T. rex in the first book had just been ignoring the humans because it wasn't hungry. - Hunter-seeker drones in Dune fly towards anything that moves, killing on contact. - In Piers Anthony's On a Pale Horse, Zane faces off against a demon that looks like a 5 meter tall preying mantis. He realizes that it can only perceive him as prey if he moves. (And he can even do that as long as he doesn't move in a way that resembles the motion of prey.) - The dragons in the Steerswoman books, which are actually robots. - In Shadows For Silence In The Forests Of Hell, moving too fast will draw the attention of the shades. If their eyes are closed, you can move slowly and they won't notice you. If their eyes are green, then holding perfectly still may cause them to lose interest and close their eyes again. If their eyes are red, you'd better run, because only getting behind silver will save you. Live Action TV - The assassin in "Blind Date" is blind but has learned to detect "other parts of the electromagnetic spectrum." The net result is that she's a human example of this trope, at least when she's fighting someone like Angel who doesn't generate body heat. - The Raston warrior robot from the Doctor Who episode "The Five Doctors." - Possibly the hand-mines from "The Magician's Apprentice"/"The Witch's Familiar", assuming they're living bioweapons and not machines. - The monster Silvagon of Ultraman Tiga could only see movement, leading to a hilarious scene where Ultraman strikes at it, then freezes up as soon as it turns to face him. This gets especially silly when he's forced to hold a precarious crane stance. Eventually Silvagon gets fed up and starts blindly running around, lashing at the air. - Dungeons & Dragons has a shrieker, a giant underground mushroom that reacts to light or movement. Its sole purpose is to alert and attract monsters. - In Warhammer 40,000, according to the 5th edition Tyranid Codex, it was, until recently, believed that Raveners couldn't see anything that wasn't in motion. It was later proved that they can see stationary objects (and people) just fine; they are compelled to chase opponents, when a biologist studying them ordered his men to remain still when attacked by them. - One of the boss creatures in Half-Life is a massive but completely blind tentacle that detected you by your footsteps. You can either crawl past silently, or set off an explosion and run past while it strokes at the louder noise. - Similarly, Los Garradors in Resident Evil 4 are blind and hear your movement if you're running, as well as your commands to Ashley. Sadly for them, you fight them in the vicinity of bells — one strategy for defeating them involves shooting the bell and then shooting its weak point while it's distracted. Another is simply walking, which they can't hear. - One of the enemies in Yoshi's Island is Boo Man Bluff, a blindfolded Boo that homes in on Yoshi whenever the cute little dinosaur makes a sound. That includes jumping, throwing eggs, or even touching coins; the ghosts have good enough hearing to hear the obligatory video game blips and beeps. To add to the fun, the ghost can only home in on the place where you last made the sound, and looks quite clueless and confused when you aren't there. The blind Boos also appear in Super Princess Peach. - The Berserker from the first Gears of War was blind, but could detect where you were through your footsteps, as well as your smell. - The Witch from Left 4 Dead doesn't seem to care about you until you a) get really close, b) make a ton of noise in her direction or c) blind her with your flashlight. Then she gets pissed, and it's Losing Your Head time! - The Lickers in Resident Evil 2 and Resident Evil 5. - Fallout: New Vegas has Blind Deathclaws, which have high perception despite their blindness, and which will alert other Deathclaws when they detect you. - Deep Sleep Trilogy has the bottom feeders, who will devour you if you move the mouse too far too fast. - Penumbra includes the enormous Grey Rock Worms. They fit this trope to a T, judging by the research papers left behind, are very hard to escape from, and they charge like bulldozers towards their prey. It's implied that the Tuurngait virus is what made them grow so large, as nobody factored in how big they could grow when the mine was still active. - Doggo from Undertale can only see moving things. This is largely so he can serve as a Justified Tutorial for "blue" attacks that can't hurt you if you stand still. - The Wendigo in Until Dawn have motion-based vision due to deteriorated senses, at one point even attacking each other due to being the only beings moving in the area, and deeming one another a threat by default. - Funtime Foxy in Five Nights at Freddy's: Sister Location attacks the player based on their movement, leaving them alone if they stay still. Night 3 requires the player to cross a pitch-black hallway and avoid moving when Funtime Foxy is nearby. The return trip isn't as fool-proof, however, but Foxy doesn't kill you after the jumpscare. - The Kua-Toa of Tales from My D&D Campaign can see invisible things only if those invisible things are moving. - Poked fun at in Family Guy where Peter and Lois encounter a prostitute who sees by movement. - Phineas and Ferb and Candace travel back in time and encounter a T. rex in "It's About Time"; Phineas advises this technique and admits his surprise when it actually works. - Avatar: The Last Airbender: Toph Bei Fong is blind from birth, but this, by forcing her to rely on her other senses, has resulted in her earthbending abilities being so developed that she can sense every movement and position of every person and object around her, so long as it's standing on earth, metal or stone. By sensing a person's heartbeat and physical reactions she can also tell whether or not they're lying. - Parodied on The Amazing World of Gumball, when Gumball and Darwin try it on Tina. Tina responds with "That only works in movies." - In an episode of The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron, when Jimmy, Carl, and Sheen accidentally travel back to prehistoric times, Carl is attacked by a T. rex and Sheen tells him not to move, only for Jimmy to tell him that theory has been discredited, so Sheen tells Carl to run. - Frogs are extremely nearsighted, but capable of detecting movement at a distance. - Many insects. The compound eyes present in many species are awful at making out detail, but excellent at detecting even minute movement. - As well as many fish. - Dogs are visually more attuned to motion than color. - Some strains of the Siamese cat have poor eyesight due to genetic problems. These cats react better to motion than stationary scenes or objects as a result. Some will move their heads to produce the necessary movement in their field of view so that they can determine where everything is. - While many people think that bulls hate red, they're actually enraged by the motion of the cloth, not the color.

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Throughout history the Yucatán Peninsula has been somewhat separate from the rest of Mexico. The pre-Colombian Maya civilizations were more closely linked to Guatemala and Central America than to central Mexico. It took the Spaniards and Mexicans almost 400 years to gain full control of the Peninsula. In the 16th century, the Conquistadors needed about 25 years and numerous battles to establish a permanent foothold on the Peninsula, essentially limited to the area around Mérida. It would take another 150 years and tens of thousands of indigenous conscripts before they would gain effective control over the majority of Maya lands. There are a couple main reasons why this took so long. First, the Yucatán had no gold or silver, so the Spaniards had less incentive to subjugate the Maya peoples. Second, the Maya were separated into numerous distinct political units each with its own army and will to resist. In contrast, central Mexico was ruled by the Aztecs and once they were defeated it was easier to take control of the peoples under their rule. In the Yucatán, the Spaniards had to defeat and subdue scores of independent, highly motivated armies, which once subdued, were eager to rebel. Finally in 1697 the Spanish gained some measure of control of most Maya lands by defeating the Itza at Tayasal, which is now the town of Flores in the Guatemalan Petén. However, during the 18th century, most Maya communities retained essential autonomy and self rule. After independence, control of the Peninsula was shared by Mexico, three separate Republics of the Yucatán (see an earlier post on the Republic of the Yucatán), and the Maya peoples. In general the Maya controlled the southeast and Criollos of the republics of Mexico or Yucatán controlled the northwest. In 1847, the Caste War broke out when the Mayas rebelled against the Hispanic (Criollo) upper class that controlled the Yucatán Republic. The Mayas briefly gained control of virtually the whole Peninsula except for the cities of Merida and Campeche. However, within a year or two, the Criollos retook control of the northeast portion of the Peninsula. Campeche became independent from the State of Yucatán in 1858 and achieved full statehood in 1863. However, the Mayas maintained control of the southeast portion of the Peninsula. Skirmishes continued on and off for more than 65 years. The British even recognized the independence of the Chan Santa Cruz Maya government in the southeast to facilitate trade with British Honduras, (now Belize). In 1884 a treaty was signed reuniting the southeast with Mexico as the new State of Chan Santa Cruz. But the treaty was canceled a year later when Chan Santa Cruz experienced a coup d’état. In 1893the Britain withdrew their recognition of Chan Santa Cruz by signing an agreement recognizing Mexico’s sovereignty over the area. This facilitated British industrial and railroad investment in President Porfirio Diaz’s Mexico. However, the Mayas maintained de facto control of the area. In 1901, the Mexican army took military control of the capital of Chan Santa Cruz, in the current State of Quintana Roo. A year later, the central government carved the territory of Quintana Roo from the State of Yucatán. However the government did not have full control of the area; small skirmishes continued. The official end of hostilities came in 1915 when the new Revolutionary Government of Mexico sent General Salvador Alvarado to the Yucatán to implement reforms that essentially eliminated the reasons for the skirmishes. Quintana Roo continued as a Territory until 1974 when it finally achieved statehood.

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We are The Blackbirds! Spring Term 1 Our theme for Spring Term 1 is called Lost. This unit will cover a wide range of aspects from across the curriculum. The main historical focus will be on Edward Wilson, a local explorer from Cheltenham, who was a member of Captain Scott's team that travelled to The South Pole. His journeys and exploration of Antarctica will provide the stimulus for our work in history, science, geography, ICT, art and PSHE. Can we name the continents and oceans? To develop our recall of the names and locations of the 7 continents and 5 main oceans we sang songs and made our own world map jigsaw. We challenged each other with some geography questions. We can name the 7 continents and 5 oceans. Can you? Traction Man is Here! Our theme for Autumn Term 1 is "Traction Man is Here!". Our work across the curriculum will be based upon the series of Traction Man books written by Mini Grey. The children will be going on a series of adventures with Traction Man and his trusty friend Scrubbing Brush. They will be set a series of challenges that will develop their skills across the curriculum as they help him on his special missions. Letters from Mini Grey We enjoyed reading the books by Mini Grey so much that we thought we would write and ask some questions. We received these replies; We think Mini is GREAT! Can we compare materials? Traction Man needed our help! He was on a special mission when it started to rain. He had a selection of materials in his backpack but which one would keep him dry? We developed our science enquiry skills; we made a prediction, tested the materials, made observations, recorded our investigation and used our findings to make a recommendation. Creating Story Characters In her books, Mini Grey creates characters by bringing household objects to life. This inspired us to create our own story characters. We stuck eyes onto objects, created character names and used some of them within our story writing. We tested a selection of every day materials to see how the shapes of solid objects made from some materials can be changed by squashing, bending, twisting and stretching. We made scientific observations and recorded our findings. Super Hero WOW Day! We knew that Traction Man is a hero so we decided to have a super hero day. We all dressed up as our favourite hero. The Blackbirds are super heroes! We each made a super hero hand puppet. We planned a puppet design on paper, applied our measuring skills, developed our sewing skills to join the felt hand templates, cut and attached all of the design features out of felt and then evaluated our final product against our plan. Proud of our achievements. Can we Demonstrate Our Place Value Skills? In Maths we learnt about place value. We used a variety of equipment to demonstrate our knowledge of tens and ones. Where is Traction Man? When we came into class Traction Man, Traction Girl and Scrubbing Brush had disappeared! We searched around the school for them and eventually found them in the Music Garden. We used our searching adventures as the stimulus to write a recount. Can We Apply Our Science Skills and Knowledge? Traction Man needed our help again. He had rescued his friends from the Terrible Twig Twins but now they were stuck up a tree! He had a selection of materials in his backpack but which would be the best one to use to travel down a zip wire? We began by investigating the materials in his backpack, testing them to see how we could change their shapes by bending, twisting, stretching or squashing and identifying material properties that would make them good for the job. We made a prediction of which would be best and then went into the hall to work like scientists and test each material. We worked in teams, applied our science skills and knowledge, made observations, recorded our investigation and made a recommendation of which material Traction Man should use. We think science is brilliant! Can We Find Out About Toys From The Past? In History, we researched how and why toys have changed over time. To begin, we brought some of our own favourite toys in. We talked about the materials they are made from and the special features that make them fun to play with. How Have Toys Changed? We compared some old and new toys and identified similarities and differences. We looked at a selection of Action Men and identified how he has changed over a 60 year period, for example, how his hands have changed from stiff to flexible plastic allowing him to grip his equipment, how some were battery powered allowing him to talk and how some had eyes that could move. We linked the changes to advances in technology, manufacturing processes and the materials that were available to make the toy. Autumn Term 2 Our topic for Autumn 2 is 'Art Attack'. Within this unit we will develop our knowledge of a range of artists and use their work to inspire our own. We will use a wide range of materials to develop our skills, creativity and evaluation skills. Looking at Famous Artwork To begin our Art Attack topic, we did an 'Art Treasure Hunt'. We each had a quiz sheet that contained small details from a selection of famous paintings. We had to look closely at prints of the paintings to spot which one the detail had come from. We then recorded the name of the artist, the painting and the date it was painted. We shared our opinions of some of the artwork and explained our reasons. We voted and our favourite painting was 'Water Lily Pond', painted by Claude Monet in 1899. Can We Develop Our Understanding Of Sculpture? We shared what we knew about sculpture, looked at some examples and shared our opinions. We developed our understanding of sculpture as a form of 3D art, how it looks different as you move around it and our knowledge of materials that can be used to create it. Can We Create Pebble Sculptures Inspired by Henry Moore? We looked at work by Henry Moore, learnt that he was often inspired by natural materials that he found in the countryside and had a go at designing our own pebble sculptures. We created our own Pebble Artwork Gallery. In English, we had been learning about and writing instructions. We followed some to make foil sculptures. We evaluated our work, sharing opinions and discussing what had worked well and what we would improve next time. We then applied our science knowledge, thinking about the material properties of foil and the ways that we had changed it by bending, squashing and twisting during the sculpting process. Can We Be Inspired By The Work Of Andy Goldsworthy? Andy Goldsworthy is a famous British artist. He is an environmental artist because he uses natural materials to create his artwork, takes a photograph and then leaves it for nature to remove. We looked at a selection of his work and were inspired to have a go ourselves. We developed our team skills as we talked our ideas through and then worked together to create them using leaves and pebbles. Whilst looking at the work of Andy Goldsworthy, we had seen some art created out of ice. We decided that we wanted to have a go ourselves.We each made an ice block with natural materials frozen inside. We discussed patterns and shapes that we could create and then worked together to create our own ice artworks using our frozen blocks. We shared and explained our thoughts and opinions. In Maths we have been learning about money. We used the coins to pay for items and worked out how much change should be given using our counting on skills. Can We Improve Our Sporting Skills? The Sports Challenge coaches provided us with an afternoon of exercise. We had the opportunity to get activity for the afternoon playing Lacrosse, tag rugby and archery. Can We Become Masters of Multiplication? In maths, we began working on our multiplication skills. To help us develop our understanding that multiplication is combining equal groups we began with lots of activities to identify equal groups. We used our knowledge to make arrays. Arrays are equal groups that are arranged in rows and columns, they represent a multiplication sentence and help us to count objects in an efficient way. We used counters to develop our skills in a practical activity. Can We Develop Our Musical Skills? This term we have used Charanga, a musical education platform, as a starting point and incorporated class topics within our lessons. We started by exploring African music. We have appraised songs alongside learning to sing and play the tunes on the glockenspiels. We used Djembes (African drums) to create rhythms to play together and learned to play in time. To support our science work on materials, we looked at various percussion instruments, what they are made of and how the sounds are made. In November, we learnt ‘Ring of Fire’ and made sounds that made us think of fire. We worked on a Charanga topic called ‘Imagination’ which involved the children expressing their ideas about different animals through song. As we have moved closer to Christmas we have been working on the nativity performance and learning the Christmas Charanga topics using glockenspiels. Can we develop our performance skills? This year, our nativity play was called “A Miracle in Town!”. We rehearsed our lines, learnt some songs, developed our performance skills and enjoyed putting it all together to perform the play. Due to Covid we recorded it to be streamed to parents. Can We Design and Make a Junk Sculpture? We looked at the work of Sir Anthony Caro who joins materials to create shape and pattern. We were inspired! We investigated a variety of ways to join ‘Art Straws’ and applied our skills to create a shape that would stand. To add feature shapes and patterns we had a selection of recycled materials to choose from. We planned our design, made it and evaluated our work. Happy Elf Day! A class full of happy Blackbird elves! Can We Use Our Art Skills to Create Christmas Decorations? To make a Christmas angel decoration we made 3 loops of wire and twisted the ends (we linked this with our changing shapes science work). We dipped these into a material called ‘Fantasy film’ which creates a stained glass effect. We then put the wires through a bead to create the head, body and wings. They look fantastic! Proud of our artwork Can we develop our printing skills? We explored using printing techniques to create one of our Christmas cards. We used a potato to print Rudolf’s head and ears and our fingers to print his nose. We also used a stamp to transfer ink to print words and snowflakes. Can we create a 3D pop–up card? We also wanted to create a card that was 3D and had movement. We developed our folding skills to create a 3D Christmas tree on the front. So that the card had movement we developed our folding skills further by following instructions to make a pop-up snowman for the inside of our card. Great Fun Exploring Primary and Secondary Colours To recap our knowledge of primary and secondary colours we set up an investigation. We had 3 glasses of water one that had been coloured with blue food dye, one with red and one with yellow. We placed an empty glass between each and a piece of kitchen roll between the glasses. The liquid travelled through the paper and collected in the empty glasses. As it mixed it created a secondary colour! We also made primary colour fans. We placed the fans on top of each other to create a secondary colour and looked through. Brilliant! We know that red, yellow and blue are the primary colours and that red + yellow = orange blue + red = purple blue + yellow = green

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Obedience to the Word of Wisdom, it is commonly known, was not always a requirement for entering the Temple or advancement in the Priesthood. What is less clear from the historicl record is when this principle moved to become a requirement. President Joseph Fielding Smith believed the change occurred in 1851, but an excellent article by McCue has shown this cannot be the case . Others have argued that it occurred under the Joseph F. Smith administration (he seems to have been the first to have said it was a commandment – but it was only made a test of fellowship in extreme cases and informally in a letter dated Dec 28 1915 ). Contrastingly Thomas Alexander argued that it happened under President Grant. I agree with Alexander, but there is even confusion about when it was made official, was it early 20’s or early 30’s and what led to these changes? According to Allen and Leonard ‘perhaps no doctrine was preached more enthusiastically by President Grant or stressed more in Church literature during his administration than the Word of Wisdom’ . Arrington’s seminal (if not a little controversial essay) on the economic factors that led to the importance of the Word of Wisdom deals with the period till 1900 and misses some crucial occurrences in the lead up to this principle becoming a ‘commandment’. President Grant had a friend who had died young because of alcohol related problems (according to Truman Madsen it was cirrhosis of the liver ). At the funeral President Grant records, in a sermon given in 1931, that ‘as I stood at his grave I looked up to heaven and made a pledge to my God that liquor and tobacco would have in me an enemy who would fight with all the ability that God would give me to the day of my death, and I have kept that pledge so far’. Perhaps what haunted President Grant most was that this young man had given up his habits to serve a mission, but had quickly resumed them when he finished his service. According to the Encyclopaedia of Mormonism ‘The [prohibition] movement intensified the Church’s interest in the Word of Wisdom. There is evidence that Church Presidents John Taylor, Joseph F. Smith, and Heber J. Grant wanted to promote adherence to the Word of Wisdom as a precondition for entering LDS temples or holding office in any Church organization; and indeed, by 1930 abstinence from the use of alcohol, tobacco, coffee, and tea had become an official requirement for those seeking temple recommends.’. It seems this interest became even more pronounced when the calls for repeal began. President Grant’s concern can be seen in his April 2, 1932 General Conference address. There was a controversial speech by Elder Stephen L. Richards at that same conference which will be discussed later. But at the very least, it seems that President Grant’s emphasis on making the Word of Wisdom a requirement emerged out of a political context in which he saw liquor becoming a problem for the Latter-day Saints. He had lived through and been an Apostle through some of the previous period of emphasis which Arrington documents, and perhaps did not want to see the Church membership go down that road again. Perhaps President Grant saw the Church collectively as being like his friend. He may thought the membership would enter a period of relapse; and he was trying to prevent it. What is surprising, is that in President Grant’s sermons on this issue and on the policy change he does not cite any direct revelation. Interestingly, President Grant said in 1928, which seems to contradict Alexander’s thesis of the 1921 date, that ‘the Lord has not made this an absolute commandment’. The implication here from President Grant however, is that if the Lord asks his people to do something then we should respond. In addition, in a CHI (published in 1928) the Word of Wisdom was not explicitly mentioned as a requirement for the Temple, but was in the 1933 edition . Thus although the issue seems to have been informally incorporated as policy its codification was not enforced until the early 1930’s in-line with the possible repeal of Prohibition. In addition, the evidence suggests that there has never been a sustaining vote on this issue . I am not claiming that President Grant never believed he had received revelation on this issue nor that he never shared a testimony that he believed this principle was revelation. What interests me is how, as a Prophet, he did not justify this change by referring to a revelatory experience but rather in a personal commitment to a principle and to political or social fears. I would have expected an effort, like President Kimball discusses, of overcoming bias and prejudice that individuals hold in order to prepare for revelation. For President Grant it seems that he moved forward in a different way. Stephen L. Richards who was an Apostle during this time gave a sermon, which was apparently not printed in the conference report because it angered President Grant. It has been subsequently printed by Sunstone. The sermon suggested that there was fanaticism in the way Church leaders had approached the issue of the Word of Wisdom, and other behaviours. The date Sunstone give for the delivery of this sermon is the 9th April 1932. Although there was not a General Conference session on that day, Stan Larson (source – fn 79) in a footnote in his work on B.H. Roberts makes reference to a Salt Lake Tribune article and First Presidency meeting that discussed Richards’ talk on the 9th and the day after. Sunstone claim they got their transcript from the Church archives. So there is some confusion in my mind at least about where this comes from. However, according to Michael Quinn , on May 5th 1932, Stephen L. Richards told the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve that he will resign as apostle rather than apologize for his general conference talk which argued that the Church is putting too much emphasis on the Word of Wisdom. However on the 26th May he later recanted and apologised for his remarks. What this suggests to me is that this move may have been as much a personal drive from President Grant as from a revelation. Moreover, it certainly was not wholly accepted at face value by all of the twelve. 1. Robert J. McCue, Did the Word of Wisdom become a Commandment in 1851? in Dialogue, no. 3 [Salt Lake City, UT.: Dialogue Foundation, 1981], p. 66-77. 2. Thomas G. Alexander, The Word of Wisdom: From Principle to Requirement in Dialogue, no. 3 [Salt Lake City, UT.: Dialogue Foundation, 1981], pp. 79 3. James B. Allen and Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-day Saints, 2nd ed., rev. and enl. [Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1992], 525 – 526. 4. Truman G. Madsen, The Presidents of the Church, [Salt Lake City, UT. Deseret Book, 2004). 5. President Heber J. Grant, Answering Tobacco’s Challenge in Improvement Era, 1931, (Vol. Xxxiv. June, 1931. No. 8.) 6. Joseph Lyons, Encyclopedia of Mormonism, 1-4 vols., edited by Daniel H. Ludlow (New York: Macmillan, 1992), 1584. 7. D. Michael Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power [Salt Lake City, UT.: Signature Books, 1997).

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Teaching in Bahrain Location: Middle East Capital City: Manama Population: 1.3 million Government: Constitutional monarchy Currency: Bahraini Dinar (BHD) Main Language: Arabic Main Religions: Islam, Christianity The Kingdom of Bahrain is a Middle East island country situated in the Persian Gulf between Saudi Arabia and Qatar, with Iran lying 124 nautical miles to the north. Bahrain is made up of an archipelago of 33 islands which are mostly desert. The capital Manama lies on Bahrain Island, the most densely populated area, with over two thirds of Bahrain’s 1.3 million people residing there. Following over a hundred years as a British Protectorate country, Bahrain officially claimed independence in 1971. It is estimated that over half of the country’s residents are non-Bahraini, mainly coming from other Arab nations and Southern Asia. Bahrain is a Muslim country which has been ruled by the Khalifa family since 1783, with a bi-cameral legislature made up of a Chamber of Deputies elected by the people and a Shura Council appointed by the King. The cultural, religious and political divide between the ruling Sunni minority and the majority Shia population has led to long-running tension in the region, which has erupted in violent protests in recent years. Bahrain was one of the first Middle East nations to discover oil in the area and build a refinery. However, oil production has never reached the same heights as that of Saudi Arabia and Bahrain’s economy has had to diversify into other areas such as banking, finance and tourism. Bahrain’s culture shares many similarities with those of its Arab neighbours in the Gulf region. Islamic rules govern the country’s cultural, economic and political life and those from western nations may initially find Bahrain highly conservative. However, Bahrain is regarded as relatively liberal and cosmopolitan compared with its near neighbours of Iran and Saudi Arabia, indeed its culture has been described as ‘Middle East lite’ with less restrictions on women’s rights and tolerance of other religions. Bahrainis are known to be friendly and welcoming towards expats and have a relaxed attitude towards other cultures. Bahrain is a small country with a wide range of things to do. Popular pastimes include shopping -either at the country’s large air-conditioned malls or in the colourful souks (markets) – or soaking up the sun on one of Bahrain’s beautiful beaches. Football is the most popular sport along with horse-racing and the more traditional sports of gazelle and hare hunting, usually reserved for wealthier Bahrainis. The Bahrain F1 Grand Prix held at the Bahrain International Circuit is also religiously followed by residents. Bahrain also has a number of important archaeological sites which are open to tourists, such as the The A’ali Burial Mounds thought to be the largest prehistoric cemetery in the world. Bahraini cuisine comprises a medley of flavours influenced by its non-national population from Iran, Lebanon, India and Saudi Arabia as well as the recent incorporation of many western cuisines. Traditional Bahraini dishes include machboos, (a dish of rice and meat) and ouzi (grilled lamb served with rice, eggs, onions, spices and mixed nuts). Flat breads, hummus and tabbouleh (a type of salad made with bulgur, tomatoes, lemon and garlic) are also Bahraini staples. In accordance with Muslim beliefs, meat is halal and pork is strictly avoided, although visitors will find pork products in cordoned off sections in some supermarkets. The end of Ramadan is celebrated by festival of Eis el-Fitr where Bahrainis eat dishes consisting of meat and fish with grains and vegetables, sweet pastries and sago. Coffee is by far the most popular drink in Bahrain, followed by tea, soft drinks and fruit juices and smoothies. As a Muslim country, alcohol is not widely available in Bahrain and is mainly found in hotels catering to foreign visitors. Arabic is the official language of Bahrain and is spoken by around half of the population. Among the non-Bahraini population many people speak Urdu, the official language of Pakistan and Farsi, the official language of Iran. However, Arabic – spoken by over 200 million people around the world – remains the most widely understood language in Bahrain. Bahrain’s role in international business and its considerable influx of western expats means that English is widely spoken and taught in many schools. Bahrainis speak a good level of English with two of the country’s newspapers – The Bahrain Tribune and the Gulf Daily News – written entirely in English. Bahraini Arabic is the most widely spoken dialect in some parts of Manama and within the Shia community. The dialect differs slightly to the Modern Standard Arabic used around the world. However, standard Arabic is taught in schools and used in all formal communication. Sunni Bahrainis speak a dialect which is most similar to the urban dialect spoken in Qatar. Many Bahraini words have also been borrowed from Turkish, Hindi and English and there are distinct differences in accent between urban and rural areas. Bahrain’s climate features extremely hot and uncomfortable summers and mild winters. During the summer months (between April and October) temperatures can reach 50°C and expats not used to such extreme weather may find it difficult to venture far from air-conditioning. In winter (between November and March) temperatures are mild, generally hovering around 10 to 20°C. Bahrain sees very little rainfall (average 70mm per year) which usually comes in short, intense downpours lasting less than an hour. Powerful sunscreen and adequate clothing coverage is a must for visitors to Bahrain. Bahrain has traditionally been a very safe destination for travellers and has low rates of crime. However, recent political unrest has caused problems in the Kingdom, meaning potential visitors should be aware of any upheaval prior to travelling. It is also important to be aware of strict laws surrounding sexual relationships, which are illegal outside of marriage. Alcohol consumption, although not illegal, is limited to hotels. Drunken behaviour in public is a punishable offence which can carry a hefty fine and prison sentence. The education system in Bahrain is considered one of the best in the Persian Gulf. Bahrain was the first country in the region to instigate a public school system and also to admit female pupils to all levels of education. Education is free to all children in Bahrain and is compulsory from age 6 to age 14, when children take the Intermediate Education Certificate examination needed to continue on to secondary school. Upon completion of secondary education, students are awarded the Tawjihi which is necessary for entry into university. Bahrain’s Ministry of Education is responsible for all sectors of public education. The majority of non-Arab expat children attend one of the many private schools in Bahrain, which teach in English and a variety of other languages. The academic year in Bahrain runs from September to June. Schools and universities are closed for the summer break in July and August. However, many private and international schools set their own academic calendar so it is a good idea to contact each school directly to find more information about their term dates. Bahrain has 19 public and private universities and colleges, which are mainly situated in Manama. The leading universities are University of Bahrain, Arabian Gulf University and Ahlia University. Bahrain’s higher education sector consists of publicly-funded state universities and a number of private institutions such as AMA International University and the Medical University of Bahrain, which both cater for overseas students. Many degree programmes are taught in Arabic, however recognising the need for globalization in education, there is now a growing number of programmes taught in English, particularly in private international institutions. Many of Bahrain’s universities are segregated by gender, so men and women study in different classrooms and campuses. The Royal University for Women is Bahrain’s first private, international university dedicated solely to the education of women. Bahrain’s private universities charge tuition fees and the amount depends on the rate set by each institution. However, fees are low in comparison to the UK, and international students can generally expect to pay around 2,500BHD (£3,900) per year for an undergraduate degree. Bahrain offers a wide range of Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in both its public and private universities. International and business degrees (MBA) are particularly popular, with many courses being taught in English. An undergraduate degree generally takes around three to four years to complete and a Master’s takes around two to three years. Bahrain’s universities also have many links and exchange programmes with universities worldwide. Research activities in Bahrain are strictly regulated by the government, however the country has a number of leading research universities, such as the University of Bahrain, which are committed to creating world-class research facilities. The Bahraini think tank DERASAT also promotes research activities in order to inform policy and support independent and innovative research practice. Basic education is free to all children in Bahrain and is compulsory from age six to 14. School attendance is high and the public school system is regarded as comprehensive and modern compared to other Arab nations. Children attend primary school from age six to 11, when they continue to Intermediate school. At age 14, students can opt to go to secondary school where they will complete qualifications needed to enter higher education. All public schools are segregated by gender in Bahrain. Due to the difficulty in overcoming the language barrier and cultural differences in public schools, private schools represent the only schooling option for non-Arab expat children in Bahrain. The high number of English-speaking expats in Bahrain means that competition for private school places can be fierce, so it is a good idea to register your child as soon as you know you are moving there. There are around 30 private schools in Bahrain, dealing with most curriculums. These include British, American, Pakistani, Indian, French and Filipino. The most sought after schools are St Christopher’s and The British School for the UK curriculum, and Bahrain School and Ibn Khuldoon for American and International Baccalaureate curriculums. Fees range from 2,883 BHD (£5348) to 7,056 BHD (£13,089) per year. The majority of pre-school education in Bahrain is provided by private, fee-paying nurseries. There is a wide variety of international nurseries and kindergartens for expat parents to choose from – more information can be found here. The cost of living in Bahrain is comparable with other Gulf nations, with the exception of UAE – the most expensive of the Middle East countries. The general lack of taxation and high inflation have increasingly raised the price of goods and services in Bahrain so many expats will find the cost of living high compared to some western countries. However, the cost of living is entirely dependent on your lifestyle in Bahrain. The capital Manama is the priciest place to live, although expats transferring to Bahrain with their own companies generally command very high salaries and are able to live comfortably. Non-nationals are not permitted to purchase property in Bahrain, so renting is the only option for expats. However, Bahrain has an impressive range of rental property, ranging from high-spec villas with pools to modern and spacious apartments. As with other wealthy Arab nations, there is almost continuous building work underway in Bahrain, where luxury apartment blocks seem to spring up at a break-neck speed. Bahraini landlords are keen to rent to expats because they provide a steady income stream. Rental properties are concentrated in cities and urban areas (you will have great difficulty finding suitable accommodation in desert areas), and rents are higher in the more exclusive areas of Manama. Most foreign nationals tend to rent properties in compounds housing other non-natives, which usually have shared communal facilities such as swimming pools, lawns and gyms. The large presence of a number of multinationals in Bahrain means that most expats move to the region through their employer, who will arrange accommodation using a relocation agent. However, if you wish to go it alone, you can enlist the help of a letting agent such as Bahrain Property Rentals. An expat living alone can expect to pay around 361BHD (£672) per month in Manama city centre and around 273BHD (£508) per month for a property in the suburbs. These figures can be as much as 25% higher if you require furnished accommodation A deposit of two to three month’s rent is usually required on signing a rental agreement in Bahrain. The deposit covers damage to the property and is refunded when the tenant leaves. A municipal tax or local tax (baladiya) which covers refuse collection and road maintenance is paid by all those in rented property. This tax is usually calculated at around 10% of the annual rent and is either paid to the landlord or directly to the local authority. Electricity and water is provided by the state-run Electricity and Water Authority (EWA). Monthly bills are usually paid to your landlord who will contact the EWA on your behalf. Houses are not supplied with gas so if you wish to cook with gas you will need to purchase cylinders through your landlord. Tap water is not safe to drink in Bahrain but you can pay to have bottled water delivered to your home. In terms of internet access, Bahrain is one of the most-connected countries in the Middle East. Bear in mind that internet content is strictly monitored by the government. There is a range of telephone and broadband providers to choose from, such as the state-run Batelco and smaller companies such as Viva. Most expats opt for a satellite television package showing programmes from the UK and America. The average cost of basic utilities (electricity, water, refuse) for an 85m² apartment in Bahrain is around 19.25 BHD (£35.86) per month. A telephone/broadband connection costs around 15BHD (£27.94) per month. There is no TV licence fee in Bahrain. The country’s public service broadcaster, Bahrain Radio and Television Corporation (BRTC) is government owned and funded. Satellite and Pay-TV networks are hugely popular and expats will pay a higher price to receive programmes in their native language. Bahrain has a mixed public/private healthcare system offering a high standard of care with almost non-existent waiting times. The Bahraini government are keen for the country’s medical facilities to be on a par with Europe and America and have invested heavily in attracting the best healthcare professionals from overseas. However, many expats and Bahraini citizens look to other Gulf nations or the USA for more specialised treatment. The International Hospital of Bahrain, the Bahrain Specialist Hospital and the American Mission Hospital are considered to be the best hospitals in Bahrain. Bahrain’s public health service is free or very low cost to both nationals and non-nationals. However, the majority of expats take out a private health insurance policy before moving to Bahrain, which is often provided by their employer. Bahrain offers a wide choice of shopping, from large air-conditioned malls to the colourful souks (market) where bargain hunters can find artisan crafts and souvenirs, jewellery, clothing, spices, fruit and vegetables. Taking in the sights and smells of Manama’s Bab el-Bahrain Souk District is a must for any visitor to Bahrain, where haggling is expected and welcomed. Duty free items such as perfume, gifts and cigarettes are very cheap, although other imported goods will come with a high price tag in the more exclusive malls. For those too short on time to visit the souks, there is a number of large chain supermarkets such as Midway, LuLu and Jawad, which stock a wide range of reasonably-priced groceries. Alcohol – which can only be purchased in hotels and certain restaurants – can be prohibitively expensive in Bahrain. There is no value added tax (VAT) charge in Bahrain except on the sale of fuel (set at 12%). However, fuel is still vastly cheaper (19p per litre) in Bahrain than in Europe, America and Australia. Some goods may also be higher in price due to the import duty paid on them. - Rent 1-bedroom apartment in city centre – 361.50 BHD (£643) - Rent 1-bedroom apartment outside city centre – 273.10 BHD (£508) - Price of apartment per square metre in city centre – 759.17 BHD (£1,414.29) - Price of apartment per square metre outside city centre – 467.40 BHD (£870.73) - Loaf of bread – 0.32 BHD (£0.60) - Milk (1 litre) – 0.53 BHD (£0.99) - Bottled water (1.5 litre) – 0.27 BHD (£0.50) - Draught beer (0.5 litre) – 1.27 BHD (£2.37) - Packet of cigarettes – 1.00 BHD (£1.86) - Petrol (1 litre) – 0.10 BHD (£0.19) - Cinema ticket – 3.00 BHD (£5.59) Source: www.numbeo.com (accessed January 2016) Although salaries for qualified expats are high in Bahrain, your disposable income will depend on your lifestyle. Eating out and socialising in some of Bahrain’s hotels and restaurants can be expensive, especially when buying alcohol. So cooking and entertaining at home and shopping at the souks for cut price groceries are great ways to save money while living in Bahrain. Bahrain is a small country (the largest of its islands is just 55km/34 miles long and 18km/11miles wide) and much of its landscape is desert. Therefore, driving is by far the most convenient way to get around. Most of the Bahrain’s excellent road network is concentrated in and around Manama and the country is connected to Saudi Arabia by the 20km/12 mile-long King Fahd Causeway . There are no restrictions on women driving in Bahrain, however care should be taken when entering Saudi Arabia via the Causeway, as women are not permitted to drive there. Roads in major towns in Bahrain are generally well maintained and are four to six lanes wide at some points. The speed limits in Bahrain are 60km/h (40mph) in towns and residential areas, 80-100km/h (50 to 60 mph) on open roads and 120km/h (70mph) on motorways. There are no toll charges on Bahrain’s roads apart from the Causeway where you will pay 2 BHD (£3.72) to cross in a small vehicle. Bear in mind that tourists are not permitted across the Causeway in hired vehicles. International driving licences are accepted only after confirmation from the Traffic & Licensing Directorate, which can be arranged when hiring a vehicle. Otherwise, you must hold a valid Bahraini driving licence in order to drive in Bahrain legally. Short-term visitors to Bahrain may find driving on Manama’s heavily congested roads a little daunting, so taking a taxi is a good way to get around. Taxis in Bahrain are easily identified by their roof signs and orange colour and can be either hailed in the street or pre-booked in advance. Drivers are legally required to calculate the fare by meter, however some drivers may simply come up with a price at random. It’s advisable to ask your driver to switch on the meter before starting your journey. Buses in Bahrain are operated by the privately owned Cars Transport Corporation, which is regulated by the government. Travelling by bus is the second most popular mode of transport (after the car) and the network connects most towns, cities and residential areas. However, be aware that routes and timetables are difficult to get hold of and Bahrain’s buses are mainly used by migrant labourers and day workers. Expats may be better off either hiring a car or taking a taxi. There are several coach tour operators in Bahrain which organise air-conditioned trips to popular tourist destinations. For further information on how to book and prices consult the Bahrain’s tourist information website here. Due to its small size and a general lack of demand, Bahrain currently has no rail network. However, plans are in place to develop a railway infrastructure which will eventually connect all the Persian Gulf countries. Bahrain has no light rail, underground or tram network. Plans to install a 103km long monorail system which will connect Muharraq, Manama, Seef and Isa Town are currently under review. Hiring a car is the most popular way of getting around in Bahrain. For those wishing to travel further afield, there are several ferry companies which operate between Bahrain and Iran, information on timetables and tickets can be found here. More adventurous travellers may like to take a traditional Bahraini camel ride into the desert or along some of Bahrain’s stunning white sand beaches.

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The complicated college application process can make your teen’s head spin. But one part of the college application process is strictly hands-off for parents: the college essay. Sure, parents have a small role. They can help with brainstorming ideas or providing feedback on ideas. But a parent writing or editing a college essay is a dead giveaway. Many admissions counselors know whether a teen wrote it themselves or someone helped them. Here’s what teens and parents need to know about the infamous college essay. Types of Essays The college essay is the students’ best chance to speak personally to the college admission counselor, providing a firsthand view of that student’s personality. “Essential elements would include quality writing and editing, as well as information that is unique to that student,” says Rachel Schmidtke, executive director of admissions at Hanover College. “We want to learn more about that applicant, other than what’s already on the application.” Most colleges will guide students about what types of topics they would like explored in a college essay. If a college requires the Common Application, look to their website for essay prompts. Other colleges may give suggestions on their site. Most common essay themes run the gamut from writing about service-based activities to a significant event in the student’s life. How to Get Started The first thing a student needs to do is choose a topic or a prompt. Parents can help here. “Parents can be really helpful with this brainstorming, particularly if they understand the role of the essay in the overall application process,” says Amy McVeigh, founder of Smart College Selection, a Zionsville-based educational consulting firm. The key: a narrow focus on a personal topic. Students make a mistake when they select a topic that’s too broad or general, says McVeigh, so they should consider what personal qualities and characteristics the student wants admissions to know. Start the Writing Process Once a student centers on a topic, they should start early — summer is a good time — and write the first draft. “One mistake that students often make is starting too late,” McVeigh says. Using a Paid Writing Coach Admission counselors read thousands of essays. “They can clearly tell the difference between a 17-year-old writing the essay and a middle-aged parent,” McVeigh says. That also includes paid professional writing coaches. If a parent finds themselves helping too much, consider this: What message are they sending? Submitting an essay written by a writing coach or parent represents a false picture of the student’s experiences, plus it could show a lack of trust in their student’s capability to write their essay. Editing and Submitting the Essay Students should never submit their first draft, and they should be prepared to write several drafts. They must show how their story evolves by using a clear first-person point of view and descriptive phrases. Remember, this is a personal story. Students can solicit proofreaders from the family pool, but only if they are specific that all they are looking for is an editor, not a writer. Finally, students should remember that it’s their story to tell. What they have to say is essential and authentic. Often, what a student says in their essay sways the admission counselor because they see not just a collection of grades or standardized test scores, but a real person — someone the admissions counselor wants to know.

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The armed conflict in Yemen has resulted in the largest humanitarian crisis in the world; parties to the conflict have killed and injured thousands of Yemeni civilians. According to the Yemen Data Project, more than 17,500 civilians were killed and injured since 2015, and a quarter of all civilians killed in air raids were women and children. More than 20 million people in Yemen are experiencing food insecurity; 10 million of them are at risk of famine. Since March 2015, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have led a coalition of states in Yemen against Houthi forces that, in alliance with former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, took over Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. Over the past year, these alliances have fractured. Houthi forces, which still control much of northern and central Yemen, killed Saleh after clashes in December 2017. In southern Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have backed rival Yemeni groups—the Saudi-supported Yemeni government led by President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC). In August 2019, clashes occurred between Yemeni government and STC forces, with the UAE carrying out airstrikes in support of the STC. Across the country, civilians suffer from a lack of basic services, a spiraling economic crisis, abusive local security forces, and broken governance, health, education, and judicial systems. Yemen’s economy, already fragile prior to the conflict, has been gravely affected. Hundreds of thousands of families no longer have a steady source of income, and many public servants have not received a regular salary in several years. The country’s broken economy has worsened the humanitarian crisis. Coalition and Houthi forces have harassed, threatened, and attacked Yemeni activists and journalists. Houthi forces, government-affiliated forces, and the UAE and UAE-backed Yemeni forces have arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared scores of people. Houthi forces have taken hostages. Since March 2015, the coalition has conducted numerous indiscriminate and disproportionate airstrikes killing thousands of civilians and hitting civilian structures in violation of the laws of war, using munitions sold by the United States, United Kingdom, and others. Houthi forces have used banned antipersonnel landmines, recruited children, and fired artillery indiscriminately into cities such as Taizz, killing and wounding civilians, and launched indiscriminate ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia. Human Rights Watch has documented at least 90 apparently unlawful Saudi-led coalition airstrikes, including deadly attacks on Yemeni fishing boats that have killed dozens and appeared to be deliberate attacks on civilians and civilian objects in violation of the laws of war. At time of writing, according to the Yemen Data Project, the Saudi-led coalition has conducted more than 20,100 airstrikes on Yemen since the war began, an average of 12 attacks a day. The coalition has bombed hospitals, school buses, markets, mosques, farms, bridges, factories, and detention centers. In August 2019, the Saudi-led coalition carried out multiple airstrikes on a Houthi detention center, killing and wounding at least 200 people. The attack was the single deadliest attack since the war began in 2015. Human Rights Watch has documented at least five deadly attacks by Saudi-led coalition naval forces on Yemeni fishing boats since 2018, killing at least 47 Yemeni fishermen, including seven children. Indiscriminate Artillery Attacks Houthi forces have repeatedly fired artillery indiscriminately into Yemeni cities such as Taizz and Hodeida, as well as launched indiscriminate ballistic missiles into Saudi Arabia, including Riyadh’s international airport. Some of these attacks may amount to war crimes. Children and Armed Conflict Since September 2014, all parties to the conflict have used child soldiers under 18, including some under the age of 15, according to a 2019 UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen report in 2019. According to the secretary general, out of 3,034 children recruited throughout the war in Yemen, 1,940—64 percent—were recruited by the Houthis. In July, the UN secretary-general released his annual “list of shame” for violations against children in armed conflict during 2018. The list detailed that 729 children were killed or injured by Saudi-led coalition, 398 children were killed or injured by the Houthis, and the Yemeni government’s forces were responsible for 58 child casualties. Although the secretary-general listed the Saudi Arabia-led coalition in Yemen, he once again included the coalition in a category of parties taking steps to improve, despite overwhelming evidence that coalition forces killed and harmed children on a large scale in 2018. Houthi-planted landmines across Yemen continue to harm civilians and their livelihoods. Houthi forces have been using antipersonnel mines, improvised explosive devices (IED), and anti-vehicle mines along the western coast of Yemen, resulting in hundreds of civilian deaths and injuries. The landmines have also impeded aid workers’ abilities to reach vulnerable communities. Landmine use has been documented in six governorates in Yemen since 2015. Since January 2018, at least 140 civilians, including 19 children, have been killed by landmines in just the Hodeidah and Taizz governorates. Landmines emplaced in farmland, villages, wells, and roads prevent civilians from going about their daily life, especially farmers whose crops and clean water supply are affected. Demining efforts suffer from poor coordination, misinformation, and inadequate training, and do not comply with International Mine Action Standards (IMAS). Arbitrary Detentions, Torture, and Enforced Disappearances Houthi forces, the Yemeni government, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and different UAE and Saudi-backed Yemeni armed groups have arbitrarily detained people, including children, abused detainees and held them in poor conditions, and abducted or forcibly disappeared people perceived to be political opponents or security threats. The UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen found that UAE and UAE-backed forces practiced arbitrary detention and torture, including sexual violence, in detention facilities they controlled. The detainees subjected to abuse included suspected members of the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, according to investigative media and human rights campaigners’ reports. Since late 2014, Human Rights Watch has documented dozens of cases of the Houthis carrying out arbitrary and abusive detention, as well as enforced disappearances. Houthi officials have also used torture and other ill-treatment. Former detainees described Houthi officers beating them with iron rods and rifles and being hung from walls with their arms shackled behind them. Mothers, sisters, and daughters of abducted men have demonstrated in front of prisons across major Yemeni cities, searching for their kidnapped sons, fathers, brothers, and other male relatives, organized under a group named "Mothers of Abductees Association." The association reported that there are 3,478 disappearance cases, at least 128 of those kidnapped have been killed. Attacks on Civil Society Blocking and Impeding Humanitarian Access The Saudi-led coalition’s restrictions on imports have worsened the dire humanitarian situation. The coalition has delayed and diverted fuel tankers, closed critical ports, and stopped goods from entering Houthi-controlled seaports. Fuel needed to power generators to hospitals and pump water to homes has also been blocked. Since May 2017, journalists and international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, have been facing restrictions by the Saudi-led coalition in using UN flights to areas of Yemen under Houthi control. The coalition has kept Sanaa International Airport closed since August 2016. The Houthis have continued to impose severe movement restrictions, including the flow of aid, into Yemen’s third largest city, Taizz, which has had a devastating impact on the local residents. Since 2015, the fight for control of Taizz between the Houthis and other armed groups has led to indiscriminate shelling and attacks against civilian areas. Violence against Women Prior to the conflict, women in Yemen faced severe discrimination in law and practice. Warring parties’ actions have exacerbated discrimination and violence against women and girls. Parties to the conflict have accused women of prostitution, promiscuity, and immorality using derogatory terms as part of their public threats and harassment against opponents. This increases risks of domestic violence, dissuades women and girls from movement outside the home, and seriously inhibits their participation in the economic and political spheres. There is no minimum age of marriage and child marriage, which was prevalent in Yemen before the conflict. The practice has increased according to UNICEF. Women, like men, have also faced torture and sexual violence during detention, according to the September report by the UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts, which verified 12 cases of sexual violence on five women, six men and a 17-year-old boy. Victims of sexual violence in Yemen are highly stigmatized, meaning vast underreporting is likely. Violence against women has increased 63 percent since the conflict escalated, according to the United Nations Population Fund. Abuse of Migrants Due to its position between the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Yemen has been a key transit location for African migrants seeking employment opportunities in Saudi Arabia. In August, Human Rights Watch documented a network of smugglers, traffickers, and authorities in Yemen that kidnap, detain and beat Ethiopian migrants and extort them or their families for money upon their arrival. Migrants who manage to elude capture and detention by Yemeni smugglers find their lives at increased risk as they travel through areas of active fighting in Yemen. Migrants’ journeys are often delayed due to clashes between Houthi forces and groups aligned with the coalition. The Houthis and forces aligned with the Yemeni government have also detained, abused, and deported migrants. About 260,000 Ethiopians, an average of 10,000 per month, were deported from Saudi Arabia to Ethiopia between May 2017 and March 2019, according to the IOM, and deportations have continued. Of the estimated 500,000 Ethiopian migrants who were in Saudi Arabia when deportation campaigns began in 2017, it is likely that most of them passed through Yemen and faced the hardships documented by Human Rights Watch. Arms sales to the warring parties continue from Western countries such as the US, France, Canada, and others who risk complicity in war crimes and the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. In September, a UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen stated that “The parties to the conflict in Yemen are responsible for an array of human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law. Some of these violations are likely to amount to war crimes.” The UN Group of Eminent Experts in September stated that several world powers, including the US, the UK, and France, may be complicit in war crimes in Yemen through arms sales and intelligence support given to the Saudi-led coalition. The parties have failed to acknowledge any responsibility for violations and refuse to take any meaningful steps to remedy the situations in which they occur. This has resulted in a pervasive lack of accountability, which heightens disregard for the protection of the Yemeni population and foments a climate of impunity. Despite mounting evidence of violations of international law by the parties to the conflict, efforts toward accountability have been inadequate. However, on June 2o, 2019, the UK government agreed to suspend arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the UK Court of Appeal in London ruled that the government’s refusal to consider Saudi Arabia’s laws-of-war violations in Yemen before licensing arms sales was unlawful. The ruling requires the UK government to reconsider its decision on arms sales to Saudi Arabia. The UK is appealing the court decision. Despite multiple congressional efforts in the US to end US arms sales to Saudi Arabia that could be used unlawfully in Yemen, President Donald Trump used his veto power to block such efforts and continued his support to Saudi Arabia, American’s largest weapons buyer. France is under pressure to stop its arms sales to members of the Saudi-led coalition after a surge in its sales to Saudi Arabia. A positive step was the extension of the mandate of war crimes investigators in Yemen by the UN Human Rights Council in September after the group found evidence of grave violations by all sides in the conflict. Key International Actors The UN-brokered peace talks between the Houthis and the Yemeni government in Sweden in December 2018 achieved a cessation of hostilities in the coastal towns of Hodeida, Salif, and Ras ‘Issa. The Stockholm Agreement did not cover other ground fighting and the new military fronts. The US, the UK and other states that support Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirate militarily have also consistently been supporting the UN talks. To date, the UN Security Council has used its sanctions regime against just one side, the Houthis, despite the fact that the Saudi-led coalition has committed numerous war crimes, according to research by the UN Group of Eminent Experts and groups like Human Rights Watch. The murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in October 2018 galvanized international scrutiny of Saudi Arabia’s international law violations in Yemen and other states’ potential complicity in abuses through arms sales. Norway, Finland, the Netherlands and Germany reviewed or suspended their arms sales to members of the Saudi-led coalition. Other countries, notably the US, Canada, France, and Australia are still supplying weapons or military equipment.

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Is valuable also for his flesh. Its name and rat-like appearance have created a prejudice against it as a food, but thousands of persons eat it without compunction. For those to whom the name is a stumbling-block the euphemism " marsh rabbit" has been invented, and under this name the muskrat is sold even in the Wilmington market and served on the tables of white country folk. In Delaware, especially, the muskrat is ranked as a delicacy, and personally the author ranks this rodent with the rabbit as an article of food. At Dover the writer has had it served at the hotel under its own name; the dish was "muskrats and toast." For the benefit of those who revolt at the muskrat as food, it is well to state that it is one of the cleanest of all creatures, that it carefully washes all its own food and in every way conducts itself so as to recommend its flesh even to the most fastidious. As a matter of fact the flesh of the muskrat, though dark, is tender and exceedingly sweet. Stewed like rabbit it looks and tastes like rabbit, save that it lacks a certain gamy flavor that some uneducated persons find an unpleasant characteristic of the latter. But to the writer's way of thinking, while the muskrat is good to eat, there are many things much better; the point is, however, that everything which tastes good and is not indigestible is good to eat no matter what its name may be.

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Mariana Patru, UNESCO The importance of Education in all stages of development. The increasing changes that the Information Society and Globalization are bringing impact all aspects of life. Life long learning is one of the paradigmatic effects of the recent changes the World’s been in. Beyond digital literacy, and digital exclusion because of lack of physical access, there’s a huge knowledge divide that needs to be fought: access to useful, culturally relevant knowledge. ICT4D as a tool to fight the digital divide Tim Unwin, Royal Holloway University of London and World Economic Forum’s Partnerships for Education programme with UNESCO. Fight the digital divide or build on individual strengths? Begin with information and communication needs, being the fundamental part “for Development”. ICT4D partnerships have been very successful: they have been fostered per se, but also the private sector has had a leading role in ICT4D, in contrast with a lack of understanding among donor agencies. On the other hand, partnerships have worked well because ICT4D is still a complex an unknown area where collaboration is strongly needed. But partnerships have also failed: partnerships with no clear goals or even meaning; focus on public-private partnerships, forgetting other kinds of organization; emphasis on the supply side; insufficient attention paid to partnership processes. Sustainability is not something that can be thought of once the project is started — or near its “completion” — but should be included in the plan from the sheer beginning. Same with scale, trying to avoid pilot-project fever that think short run and narrow scope. e-Learning for development? The pros are many and quite well known. What are the cons? - Costs of ICT are high, and infrastructures scarce. - Tutorial support is required and more important than just content — though important too and needs to be localized indeed. - The focus should not be put in ICT training, or “office” software, but in Education. Education vs. training. Main reasons of failure in ICT-led education projects in Africa - Understand context of delivery - Appreciate African interests - Overcome infrastructure issues - Provide relevant content - Top down - Suypply driven - Photo-opportunity “development” Constructivism and 21st century skills Learners involved, democratic environment, student centred learning, etc. Critiques to constructivism: - learning might be behaviourally active, but is not necessarily cognitively active. - may not be delivered in teaching practices. Teaching practice mayh not deliver the theoretical realities - Ignores the reality of the African classroom - Emphasis on replicating “truths” - Modular thinking - Going for the easy option, e.g. go to the Wikipedia - Tendency towards plagiarism - Inability to think critically - Lowest common denominator attitude - Pandering to student “demand” Most of ICT in education focusses on content and collaborative networking, but not in problem solving or critical thinking. What kind of education for what kind of development? Private sector and education. Engaged in setting a global agenda, and with strong interest in the knowledge economy. Hegemonic model — economic growth and liberal democracy — need for focus on relative poverty — inequalities, access. Emphasis on training for a knowledge economy while forgetting about critical ability and reflection. Education is not a driver for economic growth. Key skills to be human, fighting the digital tyranny that constrains us rather than liberate us. Some ICTs (e.g. e-mail) do not let time enough to think creatively and take action. Take control of technologies — and take control of those who control the technologies — to take control of our learning process. Re-define the role of the teacher and re-assert shared and communal educational agendas, while assuring equitable access. Questions or opportunities for the future - Post-constructivism and the role of the teacher? - Processes of learning communities? - Enabling innovative problem solving and critical thinking? - How to provide appropriate infrastructure? - The tyranny of digital environments? Q & A Linda Roberts: is there any good practice in ICT4D and Education? A: Sadly enough, there are very few of them, e.g. some of them mobile-phone centred that enable the student to access some content without displacing the teacher. Eduardo Toulouse: is it the clue teachers and the quality of teachers? what happens when infrastructure is a barrier for even the teachers? A: Yes, the clue is teacher quality. And to achieve this teachers have to be able to live on their own work. And, in some environments, thinking that they are going to engage in the production of materials and share them (at the connectivity cost) for nothing is ludicrous. […] from University of South Africa: is there any option left but believe in ICTs, despite all the drawbacks, “buts”, failures and so? A: Top-down approaches do not work, so this “hope” in ICTs has to be indeed grassroots founded. Ismael Peña-López: what if we do not have teachers? can ICTs help to bring them on our community? can open educational resources help attract teachers? can OER help to create teachers out of the blue? A: OER can leverage already existing social structures to create learning communities. Peer learning, by leveraging peers and turning them into teachers can be a thrilling option. Communal education is the one to be put under the spotlight, and even a local facilitator can even be a bridge between a remote teacher and the community if the tools and the human network are well thread one with the other. Q: What’s after post-constructivism? What about critical pedagogy? A: Isn’t this a Western approach as well? Even if Paolo Freire is brazilian, his ideas are well rooted in the West. Paul West: ICTs can help the teacher to lighten his burden by making him more efficient, e.g. when correcting and marking exams. A: Agree. The debate is in whether doing old things in a new way vs. or new things the old way. Sugata Mitra: is there a possibility for real change? for a shift of paradigm? A: We have to find the gaps and expand them. Ismael Peña-López: is there a room for co-operation that avoids cultural imperialism, fosters endogenous development, relies on content while not forgetting the teacher, etc.? A: The critique is not in collaboration or in technology, but on pre-established mindsets, one-size-fits-all or magic solutions, etc. Of course collaboration can take place, but to define a solution, not just implement the solution. Linda Roberts: how to engage the youngest? A: Mass media might be a first approach to get to them easily. Teemu Leinonen: what’s the role of languages related to education, ICTs and development? A: There are several initiatives where ICTs are being used to support languages that are dying out. On the other hand, localization is not (just) translation into the local language. UOC UNESCO Chair in Elearning Fifth International Seminar. Fighting the Digital Divide through Education (2008) If you need to cite this article in a formal way (i.e. for bibliographical purposes) I dare suggest: Peña-López, I. (2008) “UOC UNESCO Chair in Elearning Fifth International Seminar (I). Tim Unwin: ICT4D as a tool to fight the digital divide” In ICTlogy, #62, November 2008. Barcelona: ICTlogy. Retrieved month dd, yyyy from http://ictlogy.net/review/?p=1293 Previous post: Open EdTech Summit (IV). Conclusions

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Author Affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis. Physicians, Dickens scholars, and historians have tried to diagnose the condition that affected Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol. Leading entities include tuberculosis (TB), rickets, malnutrition, cerebral palsy, spinal dysraphism, and renal tubular acidosis. This article posits that an examination of the environment of London of 1820 to 1843 (when the novella was written) can provide important clues as to his condition. The blackened skies from burning coal, the crowding of people in tenements, the limited diet of the underclass, and the filth of London resulted in a haven for infectious diseases and rickets in children. Sixty percent of children in London had rickets, and nearly 50% had signs of TB. Tiny Tim likely had a combination of both diseases. After Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation, Scrooge could have ensured an improved diet, sunshine exposure, and possibly cod liver oil for Tiny Tim, which could have led to a “cure.” Dickens was familiar with both rickets and TB and wrote about cod liver oil as a possible cure for rickets and scrofula. Improved vitamin D status can result in enhanced macrophage synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which increases the synthesis of the antimicrobial peptide cathelicidin (LL-37). This component of the innate immune system has strong killing properties for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The combination of rickets and TB represent a crippling condition that could be reversed by improved vitamin D status. Charles John Huffam Dickens was one of the greatest writers of the 19th century and a master of the English language. His descriptions of scenes and iconic characters are timeless. Whether we see him as brilliant, as sentimental, as an almost Marxist social critic, or as a remarkable chronicler of the human condition, he was a noteworthy scribe of characters, names, locations, and complex plotting. Dickens deserved his place in Poet's Corner in Westminster Abbey.1 Because his depictions are so accurate, he has achieved an almost matchless status as a definer of medical conditions.2,3 Joe, the fat boy in The Pickwick Papers, provides us with the term pickwickian to describe sleep apnea with obesity.4 In The Old Curiosity Shop, the ultimate demise of Little Nell due to exhaustion and a broken spirit defines a psychosocial model of illness. Jenny Wren, in Our Mutual Friend, was a tiny woman who sewed dolls' clothes and used crutches.2 James Gamble wrote that she was a “rickety dwarf.”5 Dickens has been called a syndrome spotter,2 having characterized, for example, the Uriah Heep syndrome.6 He gave us fine-tuned portraits of insanity, of neuropsychiatric states, and of dystonia and provided 3 accurate descriptions of epilepsy: (1) Monks, the devious half-brother of Oliver Twist; (2) Guster, the maid servant in Bleak House, who had one convulsion after another; and (3) Charles Hexham's school headmaster in Our Mutual Friend.2 However, no medically based character is as famous as Tiny Tim, the crippled lad in A Christmas Carol.7 Tiny Tim Cratchit is the prototypical vulnerable child in A Christmas Carol, a novella of 30 000 words written by Dickens in 6 weeks.7 It has never gone out of print. The book's sustained success has contributed to how Christmas is celebrated and how children's charities raise funds. It has been adapted to film 28 times and seen as a play, an opera, and a cartoon feature.8 The story introduced the phrases “Merry Christmas” and “Bah! Humbug,” the return to Old English Yuletide traditions, and Christmas-themed charities.1,7,8 While Christmas is a component of a winter solstice holiday that is pagan (Christmas trees, Yule logs, and mistletoe) and Christian (nativity scenes and the birth of Jesus), the story helped reintroduce the notion of this holiday as a time of joy and gaiety. As Tiny Tim states in the final words of the story, “God bless us, everyone.”7 Other influences of the novella are notable. One of Dickens' most finely drawn characters, Ebenezer Scrooge, has given his name to a skinflint or miserly person. Christmas trees and cards were introduced in 1841 and 1843, respectively. This story was published in 1843. Its main aspects are the interaction of Scrooge and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future. Bob Cratchit is a good-spirited but downtrodden employee of Scrooge. Tiny Tim, who appears in only a few scenes, carries a single crutch and wears iron bars on his legs. His condition is not fully described. It was fatal if untreated, as indicated in the vision offered by the Ghost of Christmas Present. He lived because of the conversion of Scrooge to a more generous path. Hence, the question: What ailed Tiny Tim? Tiny Tim has been the subject of medical detective work to establish his medical condition.9- 13 Tiny Tim is believed to have had rickets, tuberculosis (TB), polio, and/or cerebral palsy. Lewis12 built a logical case for renal tubular acidosis because it would affect the skeleton and could be reversed with the administration of alkaline salts. Demme11 believed that nutritional rickets was the answer, as did others.13 Callahan9,10 makes a strong case for TB with Pott disease of the spine. For a child of the first half of the 19th century who required iron braces and a crutch and who had a withered hand, other possible diagnoses include myelodysplasia, including a tethered cord and a skin-covered myelomeningocele; a lower spine injury; or a paraplegic form of cerebral palsy and nutritional deficiency. It has been said that Tiny Tim was patterned after the son of a friend of Dickens who owned a cotton mill in the Ardwick section of Manchester.14 Dickens' nephew, Henry, died of consumption and is also claimed as a model.1,2 In a large family, the youngest may have been underfed, which is another possibility for Tim Cratchit's condition. Malcom Andrews, a Victorian-era historian, has concluded that Dickens did not spell out the clinical specifics but created a penetrating fable.15 The depictions of Tiny Tim and, indeed, all Dickens' memorable child characters—Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Pip, and Little Dorrit—were also influenced by the powerful illustrators who created sketches for Dickens' publications.16A Christmas Carol was illustrated by Charles Leech, but he did not show Tiny Tim, focusing more on the ghostly images.16 Illustrations of Tiny Tim first appeared after Dickens' death in 1870, and we are all familiar with the depiction of Tiny Tim on his father's shoulders as they go off to church for a Christmas service. The figures of him with a single crutch have led to speculation that his disorder was unilateral, but this is not reflected in the story nor is it necessarily correct.17,18 That Tiny Tim's illness was chronic and not acute is likely because his growth was impaired. Lewis' thesis of renal tubular acidosis is credible12 because type I renal tubular acidosis has bone disease as a manifestation19- 22 and it is associated with impaired linear growth.23 Tuberculosis affected approximately 50% of the British population of the time.24 Callahan9,10 speculated that Tiny Tim could have been treated at a sanitarium, such as the Royal Sea Bathing Infirmary in Margate, Kent. Either polio or cerebral palsy is possible, although how either would have led to death with a chronic course is unclear. A spinal dysraphism could have been fatal if urosepsis occurred or with the development of chronic kidney disease and hypertension. Had there been skin breakdown over a covered myelomeningocele, meningitis might have occurred. Another approach is to examine the environment of Tiny Tim—its time and place. London of 1820 to 1840 was crowded with its narrow lanes and tenements, plagued with blackened skies, and filthy.7,25 The validity of an environmental approach is that Dickens was a realistic writer. What he saw, he described. Dickens described the darkened streets encountered by Bob and Tim Cratchit. He also knew the immense gap between the wealthy (Scrooge) and the working poor (the Cratchits). Among the conditions of childhood that were common in London of that era were all infectious diseases of childhood, rickets, TB, and infantile diarrhea, the latter irrelevant in Tiny Tim's case. Why were rickets and infectious diseases so frequent? Following the Great Fire of London in 1666, the rate of rebuilding of the city was staggering. With expansion of the population, the supplies of available wood were rapidly outstripped. Sea coal and, later, mined coal replaced wood as major fuel sources.26- 28 The Industrial Revolution, which began in the United Kingdom, was fueled by coal and involved heavy manufacturing in London, the Midlands (Manchester), and the Clyde-Firth region between Glasgow and Edinburgh.26 The output of coal in the United Kingdom increased approximately 6-fold between 1750 and 1830.29 Industry led to an energy consumption 5 times higher in 1836 than in 1650.30 London was a center for the distribution of coal. By 1700, the United Kingdom produced five-sixths of the world's supply; this allowed the development of railroads and the steamship in the 1820s and 1830s.26- 29 The skies were blackened with soot and particles, which absorbed UV-A and UV-B rays.31 The coal had a high sulfur dioxide content, which further absorbed UV-B rays. This diminution of UV-B exposure in the urban United Kingdom prevented the photocutaneous synthesis of vitamin D.32- 34 Moreover, the diet of the working classes of London and other industrial centers included starch, carbohydrates, scant protein, and limited intake of fat.7,25 The children also had limited intake of vitamin D–containing foods and a lack of sunshine, and they frequently developed rickets, with a prevalence of 60%.33 In a 1909 autopsy series of infants and children perishing in the environs of Dresden, which is at the same latitude as London, 92% to 98% of 4- to 18-month-old children had bone histologic evidence of rickets, with undermineralization of the osteoid and typical metaphyseal changes.35 Before 1880, the science of bone histologic examination did not exist33 and these observations could not be made. Rickets was a mysterious condition that increased in frequency after 1650, when it was described by Glisson36 and Whistler.37 While it may have existed before the onset of the Industrial Revolution, it was so common in London and the southwest of England that it was termed “the English disease.”33,38 Because of its prevalence, rickets was frequently investigated, and numerous theories of its cause were espoused, as reviewed in the 1920s.33,39 No theory of its cause was embraced as vigorously as that of an infectious or contagious cause.40- 42 Before 1880, contagion was thought to be the result of a “miasma.” Children could be protected from miasma by remaining indoors and covering their entire bodies with clothing. Many children worked from before dawn to after dark; many worked in home-based textile manufacturing and were always indoors.43 Thus, to avoid miasma, children were not exposed to sunlight. Not only did rachitic children experience severe illnesses more frequently, but often the deaths of these children were related to pneumonia or to TB, which was known as consumption in Dickens' times.40,44,45 Only after Robert Koch's observations42 were bacteria recognized as the infectious agents. Among the infectious theories prevalent were that the infectious agent could be found in the growth plate of rachitic bone,42 that infections of the intestine caused rickets,38,41 and that rachitic children died an infectious cause–related death.45 In Jenner's treatise41 on the conditions of childhood, he suggested that rickets was a component of TB. The infectious disease theory persisted for a long time. However, in 1890, Theobald Palm, a Scottish medical missionary, realized the roles of sunshine and northern latitudes on the prevalence of rickets and recognized the urban nature of the disease.44 Anecdotally, cod liver oil could reverse rickets,46 and administration of cod liver oil was recommended in the mid-18th century by Thomas Percival of Manchester.43 Nonetheless, it was nearly 1920 before nutritional deficiency and a lack of sunshine exposure were espoused as the causes of rickets.33 Finally, the recognition of a dual source of the curative agent—vitamin D—from the diet and from skin synthesis was reconciled only in the late 1920s.32,47 Dickens would not have understood infectious agents or UV-B rays of sunlight, but the environmental conditions leading to rickets and TB were the same between 1820 and 1843 as they were in the 1890s. To return to Tiny Tim: his family lived in the Camden Town area of London. This area was undistinguished and was traversed by the Regents Canal, which was an artery for shipments of coal that were off-loaded in London Docklands and shipped to the midlands via a canal system.29 Tiny Tim's diet was undoubtedly limited by the “15 bob” per week earned by Bob Cratchit. In the 1820s and 1830s, 15 shillings could purchase 4 one-pound (448-gram) loaves of bread. A Christmas goose was a rare event. Obviously, the children of the Cratchit family had to work, but Tiny Tim couldn't help. Martha was a hard-working milliner's apprentice, and Bob Cratchit thought he had found a “situation” for Master Peter for 5 and 6 pence weekly, an opportunity he announces at Christmas dinner.7 The blackened skies would have prevented skin synthesis of vitamin D, and Tiny Tim's chances of having rickets were substantial.11,33 As evident for centuries, pneumonia, upper respiratory infections, and TB were far more common in vitamin D–deficient and rachitic populations.40,44- 46 I hypothesize that Tiny Tim could have had a combination of rickets and TB, both of which could have been cured (rickets) or improved (TB) by improved vitamin D status.32,48- 50 Why would Tiny Tim have been afflicted with rickets and TB and not his older siblings? First, his siblings might well have had milder forms of rickets before the age of 3 to 4 years, when rickets peaks.33,35 It is entirely possible that they also had TB, as most people infected with the organism do not display signs of active disease,51 and “galloping consumption” usually occurred in the context of poverty, crowding, malnutrition, and other factors. One of the remarkable features of rickets is that it is often found in children of high or very high birth rank.52- 54 The traditional explanations for the development of rickets have been family size, birth order, and crowding.55 These factors were evident in the Cratchit household. Tiny Tim was the fourth child, and his family of 6 lived in 4 rooms.7 Today, we understand that vitamin D is a prohormone and that its most biologically active form, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25-[OH]2D), increases the nuclear synthesis of 200 to 300 proteins and peptides.56 Among these proteins are calcium-binding proteins, which enhance intestinal calcium and phosphate absorption and permit bone mineralization and the reversal of rickets. A nonosseous immune function has also been shown that includes stimulation of the innate immune system.48- 50 Macrophages take up 25-(OH)D, and, under the influence of the enzyme CYP27b within the mitochondria of the macrophage, 1,25-(OH)2D is synthesized. After binding of this highly active metabolite to an intracellular vitamin D receptor and heterodimerization with the RXR (retinoic acid) receptor, this complex binds to a vitamin D response element on the promoter region of genes for several antimicrobial peptides, including cathelicidin (LL-37). Cathelicidin binds to bacterial membranes and kills the cells (particularly Mycobacterium tuberculosis).48,50,57,58 As TB-induced granulomas are populated by macrophages in the environment of vitamin D adequacy, there is ample killing of TB organisms.58 This role of vitamin D in supporting the body's immune response to TB organisms explains the success of sanitariums and the sunlit porches where patients sunbathed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.24,40 Another factor that darkened the skies of London was the massive 1815 eruption of the volcano Tambora near the Sunda straits in Indonesia.59,60 This was the most massive eruption in more than 1300 years. An ejected volume of 160 km3 of ash and magma entered the atmosphere in an eruption column that rose 43 km. Massive amounts of sulfur dioxide were also released. The next summer, 1816, was called “the year without a summer.”59,61 Snow fell in New England and Quebec during the summer months, crops failed, and thousands of animals died worldwide. The cost of food rose enormously, and the economically disadvantaged segments of society experienced malnutrition. The sunsets were wonderful for years to come because of suspended particles, as typified in the paintings of London and Chichester by J. M. W. Turner in the 1820s.62 Because the ash blocked UV-B rays, it could have contributed to insufficient sunlight exposure for children in London in the time of Tiny Tim, the 1820s. The salary earned by Bob Cratchit would have influenced the diet available to Tiny Tim.7 The 4 one-pound loaves of bread that 15 shillings would buy may have been adulterated with alum (hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate) to whiten the bread and disguise the use of poor quality flour.63,64 Alum is used today as an antiperspirant, in styptic pencils, in baking powder, and as a pickling agent in many cuisines65 but was added to bread throughout the 19th century in London. It, like other aluminum salts used as antacids, can bind phosphate in the intestine and prevent its absorption. John Snow, the father of British epidemiology who was famed for his statistical studies of the cholera epidemic in Soho, London, and his deduction of a water-borne agent as the cause,25 wrote an article in 1857 on his theory regarding the adulteration of bread as a cause of rickets.64 If Tim ingested alum-containing bread, the phosphate-binding property of the compound would have contributed to his rickets. However, we are led to believe from the story that Mrs Cratchit cooked for her family and possibly baked her own bread. If so, Tim would not have been exposed to alum. Snow made the point that flour merchants did not adulterate flour because the penalties were too great.64 Small bakeries could add up to 1.5 oz (42 g) of alum per loaf and not fear food inspectors, who concentrated on bigger fish. As noted previously, vitamin D deficiency is associated with enhanced pathogenicity of M tuberculosis. The mechanism is probably related to reduced innate cellular immunity. In addition, phosphate depletion is a stimulus for persistence of the TB organism within macrophages.66 Had Tiny Tim developed hypophosphatemia from adulterated bread, his rickets and TB might have been intensified, especially because patients with more advanced rickets have underlying hypophosphatemia.33 How could Scrooge, who upon his transformation embraced being Tiny Tim's “second father,” have had such an effect as to save Tim? He could have ensured that Tim received a better diet, including fish, dairy products, good quality bread, and more calories. Trips to the countryside would have increased sunshine exposure.12 Medical specialists could have advised more contemporary and possibly effective orthopedic devices, and, with the curing of rickets, Tim's limbs may have become straighter. We are not told whether he was fully cured, but he definitely survived. Other writers have used Tiny Tim as a model for an impoverished childhood and for the betterment of the lives of children. Francis Horner, writing for the Wesleyan-Methodist Sunday-School Union ,67 used Tim in an antialcohol, anticrime potboiler that emphasized the darkened skies of London slums. Would Dickens have known rickets and TB? Most assuredly. His public craved his stories and sketches. He began to publish a daily journal in which he could emphasize his view on social reform. The journal, All the Year Round,68 contains in volumes 13 and 14, dated June 24, 1865, some medical insights: “One of the worst forms of scrofula—rachitism, or rickets . . . arises under the influence of chilly dwellings and insufficient alimentation.”68(p515) He averred that this was due to “insufficient alimentation and milk deprivation in infants.” Dickens even notes that some children were dosed with cod liver oil. There are references to cod liver oil in several of his books, and he took it himself.69 Dickens also knew that rickets led to death. These comments predate by 25 years the use of cod liver oil to cure lion cubs with rickets (the first animal model of disease) and by 50 years the same cod liver oil therapy for beagle pups in a famous experiment, both in London. The lion cubs were cured by a diet of goat bones, goat meat, milk, and cod liver oil in the London Zoological Garden in Regents Park.46 Twenty-five to 30 years later, from 1913 to 1918, Sir Edward Mellanby, at King's College Medical School for Women, cured rachitic beagles with cod liver oil added to their cereal diet.70 Ironically, Regents Park abuts Camden Town, and King's College for Women of that day was in Kensington and was only a few kilometers from Camden Town. Tiny Tim may have received cod liver oil as well, at least in the mind of Dickens, who frequently mentioned this therapeutic agent.68 Dickens knew Camden Town, where he lived from the age of 10 years until he left home in his 20s. He first resided there as a lodger. To pay for lodging and board for his sister and himself, who were away from the rest of his family, Charles Dickens worked up to 10 hours a day in Warren's Blacking Warehouse near Charing Cross. Not only did Tiny Tim reside in Camden Town but so did Wilkins Micawber in David Copperfield. After his father left debtor's prison, Dickens lived with his family in Camden Town. It was from these humiliating experiences that the author acquired his sense of social justice and could draw powerful descriptions of the demeaning working conditions of the time.1,2 In this sense, Tiny Tim was a symbol of the plight of the working poor with a disabled child. Dickens' sister, Frances Elizabeth (called “Fanny”), lodged with him in Camden Town, and they were especially close. Fanny died at age 38 years of consumption and, soon after, so did her son, Henry. Dickens described her terminal status.71 Fanny was a model for Fan in A Christmas Carol, and some believe that Henry was a model for Tiny Tim.71A Christmas Carol was penned only 23 years after Dickens was a child laborer. Based on his intimate knowledge of poverty, slums, child labor, childhood death, and the medical maladies of the environment, his character lived in a milieu where a combination of rickets and TB were common. Hence, on an environmental basis, Tiny Tim had both conditions. A Christmas Day transformation of Scrooge saved him. Correspondence: Russell W. Chesney, MD, Department of Pediatrics, Le Bonheur Children's Hospital, The University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN ([email protected]). Accepted for Publication: July 8, 2011. Financial Disclosure: None reported. Additional Contributions: Andrea B. Patters, BS, provided editorial assistance. Thank you for submitting a comment on this article. It will be reviewed by JAMA Pediatrics editors. 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Few things make me as happy as when kids design and make their own games. The National STEM Video Game Challenge, created by the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop in partnership with E-Line Media, encourages kids to try their hand at making games for the greater good: “Inspired by the “Educate to Innovate” campaign, President Obama’s initiative to promote a renewed focus on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education, the National STEM Video Game Challenge aims to motivate interest in STEM learning among America’s youth by tapping into their natural passions for playing and making video games.” Part of this year’s competition was for PBS Kids, challenging fledgling game designers to create educational math games for kids ages four to eight. The winners of the PBS Kids stream were two teams of middle school girls from the same school, Stuart Country Day School of the Sacred Heart in Princeton, NJ. “Animal Inequalities” is a game designed by Julia Wiengaertner and Sarah Lippman, both 13, and it does a tremendous job of teaching the concept of inequality. The hungry animal’s mouth is the less than or greater than sign, and naturally the animal wants to eat all it can. The player just has to point the animal in the right direction. Inspired by the White House’s “Educate to Innovate” campaign, the Joan Cooney Ganz Center issued this challenge: design a mobile app that engages kids while teaching them the STEM skills: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Developers were invited to enter prototypes to win the National STEM Video Game Challenge, with a prize of $50,000 towards the production of their final game. There’s another prize that’s up to you: the People’s Choice Award, which brings the winning project $25,000. There are many great game prototypes entered, featuring a huge array of gameplay and skills. Among the entrants you’ll find Sci-Heroes Save the Day, a prototype I created with my friend, the awesome artist Tim Goldman. Sci-Heroes Save the Day will be the first in a series of apps that teach science using science fiction. The science games will be embedded in a comic book story, and completing the game will be essential to furthering the story. The evil Dr. Spectacle is using her super-charged glasses to wreak havoc on the city? Maybe a smoke screen will stop her. To the lab! Here’s a video of the prototype, and you can try it for yourself on our website. I hope to make this game a reality with lots of great activities, animation, and sound design, so help a GeekMom out with a vote, won’t you? And while you’re there, send some love to the other worthy entrants. Bringing any and all quality STEM games to market is a good thing.

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Rittenhouse Elementary School 1937 class photo at Rittenhouse Elementary for 3-5 grades Interior of building. Replication of what a classroom would have looked in during Rittenhouse's early years Rittenhouse Elementary/San Tan Historical Society and Museum as it looks today undated photo of Rittenhouse Elementary Backstory and Context From 1920 to 1922, the first classes in the Rittenhouse/Queen Creek area were held in a small board-and-batten building that had previously been used as a cook shack by employees of G. R. "Gid" Duncan. Duncan was a partner of land developer Charles Rittenhouse, after whom the school was named. Duncan allowed the use of the building and land for the school. In early 1923, school officials acquired the use of a wooden church building, constructed circa 1921, which served as the community school until 1925. With increasing development and population growth in the 1920s, area school officials realized that a permanent building was needed. In 1924, construction began on the new structure, a three-room, U-shaped red brick building. Although completed in 1925, the first classes in the new school were not held until 1926. Initially only classes for English-speaking students were held in the new Rittenhouse Elementary School. In the meantime, the wooden church building continued to be used as a school for children of Mexican descent, where they were taught English in preparation for entering the main classes. The Mexican-American children’s school schedule was different than that of the other children, who didn’t attend school until after the cotton harvest was complete, usually sometime in February. Sometimes as many as 60 students were taught in a single room. In 1947, the residents changed the name of the community from Rittenhouse to Queen Creek, but the school retained its original name. In 1948, school district officials realized that population growth in the area necessitated an expansion of capacity. In February 1948, officials authorized a bond issue for construction of a new building elsewhere in town. Completed in 1952, the new school operated simultaneously with the older campus until its closure in 1982. (name of town needs to be found) Rittenhouse is significant as an example of the broad pattern of centralizing rural education in Arizona prior to World War Two. The building also retains its integrity of historical setting and appearance, both on the interior and exterior. The Rittenhouse Elementary School is also the only extant historical school building in Queen Creek. In the early twentieth century, increased population, better transportation, concentrated development, and the desire for improved educational facilities contributed to the centralization of rural Arizona schools and the construction of the Rittenhouse Elementary School. Centralization of rural schools was emphasized on a national level through the 1930s, as evidenced by the 1935 report by the U.S. Commissioner of Education stressing the need to reorganize the school system. To address this need, Rittenhouse officials and the local school district decided that, although other schools existed in nearby communities, it was more efficient and economical to create a new school within the students’ community rather than transport them to existing schools in distant communities. This pattern of rural school centralization was carried out throughout Arizona through 1940, and mirrored efforts in other rural communities throughout the United States in the first half of the twentieth century. In 1936-1937, the school district took advantage of federal Public Works Administration funds to add two classrooms, hallways, and restrooms. Heat for the rooms was provided by a boiler system, which replaced the wood-burning stoves used in the original classrooms. The intact boiler room is located in a small subfloor area underneath the boys’ restroom. The rooms were eventually equipped with oil heaters, and eventually gas heaters hung from the ceilings. The 1936-1937 classroom additions match the original building both in style and materials, and do not detract from the historical integrity of the building. During the modern era (post-1946), the open space between the classroom wings was filled in to create shower rooms, which were accessed through the existing restrooms as well as from the building’s exterior. This infill is not visible from the street view of the building, and does not detract from the overall historical feeling and appearance of the building. The stage was dismantled sometime during the modern period (post-1946) to allow for more classroom space. Additional changes occurred to the building in the mid-1950s, when a combination shower and locker room was added to the rear, or east side, of the building. By 1955, the Rittenhouse Elementary School, which was now called "Old Main," was the centerpiece of the community of Queen Creek. Flooding in 1966 damaged the wooden floor; the flooring near the main entry is still warped as a result. The Rittenhouse Elementary School/San Tan Historical Society Museum continues to serve as an important focal point for the community of Queen Creek. The history of the school and the community are the focus of the museum. The school grounds display some of the original playground equipment. Antique farm equipment, which pays homage to the agricultural history of Queen Creek, is also displayed around the building's exterior. Inside the museum are permanent and changing exhibits reflecting the history of the school and the community, a small lending library focusing on the history of Queen Creek and the surrounding area, and numerous historical photographs of the school and its students. The Rittenhouse Elementary School is remembered by its numerous alumni, teachers, administrators, and the community. The San Tan Historical Society displays photographs of every class that attended the Rittenhouse Elementary School, and the notes on the chalkboard from the last day of school in 1982 have been preserved. Although the town of Queen Creek has changed dramatically over the years, the Rittenhouse Elementary School has survived with very few changes, and is still the heart of the community.

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At Chamonix, Victor continues to feel despair. He again tries to escape it through nature: he climbs to the peak of a mountain called Montanvert. But just as the view begins to lift his spirits, Victor sees the monster. He curses it and wishes for its destruction. Victor curses the monster without knowing its intentions, and without knowing for sure that the monster murdered William. He blames the monster, but he's responsible for its creation. But with great eloquence the monster claims to be Victor's offspring. "I ought to be thy Adam," it says. Victor is a creator, but he is no god. He abandoned his creation. The monster continues that it was once benevolent, and turned to violence only after Victor, its creator, abandoned it. It begs Victor to listen to its story. Victor, for the first time thinking about his responsibilities as a creator, follows the monster to a cave in the glacier, and sits down to listen.

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Fentanyl Substance Abuse Overview What is Fentanyl? Fentanyl, brand name Duragesic, is an opium-derived narcotic pain reliever similar to but more potent than morphine. The most commonly prescribed form is the transdermal (delivers through the skin) patch, which continually releases a specific amount of drug over time. Fentanyl treats chronic pain and is highly addictive, so careful monitoring by medical professionals is required. The high potency and low cost of Fentanyl makes it ideal for illicit use by drug abusers.Fentanyl is highly physically addicting and a high risk for abuse. How it works medically Fentanyl works on killing pain by attaching to the opiate receptors in the brain. The levels of dopamine in the brain rise as you use the drug, giving that sense of euphoria. Once that “high” sensation becomes a daily occurrence, you have to begin looking for the signs and symptoms that you are developing an addiction to Fentanyl. Signs and Symptoms It is not always easy to detect when someone is abusing opiate medications like Fentanyl; however, there are some physical signs, even if a person has developed a tolerance to the drug. - Small pin-point pupils - Temporarily falling asleep even during conversations or while standing. - Incapable of making proper judgments - Difficulty in finding pleasure from everyday occurrences from friends and friends What Happens When You Stop Taking Fentanyly? Experiencing withdrawal symptoms when you stop taking Fentanyl after prolonged use is a sign of addiction. Withdrawal symptoms are likely to occur within a few hours after the last dose. These symptoms can include an intense craving for more drugs, sweating, nausea, vomiting, runny nose, yawning, restlessness, weakness, cramps, diarrhea, chills, irritability, agitation, muscle pain and twitching. In the most severe cases of addiction, seizures can occur, so it is best to go through withdrawal while under medical supervision. Teens who abuse Fentanyl can be treated. Initially, they may need to undergo medically supervised detoxification to help reduce withdrawal symptoms; however, that is just the first step. Options for effectively treating addiction to prescription opioids are drawn from research on treating heroin addiction. Behavioral treatments, usually combined with medications, have been proven extremely effective. For all treatment needs and levels of care, Inspirations’ employs a team of qualified and caring teen addiction treatment professionals, offering a Treatment Program for Adolescents/Teens, who are demonstrating destructive, rebellious, and defiant behaviors resulting in personal and family dysfunction. Our goal in teen addiction treatment is to treat the disease, build the teen’s self confidence and reunite the family. Our teen prescription drug addiction treatment programs are designed around a positive environment to boost the teens self-esteem and produce long term results. Our teen addiction treatment combines a motivational program with the “accountability” concept, emphasizing, respect for family, respect for others, and a teamwork approach towards daily goals and accomplishments. During your teens enrollment to our Teen Prescription Addiction Treatment Center we will tailor a personal educational plan for your teenager. Inspirations for Youth and Families offer an “On-Site” Preparatory format school program in order for our teens to maintain High School Credits.

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These are tumultuous times out in cyberspace, from the massive data breach at Equifax last year that compromised the personal data of 148 million people to the recent revelations that private information about millions of Facebook users ended up in the hands of a political data firm seeking to influence voter behavior. In the wake of those incidents and others, more and more users of social media doubt their ability to protect their personal information online. According to a survey by the Pew Research Center, only nine percent of respondents are “very confident” that the safeguards on social media sites are adequate to protect their privacy. In recent years state and federal lawmakers have sought to broaden and toughen laws designed to protect consumers and their personal information. California’s Shine the Light Law, which requires businesses to disclose to consumers how they’re using personal data, is one of the most comprehensive efforts of its kind in the country. Starting in September 2018, Colorado will require employers to take additional measures to safeguard their workers’ personal data, thanks to House Bill 18-1128, which also demands prompt notification of any security breach. But legislation on this issue, like many others, is only as good as the enforcement capabilities. Much of the anguish over identity theft and related data violations can be traced back to ways we’ve left ourselves vulnerable to attack online, either by not adequately protecting critical information (such as credit card and Social Security numbers) or falling for online scams. Social media use, in particular, has plenty of pitfalls for the careless. Here are a few suggestions on how to make your adventures online less precarious. How to Protect Your Privacy Online • Beef up your passwords. Most of us loathe keeping track of complicated passwords and regularly changing them, so we end up using the same obvious phrases or number sequences (“1234”), with minor variations at best, across multiple platforms. The result is that any given account is easy to hack, and that provides the key for hacking into a lot of your other accounts. Password management software can help you keep track of more complex passwords, but it turns out that experts disagree about how elaborate the password needs to be. For most purposes, the basic principles are enough: Longer is better, come up with combinations of letters and numbers or symbols that are meaningful to you (but not obvious possibilities to hackers, such as your date of birth), and don’t use the same password on more than one account. • Pare down your profiles. Think about how you use social media and how much personal information you really need to disclose on Facebook, LinkedIn, or similar platforms. Do you need to post your age or engage in birthday notifications, which can provide identity thieves with valuable information, such as your date and place of birth? Do you need to make your entire resume widely available, which can then become a tool for social engineering attacks? Keep it bare-bones, if possible. Loose lips sink ships, and TMI can end up sharing your data with the wrong crowd. • Fine tune your privacy settings. When you post something online, do you have a clear idea of who’s reading it? Many Facebook and Twitter users don’t realize that, unless they adjust their privacy settings properly, they may be sending a so-called private message out to “friends” and followers they don’t even know. • Lock up your phone and laptop. It’s never a good idea to leave expensive hardware unattended, but the theft can have more far-reaching consequences if you left your data — including financial information — open to inspection. Using system password or fingerprint-ID functions to keep prying eyes from your personal data involves an extra step, but in many cases, it’s well worth taking. • No phishing. Most of us have learned, through bitter experience, not to click on email attachments or links sent to us by people we don’t know. But phishing scams have become more sophisticated, too; beware of ads and videos popping up on social media that can take you down the rabbit hole. Your best defense should include reliable virus and malware detection programs and a healthy skepticism of material coming your way from sources that might seem sort of familiar but really aren’t. And, of course, never provide any password by email to anyone. • Don’t overshare. Once it gets on the Internet, nothing that you disclose is truly private. The casual revelations you’re making to your vast social media audience are also grist for marketers, scammers, scam marketers, and criminals. Think twice about divulging your location to sites that don’t need it, and delay posting photos of your latest ocean cruise until you get home; the “real-time” fun of instant posting can also alert burglars to your conspicuous absence. Most of all, exercise caution about the online trail you leave that can provide an opening for financial scams and identity theft. If you have suffered damages as a result of data breaches, unfair business practices, or corporate misconduct, the class-action and consumer protection lawyers at FDAzar may be able to help. Speak with a member of our today or contact us here. The consultation is free.

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The Riverstone Estate was originally owned by the prominent Fox family of Philadelphia, descendants of George Fox, the founder of the Quaker religion. In 1796, Samuel Mickle Fox, along with his brother George and brothers in law Joseph Parker Norris and George Roberts, purchased a number of tracts of land in western Pennsylvania from the Commonwealth. The land warrant was for 6,600 acres located at the Allegheny River north of its confluence with Toby's Creek, now the Clarion River. The property became known as the Fox Farm. In 1820, Samuel’s son, Joseph Mickle Fox, married Hannah Emlenand and moved to the Clarion County property of his father and began construction of the main stone house. The original mansion was built with cut and squared sandstone from the property and was completed in 1828. In 1845, the Fox family added five feet to the north side of the house and twenty feet to the west side. This west addition provided front rooms to all three floors. In 1877, a north wing was added to the structure and, in 1910, a stairwell section was constructed for this wing. The mansion basically remained in this configuration over the next eighty years. The Fox family used the property as a summer home, often making the arduous trip from Philadelphia in two weeks. Aside from the mansion, the Fox's built carriage houses, stables, an ice house, a greenhouse, barns, and a log cabin used as a play area for the Fox children. They enhanced the Estate by retaining, Frank Heyling Furness, an acclaimed American architect, to design a signature carriage house in 1876. A greenhouse designed by Lord & Burnham, noted American manufacturers and builders of public conservatories in the United States, also stands the property. In the early 1900’s the Fox's brought the first Guernsey dairy cows to the United States and in 1910 the long two-story dairy barns. The barns were built with a pink colored stucco finish and gable-type roofs and formed a traditional H. The Fox family also added to their holdings and profited from harvesting the timber and later, oil production on the farm. They went on to establish, on the Estate, the first complete arboretum in the Commonwealth and collected specimens of all trees indigenous to the area. In 1847, the village of Foxburg was established by Joseph M. Fox. A train station, located in the heart of town, which was once serviced by two railroads, provided interest as well as transportation. Both the Allegheny Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, were essential to Foxburg and the surrounding area amidst the influx of oil development in Clarion County. This charming town was once home to a unique two-level railroad bridge, a signature attraction of the town for many years. The distinctive feature of this remarkable structure is that it allowed rail traffic to pass over its top and regular wagon and passenger traffic to pass below. The bridges of Foxburg have changed over the years to accommodate the need for transportation. Most recently, a new Foxburg Bridge was constructed and some of the railroad tracks have been converted to hiking and biking trails. Recognized as philanthropists, the Fox family took great interest in the community of Foxburg and built the Memorial Church of Our Father, the Hannah Memorial Library, and the Foxburg Golf Club. Built by the Fox Family in 1881, after their conversion to the Episcopal faith, the Memorial Church of Our Father was dedicated to the community by Joseph M. Fox in 1882. The design of this beautifully crafted Gothic structure is based on a church Mrs. Fox remembered fondly in England. The masonry stone used to construct this grand Church is native to the area and the painting of the “Angel of the Resurrection” above the alter is the work of a noted artist of the time, Edwin H. Blashfied. The adjacent cemetery is the resting place for some members of the Fox family. The Hannah (Fox) Memorial Library, now know as The Foxburg Free Library, was dedicated to the community in 1910. Similar to that of the Fox Mansion, the library is constructed of gray stone from the area. Some of the many ways the library has served the community over the years include providing space for lectures, concerts, plays and events that have contributed to the success of the library as well as the community at large. In 1961, the Foxburg Library Association joined the Clarion County Library District and now serves portions of 4 counties including Clarion, Butler, Armstrong, and Venango. The Library currently has a collection of approximately 4,000 books, journals, audio tapes, and videos. In the summer of 1884, Joseph Mickle Fox returned to the United States after attending cricket tournaments in England and Scotland with a new game . . . golf. He then went on to build a five hole course on the meadows of his families’ estate. With enthusiasm for the game rising, Joseph Fox provided the land upon which to build a nine hole course and in 1887, the Foxburg Golf Club was organized. Still in existence today, The Foxburg County Club is home to the Golf Hall of Fame and continues to be recognized as the oldest continuously operated golf course in the United States. The Mansion was kept within the Fox family until 1964. The property passed through several owners, including a lumber company until purchased by Arthur and Patricia Steffee in 1996. In the following years, the Steffees went on to restore and expand this extraordinary river-front estate. Now known as the Riverstone Estate, this property hosts a mansion, extensive equestrian complex, carriage house, greenhouse, aviary and additional residences and barns. The mansion was taken down to the bare stone walls and meticulously renovated and enlarged to include state of the art amenities and stunning interior and exterior architectural elements. The original dairy barns were converted to stable horses and then became part of the premier equestrian complex with the addition of a clear span riding arena, two viewing rooms, vet space, horse showers and two attached residences. In disrepair at the time of purchase, the Steffees, used old photographs to restore the period carriage house and greenhouse. The Carriage House maintained both exterior and interior features incorporated in the structure by Frank Furness. While the beauty and function, of design by Lord & Burnham, was retained in the renovation of the greenhouse. Now comprised of 26 structures, the RiverStone Estate stands as a testament to innovative, architectural, and historic integrity. The details of which are illustrated throughout our tour of the Estate.

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” If not us, Who will ? If not now, when? If not here, where? “ These are the words of Naderev Saño addressing the president in the forum on climate change at the UN in 2012. Choking back tears, he called for a plan of action to tackle climate change, a plan to reduce CO2 emissions, and a commitment by the countries that could contribute to a better future. Naderev Saño’s speech: Now, on the threshold of 2014 , the International Energy Agency has released a report projecting the situation in 2035. The goal is to produce 48% renewable electricity. Projections estimate that we will only reach 31% in 2035, compared with 20% in 2011. During this 20 years period a lot can happen: technological advances will help to solve challenges that we can only imagine today. For instance, Elon Musk fantasized about building electric airplanes. It is not crazy to believe him looking at his track record. Elon is founder and CEO of Tesla and Spacex so he knows what he is talking about. Who knows ? Maybe he builds his dream and will then look for electric boats, … Apart from amazing entrepreneurs and talent, we also need commitment from public policy. We need policies that can help drive the change. For example, subsidies to fossil fuels in 2012 were a staggering $ 544 billion, while renewables only received $ 101 billion, with an estimated $ 220 billion in 2035. We need to coordinate policies and talent to build a better future.

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From CHUCK BURR An open pollinated (OP) seed is a seed of value as it can grow into a plant true to the plant it was saved from. OP seeds are fertilized naturally by insects, birds, wind or their structure. Many of our seeds are heirlooms that can trace their lineage back before 1951 when hybrid seeds and chemical sprays became widely adopted. Open pollinated seeds are your seed freedom. Without the ability to save seed, your food sovereignty is lost. The right to grow your own safe and nutritious food is one of your primary rights as a citizen. Seeds that can be saved by the home gardener or farmer are disappearing from reputable seed catalogs and are being replaced by hybrid (F1) seeds that cannot be saved and grown true-to-type. Some reputable seed catalogs are even hiding labeling of hybrids so you do not know if you can save seed until it’s too late. Hybrid seeds are a combination of two parent lines extensively inbred to isolate desired traits. They can be more uniform because they lack the diverse genetics of open pollinated plants. Open pollinated plants are able to adapt to a variety of climates, and have more diversity of taste, texture, size, color and shape. Saving hybrid seeds is like saving seeds from an apple, as you do not know what you are going to get. The genetics are just not there to be repeated true-to-type. The hybrid traits are only created when the male and female parents are combined. It takes a skilled plant breeder to untangle hybrid genetics to a stable new variety over several years. Shown at right is what you get when you save Red Knight Mizuna hybrid seeds. The purple plant in front is what you want, the green shaggy bolting plant in back left is what you get instead. There exist many open pollinated varieties that are larger, and more vigorous and nutritious than anything found in your grocery store. Here is open pollinated Kalura lettuce with 14″ heads or try Flashy Trout’s Back. We have open pollinated seeds for radishes that are bigger than bananas and beets as big as a football. With open pollinated plants like these, nobody is going to starve if we banned hybrids and GMOs tomorrow. It is a myth that hybrid seeds are more vigorous, they are just more profitable because they can’t be saved. The certified organic label is being diluted by large agricultural business. First, the national organic policy allows seed growers to label hybrid seeds as organic even though they cannot be saved. The label “organic” does not mean that you can save the seeds, it just means that the grower did not spray and that he followed the other organic certification rules. The U.S. federal government has also eliminated the organic cost share subsidy that helped small farms pay their organic certification fees that cost $500 to $700 per year. Thousands of small farms overnight lost their ability to sell food or seeds as organic because of a reduction of just a few million dollars in the annual U.S. farm bill of nearly $100 billion in subsidies to large agricultural corporations. Now only medium and large agricultural companies can afford to obtain the certified organic label. Conserve Wild Species Concerns are growing that hybrid and GMO seeds are now contaminating the wild analogs of the foundation of our food system. In a world of a changing environment, we need the pure diverse genetic diversity of the originators of our essential food crops. However, GMOs are now being crossed back into wild beets, carrots, corn and others. Sea beets along the British coast and corn in the cradle of corn diversity, the Mexican lowlands, are now being contaminated with GMOs. We need our nutrients back. Since 1950, some studies have shown that certain nutrients in some food crops have declined. Industrial agricultural is growing shallow calories. With organics and open pollinated crops we can restore healthy food. Support your local organic seed grower and breeder. Parents, insist that our children be fed exclusively nutritious organic meals in school everyday. Theft of Native Food Genetics All nine of the domesticated plant families that we rely on for food have been cultivated for 2000, or, in the case of corn, 5000 years. Maize geneticists believe that 90 percent of breeding work in corn had already been done by the time Columbus arrived to find large fields of corn being grown on the island of Hispaniola in 1492. Native people did not walk into the prairie and find modern corn, they started with Teosinte which looks like a grass with large seeds. They then bred Teosinte with other subspecies for millennia to arrive at corn. In other words, modern agricultural companies have stolen 90 percent of the genetics in almost all food seeds. All seed companies may owe 90 percent of their historical revenue, or hundreds of billions of dollars, to native tribes world wide. As an alternative, they should tack 50 cents on to the price of a packet or a couple bucks per pound of seeds to go to native tribes. Shown below are Teosinte, wild carrot, wild lettuce and wild chicory. To make gene patenting fair, industrial seed companies should have to start with these and breed them for two thousand years until they can come up with corn, carrots, lettuce and radicchio. In this light, current gene patenting is greedy and stupid. Millions spent on research by large ag companies is basically to find ways to apply more inputs, as we certainly do not need bigger plants. Legalized gene theft plus the fact that food was free for millions of years and now is only available by purchase, shows the failure of civilized economic and political systems. Our government is supposed to defend us. It is not. You will have to support your family and community by saving and exchanging open pollinated seeds. I get a kick out of the survival seed collections companies sell filled with hybrid seeds that cannot be saved. Open pollinated seeds favor decentralized food production in a wide variety of climates. Hybrid and GMO seeds require high-input high-mechanical production. But, when you consider our expanding mid-term food needs and rising fuel costs, decentralized lower-input food production will become more important to our nation’s food security. We ship Caesar salads to Chicago and Fargo 12 months a year. Our modern food system is as much a transportation system as it is an agricultural system. In the mid-term, we will still need to grow a substantial amount of food centrally but as fuel costs rise, we will need to offset transportation losses with decentralized crop production. Eventually, as recent Russian and Cuban histories show, the more difficult the economy becomes, the more food will need to be grown even at the homestead level from locally adapted saved seeds. Save Your Seeds! Saving seeds is easy, every cell in your body knows how to recognize plants and gather mature seed. You would not be here if your forefathers did not know how to do this really well. There are many good books available on the subject. My favorite is The Organic Seed Grower by John Navazio. Food is one of your inalienable rights. Stand up for it, grow food, save open pollinated seeds and share them. Restoration seeds is an open seed market to sell your true-to-type seeds with plenty of resources to get you started. The best way to reinvigorate crop genetic diversity is to plant and save open pollinated seeds. Create a living seed bank. Seek out interesting and rare seeds, grow them, become a living seed curator today.

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In English, we have been writing our own non-fiction page about the history of our school. We have used subheadings and text boxes to organise our writing. We have also used captions to label photographs. In Maths, we have been learning how to write number sentences to match a part whole model. We have been exploring the relationship between inverse operations. This week we have done some reading assessments. We hope you all have a good weekend.

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Doctor Faustus, a well-respected German scholar, grows dissatisfied with the limits of traditional forms of knowledge—logic, medicine, law, and religion—and decides that he wants to learn to practice magic. His friends Valdes and Cornelius instruct him in the black arts, and he begins his new career as a magician by summoning up Mephastophilis, a devil. Despite Mephastophilis’s warnings about the horrors of hell, Faustus tells the devil to return to his master, Lucifer, with an offer of Faustus’s soul in exchange for twenty-four years of service from Mephastophilis. Meanwhile, Wagner, Faustus’s servant, has picked up some magical ability and uses it to press a clown named Robin into his service. Mephastophilis returns to Faustus with word that Lucifer has accepted Faustus’s offer. Faustus experiences some misgivings and wonders if he should repent and save his soul; in the end, though, he agrees to the deal, signing it with his blood. As soon as he does so, the words “Homo fuge,” Latin for “O man, fly,” appear branded on his arm. Faustus again has second thoughts, but Mephastophilis bestows rich gifts on him and gives him a book of spells to learn. Later, Mephastophilis answers all of his questions about the nature of the world, refusing to answer only when Faustus asks him who made the universe. This refusal prompts yet another bout of misgivings in Faustus, but Mephastophilis and Lucifer bring in personifications of the Seven Deadly Sins to prance about in front of Faustus, and he is impressed enough to quiet his doubts. Armed with his new powers and attended by Mephastophilis, Faustus begins to travel. He goes to the pope’s court in Rome, makes himself invisible, and plays a series of tricks. He disrupts the pope’s banquet by stealing food and boxing the pope’s ears. Following this incident, he travels through the courts of Europe, with his fame spreading as he goes. Eventually, he is invited to the court of the German emperor, Charles V (the enemy of the pope), who asks Faustus to allow him to see Alexander the Great, the famed fourth-century b.c. Macedonian king and conqueror. Faustus conjures up an image of Alexander, and Charles is suitably impressed. A knight scoffs at Faustus’s powers, and Faustus chastises him by making antlers sprout from his head. Furious, the knight vows revenge. Meanwhile, Robin, Wagner’s clown, has picked up some magic on his own, and with his fellow stablehand, Rafe, he undergoes a number of comic misadventures. At one point, he manages to summon Mephastophilis, who threatens to turn Robin and Rafe into animals (or perhaps even does transform them; the text isn’t clear) to punish them for their foolishness. Faustus then goes on with his travels, playing a trick on a horse-courser along the way. Faustus sells him a horse that turns into a heap of straw when ridden into a river. Eventually, Faustus is invited to the court of the Duke of Vanholt, where he performs various feats. The horse-courser shows up there, along with Robin, a man named Dick (Rafe in the A text), and various others who have fallen victim to Faustus’s trickery. But Faustus casts spells on them and sends them on their way, to the amusement of the duke and duchess. As the twenty-four years of his deal with Lucifer come to a close, Faustus begins to dread his impending death. He has Mephastophilis call up Helen of Troy, the famous beauty from the ancient world, and uses her presence to impress a group of scholars. An old man urges Faustus to repent, but Faustus drives him away. Faustus summons Helen again and exclaims rapturously about her beauty. But time is growing short. Faustus tells the scholars about his pact, and they are horror-stricken and resolve to pray for him. On the final night before the expiration of the twenty-four years, Faustus is overcome by fear and remorse. He begs for mercy, but it is too late. At midnight, a host of devils appears and carries his soul off to hell. In the morning, the scholars find Faustus’s limbs and decide to hold a funeral for him.

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Take the long way home. It seems that commutes to and from city centres would be better if a few drivers took the scenic route. Most drivers in urban areas try to find the fastest possible route to their destination. But when everyone does this, congestion increases and everyone suffers. If a handful of people took longer routes, they could cut overall congestion by 30 per cent, says Serdar Çolak of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. “When a road is crowded, an additional car makes a very big difference,” he says. “If we are able to remove a couple of cars from the morning commute, that’s going to save everyone else a lot of time.” Çolak and his colleague Marta González looked at millions of anonymous location-tagged mobile-phone records and matched them to roads in Boston, the San Francisco Bay area, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, and Lisbon and Porto in Portugal. They noted that when drivers choose the shortest routes for themselves, commute times can lengthen by 60 per cent. Apps that suggest the shortest routes in real time makes the problem even worse. But if a few cars take side roads, congestion reduces, saving each driver up to 3 minutes on average. In the future, computers and smart cars could figure out the best way to send everyone, the authors add. Apps that suggest other routes could offer drivers incentives such as a free cup of coffee for sacrificing their time. But not everyone is convinced this is the best solution. “Placing restrictions on roads could have counter-effects that are difficult to forecast,” says Marc Barthelemy of the National Center for Scientific Research in Paris, France. “Real success would be that individuals leave their car at home and choose public transportation.” Journal reference: Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10793 This article will appear in print under the headline “Taking a detour improves traffic for everyone” More on these topics:

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The United States is heavily reliant on nuclear power for its electricity. Last year, six states used nuclear power for more than 45 percent of electricity generation, with 19 percent of the nation’s electricity generated by nuclear reactors. As current U.S. nuclear energy production facilities increasingly approach the end of their planned operational lifespans, an innovative approach around Small Modular Reactors may represent the best and most practical solution available to energy decisionmakers. While solar, windpower and other renewable energy sources are becoming more prevalent, they are still decades away from becoming viable alternatives to nuclear for most Americans. Federal regulatory officials have made important progress modernizing their systems and requirements for approving advanced reactors, a process expected to continue at both federal and state levels, and one which will largely define the future cost-effectiveness of the Small Modular Reactor approach. In particular, plans and requirements for the safe disposition of spent nuclear fuel from new reactors will be crucial. Potential benefits of Small Modular Reactors include cost effectiveness, grid resilience, and improved safety and energy diversity. Find Archived Articles:

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The Engineering of a Musical Instrument Georgia Tech researchers are at the craft of how to build a better instrument Posted November 7, 2008 | Atlanta, GA Georgia Tech researchers are using their engineering expertise to study how to build better musical instruments. Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Professor William Hunt has teamed up with Professors Ken Cunefare and Paul Neitzel, both of Mechanical Engineering (ME), as well as undergraduate ECE student Stephen Welch, to investigate the acoustic modes of vibration of certain instruments including guitar, piano and upright bass. "We're investigating the physical acoustics of these wooden, string instruments with the ultimate goal of developing engineering constructs that will allow manufacturers (e.g. Steinway) to improve both the sound quality produced by the instrument as well as the playability. Aesthetics will play a key role in our work," said Hunt. "We hope to push the envelope of what is known and understood at the present time and exploit this knowledge gained to the create of a grander sound." Hunt and his research team are part of the new Georgia Tech Center for Music Technology. "Our approach is simultaneously old school and innovative," Hunt explained. "It is more common that engineers and computer scientists enter this arena and focus on electronic music production or computer composition of musical scores. The great thing for our team is that we are all musicians of varying skill levels and passionate about music. Unfortunately/fortunately, the undergraduate involved, Stephen Welch, is far superior to his professor in musical skill." Hunt says the research is under way and perhaps the biggest challenge is going to be translating the scientific and engineering measurements to a set of constructs that can better guide instrument manufacturers. "We don't know where this will ultimately end up, but we know where we want the road to lead---toward better musical instruments that will dazzle musicians and audiences alike," Hunt said. The Georgia Institute of Technology is one of the world's premier research universities. Ranked seventh among U.S. News & World Report's top public universities and the eighth best engineering and information technology university in the world by Shanghai Jiao Tong University's Academic Ranking of World Universities, Georgia Tech’s more than 20,000 students are enrolled in its Colleges of Architecture, Computing, Engineering, Liberal Arts, Management and Sciences. Tech is among the nation's top producers of women and minority engineers. The Institute offers research opportunities to both undergraduate and graduate students and is home to more than 100 interdisciplinary units plus the Georgia Tech Research Institute.

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About this blog A blog dedicated to the examination of communications in election campaigns, with a focus on posters Tagged as “elections” Thursday, February 19, 2015 Women voters have been targeted in British parliamentary elections since 1918, after women over the age of 30 were enfranchised, and, more actively, since 1929, after the voting age for women was lowered to 21 the previous year. In fact, the 1929 election is known as "The Flapper Election." In that year, a poster showed Labour leader James Ramsay MacDonald with a young woman dressed as a flapper. Another 1929 Labour Party poster illustrated both men and women workers lining up at a polling place, with a closed factory nearby. Soon, however, most British posters showed women in more traditional roles. For example, a poster in the 1930s showed a woman holding a child, with the appeal “Mothers—Vote Labour” and a Conservative Party poster in that decade depicted an elderly woman, above the statement, “We must think of our savings and our home. That’s why I’m voting for the National Government” (in which the Conservatives would be dominant). Women with their families, especially with children, were the predominant images for females in posters throughout the next few decades. Thereafter, most election posters showed women as voters, workers, and candidates. However, in the recent national campaign, Labour appealed directly to women to "stop politics being a “men-only club,” in a "Woman-to-Woman" campaign, which features a pink minibus. The party has been criticized for the "Barbie doll" color of the bus. For more on British election campaigns, read the book, Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns Around the World and Through History. Wednesday, June 4, 2014 There are almost 100 Green political parties around the world. They have similar platforms, which frequently call for environmentalism, social justice, and non-nuclear energy. The Greens have achieved some electoral successes in a number of countries, winning parliamentary seats in Australia, New Zealand, and several European nations. In the 2013 German elections, for example, the Greens received more than 8% of the vote, gaining 63 of the 631 seats in the Bundestag. In the United States, the Green Party's national ticket of Jill Stein and Cheri Honkala won less than 500,000 votes (about 0.5%) in 2012. The logos of the Green parties are, of course, mainly green in color, and include a small number of symbols. The U.S. Green Party's logo has a globe inside a flower, as does that of England and many other green parties also incorporate a flower, including those in Portugal, Greece, and the Czech Republic. Other Green parties (in Latvia and Somalia, for instance) have a tree as the dominant symbol. And the Mexican party's logo has a toucan resting on a leaf inside a "V" (for "verde" or "green"). Monday, October 28, 2013 Chile's presidential election takes place in about three weeks; U.S. voters go to the polls in about three years. One thing both countries have in common is that two women—both known by their first names (seen on their posters) are favored to become president, at present. Former Chilean president Michelle Bachelet ("Michelle" on some posters) is a Socialist, who heads a seven-party coalition called "New Majority." She is the daughter of a general tortured and killed by the Pinochet dictatorship. Bachelet was the first woman to hold the office of president in Chile, when she won a runoff election in 2005. She could not run for reelection, since presidents cannot hold office for consecutive terms. According to Joshua Tucker, writing in The Washington Post, "pre-election polls makes it reasonable to assume that if she does not win in the first round (in which an absolute majority of the vote is required), she will win in the runoff" this time around. In the United States, a recent poll had Hillary Clinton ("Hillary" on most of her posters) as the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic Party nomination for president in 2016 and to beat any Republican challenger. To read about Chile's last presidential election, which resulted in the election of Sebastián Piñera, a conservative billionaire, in 2010, click here. For more on Chile's past election campaigns, click here. To learn more about election campaigns and poster propaganda in Chile and other countries in Latin America, see my book, Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns Around the World and Through History. Monday, January 16, 2012 Margaret Thatcher—whose Conservative Party won elections three times between 1979 and 1987 when she led it—is the subject of a new movie, “The Iron Lady,” starring Meryl Streep. But the tough, imaginative campaigns that brought Thatcher to power were orchestrated by the advertising firm Saatchi & Saatchi and emphasized emotions and issues and did not focus much on Thatcher herself. In 1979, high unemployment and inflation hurt the ruling Labour government. The billboards and posters, titled “Labour Isn’t Working,” created by the advertising firm illustrated the joblessness (see my past blog post). They featured a long, snakelike line of people at the unemployment office, and the caption “Britain’s Better Off With The Conservatives.” TV spots also did not mention Thatcher; rather they showed people trying to cope with high prices, unemployment, and taxes, and speaking positively about Conservative economic policies. Thatcher and her party won again in 1983 and 1987. After the British victory over Argentina in the Falklands War, and with improved economic conditions, the Conservatives won decisively over Labour (as shown in the film). Saatchi & Saatchi’s campaign for the Conservatives, in 1983, featured a poster that compared the Labour Party’s policies to those expressed in the Communist Manifesto. The poster’s headline read “Like Your Manifesto, Comrade.” In contrast to U.S. elections, it was clear that British voters put less emphasis on the leader of the party. In a 1987 exit poll, voters were asked to indicate “the most important reason which decided their vote,” and only 6 percent replied that it was the party’s leader. It is not surprising, therefore, that British posters in the 1980s often excluded Thatcher and the opposing leaders (while U.S. posters showed Reagan, Bush, Carter, and Mondale). More often than not, British election propaganda campaigns have emphasized issues more than the leaders, even popular ones. Party leaders, however, have appeared on posters more frequently in the past two decades. And, ironically, Thatcher has appeared a number of times on opposition posters and billboards—sometimes with only her hairdo on a Conservative Party leader (see an example above). For more on election posters in British campaigns, see my book, Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns Around the World and Through History. Monday, October 31, 2011 Piggy banks, posters, billboards, videos, and Facebook groups are all propaganda vehicles in Taiwan, which will hold its presidential and legislative elections on January 14, 2012. This week, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen decried her party's lack of funds, comparing its plight in the campaign to "a piglet fighting against a huge monster." That "monster" is the ruling Kuomintang Party (KMT), which toppled the DDP from power in the 2008 elections. Next to Tsai, while she spoke, was a giant piggy bank, and supporters threw money on the stage on which she was giving her speech. The DPP is selling plastic piggy banks to raise funds, and purchasers stuff money into them and send them back to party headquarters. In addition, a "piggy assembly" is scheduled to be held in December, at which more "stuffed piggies" will be returned. The goal is to sell and collect at least 10,000 piggy banks, according to an article posted on the Asia One News Web site. Another article—in the Taipei Times—stated that the party wanted to distribute 100,000! President Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT is running for re-election. Also in the race is James Soong of the People First Party (PFP), who may draw votes away from the KMT candidate, giving the presidency to the DPP. A recent poll indicated that the race would be close, with Ma holding a 3.7-point lead over Tsai. The posters and billboards for these candidates—and those running for seats in the legislature—are sometimes big and brash, using some interesting visual- and verbal-exaggeration techniques. These include puns, loud color, startling facial expressions, and unusual props and poses—such as a stethoscope, a bicycle, and a ping pong paddle, as well as a runner about to begin his race. But a 3 minute and 20 second video-ad for Tsai has gentle music and shows her happily riding a bicycle. For a good selection of posters and billboards already up in this year's campaign, see Michael Turton's blog, The View from Taiwan. For more on the history of election campaigns in Taiwan and the posters, billboards, and other media used, see my book, Posters, Propaganda, and Persuasion in Election Campaigns Around the World and Through History. Saturday, January 1, 2011 Mauritius—a volcanic island republic located off the coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean—is ranked as the most democratic country in Africa by World Audit, based on the criteria of political rights, freedom of the press, corruption, and civil liberties. Candidates are required, however, to state their ethnicity, or they are not listed on the ballot. In 2010, over 100 candidates were rejected for that reason, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Mauritius has a fairly good economy, and invests more in India's economy than any other country, according to Pranay Gupte, writing in The Hindu. However, unemployment is presently almost eight percent. Mauritius has a melting-pot population of one and one-quarter million people of African, South Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern, Chinese, and French origin. English is the semi-official language, but Creole, French, and several other languages are evident. In May of last year, Mauritius held parliamentary elections, and 78% of eligible voters turned out. The National Assembly elects the president and vice-president. The Mauritius Labour Party (MLP) dominated the elections in the years before and after independence in 1968, but in 1982, the Mauritius Militant Movement (MMM) rose to power, in an alliance with the Mauritian Socialist Party (PSM). Since then, defections from parties, realignments, and shifting coalitions have occurred. An MLP-coalition, the Alliance Sociale, won the 2005 elections. In the election last year, the MLP joined with the Militant Socialist Movement (MSM), the Greens, and two other parties to form the Alliance for the Future, and emerged victorious over an MMM-led alliance, winning by a six percentage-point margin. Most of the political parties have Web sites and some even have Facebook groups, including the MLP. Campaigns are pretty tame in Mauritius, with lots of banners and flags waved, but in 2010, for the first time, the Ministry of Tourism outlawed the display of posters in order to "protect the environment," according to Touria Prayag, writing on the allAfrica.com Web site. Lots of food and beverages are dispensed though, with charges that votes are being bought with them. Friday, August 20, 2010 Hafiz Noor Shams in a blog post in The Malaysian Insider compares the use of posters during election-campaign periods in Malaysia to their use in the United States and Australia (the latter of which voted on Saturday). Shams wonders why there are so few posters in Australia, while "election time is always carnival-like in Malaysia. It is noisy and it is colourful. Loud speeches will blare into the night. More strikingly is the poster war. Colours representing major political parties will decorate the streets." Why are the streets in Australia, the United States, and many other countries comparatively dull during their election periods? The mass media are more significant communication vehicles in these countries, and posters are used less—although they are now displayed on Internet sites (and downloaded) more frequently. In addition, there are no huge roadblocks to minor parties' advertising in the mass media, although they can be limited by a lack of funds. But the main reason is legal restrictions imposed by the Malaysian government. The ruling coalition has over 90 percent of the seats in Parliament, and controls the mass media. In Malaysia, there are more political parties, and many of them do not have access to the mainstream media, making posters and the Internet more important vehicles to communicate to voters. Just to give you an idea of the number of political parties in Malaysia, eight new parties submitted registration applications in the first five months of this year alone! And opposition parties are not allowed to air their viewpoints on TV and radio, as well as in most newspapers. Tuesday, July 13, 2010 The Japanese now has a movement similar to the U.S. tea-party movement, but in their country, there is a real political party to vote for. The party is called "Minna no Tō," which means "Everyone's Party" in English, although I have usually seen it referred to as "Your Party." The party is a new one—founded less than a year ago by politicians who left the Liberal Democratic Party. The party stands for lower taxes, less regulation, aid to small businesses, and less government intervention. In the election held this past Sunday, Your Party garnered ten seats in the upper house in parliament (still well below the main parties' numbers). Your Party leader Yoshimi Watanabe stated after the vote that his group would not join the ruling coalition: "I think the prime minister should gracefully step down—a political gesture that would be in line with the results of the election." "Forming a coalition is out of the question," Watanabe said. "Your Party is all about agenda, and we can't cooperate with a party with a different agenda. But we can coordinate in areas where our agendas are consistent." Source: The Japan Times—http://search.japantimes.co.jp/rss/nn20100713a2.html Monday, June 8, 2009 There are anti-immigrant parties in many European countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, and Switzerland (see previous blog entries from March 7, 2009 and December 14, 2008). The elections to determine members of the European Union (EU) Parliament were just held in 27 nations, with the center-right European People's Party coalition emerging with the most seats. One party that did particularly well was the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV). The PVV's platform calls for an end to immigration from non-European countries and opposes the admission of Turkey to the EU. In the 2006 elections for the Dutch House of Representatives, the PVV garnered only about 6% of the vote, but in this year's EU elections, it gained 17% (second only to the ruling Christian Democratic Alliance), giving the party its first four seats. In his "victory" speech, PVV leader, Geert Wilders stated: "The Netherlands is waking up from a long leftist nightmare. A nightmare of crazy high taxes, crime, lousy care, headscarves and burkas, of pauperizing, of mass immigration and Islamization...." Other anti-immigrant parties also did well: the Italian Northern League won 10% of the vote (an increase from it's 8% in the 2008 general elections); the British National Party won its first two seats, with about 8% of the vote; Austria's Freedom Party won 13% of the vote (more than doubling its share); Hungary's Jobbik (For a Better Hungary) Party won 3 of 22 seats, with 15%—doing better than the Socialists; the Danish People's Party also won about 15%. British National Party Chairman Nick Griffin (who was elected to the EU Parliament over a Labourite) said: "We do say this country is full up. The key thing is to shut the door." The biggest winners, according to the Financial Times of London, were the center-right parties, led by Angela Merkel of Germany, Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Donald Tusk of Poland, and Viktor Orban of Hungary, all of whose forces did much better than their Socialist (and other) opponents at the polls. The EU Parliament is elected every five years. The body has power of legislation that affects environmental, consumer, and transportation matters, as well as joint control (with the countries' legislatures) over the $182 billion EU budget. The turnout in the elections, however, has also been going down, from a high of 62% in 1979 to 43% in this year's elections. Other sources: Coming Vote on Assembly Elicits Shrugs in Europe/NY Times; Dutch Anti-Immigrant Party Emerges as Big Winner in EU Elections/TimesOnLine; Election Results Across Europe/BBC News; Results of the 2009 European Elections; View from the Right Saturday, March 7, 2009 Last month, the Swiss electorate voted for a referendum allowing the free movement of workers in 27 European Union (EU) countries. Almost 60% favored the referendum. The opposition to the referendum was led by the Swiss People's Party (SVP), the top vote-getting party in parliamentary elections in Switzerland, and producer of the infamous "black sheep" poster of 2007 (see previous blog entry). This time around, the SVP disseminated a poster that showed several black crows pecking at a map of Switzerland. The crows probably symbolize Romania and Bulgaria (the newest, but poorer countries in the EU), which the SVP believes will flood wealthier Switzerland with workers, taking jobs away from Swiss citizens and increasing costs for Sunday, December 14, 2008 The 2008 U.S. Republican Party Platform supported border security and English as the official national language, and opposed any amnesty for illegal immigrants. These stands—emphasized by most GOP presidential candidates during the primary campaign and continuing into the general election, particularly by state and local candidates, hurt many Republicans who ran: For example, in 2004, an estimated 39 percent of Latinos voted for George W. Bush; in 2008, only 31 percent voted for John McCain. But at least the U.S. does not have a party whose main purpose is to oppose immigration and immigrants. In other parts of the world, such parties abound. In France, the increase in the number of immigrants and Arabs with French citizenship helped resurrect Jean-Marie Le Pen’s party, the Front National (FN), which had received little support since Le Pen helped found it in 1972. By 1988, however, Le Pen garnered 14 percent of the vote in the presidential election. The message of protecting white French citizens against the waves of immigrants was summed up on a Le Pen poster with the slogan “Defend our colors.” In 1995, he achieved 15 percent, with a blatant anti-immigrant campaign, marked by an FN poster that stated, “Three million unemployed, that is three million immigrants too many!” Another FN poster included a silhouette of an airplane in front of the setting sun, with the slogan “When we come in … They go out!” And in 2002, Le Pen (with his slogan of “France and the French First”) received almost 17 percent, getting him into a runoff against Jacques Chirac (who defeated him soundly 82 percent to 18 percent). But in the latest French presidential election, last year, Le Pen's share of the vote was down to 10 percent. Unfortunately, anti-immigrant appeals have been evident in other countries, too. A poster distributed by the Danish People’s Party during the 2001 election showed a young blond girl with the statement, “When she retires, Denmark will be a majority-Muslim nation.” In the same campaign, Venstre (the Liberal Party) erected a billboard that showed three Asian men, who had been tried for group rape, leaving the court after having been acquitted, with the caption “this will not be tolerated once Venstre gets in.” In that election, Venstre won the most seats in the parliament (a gain of 34 percent) and the People’s Party came in third in seats (a 70-percent increase). The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) achieved even more than its Danish counterpart, winning the most votes in the parliamentary elections of 1999, 2003, and 2007, possibly helped by posters that depicted foreigners as criminals shredding the nation’s flag. In the last elections, the SVP achieved its best result (29 percent), despite (or because of) issuing a subsequently banned poster that depicted three white cartoon sheep kicking a black one off the Swiss flag, as well as the slogan “Creating security” (see the illustration to the right). Anti-immigrant poster campaigns by political parties have also been conducted recently in other European countries, including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, and The Netherlands, as well as in New Zealand. Friday, December 5, 2008 Finland—according to World Audit—is ranked #1 of the world's countries for "democracy" (after a review of figures on public corruption, human and political rights, free speech, and the rule of law in every country of at least one million people). The nation conducts presidential elections every six years, selects a parliament every four years, has European Parliament elections every five years, and municipal elections every four years. There are 13 registered political parties, and 7 other ones that were removed after the 2007 parliamentary elections for failing to win a seat in two consecutive votes. Although the three main parties (Centre, National Coalition, and Social Democratic) gained 2/3 of the seats in the parliament in 2007, the support for them was about the same (23%, 22%, and 21%, respectively), and a coalition government was formed, with the first two parties joining with the Green League and Swedish People's Party (representing the Swedish speakers in Finland). In Finland, where legal restrictions are placed on political advertising on television and radio, posters are widely used. Many candidates also have their own Web pages. Nowadays, the posters often show portraits of the candidates, but issues and logos are also represented. For a good sampling of election posters throughout history from the Finnish Social Democratic Party, click on this link. At the right are two Finnish campaign posters: - Swedish People's Party (1960)—advocating for the rights of Swedish speakers (top) - Urho Kekkonen for president (1956)—promoting the politician who held office from 1956 until 1982. He was elected the first time by two votes in the electoral college, which was done away with after he left office (bottom)

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|D.G. Rossetti's 19th century masterpiece| "Ecce Ancilla Domini" -- an interpretation of the Annunciation The twenty-fifth of March is the Feast of the Annunciation (some years, when it falls on a Sunday it is observed on Monday). This is a “Feast of Our Lord,” and is (along with Sundays) the only day in Lent when the season’s discipline may be relaxed. All of this means that it is an important day in the Calendar, and this (in turn) means that it has something very significant to say about the Christian Faith. For those outside liturgical Christianity, or for those new to it, such details can seem at best curious, and at worst legalistic or taking the focus off the Gospel. There are certainly ways to use the liturgical practices of the Church—or anything else in the Christian faith, for that matter—to obscure rather than illuminate. But to suggest that because liturgical or sacramental forms can be misused they should be avoided makes no sense. The same logic would require us to give up on love, as it has been so twisted and abused through the ages. The rankings of feasts in the liturgical calendar are a kind of shorthand for significance. The most important (called “Principal”) feasts in the Church Year point to the most important elements of the Gospel message—such as Holy Week and Easter, Pentecost, Christmas, &c. Feasts ranking a bit below these—such as the Annunciation—generally focus on some event in the New Testament which is in the service of the Principal feasts. When the Archangel Gabriel (meaning “God is my strength” in Hebrew) visited Mary, the physical reality of God coming to dwell with humanity in Christ was set in motion. Nine months will pass until we sing of Emmanuel--God with us! This is the first feast in the “Incarnation Cycle” of the year, continuing on with the Visitation in May, the Nativity of St. John the Baptist in June, and on through Christmas and ultimately the Presentation of Christ in the Temple in February. Today God enters into the human experience personally, directly, through the gift of chromosomes, flesh, feelings, and vulnerability from his mother. It is a day of awe and mystery, an opportunity to rejoice and reflect. Beyond such formal theological significance, the Annunciation presents a remarkable moment: God’s messenger (that is what “angel” means in Hebrew) connects the unseen God with the young woman Mary. In announcing that she has been chosen by God to bring forth the Messiah, Gabriel ends up having a conversation with Mary. As the story of our re-union with God begins, a foretaste of our desired state already commences: open converse with angels. Mary’s deep humility and purity are revealed not only by her being made the vessel of the Incarnation, but by the nature of her dialog with Gabriel. Mary’s life is the icon of the Church’s ministry in many ways. Here, she accepts a divine commission to live with a holiness and dedication that will allow God to shine forth into the world. Her questions of Gabriel are those of one seeking understanding—not mastery. Ultimately, Mary’s only desire is to be a servant of God. The entire Old Testament sought to bring forth such a response to God. The joy and wonder is that the figure who actually achieves this is a young woman of humble origins. But, given what will happen as the Gospel unfolds, this is not surprising at all, really. As with all the feasts and fasts of the liturgical year, the Annunciation is part of a beautiful tapestry of meaning. It is both a feast of the Incarnation (“God with us” in human flesh-and-blood) and part of the whole work of salvation that culminates in the mystery of the Cross and the Empty Tomb we are about to experience in Holy Week. The collect for this feast (said as part of the Anglican translation of the Angelus in personal daily devotion) alludes to all of this by bringing these themes together in one poignant prayer: Pour your grace into our hearts, O Lord, that we who have known the incarnation of your Son Jesus Christ, announced by an angel to the Virgin Mary, may by his cross and passion be brought to the glory of his resurrection; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

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Smoking cigarettes or cigarette is definitely an addictive routine that will be not very unpopular among teenagers and teens nowadays. Since cigarettes have wide range of smoking (extremely addictive medication) to be able to get customers connected. Therefore there’s no real surprise the thousands people worldwide finding it surely difficult to stop smoking. Although smoking on our bodies’ ramifications are very well-known to non-smokers and both smokers people getting totally hooked on smoking, which dependence on nicotine as well as in several instances long haul routine makes stopping very hard to many folks. Smoking is famous to be always a tradition with-in some cultural groups, particularly among teenagers and teens, and usually socially approved this routine doesn’t have advantages to non-smokers and both smokers. Not just smoking is extremely addictive and hooks you in spending a lot of money on cigarettes, but additionally it may lead to severe lifethreatening illnesses as well as it’ll lead to less-serious but nonetheless very horrible issues like badbreath, orange teeth and fingertips, poor skin etc. Also smoking results not just the smoker however the people round the smoker aswell since the smoking which obtaining released from your own lungs includes large sums of toxic substances that are very harmful to individual health insurance and the largest issue of second hand smoking is the fact that generally it affects Kids around you. Smoking’s Ugly Effects Data suggests that smoking may be the most typical reason behind early death among smokers. Data also suggests that each year because of illnesses and ailments due to smoking significantly more than 400000 individuals die within the United States. And also its truly troubling section is that deaths have kids who’re simply subjected to second hand smoking from relatives or their parents. How can you experience should you understood that your youngster was murdered by your smoking, consider it to get a moment? Are you aware that after you smoke, each time you breathe, you really breathing significantly more than 4800 various dangerous substances, 69 which are proven to induce cancer-related illnesses that are various? Smoking is proved to be accountable for over 90 percent of lung cancer deaths in Usa as well as smoking accounts for about 80-90 percent of deaths from different respiratory illnesses. Should you have the ability to stop smoking the likelihood of respiratory illness or lung cancer is significantly decreased. Additionally your breathing doesn’t just influence, smoking likewise credited like a main reason for center ailments shots, along with a quantity of additional lifethreatening ailments. Data suggests that each year a wide array of individuals are now being identified as having lifethreatening illnesses because of breathing of smoking and what’s very worrying the quantity contains both smokers and non smokers which means this is actually suggests that second hand breathing of tobacco smoke is almost as poor as smoking itself. Another worrying data suggests that each year you will find increasingly more small children are handled for coronary and respiratory illnesses whilst the consequence of second hand smoke inhalation. Children are far more prone to have such things as allergies asthma, bad immunity system along with other unpleasant diseases where more guardian or one or comparable cigarettes subsequently in a smoke-free households. Additionally in smoking households it’s not a lot more unlikely that smoking will be started by children aswell once they obtain a bit older. Additionally if you should be a pregnant lady surrounded by smokers or perhaps a smoker oneself, your child most likely will build up a number of of the next problems, that’ll influence him for that remainder of his/her existence, fragile center and lungs with limited lung function and slim air pathways. In some instances smoking may also result in even demise of the kid or early delivery. Do harm him/her for that remaining existence or you want to destroy your personal infant? Other Adverse Effects of Smoking Aside to additional severe effects, you revealing oneself from high-risk of developing severe lifethreatening illnesses in addition to damaging temporary results from smoking whenever you smoking. These effects include health problems etc, dental issues. It may seem that smoking appears awesome, however in truth smoking is hardly hygienic. Whenever you smoke your teeth often become even brown due to the tar or orange remains from tobacco smoke remain on your teeth. Additionally smoking leads to higher-risk of developing trouble and gum conditions. Which can lead to methods that are costly to really get back your mouth to good shape. Additionally the threat of dropping your teeth considerably escalates. Medical data shows every ten years that the typical enamel harm among smokers variety 1.5 to 2.9 percentage. Which means that should you were to begin smoking whenever you 18 you’re not quite unlikely to get rid of about five teeth from the period 35 turns. Along with the above mentioned smoking proven to decelerate therapeutic method after surgical procedure or damage. Therefore not just you’ll have longer in a clinic or unemployed however you will be also cost more by it. And when everything mentioned previously isn’t enough, smoking includes a potential to damage not just your looks but additionally your wellbeing. Smoking has a tendency to accelerate aging which makes the skin and hair look outdated and boring. Like a smoker in addition you generally have more lines however the toughest section of smoking is the fact that to scent of smoking your own hair as well as your body begin with time. Also it requires a very long time of that odor even although you stop smoking to have rid. Additionally while you can easily see all of this certainly will extremely decrease the likelihood of getting a companion and can make you appealing to another sex. It’s your decision if you like to smoke but remember something in an extended work an extremely large chance is of creating severe harm to the body when I was there and that I may relate solely to it. The great thing is I were able to stop over time. For more details, visit http://greenecigpromocodes.com/.

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Return on Investment (ROI) Return on Investment (ROI) Return on investment (ROI) is a financial ratio intended to measure the benefit obtained from an investment. Time is usually of the essence in this measurement because it takes time for an investment to realize a benefit. An ROI calculation can be illustrated by the purchase and subsequent sale of a house. Let us assume a cash purchase of a residence for $100,000. The house is held for 10 years and is then sold for $150,000; during its 10 years of ownership, maintenance costs have been $1,000 per year, so that the net sales value is $140,000. This sum, less the purchase price, nets out to $40,000. That $40,000 divided by the purchase price produces 0.4 or 40 percent. The ROI of this transaction has therefore been 40 percent. This elaborate example is presented with a purpose. ROIs are typically calculated in different ways. In this example, for instance, the owner may have rented the house for $200 per month and realized a 10-year income stream of $24,000 as well. If that income is factored in, the net benefit will be $64,000 rather than $40,000, and the ROI will be 64 percent. The general rule to keep in mind is that ROI is the ratio produced when all gains from a transaction, less the costs associated with that transaction, are divided by the initial investment. The most common use of ROI is to assess the profitability of a company (or an operation within a company) based on investment. There are other measures of profitability—as a percent of sales, for instance, or as a percent of total assets used. ROI is of special interest to those who put their money into stocks or invest their savings into their own business: they have different choices available, and ROI can help to guide them to where to put their money. ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF CALCULATING ROI The general formula for computing the ROI of a business is to divide the company's net income for a period by its invested capital. But the term "invested capital" does not have a universally or uniformly accepted definition. It is sometimes defined as net work or owners' equity. Other definitions include the company's long-term debt on the principle that, for operational purposes, money derived from debt is equivalent to paid-in capital. Barron's Dictionary of Finance and Investment Terms (1985), for instance, includes long-term debt in its definition of "return on invested capital," which it uses synonymously with ROI. When the company has no long-term debt, the measure becomes Return on Equity. MSN Money uses the same definition as Barron's and showed, in mid-2006, that the average return on capital (ROI including long-term debt) of the S&P 500 companies was 7.9 percent. Return on equity was 12.4 percent. The small business can, thus, calculate its ROI simply by dividing its after-tax income by its net worth (the residue after total liabilities are deducted from total assets on the balance sheet) or can use net worth plus long-term debt. Consistency in the use of the formula is, of course, advisable. When asked by a lender or investor for the company's ROI, the owner might be well advised to find out the party's own definition. ROI will be lower if long-term debt is present. ROI calculations are also typically employed to monitor the performance of divisions or of product lines within a company. The approaches used tend to be varied, but a common form of measurement is to use operating income for the division (income before taxes) as the "gain" and a composite measure to represent investment—funds expended on behalf of the division's operations including the depreciated value of capital equipment, the value of inventories carried, and the net value of receivables less payables. When all divisions are measured the same way, comparisons are possible across the board. ROI can also be used to evaluate a proposed investment in new equipment by dividing the increase in profit attributable to the new equipment by the increase in invested capital needed to acquire it. For example, a small business may be able to save $5,000 in operating expenses (and thus raise profit by the same amount) by spending $25,000 on a piece of new equipment. This yields an ROI of $5,000 divided by $25,000 or 20 percent. If this figure is higher than the company's cost of capital (the interest paid on debt and the dividends paid to investors) prior to the investment, and no better investment opportunities exist for those funds, it may make sense to purchase the equipment. In addition to the various uses ROI holds for small business managers, it is routinely used by investors in the stock market to compare the performance of different companies and by people buying and selling companies in merger and acquisition activity. see also Financial Ratios Albrecht, W. Steve, James D. Stice, Earl Kay Stice, and Monte Swain. Financial Accounting. Thomson South-Western, 2005. Baker, H. Kent, Erik Benrud, and Gary N. Powell. Understanding Financial Management. Blackwell Publishing, 2005. Bernstein, Leopold A., and John J. Wild. Analysis of Financial Statements. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2000. MSN Money. Available from http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp. Retrieved on 21 May 2006. "Return on Investment—ROI." Investopedia.com. Available from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/r/returnoninvestment.asp. Retrieved on 21 May 2006. Hillstrom, Northern Lights updated by Magee, ECDI "Return on Investment (ROI)." Encyclopedia of Small Business. . Encyclopedia.com. (March 16, 2018). http://www.encyclopedia.com/entrepreneurs/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/return-investment-roi "Return on Investment (ROI)." Encyclopedia of Small Business. . Retrieved March 16, 2018 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/entrepreneurs/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/return-investment-roi Encyclopedia.com gives you the ability to cite reference entries and articles according to common styles from the Modern Language Association (MLA), The Chicago Manual of Style, and the American Psychological Association (APA). Within the “Cite this article” tool, pick a style to see how all available information looks when formatted according to that style. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. Because each style has its own formatting nuances that evolve over time and not all information is available for every reference entry or article, Encyclopedia.com cannot guarantee each citation it generates. Therefore, it’s best to use Encyclopedia.com citations as a starting point before checking the style against your school or publication’s requirements and the most-recent information available at these sites: Modern Language Association The Chicago Manual of Style American Psychological Association - Most online reference entries and articles do not have page numbers. Therefore, that information is unavailable for most Encyclopedia.com content. However, the date of retrieval is often important. Refer to each style’s convention regarding the best way to format page numbers and retrieval dates. - In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Therefore, be sure to refer to those guidelines when editing your bibliography or works cited list.

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What are psychological health interventions? Exercise obstacles are very actual—notably whenever you’re also battling mental well being. Psychological health problems could also be associated to extreme stress on account of a selected situation or sequence of occasions. In accordance with the National Institute of Psychological Health, the annual value of despair within the United States is estimated to be $43.7 billion dollars in misplaced productivity, absenteeism, remedy value and mortality. Psychological sickness refers to the entire diagnosable mental problems and is characterised by abnormalities in pondering, feelings, or behaviors. Social nervousness disorder is the worry of being in social conditions or feeling scrutinized, like when talking in public. Most health professionals within the UK agree on the same set of scientific diagnoses and treatments for mental well being problems. In Amritsar a Dr. Vidyasagar, instituted lively involvement of families within the care of individuals with psychological illness. 31 When a psychological illness is thrown into the combination, it turns into significantly tougher for a kid to amass the required skills and habits that folks use throughout the day. The same was reviewed in 1995 and primarily based on that, the District Psychological Health Program (DMHP) launched in 1996 and sought to integrate mental well being care with public well being care. four October 2017 – Employers and managers who take motion to advertise mental well being at work and to help staff who’ve psychological issues see beneficial properties not solely in the well being of their staff but also of their productiveness at work and the financial well being of their organizations. The media must be explaining that many people with issues like ADHD and anxiety , with the best therapy, can reside atypical lives and shouldn’t be punished for something they can not help. Therefore, well being-care practitioners diagnose a psychological dysfunction by gathering complete medical, household, and psychological-well being info. You may be more familiar with terms equivalent to ‘poor emotional well being’, ‘overloaded’, ‘burnt out’ or ‘overwhelmed’ to explain psychological well being problems. Phrases friends and family use to try to assist an individual suffering from melancholy can generally feel like additional blows of misery.

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The following myths and texts were collected at Sitka and Wrangell, Alaska, in January, February, March, and April, 1904, at the same time as the material contained in the writer's paper on the Social Condition, Beliefs, and Linguistic Relationship of the Tlingit Indians published in the Twenty-sixth Annual Report of the Bureau. For further information regarding these people the reader is referred to that paper, to Krause's Tlinkit Indianer (Jena, 1885), Emmons' Basketry of the Tlingit Indians, Niblack's Coast Indians of Southern Alaska and Northern British Columbia, Dall's Alaska and its Resources, Boas's Indianische Sagen von der Nord Pacifischen Küste Amerikas (Berlin, 1895), and the same writer in the Fifth Report of the Committee Appointed by the British Association for the Advancement of Science, to Investigate the Northwestern Tribes of Canada, and the two special reports on Alaska for the censuses of 1880 and 1890. Most of the ethnologic information contained in the works of Veniaminoff and other early writers is incorporated into the work of Krause. Stories 7, 19, 94, 101, 102, and 103 were related by the writer's Sitka interpreter, Don Cameron, of the Chilkat Kâ'gwAntân; stories 96 and 97 by Katlian, chief of the KîksA'dî; story 105 by a Yakutat man, Q!â'dAstin; and all the other Sitka stories, including the texts numbered 89-93, 95, 98, 99, and 104--by an old man of the Box-house people, named Dekinâ'k!u. From Katishan, chief of the Kasq!ague'dî of Wrangell, were obtained stories 31, 32, 33, 38, 65, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 100, 106, and the potlatch speeches. Stories 34, 35, 42, 502 52, 53, 54, 57, 64, and 75 were related by an old Kake man named KASâ'nk!, and the remaining Wrangell tales by, Katishan's mother. The last-mentioned has lived for a considerable time among the whites at Victoria, but with one exception her stories appear to have been influenced little by the fact. Her son has been a church member and shows a moralizing tendency; at the same time he was considered the best speaker at feasts in past times, and is supposed to have a better knowledge of the myths than anyone else in Wrangell. Dekinâ'k!u of Sitka is also a church member but his stories appear to be entirely after the ancient patterns.

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Sherry Laboratories provides independent and uniquely accredited materials, environmental, food and microbiological, and petrochemical testing services, engineering expertise, technical services and products of the highest quality in a cost-effective and timely manner for the success of our clients. ENVIRONMENTAL and MICROBIOLOGICAL TESTING Actinomycetes – a large group of mold-like microorganisms which give off an odor characteristic of rich earth and are the significant organisms involved in the stabilization of solid wastes by composting. Adsorption – Removal of a pollutant from air or water by collecting the pollutant on the surface of a solid material; e.g., an advanced method of treating waste in which activated carbon removes organic matter from waste-water. Aerobic Bacteria – bacteria that can grow only in the presence of free or atmospheric oxygen. Aerobic Plate Count – this test is used to determine the total number of anaerobic bacteria (requiring no oxygen) present at mesophyllic temperatures (30° C-37° C). Organisms included in this group are Clostridium perfringens and Clostridium bochulinum. Both of these are pathogens (organisms capable of causing illness). Other bacteria are also anaerobic and can cause spoilage problems in Modified Atmosphere Packaging. Most pathogens are facultative anaerobes and may show up on this test as well. Detailed procedures for determining the APC of foods have been developed by the Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC, 1990) and the American Public Health Association (APHA, 1984). Agar – a gelatinous product extracted from certain algae and used chiefly as a gelling agent in culture media. Agar-Gel Reaction – a precipitin type of antigen-antibody reaction in which the reactants are introduced into different regions of an agar gel and allowed to diffuse toward each other. Agar Plate Count – the number of bacterial colonies that develop on a medium in a petri dish seeded with a known amount of inoculum. Algae – primitive organisms that contain chlorophyll and carry on photosynthesis but lack true roots, stems, and leaves. While historically considered plants, many algae are now classified in the kingdoms Monera and Protista. They are abundant both in the sea and freshwater Algae occur as microscopic single cells and more complex forms of many cells grouped in spherical colonies, in ribbonlike filament, and in giant forms (e.g., the marine kelps). The cells of colonies are generally similar, but some are specialized for reproduction and other functions. The blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) and green algae include most of the freshwater forms, such as pond scum, a green slime found in stagnant water. Brown and red algae are more complex, chiefly marine forms whose green chlorophyll is masked by the presence of other pigments. Algae are primary food producers in the food chain and also provide oxygen for aquatic life. Algae that thrive in polluted water can over-multiply, resulting in an algal bloom and seriously unbalancing their ecosystem. Anaerobic Bacteria – bacteria which cannot grow in the presence of free or atmospheric oxygen. Anderson Sampler – an aerosol sampling device consisting of a series of stacked stages and collection surfaces. It determines the particle size distribution of a gas sample containing particulates. Antibiotic Screening – a method for quantitatively determining the concentration of an antibiotic by its effect in inhibiting the growth of a susceptible microorganism. Atomic Absorption (AA) – instrumentation used to determine metal content in samples. Elements are identified by their characteristic absorption of specific wavelength radiation. Vaporization of samples is generally accomplished by various methods, including FLAME and FURNACE. The COLD VAPOR system is used for Mercury vaporization. This technique can analyze only one element at a time, depending on which specific wavelength filter is being used. Often, but not always, it can quantify lower concentrations of metals than can be determined by Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP). Bacillus SPP. – a gram-positive, aerobic spore-forming bacteria. It occurs widely in nature and in soil. It forms large spores. Bacterial spores are highly resistant to all forms of food processing techniques that normally kill vegetative cells. Bacillus possesses a wide range of physiologic activities, including fermentation of sugar, peptonization of protein, hydrolysis of starch and rennin coagulation of milk. Bacteria – unicellular, generally microscopic organisms having three typical forms: rod-shaped (bacillus), round (coccus), and spiral (spirillum). The cytoplasm of most bacteria – the oldest life-forms on earth – is surrounded by a cell wall; the nucleus contains DNA but lacks the nuclear membrane found in higher plants and animals. Many forms are motile, propelled by movements of a filament-like appendage (flagellum). Reproduction is chiefly by transverse fission (mitosis), but conjugation (transfer of nucleic acid between two cells) and other forms of genetic recombination also occur. Some bacteria (aerobes) can grow only in the presence of free or atmospheric oxygen; others (anaerobes) cannot grow in its presence; and a third group (facultative anaerobes) can grow with or without it. In unfavorable conditions, many species form resistant spores. Bacteria are both useful and harmful to humans. Some are used for soil enrichment with leguminous plants, in alcohol and cheese fermentation, and to decompose organic wastes and clean up toxic waste sites. Others – called pathogens – cause a number of plant and animal diseases, including cholera, diarrhea, syphilis, typhoid fever, and tetanus. Bacterial Challenge Testing – a procedure frequently used by the food industry to determine the limits of stability, to assess the risk of food poisoning of a product, and to determine which components of a food are responsible for its preservation. It can be defined as the laboratory simulation of what can happen to a product during manufacture, distribution, and subsequent handling. In it simplest form, challenge testing can involve the storage of product, or different formulations of a product, under realistic and obtuse conditions, as is used in determining shelf life. Microbiological challenge testing involved the inoculation of a product with relevant microorganisms and/or holding the product under a range of controlled environmental conditions. As such, challenge testing provides information on the conditions that allow/inhibit growth of a particular microorganism, but it does not provide information on the likelihood of organisms being present in the product. An essential part of designing a challenge test is therefore the choice of relevant organisms used to inoculate the product. These should be those with known tolerance to the food and storage conditions and therefore likely to cause spoilage or food poisoning in the product under test. Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and Xylene (BTEX) Analysis – an analysis performed by gas chromatograph for Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and xylene. The presence of all four of these organic compounds indicates the presence of gasoline. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) – the amount of oxygen required for aerobic bacteria to completely oxidize the organic matter within a specified time and at a given temperature – an index to the degree of organic pollution in the water. When discharged to a watercourse, waste containing BOD constituents will consume dissolved oxygen in the water; the BOD indicates the rate at which the oxygen is used up. Waters that receive high BOD waste undergo reduction of oxygen and subsequent damage to aquatic life; a measure of the amount of oxygen consumed in the biological processes that break down organic matter in water. The greater the BOD, the greater the degree of pollution. Biocides – a chemical toxic to a biological life; a compound that has the ability to inactivate microorganisms. In a general term, biocide refers to compounds that can be used as an algicide (inactivate algae), bactericide (inactivate bacteria), fungicide (inactivate fungi), and viricide (inactivate viruses), or some combination of the above. It is equivalent to disinfectant. Biodegradation – capable of being broken down especially into harmless products by the action of living things (as microorganisms). Bioremediation – the treatment of pollutants or waste (as in an oil spill, contaminated groundwater, or industrial process) by the use of microorganisms (as bacteria) that break down the undesirable substances. BTEX Analysis – see Benzene, Toluene, Ehtylbenzene and xylene analysis. Campylobacter Spp. – a genus of gram-negative microaerophilic or anaerobic, chemoorganotrophic bacteria of the Spirillaceae (a family of helical bacteria in which each cell forms an incomplete turn of a helix, or a number of turns, depending on the species; the cells are rigid and are polarly flagellate); species occur in the mouth, alimentary tract and reproductive organs in man and other animals. The cells are nonpigmented, less than 1 micron in diameter and about 1-5 microns in length; a single flagellum is carried at one or at each pole of the cell – the organism moving with a corkscrew-like motion. Chemical Analysis – the determination of chemical structure and chemically active species in a subject. It involves both direct measurements and use of specific compounds to achieve selective reactions of a component of the substance being analyzed; to produce a readily measurable species; or to determine a reactive end product. Detection may involve simple visual or optical observations, recording of an electrical or thermal response, or use of sophisticated spectroscopic or other complex automated instrumentation with computerized controls and data handling capabilities. Clean Air Act (CAA) – the legislative basis for air pollution control regulations. It was first enacted in 1955 and later amended in 1963, 1965, 1970, 1977 and 1990. The 1955 Act and the 1963 Amendments called for the abatement of air pollution through voluntary measures. The 1965 Amendment gave federal regulators the authority to establish automobile emission standards. The 1970 Amendments broadened the scope of the original Act and formed the basis for federal and state air pollution control regulations. The 1990 Amendments significantly expanded the scope of the Act, including listing 189 hazardous air pollutants. It required the Environmental Protection Agency to start setting standards for categories of sources that emit those pollutants within two years (1992) and finish setting all standards within 10 years (2000). The CAA requires the EPA to identify each substance that it believes causes or contributes to air pollution. Further, the EPA must identify each substance that it reasonably believes endangers public health or welfare. Clean Water Act (CWA) – the Environmental Protection Agency established national water quality goals under this legislation. Water pollution from industrial and municipal facilities is controlled primarily through permits limiting discharges. Permit limits are based on effluent guidelines for specific pollutants, performance requirements for new sources, and/or water quality limits. Permits also set schedules and timetables for construction and installation of needed equipment. Sources which discharge indirectly to a municipal treatment plant are subject to pretreatment standards. Other key provisions of the CWA require permits for discharge of dredged and fill materials into waters (including wetlands), and requirements for reporting and cleaning up spills of oil or hazardous material. This act was originally enacted as the Federal Water Pollution Control Act Amendments of 1972 Clostridium Spp. – a genus of spore-forming chemoorganotrophic, obligately anaerobic (or aerotolerant), pleomorphic rod-shaped bacteria of the family Bacillaceae (a family of spore-forming bacteria comprising the genera bacillus, clostridium, desulphotomaculum, sporolactobacillus and sporosarcina). The organisms are typically gram-positive, motile and catalase-negative. Clostridium spp are widespread in soil, muds, etc., and in the intestinal tract of animals, including man. Diseases caused by Clostridium spp include botulism, gas gangrene, tetanus, blackleg and braxy. Coagulation – the process of adding chemicals such as aluminum sulfate, ferric chloride, or polyelectrolytes to wastewater. This causes the surface characteristics of the suspended solids to be altered so that they attach to one another and precipitate. Flocculation causes the suspended solids to coalesce. Coagulation and flocculation can remove more than 80 percent of suspended solids. Coliforms – gram negative organisms capable of fermenting lactose. Coliforms are common environmental organisms and may be found in soil, on hands, on equipment surfaces, in water, etc. Coliform tests, as a group, are used as an overall indication of sanitation efficiency. Most coliforms are not harmful (pathogenic), but if a coliform test indicates their presence, it is considered to be an indication of unsanitary conditions. There are no standards for coliforms for most foods. Many Product Specifications are written with a zero or low tolerance for coliforms. Coliform Counts – Escherichia coli, E. Coli for short, are professionally known as coliforms. While these bacteria are harmless to humans, their presence in a water sample indicates human and mammalian excreta. This could signal the presence of pathogens. And the nonpathogenic coliforms are used to determine the safety of the water in question. If the coliform count in the sample is high, the water is unsafe for drinking, but may possibly be used for other purposes. Drinking water should have a coliform count of zero. Higher counts are permissible for fishing, boating, etc. Coliphage – any bacteriophage whose host is a strain of E. coli. Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) – enacted federal legislation that regulates the cleanup of hazardous waste sites. Programs regulated by this legislation are also known as the Superfund Program because of the fund created to finance cleanups of hazardous waste sites where no responsible parties can be found. The CERCLA was enacted in 1980 as an amendment to the Solid Waste Disposal Act, the predecessor statute to RCRA. The CERCLA focuses on the cleanup of hazardous waste by (1) establishing an information-gathering and analysis system to characterize site contamination, assess risks and develop cleanup actions; (2) providing for a national inventory of inactive hazardous waste sites; and (3) establishing a program designed to respond to the dangers of spills from such sites. Contaminants – any physical, chemical, biological, or radiological substance or matter that has an adverse affect on air, water, or soil. Corrosion – the quality of a substance which causes the gradual deterioration of another material by chemical processes, such as oxidation or attack by acids; emissions containing corrosive substances that are by-products of combustion can cause rusting and other forms of corrosion among metal structures. The most prevalent corrosive agents include the oxides of sulfur, such as SO3, which is present in small quantities when large quantities of SO2 are generated by combustion and combinations of chlorine, fluorine. It is difficult to estimate how much damage airborne corrosives cause. Corrosion is also caused by liquids containing corrosive agents. Critical Control Points – when assessing the potential hazards associated with all stages of the food manufacturing process, that stage of the process that needs to be controlled to assure safety (or product stability). Discharge Monitoring – activities involved with monitoring actual discharge, which is a catchall term that pertains to any pollutant introduced into the environment. Normally, gaseous discharges are called emissions, while liquid discharges are called effluents. Solid wastes, in more candid fashion, are called discharges. Effluent – The liquid, solid or gaseous wastes discharged by a process, treated or untreated. Enterococci – a group of cocci (sphere-shaped bacteria) having its normal habitat in the intestines of man or animals. Enterotoxin – a toxin that is produced by microorganisms (as some staphylococci) and causes gastrointestinal symptoms (as in some forms of food poisoning or cholera). Environmental Audit – an independent assessment of the current status of a party’s compliance with applicable environmental requirements or of a party’s environmental compliance policies, practices and controls. Escherichia Coli (E. Coli) – common bacterium that normally inhabits the intestinal tracts of humans and animals but can cause infection in other parts of the body, especially the urinary tract. One strain, sometimes transmitted in hamburger meat, can cause serious infection resulting in diarrhea, anemia, kidney failure, and death. E. coli are a subgroup of the coliform group. They are the most numerous coliform species and most are considered nonpathogenic (normally not able to cause illness). The presence of E. coli in foods is considered to be an indication of fecal contamination. Most Product Specifications are written with a zero tolerance for E. coli. Some E. coli are pathogenic, most notably, E. coli O157, which has been linked to several deaths and thousands of cases of food poisoning. FacultativeM – having the ability to live and adapt to various conditions while not being restricted to those conditions or mode of life, such as bacteria that can live either with or without oxygen. Fecal Coliform – bacteria from excrement, fecal coliform are not necessarily harmful by themselves, but are indicative of the presence of other disease-causing organisms that may cause diarrhea, vomiting, or a more serious illness. Fecal Streptococci – often used interchangeably with enterococci, but should indicate only one group of streptococci included in the total enterococci group. Ferrous Ammonium Sulfate – light-green, water-soluble crystals used in medicine, analytical chemistry and metallurgy. Also known as iron ammonium sulfate and Mohr’s salt. Field Testing – a nonformal experiment, that is, one with fewer controls than a laboratory experiment; conducted under field conditions. Fluorescent Stain – the use of fluorescent dyes to mark specific cell structures, such as chromosomes. Food Microbiology – the study of all aspects of microbial action on food and food products, both directly and indirectly, related to the welfare of mankind. Fresh Water Analysis – water that generally contains less than 1,000 milligrams-per-liter of dissolved solids. Fuel Fingerprint – gas chromatograph analysis of a fuel to identify its source by comparison with fingerprints of fuels from known sources. Fungi – any of a major group of saprophytic (obtaining food by absorbing dissolved organic material) and parasitic spore-producing organisms usually classified as plants that lack chlorophyll and include molds, rusts, mildews, smuts, mushrooms, and yeasts. Gas Chromatography – instrumentation that uses a solid-phase packed column, with gas as a mobile phase, to separate organic compounds in a mixture. The compounds can be detected as they exit the bottom end of the column with a variety of detectors. Common detection systems include Photoionization Detectors (PIDs), Electron Capture Detectors (ECDs) and Mass Spectroscopy (MS). Gram Stain – An important method for staining bacteria developed by Christian Gram in 1884. The bacteria are placed as a smear on a slide, then air-dried, then stained first with crystal violet dye and then with Gram’s iodine. The bacteria are then washed with 95% ethanol, flooded with safranin or fuchsin (red dyes) and air-dried again. If the bacteria retain the purple-blue stain on their cell walls, they’re classified as Gram-positive; if they don’t retain the crystal violet but take the red counterstain, they’re Gram-negative. This classification is important because the reaction to Gram stain correlates in many cases with the bacteria’s vulnerability to certain antibiotics. The process only takes a few minutes, making it ideal for medical clinics. If a clinician considers data from the Gram stain along with his/her medical examination of a sick patient, the clinician can get a pretty good idea of the pathogen that is infecting the patient and then start a regimen of antibiotics. In a clinical setting, the Gram stain is followed up by a bacterial culture (which takes three to six days to complete). Graphite Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (GFAAS) – the electronically heated graphite furnace gradually heats the sample in several stages. Thus, the processes of desolvation, drying, decomposition of organic and inorganic molecules and salts, and formation of atoms which must occur in a flame or ICP in a few milliseconds may be allowed to occur over a much longer time period and at controlled temperatures In the furnace. This allows an experienced analyst to remove unwanted matrix components (the material in which the substance whose presence is being determined) by using temperature programming and/or matrix modifiers. The major advantage of this technique is that it affords extremely low detection limits. It is the easiest to perform on relatively clean samples. Ground Water – water from a well or underground aquifer (An underground body of water that is more protected from contaminants than surface water, but is still susceptible to perils such as fecal coliform from septic tanks. Half of all Americans get drinking water from such underground sources. Of these, roughly a third have their own wells, which are not regulated by government. The remainder use municipal water systems, which draw on underground supplies that are subject to the same rules as surface water. Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) – During the 1960s, the Pillsbury Corporation, with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Army, adopted the concept of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point to assure food safety for the U.S. space program. Since that time, the concept has gained wide acceptance for use in the food industry in the United States and Europe. HACCP is a structured approach to the identification and control of hazards and provides a more structured and critical approach than traditional inspection and quality-control procedures. The emphasis is removed from final product testing to the control of raw materials and process operations within the factory environment. The system is proactive and has the potential to identify areas of concern where failure has not yet been experienced and is therefore particularly useful for new operations. Although widely used for food-poisoning hazards, analysis can be made for other hazards such as foreign bodies or chemical contaminants or for spoilage problems or control of waste. The HACCP approach consists of describing assessment of potential hazards associated with all stages of the food manufacturing operation from acquisition of raw material through to product sale and consumption. Halophilic Microorganisms – those organisms whose requirement for salt – as an environmental factor – exceeds that of other organisms; extreme halophiles require salt concentrations of at least 15 to 20 percent for growth. Hazard Analysis – the procedures involved in: - Identifying potential sources of release of hazardous materials from fixed facilities or transportation accidents; - Determining the vulnerability of a geographical area to a release of hazardous materials; and - Comparing hazards to determine which present greater or lesser risks to a community. Hazardous Waste – solid waste (essentially any discarded or abandoned material not excluded from regulation by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act) that either exhibits characteristics of hazardous waste, including ignitability, corrosivity, reactivity or toxicity; or which has been placed on a specific list of hazardous wastes, such as various spent solvents, industrial sludges and discarded commercial chemical products that are always considered hazardous. The Environmental Protection Agency publishes the list annually in the Code of Federal Regulations. Hazardous Waste Characterization – characterization of a waste for ignitability, corrosivity and reactivity. A characteristic waste is one that fails RCRA criteria for any one of these tests. Helminth – a parasitic worm (as a tapeworm, liver fluke, ascarid, or leech); especially : an intestinal worm. Herbicide – a chemical agent that destroys or inhibits plant growth. Hydrogen Sulfide – a poisonous gas with the odor of rotten eggs that is produced from the putrefaction of sulfur-containing organic material. Odorous in concentrations as small as parts per billion; gas emitted during organic decomposition. Also a by-product of oil refining and burning. Smells like rotten eggs and, in heavy concentration, can kill or cause illness. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) – instrumentation used to determine metal content in samples. Elements are identified by their characteristic emissions of specific wavelength radiation produced by a radio-frequency inductively coupled plasma. This technique can analyze multiple elements simultaneously or sequentially. Industrial Pretreatment – activities involved with assisting industries with monitoring pretreatment processes to effectively manage regulated pollutants. Industrial Waste – waste materials generally discarded from industrial operations or derived from manufacturing processes; may be liquid, sludge or solid wastes and need not by hazardous. Influent – an influent is the reverse of an effluent. Since effluent is normally applied to liquids – and mainly to water or water containing colloids and suspended solids, influent can be considered water entering any treatment or processing plant. It generally contains the raw contaminants or pollutants. But when polluted water enters a receiving water, the incoming pollution source is called effluent. Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) – procedure that identifies types of organic compounds based on their characteristic absorption of infrared radiation. In general IR analysis is used to quantify total hydrocarbons in a preparation, often for fuels, oils and greases. Inhibitors – chemicals that can block or slow down activity in a human or other organism, without causing death. Certain pollutants such as lead may be classed as inhibitors. Injection Well – a well into which fluids are forced. Iron Bacteria – bacteria that either utilize iron as a source of energy or cause its dissolution or deposition. The former obtain energy by oxidizing ferrous iron to ferric iron, which is precipitated as ferric hydrate; the latter, without oxidizing ferrous iron, alter environmental conditions in such a way as to cause it to be dissolved or deposited. Iron bacteria grow well in a water with high iron content.; bacteria that assimilate iron and excrete its compounds in their life processes. Klebsiella Spp. – a genus of bacteria in the family enterobacteriaceae; nonmotile, encapsulated rods arranged singly, in pairs or in chains; some species are human pathogens. Lactic Acid Bacteria – gram-positive, non-spore forming bacteria producing lactic acid as the major or sole product of fermentation. As a group they are important in food spoilage because they cause souring and discoloration. Lead (analysis) – the hazards of this trace element go all the way back to the Romans, who allegedly – among other weaknesses – lost their empire because of sterility induced by imbibing wine stored in leaden vessels. Cases of lost teeth, early death, etc., are documented by the hundreds, with contamination of the victims arising either from exposure to lead on the job, or by drinking lead in some form or other as a result of the water passing through lead pipes or pipes whose joints were soldered with a lead-based solder. The amount of lead as a trace element or pollutant found in a sample of a natural resource such as air or water is called the lead load. Lead loads are heaviest in industrial areas utilizing lead in some form or other during processing. Legionella Spp. – a genus of bacteria, some species of which have caused a type of pneumonia called Legionnaires Disease. Listeria Spp. – a psychrotroph capable of growing at temperatures as low as 2.5° C and has high as 44° C. Because dairy products have been implicated in outbreaks of listeriosis, much research has been directed toward milk and cheese products. Media – specific environments – air, water, soil – which are the subject of regulatory concern and activities. Microbe – microscopic organisms such as algae, animals, viruses, bacteria, fungus and protozoa, some of which cause diseases. Microbial – of or pertaining to microbes, single-celled organisms (e.g. bacteria). Microbiological – a branch of biology dealing especially with microscopic forms of life. Microorganisms – an organism of microscopic or ultramicroscopic size. Mixture Rule – any mixture of a nonhazardous solid waste and a listed hazardous waste is itself a hazardous waste (dilution is irrelevant), although such a mixture may not exhibit a hazardous waste characteristic. A mixture of a nonhazardous solid waste and a characteristic hazardous waste remains hazardous for regulatory purposes until it no longer exhibits a characteristic of the waste. Mold – any of a group (Myxomycetes or Mycetozoa) of organisms usually held to be lower fungi but sometimes considered protozoans that exist vegetatively as mobile plasmodia and reproduce by spores. Most Probable Number (MPN) – a method for estimating the concentration of viable organisms (usually bacteria) in a suspension. Five tubes, containing a suitable liquid growth medium, are each inoculated with a fixed volume of the suspension. Another five tubes, containing the same medium, are each inoculated with a smaller fixed volume of the suspension, and further sets of tubes are similarly inoculated with progressively smaller volumes of the suspension. Following incubation, each tube is examined for the presence or absence of growth. Growth usually occurs in those tubes inoculated with the larger volumes of suspension – since these tubes are more likely to have received at least one viable organism in the inoculum. The concentration of viable cells in the original suspension may be calculated from the pattern of positive (growth) and negative (no growth) tubes – using statistical probability tables. Municipal Water Analysis – analytical activities involved with monitoring regulated pollutants in municipal water treatment plant influents and effluents. National Pollutant Discharge and Elimination System (NPDES) – federal program established through the Clean Water Act which regulates discharges into surface waters. This act requires every discharge of pollutants into a navigable water body to be pre-approved under permit by the Environmental Protection Agency on an authorized state agency. Nitrate (water analysis) – Nitrates are fertilizers that may produce serious effects in adults, including miscarriage. Nitrite – an intermediate in the process of nitrification. 2. Nitrous oxide salts used in food preservation. Optical Density – a logarithmic measure of the amount of incident light attenuated. Optical density (D) is related to the transmittance (Tr) and opacity (Op) as follows: D = -log(10) Tr = -log(10)(1 – Op). Osmophilic Microorganisms – bacteria that can withstand high concentrations of salt or sugar. These organisms are generally considered to be nonpathogenic (not capable of causing illness), but can cause spoilage in products with high concentrations of sugar. Parasites – organism that obtains nourishment from another living organism (the host). The host, which may or may not be harmed, never benefits from the parasite. Many parasites have more than one host and most cannot survive apart from their host. Parasites include bacteria (e.g., those causing TUBERCULOSIS) along with the following: - Fleas – small, bloodsucking wingless insects of the order Siphonaptera. Adult fleas eat only blood and are external parasites of mammals and birds. They have hard bodies flattened from side to side, piercing and sucking mouth-parts, and strong legs for jumping. Certain rat fleas carry typhus and bubonic plague; other fleas transmit tape-worms to humans. - Nematode – member of a phylum that comprises the roundworms. Nematodes live in the water or soil. Many species, such as pinworms and hookworms, are parasites of plants and animals, including humans. Some are used as biologi-cal pesticides to control insect pests. - Tapeworm – name for parasitic flatworms in the class Cestoda, segmented worms sometimes reaching 15-20 ft. in length. Tapeworms attach themselves to the intestinal wall of the host, which may be vertebrates or arthropods. Humans become infected with tapeworms from eating infected meat or fish. Infestation may produce no symptoms or may produce abdominal distress and weight loss. Drug treatment destroys the parasite. Pathogens – an abbreviated term for pathogenic bacteria that includes microorganisms that can cause diseases in man. Pathogens may be airborne, waterborne or transferred from man to man and from animal to man. The presence of pathogens in sewage and other kinds of water laden with liquid wastes from human sources is determined by the presence of E. Coli. The presence of E. Coli in large quantities is indicative of the possible presence of pathogens, thus making the water polluted and unfit for humans to drink or swim in. Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) – a series of hazardous chemical compounds which have been manufactured since the 1940s for such common purposes as electrical insulation and heating/cooling equipment. Now suspected to be carcinogens, PCBs have been disposed of in the air, on land and in water; surveys have detected the presence of PCBs in every part of the country, even those remote from PCB manufacturers. Pesticides – Collective name for a variety of insecticides, fungicides, herbicides, algicides, fumigants and rodenticides used to kill organisms. pH – A symbol denoting the concentration of hydrogen (H) ions in solution. A measure of acidity or alkalinity in water in which pH 7 is neutral, values above 7 are alkaline and values below 7 are acid. Pretreatment – the reduction of the amount of pollutants, the elimination of pollutants, or the alteration of the nature of pollutant properties in wastewater to a less harmful state prior to or in lieu of discharging or otherwise introducing such pollutants into publicly owned treatment works. The reduction of alteration can be obtained by physical, chemical or biological processes, process changes or by other means. Proteolytic Microorganisms – a microscopic organism, including bacteria, protozoans, yeast, viruses, and algae, which catalyzes the breakdown of protein. Protozoa – A very diverse group comprising some 50,000 eukaryotic organisms that consist of one cell. The Protozoa are grouped into several phyla, the main ones being the Sarcomastigophora (flagellates, heliozoans and amoeboid-like protozoa), the Ciliophora (ciliates) and the Apicomplexa (sporozoan parasites.) Qualitative Research – the determination of unknown constituents of a substance. For example, determining whether a sample of salt contains the element iodine is a qualitative analysis. Quantitative Research – the determination of the quantity or concentration of a specific substance or substances in a sample. For example, measuring the weight of any iodine in a sample of salt is a quantitative analysis. Residential Waste – waste materials generated in homes and apartments, including paper, cardboard, beverage containers, food cans, plastics, food wastes, glass, garden and yard wastes. Residual Waste – garbage, refuse, or other waste including solid, liquid, semisolid or contained gaseous materials resulting from industrial, mining and agricultural operations and sewage from an industrial, mining or agricultural water treatment supply facility, waste water treatment facility or air pollution control facility, provided it is not hazardous. Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) – federal legislation enacted in 1976 that regulates the transportation, treatment and disposal of "special" and hazardous materials and wastes. Safe Water Drinking Act (SDWA) – enacted federal legislation that regulates the management of public water supplies. This includes community and noncommunity water supplies. Homeowners’ private wells are not under the jurisdiction of SDWA. In order to provide analytical support for this program, a laboratory must be certified by the state or the Unites States Environmental Protection Agency. Salmonella Spp. – bacteria pathogenic to man because they cause food poisoning. There are more than 1,200 strains of this bacteria; genus of infectious bacteria that was named for the American veterinarian Daniel Elmer Salmon, who first isolated it in 1885. The organism is transmitted through contaminated poultry, eggs, and certain other foods. Three species are recognized: Salmonella typhi; S. choleraesuis; and S. enteriditis, which has more than 1,400 antigenically distinct serotypes. S. typhi produces typhoid fever. S. typhimurium, a serotype of S. enteriditis, causes salmonella gastroenteritis, a type of food poisoning characterized by abdominal pain, fever, nausea and vomiting, and diarrhea. The incubation period is 8 to 48 hours, and an attack may last from three to seven days. Mild cases are usually treated with antidiarrheal remedies; more severe cases require antibiotics. Careful cleaning and thorough cooking of food prevent salmonella infections. Sample – in quality control, a group of samples (chemical) taken from a lot or batch of samples; in monitoring, a representative specimen of air collected for the purpose of determining its pollutant content. Other sample related terms include: - Batch sample – the collection of samples that are drawn from a batch. - Batch sample size – the number of samples of the same category which is randomly drawn from the batch sample and which will receive emission tests. - Check sample – a blank which has been spiked with the analyte – chemical substance whose presence and/or concentration in a sample is determined – from an independent source in order to monitor the execution of the analytical method. - Composite sample (or mixed sample) – a series of small samples taken over a given time period and combined as one sample in order to provide a representative analysis of the average constituent levels during the sampling period. - Composite wastewater sample – a combination of individual samples of water or wastewater taken at selected intervals and mixed in proportion to flow or time to minimize the effect of the variability of individual samples. - Environmental Sample (or field sample) – a representative sample of any material (aqueous – containing water, nonaqueous, or multimedia – containing water, air and land) collected from any source for which determination of composition or contamination is requested or required. - Grab Sample – a single sample which is collected at a time and place most representative of total discharge; instantaneous sampling or a sample taken at a random location and at a random time. - Integrated Sample – a sample obtained over a period of time with (a) the collected atmosphere being retained in a single vessel; or (b) with a separated component accumulating into a single whole. Examples are dust sampling in which all the dust separated from the air is accumulated in one mass of fluid; the absorption of acid gas in an alkaline solution; and collection of air in a plastic bag or gasometer. Such a sample does not reflect variations in concentration during the period of sampling. - Replicate Sample – a sample that has been divided into two or more portions at a step in the measurement process. Each portion is then carried through the remaining steps in the measurement process. Duplicate samples are considered to be two replicates. - Representative Sample – a sample of a universe or whole, such as a waste pile, lagoon or ground water which can be expected to exhibit the average properties of the whole. - Sampling (continuous sample) – a process consisting of the withdrawal or isolation of a fractional part of a whole. In air or gas analysis, the separation of a portion of an ambient atmosphere with or without the simultaneous isolation of selected components. - Split Sample – a sample divided into two portions, one of which is sent to a different organization or laboratory and subjected to the same environmental conditions and steps in the measurement process as the one retained in-house. - Standard Sample – the part of finished drinking water that is examined for the presence of coliform bacteria. - Test Sample – the collection of vehicles of the same configuration which have been drawn from the population of vehicles of that configuration and which will receive exhaust emission testing. - Test Sample Size – the number of compressors of the same configuration in a test sample. Sample Division – the process of extracting a smaller sample from a sample so that the representative properties of the larger sample are retained. It is assumed that no change in particle size or other characteristics occurs. Sample Holding Time – the storage time allowed between sample collection and sample analysis when the designated preservation and storage techniques are employed. Sample Interval – the time period between successive samples for a digital signal or between successive measurements for an analog signal. Sample Line – a stainless steel or Teflon tube to transport the sample gas to the analyzer. The sample line should be maintained at the temperature between 150° and 175° C to prevent the condensation of samples taken. Sample Mean (or sample average) – the average of a population calculated from the sample; it is the most commonly used measure of the center of a distribution. Its value equals the sum of the values of the observations divided by the number of observations. Sample Preparation – the process that includes drying, size reduction, division, and mixing of a laboratory sample for the purpose of obtaining an unbiased analysis sample. Sample Reduction – the process whereby sample particle size is reduced without change in sample weight. Sample Size – the number of units in a sample. Sampler – a device used with or without flow measurement to obtain any adequate portion of samples such as flue gas, water or waste for analytical purposes. May be designed for taking a single sample (grab), composite sample, continuous sample or periodic sample. Sampling Bag – the bags used for collecting air samples from the field. When the bags are brought back to the laboratory, the collected air is then released for analysis. Sampling Station – a location where samples are tapped (taken) for analysis. Sampling Volume – range of the amount of sample required to perform the measurement. Sanitary Landfill – land disposal sites for nonhazardous solid wastes at which the waste is spread in layers, compacted to the smallest practical volume and cover material applied at the end of each operating day; an engineered method of disposing of solid waste on land in a manner that protects the environment, by spreading the waste in thin layers, compacting it to the smallest practical volume and covering it with soil by the end of each working day. Sanitary Wastewater – the wastewater discharged from conveniences such as showers, toilets and sinks. Scale – generally insoluble deposits on equipment and heat transfer surfaces which are created when the solubility of a salt is exceeded. Common scaling agents are calcium carbonate and calcium sulfate. Semivolatile Organic Compounds – organic compounds that volatilize slowly at standard temperature (20 degrees C and 1 atm pressure). Sewage – waste flushed from toilets into sewers, then processed in treatment plants. Sewage disposal is the responsibility of the State Water Resources Control Board; disposal of sludge or the dried end-product of the sewage treatment process is the responsibility of the State Solid Waste Management Board. Shelf-Life Studies – that time for which, under normal conditions, a product remains wholesome. The shelf life may be limited by a product becoming unsafe or developing unacceptable sensory qualities or by commercial considerations. In order to establish the shelf life of a product it is important to determine that change which is the first to render the product unwholesome/unacceptable. Determining shelf life requires consideration of every aspect of manufacture, storage, distribution, and consumer handling. Much information is required on the conditions to which the product is likely to be exposed during its life and the effect these are likely to have on the product itself. It is particularly important to appreciate the potential variation that may occur in a product from batch to batch and the effect this may have on the shelf life. Shigella Spp. – bacillary dysentery is caused by certain nonmotile bacteria of the genus Shigella. This form of dysentery is usually self-limiting and rarely manifests the more severe organ involvements characteristic of amoebic dysentery. Bacillary dysentery is spread by contaminated water, milk, and food. Feces from active cases and those from healthy carriers as well contain immense numbers of the disease-producing bacteria. Flies carry the bacteria on their feet or in their saliva and feces and deposit them on food; ants are also believed to spread the disease. In the treatment of bacillary dysentery, proper replacement of fluid is important. Sulfonamides, tetracycline, and streptomycin were effective in curing acute cases until drug-resistant strains emerged. Chloramphenicol is sometimes used to treat these strains. Quinolones such as norfloxacin and ciproloxacin are also effective against Shigella infection. Slime Forming Bacteria – the common name for bacteria in the order of myxobacterales, so named for the layer of slime deposited behind the cells as they glide on a surface. Solid Waste – virtually any discarded material from industrial, commercial, mining, agricultural, or community activities, except for nuclear waste, domestic sewage, wastes regulated as discharges under the Clean Water Act, or manures or crop residues returned to the soil at the point of generation. Solvents – a liquid substance that is used to dissolve or dilute another substance. Varieties of solvents include: - Methyl Alcohol (methanol) is made synthetically and is completely miscible with water and most organic liquids; - Ethyl alcohol (ethanol) is produced by fermentation and synthetically - Isopropyl alcohol (isopropanol) is derived mainly from petroleum; and - Butyl alcohol (normal butanol) is used extensively in lacquer and synthetic resin compositions and also in penetrating oils. - Athyl acetate dissolves a large variety of materials such as nitrocellulose, oils, fats, gums, and resins - Butyl acetate is the acetic-acid ester of normal butanol and is used extensively for dissolving various cellulose esters, minerals and vegetable oils; and - Amyl acetate (banana oil) is used mainly in lacquers - Aromatic hydrocarbons are derived from coal-tar distillates, the most common of which are benzene, toluene, xylene, and hi-flash naphtha or coal-tar naphtha; and - Petroleum is hydrocarbons derived from petroleum. Common petroleum solvents include benzine, mineral spirits and kerosene. - Chlorinated Solvents - Carbon tetrachloride is a colorless, nonflammable liquid; and - Trichlorethylene is similar to carbon tetrachloride but is slower in evaporation rate. - Acetone is an exceptionally active solvent for a wide variety of organic materials, gases, liquids and solids; and - Methylethylketone (MEK) is similar to acetone. Special Waste – special waste does not include demolition or construction debris, industrial or commercial waste which is similar to general household solid waste, certain types of coal ash, food products in labelled containers of five gallons or less. Special waste is defined as a solid waste from a nonresidential source which is: - a sludge waste - an industrial process waste - a pollution control waste; or - contaminated soils or other materials from cleanup of a release of a, b or c above Specimen – any material derived from a test system for examination or analysis. Staphylococcus – any of the pathogenic bacteria parasitic to humans, that belong to the genus Staphylococcus. The spherical bacterial cells (cocci) typically occur in irregular clusters. Staphylococci cause abscesses, boils, and other infections of the skin. They can also produce infection in any organ of the body (e.g., staphylococcal pneumonia in the lungs). The most common form of food poisoning is brought on by staphylococcus-contaminated food. Staphylococcus (and Bacillus) Enterotoxins – Stormwater – Rainwater which has run off the ground surface, roads, roofs, paved areas etc. and is usually carried away by drains. Streptococci – Any of a group of gram-positive bacteria of the genus Streptococcus. Streptococci are spherical in shape and divide by fission, but they remain attached and so grow in bead-like chains. Some streptococci are important in fermentation; others cause any of a wide variety of diseases including some pneumonias, scarlet fever, rheumatic fever, and, in rare cases, necrotizing fascitis, a quickly spreading infection of the flesh caused by toxins released by streptococcus bacteria that have been invaded by bacteriophages (such bacteria are sometimes popularly called flesh-eating bacteria). Sulfate Reducing Bacteria – bacteria capable of assimilating oxygen from sulfate compounds, thereby reducing them to sulfides. Sulfur Bacteria – the bacteria that oxidize sulfur compounds, precipitating sulfur or producing noxious sulfur gases such as hydrogen sulfide. In this process they may cause damage to concrete or other structures. Thermoduric – refers to any organism with the ability to withstand those temperatures which are lethal for most vegetative organisms; for example, some strains of Microbacterium survive 70-80° C for 15 minutes. Among dairy microbiologists, the term thermoduric is often used to refer to those organisms which are capable of surviving pasteurization. Thermophile – any organism having an optimum growth temperature above 45° C. Total Dissolved Solids (TDS, also known as Total Filterable Residue) – the total dissolved (filterable) solids as determined by use of the method specified in 40 CFR 136; all material that passes the standard glass river filter; now called total filterable reside. The term is used to reflect salinity. Total Organic Carbon Analysis (TOC) – a measure of the organic contamination of a water sample. It has an empirical relationship with the biochemical and chemical oxygen demands. Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) Analysis – analysis performed by gas chromatograph for diesel and lighter fuels or IR Spectroscopy for diesel and heavier fuels, oils and greases. Total Suspended Solids (TSS, also known as Total Non-filterable Residue) – the value obtained by the method specified in 40 CFR; the total amount of both suspended and dissolved materials in wastewater. This is expressed in mg/L; a measure of the suspended solids in wastewater, effluent, or water bodies, determined by tests for "total suspended nonfilterable solids." Toxicity – the degree of being poisonous; capability of poisonous compound to produce deleterious effects in organisms such as alteration to behavioral patterns or biological productivity or death. Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure (TCLP) – a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency test developed to evaluate the potential of a component to leach from a substance; TCLP is designed to determine the mobility of both organic and inorganic contaminants present in liquid, solid and multiphasic wastes. Treatability – the difficulty or ease with which a pollutant can by collected and stabilized. Underground Storage Tank (UST)/Leaking Underground Storage Tank (LUST) Regulatory Program – federal program that regulates activities associated with such tanks. The analyses include: - BTEX – an analysis performed by gas chromatograph for Benzene, Toluene, Ethylbenzene and xylene. The presence of all four of these organic compounds indicates the presence of gasoline. - Fuel Fingerprint – gas chromatograph analysis of a fuel to identify its source by comparison with fingerprints of fuels from known sources. - Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) Analysis – performed by gas chromatograph for diesel and lighter fuels or IR Spectroscopy for diesel and heavier fuels, oils and greases. UST System – an underground storage tank, connected underground piping, underground ancillary equipment, and containment system. Vibrio Cholerae – cholera results from infection by Vibrio cholerae, a bacterium that reproduces quickly in drinking and bathing water that has been extensively contaminated with human feces. Vibrio Spp. – gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria (family Vibrionaceae); some species in this genus cause cholera in humans and other diseases in animals. Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) – any organic compound which participates in atmospheric photochemical reactions, except those designated by the Environmental Protection Agency as having negligible photochemical reactivity; a chemical compound with the following properties – (1) a boiling point (o C) < 100, (2) sampling method – VOST (volatile organic sampling train), (3) capture method – tenax or tenax-charcoal, and (4) analytical method – GC/MS (gas chromatographic/mass spectroscopy). Volatile Solids (VS, also known as volatile residue) – those solids in water, wastewater, or other liquids, that are lost on ignition of the dry solids at 550° C; the sum of a volatile matter and fixed carbon of a sample as determined by allowing a dried sample to burn to ash in a heated and ventilated furnace. Volatiles – substances (usually a liquid) that evaporate at ordinary temperatures if exposed to the air. Wastewater – water which has been used for some purpose and would normally be treated and discarded. Wastewater usually contains significant quantities of pollutant. Wastewater Discharge Factor – the ratio between water discharged from a production process and the mass of product of that production process. Recycle water is not included. Yeast – any of a number of microscopic, one-celled fungi important for their ability to ferment carbohydrates in various substances. Yeasts in general are widespread in nature, occurring in the soil and on plants. Pure yeast cultures are grown in a medium of sugars, nitrogen sources, minerals and water. Yersinia Spp. – a Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped to ovoid bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae; species include Y. pestis, the causative agent of bubonic plague. MECHANICAL TESTING - Metallurgical and Nonmetallic Abrasion – wearing away of surface materials, such as refractories in an incinerator or parts of solid waste handling equipment, by the scouring action of moving solids, liquids, or gas; the removal of surface material from any solid through the frictional action of another solid, liquid or gas, or a combination thereof. Adhesives – a material capable of fastening two other materials together by means of surface attachment. Adhesive Strength – adhesive or bond strength relates to the bond between an adhesive and an adherend. It is a measure of the stress required to separate a layer of material from the base to which it is bonded. Alloy – a substance having metallic properties and being composed of two or more chemical elements of which at least one is a metal. Amplitude – Amplitude – the maximum absolute value attained by the disturbance of a wave or by any quantity that varies periodically. Ash Content – the solid residue including both noncombustible inorganic (e.g., metals) and unburned organic (e.g., soot) residue that remains after a material is incinerated; inorganic residue remaining after ignition of combustible substances. The analyses of ash for commonly determined major elements by prescribed methods for the oxides of silicon, aluminum, iron, titanium, phosphorous, calcium, sodium and potassium; the mineral content of a product remaining after complete combustion. Barcol Hardness Testing – the hardness value obtained by measuring the resistance to penetration of a spring loaded indenter steel point into the surface of the test material. The instrument, called the Barcol impressor, gives a direct reading on a 0 to 100 scale; a higher number indicates greater hardness. Base Metal – the metal present in the largest proportion in an alloy; or the metal to be brazed, cut, soldered or welded; or after welding, that part of the metals which was not melted. Bend Capability – the ability of a sheet to bend but not crease. Bend Test – a test for determining relative ductility of metal that is to be formed (usually sheet, strip, plate or wire) and for determining soundness and toughness of metal (after welding, for example). The specimen is usually bent over a specified diameter through a specified angle for a specified number of cycles. Blue Brittleness – brittleness exhibited by some steels after being heated to some temperature within the range of about 400° to 700° F, particularly if the steel is worked at the elevated temperature. Brinell Testing – a test for determining the hardness of a material by forcing a hard steel or carbide ball of specified diameter into it under a specified load. The result is expressed as the Brinell hardness number, which is the value obtained by dividing the applied load in kilograms by the surface area of the resulting impression in square millimeters. Brittleness – the quality of a material that leads to crack reproductions without appreciable plastic deformation, which is the deformation that does or will remain permanent after removal of the load that caused it. Carburization – absorption and diffusion of carbon into solid ferrous alloys by heating. This is a form of case hardening that produces a carbon gradient sloping inward from the surface. The surface layer can then be hardened either by quenching (rapid cooling) directly from the carburizing temperature or by cooling to room temperature, reaustenitizing and quenching. Carburization/Decarburization – carburization is a form of case hardening that produces a carbon gradient extending inward from the surface, enabling the surface layer to be hardened either by quenching directly from carburizing temperature or by cooling to room temperature, then reaustenitizing and quenching. Decarburization is a loss of carbon from the surface layer of a carbon-containing alloy due to reaction with one or more chemical substances in a medium that contacts the surface. Case Depth Measurement – that portion of a ferrous alloy, extending inward from the surface, whose composition has been altered so that it can be case hardened. This is typically considered to be the portion of the alloy (a) whose composition has been measurably altered from the original composition, (b) that appears dark on an etched cross section, or (c) that has a hardness, after hardening, equal to or greater than a specified value. Charpy Impact Strength – a pendulum-type single-blow impact test in which the specimen, usually notched (Charpy V-Notch), is supported at both ends as a simple beam and broken by a falling pendulum. The energy absorbed, as determined by the subsequent rise of the pendulum, is a measure of impact strength or notch toughness. Classical Colorimetric Analysis – by strict definition, the term is limited to the techniques for visual identification and comparison of colored solutions. By common usage among analytical chemists, it has become a generic term for all types of analysis involving colored solutions. Identification of a substance by the hue of its solution is termed qualitative analysis. Determination of its concentration in a solution by comparison of the intensity of its color to color intensity standards is termed quantitative analysis. When the human eye is used as the detector, quantitative colorimetric methods have relatively poor precision. Moreover, the precision varies with the color because of the varying response of the eye to different colors. Most visual color comparison methods utilize white light containing all wavelengths in the visible region. Filters or monochromaters are seldom used because colorimetric methods are advantageous principally for their simplicity, speed and low cost, and for their modest demands for skill and training of the operator. Color intensities of solutions are usually compared to a set of permanent color standards. These may be solutions containing the same substance of similar hue, or colored glass. Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion – the change in unit of length (or volume) accompanying a unit change of temperature. Composites – a heterogeneous (composed of unrelated or unlike elements), solid material consisting of two or more distinct components that are mechanically or metallurgically bonded together. Composition – the elements or compounds making up a material or produced from it by analysis. Compression Testing – the decrease in volume that results from the application of pressure. When a material is subjected to a bending, shearing, or torsional (twisting) force, bot tensile and compressive forces are simultaneously at work. When a rod is bent, for example, one side of it is stretched and subjected to a tensional force, and the other side is compressed. Compressive Set – a permanent deformation resulting from compression stress or load. Compressive Strength – the maximum compressive stress that a material is capable of developing, based on the original area of cross section. If a material fails in compression (being pressed from each end) by a shattering fracture, the compressive strength has a very definite value. If a material does not fail in compressions by a shattering fracture, the value obtained for compressive strength is an arbitrary value depending upon the degree of distortion that is regarded as indicating complete failure of the material. Computerized Numerical Control (CNC) Equipment – a control system in which numerical values corresponding to desired too or control positions are generated by a computer. Conductivity – a measure of the quantity of electricity transferred across a unit are per unit potential gradient per unit time; reciprocal or resistivity. Corrosion Evaluation – monitoring the deterioration of a metal by chemical or electrochemical reaction with its environment. Creep – time-dependent strain occurring under stress. The creep strain occurring at a diminishing rate is called primary creep; that occurring at a minimum and almost constant rate is secondary creep; that occurring at an accelerating rate is tertiary creep. Crevice and Pitting – corrosion caused by the concentration or depletion of dissolved salts, metal ions, oxygen or other gases, and such in pockets remote from the principle fluid stream, with a resultant building up of differential cells that ultimately cause deep pitting. Cryogenic (or subzero) Testing – the study of behavior of a material at temperatures below –200° C (-328° F). Decarburization – loss of carbon from the surface layer of a carbon-containing alloy due to reaction with one or more chemical substances in a medium that contacts the surface. Density – the mass per unit volume of a material. The term is applicable to mixtures and pure substances and to matter in the solid, liquid, gaseous or plasma state. Density of all matter depends on its temperature. Density of a mixture may depend on its composition. Density of a gas may depend on it s pressure. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) – direct measure of the heat flow to a sample as a function of temperature. A sample of the material weighing 5 to 10 g (18 to 36 oz.) is placed on a sample pan and heated in a time- and temperature-controlled manner. The temperature usually is increased linearly at a predetermined rate. The DSC method is used to determine specific heats, glass transition temperatures, melting points and melting profiles, percent crystallinity, degree of cure, purity, thermal properties of heat-seal packaging and hot-melt adhesives, effectiveness of plasticizers, effects of additives and fillers, and thermal history. Deutsche Industrie Norm (DIN) – The standards set by the International Standards Organization (ISO) are used throughout the world, although some European manufacturers still use the German Industrial Standard, or Deutsche Industrie Norm (DIN). The ISO system evolved by combining the DIN system with the ASA (the industry standard previously used in the United States). The first number of an ISO rating, equivalent to an ASA rating, represents an arithmetic measure of film speed, whereas the second number, equivalent to a DIN rating, represents a logarithmic measure. Displacement – weight of fluid, estimated or actual, that is pushed aside by a body immersed or floating in the fluid. Drop Weight – impact resistance tests where weights are dropped on the specimen from varying heights. Ductility – the ability of a material to deform plastically without fracturing, measured by elongation or reduction of area in a tensile test, by height of cuppin in an Erichsen test o by other means. Durometer – an instrument for measuring hardness, that is, the resistance to the penetration (without puncturing) of the indentor into the surface of a material. The higher the number, the greater the indentation hardness. Electrical Conductivity – the ratio of the electric current density to the electric field in a material. Elongation – in tensile testing, the increase in the gage length (the original length of that portion of the specimen over which strain, change of length and other characteristics are measured), measured after fracture of the specimen within the gage length, usually expressed as a percentage of the original gage length. Embrittlement – reduction in the normal ductility of a metal due to a physical or chemical change. Examples include blue brittleness, hydrogen embrittlement and temper brittleness. Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS) – an analytical technique used for the elemental analysis or chemical characterization of a sample. It is one of the variants of XRF. As a type of spectroscopy, it relies on the investigation of a sample through interactions between electromagnetic radiation and matter, analyzing x-rays emitted by the matter in response to being hit with charged particles. Its characterization capabilities are due in large part to the fundamental principle that each element has a unique atomic structure allowing x-rays that are characteristic of an element's atomic structure to be identified uniquely from each other. Extraction – the separation of specific constituents from a matrix of solids or a solution, employing mechanical and/or chemical methods; in waste treatment, extraction is to extract hazardous constituents from contaminated soil, thus circumventing the need to incinerate or otherwise treat the soil itself. In principal, extraction can be done by physical or chemical means. Failure Analysis – determining why a part in service (a) has become completely inoperable, (b) is still operable but is incapable of satisfactorily performing its intended function; (c) has deteriorated seriously, to the point that it has become unreliable or unsafe for continued us. Fatigue – the phenomenon leading to fracture under repeated or fluctuating stresses having a maximum value less than the tensile strength (the maximum conventional stress that a material can withstand) of the material. Fatigue fractures are progressive, beginning as minute cracks that grow under the action of the fluctuating stress. The fatigue life of a material is the number of cycles of stress that can be sustained prior to failure under a stated test condition. The fatigue limit is the maximum stress that presumably leads to fatigue fracture in a specified number of stress cycles. Ferrite – a solid solution of one or more elements in body-centered cubic iron. Unless otherwise designated, the solute is generally assumed to be carbon. Ferrite Content – an arbitrary, standardized value designating the amount of ferritein a stainless steel weld metal. Ferrous Materials – those metals that are derived from iron. Iron and steel are ferrous metals. Fillers – materials used to increase the bulk of a product without adding to its effectiveness in functional performance. Flammability – those characteristics of a material that pertain to its relative ease of ignition and relative ability to sustain combustion. There are different industry standards and specifications to meet the many different and diversified fire conditions. Ignition tests determine the ease with which a material ignites. Burning tests determine the burning rate and the ability to self-extinguish on removal of the ignition source. The oxygen index test accurately determines relative flammability. Flexural Properties – like tensile testing, flexural stress-strain testing determines the load necessary to generate a given level of strain on a specimen, typically using a three-point loading. The sample is characteristically 0.125 x 0.5 x 5 in. The bar is supported across a 2-inch span with a load applied at its center. Testing is performed at a constant rate of crosshead movement, typically 0.05 in./minute. Simple beam equations are used to determine the stresses on specimens at different levels of crosshead displacement. Using those equations, the flexural strength and flexural modulus of elasticity can be determined. Flexural Strength – a measure of the ability of a material to withstand rupture when subjected to bend loading. Fractography – descriptive treatment of fracture, especially in metals, with specific reference to photographs of the fracture surface. Macrofractography involves photographs at low magnification; microfractography involves photographs at high magnification. Gasket – a rubber, metal or other material used to place around a joint to make the joint gas or liquid tight. Gel Time – the period of time from the initial mixing of reactants of a liquid material composition to the point in time when gelation occurs, as defined by a specific test method. Glass Transition Temperature – the point below which plastic behaves as glass does – it is very strong and rigid, but brittle. Above this temperature it is neither as strong or rigid as glass, but neither is it brittle. At the glass transition temperature, the plastic’s volume or length increases. Grain Flow – fiber-like lines appearing on polished an etched sections of forgings, where are caused by orientations of the constituents of the metal in the direction of working during forging. Grain flow produced by proper die design can improve required mechanical properties of forgings. Grain Size – in metals, a measure of the areas or volumes of grains in a polycrystalline (solid composed of many crystals) material, usually expressed as an average when the individual sizes are fairly uniform. Grain size is reported in terms of the number of grains per unit area or volume, in terms of average diameter, or as a grain-size number derived from area measurements. Gravimetric Analysis – a variation of differential thermal analysis in which additional information is obtained by determining the rate of change in weight during the heating process. Hardness – resistance of metal to plastic deformation, usually by indentation. However, the term may also refer to stiffness or temper, or to resistance to scratching, abrasion or cutting. Heat-Affected Zone – that portion of the base metal that was not melted during brazing (a group of welding processes that join solid materials together by heating them to a suitable temperature and using a filler metal having a liquidus above 840° F and below the solidus of the base materials, cutting or welding, but whose microstructure and mechanical properties were altered by the heat. Heat Transfer Analysis – the movement of heat from one body to another (gas, liquid, solid, or combinations thereof) by means of radiation, convection or conduction. Heat Treatment – heating and cooling a solid metal or alloy in such a way as to obtain desired conditions or properties. Heating for the sole purpose of hot working is excluded from the meaning of this definition. Humidity Testing – a corrosion test involving exposure of specimens at controlled levels of humidity and temperature. HVAC Design – related processes designed to regulate ambient conditions within buildings for comfort or for industrial purposes. Heating an area raises temperature in a given space to a more satisfactory level than that of the atmosphere. Ventilation, either separately or in combination with the heating or air-conditioning system, controls both the supply and exhaust of air within given areas to provide sufficient oxygen to the occupants and to eliminate odors. Air Conditioning designates control of the indoor environment year-round to create and maintain desirable temperature, humidity, air circulation, and purity for the occupants of that space or for the industrial materials that are handled or stored there. Hydrogen Embrittlement – a condition of low ductility in metals resulting from the absorption of hydrogen. Impact Strength – the amount of energy required to fracture a material, usually measured by means of an Izod test or Charpy test. The type of specimen and test conditions affect the values and, therefore, should be specified. Impact Test – a test to determine the behavior of materials when subjected to high rates of loading, usually in bending, tension or torsion. The quantity measured is the energy absorbed in breaking the specimen by a single blow, as in Charpy and Izod tests. Inclusions – particles of a foreign material in a metallic matrix. The particles are usually compounds (such as oxides, sulfides or silicates), but may be of any substance that is foreign to (and essentially insoluble in) the matrix. Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Discharge – a high-temperatue (8000° - 10,000° K) discharge generated by inducing a magnetic field in a flowing conducting gas, usually argon or argon and nitrogen, by means of a water-cooled copper coil which surrounds tubes through which the gas flows. Infrared Spectroscopy (IR) – a means of recording spectral absorptions in the infrared region using pyrolysis, transmission, and surface-reflectance techniques, exposing the sample to light in the infrared range and recording the absorption pattern yield in a "fingerprint" of the material. Intergranular Corrosion – corrosion occurring preferentially at grain boundaries, usually with slight or negligible attack on the adjacent grains. This type of attack results from local differences in composition, such as coring commonly encountered in alloy castings. IZOD Test – a pendulum-type single-blow impact test in which the specimen, usually notched, is fixed at one end and broken by a falling pendulum. The energy absorbed, as measured by the subsequent rise of the pendulum, is a measure of impact strength or notch toughness. Jominy Hardenability Testing – a laboratory procedure for determining the hardenability of a steel or other ferrous alloy. Hardenability is determined by heating a standard specimen above the upper critical temperature, placing the hot specimen in a fixture so that a stream of cold water impinges on one end, and, after cooling to room temperature is completed, measuring the hardness of the surface of the specimen at regularly spaced intervals along it length. The data are normally plotted as hardness versus distance from the quenched end. Karl Fischer Water Content – a method of determining trace quantities of water by titration; the Karl Fischer reagant is added in small increments to a glass flask containing the sample until the color changes from yellow to brown or a change in potential is observed at the end point. Knoop Hardness – microhardness determined from the resistance of metal to indentation by a pyramidal diamond indenter, having edge angles of 172 degrees, 30’ and 130 degrees, making a rhombohedral impression with one long and one short diagonal. Laminates – composite metals, usually in the form of a sheet or bar, composed of two or more metal layers so bonded that the composite metal forms a structural member. Lap – a surface defect, appearing as a seam, caused by folding over hot metal, fins, or sharp corners and then rolling or forging them into the surface, but not welding them. Load – the force in weight units applied to a body; the term load means mass or force depending on it use. A load that produces a vertically downward force because of the influence of gravity acting on a mass may be expressed in mass units. Any other load is expressed in force units. Lubricants – any substance used to reduce friction between two surfaces in contact. Machining – removing material from a metal part, usually using a cutting tool, and usually using a power-driven machine. Magnetic Permeability – a factor, characteristic of a material that is proportional to the magnetic induction produced in a material divided by the magnetic field strength. Material Defects – a departure of any quality characteristic from its intended (usually specified) level that is severe enough to cause the product or service not to fulfill its anticipated function. According to ANSI standards, defects are classified according to severity: - Very Serious – defects which led directly to severe injury or catastrophic economic loss. - Serious – defects which lead directly to significant injury or significant economic loss. - Major – defects which are related to major problems with respect to anticipated use. - Minor – defects which are related to minor problems with respect to anticipated use. Mechanical Testing – the properties of a material that reveal its elastic and inelastic behavior when force is applied, thereby indicating its suitability for mechanical applications; different properties include modulus of elasticity, tensile strength, elongation, hardness, and fatigue limit. Melt Flow Index – a measurement of the isothermal resistance to flow using an apparatus and test method that are standard throughout the world. It is the most widely used rheological device for examining and studying plastics in many different fabricating processes. The plastic is contained in a barrel equipped with a thermometer and surrounded by an electrical heater and an insulating jacket. A weight drives a plunger that forces the melt through a die opening. The standard procedure involves the determination of the amount of plastic extruded in 10 minutes. Melt Flow Rate – an alternate name for the melt flow index. Melting Point – the temperature at which a pure metal or compound from solid to liquid; the temperature at which the liquid and the solid are in equilibrium. Metallography – the science dealing with the constitution and structure of metals and alloys as revealed by the unaided eye or by such tools as low-powered magnification, optical microscopy, electron microscopy and diffraction or x-ray techniques. Metallurgy – the science and technology of metals and alloys. Process metallurgy is concerned with the extraction of metals from their ores and with refining of metals; physical metallurgy deals with the physical and mechanical properties of metals as affected by composition, processing and environmental conditions; and mechanical metallurgy focuses on the response of metals to applied forces. Microanalysis – refers to carrying out various chemical operations (weighting, purification, quantitative and qualitative analysis) on samples ranging from 0.1 to 10 milligrams; this often involves use of a microscope, and still more often of chromatography; identification and chemical analysis of material on a small scale so that specialized instruments such as the microscope are needed; the material analyzed may be on the scale of 1 microgram. Microhardness Testing – the hardness of a material as determined by forcing an indenter such as a Vickers or Knoop indenter into the surface of the material under very light load; usually the indentations are so small that they must be measured with a microscope Microscopic – visible only at magnifications greater than 10 diameters. Microstructure – the structure of a metal as revealed by microscopic examination of the etched surface of a polished specimen. Military Standards (MIL-STD) – those specifications established by the governments for procedure, compatibility, and manufacture which may or may not be the same as industry. These guidelines are extremely important for government contracts and supply. They help clarify, guide and control processes and activities crucial to our everyday functioning and lives. In particular, they specify definitions, performance, and design criteria. Modulus of Elasticity – a measure of the rigidity of metal. Technically it is the ratio of stress, below the proportional limit, to corresponding strain. - the modulus obtained in tension or compression is Young’s modulus, stretch modulus or modulus of extensibility - the modulus obtained in torsion or shear is the modulus of rigidity, shear modulus or modulus of torsion - the modulus covering the ratio of the mean normal stress to the change in volume per unit volume is the bulk modulus. Molding – the making of a form made of sand, metal or other material that contains the cavity into which molten metal is poured to produce a casting of definite shape and outline. Non-Destructive Testing – testing to detect internal and concealed defects in materials using techniques that do not damage or destroy the items being tested; x-rays, isotropic radiation and ultrasonics are frequently used. Nonferrous Materials – any pure metal other than iron or any metal alloy for which a metal other than iron is its major constituent in percent by weight; metals that contain no iron, e.g. aluminum, copper, brass and bronze. Normalize (Heat Treatment Testing) – heating a ferrous alloy to a suitable temperature above the transformation range and then cooling in air to a temperature substantially below the transformation range. O-Rings – a product of precise dimensions molded in one piece to the configuration of a torus with a circular cross section, suitable for use in a machined groove for static or dynamic service. Oil Immersion – property of a transformer, reactor, regulator or similar apparatus whose coils are immersed in an insulating liquid that is usually, but not necessarily, oil. Peeling – the detaching of one layer of a coating from another, or from the basis metal, because of poor adherence. Physical Properties – properties of a metal or alloy that are relatively insensitive to structure and can be measured without the application of force; for example: - electrical conductivity, - coefficient of thermal expansion, - magnetic permeability - lattice parameter Plasma Coatings – a thermal spraying process in which the coating material is melted with heat from a plasma torch that generates a nontransferred arc; molten coating material is propelled against the basis metal by the hot, ionized gas issuing from the torch. Plastic – nonmetallic compounds that result from a chemical reaction and are molded or formed into rigid or pliable construction materials or fabrics. Plasticizer Content – a material, generally an organic liquid, incorporated in a plastic or rubber formulation to soften the resin polymer and improve flexibility, ductility and extensibility; a high boiling liquid which is used in the formulation of a propellant to help make it plastic. Plating – forming a thin, adherent layer of metal on an object. Also known as metal plating. Polymers – a compound, normally of high molecular weight, formed by the linking of simpler molecules or monomers. A substance in which the original molecules have been linked together to form giant molecules. For example, natural rubber is a polymer of isoprene. Porosity – fine holes or spores within a metal. Power Factor – the ratio of the average or active power to the apparent power (root-mean-square voltage times rms current) of an alternating-current circuit. Abbreviated pf. Also known as phase factor. Process Piping – in an industrial facility, pipework whose function is to convey the materials used for the manufacturing process. Quantitative Metallography – determination of specific characteristics of a microstructure by making quantitative measurements on micrographs or metallographic images. Quantities o measured include volume concentration of phases, grains size, particle size, mean free path between like particles or secondary phases, and surface area to volume ratios of microconstituents, particles or grains. Quality Characteristic – any dimension, mechanical property, physical property, functional characteristic or appearance characteristic that can be used as a basis for measuring the quality of a unit of product or service. Research and Development (R & D) – theoretical analysis, exploration or experimentation; the extension of investigative findings and theories of a scientific or technical nature into practical application for experimental and demonstration purposes, including the experimental production and testing of models, devices, equipment, materials and processes. Reduction of Area – in tensile testing, the percentage of decrease in cross-sectional area of a specimen at the point of rupture. Refractive Index – the ratio of the speed of electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum space to that in a specified medium. Refractory Materials – a material of very high melting point with properties that make it suitable for such uses as furnace linings and kiln construction. Reinforcement – strengthening concrete, plaster or mortar by embedding steel rods or wire mesh in it; a strong inert material bonded to a plastic to enhance its strength, stiffness and resistance to impact. Rockwell Hardness Testing – an indentation hardness test based on the depth of penetration of a specified penetrator into the specimen under certain arbitrarily fixed conditions; a value derived from the increase in depth of an impression as the load on an indenter is increased from a fixed minimum value to a higher value and then returned to the minimum value. Indentors for the test include steel balls of several specific diameters and a diamond cone penetrator having an included angle of 120° with a spherical tip have a radius of 0.2 mm (0.0070 in.) Rockwell hardness numbers are always quoted with a prefix representing the Rockwell Scale corresponding to a given combination of load and indenter. Rockwell Superficial Testing – same as the Rockwell Hardness Test except that smaller minor and major loads are used. Salt Spray Fog – an accelerated corrosion test in which specimens are exposed to a fine mist of a solution usually containing sodium chloride but sometimes modified with other chemicals. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) – an electron microscope in which the image is formed by a beam operating in synchronism with an electron probe scanning the object. The intensity of the image forming beam is proportional to the scattering or secondary emission of the specimen where the probe strikes it. Sealant – a viscous chemical used to seal the exposed edges of scrim reinforced geomembranes. Seal – a continuous joint of two or more surfaces of sheet material such as made by fusion or adhesion. Shear Strength – the stress required to produce fracture in the plane of cross section, the conditions of loading being such that the directions of force and resistance are parallel and opposite although their paths are offset a specified minimum amount. Shore (hardness testing) – a hardness test in which the loss in kinetic energy of a falling metal "tup" absorbed by indentation upon impact of the tup on the metal being tested, is indicated by the height of rebound. Solvents – the component of either a liquid or solid solution that is present to a greater or major extent; the component that dissolves the solute – the component of a liquid or solid solution that is present to a lesser or minor extent. Specific Gravity – the density ratio of two substances – that of the substance of interest to that of a reference substance. The reference substance is normally water at 32° F. Stain Resistance – the ability of a material to resist staining caused by many different factors. Stamping – a general term covering almost all press operations. In includes: - bending – - blanking – a piece of sheet material produced in cutting dies that is usually subjected to further press operations, or a piece of stock from which a forging is made, often called a slug or multiple; - coining – a closed-die squeezing operation, usually performed cold, in which all surfaces of the work are confined or restrained, resulting in a well-defined imprint of the die upon the work; - drawing –reducing the cross section of bar stock, wire or tubing by pulling through a die; - hot or cold forming – deforming metal at such a temperature and strain rate that recrystallization takes place simultaneously with the deformation, thus avoiding any strain hardening; - shearing – the type of cutting action produced by rake so that the direction of chip flow is other than at right angles to the cutting edge. Strain – a loss in ductility accompanied by an increase in hardness and strength that occurs when low-carbon steel (especially rimmed or capped steel) is aged following plastic deformation. Stress Corrosion Cracking – failure by cracking under combined action of corrosion and stress, either external (applied) stress or internal (residual) stress. Cracking may be either intergranular or transgranular, depending on metal and corrosive medium. Stress Relief – heating to a suitable temperature, holding long enough to reduce residual stresses and then cooling slowly enough to minimize the development of new residual stresses. Stress Rupture Test – a method of evaluating elevated-temperature durability in which a tension-test specimen is stressed under constant load until it breaks. Data recorded commonly include initial stress, time to rupture, initial extension, creep extension and reduction of area at fracture. This is also known as a creep-rupture test. Subzero (or cryogenic) Testing – the study of behavior of a material at temperatures below -200° C (-328° F). Surface Chemistry – the observation and measurement of forces acting at the surfaces of gases, liquids, and solids or at the interfaces between them. This includes the surface tension of liquids (vapor pressure, solubility); emulsions (liquid/liquid interfaces); finely divided solid particles (adsorption, catalysis); permeable membranes and microporous materials; and biochemical phenomena such as osmosis, cell function and metabolic mechanisms in plants and animals. Surface chemistry has many industrial applications, a few of which are air pollution; soaps and synthetic detergents; reinforcement of rubber and plastics; behavior of catalysts; color and optical properties of paints; aerosol sprays of all types; monolayers and thin films, both metallic and organic. Surface Finish – (1) condition of a surface as a result of a final treatment or (2) measured surface profile characteristics, the preferred term being roughness. Tear Strength – measurement of resistance of pulp fibers to a tearing force. Temper (Heat Treatment Testing) – to reheat hardened steel or hardened cast iron to some temperature below the eutectoid (a reversible reaction in which a solid solution is converted into two or more intimately mixed solids on cooling, the number of solids formed being the same as the components in the system) temperature for the purpose of decreasing hardness and increasing toughness. Temper Brittleness – brittleness that results when certain steels are held within, or are cooled slowly through, a certain range of temperature below the transformation range. This brittleness is manifested as an upward shift in ductile-to-brittle transition temperature. Tensile Bar – a molded, cast or mechanical specimen of specified cross-sectional dimensions used to determine the tensile properties of a material by use of a calibrated pull test. Also known as a tensile specimen. Tensile Strength – the maximum conventional stress that a material can withstand. Thermal Aging – Thermal Aging – procedure in which specimens of a selected thickness are to be oven aged at certain elevated temperatures (usually higher than the expected operating temperature, to accelerate the test), then be removed at various intervals and tested at room temperature. The properties tested can include mechanical strength, impact resistance, and electrical characteristics. Thermal Analysis – a method for determining transformations in a metal by noting the temperatures at which thermal arrests occur. These arrests are manifested by changes in slope of the plotted or mechanically traced heating and cooling curves. When such data are secured under nearly equilibrium conditions of heating and cooling, the method is commonly used for determining certain critical temperatures required for the construction of equilibrium diagrams. Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA) – this method measures the weight of a substance heated at a controlled rate as a function of time or temperature. To perform the test, a sample is hung from a balance and heated in a small furnace on the TGA unit according to a predetermined temperature program. As all materials ultimately decompose on heating, and the decomposition temperature is a characteristic property of each material, TGA is an excellent technique for the characterization and quality control of materials. Properties measured include thermal decomposition temperatures, relative thermal stability, chemical composition, and the effectiveness of flame retardants. TGA also is commonly used to determine the filler content of many thermoplastics. Thermomechanical Analysis (TMA) – TMA measures the dimensional changes as a function of temperature. The dimensional behavior of a material can be determined precisely and rapidly with small samples in any form – powder, pellet, film, fiber or molded part. The parameters measured by thermomechanical analysis are the coefficient of linear thermal expansion, the glass-transition temperature, softening characteristics, and the degree of cure. Tensile-elongation properties and the melt index can be determined by using small samples such as those cut directly from a part. Part uniformity can be determined by using samples taken from several areas of the molded part. Titration – a method of analyzing the composition of a solution by adding known amounts of a standardized solution until a given reaction (color change, precipitation or conductivity change) is produced. Titrimetric Analysis – quantitative analysis of solutions of known volume by unknown strength by adding reagents of known concentration until a reaction end point (color change or precipitation) is reached; the most common technique is titration. Vickers (Microhardness Testing) – an indentation hardness test employing a 136 degree diamond pyramid indenter (Vickers) and variable loads enabling the use of one hardness scale for all ranges of hardness from very soft lead to tungsten carbide. Water Absorption – the weight of water absorbed by a porous ceramic material, under specified conditions, expressed as a percentage of the weight of the dry material. Water Resistance – measured ability to retard both penetration and wetting by water in liquid form; ability of part to resist deformation of change in color with immersion in water. Waveform Analysis – the determination of the amplitude and phase of the components of a complex waveform either mathematically or by means of electronic instruments. Weld Metal – the metal constituting the fused zone in spot, seam or projection welding. Wet Chemistry – the determination of the quantity of a desired constituent in ores, metallurgical residues and alloys by the use of the process of solution, flotation or other liquid means. Yield Strength – the stress at which a material exhibits a specified deviation from proportionality of stress and strain. An offset of 0.2% is used for many metals. American Association of Laboratory Accreditation (A2LA) – a non-profit professional membership society for laboratory accreditation and training on laboratory practices. A2LA was organized in 1978 and first accredited laboratories in the fall of 1980. It accredits laboratories in the following fields: Acoustics & Vibration; Biological; Calibration; Chemical; Construction Materials; Electrical; Environmental; Geotechnical; Mechanical; Nondestructive and Thermal. In addition to these broad fields, specifically-tailored programs are available for animal drugs testing, asbestos, automotive EMC, calibration, environmental lead (Pb), fasteners, fertilizers, food chemistry, food microbiology, metals, and putting green materials testing. Users of laboratory services are advised to seek the specific scope of accreditation from any accredited laboratory. The scope identifies the tests, types of tests, or calibrations for which the laboratory is accredited. American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) – the AASHTO is a nonprofit, nonpartisan association representing highway and transportation departments in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. It represents all five transportation modes: air, highways, public transportation, rail and water. Its primary goal is to foster the development, operation and maintenance of an integrated national transportation system. American National Standards Institute (ANSI) – The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has served in its capacity as administrator and coordinator of the United States private sector voluntary standardization system for more than 80 years. Founded in 1918 by five engineering societies and three government agencies, the Institute remains a private, nonprofit membership organization supported by a diverse constituency of private and public sector organizations. ANSI does not itself develop American National Standards (ANSs); rather it facilitates development by establishing consensus among qualified groups. The Institute ensures that its guiding principles — consensus, due process and openness — are followed by the more than 175 distinct entities currently accredited under one of the Federation’s three methods of accreditation (organization, committee or canvass). ANSI-accredited developers are committed to supporting the development of national and, in many cases international standards, addressing the critical trends of technological innovation, marketplace globalization and regulatory reform. ANSI promotes the use of U.S. standards internationally, advocates U.S. policy and technical positions in international and regional standards organizations, and encourages the adoption of international standards as national standards where these meet the needs of the user community. ANSI is the sole U.S. representative and dues-paying member of the two major non-treaty international standards organizations, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), and, via the U.S. National Committee (USNC), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). American Petroleum Institute (API) – the oil industry’s trade association. The API, through its research and engineering work, established operating and safety standards for all segments of the petroleum industry, issues specifications for manufacturers of pipe, pressure vessels and other equipment, and furnishes statistical and other information to government agencies having to do with the industry. American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) – Organized in 1898, the American Society for Testing and Materials is one of the largest voluntary standards development organizations in the world. ASTM is a not-for-profit organization that provides a forum for the development and publication of voluntary consensus standards for materials, products, systems and services. More than 32,000 members representing producers, users, ultimate consumers, and representatives of government and academia from over 100 countries develop documents that serve as a basis for manufacturing, procurement, and regulatory activities. ASTM develops standard test methods, specifications, practices, guides, classifications, and terminology in 130 areas covering subjects such as metals, paints, plastics, textiles, petroleum, construction, energy, the environment, consumer products, medical services and devices, computerized systems, electronics, and many others. ASTM Headquarters has no technical research or testing facilities; such work is done voluntarily by the ASTM members located throughout the world. More than 10,000 ASTM standards are published each year in the 73 volumes of the Annual Book of ASTM Standards. These standards and related technical information are sold throughout the world. ASTM standards are used by thousands of individuals, companies, and agencies. Purchasers and sellers incorporate standards into contracts; scientists and engineers use them in their laboratories; architects and designers use them in their plans; government agencies reference them in codes, regulations, and laws; and many others refer to them for guidance. American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) – the ASME was founded in 1880 by prominent mechanical engineers, led by Alexander Lyman Holley (1832-1882), Henry Rossiter Worthington (1817-1880), and John Edson Sweet (1832-1916). Since its inception, ASME has led in the development of technical standards, beginning with the screw thread and now numbering more than 600. The Society is best known, however, for improving the safety of equipment. American Welding Society (AWS) – The American Welding Society (AWS) was founded in 1919 as a multifaceted, nonprofit organization with a goal to advance the science, technology and application of welding and related joining disciplines. From factory floor to high-rise construction, from military weaponry to home products, AWS continues to lead the way in supporting welding education and technology development. AWS serves 50,000 members worldwide. Membership consists of engineers, scientists, educators, researchers, welders, inspectors, welding foremen, company executives and officers, and sales associates. Interests include automatic, semi-automatic and manual welding, as well as brazing, soldering, ceramics, lamination, robotics, and welding safety and health. The AWS Certified Welding Inspector (CWI) program has been in effect for 21 years and to date, over 32,000 people have been certified to help ensure the highest quality of welding. Gas Processors Association (GPA) – th Gas Processors Association is an organization of operating and producing companies engaged in the processing of natural gas. GPA had its beginnings in 1921 and has developed and evolved along with the gas processing industry. The active membership of GPA account for approximately 90% of all natural gas liquids produced in the United States. Since its beginning, one of the GPA’s principal contributions to the gas processing industry has been the development and promulgation of industry consensus standard specifications for natural gas liquid products. Virtually all natural gasoline sold since 1922 and all LP-Gas sold since 1930 have traded on the basis of GPA Specifications, with quality control determined by test methods originating in GPA committees. LP-Gas specifications and test methods essentially identical to GPA standards have been adopted by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), and as national standards by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). These LP-Gas specifications and test methods served as the basis for international LP-Gas standards of the International Standards Organization (ISO). An ISO working group, monitored by GPA Staff, is responsible for the development and continued maintenance of these LP-Gas standards for international commerce. Gas Processors Suppliers Association (GPSA) – the Gas Processors Suppliers Association (GPSA) – The Gas Processors Suppliers Association is an outgrowth of a firm request made by GPA leaders in the early days of the industry. As a result, a small group of supply companies organized the Natural Gasoline Supply Men’s Association in 1928. The name of the organization was changed in 1961 to Natural Gas Processors Suppliers Association, and in 1974 to Gas Processors Suppliers Association, to conform to that of the parent association – the GPA. Since its small beginning in 1928, GPSA has grown to an organization of about 350 companies engaged in meeting the supply and service needs of the natural gas and gas processing industry. Maintenance of the Engineering Data Book is a major function of GPSA. GPSA conducts selected research projects, carefully screened for specific application to the Engineering Data Book, and complementary to the longer-range research programs of GPA. Indiana Department of Environmental Management (IDEM) – Indiana’s environmental regulatory agency. This is the state-level program analogous to the United State Environmental Protection Agency. IIOA – Indiana Industrial Operators Association. The association sponsors a newsletter, in which we advertise, that is published for professionals in industrial wastewater treatment International Organization for Standardization (ISO) – the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from some 130 countries, one from each country. ISO is a non-governmental organization established in 1947. The mission of ISO is to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity. ISO’s work results in international agreements which are published as International Standards. National Aerospace and Defense Contractors Accreditation Program (Nadcap) – Nadcap represents major prime contractors, suppliers, and government agencies in aerospace, defense, and related industries throughout the United States and internationally. Nadcap is administered by the Performance Review Institute (PRI), an independent, not-for-profit trade association affiliated with the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). Through Nadcap, PRI accredits subcontractors and suppliers to aerospace and defense industry consensus standards. National Association of Corrosion Engineers (NACE) – The National Association of Corrosion Engineers was established in 1943 by 11 corrosion engineers in the pipeline industry. These founding members were involved in a regional cathodic protection group formed in the 1930s, when the study of cathodic protection was introduced. With more than 50 years of experience in developing corrosion prevention and control standards, NACE International has become the largest organization in the world committed to the study of corrosion. NACE’s membership is comprised of engineers, inspectors, and technicians; presidents, business owners, and consultants; managers, supervisors, and sales representatives; scientists, chemists, and researchers; and educators and students. National Institute of Health (NIH) – one of the world’s foremost biomedical research centers, and the federal focal point for biomedical research in the United States. The NIH mission is to uncover new knowledge that will lead to better health for everyone. NIH works toward that mission by: conducting research in its own laboratories; supporting the research of non-federal scientists in universities, medical schools, hospitals, and research institutions throughout the country and abroad; helping in the training of research investigators; and fostering communication of medical information. The NIH is one of eight health agencies of the Public Health Services which, in turn, is part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Comprised of 27 separate components, mainly Institutes and Centers, NIH has 75 buildings on more than 300 acres in Bethesda, MD. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) – established by Congress to assist industry in the development of technology, to improve product quality, to modernize manufacturing processes, to ensure product reliability, and to facilitate rapid commercialization of products based on new scientific discoveries. Now celebrating 100 years of service to the nation, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory federal agency within the Commerce Department’s Technology Administration. NIST’s mission is to promote economic growth by working with industry to develop and apply technology, measurements, and standards. NIST carries out its mission through four interwoven programs: NIST Laboratories, Baldrige National Quality Program, Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and Advanced Technology Program. NIST has an operating budget of about $720 million and operates primarily in two locations: Gaithersburg, Md. (headquarters—234 hectare/578 acre campus) and Boulder, Colo. (84 hectare/208 acre campus). NIST employs more than 3,200 scientists, engineers, technicians, business specialists, and administrative personnel. About 1,600 guest researchers complement the staff. In addition, NIST partners with 2,000 manufacturing specialists and staff at affiliated centers around the country. Acute Testing – acute means short. In a toxicity test, it involves a stimulus severe enough to rapidly include a response. A response observed in 96 hours or less typically is considered acute. An acute effect is not always measured in terms of lethality; it can measure a variety of effect. A stimulus severe enough to rapidly induce an effect; in aquatic toxicity tests, an effect observed in 96 hours or less typically is considered acute. When referring to aquatic toxicology or human health, an acute effect is not always measured in terms of lethality. API Gravity – gravity (weight per unit of volume) of crude oil or other liquid hydrocarbons as measured by a system recommended by the API (American Petroleum Institute). API gravity bears a relationship to true specific gravity but is more convenient to work with than the decimal fractions which would result if petroleum were expressed in specific gravity. Aromatic CompoundsL – a group of hydrocarbon fractions that forms the basis of most organic chemicals so far synthesized. The named is derived from their "sweet, aromatic odor." The unique ring structure of their carbon atoms makes it possible to transform aromatics into an almost endless number of chemicals. Benzene, toluene and xylene are the principal aromatics and are commonly referred to as the BTX group. Asphaltene – a product of oxidation found in some crude oil residue, in asphalt and in high temperature sludge; soluble in aromatic solvents but not soluble in naptha; components of bitumen in petroleum, petroleum products, asphalt cements and solid native bitumens. Bioassay – the process of using the response of living organisms to determine the effect of a treatment; study of living organisms to measure the effect of a substance, factor, or condition by comparing before-and-after exposure or other data. Biomonitoring Toxicity Tests – the use of living organisms to test the suitability of effluents for discharge into receiving waters and to test the quality of such waters downstream from the discharge; analysis of blood, urine, tissues, etc., to measure chemical exposure in humans. Blank Samples – a sample analyzed for the purpose of determining and assessing background contaminants in the field or laboratory. There are many types of blanks for selection depending on sampling applications. For example, deionized water is one of the blanks used to rinse automatic samplers prior to the collection of samples. Other blank related terms include: - Calibration Blank – an example is a volume of Type II water acidified with the same amounts of acids as were the standards and samples. - Equipment Blank – opened in the field and the contents are poured appropriately over or through the sample collection device, collected in a sample container, and returned to the laboratory as a sample. These are a check on sampling device cleanliness. - Field Blank – opened in the field and nearby the sampling platform. The purpose is to check surrounding conditions. - Laboratory Blank – blank for evaluating contamination of laboratory measurement. - Trip Blank – not opened in the field. The purpose is to check sample shipping conditions. British Thermal Unit (BTU) – the amount of heat required to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit. BS&W – short for basic sediment and water often found in crude oil. Basic sediment are the impurities and foreign matter contained in a tank of crude oil, e.g., water-sand, oil-water emulsions. When produced, crude oil may contain one or more of these impurities. In the lease tank, the impurities settle to the bottom of the tank, with the relatively clean oil on top. After repeated filling and emptying of the tank, the sediment builds up to the pipeline connection and must be removed. This is done by unbolting the plate from the cleanout box on the back of the tank and shoveling out the heavy, accumulated sediment. Calibration – the process of adjusting the instrument read out so that it corresponds to the actual concentration. It involves checking the instrument with a known concentration of a gas or vapor to see that the instrument fives the proper response. The process included: - Initial Calibration Verification Standard – a certified or independently prepared material or mixture used to verify the accuracy of the initial calibration. - Continuing Calibration Verification – used to assure calibration accuracy during each analysis run. It must be run for each analyte at a frequency of 10 percent of every two hours during the run, whichever is more frequent. It must also be analyzed at the beginning of the run and after the last analytical sample. Its concentration must be at or near the mid-range levels of the calibration curve. Calibration Gas – a gas of known concentration which is used to establish the response curve of an analyzer. For total hydrocarbon measurement (THC), the concentration is expressed in terms of propane. Certificate of Analysis – a statement of professional opinion based upon knowledge and belief. Chromatography Analysis – a means of separating gaseous liquid, or a solid mixture, into identifiable components by passing the mixture through a solvent and then an absorbent. Chronic Toxicity Test – a method used to determine the concentration of a substance in water that produces an adverse effect on a test organism over an extended period of time. In this test guideline, mortality and reproduction (and optionally, growth) are the criteria for toxicity. Colorimetric Testing – an optical instrument to determine the color of oils by comparison with standard colored fluids in bottles or with standard colored discs; may be done electronically with a spectrometer. Condensate – liquid hydrocarbons produced with natural gas which are separated from the gas by cooling and various other means. Condensate generally has an API gravity of 50° to 120° and is water-white, straw or bluish in color. Control Sample – a material of known composition that is analyzed along with test samples in order to evaluate the accuracy of an analytical procedure. Copper Strip Corrosion – a qualitative method of determining the corrosivity of a petroleum product by observing its effect on a strip of polished copper suspended or placed in the product; also known as copper strip test. Drilling Fluids – fluid used to lubricate the bit and convey drill cuttings to the surface with rotary drilling equipment. Usually composed of bentonite slurry or muddy water. Can become contaminated, leading to cross contamination, and may require special disposal. Film Strength – property of an oil enabling it to maintain an unbroken film over lubricated surfaces under operating conditions, thus avoiding the scuffing or scoring of the bearing surfaces. Flash Point – the temperature at which the vapors rising off the surface of the heated oil will ignite with a flash of very short duration when a flame is passed over the surface. When the oil is heated to a higher temperature, it ignites and burns with a steady flame at the surface. The lowest temperature at which this will occur is knows as the burning point. Foaming Agent – a chemical used in gas wells, oil wells producing gas, and drilling wells in which air or gas is used as the drilling fluid to lighten the water column so as to assist in the unloading of water. Gas Chromatographs – one of the continuous emission monitors. GC is a common technique used for separating and analyzing mixtures and vapors. GC is an instrument which uses the gas chromatography separation technique to segregate the components of organic substances in a mixture. A gas mixture is percolated through a column of porous solids or liquid coated solids, which selectively retard sample components. A carrier gas is used to bring the discreet bands to a detector and through analysis of the detector response and component retention time, the sample can be identified and quantified. Gas chromatography has been in use in the laboratory since 1905, however, it has only recently been used in continuous monitoring applications. Heavy End Component Composition – the heavier fractions of refined oil – fuel oils, lubes, paraffin and asphalt – remaining after the lighter fractions have been distilled off. Hydrocarbons – organic compounds of hydrogen and carbon, whose densities, boiling points and freezing points increase as their molecular weights increase. There are a vast number of these compounds and they form the basis of all petroleum products. They may exist as gases, liquids or solids. An example of each is methane, hexane and asphalt. Hydrocarbon Standards – hydrocarbons have been divided into various series, differing in chemical properties and relationships. The four that comprise most of the naturally occurring petroleums are: - Normal Paraffin (or Alkene) Series - Isoparaffin (or Branched-Chain Paraffins) Series - Naphthene (or Cycloparaffin) Series - Aromatic (or Benzene) Series Crude oils are referred according to their relative richness in hydrocarbons of these groups as paraffinic-base, nephthenic-base or mixed base (naphthenic-paraffinic) oils. The aromatics are rarely the dominant group. The naphthenes include the complex residues of the high-boiling range (750° F) petroleum. ISO – a prefix denoting similarity. Many organic substances, although composed of the same number of the same atoms, appear in two, three, or more varieties or isomers, which differ widely in physical and chemical properties. Turpentine and tartaric are examples. LC 50 Testing – concentration of an active ingredient in the air which, when inhaled, kills half of the test animals exposed to it; expression of a compounds’s toxicity when present in the air as a gas, vapor, dust or mist; generally expressed in ppm (parts per million) when a gas or vapor, and in micrograms per liter when a dust or mist; often used as the measure of acute inhalation toxicity. The lower the LC50 number value, the more poisonous the pesticide. Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) – natural gas that has been liquefied by severe cooling (-160 degrees Celsius) for the purpose of shipment and storage in high-pressure, cryogenic tanks. To transform the liquid to a useable gas, the pressure is reduced and the liquid is warmed. Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) – hydrocarbons, gaseous at normal temperature and pressure, liquefied by pressure for storage and transport as butane and propane gases. Paraffin – a white, odorless, tasteless and chemically inert waxy substance derived from distilling petroleum. An ultimate analysis yields on the average carbon (85 percent) and hydrogen (15 percent). It is insoluble in water, indifferent to the most powerful acids, alkalies and chlorine, and can be distilled unchanged with strong sulfuric acid. Warm alcohol, either, oil of turpentine, olive oil, benzol, chloroform, and carbon disulfide dissolve it readily. Particle Counts – techniques by means of which bulk measurements of the grain sizes of the constituent particles of a sediment sample are made. Particles are small units of matter, often a single crystal, or part of a single crystal; they may be angular or sharp, rounded or smooth and of any shape. pH – a symbol used in expressing both acidity and alkalinity on a scale which values range from 0 to 14, with seven representing neutrality. Numbers less than seven represent increasing acidity; greater than seven represent increasing alkalinity. Pour Point – the temperature at which a liquid ceases to flow; or at which it congeals. This provides an indication of the presence of wax in gas oils, diesel oils, and fuel oils which might cause pumping problems. Quality Assurance (QA) – the total integrated program for assuring the reliability of monitoring and measuring data. A system for integrating the quality planning, quality assessment and quality improvement efforts to meet user requirements; a system of activities whose purpose is to provide to the producer or user of a product or service the assurance that it meets defined standards of quality with a stated level of confidence. QA is understanding the measurement process, what needs to be measured, what needs to be done, doing what needs to be done, evaluating what was done, and reporting evaluated date which is technically sound and legally defensible. Quality Control (QC) – the routine applications of procedures for obtaining prescribed standards of performance in the monitoring and measurement process; the overall system of activities whose purpose is to control the quality of a product or service, so that it meets the needs of users. The aim is to provide quality that is satisfactory, adequate, dependable and economic. Reid Vapor Pressure – a measure of volatility of a fuel, its ability to vaporize. Reid Vapor Pressure, the specific designation, is named after the man who designed the test for measuring vapor pressure. Screening Tests – determination of the relative percentages of substances, as in the suspended solids of a drilling fluid, passing through or retained on a sequence of screens of decreasing mesh size. Analysis may be by wet or dry methods. Specific Gravity – expression of the density or weight of a unit volume of material. The specific gravity is the ratio of the weight of a unit volume of the substance in question to the weight of an equal volume of some standard substance. In the case of liquids and solids, the standard is water at a standard temperature; in some gases, the standard is hydrogen or air. Standards – recommended practice in the manufacturing of products, materials or gases or in the conduct of a business, art or profession. They may or may not be used as or called specifications. Traceable Standards – Traceable Standards – that a local standard has been compared and certified either directly or via not more than one intermediate standard, to a primary standard such as a National Bureau of Standards Standard Reference Material or a United States Environmental Protection Agency/National Bureau of Standards-approved Certified Reference Material. Viscosity – one of the physical properties of a liquid, its ability to flow. The more viscous an oil, the less readily it will flow, so the term has an inverse meaning – the lower the viscosity, the faster the oil will flow. Motor oil with a viscosity of SAE 10 flows more readily than oil with a viscosity of SAE 20.

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