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- Loops, branches, and control-flow
The MATLAB code has its own instructions for flow of control statements
'while' and 'if-elseif' branching. See details
loop repeats a group of statements a fixed, predetermined number of
times. A matching end
delineates the statements...
of Nested Iterations (Matrix Multiplication)
We show a script in Matlab code that performs a matrix
multiplication step-by-step. The algorithm
displays all the
elements being considered for
the multiplication and shows how the
resulting matrix is being formed in each step. Obviously, Matlab can do
it with just one operation, but...
Let's calculate the coefficients of binomial expansions...
number (sometimes called also narcissistic numbers)
of three digits is an integer such that
the sum of the cubes of its digits equals the number itself. For
is an Armstrong number since 4^3 + 0^3 + 7^3 = 407...
loop repeats a group of statements an indefinite number of times
under control of a logical condition. A matching end closes the
Root (using while-loops)
explore a square
root algorithm as an excuse to use
in our numerical software. We’re not going to use the built-in
Collatz Sequence (while-loops)
The Collatz conjecture is
conjecture in mathematics. This conjecture is also known
as 3n + 1 or
problem; the sequence of numbers involved is referred to
as the hailstone
else... end (branches or decisions)
statement evaluates a logical expression and executes a group of
statements when the expression is true.
The optional elseif
keywords provide for the execution of alternate groups of statements...
(exit from loops)
statement lets you exit early from a for or while loop. In nested
exits from the innermost loop only...
Flow: for-loops, if-statements, break (in a Matrix Inversion)
This program performs the matrix
inversion of a square matrix
step-by-step. The inversion is performed by a modified Gauss-Jordan elimination
method. We start with an arbitrary square matrix and a same-size
identity matrix (all the elements along its diagonal are 1)...
statement executes groups of statements based on the value of a
variable or expression. The keywords case and otherwise delineate
function (or piecewise-defined function)
is a function whose definition changes depending on the value of the
Equation of Straight lines
three functions to work out
straight lines in Matlab with different approaches...
'Matlab Code' to home
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Discovery Follows the April 2021 Announcement of the Finding of the Home of Ben Ross, Harriet Tubman's Father
ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Wes Moore today joined local, state and federal partners at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center in Dorchester County to announce the discovery of a home where enslaved people lived on the Thompson Farm, the birthplace of Harriet Tubman. The discovery of the home—believed to be that of an enslaved overseer, possibly Jerry Manokey—follows the April 2021 announcement of the discovery of the home of Ben Ross, Harriet Tubman's father.
“Harriet Tubman's birthplace is sacred ground, and this discovery is part of our ongoing commitment to preserve the legacy of those who lived here," said Governor Moore. “The find reveals untold stories of the past that help us both understand the history we share and inspire us to make a better future."
Maryland Department of Transportation Chief Archaeologist Dr. Julie Schablitsky and her team have been searching for the homes of those enslaved on the Thompson Farm for more than two years. At one time, more than 40 enslaved people lived there. The home discovery is on private property, while the archaeological remains of Mr. Ross's home are located on the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge.
Beneath layers of soil, archaeologists uncovered a substantial brick building foundation of the home. The excavation also revealed hundreds of artifacts, including a West African spirit cache. The cache, found during excavations last year, included a glass heart-shaped perfume bottle stopper, a white ceramic dish, and a copper alloy button. Enslaved people are believed to have placed the cache in front of the home's fireplace to protect the occupants from negative spirits.
“This fascinating discovery adds another chapter to the incredible story of Harriet Tubman, a Marylander who led a life in pursuit of freedom for herself and others," said Maryland Department of Transportation Acting Secretary Paul J. Wiedefeld. “I'm proud of the dedicated work of our archaeologists; their efforts reflect our commitment to preserve and protect the heritage of Maryland's communities."
Sharing and telling the story of Harriet Tubman has been a multi-year partnership between local, state and federal agencies. Today's announcement is the result of collaboration between the Maryland Department of Transportation, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, the Maryland Department of Commerce, Dorchester County, the U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration's National Scenic Byways Program and the U.S. Department of Interior's National Park Service and Fish and Wildlife Service. The partnerships have led to international recognition of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Byway, and the Eastern Shore as must-see destinations.
“This discovery is further validation of why Maryland is 'The Most Powerful Underground Railroad Storytelling Destination in the World,' a distinction that builds on the remarkable history of our state," said Maryland Commerce Acting Secretary Kevin A. Anderson. “Through her powerful legacy, Tubman inspires thousands to visit Maryland each year to learn more about her life here, and in turn, the money those visitors spend helps to create new opportunities for the people and businesses of Maryland's Eastern Shore."
“As stewards of our state's natural spaces and many of its cultural and historic treasures, we are always pleased to present new discoveries that yield more knowledge about the life and world of Harriet Tubman," said Acting Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz. “We want to thank Dr. Schablitsky and her team for their great work in helping our rangers bring to life the incredible history of Harriett Tubman."
The findings will soon be on display at the visitor center. Maryland Department of Transportation archaeologists will continue their research on the Eastern Shore this spring and summer and plan to revisit both Mr. Ross's homesite and the overseer's quarters.
"The vital partnerships that led to this discovery of artifacts help preserve the natural and cultural landscapes relevant to Harriet Tubman's remarkable life and enable people to learn about, and be inspired by, her courage and accomplishments," said National Park Service Director Chuck Sams.
“Such painstaking work excavating and reassembling the shattered remnants of such a nuanced and, for far too many, nightmarish past, act as a bridge to both self-empowerment and transcendence for an oppressed people, and of much-needed heightened awareness, empathy understanding, and personal growth by the community—and indeed, the nation at large," said Douglas Mitchell, Ben Ross's great-great-great-grandson. “To underestimate the value and the importance of Dr. Schablitsky's work here is to underestimate the capacity and the will of the human spirit for redemption, renewal and self-empowerment."
“Archaeologists are able to discover artifacts, each one representing a piece of a puzzle," said Tina Wyatt, Harriet Tubman's great-great-great-grandniece and Ben Ross's great-great-great-great-granddaughter. “When gathered together, studied, and analyzed, we are then able to provide an important tangible experience, allowing a real-life connection between ancestors and descendants."
Since opening in 2017, the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center has welcomed 350,000 guests from all 50 states and more than 60 countries and territories, averaging about 70,000 visitors annually. The visitor center is honoring the famed abolitionist with a series of events on Saturdays in February during Black History Month. Learn more about the programs here.
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Exercising during pregnancy is essential for both the mother and baby’s well-being. It not only allows the mother to stay strong and flexible but can also reduce her risk of pregnancy-related complications such as gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, and excessive weight gain. Exercise also helps the mother cope better with labor pains. Before starting any exercise routine, it is important that you talk to your doctor.
Regular exercise during pregnancy can help improve overall health and well-being by increasing energy levels, promoting relaxation, improving circulation, reducing stress, enhancing sleep quality, building strength and endurance, and toning muscles. You should aim for 30 minutes of moderate exercise per day, five days a week. The key is to choose a type of exercise that is safe during pregnancy and fits your lifestyle.
Walking, swimming, and yoga are all ideal exercise activities during pregnancy. Bicycling is generally safe too, but it may become more difficult as your belly grows. Avoid activities that involve a risk of falling, such as horseback riding, skiing, or waterskiing. Most importantly, listen to your body and take frequent breaks if you feel fatigue or discomfort. Additionally, make sure to drink plenty of fluids, wear comfortable clothing, and wear sunscreen if you will be outdoors.
In addition to the physical benefits, regular exercise during pregnancy has been found to reduce the risk of postpartum depression, increase self-esteem, and promote better mood. It is important to note that exercise during pregnancy should be done safely and in moderation. If you experience any pain, dizziness, or other signs of discomfort, stop exercising immediately and seek medical advice.
Exercise during pregnancy is an important part of keeping both mother and baby healthy. By properly planning and listening to your body, you can continue to enjoy the benefits of regular exercise throughout your pregnancy.
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Having a baby is one of the most exciting and joyous times in life. However, soon after giving birth, many women experience postpartum depression. Mental health check-ins are an important part of being a new parent, and being aware of the signs and symptoms of postpartum depression can help you recognize when to seek help.
Postpartum depression is a type of depression that can develop after childbirth. It is estimated that up to 20% of mothers experience postpartum depression. Symptoms of postpartum depression can include feelings of sadness, anxiety, guilt, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and feeling overwhelmed.
It is important to remember that postpartum depression is not your fault. Many factors can contribute to developing postpartum depression, such as changes in hormone levels, uncertainty about motherhood, lack of support, or financial stress. There is help available, and the sooner that it is sought out, the better.
If you think you may be experiencing postpartum depression, speak to your doctor. Treatment plans for postpartum depression can include therapy, medications, and lifestyle changes. Your doctor or mental health professional can also refer you to appropriate resources and support groups.
If you are concerned about a friend or family member who may be experiencing postpartum depression, offer your support and encourage them to seek treatment. Mental health is just as important as physical health, and recognizing when to check in with yourself and when to get help can make a difference in managing postpartum depression.
Share this article with other new parents to help spread awareness and let them know that there is help available—postpartum depression is a common problem, but it is also treatable!
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- FDA Investigates T-Cell Malignancy Risk in CAR-T Cell Therapy
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- Fatty Acids in Beef and Dairy Enhance Immune Cell Cancer Response
- Pancreatic Cancer Triggers Immune Response Contradicting Previous Views
- Scientists Unveil Children’s Innate Weapon Against COVID-19
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Your body is slowly deteriorating if not sleep well for 3 consecutive days
- WHO Requests More Information from China on Pediatric Clustered Pneumonia
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- Mycoplasma Pneumonia: Another “COVID-19” Outbreak in China?
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- What is the difference between dopamine and dobutamine?
- How long can the patient live after heart stent surgery?
Your body is slowly deteriorating if not sleep well for 3 consecutive days.
New research identifies the “best time to fall asleep” period! Going to bed too early or too late has health risks, and the body is slowly deteriorating if it is not up to the standard for 3 consecutive days…
Contemporary “night owls” are roughly divided into two categories: those who don’t want to sleep, and those who can’t sleep.
Normal adults should sleep 6 to 8 hours a day. “Sleep less for a while is not a big deal.” If you take this kind of luck, the next research will subvert your cognition.
In July, a study published in the international medical journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine found that getting less than six hours of sleep on three consecutive nights was enough to cause significant deterioration in physical and mental health.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global sleep disturbance rate is 27%. In China, the incidence of adult insomnia is as high as 38.2%, and more than 60% of the “post-90s” have insufficient sleep.
What happens if you don’t get 6 hours of sleep three days in a row?
Soomi Lee, an assistant professor at the University of South Florida, surveyed the sleep of 1,958 relatively healthy and well-educated middle-aged adults who participated in the eight-day study.
- Participants were required to provide daily sleep and mental and physical behavior records for eight consecutive days.
- Sleeping less than 6 hours is considered sleep deprivation. Of those, 42 percent had at least one night of sleep deprivation, 1.5 hours less than usual.
- Participants were asked to report the occurrence and severity of 28 physical symptoms, including:
- Upper respiratory symptoms (eg, sore throat, runny nose), pain (eg, headache, muscle aches, back pain), gastrointestinal symptoms (eg, stomach problems, diarrhea), etc.
Physical and mental breakdown
The study found that due to lack of sleep, participants felt angry, nervous, lonely, irritable and depressed .
There are also more physical symptoms such as upper respiratory problems, pain, gastrointestinal problems and other health problems.
Sleep less than 1 day, 3 days, 6 days…
Using these data, the researchers found that these symptoms increased the most after a night of sleep deprivation.
Mental and physical problems continued to worsen with continuous sleep deprivation, with the number of worsening peaking on the third day .
After that, the human body becomes relatively accustomed to repeated insomnia. But that changed on day six, when participants reported a peak in the severity of their physical symptoms.
Many people think that even if you don’t get enough sleep, you can make up for the lack of sleep by sleeping more on the weekends. The results of this study tell us that just one day of lack of sleep will significantly damage daily physical and mental health, and three consecutive days of lack of sleep will lead to great deterioration of physical and mental health.
Therefore, the best way to maintain your daily energy and physical and mental health is to get at least 6 hours of sleep each night.
Sleeping 6-9 hours is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease
Generally speaking, adults need 7 to 8 hours of sleep, and children need 9 hours. Too long or too short may cause sleep disorders.
A study conducted by the University of Colorado, Massachusetts General Hospital and the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom found that sleeping too much or too little can increase the risk of heart disease.
The study found that participants with a sleep interval of 6 to 9 hours (also known as the “appropriate sleep interval”) had the lowest risk of myocardial infarction. The farther from the “suitable sleep zone”, the higher the risk of disease.
Compared with those who slept 6 to 9 hours, those who slept less than 6 hours had a 20% increased risk of myocardial infarction, and those who slept more than 9 hours had a 34% increased risk of myocardial infarction.
In fact, the harm of lack of sleep is not only reflected in the cardiovascular:
Increased cancer risk:
As early as 2007, the World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified staying up late as a Category 2A carcinogen.
It’s easier to be stupid:
Sleeping plays a key role in clearing the brain of the toxic metabolite beta-amyloid, a protein that builds up in the brain and increases Alzheimer’s disease, Boston University researchers report in Nature. risk of disease.
When you lie down and rest, more blood flow into the liver than when you stand, which helps improve the liver’s ability to detoxify. If the liver is not rested, damaged liver cells will be difficult to repair and easily deteriorate.
Induce chronic pain :
When sleeping, the muscles of the whole body relax. Long-term insomnia can easily cause muscle tension, groggy after waking up, and even induce chronic pain.
“Best time to fall asleep” found?
In a large study published in November 2021 in the European Heart Journal Digital Health, a journal of the European Society of Cardiology (ESC), research teams from Oxford University in the United Kingdom and other researchers found the best “sleep time” to prevent cardiovascular disease .
Also, going to bed early, or going to bed too late, is a health risk…
Participants ranged in age from 37 to 73 years, with a mean age of 61 years. The researchers followed them to identify newly diagnosed cases of cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease was defined as myocardial infarction, heart failure, chronic ischemic heart disease, stroke, and transient ischemic attack.
The researchers found that after adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, sleep duration (both short and long sleep duration were associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk), body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure and other confounding factors, sleep onset time was less than There is a “U”-shaped relationship with cardiovascular disease risk: people between 22:00 and 22:59 have the lowest risk of cardiovascular disease, and going to bed too early or too late increases the risk, and early morning (24:00) and later midnight or Going to bed later is at the highest risk.
The European study is the most extensive study to date to objectively assess the relationship between sleep and cardiovascular disease risk.
demonstrated a clear link between ‘sleep time’ and cardiovascular disease risk, especially for women.
The optimal “time to fall asleep” lies within a certain range of the daily cycle, and deviations from this range, either too early or too late, can be problematic.
Sleeping late and lack of sleep, who is more harmful?
Previous research from the University of California has shown that sleeping a lot and sleeping too little can be harmful to health.
The truth of the answer may be the biological clock. Violating the laws of the biological clock will cause harm to physical health. Irregular work and rest can affect the reset of the “biological clock”.
All life on earth has a biological mechanism called the biological clock (Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine 2017).
There is a biological clock in each of our bodies, which is a 24-hour cyclic rhythm from day to night. It is an invisible clock, a cycle of light and dark that is in harmony with the rotation of the earth.
The circadian clock is dominated by the hypothalamus ” suprachiasmatic nucleus ” of the brain. Wakefulness and eating behaviors are attributed to the circadian clock. They are the internal rhythm of the organism’s life activities and contribute to the regulation of the body’s physical and mental functions.
If you do not follow the rhythm of the biological clock, the human body will feel tired and uncomfortable. In the long run, it will have a great negative impact on people’s physical and mental health.
The most typical example is the well-known jet lag , medical “jet lag syndrome”. Due to the disorder of the circadian rhythm, patients with fatigue syndrome will experience insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day, dizziness and brain swelling. , In severe cases, headache, palpitations, nausea, and decreased judgment and concentration may occur.
Of course, some people naturally prefer to go to bed early, while others prefer to go to bed later, and each body has a unique internal timer to adjust. At present, the scientific understanding of sleep and biological clock is far from enough, and it is necessary to further explore the mysteries.
How to maintain the biological clock?
So, how to maintain the biological clock in the body and maintain physical and mental health?
1. Time to fall asleep
Go to bed before 23:00. However, I don’t stay up late, I use the time originally used for staying up late for sleeping, and try to get up early for the part of the time that I went to bed late.
2. Appropriate sleep time
People’s sleep needs are different. The energy consumption is not the same, the sleep time is not the same. The level of sleep quality is not equal to the length of sleep time.
Human sleep duration varies with age:
- Newborns need 16-20 hours of sleep a day
- Adolescents and children are 9-10 hours, with a minimum of eight and a half hours
- The need for sleep in adults is further reduced to just 6-8 hours
- The elderly need only 5-6 hours of sleep
3. Sleep patterns
It is best to set a fixed time every day and follow the rising and setting of the sun. “Working at sunrise, and breathing at sunrise” should follow the running law of the biological clock, and do not arbitrarily disrupt it.
Sleep is largely a habit, so maintain good sleep habits and follow the natural rhythms of sleep.
4. For people who often fly across time zones, it is important to pay attention to jet lag.
Your body is slowly deteriorating if not sleep well for 3 consecutive days.
(source:internet, reference only)
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At Millbrook Junior School, we have three rules to follow:
- Be ready (we need to be here, on time and ready to learn)
- Be respectful (we need to respect ourselves, each other and our environment)
- Be safe (we need to be safe ourselves and towards others)
These help us all to ‘Dream, Believe, Aspire and Achieve’ and work towards our ‘Five Hands Vision’.
We recognise good behaviour with verbal praise, certificates, notes and phone calls home. We use a restorative approach. Please see our Behaviour Policy for further information.
Sometimes children need help to follow the rules. If we have spoken to your child, you will see a ‘Reflect’ sticker in their planner. We have asked them the following questions:
- What happened?
- What were you thinking at the time?
- What have your thoughts been since?
- How do you feel about what has happened?
- Who has been affected by what happened?
- In what way?
- What needs to happen to put things right?
- What could you do differently next time?
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Hylography – the process of emergence and disappearance, intentional or unintentional, of graphical form out of matter – [Link]
Here in a work by Helen (Shanks).
The technique is terra sigillata – employing a fine slip applied to the surface and manipulated in firing to various effect. In antiquity the results were fine and very distinctive, ranging from Greek Geometric, Red and Black Figure, to the glossy red tablewares popular for centuries across the Roman empire.
Terra sigillata – “earth bearing small figures” – “earth bearing a sign or seal” – Roman terra sigillata (Arretine, Samian) was often decorated with applied moulded figures.
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Along with self-management strategies such as exercise, distraction, healthy eating, managing stress, weight management, and getting a good night’s sleep, medication can help you keep your pain to a level where you can continue to do the things you want, and need, to do.
There are different types of medication that you and your doctor may use to help you at different times and in different ways. They should be tailored to your pain condition and other health concerns.
Medications that may help with mild to moderate pain include mild analgesic paracetamol, and anti-inflammatories ibuprofen and aspirin. These medications may be combined together – e.g. paracetamol and ibuprofen. They may also be combined with a low dose of codeine (a weak opioid) such as paracetamol and codeine.
All medications have potential side effects (or unwanted effects) and risks. The fact that you can buy these products over-the-counter doesn’t mean they’re without risk or completely safe. Talk with your pharmacist for more information.
*Note: from February 1 2018, you can no longer buy medications containing codeine over-the-counter. You will need to get a prescription from your doctor.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) – there are some over-the-counter NSAIDs available in low dose, however, others need to be prescribed by your doctor. NSAIDs work to help provide temporary pain relief, specifically pain associated with inflammation, and to reduce fever.
Opioids – are used to treat severe pain associated with cancer or acute pain (e.g. following surgery). They may be helpful for some people with severe persistent non-cancer pain, however, their long term benefit is controversial. Opioids can have serious side effects (including constipation, breathing difficulties). They will also produce physical dependence over time and have the potential to produce addiction (although usually in those at risk). Long-term use of strong opioids are used cautiously; before prescribing an opioid you and your doctor will discuss the risks and benefits for you.
Anti-neuropathic pain medications – medications that act on the nervous system associated with pain may be used where nerve injury or dysfunction produces pain (neuropathic pain) or when the pain system is sensitised (in part due to severity or duration of pain). These include the older type anti-depressants, anti-epilepsy medications, and some blood pressure medications. These medications typically have significant side effects (e.g. reduced concentration, sleepiness, weight gain), however, sometimes they may be prescribed for these effects (e.g. to improve sleep).
For information and advice over the phone contact:
Some of my medications need to be taken with food, but I often don’t feel like eating – which isn’t ideal. I’ve found that plain crackers and plenty of water works for me. So I make sure there’s always a box in the pantry. – Paul
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- Dannerys Peralta
- Kevin Yao
The Nordic Council is an inter-governmental organisation composed of the Scandanavian and Nordic countries as well as their territories and dependencies. Set in the year of 1962, the rise of the European Economic Community as well as the continued Cold War have led the nations of the Nordic Council to once again consider the nature of their organization. Delegates will have to decide how the Nordic nations will respond to issues, both internal and external.
The committee will begin with a session of traditional Model United Nations GA-style debate, in which delegates will draft the organization charter that will define the structure and power of the council. After the first session, delegates will transition into a continuous crisis-style committee with crisis breaks and backroom mechanics. Please see the background guide for further detail on the mechanics of the committee.
Delegates will first have to decide the structure and nature of the Nordic Council and draft an organization charter in the spirit of the Helsinki Treaty. This was a time when Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland all had a diversity of programs and initiatives to promote cooperation.
Then, delegates will have to lead the committee through a tense period of international politics, in which Scandinavia, geographically situated between the rival blocs of NATO and the Warsaw Pact, must consider how to best navigate their difficult situation. Delegates must consider both ideological and national politics, and they will have the opportunity to lead the committee in the direction of their desire through both frontroom debate and backroom maneuvering. Meanwhile, the committee as a whole will have to balance the external, political future of Scandinavia with internal issues such as economic modernization, inter-member territorial disputes, and, of course, fishing rights.
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Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of PMS. PMDD can cause depression, anxiety and other physical and mental health symptoms during the two weeks leading up to your period. These symptoms can be so extreme that they get in the way of your daily life, like work, school, or your relationships. PMDD symptoms usually go away once your period starts, or a day or two after.
What causes PMDD?
It’s not yet known what exactly causes PMDD, but scientists think it’s connected to the hormonal changes that happen during your menstrual cycle and a chemical in your brain that affects mood called serotonin.
What are the symptoms of PMDD?
The symptoms are worse than those of PMS, causing big problems in your daily life. If you have any of the following symptoms, and they consistently happen to you in the week or two leading up to your period (or become a lot worse then), talk with your doctor about PMDD.
Symptoms of PMDD include:
- Nervousness or anxiety
- Panic attacks
- Feeling very tired
- Not being able to sleep
- Trouble staying focused
- Breast tenderness
- Joint pain
- Food cravings
How is PMS/PMDD treated?
If you think you have PMDD visit your doctor for a blood test or other tests or exams to rule out other causes of your symptoms. They may also ask you questions about any history with anxiety or depression you might have had in the past.
There is no one PMDD/PMS treatment or medication that works for everyone. Your options may include:
- Reading the Quran and other books.
- Eating natural remedies like honey and dried fruits to re-energise you and help the brain regain energy.
- Eating talbeenah – made with barley flour, water and milk to soothe the heart, take away grief and cleanse your stomach.
- Over-the-counter pain medicine (like ibuprofen or aspirin).
- Diet changes and regular exercise.
Dhikr and dua are one of the great remedies that will get rid of the thoughts going through your mind and the things your heart is grieving over.
These are three narrated dua’s from the Prophet (PBUH):
اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ، وَالْعَجْزِ وَالْكَسَلِ، وَالْبُخْلِ وَالْجُبْنِ، وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ
Allaahumma ‘innee ‘a’oothu bika minal-hammi walhazani, wal’ajzi walkasali, walbukhli waljubni, wa dhala’id-dayni wa ghalabatir-rijaal
O Allah, I seek refuge in You from grief and sadness, from weakness and from laziness, from miserliness and from cowardice, from being overcome by debt and overpowered by men (i.e. others).
للّهُـمَّ إِنِّي عَبْـدُكَ ابْنُ عَبْـدِكَ ابْنُ أَمَتِـكَ نَاصِيَتِي بِيَـدِكَ، مَاضٍ فِيَّ حُكْمُكَ، عَدْلٌ فِيَّ قَضَاؤكَ أَسْأَلُـكَ بِكُلِّ اسْمٍ هُوَ لَكَ سَمَّـيْتَ بِهِ نَفْسَكَ أِوْ أَنْزَلْتَـهُ فِي كِتَابِكَ، أَوْ عَلَّمْـتَهُ أَحَداً مِنْ خَلْقِـكَ أَوِ اسْتَـأْثَرْتَ بِهِ فِي عِلْمِ الغَيْـبِ عِنْـدَكَ أَنْ تَجْـعَلَ القُرْآنَ رَبِيـعَ قَلْبِـي، وَنورَ صَـدْرِي وجَلَاءَ حُـزْنِي وذَهَابَ هَمِّـي
Allaahumma ‘innee ‘abduka, ibnu ‘abdika, ibnu ‘amatika, naasiyatee biyadika, maadhin fiyya hukmuka, ‘adlun fiyya qadhaa’uka, ‘as’aluka bikulli ismin huwa laka, sammayta bihi nafsaka, ‘aw ‘anzaltahu fee kitaabika, ‘aw ‘allamtahu ‘ahadan min khalqika, ‘awista’tharta bihi fee ‘ilmil-ghaybi ‘indaka, ‘an taj’alal-Qur’aana rabee’a qalbee, wa noora sadree, wa jalaa’a huznee, wa thahaaba hammee.
O Allah, I am Your slave and the son of Your male slave and the son of your female slave. My forehead is in Your Hand ( you have control over me). I am subject to Your decree, and Your decision upon me is justice itself. I ask You by every name that is Yours by which You have named Yourself, or which You revealed in Your Book,or which You have taught any one of Your creation, or which You have kept to Yourself in the knowledge of the unseen that is with You, to make the Qur’an the spring of my heart, and the light of my chest, the removal of my sorrow and the departure of my worries.”
لا إلهَ إلا أنتَ سُبْحَانَكَ إِنِّي كُنْتُ مِنَ الظّالِمِيْنَ
Laa ilaaha illa Anta, subhaanaka inni kuntu min al-zaalimeen
None has the right to be worshipped but You (O Allaah), Glorified (and Exalted) be You (above all that (evil) they associate with You).
If you reach a stage where those ill thoughts are not going away anymore and it is a constant mental battle, hasten to treat the problem with ruqyah as prescribed in shariah. You should also consider seeking psychological help but be mindful of side effects from some of the drugs they prescribe. Do some research on the drugs they suggest – studies suggest people can’t cope without antidepressants once they start taking them.
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While there can be a myofascial (muscle/connective tissue) component to this, it will, of course, be secondary to any significant findings by dental surgeons. This answer presupposes you have already sought a diagnosis from a dental surgeon.
Most commonly, the myofascial diagnosis will be of TMJ (temporomandibular joint dysfunction). Muscles that can cause pain in the teeth (due to myofascial trigger points) include:
Temporalis – a broad, flat muscle on each side of the head, which is a key muscle in mastication:
The “knots”, or trigger points, in this muscle refer (or send) pain to the regions denoted in red – including the teeth. To find if this is the cause of the pain, we’re going to do a bit of trigger point decompression. Heat the temporalis muscle and press on the “x’s” above until they feel like they soften or disappear. The tooth pain should immediately lessen or disappear as well.
Masseter – a quite strong muscle running vertically along the back of the jaw. This picture also images the lateral pterygoid muscle:
To find if the masseter muscle is the cause of the pain, we’ll treat it as we treated the temporalis muscle. First, heat the muscle. Then, hold compression on the areas indicated by the black dots. Do this until the knot feels like it is dissolving or becoming less painful.
Afterward, yawn as wide as you can, comfortably. Then take the muscle through its full range of motion by moving the lower jaw front/back/R/L/in/out/up/down. Yawn once more.
Again, if the tooth pain has reduced or has disappeared, a myofascial issue is probably your primary culprit.
If not, take yourself back to the your dental surgeon’s scans.
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Editor’s Note: Sign up for Unlocking the World, CNN Travel’s weekly newsletter. Get the latest news in aviation, food and drink, where to stay and other travel developments.
He’d spent years backpacking around the world, and Japanese traveler Daisuke Kajiyama was finally ready to return home to pursue his long-held dream of opening up a guesthouse.
In 2011, Kajiyama arrived back in Japan with his Israeli partner Hila, who he met in Nepal, and the pair set about finding the perfect location for their future venture.
However, there were a couple of major stumbling blocks in their way. To start with, Kajiyama had very little money to speak of after years of globetrotting around destinations like Korea, Taiwan, India, Nepal, Guatemala, Cuba and Canada.
He also happened to have his heart set on a traditional Japanese house, typically known as kominka, which are usually passed down over generations.
“I wanted to have a traditional house in the countryside,” Kajiyama tells CNN Travel, explaining that he was determined to find two houses located next to each other, so that he and Hila could live in one, while the other would be a guesthouse that they’d run together. “I had a vision.”
When he was unable to find anything that met his requirements, Kajiyama decided to shift his search to include the growing number of abandoned homes in the country.
As younger people ditch rural areas in pursuit of jobs in the city, Japan’s countryside is becoming filled with “ghost” houses, or “akiya.”
According to the Japan Policy Forum, there were 61 million houses and 52 million households in Japan in 2013, and with the country’s population expected to decline from 127 million to about 88 million by 2065, this number is likely to increase.
Kajiyama was driving around Tamatori, a small village located in the Shizuoka prefecture, between Kyoto and Tokyo, surrounded by green tea plantations and rice fields, when he came across an elderly woman farming, and decided to approach her.
“I said ‘Do you know if there are any empty houses around here?’ And she just pointed,” he recalls.
He looked over at the area that she was signaling to and spotted two neglected houses side by side – a former green tea factory and an old farmer’s home – located close to a river.
Both properties had been uninhabited for at least seven years and needed a huge amount of work. Kajiyama asked the woman to contact the owner to find out if they’d be interested in selling.
“The owner said that no one could live there, as it was abandoned,” he says. “But he didn’t say ‘no.’ Everybody was always saying ‘no.’ But he didn’t. So I felt there was a small chance.”
Kajiyama returned to visit the houses around five times, before going to visit the owner himself to negotiate an agreement that would see him use the old green tree factory as a home, and convert the farmer’s house into the guesthouse he’d always envisioned.
While he was keen to purchase both of the homes, he explains that the traditions around home ownership in Japan mean that he is unable to do so until it’s passed down to the son of the current owner.
“They said ‘if you take all the responsibility yourself, you can take it.’ So we made an agreement on paper,” he says.
Both he and Hila were aware that they had a lot of work ahead of them, but the couple, who married in 2013, were thrilled to be one step closer to having their own guesthouse in an ideal spot.
“It’s a very nice location,” says Kajiyama. “It’s close to the city, but it’s really countryside. Also people still live here and go to work [in the city].
“The house is also in front of the river, so when you go to sleep you can hear the sound of the water.”
According to Kajiyama, the process of clearing the house, which is around 90 years old, before beginning the renovation works was one of the hardest parts of the process, simply because there was so much stuff to sort through. However, he was able to repurpose some of the items.
During the first year, he spent a lot of time connecting with locals, gaining knowledge about the home, and helping the local farmers with farming for the first year or so.
Although he wasn’t hugely experienced with renovation work, he had spent some time farming and completing building while he was backpacking, and had also taken odd jobs fixing peoples homes.
He completed much of the work on the guesthouse himself, replacing the floors and adding in a toilet, which he says was a wedding present from his parents, at a cost of around $10,000.
“I’m not really a professional,” he says.” I like to do carpentry and I enjoy creating things, but I have no experience in my background.
“From my several years of backpacking, I saw so many interesting buildings, so many houses of interesting shapes and I’ve been collecting those in my brain.”
Kajiyama was determined to keep the house as authentic as possible by using traditional materials.
He saved money by collecting traditional wood from building companies who were in the process of breaking down traditional houses.
“They need to spend the money to throw it away,” he explains. “But for me, some of the stuff is like treasure. So I would go and take the material that I wanted.
“The house is a very, very old style,” he says. “So it wouldn’t look nice if I brought in more modern materials. It’s totally authentic.”
He explains that very little work had previously been done to the house, which is quite unusual for a home built so many years ago.
“It’s totally authentic,” he says. “Usually, with traditional houses, some renovations are made to the walls, because the insulation is not so strong. So you lose the style.”
He says he received some financial support from the government, which meant he was able to bring in a carpenter and also benefited from Japan’s working holiday program, which allows travelers to work in exchange for food and board, when he needed extra help.
After doing some research into Japanese guesthouse permits, he discovered that one of the simplest ways to acquire one would be to register the property as an agriculture guesthouse.
As the area is filled with bamboo forests, this seemed like a no-brainer, and Kajiyama decided to learn everything he could about bamboo farming so that he could combine the two businesses.
“This is how I started farming,” he says.
In 2014, two years after they began working on the house, the couple were finally able to welcome their first guests.
“It was a beautiful feeling,” says Kajiyama. “Of course, this was my dream. But people really appreciate that it was abandoned and I brought it back to life.”
He says that hosting guests from all over the world has helped him to stay connected to his former life as a backpacker.
“I stay in one place, but people come to me and I feel like I’m traveling,” he says. “Today, it’s Australia, tomorrow it’s the UK and next week South Africa and India.
“People come from different places and they invite me to join them for dinner, so sometimes I join someone’s family life.”
Sadly, Hila passed away from cancer in 2022. Kajiyama stresses that his beloved wife played a huge part in helping him achieve his dream of having a guesthouse and says he couldn’t have done it without her.
“We were really together,” he adds. “She created this place with me. Without her it would not have been like this.”
While the three-bedroom guesthouse, which measures around 80 square meters, has been open for around eight years, Kajiyama is still working on it, and says he has no idea when he’ll be finished.
“It’s never ending,” he admits. “I’m halfway, I feel. It is beautiful already. But it started off abandoned, so it needs more details. And I’m getting better at creating, so I need time to do it.”
He explains that he’s unable to complete work on the home while guests are there. And while the property is closed during the winter, he spends two months as a bamboo farmer and usually spends a month traveling, which doesn’t leave him much time for renovations.
“Sometimes I don’t do anything,” he admits.
Yui Valley, which offers activities such as bamboo weaving workshops, has helped to bring many travelers to the village of Tamatori over the years.
“Most of the guests come after Tokyo, and it’s such a contrast,” he says. “They are really happy to share the nature and the tradition in our house.
“Most people have dreamed of coming to Japan for a long time and they have a very short time here.
“So they have such a beautiful energy. I’m happy to host in this way and join their holiday time. It’s very special [for me].”
Kajiyama estimates that he’s spent around $40,000 on the renovation work so far, and if the feedback from guests, and locals, is anything to go by, it seems to have been money well spent.
“People appreciate what I’ve done,” he adds. “So that makes me feel special.”
As for Hiroko, the woman who pointed out the house to him over a decade ago, Kajiyama says she’s stunned at the transformation, and is amazed at how many international travelers are coming to Tamatori to stay at Yui Valley.
“She cannot believe how much more beautiful it is 1689120326,” he says. “She didn’t think it was going to be like this. So she really appreciates it. She says ‘thank you’ a lot.”
Yui Valley, 1170 Okabecho Tamatori, Fujieda, Shizuoka 421-1101, Japan
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This May 6, put away your scales and form a new relationship with the person in the mirror for International No Diet Day. For so many people, and especially women, unattainable body standards and pressure have prompted eating disorders, low self-esteem, bullying, and unhealthily restrictive diets. When British feminist Mary Evans Young had enough of all this in 1992, she invited friends to “Ditch that Diet” – and it caught on massively. The global movement that it sparked has helped many individuals form a healthier relationship with food and their bodies, so today wear a light blue ribbon and eat a cheeseburger with pride!
History of International No Diet Day
Dieticians and dieting sprung up as early as the 18th century when obese English doctor George Cheyne underwent a tremendous weight loss by eating only vegetables and drinking only milk – completely abstaining from eating meat. He then recommended his diet to all who suffered from obesity, and wrote an essay titled “An Essay of Health and Long Life.” This essay advised fresh air and avoidance of “luxury foods,” and thus the first diets were born.
People have continued to use specific eating habits to become healthier or make their bodies fit a certain societal ideal. English undertaker William Banting created the first fad weight-loss diet “Banting” in 1863. It was still being printed as of 2007 and is considered a model for popular diets. It involved four meals of meat, greens, fruit, and dry wine per day.
In 1918, the first best-selling weight loss book, “Diet and Health: With Key to the Calories,” was created by American columnist and physician Lulu Hunt Peters. It promoted calorie-counting, which remains popular today. Since then, over 1000 weight-loss diets have developed, but most focus on consuming a low amount of either calories, fat, carbohydrates, or sugars.
Diet culture boomed. With an increasing amount of accessible media, from television to ads to the internet, marketers promoted body standards and ideals that were difficult for many people to attain. In many cases, photo editing and plastic surgery made these figures physically impossible to naturally attain, yet many felt the social pressure and turned to diets to thin themselves.
In 1992, English feminist Mary Evans Young had already battled anorexia, bullying, and body image issues for years, and had had enough. Though she originally intended her first No Diet Day to be celebrated only in the UK, she was inspired to see it spread internationally. In 1992, only a few dozen women in the UK celebrated the holiday, with “Ditch That Diet” stickers and a picnic. By 1993, women in various countries wanted to celebrate and the date was changed to May 6 to avoid conflict with Cinco de Mayo festivities.
Today, the stated purpose of INDD is body acceptance and body shape diversity and is symbolized by a light blue ribbon. However, many restaurants use the day as a marketing tactic to encourage customers to buy indulgent treats. Though the meaning of the day has evolved depending on who is celebrating, it is a feminist landmark and a crucial reminder to focus on health at any size, as well as an important way of exposing the dangers of dieting.
International No Diet Day timeline
English doctor George Cheyne publishes “An Essay of Health and Long Life” detailing a weight-loss plan that includes exercise, fresh air, and no luxury foods.
Scottish military surgeon John Rollo publishes “Notes of a Diabetic Case,” which describes the benefits of a meat-heavy diet for diabetics.
Lew Louderback writes an article about the damage of dieting and the importance of body liberation, which is a boon to the “Health at Every Size” movement.
Mary Evans Young institutes the first No Diet Day, with big dreams of taking it global.
The International Size Acceptance Association, an NGO aimed at advancing fat acceptance, is formed.
International No Diet Day FAQs
When is International No Diet Day celebrated?
On May 6.
Are there events for International No Diet Day?
We didn’t find any events but many celebrities speak out on body positivity on this day and social media is rife with memes and messages about the drawbacks of diet culture, so keep an eye out!
Where is International No Diet Day observed?
Around the globe, but especially in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, Israel, Denmark, Sweden, and Brazil.
Are there other National holidays on the same day as International No Diet Day?
Yes. National Nurses Day and National Tourist Appreciation Day also fall on May 6.
International No Diet Day Activities
Cook something indulgent
No one should deprive themselves of the joy of cooking just because of a diet. Get creative and whip up something that feels a little bit naughty. If you can’t break your diet alone, recruit a friend to help you fashion the ultimate dish. Just remember to enjoy it mindfully - food doesn’t have to be a battle.
Post your food (and show self-love)
Instead of posting the four almonds, your diet allows you to eat for breakfast, get yourself a stack of waffles and proudly share them with the hashtag #NoDietDay. Even if it leaves you feeling vulnerable to criticism, you’re working towards accepting yourself more fully - and you never know who you might inspire.
Appreciate your body, as it is
Even though you promised you’d lose 15 pounds before you put on that adorable sundress, wearing it out and celebrating your form as you are will make a positive impact on you and others. Confidence is a practice and this is a great day to start. Remember, self-love is all mental and not physical, so today start removing thoughts that you’re too fat or aren’t good enough and start appreciating yourself as you are.
5 Myths About Dieting, Busted
Very-low-calorie diets, or crash diets, consist of less than 800 calories consumed per day. Unmonitored, these can afford insufficient nutrients and even lead to cardiac arrest.
Eggs & Cholesterol
Contrary to what some diets preach, eggs don’t confer unhealthy cholesterol. They are safe and healthy to eat as they don’t typically raise the level of cholesterol in the body. Truth is, studies have shown that they don’t hurt heart health and are very nutritious!
Many people are hopping on the gluten-free trend but it may be pointless - gluten-free diets typically are only recommended to individuals with celiac disease or other illnesses that would benefit from a gluten-free diet.
Can I Skip Breakfast?
This just in: breakfast is good for you. Indulge in the eggs and waffles! Studies show that breakfast skippers are more likely to be overweight than those who don’t skip the first meal. It’s also a myth that breakfast boosts metabolism.
Supplements, a Cure-All?
Though many desperate dieters turn to supplements to shed the pounds, they may be throwing their money down the drain. Very few actually work, which can be frustrating and expensive. Even the best ones can only help you lose a small amount of weight.
Why We Love International No Diet Day
Mashed potatoes? Yes. Brownies? Absolutely. Lasagna? Sign us up! On International No Diet Day anything goes - and there’s no shame associated with eating what you want. Of course, we appreciate International No Diet Day for its body positivity and self-acceptance, but we also sure do appreciate some good cheese fries.
It lets us focus on other things
As Mary Evans Young so keenly asked girls in 1992, “What do you think would happen if you spent as much time and energy on your careers as you do on your diets?” And the woman had a point. Focusing on constantly limiting and shaming yourself in the name of a diet steals focus from things that are proven to improve your life far more than being skinnier ever will.
It teaches self-love and acceptance
Sometimes, it can be hard to love the person in the mirror. Especially for young people and women, it’s been shown that societal pressures to look a certain way take a huge mental toll. From stick-thin models in advertisements to ever-present billboards heralding the latest fad diet, the physical ideal society has given us feels inescapable - and many of us weren’t made with the same cookie cutter. INDD reminds us that that’s okay. There is beauty in every size and shape.
International No Diet Day dates
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If dispositional mindfulness can teach us anything about how we react to stress, it might be an unexpected lesson on its ineffectiveness at managing stress as it’s happening, according to new research from the University at Buffalo.
When the goal is “not to sweat the small stuff,” mindfulness appears to offer little toward achieving that end.
The findings, published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, which measured the cardiovascular responses of 1,001 participants during stressful performance tasks, run contrary to previous research and pop culture assertions of how being mindful offers stress relief and coping benefits.
Where earlier work in this area suggests how mindfulness may help people manage active stressors, the current paper finds evidence for an opposite response. In the midst of stress, mindful participants demonstrated cardiovascular responses consistent with greater care and engagement. Put another way, they actually were “sweating the small stuff.”
Even more curiously, although the study’s participants demonstrated no physiological signs associated with positive stress responses, they did report having a positive experience afterward.
“What’s surprising, and particularly striking about our results, is that mindfulness didn’t seem to affect whether people had a more positive stress response in the moment,” said Thomas Saltsman, a researcher in UB’s psychology department and the paper’s lead author. “Did more mindful people actually feel confident, comfortable and capable while engaged in a stressful task? We didn’t see evidence of that, despite them reporting feeling better about the task afterward.”
Mindfulness does have benefits, but appears to be limited in what it can accomplish while people are actively engaged in stressful tasks, like taking a test, giving a speech or sitting for a job interview. Instead, being mindful may only benefit people’s perception of their stress experience after it has ended.
“Although our findings seem to go against a wholesome holy grail of stress and coping benefits associated with dispositional mindfulness, we believe that they instead point to its possible limitations,” says Saltsman. “Like an alleged holy grail of anything, its fruits are likely finite.”
Saltsman describes dispositional mindfulness as having a focused attention on the present. It’s a mindset that tries to avoid ruminating on past realities or considering future possibilities or consequences. It’s about being non-judgmental and relaxing critical interpretations. Mindfulness can be approached with formal training, but people can also be dispositionally higher or lower in mindfulness, which was the focus of their study.
Those high in dispositional mindfulness report greater well-being. They tend not to dwell on past events and claim to manage stress well.
“Although those benefits seem unambiguous, the specific ways in which mindfulness should impact people’s psychological experiences during stress remain unclear,” says Saltsman. “So we used cardiovascular responses to capture what people were experiencing in a moment of stress, when they’re more or less dispositionally mindful.”
By measuring cardiovascular responses, Saltsman and the other researchers, including Mark Seery, an associate professor of psychology at UB, can tap into participants’ experiences during moments of stress — in this case, giving a speech or taking a reasoning-ability test.
Those responses include heart rate and how hard the heart is pumping. When people care more about the task they are completing, Seery says, their heart rate increases and beats harder. Other measures, like how much blood the heart is pumping and the degree to which blood vessels dilate, indicate how confident or capable one feels during the task.
“One thing these results say to me, in terms of what the average person is expecting when they casually get into mindfulness, is that what it’s actually doing for them could very well be mismatched from their expectations going in,” says Seery. “And this is an impressively large sample of more than a thousand participants, which makes the results particularly convincing.”
1. Thomas L. Saltsman, Mark D. Seery, Deborah E. Ward, Tracy M. Radsvick, Zaviera A. Panlilio, Veronica M. Lamarche, Cheryl L. Kondrak. Facing the Facets: No Association Between Dispositional Mindfulness Facets and Positive Momentary Stress Responses During Active Stressors. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 2020; 014616722095689 DOI: 10.1177/0146167220956898
Razi Berry is the founder and publisher of the journal Naturopathic Doctor News & Review, which has been in print since 2005, and the premier consumer-faced website of naturopathic medicine, NaturalPath. She is the host of The Love is Medicine Project docuseries, The Natural Cancer Prevention Summit, The Heart Revolution-Heal, Empower and Follow Your Heart, and the popular 10-week Sugar Free Summer program. From a near death experience as a young girl that healed her failing heart, to later overcoming infertility and chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia through naturopathic medicine, Razi has lived the mind/body healing paradigm. Her projects uniquely capture the tradition and philosophy of naturopathy: The healing power of nature, the vital life force in every living thing and the undeniable role that science and mind/body medicine have in creating health and overcoming dis-ease. You can follow Razi on social media: Facebook at Razi Berry, Instagram at Razi.Berry and join the Love is Medicine group to explore the convergence of love and health. Look for more, and listen to more Love is Medicine podcast episodes here.
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Summary: Cat owners fall into five categories when it comes to attitudes about their pet’s hunting and roaming.
Source: University of Exeter
Cat owners fall into five categories in terms of their attitudes to their pets’ roaming and hunting, according to a new study.
University of Exeter researchers surveyed UK cat owners and found they ranged from “conscientious caretakers” concerned about cats’ impact on wildlife and who feel some responsibility, to “freedom defenders” who opposed restrictions on cat behaviour altogether.
“Concerned protectors” focussed on cat safety, “tolerant guardians” disliked their cats hunting but tended to accept it, and “laissez-faire landlords” were largely unaware of any issues around cats roaming and hunting.
Conservation organisations have long been concerned about the numbers of animals caught by the UK’s large population of domestic cats.
Most pet cats kill very few wild animals, if any, but with a population of around 10 million cats, the numbers of birds, small mammals and reptiles taken can accumulate.
Apart from their role as “mousers”, most owners find the dead animals brought home an unpleasant reminder of their pet’s wilder side.
Addressing this problem has been difficult because of disagreements between people prioritising cat welfare and those focusing on wildlife conservation.
The Exeter team’s ongoing research project “Cats, Cat Owners and Wildlife” aims to find a conservation win-win, by identifying ways of owners managing their cats that benefit the cats as well as reducing wildlife killing.
This research is a step towards understanding how cat owners view their cats and how best to manage them.
The researchers say their findings demonstrate the need for diverse management strategies that reflect the differing perspectives of cat owners.
“Although we found a range of views, most UK cat owners valued outdoor access for their cats and opposed the idea of keeping them inside to prevent hunting,” said lead author Dr Sarah Crowley, of the University of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute in Cornwall.
“Cat confinement policies are therefore unlikely to find support among owners in the UK.
“However, only one of the owner types viewed hunting as a positive, suggesting the rest might be interested in reducing it by some means.
“To be most effective, efforts to reduce hunting must be compatible with owners’ diverse circumstances.”
Suggested measures to reduce hunting success include fitting cats with brightly coloured “BirdsBeSafe” collar covers. Many owners also fit their cats with bells.
The research team are now examining the effectiveness of these and other new measures and how owners feel about them, with a view to offering different solutions.
“This latest research we have funded reveals the incredibly diverse perspectives amongst cat owners in regard to their pets’ hunting behaviour,” said Tom Streeter, Chairman of SongBird Survival.
“If nature is to ‘win’ and endangered species thrive, a pragmatic approach is needed whereby cat owners’ views are considered as part of wider conservation strategies.
“The study highlights the urgent need for cat owners and conservationists to work together to find tailored solutions that are cheap, easy to implement, and have a positive effect on wildlife and bird populations across the UK.”
iCatCare’s Head of Cat Advocacy, Dr Sarah Ellis, said: “The finding that many UK cat owners actually care a great deal about wildlife conservation and their cats’ impact on it, suggests that some owners are receptive to employing cat-friendly ways of reducing hunting.
“The right interventions could improve wildlife conservation efforts, maintain good cat mental-wellbeing, and at the same time improve the cat-human relationship.
“This would be especially true for ‘tolerant guardians’ and ‘conscientious caretakers’, by reducing the internal conflict of loving an animal that often hunts other animals they also care about.”
The study included 56 cat owners, some from rural parts of the UK (mostly in south-west England) and some from urban areas (Bristol and Manchester).
The paper, published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, is entitled: “Diverse perspectives of cat owners indicate barriers to and opportunities for managing cat predation of wildlife.”
Alongside the detailed research survey, the researchers have created a simple quiz so cat owners can find out which category bests describes them.
About this psychology research article
Source: University of Exeter Contacts: Alex Morrison – University of Exeter Image Source: The image is in the public domain.
Diverse perspectives of cat owners indicate barriers to and opportunities for managing cat predation of wildlife
Policy proposals to address predation of wildlife by domestic cats (Felis catus) include reducing cat populations, regulating ownership, educating owners, and restricting cats’ outdoor access. Such proposals rarely account for cat owners’ perspectives, however, and are frequently met with strong, principled opposition. We conducted a Q‐methodological study to investigate the views of domestic cat owners in the UK on the roaming and hunting behaviors of their pets. We identified five distinctive cat‐owner perspectives: (1) Concerned Protectors focus on cat safety, (2) Freedom Defenders prioritize cat independence and oppose restrictions on behavior, (3) Tolerant Guardians believe outdoor access is important for cats but dislike their hunting, (4) Conscientious Caretakers feel some responsibility for managing their cats’ hunting, and (5) Laissez‐faire Landlords were largely unaware of the issues surrounding roaming and hunting behavior. Most participants valued outdoor access for cats and opposed confinement to prevent hunting; cat confinement policies are therefore unlikely to find support among owners in the UK. To address this conservation challenge, we argue that generic policies will be less effective than multidimensional strategies offering owners practical husbandry approaches that are compatible with their diverse circumstances, capabilities, and senses of responsibility.
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In a major step forward, Google has successfully taught their prototype self-driving car to understand several common road hand-signals, including ‘wanker’, knobhead’, and ‘swivel on this.’
The breakthrough is an essential piece of progress in ensuring the car can understand the intentions of other road users such as cyclists, cabbies and truck drivers.
Gestures understood range right up to an extremely complicated Italian hand motion which loosely translates as “Your mother was a harlot who was known intimately and repeatedly by the entire 1987 Inter Milan football team”, which developers say is absolutely necessary to successfully navigate traffic in Naples.
Several gestures used in South American countries remain beyond programmers capabilities to translate, because cars do not possess the requisite number of orifices.
“It’s important for safety reasons that the self-driving car understands the intentions and communications of other road users”, high programmer Simon Williams told us.
“There’s a clear difference between a short, vigorous jerking motion of a loosely-gripped fist and a long, slow knobhead gesture from just above the eyes.
“We’ve also managed to get the car to understand what the letter ‘L’ means in the context of being made with finger and thumb on the forehead.
“It’s vital the car knows this when the contextual road-use system decides whether it’s going to ram you or not.”
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Resources for Teachers and Students
, week of
Nov. 27, 2023
1. Historic First Lady
The nation’s First Lady is the wife of the President, but in recent years the women in the role have become so much more. Once merely the host for events at the White House in Washington, DC, First Ladies today are both political partners and leaders on important social issues. One of the most influential was Rosalynn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter, who was elected in 1976 as the 39th President of the United States. Mrs. Carter, who died this month at the age of 96, is credited with pioneering the modern role of a First Lady, advising her husband on policy issues and creating an office within the White House to work on issues important to her. She worked especially hard to improve mental health services and programs for Americans, but was also active in foreign affairs and U.S. relations with other nations. After Jimmy Carter was defeated for re-election in 1980, Rosalynn and Jimmy Carter worked for decades to advance humanitarian causes in the United States and around the world. Rosalynn Carter (pronounced ROSE-a-lin) was the second longest-lived first lady, trailing only Bess Truman, the widow of President Harry S. Truman, who was 97 when she died in 1982. Today’s First Lady is Jill Biden, who is an educator, college professor and holder of an advanced Ph.D degree. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about Jill Biden’s interests and activities. Use what you read to write a short newspaper profile of her, highlighting the things you find most interesting or unusual.
2. Holiday Movies
The December holiday season is a time when families get together, exchange gifts and celebrate family traditions. It’s also a time when families go to the movies. So much so that movie companies release some of their biggest films in December to take advantage of the fact that schools are closed and families are on vacation. This year is no exception, with some eagerly awaited movies coming to theaters. Among those that kids and their families may want to see most are “Wonka,” based on “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory,” the superhero story “Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom,” the sci-fi epic “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire,” an animated “Migration” story that follows the travels of a family of ducks, and a musical version of “The Color Purple” produced by Oprah Winfrey. What movies do you like to see? As a class, discuss movies you have seen and enjoyed and what movies you want to see during the December holiday season. Study ads and stories of coming attractions and write an analysis of which you think will be the most popular.
3. Long-Lost Art
Great works of art can sometimes be lost to the art world — and when they are rediscovered it is major news. That was the case in the European nation of France four years ago, when a long-lost religious painting was found hanging in the kitchen of an elderly woman who had no idea it was valuable. Experts determined that the 10-inch-by-8-inch painting was a 700-year-old masterpiece by an Italian artist named Cimabue and was worth millions. The work, titled “Christ Mocked,” proved the experts right when it sold at an art auction for nearly $27-million. The French government, however, didn’t want the painting to leave France and blocked the auction sale by declaring the painting a “national treasure.” In the four years since then, the government has raised the millions of dollars needed to buy the painting for the government. Last month, it delivered the work to France’s world-famous Louvre Museum, where it will join another Cimabue work on display. Only 15 works by Cimabue are known to exist. Great artworks often make news when they are displayed in exhibits or shows at museums. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about an art exhibition that is getting a lot of attention this winter. Use what you read to create a series of ads for the show that would tell why it is important and worth attending.
4. Saving Coral Reefs
Coral reefs are complex ocean ecosystems that are formed when tiny animals known as corals bond together in the water. They do this by connecting the hard “exoskeletons” on the outside of their bodies to create reef structures under the water. Coral reefs are extremely important to oceans, because they support nearly 25 percent of all marine species, including 4,000 species of fish, 700 species of coral and thousands of other plants and animals. In the last 50 years, however, the health of coral reefs has been threatened by pollution, commercial fishing, human activities and rising ocean temperatures due to global warming. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Florida Keys, which are home to North America's only coral barrier reef. Local, state and national agencies are working to restore Florida’s reefs, and they are getting help from an ocean diver. Mike Goldberg, who lives in the Keys, has founded a non-profit organization to rebuild reefs piece by piece, CNN News reports. His I.Care organization is seeking to enlist recreational divers to transplant corals grown in nurseries to rebuild wild reefs. So far his organization has transplanted more than 10,000 corals and involved or educated more than 2,000 people. Coral reefs “are what brings the ecosystem together,” Goldberg says. “… There’s small fish, not bigger than a grain of rice, all the way up to your large predatory fish, tiger sharks. … Without that live coral as their home, that disappears.” People get involved in many different ways to help the environment. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about one effort. Use what you read to write a short paper telling what is being done to help the environment, the individuals or groups that are doing it and why that is important.
5. Sports, Sports, Sports
December is a great time to be a sports fan in America. NBA basketball and NHL hockey are gearing up, the top teams in college football are battling for the national championship and the NFL is heading into the key part of the schedule that will determine who makes the pro football playoffs. There are some great stories as the NFL heads into the final stretch of the regular season. The Philadelphia Eagles, who appeared in last year’s Super Bowl, won nine of their first 10 games and the surprising Detroit Lions won eight. The Kansas City Chiefs, who defeated the Eagles in last year’s Super Bowl, feature one of the league’s top quarterbacks in Patrick Mahomes and have a tight end, Travis Kelce, who is dating singing superstar Taylor Swift. On top of that, the Baltimore Ravens and Jacksonville Jaguars are having their best seasons in years, and the Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns are all making a playoff push. In the newspaper or online, find and closely read stories about teams seeking to make the NFL playoffs. Use what you read to write a sports column predicting which teams you think will make it, and which will be highest ranked. Share and discuss as a class.
Lessons & Classroom Activities
Resources by grade level
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In the shadow of Newark and New York airports, it’s easy to overlook the rich aviation history in New Jersey’s northwest corner. Way before Silicon Valley and the dawn of the computer age, guys in basements and industrial labs in the Skylands worked on the hot tech of the day— flight. By the middle of the last century, they’d helped usher in both modern aviation and the space age. Theirs weren’t famous names like Hewlett, Packer, Jobs, and Gates. Still, these scientists and engineers broke ground that changed the world. Located in and around early Skylands airports, they helped move airplanes from mainly experimental and military enterprises into the heart of American commerce and lives.
Make a loop this summer, visiting area airports and discover not only that science and history but also the thrill of flight — from the air if you dare, from the ground if you don’t. Walk a self-guided aviation history trail in Boonton Township, hitch a scenic ride on a glider in Blairstown, take an airport tour at Morristown, check skydiving off your bucket list, or relax with a beer, fish tacos and live music by the airstrip while watching takeoff and landing action in Lincoln Park. Every airport offers an adventure and tells a story. “It’s such a joy being up in the air,” says Linda Scully, owner of Aero Safety Training, a flight school operating at Lincoln Park Airport who’s been introducing novices to flying for more than twenty years. “The sky’s the limit.”
Testing whether the sky was in fact the limit challenged curious minds down through history, with kites, balloons, dirigibles, gliders and other man-made contraptions sent aloft for centuries with mixed success. Even the most dogged experimenters struggled to solve stubborn problems: how to steer airborne devices in a controlled way; keep them up for more than a few seconds; prevent them from breaking up mid-air and protect pilots from crashing. Others claimed to, and may in fact have been first, but the Wright brothers were credited with making the first “sustained” flight in 1903 in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
After World War I, with aviation unregulated, a sort of Wild West atmosphere prevailed with “barnstormers” coming to towns, offering rides and performing stunts mid-air on private planes. Things calmed down after the government got into the act in 1925, laying down some ground rules through regulation.
All the while, the hills and valleys of northwest New Jersey served as an incubator for the development of key technologies that kept moving aviation forward, paving the way for air mail, instrument-only navigation, and forays into space.
• Breakthroughs engineered in Boonton Township led to the first “blind flight in 1929, where a pilot successfully navigated his aircraft without looking at the ground.
• The country’s first commercial rocket company, Reaction Motors, which made its home in Pompton Plains, then moved to Denville, developed rocket engines, including the one whose 6,000 pounds of thrust powered Chuck Yeager’s flight that first broke the sound barrier in 1947.
• Charles Fletcher invented the precursor to the hovercraft, giving it a test run on a Sparta pond in 1959 and dubbing it a “Glide Mobile.”
Today, the New Jersey Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Aeronautics oversees the state’s forty-two “public use” airports (ones not requiring prior permission for plane access) with at least twenty privately owned. Some of New Jersey’s oldest airports are located in the Skylands: Hackettstown Airport opened in 1935, on the heels of Newark, which debuted in 1925. A flurry of others followed in the 1940s.
But if not a vanishing breed today, the small airport may be a threatened one. “Small airports are diamonds,” says Linda Castner, whose father turned a corn field in Hunterdon County into Alexandria Field in 1944 and had her soloing by the age of sixteen. “They should not be allowed to disappear.” It’s a real threat: since the forties, nearly half the state’s small airports have closed. Still the history and the determination of airport owners stay alive.
You can get your exercise and mini-education in the development of “blind flight” with a stroll along the Flight Path Trail in Boonton Township, which traces the perimeter of what once was the Rockaway Valley Aerodrome. That airstrip, active for most of the last century, phased out over decades and finally closed to planes more than twenty years ago.
Today, a nearly two-mile path serves up exercise stations and self-guided signs with photos that explain the history behind the development of radio beacon technology, which guided pilots and the first blind flight. A flat gravel walkway leads visitors past a vintage hangar (Elevation 525 feet) and around what once was a 3,200-foot runway on 125 rural acres (53 of those were preserved as a township park and sports field complex).
The low-lying industrial buildings adjacent to the runway formed the research and manufacturing complex that made “blind flight” possible, freeing pilots from visual aids. A vintage photo on display on the path tells the story: it shows a test plane set to take off, its cockpit covered with a hood. One pilot summed it all up years later in a newspaper interview: “We used to fly at the convenience of the weather,” he was quoted as saying. “Now we fly at our convenience.”
The breakthrough revolutionized aviation efficiency and changed the world. While World War II hero Jimmy Doolittle piloted the official first blind flight at Mitchel Field in Garden City Long Island, the legwork happened at the Aerodrome, where Doolittle was said to be a regular. Along the trail stands a bonus for children, “Doolittle’s Landing,” a playground adjacent to a historic marker that explains the achievements of its legendary namesake.
If you could put a canoe in at Beaver Brook, steps from the Flight Path Trail, you could paddle your way from the Aerodrome to another historic airport, Lincoln Park Airport. But with no public access to the brook, an eight-mile drive through mostly rural territory has to do.
On your way, around the bend from the Pyramid Mountain county park on Boonton Avenue, you’ll pass Marotta Controls, founded by another pioneer, Patrick T. Marotta, whose development of fuel control valve advanced rocket and missile science. For more than half a century, the family-owned company supplied NASA and the U.S. military with high-pressure valves and other components for high profile spacecraft including Gemini, Saturn, Apollo, the Lunar Module, and the Space Shuttle.
Make your way past the Taylortown Reservoir and Surprise Lake and over the rise to Lincoln Park Airport. Legendary pilot Amelia Earhart’s mechanic, Ed Gorsky, with his wife Julia, purchased the property long after Earhart had disappeared and declared first missing, then dead. They built the airport on what was then a celery field.
Today, the airport offers ten-minute helicopter tours through Garden State Helicopters, flying lessons through Aero Safety Training and plenty of aviation atmosphere at the Sunset Pub & Grille. Patrons can sit outdoors, just feet from the runway and watch all the action: planes arriving and leaving and undergoing checks and maintenance, with the distant Ramapo Mountains as a higher altitude backdrop. An octagonal upstairs room with runway views begs for a theme party.
Charles Fletcher, a former navy pilot and inventor ended up taking tech beyond the Boonton/Montville/Denville research triangle, into Sussex County, opening his own company, Technology General Corporation in Franklin, and experimenting with a novel floating craft in Sparta. While a project engineer at Reaction Motors of Denville, he had worked on the development the X-15 “spaceplane,” engine. The X-15, a workhorse in the early days of manned space flight, was designed to enter space with tremendous thrust from a much larger sub-orbital carrier airplane.
But prior to the X-15, Fletcher had been working another aero-tech angle: a “floating” transport vehicle. Although a British scientist claimed to be the originator, Fletcher asserted he was first, having designed it in secret while serving in the U.S. Navy (military status prevented him from patenting it). A Sparta resident, he named his invention the “Glide Mobile,” testing it in 1959, on a local pond. Today, hovercrafts move on an air cushion across water, mud and impassable terrain, often transporting military equipment and personnel and rescuing those trapped in disaster zones, where ordinary trucks or boats can’t navigate.
Nearby Fletcher’s Sparta hovercraft test zone, the troubled Sussex Airport, whose former owner was charged with embezzlement, may be on the brink of closing. New owners, who’d hoped to revive the popular annual Sussex Airshow and improve the facilities, complain they’ve been hobbled by zoning issues leading to financial challenges, though planes still come and go, and the nearby Airport Diner, newly renovated and under new ownership itself, carries on.
One county over, at the Blairstown Airport, gliding beckons the adventurous. At Jersey Ridge Soaring, couples or solo passengers lift up and over the Delaware Water Gap and surrounding Kittatinny Mountains, often seeking to spot and photograph their homes below. While open year round, summer reigns as gliding high season. Scary? Maybe a little — but spectacular. As one of the owners, Brenda Martin, says, “it’s a trust thing.” Plus, all flights have commercial pilots at the helm.
Those who choose not to glide can spectate from the airport grounds, watching the gliders dip, sail and dance. A ride can be had for between $120 and $150 (plus tax) per person, depending on the craft. There’s a weight limit, but if you tip the scales at 350 pounds, a heavy-duty vintage glider, the Schweitzer 2-32, designed for bigger loads, can accommodate you.
The scenery and scale change as you approach Morristown Airport to the south, which spreads out on 600 acres near the tangle of busy highways and one of country’s busiest aviation corridors. Here corporate and private jets come and go 24 hours a day, ferrying executives to meetings and conferences and elite travelers wherever their hearts desire. The airport, owned by the municipality but operated by a private company, hosts thousands of passengers a year.
“We have customs and border protection (for a fee)” explains Darren Large, director of facilities and operations. “It’s an access point for Northwest New Jersey and the world.”
Private charter and privately owned jets regularly fly in and out of Morristown, with owners and passengers strolling to their planes from the private terminal, escaping, at a price, such commercial airline irritants as long security lines, luggage restrictions, and cramped seating.
Those with very deep pockets and in the mood for a splurge can hire a medium sized private jet (capacity of up to eight passengers) through Private Fly, a charter company that flies out of the airport. Depending on the date, a one-way flight from Morristown to Las Vegas in a Lear Jet or Cessna should run a couple about $27,000. Add six people, and the per person price descends, with the total coast at a little more than $31,000 for that four to five hour fun flight.
Of course, a quick glimpse of that lifestyle can be had for much less with a custom (at no charge) tour of the airport. Let the guide know your interests when you book online. Then schedule and spend one to two hours viewing the private terminal and checking out the aircraft, hangars, and equipment (“snow fleet” and fire fighting) on the grounds.
Air force One (in the form of a Boeing C-32) lands at Morristown when the President heads to his Bedminster, property, and not without controversy. The unannounced landings have agitated area airport owners, who complain that the no-fly zone restricting air traffic with in a certain range while he’s in residence cause major revenue losses in fuel sales and other airport associated businesses, such as flight training, skydiving and gliding.
But those troubles aren’t expected to change soon. Large says area airports can expect ore of the same this summer, when presidential visits to New Jersey peak. Although recent legislation compensated two airports closest to the club (Solberg and Somerset) for being in the most restricted ten-mile zone, other area airports have seen no compensation for business lost. “This is a real problem,” said Martin, of Jersey Ridge Soaring, who says she scrambles to cancel gliding appointments last minute when notified the skies are shut down.
Still, whatever the headaches and threats to their existence, she and other Skylands flight stalwarts and airports carry on, highlighting aviation history, entertaining and informing flight fans and families, not to mention luring spectators to adventurous experiences aloft. This summer, they’ll continue to reward those drawn to the skies, which have been beckoning humans for centuries.
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In the previous article, you learned about regular expression being pattern of search. Regular expression uses flags that are optional and perform searches that are global or case-insensitive. You can use these searches separately or together to do search.
List of Flags
Here is a list of flags commonly used with regular expressions.
|u||treat a pattern as Unicode code|
|s||A.B is a pattern where any character is allowed instead of “dot” except “\n”. s flag allows even|
|y||“sticky” search, means start from a current position in the string.|
The syntax to use a pattern with flags is as follows.
i – Case insensitive
The i flag is case-insensitive and ignore any upper or lowercase text for string search. For example, A or a are same in this search.
var myStr = " He is very intelligent person and he reads lot of books"; var value = myStr.match(/he/i); alert(value);
In the example above, the i flag will match with “He” and ignore the capital “H” immediately. Therefore, pattern match is successful.
g – Global
Usually the search pattern will stop right after the first match, but you can continue the search for whole string if the global flag is used. You may also use this flag with other flags such as i.
var myStr = " The red van is parked around the corner. I like Red vehicles like that only."; var value = myStr.match(/red/ig); alert(value);
The search does not stop at the first instance of “red” and also, it is case-insensitive. Finally, all word that spell “red” are matched successfully.
m – multiline
When the sting span multiple line then to search a sub-string the pattern can include the m flag with other flags.
var myStr = " Cricket is a great sport. I play cricket regularly and our team win matches"; var value = myStr.match(/cricket/igm); alert(value);
The string about is started from a new line to complete the sentence. The search in this case could not find anything assuming that the line is incomplete. Therefore, a m flag will allow it to complete the search even in the next line.
The rest of the flags will be discussed in more details when we talk about character classes.
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Or search by topic
When two of these moons line up with the planet it is called a 'lunar eclipse'. When three line up with the planet it is called a 'double eclipse', when four do it is a 'triple eclipse' and so on. Once in a while all seven moons line up with the planet and this is called a 'super-eclipse'.
Moon $A$ completes a cycle round the planet in one Vuvvian year, moon $B$ takes two years, moon $C$ takes three years, moon $D$ takes four years and so on.
How long is it between each 'super-eclipse' on the planet of Vuvv?
We can arrange dots in a similar way to the 5 on a dice and they usually sit quite well into a rectangular shape. How many altogether in this 3 by 5? What happens for other sizes?
What happens if you join every second point on this circle? How about every third point? Try with different steps and see if you can predict what will happen.
Let's say you can only use two different lengths - 2 units and 4 units. Using just these 2 lengths as the edges how many different cuboids can you make?
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A top-ranking Chinese official declared that the country is releasing more water from its dams on the upper Mekong River in order to aid drought-stricken downstream neighbors.
The announcement from Foreign Minister Wang Yi, made at a meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation group, comes as the beleaguered waterway continues to wane due to drought, dam building, and sand mining.
Water shortages and decades of mismanagement converged last year as the river tumbled to its lowest levels in a century. Severe conditions remain throughout the region, which is currently in the midst of its dry season.
The Mekong originates in China’s Tibetan Plateau, where it is called the Lancang. The river flows some 4,000 kilometers (2,700 miles) through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. For years, a changing environment and a hydropower construction boom have jeopardized the waterway, which provides fish, irrigation, and drinking water to an estimated 60 million people in Southeast Asia.
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| 0.940178 | 213 | 3.359375 | 3 |
Agriculture is the predominant economic activity in Timor-Leste, with more than 80 percent of households engaged in at least minor farming work, with 70 percent of farmers over the age of 401. Despite its leading role in the livelihoods of Timorese households, the agricultural sector has not fulfilled its potential and cereal yields in Timor-Leste are among the lowest in the East Asia and the Pacific (EAP) region. This is a direct barrier
in the country’s efforts to achieve its National Development Strategy and the 2030
Agenda for Sustainable Development.
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<urn:uuid:5a7dedaa-e223-4397-9527-2ffd641b19d2>
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/collections/4e8ea377-f1b0-5b50-be15-013d43ee71e0?f.author=Gavalyugova,%20Dimitria,equals&spc.page=1&f.subject=AGRICULTURAL%20PRODUCTIVITY,equals&f.topic=Gender,equals
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| 0.949566 | 118 | 2.515625 | 3 |
16 Nov 2023
Enhanced Super-Resolution Radial Fluctuations improves on live-cell imaging, with unparalleled clarity.Gulbenkian Science Institute, based in Oeiras, Portugal, have made what they are calling “an innovative breakthrough in microscopy” called eSRRF, which stands for enhanced Super-Resolution Radial Fluctuations.
This novel method, described this week in Nature Methods, furthers our understanding of biological systems through live-cell imaging, offering a glimpse into the microscopic world with unparalleled clarity and precision.
The Gulbenkian statement says, “Imagine having a microscope that magnifies and enhances the tiniest details, revealing a world beyond the limits of conventional resolution. That’s precisely what eSRRF brings to the scientific forefront—an upgraded super-resolution magic wand for microscopes.”
It continues, “Building upon the success of the SRRF method, eSRRF is not just an evolution; it’s a revolution. It takes microscopic imaging to the next level, delivering enhanced fidelity to the underlying structures and resolutions. eSRRF features automated data-driven parameter optimization. It determines the optimal number of frames needed for reconstruction, providing scientists with efficient imaging experience.”
Considering research openness and easy usability, eSRRF is designed with user-friendliness, integrating seamlessly with various microscopy techniques and biological systems, and, says the Gulbenkian, “researchers can now explore the microscopic realm without technological barriers”.
Hannah Heil, the paper’s first author, commented, “eSRRF opens up new possibilities in live-cell imaging. It’s not just about enhancing image resolution; eSRRF empowers researchers to optimize results based on quantitative image quality measures. Our method provides researchers with a dynamic tool that adapts to their needs, making the invisible visible.”
This initiative was supported by The Gulbenkian Foundation, the European Research Council, the European Commission, the European Molecular Biology Organization, the Wellcome Trust, Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, and the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.
Nature Methods paper abstract
The Nature Methods paper abstract reads:
“Live-cell super-resolution microscopy enables the imaging of biological structure dynamics below the diffraction limit. Here we present enhanced super-resolution radial fluctuations (eSRRF), substantially improving image fidelity and resolution compared to the original SRRF method. eSRRF incorporates automated parameter optimization based on the data itself, giving insight into the trade-off between resolution and fidelity. We demonstrate eSRRF across a range of imaging modalities and biological systems.
“Notably, we extend eSRRF to three dimensions by combining it with multifocus microscopy. This realizes live-cell volumetric super-resolution imaging with an acquisition speed of ~1 volume per second. eSRRF provides an accessible super-resolution approach, maximizing information extraction across varied experimental conditions while minimizing artifacts. Its optimal parameter prediction strategy is generalizable, moving toward unbiased and optimized analyses in super-resolution microscopy.”
|Carnegie Mellon enhances expansion microscopy to see cells and structures|
|Combining classical and quantum optics achieves super-resolution imaging|
|Light-sheet microscopy helps reveal cells response to stress|
|Nikon multiphoton microscope assists study of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease|
|Phase imaging catches sight of obscured objects|
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<urn:uuid:a6d371d5-c2c9-43a6-9e6b-a90e0ab9d243>
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://optics.org/news/14/11/26
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| 0.851616 | 723 | 2.828125 | 3 |
This post is part of a new series designed to help developers who are just starting out understand some basics and how they relate to WordPress. This third post is about FTP including its cousin the secure version (SFTP), and will attempt to explain the difference between the two and why they matter if you’re developing a WordPress site.
FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol and has been around since 1971. Yes, people actually used computers way back then, but not a large percentage of the population like today. It’s a standard network protocol and it’s used to transfer files from one host to another over a TCP based network like the internet. TCP stands for Transmission Control Protocol in case you ever play Jeopardy.
FTP was built on a client-server architecture and still is in use today. It uses separate control and data connections between the client (e.g. user or developer) and the server (e.g. host). FTP users authenticate themselves using a username/password in most cases (although they can connect anonymously if server allows it).
To make things secure and encrypt the content, FTP is often secured via SSL/TLS which we talked about in a previous article and it’s called FTPS in this case, which stands for File Transfer Protocol Secure. This is also referred to as FTP Secure, FTP-SSL, and FTP-ES. This is different than SFTP though. We’ll get to that later after we have a good grasp on what FTP is.
To connect with FTP users typically use a client. Back in the old days these were command-line driven but nowadays there are many that feature a nice easy to use graphical interface. Many modern web browsers can even retrieve files hosted on FTP servers, although they may not support FTPS. You can even run a full-featured FTP client inside of Firefox using an extension called FireFTP. The more common and arguably better practice is to use one of the popular FTP clients such as FileZilla, Cyberduck (my favorite), Transmit (OSX only), or WinSCP. There are many other good options and too many to mention.
Now you might be saying to yourself… “I get what FTP is, what’s SFTP and why did Pagely® switch to it?” SFTP stands for SSH File Transfer Protocol. SSH stands for Secure Shell and is different than the SSL/TLS protocols which are used in FTPS discussed above. It is also different from FTP over SSH, which is the process of tunneling FTP through an SSH connection. Yes, it’s confusing, and you may need to read this article a couple times to get it straight as all the terminology is very similar.
So we know it’s FTP secured via the SSH protocol rather than SSL/TLS. That means it’s technologically different in the way it works, and just knowing that helps keep from confusing things. Unlike FTP, it is more secure in that it encrypts both commands and data, preventing passwords and sensitive info from being transmitted openly over a network connection. SFTP is also packed-based instead of text-based like FTP. That means it’s sending binaries rather than commands. By sending less actual data, it is not only more secure but also faster than FTP. That’s an added bonus.
Because file transfers are performed in-line over the main control connection (as opposed to opening and using a separate one like FTP), this means there’s only a single secure connection protected by firewalls. SFTP is inherently secure and there is no version that isn’t secure, so this also differs from FTP that has both secure and non-secure versions. You cannot turn off the encryption using AUTH commands like you can with FTP in some instances.
Finally, SFTP typically has better analytics. It’s able to deliver more data about the files such as permissions, date, time, size, and more. These are things not normally available via FTP, and that’s because the protocol is more robust for SFTP. Here at Pagely® we run everything via the more secure and faster SFTP, so just check to make sure your client supports it before trying to connect.
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://pagely.com/blog/ftp-vs-sftp/
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en
| 0.950928 | 880 | 2.796875 | 3 |
The Sussex Spaniel was named after the Sussex county in England where they were used as hunting dogs in the 18th century. They were referenced in an 1803 publication called Sportsmen’s Cabinet. The Sussex was bred by Mr. Fuller of Rosehill Park in Hastings (East Sussex, England). He wanted a dog that could work over rough terrain and very dense undergrowth, but could also bark in almost bell-like tones so hunters would know they were on the right track. Fuller crossed Norfolk Spaniels (which are now extinct), Field Spaniels, and English Springer Spaniels.
In 2009 a 10 year old Sussex Spaniel named Stump won best in show at the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, which made him the oldest dog to win this title.
The Sussex Spaniel was recognized by the American Kennel Club in 1884.
- Weight: 35 to 45 lbs.
- Height: 13 to 15 inches
- Coat: Thick and feathery
- Color: Golden, liver
- Life expectancy: 10 to 15 years
What’s the Sussex Spaniel like?
The Sussex Spaniel is a short, stocky dog who loves to go on walks with his family. The Sussex is also great with kids and other dogs. He is a rather calm dog and this breed is often used as a therapy dog. Though he is very intelligent, he can be rather stubborn when it comes to training so the earlier the better.
The Sussex is primarily a family pet but they are capable of being a hunting companion because they have an excellent sense of smell. This breed is actually the only spaniel to howl only once a scent is picked up. Understand that his nose is a gateway to the world so keep an eye on him or he will follow his nose anywhere.
The Sussex Spaniel requires a weekly brushing and pay attention to his ears where the hair is longer and thicker.
The Sussex Spaniel is generally a healthy breed but watch for any of the following:
- The Sussex Spaniel is excellent with children.
- The Sussex Spaniel is calm, cool, and collected. He would make a great therapy dog.
- The Sussex Spaniel is often used as a hunting dog for his keen sense of smell.
- The Sussex Spaniel walks at a slower pace and is not the best companion for a runner or jogger. The occasional long stroll or hike will keep this pooch happy.
If you have any questions or concerns, you should always visit or call your veterinarian -- they are your best resource to ensure the health and well-being of your pets.
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https://pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-breeds/sussex-spaniel
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| 0.973362 | 534 | 2.546875 | 3 |
These presentations included here represent a series of the second group of lectures for students of Dental Medicine in the first year of study. Lectures are dedicated to understand the regional anatomy of head and neck, including the skull, cervical vertebrae and their connections, as well as parts of the central and peripheral nervous systems. The muscles, vessels, and nerves of the head and neck are described, as well as the topographical anatomy of the structures of the head and neck. Sensory organs, endocrine system, and skin are also presented here.
The presentations included here represent a series of lectures for students of Dental Medicine in the first year of study. Individual lectures correlate with recent curriculum of the course and have to be used especially as auxiliary education material specifying basic structures of all presented topics.
Educational videos are intended for studying of topics covering bones of the skull. Teachers from Department of Anatomy show important anatomical structures for students of General and Dental medicine. Videos can be used for individual studying to make learning simpler, faster and more efficient.
Supported by grant VVGS - 2020 - 1460 Production of educational videos for studying skull.
Here presented selection of animations is intended to the students of general and dental medicine and shows several examples of demonstration and utilization of 3D virtual projection’s human body model in education. Examples demonstrate vessels and nerves of the head, neck, upper limb as well as lower limb.
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://portal.lf.upjs.sk/courses.php?cid=373
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| 0.954337 | 289 | 2.796875 | 3 |
An echocardiogram, also known as an echo or cardiac ultrasound, is a non-invasive medical test that uses sound waves to produce images of the heart. Echocardiograms are a vital tool used by doctors to assess cardiovascular health. They can be used to detect and diagnose various heart conditions, helping to ensure that you stay healthy and get the treatment you need. Echocardiograms have numerous benefits and can help improve your health. Not only can they help you detect heart-related issues early, but they can also provide valuable insight into the overall functioning of your heart. From detecting structural abnormalities to monitoring the effectiveness of treatments, echocardiograms can be a life-saving resource. So if you are curious to learn how an echocardiogram Upper East Side can help, read on!
Early detection of heart problems
One of the major benefits of echocardiograms is that they can help doctors identify and diagnose heart problems early on. Many heart conditions, such as coronary artery disease, can be treated if caught early. Echocardiograms can help doctors identify these problems before they become serious, which can greatly improve a patient’s chances of a successful outcome.
They are painless and don’t involve radiation
One of the main benefits of echocardiograms is that they are painless and involve no radiation exposure. Unlike other imaging tests such as CT scans or X-rays, echocardiograms do not expose the patient to harmful substances. It makes them an ideal choice for individuals who may be sensitive to radiation or are concerned about the risks of other imaging tests.
Echocardiograms are also highly accurate and can provide a detailed view of the heart’s structure and function. The test uses high-frequency sound waves to create an image of the heart, which allows doctors to see the size and shape of the heart, as well as the movement of the heart’s chambers and valves. This information can help doctors diagnose many heart conditions, including heart valve problems, heart muscle abnormalities, and heart defects.
Echocardiograms can be performed quickly and easily
The test usually takes about 30 minutes and requires no special preparation. Patients may be asked to remove clothing and jewelry from the waist and to change into a gown. The patient will then be asked to lie on a table while the technician places a small device called a transducer on the chest. The transducer sends high-frequency sound waves that bounce off the heart and produce an image on a screen.
Echocardiograms are also useful for monitoring the progress of patients with heart conditions. By regularly performing echocardiograms, doctors can track the effectiveness of treatments and make adjustments as needed. It can help patients manage their heart conditions more effectively and improve their overall quality of life.
Echocardiograms are also relatively inexpensive compared to other imaging tests, making them a cost-effective option for patients. In addition, echocardiograms can be performed in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, and even some doctor’s offices. It makes them easily accessible to patients, regardless of their location.
Echocardiograms are a valuable tool for evaluating the structure and function of the heart. They are painless, non-invasive, highly accurate, and can be performed quickly and easily. With the ability to diagnose and monitor a wide range of heart conditions, echocardiograms offer numerous benefits to patients and doctors alike.
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https://postfreaks.com/exploring-the-benefits-of-echocardiograms/
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| 0.945159 | 720 | 3.21875 | 3 |
Airway inflammation is considered to be the primary cause of airway diseases. Its prevention and reversal are the primary aims of treatment. Measurement of the inflammation is now possible relatively noninvasively and reliably by using induced sputum cell counts. The differential count indicates the presence and type of the inflammation (eosinophilic or neutrophilic) and the total cell count the intensity. Sputum eosinophilia responds to treatment with corticosteroid, while there is increasing evidence that an isolated neutrophilia does not. Clinical judgement of airway inflammation is made difficult because of the different types of inflammation and their inconsistent correlation with the clinical features. Hence, reliable measurement of induced sputum cell counts may be useful to guide treatment in clinical practice. Consideration should now be given as to how to make it more available.
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<urn:uuid:3b75a46d-cfcc-4d9e-ad3b-7188acef9ef1>
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10322099/?dopt=Abstract
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| 0.93161 | 172 | 2.640625 | 3 |
The advances seen in the treatment of testicular cancer are among the great achievements in modern medicine. These advances were made possible by the collaborative efforts of cancer researchers around the world. Investigators have been able to address many questions regarding the treatment of patients with disease limited to the testis, those with metastasis to the retroperitoneum only, and those with advanced metastatic disease. Questions answered include the chemotherapeutic agents to be used and in what combinations, the proper intensity of treatment and appropriate dosing, the optimal number of cycles of chemotherapy according to validated risk stratification, appropriate surgical approaches that preserve sexual function, the treatment of relapsed disease, what supportive care measures to take, and survivorship issues following treatment of testicular cancer. Today, cure is achievable in 95% of all patients with testicular cancer and 80% of those who have metastatic disease. Despite remarkable results with frontline and salvage combination chemotherapy, metastatic testicular cancer remains incurable in approximately 10% of patients, and novel treatment approaches are warranted. This review highlights past and recent discoveries in the treatment of patients with testicular cancer.
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<urn:uuid:b6647db4-bfc2-4da1-8921-57d6d5a7ffda>
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28591093/
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en
| 0.947506 | 225 | 2.53125 | 3 |
1) The COVID-19 pandemic has caused several variations of impacts to individualism and federalism in our country. America is handling the worldwide Coronavirus as one of the worst countries, as we are only ahead of five (Ollove). Those countries include Indonesia, Turkey, Mexico, Iran, and China (Ollove). America is a country built on federalism and individualism. We like to make the rules for our own government, and have equality throughout the states. After all, they all are different with many different governments and laws. This mindset, however, has not served us justice within the pandemic. The countries that are handling the pandemic the best are doing it through a national level, as we are doing it through a federal level with personal individualism. As America was founded (as stated in the YouTube video: Constitution Hall Pass) on a government for the people to create their own individual needs this becomes a trending issue for COVID-19. Individualism has conceived the process of having a choice whether to worry about ‘we’ or ‘I’ during these hard times. To get over the pandemic America needs to focus on ‘we’ (Ollove). Vargas and Sanchez stated in their article that many people said it is their right whether to choose to follow the mask mandate or not and in some states they are correct. However, what does this mean concerning the lives of others? Well, what it means is that over 160k humans will die (Ollove). Individualism concerns mostly the wearing of masks according to Vargas and Sanchez; they surveyed the reasons most people do not wear masks most being it is uncomfortable, it is their right as an American not to wear a mask, they do not want to look like criminals, there are no masks available, and my personal favorite is the theory that coronavirus is not real. Federalism is a whole other ball game when it relates to the U.S.A COVID-19 pandemic. Our state government’s powers have expanded in creating their own laws as to what they think is right for their people, of course, due to the crisis (Vargas & Sanchez). It has changed the voting regulations and administration as well as taking people’s lives making them another statistic in the madness of it all. We have over 8,000 different jurisdictions in America administering the elections all with different ways of handling the 2020 election. Most postponed elections or gave states’ mail-in and absentee voting policies (Ollove). This generates voters the issue of not knowing who to blame when things go wrong, or who to praise when they go well.
Ollove talks about how national strategies had a higher success rate of containing the virus as to America that handles it through a federalist level. As federal laws do bubble up to become national level laws, it takes ample time which we do not have in the pandemic and is hard when every federal level has different thoughts on how to handle the issue. Federalism and individualism in America has caused the pandemic to worsen at a severely high rate.
2) Using the first article in comparison to what we have covered so far in the course, it shows that individualism can directly influence one’s actions. Wearing a mask may not be a political thing but some individualists have turned it into that. in the article it mentions that “40% of Americans who do not wear a mask say this is because it is ‘their right as an American to not wear a mask’” (Vargas and Sanchez). This is a very individualistic approach to the debate on masks. Individualists can take the message from the government and think that it may be their right to not have to wear one as the government should not be allowed to interfere with their personal life or how they should interact with others. The individualist’s ideals could say in this case that the federal government should not be making policy like a mask mandate that requires everyone to wear them at all. A more government focused or federalist focused point of view to this issue would be that it is ok the government is stepping in and making this policy. It may affect social aspects of life but it is for the better health and safety of everyone.
Now, looking at the second article, it mentions the role the government is playing in the response to COVID-19 as a whole. This article is great at showing how the federalist point of view going into this response mode is for the betterment of the people. One quote “The Framers anticipated that federalism would increase accountability and further the general welfare of American citizens” (Selin) highlights that from a federalist point of view the government should be acting in a way that is helping protect the citizens. This is a very federalism based approach as the government, including the state level, should step in and make policy regulating life, and ways people interact to promote the general welfare of the people. This article also mentions the problems that this can bring such as states not fully agreeing with the federal policy, and the potential of non elected parties such as the FDA stepping in. When the FDA steps in a pushes a vaccine that could have potential worse side affects than the virus itself, people could blame the president, or the president could blame the FDA and the arguments could be never ending. These situations from the individualistic approach could be avoided altogether theoretically.
In the final article, a lot of focus is put on the fact that the US did not respond as well as other countries have. The fact that this issue became political at all made the states divided on the issue of public health and safety. As the government put policies into place the people, including government officials, made this a political issue. The competing view points of individualism and federalism left this country behind others whose community ideals aligned based off of science. To this day it is an issue that is still being debated in the US while many other countries have lifted a lot of their restrictions. I think last few sentences of the article sum it up well. “‘There’s an acceptance of actions to keep my community safe above any ill-informed personal-freedom approach,’ Andrus said. That attitude is not widely accepted in the United States, Andrus said, and the rest of the world is noticing.” (Ollove). These words show that compared to other countries, we did not take well to the virus impacting us. The different view points affected our behavior and have made this more of a political debate than a national response and action.
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<urn:uuid:013b3641-85dc-4da7-a6e9-4078087cdc92>
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://qualitymathtutors.com/1-the-covid-19-pandemic-has-caused-several-variations-of-impacts/
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s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-50/segments/1700679100232.63/warc/CC-MAIN-20231130193829-20231130223829-00800.warc.gz
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en
| 0.973697 | 1,361 | 2.875 | 3 |
For the given logic circuit, the output Y for inputs (A = 0, B = 1) and (A = 0, B = 0) respectively are
A common emitter transistor amplifier is connected with a load resistance of 6 k$$\Omega $$ . When a small AC signal of 15 mV is added to the base-emitter voltage, the alternating base current is 20$$\mu $$A and the alternating collector current is 1.8 mA. What is the voltage gain of the amplifier?
In the circuit shown, the value of $$\beta $$ of the transistor is 48. If the supplied base current is 200 $$\mu $$A, what is the voltage at the terminal Y?
In the circuit shown, what will be the current through the 6V zener?
WB JEE Subjects
Units & Measurements Vector Algebra Motion Laws of Motion Work Power & Energy Center of Mass Rotational Motion Properties of Matter Heat and Thermodynamics Simple Harmonic Motion Waves Gravitation
Some Basic Concepts of Chemistry Atomic Structure Redox Reaction Gaseous State Chemical Equilibrium Liquid Solution Ionic Equilibrium Thermodynamics Chemical Kinetics Radioactivity and Nuclear Chemistry Electrochemistry Solid State Surface Chemistry
Periodic Table Chemical Bonding Metallurgy Hydrogen and It's Compounds Some s Block Elements Some P Block Elements d and f Block Elements Coordination Compounds
Logarithms Sequence and Series Quadratic Equations Complex Numbers Permutations and Combinations Mathematical Induction and Binomial Theorem Matrices and Determinants Vector Algebra Three Dimensional Geometry Probability Statistics Sets and Relations
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<urn:uuid:0f6a65aa-1ebb-4922-a82e-b2ef86c273c9>
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CC-MAIN-2023-50
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https://questions.examside.com/past-years/jee/question/imagebrbrfor-the-given-logic-circuit-the-output-y-for-wb-jee-physics-units-and-measurements-adyw42eyevammcjr
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| 0.707162 | 333 | 3.671875 | 4 |
- What is TensorFlow?
- What is CUDA?
- How to install TensorFlow with CUDA?
- How to test your TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
- Why is it important to test your TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
- What are the benefits of testing your TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
- How can I get started with testing my TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
You’ve installed TensorFlow and CUDA on your system. Now what? In this blog post, we’ll show you how to test your installation to ensure that TensorFlow can access your GPU.
Checkout this video:
This guide shows you how to test your TensorFlow installation by running a simple computational graph. The graph consists of a inputs node that takes two input values, a multiply node that Multiplies the inputs and an output node that produces the final result. This graph is then run using CUDA on a GPU.
1. Install TensorFlow (see above).
2. Download and install CUDA (see above).
3. Verify that you have a CUDA-capable GPU.
4. Download the source code for this example: In: from __future__ import print_function
import tensorflow as tf
What is TensorFlow?
TensorFlow is a powerful tool for machine learning. It allows you to train your models on a variety of data, including images, text, and numerical data. It also provides a rich set of tools for debugging and optimising your models.
One of the powerful features of TensorFlow is its ability to use GPUs to accelerate training. If you have a CUDA-capable GPU in your system, you can install TensorFlow with GPU support to drastically improve training speed.
In this article, we’ll show you how to test your TensorFlow installation with CUDA support. This will help you ensure that your system is configured correctly and that TensorFlow is able to take advantage of your GPU’s processing power.
What is CUDA?
CUDA is a powerful toolkit that enables developers to leverage the power of GPUs for computing. It includes a compiler, libraries and tools for debugging and optimizing GPU code. With CUDA, developers can optimize their code for performance and port it to other platforms with ease.
How to install TensorFlow with CUDA?
TensorFlow is a popular open-source platform for machine learning. In order to run TensorFlow with CUDA, you need to have both the TensorFlow and CUDA libraries installed on your system. This can be done using either pre-compiled binaries or by building the libraries from source.
Pre-compiled binaries are available for many popular operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. To install TensorFlow with CUDA using pre-compiled binaries, simply download the appropriate TensorFlow binary for your system and ensure that the CUDA library is in your system’s library path.
Building TensorFlow from source enables you to customize your installation and use the latest features and improvements that have not yet been made available in the pre-compiled binaries. In order to build TensorFlow from source, you will need to have a CUDA-capable GPU and the appropriate version of the CUDA toolkit installed on your system.
How to test your TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
Verify your installation
Before you begin, check that you have an NVIDIA® GPU with the correct compute capability. See the NVIDIA documentation for a list of supported GPUs.
You also need to install the CUDA® Toolkit 8.0 or higher and cuDNN 6.0 or higher.
Note: If you installed the CPU-only version of TensorFlow, you must also install the latest version of five Vision SDK..
Why is it important to test your TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
There are a few reasons why you would want to test your TensorFlow installation with CUDA. Firstly, if you are training large models or using deep learning for demanding applications, you will need to use GPUs to get good performance. Secondly, even if you are not using GPUs, testing your installation with CUDA will give you a good indication of whether TensorFlow is working properly on your system.
It is possible to run TensorFlow without CUDA, but if you do so you will not be able to take advantage of the increased performance that GPUs can provide. For this reason, it is generally recommended that users test their installations with CUDA enabled.
Testing your installation with CUDA is straightforward. You can use the `nvidia-smi` command to check that your GPU is being detected, and then run the `tensorflow/test/gpu/test_gpu_ops.py` script to verify that TensorFlow is able to run operations on your GPU.
If you find that TensorFlow is not working properly with CUDA on your system, the most likely cause is that you have not correctly installed the drivers for your GPU. You can find instructions for installing the drivers for popular NVIDIA GPUs at the following link: https://www.tensorflow.org/install/gpu
What are the benefits of testing your TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
There are a number of benefits to testing your TensorFlow installation with CUDA. Firstly, it allows you to ensure that your installation is correctly configured and that all of the necessary components are present. Secondly, it provides you with a way to check that your system is able to correctly execute TensorFlow operations. Finally, it allows you to benchmark the performance of your system and compare it against other systems.
How can I get started with testing my TensorFlow installation with CUDA?
If you’ve installed TensorFlow with CUDA, then you can test your installation by running the following command:
python -c “import tensorflow as tf; print(tf.test.is_built_with_cuda())”
You should see the following output if CUDA is installed and working properly:
In this tutorial, you’ve learned how to install TensorFlow with CUDA support on your Ubuntu machine. You’ve also verified your installation by running a simple TensorFlow program that performs matrix multiplication.
If you’re interested in learning more about TensorFlow, be sure to check out the other tutorials on the TensorFlow website.
If you have installed TensorFlow with CUDA support, you can check if your installation is working correctly by running a simple test program.
To do this, first compile the test program:
$ gcc -o test-cuda test-cuda.cu -I$TF_INC -I$TF_INC/external/nsync/public -L$TF_LIB -ltensorflow-core -std=c++11
Replace $TF_INC and $TF_LIB with the locations of the TensorFlow header files and library files, respectively.
Next, run the program:
$ LD_LIBRARY_PATH=$TF_LIB:$LD_LIBRARY_PATH ./test-cuda
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A series of nine simulations has been made with the Lund-Potsdam-Jena Dynamic Global Vegetation Model (LPJ-DGVM) in order to explore the impacts of climate variability and Holocene changes in variability (as simulated by the Fast Ocean-Atmosphere Model, FOAM) on vegetation in three forest-dominated regions of China and in the semi-arid Sahelian region of northern Africa. The simulations illustrate that changes both in the magnitude of climate variability and in the persistence of above/below average conditions have the potential to modify the vegetation response to changes in mean climate. Simulated changes in moisture availability affect vegetation through drought stress or through changing the fuel availability in semi-arid regions where lack of fuel often limits the incidence of fire. Increasing moisture availability causes trees to replace grasses in China by reducing drought stress; increasing moisture availability in the Sahel increases the available fuel and hence reduces fire return times, favouring grasses. The modelling results imply that climate variability is important to vegetation dynamics; that not only the magnitude, but also the temporal structure of variability is important; and that correctly simulating vegetation changes in response to climate variability requires a realistic "baseline" simulation of plant community composition. They further indicate that the impacts of climate change on ecosystems can sometimes derive as much from changes in variability as from changes in mean climate.
|Translated title of the contribution||Impact of climate variability on present and Holocene vegetation: A model-based study|
|Pages (from-to)||469 - 486|
|Number of pages||18|
|Publication status||Published - Feb 2006|
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In the United States, more than 1/3 of adults 65 and older fall each year. About 5.8 million people in this age group fell at least once during a recent 3-month period.Besides injuries caused by senior falls, the simple fear of falling can impact the lives of seniors by causing a reduction in their level of activity. This in turn leads to a decline in mobility and physical fitness, which can increase the actual risk of another fall.
Caregivers, be they professionals or family members, can also be greatly affected by this problem. They are often unable to physically assist the fallen person without danger of injury to themselves – therefore safe patient handling practices must be adhered to. Anticipation of another fall may make a caregiver reluctant to allow the senior any independence, which can diminish the senior’s quality of life.
Senior falls account for many injuries and even deaths, and the risk can be significantly reduced by using fall prevention practices or implementing a fall prevention program. In the U.S. millions of seniors fall every year for a variety of reasons. One reason is that many seniors take medications which may make them dizzy or drowsy. Additionally, a lack of muscle tone and stamina that occurs with older age can cause poor balance. Poor eyesight or dimly lit hallways, bathrooms and stairwells are also big causes of senior falls.
If you’ve experienced a senior fall or you know someone who has, you know it can result in a lack of confidence about being able to get up again. Calling emergency services can be embarrassing and costly, which is why we’ve designed the ResQUp. TheResQUpis a device that allows you to get up off the floor with minimal assistance. This is a key benefit because other people in the home or therapy environment may not be able to lift you, and NIOSH guidelines state that caregivers, for their own health and safety, should not lift more than 35 pounds.
The ResQUp is quite simple to use. The fallen senior can use the ResQUp to move to a sitting position, and from that position, stand up. If the ResQUp is not nearby, a caregiver can move it into position for the person that has fallen.
Many older people would like to get down to the floor as well to play with grandchildren or do other hobbies. The ResQUp can help you both get down to the floor and get back up again. Using it in this manner will help you improve your upper body strength. The more strength you have, the more you will be able to avoid senior falls, and the more confidence you will have that you can get back up again. Seniors that have more confidence in their physical abilities are likely to exercise more, contributing to their overall well-being.
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Our mental health is one the most important parts of our lives. It determines how we handle stress, make decisions, and interact with others. A person’s mental health can be affected by his or her lifestyle and the environment around him or her. Professional counseling, medicine or other treatment may be beneficial for some people. If you or a loved one are experiencing a depressed mood, it is wise to get help. In case you have almost any concerns with regards to wherever and the best way to make use of ibogaine, you are able to e mail us from our own web-site.
Many mental health conditions begin in early adulthood, although they can occur at any age. One example is ADHD and serious anxiety in a child. Both of these disorders can lead to impairments in functioning, which may require additional support.
Mental health covers the psychological, social, and emotional well-being of an individual. Psychotherapy is an important component of mental health treatment. Cognitive therapy, for instance, is a form of psychotherapy. This involves helping an individual learn ways to deal with stress and other challenges.
A person’s mental health is often dependent on basic cognitive skills like attention, memory, visual-perceptual ability, and memory. These skills are essential for an individual’s ability to understand and recall information.
Mental health includes the ability to recognize, manage, express, and control emotions. Depression can be linked to insufficient emotional regulation. Emotional regulation is a mediator between the ability of mouse click the following website page brain to adapt to stress and the presence or absence of a mental illness.
Mental health is a complicated topic and there is no single definition. According to the World Health Organization, it is “a state that promotes emotional, psychological and social well-being.” However, the term “mental health” is often used in a purely positive manner. The word “mental” is often used in a negative way. It is not wise to rely solely on it for diagnosis. Every person’s needs are different so the best combination of what can help is important.
Unlike physical health, which is primarily determined by genetics, mental health is determined by an individual’s lifestyle. It also includes the person’s lifestyle, diet, exercise and sleep. All these factors contribute to an individual’s overall health.
These factors and others are only a part of the dangers that exist for people, families, communities, countries, and their loved ones. Social stigmatization can lead to a reduction in participation and can even worsen the effects of mental illness.
A person’s mental health depends on their ability to form and maintain positive relationships. These types of relationships can help a person feel better about themselves. People who have good mental health often feel happy and less sad.
While some people with mental illnesses can live with their loved ones, others may need to be cared for in a facility or live with them daily. Dependent on the severity, an individual’s participation in society could be reduced. People with severe mental disorders can still live independently and enjoy a sense of fulfillment in their lives. They also have the option to try to lessen the impact of their condition. When you’ve got any kind of questions relating to where and the best ways to make use of ibogaine treatment center, you could call us at our site.
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AVID paves the path to college and sets students up for successful college completion. During their first year of the high school AVID program, students develop strategies to identify and fulfill personal and academic goals to ensure success in core studies required for entrance to four-year colleges and universities. Students are prepared to take the PSAT, start college exploration and focus on school involvement.
AVID is a regularly scheduled elective class based on using writing and reading as tools for learning. Students become proficient in the skills and concepts that prepare them for the rigorous courses required for admission to four-year colleges and universities. Specific skills include:
- Collaboration and inquiry through Socratic seminars and tutorials
- Organization through frequent binder checks
- Writing through essays
- Cornell note-taking
AVID challenges students to perform at high levels, recognizing that college-readiness depends on providing the extra time they need to succeed. Students participate in college field trips, tutorials, team-building, guest speakers and community service projects such as bell ringing for the Salvation Army and service in the community on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Students are prepared for and take the PSAT early in the AVID program, continue college exploration, start scholarship exploration and planning, focus on community service and give individualized college presentations.
During the last two years of the AVID program, students focus on becoming college-ready. Students are enrolled in one or more Advanced Placement courses and are set up for success by the support of the AVID class, teachers and weekly tutoring. Students use Career Cruising to research careers of interest and attend the College Fair and College Boot Camp to assist them in selecting colleges that are the best fit for their future. Guest speakers include college admissions officials and counselors to guide students through the processes of college applications, scholarships and financial aid. Writing assignments focus on college application essays, resumes, scholarship applications and letters of recommendation. Students are provided instruction in preparation for the SAT and ACT; the scholarship application process, including letters of recommendation; personal statements; and admission essays while continuing to focus on school and community involvement. Students also visit four-year colleges to gain a better perspective on the array of opportunities college has to offer.
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| 0.951727 | 448 | 2.671875 | 3 |
Take the Pledge to Improve your Community’s PreparednessPosted on by
Are you and your family prepared to face a disaster? What about your neighborhood? Do you know your neighbors’ emergency plan or how you can help each other during an emergency? April kicks-off America’s PrepareAthon!—a nationwide campaign to increase emergency preparedness and community resilience. Throughout the month local, state, and federal groups will take the pledge to help improve their preparedness. All of these activities will lead up to PrepareAthon’s national day of action on April 30, 2015.
So what can you do?
You don’t have to be an expert in emergency preparedness, or the leader of a large community group to take part in America’s PrepareAthon! Learn more about what you can do in your neighborhood or community to become more personally prepared and help build your community’s resilience.
In your Neighborhood.
If you haven’t taken the time to talk to your neighbors about emergency preparedness, or even just met them, take the PrepareAthon! pledge and make a plan to include your neighbors in your emergency planning. Often the first people on scene after a disaster are not first responders (EMS, police, firefighter, etc.), but rather the people who are closest to where the emergency took place. When a disaster occurs in your community you will most likely have to rely on those around you, especially if the scale of the disaster makes it hard for first responder to get to the scene.
Do not wait for a disaster to occur to meet your neighbors or learn about your community’s preparedness plans. Reach out to people in your neighborhood and discuss their emergency plans. If you have any medical or physical needs, such as limited mobility or dependence on medication or medical devices, talk to your neighbors about the assistance you may need in a disaster. Likewise, find out about the unique needs of those who live around you. Reach out to elderly neighbors and offer your assistance from shoveling snow to checking on them during a heat wave. No matter what the disaster or emergency, forming relationships with those around you can help improve resilience after a disaster occurs.
In your Community.
Beyond your neighborhood, getting involved in community preparedness groups and emergency response exercises can help improve your own personal preparedness and also your community’s ability to respond to emergencies and natural disasters. Strong community resilience requires people to come together and participate in planning and training before a disaster occurs. A good place to start when looking to become more involved in your community’s preparedness is with groups focused on emergency preparedness, such as your local Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Medical Reserve Corps, or American Red Cross chapter. You may also consider getting a community group you are already involved in talking about emergency preparedness. Faith-based organizations, schools, or even your workplace are good places to start a conversation about emergency preparedness.
Take the Pledge.
Whether it is meeting your neighbors, joining a local emergency preparedness group, or starting an emergency preparedness initiative within one of your community organizations, make sure toregister your efforts with America’s PrepareAthon! Help move your individual community and our entire nation closer to being prepared for any emergency or disaster that comes our way.Posted on by
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The rules would have required lobstermen to create new seasonal nonfishing zones and further reduce their use of vertical ropes to retrieve lobster traps from the seafloor. Entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with many types of ships are the leading causes of right whale deaths.
Maine's congressional delegation amended a federal spending bill to delay the new regulations until 2028 and called for more research on whale entanglements and ropeless fishing gear. Conservationists argue that the delay could drive North Atlantic right whales, which number about 340 today, to extinction.
This is the latest chapter in an ongoing and sometimes fraught debate over fishing gear and bycatch — unintentionally caught species that fishermen don't want and can't sell. My research as a maritime historian, focusing on disputes tied to industrial fishing, shows the profound impacts that particular fishing gear can have on marine species.
Disputes over fishing gear and bycatch have involved consumers, commercial fishermen, recreational anglers and environmentalists. With conservation pitted against economic livelihoods, emotions often run high. And these controversies aren't resolved quickly, which bodes poorly for species on the brink.
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The Japanese word tsunami originally meant "harbor wave." Due to shifts in linguistic norms, its meaning has gotten more specific. Tsunamis are now defined as a series of large waves caused by sudden disturbances on the ocean floor. And when we say "large," we're not kidding around. The biggest waves can be 100 feet (30 meters) tall, 60 miles (100 kilometers) wide, and travel fast enough to cross an entire ocean within a single day.
Underwater volcanic eruptions can set off killer tsunamis, and so can landslides or — on rare occasions — meteorite impacts. But by far, earthquakes are the most common cause. To trigger a tsunami, you'll need a big one measuring 7 or higher on the Richter Scale.
So how can we explain tsunami-like waves that appeared in Lake Michigan in April 2018? Magnitude 7 earthquakes are almost unheard of in this part of North America and you won't find any active volcanoes under the Great Lakes. We can also rule out major landslides and big meteorites as potential culprits because none have been reported there lately.
Yet on April 13, 2018, two tsunami-like waves ripped across Lake Michigan's midsection. An animated video simulation of their progress was recently released by the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, an organization run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Near the coastal city of Ludington, Michigan, the water level rose by 13.9 inches (35.3 centimeters) in 42 minutes. This sudden influx completely submerged one of the breakwaters near the city. A photographer who captured the dramatic scene noted that the water level returned to normal 10 minutes later. Twenty-four miles (39 kilometers) to the north, in the city of Manistee, Michigan, some docks were damaged and a Riverwalk was flooded by the abrupt water fluctuations.
NOAA has retroactively classified the April 13 waves as meteotsunamis. These are tsunami-like events that can be quite destructive. But whereas real tsunamis are made by seismic activity or other geologic processes, meteotsunamis have weather-related origins.
When the latter appear, thunderstorms are usually responsible. Changes in wind and air pressure accompany the storms. The disturbances may generate sizable waves when a storm passes over some body of water. Those waves are liable to travel far away from the storm, meaning that meteotsunamis can appear without warning even on clear, sunny days.
Just like regular tsunamis, meteotsunamis are especially dangerous in bays and harbors. The shallow water causes the waves to slow down, which makes them increase in height. If the water enters a narrow inlet and starts sloshing around, the waves can get even taller.
The ones observed on Lake Michigan did not result in any human deaths. However, the lake has seen fatal meteotsunamis before: In 1954, a 10-foot (3-meter) wave of this sort killed seven fishermen at a Chicago pier. A world-wide nuisance, meteotsunamis have also taken lives in places like Japan's Nagasaki Bay. They've been documented crashing onto every continent except Antarctica.
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Grazing on algae is a full-time job for a highly specialized group of coral reef fish.
In a new study, a Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego-led research team examined the unique grazing roles of algae-eating herbivores on coral reefs to learn more about how they help keep corals from being overgrown by seaweeds.
Scripps marine ecologist Emily Kelly and her research team recorded the feeding behaviors of 15 of the most common species of algae-eating fish, such as parrotfish and surgeonfish on a coral reef in Maui, Hawaii. The study, conducted over a four-year period, compared these observations to the stomach contents of several of the fish species as well as the habitat in which different fish were grazing.
Kelly’s team discovered that despite large-scale similarities across all species in the consumption of “turf algae,” a group of algae comprised of a number of different species, a finer scale analysis revealed that individual species are actually selectively grazing on different types of algae and in different ways.
“These ‘lawnmowers’ on the reef are selective in the types of algae they consume and the impact of each bite,” said Kelly, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral scholar in the Scripps Coral Reef Ecology Lab. “These fish are in fact each a different type of gardening tool with a slightly different function in grazing.”
A diverse community of herbivores is necessary to promote healthy reefs, and by understanding their algae-eating behaviors, this study can help better manage and protect coral reefs worldwide, according to the researchers.
“Understanding the role of individual fish species is important for knowing how the herbivore community as a whole can influence reef composition and reef health,” said Kelly.
Along with Kelly, Scripps researchers Yoan Eynaud, Samantha Clements, Molly Gleason, and Jennifer Smith co-authored the study published in the Dec. print edition of the journal Oecologia. The research team also included Russell Sparks from the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources, and Ivor Williams of NOAA’s Coral Reef Ecosystem Program.
The National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, Mia Tegner Fellowship, Women Divers Hall of Fame, Explorers Club Exploration Fund, the Sussman Fellowship, and the Oceanids Memorial Fellowship provided funding for the study. The NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program funded the coral reef surveys.
– Annie Reisewitz
Related Image Gallery: Lawnmowers of the Sea
Related Video: Research footage of reef fishes grazing
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Featuring Grace C. Eaton, LPN
Smoking is bad news. It is the leading cause of avoidable death in the United States, accounting for nearly half a million deaths each year. Smoking increases your risk of incurring a number of Diabetes complications.
The Effects of Smoking
Everyone knows smoking causes lung cancer, and more people die of lung cancer each year in the U.S. than any other type of cancer. But did you know that smoking can affect the health of your heart, kidneys, eyes, nerves, muscles and joints, and more?
Those with diabetes are three times more likely to die of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, but add in smoking and that risk multiplies.
That’s because smoking….
- Decreases the amount of oxygen reaching tissues
- Increases cholesterol levels and the levels of some other fats in your blood
- Damages and constricts blood vessels
- Increases blood pressure
- Smoking increases your blood sugar levels and decreases your body’s ability to use insulin, making it more difficult to control your Diabetes.
When blood vessels are constricted, the amount of blood circulating in arteries and veins is limited. This can lead to peripheral vascular disease, which can worsen foot ulcers and contribute to leg and foot infections.
In addition, smokers with diabetes are at increased risk of developing nerve damage (diabetic neuropathy), kidney disease (diabetic nephropathy), and eye disease (diabetic retinopathy).
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But wait, the bad news doesn’t end yet!
In addition to lung cancer, smoking may also contribute to mouth, throat, and bladder cancer.
Those who smoke are more susceptible to colds and respiratory infections.
Smoking increases muscle and joint pain.
Smoking can cause impotence in men and miscarriage or stillbirth in pregnant women.
If you are a smoker, you know you should quit. The good news is, no matter how long you’ve smoked, your health will improve after you quit. Fortunately, there are many new medications and successful programs out there to help you quit smoking. If you smoke and you’re ready to quit, ask your friends and family members who have quit for advice or ask your doctor to refer you to one of these programs for help.
Why is it so hard to quit?
Simply put, nicotine is among the most addictive drugs. Smoking is not a habit or a lifestyle choice. It’s an addiction that over time, changes brain chemistry. Nicotine has its effect by attaching to certain receptors in the brain, and when you become a smoker these receptors increase in number. If not regularly stimulated with nicotine, the increased receptors begin to make a person feel very unpleasant, a phenomenon known as withdrawal. Both withdrawal and the craving it causes are tied to changes in brain chemistry.
Quitting smoking is one of the most important things individuals living with diabetes can do to help prevent or delay the onset of complications.
How can I quit?
The first critical step is to make the decision to quit. It may help to set a firm, short-term quit date. In the meantime, get as much information as you can from your doctor or pharmacist about options to help you quit, including medications that can increase your chances of success by three to four times. Similar to the day-to-day process of managing your diabetes through diet, exercise, and regular blood glucose testing, managing to quit smoking is something that is best approached by incorporating it into your daily routine.
What can help me quit smoking?
Nicotine replacement therapy
The first line of treatment is nicotine replacement therapy, whether in the form of a gum, patch, or inhaler, to help ease withdrawal symptoms. Nicotine replacement therapy is now available without a prescription in pharmacies. It is very safe, even for people with heart disease, pregnant women, or teenagers, and it’s important when using it to know that you can use as much as is necessary to stem your particular cravings.
There is a prescription medication that can dramatically decrease smoking cravings. It works by stimulating the same areas in the brain that are stimulated by nicotine. This drug can’t be used by everyone (e.g. people with epilepsy or a history of seizures) and might interfere with other medications if you are already taking an anti-depressant or other psychiatric medication.
Another prescription drug acts by stimulating the receptors in the brain responsible for initiating and maintaining nicotine addiction so that people feel they have smoked a cigarette without actually having done so. If they do smoke, it doesn’t have the same positive effect. Like any prescription drug, though, it has side effects, including nausea and in some, psychiatric symptoms, and so may not be right for everyone.
Smoking often is associated with strong cues, so as you move toward a quit date, get a sense of where and when you smoke, and identify some strategies to bypass those situations. If you typically smoke after dinner, take a walk instead. Any setting where alcohol is involved, such as a wedding or a party, will probably be a hazard zone…just as you may plan to adjust your food intake or insulin dosage, consider in advance how you will handle these situations.
Enlist your family and friends in the effort. Make sure they understand how important it is for you to quit smoking and how hard it may be, and ask for their support. For some people, joining a support group along with others who are also trying to quit is helpful. Your doctor may have some information on groups in your community. Your doctor may have some information on groups in your community, along with smoking cessation classes available.
Never quit quitting!
Making the transition from smoker to nonsmoker is not easy, and you may have a lapse. If you do, give yourself a break. Don’t focus on the one cigarette you just had, but remember the hundreds you haven’t had since you quit. Manage your quitting plan much like you manage your diabetes – take it one day at a time.
The fact is, successful quitters generally make at least two or three unsuccessful attempts before they finally kick the habit, so never quit quitting!
About UPMC Harrisburg
UPMC Harrisburg is a nationally recognized leader in providing high-quality, patient-centered health care services in south central PA. and surrounding rural communities. UPMC Harrisburg includes seven acute care hospitals and over 160 outpatient clinics and ancillary facilities serving Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, York, Lancaster, Lebanon, Juniata, Franklin, Adams, and parts of Snyder counties. These locations care for more than 1.2 million area residents yearly, providing life-saving emergency care, essential primary care, and leading-edge diagnostic services. Its cardiovascular program is nationally recognized for its innovation and quality. It also leads the region with its cancer, neurology, transplant, obstetrics-gynecology, maternity care, and orthopaedic programs.
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Part of the Sing And Spell - Learning Letters series, this set contains fun songs and downloadable coloring and activity pages for alphabet letters H-M. Meet the characters Horatio the Hippo, an Indian who lives in an igloo, Jack and Jill, a cool kitty, relax by a lazy lake with Luke Warmwater and snack on some amazing muffins!
There's also coloring and activity pages available for download that align with the video content for each letter and are great for letter writing practice.
Dance along to this fun song about how little friends cheer up the Inuit who is feeling blue. Blue is a color but it also means to feel sad. This song can be helpful in a lesson about the Inuit culture, emotions and friendship.
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Ubisi Monastery, located in the village of Ubisi in Imereti in the district of Kharagauli, looks out upon the gorge of the river Dzirula and consists of the following architectural structures: a single-naved church built in the 9th century and later extended with annexes, a tower dated to the 12th century, some unidentified monastic buildings that are now almost completely destroyed, and a wall around the periphery. The monastic complex had a total of twelve icons commissioned and housed in the church, which are now on display in the National Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi. The monastic complex is best known perhaps for its lavish frescoes that completely cover the interior of the church.
Made of stone and mortar, the church was first built as a single-nave, barrel-vaulted basilica supported by two transverse arches. With its apse hidden in the thickness of the eastern wall, the 9th century-structure had two open porches at the southern and western entrances. At a later date, two annexes were built on the southern and western sides of the single-nave church; the southern structure survives today while there are only traces of the western one. There is a further structure on the western side, which was built by Eustathios Abashidze as a tomb for his brother Dimitri. Other characteristics of the building are the triangular tympana of the small windows in the eastern façade and the low altar screen or templon that is also dated to the 9th century.
The tower, located approximately 3 metres from the eastern façade of the church, was built as the dwelling of a stylite. It is dated precisely to 1141 on the basis of an inscription on its southern wall: “I, Simon Chkondideli, poor in spirit, have been chosen by Our Lord to build this monastery and this tower in the reign of Dimitri, by the Grace of God King of Kings, son of the Great King David, in the year of Our Lord 361, or 535 according to the Saracen calendar.” Both the church and the tower bear the name of a builder called Mauricius, hence, both buildings have been argued to be contemporaneous.
The decorative program inside the church is dated to the 14th century on the basis of parallels with contemporary Byzantine artistic trends. The murals were executed by a Georgian master, Gerasimo and the painter Damiane. An inscription, that runs along the edge of the table in the Last Supper scene in the apse, reads: “Holy fathers and saints, beseech the mercy of Our Lord Jesus Christ, as He showed mercy to the holy woman and pray for the salvation of Damiane, so that you, too, should find salvation.” Damiane’s name appears for a second time on the triumphal arch as follows: “In the name of the Lord poor sinner Damiane, disciple of Gerasim, has adorned this monastery with Holy Images.” The word order in the sentence has led to questions concerning who the painter of the frescoes was.
A crowded Deësis scene is painted on the apse vault: Christ enthroned, flanked by a tetra-morph to his right and a cherub to his left, is depicted in a larger scale than the Theotokos and the angels. Above Christ enthroned, there is also a painting of the mandylion. The Last Supper scene occupies the central space of the wall of the apse and is flanked by the communion; the giving of the bread to the apostles to the viewer’s left and the giving of the wine to the right. On the lower register the church fathers are represented.
On the arches of the barrel-vault there are medallions depicting saints including stylites. On the ceiling, the space is divided by the arches into three. In the eastern section, God the Father is depicted as an old, male, white-haired and bearded figure, flanked by the Annunciation and Nativity scenes. The central space is adorned with the Son, Christ Pantokrator. Here the placement of the murals shows the way in which the artistic program that had been developed for a domed church could be locally appropriated for a single-nave, barrel-vaulted naos. Christ Pantokrator is flanked by the Presentation in the Temple and the Resurrection of Lazarus. The western section of the ceiling features the Holy Spirit in the middle and Transfiguration and the Baptism on either side. On the second register are depicted the Entry into Jerusalem, the Dormition of the Virgin, and the Ascension on the northern wall, and the Crucifixion, the Deposition from the Cross and the Lamentation on the southern wall. Scenes from the life of Saint George, to whom the church is dedicated, are depicted on the western wall and on the third register of the southern and northern walls.
The frescoes are most impressive and have their origins in the artistic traditions of Georgia while having a close relationship also to fourteenth century Palaiologan, Serbian and Russian artistic trends that put an emphasis on crowded scenes, expressions of motion, and a deeper understanding of perspective.
- Burtchuladze, Nana. The Ubisi Monastery, Icons and wall painting the 14th century. Tbilisi, 2006.
- Kalopissi-Verti Sophia, Panayotidi-Kesisoglu M. Medieval Painting in Georgia. Local Stylistic Expression and Participation to Byzantine Oecumenicity. Athens, 2014.
- Didebulidze Mariam. Georgian Christian Art. Tbilisi, 2010.
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Mark Antony famously said, "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears." My teacher says that this is an example of a synecdoche but I don't understand. Isn't a synecdoche a part that represents a whole? someone please explain?
The famous quote is an example of metonymy, not synecdoche.
Synecdoche is a Greek term used to refer to a linguistic device where a part is used to represent the whole.
- Using "suits" to refer to businessmen
- Using "wheels" to refer to a car
Metonymy is the use of a phrase or word to replace another phrase or word, especially if that word is connected to the original concept.
- "Let me give you a hand": you will not literally receive a hand, but will instead receive help (something a hand can do).
- "The pen is mightier than the sword"; here, "pen" is used to represent the act of writing, not a physical pen.
In the case of the Mark Antony quote, "ears" is used in place of "attention". Therefore, because the quote uses a word to replace a related concept, it displays the use of metonymy.
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By Sherin Hela
The success of the breakaway Republic of Somaliland and other examples show the limits of Western political thinking on Africa, writes Sherin Helal
While Somalia has achieved notoriety in Africa as the most striking example of a failed state and the continent’s biggest battlefield, it has nevertheless also been able to present a model in the form of the autonomous Republic of Somaliland in the north of the country. This has not gained international recognition, but it retains the elements of a state capable of providing basic rights of life and coexistence.
It had been evident since 1988 that the Somali National Movement had long been in favour of the secession of the north when it raised its flag over the towns and cities it had seized control of with the expulsion of government forces. On 18 May 1991, the movement announced the formation of the Republic of Somaliland headed by Abdel-Rahman Ahmed Ali Nur, saying that it would be ready to hold free-and-fair elections within two years. In Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, the Somali Congress refused to adopt this declaration, pushing aside the separatist option and causing the Somali state to verge on internal collapse and ongoing instability.
However, since its unilateral declaration of independence in 1991, Somaliland has enjoyed independent administrative and political systems. It manages its sea and land borders through its army, police and security apparatus. Having a population of about 3.5 million, it maintains informal relations with many foreign governments that have sent delegations to the capital Hargeisa.
Ethiopia has commercial offices in Hargeisa, and relations between the two countries are highly regarded. Ethiopia has also set up a number of hospitals in areas that have special status with regional and international organisations. The new state is the result of a political and tribal consensus among the people of the region, and traditional tribal leaders have played a pivotal role in preventing tribal clashes.
Although no other country officially recognises it, Somaliland has issued its own passports that enable holders to visit a number of countries, though most people who travel abroad use the passports of other countries. Somaliland receives part of the aid budget allocated to Somalia in general and has informal representative offices in a number of countries.
It has succeeded, unlike many of the surrounding countries, in overseeing the peaceful transfer of political power, as all its presidents have handed power to their successors through elections. Women are guaranteed representation in parliament, fortified by a state constitutional quota that reaches up to 30 per cent of the seats. Neither UN monitoring reports on elections nor UN Development Programme (UNDP) reports on human rights have registered significant violations in Somaliland, especially compared to the magnitude of such abuses in Mogadishu.
The earlier civil war in Somalia continued for decades, during which several foreign military interventions took place, starting with the United States followed by the United Nations and then the African Union and the IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) countries in the Horn of Africa. The case of Somalia is unique, and it raises many questions that may take years to answer. It is a regional and international arena open to politics, war, economics and even education and exploration in which international players have been represented with their own arms and tools for influence in the region.
Ranging from a superpower such as the United States all the way to Arab Gulf states such as the United Arab Emirates, foreign powers have been represented in the region through financing or involvement in military conflicts. Even Turkey has opted for a foothold that will enable it to exert an influence that appears to be economically and political imperialist. Few major powers seem to be absent from the scene, which has made it difficult for political observers to invite all the parties to meet at the table of reconciliation.
The circumstances and causes that separate states into states do not explain the absence of international recognition for the current political status quo in the country. We cannot predict the timing of such recognition when it comes, and it might be sooner rather than later. However, the delay of such recognition acts as pressure on Mogadishu to force it to accept the political and economic ambitions of the international powers.
All this is one example that forces political analysts to accept Africa’s own unique contributions to political science. Somaliland, Rwanda and Morocco have each presented a different approach to popular consensus as a form of government that political science, in its Western definition, refuses to recognise as good governance.
The Somaliland case enjoys its own form of political and economic stability to a dramatic extent and one unrelated to that of traditional democracies, whether consensual or participatory. This is while other political actors have left Somaliland’s grand dream to fall between the aspirations of ethnic factions and the aspirations of international powers.
The second case mentioned above, Rwanda, has risen economically and politically despite the rule of a dictator for more than a quarter of a century. The West praises Rwanda’s figures on indicators designed to measure democracy and political stability and economic and human development. The final case, Morocco, is a monarchy defined as a holistic political system, but it is the Moroccan people who hold the king in his position and reject Western interference while interacting in a positive manner with the political process in the country.
Given this political spectrum, we need to be ready to grant respect for African political models by reviewing and evaluating them according to their own unique considerations and circumstances.
The writer is an expert in African affairs.
Source: Ahram Online
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The Tang dynasty is among the first imperial dynasties of China. It was established by the Li family after the fall of the Sui dynasty. It reigned from 618-907 with a brief interruption by the Wu Zhou dynasty that took over from 690-705. Its capital was Changian which is now known as Xi’an.
The dynasty started with a population of 50 million people and it grew to 80 million by the end of its reign. At that time its capital was the most populated in the world. The tang dynasty was considered a great era in which many great things happened.
The Tang Dynasty was a prominent dynasty in Chinese history that ruled from 618 to 907 AD. It is considered one of the most prosperous and culturally vibrant periods in China. The Tang Dynasty was founded by Emperor Gaozu, also known as Li Yuan, who established the dynasty’s capital in Chang’an (present-day Xi’an).
During the Tang Dynasty, China experienced a golden age of literature, art, and technological advancements. It was a period of great territorial expansion and international influence, with the empire extending its reach along the Silk Road and engaging in diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and regions.
The Tang Dynasty is known for its strong centralized government, efficient bureaucracy, and legal reforms. It implemented the civil service examination system to recruit government officials based on merit rather than aristocratic background. This system promoted social mobility and intellectual development, contributing to the dynasty’s cultural achievements.
The Tang Dynasty saw advancements in various fields, including poetry, painting, calligraphy, music, and ceramics. Some of the most renowned poets, such as Li Bai and Du Fu, emerged during this period, leaving a lasting impact on Chinese literature. Tang art and architecture, characterized by grand palaces, Buddhist cave temples, and exquisite tomb figurines, also flourished.
Despite its achievements, the Tang Dynasty faced challenges towards the end of its reign, including political instability, rebellions, and external threats. In 907 AD, the dynasty was overthrown by a military revolt, leading to the fragmentation of China and the beginning of the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
why was it called the Tang Dynasty?
The naming of the Tang Dynasty is associated with Li Yuan. Li Yuan was granted the title of Duke of Tang (唐国公, Táng Guógōng), and therefore, the dynasty was named “唐” (Tang) after his noble title. Historians widely agree that the choice of this name was due to Li Yuan’s title of Duke of Tang. Li Yuan received the title of Duke of Tang at the age of seven. Later, Li Yuan and his sons rebelled in Taiyuan, captured Chang’an, overthrew the Sui Dynasty, and established a new dynasty—the Tang Dynasty. As Li Yuan had inherited the title of Duke of Tang, it was only natural that, upon assuming the imperial title, the dynasty would be named “唐” (Tang).
In English translation, “唐朝” (Tang Dynasty) can be rendered as the “Tang Dynasty,” “唐国公” (Duke of Tang) as “Duke of Tang,” and “唐” (Tang) as “Tang.”
how was the Tang Dynasty founded?
In the late period of the Sui Dynasty, due to a series of policy mistakes by Emperor Yang of Sui, large-scale rebellions broke out across the country. In the 11th year of the Daye era (615), Emperor Yang appointed Li Yuan as the Ambassador to Shanxi and Hedong to appease the region. Soon after, he was appointed as the Garrison Commander of Taiyuan to defend against the Turks and suppress peasant uprisings in present-day Shanxi Province.
At that time, the Sui regime was on the verge of collapse, with the ruling class experiencing repeated divisions, and armed landlords and rebel armies scattered throughout the country. Li Yuan, who had ambitious aspirations, began contemplating the idea of seizing power after his transfer to Taiyuan. His advisors, Pei Ji, Liu Wenjing, and his second son, Li Shimin, all suggested that he rise up and seize the opportunity. In the 12th year of the Daye era (617 AD), the peasant uprisings gained the advantage nationwide, and the Sui Dynasty was no longer able to concentrate its forces effectively to combat the various armed groups. Li Yuan deemed the timing ripe and, in May of the following year, he killed Deputy Garrison Commander Wang Wei and Gao Junya in Taiyuan, officially announcing his rebellion.
In July, Li Yuan, along with his eldest son Jiancheng and second son Shimin, led their troops southward, capturing Huoyi (present-day Huo County, Shanxi) and crossing the Yellow River, advancing southwestward. At that time, Emperor Yang of Sui was far away in Jiangdu (present-day Yangzhou, Jiangsu), and the Sui forces in the Guannei region were weak, with the Wagang Army and Wang Shichong engaged in fierce battles and unable to turn their attention to the west. As a result, the Li family advanced rapidly, and in November, they breached Chang’an. Shortly after Li Yuan entered Chang’an, he proclaimed Emperor Yang of Sui as the Retired Emperor and enthroned Yang You, the grandson of Emperor Yang, as the new emperor, establishing the Yanping era, known as Emperor Gong of Sui. Li Yuan assumed the position of Grand Chancellor and was granted the title of Prince of Tang. In the 14th year of the Daye era (618 AD), Emperor Yang of Sui was killed in Jiangdu. In May, Li Yuan forced Emperor Gong to abdicate, proclaimed himself emperor, and established the Tang Dynasty with Chang’an as its capital. He changed the era name to Wude. Li Yuan and his son, Emperor Taizong, spent 10 years unifying the separatist forces across the country and unifying China. They then turned their attention to the north, defeating the power of the Turks and expanding their influence into Central Asia. This was the pinnacle period in Chinese history, known as the Tang Dynasty.
What Is the Tang Dynasty Most Known For?
The Tang dynasty is considered to have been the greatest imperial dynasty know in Ancient Chinese history. Their reputation surpassed them internationally and went beyond their cities to almost all of Asia. The dynasty was famous for many things, starting from its palaces, cities, and territorial expansions. It is also considered a great era when Chinese culture, literature, art, religion, and foreign trade flourished. Around the dynasty’s reign was when China was considered one of the most powerful countries in the world.
Famous for its government, the Tang Dynasty was ruled by great emperors whose rule made the dynasty the great era it was. They lay down the groundwork for the policies that are still used in China today. They reformed the military and government by having direct control over the armies, labor, and grain control. This dynasty had the only female ruler known in Chinese history. She laid the foundation that led to China being the most prosperous country in the world at the time.
This dynasty is also known for its great advancements in technology and innovation. This included advancements in medicine, architecture, science, and literature. Its most famous invention was woodblock printing, which allowed the mass production of books, hence improving literature. Another great invention wasgun powder, which was perfected over the years but mostly used for fireworks at the time. Other great advancements were gas stoves and air conditioning.
The Tang dynasty is also famous for its flourishing literature and culture. It was the time when poetry was included in Chinese culture. People were encouraged to express their creativity. Thanks to woodblock printing, a lot of poems, short stories, and other literary works and encyclopedias were made. This improved the literacy of the people. Some of the most famous poets and painters came from this time.
Other than that, the dynasty was known for the popularity of Buddhism due to its widespread practice at the time. Its popularity however decreased towards the end of the dynasty’s reign. Around the time when China went into chaos.
List of Emperors of Tang Dynasty.
As mentioned, the Tang dynasty was established by the Li family. Its reign was overseen by great emperors, with the four notable ones in particular. Taizong, the second emperor when the dynasty was established, his successor Gaozong, Gaozong’s wife Wu Zetian, and Xuanzong, the last emperor of the dynasty. The following is the full list of emperors that ruled during the 1st and 2nd reign of the Tang dynasty:
Taizong (Li Shimin) – the second emperor famed for his reformation of the government, military, education, and religion. He reigned from September 4, 626-July 10, 649.
Gaozong (Li Zhi) – ruled alongside his wife Empress Consort Wu Zetian who acted as a regent. His rule was from July 15, 649-December 27, 683. The wife continued to rule as a regent until 705.
Zhongzong (Li Xian/Zhe) – son of Gaozong and Wu Zetian. Ruled for less than two months, January 3, and 684-February 26, 684, before he was dismissed by his mother. He came back into power on February 23, 705-July 3, 710. This was after tang had won back power from the Wu Zhou dynasty, and her mother was no longer a regent.
Ruizong (Li Dan) – another son of Gaozong and Wu Zetian. He had a long rule of six years, February 27, 684-October 8, 690, before he was also dismissed by his mother. He also came back into power on July 25, 710-September 8, 712, after the overthrowing of the Wu Zhou.
Shang (Li Chongmao) – reigned in between the second reign of the two brothers Ruizong and Zhongzong. His rule lasted between July 8, 710-July 25, 710.
Xuanzong (Li Longji) – considered to be one of the greatest rulers before the fall of the dynasty. He ruled between September 8, 712-August 8, 756.
The other emperors who ruled after Xuanzong are as follows:
Suzong (Li Heng) – from August 12, 756-May 16, 762.
Daizong (Li Yu) – from May18, 762-May23, 779.
Dezong (Li Kuo) – June 12, 79-February 25, 805.
Shunzong (Li Song) – February 28, 805-August 31, 805.
Xianzong (Li Chun) – September 5, 805-February 14, 820.
Muzong (Li Heng) – February 20, 820-February 25, 824.
Jingzong (Li Zhan) – February 29, 824-January 9, 827.
Wenzong (Li Ang) – January 13, 827-February 10, 840.
Wuzong (Li Yan) – February 20, 840-April 22, 846.
Xuanzong (Li Chen) – April 25, 846-September 7, 859.
Yizong (Li Chui) – September 13, 859-August 15, 873.
Xizong (Li Xuan) – August 16, 873-April 20, 888.
Zhaozong (Li Ye) – first reign April 20, 888-December 1, 900. Second reign January 24, 901-September 22, 904.
Zhaxuan (Li Zhu) – September 26, 904-May 12, 907
When Did the Tang Dynasty Start and End?
The beginning of the Tang Dynasty was a result of the rebellion against the Sui Dynasty that came before it. The last two kings, Wen and his son Yang led the government to bankruptcy and immense debt. The Sui dynasty finally fell when Yan was assassinated by Yuwen Huaji, his chancellor, and Li-Yuan, a popular general of the army. Li Yuan was at the time the Duke of Tang. He rose in rebellion to take control and become the emperor Gaozu in 618 CE, thereby establishing the Tang Dynasty. Under the reign of the Tang dynasty, great rulers like Taizong, Wu Zetian, and Xuanzong, led China to become one of the most prosperous countries at the time.
The fall of the Tang Dynasty began during the An Lushan rebellion that was caused due to Xuanzong’s gradual neglect of duty. Even after that rebellion was ended and respect restored to the throne, the dynasty never went back to its original glory. The final blow was the Huan Chao rebellion which completely weakened the dynasty. Its reign finally came to an end with the assassination of the last Tang emperor Ai, by Zhe Wen in 907.
Tang Dynasty Achievements Timeline.
The Tang Dynasty was among the greatest imperial dynasties in Ancient China. It, therefore, had many notable milestones throughout its reign. The following is a summary of the Tang Dynasty timeline and some of its most notable events:
618 – Gaozu rises to power establishing Tang Dynasty as the first emperor.
626-649 – the reign of one of the greatest Tang emperors, Taizong, and the development of woodblock printing.
649 – beginning of the reign of Gaozong and his wife Wu Zetian.
667 – Tang dynasty army is successful in taking over the Goguryeo, Pyongyang’s capital in North Korea.
668 – Fall of the Goguryeo kingdom after the attack by the Tang Dynasty.
675 – carving of the Buddhist cave at Longmen Grottoes in China.
683-704 – the reign of the first and only female ruler, Wu Zetian after the husband’s reign.
712-756 – the 7th Tang emperor Xuanzong makes Taoism an official religion of China.
755 – the occurrence of the An Lushan rebellion against Xuanzong.
762-779 – the reign of emperor Daizong who put an end to the An Lushan rebellion.
806-820 – the reign of Xianzong who restored respect to the Tang Dynasty throne.
842-845 – the persecution of the Buddhist monks and the monasteries in China.
859-873 – China suffers a severe drought and famine period.
873-888 – the rise of the Huang Chao rebellion that topples and weakens the Tang Dynasty.
904 – the assassination of emperor Zhaozong by warlord Zhe Wen.
907 – the assassination of Ai, the last emperor of the Tang Dynasty, by Zhe Wen. marking the end of the Tang Dynasty.
Why Tang Dynasty Was Golden Age.
The Tang Dynasty was considered a golden age due to its successful ruling that led to the flourishing of China, expanding its influence to different parts of inner Asia. The impressive government and administration led China to be an educated and wealthy realm by the standards of that age.
To begin with, Chinese culture flourished most during the reign of the Tang dynasty. The dynasty was even said to have had a great cultural influence over neighboring East Asian countries like Korea and Japan. It was also said to be the greatest age of Chinese poetry, producing two of the most famous Chinese poets in history, Du Fu and Li Bai. Famous painters like Zhang Fang and Zhou Xuan also came from this era.
Additionally, during the tang dynasty’s reign, there were notable innovations like woodblock printing. The Tang dynasty is a famed era known for many achievements. Its successful reformation and advancements that led to the flowering of Chinese art and culture, is what made this dynasty’s reign the best era of that time.
How Did the Tang Dynasty Reunify China?
After the fall of the Western Jin Dynasty in 316, China was divided for centuries. Even when the Tang Dynasty rose to power in 618, it initially only ruled over Guanzhong. The central, northeast, and south plain were still being controlled by warlords who commanded hundreds of thousands of troops at the time.
To enforce order, the Tang Dynasty set up 43 regional military commands spread out across China but concentrated around capitals. The 43 commands consisted of 600 militia units each having 800-1200 men aged 21-60 years. Adding to that, the dynasty also had a central army made up of princely guards who were sons of elite families. The army was located in the capital and used for single campaigns, that delivered a rapid force ensuring victory. It wasn’t until the five-year campaign by Tang princes Li Jiancheng and Li Shimin (Taizong), that China was finally reunified.
Why Did the Tang Dynasty End?
The beginning of the Tang Dynasty was characterized by success and reformation that restored the glory of China. This was under the great leadership of the like of Taizong, Wu Zetian, and Xuanzong. Their success was based on the control they had on the military, labor, and grain control. Additionally, they were fair leaders, who appointed people on merit and took their responsibilities seriously.
Under Xuanzong’s rule, however, the dynasty began to fall when he began neglecting his duties as emperor and promoting people without any merit. This led to the An Lushan Rebellion, arranged by a general named An Lushan. Xuanzong fled and later abdicated the throne for his son Suzong, who was unable to stop the rebellion. His son, Daizong was the one who managed to end the rebellion. It was, however, his great-grandson Xianzong who managed to restore respect to the throne.
Still, the Tang dynasty was never the same after the An Lushan rebellion, with one ineffective leader after another taking the throne. The great dynasty finally came to an end when a warlord named Zhe Wen assassinated the last Tang emperor Ai at 15 years, end. This left China divided where warlords and their families claimed territories leading to the period of the five dynasties and ten kingdoms in 907. That is until the rise of the Song dynasty in 960.
The Tang Dynasty was among the greatest imperial dynasties ever known in the history of Ancient China. Still, like many other dynasties before and after it, its fall was a result of tyrants and ineffective leaders who neglected their duty to their people.
Tang Dynasty system of government
The political system of the Tang Dynasty: the Three Departments and Six Ministries system. The distinctive feature of the Three Departments system in the Tang Dynasty was that it soon transitioned to the Two Departments and One Department system. In order to control the power of the chancellor, the emperor gradually involved officials with relatively lower qualifications in the government affairs, who actually exercised the power of the chancellor. However, due to the lack of a formal system for the chancellor, it was easier to control.
The positions of the Chancellor of the Imperial Secretariat, Palace Attendants, and Prefect of the Palace Secretariat became honorary titles, while the actual chancellor became a temporary position.
The highest-ranking officials in the Three Departments system, such as “Pingzhangshi” and “Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin,” were often held by officials from other positions, but granted the title of chancellor as an additional honor. (New Book of Tang, Volume 46, Records of Officials)
During the eighth year of the Zhenguan reign of Emperor Taizong, when the Palace Attendant Li Jing resigned from the position of chancellor due to illness, Emperor Taizong disagreed and requested him to “quickly recover and come to the Imperial Secretariat as Pingzhangshi every three or five days.” The title of “Pingzhangshi” originated from this. In the first year of Emperor Gaozong’s Yongchun reign, officials (such as Guo Daiju, the Yellow Gate Attendant, and Cen Changqian, the Minister of War) were granted the additional title of “Tongzhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi” to become chancellors.
In the fourth year of the Changxing reign, due to naming taboo (related to the father’s name of Murong Yanzhao), the title was temporarily changed to “Tongzhongshu Menxia Erpin” since the position of Shangshu Pushe was a second-rank position.
In the 17th year of the Zhenguan reign, Xiao Yu and Li Ji were granted the title of “Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin” (the third rank of the Imperial Secretariat), as the positions of Shizhong and Zhongshu Ling were both of the third rank. The title of “Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin” originated from this. After Emperor Gaozong, it became a requirement for chancellors to hold the additional title of “Tongzhongshu Menxia Sanpin.” Without this title, even if one held the position of Zhongshu Ling, they could not be considered a chancellor, and the same applied to those of higher rank (excluding those with the titles of the Three Excellencies and Three Masters).
The Three Departments shared the same office space and handled discussions and administrative affairs. The functions of the Three Departments gradually merged and became more integrated.
To facilitate coordination among the Three Departments, the heads of the Three Departments regularly held meetings in the Zhengshi Hall of the Menxia Province. Starting from the Wude period, the Zhongshu and Menxia Departments convened their discussions in the Zhengshi Hall, which was located in the Menxia Province.
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, “Pei Yan was promoted from Shizhong to Zhongshu Ling, and the Zhengshi Hall was moved to the Zhongshu Province.” This solidified the central position of the Zhongshu Province. In the 11th year of the Kaiyuan reign, Zhongshu Ling Zhang Shuo proposed changing the name of the Zhengshi Hall to Zhongshu Menxia, and the seal of the Zhengshi Hall was also changed to the seal of the Zhongshu Menxia. Subsequently, the departments of Personnel, Secretariat, Defense, Revenue, and Punishment-Ceremonial were established. From then on, the Zhongshu Menxia officially became the administrative agency for chancellors.
The Shangshu Province was temporarily renamed Wenchang Tai, Dutai, and Zhongtai during the Tang Dynasty but later reverted to its original name.
The Zhongshu Province was temporarily renamed Xitai, Fengge, and Ziwai Province but later reverted to its original name.
The Menxia Province was temporarily renamed Dongtai, Luantai, and Huangmen Province but later reverted to its original name.
tang dynasty economic system
The economy of the Tang Dynasty refers to the economic development in the regions of the Central Plains, Jiangnan, Sichuan, Lingnan, and other areas under the rule of the Tang Empire from the 7th century to the early 10th century. This period is generally considered a crucial transition from ancient to medieval China in terms of economic development.
The Tang Dynasty was a prosperous and powerful dynasty that witnessed significant economic growth and expansion. The turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty led to a large amount of unclaimed land, which allowed for the continued implementation of the equal-field system (known as “juntian zhi”). This system, which allocated land based on population, played a significant role in stabilizing agriculture. Additionally, the economy of the Jiangnan region, which had been steadily developing since the Six Dynasties period, demonstrated a trend of surpassing the Yellow River Basin. The Tang Dynasty’s control over both the northern and southern economies contributed to its economic strength. Even after the An Lushan Rebellion, despite the devastation in North China, the Tang government could rely on the economic resources of Jiangnan to sustain its recovery.
Since the beginning of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, China’s economy entered a higher stage of development.
The equal-field system, which originated during the Northern Wei Dynasty and continued until the middle period of the Tang Dynasty, was a land distribution system based on population. It allocated land to individuals for a certain number of years, after which the land would either remain with the user or be returned to the government upon their death. By the middle period of the Tang Dynasty, land consolidation became increasingly severe, making it impossible to carry out land redistribution. As a result, the equal-field system was completely dismantled during the reign of Emperor Dezong. The implementation of the equal-field system affirmed land ownership and possession, reduced disputes over land ownership, and facilitated the reclamation of abandoned land. It played a positive role in the recovery and development of agricultural production. Moreover, the equal-field system helped peasants break free from the control of powerful clans and gradually transformed them into state-controlled households, increasing the number of self-cultivating small farmers under government control. This ensured the source of taxes and further strengthened the centralized autocracy.
Tax and Labor Service System:
The tax and labor service system, known as the “zuyong diao zhi,” was another taxation system implemented during the Tang Dynasty. It primarily involved the collection of grains, cloth, or compulsory labor for the government and was based on the implementation of the equal-field system. The term “zuyong” referred to the annual grain tribute paid by adult males, “diao” referred to the payment of a specific amount of silk or cloth, and “yong” referred to the option of providing silk or cloth in place of labor service during the period of conscription. According to the regulations, all individuals under the equal-field system, regardless of the size of their land, were required to pay a fixed amount of taxes and perform specific labor duties. The tax and labor service system relied on the successful implementation of the equal-field system. However, as the population increased during the later period of the Tang Dynasty, coupled with widespread land consolidation, the government could no longer implement the equal-field system effectively. Many peasant households were unable to afford the fixed taxes and fled as a result. After the An Lushan Rebellion, the burden on the imperial court increased significantly, leading to the implementation of Yang Yan’s “liangshui” (double taxation) system, which primarily collected money and silver as taxes. This will be discussed in detail below.
Double Taxation System:
The “Double Taxation System,” also known as the “liangshui,” was a tax reform implemented during the reign of Emperor Dezong in the Tang Dynasty, suggested by the Chancellor Yang Yan. It consolidated various taxes, including the rent-in-kind, corvée labor, and miscellaneous levies, into a unified taxation system. It shifted the primary basis of taxation from the household-based system to one based on land and assets. Due to the collection being conducted in two seasons, summer and autumn, it became known as the Double Taxation System. This reform represented a comprehensive overhaul of the contemporary fiscal and labor system.
tang dynasty coins（Currency of Tang Dynasty）
During the Tang Dynasty, silver was not yet widely circulated as a currency, and silver notes had not yet appeared. Instead, people primarily used copper coins or silk and textiles as currency, a system known as “qianbei jianxing,” meaning the coexistence of coinage and fabric as mediums of exchange.
After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, a coinage policy system was introduced. In the fourth year of the Wude era (621 AD), the “wuzhu” coins were abolished, and the “kaiyuan tongbao” coins were introduced. These coins had a diameter of eight fen and weighed 2.4 zhu, with ten coins equaling one wen and one thousand wen equaling six jin four liang. This solidified the legal tender status of the state’s coinage. Additionally, the Tang Dynasty inherited the tradition of using silk and textiles as currency from the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, implementing a currency system known as “qianbei jianxing,” where “qian” referred to copper coins and “bei” encompassed various types of silk fabric, including brocade, embroidery, damask, satin, and other types. This system essentially constituted a diverse currency system that combined both commodity and metallic currencies.
The Tang Dynasty abolished the widely circulated “wuzhu” coins that had been in use since the time of Emperor Wu of Han and began using the “kaiyuan tongbao” coins. The inscription “kaiyuan tongbao” on the coins was written by the renowned calligrapher Ouyang Xun, featuring elegant and upright lettering. These coins were highly appreciated and sought after by collectors throughout history. As the Tang Dynasty represented a prosperous era in ancient China, the “kaiyuan tongbao” coins were imbued with the meaning of warding off evil and bringing fortune.
In addition to the “kaiyuan tongbao,” other coin types were issued during the Tang Dynasty, such as the “qianyuan zhongbao” coins during the reign of Emperor Suzong, the “dali yuanbao” coins during the reign of Emperor Daizong (although no historical records mention them, existing specimens do), as well as the “de yi yuanbao” and “shun tian yuanbao” coins minted by An Lushan.
The “qianyuan zhongbao” coins were first minted in the first year of the Qianyuan era (758 AD) during the reign of Emperor Suzong. One “qianyuan zhongbao” was equivalent to ten “kaiyuan tongbao” coins. The early coins had a distinct and robust design, while later ones became smaller and lighter. Among them, the copper prototype coins were the earliest known copper prototypes discovered to date and featured designs of stars, moons, auspicious clouds, and auspicious patterns on the reverse side.
The “dali yuanbao” coins were local mintings in the northwest region during the reign of Emperor Daizong (766-779 AD). They were crudely made with a dull copper color and inscribed in clerical script with the four characters “dali yuanbao.” There were two sizes, large and small.
During the Tang Dynasty, urban centers witnessed the emergence of “guifang” (money storage agencies) and “feiqian” (flying money). “Guifang” facilitated the deposit and transfer of money and goods, allowing customers to send payments using written vouchers (similar to checks). These developments demonstrate the prosperity of commerce during the mid-Tang period. However, towards the end of the Tang Dynasty, due to events such as the Huang Chao Rebellion and the rise of regional military governors, the population declined sharply, and the scale of socio-economic activity never reached the level of the prosperous Kaiyuan era.
With the further development of commerce, in the later period of the Tang Dynasty, “didian” (warehouses) widely appeared, providing storage and wholesale services for merchants, as well as “guifang” (money depositories), which undertook the management of merchants’ funds. Merchants could deposit their funds with the “guifang” by paying a certain cashier fee and then withdraw them using vouchers. Additionally, a form of credit certificate emerged in the later period of the Tang Dynasty, known as “bianhuan” or “feiqian” (flying money). Traveling merchants could pay money to relevant institutions and merchants in the capital, obtain semi-detached vouchers, and redeem them for cash upon returning to their respective regions. The emergence of flying money provided convenience for merchants engaged in long-distance trade to the capital. All these developments were closely tied to the growth of the commercial economy during the Tang Dynasty.
tribute system tang dynasty
The Tang Dynasty’s “centrality diplomacy” had become quite sophisticated. All countries that had diplomatic relations with the Tang Dynasty were incorporated into its diplomatic system.
In the Tang Dynasty’s diplomatic system, countries were ranked, and the corresponding reception and treatment were based on these ranks. The specialized diplomatic department in the Tang Dynasty was called the Honglu Si (Ministry of Rites), headed by the Honglu Qing (Minister of Rites) and assisted by the Shaoqing (Assistant Minister of Rites), who had diplomatic missions.
The enthronement of foreign political leaders was the prerogative of the Chinese emperor, and the officials such as the Honglu Qing were the executors who participated in the coronation ceremonies of foreign heads of state, expressing the political stance of the Chinese emperor. The Dianke Shu under the jurisdiction of the Honglu Si was responsible for receiving foreign guests. “For all tribute missions, banquets, escorting, and welcoming, their respective roles were assigned according to their ranks. As for tribal leaders who came to pay homage, they were accommodated and treated with appropriate rituals.” Rank was evidently a crucial factor. Specifically, “those ranked third or higher were assigned to the third category, those ranked fourth or fifth were assigned to the fourth category, and those ranked sixth or lower were assigned to the fifth category.” Foreign envoys visiting China for the first time might not have an official rank, but the Tang Dynasty made arrangements accordingly, with different levels of treatment based on their status. This was a characteristic of the hierarchical system of that era.
It was quite common for foreign leaders to receive official positions from the Tang Dynasty, which was a rule mutually observed by both sides. Taking Ashina Simo as an example, he was a Turkic leader holding the position of “Jiabitiqin” within the Eastern Turkic Khanate, without military authority. He visited the Tang Dynasty multiple times, and Emperor Taizong of Tang conferred upon him the title of “Huaihua Junwang” (Prince of Huaihua County).
In the fourth year of the Zhenguan reign (630 AD), Emperor Taizong appointed him as “Right Wuhou Grand General, Commander of Huazhou,” and in May, he was further enfeoffed as “Huaixia Junwang” (Prince of Huaixia County). The military rank of Wuhou was the third highest, while the noble rank of Junwang was the first. Many enfeoffments were carried out in a hereditary manner, such as the King of Silla being enfeoffed as the Prince of Lelang, the King of Baekje as the Prince of Daifang, and the King of Goguryeo as the Prince of Liaodong.
Most countries that had diplomatic relations with the Tang Dynasty were vassal states and paid tribute to the Tang Dynasty. Receiving an official position from the Tang Dynasty was likely one of the aspects of their diplomatic interactions. Historical records referred to these Tang Dynasty’s diplomatic partner countries as “foreign subjects.” Since the Tang Dynasty dominated diplomatic affairs and determined the conditions and treatment for countries engaging with China, the only possibility for these countries was to accept this arrangement. The notion of formal equality in diplomatic exchanges did not exist.
Ancient diplomacy adhered to the principle of power in a transparent and unapologetic manner. One can understand the fundamental inequality in international relations by examining the ancient Persian Empire’s enduring relief sculpture of “The Tribute Bearer.” In conflicts between evenly matched major powers, the choices for small countries became increasingly difficult, forcing them to navigate cautiously. The prolonged war between the Western Han Dynasty and the Xiongnu led many small countries to switch their allegiance between the two powers. The King of Loulan, for instance, appealed to Emperor Wu of Han, stating, “A small country caught between larger nations cannot survive without submitting to one of them.” This plea exemplifies the predicament faced by small countries. When engaging with major powers, small countries do not seek equal footing but rather pursue practical interests.
The term “tribute” may suggest subordinate states making offerings, creating a clear master-servant relationship in politics. However, recent research indicates that tribute should be viewed as economic relations, leading scholars to refer to it as “tribute trade.”
The Tang Dynasty had unique linguistic descriptions for this tribute trade. The offering party was referred to as the “donating side,” with specific “donations” such as prized horses, war elephants, and lions. The Tang Dynasty had specific regulations outlining the procedures and methods for receiving and handling these offerings. If the items were medicinal or food products, they would be inspected, packaged, and sealed by border counties upon entering Tang territory. They would then be handed over to the envoys, with a report sent to the Ministry of Rites. Once the Ministry of Rites confirmed the validity, the Ministry would inform the Ministry of Revenue and the market management department, dispatching officials to inspect the tribute goods and determine their value. Subsequently, a report would be submitted and forwarded to the imperial court, where decisions regarding introductions, banquets, and other matters were made according to the court’s instructions. When the envoys returned to their countries (referred to as “reversion to foreign lands”), they were rewarded (“gifts varied by rank”). The rewards took place in the court, with officials from the Bureau of Guests guiding the envoys in receiving the rewards and instructing them on proper ceremonial etiquette. The previous valuation of the tribute items played a causal role in the final reward stage, as the emperor’s rewards were based on the value of the donated goods. Although it was not labeled as a trade, it essentially functioned as such.
During the Tang Dynasty, the emperor’s bestowed gifts to foreign envoys were primarily textiles, which constituted the true meaning of “gifts.” However, these gifts were categorized as either “internal” or “external.” For court officials, the specific contents of the bestowed gifts, known as “ten segments,” were three pieces of silk (with one piece measuring four zhang), three lengths of cloth (with one length measuring five zhang), and four bundles of cotton (with one bundle weighing six liang). On the other hand, for “foreign guests receiving brocade and colorful silk,” the “ten segments” consisted of one piece of brocade, two pieces of damask, three pieces of gauze, and four bundles of cotton. It seems that the bestowed gifts prepared for foreign guests were more diverse and colorful.
While the Tang Dynasty engaged in border trade with residents beyond its borders, some items were prohibited from being traded. The Tang Dynasty’s “Regulations on Border Markets” stipulated that “brocade, damask, satin, gauze, embroidery, woven fabric, twill, silk, silk fabric, yak tail, pearls, gold, silver, and iron shall not be traded with various foreign regions or be taken into those regions.” Although both brocade and damask were included in the emperor’s bestowed gifts, they were not allowed to be traded, perhaps to showcase the uniqueness of imperial favor. Despite the essence of tribute trade being commerce, it inevitably bore profound political implications and was influenced by politics.
During the turmoil of the An Lushan Rebellion in the later period of the Tang Dynasty, the Uyghurs assisted the Tang Dynasty in suppressing the rebellion. As a reward, besides increasing bestowed gifts, the Tang Dynasty established a regulation to purchase Uyghur horses with silk. The annual limit was set at 100,000 pieces of silk, with 40 pieces of silk exchanged for one horse. This arrangement created long-term issues in the relationship between the two parties during the later period of the Tang Dynasty. The Uyghurs utilized the trade relationship to supply a large number of horses to the Tang Dynasty in exchange for silk and brought significant financial pressure to the empire.
Diplomatic activities carry the significance of energy exchange. The famous envoy Zhang Qian was sent to the Western Regions with the purpose of establishing an international united front to jointly resist the Xiongnu. Although he did not succeed in that objective, the opening of the Silk Road became a major transportation route between the cultural regions of the world at that time. Subsequently, Buddhism was introduced to China, and Chinese civilization spread to the West, all realized through this trade route. Cultural exchange is an important pathway for cultural development and often becomes part of diplomatic activities. The approximation of civilizations can promote mutual affinity, a phenomenon not exclusive to the present day. It was during Zhang Qian’s introduction that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty learned about the distinction between “nomadic countries” and “walled states” in the Western Regions, realizing the cultural similarities between the latter and China. This sparked a strong interest in developing relations with the Western Regions. Ancient China, due to its firm pride in its own culture, actively embraced the inclusion of cultural factors in diplomatic activities.
art and architecture of the tang dynasty
The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was a peak period of economic and cultural development in feudal China, during which architectural technology and art also experienced significant advancements. The architectural style of the Tang Dynasty was characterized by grandeur, strictness, and openness. It had reached a mature stage of development, forming a complete architectural system. Tang architecture was grand in scale, magnificent in appearance, solemn and dignified, orderly yet not rigid, splendid without being delicate, and expansive without being ostentatious. It was both ancient and vibrant, a perfect reflection of the spirit of the time. From the Tang Dynasty onwards, spanning over a thousand years, including the famous “Foguang Temple,” there are still over a hundred surviving Tang Dynasty buildings in China, with the majority being brick and stone structures, while only four remaining wooden structures from the Tang Dynasty are all located in Shanxi Province.
The Tang Dynasty was a period of architectural maturity in ancient China. Building upon the achievements of the previous Han dynasties, it absorbed and assimilated foreign architectural influences, forming a complete architectural system. This system consisted of urban buildings, palace architecture, Buddhist architecture, and more.
City and Fortress:
Dual Capital System
Chang’an + Luoyang
The city of Tang Chang’an was 2.54 times larger than Han Chang’an, 1.45 times larger than Beijing during the Ming and Qing dynasties, 7.29 times larger than Constantinople, the capital of the Byzantine Empire during the same period, 2.87 times larger than Baghdad, built in 800 AD, and 6.39 times larger than Rome. The central axis of Tang Chang’an, Zhuque Street, was 150 meters wide, which is still exceptionally wide even by today’s standards. In the context of that time or ancient history, it should be considered the widest road. (The only regret is that such a wide street was actually an unpaved dirt road. It was inconvenient for officials to travel to court when it rained, unlike the description in Wang Xiaobo’s “Running to the Night with Red Hufu.”)
Tang Chang’an had 108 neighborhoods, which can be understood as 108 small cities. It is somewhat similar to modern communities with comprehensive facilities. Each neighborhood was enclosed by rammed earth walls (with a wall base thickness of about 2.5-3 meters, adjacent to various street ditches, and a wall height of about 2 meters). Ordinary residents could only enter or exit the neighborhood gates, while nobles and temples were allowed to open their gates to the main streets. Therefore, shops were located inside the neighborhoods. Each neighborhood had gates on all four sides, and the opening and closing of the gates were signaled by bells and drums at sunrise and sunset, giving rise to the saying “Morning bells and evening drums.” Once the gates were closed, people were not allowed to walk on the streets, except during the period around the 15th day of the first lunar month each year when the gates remained open. The city had nighttime curfews, and people were not allowed to wander around the main streets outside the neighborhoods at night. There were patrols by officials and soldiers. However, the facilities inside the neighborhoods were relatively well-equipped, especially in densely populated neighborhoods, where nightlife remained vibrant even after the gates were closed.
The overall layout of Tang Chang’an City maintained a symmetrical pattern with a central axis. The north-south Zhuque Street served as the central axis, with equally arranged markets and neighborhoods on the east and west sides. Streets and neighborhoods were neatly aligned side by side, forming a grid-like intersection of east-west and north-south streets. The outer city walls were divided into grid-like sections, with each grid representing a neighborhood. As described in Bai Juyi’s poem: “Countless families resemble a game of Go, twelve streets akin to vegetable plots.”
In fact, starting from the Cao Wei’s Ye City, there was a conscious effort to locate the palace district to the north of the city, greatly reducing the impact of the imperial palace on the common people. The functional zoning of Tang Chang’an City was even more explicit. It concentrated government offices within the imperial palace, separating them from the residential areas, ensuring that citizens wouldn’t accidentally wander into the official domains.
Archaeological findings indicate that the largest single structure built during the Tang Dynasty was the Mingtang Hall, constructed during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian. It was the largest Mingtang Hall ever recorded in history. The first floor was a square with a side length of 90 meters and a height of 86.4 meters, equivalent to over 20 stories of modern buildings. Remarkably, it was built in just 11 months, demonstrating the exquisite craftsmanship of the Tang Dynasty. Although this magnificent hall, the largest wooden structure in Chinese architectural history, was located in Luoyang, not Chang’an, it unfortunately perished in a fire during the Tang Dynasty.
The grandest imperial palace of the Tang Dynasty, the Daming Palace, situated in the northern part of Chang’an City, was once the largest complex of brick and wooden palaces in the world. Its area was equivalent to three Palace of Versailles, four Forbidden Cities, thirteen Louvre Museums, and fifteen Buckingham Palaces, illustrating the magnificence of the Tang Dynasty.
Front Court and Inner Court
The Daming Palace can be divided into the Front Court and Inner Court. The Front Court primarily served for imperial assemblies, while the Inner Court was used for residence and leisure activities. On the east and west sides outside the palace, garrisons were stationed, and within the northern gate, the command office of the garrison, known as the “North Office,” was established.
Central Axis Symmetry
The palace complex of the Daming Palace followed a central axis symmetrical layout. The Front Court consisted of the central axis line formed by the Danfeng Gate, Hanyuan Hall, Xuanzheng Hall, and Zichen Hall. The Inner Court, centered around the Taiye Pool, comprised dozens of halls and pavilions, including Linde Hall, Sanqing Hall, Dafu Hall, and Qingsi Hall. The entire Daming Palace covered a width of 1.5 kilometers from east to west and a length of 2.5 kilometers from north to south, with an area of approximately 3.2 square kilometers. It was the largest among the “Three Great Inner Palaces.”
Three Great Halls System
The three major halls of the Daming Palace were the Hanyuan Hall, Xuanzheng Hall, and Zichen Hall, with the Hanyuan Hall serving as the main hall. The Xuanzheng Hall had the Imperial Academy and the Secretariat on its left and right sides, as well as the Hongwen and Hongshi Halls. On the east and west sides of the central axis, there were longitudinal streets that pierced through the three parallel palace walls, creating side gates.
The number and scale of Buddhist temples constructed during the Tang Dynasty were astonishing. In the city of Chang’an alone, there were over ninety Buddhist temples, with some temples occupying an entire city block. The development of temples had a significant impact on the imperial treasury. During the reign of Emperor Wuzong of Tang in the fifth year of Huichang (845 AD) and Emperor Shizong of Later Zhou in the second year of Xiande (955 AD), two “anti-Buddhist” campaigns were carried out, resulting in the destruction of thousands of temples. Emperor Wuzong alone demolished forty thousand Buddhist temples. Although these campaigns were short-lived, temples quickly recovered. However, the destruction of Buddhist temples and pagodas during the Sui, Tang, and Five Dynasties periods was catastrophic, resulting in the preservation of only three wooden Buddhist halls and several brick and stone pagodas from the Tang Dynasty. Based on this, we can abstract the characteristics of Tang Dynasty temples.
Magnificent Bracketing System: Large brackets were a fundamental feature of wooden architecture in the Tang Dynasty. The grandeur of the brackets created a sense of depth in the roof eaves.
Simple and Robust “Chiwen”: “Chiwen” refers to decorative elements at the ends of the roof ridge. In Tang Dynasty wooden architecture, the “chiwen” was typically in the shape of a bird’s beak or tail.
Tall Eaves: The eaves of Tang Dynasty wooden architecture were high and curved upwards, often divided into upper and lower layers.
Dark-Green Roof Tiles: The roof tiles of Tang Dynasty wooden architecture were typically of a dark-green color.
Thick Pillars: The pillars of Tang Dynasty wooden architecture were relatively thick, tapering from bottom to top, reflecting the aesthetic preference for a robust appearance.
Monochromatic Color Scheme: Tang Dynasty wooden architecture generally employed no more than two colors, often red and white or black and white.
Eighteen Imperial Tombs of Guanzhong
During the Tang Dynasty, including Emperor Wu Zetian, a total of 21 emperors were buried. Apart from Emperor Zhaozong (Li Ye) and Emperor Aidi (Li Zhu), the remaining 18 tombs of 19 emperors were arranged in a fan-shaped pattern, with the capital city of Chang’an as the center, extending from west to east. They stood majestically across the Guanzhong Plain, facing the Qin Mountains in the south.
Types of Imperial Tombs
The imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty shared a common characteristic of facing north and south, with the terrain sloping from north to south. They can be categorized into two types:
a. “Mound-shaped Tombs”
These tombs were artificially constructed mounds with an inverted bowl shape, such as Xianling, Zhuangling, Duanling, and Jingling.
b. “Mountain-dependent Tombs”
These tombs utilized natural mountain slopes. Stone tunnels called “xiandao” were carved on the southern side of the mountains, and underground palaces were constructed at the base of the peaks. Examples include Zhaoling, Qianling, and Tailing, among the 14 tombs distributed along the Beishan Mountain Range.
Imperial Tomb Complexes
The imperial tombs of the Tang Dynasty were surrounded by tomb walls, forming vast tomb complexes together with the corresponding structures.
From Qianling onwards, the tomb complexes were divided into three sections, distinguished by three pairs of gate towers arranged from north to south.
The first section, located north of the first pair of gate towers, contained the burial mound and the Xian Dian (Hall of Worship), which constituted the main buildings of the tomb complex.
The second section, between the first and second pairs of gate towers, encompassed the Sacred Way of the tomb, adorned with various stone pillars, tablets, figures, and animals, symbolizing the imperial processions.
The third section, between the second and third pairs of gate towers, housed the tombs of meritorious officials and close relatives.
b. Main Structures
Xian Dian (Hall of Worship)
The Xian Dian is located within the inner city’s south gate, directly facing the burial mound. It serves as a place for conducting sacrificial ceremonies and paying respects to the relics of the deceased emperor.
Qingu (Imperial Underground Palace)
The Qingu, also known as the Lingxia Gong (Palace Beneath the Tomb), is situated southwest of the outer city within each tomb complex. It serves as the residence for the officials responsible for guarding the tomb and the daily attendants.
Tang Imperial Burial Accompanying Tombs
a. Burial Accompaniment and Secondary Burial System
Early Tang Dynasty
After the death of meritorious officials and close relatives, they were allowed to be buried alongside the imperial tombs and were granted burial plots and funeral accessories. Many of the founding heroes of the Tang Dynasty, such as Li Jing, Cheng Yaojin, and Yu Chigong, were honored with burial accompaniment at the Zhao Tomb (Zhaoling).
Mid-Late Tang Dynasty
a. In the mid-late Tang Dynasty, the number of accompanying tombs significantly decreased, and the practice was limited to members of the imperial family.
b. Representative Accompanying Tombs: Tomb of Crown Prince Yide and Tomb of Princess Yongtai
Both tombs were “mound-shaped tombs.” The layout of Princess Yongtai’s tomb complex is rectangular, with the burial mound in an inverted bowl shape. On the southern side of the burial mound, there are remnants of twin gate towers, along with stone lions, stone figures, and stone huabiao on both sides of the Sacred Way.
Both tombs consist of long inclined passageways leading to double-chamber brick tombs. They include a tomb passage, six passage openings, seven courtyards, eight niches, front and rear walkways, and front and rear chambers. Each rear chamber contains a pavilion-style stone coffin. Extensive murals are painted in the underground chambers.
The tomb of Crown Prince Yide yielded over 1,900 artifacts, including painted pottery figurines, as well as gold, jade, copper, and iron items. Eleven marble epitaph fragments filled with golden inscriptions were discovered, providing ample evidence of the hierarchical burial rituals akin to those of the imperial family.
c. Representative Accompanying Tomb: Tomb of Crown Prince Zhanghuai, Li Xian
The tomb consists of a double-chamber brick tomb with inclined passageways, passage openings, courtyards, niches, front and rear walkways, and front and rear chambers. The rear chamber contains a pavilion-style stone coffin.
The tomb passage, walkways, and chambers are adorned with colorful murals, including well-known depictions of horse polo, diplomatic envoys, and birds capturing cicadas.
The appearance of steles originated in the Tang Dynasty and was closely associated with the “Fotuo Zunsheng Tuoluoni Jing” (Buddha’s Summit Supreme Talismanic Sutra). The Tang Dynasty left behind numerous carved talismanic steles, serving as ample evidence for the wide dissemination of talismanic beliefs during that era.
Steles differ from pagodas. Although both are rooted in the history of Buddhist architecture and share certain stylistic similarities, they belong to different categories.
Chinese steles are mostly made of stone, with fewer iron castings. They come in various shapes, including cylindrical, hexagonal, and octagonal. They consist of three parts: the base, body, and top. The body is inscribed with talismanic scriptures, while the base and top are adorned with floral patterns, cloud motifs, Buddha, and Bodhisattva figures. Steles can have two, three, four, or six tiers, and they can be square, hexagonal, or octagonal in shape. Among them, the octagonal form is the most common. The body of the stele stands atop a three-tiered pedestal, separated by lotus seats and a canopy. The lower section of the pillar is inscribed with scriptures, while the upper section bears inscriptions or dedicatory texts. The pedestal and canopy feature carvings of heavenly beings, lions, arhats, and other figures.
Tang pagodas can be classified into several types based on their architectural forms, including tower-style pagodas, multiple-eave pagodas, single-story pagodas, Lamaist pagodas, and others. The diamond throne pagoda is also considered a type, but it did not appear in the Tang Dynasty, so it will not be discussed here.
Tower-style pagodas imitate traditional multi-story wooden structures and appeared early on. They were the most widely used type of pagoda throughout Chinese history. The periods of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Tang Dynasty, and Song Dynasty marked the peak of tower-style pagodas, which were distributed throughout the country. The plan of these pagodas was square before the Tang Dynasty, and octagonal forms became more common from the Five Dynasties period onwards, with fewer hexagonal examples. Brick and stone were the main materials used in Tang pagoda construction.
Multiple-eave pagodas have a taller base and are crowned with 5 to 15 (odd number) eaves, most of which are not intended for climbing or sightseeing. Their significance differs from that of tower-style pagodas. Although some multiple-eave pagodas can be ascended, the small windows and enclosed spaces limit the viewing experience compared to tower-style pagodas. Brick and stone are commonly used in their construction.
The plan of these pagodas varies. The Songyue Temple Pagoda is the only example with a twelve-sided plan, while Tang pagodas are mostly square, and Liao and Jin Dynasty pagodas tend to be octagonal.
Single-story pagodas are often used as funerary or Buddha image enshrinement pagodas. In the Tang Dynasty, the exterior of such pagodas began to incorporate elements of traditional Chinese architecture, closely imitating wooden structures and featuring various components such as columns, brackets, and dougong.
These pagodas have square, circular, hexagonal, or octagonal plans.
Lamaist pagodas are mainly found in regions such as Tibet and Inner Mongolia, serving as the main pagodas of temples or tombs for monks.
Tang dynasty dance
The Tang Dynasty was considered a golden age in the development of ancient Chinese music and dance. The art of music and dance saw significant progress and flourished during this period. Two aspects can be highlighted: the prosperity of creative works in music and dance, and the prevalence of music and dance activities.
Prosperity of Creative Works in Music and Dance
Building upon the traditional music and dance arts of the Han and Wei dynasties and incorporating achievements from ethnic minority and exotic dance forms, the Tang Dynasty actively and passionately engaged in the creation of music and dance, leading to a notable increase in the variety and quantity of these art forms. This was evident in both courtly and folk music and dance.
Courtly Music and Dance
Courtly music and dance in the Tang Dynasty consisted primarily of yaying (elegant music) and yanyue (banquet music). The system and functions of yaying inherited traditional practices, with the addition of compositions like “Qin Wang Po Zhen Yue” (Music for the Qin King Breaking the Enemy’s Formation), “Gong Cheng Qing Shan Yue” (Music for Celebrating Achievements and Virtuous Deeds), and “Shang Yuan Yue” (Music for the Lantern Festival). Comparatively, the creative works in yanyue flourished during the Tang Dynasty. The court initially inherited the nine departments of music from the Sui Dynasty and later underwent reforms and innovations.
In the 11th year of Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan era, the “Li Bi” (ceremony completion) was abolished and “Yan Yue” was added, taking the lead among the nine departments of music. Subsequently, due to the unification of the Gaochang Kingdom, in the eleventh month of the sixteenth year of the Zhenguan era, during a banquet for the officials, “Gaochang Ji” (Gaochang tunes) were included. It was only then that the ten departments of music were fully developed, encompassing many music and dance compositions.
During the years from Emperor Taizong to Emperor Xuanzong, the Tang artists established the system of “Li Bu Ji” (standing performance) and “Zuo Bu Ji” (seated performance) based on the foundation of the initial nine and ten departments of music. “Li Bu Ji” referred to standing performances in the hall, while “Zuo Bu Ji” referred to seated performances in the hall. It is evident that the yanyue of the Tang Dynasty underwent significant development compared to previous periods, not only in terms of variety but also in terms of quantity.
Folk Music and Dance
Folk music and dance in the Tang Dynasty often portrayed the lives of the working people, and as such, it was characterized by its authenticity, simplicity, liveliness, and sincere emotions. There was significant development in the creation of folk music and dance during the Tang Dynasty, particularly in the rise of folk songs and the prevalence of folk storytelling and Buddhist narrative poetry. Folk songs emerged as a new form of song in the Sui and Tang Dynasties.
At that time, there was a widespread popularity of “Hu Yi Li Xiang Zhi Qu,” which referred to traditional Han melodies and tunes imported from the Western Regions and other areas. In the era when yanyue was prevalent, musicians and literati used these tunes to compose lyrics and songs, accompanied by musical instruments, giving rise to folk songs. The creation of folk songs gradually increased during the Tang Dynasty, and the Tang and Five Dynasties period saw the collection of over a thousand Tang folk song lyrics in the “Complete Compilation of Dunhuang Songs,” including famous works like “Wang Jiangnan.” Prominent poets such as Bai Juyi and Li Huang also composed lyrics for folk songs.
Folk storytelling and Buddhist narrative poetry emerged and became popular during the Tang Dynasty with the increasing influence of Buddhism and the growth of the urban middle class. The primary forms of folk storytelling were the “sujiang” (secular lectures) and “bianwen” (narrative poems related to Buddhism). Sujiang involved preaching Buddhist scriptures through chanting and singing and had its origins in the ancient qingshang melodies.
Sujiang performances were often held in temples, with renowned monks like Wenxu and Kuangyin serving as speakers. The audience consisted mainly of monks and a large number of Buddhist followers. The form of sujiang included reciting Buddhist names, chanting Sanskrit sounds, and delivering sermons.
Bianwen refers to the written scripts for sujiang performances. Bianwen employed accessible language accompanied by captivating music to narrate stories from Buddhist scriptures and sometimes historical events. Representative examples of bianwen include “Mulan Bianwen,” “Vimalakirti Sutra Bianwen,” “Subduing Demons Bianwen,” and “Tomb of King Bianwen.” The creative expressions of folk music and dance not only enriched the artistic and spiritual lives of ordinary people but also enriched the artistic treasury of the Chinese nation.
tang dynasty painting style
Reasons for the Prosperity of Painting in the Tang Dynasty:
Social Development and Painting in the Tang Dynasty
The flourishing literature of the Tang Dynasty had a close relationship with the social development of the era. After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, the rapid recovery and development of the economy created a highly favorable social environment for the cultural development of the Tang Dynasty.
The open-mindedness and inclusiveness of the Tang people facilitated the fusion and development of foreign cultures, creating a conducive environment for cultural prosperity. The development of painting in the Tang Dynasty built upon the foundation laid by the art of the Sui Dynasty. Various art forms in the Tang Dynasty, including painting, calligraphy, sculpture, dance, and music, influenced and mutually reinforced each other’s development.
Painting Art and Religion in the Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty actively summarized the developmental experiences of previous cultural periods and pursued innovative developments based on this foundation, leading to an unprecedented flourishing of Tang culture. Buddhism, in particular, underwent sinicization during this period and gradually reached its peak. The first Chinese Buddhist sects formed during the Tang Dynasty, starting with the “Three Treatise School” established by Sui Jizang. Subsequently, influential sects such as Tiantai, Huayan, Chan (Zen), and Esoteric Buddhism emerged, linking human consciousness, nature, emotions, and cosmic views and proposing significant philosophical concepts that were inherited by Song Dynasty Neo-Confucian scholars.
In the later period of the Tang Dynasty, the Chan (Zen) sect, which emphasized sudden enlightenment and transcended reliance on written words, gained widespread popularity. Additionally, the Pure Land sect, which focused on the practice of chanting the Buddha’s name, exerted a significant influence on the lower social classes. With the high development and prosperity of Tang culture, the center of Buddhist dissemination shifted from India to China.
Taoism also experienced its heyday in the early Tang Dynasty, with the “Shangqing School” having the greatest influence. This Taoist school advocated gradual spiritual cultivation. In the later period of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, some foreign religions gradually entered China. Nestorian Christianity, originating from Syria, was one such example, and the “Monument of the Spread of the Religion of Light from Great Qin to China” unearthed in Xi’an provides evidence of the dissemination of Nestorianism during that time. The Buddhist art that emerged within the context of religious prosperity had a profound influence on Tang Dynasty painting, encompassing color schemes, lines, motifs, and artistic styles.
The Ritual and Educational Function of Tang Dynasty Painting
The rulers of the Tang Dynasty directly organized painting activities, such as creating portraits of meritorious officials, emperors, and kings, as political propaganda tools to “guide and assist people in observing social norms.”
In the early Tang Dynasty, figure painting pursued a style of “capturing the spirit through forms,” but its actual purpose was to fulfill its educational function. With the development of Tang society, economy, and the resulting national confidence due to intellectual openness, Tang figure painting exhibited artistic characteristics that emphasized subjectivity, social aspects, and the integration of aesthetics.
In terms of technique, Tang Dynasty painting expressed “intention” by capturing the aesthetic mood that harmonized with the Dao, combining stillness and movement to depict two levels of spiritual subjectivity. Through the application of such painting techniques, flourishing Tang figure painting achieved a state where form conveyed spirit, reaching a realm of combined imagery.
One of the representative works is Wu Daozi’s predominantly ink-wash painting, “Court Ladies Preparing Newly Woven Silk.” This painting depicts a scene from the 15th year of the Zhenguan era, featuring an encounter between Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty and Princess Wencheng, who was sent as a bride to the Tibetan King Songtsen Gampo. The painting highlights the expressions and details of the figures, conveying a sense of intimate emotional exchange between them.
The prevalence of Buddhism promoted the development of folk art education, particularly through collaborative mural painting as the primary method of transmission between masters and disciples. The art education system proposed the artistic principle of “learning from nature,” providing a favorable opportunity to focus on personal sensory experiences.
The Development of Tang Dynasty Painting Art
The development of painting in the Tang Dynasty went through three stages, driven by the flourishing feudal economy and the demands and preferences of the ruling class. The first stage was the early Tang period, during which painting art inherited and developed traditional techniques from the Central Plains while continuously incorporating influences from surrounding ethnic groups and foreign painting art. Tang painting art flourished and innovated during this stage.
The second stage was the heyday of the Tang Dynasty, characterized by significant advancements in figure painting. The development of religious painting was closely related to the development of figure painting. Wu Daozi and Yang Huizhi were major representatives in this field.
Wu Daozi’s religious murals, numbering over 300, formed a unique style known as “Wu’s mastery in the wind.” The Dunhuang murals, preserved in Dunhuang, stretch for a total of 25 kilometers. Their “illustrated sutras” (paintings that visually interpret the ideas of a Buddhist scripture) exhibit intricate compositions, magnificent lines, and highly valuable depictions of figures and animals.
Secular painting focused on reflecting aristocratic life, with Zhang Xuan being one of the representative painters. The painting style during this period deviated from the delicate and vivid style of the early Tang period and developed towards a bold and grand style, leaving a profound and extensive influence on the history of Chinese painting.
The third stage occurred after the An Lushan Rebellion. During this period, paintings of noblewomen became prevalent, characterized by profound, melancholic, and elegantly expressive aesthetics. Other common painting themes included aristocratic banquets, recreational activities, and the lives of literati and scholars. Painters such as Sun Wei and Zhou Fang excelled in portraying noblewomen with remarkable accuracy.
tang dynasty calligraphy
The Tang Dynasty was indeed the pinnacle of cultural and artistic development, and its achievements in calligraphy directly reflected the prosperity of the dynasty.
I. The Gradual Evolution of Calligraphy
In the early period of the Tang Dynasty, society gradually stabilized after the constant turmoil at the end of the Sui Dynasty. With the economy recovering and society experiencing stable development, literature and art began to flourish.
Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, had a great passion for calligraphy. He advocated for the people across the country to study calligraphy and actively promoted the calligraphy of Wang Xizhi, which played a significant role in the development of calligraphy. During this period, the most representative figure in calligraphy was Ouyang Xun.
With the progress of society, the “Prosperous Era of Kaiyuan” and the “Good Governance of Zhenguan” emerged, bringing about significant changes in the style of calligraphy. The calligraphic style during this period gradually evolved from the vigorous and upright style of the early Tang Dynasty towards a more robust direction. The cursive script, in particular, broke free from the influence and constraints of Wang Xizhi, developing its own unique style that belonged to the era.
During this period, calligraphy masters such as Zhang Xu, Yan Zhenqing, and Liu Gongquan emerged. They achieved new heights in regular script and cursive script, although not surpassing the ancients, their achievements were still highly remarkable.
In the late Tang period, calligraphy flourished with even more diverse artistic expressions. Despite the gradual decline of the country, new ideas emerged in both regular and running scripts, and representative figures like Du Mu appeared.
II. Development of Calligraphic Theory
During the Tang Dynasty, the theoretical and systematic aspects of calligraphy gradually improved. Many renowned calligraphers of the time shared their insights, and even Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, wrote four books to discuss the theoretical knowledge of calligraphy. He believed that writing should be accompanied by a deep understanding, where thoughts and actions should align harmoniously for success.
Ouyang Xun emphasized the proper handling of the brush and focused on concentrated contemplation. Sun Guoting approached calligraphy from a historical perspective, emphasizing emotions and resonance generated during the act of writing, earning him greater recognition from later generations. Zhang Huai’guan provided detailed explanations of calligraphy from different periods, offering meticulous introductions and evaluations of each script style’s origin and development.
III. The Artistic Spirit of Calligraphy
The calligraphy art of the Tang Dynasty emphasized adherence to artistic principles, encompassing a diverse range of approaches. The principles of art not only referred to technical requirements in writing but also placed importance on the artist’s character and moral cultivation. Yan Zhenqing, a calligrapher of the Tang Dynasty, was a model figure who emphasized adherence to principles.
Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy possessed not only high aesthetic value but also expressed elevated moral standards. His calligraphy exemplified the Confucian spirit of loyalty and filial piety, giving it a vibrant and upward vitality.
Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, calligraphy gradually developed and embarked on a path of continuous self-renewal, witnessing an awakening of consciousness. During the Tang Dynasty, cultural fusion and development were underway, allowing calligraphy to absorb the essence of predecessors while incorporating elements of contemporary literature and art, resulting in calligraphy styles with distinct contemporary characteristics.
Simultaneously, as an inclusive era with fewer demands on the people, calligraphers began to pursue their individuality and liberate their nature. Romanticism emerged, and calligraphic styles began to align with the content being written.
During this period, the spirits of abstraction and realism coexisted. As calligraphy inherently represents various forms of Chinese characters, with the overall basis being the stroke of the characters, calligraphy falls between the concrete and the abstract. It cannot be overly specific or excessively abstract, which enhances the artistic quality of cursive script.
The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was the pinnacle of classical poetry development in China. Tang poetry is one of our country’s outstanding literary legacies and a brilliant gem in the world’s literary treasury. Despite being over a thousand years old, many poems are still widely circulated.
Tang poetry encompasses a wide variety of forms.
In terms of ancient-style poetry, there are mainly two forms: five-character (pentasyllabic) and seven-character (heptasyllabic) poems. There are also two forms of regulated verse: quatrains (jueju) and regulated verse (lvshi).
Quatrains and regulated verse are further divided into five and seven-character variations. Therefore, the basic forms of Tang poetry can be classified into six types: five-character ancient-style, seven-character ancient-style, five-character quatrains, seven-character quatrains, five-character regulated verse, and seven-character regulated verse.
Ancient-style poetry has more flexible requirements for rhyme and rhythm. The number of lines and the length of the poem can vary, and rhyme schemes can be changed. Regulated verse, on the other hand, has stricter requirements for rhyme and rhythm. The number of lines is fixed, with four lines for quatrains and eight lines for regulated verse. The syllable patterns in each line follow certain rules, and rhyme schemes cannot be altered. Regulated verse also requires the four middle lines to be parallel in structure.
Ancient-style poetry inherits the style of previous generations, hence its name “gu-feng” (ancient style). Regulated verse adheres to strict prosody rules, so some refer to it as “ge-lv-shi” (regulated verse).
tang dynasty eunuchs
In the early Tang Dynasty, the central government was strong, and the monarchs had absolute power, so eunuchs had little influence during this period. However, the emergence of eunuch power was laid during the An Lushan Rebellion, when most civil officials were weak and military commanders had achieved significant military accomplishments.
During the reigns of Emperor Suzong and Emperor Daizong, eunuch power was still in the developmental stage and did not pose significant harm. However, during the reign of Emperor Dezong, signs of irreversible eunuch dominance began to appear. This was because during this period, eunuchs gained control over the imperial guards of the Tang Dynasty, specifically the Shence Army. Under Emperor Xianzong, all the imperial guards except the Shence Army were abolished, and thus the eunuchs completely controlled the military force of the Tang Dynasty. Furthermore, during Emperor Xianzong’s reign, eunuchs were appointed as the heads of the Imperial Secretariat (Shumi Shishi), and this became a convention in the Tang Dynasty.
In summary, the issue of eunuch dominance plagued the emperors of the Tang Dynasty in the middle and late periods. The emperors were powerless to completely eradicate this nightmare. Even during the reign of Emperor Zhaozong in the late Tang Dynasty, eunuchs still held control over the court. It was not until Zhu Wen entered Chang’an and massacred the eunuchs that this political force finally exited the stage of history. When we carefully examine the history of the middle and late periods of the Tang Dynasty, we can see that the problem of eunuch dominance had a subtle but significant impact on the Tang Dynasty. So, what kind of harm did eunuch dominance in the middle and late Tang Dynasty bring to the empire?
Firstly, the most severe harm caused by eunuch dominance in the middle and late Tang Dynasty was the weakening of imperial power. In fact, since the reign of Emperor Suzong, successive Tang emperors were threatened by eunuch power. For instance, shortly after Emperor Daizong ascended the throne, he immediately honored the eunuch Li Fugu as “Shangfu” (Senior Father), which was the first such case in ancient history. Conversely, Emperor Xianzong, Li Chun, was assassinated by eunuchs. According to the historical record in the “Old Book of Tang,” it states, “He died in a violent manner, and all claimed that he was assassinated by the eunuch Chen Hongzhi, but the official history avoids mentioning it.” This demonstrates that eunuch power posed a significant threat to the emperor in the middle and late Tang Dynasty.
According to the “New Book of Tang,” it is recorded that “since Emperor Muzong, seven emperors out of eight in the Tang Dynasty were placed on the throne by eunuchs.” In other words, after Emperor Muzong, the Tang emperors were essentially installed by eunuchs. For example, Emperor Wuzong had five sons during his lifetime, but it was Emperor Xianzong’s thirteenth son, Crown Prince Guang, who succeeded him. This is intricately linked to the rise and fall of eunuch power. In terms of historical development, the eunuchs’ enthronement of emperors actually represented a loss of imperial power. The emperors could no longer decide their own successors, which further weakened their authority
Secondly, another harm caused by eunuch dominance was their influence over the politics of the Tang Dynasty. In historical times, when eunuchs meddled in political affairs, it sparked a century-long struggle between the civil official group and the eunuchs known as the “Nanya Beisi Zhizheng” (the Struggle between the South Study and the Northern Bureau). The most intense conflicts occurred during the reigns of Emperor Shunzong and Emperor Wenzong, which gave rise to two major historical events in the Tang Dynasty known as the “Er Wang Ba Sima Incident” and the “Ganlu Incident.” Upon reviewing these two conflicts between civil officials and eunuchs, it becomes evident that both concluded with the defeat of civil officials, consequently intensifying the eunuchs’ interference in court politics.
Especially during the “Ganlu Incident,” the officials in the court were thoroughly purged to the extent that during Emperor Wenzong’s reign, a situation emerged where “all matters in the realm were decided by the Northern Bureau, and the prime minister conducted official correspondence.” Since then, the civil official group no longer attempted to challenge the authority of the eunuchs. For instance, during Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, he once inquired the prime minister about how to eradicate the eunuchs, but the prime minister had no solution. Instead, he advised Emperor Xuanzong to gradually suppress and eliminate the eunuchs through natural means. It was not until Emperor Zhaozong’s reign that this struggle came to an end with both sides suffering mutual destruction.
The status of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty was mainly reflected in the following aspects:
Eunuchs had a significant presence among government officials. In the early period of the Tang Dynasty, there were relatively fewer eunuchs. However, their numbers increased over time. By the late Tang Dynasty, eunuchs had formed the dominant bureaucratic class, appointing their own followers to various official positions, creating a system known as the “eunuch-dominated bureaucracy.”
Eunuchs accumulated substantial wealth. During the Tang Dynasty, eunuchs prospered in commercial activities and had their own businesses both inside and outside the palace. They used their wealth to support their power struggles with factions and also engaged in public works, disaster relief efforts, and other activities to some extent, thereby safeguarding the interests of the farmers.
Eunuchs held a highly esteemed position within the palace. Since the Sui Dynasty, eunuchs gradually entered the imperial court and began assisting the emperor in managing state affairs. In the Tang Dynasty, the power of eunuchs grew even stronger. They directly controlled the imperial palace and held authority over the emperor’s decisions, becoming a true “faction” with an increasing influence on imperial governance.
Famous eunuchs of the Tang Dynasty
Gao Lishi was the most cunning eunuch with great political power in the Tang Dynasty. He started as a wandering youth and was castrated to serve Empress Wu Zetian. Having witnessed the treacherous and cruel aspects of the imperial palace, he gradually developed a set of extraordinary tactics. During the “Divine Dragon Revolution,” he adapted to the situation and chose his master wisely, aligning himself with Li Longji and bringing down Empress Wu Zetian. He later schemed and aided Li Longji in eliminating Empress Wei and Princess Taiping, becoming the most loyal confidant of Emperor Tang Minghuang. Gao Lishi contributed significantly to the creation of the prosperous era known as the “Kaiyuan Reign” of the Tang Dynasty. Among all the eunuchs in Chinese history, he stands out as an exceptional figure.
Gao Lishi’s most remarkable performance on the historical stage was his matchmaking between Yang Yuhuan and Emperor Xuanzong, leading to their extraordinary love affair. He played a crucial role in the rise of Yang Guifei, but he also orchestrated her execution at the Mausoleum of the Weaving Maiden. Gao Lishi’s achievements were his downfall. Truly, a smile from a beautiful woman can enchant through the ages, while leaving behind everlasting sorrow.
Li Fuguo – The Master of Intrigue Among Eunuchs in Power
Throughout the five thousand years of Chinese history, there were thousands of eunuchs in the imperial palace of each dynasty. Whether discussing their morality, loyalty, or treachery, few of them left a lasting impact in Chinese history. Figures like Li Fuguo, along with Zhao Gao, are unparalleled.
Most ambitious and ruthless leaders possess extraordinary tactics beyond ordinary people, and Li Fuguo was a master of this art. He excelled at flattery, sycophancy, and obsequiousness without formal education. He could manipulate situations and turn the tides without hesitation. He did not hesitate to harm his own kind or massacre adversaries. Li Fuguo’s hands were never weak. Whether dealing with princes, prime ministers, empresses, or emperors, when they were useful, he would be their loyal servant, and when they were no longer useful, he would swiftly eliminate them. Li Fuguo led a busy life, consolidating power, seizing opportunities, and accumulating immense wealth for himself. In the end, he met his demise, with his body abandoned in a desolate wilderness.
Yu Chao’en – A Eunuch with a Military Background
Yu Chao’en was a eunuch who wielded significant power during the Tang Dynasty. He hailed from Luchuan, Luzhou (now Luxian County, Sichuan). During the An Lushan Rebellion, he accompanied Emperor Xuanzong in his escape and served Prince Li Heng, gaining considerable trust. He held positions such as Chief Inspector of the Three Palaces, Left Guard General, and was in charge of the Imperial Household Department, commanding the Shence Army. He was eventually framed and strangled to death by the Prime Minister Yuan Zai. Yu Chao’en’s appearance greatly strengthened the power of eunuchs and laid the groundwork for the dominance of eunuchs during the middle and late periods of the Tang Dynasty.
Qiu Shiliang (781-843), courtesy name Kuangmei, was born in Xingning, Xunzhou (present-day Xingning, Guangdong), and served as a eunuch in the Tang Dynasty. During the reigns of Emperor Xianzong and Emperor Wenzong, he held positions such as the supervisor of the Five Wards (both internal and external), and later rose to the rank of Left Guard General and Left Street Merit Official. After the Ganlu Incident, he was promoted to the rank of Special Advanced General and Right Valiant Guard General. Taking advantage of the emperor’s incompetence and the internal party conflicts, he manipulated political power and steadily climbed the ranks. Starting as a eunuch serving a prince as an attendant, he successively held important positions such as the supervisor of the military, the supervisor of the Five Wards (both internal and external), Left Guard General, Valiant Guard General, Observer of Military Appearance overseeing the left and right armies, and the head of the Imperial Household Department. He was conferred the title of Duke of Chu State and was posthumously honored as the Grand Commander of Yangzhou. There exists the “Divine Stele of Qiu Shiliang, Duke of Chu State and Supervisor of the Imperial Household Department,” which records that he was once granted the rank of Senior Minister and was awarded the title of Founder of Nan’an County with a fief of three hundred households. However, the following year, he was accused of concealing weapons in his home, and an edict was issued to strip him of his official rank and confiscate his family’s property.
what was the role of the eunuch bureaucracy in the Tang dynasty
The eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty had two main roles: assisting the emperor in managing state affairs and suppressing and controlling other factions.
Assisting the Emperor in Managing State Affairs:
The political influence of eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty can be traced back to the reign of Emperor Taizong. During the early years of Emperor Taizong’s rule, there were divisions among different factions within the court, such as the Mingjing School, the Xin Xue School, and the Dao Xue School. Eunuchs successfully transformed their role and were recognized by the emperor as important state officials, akin to “prime ministers” within the inner court. Eunuchs during Emperor Taizong’s reign held positions as “trusted confidants of the emperor, attendants to the empress, protectors of the princes, royal sacrificial officials, and managers of financial resources.” These positions held high status and significant responsibilities. Eunuchs, due to their close proximity to the emperor, could act on behalf of the emperor in handling various affairs. They expanded the emperor’s authority into different domains, enabling more effective governance of the country under the emperor’s direct guidance.
Controlling Other Factions:
During the Tang Dynasty, various factions, including remnants of previous dynasties and influential eunuch families, existed within the imperial court. Eunuchs chose to defend imperial power and engage in power struggles with these factions. Through their control over imperial edicts and court documents, eunuchs examined the appointment and evaluation of officials, expelled and reinstated nobles, determined tax policies and financial routes, and employed various other means to uphold imperial authority. In the process, eunuchs also obtained substantial benefits for themselves.
Overall, the eunuchs in the Tang Dynasty played a significant role in assisting the emperor in governance and exerting control over other factions to protect imperial power and advance their own interests.
Tributary state of the Tang Dynasty
According to historical records, during the Tang Dynasty, there were over 300 countries that had diplomatic exchanges with China, and more than 70 countries established formal diplomatic relations. This included China’s vassal states at that time, such as Korea, Japan, Ryukyu (Okinawa), Vietnam, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Bhutan, Nepal, Sikkim, Laos, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and others.
The Tang Dynasty grew increasingly powerful following the prosperous era of Emperor Taizong’s Zhenguan reign. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the dynasty carried forward the spirit of Zhenguan and initiated the Yonghui era of governance. The Tang Dynasty reached its peak during the prosperous period leading up to the An Lushan Rebellion, which marked a turning point from prosperity to decline.
tang dynasty Administrative System
The administrative division and local governance system of the Tang Dynasty marked an important turning point in the historical evolution of administrative divisions in China.
During a significant period, the Tang Dynasty employed a three-tier system of “Dao, Zhou, Xian” . However, the actual authority of the “Dao” varied greatly among regions, and there were frequent changes and transformations. Often, the foundation of these changes was the expansion of power by military governors (Jiedushi). Therefore, the system of “Dao” as a supervisory district was often referred to as a “virtual division.”
Furthermore, the territorial boundaries of the Tang Dynasty underwent remarkable expansion, reached its zenith, and later experienced contraction. In the later period, it gradually moved towards a state of fragmentation with powerful regional military governors (Fanzhen) asserting their autonomy. As a result, the records of administrative divisions became increasingly incomplete. Nevertheless, the concept of “Dao” as an initial supervisory district established in the Tang Dynasty continued to influence the subsequent Song Dynasty and became the prototype of the “Lu” system.
what was the social structure of the Tang Dynasty?
The social structure of the Tang Dynasty consisted of a declining aristocratic gentry class, known as the shizhu menfa, and a rising dominant class of scholar-officials who emerged through the civil service examination system. These two groups shared power in governing the empire. The old aristocracy emphasized the study of Confucian classics, while the new landowning elite focused on poetry and literature. However, during the decades of warfare in the late Tang period, both classes of nobility suffered severe blows. When Huang Chao captured Chang’an, he “slaughtered the imperial family without sparing any.” Many high-ranking officials and nobles perished in this turmoil, as depicted in Wei Zhuang’s poem “Yin of the Qin Woman,” which describes how “the imperial treasury was burned to become ashes of brocade, and the bones of officials and ministers were trampled upon in the streets.”
The social structure of the Tang Dynasty was highly stratified and had a negative impact on the lower classes of society. The system can be divided into eight parts: the emperor and his family, the nobility, the bureaucracy, eunuchs/imperial servants, clergy, farmers, and finally, artisans.
In 618 AD, Li Yuan established the Tang Dynasty with the reign title of Wu De and made Chang’an its capital. He is historically known as Emperor Gaozu. Xue Renjiao defeated Li Shimin, incorporating Longxi into the Tang Dynasty.
In 619 AD, Wang Shichong deposed Emperor Yang Tong and declared himself emperor, establishing the state of Zheng with Luoyang as its capital. Liu Wuzhou defeated Prince Qi, Li Yuanji, and occupied Bingzhou.
In 620 AD, Wang Shichong was besieged in Luoyang by the Tang army and sought help from Dou Jiande. Li Shimin defeated Dou Jiande at Wulao Pass.
In 621 AD, Wang Shichong surrendered to the Tang Dynasty.
In 626 AD, during the Xuanwu Gate Incident, Li Shimin shot and killed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji, and ascended to the throne, known as Emperor Taizong.
The history of the Tang Dynasty is commonly divided into two major periods, with the An Lushan Rebellion during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong serving as the dividing line. Additionally, the Tang Dynasty can be further categorized into four distinct periods:
Early Tang: This refers to the period from the founding of the Tang Dynasty to the first year of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign (from Wu De to Kaiyuan), covering approximately 618 AD to 712 AD.
High Tang: It encompasses the reigns from Emperor Xuanzong’s first year to Emperor Daizong’s first year, spanning about fifty years, from 713 AD to 766 AD.
Mid Tang: This period includes the years from the beginning of Emperor Daizong’s reign to the end of Emperor Wenzong’s reign, covering a span of sixty-four years, from 767 AD to 835 AD.
Late Tang: It begins with Emperor Wenzong’s first year and extends until the downfall of the Tang Dynasty in 907 AD. The Tang Dynasty entered the Late Tang era during this period.
What religion was the Tang Dynasty?
In the early period of the Tang Dynasty, the religious policy was relatively tolerant, allowing for significant development of the two major traditional Chinese religions, Buddhism and Taoism. During the Tang Dynasty’s early years, the renowned monk Xuanzang embarked on a journey to India, known as the “Pilgrimage to the West,” to obtain Buddhist scriptures. In commemoration of this event, the Tang Dynasty constructed the Great Wild Goose Pagoda to house these Buddhist scriptures. The extensive translation of Buddhist scriptures and the gradual maturation of Chinese Buddhist thought during this period led to an unprecedented development of Chinese Buddhism, with most major Buddhist sects forming or maturing during this time.
Other religions, such as Islam, Nestorian Christianity (known as Jingjiao), and Zoroastrianism (known as Zoroastrianism), were introduced to China through international exchanges. However, during the reign of Emperor Wu Zong, there was a harsh suppression of Buddhism known as the Huichang Persecution, which resulted in a decline of most Buddhist sects except for the Chan (Zen) school.
Zoroastrianism, Nestorian Christianity, Manichaeism, and Islam primarily circulated among the Hu merchants in the Western Regions, with limited followers among the Tang people. The predominant religions in the Tang Dynasty remained Taoism and Buddhism, with Buddhism having the greatest influence and deepest impact.
Taoism revered Laozi as its founder. Since the emperors of the Tang Dynasty had the surname Li, they claimed descent from the descendants of Laozi and actively promoted Taoism, attempting to consolidate imperial power through religious authority. In 666 (the first year of Qianfeng reign), Emperor Gaozong declared Laozi as the Grand Supreme Emperor of Profound Origins. Emperor Xuanzong further elevated Laozi’s status to that of the Great Sage Ancestor, and ordered the distribution of Laozi’s portraits throughout the empire. The emperor also designated disciples to study the works of Laozi and Zhuangzi, and bestowed titles such as “True Man of Southern Florescence” upon Zhuangzi and “True Man of Profound Mystery” upon Wenzi, as well as “True Man of Primordial Void” upon Liezi, thereby strengthening the influence of Taoism.
Emperor Xuanzong also dispatched people to search for Taoist scriptures and compiled the Daozang, a collection of Taoist texts comprising 3,744 volumes. During that time, temples dedicated to the Grand Supreme Emperor of Profound Origins were built in both the capital and provincial capitals, and numerous Taoist temples were established. According to statistics, by the year 884 (the fourth year of Zhonghe reign), there were over 1,900 Taoist temples nationwide, with more than 15,000 Taoist priests.
Buddhism also witnessed new developments during the Tang Dynasty. With the continuous introduction of new Buddhist scriptures and varying interpretations of Buddhist doctrines since the Southern and Northern Dynasties, numerous Buddhist sects gradually emerged during the Tang Dynasty.
Although these sects had their differences, they shared a common underlying spirit. They advocated beliefs in the immortality of the soul, karmic retribution, and the cycle of reincarnation, guiding people to accept their current circumstances and endure hardships. Therefore, they enjoyed support from the feudal rulers. Among the various sects, the Tiantai School represented by Zhiyi, the Faxiang School represented by Xuanzang, the Huayan School represented by Fazang, and the Chan School represented by Huineng had the greatest influence.
During the Tang Dynasty, the rulers actively promoted various religions to strengthen their spiritual control over the people. With the development of foreign relations, many foreign religions spread in China.
Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Nestorian Christianity (also known as the Church of the East) were introduced from Persia. Zoroastrianism, also known as the Worship of Fire, was once the state religion of the Sassanian Empire in Persia. Zoroastrian temples, known as “Zoroastrian Shrines,” were established in Chang’an, Luoyang, Wuwei, Dunhuang, and other cities of the Tang Dynasty. The Tang government had a dedicated institution called the Sabaofu that was responsible for managing Zoroastrianism.
In 694 (the first year of Yanzai reign), a Persian named Faduodan brought the Manichaean scripture “The Two Main Teachings” to the Tang court, marking the beginning of the spread of Manichaeism in China. During the suppression of the Anshi Rebellion, the Uyghurs helped restore peace in the Tang Dynasty and brought back four Manichaean teachers from Luoyang to their homeland, where Manichaeism became the state religion of the Uyghurs. In 768 (the third year of Dali reign), Emperor Daizong of Tang permitted the Uyghurs to build a Manichaean temple in Chang’an, known as the “Da Yun Guang Ming Temple.” In 771, the Uyghurs also requested to build Da Yun Guang Ming Temples in Jingzhou, Yangzhou, Hongzhou, and Yuezhou, indicating the spread of Manichaeism in southern China as well.
Nestorian Christianity, a branch of Christianity, was introduced to China. In 638, Emperor Taizong issued an edict permitting the Persian Nestorian monk Alopen to preach in China. Alopen established a temple in the Yining Fang of Chang’an and ordained twenty-one monks. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong, the construction of Nestorian Christian temples was allowed in various provinces.
The original name of the Nestorian Christian temple was the Persian Temple, but during the Tianbao period, Emperor Xuanzong renamed it as the Great Qin Temple. The famous “Monument of the Spread of the Great Qin Nestorianism in China,” housed in the Shaanxi Provincial Museum, was unearthed from the site of the Great Qin Temple in the Tang Dynasty. The inscription on the monument describes the spread of Nestorianism during the Tang Dynasty and includes the names of seventy-two Nestorian monks in both Syriac and Chinese scripts.
Additionally, during the Tang Dynasty, there were many Arab merchants in cities such as Chang’an, Guangzhou, and Yangzhou. The Islamic faith they followed also spread in these areas, and it is said that a mosque was built in Chang’an at that time.
Please note that the translation provided is a general interpretation of the text and may not capture the nuanced meaning of certain terms.
Tang Dynasty Taoism
After undergoing a series of successful transformations during the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, Taoism entered a prosperous period during the Tang and Song Dynasties. In order to strengthen their rule, Tang emperors claimed that Laozi, the founder of Taoism, was an ancestor of the Li surname and elevated Taoism to the status of the Li family’s religion. Tang Gaozu (Emperor Gao) stipulated that Taoism should be ranked above Confucianism and Buddhism. Tang Gaozong (Emperor Gaozong) posthumously honored Laozi as the “Supreme Mysterious Emperor.”
Tang Xuanzong (Emperor Xuanzong) established the Chongxuan Institute and appointed Chongxuan Scholars. In the imperial examinations, he added the subjects of Laozi, Zhuangzi, Wenzi, and Liezi, and required scholars and commoners to have a copy of the Dao De Jing (Tao Te Ching) in their homes. He not only bestowed a series of titles upon Laozi, such as the “Great Holy Ancestor Supreme Mysterious Emperor,” but also honored Zhuangzi, Wenzi, Liezi, and Gengsangzi as the “Four Realized Beings.”
With the rulers’ patronage, the philosophy of Laozi and Zhuangzi was continuously elevated. Additionally, in order to counter the more systematically developed Buddhism, Taoism in the Tang Dynasty made significant progress in terms of doctrine and ritual ceremonies. Many Taoist priests wrote books and used Confucian and Buddhist doctrines to interpret Laozi and Zhuangzi from the perspective of Taoism, promoting the development of Taoist theory. Works such as Wang Xuanlan’s “Xuanzhu Lu,” Wu Yun’s “Xuangang Lun,” Du Guangting’s “Daode Zhenjing Guangshengyi,” Sima Yongzhen’s “Zuowangzi” and “Tianyinzi” played a significant role in advancing Taoist doctrine.
Du Guangting also integrated the fasting and ritual ceremonies of various Taoist sects, compiling them into the “Complete Collection of Taoist Rituals and Ceremonies” in 87 volumes, which is still in use today. With the flourishing of Taoism during the Tang Dynasty, Taoist scriptures increased in number. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang collected numerous Taoist texts, which were compiled into the first Taoist canon in history, the “Kaiyuan Daozang” (Open Origin Taoist Canon). Emperor Xuanzong himself wrote the catalog of the Daozang, titled “Qiong Gang Jing Mu,” which recorded 3,744 volumes of Taoist texts.
Tang Dynasty Buddhism
The development of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty is closely intertwined with its political context.
Historical Background of Buddhism in China
Buddhism originated in India and was introduced to the Central Plains during the Eastern Han Dynasty, gradually spreading and developing extensively in China. The Tang Dynasty marked the pinnacle of Buddhist development, and Buddhism had a profound impact on various aspects of Tang society, including politics, economy, ideology, ethnic relations, culture, art, and daily life.
During the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism gained acceptance among the Chinese population. The transient nature of dynasties and the influence of warfare led many people to embrace the concepts of reincarnation and karmic retribution propagated in Buddhism. Buddhism received wider development during the Northern and Southern Dynasties, thanks to the favor of ruling emperors. With imperial support, Buddhism expanded its reach and grew rapidly.
During this period, Buddhist temples were scattered throughout China, as depicted in the verses of Tang poet Du Mu: “Four hundred and eighty temples in the Southern Dynasties, how many towers and pavilions lost in the mist and rain.” This highlights the flourishing state of Buddhism. The development of Buddhism during the Wei, Jin, Northern and Southern Dynasties laid the foundation for its prosperity in the Tang Dynasty.
Buddhism entered China through the ancient Silk Road, maritime routes, and overland routes in southwestern regions. As a foreign religion, Buddhism needed to undergo extensive translation work to be accepted by the Chinese people. During the Han Dynasty, Buddhism was in the stage of direct translation. Buddhist scholars from the Western Regions translated Buddhist scriptures, leading to the emergence of two major schools.
The first was the An School, represented by An Shigao. An Shigao translated works such as the “Anban Shouyi,” “One Hundred and Sixty Treatises,” and “Yinchiru Jing.” He was the first renowned translator of Buddhist scriptures in ancient China, focusing mainly on Zen and numerical analysis. An Shigao’s translations had a profound impact on Chinese Buddhism, particularly in the development of Zen Buddhism during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
The second was the Zhi School, also known as the “Zhi Chen” school. Zhi Chen arrived in Luoyang during the Eastern Han Dynasty to translate Buddhist scriptures, primarily focusing on Mahayana sutras. In contrast to An Shigao, Zhi Chen’s translations were relatively limited in number, but they had a significant influence on the development of Chinese Buddhism, particularly in shaping the profound impact of the concept of “Prajna” (transcendental wisdom) and establishing the ideological foundation for the study of Prajna during the Northern and Southern Dynasties.
Initially, Buddhism spread among the ruling elites and aristocracy, but gradually it reached the lower classes and gained popularity. For instance, during the Eastern Han Dynasty, Liu Ying became the first royal family member in Chinese history to embrace Buddhism. According to the records in the “Book of Later Han,” Liu Ying associated with “Yipusai” and “Sangmen” Buddhist practitioners, treating them with the utmost respect. This demonstrates Liu Ying’s deep faith in Buddhism.
Subsequently, Buddhism spread among the common people, and large-scale Buddhist temples were constructed as places of spiritual solace. However, the imperial court issued policies prohibiting Han Chinese from becoming ordained monks. At that time, the dissemination of Buddhism only involved teaching the precepts and regulations, without the spread of the complete Vinaya (monastic rules). Therefore, even if someone became a monk, it was merely a formality.
During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties, Buddhism experienced rapid and widespread development. The translation of Buddhist scriptures became more systematic and scientific, with an increasing number of translators, laying the foundation for the extensive dissemination of Buddhism. As Buddhism touched upon various aspects of politics, economy, and culture, among others, emperors of the Northern and Southern Dynasties employed various means to support Buddhism, leading to its significant expansion. This period also set the stage for the flourishing of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty. With the impetus and support of imperial power and politics during this historical period, Buddhism experienced rapid growth.
Chinese Buddhism also underwent a process of sinicization, incorporating elements that made it more acceptable to the Chinese people. For example, Buddhist teachings and regulations were combined with the Confucian system of rituals and etiquette. With Confucianism having a history of several thousand years in China, Buddhism assimilated elements of Confucian and Daoist culture. This fusion of Buddhism with indigenous Chinese traditions not only facilitated its acceptance but also served the stability and development of the feudal order. Consequently, the development of the Buddhist tradition received substantial support from the ruling class, leading to the integration of Buddhism and politics.
The performance of Buddhism in the heyday of Tang Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty, Chinese Buddhism reached its peak, experiencing prosperity and flourishing. This can be seen through the widespread presence of monks and nuns across the country, as well as the continuous growth in their numbers during the Tang Dynasty. Additionally, Buddhist teachings and scholarship thrived, and the economy of Buddhist monasteries was strong. With the support of rulers, Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty became the most prosperous period in its development.
The prosperous economy and stable political environment of the Tang Dynasty provided favorable conditions for the development of Buddhism. Particularly during the reign of Empress Wu Zetian, Buddhism was elevated to the status of “state religion” in China. The flourishing of Buddhism was primarily manifested through the proliferation of temples and the increasing number of monks and nuns. From the early reign of Emperor Taizong to Emperor Wuzong, the number of monks and nuns continued to grow, and the number of temples increased from initially over three thousand to more than forty thousand.
In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Taizong did not particularly promote or suppress Buddhism. However, due to the deep-rooted beliefs in karma, retribution, and the cycle of life and death, Buddhism had already permeated various social strata in the Central Plains region. In the late Sui Dynasty, which was marked by numerous conflicts and casualties, Emperor Taizong constructed temples on every battlefield to pray for the souls of the fallen soldiers. This phenomenon indicates Emperor Taizong’s belief in the concepts of karma and the cycle of life and death in Buddhism.
In the fifth year of the Zhenguan era (631 AD), Emperor Taizong built the Hongfu Temple for his deceased mother, Empress Dowager Mu. When Xuanzang returned from India with a collection of Mahayana Buddhist scriptures, Emperor Taizong sent Fang Xuanling to welcome him and provided a dedicated place for Xuanzang to recite and translate the scriptures. During the later years of Emperor Taizong’s reign, he personally listened to Xuanzang’s teachings on Buddhism. These events suggest that Emperor Taizong, Li Shimin, did not oppose Buddhism.
Several of Emperor Taizong’s sons also respected Buddhism. Emperor Gaozong, Li Zhi, built the Great Ci’en Temple for his mother, Empress Zhangsun. According to historical records, Emperor Gaozong welcomed the arrival of Buddhist relics at Famen Temple, with grandeur and auspicious signs, symbolizing the prosperity and peace of the Tang Dynasty.
The prosperity of Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty was also evident in Buddhist cave temples, such as the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. Historical records indicate that Empress Wu Zetian funded the excavation of the Longmen Grottoes by donating a significant amount of silver. Furthermore, she demanded monetary contributions from monks and nuns across the country for the casting of Buddhist statues.
Even before becoming the emperor, Empress Wu Zetian showed great reverence for Buddhism. According to historical records, she maintained close relationships with eminent monks and treated them with utmost respect, even performing the ritual of “kneeling in person” before them. She also established dedicated places for monks to study and practice Buddhism, known as “feeding grounds for enlightenment,” to ensure constant pursuit of the Dharma.
Once Empress Wu Zetian ascended the throne, she actively supported Buddhism. Due to her unprecedented emphasis on Buddhism, even officials had to show reverence and respect to temples and monks. From an official perspective, Buddhism gained an incredibly esteemed position. Under the influence of Empress Wu Zetian’s deep admiration for Buddhism, others naturally dared not show any negligence. This ruler’s “policy of embracing Buddhism” led to the widespread presence
Reasons why Buddhism flourished in the Tang Dynasty
The flourishing of Buddhism during the Tang Dynasty and its establishment as the de facto state religion can be attributed to several factors. During the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties period, Confucianism, which had been the dominant ideology, suffered significant setbacks. Seizing this opportunity, Buddhism entered the Central Plains. The Tang Dynasty, succeeding the chaotic period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties, was a unified empire. Particularly, the ascension of Empress Wu Zetian played a crucial role in promoting Buddhism and propelling it to its zenith.
Influenced by the prevailing social beliefs, Confucianism remained the mainstream ideology at that time, emphasizing benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom, and trust. However, with the decline of Confucianism during the Wei and Jin periods, rulers began to question its efficacy. In this context, Buddhism filled the void in religious beliefs across various social strata. Furthermore, the concepts of karma, retribution, and the cycle of life and death in Buddhism attracted more adherents.
The role of Empress Wu Zetian was instrumental in the flourishing of Buddhism. After the establishment of the Tang Dynasty, it went through periods of “Zhenguan Reforms” and “Kaiyuan Prosperity.” After several generations of development, the Tang Dynasty had accumulated abundant material resources and a strong economy. In order to secure her reign, Empress Wu Zetian utilized Buddhist mythology and claimed to be guided by the “Buddhist mandate.” She inherited the throne and had intricate connections with Buddhism, which explains her admiration and promotion of the faith.
The offering of Buddhist relics by ruling figures. From Emperor Taizong onward, there were accounts of welcoming “Buddhist relics.” These large-scale religious activities not only served to unite people and consolidate political power but also contributed to social stability. Such grand religious and cultural events showcased the strength of the nation, fostered public support, and facilitated cultural exchanges across different regions, further solidifying political authority.
Standardization of regulations for Buddhist monks in the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty established a series of management systems for Buddhist monks, gradually improving and refining them. These regulations covered various aspects such as legal status, monastic administration, and temple management. This standardization played a significant role in promoting the development of Buddhism during that time.
An overview and influence of Buddhism on the legal system of the Tang Dynasty
Laws are an expression of the rulers’ will, and with the widespread dissemination of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty, specific Buddhist codes of law were officially enacted when Buddhism became the “state religion.” These laws were formulated to regulate the behavior of monks and nuns. The foundation of the Tang Dynasty’s Buddhist code of law can be traced back to the Sui Dynasty’s “Zhongjing Fashi” (Canonical Regulations for the Assembly), while the Tang Dynasty later established the religious code of law known as the “Daosengge.” Some inadequately managed monastic disciples greatly disrupted the governance and social order within Buddhism.
Therefore, the “Daosengge” was enacted as a specialized set of regulations to standardize the conduct of monks and nuns. It can be seen as a product of combining Tang Dynasty laws with Buddhist precepts, inheriting and innovating upon the “Zhongjing Fashi.” Subsequently, the “Tang Lü Shuyi” policy was introduced, which inherited relevant laws from the Sui Dynasty.
The influence of Buddhism on the legal system of the Tang Dynasty was multifaceted. For example, the practice of “Duan Tu Diao” in the Tang Dynasty reflected the rulers’ efforts to strengthen national consciousness. On specific dates, the slaughter of animals and fishing were prohibited, serving as compulsory reminders against indulging in meat consumption. Such specific regulations were protected by law and directly impacted the daily lives and dietary habits of the populace.
The Tang Dynasty also legislated to regulate the act of renunciation, as detailed in the “Tang Lü Shuyi.” It provided specific legal provisions regarding unauthorized renunciation by monks and nuns. Official recognition was required for one’s ordination, and appropriate punishments were imposed for unauthorized renunciations based on the circumstances.
Furthermore, regulations were imposed on Buddhist statues in monasteries, and laws were enacted to address theft and damage to temple property. The law stipulated corresponding punishments for those who engaged in theft or vandalism of Buddha images, based on the identity of the offender. There were also regulations regarding the attire and dressing of monks and nuns. Monks were prohibited from wearing secular clothing, and failure to comply would result in appropriate penalties. These fundamental legal institutions provided solid institutional guarantees for the flourishing of Buddhism in the Tang Dynasty.
The influence of Buddhism on the legal system of the Tang Dynasty was multifaceted. The profound impact of Buddhist ideology on people is particularly notable. Concepts such as “karma” and “cycle of life and death” had a deep influence. According to Buddhist belief, life and death are an endless cycle, and individuals may have been animals in past lives. Therefore, there is no fundamental difference between animals and humans. Buddhism advocates non-killing, and this idea is also reflected in certain national laws and regulations. In some special festivals, prohibitions on killing living beings were incorporated into the country’s legal framework.
Tang Wuzong Destroys Buddha
In the year 845, a major anti-Buddhist movement, known as the Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution, occurred in the Tang Dynasty, marking a departure from the previous policy of reverence for Buddhism. Under the advice of officials such as Li Deyu and Taoist priests Zhao Guizhen and Liu Xuanqing, Emperor Wuzong of Tang, Li Yan, implemented a policy to eradicate Buddhism. Temples were demolished, monks were forced to return to secular life, and confiscated farmlands were reclaimed.
According to historical records, more than 4,600 temples were demolished during this persecution, along with over 40,000 privately-built temples. The number of monks who returned to secular life exceeded 260,000, and millions of acres of reclaimed farmland were retrieved. Additionally, around 150,000 people who were originally slaves or servants in Buddhist temples were assigned as taxable households.
The eradication of Buddhism by Emperor Wuzong of Tang refers to a large-scale campaign launched by him during the Huichang era. During the late Tang Dynasty, Buddhist temples enjoyed exemption from taxation and monks were exempt from corvée labor. However, the excessive expansion of Buddhist temple economies began to erode state revenue, leading to conflicts with ordinary landowners. Emperor Wuzong, who revered Taoism and despised Buddhism, heeded the instigation of Taoist priest Zhao Guizhen and received support from Li Deyu. Starting from the second year of Huichang (842), the anti-Buddhist measures gradually escalated and reached their climax in the fifth year of Huichang (845). The persecution came to an end after Emperor Wuzong’s death in the sixth year of Huichang (846). In addition to Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity and Zoroastrianism were also affected by this persecution. However, due to the fragmentation of local powers and regional control during that period, the central orders of the Tang Dynasty were not fully implemented. For example, the three garrison towns in Hebei did not execute the orders, and the scale of destruction of Buddhism varied across different regions. Buddhists referred to this anti-Buddhist movement as the “Huichang Buddhist Persecution.” Emperor Xuānzong, who succeeded to the throne, reinstated Buddhism and issued decrees to restore Buddhist temples.
Confucianism in the Tang Dynasty
During the Tang Dynasty, Confucianism was the dominant ideology. However, the rulers of the Tang Dynasty maintained an open attitude towards Buddhism and Taoism. While the Confucian scholars and the Confucianism they advocated emphasized their own values and sought to restrict religions in the public sphere, they also had close personal relationships with Buddhist and Taoist practitioners in their private lives.
The characteristic of Confucianism in the Tang Dynasty is closely related to the rulers’ political needs. The rulers, for political reasons, embraced Taoism and revered Laozi as their ancestor, as well as, in the case of Empress Wu Zetian, embraced Buddhism. The preferences of the highest rulers often influenced the codes of conduct for Confucian literati and officials in the Tang Dynasty.
We can see that Han Yu, the advocate of the Tang Dynasty’s ancient prose movement and regarded as the foremost figure among the “Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song,” initially wrote against Buddhism but later in his life began studying Buddhism.
Although the Tang Dynasty saw significant development in Confucianism with notable figures such as Lu Deming, Kong Yingda, and Han Yu, the foundation of Confucianism in the Tang Dynasty was largely based on the teachings of the Han and Wei periods.
Nonetheless, regardless of the circumstances, the Confucianism of the Tang Dynasty accomplished a remarkable feat. It unified the fragmented Confucianism that existed during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, which the Sui Dynasty failed to achieve. Confucianism once again formed a cohesive whole, ending the division between the north and the south.
In summary, the Confucianism and Confucian scholars of the Tang Dynasty maintained their own values while being influenced by the rulers’ preferences for Taoism and Buddhism. Confucianism in the Tang Dynasty achieved a unification that had been lacking in previous periods and became an integrated system once again.
Tang Dynasty famous characters
The Tang Dynasty was known for its many famous and influential figures. Here are some notable characters from the Tang Dynasty:
Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin): He was the second emperor of the Tang Dynasty and is widely regarded as one of the greatest emperors in Chinese history. Emperor Taizong expanded the empire, implemented effective governance, and promoted cultural and economic prosperity.
Empress Wu Zetian: Wu Zetian was the only female emperor in Chinese history. She rose to power during the Tang Dynasty and ruled as the empress regnant from 690 to 705. Empress Wu implemented various political and social reforms and played a significant role in promoting Buddhism.
Li Bai: Li Bai was one of the most famous poets of the Tang Dynasty. His poetry, characterized by its romanticism and natural imagery, has had a lasting impact on Chinese literature.
Du Fu: Du Fu was another prominent poet of the Tang Dynasty and is often regarded as China’s greatest poet. His poetry reflects the social and political upheavals of his time and expresses themes of human suffering and resilience.
Xuanzang: Xuanzang was a Buddhist monk and scholar who embarked on a journey to India in search of Buddhist scriptures. His travels and the texts he brought back greatly contributed to the development and spread of Buddhism in China.
Yang Guifei: Yang Guifei, also known as Yang Yuhuan, was one of the Four Beauties of ancient China. She was a beloved consort of Emperor Xuanzong and is famous for her beauty and influence over the emperor.
Wei Zheng: Wei Zheng was a statesman and chancellor during the early Tang Dynasty. He played a key role in establishing and implementing the system of government known as the “Equal Fields System” and was known for his integrity and commitment to good governance.
These are just a few examples of the many notable figures who lived during the Tang Dynasty. The era was known for its rich cultural and intellectual achievements, and it produced numerous influential poets, scholars, politicians, and military leaders.
What Are the Achievements of the Tang Dynasty?
The Tang Dynasty (618-907) was a golden age in Chinese history, known for its remarkable achievements in various fields. Here are some of the notable achievements of the Tang Dynasty:
Political Stability and Administrative Reforms: The Tang Dynasty established a strong central government and implemented effective administrative reforms. The imperial examination system was expanded, allowing talented individuals from different social classes to serve as government officials based on merit rather than birthright.
Economic Prosperity and Trade: The Tang Dynasty experienced significant economic growth, with prosperous agriculture, advancements in irrigation techniques, and the development of a vast network of roads and canals. International trade flourished along the Silk Road, connecting China with various regions of Asia, the Middle East, and Europe.
Cultural Flourishing: The Tang Dynasty was a time of great cultural and artistic achievements. Poetry reached its peak with renowned poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu. Literature, calligraphy, painting, and music also thrived, leaving a lasting impact on Chinese culture.
Technological Advancements: The Tang Dynasty witnessed remarkable advancements in technology. Inventions like woodblock printing, the compass, and gunpowder significantly influenced global development. The Tang Dynasty also introduced new agricultural techniques, including the widespread cultivation of tea, which became a major industry.
Urbanization and Architectural Marvels: The Tang Dynasty witnessed the growth of vibrant cities, such as Chang’an (modern-day Xi’an), which was one of the world’s largest and most cosmopolitan cities at the time. The era saw the construction of magnificent buildings, including the Grand Canal, the Great Wild Goose Pagoda, and the Tang Dynasty Palace complex.
Buddhist Influence and Religious Tolerance: Buddhism flourished during the Tang Dynasty and had a profound impact on Chinese society and culture. Buddhist art and architecture, including cave temples such as the Longmen Grottoes and Dunhuang Mogao Caves, are renowned for their beauty and spiritual significance. The Tang Dynasty also practiced religious tolerance, accommodating Buddhism, Daoism, Confucianism, and various other beliefs.
Diplomatic and Military Strength: The Tang Dynasty expanded its territory, establishing a vast empire that encompassed present-day China, parts of Central Asia, and regions as far as the Korean Peninsula and the Tarim Basin. The dynasty maintained diplomatic relations with neighboring countries and facilitated cultural exchanges, notably with the powerful Tibetan Empire.
These achievements contributed to the Tang Dynasty’s reputation as a prosperous and culturally rich period in Chinese history, often regarded as a model for subsequent dynasties.
What Is the Era Following the Tang Dynasty Known As?
After the fall of the Tang Dynasty, the Central Plains of China saw the emergence of five dynasties and over a dozen regional powers that fragmented the region. This period is collectively known as the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms.
The Five Dynasties were the Later Liang, Later Tang, Later Jin, Later Han, and Later Zhou. Apart from a brief period when Later Liang ruled from Luoyang, most of the dynasties, including Later Liang, had their capitals in Kaifeng. The Five Dynasties lasted for a total of 54 years and had eight emperors from various clans. The rulers of Later Liang and Later Zhou were of Han ethnicity, while those of Later Tang, Later Jin, and Later Han were of Shatuo ethnicity. They all established their regimes in the northern region of China, with Later Liang having the smallest territory and Later Tang the largest.
The Ten Kingdoms were the Former Shu, Later Shu, Wu, Southern Tang, Wuyue, Min, Chu, Southern Han, Nanping (Jingnan), and Beihan. Beihan was located in the western part of Shanxi province, while the other nine kingdoms were situated in the southern regions. The Ten Kingdoms coexisted with the Five Dynasties, but the duration of each kingdom varied. For example, Wuyue emerged before the fall of the Tang Dynasty and survived until the end of the Five Dynasties, when it was eventually conquered by the Northern Song Dynasty. Among the ten kingdoms, Nanping had the smallest territory, while Southern Tang had the largest.
Later, the Song Dynasty unified the country.
why did the Tang Dynasty last so long?
The Tang Dynasty lasted for nearly 300 years, from 618 to 907, making it one of the longest-lasting and most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history. Several factors contributed to its longevity:
Strong Centralized Government: The Tang Dynasty established a strong and centralized government system that effectively governed a vast territory. It implemented a well-organized bureaucracy with a merit-based civil service examination system, which allowed talented individuals from all social classes to enter the government. This system helped maintain stability and efficiency in governance.
Military Strength: The Tang Dynasty possessed a powerful military that successfully defended its borders and expanded its territory. It had a well-trained and disciplined army, which allowed the dynasty to suppress internal rebellions and defend against external threats. The Tang military also conducted successful military campaigns, such as the conquest of the Western Regions and the Korean Peninsula, which contributed to its longevity.
Economic Prosperity: The Tang Dynasty experienced a period of remarkable economic growth and prosperity. It implemented policies that promoted agricultural development, improved irrigation systems, and encouraged trade and commerce. The Grand Canal, connecting the Yellow River and Yangtze River, facilitated transportation and stimulated economic exchanges. The flourishing economy contributed to social stability and increased the dynasty’s resilience.
Cultural and Intellectual Achievements: The Tang Dynasty was known as a golden age of culture and arts. It was a time of great artistic and intellectual achievements, with advancements in poetry, calligraphy, painting, literature, music, and science. The flourishing cultural scene helped foster a sense of national identity and social cohesion, contributing to the dynasty’s stability.
Cosmopolitanism and Openness: The Tang Dynasty was characterized by its cosmopolitan nature and open attitude towards foreign cultures. It maintained extensive diplomatic and trade relations with neighboring regions and countries, such as the Silk Road trade with Central Asia and cultural exchanges with Korea and Japan. This openness and inclusiveness helped the dynasty attract talent, resources, and diverse influences, contributing to its longevity.
Effective Governance and Reforms: The Tang Dynasty implemented various reforms and policies that aimed to strengthen governance, promote social harmony, and improve the lives of its people. This included land reforms, taxation reforms, and the equal-field system, which aimed to alleviate social disparities and ensure fair distribution of resources. These measures helped to maintain social stability and public support for the dynasty.
Overall, the combination of strong governance, military strength, economic prosperity, cultural achievements, openness to foreign influences, and effective reforms contributed to the Tang Dynasty’s long-lasting rule.
Inventions of the Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was a period of great technological advancements and inventions. Here are some notable inventions and technological achievements of the Tang Dynasty:
Printing Technology: The Tang Dynasty witnessed significant developments in printing technology. The invention of woodblock printing allowed for the mass production of books, leading to the spread of knowledge and literacy. The Diamond Sutra, printed in 868, is the world’s oldest dated printed text.
Gunpowder: The Tang Dynasty is credited with the discovery and early use of gunpowder, which revolutionized warfare and had a profound impact on the world. Initially, gunpowder was used for medicinal and alchemical purposes, but its military applications, such as flamethrowers and explosives, soon emerged.
Mechanical Clocks: The Tang Dynasty is known for the invention of mechanical clocks. These clocks were powered by water and featured intricate mechanisms with moving figurines. The most famous of these clocks was the water-driven celestial clock tower constructed by astronomer-engineer Su Song in 1088.
Porcelain: The Tang Dynasty saw advancements in ceramic technology, leading to the production of high-quality porcelain. Tang porcelain was renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship, vibrant colors, and distinctive glazes.
Advanced Iron and Steel Production: The Tang Dynasty developed advanced techniques for iron and steel production. The use of blast furnaces and the introduction of new alloys, such as steel, improved the quality and quantity of metal production.
Tea Culture: The Tang Dynasty played a crucial role in the development and popularization of tea culture. Tea became an integral part of daily life and social customs during this period.
Tri-color Glazed Pottery: The Tang Dynasty is renowned for its distinctive tri-color (sancai) glazed pottery. These ceramics featured a beautiful blend of green, yellow, and white glazes, often depicting human figures, animals, and mythical creatures.
Compass: Although the compass existed before the Tang Dynasty, it was during this period that its use became more widespread and refined. The compass greatly aided navigation and contributed to the expansion of trade and exploration.
These inventions and technological advancements of the Tang Dynasty had a profound impact on various aspects of society, including warfare, culture, trade, and daily life. They exemplify the innovative spirit and the flourishing of science and technology during this period.
tang dynasty paper money
Feiqian, which translates to “flying money,” was a product of the Tang Dynasty during the reign of Emperor Xianzong over 1,200 years ago. Historical records describe Feiqian as follows: “At that time, merchants and traders arrived in the capital and entrusted their money to various agencies in the Imperial Court, the military, and government officials’ wealthy families. They would then receive a voucher to facilitate their travels to different regions. This practice was called Feiqian, meaning ‘flying money’.”
This means that when merchants came to the capital city to conduct business and earned money, they intended to use it for purchasing goods in various locations. However, during the Tang Dynasty, there was a shortage of currency circulation in the capital city, and there were regulations that prohibited taking money out of the city. Consequently, merchants would hand over their cash to local agencies or wealthy merchants in the capital city, receiving a voucher as proof of their deposit. Upon returning to their respective regions, they could redeem their money by presenting the voucher. This process was known as Feiqian, as they could obtain money by simply presenting a piece of paper. Does this process sound familiar? It is indeed similar to the modern procedures of depositing money in a bank, writing checks, and withdrawing funds.
However, it is essential to note that these vouchers were not considered genuine paper currency. This is because, during the time of currency shortage, before silver could be widely used as a medium of exchange, the Feiqian system emerged to facilitate large-scale cross-regional transactions. The Feiqian vouchers were used for one-way exchanges and did not involve direct “money-goods” transactions. They could not be used for payment or general circulation but could only be redeemed at specific locations. Thus, they served as a form of certification. Although they did not fully develop into paper currency, they can be seen as precursors to paper money.
Tang dynasty paper descendants to Arabia
The discovery of seventh-century documents in the Astana Tombs of Turpan, Xinjiang, China, indicates the presence of papermakers and paper mills in the Western Regions during that time. The documents mention a papermaker named “Kuitou Liunu” and refer to the existence of paper mills in the region. However, eighth-century Sogdian documents unearthed in the Mug Mountain of Penjikent, western Tajikistan, were still written on parchment and wooden tablets, suggesting that papermaking had not yet reached Central Asia at that time.
In the year 751, Tang Dynasty soldiers fought against Arab forces in the Battle of Talas near the Hengros (Jambul, in present-day southern Kazakhstan) and suffered a defeat. According to Arab accounts, among the Tang soldiers captured by the Arabs were papermakers. These papermakers established the first paper mill in the Muslim world in Samarkand.
In 794, the Caliph ordered the governor of Khurasan to establish the first paper mill in western Asia in Baghdad, following the model of the Samarkand mill. From then on, paper mills spread throughout the Arab world. Numerous paper factories appeared along the Red Sea coast of the Arabian Peninsula and the eastern coast of the Mediterranean, particularly in the Levant region. Damascus paper was particularly renowned and remained a major supplier of paper to Europe for several centuries.
The introduction of papermaking to the Arab world led to the emergence of scribes and copyists who preserved classical European civilization, laying the foundation for the European Renaissance.
Around the ninth century, papermaking reached Egypt, as evidenced by discovered documents. From the early eighth century to the early ninth century, documents were mostly written on papyrus. However, during the ninth to tenth centuries, most documents were written on both papyrus and paper, and from the tenth century onward, the majority of documents were written on paper.
tang dynasty compass
The invention of the compass was a result of gradual improvements over a long period of time, and different forms of compasses appeared in different periods. During the Tang Dynasty, feng shui practitioners were quite active, and they began to emphasize the importance of direction and the search for a more convenient directional indicator than the magnetic spoon. As a result, the south-pointing fish or tadpole-shaped iron indicators and water-floating magnetic needles came into existence.
Qiu Yanhan, a feng shui practitioner from Shanxi active during the Tang Kaiyuan era (713-741 AD), is revered by later feng shui practitioners as the originator of the earliest true needle method among the three needles of feng shui (the true needle, the sewing needle, and the central needle). Zhu Quan, the Prince of Ning, known for his interest in technology during the Ming Dynasty, stated in his book “Secrets of the Divine Machine”: “There is no ancient record of needle method, it was first established by Xuan Zhen.” Xuan Zhen refers to Zhang Zhihe, a Daoist from Jinhua, Zhejiang, during the Tang Dynasty (around 730-810 AD). He was known as Xuan Zhenzi and authored the book “Xuan Zhenzi” in twelve volumes, of which only three volumes remain. From these surviving volumes, it is known that he had a keen interest in physics, but there is no direct record found related to the compass or needle method. However, the title Xuan Zhenzi brings to mind the commentary in Cui Bao’s “Ancient and Modern Annotations” that refers to the tadpole as “Xuan Zhen,” stating: “The tadpole, also called Xuan Zhen, Xuan Yu, is round in shape with a large tail. When the tail is shed, the feet grow.” In the tenth century, Ma Gao’s “Annotations on Ancient and Modern China” also contains a similar record. This record seems to link the invention and application of the magnetic needle and the south-pointing fish together in terms of shape and performance.
With the development of craftsmanship, the measurement accuracy of the compass underwent a qualitative change during the Tang Dynasty.
During the reign of Emperor Xizong of Tang, the National Preceptor Yang Junsong combined the two major positioning systems of the Eight Trigrams and the Twelve Earthly Branches into one. He incorporated all ten celestial stems (jia, yi, bing, ding, wu, ji, geng, xin, ren, gui) into the horizontal positioning system, except for the two stems, wu and ji, which represented the central palace position. These stems were used to represent directions.
As a result, the celestial sphere was divided into 24 equal parts, known as the “Twenty-Four Mountains,” with each mountain occupying 15 degrees. Three mountains formed one hexagram, and each hexagram occupied 45 degrees.
tang dynasty printing
Before the Tang Dynasty, China was the only country in the world with paper and was also the country that invented woodblock printing, the earliest form of printing.
Woodblock printing was the earliest form of printing and was invented by the ancient Chinese laboring people through long-term practice and research.
Around the Sui Dynasty, around 600 AD, people were inspired by seals and invented the earliest woodblock printing. However, the woodblock printing technique at that time was very rudimentary and generally only used for small, single-page prints.
During the Tang Dynasty, the number of Buddhist monks increased dramatically, and in order to replicate scriptures and Buddha images in large quantities, the level of woodblock printing greatly improved, and large-scale prints emerged. In terms of layout, the format of prints continued to be improved as the printing technique advanced.
Early single-page prints had an irregular layout, with images on the top and text below, forming a rectangular format. Later prints, although entire books or volumes of Buddhist scriptures, still used scroll binding.
By the late Tang Dynasty, with the emergence of techniques such as whirlwind binding, folded binding, and codex format, the format of prints became standardized, and woodblock printing gradually matured.
The earliest surviving woodblock print with a clearly documented date is the complete scroll of the “Diamond Sutra” discovered in the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang. It is also the world’s first printed book with illustrations.
Tang Dynasty gunpowder
Gunpowder is a significant invention of ancient China, and our country is the earliest country in the world to invent gunpowder, playing a pivotal role in the course of world history.
As early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, “Shennong Bencao Jing” listed saltpeter as a superior substance for refining elixirs using charcoal, providing the material basis for the invention of gunpowder.
During the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wei Boyang recorded in his book “Cantong Qi” the intense reaction that occurs when saltpeter and other minerals are burned together during alchemical processes. Subsequent books such as the “Huainanzi” and “Shuijingzhu” also documented the use of gunpowder.
However, the accurate documentation of the manufacturing method of gunpowder and its military use appeared during the Tang Dynasty. Detailed explanations can be found in the work “Zhenyuan Miaodao Yaolue” written by Zheng Siyuan during the mid-Tang period.
After the late Tang Dynasty, gunpowder was formed into spherical “fire arrows” for city siege purposes. This marked the transition from the era of cold weapons to firearms, ushering in the era of hot weapons. From then on, gunpowder and firearms experienced rapid development, leading to the transformation of weapon systems and military science.
The astronomical calendar of the Tang Dynasty was also highly advanced, and the prominent monk, Seng Yi Xing, was an outstanding astronomer during the Tang Esoteric Buddhism period.
Originally named Zhang Sui, Seng Yi Xing had a wide range of knowledge from an early age, with a particular interest in calendars, yin and yang, and the five elements. He had profound knowledge in these areas. As an adult, he studied Buddhist scriptures and teachings under the guidance of the eminent monk Puji on Mount Song, while also delving into astronomy, geography, yin and yang, mathematics, and other subjects.
Through his observations, Seng Yi Xing discovered in 724 the phenomenon of stellar motion, which was nearly 1,000 years earlier than the English astronomer Halley’s proposition of stellar proper motion in 1718.
In the same year, he organized and led large-scale astronomical and geodetic measurements. They conducted the first-ever measurement of the length of the meridian line. In 727, Seng Yi Xing compiled a new calendar named the “Dayan Calendar,” which was meticulously designed and structurally sound. It was the most advanced calendar of its time, and subsequent calendar makers based their works on its structure. It had a profound and far-reaching influence, only undergoing significant changes after the Ming Dynasty when Western calendars were assimilated.
In addition, the Dunhuang star map from the Tang Dynasty is one of the earliest surviving star maps in the world and contains abundant content.
The map depicts a total of 1,367 stars, starting from December and dividing the constellations near the celestial equator into 12 sections based on the sun’s position each month. The map also includes explanatory texts, which drew from materials found in the “Li Ji: Yue Ling” (Records of Rites: Monthly Ordinances) and the “Han Shu: Tian Wen Zhi” (Book of Han: Treatise on Astronomy).
what colors represent the Tang Dynasty?
The Tang Dynasty embraced the concept of “soil and virtue” and originally revered the color yellow. However, since yellow was exclusively reserved for the imperial family, the alternative choice was red.
what is Tang Dynasty script?
The Kaishu (Regular Script) of the Tang Dynasty, much like the prosperous state of the dynasty, was truly unprecedented. With a mature style and numerous accomplished calligraphers, the Kaishu of the Tang Dynasty produced renowned masters such as Yu Shinan, Ouyang Xun, Chu Suiliang in the early Tang, Yan Zhenqing in the mid-Tang, and Liu Gongquan in the late Tang. Their works in Kaishu are highly regarded and considered exemplary for future calligraphers.
In ancient times, there was a saying regarding the study of calligraphy: “To learn calligraphy, one must start with the Kaifa (Regular Script), and when writing characters, one must first practice writing big characters. The standard for big characters is based on Yan Zhenqing’s style, for the Kaifa (Regular Script) is based on Ouyang Xun’s style. When the Kaifa (Regular Script) becomes proficient, then it can be condensed into Xiaokai (Small Regular Script), which follows the style of Zhong Yao and Wang Xizhi.”
However, based on years of experimental research, it has been found that when initially learning to write characters, it is not advisable to start with excessively large characters, and the Kaifa (Regular Script) is more suitable.
what is Tang Dynasty clothing?
Characteristics of Tang Dynasty Clothing
Bright and Diverse Colors
During the Tang Dynasty, clothing was characterized by vibrant colors, with red, purple, yellow, green, and other shades as the primary tones. Contrasting color combinations were often used to highlight the luxurious and grandeur of the garments. Particularly for officials, the range of colors was even more extensive, and different colors were assigned based on their ranks. For example, the Prime Minister’s attire was purple, the Imperial Censor wore blue, the Palace Attendant dressed in white, the Deputy Attendant wore red, the Gentleman Attendant wore green, the Imperial Academy Compiler wore yellow, and the National University Prefect wore black, and so on.
Rich Variety of Fabrics and Textures
Tang Dynasty clothing employed a wide range of fabrics, including cloud brocade, silk damask, brocade, silk, and woolen textiles. The quality and texture of the fabrics were meticulously chosen, ranging from soft and smooth silk to stiff and resilient damask. Furthermore, to accentuate the splendor and noble status of the attire, precious materials such as gold and silver threads, gemstones, and pearls were used for embellishment.
Exquisite and Varied Patterns
Tang Dynasty clothing featured an abundance of intricate and colorful patterns. Common motifs included flowers, birds, insects, auspicious creatures, dragons, and phoenixes. Animal patterns, such as dragons, tigers, cranes, qilins, and phoenixes, were especially prevalent. In addition, military-themed garments incorporated patterns of soldiers, musical instruments, chariots, and weapons, such as border jackets, robes, armor, and helmets. These patterns were skillfully executed through embroidery, brocade weaving, and decorative stitching, resulting in refined craftsmanship with smooth lines and lifelike imagery.
Unique and Versatile Styles
Tang Dynasty clothing exhibited distinctive styles, comprising two main parts: the upper garment and lower trousers or skirts. The upper garment could be further categorized into robes, shirts, and skirts. Robes had long sleeves and a hemline that curved and often trailed on the ground. Shirts had shorter sleeves and were frequently worn in combination with short jackets. Skirts, known as “cháng” in Chinese, were a type of skirt worn underneath the outer garment and had a fishtail-shaped hemline. They could also be worn independently. The lower garments included long trousers, short pants, and skirts, each with different lengths and shapes. Additionally, there were special garments such as fur robes, horse jackets, and sheepskin coats, which were worn by specific groups of people.
what kind of food did the Tang Dynasty eat?
Tang Dynasty’s culinary culture, like its clothing, had diverse and distinct characteristics.
There were influences from Central Asia, South Asia, and northern nomadic ethnic groups. For example, lamb was a prominent ingredient, surpassing chicken and pork, while beef was also commonly used, although it faced some resistance from certain individuals. Dairy products also had a significant market, and the popularity of grape wine, pepper, and sugarcane gradually increased.
There were influences from the southern regions as well. For instance, the consumption of tea became popular during the middle period of the Tang Dynasty, and rice became one of the staple foods for people in the northern regions.
Preserved and pickled foods held an important place in the diet of common people.
In terms of dietary habits, northern people in the Tang Dynasty mainly consumed lamb. During the Southern and Northern Dynasties, the northern regions, influenced by ethnic minorities, had a high proportion of lamb consumption. People from the southern regions often mocked their northern counterparts by using the term “xiāng shān” (meaning “fishy and gamey”) to refer to their dietary habits. As the Tang Dynasty was influenced by the northern regions, lamb became especially favored. However, the Tang people did not view pork favorably, as consuming it in large quantities was believed to lead to conditions such as hypertension.
The dietary habits of southern people in the Tang Dynasty mainly revolved around fish consumption. Consequently, people from the northern regions derisively referred to their habit by saying, “Netting fish, filtering turtles, chewing water chestnuts, picking chicken heads, frog soup, and shellfish delicacies, all regarded as shameful meals.” According to the “Tang Huiyao” (Essentials of the Tang Dynasty), the provinces in Jiangnan (southern regions) heavily relied on fish as a staple, while the states in the Hexi region (northern regions) primarily focused on meat as their main food during fasting periods. Huaisu’s “Appetite Poem” mentions that when he was in Changsha, he consumed fish; however, upon arriving in Chang’an (capital of the Tang Dynasty), he ate more meat. It is worth noting that during the Tang Dynasty, some monks consumed meat and fish, as long as they did not personally kill the animals.
Folk cuisine included various dishes such as soups, roasted dishes, porridge, sliced and marinated meats, meatballs, dried fruits, puddings, dumplings, cakes, pastries, buns, rice dumplings, mixed fruit candies, and dumplings. For example, “kuài” referred to finely sliced raw meat, which is similar to the concept of sashimi in Japan. Soups and broths were also popular during the Tang Dynasty and served as an important criterion for evaluating a chef’s skills. The term “guǒzi” used for pastries and snacks during that era also influenced Japan, as they still refer to pastries as “guǒzi” today.
what weapons did the Tang Dynasty use?
The military equipment during the Tang Dynasty was diverse and fully functional, mainly falling into two categories: protective gear and weapons. Protective gear included helmets, armor for the torso, arm guards, battle clothing, war boots, and chainmail. Weapons included spears, clubs, bows, arrows, knives, swords, polearms, spiked maces, chain whips, and axes.
The helmets used by the Tang Dynasty army were made of leather and metal, with iron helmets being the most common. Compared to previous dynasties, there was a noticeable change in the Tang helmets, with the appearance of upturned ear guards on both sides. This style of helmet with upturned ear guards set the precedent for the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period.
However, not all soldiers were able to wear this type of helmet. Regular soldiers still wore helmets with hanging edges that covered both ears, while infantry helmets had an additional neck guard to protect the vulnerable neck area.
The armor for the torso was referred to as “yijia.” The Tang Dynasty army primarily equipped iron and leather armor. Compared to the Wei-Jin and Northern and Southern Dynasties, the rate of wearing armor in the Tang Dynasty significantly increased. Six out of ten soldiers in a Tang Dynasty army unit could receive armor, and approximately 60% of the soldiers in a force of 12,500 could wear armor. Within a force of 7,500 soldiers, 60% were equipped with armor, while the remaining 40% wore battle robes. Thus, the rate of armor usage among soldiers reached 60%.
Notably, in the Tang Dynasty, long weapons such as halberds, spears, and polearms, which were popular in previous dynasties, gradually fell out of use and were replaced by spears. There were four types of standardized Tang spears: lacquered spears, wooden spears, white pole spears, and round-head spears.
This shift occurred mainly because spearheads were easier to forge and could be mass-produced for widespread use in the military. Moreover, spear-type weapons were more suitable for attacking cavalry, particularly in combat situations. Consequently, Tang Dynasty armies using spears held a certain military advantage when confronting nomadic ethnic groups.
The term “Tang sword” refers to the four types of military swords used in the Sui and Tang dynasties, including the Yidao (ritual sword), Zhangdao (obstacle sword), Hengdao (horizontal sword), and Modao (Mo sword). “Tang sword” specifically refers to the swords of the Tang Dynasty, with early styles closely resembling those of the Sui Dynasty, often referring to the Hengdao. From a decorative perspective, Tang swords were not exclusively of the Central Plains style. The prosperous culture of West Asia and Arabia had a significant influence on Tang swords. Japanese swords did not influence the development of Tang swords; rather, Tang swords had a tremendous impact on the development of Japanese swords.
In addition, it is worth noting the use of the Modao (Mo sword) by the Tang Dynasty military. The Modao of the Tang Dynasty was derived from the Han Dynasty’s Zhanma Jian (horse-beheading sword). Although the long-handled sword did not exist during the Han Dynasty, the form of the Tang Modao likely inherited from the Han Dynasty and further developed into a new form. In the Tang Dynasty, the Modao was also referred to as the Duanma Jian (horse-severing sword).
The Tang Liuding states, “It is an ancient horse-severing sword.” The horse-severing sword originated from the horse-beheading sword of the Han Dynasty. From its name, it is evident that this weapon was extremely sharp and capable of severing horses. The blade was very sharp, resulting in strong killing power.
The Modao and Changqiang (long spear) became the two most commonly used weapons in the Tang Dynasty army. Their use greatly enhanced the army’s combat capabilities, especially for infantry. When facing cavalry, they formed dense spear formations for defense, and during attacks, soldiers wielding Modao formed lines of assault, effectively blocking enemy cavalry.
It is evident that the Tang Dynasty army had a wide range of military equipment with good defensive and protective functions, thanks to the advanced military weapon manufacturing technology of the Tang Dynasty.
Tang Dynasty and silk road
The Silk Road in the Tang Dynasty basically continued the previous routes, spanning across the Eurasian continent. The Tang Dynasty expanded the Silk Road by reopening the segments that had been disrupted due to wars since the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and it also opened a section of the northern route through the Tianshan Mountains. The Tang Dynasty’s Silk Road started from Chang’an (present-day Xi’an), passed through the Hexi Corridor in Gansu (with parallel routes in Qinghai and Ningxia), reached Xinjiang, crossed the Tianshan Mountains into Central Asia, extended further to the Middle East, and branched out to Europe. There was also a route that went to India after crossing the Tianshan Mountains.
tang dynasty vs abbasid caliphate
The Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate were two significant empires that existed during roughly the same time period, but in different regions of the world. Here are some key points of comparison between the two:
Geographical Location: The Tang Dynasty was located in East Asia, with its capital in Chang’an (present-day Xi’an, China). On the other hand, the Abbasid Caliphate was situated in the Middle East, with its capital in Baghdad (present-day Iraq).
Political Structure: The Tang Dynasty was ruled by a centralized imperial government, with an emperor at the top and a bureaucratic system supporting the administration. The Abbasid Caliphate, on the other hand, was an Islamic caliphate with a caliph as the political and religious leader, following the succession of the Prophet Muhammad.
Religion: The Tang Dynasty practiced a form of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism, with Buddhism playing a prominent role. In contrast, the Abbasid Caliphate was an Islamic empire, with Sunni Islam as the dominant religion. It became a center of Islamic learning and scholarship.
Trade and Economy: Both empires were major centers of trade and economic prosperity. The Tang Dynasty established and expanded the Silk Road, facilitating extensive trade connections with Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The Abbasid Caliphate controlled important trade routes, including the Silk Road and maritime trade in the Indian Ocean, fostering cultural and economic exchanges.
Cultural Achievements: The Tang Dynasty is renowned for its cultural achievements, including advancements in poetry, literature, painting, calligraphy, and technology. It was a golden age of Chinese arts and sciences. The Abbasid Caliphate experienced a flourishing of Islamic culture and scholarship, known as the Islamic Golden Age, making significant contributions to mathematics, astronomy, medicine, philosophy, and literature.
Military Power: The Tang Dynasty had a powerful military that expanded its territory through military campaigns, establishing control over large parts of Central Asia and Korea. The Abbasid Caliphate initially had a strong military but later faced challenges and territorial fragmentation due to internal conflicts and external invasions.
Decline and Legacy: The Tang Dynasty began to decline due to various factors, including internal rebellions, corruption, economic challenges, and nomadic incursions. The Abbasid Caliphate also experienced internal conflicts and external invasions, leading to its gradual decline and the rise of regional powers. Despite their decline, both empires left a lasting impact on their respective regions, influencing subsequent dynasties and cultures.
It’s important to note that these are general points of comparison, and there are more specific details and complexities within each empire’s history.
The Tang Dynasty and the Arab War
In the year 751 CE, during the tenth year of the Tianbao era in the Tang Dynasty, a five-day battle took place near the city of Talas in Central Asia between the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate. The Tang Dynasty’s Anxi Army suffered a disastrous defeat, and the Abbasid Caliphate also incurred significant casualties. This battle is known as the Battle of Talas. Due to the limited historical records from both sides, the details of this battle have remained elusive throughout history. For over a thousand years, there has been controversy and differing opinions regarding the scale and impact of this conflict.
Tang Dynasty vs roman empire
The Tang Dynasty and the Roman Empire existed in different time periods and geographical regions, so there was no direct conflict or interaction between them. The Roman Empire, which encompassed a significant part of Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, existed from 27 BCE to 476 CE. On the other hand, the Tang Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that ruled from 618 to 907 CE and was primarily centered in East Asia.
While the Tang Dynasty and the Roman Empire were both powerful and influential in their respective regions, their historical developments, cultural traditions, and political systems were distinct. The Roman Empire was known for its sophisticated legal system, engineering achievements, and the spread of Christianity, while the Tang Dynasty was renowned for its economic prosperity, cultural achievements, and the flourishing of Buddhism.
It is worth noting that during the Tang Dynasty, there were indirect contacts and trade relations between China and the Eastern Roman Empire (Byzantine Empire), which was the continuation of the Roman Empire in the East. These interactions mainly occurred through the Silk Road trade network, facilitating the exchange of goods, ideas, and technologies between the two civilizations.
In summary, the Tang Dynasty and the Roman Empire were significant powers in their respective regions, but due to their temporal and geographical differences, they did not directly engage in any conflicts or have substantial interactions.
Tang Dynasty vs goguryeo
During the Tang Dynasty, the relationship between China and Goguryeo was characterized by periods of both cooperation and conflict. The Tang Dynasty sought to exert its influence over the Korean Peninsula and engaged in multiple military campaigns against Goguryeo in an attempt to bring it under Chinese control. These campaigns, known as the Goguryeo-Tang Wars, lasted for several decades and resulted in a series of victories and defeats for both sides.
Goguryeo, however, successfully defended its territory against the Tang Dynasty’s advances and even launched counteroffensives into Chinese-held regions. Despite the military conflicts, there were also instances of diplomatic relations and cultural exchanges between the two powers. Goguryeo adopted some elements of Chinese culture, including Buddhism and Confucianism, and engaged in trade and diplomatic exchanges with the Tang Dynasty.
The ultimate fate of Goguryeo was sealed in 668 CE when it was conquered by a joint military force of the Tang Dynasty and its Korean allies, leading to the establishment of the Unified Silla Kingdom in the Korean Peninsula.
In summary, the Tang Dynasty and Goguryeo had a complex relationship characterized by both conflict and cultural exchange. While the Tang Dynasty sought to exert control over Goguryeo, the Korean kingdom managed to maintain its independence for a considerable period before eventually being conquered.
tang dynasty vs turkic
The Tang Dynasty’s wars with the Turkic Khaganates (620-657) were a series of conflicts that took place in the early years of the Tang Dynasty (7th century) against the Eastern Turkic Khaganate and the Western Turkic Khaganate. The major battles and events during this period include the Battle of Five Ridges (624), the Battle of Jingyang and the Treaty of Wei River (626), the Battle of Dingxiang (629), the Battle of Yinshan (630), the Battle of Tingzhou (651), and the Tang Dynasty’s conquest of the Western Turkic Khaganate (657).
During these wars, the Tang Dynasty shifted from initial appeasement and defense to offensive operations. The internal divisions and conflicts within the Turkic Khaganates, combined with Tang military advancements, led to decisive victories for the Tang forces. In 630 and 657, the Tang Dynasty defeated the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates respectively, capturing the Eastern Turkic Khagan Jiali Khan and the Western Turkic Khagan Ashina Helu, which resulted in the collapse and demise of the Turkic Khaganates.
Following the victories, the Tang Dynasty established regional military administrations known as “Dudu” and “Duhufu” in the former territories of the Eastern and Western Turkic Khaganates respectively, to maintain control and governance.
Overall, the wars between the Tang Dynasty and the Turkic Khaganates marked a significant phase in the Tang Dynasty’s expansion and consolidation of power in Central Asia. The victories against the Turkic Khaganates contributed to the Tang Dynasty’s control over the region and the establishment of its dominance in the area.
tang dynasty vs han dynasty
The Tang Dynasty and the Han Dynasty were two significant periods in Chinese history, but they did not directly engage in military conflicts with each other since they were separated by several centuries. However, it is possible to compare and contrast various aspects of these two dynasties.
Han Dynasty: The Han Dynasty ruled China from 206 BC to 220 AD, divided into the Western Han (206 BC-9 AD) and the Eastern Han (25-220 AD).
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty governed China from 618 AD to 907 AD.
Political Stability and Centralized Rule:
Han Dynasty: The Han Dynasty achieved a long period of stability and centralized rule, emphasizing Confucian ideology.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty also experienced a period of political stability and effective governance, promoting a blend of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Daoism.
Han Dynasty: The Han Dynasty expanded China’s borders to include parts of present-day Vietnam, Korea, and Central Asia.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty further expanded China’s territory, reaching its height of power and influence. It extended control over Central Asia, including parts of present-day Xinjiang, Tibet, and Vietnam.
Han Dynasty: The Han Dynasty witnessed significant cultural achievements, including advancements in literature, art, philosophy, and the development of the civil service system.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty is often regarded as a golden age of Chinese civilization. It saw remarkable achievements in poetry, painting, calligraphy, music, and the flourishing of the imperial examination system.
Foreign Relations and Trade:
Han Dynasty: The Han Dynasty established the Silk Road, facilitating extensive trade and cultural exchanges with the Western regions, including the Roman Empire.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty further expanded trade along the Silk Road and had extensive diplomatic and cultural interactions with various countries, including the Abbasid Caliphate and the Korean kingdoms.
While the Tang Dynasty built upon the foundations laid by the Han Dynasty and shared certain similarities, they were distinct dynasties separated by time and unique historical contexts. The Tang Dynasty’s territorial expansion and cultural achievements represented a continuation and further development of the foundations established during the Han Dynasty.
tang dynasty vs song dynasty
The Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty were two major dynasties in Chinese history that followed each other chronologically. Here are some key points of comparison between the two:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty ruled from 618 to 907 AD.
Song Dynasty: The Song Dynasty was divided into two periods: the Northern Song (960-1127 AD) and the Southern Song (1127-1279 AD).
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty had a more centralized government with a strong emperor and a well-established bureaucracy.
Song Dynasty: The Song Dynasty also had a centralized government, but it faced challenges from powerful military officials and the rise of regional warlords.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty controlled a vast territory, including present-day China, parts of Central Asia, and the Korean Peninsula.
Song Dynasty: The Song Dynasty lost control of the northern territories to the Khitan Liao Dynasty and ruled only over southern China.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty experienced significant economic growth, supported by a prosperous agricultural sector, extensive trade along the Silk Road, and the introduction of new technologies.
Song Dynasty: The Song Dynasty focused more on agricultural development, leading to innovations in rice cultivation and the growth of urban centers and commercialization.
Cultural and Intellectual Achievements:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty is considered a period of great cultural and artistic flourishing, known for its poetry, painting, calligraphy, and advancements in literature and philosophy.
Song Dynasty: The Song Dynasty also had notable cultural achievements, particularly in the fields of poetry, painting, and ceramics. Neo-Confucianism emerged as a dominant intellectual and philosophical doctrine during this time.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty faced military challenges from external forces, including conflicts with nomadic tribes such as the Tibetans and the Uighurs.
Song Dynasty: The Song Dynasty faced military threats from the Khitan, Jurchen, and Mongol tribes, leading to the eventual downfall of the Northern Song and the establishment of the Southern Song.
It’s important to note that both dynasties made significant contributions to Chinese history and culture, but they differed in terms of territorial control, political structure, and the specific challenges they faced. The Tang Dynasty is often regarded as a period of political stability and cultural brilliance, while the Song Dynasty is known for its economic prosperity and intellectual achievements.
tang dynasty vs qing dynasty
The Tang Dynasty and the Qing Dynasty were two major dynasties in Chinese history that were separated by several centuries. Here are some key points of comparison between the two:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty ruled from 618 to 907 AD.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty ruled from 1644 to 1912 AD.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty was dominated by the Han Chinese ethnic group, although there were also significant minority populations.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty was established by the Manchu people, an ethnic minority from northeastern China.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty had a centralized imperial government with a powerful emperor and a well-developed bureaucracy.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty also had a centralized government with an emperor, but it incorporated certain elements of Manchu culture and administration.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty expanded its territory to include parts of Central Asia, the Korean Peninsula, and northern Vietnam.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty in China and had the largest territorial extent, ruling over a vast empire that included present-day China, Mongolia, Tibet, and Taiwan.
Cultural and Social Influence:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty is considered a golden age of Chinese poetry, literature, and art. It was known for its cosmopolitanism and openness to foreign cultures.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty adopted certain aspects of Manchu culture and imposed the “Manchu way” on Chinese society. It also saw the development of distinctive styles in art, literature, and architecture.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty had extensive interactions with neighboring states, including diplomatic relations and cultural exchanges with Central Asia, the Korean kingdoms, and Japan.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty faced challenges from Western powers, including the Opium Wars and unequal treaties, which resulted in territorial losses and foreign influence in China.
End of Dynasties:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty declined due to internal rebellions, military conflicts, and economic difficulties, leading to its eventual collapse.
Qing Dynasty: The Qing Dynasty faced a series of internal and external challenges, including the Taiping Rebellion, Boxer Rebellion, and pressures for modernization, which eventually led to its downfall and the establishment of the Republic of China.
It’s important to note that the Tang Dynasty and Qing Dynasty represent distinct periods in Chinese history with their own unique characteristics and contributions. The Tang Dynasty is known for its cultural achievements and expansive influence, while the Qing Dynasty marked a period of Manchu rule and faced significant challenges from both internal and external forces.
Tang Dynasty vs Japan
The Tang Dynasty and Japan had significant interactions during their respective histories. Here are some key points of comparison between the two:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty ruled China from 618 to 907 AD.
Japan: Japan’s history during this period is often referred to as the Nara Period (710-794) and the Heian Period (794-1185).
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty had a profound cultural impact on Japan. Japanese emissaries and scholars traveled to China to study Tang culture, including Buddhism, Confucianism, government administration, art, and literature. Tang aesthetics, poetry, and clothing styles influenced Japanese culture.
Japan: Japan adopted many elements of Tang culture, including Buddhism, Confucianism, and Chinese writing systems. Japanese art, architecture, and court ceremonies were heavily influenced by Tang aesthetics.
Diplomatic Relations and Trade:
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty maintained diplomatic relations and conducted trade with Japan. Tang China sent missions to Japan and established official diplomatic ties. Trade between the two countries flourished, with goods such as silk, tea, ceramics, and Buddhist scriptures being exchanged.
Japan: The Japanese court actively engaged in diplomatic exchanges with Tang China, sending missions to establish political and cultural connections. The capital city of Nara was modeled after Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty.
Tang Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty had intermittent conflicts with Japan, particularly during the late 7th and early 8th centuries. These conflicts were centered around control over the Korean Peninsula, and both sides sought to assert influence and control over the region.
Japan: The Japanese forces, led by Emperor Tenmu and Empress Jito, launched military campaigns against the Korean kingdom of Silla, which was allied with the Tang Dynasty. Japan sought to establish dominance in the region but ultimately faced setbacks.
Cultural Exchange and Influence:
Tang Dynasty: Tang culture had a lasting impact on Japan’s court culture, literature, art, and Buddhism. Japanese aristocrats adopted Tang-style clothing, hairstyles, and customs. Many Japanese literary works, such as “The Tale of Genji,” were influenced by Tang literary traditions.
Japan: The Japanese adopted and adapted Tang cultural elements, integrating them into their own artistic and literary traditions. Tang-inspired Buddhist temples and pagodas were constructed, and Tang-style painting techniques were adopted by Japanese artists.
It’s important to note that the interactions between the Tang Dynasty and Japan were complex and multifaceted. While there were diplomatic, cultural, and trade exchanges that fostered mutual influence and admiration, there were also occasional conflicts driven by geopolitical interests in the Korean Peninsula. Overall, the Tang Dynasty played a significant role in shaping Japanese culture and society during this period.
The “QianTangShi” refers to the Japanese envoys dispatched to the Tang Dynasty in China. The practice of sending envoys to Tang Dynasty began in the fourth year of the Tang Zhenguan era (630 AD), when the first envoy, Inukai-no-Tamashige, was sent to Tang. The practice continued until the first year of the Tang Qianyuan era (894 AD), when it was discontinued. In total, there were nineteen official missions sent (including one mission to welcome Tang envoys and three missions to send Japanese envoys to Tang), with approximately thirteen of them successfully reaching the Tang Dynasty.
The envoy group consisted of the ambassador, deputy ambassador, chief judge, scribes, interpreters, physicians, shipmasters, sailors, and other staff members. Additionally, there were a large number of Japanese students and Buddhist monks who traveled to Tang for studies. At times, the total number of personnel reached over six hundred individuals. The envoy fleet typically consisted of two to four ships.
There were generally two main routes taken by the Japanese envoys. The northern route started from the capital, Tsukushi (present-day Fukuoka), and passed through the Tsushima Strait, crossed the Yellow Sea to Incheon, or followed the western coast of the Korean Peninsula and the eastern coast of the Liaodong Peninsula to reach the mouth of the Bohai Sea, then landed on the Shandong Peninsula. The southern route started from the western coast of Tsukushi and headed south, crossing the East China Sea to reach the mouth of the Yangtze River, or directly crossing the East China Sea from Tsukushi’s vicinity, near the Goto Islands (including the Five Islands and Hirado Island).
Tang Dynasty vs Korea
The Tang Dynasty and Korea had a complex relationship characterized by a mixture of political alliances, cultural exchanges, and occasional conflicts. Here are some key points about their interactions:
Political Alliances: The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) sought to maintain a friendly relationship with Korea, known as Goguryeo at that time. The Tang Dynasty provided military support to Goguryeo in its conflicts against the neighboring Silla Dynasty and Baekje Dynasty.
Cultural Exchanges: The Tang Dynasty played a significant role in influencing Korean culture. Korean scholars, artisans, and monks traveled to the Tang Dynasty to study its advanced administration, Confucianism, Buddhism, and arts. The Tang Dynasty’s influence can be seen in various aspects of Korean culture, including architecture, art, literature, and clothing.
Conflicts: Despite their alliances, there were also instances of conflict between the Tang Dynasty and Korea. In the late 7th century, Tang launched a military campaign against Goguryeo. The Tang forces initially achieved success but faced significant challenges and eventually withdrew. This conflict led to the downfall of Goguryeo and the rise of the Unified Silla Dynasty in the Korean Peninsula.
Unified Silla Dynasty: The Tang Dynasty maintained close relations with the Unified Silla Dynasty (668-935 AD), which unified the Korean Peninsula. The two dynasties exchanged envoys, engaged in trade, and shared cultural practices. The Unified Silla Dynasty recognized Tang as its suzerain and often sent tributary missions to the Tang court.
It’s important to note that the relationship between the Tang Dynasty and Korea was not solely characterized by conflicts or alliances. There were numerous instances of cultural exchange and diplomatic interactions, leaving a lasting impact on Korean history and culture.
how did the Tang Dynasty fall?
The “安史之乱” (An Shi Rebellion) greatly weakened the vitality of the Tang Dynasty, leading to its decline. The system of equal-field land distribution (均田制) gradually disintegrated, and the phenomenon of land consolidation became increasingly severe. The rent and corvée system (租庸调制) could no longer be effectively implemented. The situation of regional military governors gaining autonomy had already taken shape. After this period, the Tang Dynasty faced external threats from the Tibetan Empire, the Uyghur Khaganate, and the Nanzhao Kingdom, while internally, eunuchs wielded power and even determined the enthronement of emperors.
In 859, a peasant uprising erupted, and through the impact of Huang Chao’s rebellion, the foundation of the Tang Dynasty was shattered, and its political authority became nominal. In the process of suppressing the peasant uprising, a new group of military governors known as “jiedushi” emerged, and intense wars of consolidation broke out between the new and old regional powers. Among them, the most influential powers in the Yellow River basin were Li Keyong, the military governor of Hedong, Zhu Quanzhong (later known as Emperor Taizu of Later Liang), the military governor of Bian (Kaifeng), and Li Maozhen, the military governor of Fengxiang.
In 889, Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Zhaozong of Tang to relocate the capital to Luoyang, compelling the officials of the court to accompany the move eastward. After their departure, he ordered the destruction of the palaces, government offices, and civilian houses in Chang’an.
In 905, Zhu Quanzhong carried out mass demotions and exiles of court officials, and subsequently killed more than 30 exiled officials, including Cui Shu, at the Bai Ma Yi station, throwing their bodies into the river. This event became known as the “Bai Ma Yi Incident.” With all political resistance eliminated, Zhu Quanzhong forced Emperor Ai of Tang to abdicate in 907, proclaimed himself Emperor Taizu of Later Liang, and established the era name Kaiping with the capital in Kaifeng. Thus, the Tang Dynasty came to an end.
who helped overthrow the Tang Dynasty?
The overthrow of the Tang Dynasty involved various factors and multiple forces. However, one of the key figures who played a significant role in the downfall of the Tang Dynasty was Zhu Quanzhong, also known as Zhu Wen. He was a military governor (jiedushi) of the Later Liang state, which was one of the many regional powers that emerged during the period of disintegration of central authority in the late Tang Dynasty.
Zhu Quanzhong led a successful military campaign against the Tang Dynasty and its remnants, taking advantage of the political and military chaos that plagued the empire. He gradually gained control over key regions, including the strategic capital city of Chang’an. In 907, he forced Emperor Ai of Tang to abdicate, marking the end of the Tang Dynasty. Zhu Quanzhong then established the Later Liang Dynasty, becoming its first emperor, known as Emperor Taizu.
It’s important to note that Zhu Quanzhong was not the sole factor in the downfall of the Tang Dynasty. The An Shi Rebellion, internal power struggles, regional military governors, and various external threats also contributed to the weakening and eventual collapse of the dynasty.
Why Is the Tang Dynasty Dynasty Important?
The Tang Dynasty is considered one of the most significant periods in Chinese history due to its numerous contributions and achievements. Here are several reasons why the Tang Dynasty is important:
Golden Age of Chinese Culture: The Tang Dynasty is often referred to as the “Golden Age” of Chinese culture. It was a period of remarkable artistic, literary, and intellectual achievements. Tang poetry, with renowned poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu, reached its peak and has had a lasting impact on Chinese literature. The dynasty also saw advancements in painting, calligraphy, music, and dance, with the emergence of new art forms and styles.
Cosmopolitanism and Cultural Exchange: The Tang Dynasty was a cosmopolitan empire that attracted foreign merchants, diplomats, scholars, and travelers from various regions, including Central Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. The capital city, Chang’an (present-day Xi’an), was a vibrant cultural and commercial center, fostering cross-cultural exchanges and the spread of ideas, religions (such as Buddhism and Nestorian Christianity), and technologies.
Stable Governance and Administrative Reforms: The Tang Dynasty implemented various administrative reforms that enhanced governance and promoted social stability. The equal-field land distribution system (均田制) aimed to reduce the concentration of landownership, while the civil service examination system was expanded, allowing people from different social backgrounds to enter government service based on merit. The dynasty’s emphasis on efficient administration contributed to its longevity and prosperity.
Economic Prosperity and Trade: The Tang Dynasty experienced significant economic growth and was an important center of trade and commerce. It had an extensive network of trade routes, including the famous Silk Road, which facilitated the exchange of goods, technologies, and ideas between East Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East. The flourishing economy supported urbanization, a monetized economy, and the development of industry and agriculture.
Military Expansion and Diplomatic Relations: The Tang Dynasty expanded its territory through military campaigns, incorporating vast regions into its empire. It established diplomatic relations with neighboring states and formed alliances, such as with the Tibetan Empire and various Central Asian powers. These diplomatic ties and military achievements contributed to regional stability and cultural exchanges.
Legal and Social Reforms: The Tang Dynasty enacted legal reforms that aimed to ensure fairness and justice, such as the codification of laws in the Tang Code. It also implemented social reforms, including efforts to improve women’s rights, land redistribution, and relief measures for peasants.
Overall, the Tang Dynasty’s accomplishments in culture, governance, economy, and diplomacy have had a profound and lasting impact on Chinese history and civilization. It laid the foundation for subsequent dynasties and influenced neighboring countries and regions.
how did the tang dynasty benefit from the accomplishments of the sui
The Tang Dynasty benefited from the accomplishments of the preceding Sui Dynasty in several ways:
Reunification of China: The Sui Dynasty successfully reunited China after centuries of division and fragmentation during the Northern and Southern Dynasties period. This reunification provided the Tang Dynasty with a stable and unified foundation upon which to build its empire.
Grand Canal: One of the most significant achievements of the Sui Dynasty was the construction of the Grand Canal, a massive waterway system connecting the Yellow River and Yangtze River. This canal facilitated transportation, trade, and communication between northern and southern China, benefiting the Tang Dynasty by enhancing economic integration and cultural exchange.
Administrative Reforms: The Sui Dynasty implemented administrative reforms that laid the groundwork for the efficient governance and centralized rule later seen in the Tang Dynasty. These reforms included the establishment of a standardized legal code, land and tax reforms, and the implementation of a civil service examination system. The Tang Dynasty further built upon these reforms, refining and expanding them to strengthen its administration.
Military Success: The Sui Dynasty undertook military campaigns to reunify China, which resulted in the conquest of various territories and the suppression of rebellions. This military success created a more stable and secure environment for the Tang Dynasty, allowing it to focus on further expansion and development.
Infrastructure Development: The Sui Dynasty invested heavily in infrastructure projects, including the construction of palaces, cities, walls, canals, and roads. The Tang Dynasty inherited and improved upon this infrastructure, which facilitated communication, transportation, and trade, contributing to the empire’s economic growth and prosperity.
Cultural Influence: The Sui Dynasty played a role in fostering cultural exchange and assimilation between different regions of China. Its cultural achievements, such as art, literature, and architecture, influenced and enriched the cultural landscape inherited by the Tang Dynasty. This cultural continuity provided a foundation for the Tang Dynasty’s own cultural blossoming and artistic achievements.
Overall, the accomplishments of the Sui Dynasty laid the groundwork for the subsequent successes of the Tang Dynasty. The reunification of China, infrastructure development, administrative reforms, military victories, and cultural influence all contributed to the stability, growth, and prosperity of the Tang Dynasty.
The prosperity of the Tang Dynasty is largely attributed to the accomplishments of the preceding Sui Dynasty. Here are the reasons why it is said that the Tang Dynasty’s success can be credited to the Sui Dynasty:
Inherited Political System: The Tang Dynasty inherited the political system established by the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Yang Jian (Sui Wendi), the founder of the Sui Dynasty, was a capable ruler who implemented significant reforms in politics, economy, culture, military, and diplomacy. The Tang Dynasty continued many of these reforms, including the adoption of the civil service examination system, which allowed talented individuals from all social classes to serve in the government.
Administrative Reforms: The Sui Dynasty introduced administrative reforms that were further developed by the Tang Dynasty. These reforms included the reorganization of the government structure by replacing the “Nine-Rank System” with the civil service examination system, the establishment of a two-tier system of provinces and counties to reduce the power of local authorities and strengthen centralized rule, and the implementation of lenient criminal laws to ensure stability and win popular support.
Economic Policies: The Sui Dynasty implemented economic policies that laid the foundation for the Tang Dynasty’s economic prosperity. These policies emphasized agricultural development, land reform, and promotion of trade and commerce. The Tang Dynasty continued to build upon these economic policies, leading to further growth and prosperity.
Legal System: The Tang Dynasty inherited and refined the legal system established by the Sui Dynasty. The Tang Code, based on the principles of the Sui Code, provided a comprehensive set of laws that promoted fairness and justice. The stability and predictability of the legal system contributed to social order and economic growth.
Learning from Mistakes: The Tang Dynasty learned from the mistakes of the Sui Dynasty and implemented appropriate governance policies. They emphasized open dialogue and the acceptance of criticism, ensuring the selection of capable officials through the imperial examination system. This focus on talent and good governance contributed to the stability and success of the early Tang Dynasty.
The prosperous and powerful Tang Dynasty fully inherited the economic foundation of the Sui Dynasty and created a new era.
The Sui Dynasty followed the “equal-field system” implemented during the Northern Wei Dynasty, emphasizing agricultural production and reducing burdens on the peasants, leading to social stability and prosperity. During the reign of Emperor Yang (Sui Yangdi), the Sui Dynasty also constructed the Grand Canal, a waterway system spanning over 2,000 kilometers, connecting major rivers and facilitating the exchange of goods between northern and southern China. This greatly promoted economic development and enhanced the connection between regions. The Sui Dynasty also implemented currency reforms, abolishing outdated currencies and further standardizing weights and measures. These measures freed up productivity, resulted in abundant resources, and led to a surplus of food stored in state granaries, amounting to millions of metric tons, which could sustain the country’s expenses for 60 years. Despite the destruction caused by warfare towards the end of the Sui Dynasty, there was still surplus remaining until the eleventh year of the Zhenguan era in the Tang Dynasty, indicating the immense prosperity of the Sui Dynasty.
The economic system and material foundation established during the Sui Dynasty were further developed and expanded under the astute utilization of Emperor Taizong (Li Shimin) of the Tang Dynasty. This laid the foundation for a period of political clarity and economic prosperity during the early Tang Dynasty. This era, along with the subsequent rule of Empress Wu Zetian and the prosperous reign of Emperor Xuanzong known as the “Heyday of the Kaiyuan Era,” was built upon the strong economic foundation established during this period.
The Tang Dynasty inherited the cultural prosperity of the Sui Dynasty.
After the establishment of the Sui Dynasty, Emperor Wen (Sui Wendi) attached great importance to “civilization” and vigorously promoted education and culture. Recognizing the severe loss and dispersal of official documents during previous dynasties’ periods of warfare, Emperor Wen issued decrees to collect over 30,000 books from all over the country, enriching cultural resources. Particularly during the reign of Emperor Yang (Sui Yangdi), books were organized and classified into four categories: A, B, C, and D, which later became the basis for the “Classics, History, Philosophy, and Literature,” forming the foundation for the preservation of cultural heritage. The Sui Dynasty also adopted an open policy, absorbing foreign cultures and integrating them with Chinese culture. This led to the simultaneous development of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, resulting in a diverse cultural landscape. Many cultural figures, such as Wang Tong (known as “Wen Zhongzi”), emerged during this period and exerted significant influence on future generations.
Building upon the rich cultural heritage of the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty further expanded freedom of speech, reduced censorship, and fostered a culturally liberal environment. Achievements in epic poetry, calligraphy, prose, novels, music, dance, and other artistic forms surpassed those of the Sui Dynasty. Literature and art flourished with a myriad of styles, particularly reaching its pinnacle with “Tang poetry,” which has been passed down through the ages as an unparalleled achievement in poetic expression.
The Tang Dynasty inherited the military and diplomatic strategies of the Sui Dynasty.
Militarily, the Sui Dynasty adopted the military system of the Northern Zhou Dynasty, establishing a central command organization known as the “Twelve Guards” under the direct control of the emperor. Four major military districts, namely the East, West, South, and North, were established nationwide to safeguard key areas and defend against external threats. The Tang Dynasty expanded the “Twelve Guards” to the “Sixteen Guards” and reformed the military system based on the “equal-field system,” integrating the military with agriculture. This system combined military service with farming, ensuring a steady supply of soldiers while reducing military expenditure. This system continued to be utilized until the middle and later periods of the Tang Dynasty.
Building upon the military structure inherited from the Sui Dynasty, the Tang Dynasty established the “Central Army” and “Regional Garrison Army.” During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong, nine military commissioners were appointed, commanding a total force of over one million soldiers. This formidable military capability provided the Tang Dynasty with significant offensive power. However, it also created conditions for regional garrisons to wield their own military strength and disregard imperial orders, leading to uprisings. The An Lushan Rebellion during the later period of Emperor Xuanzong is a typical example of this.
In terms of diplomacy, the Sui Dynasty followed the concept of using virtue to win over people and maintained peaceful coexistence with vassal states. While warfare was occasionally employed, it was aimed at submission rather than complete annihilation, resulting in most bordering countries surrendering to the Sui Dynasty. With the opening of the Silk Road, the Sui Dynasty’s trade and cultural exchanges extended to Europe, fostering increasingly friendly relations. Foreign countries also sent envoys to the Sui capital, creating a grand scene of “myriad nations paying homage” and reaching the pinnacle of diplomatic affairs.
The Tang Dynasty made even greater breakthroughs and developments in diplomacy based on the foundation laid by the Sui Dynasty. Emperor Taizong married Princess Wencheng to the Tibetan king Songtsen Gampo, stabilizing relations with neighboring ethnic groups. Furthermore, the eminent monk Xuanzang was dispatched to India to retrieve Buddhist scriptures, introducing Buddhism to China and strengthening cultural exchanges between China and foreign lands. The Tang Dynasty’s diplomatic reach extended to Arabia and other regions, attracting a large number of foreign students who came to the Tang capital to study and engage in cultural exchanges. As a result, the Tang Dynasty became the most powerful empire in the world, with nations from all corners of the globe paying tribute.
In summary, after unifying China, the Sui Dynasty, through Emperor Wen’s bold reforms, became the most developed country of its time, earning the saying “no wealth can compare to the Sui.” The Tang Dynasty, building upon the comprehensive inheritance of the Sui Dynasty’s political, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and military systems, and benefiting from outstanding rulers like Emperor Taizong, Empress Wu Zetian, and Emperor Xuanzong, experienced significant development in national strength. It reached its peak during the periods of “Zhenguan’s governance” and the “Prosperous Era of Kaiyuan,” enjoying a nearly three-hundred-year reign. The Tang Dynasty became the most powerful feudal empire in Chinese history.
My name is Yelang, I love my country. I love Chinese history, Chinese cultureandChinese food, I want to share my story to friends all over the world. Truly, without any political bias, let you know my motherland. For this reason, I have traveled all over China's 20 + provinces and visited more than 100 + cities. At the same time, I read a lot of books and articles, and let you know through the website of sonofchina. At the same time, I hope to get to know friends all over the world and know different countries in the world through sonofchina.So, if you have any questions, please let me know.
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Movement and Exercise
Between the ages of 50 and 70 we lose about 30% of our muscle strength and, as we age, our balance reaction times get slower which makes it harder to stay steady, especially if we are doing something quickly. Without physical activity, it is also difficult to maintain strong bones.
There is strong evidence that strength and balance exercise programmes are effective in preventing falls, regardless of age. Exercise classes designed for older people are particularly beneficial as they aim to improve balance and strength, making it easier to get in and out of chairs, on and off buses and up from and down to the floor.
Generally speaking, physical activity is any movement that results in a small increase in your heart rate and breathing. Exercising is safe and beneficial for the majority of people, but, if you experience chest pain or feel faint while exercising you should stop exercising immediately and contact your doctor. To minimise the risk of adverse effects, if you are new to exercise, begin slowly and gradually build up to the recommended amount:
- Physical activity on most days adding up to 150mins moderate intensity exercise each week (e.g. walking, swimming, cycling)
- Strengthening exercises 2-3 times per week (e.g. gym, carrying heavy bags, yoga)
- Challenging balance activities 2-3 times per week (e.g. tai chi, bowls, dancing)
Something is better than nothing, even if it is just breaking up long periods of sitting with regular walks around the house or doing some exercises in your chair. Please note that chair based exercises, while beneficial for many other things, DO NOT prevent falls – exercises must challenge your balance if they are to be effective.
If you are already reasonably active, you still need to ensure your strength, balance and bone health is at its best. Tai Chi and any form of dancing are great activities to help your bones, muscles and balance.
If you need help or advice about the best activities for you, speak to a physiotherapist or appropriately qualified exercise professional.
For further information regarding community exercise opportunities for older people:
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In case you didn't know, the sun is the very shiny bright ball in the sky which lives in the centre of our galaxy.
A dedicated ARSE lover has a very interesting question about our big fiery fellow and we are all for it.
So let us go ahead and: Ask ARSE.
"Hi ARSE, you recently did a blog on how big the sun is and what it burns as fuel. What I was wondering was how long until it burns through everything and collapses?
Great question Matt and great that you read and understood the blog.
As we know by now, the sun is mostly hydrogen (75%) and the rest is mostly helium with trace metals.
The big burner dissolves about 600,000,000,000 tonnes of hydrogen every second and creating 4,000,000,000 tonnes of energy as a result.
This is expected to go on for another 5 billion years or so, therefore the sun at this point is just shy of halfway through its life expectancy.
When the fuel burns out entirely, as you said, the core will collapse on itself and the outer parts of the sun will expand and blast everything in its path into utter oblivion.
The new form of the sun will be an estimated 200 times its current size and 2000 times as bright while stretching out to our orbit.
The sun will then calm and live the rest of its days as a much smaller white dwarf ember that will glow on until the end of perceived time.
So to answer your question, 5 billion years from now as the sun is pre-middle-aged.
Thank you for your question Matt and please share to spread ARSE far and wide as we thrust harder into the deep unknown...
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The first stars in the cosmos may have topped out at over 10,000 times the mass of the sun, roughly 1,000 times bigger than the biggest stars alive today, a new study has found.
And once these doomed giants died out, conditions were never right for them to form again.
The cosmic Dark Ages
More than 13 billion years ago, not long after the Big Bang, the universe had no stars. There was nothing more than a warm soup of neutral gas, almost entirely made up of hydrogen and helium. Over hundreds of millions of years, however, that neutral gas began to pile up into increasingly dense balls of matter. This period is known as the cosmic Dark Ages.
In the modern day universe, dense balls of matter quickly collapse to form stars. But that’s because the modern universe has something that the early universe lacked: A lot of elements heavier than hydrogen and helium. These elements are very efficient at radiating energy away. This allows the dense clumps to shrink very rapidly, collapsing to high enough densities to trigger nuclear fusion – the process that powers stars by combining lighter elements into heavier ones.
But the only way to get heavier elements in the first place is through that same nuclear fusion process. Multiple generations of stars forming, fusing, and dying enriched the cosmos to its present state.
Without the ability to rapidly release heat, the first generation of stars had to form under much different, and much more difficult, conditions.
To understand the puzzle of these first stars, a team of astrophysicists turned to sophisticated computer simulations of the dark ages to understand what was going on back then. They reported their findings in January in a paper published to the preprint database arXiv (opens in new tab) and submitted for peer review to the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
The new work features all the usual cosmological ingredients: Dark matter to help grow galaxies, the evolution and clumping of neutral gas, and radiation that can cool and sometimes reheat the gas. But their work includes something that others have lacked: Cold fronts – fast-moving streams of chilled matter – that slam into already formed structures.
The researchers found that a complex web of interactions preceded the first star formation. Neutral gas began to collect and clump together. Hydrogen and helium released a little bit of heat, which allowed clumps of the neutral gas to slowly reach higher densities.
But high-density clumps became very warm, producing radiation that broke apart the neutral gas and prevented it from fragmenting into many smaller clumps. That means stars made from these clumps can become incredibly large.
These back-and-forth interactions between radiation and neutral gas led to massive pools of neutral gas– the beginnings of the first galaxies. The gas deep within these proto-galaxies formed rapidly spinning accretion disks – fast-flowing rings of matter that form around massive objects, including black holes in the modern universe.
Meanwhile, on the outer edges of the proto-galaxies, cold fronts of gas rained down. The coldest, most massive fronts penetrated the proto-galaxies all the way to the accretion disk.
These cold fronts slammed into the disks, rapidly increasing both their mass and density to a critical threshold, thereby allowing the first stars to appear.
Those first stars weren’t just any normal fusion factories. They were gigantic clumps of neutral gas igniting their fusion cores all at once, skipping the stage where they fragment into small pieces. The resulting stellar mass was huge.
Those first stars would have been incredibly bright and would have lived extremely short lives, less than a million years. (Stars in the modern universe can live billions of years). After that, they would have died in furious bursts of supernova explosions.
Those explosions would have carried the products of the internal fusion reactions – elements heavier than hydrogen and helium – that then seeded the next round of star formation. But now contaminated by heavier elements, the process couldn’t repeat itself, and those monsters would never again appear on the cosmic scene.
Originally published on LiveScience.com.
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Trigger: The following lesson plan explores the historical and present-day impact pandemics have had on Canada and St. Catharines’ communities through guided discussion. Due to the nature of the subject matter covered, some may find this content sensitive.
Note to teacher: This lesson may be broken up into two parts.
Lesson: Historic Moments in Canada: Pandemics in History
Topic: Exploring pandemics throughout history
Activity: Researching and understanding a history of pandemics
Theme: Environmental influences on human history
- Students will be able to identify distinguishing features between endemics, epidemics, and pandemic
- Students will be able to outline the effects pandemics have on their community
- Students will be able to examine St. Catharines’ role and response in addressing and combating a pandemic
- Students will understand the historical and present-day impact pandemics have had on the community
- Students will be able to reflect on how they can take action and help the community during the current COVID-19 Pandemic
- Electronic device (computer, tablet, laptop)
- Blank piece of paper
- Pandemic in History handout
Pre-Lesson: Four Corners Activity
Notes to teacher: for proper social distancing, complete the following activity in a larger space, i.e. gymnasium and ensure students are wearing their masks.
Begin with a “Four Corners” exercise as a pretest to determine student views of the significance of diseases in history.
FOUR CORNERS: This structure is designed to allow participants to get to know themselves and each other better and will be used as a content-related class builder to set the tone for activities that will be discussed later. The steps are:
1. The teacher announces the corners. Students think about their choices.
2. They write down their choices on a piece of paper.
3. They go to the corner of their choice.
4. They talk with others in the corner about why they chose it.
5. A spokesperson from the corner shares with the whole group why they chose it.
6. After hearing all of the reasons, students can then change corners.
7. Students return to their tables and review their reasons.
The topic is: Diseases in human history…
Corner 1: Are not worth noting since they did not shape events.
Corner 2: Are important in only a few cases like the Bubonic Plague.
Corner 3: Have played an important role in our history’s past, however, are not significant today.
Corner 4: Are important to our past and will play a significant role in our future.
After completing the Four Corners activity, ask students if they can explain what the following are:
Allow students to discuss what they believe are suitable definitions for each term. Then watch the video: ‘Endemic vs Epidemic vs Pandemic – How Epidemiologists Classify Disease Prevalence
After watching the video, have students look at a current media story about the flu or other outbreak of disease in the news, followed by a discussion of the significance of disease in history (i.e. smallpox, influenza, cholera, etc.)
Set up the inquiry by asking students if diseases, plagues, epidemics, and pandemics get enough coverage in history courses or textbooks.
What Do You Wonder?
Source: City of Toronto Archives
Date: July 29, 1913
Note to teacher: print of individual physical copies of the photo or project on Smart Board for students to view.
Have students look at the photograph above. On a blank piece of paper, have them state some things that they wonder about this photo. Use the Five W’s and H: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How to assist in your inquiry. Discuss student’s comments as a class.
After the discussion, inform students that the photograph is of children at Victoria Park Forest School in Toronto practicing blowing their noses in 1913.
Using the photograph as context, ask students why this photograph may be of significance? What happened during this period of time that such a photograph would exist focusing on these actions? Allow students to formulate thoughts and answer.
Ask students if they know what ‘The Spanish Flu’ is and can explain their answer. Allow students time to formulate their thoughts and discuss.
Explain to students that the Spanish Flu was an extremely devastating form of Influenza that struck Canada between 1918 and 1920. Inform students that they will be investigating and collecting information on the Spanish Flu as it pertains to Canada.
Next, ask students if they know what ‘SARS’ is and can explain their answer? Allow students time to formulate their thoughts and discuss.
Explain to students that SARS is an infectious disease caused by a coronavirus – so named for the crown or halo surrounding them.
Lastly, as a class, ask students what they know about the COVID-19 Pandemic (i.e. what it is, symptoms, how it is spread, etc.) Students should be familiar with COVID-19 Pandemic as opposed to the other pandemics and be able to provide information based on community protocols and procedures.
Note to teacher: Optional – watch the video information video on COVID-19: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BtN-goy9VOY&feature=emb_title
Using the following links:
Students will explore in-depth information about the Spanish Flu, SARS, and COVID-19 and the impact it had on Canada. Students will gather their information by completing the Pandemic in History handout.
Explain to students that they will be using the Pandemic in History handout to help them conduct their research and recording their information.
- Download and print the Pandemic in History handout. If you cannot print, we recommend downloading the Adobe or Word version of the handout.
Note to teacher: Allow students time to conduct research and fill in their handout with the appropriate information.
Once students have completed the Pandemic in History handout review as a class. Ask students to identify similarities and differences between the pandemics that have occurred throughout history. How has Canada’s response to each pandemic changed?
St. Catharines Legacy
The Welland House, St. Catharines, Ontario
Source: The St. Catharines Museum (1075-N)
Note to teacher: Distribute individual physical copies of the photograph or project on a Smart Board.
After discussing the Pandemic in History handout, show students the Welland House photograph. Ask students, “how do you think the Spanish Flu impacted St. Catharines?” Using inferencing skills and the knowledge they have learned from collecting research, students should be able to formulate thoughtful answers on how they think the City was impacted by the pandemic. Discuss as a class.
Have students close their eyes and imagine what life may have been like in 1918 and read the following excerpt from the St. Catharines Standard on October 12, 1918:
The City of St. Catharines did not come through the Spanish Flu epidemic untouched.
It is difficult to know the total number of flu cases in the community as many people were treated in their homes rather than in institutional settings.
In order to accommodate additional flu cases, quarantine hospitals were opened. The Welland House Hotel on Ontario Street converted its private maternity hospital – The Welland – into a quarantine hospital in order to provide more room for serious flu cases. Other quarantine wards were established in the convalescent hospital in the former Merritt home and in St. John’s Church in Port Dalhousie.
Additionally, Ridley College had only recently opened its new isolation hospital. While all the stricken students survived the disease, a school nurse – Miss Bush, and a school master – Mr. H. J. Flynn, both succumbed to the outbreak.
The flu so stretched the resources of the General and Marine hospital that they had to close to general patients from September 30th to October 15th, 1918. The hospital reported that they had to take on extra graduate nurses and loaned equipment from the Welland Canal Hospital in order to re-open.
The severity of the epidemic would test the ability of the local Board of Health to respond to this type of crisis.
Based on resources and medical expertise using information they collected during their research, ask students, “What do you think it would have been like to live in St. Catharines during the Spanish Flu pandemic?” “What steps would you take to protect yourself?”
Show students the updated picture of what was once the Welland House for comparison. This will help students understand the transition of the historic building from past to present.
As a class review the City of St. Catharines’ ‘State of Emergency’ and ‘Mandatory Masks By-Law’: https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/livein/covid-19.asp
Ask students, how has information changed in St. Catharines regarding the pandemics? What do you notice between the articles (Spanish Flu excerpt and St. Catharines State of Emergency)?
Reflection of a Pandemic
As a final activity, have students write a journal entry on how COVID-19 has personally impacted their life. What things have changed? What has stayed the same? What are you doing in your community to keep yourself and other safe? Explain to students they may get creative with their entries, write poems, use published poems, song lyrics, or draw pictures to express their thoughts.
If students feel comfortable to do so, share journal entries as a class and have them identify similarities and differences among their peers.
Wrap up Discussion
Review previous statements from the Four Corners exercise. Ask students based on the research they have conducted would they change their response, why or why not? Discuss as a class.
To wrap up the lesson, ask students what important role have pandemics played in our history’s past? What role will the current pandemic play in our history? How will it impact the future?
Students who have cognitive, learning, or mobility issues may verbally describe their Pandemic in History answers in addition to their reflection piece or use an assisted learning device (i.e. computer, iPad, tablet, etc.) to complete the handout.
Note to teacher: If you enjoyed this lesson plan, we encourage you to visit our Legacy of a Pandemic: https://stcatharinesmuseumblog.com/2020/04/01/legacy-of-a-pandemic/
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Unlocking Academic Excellence: Essential Study Strategies for Students
Being successful in academia requires more than just attending class and completing assignments. It requires a commitment to learning and the implementation of effective study strategies. By adopting the right techniques, students can unlock their full potential and excel in their academic pursuits. In this article, we will discuss some essential study strategies that can help students achieve academic excellence.
1. Time Management: One of the crucial elements of academic success is effective time management. Students should learn to prioritize their study tasks and allocate dedicated time slots for studying each subject. Creating a schedule or using a planner can help students stay organized and ensure they have enough time for both studying and leisure activities.
2. Set Goals: Setting clear and realistic goals is important for maintaining focus and motivation. It’s essential for students to identify what they want to achieve and break down their goals into smaller, manageable tasks. By setting targets, students can track their progress and feel a sense of accomplishment as they tick off completed tasks.
3. Active Reading: Reading textbooks and other study materials actively can significantly enhance understanding and retention. Instead of passively reading, students should engage in active reading techniques such as highlighting key points, taking notes, and summarizing information in their own words. These techniques improve comprehension and make it easier to recall information during exams.
4. Create a Suitable Study Environment: A conducive study environment is vital for concentration and focus. Students should find a quiet and comfortable space where they can study without distractions. Minimizing noise, keeping the study area clutter-free, and regulating temperature and lighting are key aspects of creating an optimal study environment.
5. Use a Variety of Study Techniques: Different subjects may require varying study techniques. Students should experiment with various methods such as flashcards, mind maps, or group discussions to find the strategy that works best for them. Employing a combination of techniques can enhance understanding and make studying more engaging.
6. Practice Regularly: Consistent practice is essential to reinforce learning and develop a deeper understanding of the subject matter. Students should aim to revise regularly, solve practice problems, and actively participate in class discussions. Regular practice not only improves knowledge retention but also enhances problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
7. Seek Clarification: When encountering challenges or doubts, seeking clarification is crucial. Students should approach teachers or classmates to ask questions or join study groups. Collaboration and seeking assistance not only help in understanding complex concepts but also provide opportunities for peer learning.
8. Take Breaks: Continuous studying without breaks can lead to burnout and decreased productivity. It’s essential to take regular breaks to relax and recharge. Short breaks every 45-60 minutes can improve focus and prevent mental fatigue. Engaging in physical activities or hobbies during breaks can refresh the mind and enhance overall mental well-being.
9. Stay Healthy: A healthy body supports a healthy mind. Adequate sleep, regular exercise, and a balanced diet are all vital for optimal cognitive function. Students should prioritize self-care and ensure they are well-rested and nourished to maximize their academic performance.
10. Review and Reflect: Finally, regular review and reflection are crucial study habits. Students should set aside time to review their notes and reflect on what they have learned. This practice reinforces knowledge and helps identify areas that need further attention and improvement.
Implementing these essential study strategies can unlock academic excellence. While students may have different learning styles and preferences, experimenting with these techniques and tailoring them to their needs can significantly improve their learning experience and academic performance. With dedication, perseverance, and a commitment to learning, students can reach their full potential and achieve academic success.
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No matter how much any of us stockpile, there’s a finite limit to our supplies. That means that while those supplies are intended to get us through a disaster and its aftermath, there’s a limit to how long they can do that. Before they run out, we’re either going to have to be growing our own food and producing everything we need, or we’re going to have to find it somewhere. That will be a challenge, considering that others will be scavenging for supplies long before we are.
But that doesn’t mean those people will find everything. Nor does it mean that they will look for everything we would look for. They’ll be after food and other critical supplies, but I doubt very many of them will be looking to scavenge things to build their own electric generating plant, put in a community-wide communications system, reopen the schools, or even seed for planting. Those are the types of tasks where preppers can really help their communities, being the ones to help bring some sense of normalcy back to life.
Both types of scavenging have a lot in common, and we might very well find ourselves doing both at some time or other. We’re still going to need food, ammunition, seed, and a host of other simple things to keep ourselves and our families going, but I hope we all reach a point where we have our survival under control and can turn our attention to better our lives and that of those around us.
Scavenging is Not Looting
Before going any further, I’d like to clarify something; that is, looting and scavenging aren’t the same things. Looting is stealing goods during times of war or riot. It’s taking advantage of an adverse situation to steal things that are the property of others without taking into account whether or not they need them. We see this during serious natural disasters, where people steal big-screen televisions, and in recent riots where they stole tennis shoes. In a post-disaster world, that could mean breaking into the local grocery store and stealing food.
By definition, scavenging is searching for and collecting anything usable from discarded waste. It’s the idea of digging through the garbage or even the junkyard for cans to recycle or even small appliances that can be repaired and used. The key here is that the previous owner no longer needed that item and disposed of it.
So how does scavenging in the aftermath of a major disaster fit into these definitions? On the surface, neither of them seems to cover that situation. But if people are no longer alive or have abandoned the city to go elsewhere, it appears that they don’t need those items anymore. It’s unlikely in a world after an EMP for someone who goes off looking for their family in another state will be coming back.
I think the same can be said for businesses. If the people who own and/or manage those businesses are no longer with us, then it’s safe to assume that what they left behind can be scavenged. We could even make the moral argument that this is especially true in cases where we are scavenging things for the public good rather than just for ourselves.
Most scavenging is rather random, unlike looting, which is very specifically directed. People go out, with the goal of looking for what they can find. That’s okay, for what it is, but it’s not very effective. You might find great stuff that way, but you also might end up wasting time.
A much better approach is to direct your scavenging in the direction of where you know you’ll be able to find the kinds of things you’re looking for. That would obviously be easier in the case of items that others wouldn’t be looking for, such as old telephone switchboards or power line transformers. Even if we do come up with a list of every possible place that would have food, others can do that too and beat us to it. They’ll be more motivated to find that food because they won’t have a stockpile to fall back on.
It would be a good idea to get started on gaining this knowledge now. Our cities are filled with warehouses, stocking just about anything you can think of. We drive by those warehouses every day without giving them a second thought. Well, here’s a second thought for you – what’s in those warehouses? It might be interesting to find out, and with internet access, it wouldn’t take any time at all. A quick search could provide a lot of information about things that would be useful in a post-disaster world.
Don’t make the mistake of assuming that you know everything that you’ll need on that day. We preppers make lists and stockpile supplies. Those are to help us survive, and we’ve got a pretty good handle on what’s needed for that. But that doesn’t mean that we have a good handle on what it’s going to take for long-term survival, where everything we’re used to depending on stops working.
Take growing food, for example. I see way too many preppers who think that they can feed their families off a 10’ x 12’ garden plot. But in reality, it will take every square inch of space we have available to us to grow enough food. That also means having the materials to build enough planting boxes, as well as the soil, compost, and fertilizers to fill those boxes. Then, of course, there’s the seed to plant all those crops. Looking at all that, can you say that you really have everything you need for long-term survival? Can you say that you’ve thought it all through?
I merely bring that up as an example of how different long-term survival is from what we expect. If we are going to have trouble expanding our gardening efforts, then what about other things?
Besides learning where to find useful things now, we should also plan on keeping our ear to the ground in that post-disaster world. We don’t know what that will be like, but there are bound to be plenty of rumors floating around, especially rumors about supplies. While most of those will be nothing more than rumors and therefore not worth paying attention to, there will also be the occasional gem of truth, telling us where we can find useful things. I would guess that rumors about where uncommon things can be found will end up being much more accurate than those about where food can be found.
Build a Scavenging Kit
If you’re going to go scavenging, you will likely need a few basic tools to take with you. The things you’re going to be looking for are unlikely to be sitting out in the open, and you’re probably going to have to break into buildings to get to them. Preferably, you’re going to want to break into those buildings in a way that doesn’t attract attention, like broken glass, which will allow you to re-secure it afterward, so that you can protect what you left behind for future use. While there are a lot of different things that can go into such a kit, here are a few things to think about:
- Crowbar or breaching tool – For breaking open doors
- Lock picking kit
- Lock shims – allow you to open padlocks
- Headlamp and spare batteries (the wide-angle kind will work better)
- A cart of some kind – Something to haul away your take in
- Rope and/or bungies – To tie things onto your cart
- Laddar – To see what’s on the upper shelves in those warehouses
- Cordless drill with abrasive cutting wheel & spare batteries – Sometimes, you’ve got to cut a lock’s hasp or shackle
- Padlocks – To lock things up again
- Note pad and pencil – To take notes on what you find that you might go back for later
One of the bigger challenges would be moving larger, heavier items, like the power transformers on power poles. I’m not sure you would need those for anything, but they make a good example. Those can weigh upwards of 600 pounds, depending on their capacity. At that weight, you’re not going to just pick it up and put it in your cart. You’ll need some sort of winch to pick it up with.
Here’s what I came up with for that. All you need is a modified engine hoist. The modification consists of replacing the casters on the hoist with tired wheels of the type used on hand trucks. That will allow it to be moved over rougher ground. Adding a few handles to the hoist will make it easier to move around or even tow to where you want to go.
Getting Down to the Actual Scavenging
If all you’re doing is random scavenging, and looking through garbage, then you can manage that on your own. But if you’re going to do some of this more directed scavenging, like I’m talking about, you’re better off doing it as a team. Larger items are going to require more muscle to move, and you may need some help sorting through a warehouse to see what they’ve got. Taking a team also increases your security, as you can defend each other.
Upon arrival at the place you’re going to be scavenging, the first thing to do is make sure it is secure. Someone may have already beat you to it and may even have set up residence. Your goal isn’t to get into a firefight, nor is it to kill whoever owns those goods. If the owner is there, guarding his stuff, then it’s time to switch tactics and try to barter for what you need. Taking it would be looting, not scavenging.
Break into the building in the least obtrusive way possible. If you can cut or break a lock and get in, leaving the hasp so that you can lock it back up, that’s ideal. You’ll probably have to do more damage than that, but you can always hope for the best while being prepared for the worst.
Once the door is open, leave one person on guard while the rest of the team starts looking through the stock to see what is available. You should have specific items that you’re looking for, but while looking for them, you’re bound to run across a lot of other useful things. You can’t take everything with you, so be sure to take notes on what you find, not only what it is, but where to find it the next time.
Don’t try to take more than you can reasonably haul. The more you have, the better-looking a target you become. At the same time, the harder it will be to make headway with your finds. Better to take a smaller amount on that trip and plan to return quickly for more, perhaps with a larger team and cart.
Be sure to secure the building as best you can when you leave. An open building is an invitation to others. Someone may have seen you enter and leave, thinking you found something they could use as well. But those people may not be trying to do the things you are and just destroy equipment that could be useful.
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In theory, optical satellites have substantial potential from which to identify and track plastic litter in the marine environment. Up until this point, however, no studies had successfully managed to use satellite imagery for this purpose. In our recent paper, we demonstrate two new developments. First, we show that it is possible to detect aggregated patches of macroplastics floating in coastal waters using optical data acquired by the European Space Agency (ESA) Sentinel-2 satellites. Second, using a Naïve Bayes classification approach, we show that floating plastics are distinguishable from seaweed and other naturally occurring materials.
Several things had to happen to make this work possible. First, we needed relatively high-resolution, multispectral optical data to be collected over coastal waters. This requirement was fulfilled by the Sentinel-2 Earth observation mission, which is operated by the European Space Agency (ESA) under the Copernicus Programme. While primarily a terrestrial mission, the Multi-Spectral Instruments (MSI) aboard the Sentinel-2A and 2B satellites also acquire imagery over coastal waters at 10 m spatial resolution every few days. Secondly, we required an algorithm tuned for highlighting objects floating on the ocean surface. To this end, we developed the Floating Debris Index (FDI) for the Sentinel-2 MSI. Essentially, this algorithm works by leveraging the difference between the NIR, and the baseline reflectance of NIR, and it has proved efficient at detecting floating objects on subpixel scales.
Third, we needed floating plastic targets in order to train our algorithms. This was where collaboration proved key! The Remote Sensing Group at the University of the Aegean were in the process of deploying various plastic targets during their Plastic Litter Projects just as this study was starting, and they were happy to share information on target sizes, composition and placements. Thanks to their help, we were able to know exactly what Sentinel-2 was ‘seeing’ using the FDI, and this, in turn, meant we were able to start building a spectral signature for floating plastics. We supplemented these known plastic detections with validated plastics that we detected after severe flooding in Durban, South Africa. Here, vast amounts of floating bottles and other plastic debris had been washed into the harbour and along the coastline after torrential rainfall and flooding (Figure 1). Finally, we generated spectral signatures of natural materials that are likely to be mixed with macroplastics in the marine environment, including driftwood, seaweed, pumice, and sea foam.
With these building blocks in place, we could start searching for macroplastics ‘in the wild’. Based on published studies collecting in situ plastics data in coastal waters, and even on posts on social media, we detected aggregations in two developed countries – Scotland (Figure 2) and Canada – and two developing countries – Ghana and Vietnam.
In all cases, floating aggregations were detectable using our FDI on subpixel scales, and macroplastics were often mixed with natural materials like seaweed or foam. We manually selected pixels that we suspected to be dominated by plastics using spectral signature and the FDI, as well as a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Using an automated approach, we then differentiated floating materials using a Naïve Bayes (Bayesian) machine learning approach. This is a probabilistic classification algorithm, which computes the probability of a detected pixel belonging to the classes it has been trained with (in this case: known plastics, seawater, driftwood, seaweed and sea foam), and assigns it to the one with the highest probability. Across our four case studies, suspected plastics were successfully classified as plastics with an overall accuracy of 86%.
This has been a technically challenging problem, which was interesting to try to solve. However, does this new information actually help to address the problem of marine plastics? Truthfully, this study is only a first step from which we aim to build and develop more useful or operational approaches. Perhaps the most valuable part of this work is that we detected plastics floating in waters of Developed Countries. Despite always leading with these examples in talks or interviews, I repeatedly see how audiences revert to their baseline assumption that marine plastic pollution is a problem caused by the ‘developing world’. What we perhaps need to be reminded of is that North America and Europe (including the UK) are the world’s largest sources of plastic waste and, for years, developed countries have been shipping their discarded plastics to China and Southeast Asia. The most recent numbers I could find suggest that America recycles only 8% of the plastic it produces and consumes (EPA, 2017). What is going to happen now that China and SE Asian countries are banning such imports?
At Plymouth Marine Laboratory, we’re continuing to develop new, meaningful ways of detecting plastics that will help to address the existing problem, but I hope this scientific paper also serves to remind us that the problem is global. A meaningful way of preventing plastics from becoming a marine problem is to address the source (petrochemical companies, oil and gas industries, drinks and packaging manufacturers) and curtail endless production. Let’s continue to work together to ensure marine plastic pollution does not become another environmental problem that we didn’t fix, simply because we were too distracted by blaming others, or lulled into false comfort by our shiny recycling bins.
Special thanks to Dr Matt Carter (@MattIDCarter), Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the St. Andrews University Scottish Oceans Institute, for allowing us to use his photo of the seal pup as our poster image. He took this picture on Inchkeith off the east coast of Scotland in November 2018, in the same vicinity we detected floating plastics in satellite data acquired in April 2018 (Figure 2).
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If you are a wine enthusiast, it’s typical for you to enjoy a bottle of vintage with your circle of lovely friends. And when you’re about to empty the bottle, you must have come across some mucky and sludgy mess in the wine dregs, which can be pretty disturbing. After finding that, you might want to rethink your last sip, which is supposed to be divine. Right?
What you find at the bottom of your wine bottle is known as the wine sediment. It’s common to find these, and it shouldn’t cause any alarm. You will understand what these are, whether the wine residue is safe to drink or not, and ways to avoid or remove them at home.
What is Sediment in Wine?
Let’s go! A sediment is a form of solid material which is a byproduct of winemaking and settles at the bottom of any wine barrel. It usually happens during the fermentation process or when the wine matures in the cask, barrel, or bottle. So, you can now see how natural sediments are, which most of them come in bits of seeds, crystal-like tartrates, and grape skin.
In case you are wondering, tartrates are similar to burgundy-colored diamonds when you find them in the red wine. Sediment in white wine appears like clear diamonds. We can say these are the lovechild of tartaric acid, which binds with potassium. These are all-natural ingredients found in winemaking.
Some of the names you’ll hear of wine sediments include-wine crystals, wine diamonds, and dregs. Wondering what dregs are? They are sediments found in the bottom of a wine bottle or a glass base of wine. These are yeast cells or leftover grape solids seeds, skin, and stems tartrates. It can also be any other solids leftover from the processing of wine.
Lees is a substance used in winemaking which is also known as dead yeast. These form when the dead yeast remains in the wine after the wine fermentation process. Winemakers age wine purposely (contact the lees “Sur Lie”) to enhance its flavor. It’s more useful in white wines such as Chardonnay, Champagne, and Muscadet. One way to remove these lees in wine is through filtering, racking, or fining.
Why are Wines Filtered, Racked, or Fined?
We’ll define all three processes to help you understand them better.
Fining wine is a process involving adding substances that will attract wine sediment particles. Some of these common materials include bentonite, fine volcanic ash, egg whites, milk, pea proteins, and fish. Bentonite charges attract sediment particles as they settle at the bottom of the cask or barrel.
Racking wine is a process involving drawing off or siphoning off wine from a barrel and leaving the sediments of sludgy layers at the bottom of the container undisturbed. After racking, the racked wine remains clearer than it looked in the original barrel. Some wines may get racked several times to achieve the desired texture.
Filtering is a standard process where wine is run through a filter to remove the larger particles from the wine. If one is not careful, smaller particles can also get filtered, which is not ideal because it adds character to the wine.
How to Remove Sediments in Wine at home?
If you are one of those who get bothered by the sedimentary remains when enjoying your wine, there are a few hacks you can use to remove the sediment in a wine bottle at home:
- A fine sieve or cheesecloth can do the magic of removing any sediments left in the bottle. Be careful and use a wide vessel to avoid losing your delightful drips.
- Decanting is another popular option where people use a decanter to serve red wine. For this, to be successful, you have to leave the bottle standing upright for one to two days before serving. By then, the sediments in red wine will have settled at the bottom. Serve the wine beside a light source to see the deposits inside. Then pour it carefully while keeping an eye on the sediments. It would be ideal to stop pouring when the sediments move closer to the bottle’s neck.
Which Type of Wine is Most Likely to Contain Sediment?
Short-term wine bottles will hardly have any deposits of sediments since they are thoroughly filtered. But the wine developed for long-term cellaring may not be filtered, or it may produce residues. It’s in the aging process that molecules combine, forming tannin polymers. These drops to the bottom of the bottle, where they create more sediments that you will discover when drinking your glass of wine.
One may expect to find some small amounts of residues from older bottles, such as fortified wines like port and premium reds. If wine crystals are something you would want to avoid, you should opt for high-quality red wines. These don’t require any chilling for optimum quality. As they don’t go through cold stabilization, they are unlikely to form any of the crystals.
Is it Safe to Drink Wine Sediment?
Whenever you find some sediment in your wine, you shouldn’t sweat it! These are substances forming naturally in wine when aging it or during fermentation, and it’s harmless. But if the grittiness or texture of such wine bothers you, decanting your wine will have it clear while leaving the sediments on the bottom of your glass. If you’re a wine fanatic and wouldn’t want to waste a sip of it, it’s OK to consume every last drop!
So, consider it normal to have sediments in wine…
Next time you find some sediment in your glass of wine, don’t be in shock because it’s harmless and completely natural. You have options to remove that if you’re uncomfortable with them, and you’ve learned how to clear wine naturally.
Wine academics consider it a sign of quality, and you should see it as a sign of wine science. It doesn’t have to be full of funk. You have to admit that it’s incredible how the grapes take a hell of a process for you to enjoy a glass of glorious vino.
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This is an interesting paper because it considers one of the potential nutritional downsides of reducing meat consumption – the risk that iron intakes might be undesirably low. The study finds that a replacement of meat and dairy intakes with plant based substitutes has benefits in terms of reduced land requirements and delivers saturated fat reductions.
It also says that iron intakes are not compromised although notes that iron from plant sources is less bioavailable.
Reference and abstract as follows:
Temme E H, van der Voet H, Thissen J T, Verkaik-Kloosterman J, van Donkersgoed G and Nonhebel S (2013). Replacement of meat and dairy by plant-derived foods: estimated effects on land use, iron and SFA intakes in young Dutch adult females. Public Health Nutrition, Online First
Objective: Reduction in the current high levels of meat and dairy consumption may contribute to environmental as well as human health. Since meat is a major source of Fe, effects on Fe intake need to be evaluated, especially in groups vulnerable to negative Fe status. In the present study we evaluated the effects of replacing meat and dairy foods with plant-based products on environmental sustainability (land requirement) and health (SFA and Fe intakes) in women.
Design: Data on land requirements were derived from existing calculation methods. Food composition data were derived from the Dutch Food Composition Table 2006. Data were linked to the food consumption of young Dutch women. Land requirements and nutrient intakes were evaluated at baseline and in two scenarios in which 30 % (Scenario_30 %) or 100 % (Scenario_100 %) of the dairy and meat consumption was randomly replaced by the same amount of plant-based dairy- and meat-replacing foods.
Setting: The Netherlands.
Subjects: Three hundred and ninety-eight young Dutch females.
Results: Replacement of meat and dairy by plant-based foods benefited the environment by decreasing land use. The intake of SFA decreased considerably compared with the baseline situation. On average, total Fe intake increased by 2·5 mg/d, although most of the Fe intake was from a less bioavailable source.
Conclusions: Replacement of meat and dairy foods by plant-based foods reduced land use for consumption and SFA intake of young Dutch females and did not compromise total Fe intake.
You can download the paper here (subscription access only).
For a fuller discussion of the potential nutritional implications of lower meat and dairy intakes see Millward D and Garnett T (2010). Food and the planet: nutritional dilemmas of greenhouse gas emission reductions through reduced intakes of meat and dairy foods, Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 69, 103–118. Available here.
For a very detailed assessment of the whole iron, meat and bioavailability issue you may want to look at the UK’s Standing Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report on iron and health here.
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It’s a common misconception that reading glasses are just magnifying glasses. In fact, they do much more than that. Reading glasses help you see clearly and focus on what you’re reading. They also make text appear brighter and sharper, making it easier to read. If you’re having trouble seeing the words on a page, it might be time to invest in a pair of reading glasses.
No, reading glasses are not just magnifying glasses. They are specifically made to help with close-up vision, whereas magnifying glasses are meant to help see things from a distance.
What are reading glasses and magnifying glasses?
Reading glasses are specialized lenses designed to help people focus when reading or viewing objects up close. They are an essential tool for those who have developed a condition known as presbyopia, which results in an inability to focus on near objects due to aging. As well as aiding with vision issues, reading glasses can also be used for tasks such as expressing fine detail work like embroidery and arts & crafts; as well as being ideal for leisure activities like reading and playing cards. They come in a variety of shapes, styles and magnifications meaning people can find their perfect pair without compromising on fashion. Reading glasses are not only great at helping us tackle our close range tasks with ease, they also provide comfort by using adjustable nose pads and lightweight materials.
Magnifying glasses are a handy tool used to zoom in on objects with extreme precision. They serve as a great lens for those who need higher magnification to view things clearly and accurately. Using the same simple concept of curved lenses, magnifying glasses can help you see small details that would otherwise go unnoticed. Many professionals use them for tasks like examining documents or fine details such as fingerprints, but this tool is becoming increasingly popular for everyday home use as well – everything from helping decipher tiny fonts to better inspecting intricate jewelry is now within reach thanks to the wonders of magnifying glasses!
What are the benefits of a reading glass over a magnifying glass?
Reading glasses offer many benefits over magnifying glasses for those who are experiencing decreased vision.
- Reading glasses are more comfortable and convenient to wear than magnifying glasses, which can be bulky and uncomfortable on the bridge of the nose.
- Reading glasses also provide a wider field of vision compared to magnifying glasses, allowing wearers to easily create an image in their head while they read.
- Reading glasses correct both up-close and intermediate vision distances, while magnifying glasses only allow for close-up magnification.
Thus, reading glasses are often a better choice for those suffering from impaired vision as they provide comfort, convenience, improved field of vision and added versatility.
Technical aspect: What is the distinction between reading glasses and magnifying glasses?
Are reading glasses more advanced than magnifying glasses?
Reading glasses and magnifying glasses both offer assistance in clarity of vision when difficulty occurs due to age or damage to the eyes. Reading glasses are the more modern, fashionable choice for those requiring such eyewear. Technically, reading glasses typically have a greater range of diopters than a typical magnifying glass, up to +4 diopters compared to about +3. Reading glasses also have thin lenses, giving them a lightweight feel and making them comfortable for extended wear, while many magnifying lenses can be quite bulky and heavy. Additionally, when it comes to producing them, reading glasses are often shipped as a set having multiple lens strengths available without the need for special prescriptions or measurements like those needed with prescription eyewear. The strength of both reading glasses and magnifying glasses is measured in diopters; however, the two applications differ slightly in the exact units used. When measuring simple magnifying power, reading glass strength is usually given as plus (NUMBER) – usually between 1 and 4 – while true magnification is suffixed with an X (NUMBER).
What is a diopter?
A diopter is a unit of measurement of optical power used to measure refractive error in an eye exam. It is typically used in eyeglasses, contact lenses or other vision aids that people may need to help see clearer. A person’s refractive error measures how powerful a lens needs to be in order for him or her to have clear vision. The higher the number of diopters, the stronger the lens needs to be for one to see clearly. A person usually gets his/her prescription from an optometrist and then chooses eyewear with the correct diopter strength from an optical shop. Thus, diopters are important in maintaining good vision since they determine what type of corrective lenses a person needs in order to achieve perfect clarity.
What is the distinction between the diopter of each type of eyeglasses?
For someone with vision problems, the use of glasses – either regular reading glasses or magnifying glasses – can be incredibly beneficial in restoring sharpness and clarity. But what is the difference between the diopter of reading glasses versus that of magnifying glasses? Essentially, it comes down to the amount of correction needed. Reading glasses tend to have 2-to-3 diopters less than what is recommended for a patient’s specific vision needs, making them the lower-powered and preferred option for close-range tasks such as reading. In contrast, magnifying glasses usually carry multiple diopters (often higher) or special lenses that are designed specifically for magnification purposes; they are great for viewing small details like text or artwork from a distance.
Is it harmful to have a higher diopter in a magnifying glass?
Magnifying glasses with higher diopters can seem like a good idea; they allow you to see objects that would otherwise appear too small. However, using these kinds of magnifying glasses for an extended period of time can be very damaging to the eyes. The higher diopter magnifier intensifies the light that goes into the eye and, in doing so, can lead to vision loss or temporary damage to the retina. In some cases, prolonged use of a high-diopter magnifier may even cause permanent retinal damage. Thus, it is critical that anyone who uses magnifying glasses always take caution by limiting their use and only relying on them for short periods of time.
How to choose the right pair of reading glasses?
Choosing the right pair of reading glasses can be a daunting task, and it’s important to take the time to consider all your options. Start by consulting with your optometrist or ophthalmologist and getting a recommendation on what type of lens strength you should look for in a pair of reading glasses. After that, research the brands and styles that are available to you. Visit an optical store and try on multiple frames until you find one that fits comfortably and looks good—you’re more likely to stick with wearing them if they fit properly, which is key for clear vision. Lastly, factor in price when making your purchase; you can find quality frames at many different price points. By taking these steps into account while shopping for your ideal glasses, you can find the perfect pair of readers suited to all your needs!
In conclusion, it is important to understand the difference between reading glasses and magnifying glasses. Reading glasses are designed specifically to help people see small print more clearly and should be worn for extended periods of time. Magnifying glasses should only be used for short periods of time and can actually cause eye strain if used incorrectly. When choosing a pair of reading glasses, make sure you choose ones that are the correct strength for your eyesight and that fit comfortably on your face. Taking care of your reading glasses will ensure they last longer and keep them looking like new. With the right pair of reading glasses, you’ll be able to read with ease!
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Stephen Curley Papers, 1939-2007
Author and English faculty member at Texas A&M University at Galveston. Graduate of Fordham University (B.A.); and Rice University (Ph.D.) Contains subject and chronological files pertaining to the research for the book, The Ship that Would Not Die: USS Queens, SS Excambion, and the Texas Clipper. Dr. Curley conducted exhaustive research on a single ship that began its life as an attack transport in World War II. In 1946, the ship was purchased by the American Export Lines to become the SS Excambion, one of the “Four Aces” cruise ships. In 1965, the ship transitioned into the much beloved training ship, the Texas Clipper, for the Texas Maritime Academy until its retirement in 1996. In 2007, the Texas Clipper made it final voyage off the coast of Texas where it was sunk to become an artificial reef.
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How To Teach Commonly Confused Words in Upper Elementary
By Mary Montero
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Even though upper elementary students have been introduced to homophones in earlier grades, many students (and let’s be honest… adults too!) still struggle to correctly use and understand commonly confused words. Explicit instruction, numerous examples, and additional opportunities to practice can help your students become commonly confused words experts.
First, a quick little note about explicit instruction! It’s so important that instruction on these commonly confused and misspelled words is infused into my instruction and units throughout the year. We are consistently reviewing these skills in literacy centers, while using Mentor Sentences (Jivey creates some that are AMAZING!), and as we work through my Language Skill of the Day resource. I have found, however, that devoting a few days to the study of these words is incredibly impactful.
How To Explicitly Teach Commonly Confused Words
An anchor chart with a table like this can help students understand the similarities and differences in commonly confused words. While it’s not necessary for students to memorize the difference between homophones, homographs, and homonyms, I find that upper elementary students really love to analyze them and in turn gain a deeper understanding when you talk through the differences.
You can download the FREE reference sheet at the bottom of this post, and I highly encourage you to create the following anchor chart with your students, allowing enough room for students to find examples of commonly confused words within authentic texts and adding them as examples. I put it off to the side with plenty of room for sticky notes that they can keep track of as they read! The reference sheets are helpful to put into notebooks for those most commonly confused words!
Homophones “same sound” are words that have the same pronunciation, but different spellings and meanings.
- do, due
- it’s, its
- there, their, they’re
Homographs “same writing” are words that have the same spelling, but different pronunciations and meanings.
- bow (movement, tool)
- wound (injury, past tense of wind)
Homonyms “same name” are words that have the same spelling and same pronunciation, but different meanings.
- wave (motion, water)
- down (direction, feather)
Students can use this FREE interactive notebook page to take notes along with your anchor chart when you teach commonly confused words. The visual element is so fun for students, and it’s incredible just how often they actually reference these!
Book To Reinforce Commonly Confused Words
Read alouds are staples in all of our units. Here are Amazon affiliate links to some of our favorites that help teach commonly confused words.
My ULTIMATE favorite book of homophones is No Reading Allowed: The WORST Read-Aloud Book Ever. It’s truly epic, but it’s one that you MUST show over a document camera so students can see the spelling!
How Much Can a Bare Bear Bear? What Are Homonyms and Homophones? and A Bat Cannot Bat, a Stair Cannot Stare: More about Homonyms and Homophones are two excellent upper elementary book options.
Dear Deer: A Book of Homophones and Eight Ate: A Feast of Homonym Riddles are simpler options for third grade students. If you don’t have time to use these all during a lesson, consider how you can add them into literacy centers throughout the year as review!
Practice Activities for Commonly Confused Words
Here are a few ideas for practicing commonly confused words. You can structure an entire week around these center activities, but these are perfect to mix in throughout the year.
- Students can use Dear, Deer or Eight Ate as mentor texts to create illustrated books. Each student could make their own reference book, or you could assign words to each student and then compile pages into a class book. These could also be completed and compiled digitally. Just have students create their page in Google Slides, compile them into one Google Slides document, save as a PDF, and voila! You have created an ebook for your students to enjoy.
- Along these same lines, it’s amazing how much kids LOVE to create their own anchor charts! Pick out the words that stump your students the most often and have them make their own anchor chart focusing on just those words. I LOVE seeing how they take ownership over this activity.
- Games are SUCH a fun way for students to practice commonly confused words. Pictionary or Charades are each fun ways to reinforce differences between commonly confused words and also build in valuable movement breaks. I put a little twist on “Pictionary” when we play with these words cards. We usually do this in a small group… one student grabs a card and draws a quick picture to represent the word. As the other students in the group realize what the word is, they draw a DIFFERENT version of the word. Let’s say the first student picks “wave” and draws a hand. The other students should write the word and draw an ocean wave.
- I added another quick word/picture game to the freebie below. Memory Match Up uses both words and a matching picture in a traditional matching-up game format. This version is extra fun because some of the pictures are a bit more difficult to determine the meaning of! You can download word cards below for FREE!
- Word Tracker: I am SUCH a huge advocate of students applying skills to authentic texts. I mentioned above that I try to always leave room on my anchor chart to start collecting words, and this is one more easy way for students to keep track of the words they are coming across in their texts!
- This wouldn’t be a Teaching With a Mountain View post without mention of task cards! Task cards have endless options as warm-ups, centers, games, early finisher work and more. The Commonly Confused Words, Multiple Meaning Words, or Differentiated Homophone cards are perfect for practicing tricky words. I use these in centers, but I also tend to put one up at the beginning of literacy once or twice a week just for a quick shot of practice. You can also pull out games to play with them, use them for a quick game of scoot, and shrink them (print them in booklet format) and have your students work through them that way! The options are endless. Do you want to extend this activity even more? After they’ve done a few task cards, have them create their OWN task cards to use with the class. My students BEGGED to do this after almost every unit!
- Tell Me a Story: Okay, this one is actually my favorite activity. I have written about a similar activity before as one we do when we have little chunks of time left over and need something great to fill those extra few minutes, but this one is PERFECT for practicing commonly confused words. Here’s how it works: Student one draws a word card. They (orally) use the word correctly in a sentence or two to begin a story. The next student does not draw a card, but continues the story by using another version of the word in a sentence that continues the story. It’s not until all forms of the word (that they know) have been used that we pull another card and continue the story. Here’s a sample of what this might look like:
Student 1 pulls the card “their.”
Student 1: Oh my goodness, would you look at their house!?
Student 2: What in the world? I was just there yesterday!
Student 3: I thought that they’re out of town right now, though!
Student 4 pulls a new card, “too” and continues the story.
- What better way is there to hook kids these days than phones? I know MY kids are begging for phones, so this activity was super appealing to them! These FREE text message edits are a unique way to practice, also included in the free Commonly Confused Word Kit below. You can even use these as an assessment.
Free Commonly Confused Word Kit
If you’re ready to teach commonly confused words, subscribe below for the commonly confused word kit featured in this post to be delivered to your inbox– free!
I’m so glad you are here. I’m a current gifted and talented teacher in a small town in Colorado, and I’ve been in education since 2009. My passion (other than my family and cookies) is for making teachers’ lives easier and classrooms more engaging.
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Soon to be established by Pegasus Global Holdings — at a cost of a cool $1 billion — the Center for Innovation, Testing and Evaluation (CITE) [PDF] will exist solely to test the urban and suburban technologies of the future.
The largest portion of the CITE will be modeled after a mid-sized modern American city. The idea here is to integrate real-world urban and suburban environments with all the typical working infrastructure elements that make up today’s cities, offering customers the (highly) unique opportunity to test and evaluate urban technologies in conditions that most closely simulate real-world applications.
Pegasus Global Holdings had long had New Mexico in its sights for the project, and received help from the New Mexico Partnership in selecting where to build. The Partnership, on behalf of Pegasus, solicited proposals from communities across the state interested in becoming home to the CITE (and the undisclosed number of jobs that come with the project).
Sixteen New Mexico communities responded with proposals to host the “ghost city,” and the Partnership convened a committee comprised of members of its public advisory board to evaluate the proposals and determine which were viable options for the CITE project.
The top choices were sent to Pegasus, which chose Lea County.
According to Inhabitat, CITE’s City Lab, a full-scale, fully functional “test city,” will occupy around 400 acres and include urban, suburban and rural zones with corresponding infrastructure. The whole shebang will be pre-wired for data collection giving researchers the ability to simulate system-wide scenarios and then draw data from such activities on such tech as intelligent traffic systems, next-generation wireless networks, and even automated washing machines and self-flushing toilets.
Other areas will include the Field Lab District (a large portion of land area devoted to future public or private lab development; Backbone (an underground operations and maintenance system that connects the entire CITE facility); and the Research Campus, where teams can collaborate on assorted projects.
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Temperatures below -40 ° C on Monday and Tuesday gripped the inhabitants of the Yukon capital so far accustomed to a rather mild winter.
As always, social networks were quickly seized with pictures of thermometers showing the variations in temperature from one household to another or the activities for which the bravest were ready to face the cold.
Environment and Climate Change Canada warning awareness meteorologist Armel Castellan explains that while it is unmistakably cold, these are not records, nor quite the conditions required to issue an extreme cold warning.
In the coldest this morning it was -41.9 ° C, and with the 4 km \ h [wind chill], we saw -48. For the Yukon, it’s -50 ° C, just temperatures, or with wind chill and for at least two hours [to issue a warning] , explains the specialist.
Mr. Castellan also believes that Yukoners have become accustomed to the warmer temperatures of recent months, if not years, due, he says, to global warming.
For those who remember Whitehorse 30, 40 or 50 years ago, it was much more normal to see the temperatures that you are experiencing. Armel Castellan, meteorologist, Environment and Climate Change Canada
In the territory, the average recorded in January was 15.2 ° C, or 5 ° C above the seasonal normal. In December, the average was 2.9 ° C above normal.
So, being in February with such cool temperatures is still quite exceptional, so yes, if the population has not experienced -48 ° C or -49 ° C, it will cause a fairly thermal shock , he notes.
While the mercury at the Whitehorse airport froze at -41 ° C, in nearby valleys the mercury dropped even further. Armel Catellan says this is a known feature of the Yukon and Alaska, where
a basin will collect the coldest of temperatures .
The record recorded for February 9 in Whitehorse remains that of 1943. That day the mercury plummeted to -49.4 ° C, not counting the wind chill. The record for February 10 was recorded in 1979 with a mercury of -43.9 ° C.
The meteorologist promises that these cold temperatures will last only ten days with a gradual warming from this week. The mercury should then rise to -30 ° C.
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Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic Philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics provided a unified account of the world, consisting of formal logic, monistic physics and naturalistic ethics. Of these, they emphasized ethics as the main focus of human knowledge, though their logical theories were of more interest for later philosophers.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens in the early 3rd century BC.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium around 301 BC. It was based on the ethical ideas of the Cynics, and taught that the goal of life was to live in accordance with Nature. Stoicism is a system of philosophy based on reason and self-control, stressing that we should control our emotions instead of letting them control us; it provided a way for people to cope with misfortune by placing their trust not in external things such as wealth or power but rather in their own wisdom and virtuous character.
Stoicism became the foremost popular philosophy in the Hellenistic world and the Roman Empire, to the point where, in the words of Gilbert Murray ‘nearly all the successors of Alexander professed themselves Stoics.’
Stoicism became the foremost popular philosophy in the Hellenistic world and the Roman Empire, to the point where, in the words of Gilbert Murray “nearly all the successors of Alexander professed themselves Stoics.”
Stoicism was a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded by Zeno of Citium in Athens. It taught that virtue (aretē) is sufficient for happiness and it should be one’s primary goal. The school was very influential throughout Greece and Rome, attracting not only many Greek philosophers but also emperors such as Marcus Aurelius and Seneca. Although no complete historical treatises written by Zeno survive today, we know much about him through other sources on Stoic philosophy: Diogenes Laërtius’ Lives & Opinions of Eminent Philosophers; Stobaeus’ Anthology; Galen On Prognosis 1; Philostratus’ Lives Of The Sophists 6 & 7; Sextus Empiricus Outlines Of Pyrrhonism 1-4.
The Stoics provided a unified account of the world, consisting of formal logic, monistic physics and naturalistic ethics.
The Stoics believed that the universe is governed by reason, and that it is rational and ordered. They thought of the universe as a single substance; a single soul; a single god. In other words, they believed that everything in the world was part of one unified whole or entity called “the Logos”.
Of these, they emphasized ethics as the main focus of human knowledge, though their logical theories were of more interest for later philosophers.
Stoicism is a philosophical worldview founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium around 300 BC. It was one of the most influential schools of the Greco-Roman world, and amongst the many philosophies that have emerged from it, stoicism is often seen as one of the most rationalistic and practical.
Stoic Philosophy emphasizes living according to nature and our human nature, which means that we should be restrained yet virtuous, accepting fate with calmness, inner strength and tranquility.
Stoics were not concerned with theological questions such as how God created everything but rather focused on present-day problems such as anger management or finding peace in war times through self-control rather than seeking revenge for their misfortunes (which they believed would only result in more harm).
Beginning at around 301 BC, Zeno taught philosophy at the Stoa Poikile, from which his philosophy got its name.
Zeno was a student of Crates of Thebes and the founder of the Stoic school. Zeno taught philosophy at the Stoa Poikile, from which his philosophy got its name. Zeno’s philosophy is based on the idea that virtue is the only good, and that external things such as health and wealth are merely indifferent.
Unlike the other schools of philosophy, such as the Epicureans, Zeno chose to teach his philosophy in a public space, which was a colonnade overlooking the central gathering place of Athens, the Agora.
Unlike the other schools of philosophy, such as the Epicureans, Zeno chose to teach his philosophy in a public space. And where did he choose to do this? The Stoa Poikile (painted colonnade) was a colonnade overlooking the central gathering place of Athens, the Agora. The Stoics were fond of painting murals depicting their principles on its walls — hence its name. It was here that Zeno taught his philosophy and it was here that he would hold lectures for all those who wanted to hear what he had to say about how we should live our lives and how we can find happiness within ourselves through practical exercises such as meditation and reflection on our actions during each day.
Stoicism became one of the most influential schools of the Greco-Roman world; and its influence grew steadily over time.
Stoicism was one of the most influential schools of philosophy in the Greco-Roman world, and its teachings became the basis for much western thought – particularly in Europe and North America.
As a philosophy, Stoicism emphasizes that all human beings are fundamentally rational and should live their lives according to reason as opposed to emotion or passion. Some of its more well known doctrines include:
- The universe is governed by a divine reason (logos) that is ultimately good; therefore there is no need for fear or anxiety about things beyond our control
- The virtuous person will be happy even if they do not experience pleasure or pain; only those who have failed to develop their inner qualities can expect happiness from external sources
During Rome’s heyday, members of elite society such as Seneca and Epictetus studied Stoicism; while today, many people find peace and perspective through practice of this ancient philosophy.
Stoicism, a philosophy dating back to the 3rd century BC, is based on the idea that we can control our emotions and thoughts by changing our perspective. According to this belief system, people are responsible for their own actions, so you should be wary of blaming others for your problems because you have ultimate control over them.
Stoics believe that everything that happens is predetermined by fate—so instead of lamenting over things like illness or injury (which they consider inevitable), they focus on accepting those events as part of life’s natural order. The practice teaches people how to accept what cannot be changed, endure pain with patience, be happy with what you have and resist temptations like greed or pleasure seeking—all while maintaining good health mentally and physically through exercise and diet moderation
Stoicism is a philosophy that teaches us how to achieve happiness by practicing detachment from externals, like material objects and feelings. It’s a way of living in harmony with nature and the universe around us. As they say: “Live according to nature.”
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Civic and Civil Dialogue
How can we use the connections provided by digital media to help students learn about civic — and civil — dialogue?
The video above illustrates how two students from very different communities begin talking in a way that typifies much of political expression today. The exchange started as a discussion post on the blog, and continued in the comments that were often contentious. However by the end of a Teachers Teaching Teachers podcast the two girls come to a mutual understanding; the student who originally called the other “ignorant” ultimately compliments that student on her “intelligence.” This case study shows how students (and adults, for that matter) can be taught to communicate effectively even when they disagree.
A little background: The politics of the 2008 presidential campaign and its results have provided ample opportunities to study rhetoric. During the fall of 2008 my students seemed to be more curious about politics than in previous years, but at the same time they were also in need of ways to help them clarify their stances on the issues. And once my students began clarifying their stances and composing their thoughts in the online community, Youth Voices, there were disagreements among students. These disagreements were similar to what was happening in society in general – with one significant difference. While the political discussions taking place in the mainstream media and online forums were characterized by rancor and partisanship, what was happening among the students in the Youth Voices community was characterized by civic and civil dialogue. Maybe part of the explanation lies in the curriculum and materials used and the way that conversation is fostered in this online educational community (see below).
Civil Dialogue Audio
This is an excerpt from a Teachers Teaching Teachers episode. Two students from very different backgrounds eventually come to an understanding. It’s included in this resource because this was the medium that the discussion took place, as a podcast. Listen to how the students learn to listen.
Oftentimes when people who are on opposite ends of the political spectrum attempt to discuss politics on TV or online, it seems like there’s more shouting and attacking than actual discussion of the issues. Students need to be taught how to have productive conversations in online spaces; that’s one of the goals of the teachers in the Youth Voices community.
Here’s a link to some suggestions about how students might talk to one another when discussing others’ online compositions and here’s another guide for how to have a productive discussion when you disagree with someone.
Here’s an example from the “Yes We Can” example: One student goes into great detail about why he dislikes Katie’s post. However, the tone of Katie’s response is even-tempered.
This isn’t an isolated instance. This ethos of civil and civic dialogue pervades much of the student conversation on Youth Voices, even when students are on opposite sides of the political spectrum. For instance, in the fall of 2009 when President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize, again divisive and bitter language arose in the professional media and in online chatter. Tess, a student of mine, wrote in support of Obama; another student, Ben, who identifies himself as a political conservative challenges Tess, but he does so in a way the encourages conversation, not acrimony.
The teachers that I collaborative with in the Youth Voices community aren’t telling students to “just get along,” in fact we encourage disagreement – productive disagreement. And in my opinion that’s what separates the writing that these students do with the nonproductive political dialogue that often takes place today.
Clarifying Your Stance
Students aren’t always sure what the issues are. So it’s hard to enter into a discussion if you don’t even know what people are talking about. To get them to start thinking about what might be important issues to them and to begin to clarify their views, I had them complete an issues survey.
1. A lot of the research and composition my students do in my classes is based on their own inquiry. For example in this case, once they were aware of some of the issues, I had them identify a few key questions that they were genuinely curious about. With these questions, I showed them how to set up an aggregator so that they could collect a steady stream of information about their inquiry topic.
2. The next step is to go to a site like KQED’s “You Decide” website. Here’s the assignment I give to them: “After exploring the issues you care most about, write a post on Youth Voices about what you’ve learned.” Here’s a sample written by one of my students.
3. Whenever possible I try to provide models of my own online writing for my students. Here’s a post that shows the influence of my students work and classroom discussion on my own writing.
Ideas For Teachers
If you’re curious about the curriculum for the kind of digital composition that I’ve been describing, look at the collaborative curriculum section of the Youth Voices site. And if you’re a teacher who’d like to incorporate digital composition into your own teaching, you’re welcome to join us!
In the past ten years or so, I’ve incorporated these newer digital literacies into the more traditional approaches that I’ve used in my teaching for years. For instance, I’ve taught Orwell’s 1984 a few different times in my career, but no matter what year my students read it, they always find relevancy to their life and times. With the incorporation of new literacies into the curriculum, the 2008 political season proved again that Orwell’s book is a classic.
I moved between group and independent work as we wrestled with Orwell’s text in the beginning. As we read 1984, the class brainstormed ideas about how his ideas are still relevant today. We did this as a whole group discussion; a student volunteered to enter class discussion points projected via a Smartboard while the rest of the students annotated their own book and took notes in their writers notebook. The next class period students wrote a timed, in-class essay where they used the group’s notes, their own notes, and their own annotations to compare the government of Oceania with the current U.S. government.
After reading the novel, it was time to apply the ideas to the current political situation. I demonstrated to the students how I set up a news feed for 1984 in my news aggregator. Here’s a post of mine that illustrates how a story from an information stream like an aggregator can inform writing.
One of the educational social networks that my class participated in was Letters to the Next President. Notice how one of my students connects Orwell and the Patriot Act using information that he discovered through his news aggregator. This is a very important skill – studying the past, and using digital tools to collect information on its present relevancy so that we might create a better future.
If you’re interested, here are more resources I used with the Letters to the Next President project that show how I led the students through the letter writing sequence:
- revision guide
- sample L2P response to “Impossible Education” letter from a Michigan student
- my own reflection
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What do these two children have in common?
- A hyperactive kid who’s uncontrollably squealing, laughing, not listening to a word you say, and
- A kid who’s completely melting down, covering their ears complaining about the sound of the running water being too loud
They’re both experiencing sensory dysregulation.
As an Occupational Therapist, I educate parents and other educators on how sensory processing challenges can impact learning and behavior. I teach tools and strategies on how to help regulate a child. But in order to teach regulation strategies, we first must recognize and be able to identify dysregulation.
What is Sensory Dysregulation?
Sensory dysregulation is when you have an imbalanced central nervous system (your brain) due to an excess of sensory input, or not enough sensory input.
For example, my daughter has a low threshold for most sensory input, which means she is hypersensitive to sensory input (read about her tactile sensitivity here). Anytime she perceives too much sound or messy input, she often has a melt down and becomes dysregulated. Our most recent daily battles have related to her clothing sensory issues, particularly with socks.
Children who have a high threshold for sensory input can also show signs of dysregulation, but it might look different. For example, some kids can’t get enough movement.
They need more and more.
These movement seekers may run and run, but instead of becoming calmer and more regulated, you notice: shrieking, drooling, and fast and unsafe movements. That is a dysregulated child.
A child’s behavior can not only give us clues that they’re experiencing dysregulation, but they can also tell us what they need to get back to a state of regulation.
The latter can sometimes require more refined detective work. For example, some kids are pretty black and white: they cover their ears in a crowded store. No mystery there… the sound dysregulated them and they need some quiet.
But other kids like to keep it a mystery and make us work harder to decode their behavior.
Common Signs of Dysregulation
Keeping in mind that every child is different, including the way their nervous system responds to stress and sensory input in the environment, there are a few telltale signs that scream, SENSORY DYSREGULATION!
Below are some signs of dysregulation (this is not an exhaustive list). Each child is different and may exhibit different signs than the ones below.
- Uncontrollable laughter (this is common for movement seekers, and many adults think this signifies that the child is enjoying it, but it can often mean dysregulation)
- Fast and hard movements
- Speaking fast (or In a way that you can’t understand them)
- Excess saliva (it doesn’t always look like drooling, sometimes they could have an extremely wet mouth
- Unable to follow instructions (if you ask them to do a simple task, they either won’t hear, or are unable to follow through)
- Impulsive (especially with unsafe movements)
- Dilated pupils
- Shrieking or high pitch yelling
- Making illogical or unrealistic requests one after another (signaling they really don’t know what they want, they’re just dysregulated)
How Sensory Dysregulation Can Sneak Up on You:
Children can experience dysregulation after an accumulation of sensory triggers earlier in the day, or even days before.
Like for us… right around Christmas vacation or during the end of the year excitement, my daughter has meltdown after meltdown. The triggers can range from anything like the color of the cup or the way I pushed her chair in too fast, but really there’s no actual trigger.
Rather, her nervous system is shot and maxed out from trying to process and regulate with all the different changes and out of the ordinary routine.
Some neurodivergent kids are really good at “holding it together” for certain periods of time, only to unleash the dysregulated dragon breath when you least expect it.
My daughter’s propensity for dysregulation is clear when we’re at a playground, but it’s subtle. You’d never guess the level of dysregulation that’s brewing beneath the surface, underneath the giggles and taking turns and holding hands she’s doing with kids she just met (honestly she impresses me, I could never make friends that easily).
But sure enough, here comes the meltdown.
After about 30-45 minutes of unstructured play in the sun, the tiny morsels of sand between her toes and sweaty skin sticking to her pants was too much for her to tolerate.
I witness other kids whine about going home, but nothing that isn’t solved by a reminder of snack coming up soon.
But my neurodivergent daughter, dysregulated from play, has a million and one complaints about how everything on her body feels, that I grabbed her hand too hard and that she hates the way my hair looks when it’s in a ponytail (ouch, kids can be so harsh!)
In those moments it’s hard to remember, but I try hard to listen to my inner therapist saying,
“Laura, this isn’t her fault. She’s a sensory sensitive child, completely dysregulated from her play. She’s having a hard time.”
What Do I Do If My Child Is Dysregulated?
While triggers for dysregulation can vary and look different depending on what sensory profile the child has, there are some common attributes of a calming, regulating environment that can help bring your child back to a state of regulation.
Hot tip: Try to notice signs of your child escalating before they get too dysregulated and utilize these strategies then. It’s harder to pull a child out of dysregulation than it is to prevent it from happening.
If you notice your child is dysregulated, try to redirect them from the dysregulating activity and offer some of the following:
- Firm pressure or tight squeezes to the arms and legs
- A dimly lit area (if indoors)
- Take them outside if the indoor space is too loud and overstimulating
- Take indoors if the outdoor space is too loud, bright and overstimulating
- A quiet space or some low, slow instrumental music
- Lavender scent (candles, spray, diffuser oil)
- Deep breaths with eyes closed
I recommend creating a go-to sensory corner in your house with your child’s favorite sensory tools to help prevent dysregulation. Click here to see my amazon store favorite finds to add to a calming sensory corner (contains affiliate links)
Looking for more support to understand your child’s sensory dysregulation and how to support them? Work with me! I offer 1:1 parent coaching so I can help you make sense of sensory (see what I did there?)
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Indoor marijuana growing requires the use of Grow Lightsdesigned specifically for indoor plant growth to replicate the lighting that the sun provides for outdoor plants. There are many different grow lights available, all of them using different spectrums to produce different growth in marijuana plants.
How Many Grow Lights are needed to Grow Medical Indoor Marijuana
The minimum amount of light required by marijuana plants is around 3000 lumens per square foot. However, it’s not 100% accurate, since although you may have a 10,000 lumen light, the amount of light that reaches the plant varies with the distance between the light and plants, and reflectivity of the grow box. The ideal amount is somewhere around 7000-10,000 lumens/sqft, and as long as the plants do not burn, as much light can be used as you want. (*note, the sun produces about 10,000 lumens/sqft, on a sunny summer day).
Determining lumens for your grow area:
Determine the square footage of your area (example in a 4 foot by 4 foot area, there is 16 square feet)
If you have a 1000 watt High Pressure Sodium Grow Light, that produces (approx.) 107,000 lumens.
Divide this by 16 (your square footage) 107,000 / 16 = 6687 lumens per square foot.
So just divide the total amount of Lumens, by the total amount of Sq ft, and thats your lumens per square foot.
How far away from my plants do the grow lights go
The marijuana grow lights in your indoor grow room should be as close as possible to the plants without burning them. There is no such thing as too much, unless there is sufficient heat to dry out and burn the leaves. A good rule is to put your hand under the grow light, if its too hot for your hand, chances are that the plants will be too, so move the light up until your hand feels more comfortable. For seedlings and clones, I keep my Fluorescent shop lights a little further away from the light, because they are very susceptible to burning and drying out, at these stages. Efficiency is very important when choosing a type of light. The wattage is not the most important thing, as you can see below, different types of grow lights produce different amounts of lumens per watt. A 300 watt incandescent will produce about 5100 lumens. While a 300 watt Metal Halide (just an example, they do not come in 300 watts), will produce 27,000 lumens. Obviously far more efficient for growing, while still using the same amount of electricity.
Approximate light production:
Incandescents: 17 lumens/watt
Mercury vapor: 45-50 lumens/watt
Fluorescents: 60-70 lumens/watt
Metal halide: 90 lumens/watt
High pressure sodium: 107 lumens/watt
Incandescent Grow Lights
Incandescents are the most popular type of lights in the world. They may come advertised as incandescent, tungsten, quartz, halogen, or simply standard. The important thing about incandescents is this: they suck.
There are some incandescents which are sold as ‘grow lights.’ They usually have a blue coating and usually come in 60W and 120W sizes. While they may seem like a good choice to new growers, they are next to useless; they produce some light at a usable spectrum, but only have about a 5% efficiency and generate more heat than usable light. Most of us have these in our homes right now. Don’t use them for growing, instead opt for a Compact Fluorescent as a cheaper but more efficient alternative.
Fluorescent Grow Lights are a lot more useful than incandescents. Their efficient enough, and cheaper than HID lights. Compact fluorescent tubes are popular with growers because of their good output to size ratio. Compared to standard 4′ tubes, compact fluorescent bulbs are smaller, and more can fit into a given area. Fluorescents are good for small cannabis grows on a tight budget, and for novice indoor marijuana growers, since they do not require any special sort of wiring or understanding of the necessary bulbs for a given fixture, and are very widely available. Fluorescent grow lights come in many different Kelvin ratings; often the spectrums are labeled on packaging as being ‘cool white’ or ‘warm white.’ Cool white is more blue, and is good for the vegetative stages of growth, and warm white light is more orange or reddish, and is best for the flowering stage.
High Intensity Discharge (HID) Grow Lights
Mercury Vapor (MV) Lighting
Mercury vapor lights are not the most efficient light for growing. They are very bright, and relatively cheap. They do emit light at the wavelengths necessary to support your plants growth, but not nearly as good as a MH or Hps light. Much of the light emitted by MV lights is bluish-white. Street lighting is what most MV lighting is used for.
Metal Halide (MH) Lighting
Metal halide lighting systems are optimal for use in the vegetative phase of growing. They emit mostly blue light, which encourages vigorous growth of foliage. They are very efficient, but can get rather expensive to start with; fluorescents may seem more appealing because of their lower price, and they are not much different when compared on a lumen-to-lumen cost level. These lights can be used through-out the grow, but will most likely result in light, fluffy buds.
High Pressure Sodium (HPS) Lighting
High pressure sodium lights emit mostly orange, yellow, and red spectrum light, which is perfect for the flowering stage of the plants growth. They are (in my opinion) the most efficient type of light available for any application. HPS lights can be used through-out the entire grow. They produce more dense and usually larger buds than any other light.
HPS lights are generally a little more expensive than MH systems of similar wattage. They are more commonly used by experienced growers because of their ability to produce tighter buds, higher lumen-output-per-watt, and will produce from start to finish.
A fluorescent light is made up of a glass tube coated with phosphor, which is filled with a mixture of gases. When electrical current is applied, it “excites” the gases, causing the tube to glow brightly. ie: to “fluores”. The tubing is coated with phosphor, which will determine the color of the bulb. There is a wide variety of lengths from 6 to 96 inch, the most widely used is a 48 inch fixture. Fluorescents come in a wide range of watts any where from 4 to 214 watts that I have found. Fluorescent tubes are rated by hours, these hours vary by the manufacture, the most common rated hours are from 6000-22000 hrs.
What are lumens?
Lumens are the unit of measure that state the amount of light output produced by a light source. The higher the lumens, the greater the light output. The standard fluorescent tube should produce at least (3000-3300) lumens.
How can I optimize the light output for indoor marijuana grow?
You can help reflect the light out of each tube, by using metal foil tape as a reflector, attached directly to the tube. For more info on lighting and different lights please visit our Grow Lights section.
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How to preserve lemons
In this brief article, we will answer ‘’How to preserve lemons’’. This article will also answer how to store lemons properly and the shelf life of lemons. Moreover, this article will also tell various ways in which preserved lemons can be used.
How to preserve lemons?
Lemons are preserved in salt and their own acidic juice for about a month before using it in dishes. Preserved lemons are very famous as a side dish and help to eat lemons for a long time without any bacteria attacking them.
- Buy canning jars to preserve lemons
You will need a canning jar which keeps the air tightly locked inside the jar. Add just enough kosher salt in this jar to preserve the lemons. The canning jars should be cleaned in hot water and put upside down to dry them completely.
- Clean and cut the lemons
Clean the lemons that need to be preserved by rubbing them to remove any kind of dirt on them. After cleaning the lemons cut the lemons into four pieces without cutting through it so it opens like a flower.
Seeds are removed from preserved lemons because they can make lemons bitter which ultimately makes it difficult to use them as a side dish or in meals.
- Kosher salt to preserve lemons
Put kosher salt in the opening of the lemon and also all around the lemon. Put these lemons inside the jar packed with each other so that the juice comes out and the lemons are covered in juice and salt.
If you see that the juice is not covering all the lemons, don’t hesitate to add more juice and kosher salt.
- Storing the jars
After closing the lid tightly, keep this jar at room temperature for a few days by putting it on the counter. Make sure that you tilt it upside down after a few days to make sure that the juice covers the whole jar.
After a few days at room temperature, store the jar inside a refrigerator and let it sit there for a few weeks while occasionally tilting the jar. If you want to use it, rinse the lemon thoroughly before using it.
Shelf life of preserved lemons
Preserved lemons can be used for up to 6 months. As they have a very high acid content, they can stay fresh without any bacterial growth. The lemon juice in the jar keeps the lemons juicy when you take them out, a lot of times these preserved lemons can stay good for about a year too.
Where to keep the preserved lemons?
Preserved lemons will stay fresh outside a fridge on the counter as well. Therefore, you don’t necessarily have to refrigerate them. Refrigerating them will not increase the shelf life, they will last for a year nonetheless.
This is one of the advantages of preserving lemons in their own juice and salt that they can be placed on the kitchen counter as well.
How to use preserved lemons
You can use preserved lemons with almost every dish, from stews to meat. These tangy lemons will add a very rich flavor to your food. Preserved lemons are mostly used in the Middle east as a side dish with meals.
Adding preserved lemon into a simple pasta
You can use preserved lemons instead of the normal ones in roast chicken, fish and even grilled meat. You can also use them in salsa and some Moroccan dishes to create a different cuisine. A simple pasta can be made exciting by adding preserved lemons along with other ingredients.
Preserved lemons in salads
If you want to use preserved lemons in salad, cut them into smaller pieces and add to the salad which will enhance the flavour. Different sauces can also be spiced up by adding some lemon into them.
How to choose lemons for preserving
If you decide to preserve lemons, look for Meyer lemons which are much sweeter as compared to the normal lemons with less tanginess as well. If you can’t find Meyer lemons then regular lemons can be used as well, they will be preserved in just the same way.
Is freezing the same as preserving lemons?
No, freezing lemons is another way of increasing their shelf life but it is very different from preserving lemons. While preserving lemons will not change the texture and taste of the lemons, freezing lemons might change the taste.
Other FAQs about Lemon that you may be interested in.
In this brief article, we answered ‘’How to preserve lemons’’. This article also answered how to store lemons properly and the shelf life of lemons. Moreover, this article also told various ways in which preserved lemons can be used.
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Krishani Peiris, with photo-work by Menaka Aravinda, …. a repeat from a presentation in 2013 with a different title
Located approximately 1,331 metres above sea level, Diyatalawa in the Haputale District is well known as a Garrison Town. Though it is not clear as to when the place became a prominent threshold for armed forces, historical records show that in 1885, the British had stationed a garrison in the area. And from that point onwards, Diyatalawa has being able to carve its own niche in the history of Sri Lanka.
Then Diyatalawa, meaning The Watered Plain, was at one point a bare plain where shrubs and elephants roamed freely. It is believed that British planters and hunters had come to the area in search of game, resulting in the extinction of elephants in the region. Moreover, towards the latter part of the 18th century the Wesleyan missionaries, Reverend Samuel Langdon and his wife, leased the land and set up an orphanage and a school naming the area ‘Happy Valley’. This orphanage was later removed to make room for the Boer war prisoners.
Annals of history surrounding the area revolve around the prisoners of the Boer war, in Africa, who were imprisoned in the locality. Boers, in Dutch for farmers, mainly consisted of Dutch descendants that had come to Cape Town, Africa in the 1600s when the Dutch East India Company operated in the region. They made a home for themselves in Cape Town – as the rich and powerful – driving away or enslaving the natives to gain full advantage of the city which was located in the naval navigation route from Amsterdam to South Asia. As the voyage between the countries took almost three months, breaking the journey half way to get provisions was customary and Cape Town proved to be a pivotal city where they were able to gain many riches.
When the British arrived in Africa they sought to take this wealth and to take control of the trade route centering Cape Town, leading to bitter struggles against the British hierarchy. After two successive wars, in 1877 and 1899, many of the Boers were shipped as prisoners to other colonies of the British Empire. As such Diyatalawa was chosen as a place to hold the prisoners and a camp was built in 1900, to house 2,500 prisoners and 1,000 guards. However, more additions were made as the number of prisoners increased to more than 5,000. For the next few years, until 1902 when most of the prisoners were released, the camp was their home where they toiled in building roads among many other tasks.
With Independence and the formation of the Ceylon Army in October 10, 1949 the area was established as a training centre for the Sri Lanka Army. Back Now, Today Diyatalawa is home to the Sri Lanka Military Academy, Sri Lanka Air Force, Institute of Surveying and Mapping and a small thriving town. As we passed the town teeming with many shops, vehicles and people, it depicted a vibrant setting.
At the Institute of Surveying and Mapping we took time to observe the structures made out of tin sheets. Hued in green and numbered, these were the abodes of the prisoners and offered a glimpse of the way of life some 100 years back.
The Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA), the training centre for officers as well as other personnel, covered a magnificent expanse that sprawled along acres of beautiful land. In order to admire this beauty better, we stopped by the Halangode Lake, which was rumoured to have been a treasure trove for precious gems some years back. The green waters that reflected the overhead skies as well as the lush greenery that lined the sides enhanced the charm surrounding the area.
Fox Hill where an image of a fox with HMS Fox and the year 1913 etched in white granite on a green backdrop, stands as a landmark that could be seen from various points in Diyatalawa. It is said that HMS Fox (His Majesty’s Ship), an old vessel – utilized to convey the Boer war prisoners to Sri Lanka – that was anchored in the Trincomalee Port due to repairs, was the inspiration behind this insignia. Situated nearby to this hill is the Fox Hill racing track, an idea by Hans Ralf – a German national – and made a reality by the Army in 1993. Fox Hill super-cross usually held in April, is one of the most prominent car and bike races in Sri Lanka and attracts nearly 75,000 visitors or more. The most unique feature of the track is that spectators can witness the races up close as the elevated grand stand provides a view of the whole track.
Enjoying the gentle breeze, which imparted a breath of fresh air along with the picturesque landscape dotted with varying shades of foliage, we paused at a monument built in 1913 to commemorate the Boer War Prisoners. The monument decorated with a cross atop and faded with age had names inscribed along three sides. Soon our gaze was drawn to another monument nearby paying homage to the soldiers who have contributed during World War I and II. Subsequently at the Polo Grounds, we reveled in the sheer breadth of a natural field that stretched as far as the eye could see. Maintained by the SLMA it is utilized for golf, rugby, football and more.
As we explored Diyatalawa we did not forget to visit the railway station, which is believed to have been built somewhere between 1892 and 1893. Though the building and the tracks were renovated through the years, two iron bars used for a cable car, used in the early 1900s, still stood there. In addition, stories about a little pub being located in the vicinity and of how one of the tunnels nearby was built, provide exciting anecdotes. As we stood there scrutinizing the neatly manicured lawns fringing the tracks and the scenic panorama beyond, a train from Kandy to Badulla approached the station, stopping for a while, as some people stepped out.
Bidding adieu to this serene land we wound our way out of the town as the skies started to darken and released drops of rain. A merging of the old and the new, Diyatalawa carried a wealth of history and scenery to sate the eye and the mind of the curious traveller.
NOTE: The photograph of the Boer POWs is a companion piece of the one taken by Rohan de Soysa, and numbered 55, in Roberts, Potency, Power & People in Groups (Colombo, Marga Institute, 2011).
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You might be wondering as a student whether studying applied statistics is necessary. Ultimately, it could appear like a difficult subject with little bearing on your future professional path. Still, a number of disciplines, including business, economics, the social sciences, and medicine, rely heavily on applied statistics. It gives you the resources you need to evaluate information, come to wise judgments, and resolve practical issues.
With the aid of applied statistics, you may make sense of the underlying patterns and trends in data and come to insightful conclusions. A strong foundation in applied statistics is crucial whether you are creating prediction models, assessing market trends, or conducting research studies. You will have an advantage over other candidates in the job market and be better prepared to handle challenging issues in your profession of choice if you can master this subject.
Challenges faced by students in applied statistics homework
Even though applied statistics is a useful subject, many students have trouble completing their homework. The difficulties might take many different forms, from trouble grasping abstract ideas to a deficiency of real-world data analysis experience. Stress can also be increased by the need to fulfill deadlines and do well academically.
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Understand the requirements:
Read the assignment instructions carefully to understand the objectives, deliverables, and any specific guidelines provided by your instructor. This will ensure that you focus on the relevant aspects and produce work that meets the required criteria.
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Break down the assignment into smaller tasks or questions. This will make the overall task more manageable and help you stay organized. Prioritize the tasks based on their importance and allocate sufficient time for each.
Review the relevant concepts:
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Descriptive statistics involve summarizing and presenting data in a meaningful way. This includes measures of central tendency (such as mean, median, and mode) and measures of variability (such as range, variance, and standard deviation).
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Understanding these key concepts will enable you to apply the appropriate statistical techniques and make informed decisions in your applied statistics homework assignments.
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When completing your applied statistics homework assignments, it is important to be aware of common mistakes that students often make. By avoiding these pitfalls, you can enhance the quality of your work and improve your overall understanding of the subject. Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
Misinterpreting the question:
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Using incorrect formulas or methods:
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Rushing through the assignment:
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By avoiding these common mistakes, you can demonstrate a strong understanding of applied statistics and produce high-quality homework assignments.
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Excel is a powerful tool that can greatly assist you in completing your applied statistics homework assignments. Here are some tips and tricks to make the most of Excel:
Organize your data:
Ensure that your data is well-structured and organized in Excel. Use separate columns for different variables and label the rows and columns appropriately. This will make it easier to perform calculations and analyze the data.
Utilize built-in functions:
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Create charts and graphs:
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Use data analysis tools:
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Mastering applied statistics is essential for students in various fields. While it may present challenges, seeking applied statistics homework help can provide numerous benefits, including expert guidance, time-saving, improved grades, and practical application of knowledge. Get proficient Applied Statistics Homework Help from the best in the business. With Statistics Homework Heroes‘ certified personnel, there is no need to worry about the side hustle. By following effective tips, understanding key concepts, avoiding common mistakes, and utilizing Excel, you can excel in your homework assignments and develop a solid foundation in applied statistics. So, don’t hesitate to seek help when needed and embrace the opportunities that applied statistics brings to your academic and professional journey.
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(May 18, 2015) Scientists from Paris and Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin have been able to switch ferromagnetic domains on and off with low voltage in a structure made of two different ferroic materials. The switching works slightly above room temperature. Their results, which are published online in Scientific Reports, might inspire future applications in low-power spintronics, for instance for fast and efficient data storage.
Information can be written as a sequence of bit digits, i.e. “0” and “1”. Materials which display ferromagnetism are currently used to handle or store such bits of information in magnetic memories by controlling the magnetization strength or direction of the individual bits via magnetic fields. But the use of magnetic fields goes along with high power consumption. Now, a comparatively low power approach which uses electric fields (voltages) instead to write magnetic information might do the trick, as demonstrated by HZB scientists in collaboration with Lee C. Phillips and his French colleagues.
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Brain Waves Detected In Mini-brains Grown In A Dish
Introduction: Riding the Waves of the Mind
In the vast ocean of human consciousness, there exist enigmatic currents that shape our thoughts, emotions, and experiences – these are the brain waves. Just as the ebb and flow of tides is controlled by the moon, our brains generate rhythmic electrical activity that influences our mental state and cognitive functions. Brain waves, a term often associated with science fiction and psychic phenomena, are far from fiction. In this article, we’ll dive deep into the world of brain waves, unveiling their secrets, significance, and potential applications. From the captivating realms of meditation and altered states of consciousness to medical breakthroughs and beyond, this journey promises to be both enlightening and exhilarating.
The Symphony of Brain Waves: An Overview
To truly grasp the significance of brain waves, it’s imperative to understand the intricate symphony they compose within our minds. These neural oscillations, much like the harmonious chords in a symphonic masterpiece, represent the rhythmic patterns of electrical activity generated by the synchronized firing of neurons within our brains. These waves serve as the underlying orchestration for our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, shaping our conscious experiences.
Five distinct categories of brain wave frequencies have been identified, each with its own unique role and impact on our mental states and activities.
- Delta Waves (0.5-4 Hz): These are the ponderous, slowest waves, marked by the highest amplitude. They predominantly make an appearance during deep sleep, playing a crucial role in the restorative aspects of slumber. Delta waves allow us to disconnect from the outside world, immersing us in the deep, tranquil waters of the dreamless realm.
- Theta Waves (4-8 Hz): The gently undulating theta waves characterize the states of relaxation, daydreaming, and the initial stages of sleep. They are also the stars of the show during meditation and creative thinking, offering a passage to explore novel ideas and delve into the depths of our creative reservoir.
- Alpha Waves (8-13 Hz): Like a tranquil breeze, alpha waves sweep through the mind when we find ourselves in states of relaxation, or a light meditative trance. These waves are associated with enhanced creativity and serve as the gateway to accessing the treasures buried in the subconscious mind.
- Beta Waves (13-30 Hz): The busybody of brain waves, beta waves are active during our conscious, wakeful states. They dominate our moments of logical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making, and they are the unsung heroes behind productivity and unwavering focus.
- Gamma Waves (30-100 Hz): At the top of the frequency spectrum, we have the nimble gamma waves. These waves are responsible for higher cognitive functions, memory consolidation, and rapid information processing. Often, they accompany those moments of insight and peak performance, providing a glimpse into the transcendental potential of our neural symphony.
In this intricate interplay of neural rhythms, our brains create a profound harmony, orchestrating our conscious experiences and guiding us through the myriad landscapes of thought and emotion. These brain waves, like the notes in a symphony, constitute the very essence of our conscious existence, shaping our perceptions, our emotions, and our understanding of the world.
The Power of Brain Waves: Mind and Body Connection
As we delve deeper into the realm of brain waves, it becomes increasingly evident that these rhythmic patterns of electrical activity hold profound implications for both our mental well-being and physical health. Beyond the realm of scientific curiosity, understanding the power of brain waves offers a gateway to enhancing the quality of our lives in ways that were once considered elusive.
Meditation, a practice that has been the subject of extensive research in recent years, stands as one of the most compelling intersections of brain waves and well-being. When individuals engage in meditative practices, they often experience an increase in the presence of alpha and theta waves, accompanied by a decrease in the prevalence of faster beta and gamma waves. This shift in brain wave patterns has been closely linked to a reduction in stress, improved emotional regulation, and a bolstered immune system. Meditation, in essence, allows individuals to tap into the therapeutic aspects of these slower waves, bringing about profound relaxation and an increased sense of mental clarity and inner peace.
Furthermore, a therapeutic technique known as neurofeedback harnesses the power of brain waves to treat various conditions, from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through neurofeedback sessions, individuals can actively train their brains to modify their brain wave patterns, a process known as neuroplasticity. This can lead to substantial improvements in symptom management, as well as an overall improvement in the quality of life. For individuals struggling with focus, attention, or emotional regulation, neurofeedback has opened up a new avenue for self-improvement by directly targeting the brain’s electrical symphony and adjusting it to more harmonious frequencies.
The profound interplay between brain waves and our mental and physical health highlights a fundamental truth: our neural orchestra wields immense influence over our overall well-being. By understanding and learning to navigate the world of brain waves, we have the potential to take charge of our mental health, reduce stress, and achieve a heightened sense of inner balance. In doing so, we unlock the door to a wealth of therapeutic possibilities, making brain waves not only a subject of scientific curiosity but also a path to self-discovery and a brighter, healthier future.
Beyond Self-Exploration: Brain Waves and Altered States of Consciousness
Delving further into the intricate web of brain waves, we encounter a fascinating aspect of their significance – their role in altered states of consciousness. These states, often associated with mystical experiences, creative insights, and profound self-discovery, are closely intertwined with the modulation of brain wave frequencies. As we explore this realm, we find ourselves on the threshold of understanding the boundless potential of the human mind.
One of the most intriguing intersections of brain waves and altered states of consciousness can be observed in the realm of psychedelic experiences. Substances like psilocybin, LSD, and DMT have been found to induce altered states characterized by increased gamma wave activity in the brain. This surge in gamma waves has been associated with the intense mystical and transcendent experiences reported by users. It’s as if these substances unlock a hidden dimension of consciousness, allowing individuals to transcend the ordinary and touch upon the extraordinary. In these altered states, boundaries blur, and the mind embarks on a journey of self-exploration that often defies conventional understanding.
Additionally, meditation, which we’ve explored earlier in the context of brain waves’ therapeutic potential, offers a pathway to altered states of consciousness. As the meditator deepens their practice, they often reach states characterized by theta and delta waves, mirroring the realms of deep sleep and dreamless oblivion. In these altered states, individuals may report profound insights, visions, and a sense of interconnectedness with the universe. It’s as though the mind, guided by the rhythm of brain waves, transcends ordinary perception and gains access to a higher state of awareness.
Altered states of consciousness also extend to practices such as lucid dreaming and out-of-body experiences, where the brain wave patterns are instrumental in shaping the nature of these experiences. In lucid dreams, where one becomes aware of the dream state, alpha and theta waves often play a crucial role in maintaining this unique form of awareness. Out-of-body experiences, on the other hand, have been linked to heightened gamma wave activity, suggesting that they may involve a profound shift in the brain’s electrical symphony.
In this exploration of brain waves and altered states of consciousness, we uncover the extraordinary capabilities of our minds. These states, facilitated by the modulation of brain wave frequencies, open up new vistas of perception, self-discovery, and creative insight. Whether induced by psychedelic substances, nurtured through meditation, or experienced in the enigmatic world of dreams, altered states of consciousness reveal the depths of our neural symphony, illustrating the profound potential of our consciousness to transcend the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary.
Conclusion: Surfing the Waves of Our Minds
Our journey into the mesmerizing world of brain waves has navigated through the vast expanse of human consciousness, revealing its intricacies, implications, and boundless potential. As we reflect on the depths we’ve explored, it becomes evident that the study of brain waves is a journey of enlightenment, offering both profound insights into the human mind and an exhilarating glimpse into the uncharted territory of the future.
At its core, the symphony of brain waves is not merely an abstract concept but a profound element of our daily existence. Whether we are navigating the dreamy landscapes of delta waves during deep sleep or riding the waves of creativity with theta and alpha frequencies, we are constantly in dialogue with our brain’s electrical orchestra. It is a conversation that shapes our perceptions, guides our emotions, and governs our intellectual endeavors. Understanding this symphony enriches our comprehension of the human experience.
Moreover, the power of brain waves extends far beyond self-exploration. It has transcended into the domains of medical treatment, therapeutic practices, and even the boundaries of science fiction. The therapeutic potential of brain wave modulation, seen in meditation and neurofeedback, has opened new avenues for self-improvement and mental health enhancement. The exploration of altered states of consciousness through meditation and psychedelic experiences has unveiled the depths of human potential and the fluidity of our conscious experience.
As we gaze into the future, the convergence of neuroscience and technology is transforming brain waves into a gateway to the extraordinary. Brain-computer interfaces have the potential to revolutionize the lives of those with physical disabilities, enabling a direct connection between the human brain and external devices. Telepathic communication, once the stuff of science fiction, now appears on the horizon, offering the tantalizing possibility of direct mind-to-mind contact. Additionally, the fusion of brain waves with artistic creativity and technology promises to redefine the boundaries of human expression.
In closing, the study of brain waves is an ongoing odyssey that holds promise and wonder. It’s a journey that invites us to embrace the symphony of our minds, ride the waves of consciousness, and unlock the infinite potential of our mental realm. Just as explorers charted the Earth’s uncharted waters, we now chart the unexplored territories of the mind. In the rhythm of brain waves, we discover the soundtrack of our consciousness and embark on a journey that continues to shape our understanding of ourselves and the future that lies before us.
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5 Physical Characteristics Of Children Born With Down Syndrome
Looking at your precious new addition you may or may not notice anything out of the ordinary about their appearance. Your pediatrician however likely knew instantly when they saw your baby that something was different. They have been trained to pick up on these sometimes subtle differences.
A syndrome is characteristics that are consistently found together. Frequently this is associated with a change in genetics. Down syndrome was “discovered” by finding consistent features and physical characteristics that were consistently together along with a mental disability.
The features listed below when present alone do not indicate Down syndrome, but when found together suggest this diagnosis. There are several other Down syndrome markers at birth, but the ones I’ve listed are some of the easier ones for new parents to pick up on their own.
I am including the pictures that I used to diagnose Noah. There were two pictures specifically that I saw in the delivery room and recovery that I am fairly certain convinced me that Noah was born with Down syndrome prior to holding him in my arms. In Rick’s version of Noah’s birth story he is unaware of my concern as I kept this to myself until my pediatrician came to confirm my fears.
1. Up Slanted Palpebral Fissures
The outer corner of the eye will be turned up rather than down. This is sometimes referred to as almond shaped eyes. The shape is also very similar to that of someone of Asian descent. This will likely be the most predominant physical feature of Down syndrome as your child grows up.
We love these eyes as you can tell by the top of our blog, and it’s actually the best picture to see how the outer corners are pointing up rather than down. Look at your own eyes in the mirror to see how the fissure typically points down. Another beautiful addition to the eyes are Brushfield spots which are the white flecks that can be seen close to the periphery of the iris (the colored part) of the eye, and are often described as stars. Up slanted palpebral fissures are one of the most obvious down syndrome markers at birth. (Noah’s are pretty obvious as you can see in his pictures.)
2. Flat Profile
Looking at your baby from the side there will not be much curve from the nose, cheeks or mouth. There is also not much shape to the cheeks when looking at the baby from the front; the cheeks seem to hang on the face. This is due to the poor tone in the muscles of the face and is actually a characteristic of hypotonia rather than a true Down syndrome marker. You can see below that there is not much definition to Noah’s face and his cheeks are just kind of hanging there. He frequently has his mouth hanging open as well with his tongue sticking out, which brings us to the next feature.
3. Protuberant Tongue
New parents of children born with Down syndrome often ask “Why does my baby stick his / her tongue out?” The child is frequently sticking out his/her tongue either because of a small mouth, large tongue, or simply poor tone. There are some good debates on what causes this which I am not going to get into. I got extremely worried when my entire family couldn’t stop talking about how Noah kept sticking his tongue out and how cute it was. Rick likes to repeat my comment (which I said in my head) of
“That’s not cute….that’s Down syndrome.” 🙂
There will likely be many speech therapy appointments to help your child with Down syndrome keep their tongue in as well as work on speech development.
4. Single Palmar Crease
People will tell you the single palmar crease or simian crease is the hallmark physical characteristic of a child born with Down syndrome. It’s a single crease across the palm of the hand.
Despite the theory that this is so common, only 45% of children have a simian crease. The absence of this physical characteristic doesn’t mean that your child does not have Down syndrome, but people (including yourself) will try to convince you otherwise while you await testing. Noah is part of the 55% who does not have a simian crease. This is again a result of hypotonia as the hand was not held in a tight fist while he/she was growing in the womb.
You may have noticed a theme above that several of the features are from hypotonia and not actually a distinct physical marker of Down syndrome. Hypotonia will be the biggest challenge the first few years and will be the reason for your frequent therapy sessions.
You have to feel hypotonia; it is hard to diagnosis from pictures. The minute I held Noah in my arms I knew that he had hypotonia.
Your baby will feel floppy or limp. When you hold him or her, it feels like they are going to slip through your hands or arms. If you lay them across your hand, they will look like a wet noodle rather than being able to hold their form.
This will affect every muscle from face to ankles. Tummy time is your new best friend and child’s worst enemy as it will help your baby build head control and be the first building block for their development.
You will also notice that when they are laying down their arms and legs fall out to the sides. See the picture on the left for an excellent example. I added a bonus feature in the picture with the footprint showing the wide space between the first (big) and second toe often referred to as sandal gap toes.
Hypotonia even has its upside as your child will be a total cuddle bug and melt into your body. It is honestly the best feeling ever to have your little one snuggled against you. Rick and I fight over who gets to cuddle with Noah, so be ready to battle.
Cutest Baby On the Block
Despite these features, I am fairly certain the majority of people are going to find your child to be the cutest baby they have ever seen. In fact, the majority of the population will have no idea your baby even has these physical features or even Down syndrome for that matter. In fact, I keep waiting for someone to ask if Noah has Down syndrome while I’m out and about, but no one has been brave enough to ask…yet.
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What is mpox (monkeypox)?
Mpox is a rare viral disease that causes symptoms of an acute viral infection (fever, headache, muscle aches) and a rash that resembles pimples or blisters.
In 2022, for the first time, a large number of cases were reported in the EU and worldwide in countries where it was not common. Over 20000 cases were reported in the EU/EEA during the 2022 outbreak. These cases were unrelated to travel to places where the monkeypox virus was historically known to circulate.
What are the symptoms of mpox?
Symptoms include lesions that may be difficult to distinguish from other poxvirus infections and, to some extent, chickenpox.
People with mpox often present a combination of the following symptoms:
- lymph node swelling
- back pain and muscle aches
- mucous membrane lesions and a skin rash.
The rash may appear before or after the other symptoms and is generally located on the face, hands, feet, around the genitals or anus.
Skin lesions will often first present as spots that evolve into fluid-filled blisters, then crust and scab before the skin heals completely.
What are the complications of mpox?
Most people who get mpox recover without any complications. Newly identified cases of mpox should undergo a medical assessment for severity and risk factors (e.g., underlying conditions or medications affecting immune competence, untreated HIV infection, etc.). Those with severe disease may require hospitalisation and/or treatment with antivirals.
How does the monkeypox virus spread?
In Africa, where the monkeypox virus circulates among animals, the virus can be spread from animals to humans through direct contact with infected animals such as rodents.
In Europe, the virus can be transmitted from one person to the other through:
- close contact with skin lesions of an infected person
- respiratory droplets in prolonged face-to-face contact
- contact with infected surfaces.
In the 2022 outbreak, most diagnosed human mpox cases were among men who have sex with men, which suggested that transmission occurred during sexual intercourse.
Who is at risk of mpox?
While the majority of cases in 2022 were among men who have sex with men, anyone who has close, direct contact (including sexual contact) with someone who has mpox is at risk of catching the monkeypox virus. Contact with clothing, bedding, towels, objects, and other surfaces that have been touched by someone with mpox can also lead to transmission of the monkeypox virus.
Those with weakened immune systems due to underlying medical conditions, certain medications, or treatments (such as chemotherapy) may be more susceptible to mpox and its complications.
It is important to note that while these groups may be at higher risk, mpox can potentially affect anyone who comes into contact with an infected person.
How can mpox be prevented?
Mpox can be prevented by avoiding close contact with infected people and practising good hygiene such as washing hands frequently with soap and water.
Vaccination against smallpox, a disease caused by a related virus, provides some protection against mpox.
If you suspect that you may have been exposed to the monkeypox virus, isolate yourself from others, and seek medical attention from your healthcare provider immediately.
Note: The information contained in this factsheet is intended for the purpose of general information and should not be used as a substitute for the individual expertise and judgement of a healthcare professional.
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Acupuncture is an effective form of medical treatment that has evolved into a complete holistic health care system. Practitioners of acupuncture and Chinese medicine have used this noninvasive treatment method to help millions of people become well and stay well.
Acupuncture promotes natural healing. It can enhance recuperative power and immunity, support physical and emotional health, and improve overall function and well-being. It is a safe, painless and effective way to treat a wide variety of medical problems.
What is Qi?
At the core of this ancient medicine is the philosophy that Qi (pronounced “chee”), or vital energy, flows throughout the body. Qi animates the body and protects it from illness, pain and disease. A person's health is influenced by the quality, quantity and balance of Qi.
How does Qi move?
Qi flows through specific pathways called meridians. There are fourteen main meridians inside the body. The diagram to the left shows the meridian pathways in the body. Each of these is connected to specific organs and glands.
Meridian pathways are like rivers flowing inside the body. Where a river flows, it transports life-giving water that provides nourishment to the land, plants and people. Similarly, where meridian pathways flow, they bring life-giving Qi that provides nourishment to every cell, organ, gland, tissue and muscle in the body.
How is Qi disrupted?
An obstruction to the flow of Qi is like a dam. When Qi becomes backed up in one part of the body, the flow becomes restricted in other parts. This blockage of the flow of Qi can be detrimental to a person's health, cutting off vital nourishment to the body, organs and glands.
Physical and emotional trauma, stress, lack of exercise, overexertion, seasonal changes, poor diet, accidents, or excessive activity are among the many things that can influence the quality, quantity and balance of Qi.
Normally, when a blockage or imbalance occurs, the body easily bounces back, returning to a state of health and well-being. However, when this disruption is prolonged or excessive, or if the body is in a weakened state, illness, pain, or disease can set in.
Blockage of the flow of Qi can be detrimental to a person's health and leads to various signs and symptoms or health concerns.
What does an acupuncturist do?
During the initial exam a full health history is taken. Questions are asked regarding health, symptoms and lifestyle. An appropriate physical exam is conducted, including pulse and tongue diagnosis.
Gathering this information enables the practitioner to effectively diagnose and detect any specific imbalances of Qi that may have contributed to a person's health problems. The practitioner can then create a well-structured treatment plan.
Once the imbalances of Qi are detected, an acupuncturist will place fine, sterile needles at specific acupoints along meridian pathways. This safe and painless insertion of the needles can unblock the obstruction and balance Qi where it has become unbalanced. Once this is done, Qi can freely circulate throughout the body, providing adequate nourishment to cells, organs, glands, tissues and muscles. This can eliminate pain and restore balance and harmony, as well as the body's ability to heal itself—ultimately leading to optimal health and well-being.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine are safe, effective and drug-free therapies that can help address a wide variety of common ailments and problems.
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The G2/M checkpoint of the cell cycle prevents the cell from entering mitosis to repair the the damaged genome and participates on various pro-survival signaling pathways. During the G2 phase the CDK1 kinase is maintained in an inactive (phosphorylated at Tyr-15) state by Wee1-like protein kinase. As cells approach M phase, the phosphatase Cdc25 dephosphorylates and thus activates CDK1, step that promotes cell entry into mitosis. The complex cyclinB-CDK1 migrates to the nucleus where it activates several substates to allow cells enter mitosis.
A number of different viruses have been associated with G2/M arrest, including DNA viruses, RNA viruses and retroviruses. The arrest in G2/M allows viruses to replicate their genome before cells enter mitosis. Alternatively, it can inhibit the antiviral immune response by preventing the clonal expansion of infected lymphocytes. Some viral proteins including JCV agnoprotein or MMV NS1 increase the cyclin inhibitor p21 activity through interaction with p53 to inhibit the cyclinB-CDK1. The nucleoprotein from Bornavirus or the UL24 protein from herpesviridae directly inhibit the cyclinB-CDK1 complex, while E4 from HPV16 prevents its nuclear localization. Instead, the serotype 3 reovirus sigma1-s protein hyperphosphorylates cyclinB-CDK1 that becomes inactive.
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News Feeds and Google Placemarks
Download Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report Network RSS Feed
The RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feed is identical to the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report minus some features including the header information (latitude and longitude and summit elevation), the Geologic Summary, and a link to the volcano's page from the Global Volcanism Program. At the end of each report is a list of the sources used. Each volcano report includes a link from the volcano's name back to the more complete information in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report on the Smithsonian website. This feature was first made available on 5 March 2008.
Download Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report Network CAP Feed
The CAP (Common Alerting Protocol) feeds are XML files specifically formatted for disaster management. They are similar in content to the RSS feed, but contain no active links.
Download Smithsonian / USGS Weekly Volcanic Activity Report Network Link
A Google Earth network link for the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report can be loaded into the free Google Earth software, and in turn will load placemarks for volcanoes in the current weekly report. Placemark balloons include the volcano name, report date, report text, sources, and links back to the GVP volcano profile page and to the complete Weekly Report for that week. This feature was first made available on 1 April 2009.
Criteria & Disclaimers
The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report does not necessarily include all volcanic activity that occurred on Earth during the week. More than a dozen volcanoes globally have displayed more-or-less continuous eruptive activity for decades or longer, and such routine activity is typically not reported here. Moreover, Earth's sea-floor volcanism is seldom reported even though in theory it represents the single most prolific source of erupted material. The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report summarizes volcanic activity that meets one or more of the following criteria:
- A volcano observatory raises or lowers the alert level at the volcano.
- A volcanic ash advisory has been released by a volcanic ash advisory center (VAAC) stating that an ash cloud has been produced from the volcano.
- A verifiable news report of new activity or a change in activity at the volcano has been issued.
- Observers have reported a significant change in volcanic activity. Such activity can include, but is not restricted to, pyroclastic flows, lahars, lava flows, dome collapse, or increased unrest.
Volcanoes are included in the "New Activity/Unrest" section of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report if the activity occurs after at least 3 months of quiescence. Once a volcano is included in the "New Activity/Unrest" section, updates will remain in that section unless the activity continues for more than 1 month without escalating, after which time updates will be listed in the "Continuing Activity" section. Volcanoes are also included in the "New Activity/Unrest" section if the volcano is undergoing a period of relatively high unrest, or increasing unrest. This is commonly equal to Alert Level Orange on a scale of Green, Yellow, Orange, Red, where Red is the highest alert. Or alert level 3 on a scale of 1-4 or 1-5.
It is important to note that volcanic activity meeting one or more of these criteria may occur during the week, but may not be included in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report because we did not receive a report.
1. The Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is intended to provide timely information about global volcanism on a weekly basis. Consequently, the report is generated rapidly by summarizing volcanic reports from various sources, with little time for fact checking. The accuracy of the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report is dependent upon the quality of the volcanic activity reports we receive. Reports published in the Bulletin of the Global Volcanism Network are cover longer time periods and are more carefully reviewed, although all of the volcanoes discussed in the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report are not necessarily reported in the Bulletin. Because of our emphasis on rapid reporting on the web we have avoided diacritical marks. Reports are updated on the Weekly Volcanic Activity Report web page as they are received, therefore information may be included regarding events that occurred before the current report period.
2. Rapidly developing events lead to coverage that is often fragmentary. Volcanoes, their eruptions, and their plumes and associated atmospheric effects are complex phenomena that may require months to years of data analysis in order to create a comprehensive summary and interpretation of events.
3. Preliminary accounts sometimes contain exaggerations and "false alarms," and accordingly, this report may include some events ultimately found to be erroneous or misleading.
4. Many news agencies do not archive the articles they post on the Internet, and therefore the links to some sources may not be active. To obtain information about the cited articles that are no longer available on the Internet contact the source.
5. USGS Disclaimer Statement for this Website:
Information presented on this website is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image credit is requested. We strongly recommend that USGS data be acquired directly from a USGS server and not through other sources that may change the data in some way. While USGS makes every effort to provide accurate and complete information, various data such as names, telephone numbers, etc. may change prior to updating. USGS welcomes suggestions on how to improve our home page and correct errors. USGS provides no warranty, expressed or implied, as to the accuracy, reliability or completeness of furnished data.
Some of the documents on this server may contain live references (or pointers) to information created and maintained by other organizations. Please note that USGS does not control and cannot guarantee the relevance, timeliness, or accuracy of these outside materials.
For site security purposes and to ensure that this service remains available to all users, this government computer system employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. Unauthorized attempts to upload information or change information on this website are strictly prohibited and may be punishable under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act. Information may also be used for authorized law enforcement investigations. (Last modified September 21, 1999.)
U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA
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“There should be equality among all people save only the king. There should be no serfdom and all men should be free and of one condition.We will be free forever, our heirs and our lands."
Little or nothing is known about the early life of Wat Tyler. Some sources claim that in his youth he joined the English army and was cited for bravery at the battle of Poitiers as well as being present at the Battle of Crecy and various navel battles against the Spanish and French. On his return it is said he became something of a community leader and helped rid his local area of a band of robbers who had plagued them for many years.
It was not until the summer of 1381 that Wat Tyler, as leader of the so-called “Peasants” Revolt, finally stepped out of the shadows, and when he did he was to rock the establishment to its core. The term “Peasants” Revolt is somewhat misleading as many of the men who were to take up arms that summer were far from what we would today think of as peasants. Many were from the yeoman classes, skilled men and village leaders. Their fight wasn’t against misery, hunger or poverty, instead it was a call for liberty, justice and an end to the feudal system that still kept many free born Englishmen as mere slaves to the lords of the manor. It was a moral crusaded for emancipation and for what they believed to be right.
Resentment had been growing since the imposition of the Statute of Labourers, which tied the English working classes to the land and imposed on them further taxation. The outbreak of plague that had wiped out millions across Europe had brought in its wake wide ranging social upheaval and had led to a shortage of labour and skilled men. The working classes were essentially the English, who due to these shortages, were for the first time able to command higher wages and from that had seen a small rise in living standards. And the ruling classes didn’t like it one bit. The Statute of Labourers sought to reverse all this back again in favour of the ruling classes, who were of Norman stock, by firstly setting a maximum wage that could be paid to the English classes and also for the third time in four years they introduced a poll or head tax that was to be levied on every single person simply because they existed. At the same time the landlords were constantly increasing the rents on the lands that were paid by the English classes who were now tied to that very same land by the Statute of Labourers. In reality this was no “Peasants Revolt”. This was a working class English uprising against the Norman establishment and ruling classes whom, even well over 200 years since the invasion were still seen as foreign oppressors.
The torch of rebellion was first lit in Essex when locals attacked tax collectors as they came to collect the hated poll tax. The trouble soon spread to Kent where Wat Tyler was elected as leader and with other leaders in tow, such as John Ball and Jack Straw, the men of the southeast seized Rochester Castle, Maidstone, and then on 7th June Canterbury. Tyler at the head of 4000 rebels broke into the cathedral, demanding that the Arch-Bishop Simon Sudbery, who was a leading member of the government, be deposed. During the run-up to the revolt John Ball and other renegade English priests had preached radical religious thinking that had gone hand in hand with the social revolution that had sparked the current revolt. They preached social equality and that men did not need the help of a rich priest in order to find God and that the church was greedy and corrupt. With Canterbury under rebel control they marched on London, their ranks now swelled as every day more men flocked to their banner. On the road to London any symbol of what they saw as state oppression was smashed or burnt and any tax collector or landlord that they happened to come across was dragged aside and killed.
On reaching London Arch Bishop Sudbury, who had earlier fled Canterbury, was found by the rebels hiding at the Tower of London. Both he and the Kings Treasurer Sir Robert Hales were dragged out, beheaded and their heads stuck on poles. The mob swept through London plundering and burning any display of state authority including the Savoy Palace, home of John of Gaunt. They cornered the King’s mother Joan who was said to have fainted when one of the rebels asked her for a kiss. At Fleet and Newgate the prisons were stormed and the prisoners released. They attacked only the people and institutions that they deemed to be the supporters of oppressive lordship and the legislation that they saw as exploiting working people. The Chancellor and the lawyers who made the entire legal system workable, the justices and magistrates who enforced it and any other institute they saw as having gained privilege off the blood and sweat of their own forced labour.
On June 14th, with no close military support at hand that could stand in the way of the rebel army, the King agreed to meet with them at Mile End and made vast concessions including the abolition of serfdom, market monopolies and feudal service. The following day the King again met with the rebels, this time at Smithfields, and Wat Tyler bravely rode out from the rebel ranks armed only with a dagger to present their final demands. He demanded that all Englishmen should as treated as equals and that all aristocratic titles and privileges were to be abolished and only the king was to retain a superior title. Wat proclaimed:
“There should be equality among all people save only the king. There should be no serfdom and all men should be free and of one condition.” He demanded that all church property should be confiscated and divided out among the people save for a small amount to provide the clergy with “sufficient sustenance” Finally he demanded for his people “We will be free forever, our heirs and our lands."
At some point according to an eyewitness (on the King’s side), Tyler behaves disrespectfully towards young King Richard, he shook the Kings hand roughly and after calling for water, he rinsed his mouth "in a very rude and disgusting fashion”. Wat Tyler, alone and far ahead of the ranks of the rebel army was set upon by the Kings retinue and murdered.
On seeing the death of their leader the rebel ranks joined battle formation and began to string their bows until the King rode out in front of them declaring “I will be your Captain” He called for further negotiations and re-affirmed the concessions he had previously made the rebels. Leaderless and with their aims apparently achieved the rebel army gradually faded away.
With the rebels dispersed the King acted swiftly. He immediately rescinded every concession he had made and he sent Royal troops out into the country where the remains of the rebellion was mercies crushed. One chronicler tells us that over 500 leaders of the rebellion were sent to the gallows, including John Ball and Jack Straw who were hanged, drawn and quartered.
On a later tour of Essex the King would sneer at his English subjects,
“Rustics you were and rustics you are still. You will remain in bondage, not as before, but incomparably harsher”
Both Wat Tyler and his rebellion were dead but his name lived on to become a watchword and a rallying cry during public demonstrations and rebellions that his actions inspired throughout the later medieval period and even up to this present day.
Wat Tyler and his kinsmen were brave and courageous Englishmen who refused to be intimidated by a political elite who wished to dominate them and refused to have their ideals curbed by the social constraints of the day. What we see in their cry for social justice is the manifestation of an idea that was years ahead of its time. It is an Anglo-Saxon libertarian instinct, an inherent sense of justice that stretches right back to those first boatloads of warriors who splashed up our beaches all those years ago, a seed of the very idea of personal freedom that has since been planted in every single country that draws its culture and tradition from those very same Anglo-Saxon people. Wat Tyler epitomised something that we very often forget about the English and that is our tradition for radical thought and action – in short people just like Wat Tyler and John Ball who were prepared to think the unthinkable no matter what the consequences. Continetal commentators frequently noted the political volatility of the English and ambassadors from abroad were often fearful of setting foot on English soil. Some writers put this English radicalism down to “the natural aggression of the natives”
When Wat Tyler shook the Kings hand and John Ball preached to the crowds "When Adam delved and Eve span.Who was then the gentleman." They were making a point about equality but they were also taking their place among a long line of English radicals – the Lollards and the Levellers, the Diggers to the Suffragettes, the slavery abolitionists to the Trade Union Movement. We as English people should be proud that these movements first saw the light of day not in Scotland, Wales or Ireland, not in France, Germany or any where else but here in England – our homeland.
Sometimes it is only a thin veil that separates us from events that happened many hundreds of years ago. Then as now members of the ruling establishment were far removed from the wider population who they saw as inferior and crude. In 1381 popular action was condemned, as well as “the laziness of working people, their pernicious demands for rights and higher wages” In 2007 popular English sentiment on many issues is condemned as un-PC or racist. In echoes of words spoken all those years ago the supermarket chain Sainsburys told the House of Lords economic affairs select committee that their growing Eastern European workforce “tend to be more willing to work flexibly, and be satisfied with their duties, terms and conditions and productivity requirements.” than the indigenous population. The Statute of Labourers as a method of control has simply been replaced by the mass immigration of people who will work for less money and save the moneymen fortunes in wages – the same moneymen who prop up the establishment and the political status quo. In modern day England we find a single politically correct uniformity of thought, that encompasses our modern society, and it flies directly in the face of our radical and free thinking tradition that stretches back well over 1000 years. We have a political elite that thinks it knows best and holds the views of ordinary Englishmen and women in contempt. To them we are mere rustics. Whether it is Europe, immigration, GM foods or the all-encompassing political correctness, they know we don’t like it but they plough on regardless. We have, once so called hot beds of radicalism, such as the University campuses or the Trade Unionists who have been reduced to nothing more than robotically repeating the PC mantra spoon-fed to them by the political establishment. We have a collusion of the political classes, no matter what their affiliations, who regularly close ranks to ensure that their dominance is never challenged. It results in a culture of disseat and dishonesty, where the people at the top serve only themselves to maintain their own privilege position, where no one is ever held to account and the politically classes are only ever investigated by the political classes.
Wat Tyler was a man who fought and died in order to make things better for his own people. If only he were to see the way in which his English people have been intimidated and cowed into silence, the way in which they look over their shoulder when they speak of their community while others shout it from the roof tops. If only he could see the establishment that he so despised all but ignore his own working class English people while it falls over itself to attend to the needs of others.
He would be thrown into a fit of anger, he would not be intimidated and he would simply not accept the way things are - but then he was a wolf while all we have is so many sheep. He was a man of spirit, courage and conviction – oh how I wish he were here now.
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Flu syndromeThese tips will help you avoid getting sick
Like every year, flu and other colds are on the menu. These few tips may help you slip through the cracks.
- Carolina Lermann
Having to stay in bed with a fever, cough or sore throat is not pleasant for anyone. To prevent this, here are some tips to strengthen your immune system.
A healthy diet
It has been scientifically proven that there is a direct link between healthy intestinal flora and a strong immune system, as a large part of the antibody-producing cells are located in the intestine.
Vitamins A, C, D and E, iron, trace elements such as selenium and zinc and various plant substances are particularly important for the immune system. In winter, you should therefore ideally consume as many seasonal fruits and vegetables as possible. For example, cabbage acts as a real antidote to winter infections. Spices such as chili pepper, ginger, horseradish, coriander and black cumin strengthen the immune system.
It is important to hydrate well in winter by consuming water or herbal tea, because heating dries out the mucous membranes and weakens the body’s natural defenses against viruses and bacteria. It is also advisable to ventilate your interior three to four times a day during the cold season to humidify the atmosphere.
Regular physical activity
Practicing physical activity stimulates blood circulation and helps keep the immune system active. Exercising outdoors is particularly effective at strengthening it. However, be careful not to overexert yourself as this can cause the opposite effect, as several studies have shown. It is therefore important to recover well and follow a moderate training.
For a good immune system, the body needs vitamin D because it increases the activity of T lymphocytes that fight infections. It is certainly possible to absorb it through food, but the sun is the greatest natural source.
Studies confirm it: excessive stress damages the immune system and promotes respiratory infections. According to the University Hospital of Zurich, chronic stress inhibits the proliferation of immune cells and reduces the amount of antibodies in saliva.
Research by researchers from the German universities of Tübingen and Lübeck shows that a good night’s sleep greatly helps strengthen the immune system. T lymphocytes, which circulate in the blood, fight invaders that enter the body. However, if the immune system is weakened due to lack of rest, this defense mechanism works less well.
The first signs of a cold
The back of your throat feels scratchy or like a lump.
You feel weak, have no energy and are in a bad mood.
You sneeze often. (This is because your body is trying to get rid of the virus.)
You have a headache due to pressure caused by blocked sinuses.
“The essence” on WhatsApp
Subscribe to our news whatsapp channel by clicking on the link or scanning the QR code below and active the little 🔔. You will receive one summary of today’s newsbetween information and entertainment.
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Plantar warts are small growths that appear on the bottom of the foot. A virus causes plantar warts. They are contagious and can be spread from person to person. Plantar warts should not be treated with over-the-counter treatments. A doctor should remove plantar warts.
Your skin covers your body and protects it from the environment. It is composed of three major layers. Warts typically grow on the outer layer of skin, but plantar warts can grow into the deeper layers. It is common for the portion of the wart that is below the skin to be larger than the wart that is visible.
Plantar warts are caused by contact with the virus that causes warts. Warts are highly contagious. The virus (human papilloma virus) that cause plantar warts is spread by direct contact with a wart and by contact with surfaces that have the viruses on it, such as locker room floors, shower floors, and swimming pool surrounds.
Plantar warts occur on the bottom of the foot. They can be painful and grow into the skin instead of outward. Plantar warts are shaped like an iceberg and may appear spongy, rough, brown, gray, yellow, or have tiny spots. The wart may bleed if scraped or bumped.
Plantar warts can be painful. Because plantar warts commonly develop on the heels or balls of the foot, they may be especially uncomfortable when you stand or walk.
Your doctor can diagnose a plantar wart by its appearance. In some cases, the wart may be scraped to obtain cell samples for confirmation.
Plantar warts should not be removed with over-the-counter treatments. A podiatrist can remove warts with liquid nitrogen or cryotherapy that freezes and removes warts. Laser therapy and surgery are also methods for wart removal. Prescription cream may be used to help treat warts or prevent new ones.
Warts are very contagious. You should avoid touching warts on another person or yourself. Warts can be spread from one part of your body to another. You should wear sandals or other protection in locker rooms and public shower areas to protect your feet from contact with the virus.
Am I at Risk
Warts are highly contagious. You should avoid touching warts that are on other people or yourself. The viruses that cause warts thrive in warm moist areas. You are at risk for plantar warts if you walk barefoot in locker rooms and other public areas. Plantar warts most frequently occur in children under 16.
Plantar warts that are not treated can increase in size or form clusters (mosaic warts). They can change the way a person stands or walks and contribute to an imbalance of posture that creates leg or back pain.
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How Bread Was Made in the 1940s
This 1946 vocational guidance film does an excellent job of surveying the baking industry as it sat in the 40’s. It shows the various steps and methods in bread making, and discusses how one trains for these jobs, and the difference between a large commercial bakery, and a small mom & pop bakery (which are rather rare anymore). The film includes footage of the full process of baking bread at the Schulze Baking Company Plant (Interstate Bakeries Corporation) in Chicago, Illinois.
These 'Your Life's Work' films are pretty funny, as they present 'qualifications' to what is needed to be a baker, which of course involves physics, chemistry and mathematics. A wide variety of bakery jobs are shown and described specifically here, like the pan loader. "The pan loader loads the dough into the pan".
CONTEXT / HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history it has been popular around the world and is one of the oldest artificial foods, having been of importance since the dawn of agriculture.
Proportions of types of flour and other ingredients vary widely, as do modes of preparation. As a result, types, shapes, sizes, and textures of breads differ around the world. Bread may be leavened by processes such as reliance on naturally occurring sourdough microbes, chemicals, industrially produced yeast, or high-pressure aeration. Some bread is cooked before it can leaven. Non-cereal ingredients such as fruits, nuts and fats may be included. Commercial bread commonly contains additives to improve flavor, texture, color, shelf life, and ease of manufacturing.
Bread is served in various forms with any meal of the day. It is eaten as a snack, and used as an ingredient in other culinary preparations, such as sandwiches, and fried items coated in bread crumbs to prevent sticking. It forms the bland main component of bread pudding, as well as of stuffings designed to fill cavities or retain juices that otherwise might drip out.
Bread has a social and emotional significance beyond its importance as nourishment. It plays essential roles in religious rituals and secular culture. Its prominence in daily life is reflected in language, where it appears in proverbs, colloquial expressions ("He stole the bread from my mouth"), in prayer ("Give us this day our daily bread") and in the etymology of words, such as "companion" (from Latin com "with" + panis "bread").
Bread is usually made from a wheat-flour dough that is cultured with yeast, allowed to rise, and finally baked in an oven. The addition of yeast to the bread explains the air pockets commonly found in bread. Owing to its high levels of gluten (which give the dough sponginess and elasticity), common or bread wheat is the most common grain used for the preparation of bread, which makes the largest single contribution to the world's food supply of any food.
Bread is also made from the flour of other wheat species (including spelt, emmer, einkorn and kamut). Non-wheat cereals including rye, barley, maize (corn), oats, sorghum, millet and rice have been used to make bread, but, with the exception of rye, usually in combination with wheat flour as they have less gluten.
World War 2 directly affected bread industries in the UK ant the US. Baking schools closed during this time so when the war did eventually end there was an absence of skilled bakers. This resulted in new methods being developed to satisfy the world’s desire for bread. Methods like: adding chemicals to dough, premixes and specialized machinery. Unfortunately, these old methods of baking were almost completely eradicated when these new methods were introduced and became industrialized. The old methods were seen as unnecessary and financially unsound, during this period there were not many traditional bakeries left.
Sliced bread is a loaf of bread that has been sliced with a machine and packaged for convenience. It was first sold in 1928, advertised as "the greatest forward step in the baking industry since bread was wrapped". This led to the popular phrase "greatest thing since sliced bread". During 1943, U.S. officials imposed a short-lived ban on sliced bread as a wartime conservation measure.
How Bread Was Made in the 1940s | The Baking Industry | Vocational Guidance Film | 1946
How Bread Was Made in the 1940s | The Baking Industry | Vocational Guidance Film | 194600:10 hour(s)
YouTube allows users to upload, view, rate, share, add to playlists, report, comment on videos, and subscribe to other users. It offers a wide variety of user-generated and corporate media videos. Available content includes video clips, TV show clips, music videos, short and documentary films, audio recordings, movie trailers, live streams, and other content such as video blogging, short original videos, and educational videos. Most content on YouTube is uploaded by individuals, but media corporations including CBS, the BBC, Vevo, and Hulu offer some of their material via YouTube as part of the YouTube partnership program. Unregistered users can only watch (but not upload) videos on the site, while registered users are also permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos and add comments to videos.
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Understand the key differences between APR and APY, and how they affect your savings accounts, CDs, and even crypto investments.
ABA stands for American Bankers’ Association, a trade association founded in 1875 to represent the interests of various players in the US Banking industry¹.
So how does the ABA number come into all this? Stick with us as we explain what an ABA number is, what makes it similar or different from a routing number, where you can find it and how it works.
But first, a word.
An ABA – also called as a routing number – is used to identify banks in the United States.
This nine-number code helps banks in the process of transferring money domestically between accounts for different kinds of transactions, for example, direct deposit or bank transfers.
Depending on their location within the United States, a bank can have several ABA numbers.
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There are a few different ways in which you can find the ABA number you should use:
- If you need the ABA number for an institution where you have a checking account, you can find it in your checkbook. The ABA number will be in the bottom left corner of your checks. However, your ABA number may not always be the routing number in that position on checks. If it isn’t clear to you, make sure you call your bank and confirm³.
- You can also find out your ABA number by visiting your bank’s website and going to the direct deposit or ACH section.
- If you’ve registered for online banking with your bank, you can log into your account and find the ABA number.
- There are also other online platforms, such as Wise, where you can find the ABA numbers for a wide range of banks.
It is important to remember that a bank may have different ABA numbers. Your ABA number will most likely rely on the bank location where you opened your account. Some banks also have differing ABA numbers depending on the purpose⁴.
You may find that the ABA number assigned to wire transfers is different from the one used for electronic bill payments, or even direct deposits. If you need clarity on these matters, don’t hesitate to get in touch with a customer service agent from your bank.
An ABA number in a way points financial institutions to where they should find your account. Therefore, it’s no surprise that these numbers may sometimes be called check routing numbers or routing transit numbers (RTNs).
These numbers are usually printed in magnetic ink or at least in magnetic ink character recognition code (MICR) font to make them easier to detect by computers and other specialized machines. The MICR font also enables check deposit by submitting a photo of the check.
Your ABA number is usually accompanied by your account number as the information given to whoever is trying to issue a payment. The rest of the work is commonly handled by the bank, a biller or an employer.
In case a bank closes or is taken up in a merger or acquisition, you might receive new ABA numbers. Sometimes you don’t have to use them right away. You may continue using the old numbers indefinitely, or at least until request for new checks and services.
The ABA number is made up of five parts, each with its own purpose:
|First four digits||These represent the bank’s physical location.|
|Fifth and six digits||These indicate which Federal Reserve Bank the institution’s electronic and wire transfers will go through.|
|Seventh digit||This one represents the Federal Reserve Bank check processing center originally allocated to the bank.|
|Eight digit||This one shows the Federal Reserve district the bank is in.|
|Ninth digit||This represents the checksum, a complex mathematical expression of the first eight digits. The result must equal the checksum, or else the transaction will be flagged and redirected to manual processing.|
In short, it’s a yes and no. A routing number is a nine-digit code that banks use to identify financial institutions when transacting with them. On the other hand, an ABA is used to identify financial institutions within the US, with additional eligibility conditions.
The ABA number identifies US federal or state chartered financial institutions that can maintain an account at a Federal Reserve Bank².
SWIFT codes and ABA numbers are both used to identify the bank where the recipient has an account. However, while ABA numbers are used domestically, SWIFT codes are used when you transfer money internationally.
In U.S. banking terms, there is no such thing as a bank called ABA – it is rather related to ABA codes. The closest bank with the name is located in Cambodia – which is backed by the National Bank of Canada.
For many payment types, the ABA routing number found on your checkbook will be what's needed. However, as we mentioned above, it’s important to know if your bank uses a different routing number for different payment types.
In this case, your wire routing number might be different to the number found on your checks.
Some banks have a different wire routing number depending on whether the payment is being received in a foreign currency, USD, or an unknown currency.
Check directly with your bank to make sure you have all the details required to allow you to receive your wire payment safely.
|💡ABA, EFT, ACH – still not sure about what do they mean? Check out our glossary here.|
Your wire transfer number will be a 9-digit code, like the ABA number you find on your checks. It may even be the same as the number found on your checks — but some banks choose to use different routing numbers for different types of payments.
This might mean that your wire transfer ABA number is different to the one you’ll use for ACH transfers. Check directly with your bank to make sure you have the correct ABA routing number for wire transfers.
All-in-all, the ABA number is very helpful when trying to make sure that funds are sent to the right person/establishment and more specifically, the right account. They make it easier for those processing payments to pinpoint the destination in what can sometimes be a confusing web of accounts.
The ABA number also simplifies the movement of money, since these movements can be classified according to their purpose/nature. Therefore, where there are variations in rules applied in say direct deposits, electronic bill payments, etc., they can be exercised in a faster and more organized manner.
However, it is crucial to always check multiple sources and confirm with a customer support representative that you are using the right ABA number before issuing a payment.
- ABA- routing number
- Investopedia - routing number vs. account number
- ECSI - what is an ABA number/routing number?
- The Balance - what is an ABA number?
Sources checked on 28 October 2022
This publication is provided for general information purposes only and is not intended to cover every aspect of the topics with which it deals. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content in this publication. The information in this publication does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its affiliates. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether express or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.
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-cede, -ceed, -cess, -cease
(Latin: to be in motion; to go, to go away, to yield, to give up, to withdraw)
2. The act of preceding in time or order.
3. A reference to occurring before or in front of something else; in time, place, rank, or sequence.
2. A word or phrase that a subsequent word refers to; such as, "Joe" is the antecedent of "him" as in the sentence: "We will give this to Joe if we see him."
3. Someone's ancestors.
4. A personal history of someone; such as, the events or circumstances in a person's past: "She has done very well for herself, considering what is known about her antecedents."
A good motto (among many mottoes) for any school that has serious educational principles, as well as being financially well endowed, so it can afford to enforce such a motto.
2. A method or operation of preparing a biological material; especially, a product of genetic engineering, for commercial use.
2. To come to an end or to discontinue an activity.
3. Etymology: from Old French cesser which came from Latin cessare, "to cease, to go slowly"; from cedere, "to go away, to withdraw, to yield"; originally, "to go, to leave".
2. Without stopping or pausing; unending; incessant.
2. To give over; to surrender or to relinquish to the physical control of another person.
3. To surrender or to give up something; such as, land, rights, or power, to another country, group, or person.
4. Etymology: from Latin cedere, "to yield"; originally, "to go, to leave".
2. A temporary or complete stopping; a discontinuance: "There was a cessation of hostilities between the two nations."
3. Etymology: from Old French cessation, from Latin cessationem, cessatio, "a delaying, ceasing", from Latin cessare, "to delay" directly related to cease, from Latin cessare, "to delay, to stop".
This was derived from cessus, the past participle of cedere, "to go away, to withdraw, to yield".
2. Etymology: from Old French cession, from Latin cessionem, from cess-, stem of cessare, "to yield".
2. To allow, surrender, relinquish, or to yield control; such as, a right or privilege to another person, organization, or country: After serving as a secretary in the company for two years, Doris was going to concede her position to another member of her department.
3. To accept and to acknowledge defeat in a contest, debate, election, or fight; often without waiting for the final result or decision: As soon as the political candidate recognized that she would not win the election, she decided to concede her loss and so she gave a short good-bye speech.
4. To allow an opponent or opposing team to gain something valuable; usually, a goal or points: While playing chess, Tim made up his mind to concede the game to his rival, who was able to win with a checkmate.
5. Etymology: from Latin concedere, "to give way, to yield"; from com-, "together, with" + cedere, "to go, to grant, to give way"
Go to this Word A Day Revisited Index
so you can see more of Mickey Bach's cartoons.
2. A privilege, right, kindness, etc. that is granted to a person or group, usually as a result of special circumstances: The university granted a concession to three visually impaired students who required the assistance of a personal reader so they could complete their final examinations.
3. A space or privilege within certain premises for a subsidiary business or service: Jerry had a refreshment concession at the local movie theater.
4. Something acknowledged or admitted: The land survey and the farmer's long held belief about land boundaries differed and the farmer granted the concession that the survey was correct and so he withdrew his complaint about errors that were made prior to the sale of his land.
5. Etymology: from Latin concessionem, from concessius, past participle of concedere, "to go, to grant, to give way".
2. A commercial operation set up within the premises of a larger concern.
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If you’re preparing for the SSAT exam, it’s important to understand the essay questions you’ll be required to answer. This guide provides valuable insights into SSAT essay questions along with tips and strategies for approaching them effectively.
What is the SSAT Exam?
The Secondary School Admission Test (SSAT) is a standardized test used by many private and independent schools to evaluate the aptitude and readiness of students for their educational programs. This exam assesses the verbal, quantitative, and reading abilities of students as well as their essay writing skills.
Understanding SSAT Essay Questions
The essay section of the SSAT exam is one of the most important parts of the test, as it evaluates the student’s ability to communicate effectively through writing. The essay prompts featured on the SSAT test cover a diverse range of topics from persuasive writing to personal experiences. The student is given 25 minutes to construct an essay, which is evaluated according to the following criteria:
- Quality of argument
- Organization and coherence
- Word choice and sentence structure
- Syntax and grammar
- Ability to develop and support ideas
Types of SSAT Essay Questions
There are two types of essay questions in the SSAT exam: the prompt essay and the creative essay.
Prompt essays require the student to answer a question or respond to a statement in a clear and concise manner. These essays are usually persuasive or analytical and require the student to take a stance on the issue or topic presented.
Creative essays are a bit more open-ended and allow the student to freely express their thoughts and opinions on a particular topic. These essays are usually personal or reflective and often require the student to recount specific experiences or stories.
Tips and Strategies for Approaching SSAT Essay Questions
Here are some tips and strategies for approaching SSAT essay questions:
Plan your essay: Before you start writing, take a few minutes to plan out your essay.
Start with a clear thesis statement: Your thesis statement should provide a clear indication of the argument or stance you will be taking in your essay.
Use evidence to support your position: Always try to support your arguments with evidence or examples.
Follow a clear structure: A good essay should have a clear introduction, body, and conclusion.
Watch your time: Remember to keep an eye on the time during the exam so that you can allot enough time for each section of your essay.
Be yourself: Authenticity and sincerity is a great path to writing a compelling and engaging essay.
- The essay section of the SSAT exam evaluates the student’s ability to communicate effectively through writing.
- There are two types of SSAT essay questions: prompt essays and creative essays.
- Prompt essays require the student to respond to a statement or question while creative essays allow the student to express their thoughts and opinions freely.
- To approach SSAT essay questions effectively, students should plan their essay, start with a clear thesis statement, use evidence to support their position, follow a clear structure, and pace themselves during the exam.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long are the essay questions on the SSAT exam?A: Students are given 25 minutes to construct their essay.
Q: What kind of topics are covered in the SSAT essay questions? A: The essay prompts usually cover a variety of topics from personal experiences to persuasive writing.
Q: How is the SSAT essay section scored?A: The essay is evaluated on quality of argument, organization and coherence, word choice and sentence structure, syntax and grammar, and ability to develop and support ideas.
Q: What is the significance of the SSAT essay section?A: The section evaluates the student’s ability to communicate effectively through writing, which is a valuable skill in an academic setting.
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Resonance: intensification of sound produced by sympathetic vibration.
Reverberation: the collection of reflected sounds from the surfaces in an enclosure. (Trahan)
Dolphins or bats use impulse response to hear the surfaces and obstacles in space. A bat screech reflects from the walls and helps the bat to navigate. Dolphins do the same under water. Navigation through ultra-sound is used on ships and to generate pictures of babies in the womb.
Rooms have different and very specific shapes and surfaces. These absorb or reflect sound to different degrees. Sound dissipates or lingers. Cavities create reverb. They are resonating. Every room therefore has a specific acoustic signature. Recorded sound with an acoustic signature can be magicked through a plug-in inside a digital audio workstation, which can filter out the signature and apply it to other recorded sound. The reverb specific to a room (and to the creature that emits the sound) can be applied to any sample of sound.
A convolution reverb generator is included in Ableton 9. Unfortunately, I am using Ableton 10. The plug-in is inaccessible for me. I will not be able to record an impulse response from a bursting balloon and create a digital reverb from it. Being of old and pre-digital age, I have only just conquered Ableton 10 with the help of my sons. I love Ableton, but is not a piano generating reverb just as well?
How to build a foghorn from a piano
First you open an old piano at the bottom and place the zoom recorder inside. All you need is one key, played with one finger, pressing your foot on the sustain pedal. Then, digitally remove the attack, so that nothing but a reverb remains.
Confronted with tidal waves, resonating between rocks, the reverberation in the wooden chamber of my old piano acts like a foghorn.
Rocks at the Gauldrums beach have hidden resonating chambers that fill with water and breath air. If you listen carefully, sometimes you hear a H-sound, when air is trapped and released under rocks and waves. I held the zoom-recorder at arm’s length into the rocky cavities. From far away, the piano reverb seems to linger above the surface of the sea like a foghorn. A strong wind blows above the rocks and in the distance, you can see Ireland and Islay. The lingering quality of the reverberating piano fills the air like mist and somehow gives an impression of the vastness of space.
Hundreds of miles away, however, on the island of Berneray, my friend Loriana sat at the North beach and played the whistle.
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After settling into your comfy chair, you’re ready for a movie night at home. Before you can say “Pass the popcorn,” your dog approaches, sits on your feet, and leans on your legs. This gesture has precedent, too; historically, aristocratic ladies used some small breeds as foot warmers. Plenty of doggie cushions line the floor, so why does your pup use you as a canine couch?
Why Dogs Perch on Their People
Dogs sit on their owners’ feet and lean on legs for many reasons. But dogs often perch on their humans because they are displaying or looking for affection, feeling anxious, seeking security, or guarding their owners. Arthritic dogs also might prefer this raised position because they don’t have to bend down to sit.
“Often when dogs sit on our feet, it’s because they want to be close to us,” says Dr. Mary Burch, Ph.D., a certified applied animal behaviorist and director of the AKC’s Family Dog Program. “It’s one way a dog shows affection. Think of your dog sitting on your feet as the canine version of a hug or cuddle.” Puppies and adult dogs of any age, size, sex, or breed choose this place to plop because they want to stay close to their new owners.
Dogs sense human emotions, especially when an owner feels sad or ill. A sit and leg lean comes in handy to add comfort and support. If multiple dogs live together, the competition is on to see who can occupy the space closest to the owner.
When using you as a footrest, dogs might just give you a sly, aren’t-I-adorable expression, too. This bonding attempt usually wins them extra attention through communication and extra petting, including ear rubs. This attention makes them more likely to repeat the act in the future.
Love and Warmth
In cold or damp weather, dogs roost on their owners’ fuzzy slippers and sweatpants to keep toasty. “The dog gets close to your body to stay warmer,” Burch says. “There’s a good chance this move comes from instinctual behavior as puppies.”
If you’ve watched a litter of sleeping puppies, they often huddle together. Not only does this position keep them warm, but it also makes them feel safe. Other dogs want to be as close to their owners as possible and opt to sit on their feet so they can follow them quickly if they move.
Anxiety, Security, and Guarding
New locations or situations may present challenges for anxious or stressed dogs. Remaining close to you gives them added security. If plopping on your toes doesn’t usually happen at home, but your dog suddenly opts for your feet, try to figure out what might be scaring your pup.
Look at your dog’s body language for these signs of fear:
- Tail tightly tucked under the body or between the legs
- Head hanging down
- Ears pulled back
Separation anxiety can prompt sitting and seeking reassurance. Also, loud, unfamiliar, or surprising noises like fireworks, thunder, construction sounds, or people arguing can frighten canines. When a dog stays close, they knows their owner has their back. “At a dog park, you may notice a dog sitting on its owner’s feet,” Dr. Burch says. “This protects the owner or signals to other dogs, ‘This is my person.’ ”
If a dog feels anxious or threatened at times, such as visiting the veterinarian’s office, the pup might hug your legs and sink into your feet for comfort and reassurance. “Sarge, my Welsh Springer Spaniel, was a great dog, compliant and well-trained, but walk into the veterinarian’s office for a checkup and the nerves would start,” Dr. Burch remembers. “He would shed, pant, back up, and sit between my legs with his front paws on my feet. Within minutes, the panting would subside. This scene repeated itself at most veterinary visits.”
How do you fix a dog sprawling over someone’s lower limbs and refusing to move? Mention the word “treat,” and suddenly, there’s no problem. In a flash, your dog will be up off your feet.
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If the Lovaas Method has been recommended for your child, you may have some questions about the treatment. As a parent, you are vital to any intervention. You must understand the goals and the strategies that you will be asked to support.
Also see: History of Autism Treatment
What is the Lovaas Method?
The Lovaas Method for autism is a form of Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA). It’s used in early intervention programs for children who have developmental delays or who have been identified with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The program, created by Ole Ivar Lovaas, is derived from work done by B.F. Skinner in the 1930s. Dr. Lovaas was a researcher in child psychology at the University of California Los Angeles and worked on the UCLA Young Autism Project.
Dr. Lovaas wanted to create effective behavioral interventions that would help children diagnosed with ASD avoid being institutionalized. The goal is to begin behavioral treatment intervention with children as young as two to help them gain skills in:
- activities of daily living.
The intervention consists of breaking skills down into the simplest components and rewarding autistic children positively. The child then then “generalizes” the skills into a natural environment.
The Lovaas Approach became known as Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention or EIBI. The Lovaas treatment rests on the principles of:
- Parent involvement
- Comprehensive and developmental programming
- Adherence with the principles of Applied Behavior Analysis
- Recognition that all children with autism are unique
- Use of discrete trials
- Primarily home-based
Proponents of the Lovaas Model of Applied Behavior Analysis believe it is a beneficial treatment that can help children:
- Reduce self-stimulation behavior
- Improve language skills (including verbal communication)
- Increase IQ
- Improve socialization skills with peers
- Increase their emotional attachment to others
The first step is establishing a rapport with the children. The first skill is requesting or asking for something. Children need to learn vocal language, if possible. Parental involvement is crucial for the continuity of treatment at home. Another component of the Lovaas autism treatment approach is encouraging the child to imitate other children to develop social skills. The Lovaas ABA approach of working with autistic and developmentally delayed children is based on scientific principles. Progress is continually measured and adapted as the children age. The motivating rewards differ with each child, as does the program.
What does the Lovaas Method Involve?
The Lovaas approach is an intensive early intervention treatment option. Children with ASD work with a therapy team up to 40 hours per week. They learn social skills and reduce behavior that can interfere with learning. Their therapy team may consist of:
- paid aides
Intervention using the Lovaas Method can begin with children as young as three. Treatment can last between two and six years. Children may work with a member of their therapy team five to seven days a week from five to seven hours a day. Sessions are broken into trials with appropriate breaks taken when the child loses focus.
Lovaas treatment relies heavily on discrete trial training (DTT) methods to help children reach their full potential. During a trial, children are given prompts and encouraged to respond correctly to the prompts. If the child doesn’t respond to the prompt they are given, the therapist may use partial or full hand-over-hand assistance to help the child complete the request. Correct responses are rewarded with verbal praise, a food item, or time spent with a preferred item.
The original Lovaas Method is not without controversy. Some of the original methods from the 1960s are deemed unethical by today’s standards, mostly related to the use of electric shock therapy to reduce inappropriate or self-injurious behavior. Fortunately, the Lovaas Method is fluid. It consistently adjusts practices based on evidence-based, scientific research, so unethical or ineffective approaches are removed from the program.
Are there Other Treatments of this kind?
According to an article on the Lovaas Institute home website, there are at least two other major treatments. One is the emotional/development model. In this intervention, therapists concentrate on helping autistic children develop and deal with appropriate emotions. The program is based upon six daily 30-minute “floor sessions” of child-led play with the therapist. There are some structured activities as well.
An example of this model is the Developmental, Individual Difference, Relationship-based (DIR/Floortime) Model developed by Dr. Greenspan. Dr. Greenspan developed this model in the 1980s as an alternative to ABA or to be used in conjunction with other ABA therapies. Therapists work with the child to reach six milestones that contribute to their emotional and intellectual growth. These milestones include:
- Self-regulation and interest in the world
- Intimacy, or engagement in relationships
- Emotional Thinking
- Emotional Ideas
- Complex Communication
- Two-Way Communication
Another popular behavior therapy model used with children with ASD is TEACCH, or the Educational/School Model. This model was developed at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill by Dr. Eric Schopler and Dr. Robert Reichler. This is the most rigid of the programs. It’s delivered in a highly structured classroom environment. The TEACCH method uses several components to teach different skills including:
- schedules and routines
- visual cues
- learned patterns like working from left to right
Students will also strengthen their skills in independence and self-efficacy. Although the intervention is classroom-based, it focuses on issues beyond academic learning. Professionals must be certified by TEACCH Autism Program. Two certification levels are available, including the Practitioner and the Advanced Consultant.
Is the Lovaas Method Effective?
There are 40 years of research behind the Lovaas approach. Even more, if you include the research into Skinner’s theories, on which it is based. In all of the research into outcomes, the primary directive is that progress must be attributable to the program and not some other variable. Another study point is whether the intervention lasts as the child ages. In addition, other studies must be able to replicate the findings of the Lovaas research.
The results of Lovaas’s studies yielded some favorable outcomes. One of the most satisfactory outcomes of the Lovaas approach is that, by age seven, a sizable minority of children with autism and other pervasive developmental disorders are indistinguishable from their peers socially. They have mainstreamed back into the regular classroom where they perform at average levels on testing and assignments.
Much of Dr. Lovaas’ research helped create the foundation for the concept of ABA. There is significant-high-quality research that shows ABA therapeutic approaches can result in positive outcomes for children. Early Intensive Behavioral Intervention (EIBI) is a treatment approach based on ABA and the research of Dr. Lovaas at the UCLA Young Autism Project. Therapists use EIBI to help young children with developmental delays acquire functional and adaptive skills. They work 1:1 with the child (usually under the age of five), for 30-40 hours per week, teaching them skills in small steps.
- Top 10 Best Applied Behavior Analysis Online Programs
- Top 20 Best Applied Behavior Analysis Programs
Children on the autism spectrum vary in the severity of the condition. The same can be said of developmental delays. The ability of the therapist to structure his intervention to the needs and abilities of the child is an important characteristic of the approach. However, parental support and involvement are vital.
How do I Find a Therapist?
The therapy team using Lovaas method autism techniques must receive training from an experienced professional. There are a few resources families and educators can use to find a therapist with knowledge and training in this specific area of ABA.
The Behavior Analyst Certification Board maintains a directory of Board Certified Behavior Analysts. They have experience and training working with a variety of behavioral interventions including ABA. Some of these therapists may specifically practice the Lovaas Method.
In 2005 Dr. Lovaas retired from UCLA. His staff from the Clinic for the Behavioral Treatment of Children opened The Lovaas Center in Las Vegas. The Lovaas Center works in collaboration with other agencies to provide early intervention services to children and families. They provide a comprehensive “wrap-around model” of treatment. Consultants train and supervise instructors who deliver the Lovaas therapy program in the least restrictive environment.
The Lovaas Institute provides intensive ABA treatment services using the Lovass Approach to children in their offices. They also offer consultation services to families, creating their intervention programs.
Conclusion: What is the Lovaas Method?
Therapists who work with young children on the autism spectrum may benefit from training in the Lovaas Method. Parents and teachers should become familiar with the strengths and limitations of this training model. They can then decide if the approach is best for their child.
Early intervention strategies can have a positive impact on a child’s developmental path. It is important to know what therapeutic options are available. In this way, families and educators can be competent and confident advocates for their children with autism and other developmental disorders.
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Have you ever heard of measured building surveying? It is a specialized field within surveying and architecture, which involves the detailed measurement, documentation, and analysis of existing buildings, including their internal and external structures. Measured building surveying aims to create accurate and comprehensive data, plans, and drawings about the layout, dimensions, and conditions.
It is also a field that measures house sites to develop precise drawings and ensure balance. In addition, it is an internal and external all-inclusive assessment of houses and erected structures from the floor to a fully completed 3D model structure. Check out this resource https://www.buildingconservation.com/ to learn more about this type of survey.
Purpose of Measured Building Surveying
This type of surveying is needed for domestic customers as a safety plan when developing their property. They are also helpful for space planning, lease plans, structural redevelopment, and refurbishment of commercial buildings. It is more comprehensive to connect the survey to the area’s topography to create an easy and efficient design.
Also, you can use it to form the initial stage of inner design. This helps the designer develop a design arrangement for that specific property. This includes door and wall measurements, among others.
Before, pencil and paper were used to measure surveys. But now, Leica Total Station and HDR scanners are used as instruments for survey measurements. You can click here to learn more about Leica tools and what they can do.
Significant Benefits of Measured Building Survey
Although a measured building survey has numerous benefits, here are five basic ones commonly needed for your building. Your reason for using the survey may not be here, but each is unique.
With a measured survey in place, you are sure that the structure is safe and secure for the future. Building surveys make development quicker and easier, with little or no delays and waste of time. Tools that can produce drawings with the highest error margin are needed during the survey.
This accuracy error of +/-2mm will help the architect’s plan to be actualized. However, you can save a lot if you start with correct measurements.
2. Saves Time and Resources
A measured survey saves you from future costs, as repairs are usually unnecessary. This type of survey also saves time. Here, it is optional to use tape measurement or any additional measuring equipment.
Surveyors are typically independent contractors, and clients depend so much on them to deliver as soon as possible. So, if you can complete your assignment from scratch to finishing, it makes your clients more pleased.
3. Correct Measurement
The base that architects start with is a complete and well-detailed measuring survey. They use this to simulate plans. When accurate drawings are available, construction and engineering companies can successfully plan for the future, like renovations, re-equipping, and rebuilding.
Your obligations, like planning applications, quantity measuring, and safety valuations, can be aided when you have drawing access.
For old building owners who are planning on renovations, there is a need for exact records. This includes water pipes, the position of power channels, and materials. It creates room for detailed and accurate renovation plans to ensure safety. An as-built degree is very important when using outlined building permissions in renovations.
5. Client Confidence
Property owners must be confident in the surveyors they hire because of their crucial role in building development. As a builder or property owner, you need a trustworthy surveyor to meet with their bargain.
If you have the correct survey from your surveyor, it makes you rest easy. If you work with a team of measured building surveyors, your clients can rest assured that their property will be finished well and on time. But you must ensure that you build a reputation for being trustworthy and reliable to start and finish well.
Possible Challenges of Measured Building Surveying
The following are some challenges you may encounter when using a measured building survey:
1. Using in a Lived–in House
Surveying an inhabited property can be easy but may present some challenges. They come when you want to conduct a thorough house survey but can’t enter certain rooms or areas. You may have to take a particular measurement repeatedly, ensuring you don’t get hurt or walk in on somebody at the wrong time.
2. Working on Old Buildings
It is always difficult for surveyors to work on old buildings due to the possible use of inferior materials or wear and tear. Buildings deteriorate as years go by, including the best and finest ones.
However, ensure you are safe while resolving uncertain boundary indicators and other possessions disagreements by your clients. Don’t forget to work with the apparatuses and every assistance needed for safety purposes.
3. Removing Dirt
One of the worst things to encounter while on this job is dirt in some areas that would require cleaning. Places that have not been dusted for a long time will need attention before you can do a thorough job. Several property surveyors don’t like this part of the job because it can take a long time and may get messy.
4. Meeting up With Client’s Anticipations
Expectations from your client may be high if you are a surveyor, and you must play a significant role in assisting them to make the right choices and decisions concerning their property. With the information, your clients may already know what the building will turn out for them.
Often, these expectations from your clients can turn out to be unrealistic. Some may include an assumption that you can complete a huge task in one hour. From there, they begin to blame you for unplanned mistakes. There’s more you can learn about these challenges from this resource https://civilstuff.com/ especially as a layman.
Measured building surveying is critical in construction, heritage preservation, and architecture. It also provides accurate and all-inclusive information about existing buildings, facilitating informed decision-making in design, renovation, and regulation compliance. In other words, it is one of the critical aspects of architecture and construction.
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You may not know the term “IoT” off-hand, but you’ve likely heard of it in practice. IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the collection of all internet-connected devices worldwide. Right now, there are about 26 billion devices connected to the IoT. Experts expect that by 2030, there may be as many as 50 billion devices connected to the IoT, although it could be even higher. This is all well and good, but how does it affect fleet management? Many fleets are using IoT to help manage their fleets more efficiently, comply with regulations, reduce paperwork, and enjoy further benefits. You may recognize IoT in the fleet industry in the form of telematics. Let’s discuss IoT as it relates to fleets and how it can benefit your business.
What is IoT?
First, we must break down precisely what IoT is. We explained earlier that the Internet of Things comprises all internet-connected devices worldwide, but what are these devices? They could be anything from your smart TV to your coffee maker. It might include your lights or your refrigerator. If these devices connect to the internet so you can control them, they’re part of the Internet of Things. You might have an Amazon Alexa or a Google Home. When you speak a command like, “Alexa, play my cleaning playlist,” and the device turns on your speakers, that’s the IoT at work! However, convenience isn’t the only application of this technology.
IoT is also popular in the healthcare industry, particularly in the use of smart pacemakers. You might find it in use in the industrial sector for smart agriculture, digital control systems, or statistical evaluation. Even the military uses IoT for surveillance, biometrics that humans can wear, and robotics devices. And in the transportation industry, IoT is taking off in vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication.
IoT in Fleet Management
The most significant advantage IoT brings to fleet management is remote control of your devices and the ability to collect and transmit data. With this ability, fleet managers can enjoy many advantages, particularly in applying telematics. Right now, fleet managers may be using IoT and telematics to enjoy benefits like:
- Fuel data
- Real-time engine data
- Real-time location data
- Driver habits
- Auxillary data
Right now, environmentalism is the name of the game for businesses that wish to compete in any market. The fleet industry is a massive contributor to carbon emissions, so we are no exception. Vehicle idling emits around 30 million tons of carbon dioxide every year. With IoT, fleet managers can better monitor driver behavior and limit problems like excessive acceleration and idling. Reducing these behaviors will lead to reduced emissions and fuel consumption. With tools like route optimization to get drivers to their destinations more efficiently, fleets will significantly offset their environmental impact.
You should always be doing regular maintenance checks on your vehicles, by why not let automation lend a helping hand? IoT telematics devices can monitor your vehicles’ diagnostics like diagnostic trouble codes. There’s a threshold for what’s acceptable for every system. When your vehicle's status wanders outside this threshold, your system will alert you before you have to worry about major repairs. IoT works even more efficiently than diagnostic trouble codes, limiting vehicle downtime and keeping your vehicles on the road where they should be.
If you’re keeping up with regulatory compliance, you’re likely engaging in tedious logging and paperwork. That doesn’t have to be the case! IoT can automate many regulatory processes so you can focus on more critical tasks. Processes like DVIR forms and HOS logging can all be handled without significant administrative effort or without the risk of error or misplacement.
Other tedious tasks like route planning and maintenance scheduling can also be automated by IoT. These tasks involve a lot of thought but are systematic and, once worked out, will have your fleet working efficiently and seamlessly.
Maintenance is a critical aspect of fleet management that often falls by the wayside, mainly due to how much time it takes and how much it costs. To cut down on maintenance requirements, your fleet must prioritize preventative maintenance, which becomes easier with IoT. IoT will collect data on vehicle diagnostics like tire pressure and hydraulics and continuously monitor their status. Before a significant issue occurs, you will be alerted to take action.
We know that safety is your top priority, but we also know that it’s a great challenge. With IoT, you can access an array of new insights that help circumvent risks and lower costs. Driver monitoring is one of the most important tools here. It will alert you to behaviors like speeding, hard braking, rapid acceleration, and more. You need to be aware of these dangerous behaviors, as they increase risk and liability. The improved maintenance scheduling we discussed earlier also ensures that your drivers are in safe vehicles, so they never have to worry about a mechanical malfunction causing an accident.
Here at Azuga, we are experts in fleet technology and seek to keep you updated. Find out what you can do by following our blog. If you want to see the best of what telematics can do, try a demo of our fleet management software!
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Derek Robinson, M.D. ǀ JUNE 24, 2022
These days, many of us are careful to read labels to be sure we steer clear of certain ingredients. There may be some items on the label we don’t recognize – but they sound ok, even healthy. We gloss over them. Ignore them. Until every so often, there’s a study or report that reveals a seemingly harmless ingredient as suspect. So, we watch for it. Question it. Maybe even avoid it.
Race modifiers are like that overlooked ingredient – not on labels at the grocery, but on some lab reports and medical records. As a factor that’s added to the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), a primary diagnostic method used to detect kidney disease, race modifiers, if applied, are listed in plain sight. And, even though the American Society of Nephrology and the National Kidney Foundation released a joint statement last year flagging race modifiers as inaccurate and potentially harmful, most patients – and many providers – aren’t aware there’s an issue.
In February 2022, in honor of Black History Month, the African Americans in Motion employee resource group here at BCBSIL asked me to speak about disparities in the diagnosis and treatment of chronic kidney disease in communities of color. I knew I’d have to touch on the topic of race modifiers, and that the news might be difficult for the audience to hear. So, I invited some colleagues for a panel discussion.
With this CMO Perspective message, I’d like to share some highlights from our February panel to increase awareness among physicians and offer ways you might start a discussion to increase awareness among your patients, too.
The Black Community is Doubly at Risk
We started with some stats. As referenced in the joint statement on the National Kidney Foundation website, more than 37 million adults in the U.S. have kidney disease. A disproportionate number of those affected by the disease are Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino American, American Indian, Alaskan Native, Asian American, and Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.
My colleague Dr. Ikenna Okezie, M.D., MBA, is chief executive officer of a company he co-founded in 2016 to introduce preventive and more holistic solutions for patients living with chronic kidney disease, or end-stage renal disease.
Dr. Okezie set the stage for our non-physician audience by outlining some basics, like the fact that the biggest factors leading to CKD are untreated high blood pressure and untreated Type 2 diabetes. In communities where access to healthy food and educational resources may be limited, Dr. Okezie noted, individuals may fall into unhealthy lifestyle habits, increasing their risk of developing conditions that can lead to getting CKD.
Dr. Okezie emphasized that often, “kidney disease is preventable, so this is really an opportunity to become more aware of what it takes to intervene early.” Dr. Okezie reminded the group that, while getting regular physicals is a great start, individuals must take an active role in managing their own health. That means paying attention to important numbers (like weight, blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar), getting exercise, eating right, reading labels … and asking questions if anything looks amiss.
Race Modifiers Have No Basis in Sound Science
Dr. Okezie explained to our audience, just as you may want to explain to your patients, that kidney performance is based on the organ’s ability to filter out wastes and toxins from the body. Measuring kidney function directly is a bit challenging, so there’s a formula to help calculate it. That measurement is the eGFR.
Somewhere along the way in history, Dr. Okezie explained, an additional element was added to the equation – the so-called race modifier, which, when applied, multiplies other factors leading to a higher eGFR. Basically, it overestimates kidney function in Black people and thereby contributes to health care inequities. Until recently, Dr. Okezie explained, the race modifier was a common, almost universally used adjustment. And while this is beginning to change, it’s still being used by a number of hospitals that simply aren’t aware it’s been flagged as flawed and outdated.
Transplants Can Transform Lives
Preventive care is the first line of defense. But, as we know for individuals who develop CKD, there are treatments that can offer some relief.
Dr. Christie Gooden, M.D., MPH is Surgical Director of the Pediatric Transplant Program at Medical City Dallas Hospital. Her expertise includes adult and pediatric kidney transplant, adult pancreas and liver transplant, dialysis access surgery, and advanced laparoscopic and robotic surgery.
I asked Dr. Gooden, to talk about her experience working with patients, especially those who’ve received kidney transplants.
Dr. Gooden said that, when organs such as the liver are beginning to fail, getting a transplant is the patient’s only option for survival. But with the kidney, a patient has another option: dialysis.
Since it can take years to be matched with a kidney donor, dialysis can offer some patients a ray of hope, or a way to buy some time. Unfortunately, as Dr. Gooden explained, many people don’t understand that dialysis isn’t necessarily efficient. Normally the body filters out toxins constantly. But with dialysis, it’s done intermittently. This means patients are tired, drained, often unable to work. A person’s entire schedule must be built around dialysis treatment, which also affects how they eat and perform other daily activities.
When a patient gets a kidney transplant, Dr. Gooden explained, it’s literally life-changing. No longer dependent on dialysis, the patient is free to get back to normal daily activities with a renewed sense of control over their own health. And if a patient can get a transplant they need dialysis, they can have a better quality and of life – extending their years of life and the life of the kidney.
How does the race modifier affect transplant eligibility?
To get on the transplant waiting list, a patient’s eGFR must be 20 or less, Dr. Gooden explained. The time it takes to get to the top of the transplant list will vary, and placement on the list may be advanced, depending on how long a patient’s been on dialysis. If a patient’s eGFR is 20 or less and they have a living donor that’s a match, there’s no waiting – the transplant can be made. On the surface, the process sounds logical enough. But there’s that hidden ingredient again.
Dr. Gooden noted that, while the recommendation now is not to use the race modifier, too many practitioners aren’t aware. This is unfortunate, she said, because “Black or African American patients’ eGFR is artificially increased by the race-based equation, which delays these patients from starting their evaluation, getting listed and having a donor worked up.”
Dr. Gooden said she finds she must educate her colleagues. The first question she asks is: “How do you define being African American? Does that only include people who have two parents born right here in this country? Is it based on how people define themselves, based on relatives or family tree?” With this approach, Dr. Gooden helps others recognize implicit racial bias:1 “We’re basically arranging people based on what we see.”
Dr. Gooden’s perspective as a transplant surgeon is vital. Without including too many graphic details, she shared a moment of revelation with our audience. “All kidneys look the same," she said. "I remember picking up a kidney and thinking it’s impossible to tell if it came from a man or a woman, or what their race was. And there’s no matching of a kidney to a person based on those factors.”
Ask Questions, Change History
Rajesh Govindaiah, M.D., MBA, is senior VP and chief physician executive at Memorial Health in Springfield, Illinois. He’s responsible for quality and safety, medical staff and graduate medical education, and physician alignment initiatives. He’s also co-chair of the Illinois Health and Hospital Association’s medical executive forums.
Last year, Dr. Govindaiah started a conversation with physicians and leaders in his health system to pave the way for change by challenging and rethinking the use of race modifiers in the diagnosis and treatment of CKD. I asked him to share a little bit about that journey.
Dr. Govindaiah acknowledged that, in medicine, the first response is often why – why should we change, why should we do something differently? After getting this initial reaction when raising the topic of race modifiers, Dr. Govindaiah and his team posed a question in response: Why should we modify eGFR due to race? “And when we asked the question,” he said, “it became quickly apparent that no one could explain.”
“So, we brought a group of people together including vested African American clinicians that are respected in our community and we really had to dig into this and say, what is the harm of change and what is the harm of continuing the way we are? And the harm is we are undertreating African American patients because we don’t recognize their disease.”
What was the result? Dr. Govindaiah summarized: “It took a little bit of work, and we didn’t always see eye to eye, but at the end of the day, we have removed this from every calculation of kidney function across Memorial Health and, instead of reporting two lines on the lab test, we just report estimated glomerular filtration rate, eGFR.”
Digging Deeper at BCBSIL
I’m happy to report that we’ve made some headway at BCBSIL, too.
Dr. Iulia Enacopol, M.D., is a BCBSIL Medical Director. She has more than two decades of private practice in internal medicine in the Chicagoland area. Recently, Dr. Enacopol worked with a cross-functional team that researched the use of race modifiers across a range of clinical formulas. The team also considered how those formulas may intersect with our medical health policies as a health plans.
I asked Dr. Enacopol to help our non-physician, employee audience understand what medical policy is, why it’s important and what her team found and improved upon recently.
Dr. Enacopol explained that our medical policy serves as a guideline for determining medical necessity, which can affect benefit approvals and coverage for our members. As the algorithms and calculations of the clinical formulas came under scrutiny, she said, her team realized that: “Race is not a true biological construct – it’s more of a social construct. We have to look at it and see if, by the way we apply our guidelines, our medical policy, and our medical review, we give equitable decision making for coverage for all our members the same way. That is, until the medical community expands the use of race-neutral equations.”
Dr. Enacopol’s team reviewed the evidence and presented recommendations, which were approved by BCBSIL’s medical policy committee and adopted. A note was added to BCBSIL’s kidney transplant medical policy to affirm that, “Per a joint statement by the National Kidney Foundation (NKF) and the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), race modifiers should not be included in equations to estimate kidney function.” Dr. Enacopol and her colleagues continue to interface with physicians to deliver care in the community and expand awareness.
Help Your Patients Understand
As Dr. Enacopol explained, there’s still a lot of work to do. “We’re still seeing clinicals coming in with race adjustments. It varies from hospital to hospital, lab to lab.” Physician awareness and change at both the hospital and lab levels are critical. But patients have a right to know about race modifiers too, because it can affect their treatment.
As we wrapped up our panel discussion with the African Americans in Motion group, participants seemed appreciative, but also a bit disheartened. In our final Q&A with the group, the panelists and I wanted to leave the audience with a positive and hopeful message.
What can patients do to feel empowered?
Dr. Enacopol offered these suggestions: “It’s really important to know your family medical history. Make a point of sitting down with your parents and your siblings. Gather the information. Talk to your primary care physician. Talk about your kidney function and ask straight up if a race modifier was used or not Ask questions and work with your doctor to form a plan. ‘What medications should I adjust, if any? Do I have any conditions that could worsen this? Can we change the progression?’ Establish a good relationship with your primary care provider. Remember, t’s a two-way conversation there.”
Where do we go from here?
Left unchecked, race modifiers can endanger patients by portraying an inaccurate level of risk. When it comes to chronic kidney disease, this could mean patients aren’t aware early on, when the disease is easier to treat. And, for patients diagnosed with CKD in its later stages, the use of race modifiers can prevent them from getting necessary care.
Undoubtedly, providers use race modifiers today because they are part of the systems of care and not to cause harm. Unfortunately, the U.S. health care system hasn’t challenged these modifiers or interrogated their underlying assumptions enough. Like other racial myths taught in medicine, they became structurally built into our health care delivery system. But all good intentions aside, there’s no excuse for turning a blind eye, now that we know more. This is an example of systemic racism in health care – not just at hospitals, but at major lab companies that deliver results to providers.
Racial consciousness is important in the pursuit of health equity; however, where the application of race causes harm, it's time to take race out of the equation. And we can all help, by asking questions, spreading the word, and bringing race modifiers – that overlooked ingredient – to light.
If you’d like to share your thoughts or experience on this topic, I invite you to email our Blue Review provider newsletter editor. Comments we receive are not published or shared externally.
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Events management is complicated, it takes a lot of coordination, planning and organising. Quite some effort goes into ensuring a great experience for the participants.
It also takes quite some amount of resources and generates a significant environmental impact. A typical conference waste attendee produces 1.89KG of waste per day, 1.16KG of that will go directly to a landfill. When you calculate that number for 1000 attendees over 3 days you get 5670KG of waste, the equivalent of 4 compact cars or amount of waste produced by 5 UK households in a year! And this is just the waste impacts…
There are ways to reduce the impacts of events and make more responsible choices as more and more options are becoming available.
it is not all doom and gloom, there are ways to reduce the impacts of events and make more responsible choices as more and more options are becoming available. Here are some ideas to consider:
Carbon footprint of the internet is pretty significant – about 2% of global CO2 emissions come from internet usage. Use of digital devices can contribute to emissions in a number of ways including energy for usage of internet, networks and website hosting and server energy sources.
- Is your energy use supporting online presence or virtual experience optimised and efficient
- Have you considered switching to green hosting and cloud service provider that use renewable energy?
- Check your website carbon performance - here is a handy tool https://www.websitecarbon.com/
- Consider the design of the event digital interface including app, screens, websites in terms of energy consumption for the user as well as energy intensity
Choice of venue to the event is an important one as not only the venue itself may be an opportunity to reduce your environmental impact, but considerations around access to the venue for the attendees and participants is a decision to consider - a significant proportion of many events, especially large-scale ones comes from attendees transportation choices.
- Does the venue have an environmental policy? Does it cover the key aspects and considerations that are relevant to environmental performance of your event?
- Are renewable energy sources available?
- Is the lighting energy efficient? LED lighting is the most energy efficient, cleanest and most eco-friendly way of illumination at the moment.
- Is there easy public transport access to the location for attendees including bicycles? Could people walk to and from the event – favour those that make these options easy.
- Publish the options for sustainable transport on the event website and promo materials including bike/ scooter secure storage access
- Collect information about modes of transport and distances by attendees to get an idea of the choices made and what you can do to improve next time
Events and experiences may be perceived as intangible, but the amount of resources and materials that go into creating these may be surprising. As they often have to be custom-made and brand-specific, the amount of waste that is generated is often significant. A week-long public experiential event with minimal promo materials can generate as much as an African elephant’s worth of waste!
Eliminate the need for materials:
- Eliminate unnecessary handouts and attendee packs
- Go paperless and use digital solutions - here are some ideas for the best mobile apps for events and how to use QR codes for engaging audience and collecting feedback
- Exclude use of disposable cups / glasses / crockery and utensils or any other single use items. #singleuseisnotcool
- Rent anything you can – staff uniforms? High-viz jackets? Equipment?
If you have to utilise materials, use less:
- reduce amount of packaging
- limit use of printed materials and handouts and if you must print, use double-sided setting
- use vegetable or soy-based inks for printing and encourage main suppliers and partners to do the same
For anything that is used, your mantra is:
- made of non-virgin materials: recycled and made out of waste
- reusable - can those signage and displays be reused for different events? What design tweaks might be needed to ensure that is possible?
- “greener” alternatives e.g. business cards made out of recycled cotton T-shirts, hemp or bamboo, environmental credentials including FSC certification
- zero-landfill waste: go for Reusable, Recyclable, Repairable, Compostable
- Avoid mixed materials that cannot be disassembled e.g. laminates with paper and plastic, wristbands with plastic and glue in them. These can rarely be recycled - even though individually those materials are recyclable.
Make it easy for your attendees to dispose of waste - located recycling bins in convenient and prominent locations with clear signage
For many of the experiential and public events, hauling the equipment and the crew to, from and between locations may be the biggest contributor to environmental impact.
- Switch to electric vehicles
- Speak to the suppliers to understand what fuels they use and how fuel efficient their transport options are. Can they offer alternative fuels or options?
- Optimise the routes and driving style to drive energy efficiency and minimise emissions
- Work with those suppliers who are able to offer certified offset options for the emissions that cannot be reduced.
Food and drinks, leftovers, containers and packaging – catering choices are a significant contributor not just to the environmental footprint, but an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to doing better.
- Purchase locally sourced and seasonal food where possible
- Provide “healthy” options and increase proportion of vegetarian and vegan options
- Choose fair-trade tea, coffee, juice and fruit
- The food is organic where appropriate
- Reduce use of bottled water/ drinks – provide water jugs/ fountains/ stations where possible
- Work with our suppliers to plan food and drink menus to minimise waste
- If you have leftovers, consider donating them - to the staff, foodbanks, local homeless charities etc.
- Provide food waste composting options, avoid putting food waste in landfill
You can of course go further and depending on the nature and scale of your event, make an even greater impact. Here are 5 “green” events examples for inspiration.
You have come to the place for thought leadership.
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Edited by Glen Joffe
Photo credit: Glen Joffe
Imagine walking deep into a forest. All the noise of the modern world fades away, leaving only the sounds of nature whispering in your ears. A stream murmurs nearby, the wind whistles through the trees, and leaves flutter in lengthy sighs as birds call out to one another overhead. There is no path where you walk, only trails marked by barely visible animal prints. Squirrels scurry up the bark of trees, insects buzz, and butterflies flutter to and fro behind wild bushes. The ground suddenly dips under your feet, leading you down a steep incline of packed soil cushioned by vines and fallen leaves. You find yourself at the bottom of a wide, shallow ravine dotted with large polished stones. You surmise a river must have once run there, but all that’s left is the path it forged – a dried overgrown riverbed in a lost world.
As you walk in the direction of what you think was downstream, you come across an unexpected sight just around a bend: an ancient tree trunk nestled against the bank of the river. Yet, unlike other fallen logs, this one does not appear hollow, covered with moss, or freshly fallen even though the wood looks intact and the fine lines of bark are visible. It is half protruding from the ground. In a strange way it looks preserved. Moving closer, you clearly see something is different. Parts of the log appear reflective, polished and veined. Moving even closer you look inside a deep notch, and to your amazement you witness the shimmer of rich red, yellow and green stone. In an instant you are washed with amazement. You have discovered petrified wood.
The word 'petrify' comes from the Latin term petra, meaning to 'become stone.' While the mythological Medusa can turn anyone who meets her eyes into stone in a matter of seconds, in nature the process takes far longer. Some estimates say it takes between ten to several hundred million years for wood to turn to stone or more accurately, fossil. To put this in perspective, some of the petrified wood we see today grew alongside the dinosaurs. In fact, like prehistoric creatures, many species of petrified wood are now extinct.
Petrified wood begins its life by being buried underground or beneath volcanic ash. Deprived of oxygen, the wood is effectively prevented from decomposing in a regular fashion. Instead, over extreme periods of time minerals in earth and water seep into the wood, gradually replacing the organic matter of the wood with silica, or quartz crystals. In essence, these crystals fill in the cells of the wood leaving the original structure intact, and although quartz may be colorless, impurities such as carbon, copper, iron and manganese oxides produce the saturated colors that can be encountered in petrified wood.
One of the most beautiful aspects of petrified wood is the preservation of its original form, down to extreme microscopic details such as tree rings and cellular structures. Although it is often called fossilized wood, unlike many fossils petrified wood is a complete representation of the tree's natural shape as opposed to a partial impression or fragment of the original organism; for example, the impression of a leaf or a skeleton. No one who sees petrified wood can think of it as 'just wood' – especially if you've tried lifting one! In Indonesia, where much of PRIMITIVE's collection originated, it takes construction cranes and massive tractors to haul the petrified wood from where it is found. Some of the pieces are monumental in size: ancient roots three to four times the height of grown men and trunks almost the length of a football field. Many are simply cleaned and polished, admired as natural sculptures, the handiwork of the artist known as nature. Others are sliced with diamond-tipped saws and hand-polished to be made into one-of-a-kind stools, side tables and tabletops for contemporary interiors. You might say it took millions of years for petrified wood to be recognized as high design and for nature to be recognized as a brilliant artist.
The appreciation of natural art forms has been a long-standing tradition in the East, but it is only in recent decades that Western designers and collectors have embraced this collecting category. As modern lifestyles become increasingly urban, it appears more and more people are feeling the desire to reconnect with nature in their lives and homes. As a result, petrified wood is now considered a collectible, and because it is a scarce commodity worldwide its value is increasing. Crafted and preserved by the hand of nature, pieces of petrified wood can be evocative and inspiring. Each piece seems to carry with it the history of the natural world and all such recognition may conjure. Place your hand on one and let it engage your imagination. You will be instantly filled with wonder. The entire history of mankind is a fleeting moment in the life of the object beneath your fingers. It is nature’s alchemy.
Download this blog:
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Cancer staging helps your doctor understand whether or not your cancer has spread locally and study its aggressiveness. This information helps them come up with the best treatment plan for you. The origin and spread of cancer are expressed in four stages – stage 1 to stage 4.
What do different stages of cancer mean?
Stage 1 cancer means early-stage cancer. Based on the levels, cancer would be in more advanced stages between 2, 3 and 4. Usually, stage 4 cancer means the cancer has spread to other organs in the body, and it is also called metastatic cancer. This kind of staging was done a long time ago before the advent of molecular imaging and other advanced diagnostic tools.
Today, with advanced diagnostic procedures in place, we are able to recognise several variations of stage 4 cancers. In recent years, patients with stage 4 cancers are having promising prognostics even if the cancer in one organ has spread to another. For example, patients with breast cancer that has spread to their bones can still live for many years.
Each case is different, and stage 4 cancers are very much treatable in many cases. In every cancer case, it is important for us to understand where the cancer is originating, the areas where it has spread, the degree at which the organ-function is disrupted and the overall condition of the patient. Based on this information, the prognosis can be predicted.
Patients should always have a detailed discussion with the experts and multidisciplinary team for a clear understanding of their condition, its type and the suitable treatment plan.
Cancer is a complex disease and receiving the right treatment, the first time is of paramount importance. At BHIO, cancer cases are treated with a multimodal approach. Today, with the availability of advanced diagnostic procedures, genomics and cutting-edge treatment protocols, high-level precision can be achieved both in diagnosis and therapy.
Initially, using testing procedures like tissue diagnosis, imaging and tests for biomarkers, various factors like the type of cancer, its genetic make-up, bio-marker levels, its stage, the site of origin, aggressiveness, its spread and the overall condition of the patient are analysed.
Based on this information, a multidisciplinary team consisting of a pathologist, radiologist, medical oncologist and radiation oncologist collectively decide on the best treatment plan possible for the patient along with the estimation of long-term prognosis. Treatment could be given in the form of surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy or other treatment modalities.
Cancer treatment is a team effort of the patient, family members, specialists and the paramedics. At BHIO, all treatments are planned with a goal to achieve a positive clinical outcome and provide a good quality of life for our patients.
A tumour diagnosis report will have information about the current status of your condition. The commonly used diagnostic procedures include MRI, genomic testing, blood test, X-ray, PET-CT, biopsy, etc.
The diagnosis of the tumour based on the above details will help the expert team to come up with the right treatment recommendation and have a discussion on the possible side effects along with an estimation of the long-term prognosis.
A cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming for many; however, the patients must understand that cancer is a treatable condition if detected early.
If you are diagnosed with cancer, you must ask the following questions to your doctor for a better understanding of your condition:
- Where is the origin of the tumour?
- Has the tumour spread anywhere?
- What does my diagnostic report show?
- What is the best treatment plan for my condition, and what would its goal be?
- What would be the response to this treatment plan?
- Will the treatment be painful?
- What is my long-term prognosis?
- What are the possible side effects of this treatment?
- What effect will the treatment have on my quality of life?
- How can I keep myself healthy during the treatment?
- What are the precautions that I should be taking?
- Is it hereditary? Will my kids get affected?
- How will this treatment affect my daily life? Will I be able to work, exercise, and perform my usual activities?
- Can I have a normal diet? Is there any special diet that I should be on?
- Do I or my family need psychological counselling?
Once the cancer is diagnosed, make sure to get all the information before proceeding with the treatment.
At BHIO, quality cancer care is given utmost importance. Our diagnostic practices come with high degree precision. We have a multidisciplinary team (MDT) of skilled oncologists, who together discuss each cancer case, weigh the pros and cons of each treatment method and eventually come up with the best treatment plan for every patient we care for.
We are empowered with the expertise of eminent oncologists and cutting-edge technology that allow us to deliver the right treatment, the first time.
My radiation therapy starts next week. What should I expect, and what can I do to decrease the fatigue?
Before the treatment, your expert team will lay out all the necessary information about the treatment, possible side effects, after-care practices and follow-ups.
For any treatment-related information, you must always discuss with your team of experts. Each patient reacts to the disease and the treatment differently, and therefore, the side effects also vary from patient to patient.
If you are experiencing any side effects, you can get in touch with your team of experts, who will help you manage them effectively.
My chemotherapy or immunotherapy or biotherapy session is scheduled for next week. How should I be prepared for it?
Chemotherapy is one of the effective treatment modalities used in cancer care. In the past, patients feared chemotherapy due to its complexity. But today, the role of chemotherapy in cancer treatment has reduced significantly. With the advent of advanced treatment modalities like immunotherapy, biotherapy and targeted therapy that are associated with fewer side effects, patients are exhibiting better tolerance towards the treatment. The patients are also able to lead an active life throughout the course of the treatment.
Usually, patients tend to talk to random people or family members regarding the treatment and form opinions based on those conversations. However, we do not encourage this as each case, just like each patient, is unique.
A lot of the factors pertaining to the treatment and side effects also depend on the stage of the disease and each patient’s genetic make-up, and therefore, the treatment decisions and precautions are to be taken on a case-to-case basis. Hence, the patients must have a detailed discussion about their treatment plan with the expert team for a better understanding.
My cancer surgery is scheduled for next week. How should I be prepared for the procedure?
The surgery team will lay out all the necessary information about the procedure when the treatment plan is discussed. If you have any queries or doubts regarding the procedure, you can share them with your expert team without any hesitation.
At BHIO, all treatment plans are devised with a special focus on the quality of life of the patients during and after the treatment. Following the surgery, written instructions on the after-care practices will be given to the patients and their caregivers, which are to be strictly followed.
Cancer is a heterogeneous disease. Each individual cancer possesses different biological characteristics, and this holds good for the cancers of the same type too. If two patients are diagnosed with breast cancer, it does not necessarily mean that their cancers are the same, or they can be treated successfully with the same treatment plan. These circumstances call for the need of personalised medicine.
At BHIO, we practice value-based and precision medicine, which helps us treat each cancer case with a unique treatment plan.
Initially, for each cancer case, we conduct a detailed study on the diagnostic parameters such as pathology results, imaging results, genetic make-up, hormone receptor status, prognostic factors, etc. After the thorough assessment of the diagnostic information and the overall condition of the patient, the expert team devises a personalised treatment plan. This treatment plan could involve a single treatment modality, such as surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy, biotherapy and radiotherapy or a combination of multiple modalities.
With each case, we strive to pursue positive clinical outcomes and meet the global standards of cancer care. This has been substantiated by the Harvard Business Review case study, which has reported that our clinical outcomes are on par with that of some of the finest cancer centres around the world.
Before starting any treatment, the patients and their family members should focus on three things - the right treatment, the possible financial burden and knowing if the clinical outcome at the said institute is as per the global standards.
According to the HBR study, BHIO offers value-based medicine to its patients. Despite the treatment costs being far less than that at several reputed cancer centres around the world, BHIO delivers quality healthcare without compromising the clinical outcomes.
In a few circumstances, financial difficulties force patients to compromise with their treatment. However, this compromise may lead to recurrence, which may cause serious complications and demand an even more expensive treatment plan. Therefore, we encourage our patients to opt for insurance, which helps them seamlessly access necessary treatments.
At BHIO, patients can discuss their financial constraints with their expert team and Medico-Social Workers (MSWs), who can put them in touch with the BHIO Foundation - a not-for-profit initiative that provides monetary assistance to financially-marginalised patients.
Yes, our expert team recommends genetic testing and counselling for every cancer patient.
It is advised that the family members undergo genetic testing and counselling too, as genetic mutations affect the family members as well. For example, in breast cancer cases, genetic testing helps in identifying the markers and accordingly facilitate proper counselling to the family members. This eventually helps in controlling or preventing the disease in certain instances.
BHIO houses a large team of skilled genetic experts who are well-versed in genetic testing and counselling. This team will help you understand the genetics of your condition, which is crucial for you to make an informed decision about your treatment.
Several studies have shown that stress can play a huge role in cancer management.
Patients, who seek professional psychological assistance, have better ability to cope with the illness, hold a positive outlook throughout treatment, exhibit better tolerance to the treatment, experience an overall improved quality of life and most importantly, report successful clinical outcomes. Therefore, yes, stress and psychological counselling play a significant role in cancer care.
BHIO houses a very unique psycho-oncology division that focuses on meeting the emotional needs of the cancer patients and their caregivers and facilitating a seamless cancer journey for them. We strongly recommend psycho-oncology counselling for all our patients as it positively impacts their long-term outcome.
Fear, anxiety and panic attacks following a cancer diagnosis are completely normal. What one must know is that a lot of cancer patients are leading a normal life today. At times, talking to someone who’s been where you are right now helps you get a hold of reality. Pink Hope Cancer Support Group is a special support system at BHIO, whose members are the survivors of various types of cancer. A casual conversation with them might inspire you, strengthen you, infuse positivity and hope and boost your overall morale. Meetings can happen via video conference or in-person.
Our best advice to our patients is to take the right treatment, overcome fear and have an overall positive outlook towards life – all of which promote a normal life after the treatment.
Your expert team will give you a schedule of your treatment and tests to be done to check the efficacy of the treatment given.
Normally, your expert team may suggest tests such as blood tests, biomarker testing and PET scan depending on the type and stage of cancer you were diagnosed with and the type of treatment given.
Along with these tests, follow-up meetings will be scheduled once every few months, during which detailed discussions happen on your response to the treatment and long-term prognosis.
To achieve the best benefit of your cancer treatment, you should avoid any kind of delays and disruptions in your chemotherapy dose and timing.
Since each cancer case is different, we strongly recommend our patients to be in touch with the expert team and the MSWs throughout the treatment. Communication between the patient and the expert team is very much important. We encourage our patients to promptly discuss if there are any apprehensions and concerns regarding the treatment, which will be addressed immediately.
Once the cancer treatment is completed, the expert team will be sharing a detailed report on the follow-up care and follow-up tests with the patients, along with the information on possible side effects.
In recent years, with the advent of precision therapy, the incidence of side effects is far less compared to what was seen decades ago. Today, most treatments are given on an outpatient basis. There are no long-term adverse effects too.
We’ve had teachers, farmers, tech professionals, health professionals and business professionals get back to their normal lives without any difficulties, and this is something we expect from every cancer patient we treat.
In case the patients are experiencing any side effects, it has to be discussed with the expert team, who will be immediately providing necessary assistance.
Cancer patients with a positive approach towards the disease require very little help or support. The patient-centric and customised treatment plans that BHIO allow patients to have a normal life throughout the course of the treatment.
We encourage counselling and frequent interactions with the family members and Pink Hope Support Group, so that the overall quality of life of the patients is not affected and patients can continue to be productive at home, work and in the society at large.
Usually, there will be no diet restrictions. We recommend you to have healthy balanced meals. You can also talk to our dieticians who are specialised in oncology and can offer high-quality, comprehensive diet plans that can support your overall wellbeing.
Frequently Asked Questions – Pertaining to Covid-19
There is no hard evidence to say that cancer patients are more likely to get sick from COVID-19. Also, there is no sufficient data to suggest that COVID-19 causes higher mortality among cancer patients.
At BHIO, we have managed COVID-19 patients without any problems, and a majority of our patients have recovered.
Your treating oncologist at BHIO is the best person to reach out to, in case you have any questions about your treatment and possible COVID-19 infection.
Yes, we encourage our patients to keep their follow-up appointments. We take stringent measures at BHIO to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our patients and health workers.
We have also facilitated virtual consultations to ease the follow-up care for our patients.
Kindly get in touch with your expert team at BHIO for proper guidance on your follow-up consultations.
No, your cancer treatment will not be affected due to coronavirus restrictions. However, you are requested to follow the necessary precautionary measures laid by the health ministry while visiting us for your cancer treatment.
Discontinuing the cancer treatment is not an option. Completing the course of treatment without disruption is crucial to prevent collateral damage of delayed cancer treatment.
Kindly talk to your medical team who will guide you with the necessary precautions that are to be taken during the treatment.
If you test positive for COVID-19 during your cancer treatment, immediately talk to your treating oncologist. Make sure he puts you on the necessary treatment.
Majority of times, cancer treatment can continue without any problems. However, there are exceptions.
Before taking any decision, it is always better to discuss with your medical team who will help you make the right call.
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Join BirdNote tomorrow, November 30th!
Illustrator David Sibley and actor H. Jon Benjamin will face off in the bird illustration battle of the century during BirdNote's Year-end Celebration and Auction!
Nearly all birds produce sound through an organ unique to birds, the syrinx. In many songbirds, the syrinx is not much bigger than a raindrop. Extremely efficient, it uses nearly all the air that passes through it. By contrast, a human creates sound using only 2% of the air exhaled through the larynx. Birds whose syrinx is controlled by only one set of muscles have a limited vocal range. This Song Sparrow, using several pairs, can put forth a cascade of trills and notes.
How Birds Produce Sound
Written by Chris Peterson
This is BirdNote!
[Call of the Brandt’s Cormorant; Song of the Northern Cardinal; Song of the Song Sparrow]
You just heard the grunt of a cormorant, the whistle of a cardinal, and the song of a Song Sparrow. Nearly all birds produce sound through an organ unique to birds, the syrinx. [Song of cardinal]
The syrinx is a set of muscles and membranes located where the two branches of the bronchial tubes converge to become the trachea. An adjacent air-sac helps build pressure in the syrinx. In many songbirds, this whole song-producing apparatus is not much bigger than a raindrop. The syrinx is extremely efficient at creating sound, using nearly all of the air that passes through it.
Let’s listen again to the limited vocal range of the cormorant, whose syrinx is controlled by only one set of muscles [Call of the cormorant]. The cardinal creates its pure whistle by producing sound in its left and right bronchial tubes simultaneously [Song of cardinal] The Song Sparrow, like many other songbirds, has five to seven pairs of muscles that govern the syrinx. It puts forth a cascade of trills and notes, as if singing a duet with itself [song of the Song Sparrow].
I’m Michael Stein.
Bird sounds provided by the Macaulay Library of Natural Sounds at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, New York. Brandt’s Cormorant recorded by G.F. Budney; Northern Cardinal recorded by G.A. Keller; Song Sparrow recorded by G.A. Keller.
Producer: John Kessler
Executive Producer: Chris Peterson
© 2014 Tune In to Nature.org April 2014 / 2021 / July 2023
Narrator: Michael Stein
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Chance moments of wonder in nature have all been but removed in our day to day existence, especially in urban and suburban environments. They are still there to be enjoyed, however. You just have to work a little harder to find them. By taking a trip to the nearest brushy lot, wooded park, or wild ravine you should discover a variety of forest and woodland birds most of them songbirds, even in a large city. One doesn’t always have to travel to a remote nature reserve or wilderness to get acquainted with wild nature and the myriad songbirds living in woodlands
In wooded habitats across North America, from great forests to inauspicious thickets, untold billions of our small – sometimes not so small – feathered friends tirelessly whistle, warble, cheep, and chirp their way through spring and summer. They are affectionately known as songbirds for this reason. As if their avian compositions weren’t enough, their often brilliant plumage and ceaseless activity creates a visual music. A rainbow of colors – red, green, blue, yellow, orange, black, white and practically every combination thereof is offered up to those willing to look. These sights and sounds fill hundreds of millions of acres of forest and other treed, brushy and shrubby habitats across the continent. Songbirds of the woodlands are never too far away, and as long as you look and listen a little for them you almost sure to find them.
This selection of photographs illustrates the songbird species that live predominantly in the forests of eastern North America. Some of these species, such as chickadees, nuthatches, jays, and ravens, among others, are year-round residents, even in more northern areas. Others, however; the warblers, vireos and flycatchers are migrants, flying north in spring to breed in our forests and heading south to spend winters in more tropical climes. These species, many of which are categorized as neotropical migrant songbirds, are doubly threatened: forest clearing and development in either of their homes – breeding grounds or wintering grounds – are having a large impact of their populations. All neotropical migrant songbirds have experienced population declines over the past decades.
Scott Leslie, Blue Planet Archive photographer
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Trophy hunting is the killing of an animal for sport or pleasure in order to display part or all of its body as a trophy.
Born Free is opposed to the killing of any animal for sport or pleasure and is against all forms of trophy hunting. We want to eliminate trophy hunting by exposing its fundamental immorality and demonstrating alternative solutions.
According to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), 290,000 trophy items from nearly 300 CITES-listed species were exported across the world between 2008 and 2017.
The top five exporting countries for those trophy items were South Africa, Canada, Mozambique, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
The top five destination countries were the United States, South Africa, Singapore, Germany and Spain.
The top five species were the Nile crocodile, American black bear, African elephant, hippopotamus and zebra.
Trophy hunting does not benefit wildlife conservation. Hunting proponents often claim the money generated through hunting fees goes towards funding wildlife conservation agencies, and that hunters can help control wildlife populations by removing problem or redundant individuals. However, little of the money generated through trophy hunting goes back into conservation. Rather than targeting problem or redundant animals, trophy hunters tend to covet animals with particular traits which make them good trophies. The killing of these individuals can have serious adverse consequences, which can threaten future population health and viability.
Trophy hunting does not benefit the local economy to any significant degree. A 2017 study concluded that “the current total economic contribution of trophy hunters from their hunting-related, and non-hunting related, tourism is about 0.03% of GDP”. In contrast, a study found a live elephant may be worth as much as $1.6m over its lifetime through income from photographic tourism – many times the fee typically paid by a trophy hunter to shoot an elephant.
Trophy hunting does not consider animal welfare. Hunters may not be expert shots, and are encouraged to use weapons such as bows and arrows, handguns or muzzle-loaders – the use of which increases the likelihood of animals being wounded and suffering. Target animals may be pursued for long periods of time during hunts. Individuals may be separated from family groups or populations, which may result in considerable stress.
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Field trips have long been a part of primary and secondary education, but expeditions — now that’s something different. At about a dozen schools throughout the state, students don’t go off campus just for a fun, informative break once or twice a year; instead, they become Indiana Joneses of information gathering and disseminating, embarking on multi-week quests, often off campus, to delve deeply into a topic and apply what they’ve learned to real life.
Based on the Outward Bound model of incremental problem solving in an unfamiliar environment, Expeditionary Learning got its start in the early 1990s with demonstration schools in five cities across the United States, including Boston. The concept has since proved quite effective, with EL students outperforming their district peers by an average of 10 percentage points in math and 13 in English language arts on standardized tests. At the 728-student Renaissance School in Springfield, it has also meant 100 percent — you read that right — graduation and college acceptance rates.
Renaissance School students have ridden roller coasters at Six Flags to understand physics; spent weeks studying nuclear technologies and working to represent them through performance-based art; and visited a church, mosque, and synagogue for a unit on religion. They’ve also received lessons on antibiotic-resistant bacteria from experts at a Baystate Medical Center lab and offered Springfield’s mayor green-energy advice that led to $160,000 in retrofits for the city’s aging school buildings.
Most projects are interdisciplinary, many include a public service component, and all are designed to contextualize lessons and ideas by addressing concrete challenges. “Fieldwork is a chance for teachers to take the curriculum and add real-world experience to it,” says Renaissance principal Arria Coburn. “So it’s about academics but also about ‘soft skills’ that are going to prepare students for work in college and the real world. It’s less about the teacher owning the learning and more about the student owning it and doing the heavy lifting.”
10 IDEAS TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION:
Use the pull-down menu below to read more stories from the Globe Magazine special issue.
Send comments to [email protected].
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The widely used antihistamine diphenhydramine is present in municipal biosolids, and is detected in runoff from agricultural land fertilized with biosolids. In the present study the kinetics and major pathways of diphenhydramine dissipation in a loam, sandy loam, and clay loam soil were determined in laboratory incubations. The time to dissipate 50% (DT(50)) of (14)C-diphenhydramine residues at 30 °C ranged from 88 ± 28 days in the clay loam to 335 ± 145 days in the loam soil. Mineralization of (14)C was insignificant, and diphenhydramine-N-oxide was the only detected extractable transformation product elucidated by radioisotope and HPLC-MS methods. There were no significant effects of municipal biosolids on the kinetics or pathways of removal. Overall, diphenhydramine is quite persistent in soils, and formation of non-extractable soil-bound residues is the major mechanism of diphenhydramine dissipation.
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Breathing Labs Follow
A company producing interfaces for breathing exercises, breathing games, and breathing entertainment. #health #physiotherapy #telemedicine
Breathing+ by Breathing Labs has passed peer review in a randomized controlled clinical trial that was recently published in SCI Q2 journal Pediatric Pulmonology. Research done by @bezmialem Full text is available in a link here: https://www.breathinglabs.com/clinical-trials/research-breathing-labs-and-nintendo-clinical-trial-is-published-in-journal-pediatric-pulmonology-sci-q2-impact-factor-3/?fbclid=IwAR2wNhSgurdbrrf3gzOOkHthgiWfXJ1x8RWvnMhkSo6fi33QPZEGzxzd6jM
BREAKING: @breathinglabs and @Nintendo clinical trial is published in journal Pediatric Pulmonology (SCI Q2, Impact Factor > 3), full text: https://breathinglabs.com/Nintendo%20&%20Breathing%20Labs%202022 #telemedicine #telehealth #mhealth
Clinical mouthpieces 10pcs packages are now available at 45€/50USD (shipping cost not included). Learn more: https://www.breathinglabs.com/latest-news/announcement-breathing-mouthpieces-for-clinical-and-professional-use-are-now-available/
BREATHING VR: Lately we are sourcing this VR headset for use in Breathing VR application. It allows easiest installation of both breathing+ headset cable, and USB charging cables, which is essential in professional use: https://www.banggood.com/VR-SHINECON-G5-VR-Glasses-3D-Virtual-Reality-Glasses-VR-Headset-For-iPhone-XS-11Pro-Mi10-p-1679808.html?rmmds=myorder&cur_warehouse=CN
Update: Each purchase of Breathing+ will now include three machine washable mouthpieces. Previous buyers will be supplied with those by their country representatives but will have to cover shipping costs. Please be patient while we arrange distribution. https://www.breathinglabs.com/latest-news/announcement-breathing-mouthpieces-for-clinical-and-professional-use-are-now-available/
Update: We moved servers + relocated all our games to our servers, please be patient while google reviews all that (showing unsafe website atm). Use duckduckgo or non-chromium browsers to reach our pages in the meantime. Everything ok + new product addons coming out in a month!
Registration and all functionalities at http://breathinglabs.com (and in our iOS and Android games) are fixed and fully working. If you find any issues -> [email protected]
We are back in stock with Breathing+, currently searching for VR supplier, and setting up mass production for toys and tens stimulation + in November we will be signing up new erasmus traineeships, research projects, bilateral, FP(eu), and asia-pacific ->[email protected]
BREAKING: Nintendo Co. Ltd (Japan) is implementing Breathing Games by @breathinglabs in FDA approved clinical trial for children with bronchiectasis: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04038892
Notice to b2b partners: we are running late with some minor upgrade-> briefly running out of stock -> retail and b2b sale is closed until early october. To get a list of partners with stock to sell contact us at [email protected] Thanks, we'll go strong again in winter 💪
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Why Is a Homelike Environment Important for Children?
Children are able to learn more successfully when the classroom environment is like their home environment. A soothing school environment makes the transition from home to school easier and reduces tension in small children. That’s why we do our very best to make sure our schools are warm and inviting – just like home.
Teachers and staff choose items that make them feel comfortable and at home – things that they would display in their own homes – things that they enjoy looking at every day. And, everything in our classroom environment serves a purpose.
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[wikipedia] Range, Habitat, Description: Leptosiphon breviculus is a species of flowering plant in the phlox family known by the common name Mojave linanthus. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Mojave Desert and dry spots in the adjacent Transverse Ranges.
It is an annual herb producing a thin, hairy stem up to about 25 centimeters tall. The hairy, oppositely arranged leaves are each divided into very narrow needle-like lobes up to a centimeter long. The tip of the stem is occupied by an inflorescence of one or more white, pink, or blue flowers with purple throats, each about a centimeter wide.
The length of the stem is around 10 cm to 25 cm. The characteristics of the leaf are lobes 3mm to 10 mm, linear to lance-linear. Ecology is deserts and dry montane areas. The flowering time of the Leptosiphon breviculus is May to Aug. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)
2019 Diane Etchison:!2019 Marisa Persaud:!2019 Diane Etchison:!2019 Adam Chasey:!2019 Marisa Persaud:!2019 Marisa Persaud:!2017 John L. Thompson:!2019 Adam Chasey:!2022 Arlee Montalvo:!2023 Ryan O'Dell:!2023 Ryan O'Dell:!2023 Ryan O'Dell:!
Information on California plants for education, research and conservation,
with data contributed by
public and private institutions and individuals.
[web application]. 2023. Berkeley, California:The Calflora Database
[a non-profit organization].Available:
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| 0.655119 | 359 | 3.484375 | 3 |
This month, our Bank On It blog is highlighting National Teach Kids to Save Month with a series of posts directly related to children and finance.
Teaching kids about finances is, on paper, easy. Carrying out those same lessons when your children have money of their own is a bit more challenging.
If your child is not old enough to have his or her own job, they may earn money by babysitting, doing odd jobs around the neighborhood or having a paper route. Another common way for kids to have pocket money is from allowances.
Depending on your personal income (and the duties it takes to earn it), you could have your child earn a weekly allowance. This helps to reinforce that money doesn’t come for free: You must work in order to get a reward. Earning an allowance can come from indoor chores, walking the dog or even maintaining good grades. Whatever method of earning that you choose, it is important to maintain the knowledge that children must earn the money.
Earning an allowance helps build work ethic, financial responsibility and good judgment:
As noted above, having an allowance provides a basis for a strong work ethic. Work creates rewards. Rewards come from work. This is a lesson that remains relevant all through life! Allowances help build financial responsibility because they teach children they must keep track of their money and decide whether or not they should spend or save. Good judgment stems from earning a limited amount; spending choices must be weighed carefully. For example, your child could buy a video game as soon as it comes out, or save that money to be used on an entirely new gaming system in the future.
Allowance amounts are dependent on your family’s personal income and what you feel comfortable with in your own budget. One suggestion is to provide $1 per grade in school per week. For example, your fifth grader would receive $5 per week or about $20 per month. Your tenth grader would receive $10 per week or about $40 per month.
As children become teenagers, it’s important to teach them about budgeting and that money is a finite amount. One way to help them with this (and help keep the family’s budget in line) is to give them a certain amount of money per week (or month) for clothing and for entertainment. This can be part of their allowance or a separate amount altogether. Either way, the teenager knows that this is the only money that they will receive from you for clothing or entertainment. The teenager learns to make buying decisions based on the amount of money that they have. If they want an additional amount to spend on clothing or entertainment, then they must find ways to earn additional money from outside jobs.
However, allowances aren’t always accounted for in personal budgets. There are other creative ways to help teach responsibility and rewards to your children, even if they don’t receive a certain amount every week. Some of these methods include:
- Taking your child out for a weekly reward, such as ice cream, a movie or a trip to their favorite local spot
- Letting your child plan his or her favorite meal for dinner on a certain night of the week
- Allowing your child to pick the movie on family movie night, or another similar family gathering
At The Callaway Bank, we strive to teach these lessons through the Callaway Kids Bank and by being a sponsor of Junior Achievement in Columbia.
There are lots of ways to get creative in teaching your children about finances. Ultimately, allowance amount is based on your own discretion. What do you do with allowances in your home?
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A widely-used method of chemical solvent decaffeination uses Methylene Chloride, or dichloromethane, to remove caffeine particles from coffee. Unfortunately, it's not the safest substance, and has been banned in paint thinners and other industrial products for its toxicity. The use of Methylene Chloride as a decaffeination solvent is ages-old, but personally, we’d prefer to avoid even the smallest amount in what we consume.
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| 0.929022 | 110 | 2.71875 | 3 |
Bleach (Household chlorine) - Working Safely
On this page
Bleach is a chemical that is diluted and sold for household use. It is a mixture of water and the chemical sodium hypochlorite. For uses in the home and many workplaces, it is usually sold with concentrations of sodium hypochlorite present at a range from about 3 to 9 percent.
Note that industrial uses can use concentrations of sodium hypochlorite at 30% or higher. This document does not cover safe use and handling of bleach at high concentrations.
Bleach is corrosive, which means it can irritate or burn your skin or eyes. It can also corrode (“eat”) metals. When mixed with certain other chemicals or cleaners, it can produce toxic gases which can damage your lungs or be deadly. Always use caution and care when working with this product.
Bleach can disinfect which means it is effective at killing most bacteria, fungus and viruses. It is also used to whiten fabric and other items.
- Use safer alternative products where possible (use another product that is less hazardous to work with).
- Use soap and water to clean dirty surfaces. Bleach is a disinfectant and should only be used when needed to kill bacteria, fungus, or viruses.
- Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for safe use this or any cleaning product. Instructions will be on the label and/or on the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
- Always label containers clearly. Do not use a container if it is not labelled or if you cannot read the label.
- Know when and how to dilute the product correctly (e.g., always pour the concentrate/acid into the water, never the other way around).
- Never mix with other products, especially other cleaners that contain ammonia. Toxic gases can be produced, which are very irritating or corrosive to the eyes and lungs.
- Make sure the area you are working in is well ventilated. The vapours from bleach are irritating to the eyes and respiratory system. Use fans or open windows and doors. Wear respirators when recommended.
- Wear goggles or a face shield to protect your eyes and face from splashes.
- Wear gloves such as household rubber or neoprene gloves (or other types as recommended by the manufacturer). Note that not all gloves will protect you under every situation so read the directions or the SDS carefully for the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Wear clothing that will cover your skin in the case of a spill, including a long-sleeved shirt, pants, socks, and closed-toed shoes. Protective chemical aprons or suits will provide more protection.
- If using in a workplace, make sure that workers know how to use and store the product, and how react in an emergency. Provide training in safe work and handling procedures, as well as how to use any emergency spill kit, or emergency eye wash/shower unit.
- Store bleach in a safe, cool, dry place. Keep away from direct sunlight and heat. Close the cap tightly after each use. If using in the home, keep away from children.
- Keep away from metals.
- Do not eat, drink, or smoke when using the product. Wash your hands with soap and water after using the product.
- Do not use with other products such as toilet bowl cleaners, rust removers, acids (including vinegar), and products containing ammonia.
- Eyes: Hold the eye open and rinse slowly and gently with water for 15 to 20 minutes, or for the time the manufacturer recommends. Remove contact lenses, if present, and continue rinsing the eye. Call a poison control center, emergency services, or a doctor.
- Skin: Remove the contaminated clothing. Rinse the skin immediately with plenty of water for 15 to 20 minutes, or for the time the manufacturer recommends.
- Inhaled/breathed in: Move the person to fresh air. If breathing is affected, call a poison control center, emergency services, or doctor.
- Swallowed: Call a poison control center, emergency services, or doctor. Do not try to get the person to vomit unless told to do so specifically by a medical professional. Do not give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
When providing first aid or when helping another person, be careful not to come into contact with the bleach yourself. Use protective clothing when necessary.
Individuals with a compromised respiratory system (e.g., those who suffer from asthma, allergies, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) may react to even small amounts in the air. Serious discomfort or distress may need medical assistance.
- Fact sheet first published: 2017-02-14
- Fact sheet last revised: 2017-02-14
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