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Give 'Ringing Ears' The Needle
Acupuncture that calms nerves in the head and neck could relieve tinnitus, or "ringing in the ears."
A University of Michigan (U-M) study suggests that touch-sensing nerve | Give 'Ringing Ears' The Needle
Acupuncture that calms nerves in the head and neck could relieve tinnitus, or "ringing in the ears."
A University of Michigan (U-M) study suggests that touch-sensing nerve cells in the face and neck increase their activity in the brain after hearing cells are damaged.
Research on animals suggests that available treatments such as acupuncture may provide relief for some people plagued by tinnitus, says Dr. Susan Shore of the U-M Kresge Hearing Research Institute in the January issue of the European Journal of Neuroscience.
People with tinnitus sense ringing or other sounds in their ears or head when there is no outside source. Whether it's mild and intermittent or chronic and severe, tinnitus affects about one in 10 people, U-M says on its website.
An estimated 13 million people in Western Europe and the United States seek medical advice for tinnitus and it is a growing problem for war veterans.
Since 2000, the number of veterans receiving service-connected disability for tinnitus has increased by at least 18 percent each year, according to the American Tinnitus Association. |
At school, we are frequently looking for ways to enhance student vocabularies, and occasionally looking for diverting activities that pose as rewards but still serve the objectives of the learning day. And very often, the adults get caught up in the fun | At school, we are frequently looking for ways to enhance student vocabularies, and occasionally looking for diverting activities that pose as rewards but still serve the objectives of the learning day. And very often, the adults get caught up in the fun of learning as well. As it should be.
There are more than a few adults at our school who will willingly play Scrabble with kids. And more than a few that will log on side by side with students to Free Rice where correctly identifying the meaning of words will help to end world hunger. For each correct response, 10 grains of rice will be donated to United Nations humanitarian efforts to feed the needy globally. And the best part? It is adaptive meaning that when you answer a question correctly, the game moves you up a level. Or vice versa. You see your level at the bottom of your screen. Also, if you answer incorrectly, the correct response is supplied to you, and the same question will reappear a few turns later.
Another engaging but deceptively simple word game is Knoword. You play against the clock for points, and you can keep track of your progress should you choose to register and login. The first letter of a word appears in a box with a dictionary definition beneath. You type the word in and it progresses you along to the next question if you are correct. While not adaptive like Free Rice, you will have moments when you slap yourself in the head for not connecting to so simple an answer. An amusing reminder that intuitive approaches to language are all around. One senses what a word means, can decipher it contextually, but if called upon to explicitly state a definition... Well, that may be harder than foreseen.
Fun distractions. Or fun learning. Either way. |
If spiders’ silk could be harnessed, Fritz Vollrath would be a very happy man. Vollrath, a professor of zoology at Oxford University in Cambridge, has spent 33 years studying spiders, their webs and their mysterious | If spiders’ silk could be harnessed, Fritz Vollrath would be a very happy man. Vollrath, a professor of zoology at Oxford University in Cambridge, has spent 33 years studying spiders, their webs and their mysterious methods of web production.
He is also on the forefront of producing new web-based technology, and not of the URL variety.
In his lecture, “Silk: the Secret of a Spider’s Success,” Vollrath shared his research and knowledge with more than 150 ECU students and faculty April 29 as part of the Burroughs Wellcome Distinguished Lecture in Science.
Spider silk is one of the strongest and most flexible materials known to mankind – even stronger than Kevlar – and researchers like Vollrath have been researching how best to commercially synthesize it for years.
“Spider silk is tougher than Kevlar because it can absorb more energy before it breaks,” Vollrath said. “When stretched a lot, silk is work hardened by rearrangement of molecular chains. Kevlar does not stretch and therefore just breaks.”
The elasticity of spider webs is the result of beads that form on the web, enabling the silk to coil up, stretch to great lengths, and be restored to its original length, without breaking.
“With the webs of garden spiders, the function is the same as you find in an aircraft carrier, essentially,” Vollrath said. “The idea is to stop energy over a very short fall and you do it with straps. If you were to use a single strap, it would rip the tail out of the airplane, or the strap would break; you don’t want either. This is effectively what a spider web does on a micro-scale.”
Providing digitized diagrams of spiders producing webs, Vollrath showed that not all spiders create webs in the same way.
“Observing behavior gives you an idea about the structure of the web,” he said. “If you have a sense of structure you can go back to their behavior.”
While progress has been made in understanding the developmental pathways in the spider, Vollrath noted that how the spider produces its web remains a mystery. The kinds of silk spiders use, he said, are varied for different tasks. The dragline silk, from which a spider hangs, is not sticky and is believed to be the strongest form of silk. Silk used for trapping prey is much stickier, he said.
Vollrath is embarking on two new business ventures, Oxford Biomaterials and Spintec Engineering. The former deals with biomedical applications of spider silks and the latter with spinning artificial silks ‘the spider’s way’.
ECU biophysics professor John Kenney and ECU biologist Jason Bond worked together to bring Vollrath to campus through the Wellcome-Burroughs grant.
“Professor Vollrath’s work has invigorated my interest in spider silk as a wondrous material very much worth studying. Having such an eminent scholar visit ECU and present his work has given students and faculty at ECU a first-hand account of world-class research,” said Kenney, who is also an adjunct biology professor.
Kenney said he appreciated that Vollrath’s lecture encompassed a range of scientific disciplines, including biology, chemistry and physics.
“Research in spider silk involves biology (which organisms make such stuff and how did they evolve to do so); chemistry (what chemical and molecular controls are used to make such stuff); and physics (what are the material properties of this stuff and how do we measure them),” he said. |
The puzzle is one of the greatest surrounding our species. On a planet that bristled with different types of human being, including Neanderthalsand the Hobbit-like folk of Flores, only one is left today: Homo sapiens.
| The puzzle is one of the greatest surrounding our species. On a planet that bristled with different types of human being, including Neanderthalsand the Hobbit-like folk of Flores, only one is left today: Homo sapiens.
Our current solo status on Earth is therefore an evolutionary oddity – though it is not clear when our species became Earth's only masters, nor is it clear why we survived when all other versions of humanity died out. Did we kill off our competitors, or were the others just poorly adapted and unable to react to the extreme climatic fluctuations that then beset the planet?
These key issues are to be tackled this week at a major conference at the British Museum, in London, called When Europe was covered by ice and ash. At the meeting scientists will reveal results from a five-year research programme using modern dating techniques to answer these puzzles.
In particular, researchers have focused on the Neanderthals, a species very close in physique and brain size to modern humans. They once dominated Europe, but disappeared after modern humans emerged from our African homeland around 60,000 years ago. The question is: why?
"A major problem in understanding what happened when modern humans appeared in Europe has concerned the dates for our arrival," said Professor Chris Stringer, of the Natural History Museum, London. "It was once thought we appeared in Europe around 35,000 years ago and that we coexisted with Neanderthals for thousands of years after that. They may have hung on in pockets – including caves in Gibraltar – until 28,000 years ago, it was believed." |
As the mercury plunges, the seasonal winter rituals begin. We break out winter clothing, weatherproof our homes, and limit our time outdoors. We also prepare for the winter holidays.
In addition to getting ourselves ready for winter, we shouldn't | As the mercury plunges, the seasonal winter rituals begin. We break out winter clothing, weatherproof our homes, and limit our time outdoors. We also prepare for the winter holidays.
In addition to getting ourselves ready for winter, we shouldn't forget our pets. Providing a safe environment for them is also important.Outdoor Threats
Some products made for winter can be very dangerous or even lethal to pets. Ice melts, salts and antifreeze are three commonly used products that can make pets very ill. Ice melts and salt, if ingested, can result in significant gastrointestinal inflammation. These products are spread on sidewalks and streets, and can get on your pet's paws. They may ingest the salt or ice melt if they lick or clean their paws. One way to prevent ingestion of salts and ice melts is to wash your pet's feet after coming indoors.
Antifreeze poisoning is common in winter. Even a small amount of antifreeze is extremely toxic. It has a sweet taste that attracts animals, but it can cause permanent kidney damage or death. The lethal dose is 1 teaspoon per 2 pounds of body weight. Don't let animals drink from puddles, and make sure to clean paws when a pet comes in from the outdoors.
Don't leave your dog alone in the car while you do last-minute shopping or errands. Carbon monoxide from an engine left running is dangerous. In addition, a running car is a target for thieves. Your car can be replaced, but your pet is irreplaceable.
The cold weather and winter conditions pose their own dangers:
Prolonged exposure to cold weather, especially accompanied by high winds (the wind chill factor), can lower the body temperature. This is called hypothermia, a condition that can interfere with normal bodily functions and result in injury or death. Pets can also suffer from frostbite, which occurs when skin dies from the cold.
Pets walking across ice-covered lakes have been known to fall through the ice and become submerged in freezing water. Drowning is likely if the pet does not get help. If pulled from the water, the animal is at risk for hypothermia if not slowly warmed.
As the outside temperature falls, people and pets tend to spend more time indoors. Be sure your home is safe.
Certain plants are a menace to dogs and cats: Poinsettias, though not as toxic as many people think, can irritate the stomach and eyes. Berries of the Jerusalem cherry are toxic, and cause pain, vomiting and diarrhea. Holly and mistletoe, amaryllis, chrysanthemum, rhododendron and winter broom as well as Christmas berry, cherry, pepper and rose can all cause probl |
HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is warning residents of Forward Township in Evans City, Butler County, that giant hogweed, a noxious and invasive weed that can cause blistering and scarring on the skin | HARRISBURG, Pa. — The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is warning residents of Forward Township in Evans City, Butler County, that giant hogweed, a noxious and invasive weed that can cause blistering and scarring on the skin of susceptible people, has been confirmed in their area.
Located along the Pittsburgh/Buffalo railroad tracks at the intersection of Spithaler School and Ash Stop roads, and at the intersection of the tracks and Ash Stop Road, the area with giant hogweed has been identified and marked with Department of Agriculture signage.
Citizens with suspected sightings of the plant are asked to call the giant hogweed hotline at 877-464-9333.
Brochures are available at the Forward Township Municipality Building or here.
“Thanks to a tip on the giant hogweed hotline, the department was able to quickly and accurately identify the infestation,” said Agriculture Secretary Dennis Wolff.
“We encourage local residents to stay away from the infested area as treatment continues, and to report any new sightings so we can act swiftly to stop the spread of the weed.”
Department of Agriculture field staff developed a control program for these areas and treated the plants with an herbicide. Staff will be available to visit with property owners to identify suspected plants present on their land.
Giant hogweed is spread naturally by seeds, which can be windblown and scattered or carried by water. Because of the close proximity to the railroad tracks, agriculture staff believes the seed heads were carried and dispersed by passing trains, and possibly through a nearby landscape plant dumping site.
In 1999, giant hogweed was discovered about 14 miles west of Evans City in Fombell, Beaver County. Property owners with land adjacent to the railroad tracks between Fombell and Forward Township’s Reibold Road, including along the northern and southern track spurs that connect to the main railroad track in Forward Township, are encouraged to learn how to identify the poisonous plant.
This invasive weed spreads rapidly once established in the area between land and a stream, making prevention of seed production critical to limiting the spread into Forward Township’s nearby Connoquenessing stream.
Agriculture department staff will continue to monitor the sites in Beaver and Butler counties during the next several weeks and continue to treat any new plants that may have emerged.
Since 1985, 477 giant hogweed sites have been confirmed in Pennsylvania.
Since then 203 sites have been eradicated, leaving 274 active sites across the state.
As the regulatory agency for the treatment of giant hogweed, the Department of Agriculture has been supported by the Governor’s Invasive Species Council of Pennsylvania, an inter-agency council created by Gov. Edward G. Rendell in 2004 to help develop and implement invasive species management plans for the commonwealth.
For more information on giant hogweed and other noxious weeds in Pennsylvania, click here or call 717-787-7204.
Hogweed creeps into northeast Ohio (Aug. 18, 2005) |
Insects that walk in the soil will get dirty and need cleaning. For ants, their antennae must be kept clean because it is used to detect odors of all sorts- from food odors, to pheromone trails and nest | Insects that walk in the soil will get dirty and need cleaning. For ants, their antennae must be kept clean because it is used to detect odors of all sorts- from food odors, to pheromone trails and nest odors. To clean its antenna, an ant needs a brush. Fortunately, ants have a brush built into their front leg. Between the tibia and the tarsus (leg segments) of the front leg is a spur that arises from the tibia. The spur is covered with bristles. Opposite the spur, the tarsus also has bristles. When an ant grooms, it will lift its front leg and place the antennae into the gap between the tibial spur and the tarsus. As the antenna is pulled through the bristles, it is brushed clean of dirt and other particles.
The ant cleans the brushes on its leg by passing the leg and the dirty bristles through its mouth for a spit shine. |
BEES ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT
When we think of insects that are attracted to light, a few bugs immediately come to mind like the moth, mosquito, gnat and many more. So when someone says they have a BEE hovering | BEES ARE ATTRACTED TO LIGHT
When we think of insects that are attracted to light, a few bugs immediately come to mind like the moth, mosquito, gnat and many more. So when someone says they have a BEE hovering around there outside porch; is this fact or fiction?
It is most definitely fact. Sometimes the BEES, WASPS, YELLOW JACKETS, or HORNETS (yes all four) will be found out at night hovering around lights such as porches, lamps, street lights, and for some bee catchers there OWN flash lights! Bee catchers have found the hardest evidence of this “light attraction” phenomenon in bees, wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets during the process of moving a hive from one location to another.
Hives are always moved at night, when most of the colony is sleeping. But like any good colony, there must always be a watchful eye looking out for predators who may take them by surprise. Jim Fischer, a bee remover, writes in a thread (see it here) that flashlights during a night time yellow jacket hive relocation is nothing but “intimidating“.
…I did a removal of a very nasty colony of Eastern Yellow Jackets
(as big as your thumb, with a stinger to scale) at night. The job
was simple – lift a log in which they had set up shop into the
back of a pickup truck, and relocate the log and colony to the
woods. I soon realized that a flashlight was a bad idea, as the
Yellow Jackets flew up the bean of the flashlight, straight towards
Although other specialists later explain that using a straight ahead flashlight is not a great idea to begin with, it’s sometimes all they have. Ideally a bee handler working at night should use a red spectrum light, but sparingly. When a hive is opened at night, you will find every member of that colony inside of it. It’s at this point that the bee will determine how, where, and what is disturbing it’s colony’s seldom sleep. For instance, if you where to open up a hive during cold weather, bees are more likely to be slower in reaction time to the threat (you). Where on the other hand if you where to open a hive up during warm weather, there activity and defense will be much greater. Most importantly of all, do not give a bee, wasp, yellow jacket, or hornet a reason to come at you aggressively.
“BEE” SAFE AND CALL THE STOP SIGN THAT KNOWS THE MOST- STOP BUGGN PEST CONTROL! |
by Reed Vreeland
To avoid diet-related health problems, some say African Americans should return to our traditional way of eating.
The statistics are unappetizing. In 2009, African Americans were 1.5 times as likely | by Reed Vreeland
To avoid diet-related health problems, some say African Americans should return to our traditional way of eating.
The statistics are unappetizing. In 2009, African Americans were 1.5 times as likely to be obese as non-Hispanic whites. And although researchers don’t fully understand the complex relationship between unhealthy eating, weight gain and disease development, what they do know is that unwise food choices contribute to the high incidence of obesity and related health conditions in the African-American community.
In response to this health crisis, a group of historians and dietitians proposed that black people return to eating the way their ancestors did. They created the African Heritage Diet Pyramid, a tool to help African Americans reconnect with the healthful culinary traditions of the African diaspora—eating foods from not only the African continent but from the American South, the Caribbean and South America.
The pyramid incorporates staple foods such as sweet potatoes, okra, eggplant, and rice and beans, as well as leafy green vegetables such as collard greens and spinach. In addition, the pyramid’s base stresses being physically active and using mealtimes as a way to enjoy socializing with others.
“This is a food pyramid that would help somebody decrease their chance of illnesses, such as cardiovascular disease and hypertension. But it’s one that’s rooted in our own culture and history,” explains Frederick Douglass Opie, PhD, a history professor at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts.
Opie is a culinary historian tapped by Oldways, a nonprofit, health-focused organization that received a grant to develop the pyramid almost one year ago, to be on its experts panel. According to him, as recently as 75 to 100 years ago, obesity was extremely rare among African Americans. The reason? Because African Americans were essentially an agricultural people, and “they lived in an environment where your basic necessities required you to exercise and move,” Opie says. “To have good health, you must have a combination of holistic food [and lifestyles] along with exercise.”
At the start of the 20th century, many African Americans did just that. They could walk outside and pick what they’d eat right from their garden. That means the vast majority of a person’s diet came from locally grown plants.
Today many African Americans no longer have a direct connection to that agrarian heritage, especially those who live in inner-city areas that are virtually fresh-food deserts. In these neighborhoods, produce isn’t widely available. Often, the only easily accessible meals are unhealthy fast foods—a long way removed from the nutritious plant-based diet of an agricultural people. “A lot of folks don’t have access to fresh fruits and vegetables because of their economic situation,” Opie observes. “But you’ve also got a generation of people who just don’t know what it means to grow their own food, who aren’t exposed to rural farm life. That makes a big difference.”
The edible foundation of the African Heritage Diet Pyramid shows foods that every meal should have. Its base includes the leafy greens previously mentioned as well as mustards and turnip greens. Stacked on top are whole grains such as brown rice, along with beans, nuts, fruits and tubers such as sweet potatoes and yams. Above these, there are spices and herbs used in different cultures’ cuisine to make marinades and traditional sauces. Fish and seafood follow, then eggs, poultry and other meats. Oils are listed too, but only healthy ones, such as olive, sesame, canola, red palm or extra virgin coconut oil, for use in small quantities.
Nutritionists recommend that families and individuals who want to adhere to the African Heritage Diet include several meals with fish or seafood into their weekly meal plans. It’s also advised that certain meats, such as beef, pork and chicken, be eaten less frequently and in smaller portions. This is the way people ate these special-occasion delicacies so many years ago. “Most people used to eat fried chicken only on Sundays—that’s why it’s known as the Gospel bird,” Opie explains.
Back then, large portions of meat weren’t generally consumed on a regular basis, and neither were cakes, pies nor desserts. But sweet, fatty and rich foods that used to be reserved for special occasions are now often indulged in daily, or maybe several times a day. “Eating cakes, pies and desserts every day just wasn’t a reality for the majority of people,” Opie says.
But trying to change your dietary habits is hard for most everyone, even if you have access to fresh produce. Tosha Baker, 34, heard about the pyramid from a coworker and is trying to follow its directives. Baker grew up in Fort Worth, Texas, but now lives in Boston. There, she is a nutritionist for a Women, Infants, Children (WIC) program at a local hospital.
Baker’s grandparents were farmers—her father’s parents were sharecroppers, and her mother’s parents owned their own farm—and she has fond memories of their garden. “They had a little parcel [of land] set aside where they grew hot peppers, bell peppers, lots of greens, tomatoes, crookneck squash, zucchini, beans, purple-hoe peas, black-eyed peas and other vegetables,” Baker reca |
Click here to read more from Slate on the swine flu.
The Department of Homeland Security has declared the swine flu a public-health emergency. Avian influenza remains active in Africa, Asia, and Europe. So pigs and birds each have their | Click here to read more from Slate on the swine flu.
The Department of Homeland Security has declared the swine flu a public-health emergency. Avian influenza remains active in Africa, Asia, and Europe. So pigs and birds each have their own form of influenza. Can all species get the flu?
Many other animals do contract influenza from time to time, but in most species it tends to die off quickly. Pigs, birds, humans, horses, and a few marine mammals like whales and seals have developed and sustained their own unique strains of the flu. In general, scientists won't label a strain as host-specific until most cases result from intraspecies transmission and the virus spans more than one generation of the host animal.
Birds are known to carry every single one of the 144 varieties of influenza virus, as defined by the shape of their surface proteins (ranging from the H1N1 strain to H16N9). For this reason, most scientists believe that all forms of the virus originated in birds and every flu is on some level a kind of bird flu.
Human, swine, and other host-specific strains are merely mutated avian strains that managed to infect a new kind of animal and spread across several generations. For the source virus to jump hosts, it would have to evolve a slightly different shape to its surface proteins, making them capable of binding to novel cell receptors. (This change usually does not represent an entirely different protein structure—i.e., the strain won't change from H1 to H2—but rather involves a shift of just a few molecules.)
Pigs happen to serve as efficient way stations for the transfer of influenza from birds to humans. That's because they have some bird-shaped cell receptors and some human-shaped cell receptors. An avian influenza strain can infect a pig without too much rearranging and then evolve the ability to infect humans. In addition, the same pig can harbor both human and avian flu. If the two strains exchange the right genetic information, they might pro |
Will a Coffee a Day Keep Parkinson’s Away? It Depends
Published Nov 21, 2011
Roughly half of Americans drink coffee every day, and most health experts agree that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee — two to four | Will a Coffee a Day Keep Parkinson’s Away? It Depends
Published Nov 21, 2011
Roughly half of Americans drink coffee every day, and most health experts agree that moderate consumption of caffeinated coffee — two to four cups a day — doesn’t pose any dangers for the average healthy adult. In fact, many studies suggest that coffee may actually be good for you in moderate amounts, reducing the risk for chronic health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease as well as certain cancers.
Coffee’s Potential Benefits for the Brain
Several studies point out coffee’s protective actions against brain-related health conditions as well, especially Parkinson’s disease. Past research suggests that caffeinated coffee may help decrease the risk of Parkinson’s in certain people who have a family history of the disease.
But how? And why does it seem to benefit some, but not others? The answer may be in our genes. Most recently, a team of U.S. researchers sought to identify the genes that could be responsible for caffeine’s effects on Parkinson’s incidence. It found that participants who carried types of a specific gene — called GRIN2A — received more neuroprotective benefits from coffee against Parkinson’s.
The results showed that heavy coffee drinkers with one type of the GRIN2A gene had an 18 percent lower risk for Parkinson’s, but those with two types of the gene had a 59 percent lower risk. This implies that just drinking a lot of coffee does not necessarily reduce Parkinson’s risk; it depends on your genes.
In addition to Parkinson’s disease, coffee may decrease the chance of another age-related condition: dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. A 2009 study showed that people who drank three to five cups of coffee per day were 65 percent less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer’s, compared with non-drinkers or occasional coffee drinkers.
And earlier this year, a report in the journal Stroke found that women who drink a cup of coffee or more per day may be at a 25 percent lower risk for stroke, even after accounting for heart disease risk factors such as weight, blood pressure, diabetes and smoking.
Is It the Caffeine in Coffee?
More research is needed to determine whether it’s caffeine specifically, or caffeine along with other components found in coffee, that may be beneficial. A 2000 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association explored the connection between coffee and dietary caffeine intake with risk of Parkinson’s. The data suggests it is related to caffeine, not to other nutrients contained in coffee.
While these study results are promising, this is definitely not a recommendation for those who don’t drink coffee or caffeine to start, or those who are coffee drinkers to down more. Heavy caffeine consumption can have a variety of negative side effects, including insomnia, jitters, an upset stomach, difficulty concentrating and heart palpitations. It’s important to talk to your doctor before making any changes to your diet — including caffeine intake — due to health reasons.
Mind your health,
Dr. Keith Black |
WASHINGTON, DC, March 18, 2008 (ENS) - The biggest single year increase in greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants in nine years occurred in 2007, finds a new analysis by the nonprofit, nonpart | WASHINGTON, DC, March 18, 2008 (ENS) - The biggest single year increase in greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. power plants in nine years occurred in 2007, finds a new analysis by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Environmental Integrity Project. The finding of a 2.9 percent rise in carbon dioxide emissions over 2006 is based on an analysis of data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Now the largest factor in the U.S. contribution to climate change, the electric power industry's emissions of carbon dioxide, CO2, have risen 5.9 percent since 2002 and 11.7 percent since 1997, the analysis shows.
Texas tops the list of the 10 states with the biggest one-year increases in CO2 emissions, with Georgia, Arizona, California, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Virginia and North Carolina close behind.
The top three states - Texas, Georgia and Arizona - had the greatest increases in CO2 emissions on a one, five and 10 year basis.
TXU's coal-fired Martin Lake power plant in east Texas (Photo credit unknown)
Director of the Environmental Integrity Project Eric Schaeffer said, "The current debate over global warming policy tends to focus on long-term goals, like how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 80 percent over the next 50 years. But while we debate, CO2 emissions from power plants keep rising, making an already dire situation worse."
"Because CO2 has an atmospheric lifetime of between 50 and 200 years, today's emissions could cause global warming for up to two centuries to come," he warned.
Data from 2006 show that the 10 states with the least efficient power production relative to resulting greenhouse gas emissions were North Dakota, Wyoming, Kentucky, Indiana, Utah, West Virginia, New Mexico, Colorado, Missouri, and Iowa.
The report explains why national environmental groups are fighting to stop the construction of new conventional coal-fired power plants, which they say would make a bad situation worse.
"For example" the report points out, "the eight planned coal-fired plants that TXU withdrew in the face of determined opposition in Texas would have added an estimated 64 million tons of CO2 to the atmosphere, increasing emissions from power plants in that state by 24 percent."
Some of the rise in CO2 emissions comes from existing coal fired power plants, the analysis found, either because these plants are operating at increasingly higher capacities, or because these aging plants require more heat to generate electricity. "For example, all of the top 10 highest emitting plants in the nation, either held steady or increased CO2 output from 2006 to 2007."
Robert W Scherer Power Plant is a coal-fired plant just north of Macon, Georgia. It emits more carbon dioxide than any other point in the United States. (Photo credit unknown)
Georgia Power's Scherer power plant near Macon, Georgia is the highest emitting plant in the nation. It pumped out 27.2 million tons of CO2 in 2007, up roughly two million tons from the year before.
In view of these facts, the Environmental Integrity Project recommends that the nation's oldest and dirtiest power plants should be retired, and replaced with cleaner sources of energy. That will require accelerating the development of wind power and other renewable sources of energy.
Another good solution is cutting greenhouse gases quickly by reducing the demand for electricity, the authors advise. Smarter building codes, and funding low-cost conservation efforts, such as weatherization of low-income homes, purchase and installation of more efficient home and business appliances will reduce demand an |
Geukensia demissa, a species of bivalve mussel, is a native to the Atlantic coast of North America. The common names include ribbed mussel, Atlantic ribbed marsh mussel and ribbed horse mussel. | Geukensia demissa, a species of bivalve mussel, is a native to the Atlantic coast of North America. The common names include ribbed mussel, Atlantic ribbed marsh mussel and ribbed horse mussel. Its ribbed shell usually grows to attain a 10 centimeter length.
Ribbed mussel can be found in coastal waters from the Gulf of St. Lawrence in eastern Canada south along the western Atlantic coast to Florida. In the Gulf of Mexico, is it replaced by the southern ribbed mussel Geukensia granosissima.
This mussel has been introduced to Texas, California, Mexico, and Venezuela.
These mussels reside in the intertidal zone attached to hard surfaces or embedded in sediment with the help of their byssal threads. They are frequently seen in saltwater and estuarine marshes.
Image Caption: Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Ribbed mussel – Geukensia demissa. Massachusetts, Waquoit Bay. Credit: Joan Muller/Wikipedia (CC BY 2.0) |
Looking for Orion's Belt in the night sky is the easiest way to locate the constellation Orion in the sky. The stars are more or less evenly spaced in a straight line, and so can be visualized as the belt of the hunter's clothing | Looking for Orion's Belt in the night sky is the easiest way to locate the constellation Orion in the sky. The stars are more or less evenly spaced in a straight line, and so can be visualized as the belt of the hunter's clothing. In the Northern hemisphere, they are best visible in the early night sky during the winter, in particular the month of January at around 9.00 pm.
Alnitak is pronounced: ALL-nit-ahk. Orion is a constellation of its own, but its also held inside another constellation. Alnitak is a triple star system at the eastern end of Orion's belt, and is 736 light years from the earth. It has 100,000 times the luminosity of the sun. The primary (Alnitak A) is itself a close binary, comprising Alnitak Aa (a blue supergiant of spectral and luminosity type O9.7 Ibe, with an absolute magnitude of -5.25 and an apparent magnitude of 2.0) and Alnitak Ab (a blue dwarf of spectral and luminosity type O9V, with an absolute magnitude of about -3.0 and an apparent magnitude of about 4, discovered in 1998 ). Aa is estimated as being up to 28 times as massive as the sun, and to have a diameter 20 times greater. It is the brightest star of class O in the night sky. Alnitak B is a 4th magnitude B-type star which orbits Alnitak A every 1500 years. A fourth star, 9th magnitude Alnitak C, has not been confirmed to be part of the Aa-Ab-B group, and may simply lie along the line of sight.
The Alnitak system is bathed in the nebulosity of IC 434.
Alnilam (Epsilon Orionis) is approximately 1340 light years away from earth and shines with magnitude 1.70. Considering ultraviolet light Alnilam is 375,000 times more luminous than the Sun. It is a large blue supergiant star in the constellation of Orion. Its Flamsteed designation is 46 Orionis.
It is the 30th brightest star in the sky (the 4th brightest in Orion) and is a blue-white supergiant. Together with Mintaka and Alnitak, the three stars make up the belt of Orion, known by many names across many ancient cultures. Alnilam is the middle star.
Since 1943, the spectrum of this star has served as one of the stable anchor points by which other stars are classified. It is also one of the 57 stars used in celestial navigation. It is at its highest point in the sky around midnight on December 15.
Alnilam's relatively simple spectrum has made it useful for studying the interstellar medium. Within the next million years, this star may turn into a red supergiant and explode as a supernova. It is surrounded by a molecular cloud, NGC 1990, which it brightens to make a reflection nebula. Its stellar winds may reach up to 2000 km/s, causing it to lose mass about 20 million times more rapidly than the Sun.
Pronounced MIN-ta-ka. Mintaka (Delta Orionis) is 915 light years away and shines with magnitude 2.21. Mintaka is 90,000 times more luminous than the Sun. Mintaka is a double star. Both stars orbit around each other every 5.73 days.
References in history and culture
The same three stars are known in Spain, Portugal and South America as "Las Tres Marías". They also mark the northern night sky when the sun is at its lowest point, and were a clear marker for ancient timekeeping. In the Philippines and Puerto Rico they are called the Los Tres Reyes Magos. The stars start appearing around the holiday of Epiphany, when the Biblical Magi visited the baby Jesus, which falls on January 6.
Richard Hinckley Allen lists many folk names for the Belt of Orion. The English ones include: Jacob's Rod or Staff; Peter's Staff; the Golden Yard-arm; the L, or Ell; the Ell and Yard; the Yard-stick, and the Yard-wand; the Ellwand; Our Lady's Wand; the Magi; the Three Kings; the Three Marys; or simply the Three Stars.
..those three stars of the airy Giant's zone,
That glitter burnished by the frosty dark.
- Dolan, Chris. "Orion". Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- "Alnilam". Jim Kaler's Stars. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Campus. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- "Mintaka". Jim Kaler's Stars. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign Campus. 2009. Archived from the original on 2011-11-28. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- "Orion Watching Over ALMA". ESO Picture of the Week. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- Allen, Richard Hinkley. "Star Names — Their Lore and Meaning".
- Job 38:31
- Amos 5:8
- Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem: The Princess |
Ta Prohm is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle | Ta Prohm is a temple at Angkor, Cambodia, built in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. Located approximately one kilometer east of Angkor Thom and on the southern edge of the East Baray near Tonle Bati, Ta Prohm has been left in much the same condition in which it was found. Huge trees, reminiscent of ancient redwoods and oaks, are blended into the walls, and rocks hugging the giant roots gives the temple a surreal appearance. The photogenic and atmospheric combination of trees growing out of the ruins and the jungle surroundings have made it one of Angkor’s most popular temples with visitors.
Ta Prohm was built by the Khmer King Jayavarman VII as a Mahayana Buddhist monastery and university. After the fall of the Khmer empire in the 15th century, the temple of Ta Prohm was abandoned and neglected for centuries. When the effort to conserve and restore the temples of Angkor began in the early 20th century, it was decided that Ta Prohm would be left largely as it had been found, as a “concession to the general taste for the picturesque.”
The temple of Ta Prohm was used as a location in the film Tomb Raider. Although the film took visual liberties with other Angkorian temples, its scenes of Ta Prohm were quite faithful to the temple’s actual appearance, and made use of its eerie qualities.
Ta Prohm is a beautiful temple, bound by massive roots of huge trees. Back in the days it was very different: one could see walls decorated by precious stones, hear beautiful music, and dancing in the halls. When in late nineteenth century Ta Prohm was discovered by French, they decided not to conduct a full-scale restoration of the temple. The decision was made due to the fact that giant trees, such as ficus and silk tree, were so merged with ancient walls that eventually they became whole. So now we can see this unique Cambodia monument in the state it was discovered by the researchers.
Amazing panorama picture… Use your “mouse” and enjoy! |
Facts of the Matter
Researchers dig deep to find Earth's makeup
THE EARTH has three major layers: the outer crust, the mantle and the core. We have direct access only to the crust, which is half as thick in proportion | Facts of the Matter
Researchers dig deep to find Earth's makeup
THE EARTH has three major layers: the outer crust, the mantle and the core. We have direct access only to the crust, which is half as thick in proportion to the earth as the skin of an apple. It would really help us to understand many different aspects of Earth's composition and processes if we could get some samples from the mantle.
The thickness of the crust varies. Under the continents, where it is stable and easy to drill, it ranges from 10 to 40 miles. Oceanic crust is much thinner, averaging about three miles, but it is difficult to drill the sea floor from a ship that is being tossed by waves and wind.
The deepest hole drilled on land was more than 40,000 feet, but the 7-mile-deep hole on the Kola peninsula near the Norwegian border with Russia drilled through thick, granitic continental crust.
Although seven miles might seem like a deep hole, it is only a little less than two-tenths of 1 percent of the distance to the center of the earth, the equivalent of about seven inches to the length of a football field.
We know quite a bit about the mantle as it is, but the evidence is indirect. With our understanding of Earth's physical and chemical properties, we can draw conclusions about the composition of the mantle, but a sample would either support or contradict our inferences.
We know that the mantle is different from the crust. There is a distinct boundary between the crust and mantle where the speed of earthquake waves changes.
Our current knowledge of the mantle comes from putting together its seismic properties as compared with fragments of supposed mantle rock that have been brought to the surface in volcanic eruptions. These "xenoliths" have the same seismic properties as the mantle, and their composition is consistent with chemical models that are based on laboratory experiments to determine what kinds of materials could be a source of magma in the mantle.
We know quite a bit more about the composition of the crust from direct observations on land and from drilling on land and at sea.
At various locations around the globe are massive chunks of ancient sea floor that were broken and raised above sea level by the moving sea floor. Similar structures are embedded in mountain ranges worldwide.
The island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean is one example. The island is a 3,571-square-mile piece of oceanic crust and overlying sediment that was tilted and lifted more than 6,500 feet above sea level over a 70 million-year period. Exposed on the island is a complete cross-section, from its sedimentary cover down to the crust-mantle boundary.
Deep-sea drilling gives us other kinds of information about the earth.
Cores taken across the Atlantic Ocean in the 1970s verified sea floor spreading and the process by which new sea floor is created by volcanic eruptions along mid-ocean ridges, which stretch around the earth 50,000 miles like the seams on a baseball. As magma rises along the ridges from the mantle to erupt as lava on the sea floor, it pushes the older sea floor outward.
The verification of sea floor spreading from analysis of the cores led to the theory of plate tectonics, which is a unifying theory of the earth, as significant to Earth sciences as were Newton's revelations on gravity to physics and astronomy.
The oceanic crust and overlying layers of sediment contain the history of the sea floor, which in turn reflects the history of the earth over 200 million years. Sediments contain microfossils of extinct life forms that show evolutionary change and are indicators of past climate change.
From chemical information in the sediment, we can interpret and model the kinds of interactions that have occurred and can occur within Earth's ocean-climate system and use that knowledge as one tool to assess the range of possibilities of future climate change.
Both the sediments and the crustal rock below contain small crystals of natural magnets that reveal the intensity and direction of Earth's magnetic field at the time they were formed. Reversals of the magnetic field occur irregularly and are preserved in rock as distinctive stripes of magnetic polarization on the spreading sea floor like the lines on a bar code that can be correlated with the same reversal events in continental rocks.
The sediments also contain particles of clay from rivers on a distant continent that might now be vastly different from how it was when the particles entered the ocean. There are also remnants of wind-blown dust from the continents in the sedimentary layers. Micrometeorites that bombard the earth accumulate at the rate of 40,000 tons per year, mostly in the oceans. These occur in the sediment as fine metallic or rocky pieces less than 1 millimeter in size, and provide information about the compositions of extraterrestrial matter.
The ability to drill into the sea floor |
Visit Student Health Service if you think you have a skin infection.
The following information is from the Centers for Disease Control website. Any questions should be directed to your medical provider or Student Health Service.
What is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant | Visit Student Health Service if you think you have a skin infection.
The following information is from the Centers for Disease Control website. Any questions should be directed to your medical provider or Student Health Service.
What is MRSA?
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a type of bacteria that is resistant to certain antibiotics. These antibiotics include methicillin and other more common antibiotics such as oxacillin, penicillin and amoxicillin. Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems.
MRSA infections that occur in otherwise healthy people who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are known as community-associated (CA)-MRSA infections. These infections are usually skin infections, such as abscesses, boils, and other pus-filled lesions.
Practice good hygiene:
What is Staphylococcus aureus (staph)?
Staphylococcus aureus, often referred to simply as "staph," are bacteria commonly carried on the skin or in the nose of healthy people. Approximately 25% to 30% of the population is colonized (when bacteria are present, but not causing an infection) in the nose with staph bacteria. Sometimes, staph can cause an infection. Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infections in the United States. Most of these skin infections are minor (such as pimples and boils) and can be treated without antibiotics. However, staph bacteria also can cause serious infections (such as surgical wound infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia).
Who gets staph or MRSA infections?
Staph infections, including MRSA, occur most frequently among persons in hospitals and healthcare facilities (such as nursing homes and dialysis centers) who have weakened immune systems. These healthcare-associated staph infections include surgical wound infections, urinary tract infections, bloodstream infections, and pneumonia.
What is community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA)?
Staph and MRSA can also cause illness in persons outside of hospitals and healthcare facilities. MRSA infections that are acquired by persons who have not been recently (within the past year) hospitalized or had a medical procedure (such as dialysis, surgery, catheters) are know as CA-MRSA infections. Staph or MRSA infections in the community are usually manifested as skin infections, such as pimples and boils, and occur in otherwise healthy people.
How common are staph and MRSA infections?
Staph bacteria are one of the most common causes of skin infection in the United States and are a common cause of pneumonia, surgical wound infections, and bloodstream infections. The majority of MRSA infections occur among patients in hospitals or other healthcare settings; however, it is becoming more common in the community setting. Data from a prospective study in 2003, suggests that 12% of clinical MRSA infections are community-associated, but this varies by geographic region and population.
What does a staph or MRSA infection look like?
Staph bacteria, including MRSA, can cause skin infections that may look like a pimple or boil and can be red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage. More serious infections may cause pneumonia, bloodstream infections, or surgical wound infections.
Are certain people at increased risk for community-associated staph or MRSA infections?
CDC has investigated clusters of CA-MRSA skin infections among athletes, military recruits, children, Pacific Islanders, Alaskan Natives, Native Americans, men who have sex with men, and prisoners.
Factors that have been associated with the spread of MRSA skin infections include: close skin-to-skin contact, openings in the skin such as cuts or abrasions, contaminated items and surfaces, crowded living conditions, and poor hygiene.
Are people who are positive for the human immune deficiency virus (HIV) at increased risk for MRSA? Should they be taking special precautions?
People with weakened immune systems, which include some patients with HIV infection, may be at risk for more severe illness if they get infected with MRSA. People with HIV should follow the same |
There is some good news to report in the effort to reduce cancer deaths among African Americans in the United States. According to the 2013-2014 edition of Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans, nearly 200,000 deaths from cancer | There is some good news to report in the effort to reduce cancer deaths among African Americans in the United States. According to the 2013-2014 edition of Cancer Facts and Figures for African Americans, nearly 200,000 deaths from cancer among African Americans were averted between 1990 and 2009 as cancer death rates continued to decrease among this group.
“The new report shows a significant reduction in overall cancer death rates among African Americans since the early 1990s, due to reduction in smoking prevalence and improved detection and treatment for many cancers,” said Ahmedin Jemal, DVM, PhD, vice president of Surveillance and Health Services Research at the American Cancer Society, and lead author of the report. “Early detection of cancers of the female breast, colon and rectum, and cervix among African Americans contributed to this reduction.”
Although African Americans have experienced higher death rates from cancer than whites for many years, death rates declined faster from 2000-2009 compared to white males and females. The decrease in cancer death rates among African American males was the largest of any other racial or ethnic group.
But the news is not all good. While black/white disparities have narrowed for some cancers, they continued to increase for colorectal cancer and female breast cancer, cancers that are affected by early detection and access to the best treatment. “Improving access to early detection and treatment could reverse the growing racial disparity in female breast and colorectal cancer mortality rates,” said Dr. Jemal.
Survival rates for most cancers remain lower for African Americans than whites, but more research is needed to determine whether low survival rates can be attributed to unequal access to quality health care or other factors.
Click here for the full report. |
Recently, I had a conversation with a physician who works with international groups. He had high praise for the BC Provincial Health Services Authority’s Indigenous Cultural Competency (ICC) training and wished it could be made available at an international level. He spoke | Recently, I had a conversation with a physician who works with international groups. He had high praise for the BC Provincial Health Services Authority’s Indigenous Cultural Competency (ICC) training and wished it could be made available at an international level. He spoke of groups unintentionally insulting and offending one another. “Some of the most advanced nations on earth just don’t get it,” he said, “They just don’t have self-reflection or awareness of how they are perceived by the indigenous peoples of the world.”
That got me wondering. Where do we as Canadians fit on the world spectrum of cultural competency? We share this land between ancient indigenous cultures and relatively recent settlers and immigrants. ICC participants often tell us they regret some of the things they have said and done in ignorance of indigenous people, history, and culture, and they wish they had ICC training in elementary or high school. If Canadians had knowledge of Indigenous people in the areas of pre-contact, the impacts of colonization and residential schools, and current restrictions of the Indian Act (the only race based act that we know of in the world), would the crippling stereotypes about Aboriginal people be reduced? What needs to happen for Canadians to change and improve the way they engage with indigenous issues? Is it having more information? Is it a deeper examination about our own biases and the relationship of these to our work? These are good questions.
A doctor recently asked, how do you talk to a colleague who you have just witnessed being culturally incompetent? How do you say what needs saying while maintaining your relationship with the colleague, but also pointing them to a course correction?
As Canadians, we are not accustomed to these difficult conversations of confronting cultural incompetency or racial micro aggressions. Treating indigenous people with repulsion, or outright contempt still happens because long held negative stereotypes are deeply embedded within Canadian culture. We want to confront the people demonstrating harmful behaviour, but we are often at a loss as to how to even start that conversation. We lack a common language around this issue. We are also concerned that what we say might threaten the relationship with our colleague. For others, we are afraid of repercussions, especially if the person who has been inappropriate is in a position of authority.
The Indigenous Cultural Competency Training program tackles these and other kinds of issues. We have health care professionals, students, education, justice, and social workers taking our training. We are making some gains in British Columbia. Over the last three years, the ICC program has trained about 10,000 people. This is a good start Canada, but we’ve got a lot more work to do.
ICC is an eight-h |
When the proper time came for the funeral services, if it was in the growing season, friends and neighbors would contribute from the best flowers in their gardens, if the deceased was a young person or a child. If it was an old person a | When the proper time came for the funeral services, if it was in the growing season, friends and neighbors would contribute from the best flowers in their gardens, if the deceased was a young person or a child. If it was an old person a carefully arranged sheaf of ripened grain was considered an appropriate and sufficient emblem.
After a sermon accompanied by singing, the coffin was loaded into the best appearing farm wagon conveniently in reach an |
Can you name the Largest US Cities (48 Contiguous) by Latitude Range?
- Answers do not have to be guessed in order
- Source: US 2010 Census + USGS Geonames Place Infomation
- Name the | Can you name the Largest US Cities (48 Contiguous) by Latitude Range?
- Answers do not have to be guessed in order
- Source: US 2010 Census + USGS Geonames Place Infomation
- Name the largest US cities by latitude range in the 48 contiguous states. A handful of these may technically be classified as a town, township or village. CDP's not included.
- Also try: Largest US Cities/T |
The abdominal x-ray is a test that can be carried out quickly and easily in an emergency department. The test can help diagnose some abdominal conditions. It is not a useful investigation for most abdominal conditions. Small and large bowel obstructions, volv | The abdominal x-ray is a test that can be carried out quickly and easily in an emergency department. The test can help diagnose some abdominal conditions. It is not a useful investigation for most abdominal conditions. Small and large bowel obstructions, volvulus and malrotations can be diagnosed by AXR. Renal, urethral and bladder stones can sometimes be identified on plain x-ray, although it is usual now to use CT as a first |
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595. | The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River. With a main span of 1,595.5 feet, it was the longest suspension bridge in the world from its opening until 1903, and the first steel-wire suspension bridge.
Originally referred to as the New York and Brooklyn Bridge, it was dubbed the Brooklyn Bridge in a January 25, 1867 letter to the editor of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, and formally so named by the city government in 1915. Since its opening, it has become an iconic part of the New York skyline. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964 and a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1972. |
|SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center|
Developing Your Child's Self-Esteem
Healthy self-esteem is like a child's armor against the challenges of the world. Kids who know their strengths and weaknesses and feel good about themselves | |SSM Cardinal Glennon Children's Medical Center|
Developing Your Child's Self-Esteem
Healthy self-esteem is like a child's armor against the challenges of the world. Kids who know their strengths and weaknesses and feel good about themselves seem to have an easier time handling conflicts and resisting negative pressures. They tend to smile more readily and enjoy life. These kids are realistic and generally optimistic.
In contrast, kids with low self-esteem can find challenges to be sources of major anxiety and frustration. Those who think poorly of themselves have a hard time finding solutions to problems. If given to self-critical thoughts such as "I'm no good" or "I can't do anything right," they may become passive, withdrawn, or depressed. Faced with a new challenge, their immediate response might be "I can't."
What Is Self-Esteem?
Self-esteem is similar to self-worth (how much a person values himself or herself). This can change from day to day or from year to year, but overall self-esteem tends to develop from infancy and keep going until we are adults.
Self-esteem also can be defined as feeling capable while also feeling loved. A child who is happy with an achievement but does not feel loved may eventually experience low self-esteem. Likewise, a child who feels loved but is hesitant about his or her own abilities can also develop low self-esteem. Healthy self-esteem comes when a good balance is maintained.
Patterns of self-esteem start very early in life. The concept of success following effort and persistence starts early. Once people reach adulthood, it's harder to make changes to how they see and define themselves.
So, it's wise to think about developing and promoting self-esteem during childhood. As kids try, fail, try again, fail again, and then finally succeed, they develop ideas about their own capabilities. At the same time, they're creating a self-concept based on interactions with other people. This is why parental involvement is key to helping kids form accurate, healthy self-perceptions.
Parents and caregivers can promote healthy self-esteem by showing encouragement and enjoyment in many areas. Avoid focusing on one specific area; for example, success on a spelling test, which can lead to kids feeling that they're only as valuable as their test scores.
Signs of Unhealthy and Healthy Self-Esteem
Self-esteem fl |
Tesan, G., Johnson, B. W., Reid, M., Thornton, R., Crain, S. Measurement Of Neuromagnetic Brain Function In Pre-school Children With Custom Sized MEG. J. Vis. Exp. (36 | Tesan, G., Johnson, B. W., Reid, M., Thornton, R., Crain, S. Measurement Of Neuromagnetic Brain Function In Pre-school Children With Custom Sized MEG. J. Vis. Exp. (36), e1693, doi:10.3791/1693 (2010).
Magnetoencephalography is a technique that detects magnetic fields associated with cortical activity. The electrophysiological activity of the brain generates electric fields - that can be recorded using electroencephalography (EEG)- and their concomitant magnetic fields - detected by MEG. MEG signals are detected by specialized sensors known as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs). Superconducting sensors require cooling with liquid helium at -270 °C. They are contained inside a vacumm-insulated helmet called a dewar, which is filled with liquid. SQUIDS are placed in fixed positions inside the helmet dewar in the helium coolant, and a subject's head is placed inside the helmet dewar for MEG measurements. The helmet dewar must be sized to satisfy opposing constraints. Clearly, it must be large enough to fit most or all of the heads in the population that will be studied. However, the helmet must also be small enough to keep most of the SQUID sensors within range of the tiny cerebral fields that they are to measure. Conventional whole-head MEG systems are designed to accommodate more than 90% of adult heads. However adult systems are not well suited for measuring brain function in pre-school chidren whose heads have a radius several cm smaller than adults. The KIT-Macquarie Brain Research Laboratory at Macquarie University uses a MEG system custom sized to fit the heads of pre-school children. This child system has 64 first-order axial gradiometers with a 50 mm baseline and is contained inside a magnetically-shielded room (MSR) together with a conventional adult-sized MEG system [3,4]. There are three main advantages of the customized helmet dewar for studying children. First, the smaller radius of the sensor configuration brings the SQUID sensors into range of the neuromagnetic signals of children's heads. Second, the smaller helmet allows full insertion of a child's head into the dewar. Full insertion is prevented in adult dewar helmets because of the smaller crown to shoulder distance in children. These two factors are fundamental in recording brain activity using MEG because neuromagnetic signals attenuate rapidly with distance. Third, the customized child helmet aids in the symmetric positioning of the head and limits the freedom of movement of the child's head within the dewar. When used with a protocol that aligns the requirements of data collection with the motivational and behavioral capacities of children, these features significantly facilitate setup, positioning, and measurement of MEG signals.
These guidelines describe equipment and procedures for measuring cognitive brain function in preschoolers using magnetoencephalography (MEG). First, we discuss general guidelines and issues that must be considered when carrying experimental tests of cognitive function in children. Second, we describe a protocol developed to align the requirements of MEG data collection with the motivational and behavioral capacities of four-year-old children.
1. General considerations for studying young children with MEG
MEG researchers face a number of unique challenges when working with awake healthy children. First, a stark and functional laboratory environment is likely to intimidate or frighten young children. Second, the basic requirements of an experimental MEG study include restriction of movement and actively attending to a task for an extended period, conditions that many adults find tedious and uncomfortable. When studying children it becomes imperative to adapt the experimental procedures to the capacities and limitations of the children. In this section, we describe the initial steps involved in preparing the subject to participate in a data acquisition session.
1.1 Familiarization/Training Session: For pre-school children a familiarization/training session is scheduled prior to the actual data acquisition session. This session allows the child to become familiar with the environment and the researchers at their own pace. We introduce the child and the parent to the researchers and familiarize them with the lab surroundings and routines. By the end of the introductory session the parent and child understand all the steps involved in participating and understand what they should expect during data recording. If during the first visit, a child appears shy or anxious, we have a period of playtime until they feel more comfortable. Then, we proceed with the introduction of all the steps.
1.2 Explaining the environment: To explain the MEG environment to the child, we employ a theme that provides a child-friendly justification for the surroundings. For instance, the MEG system is a spaceship waiting to take the children on a space adventure where some unfamiliar events may occur. The laboratory has also been decorated with wall stickers and toys (Fig. 1), and it has a dedicated playroom. When talking to the child, we use language that children can easily understand such as 'freezing' instead of'minimizing movement', and 'astronaut helmet' instead of'marker-coil cap'.
1.3 Explaining the procedures to the child and to the parents: We show the child and the parent the steps that are taken before the child goes inside the magnetically shielded room (MSR). One of the first steps is to fit a five marker-coil cap on the subject's head; these coils indicate the position of the subject's head inside the MEG helmet. With the child's help, we digitize the head shape of a puppet, and then we invite the |
Theobald of Bec
|Theobald of Bec|
|Archbishop of Canterbury|
|Diocese||Diocese of Canterbury|
|See||Archbishop of Canterbury|
|Term ended||18 April 1161|
|Predecess | Theobald of Bec
|Theobald of Bec|
|Archbishop of Canterbury|
|Diocese||Diocese of Canterbury|
|See||Archbishop of Canterbury|
|Term ended||18 April 1161|
|Predecessor||William de Corbeil|
|Other posts||Abbot of Bec|
|Consecration||8 January 1139
by Alberic of Ostia
|Born||circa (c.) 1090
|Died||18 April 1161
Theobald (sometimes Tedbald; c. 1090 – 18 April 1161) was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1139 to 1161. He was a Norman; his exact birth date is unknown. Some time in the late 11th or early 12th century Theobald became a monk at the Abbey of Bec, rising to the position of abbot in 1137. King Stephen of England chose him to be Archbishop of Canterbury in 1138. Canterbury's claim to primacy over the Welsh ecclesiastics was resolved during Theobald's term of office when Pope Eugene III decided in 1148 in Canterbury's favour. Theobald faced challenges to his authority from a subordinate bishop, Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester and King Stephen's younger brother, and his relationship with King Stephen was turbulent. On one occasion Stephen forbade him from attending a papal council, but Theobald defied the king, which resulted in the confiscation of his property and temporary exile. Theobald's relations with his cathedral clergy and the monastic houses in his archdiocese were also difficult.
Serving during the disorders of Stephen's reign, Theobald succeeded in forcing peace on the king by refusing to consecrate Stephen's son and heir, Eustace. After Eustace's death in 1153, Stephen recognised his rival Henry of Anjou as his heir, and later Theobald was named regent of the kingdom after Stephen's death. After a long illness, Theobald died in 1161, following which unsuccessful efforts were made to have him canonised as a saint.
Theobald was the patron of his successor Thomas Becket, and a number of other future bishops and archbishops served as his clerks. During his time as archbishop Theobald augmented the rights of his see, or bishopric. Historians of his time and later were divided on his character and he is often overlooked in the historical record, mainly because of the fame of his successor.
- 1 Early life
- 2 Archbishop
- 3 Death and legacy
- 4 Notes
- 5 Citations
- 6 References
Family and background
Theobald's family was from the area around Thierville near Le Bec-Hellouin, in the Risle River valley. The modern historian Frank Barlow speculates that Theobald may have been a distant relative of his successor as archbishop, Thomas Becket, as Becket's family came from the same part of Normandy. The exact date of Theobald's birth is unknown; the only clue to his age is that when he died in 1161 contemporaries considered him an old man, suggesting a birth date of perhaps around 1090 to one modern historian. His father was supposedly a knight, but no contemporary reference gives his name. His brother Walter also became a priest, and later a bishop.
Theobald entered the Abbey of Bec in Normandy as a Benedictine monk in the late 11th or early 12th century, while William was the third abbot. But as William was abbot from 1096 to 1124, that leaves a wide range of possible entry dates. Theobald was the 266th monk admitted under William, out of 346. The historian Avrom Saltman suggests that, if admissions were spaced regularly throughout William's abbacy, Theobald would have become a monk in about 1117, but qualifies his estimate with the statement that 1117 "seems to be rather late".
Life at Bec
In 1127 Theobald was made prior of Bec, after Boso succeeded William as abbot. Theobald became abbot in 1137, following Boso's death in June 1136. The monks of Bec unanimously elected him to be t |
Origins of the Black Atlantic:Between 1492 and 1820, about two-thirds of the people who crossed the Atlantic to the Americas were Africans. With the exception of the Spanish, all the European empires settled more Africans in the | Origins of the Black Atlantic:Between 1492 and 1820, about two-thirds of the people who crossed the Atlantic to the Americas were Africans. With the exception of the Spanish, all the European empires settled more Africans in the New World than they did Europeans. The vast majority of these enslaved men and women worked on plantations, and their labor was the foundation for the expansion of the Atlantic economy during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Until relatively recently, comparatively little attention was paid to the perspectives, daily experiences, hopes, and especially the political ideas of the enslaved who played such a central role in the making of the Atlantic world. Over the past decades, however, huge strides have been made in the study of the history of slavery and emancipation in the Atlantic world. This collection brings together some of the key contributions to this growing body of scholarship, showing a range of methodological approaches, that can be used to understand and reconstruct the lives of these enslaved people.
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Rent Origins of the Black Atlantic 1st edition today, or search our site for Laurent textbooks. Every textbook comes with a 21-day "Any Reason" guarantee. Publi |
‘Microfluidic Palette’ Could Paint Clearer Picture Of Biological Processes
The masterpieces that spring from the talents of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and other artists often begin with the creation of a gradient of colors on a palette. In | ‘Microfluidic Palette’ Could Paint Clearer Picture Of Biological Processes
The masterpieces that spring from the talents of Rembrandt, Van Gogh and other artists often begin with the creation of a gradient of colors on a palette. In a similar manner, researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have created an innovative device called the “microfluidic palette” to produce multiple, steady-state chemical gradients””gradual changes in concentration across an area””in a miniature chamber about the diameter of a pinhead. The tool can be used to study the complex biological mechanisms in cells responsible for cancer metastasis, wound healing, biofilm formation and other fluid-related processes.
The advantage of the NIST system, as described in a new paper,* is that the gradients are generated by diffusion””the gentle movement of matter from one point to another by random molecular motion. Microfluidic systems usually mix fluids more actively, by pumps and the circulation of currents. Diffusion gradients allow cells being studied to remain in the microchamber without the chance of their being swept away. Diffusion also permits chemical molecules to move in and out of the cells naturally and eliminates the risk of shear stresses, commonly produced by currents, which could cause the cells to rupture or behave abnormally.
The NIST microfluidic palette manages this with a clever plumbing trick. The key element of the palette is the microchamber, a small disk-shaped area only 1.5 millimeters (0.06 inch) across etched into the center of a glass wafer. Tiny holes at its circumference””three in the prototype, but it could be more””allow various mixtures to flow into the chamber. Beneath the chamber, each access port connects to the long tail of a Y-shaped channel etched into a second layer. These channels deliver test chemicals to the chamber. Fluid flow in and out of the short arms of each Y at constant pressure assures a constant stream of fresh chemicals. Because the pressure in the chamber is balanced by filling it previously with a buffer solution, the test chemicals that migrate from the channels into the chamber do so almost entirely by diffusion. Therefore, as long as a constant flow of fluid is maintained through the Y’s, the gradients in the chamber can be maintained virtually indefinitely.
To demonstrate how the microfluidic palette works, the NIST researchers inject dyes of the three primary colors””red, yellow and blue””separately into the three inlets of the system. For each dye, an independent gradient forms that remains constant as long as flow rate into the system does not change. Overlapping the three gradients results in a blend of dye concentrations in which the combination of colors at one location is distinctly different from any other location.
Similarly, if three separate drugs were injected into the palette where the microchamber contained a culture of cells, individual cells at different locations in the chamber would be exposed to different combinations of the drugs. In a single experiment, one could easily study the effects of a wide range of mixed drug concentrations on the same cell type.
Another potential application of the microfluidic palette is the study of chemotaxis, the movement of cells along a chemical gradient, a biological phenomenon that plays a role in the spread of cancer (metastasis), wound healing, infection and carbon cycling in the ocean.
Image 1: This is the NIST microfluidic palette. The mixing area is the pin-sized chamber bordered by three holes in the center of the top layer. Credit: G. Cooksey, NIST
Image 2: For each of the three dyes injected into the NIST microfluidic palette, an independent gradient forms that remains constant as long as flow into the system does not change. Overlapping the three gradients results in a blend of dye concentrations, but the combination of colors in any single location is distinctly different from all others location. Credit: J. Atencia, NIST
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Using Parameters to Control Report Data
You can use parameters to control which data gets retrieved from a data source when a report is processed, and you can use parameters to filter the data after it has been retrieved. Good practice recommends that you limit the | Using Parameters to Control Report Data
You can use parameters to control which data gets retrieved from a data source when a report is processed, and you can use parameters to filter the data after it has been retrieved. Good practice recommends that you limit the data you retrieve from the data source to that which is specifically needed for the report. However, when you use stored procedures to retrieve data, you cannot control what is retrieved from the query and therefore need to filter the report data after it is retrieved.
You use query parameters to help specify exactly which data you want to retrieve from the data source. They allow you to filter data at the server, before it is sent to the report.
When you define a dataset with a query that includes variables, the query designer component of Reporting Services creates a query parameter for each variable. A corresponding report parameter is created for each query parameter so that users or report authors can select values for the report parameters and have them passed in the query to the data source.
Query parameters are defined as part of the query definition for a dataset. Because each report dataset defines a single query, query parameters are defined as properties on the dataset.
When you define a dataset, you specify a particular type of data source, for example, Microsoft SQL Server. Report Designer opens a query designer designed to work with that data source type, or the generic query designer that can work with any type of data source. When you define the query for this data source, the query designer identifies variables within the query command text and creates a query parameter for each one. For more information about the query syntax expected by the data source, see Using Query Parameters with Specific Data Sources.
For a SQL Server data source, queries typically include variables in the WHERE clause of a Transact-SQL statement to limit the scope of the data returned when a query runs. In a similar way, an Analysis Services data source query typically includes MDX variables used in a FILTER clause. Queries can also include variables passed as inputs to stored procedures or user-defined functions.
Every time you modify the query for a dataset, the query is reprocessed. If you change a query by removing or renaming a variable, the query parameters will reflect those changes. Only those variables that exist in the query command text will be query parameters in the dataset query definition.
The default value for each query parameter is set to an expression that evaluates to the corresponding report parameter. This parameter binding is defined on the Parameters tab of the Dataset properties. For example, for a SQL Server data source, if the query parameter is @MyParameter, the report parameter is MyParameter and the value for @MyParameter is set to the expression
=Parameters!MyParameter.Value. For more information, see Dataset (Parameters Tab, Report Designer). You can manually edit the query parameters and set their default values. For more information, see How to: Associate a Query Parameter with a Report Parameter (Report Designer).
|When you remove or change the name of a query parameter, the corresponding report parameter is not automatically removed or changed.|
In Report Designer, report parameters are automatically created when you define a dataset query that includes variables. In Report Builder, report parameters are automatically created when you set a prompt on a filter clause. You can also create report parameters manually in the Report Parameters dialog box that are not bound to query parameters.
The report parameter data type and other report parameter properties affect the presentation of the parameter on the report toolbar. Depending on the data type of the parameter, you can set report parameter properties using radio buttons, text boxes, drop-down lists, calendar controls, or multiple check boxes.
A report parameter can be single-valued or multivalued. Multivalued parameters allow a user to select more than one value for the parameter.
A report parameter can be dependent on another report parameter. The order of report parameters is significant. A parameter later in the list of parameters can be dependent on a parameter earlier in the list. This allows you to define a set of parameters known as cascading parameters, where the list of values for one parameter depends on the value chosen in another parameter.
A report parameter can be used in an expression. Expressions that include parameters can be used anywhere an expression can be used. When the report runs, the value in each parameter is substituted in the expression. In this way, user selections of parameters can conditionally control many aspects of the appearance and content of a report, including hiding rows and columns, sorting and filtering data, and handling null data.
Report parameters are part of a report definition when you author a report but can be managed independently after a report is published. In Report Designer data or layout view, you can edit the parameters defined for the report. For more information, see How to: Add, Edit, or Delete a Report Pa |
CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -- The holidays are good for you. And surely, you can be good for the holidays, too.
''People aspire to be better, and setting aside specific days to celebrate certain ideals encourages people | CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) -- The holidays are good for you. And surely, you can be good for the holidays, too.
''People aspire to be better, and setting aside specific days to celebrate certain ideals encourages people to keep reaching,'' observes Kelly Smith, philosophy professor at Clemson University who studies spiritual issues.
A day for thanks, a day for love, and a day to celebrate goodwill are reminders of the importance of these ideals, he says.
''It would be nice if everyone was kind to each other 365 days a year, but that's unrealistic. Everyone should, but no one could pull it off. That's why the holidays are important. They're used to further mankind's valuable moral principles and hopefully motivate the populace to help each other all year long.''
There is at least one other positive aspect, he says: R&R. ''People need the time off to relax, to enjoy their lives, and get away from the trials of work. People need an excuse to cheer up.''
The emphasis on giving gifts might be seen as detracting from the spirit of the holidays, but Smith says this tradition is a valuable part of it. ''A gift designed to help someone else in a wonderful thing.''
He suggests trying the Jewish tradition of giving gifts anonymously, or giving gifts that are truly needed.
Peninsula Clarion ©2013. All Rights Reserved. |
Multcolib Early Childhood Picks: Where do babies come from?
Annotation:Author Heidi Murkoff extends a hand to children and parents as they tackle life's first experiences together. You're wondering how you're going to explain this miraculous, but | Multcolib Early Childhood Picks: Where do babies come from?
Annotation:Author Heidi Murkoff extends a hand to children and parents as they tackle life's first experiences together. You're wondering how you're going to explain this miraculous, but complex, process to your older, but still very young, child. This book will help answer your child's questions about how a baby is created, how it grows, and how it comes out to join the family.
Annotation:Adorable illustrations of a family looking forward to the arrival of a new baby, a mother tells her young daughter of the time when they waited for her to be born.
Annotation:A month by month guide of life-size illustrations to show the growth and development of a baby inside the womb from the first month until birth.
Annotation:"Mom, where do babies come from?" Many parents live in fear of the day their child asks that question--which inevitably happens, often as early as the preschool years. Here is a picture book designed especially for young children who are becoming sexually aware but aren't ready to learn about sexual intercourse. Written with warmth and honesty, Amazing You! presents clear and age-appropriate information about reproduction, birth, and the difference between girls' and boys' bodies. Lynne Cravath's whimsical illustrations enliven the text, making this a book that parents will gladly share with their young ones.
Annotation:This series for young children provides easy |
Coliform contamination due to unhygienic anthropogenic activities
Tests by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board show the presence of coliform bacteria in samples of untreated water drawn from Porur, Red Hills, Poondi and Veeranam | Coliform contamination due to unhygienic anthropogenic activities
Tests by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board show the presence of coliform bacteria in samples of untreated water drawn from Porur, Red Hills, Poondi and Veeranam waterbodies, which serve as sources of supply to the city.
TNPCB has been monitoring the water quality under the Central Pollution Control Board's Monitoring of International Aquatic Resources System programme from February this year.
The samples are taken every month and tested at the TNPCB's laboratories for various parameters, including the level of pH, nitrate, chloride, total hardness, calcium hardness, sulphate and magnesium.
“Coliform contamination in the surface water is a common phenomenon due to unhygienic anthropogenic activities before chlorination,” sources in the board said. Chennai Metrowater supplies a total of 710 million litres a day to the city, of which 695 mld is through pipes. Engineers of the Quality Monitoring Wing of Metrowater said: “Water is supplied only after treatment and the treated water does not have any coliforms. It is tested before being supplied to the residents.”
Residents of Red Hills said the tank's bund was used as an open toilet. “There are no security personnel to guard the entire perimeter. There are many residential areas surrounding the tank and people use the water for purposes other than drinking,” a resident said.
Sources in the Water Resources Department, said that no effluents or sewage disposal is allowed in these waterbodies. |
- NAME: Charles Lindbergh
- OCCUPATION: Inventor, Pilot, Writer
- BIRTH DATE: February 04, 1902
- DEATH DATE: August 26, 1974
- EDUCATION | - NAME: Charles Lindbergh
- OCCUPATION: Inventor, Pilot, Writer
- BIRTH DATE: February 04, 1902
- DEATH DATE: August 26, 1974
- EDUCATION: University of Wisconsin
- PLACE OF BIRTH: Detroit, Michigan
- PLACE OF DEATH: Maui, Hawaii
- Full Name: Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr.
- AKA: Charles Augustus Lindbergh
- AKA: Charles Lindbergh
Best Known For
Aviator Charles Lindbergh became famous for making the first solo transatlantic airplane flight in 1927.
An inside look at the verdict of the trial of Richard Hauptmann and his sentencing for the kidnapping and murder of Charles Lindbergh's newborn son.
An inside look at the trial of Richard Hauptmann and the kidnapping and death of Charles Lindbergh's newborn son.
As Charles Lindbergh began his family by marrying Anne Morrow, they tried to keep their life private despite constant interruption by the news media.
As World War II began to escalate, Charles Lindbergh voiced his opposition to American entering the war.
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Born on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan, Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo transatlantic flight in his plane, Spirit of St. Louis. In 1932, his 20-month-old son was kidnapped. The Lindberghs paid the $50,000 ransom, but sadly their son's dead body was found in the nearby woods weeks later. The events made world news and added to Lindbergh's fame. Lindbergh died in Maui, Hawaii, in 1974.
Born Charles Augustus Lindbergh Jr. on February 4, 1902, in Detroit, Michigan, Charles Lindbergh became famous for making the first solo transatlantic airplane flight in 1927. Before he took to the skies, however, Lindbergh was raised on a farm in Minnesota and the son of a lawyer and a congressman.
Lindbergh studied mechanical engineering at the University of Wisconsin before leaving school to pursue his interest in flight. He went to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he made his first solo flight in 1923. Lindbergh became a barnstormer, or a daredevil pilot, performing at fairs and other events. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1924 and trained as an Army Air Service Reserve pilot. He later worked as an airmail pilot, flying back and forth between St. Louis and Chicago.
In the 1920s, hotel owner Raymond Orteig was offering a prize of $25,000 to the first pilot to make the journey from New York to Paris without making any stops. Lindbergh wanted to win this challenge and enlisted the support of some St. Louis businessmen. Several others had tried and failed, but this didn't deter him. Lindbergh took off from Roosevelt Field in Long Island, New York, on May 20, 1927. Flying a monoplane named Spirit of St Louis, he crossed the Atlantic Ocean.
Lindbergh landed at Le Bourguet Field near Paris after 33.5 hours in the air. During his groundbreaking trip, he had traveled more than 3,600 miles. Upon his arrival, Lindbergh was welcomed by more than 100,000 people who came to see aviation history in the making. After his daring feat, large crowds enthusiastically greeted wherever he went. Lindbergh received many prestigious honors, including the Distinguished Flying Cross medal from President Calvin Coolidge.
Lindbergh dedicated much of his time to promoting the field of aviation. Traveling around the country, he flew his famous plane to different cities where he gave speeches and participated in parades. The public couldn't get enough of Lindbergh -- his book on the legendary flight entitled We (1927) became a best seller. Nicknamed "Lucky Lindy" and "The Lone Eagle," he became an international celebrity and he tried to use that fame to help aviation and other causes he believed in.
During a trip to Latin America, he met Anne Morrow in Mexico whom he wed in 1929. The next year he taught her how to fly a plane, and the two enjoyed the privacy that flying afforded them. Together they charted routes for commercial air travel around the world.
Seeking a life away from the spotlight, Lindbergh and his wife went to live on an estate in Hopewell, New Jersey.
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Mentors for your Child
One of the many strengths of homeschooling is the ability to resource mentors during your child's educational experience. Homeschool.com would like to introduce you to some very inspirational financial mentors for your children.
The mentors are | Mentors for your Child
One of the many strengths of homeschooling is the ability to resource mentors during your child's educational experience. Homeschool.com would like to introduce you to some very inspirational financial mentors for your children.
The mentors are, Robert & Kim Kiyosaki, Sharon Lechter and Diane Kennedy, all self-made millionaires. Robert and Sharon are co-authors of the best selling "Rich Dad: Poor Dad" series. Kim Kiyosaki is one of the co-founders of Cash Flow Technologies and is a passionate advocate for educating women about money. Diane Kennedy is a specialized accountant. Here are some practical insights into how the rich handle their money and some of the ways they pass their good money skills on to their children:
1) MONEY IS JUST AN IDEA
Robert Kiyosaki believes that ideas create wealth. "The single most powerful asset we all have is our mind. If it is trained well it can create enormous wealth in what seems to be an
Encourage your child's creative ideas. Help them to explore them, define them, and when appropriate, develop a plan of action to make their ideas come alive.
2) ATTRACTING MONEY
Robert, Like Napoleon Hill, author of "Think and Grow Rich," believes that what you think about is what you become. He believes in the law of attraction. Which means, if you are thinking you do not have enough money, then "not enough" is just what you'll attract. If you want to attract more dollars into your life then you have to become friends with money. You have to feel good about money, and one of the best ways to attract MORE into your life, is to feel good about what you already have.
3) FEEL GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU ALREADY HAVE
People often tell themselves that if they only had more money, or a bigger house, or a better car, everything would be ok. But these mentors ask "If you're not happy with what you have NOW, how can you be sure you will be happy with what you have LATER?" They suggest that you practice noticing how rich you are right now and how lucky you are to be able to spend so much time with your children. Take your focus off of what you DON'T have and think about what you DO have.
4) SET FINANCIAL GOALS WITH YOUR CHILDREN
According to Sharon Lechter, "By setting financial goals with your children and helping them determine a financial plan to achieve those goals, you instill the formula for success. The self-esteem that is built when they achieve those goals is priceless. Teach your children to say, "How can I?" instead of "I can't." For example, if your child wants a new bike, help him/her develop a plan to think of ways to earn money. Help assess your child's progress along the way and make adjustments to the goal as needed. Then, have your child purchase the bike as his/her ultimate reward for completion of the plan.
5) TEACH YOUR CHILDREN TO USE CREDIT CARDS WISELY
Make sure your children know how to use a credit card BEFORE they leave home! According to Sharon Lechter, "children are bombarded with 'just charge it' messages every day. Parents need to complete the picture for their children by exposing them to the other side of credit. Have them pay the bills with you, explain the multiplying impact of the interest charged on the balance due." As Diane Kennedy puts it, "If you went into a store to buy an item, would you naturally go to the bin marked PRICES INCREASED 20%!? Of course not, but that is what the consumer does when they buy on time with a credit card." These mentors also remind us that credit card |
ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece -- Firefighters backed by aircraft dropped water and foam on the birthplace of the ancient Olympics yesterday to stop wildfires from burning the 2,800-year-old ruins, one of the most revered sites of antiqu | ANCIENT OLYMPIA, Greece -- Firefighters backed by aircraft dropped water and foam on the birthplace of the ancient Olympics yesterday to stop wildfires from burning the 2,800-year-old ruins, one of the most revered sites of antiquity.
But the fires burning for three straight days obliterated vast tracts of the country and the death toll rose to 60. New fires broke out faster than others could be brought under control.
Desperate residents appealed through television stations for help from a firefighting service already stretched to the limit, and many blamed authorities for leaving them defenseless.
"Fires are burning in more than half the country," said fire department spokesman Nikos Diamandis. "This is definitely an unprecedented disaster for Greece."
The front of one fire yesterday reached Ancient Olympia in southern Greece, burning trees and shrubs just a few yards from the museum at the site. Although the pristine forest around the site was burned, none of the ruins were damaged.
Ruins of the temples of Zeus, king of the ancient Greek gods, and his wife, Hera, stand on what was a sacred riverside site surrounded by pine-clad hills. The ruins are near the stadium that hosted the ancient Olympic Games for more than 1,000 years after they started in 776 B.C.
The site, strewn with fallen columns, includes the remains of a gymnasium, a wrestling hall, hostels, bathhouses, priests' residences, and altars. The fifth- century BC limestone temple of Zeus is one of the largest in mainland Greece.
Helicopters and aircraft covered the ruins with water and foam. The flames reached the edge of the a |
Overview of Irish Trails
There is a large variety of walking and cycling trails available for people to use and enjoy in Ireland. Horse riding and canoe trails are also being developed. While there are many trails within the country, all trails listed on this | Overview of Irish Trails
There is a large variety of walking and cycling trails available for people to use and enjoy in Ireland. Horse riding and canoe trails are also being developed. While there are many trails within the country, all trails listed on this website are waymarked with directional signs to assist users along the route.
Walking trails range in length from longer multi-day trails to shorter trails which can be completed inless than an hour. The type and character of every trail is determined by the landscape through which it passes and locality where it is developed. This varies from coastal to upland areas, from river bank to forest and from semi-urban environments to some of the more remote parts of Ireland including our off-shore islands.
Cycling trails vary from relaxed, off-road flat land trails suitable for all, to more rugged and challenging mountain bike trails. Road based routes are also available catering for all abilities from the casual to the experienced cyclist.
A large network of National Waymarked Trails have been established for walkers ranging in distance from 25km to over 200km. Many of these trails can be enjoyed as day walks or can be walked in their entirety over a number of days. In recent years a growing number of shorter looped walks have been put in place linking into National Waymarked Trails.
Over 150 National Looped Walks have also been developed throughout the country. These walks are predominantly located off-road, ranging in length from an hour, to half-day and full-day walks, and are all designed so that users do not have to retrace their steps.
Coillte, Ireland's state forestry company, provide recreational trails in its forest properties throughout the country. Coillte also facilitates and manages a number of off-road cycling trails.
This website provides information on all trails, either directly through this website or through links out to a number of partner websites.
Trails listed on the Irishtrails.ie website are categorised as follows:
- Walking Trails: Refers to waymarked walking trails.
- Cycling - Off-Road: Refers to low level / easy cycling trails (suitable for family groups).
- Cycling - On-Road: Refers to waymarked cycling routes on public roads.
- Mountain Biking Trails: Refers to technical / waymarked trails suitable for mountain biking only.
- Walking / Cycling Trails: Refers to trails that are developed for both walking and cycling, sometimes referred to as Greenways.
- Horse Riding Trails: Refers to trails that are developed for horse riding (none listed at present).
- Canoe Trails: Refers to water based trails that are developed for kayaking and paddle touring (none listed at present).
Irish Trails Standards and Trail Quality
Trails listed on Irishtrails.ie have been assessed against the Management Standards for Recreational Trails in Ireland. Standards have been set for information, waymarking and signage, trail surface quality, vegetation, litter control and trail furniture.
A system to indicate the quality of each trail listed on this website is provided in the table below:
|***||These trails fully comply with the standards.|
|**||These trails are generally in good condition but require some work to fully comply with the standards.|
|*||These are basic trails that do not comply with all aspects of the standards.|
If no quality indicator is shown, this indicates that the trail has yet to be assessed against against the Management Standards for Recreational Trails in Ireland.
More detailed information on Irish Trails Standards is available from the National Trails Office.
Estimated Time to Complete a Trail
Estimated time to complete a trail walk or cycle are indicated for each trail listed on this site. Times given are quite conservative and some trails may be completed much quicker than the time indicated.
Trail Grading System (in Ireland)
- All trails listed on Irishtrails.ie are graded to give trail users an indication on how easy or difficult a trail may be.
- A trail is graded based on the entire length of a trail, the distance, gradient, general difficulty and underfoot conditions on each trail.
- Listed below is information on different grades for walking, cycling and other trails in Ireland.
- For more information on Trail Grading refer to the publication Classification and Grading for Recreational Trails.
Grading Levels for Walking Trails
|Multi-Access||Flat smooth trails, suitable for all users including people with reduced mobility, wheelchair users, people with a vision impairment, using crutches, with a buggy, with small children, older people and so on. Normal outdoor footwear can be worn.|
|Easy||Generally flat trails with a smooth surface and some gentle slopes or shallow steps. These trails are generally suitable for family groups including children and the elderly. Normal outdoor footwear can be worn.|
|Moderate||These trails may have some climbs and may have an uneven surface where the going is rough underfoot, with some obstacles such as protruding roots, rocks, etc. The routes are appropriate for people with a moderate level of fitness and some walking experience. Specific outdoor walking footwear and clothing is recommended.|
|Strenuous||These are physically demanding trails, which will typically have some sections with steep climbs for long periods, while the going underfoot can be extremely rough including many obstacles. Suitable for users accustomed to walking on rough ground and with a high level of fitness. Specific outdoor walking footwear and clothing required.|
|Very Difficult||These routes are predominantly in re |
China Ethnic Groups
China is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world with 56 distinct ethnic groups scattered across its vast lands which are officially recognized by the central government of the People ’s Republic of China. The Han Chinese are the | China Ethnic Groups
China is one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world with 56 distinct ethnic groups scattered across its vast lands which are officially recognized by the central government of the People ’s Republic of China. The Han Chinese are the largest in population among all the ethnic groups, accounting for 91.59% of the entire Chinese population according to the 5th national population census in 2000. As such, speaking of China’s ethnic minority groups usually refers to all but the Han group, which in total accounts for 8.41% of the country’s population with about 106.43 million members as of 2000. The Zhuang group is the largest behind the Han, and the Hezhe ethnic group is the smallest with a population of just 1,476. Of the 56 groups, 18 have populations over 1 million in China, including the Hui, Miao, Bai, and Manchu people.
The minority groups are mainly distributed in China’s southwest, northwest, and northeast regions spread over countless landscapes and in their own individual communities. Today, the people live harmoniously with the Han and it is very easy for visitors to meet and interact with the minorities in inner Mongolia; the Guangxi Zhuang, Xinjiang Uygur, and Ningxia Hui Autonomous Regions; the Guizhou, Yunnan, Hunan, and Hainan Provinces; and Taiwan. In terms of population, the Yunnan Province ranks No. 1 as host to 25 ethnic minority groups in total, which account s for 1/3 of the entire population living within the province. Know more about China Ethnic Minorities.
Miao in Guizhou
Minority Discovery Tour
- 10 Day Kunming, Lijiang, Guiyang and Kaili Ethinic Culture Tour From $1649
- 11 Day Ethnic Culture and Folk Arts Discovery Tour From $2249
- 11 Day Yunnan Naxi, Bai and Tibetan Ethnic Groups Tour From $1853
- 14 Day Minority Culture Tour of Ugur, Tibetan and Hui People in Northwest China From $2467
- 16 Day Yunnan and Tibet Tour From $2611
- 17 Day Tibet Tour Plus Main Cities in China From $3428
- 23 Day Minority and Scenery Tour to South China From $4296
- 24 Day Southwest China Minority Tour From $4020
- 6 Day Hui and Tibetan Minorities Culture Tour From $859
World Known Festivals
Lusheng Festival of Miao Minority
Lusheng Festival is celebrated from 18th of lunar January to 20th of lunar January.
Shoton Festival of Tibetans
The Shoton Festival is the most magnificent religious festival for the Tibetan ethnic minority people, and it is celebrated between the end of June and the beginning of July, which lasts for over 10 days.
Nadam of Mongols
Nadam is initially a Mongolian religious rite to pray to God for blessing. According to history record, Genghis Khan organized the first grand Nadam Rite after his great unification, praying to God for blessing Mongolia forever, and it become a tradition.
Tibetan New Year Festival
According to Tibetan Calendar, New Year Festival begins at the first day of the first month of Tibetan calendar.
Sisters's Rice Festival of Miao Minority
The Sisters' Rice Festival is celebrated on 15th of lunar March, which is also the oldest Asian Valentine's Day.
Singing Festival of Zhuang People
The Singing Festival is held on 3rd of Lunar March to memory Liu Sanjie, who is good at singing as the incarnation of love and aesthetics for the Zhuang ethnic people.
China Ethnic Minorities
List of China Ethnic Minorities
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I just returned from a trip to Korea where I learned more than I’ll ever need to know about the cultivation, harvesting and production of Nori, one of the Japanese words for seaweed. In Korea, the word for this product is Kim | I just returned from a trip to Korea where I learned more than I’ll ever need to know about the cultivation, harvesting and production of Nori, one of the Japanese words for seaweed. In Korea, the word for this product is Kim (or Gim).
So, just what are we talking about? Nori or Kim are thin, dried sheets of seaweed that are used in sushi, rice balls, as a topping for various noodle and other dishes, and eaten as-is as a snack. It can be consumed in its dried “raw” state, but the most popular version is roasted with a little bit of oil (typically a blend of sesame and other vegetable oils) and sea salt.
It is cultivated in the ocean, near the shoreline and typically at the mouth of a river from which the seaweed derives its nutrients. The seaweed spores are typically grown on clam or other mollusk shells in August and September. When the ocean temperature drops below 55°F (13°C ), the seeding begins. The spores are planted on long ropes attached to a floating balloon-like buoy, much like mussel production.
The seed takes approximately 30-45 days to mature and is harvested from November through March. Farmers use special boats that mechanically remove the seaweed from the ropes and deposit it onto the deck, where it is washed with seawater and then fresh water. It is then transferred to drying facilities where the product is washed again and finely minced.
Still with me? Once it’s minced, the seaweed is spread out onto screens which move on hanging conveyors throughout the drying facility for 12 hours to remove the moisture and create the sheets that we typically recognize for use in sushi making.
Nori is sold either raw, roasted in sheets, or chiffonaded as a topping for soba noodles or other Asian dishes. One of the hottest forms that we see flying off store shelves these days is the roasted/oiled/salted product which has become popular for out-of-hand snacking. This form is perfect for lunches and healthy snacking — try it, you’ll be amazed at the flavor!
[Photo credit: Shenyang Bases Trading Co.] |
Report says religion spurs African illegal ivory trade
Since the ban on international trade of ivory in 1989, the ivory black market has been on the rise, and a National Geographic investigation found that demand for religious art pieces carved out of the | Report says religion spurs African illegal ivory trade
Since the ban on international trade of ivory in 1989, the ivory black market has been on the rise, and a National Geographic investigation found that demand for religious art pieces carved out of the precious material has played a considerable role.
“No matter where I find ivory, religion is close at hand,” said investigative reporter Bryan Christy, whose article “Ivory Worship” is included in the October issue of National Geographic magazine.
“Elephant poaching levels are currently at their worst in a decade,” Christy wrote. The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora estimates that at least 25,000 elephants were poached in 2011, mostly for their ivory tusks.
Philippine Catholics use ivory to construct crucifixes, figures of the Virgin Mary and other icons. The province of Cebu is particularly known for its ivory renditions of the Santo Niño de Cebú (Holy Child of Cebu), used in worship and celebration.
Christy said the Vatican has not taken active steps to discourage ivory trade, which primarily stems from illegal sources. “The Vatican has recently demonstrated a commitment to confronting transnational criminal problems... but it has not signed the CITES treaty and so is not subject to the ivory ban.”
“The elephant is a symbol of Thailand and is revered in Buddhism,” Christy wrote. Buddhist tradition holds that the Buddha’s mother dreamed of a white elephant the night he was conceived—a tradition making ivory carvings and amulets even more valuable in some Buddhist cultures.
While China’s market for ivory is primarily secular, Buddhist carvings are incredibly popular as well. Christy found many legal loopholes in efforts to gain access to ivory. In Thailand, native elephant tusks may be used for ivory under certain conditions, and ivory obtained before the 1989 ban may be traded domestically in any country in the world.
“Because this is about faith, and because faith requires suspension of di |
You might enjoy the packages of freeze-dried "astronaut" ice cream found at many museum gift shops, but real space food isn't known for being nearly as delicious. (Space shrimp, anyone?) But this December, NASA is embarking | You might enjoy the packages of freeze-dried "astronaut" ice cream found at many museum gift shops, but real space food isn't known for being nearly as delicious. (Space shrimp, anyone?) But this December, NASA is embarking on its first attempt to farm fresh food in space to sustain astronauts, according to a new Modern Farmer report.
NASA plans to launch six romaine lettuce plants to the International Space Station, where they will be grown under pink LED lights and ready to harvest in 28 days. The lettuce plants are the inaugural project of NASA's Vegetable Production System, or Veggie, which, if successful, could help offset much of the $10,000 it costs to send a pound of food to the ISS.
Though NASA has experimented with various plant growth methods before, the romaine lettuce plants will represent the first time it will attempt to grow sustainable food for human consumption in space. NASA is also currently working with Systems and Materials Research Consultancy, based in Austin, Texas, to explore the possibility of using 3-D printers to make space food.
Read the full report at Modern Farmer.
[Image: Flickr user my_southborough] |
Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Biological Oceanography Group works on a broad range of issues related to life in the ocean. We are interested in large-scale patterns of marine production and how these patterns will respond to climate change as well as | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory’s Biological Oceanography Group works on a broad range of issues related to life in the ocean. We are interested in large-scale patterns of marine production and how these patterns will respond to climate change as well as influence the course of climate response. We use both laboratory measurements and take part in numerous sea-going studies to determine the factors controlling the production of marine phytoplankton. These primary producers represent almost half of the biological productivity on our planet and support the ocean’s vast food webs. We work in various ecosystems from polar seas to the tropics and study scales of processes ranging from global to individual cells using tools that span from satellites to molecular biology.
Cyclones in the Sea
PI: R. Vaillancourt
Large (~100-200 km) rotating bodies of water are routinely found on the leeward side of the Hawaiian islands. When these ‘eddies’ are spinning in a counter-clockwise direction they are termed ‘cyclones’ and have significant impacts on the ecosystem of the upper, sunlit layer of the ocean. In 2000, R. Vaillancourt, along with colleagues at U. Hawaii and NOAA’s Honolulu lab investigated how the biology at the base of the marine food chain, the phytoplankton, was impacted by the passage of the cyclonic eddy Haulani. They reported in the scientific journal Deep-Sea Research that the rotation of the eddy upwelled deep, nutrient rich seawater into the sunlit euphotic zone, enhancing the growth of certain t |
Neolithic culture appeared in the Levant (Jericho, modern-day West Bank) about 8500 BC. It developed directly from the Epipaleolithic Natufian culture in the region, whose people pioneered wild cereal use, which then | Neolithic culture appeared in the Levant (Jericho, modern-day West Bank) about 8500 BC. It developed directly from the Epipaleolithic Natufian culture in the region, whose people pioneered wild cereal use, which then evolved into true farming. The Natufians can thus be called "proto-Neolithic" (11,000–8500 BC). As the Natufians had become dependent on wild cereals in their diet, and a sedentary way of life had begun among them, the climatic changes associated with the Younger Dryas are thought to have forced people to develop farming. By 8500–8000 BC farming communities arose in the Levant and spread to Asia Minor, North Africa and North Mesopotamia.
Early Neolithic farming was limited to a narrow range of crops, both wild and domesticated, which included einkorn wheat, millet and spelt and the keeping of dogs, sheep and goats. By about 7000 BC it included domesticated cattle and pigs, the establishment of permanently or seasonally inhabited settlements, and the use of pottery. Not all of these cultural elements characteristic of the |
CandlesLogic puzzles require you to think. You will have to be logical in your reasoning.
The stubs obtained by burning ten candles will yield one extra candle if you melt them all together. If you burned 100 candles, how many extra | CandlesLogic puzzles require you to think. You will have to be logical in your reasoning.
The stubs obtained by burning ten candles will yield one extra candle if you melt them all together. If you burned 100 candles, how many extra candles could you make?
Answer11. The 10 extra from the 100 candles, and then one more from burning the extra 10.
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Washington’s whooping cough numbers continue to climb and have attracted federal attention.
One-sixth of this year’s whooping cough cases nationwide were reported in Washington state, according to health officials. The state’s numbers are the largest they’ve been since | Washington’s whooping cough numbers continue to climb and have attracted federal attention.
One-sixth of this year’s whooping cough cases nationwide were reported in Washington state, according to health officials. The state’s numbers are the largest they’ve been since the 1940s, said Mary Selecky, secretary of the state Department of Health.
As of Tuesday, Clark County had 211 confirmed cases of whooping cough, local officials said.
The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention will help with a study of the epidemic in Washington, with an eye toward the effectiveness of a booster vaccine introduced in recent years.
The updated numbers were published by the CDC on Thursday. Once the numbers were released, officials from the CDC and Washington’s health department conducted a conference call with reporters.
The CDC received about 18,000 reports of whooping cough cases nationwide so far this year, said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, a CDC branch. Nine babies around the country have died this year after getting infected with the disease, Schuchat said.
It appears that the rate of infections nationwide this year is the highest it has been since the late 1950s, she said.
Washington seems to drive that trend. Out of the 18,000 national cases, more than 3,000 have been recorded in Washington alone so far this year, Selecky said.
A little more than halfway through the year, that state number is more than three times the total of all of last year’s reported infections.
No deaths have been attributed to whooping cough in the state this year.
The youngest children are still most at risk for the disease, Schuchat said. Babies get the first dose of the vaccine at 2 months. They need five shots of a vaccine known as DTaP to be fully protected. It |
California's whooping cough epidemic is on track to break a 55-year record, with 4,017 infections and nine deaths statewide this year, according to state health officials.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious, cyclical illness that peaks | California's whooping cough epidemic is on track to break a 55-year record, with 4,017 infections and nine deaths statewide this year, according to state health officials.
Whooping cough is a highly contagious, cyclical illness that peaks in number of infections every five years. This is a peak year, and is on track to exceed the record 4,949 cases reported in 1955.
Symptoms might appear similar to the common cold, but a persistent cough that lasts weeks may indicate the illness, which is also known as pertussis.
All of the deaths occurred in babies too young to be fully immunized against the illness.
State health officials are urging parents and caregivers to get booster shots to create a cocoon of immunity around vulnerable children.
More and more parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. In fact, the number of parents opting out has nearly quadrupled in the last 20 years.
A report by the San Diego Watchdog Institute found parents are mainly choosing not to immunize their kids against the measles, mumps, and whooping cough.
State department of public health spokesman Ken August says children who aren't vaccinated may be required to stay home under the authority of county health departments, in the event of an outbreak. |
In 2003, a team of researchers working for the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health completed a 13-year long effort called the Human Genome Project. The goal of the project was, among other things, to identify and map | In 2003, a team of researchers working for the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health completed a 13-year long effort called the Human Genome Project. The goal of the project was, among other things, to identify and map every gene in human DNA. For a while, the scientific community has been looking at the data and wondering, "So, what's next?"
One answer is targeted therapy, medical treatments that do not only address symptoms, but also respond to a patient's genetic makeup.
The past couple of years have yielded breakthroughs in this field. In 2011, a team of scientists at the University of Pennsylvania effectively treated leukemia patients by engineering their own white blood cells to fight the disease. Also in 2011, researchers in Britain achieved promising results in treating the genetic disease hemophilia B by injecting patients with a re-engineered version of the gene. 2012 brought even more advancements, using targeted therapy to treat inherited blindness.
"Talk about transforming an industry," says George Day, co-director of the Mack Center at Wharton. "Big Pharma has always been pill-based," he says, meaning patients need daily dosage, whereas "gene therapy is one and done.
"I think finally after 20 years, the promise of gene therapy is starting to be realized."
From slick, touch-enabled remote controls to robots that clean your floors for you, these cool gadgets are the most droolworthy devices out there. |
Calculating difference between two dates using PHP
Suppose you want to know the age of a person given her birth date. Letís say her birth date is "09-23-1969". Although in this case you might say that we | Calculating difference between two dates using PHP
Suppose you want to know the age of a person given her birth date. Letís say her birth date is "09-23-1969". Although in this case you might say that we donít need a program to compute the age, but assuming there are 1000s of records in your database and for every person you have to print a report like:
Asha is 21 years old
Tanaz is 20 years old
Manindar is 24 years old
Ö and so on
In the database we donít generally store what the person's age is ó we store what the person's date of birth is. This is because given the date of birth, we can always deduct it from today's date and calculate the number of years that person has lived so far. Calculating date difference also comes handy if you are running a subscription-based website. You need to know for how many days a person has been using your website and when the subscription is due. So in this tip we learn to write a function that returns us the number of days elapsed between two dates.
Now let us see how we use this function:
The dateDiff() functions uses two PHP functions viz., explode() and gregoriantojd(). The explode() function is used mostly to convert strings into arrays. It takes two arguments: the separator and the string. So if
$string="Trees, plants, bushes";
$stringparts=explode(", ", $string);
then $stringparts holds "Trees", $stringparts holds "plants" and $stringparts holds "bushes". The separator is ", ". Similarly, in the above example, $date_parts1 holds the month part, $date_parts1 holds the day part and $date_parts1 holds the year part and these are the arguments that the function gregoriantojd() needs. The syntax of the gregoriantojd() function is
gregoriantojd($month, $day, $year)
But why do we need this function? Without going into the gory details, it changes the date into a big number from which another number (obtained from another date) can be deducted. Having said that, let us now see a few applications for this function: first the age thing. The following snippet of code gives us the age of a person according to the current date.
If you were born on 08/12/1975, then today your age is approximately 30 years.
|All times are GMT +5.5. The time now is 21:57.| |
Oct. 5, 2011 Archaeologists have long known that Yavneh-Yam, an archaeological site between the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast, was a functioning harbor from the second millennium B.C | Oct. 5, 2011 Archaeologists have long known that Yavneh-Yam, an archaeological site between the Israeli cities of Tel Aviv and Ashdod on the Mediterranean coast, was a functioning harbor from the second millennium B.C. until the Middle Ages. Now Tel Aviv University researchers have uncovered evidence to suggest that the site was one of the final strongholds of Early Islamic power in the region.
According to Prof. Moshe Fischer of TAU's Department of Archaeology and Near Eastern Cultures and head of the Yavneh-Yam dig, the recent discovery of a bath house from the Early Islamic period which made use of Roman techniques such as heated floors and walls, indicates that Arabic rulers maintained control of the site up until the end of the Early Islamic period in the 12th century AD. Considered alongside other datable artefacts -- such as pottery, oil lamps and rare glass weights -- this architectural feature demonstrates that Arabic control was maintained in Yavneh-Yam at a time when 70 percent of the surrounding land was in the hands of Christian crusaders.
The fortress was inhabited by military officers but not by high powered rulers, explains Prof. Fischer. Written Arabic sources from the same period, identifying Yavneh-Yam as a harbour, suggest that those who inhabited the fortress were responsible for hostage negotiations between the Arabic powers and the Christia |
By now most have read that soybean rust has been discovered in the United States. It was found in two soybean fields in Louisiana and by the time this hits the paper it may be discovered somewhere else in the South. This disease can cause | By now most have read that soybean rust has been discovered in the United States. It was found in two soybean fields in Louisiana and by the time this hits the paper it may be discovered somewhere else in the South. This disease can cause from 10 percent to nearly 100 percent crop loss in soybeans depending on many factors. The presence of the disease in Brazil has caused significant yield losses and high fungicide costs for producers. No one knows for sure if there will be problems in the United States soon but there is concern. Soybean rust fungus is an aggressive fungus similar to the rust fungi that causes wheat leaf rust and corn leaf rust. Researchers are thinking the soybean rust will behave a lot like the wheat and corn rust but are not positive because no one has dealt with soybean rust and snow cover before. Also pathogens do not always read the book and follow the rules! There are two species of soybean rust fungus the Asian and New World species. The Asian specie is the more aggressive fungus and was the fungus found in Louisiana. One of our own OARDC plant pathologists, Dr. Anne Dorrance, says don't rush out and stock up on fungicides. Dr. Dorrance says they have learned from other countries that the disease is manageable with fungicides but there are still many unanswered questions. For example, will the disease survive overwinter? Which fungicides are most cost-effective? They hope to answer these types of questions soon. Soybean rust is spread by wind-borne spores capable of being transported over long distances. At this point, U.S.D.A. believes the detection in Louisiana is related to the active hurricane season this year. Soybean growers next year will want to watch for symptoms which include tiny brown or brick-red lesions on the top of lower leaves. These spots are less than half the size of leaf hairs and a hand lens is needed to spot them. The spots increase in size and change from gray to tan or reddish brown on the underside of the leaves. Lesions are common on leaves but can also be found on petioles, stems and pods. The soybean rust can produce two types of lesions tan and reddish brown. The tan lesion when mature consists of small pustules surrounded by slightly discolored necrotic areas with masses of tan spores. The reddish brown lesions have a larger brown necrotic area with limited number of pustules and few visible spores on the lower leaf surface. Once pod set begins on soybeans, infection can spread rapidly to the middle and upper leaves of the plant. As the disease continues to spread it causes early defoliation, leading to yield loss, fewer seeds per pod, decreased filled pods and early maturity. OARDC has two years of data in preparing for this disease by doing trials on fungicides for efficacy and phytotoxicity when used in conjunction with herbicides and insecticides. For example, they already have two years of data applying fungicides with Glyphosate (Roundup). Initial reports from some countries state that the vegetative stage is the best time to apply crop protection. Dr. Dorrance does not know if that is the case for Ohio. Dr. Dorrance says Roundup at the proper rate along with fungicides produced no phytotoxicity and had better control of the weeds. Researchers are also working on fungicides put on with insecticides for control of rust and our newer insect pest, the soybean aphid. Many organizations, both public and private, are working together to help prevent the spread of the disease. Dr. Dorrance says there are soybean plots nationwide that are monitored for soybean rust throughout the season to determine when and if the disease reaches certain areas. Researchers believe the most likely mode of transmission for soybean rust to be via the Central American land bridge, hurricane winds from the Caribbean and spores on debris in shipments of seed or meal. In any case, work is being done to help prevent the wide spread of this disease should it arrive in Ohio and other states. Some say it is not if it comes, but when. We need to be watchful and get educated to spot the trouble early. More detailed information is available at the plant pathology Web site: http://agcrops.osu.edu/soybean. |
The United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) was officially created by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, when the Department of Education was fashioned out of the education component of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. | The United States Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) was officially created by President Jimmy Carter in 1980, when the Department of Education was fashioned out of the education component of the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. It traces its beginning to the establishment of the Federal Security Agency by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939. The Federal Security Agency became the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (DHEW) in 1953 and then DHHS in 1980. In the 1990s, three major changes affected the DHHS: (1) on March 31, 1995, the Social Security Administration, with its more than 55,000 employees and $400 billion expenditures (in 1995) was established as an independent agency, with the commissioner of social security reporting to the president; (2) in 1995, the eight agencies of the U.S. Public Health Service were designated as operatin |
The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission
The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, known by its Spanish abbreviation CITEL (pronounced see-TELL), serves as the coordinator for the Organization of American States in telecommunications matters. Both the ARRL and I | The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission
The Inter-American Telecommunication Commission, known by its Spanish abbreviation CITEL (pronounced see-TELL), serves as the coordinator for the Organization of American States in telecommunications matters. Both the ARRL and IARU Region 2 are recognized by CITEL as partners in furthering the work on telecommunications in the Americas.
CITEL is important to Amateur Radio in at least two ways. First, it is the body through which the telecommunications administrations in the Americas coordinate their preparations for World Radiocommunication Conferences. Proposals that have the support of a regional telecommunications organization stand a much better chance of acceptance at a WRC than do proposals from one or two administrations. The ARRL participates in CITEL’s WRC preparations as part of the United States delegation to Committee and Working Group meetings.
CITEL is also the body that created the International Amateur Radio Permit (IARP). The IARP is similar in concept to the International Driving Permit and is valid in certain countries in the Americas. The IARP is available to amateurs who are US citizens from the ARRL. |
From Capsil Wiki
Disclaimer: This Wiki is a work in progress and it has not yet been evaluated through a process of external review. No responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions or for any loss or damages which may result from the use | From Capsil Wiki
Disclaimer: This Wiki is a work in progress and it has not yet been evaluated through a process of external review. No responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions or for any loss or damages which may result from the use of the information contained in the Wiki.
The rationale for smoke free laws is to protect people from the effects of second-hand smoke, which include an increased risk of heart disease, cancer, emphysema, and other diseases. Laws implementing bans on indoor smoking have been introduced by many countries in various forms over the years, with some legislators citing scientific evidence that shows tobacco smoking is harmful to the smokers themselves and to those inhaling'second-hand smoke'. In addition, such laws may lower health care costs, improve work productivity, and lower the overall cost of labor in a community, thus making a community more attractive for employers. The World Health Organization considers "smoke-free laws to influence a reduce demand for tobacco by creating an environment where smoking becomes increasingly more difficult and to help shift social norms away from the acceptance of smoking in everyday life". Along with tax measures, cessation measures, and education, smoking ban policy is currently viewed as an important element in lowering smoking rates and promoting public health. When correctly and strictly implemented it is seen as one important policy agenda goal to change human behavior away from unhealthy behavior and towards a healthy lifestyle.
On March 29, 2004, the Irish Government implemented a ban on smoking in the workplace, the first country to do so. In Norway similar legislation was put into force on July 1 the same year. The whole of the United Kingdom became subject to a ban on smoking in enclosed public places in 2007. Many other EU countries now have smoking bans (either full or partial) and many US states also have introduced smoking bans.
Several studies have documented health and economic benefits related to smoking bans. It was reported in Jan 2009 (1) "In the first 18 months after Pueblo, Colorado enacted a 2003 smoking ban, hospital admissions for heart attacks dropped by 27% while admissions in neighboring towns without smoking bans showed no change. The decline in heart attacks was attributed to the smoking ban, which reduced exposure to secondhand smoke. A similar study in Helena, Montana found a 40% reduction in heart attacks following the imposition of a smoking ban".
Examples of Smoking Cessation Programs
- Committed quitters: GSK and Micromass communications Inc - Committed quitters is an online special service program that offers an individualised smoking intervention plan in combination with other aids to quit smoking. The service is highly personalised and provides helpful hints to overcome individual barriers and ongoing information that provides motivation to stay committed to the plan.
- Way2Quit - This is a behaviour support website providing customised tools and advice for smoking cessation. Tools such as the health risk assessor, readiness indicator, dependency quiz, cravings pacifier, trigger detector and slip meter help the individual create his own smoking profile and identify the barriers and triggers that affect his/her desire to quit.
- Lifesign Quitkey - The Quitkey smoking cessation computer is a handheld device and creates a personalised gradual reduction program to help reduce and then stop smoking. This device is discreet, can be attached to a keychain and has adjustable volume for privacy purposes. Quitkey alters smoking routine and eases one off cigarettes in a gradual step down process in two stages. The first stage consists of recording the number of cigarettes smoked over 7 days that is used to form a customised cessation plan. In the second stage, the device prompts the participant when to smoke and when not to smoke thereby gradually reducing and then stopping the amount of cigarettes smoked. Studies funded by the NIH have shown that this hand held device is effective in helping the participant quit smoking.
- QT watch - Designed by Neil Perlman, the QT watch monitors decreasing dependency on cigarettes, keeps track of related medications and provides positive feedback that help the participant stay motivated. It has tools such as the current quitting score, time since last cigarette, daily count and goal and money saved, alarms to remind participants to use quitting aids such as pills/patch and over 400 clinically written messages providing positive feedback customised to the person’s needs and stage in the quitting process.
- ↑ http://www.impactlab.com/2009/01/01/drop-in-heart-attacks-due-to-smoking-ban/
- ↑ http://www.lifesign.com
- ↑ http://www.committedquitters.com
- ↑ http://www.way2quit.com
- ↑ http://www.lifesign.com
- ↑ http://www.qt-watch.com |
Portal 2 Authoring Tools for Schools
Equations are more fun if they take place on the moon.
Valve is planning to share a modified version of its Portal authoring tools with schools, allowing them to teach physics in a fun and | Portal 2 Authoring Tools for Schools
Equations are more fun if they take place on the moon.
Valve is planning to share a modified version of its Portal authoring tools with schools, allowing them to teach physics in a fun and engaging way.
Valve intend to build levels around the existing syllabus.
"If you give us a lesson plan, we can give you a tool that allows kids to build content to lock down those lessons," said Valve head Gabe Newell. "The number of times I solved problems about how fast will this be going at this time -- how about if it's on the moon?
"It's a lot easier to get people excited about it [education] if they're on the moon and they get to throw the rock at the piece of glass that breaks the glass that lets all the robots fly out."
While Portal's authoring tools are currently available on PC, the educational kit will be modified, "to simplify the production of those spaces," according to Newell.
Fun and learning are, of course, the goals of Aperture science's enrichment centre and, hopefully, classrooms of the near future, too.
What do you think? Would you enjoy physics more if it involved a portal gun? |
America’s emergency food assistance system has tended to distribute a high amount of unhealthy food to citizens that need help. The Lowcountry Food Bank is like most in the United States. Unless someone is paying attention to nutrition and actively seeking healthy food items, | America’s emergency food assistance system has tended to distribute a high amount of unhealthy food to citizens that need help. The Lowcountry Food Bank is like most in the United States. Unless someone is paying attention to nutrition and actively seeking healthy food items, a lot of the food items distributed are often unhealthy, if consumed on a routine basis or in large portions. Obesity and its related health conditions (e.g. strokes, heart disease) are very high among minorities, African Americans and Hispanics in particular, and low-income residents in the Lowcountry, as well as all across the United States. People reliant on emergency food assistance through churches, community-based human service organizations and food banks may not have a choice about eating healthy. They eat what they can access. If we are to make a dent in the obesity issues that low income residents have, we must alter what is done through the emergency food assistance system in America.
The Growing Foods Locally project seeks to change the traditional way one thinks about community food assistance and experiments with clustering small-scale farm operations with a selected group of emergency food assistance providers (i.e., called a micro-economic agricultural clustering approach) with the goal of enhancing the amount of nutritional food items available to the poor. It also seeks to alter the food handling, preparation and consumption behaviors of emergency food assistance providers and consumers.
The project sought a partnership with ten small-scale farms in Beaufort Country that were willing to work with the Lowcountry Food Bank and 25 nonprofits that are affiliated with the Food Bank. Farmers have committed between 0.25 to 4 acres of their land to producing fresh vegetables and some fruit for the Food Bank’s use. The Food Bank distributes the produce to its affiliating nonprofits. These non-profits are mostly church-based food pantries, food distribution and feeding programs, but also include a group home, the area foster parents association and a regional human service agency that works with families affiliated by HIV/AIDs and other related health conditions. The non-profits are upgrading their food safety routines and distributing the fresh produce to their consumers. The Food Bank, the 25 non-profits and consumers are all receiving additional nutrition education and food safety training. Farmers are receiving technical assistance to make their yields higher, their distribution more efficient, and enhancing their marketing channels. Consumers are receiving food demonstrations, nutrition education and nutrition information resou |
In rural communities across the world, rural growers are suffering from the effects of climate change, even though many are unaware of the severity and global nature of the problem.
In Mexico's Mayan community of Tabi, for instance, the village of | In rural communities across the world, rural growers are suffering from the effects of climate change, even though many are unaware of the severity and global nature of the problem.
In Mexico's Mayan community of Tabi, for instance, the village of 400 people have relied on their farming traditions for 2,500 years, based on precisely predictable weather. However, in the past 15 years, crop yield loss of up to 60% has been noted due to the altered climate, which has presented itself through such extremes as record droughts alternated by unprecedented heavy downpours, as well as both oppressive temperatures and chilling colds.
To survive, Tabi residents are having to adapt by learning new farming practices as well sometimes as opting for different jobs, which often takes them away from their home and family.
In similar conditions across parts of Africa, the United Nations Habitat agency has reported that in the sub-Saharan region alone, some 14 million people each year are being forced away from once-productive farmlands, often finding themselves trying to subsist in disadvantaged urban areas instead. N'goran Kouadio Désiré - Assistant Coordinator, Climate Change Bureau, Côte d'Ivoire Ministry of Environment (M):
My country is an agricultural country, so climate change has a bad impact on our agriculture. Abdoulkarim Traore - Director of Niger National Meteorological Department (M):
One of the first consequences of climate change in our country is the increase in heat. The days have become very, very hot. There is a lot of heat in our country. Another important aspect is the frequency of drought. So there is a huge lack of water in certain places. The seasons are increasingly short.. The storms are more violent This year, for example, in Niger, there were floods in almost all parts of the country.
VOICE: With appreciation to the international researchers, United Nations Habitat and concerned governments, we pray that the people of Mexico, sub-Saharan Africa and rural communities everywhere may be protected through these difficult times. Let us strive now to eliminate humanity's suffering and restore our harmony with the Earth.
During a 2009 videoconference in Togo, Supreme Master Ching Hai spoke once again with concern for humanity about the impact of climate change on lives and livelihoods.
Increased temperatures mean erratic rainfall - either too little or too much at a time - so we have ravaging floods that drown the crops and fires that burn the forest. Likewise in West Africa, home to 43% of the total population of sub-Saharan Africa, if you're a farmer, you already can feel that the climate is in trouble. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gqX7Aaks88eo8I1f6pOVyYb-Y7uQ?
There are more frequent droughts, heat waves, floods, storms, frosts, freezes, and locusts than before. These impacts of climate change increase food insecurity and the food crisis in Africa.
So please join, and spread the vital messages. We all must be veg, go green, if we are to save the planet. |
BARRINGTON — This regards the Aug. 8 Tribune article by James Warren reporting the conclusions of a Consumer Reports magazine article on sports drinks.
First of all, the U.S. Army Research Institute study cited by Consumer Reports did not test our | BARRINGTON — This regards the Aug. 8 Tribune article by James Warren reporting the conclusions of a Consumer Reports magazine article on sports drinks.
First of all, the U.S. Army Research Institute study cited by Consumer Reports did not test our company`s product, Gatorade, but rather a solution with only 40 percent of the energy-providing carbohydrate found in Gatorade. From a scientific standpoint, it is not surprising that the scientists were unable to find major differences between water and the 2.5 percent
Previous research demonstrates significant differences in performance between a 2.5 percent solution and a carbohydrate/electrolyte solution between 6 and 8 percent (Gatorade is a 6 percent carbohydrate solution). To suggest that the results from this one study are indicative of the efficacy of sports drinks is scientifically invalid, as well as misleading and confusing.
The conclusion made by Consumer Reports, and reported in the Tribune, that sports drinks are no better than water for all but the most serious athletes is very much at odds with the prevailing scientific literature. Decades of laboratory research has repeatedly confirmed that exercise performance is enhanced when subjects consume a source of carbohydrate.
Is Gatorade more effective than water? Absolutely. Water always has been, and always will be, a great fluid replacement beverage. Gatorade is formulated to make water even more effective for occasions when fluid, carbohydrate and electrolyte replacement is critical. But Gatorade is also a great-tasting alternative to water and other beverages for those occasions when we`re just hot |
Cranberries for Cancer
For centuries, cranberries have been used as a type of folk medicine to fight off urinary tract infections and other ailments. Previous research has shown that extracts taken from cranberries may fight certain types of cancer, but without | Cranberries for Cancer
For centuries, cranberries have been used as a type of folk medicine to fight off urinary tract infections and other ailments. Previous research has shown that extracts taken from cranberries may fight certain types of cancer, but without noting which ingredients in the extracts may responsible for the effect.
A new laboratory-based study has identified those ingredients, which appear to be effective in stopping both the growth and spread of a wide range of cancers, without affecting any healthy cells.
In the study, researchers isolated a group of chemicals called proanthocyanidins from a cranberry extract and tested them on eight types of cancer tumor cell lines. When the cells were analyzed, "significant inhibition" was seen in the production of human lung, colon and leukemia tumor cells. The chemicals also prevented the tumor cells from growing.
Because the study was conducted in vitro (i.e., in an artificial environment), the scientists were unable to determine how many cranberries (or cranberry supplements) a person should consume to have the same effect as the extract. However, the study's lead author suggested that increased cranberry consumption could be helpful, adding that the berries contain several types of antioxidants, all of which could help protect against cancer. For more information on foods that contain proanthocyanidins and may reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases, visit www.chiroweb.com/find/archives/nutrition.
Neto CC, Krueger CG, Lamoureaux TL, et al. MALDI-TOF MS characterization of proanthocyanidins from cranberry fruit (vaccinium macrocarpon) that inhibit tumor cell growth and matrix metalloproteinase expression in vitro. Journal of |
HUNLEY COMMANDER FOUND
Researchers also discover lantern that might have been used as signal of successful
BY SCHUYLER KROPF
Of The Post and Courier staff
Officials are expected to announce today that they have
located the remains | HUNLEY COMMANDER FOUND
Researchers also discover lantern that might have been used as signal of successful
BY SCHUYLER KROPF
Of The Post and Courier staff
Officials are expected to announce today that they have
located the remains of Hunley commander Lt. George Dixon,
along with a lantern that may have been used to announce the successful sinking of the
federal blockade ship USS Housatonic.
Dixon's remains lie beneath the forward conning tower. The lamp
reportedly was found behind him, an arm's reach away.
The discoveries were made some time on Thursday, Hunley
Commission Chairman and state Sen. Glenn F. McConnell said Sunday night.
A forensics examination of the bones showed they belonged to a
tall man in his mid-20s, according to McConnell.
Dixon was well over 6 feet tall and about 26 years old at the
time of the Feb. 17, 1864, attack.
As the captain, he also would have been stationed at the front of
the crew compartment where he would have manned the sub's diving and steering instruments.
"It's an older gentleman, a taller fella," McConnell
The remains of the eight other crewmen recovered so far show them
to be years younger.
The lantern, covered in concretion when it was discovered, has
Dixon reportedly waved a blue carbide light across 4 miles of
night ocean approximately 45 minutes after the 8 p.m. attack. That was the agreed-on
signal to let Confederates on Sullivan's Island know the sub had successfully sunk the
Housatonic by ramming it with a 90-pound explosive charge.
The light was spotted by rebel sentries, but it would also be the
last known contact with the sub. Some time afterward, the vessel sank for a still
Theories for the sinking range from the Hunley being hit by
another Union ship, or possibly being penetrated by small arms fire from sailors aboard
Dixon's remains have not yet been removed from the Hunley. One of
the questions to be answered when Dixon's skull is examined is whether he was wounded
before the sub sank.
Officials plan to release an X-ray picture of the lamp today. At
this point, archaeologists aren't sure whether the lens in the lamp is indeed blue, or
whether it burned carbide - what coal miner lamps used - or was lit by a wax candle.
The lantern reportedly was found beneath the air bellows that
helped circulate breathing air through the sub. The bellows was also removed this weekend,
giving archaeologists more room to move around.
Of all the men on the final Hunley crew, authorities know the
most about Dixon. He reportedly came from Kentucky, worked around boats for a time, and
enlisted in the Confederacy's 21st Alabama Regiment when the war broke out.
He was wounded at the ba |
|FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE|
DECEMBER 7, 2004
|CONTACT: Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
Vivian Stockman, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, 304-522-0246
Lois Gibbs, Center for | |FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE|
DECEMBER 7, 2004
|CONTACT: Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition
Vivian Stockman, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition, 304-522-0246
Lois Gibbs, Center for Health, Environment & Justice, 703-627-9483 (cell)
Over 10,000 Tons of PVC Land-filled in West Virginia National Report on PVC, The Poison Plastic, Describes Looming Waste Crisis and Pervasive Hazards
HUNTINGTON, W.VA. -- A national report released today documents the health and environmental hazards posed by PVC during manufacturing, product use and disposal. In West Virginia, the Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition released the report: PVC, Bad News Come in Threes: The Poison Plastic, Health Hazards, and the Looming Waste Crisis.
The report concludes that Americans throw away billions of pounds of PVC. However, there really is no 'away' since PVC waste poses perpetual hazards. Polyvinyl chloride, or PVC, is widely used in plastic pipes, building materials (such as vinyl siding), consumer products (such as toys or tablecloths) and disposable packaging.
If PVC is incinerated or illegally burned in backyard trash barrels, that creates cancer-causing dioxin, said Vivian Stockman, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (OVEC) project coordinator. If it is buried in landfills, it contaminates groundwater. If you try to recycle it, it contaminates the entire recycling process. Even when you are done with it, its not done with you.
The report estimates that about 10,000 tons of PVC waste is land-filled in West Virginia.
Thanks to state laws the environmental community helped pass in the 1990s, we arent on the list of states that land-fill the most PVC, Stockman said. But we are still at risk. PVC is everywhere. Its a poison plastic. Luckily, there are safer alternatives.
The report estimates that 70 billion pounds of PVC plastic are slated for disposal in the next decade. And, the problem is going to get worse. Disposal rates will sharply increase as an estimated 125 billion pounds of PVC, installed in construction over the last two decades, reaches the end of its useful life.
A growing number of corporations are phasing out PVC, such as Nike and Firestone. To prevent harm from PVC, OVEC joined with the Center for Health, Environment & Justice to kick off a campaign to convince Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft to phase out PVC use. These corporate targets are large users of PVC packaging such as Microsofts blister packs on computer software products and Johnson and Johnsons Kids Detangling Shampoo bottles.
Some major medical device manufacturers are switching from using PVC to avoid direct patient exposure to phthalates, as well as the public and environmental health impacts of PVC throughout its life cycle, said Ted Schettler MD, MPH of the Science and Environmental Health Network. Companies realize that protecting the public health and the environment is the right thing to do and makes good business sense.
PVC is estimated to contribute from 38 to 67% of the total chlorine found in solid waste, from 90 to 98% of phthalates, from 1 to 28% of the lead, and 10% of the cadmium (Pg. 14 Report). Cadmium, lead, organotins and phthalates are commonly released from PVC waste in landfills (Pg. 37 Report).
Burning PVC plastic, which contains 57% chlorine when pure, forms dioxins, a highly toxic group of chemicals. PVC is the major contributor of chlorine to four combustion sourcesmunicipal solid waste incinerators, backyard burn barrels, medical waste incinerators and secondary copper smeltersthat account for a significant portion of dioxin air emissions; these four sources accounted for more than 80% of dioxin emissions to air based on a USEPA survey (Pg. 2 Report).
Government tests found residents of Mossville, Louisianathe location of four vinyl production facilitieshad dioxin levels in their blood at three times the average rate and |
Philadelphia, July 12, 1775. 'It is PROPOSED to PRINT, And in a few days will be published, A COMPLETE and ELEGANT MAP, from BOSTON to WORCESTER, PROVIDENCE and | Philadelphia, July 12, 1775. 'It is PROPOSED to PRINT, And in a few days will be published, A COMPLETE and ELEGANT MAP, from BOSTON to WORCESTER, PROVIDENCE and SALEM. Shewing the SEAT of the present unhappy CIVIL WAR in North-America. Author, BERNARD ROMANS....' (Footnote 1)
The American Revolution saw a vast increase and improvement in the mapping of the colonies, largely for practical military purposes, but also for the graphic display of news of the war, both in England and in America. The presence of a large number of regular army officers with professional training or experience in mapmaking gave the British an advantage i |
The early days of genetic engineering were pretty crude, especially for plant geneticists. But the technology to insert genes conferring traits like pest resistance into plants has revolutionized modern agriculture. Today a device with origins in a pest reduction battle of a different | The early days of genetic engineering were pretty crude, especially for plant geneticists. But the technology to insert genes conferring traits like pest resistance into plants has revolutionized modern agriculture. Today a device with origins in a pest reduction battle of a different sort is responsible for virtually all the genetically modified soy and maize crops grown in the United States. It’s been dubbed the gene gun.It all started in 1983, when Cornell University plant breeder John Sanford turned to biotechnology in his hunt for a shortcut past the lengthy and random cross-pollination process commonly used to create new plants. But penetrating a plant’s thick cell walls to deliver new genes for specific, desired traits was a challenge. While waging war against a backyard squirrel infestation with a BB gun, Sanford thought of using a similar gun to blast genes through the cell walls. He approached Edward Wolf and Nelson Allen, engineers at Cornell’s Nanofabrication Facility, for help designing projectiles to deliver the DNA. The duo decided that microscopic particles of tungsten could be coated with desired genes and shot directly into the cells using a gun. Preliminary tests involved an ordinary air pistol.
Theodore Klein, a postdoc in Sanford’s lab, tested the scheme on its first subject: an onion. But because the researchers couldn’t control the gun’s air bursts-the particles either didn’t penetrate the cells or destroyed them-early trials frequently left the lab walls splattered with onion bits. Sanford’s team then developed a device to use.22-caliber gunpowder charges that provided higher velocities and less shock. In this system, a specially designed plastic bullet charged down the gun barrel, coating itself with the pellets. At the barrel’s end, the bullet slammed up against a metal sheet, sending the particles flying at high speed through a small hole in the sheet and into the cells. Within several months, the onion experiments worked. By the mid-1980s, the team had also inserted foreign genes into tobacco, wheat and soybeans.
In 1990, Cornell sold the rights to the technology to DuPont. Since then, “gene guns” have gone through several refinements, making them much more precise. Meanwhile, researchers at Monsanto, Washington University in St. Louis and Ghent University in Belgium developed a competing method using a bacterium to inject DNA into plant cells. Plant geneticists now use both methods with about equal frequency to genetically modify crops. |
The International School for Holocaust Studies
Liberation and Survival
Sheryl Silver Ochayon
Grades: 7 - 9
Duration: 1 - 2 hours
- Didactic Objectives
- What Was Liberation | The International School for Holocaust Studies
Liberation and Survival
Sheryl Silver Ochayon
Grades: 7 - 9
Duration: 1 - 2 hours
- Didactic Objectives
- What Was Liberation?
- What Did Liberation Mean for Jewish Survivors?
- What Did the Survivors Do Following Liberation?
- What were the “DP Camps”?
- What was the “Bericha”?
- Examine primary resources including testimonies and photographs relating to liberation and survival.
- Think about the meaning of “liberation” after the Holocaust: the saga of liberation was not a happy ending to a sad story, but a tragedy in and of itself.
- Gain insight into how Jews who had survived tried to put the pieces of their broken lives back together, and the difficulties they encountered in doing so.
World War II ended in May 1945, after six years of bitter fighting. There were victory celebrations throughout the streets of Europe. The first of the Nazi camps to be liberated was Majdanek, in July of 1944, and the rest of the camps were liberated by the spring of 1945. At first glance one might assume that after all the suffering, liberation would be a moment of great joy. However, the immense difficulties and pain of the Jewish survivors presented a different reality.
The story of how those who survived the Holocaust managed to return to life after liberation is not a happy ending to a tragic story; it is actually the final chapter of the tragedy. After years of terror, physical and mental abuse, and constant fear, the survivors finally came face to face with the fact that the world they had once lived in, along with their families, friends and communities, had been irretrievably lost. Somehow, they had to manage to pick up the pieces and begin new lives.
During World War II, Jews who lived in Germany or in countries that had been occupied by Germany were imprisoned in labor camps, concentration camps, and death camps. They were liberated from these camps by Soviet, British and American soldiers in 1944 and 1945.
The first concentration camp to be liberated was Majdanek. The prisoners in Majdanek were liberated by Soviet troops in July 1944. Soon thereafter Soviet troops found other Nazi camps, and freed their inmates. British and American troops reached Nazi camps in the spring of 1945, liberating tens of thousands of prisoners.
These prisoners had been living under extremely harsh conditions. Many were starving and others were very sick. Many of the people who had been liberated had survived "death marches," forced to march over long distances. The death marches occurred towards the end of the war as the Allies advanced on the German army and the Nazis tried to move prisoners further west into Germany. The German leadership believed that the Third Reich would survive the war. They therefore attempted to move concentration camp prisoners within Germany's borders, so that they could still be exploited for slave labor. Upon entering Auschwitz-Birkenau, Soviet soldiers found only 7,650 prisoners. Most of the 58,000 remaining camp prisoners had been sent on death marches at the end of 1944. Prisoners were abused and sometimes killed by the guards accompanying them on these marches. Approximately 250,000 concentration camp prisoners died on death marches.
Other than survivors of the camps, some of those liberated had been hidden during the war or had masqueraded as Christians with false identity papers. Still others were surviving ghetto fighters, partisans and those who had fled to the forests.
Colonel Lewis Weinstein, a member of the US Army, liberated Jews who were in Nazi camps. He recalls:
"… We had heard all kinds of rumors and stories, but they were so horrible that they were indescribable; we just couldn't believe them. I had a great guilt feeling when I actually found out about what happened in these camps. I had talked in terms of possibly a few thousand having been murdered, but thinking in terms of six million... murdered - I was obviously very much taken aback."
Father Edward P. Doyle, a chaplain in the US Army during WWII, participated in the liberation of Nordhausen. He recalls:
"I was there. I was present. I saw the sights. I will never forget. You have heard the story many times before. On the night of April 11, 1945, my division, of which I was the Catholic chaplain, took the town of Nordhausen. The following morning, with the dawn, we discovered a concentration camp. Immediately the call went out for all medical personnel that could be spared, to be present. […] On that morning in Nordhausen, I knew why I was there. I found the reason for it - man's inhumanity to man. What has happened to that beautiful commandment of the Decalogue, the commandment of God to love one another?"
Eva Goldberg was deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau and Horneburg camps, and was liberated at Salzwedel, Germany, by American soldiers. She recalls:
"And what I remember most is the convoys of Americans who were standing on both sides of the road and looking at us. They did not believe what they were looking at!"
- How do Colonel Weinstein and Father Doyle describe their experiences of liberation?
- Why is it important to read testimonies from the liberators, as well as testi |
Some professional automotive recyclers are also involved in scrap metal shredding and processing operations. Like automotive recycling, scrap metal recycling has important environmental, economic, and consumer-oriented benefits.
Theft and illegal sales of scrap metal are a serious problem for many | Some professional automotive recyclers are also involved in scrap metal shredding and processing operations. Like automotive recycling, scrap metal recycling has important environmental, economic, and consumer-oriented benefits.
Theft and illegal sales of scrap metal are a serious problem for many localities and states across the country. The handling and processing of scrap metal by anyone other than licensed scrap metal recyclers and scrap metal processing facilities is dangerous for the environment, and may perpetuate other illicit activities that put the general public at risk. Many local |
More from the enigmatic world of bees and flowers:
On a recent hike in southern Tanzania at the edge of the Uluguru Mountains I came across one of East Africa’s largest bee: the Giant Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa nigrita | More from the enigmatic world of bees and flowers:
On a recent hike in southern Tanzania at the edge of the Uluguru Mountains I came across one of East Africa’s largest bee: the Giant Carpenter Bee (Xylocopa nigrita). This is just one of the thousands of wild bee species that occur in Africa.
This is a striking bee where the males and females are sexually dimorphic: meaning that they look very different. The females are boldly marked in black and white, while the males are covered in bright golden hairs that glisten in the sunlight.
Females visit flowers of many different species, and on this day they were feeding on flowers of legumes (a Crotolaria sp.) and also the flowers of pigeonpea (Cajanus cajan), which they are responsible for pollinating. Working the legume flowers requires a lot of skill and dexterity from the bees. The flowers need to be ‘tripped’ so as to expose the pollen from the anthers that slide out of the keel of the lower petals. The carpenter bees are experts at doing this:
While the females are busy visit flowers the males set up territories that they patrol during the day. These are usually near patches of habitat that females frequent. Male carpenter bees spend many hours flying back and forth around their territorial patch marking landmarks with scent and watching for females.
After a hard days’ work, they too visit the flowers for some refreshment in the form of nectar.
Several people have asked me how exactly I take these photos of bees. The key thing is patience and waiting at the flowers, with some understanding of the movements and behaviour of the bees. It took me over an hour of watching and waiting to get these photos of the Giant Carpenter Bees.
Many thanks to all for the kind comments.
More from the wonderful world of insects soon! |
Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases | Mary D. Nettleman, MD, MS, MACP is the Chair of the Department of Medicine at Michigan State University. She is a graduate of Vanderbilt Medical School, and completed her residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Infectious Diseases at Indiana University.
Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
HIV testing is done to diagnose those who are newly
infected, to identify previously unrecognized infections, and to relieve the
minds of those who are not infected.
HIV testing should be a routine part of
It is critical that pregnant women be tested because
medications are very effective in reducing transmission of HIV from mother to baby.
HIV testing is usually a two-step |
The Large Hadron Collider is like the Moon--round, large and mystical. To doubting thinkers, it's like the Moon missions: expensive and unnecessary. If you're a Dan Brown fan, it's dangerous. But whatever you think of | The Large Hadron Collider is like the Moon--round, large and mystical. To doubting thinkers, it's like the Moon missions: expensive and unnecessary. If you're a Dan Brown fan, it's dangerous. But whatever you think of it, the LHC is going to change our world--and here are some of the ways how.
Finding the Higgs Boson: God From the Machine
It's not true to say the LHC was built for one reason...but if it were, the Higgs boson would be it. The Higgs is predicted by the Standard Model of particle physics, which explains how our Universe works. But it's the only particle in a rather large list (quarks, electrons, protons, and so on) that's never been observed. It's important because if it exists it'll help explain the why things have mass in our universe, which is still a mystery. That makes it so fundamental, and mystical, it's earned itself a nickname: The God Particle.
Why all the excitement about a particle--it wouldn't impact on daily life would it? The answer is yes, of course it would. Deep and complex physics is more than just intellectual navel-gazing. Without particle physics, quantum mechanics, crystallography and a huge number of other disciplines, you wouldn't have an iPod in your pocket, a computer to read this on, electrical power or advanced medical scanners. Each little scientific success, like finding and understanding the God Particle, has an effect in our lives.
Just Building the Thing
The Large Hadron Collider really is astonishingly, well, large. It's essentially a giant circular vacuum tube within which particles are accelerated up to a good portion of the speed of light and banged into each other. We've been doing similar things for decades but never on a scale this enormous. Years ago, I worked with a synchrotron--a superficially similar machine--and took great pleasure walking the 100m (328 foot) distance around the top of the beam tube, ducking and weaving around the equipment.
But the main LHC ring has a circumference of nearly 27 kilometers--over 16 miles around. The key bits of machinery are advanced magnets, about 9,300 in total. Some of them have to be super-cooled to run (a coolant leak caused the accident that disabled the LHC last year), and when it's working properly it'll be at a temperature of -271.25ºC, -456.25 Fahrenheit. That needs around 96 tons of liquid helium, and makes the LHC the largest cryogenic facility in the world. The main ring is also dotted with experimental chambers where the actual physics will happen--the largest of these is five stories high.
Think about all this being carved into the rock under a mountain, along with all the wiring, cooling, heating, computing and so on. Just building the LHC has taught us a lot about mega-scale engineering.
Other Science Experiments
Scientists working at LHC will have a huge number of different experiments underway in addition to the hunt for the Higgs particle. Each of these will feed data into a specific scientific field and boost knowledge and understanding: the effect from each success or failure will have a subtle but pervasive effect on the world.
As well as being huge physically, the LHC will generate gargantuan amounts of data. When it's running, all the experiments will produce 700 megabytes of data each and every second--one CD's worth--or 15 million gigabytes a year. And it's likely to be running for up to 15 years, which equates to 473 million CDs worth of data.
To process all that info CERN, which owns the LHC, has created a vast interconnected computing grid--more than a simple network. It's a globally-distributed supercomputer, a whole new machine for analyzing the LHC data. But it's not confined to just LHC computing, and as Ian Bird, leader of the Worldwide LHC Computing Grid noted, when speaking to Reuters: "Many other researchers and projects are already benefitting. Grid computing is enabling all-new ways of doing science where large data handling and analysis capabilities are required."
Considering the world |
The practice of accumulating toxic coal ash in marginally protected lagoons is unacceptable, reprehensible and must be stopped. Toxic metals become concentrated in coal ash and leach continually through the unlined lagoons, contaminating groundwater.
There are | The practice of accumulating toxic coal ash in marginally protected lagoons is unacceptable, reprehensible and must be stopped. Toxic metals become concentrated in coal ash and leach continually through the unlined lagoons, contaminating groundwater.
There are many cases of disastrous breaches of coal-ash lagoons devastating entire communities around the country. In fact, the 2008 coal ash spill in Tennessee was perhaps the worst of its kind. Coal burning must stop eventually, but until then a far more effective method for disposal of coal ash is necessary for the health of our water and our lives.
Americans of every background submitted more than 450,000 public comments during the EPA’s process of putting coal-a |
Date: April 14, 2006
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Description: Photograph of a historic plaque about the courthouses of Palo Pinto County. It reads: "Palo Pinto County was created in | Date: April 14, 2006
Creator: Belden, Dreanna L.
Description: Photograph of a historic plaque about the courthouses of Palo Pinto County. It reads: "Palo Pinto County was created in 1856 and named for a creek south of here that was perhaps named by Spanish explorers of the Brazos River valley. The county seat of 320 acres was surveyed at its geographical center and was originally named Golconda. A court session in 1857 called for the first courthouse to be built of wood frame construction, with two doors and three windows. The contract was awarded to a bid of $300. Shortly after, in 1859, the town name was changed to Palo Pinto. In 1882, just after the Texas legislature allowed counties to issue bonds for new courthouses, a large sandstone structure was built. It cost $35,000 and exhibited second empire styling with a central clock tower. A two-story sandstone annex was added in 1906 and connected to the courthouse by an iron bridge. Sandstone for the buildings was quarried south of the city. In 1940 these buildings were demolished and a new courthouse was erected by Work Projects Administration workers. The reinforced-concrete structure featured subtle classical detail and was clad with some of the sandstone from the old buildings. It...
Contributing Partner: UNT Libraries |
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2013)|
In commutative algebra and field theory, the Frobenius endomorphism (after Ferdinand Georg Frobenius) is a special endomorphism of commut | |This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2013)|
In commutative algebra and field theory, the Frobenius endomorphism (after Ferdinand Georg Frobenius) is a special endomorphism of commutative rings with prime characteristic p, an important class which includes finite fields. The endomorphism maps every element to its pth power. In certain contexts it is an automorphism, but this is not true in general.
- 1 Definition
- 2 Fixed points of the Frobenius endomorphism
- 3 As a generator of Galois groups
- 4 Frobenius for schemes
- 5 Frobenius for local fields
- 6 Frobenius for global fields
- 7 Examples
- 8 See also
- 9 References
Let R be a commutative ring with prime characteristic p (an integral domain of positive characteristic always has prime characteristic, for example). The Frobenius endomorphism F is defined by
- F(r) = rp
for all r in R. Clearly this respects the multiplication of R:
- F(rs) = (rs)p = rpsp = F(r)F(s),
and F(1) is clearly 1 also. What is interesting, however, is that it also respects the addition of R. The expression (r + s)p can be expanded using the binomial theorem. Because p is prime, it divides p! but not any q! for q < p; it therefore will divide the numerator, but not the denominator, of the explicit formula of the binomial coefficients
for 1 ≤ k ≤ p − 1. Therefore the coefficients of all the terms except rp and sp are divisible by p, the characteristic, and hence they vanish. Thus
- F(r + s) = (r + s)p = rp + sp = F(r) + F(s).
This shows that F is a ring homomorphism.
If φ : R → S is a homomorphism of rings of characteristic p, then:
If FR and FS are the Frobenius endomorphisms of R and S, then this can be rewritten as:
This means that the Frobenius endomorphism is a natural transformation from the identity functor on the category of characteristic p rings to itself.
If the ring R is a ring with no nilpotent elements, then the Frobenius endomorphism is injective: F(r) = 0 means rp = 0, which by definition means that r is nilpotent of order at most p. In fact, this is an if and only if, because if r is any nilpotent, then one of its powers will be nilpotent of order at most p. In particular, if R is a field then the Frobenius endomorphism is injective.
The Frobenius morphism is not necessarily surjective, even when R is a field. For example let K = Fp(t) be the finite field of p elements together with a single transcendental element; equivalently, K is the field of rational functions with coefficients in Fp. Then the image of F does not contain t. If it did, then there would be a rational function q(t) / r(t) whose pth power q(t)p / r(t)p would equal t. But the degree of this pth power is p deg q − p deg r, which is a multiple of p. In particular, it can't be 1, which is the degree of t. This is a contradiction, so t is not in the image of F.
A field K is called perfect if either it is of characteristic zero or if it is of positive characteristic and its Frobenius endomorphism is an automorphism. For example, all finite fields are perfect.
Fixed points of the Frobenius endomorphism
Consider the finite field Fp. By Fermat's little theorem, every element x of Fp satisfies xp = x. Equivalently, it is a root of the polynomial Xp − X. The elements of Fp therefore determine p roots of this equation, and because this equation has degree p it has no more than p roots over any extension. In particular, if K is an algebraic extension of Fp (such as the algebraic closure or another finite field), then Fp is the fixed field of the Frobenius automorphism of K.
Let R be a ring of characteristic p > 0. If R is an integral domain, then by the same reasoning, the fixed points of Frobenius are the elements of the prime field. However, if R is not a domain, then Xp − X may have more than p roots; for example, this happens if R = Fp × Fp.
A similar property is enjoyed on the finite field by the eth iterate of the Frobenius automorphism: Every element of is a root of, so if K is an algebraic extension of and F is the Frobenius automorphism of K, then the fixed field of Fe is. If R is a domain which is an -algebra, then the fixed points of the eth iterate of Frobenius are the elements of the image of.
Iterating the Frobenius map gives a sequence of elements in R:
As a generator of Galois groups
The Galois group of an extension of finite fields is generated by an iterate of the Frobenius auto |
They leave scars on the ground and these scars can stay there for a long time. They can also cause soil erosion and contribute to global warming. Good thing people have invented camping gas stoves as an alternative. Indeed, these stoves are a | They leave scars on the ground and these scars can stay there for a long time. They can also cause soil erosion and contribute to global warming. Good thing people have invented camping gas stoves as an alternative. Indeed, these stoves are a welcome innovation that make camping a much healthier human activity for nature.
A camping gas stove may come in different variations but can be categorized as either of three types - liquid-fueled, solid-fueled and gas-based. It has a portable design that is lightweight and easy to carry around. Having a portable stove eases the burden of preparing food the traditional way at camp. Now, there is no need to light a fire and keep it going until food is cooked. We might miss seeing campfire with these stoves around but let's just say we're helping make a better place for everyone even though we may have to skip all that campfire fun we've all been used to.
There are typically three important elements that a camp stove needs to work. One is the the burner which serves as an outlet for the burned fuel to come out as fire. Another is the fuel itself. Obviously, without it, the stove would never be capable of creating fire. When buying a camp stove, it is important that the correct fuel as suggested by the manufacturers is used. The third element is, of course, ignition which is needed basically to start the fire.
Since the development of the camping gas stove, it has already been a part of camping tradition in place of the camp fire. Moreover, its development assures safety for all users. Today, there are a lot of online and traditional stores selling the product. The design comes in different sizes and shapes which offer a lot of options for consumers. And you don't even have to be in the wild to use this type of stove as it can also be used for picnics that require outdoor cooking. |
Air Pollution from Ozone
- What is ozone?
- Latest air quality planning that addresses the ozone NAAQS
- Related Web pages and publications
- Get more information on the Texas SIP and contact the TCEQ
What is ozone | Air Pollution from Ozone
- What is ozone?
- Latest air quality planning that addresses the ozone NAAQS
- Related Web pages and publications
- Get more information on the Texas SIP and contact the TCEQ
What is ozone?
What is ozone? How is it formed? Why should we be concerned about this air pollutant?
Latest air quality planning that addresses the ozone NAAQS
Last updated: 11/22/2013
Executive Director's Recommended Emissions Inventory (EI) SIP Revision for the 2008 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard for the Houston-Galveston-Brazoria (HGB) and Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) Areas
On December 11, 2013, the commission will consider for proposal the executive director's recommended EI SIP revision for the 2008 Eight-Hour Ozone Standard (Non-Rule Project No. 2013-016-SIP-NR). This SIP revision would satisfy the Federal Clean Air Act (FCAA), §§172 and 182 requirements for the HGB and DFW nonattainment areas under the 2008 eight-hour ozone standard. The proposed SIP revision includes emissions inventories for ozone precursors (volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides) from point, area, on-road mobile, non-road mobile, and biogenic emissions source categories. The nonattainment area base year EI submission is due no later than 24 months from the July 20, 2012 effective date of designations under the 2008 eight-hour ozone standard, July 20, 2014.
- Executive Director's Recommended SIP Revision
- Appendix A: Characterization of Oil and Gas Production Equipment and Develop a Methodology to Estimate Statewide Emissions
- Appendix B: Condensate Tank Oil and Gas Activities
- Appendix C: Development of 2008 Annual and Ozone Season Daily Emissions Inventories and Activity Data for Non-road Sources within the Texas NONROAD Model (TexN)
- Appendix D: Development of Statewide Annual Emissions Inventory and Activity Data for Airports
- Appendix E: Development of Annual Emissions Inventories and Activity Data for Airports in the 12-County Dallas-Fort Worth Area
- Appendix F: Development of 2011 Statewide Toxics and Actual Annual and Ozone Season Weekday Emissions Inventories for Commercial Marine Vessels
- Appendix G: Development of Texas Statewide Drilling Rigs Emissions Inventories for the Years 1990, 1993, 1996, and 1999 through 2040
- Appendix H: 2011 Texas Railroad Emission Inventory Report
- Appendix I: Development of 2011 On-road Mobile Source Actual Annual and Summer Weekday Emissions Inventories for All Texas Counties (Except for 12 Counties in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area), and Winter Weekday Emissions Inventories for El Paso: Houston-Galveston-Brazoria Area
- Appendix J: Development of 2011 On-road M |
By JUAN MIGUEL PEDRAZA, Office of University Relations, University of North Dakota
It looks easy to fly unmanned aircraft: Launch, fly, land. But there’s lots more to keeping an Unmanned Aircraft System ( | By JUAN MIGUEL PEDRAZA, Office of University Relations, University of North Dakota
It looks easy to fly unmanned aircraft: Launch, fly, land. But there’s lots more to keeping an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) safely aloft than toggling controls from the ground.
“Among the major technical challenges facing the UAS industry is the sense-and-avoid system aboard the aircraft,” said Naima Kaabouch, associate professor of electrical engineering at the University of North Dakota College of Engineering and Mines and an expert in sense-and-avoid electronics and software.
Sense-and-avoid technology — essentially the intelligent eyes and ears of a UAS — is still a long way from providing the level of observational awareness that a pilot brings to cockpit.
“We’re working on much more sophisticated sense-and-avoid systems that accurately deal with all kinds of possible airborne traffic, including birds, balloons, small aircraft, and parachutists,” Kaabouch said.
“That’s especially important as we move toward aircraft that will one day be equipped with ADS-B or Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast,” said Mark Askelson, a UND atmospheric scientist who’s a nationally known sense-and-avoid systems and ADS-B researcher. “The ADS-B system, together with more reliable and accurate sense-and-avoid technology, will be vital to future UAS operations.”
ADS-B, Askelson explains, is a tracking technology that will be an integral part of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). The federal government will require, as of 2020, that many aircraft — including UAS — operating in U.S. airspace be equipped with some form of ADS-B.
“ADS-B is essentially a transponder aboard a piloted or unmanned aircraft that says ‘I’m here, I’m here,’” Askelson said. As an integral part of a total sense-and-avoid system, he said, ADS-B is about telling other aircraft that you’re out there and lets them know what your path is to avoid potential conflicts.
Kaabouch points out that a special concern of UAS operators are the so-called “non-cooperative” systems, or other aircraft or objects that are not equipped with sensing equipment and don’t send out signals about their position.
“A flock of birds isn’t going to tell you where it is and where it’s going,” Kaabouch said.
William Semke, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at UND and one of the school’s key UAS researchers, says sense-and-avoid technology is really about safety.
“You have to be able to operate the UAS safely when it flies in the national airspace,” said Semke. “We’re working on the instruments and sensors needed to replace the human in the aircraft who would see or ‘sense’— and avoid — moving objects, such as a small airplane or anything up there that isn’t equipped with the technology to notify other aircraft of its presence.”
“We’re not worried in this context about mountains, tall buildings or other terrain features because the UAS today can be equipped with digital terrain maps and would ‘know’ to fly around such obstacles,” he said. “Our technical concern is with all the other objects in the sky that show up unplanned, such as a flock of geese.”
There’s still plenty of work ahead in various UAS technologies, including sense and avoid.
Institutions across the country such as UND are focusing a lot of research energy on UAS, assembling large teams of engineers, scientists and technologists — including both undergraduate and graduate students — from several disciplines.
Recognized leaders in the field, UND’s UAS research teams include folks from unexpected departments, such as nursing and psychology, who are looking at a variety of things, including the human factors involved in remotely piloting UAS.
“UAS has leaped to the forefront of aviation research,” said Bruce Smith, dean of UND Aerospace. “This provides a completely different track from what we’ve already got going on in aerospace sciences.”
“On the engineering side, you’ve got payloads, sensors, composites, and aircraft design,” Smith explained. “On the basic research side, you’re looking at the big problem of sense-and-avoid and the theoretical problems involved in tasking these aircraft, such as optimal mission design and control.”
Part of the sense-and-avoid research at UND involves the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Engineering (UASE) Laboratory, which conducts multiple flight tests of an airborne sense-and-avoid (ABSAA) system comprising an ADS-B transceiver, an Advanced RISC Machine (ARM)-based embedded flight computer, and a Cloud Cap Technology Piccolo II autopilot.
“Refinement of the system’s functionalities has led to its miniaturization while maximizing the use of commercial-off-the-s |
Research Review: Leptin, ghrelin, weight loss – it’s complicated
It’s a grim statistic: Most people who go on a diet and lose weight end up regaining that weight within a year.
Doesn’t sound too | Research Review: Leptin, ghrelin, weight loss – it’s complicated
It’s a grim statistic: Most people who go on a diet and lose weight end up regaining that weight within a year.
Doesn’t sound too promising.
Why does this happen? Well, there are many reasons.
The big one is that people view a “diet” as a short-term solution and don’t really change their behaviours — which is why our Lean Eating coaching program focuses on sustainable, permanent change.
Another reason is that our bodies have appetite- and weight-regulating hormonal mechanisms that try to maintain homeostasis (aka keep things the same) over the long haul. When we consistently take in less energy (in the form of food) than we expend through basal metabolism and activity (as in a diet or famine), our bodies respond by making us hungrier.
Our bodies don’t generally want to change. They like everything to stay the same. If we try to change things, our bodies will respond with compensation mechanisms, such as revving up our appetite hormones.
Two important hormones that shape our appetite and hunger signals are leptin and ghrelin.
Hormonal control of appetite and body fat
Leptin and ghrelin seem to be the big players in regulating appetite, which consequently influences body weight/fat. When we get hungrier, we tend to eat more. When we eat more, obviously, we maintain our body weight or gain that weight back.
Both leptin and ghrelin are peripheral signals with central effects. In other words, they’re secreted in other parts of the body (peripheral) but affect our brain (central).
Leptin is secreted primarily in fat cells, as well as the stomach, heart, placenta, and skeletal muscle. Leptin decreases hunger.
Ghrelin is secreted primarily in the lining of the stomach. Ghrelin increases hunger.
Both hormones respond to how well-fed you are; leptin usually also correlates to fat mass — the more fat you have, the more leptin you produce. Both hormones activate your hypothalamus (a part of your brain about the size of an almond).
And here’s an important point: both hormones and their signals get messed up with obesity.
Back in 1994, researchers noticed that one genetically altered strain of mouse ate a lot and was obese. When researchers administered a new substance, leptin (from leptos, or “thin” in Greek), the mice lost weight.
Soon after, nearly everybody interested in fat research was doing research on leptin.
At the time this was the holy grail of obesity research: a protein that made really, really fat mice into skinny mice. Fantastic! We’ll just make leptin pills, and everyone will be ripped, including the mice.
Well, like most things in biology, leptin is more complicated than that.
As it turns out, leptin injections only worked on mice (and people) who were genetically leptin deficient — only about 5-10% of obese subjects. The other 90-95% were out of luck.
How does leptin work?
Leptin is made by adipose tissue (aka fat) and is secreted into the circulatory system, where it travels to the hypothalamus. Leptin tells the hypothalamus that we have enough fat, so we can eat less or stop eating. Leptin may also increase metabolism, although there is conflicting research on this point. (1)
Generally, the more fat you have, the more leptin you make; the less food you’ll eat; and the higher your metabolic rate (possibly). Conversely, the less fat you have, the less leptin you have, and the hungrier you’ll be.
Basically, for weight loss — the more leptin the better.
You’d think, then, that fatter folks would somehow magically stop eating or start losing weight once their leptin levels were high enough. Unfortunately, you can become leptin resistant (2).
In that case, you can have a lot of fat making a lot of leptin, but it doesn’t work. The brain isn’t listening. No drop in appetite. No increased metabolism. Your brain might even think you’re starving, because as far as it’s concerned, there’s not enough leptin. So it makes you even hungrier.
It’s a vicious |
I instructed them to get a sheet of construction paper from the paper shelves. I showed them how to fold the paper in half. They then chose colors from paint they mixed themselves a previous day and used a spoon to drizzle the paint on one | I instructed them to get a sheet of construction paper from the paper shelves. I showed them how to fold the paper in half. They then chose colors from paint they mixed themselves a previous day and used a spoon to drizzle the paint on one side of their paper.
Then I showed the children how to refold the paper. We then 'unveiled' each masterpiece and studied the results. I explained a little about symmetry and asked the children what the blots reminded them of.
Aren't they gorgeous!
Here are some of their thoughts:
E: It's a fying lizard.
B: It's a butterfly.
E: This is gonna be beautiful.
E: That's an eagle.
B: I made this for your baby.
E: I think she just loves your baby!
B: This is for your baby, too. Doesn't he love colors?
E: This is a flying frog.
Ms. Erin: Why are all your animals flying?
E: Cuz this is a flying project!
A: Close your eyes Ms. Erin. Ok, now LOOK! |
DuSable Museum offers teachers the following lesson plans and worksheets for use in conjunction with a visit to the museum. We also offer suggested vocabulary lists for your students.
Lesson Plans and Worksheets
African Americans in the Civil War: Active Partners in | DuSable Museum offers teachers the following lesson plans and worksheets for use in conjunction with a visit to the museum. We also offer suggested vocabulary lists for your students.
Lesson Plans and Worksheets
African Americans in the Civil War: Active Partners in the Fight for Liberation and Freedom
Students will learn to understand the significance of African Americans in the Civil War. Appropriate for Grade Levels: 9-12 high school, can be adapted to middle school.
Mobile Museum Activity Guide
Discovering DuSable Curriculum
Jean Baptiste Point DuSable was an enterprising pioneer who had the determination to establish a business in the middle of nowhere. He had the vision and forethought to see the potential for the profitable exchange of commerce. As a result of his actions, his trading post for goods and supplies became the main hub that inspired other settlers and indigenous groups to build permanent settlements near his trading post and grow the region. In this skills-based lesson module aligned to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and supports literacy development, students will analyze a variety of informational texts to learn more about the life of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, his migration to Chicago and his path taken towards entrepreneurship. Students will also create a digital presentation that reflects their understandings of the characteristics and challenges of being an entrepreneur and the lasting legacies of Jean Baptiste Point DuSable’s efforts.
The educators who designed the curriculum for the Illinois Amistad Commission intended to create an African-centered curriculum based in the history, perceptions and realities of African people no matter where they were born.
Women and the Origin of Mathematics
Students will learn to understand the significance of Women and the Origin of Mathematics.
African Presence in the Americas before Columbus
Students will learn to understand the significance of African Presence in the Americas before Columbus.
Pyramids of Giza
Historians have repeatedly emphasized that Africa, particularly the regions that are south of the Sahara Desert, rely primarily on an oral (spoken) tradition. This infers that Africa would not be a place where you would find any written history or even a place where traditions wer |
Tacubaya Ranch has opened the gates of its 3,200 acre ranch to the public in order to provide a safe and comfortable environment for nature enthusiasts to engage in recreational activities. We have set aside 900 acres exclusively for Nature Photography while | Tacubaya Ranch has opened the gates of its 3,200 acre ranch to the public in order to provide a safe and comfortable environment for nature enthusiasts to engage in recreational activities. We have set aside 900 acres exclusively for Nature Photography while working closely with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department to manage the wildlife population and habitat on the remaining 2,300 acres. In addition to providing the location for such activities we also strive to increase awareness of natural history, wildlife management and land conservation practices through educational programs, photography and personal experiences. It is this type of diversification that will allow individuals to preserve the natural heritage of their land as well as provide an alternate revenue source to ensure the protection of the land for future generations.
The Garcia family has been “ranching” in Northern Mexico and South Texas since 1740 when they received an original land grant from the King of Spain. This grant at one time consisted of more than a quarter million acres spanning both sides of the Rio Grande River. However, it was not until 1873 that Tacubaya Ranch began its long and colorful history.
The events leading up to Tacubaya’s birth actually started in 1832 when Jose Manuel de Chapa, a resident of Camargo, Mexico, purchased a land grant, La Enca |
Bouts, Dierick, Dirk, or Thierry (dēˈrĭk, dĭrk, tyĕˈrē bouts) [key], c.1420–1475, early N | Bouts, Dierick, Dirk, or Thierry (dēˈrĭk, dĭrk, tyĕˈrē bouts) [key], c.1420–1475, early Netherlandish painter, b. Haarlem, active in Louvain. Bouts was influenced by Roger van der Weyden, the van Eycks, and Petrus Christus. His elongated, often stiffly posed figures occupy landscapes that reveal a loving care for detail. His luminous panels have a calm beauty, particularly in the landscape backgrounds, where his sensitive treatment of changing color and light is demonstrated. The Last Supper altarpiece (St. Peter's, Louvain) is his major work. Two paintings of the Madonna and a portrait are in the Metropolitan Museum.
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.
More on Dierick Bouts from Fact Monster:
See more Encyclopedia articles on: European Art to 1599: Biographies |
The Garden of Eden
“A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers” (Gen. 2:10).- Genesis 2:10-14
Each year, at the end of | The Garden of Eden
“A river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers” (Gen. 2:10).- Genesis 2:10-14
Each year, at the end of November, the people of the United States of America celebrate Thanksgiving. On this national holiday, families and friends gather together for the express purpose of thanking God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon us.
While it is certainly commendable that such a holiday exists, we should remember God’s gracious provision every day of the year. However, each of us may recall times of ingratitude toward the Lord. We either take His gifts and graces for granted, or we arrogantly demand more from His hand.
Indeed, it is hard to be content with what the Lord has given (Heb. 13:5). Next month we will see how Adam and Eve were not satisfied with the Lord’s supply and consequently fell from grace. Today, we examine Eden in order to appreciate the tragedy that occurred when our first parents spurned God’s blessings.
In today’s passage, Moses gives us the location of Eden, the land in which God planted the garden and which served as Adam’s first home (Gen. 2:8, 15). Because it is currently impossible to be certain of the identity of the rivers Pishon (v. 11) and Gihon (v. 13), we cannot determine Eden’s exact geographical position. Our best guess is it was somewhere east of Palestine and north of the Persian Gulf due to Moses’ reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers (v. 14).
Though we cannot be sure of Eden’s precise whereabouts, it is clear that the garden God planted was evidence of His benevolence. First of all, the Lord, and not man, planted the garden (v. 8). To be sure, Adam was commanded to tend the garden (v. 15). However, this was a garden where God caused the increase (v. 9), as it was free from weeds since the ground had not yet been cursed (see 3:17–19). Secondly, God did not finish His work of creation before fulfilling Adam’s need for a fit helper (2:18–24). Other ancient Near Eastern religions believed the gods created man to take over their job of irrigating the earth, among other tasks, so that the gods could rest. But in the Bible, God works to provide for humanity and does not rest until He has met all of the needs of His people.
John Calvin comments on Genesis 2:8 that Adam “had been bountifully enriched by the Lord with innumerable benefits, from the enjoyment of which he might infer the paternal benevolence of God.” Are you living a life of gratitude for the numerous spiritual and material blessings in your life? Make a list of seven of the most important things God has provided for you and spend time thanking Him for them today.
Passages for Further Study
1 Thess. 5:18
1 Tim. 6:17
Permissions: You are permitted and encouraged to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that you do not alter the wording in any way, you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction, and you do not make more than 500 physical copies. For web posting, a link to this document on our website is preferred (where applicable). If no such link exists, simply link to www.ligonier.org.
Please include the following statement on any distributed copy: From Ligonier Ministries, the teaching fellowship of R.C. Sproul. All rights reserved. Website: www.ligonier.org | Phone: 1-800-435-4343 |
Preterm labor and birth is the most common cause of infant death. It is also the leading cause of long-term neurological disability. The NICHD conducts and supports research on preterm labor and birth, seeking ways to reduce incidence and prevent adverse effects | Preterm labor and birth is the most common cause of infant death. It is also the leading cause of long-term neurological disability. The NICHD conducts and supports research on preterm labor and birth, seeking ways to reduce incidence and prevent adverse effects to children and to mothers.
Institute Activities and Advances
The Institute's Program in Perinatal Research and Obstetrics manages a vigorous and varied research portfolio that includes studies done by the Perinatology Research Branch, a collaboration between NICHD and Wayne State University. Research focuses on mechanisms of disease responsible for preterm labor and delivery. The program also conducts research on how certain maternal antibodies might induce preterm labor.
The institute oversees two networks of clinical centers with emphases on maternal, fetal, and neonatal health. The Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network found that progesterone given to women at risk of preterm bi |
Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
> The curriculum is composed of disciplines or subjects for study. They
> fall into two | Note: To protect the privacy of our members, e-mail addresses have been removed from the archived messages. As a result, some links may be broken.
> The curriculum is composed of disciplines or subjects for study. They
> fall into two major groups; those that are instrumental for communication
> or expression (the modes of thinking) and those that purport to study
> some specific aspect of the world (the sciences). The arts and the
> sciences have traditionally composed standard curricula.
Thats a nice model.
> Among the arts are 5 ways to convey thought from one person to
> others, 5 avenues of articulation and communication. They are through:
> 1) words, 2) images, 3) numbers, 4) gestures, and 5) sounds.
I might add tactile sensation to #4, the kinesthetic component of this
model. Texture is not so highly valued in western european cultures as it
has been in others but is remains an important avenue. You distinctly do
not include olfaction or gustatory sensations, which are also generally
left out of most of our communicational paradigms. There is I think
something to these sensations as well, but it is difficult culturally for
us to perceive. Eastern cultures place some value on the olfactory (see
E.T. Hall) and various cultures do manage to express quite a bit of
feeling through consumabiles and foods.
> The sciences, on the other hand, are studied via these modalities.
This is a good point!
> Our culture is perhaps more influenced by the other modalities in films,
> advertising and music. Therefore, these modes are equally significant is
> shaping communal culture and in serving personal fulfillment.
There is a programatic/narrative quality to these modalities that has not
been well explored in education I think. |
Constitution, Banned Books and First Amendment Rights
This page has been archived and is historical. Links are no longer being updated.
Preamble to the Constitution:
- "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the | Constitution, Banned Books and First Amendment Rights
This page has been archived and is historical. Links are no longer being updated.
Preamble to the Constitution:
- "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
Each September/October we celebrate Constitution Day and Banned Books Week, reflecting on the many freedoms guaranteed us by the constitution. Libraries are strong advocates of the principle of the freedom to read, supporting the concept that a vital democratic society depends on unfettered access to ideas.
Banned or Challenged Books
- ACLU Banned Books Week
Books that have been challenged in Oregon from 1979-2012.
- Banned Books
Includes a list of banned books that are available at the PCC Library
- Banned Books Week
The American Library Association says that books featured during this week have all had attempts for banning or some kind of restriction.
- Frequently Challenged Books
Includes a visual chart displaying the number of challenges by the reason for challenge.
- Most Frequently Challenged Authors of the 21st Century
Compiled by the American Library Association, this site includes the top ten challenged books by year from 2001-2011.
- Oregon Intellectual Freedom Clearinghouse 2013 Annual Report
Challenges to library materials from all types of Oregon libraries from July 2012-June 2013.
- Title Index to Challenges
Titles that have been challenged in Oregon between 1987 and 2012.
- American Library Association: Top 100 Banned/Challenged books
Titles that have been challenged between 2000-2009
- America's Historical Documents
Includes the Declara |
by Staff Writers
Jena, Germany (SPX) Apr 03, 2013
The Earth is dynamic. What we perceive as solid ground beneath our feet, is in reality constantly changing. In the space of a year Africa and | by Staff Writers
Jena, Germany (SPX) Apr 03, 2013
The Earth is dynamic. What we perceive as solid ground beneath our feet, is in reality constantly changing. In the space of a year Africa and America are drifting apart at the back of the Middle Atlantic for some centimeters while the floor of the Pacific Ocean is subducted underneath the South American Continent. "In 100 million years' time Africa will be pulled apart and North Australia will be at the equator," says Prof.
Dr. Falko Langenhorst from the Friedrich Schiller University Jena (Germany). Plate tectonics is leading to a permanent renewal of the ocean floors, the mineralogist explains. The gaps between the drifting slabs are being filled up by rising melt, solidifying to new oceanic crust. In other regions the slabs dive into the deep interior of the Earth and mix with the surrounding Earth's mantle.
The Earth is the only planet in our solar system, conducting such a 'facelift' on a regular basis. But the continuous up and down on the Earth`s crust doesn't run smoothly everywhere. "Seismic measurements show that in some mantle regions, where one slab is subducted underneath another one, the movement stagnates, as soon as the rocks have reached a certain depth," says Prof. Langenhorst.
The causes of the 'congestion' of the subducted plate are still unknown. In the current issue of the science magazine 'Nature Geoscience' Prof. Langenhorst and earth scientists of Bayreuth University now explain the phenomenon for the first time (DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1772).
According to this, the rocks of the submerging ocean plate pond at a depth of 440 to 650 kilometers - in the transition zone between the upper and the lower Earth mantle.
"The reason for that can be found in the slow diffusion and transformation of mineral components," mineralogist Langenhorst explains. On the basis of high pressure experiments the scientists were able to clarify things: under the given pressure and temperature in this depth, the exchange of elements between the main minerals of the subducted ocean plate - pyroxene and garnet - is slowed down to an extreme extent.
"The diffusion of a pyroxene-component in garnet is so slow, that the submerging rocks don't become denser and heavier, and therefore stagnate," the Jena scientist says.
Interestingly there is congestion in the earth mantle exactly where the ocean floor submerges particularly fast into the interior of the Earth. "In the Tonga rift off Japan for example, the speed of subduction is very high," Prof. Langenhorst states. Thereby the submerging rocks of the oceanic plate stay relatively cold up to great depth, which makes the exchange of elements between the mineral components exceptionally difficult.
"It takes about 100 Million years for pyroxene crystals which are only 1 mm in size to diffuse into the garnet. For this amount of time the submerging plate stagnates," Langenhorst describes the rock congestion.
It can probably only diffuse at the boundary of the lower Earth mantle. Because then pyroxene changes into the mineral akimotoite due to the higher pressure in the depth of 650 kilometers. "This could lead to an immediate rise in the rock density and would enable the submerging into greater depths."
Van Mierlo VL et al. Stagnation of subducting slabs in the transition zone due to slow diffusion in the majoritic garnet. Nature Geoscience, DOI: 10.1038/NGEO1772
Tectonic Science and News
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Fermented Black Beans are important in many Asian cuisines. Black Beans are black soybeans that are first cooked, then fermented in their cooking brine and finally salted and dried in the sun. The finished product imparts a flavorful and | Fermented Black Beans are important in many Asian cuisines. Black Beans are black soybeans that are first cooked, then fermented in their cooking brine and finally salted and dried in the sun. The finished product imparts a flavorful and unique taste to many dishes. Fermented Black Beans are 1 cm in length and have a soft, firm texture. Finely chop and add to fish or meat dishes. Bean paste made from fermented beans is a wonderful sauce for steamed broccoli or stir fry. Soak in water to expel the excess salt. Lightly press to release the fermented flavor. Prepare and cook as desired. |
People get the chance to play detective for the day as they help figure out how well native wood pigeons are doing in their area.
Kereru look for all the world like chooks perched on power lines in country areas and they seem | People get the chance to play detective for the day as they help figure out how well native wood pigeons are doing in their area.
Kereru look for all the world like chooks perched on power lines in country areas and they seem to be everywhere. However, introduced pests like cats, rats and stoats are taking their toll on these beautiful birds. So keeping track of birds numbers in different areas each year is important.
Last year the Kiwi Conservation Club, Forest & Bird's junior division, ran its first kereru count, with more than 1100 recorded sightings of kereru around the country.
This year the count runs from 9am Sunday, February 24 to 3pm Monday, March 4, with keen spotters asked to visit gardens, parks and reserves and count the number of kereru.
Then log on to the kereru count website to record the location, number spotted, what the kereru were doing, and if possible the type of plants they were feeding on.
"Kereru are our only native pigeon and as well as being big, beautiful birds, they are impo |
Better Students Ask More Questions.
I would like to know the meaning of this proverb: "Optimist: A person who travels on...
5 Answers | add yours
If a person starts out at "nowhere," most people would say that | Better Students Ask More Questions.
I would like to know the meaning of this proverb: "Optimist: A person who travels on...
5 Answers | add yours
If a person starts out at "nowhere," most people would say that this person is starting from an undesirable location that possibly is not only lacking in immediate appeal but that is also isolated from any place that might be more appealing. Traveling on "nothing" suggests that getting away from "nowhere" involves lots of hard work, unaided by anything that makes travel easier - no car, no paved road, no map, no GPS, nothing. To be able to start from a place that is completely lacking any redeeming features, which would cause many people to feel rather hopeless and helpless, and to survive all the hardships involved in getting out of that emptiness to a place of "happiness" - that is truly an example of an "optimist" - "one who usually expects a favorable outcome." A person willing to undertake that kind of commitment under those circumstances must be hoping for a positive result.
Posted by stolperia on July 3, 2011 at 6:31 AM (Answer #2)
I believe the meaning is that an optimist is someone who doesn't need a specific reason, cause, or goal to be happy. Being happy is the goal, and is ultimately more important than anything else. Hence, place (nowhere) and objects (nothing) are irrelevant to the final destination which is a happy one.
Posted by alexb2 on July 5, 2011 at 9:08 AM (Answer #3)
Middle School Teacher
Posted by litteacher8 on August 31, 2011 at 12:27 PM (Answer #4)
I'm afraid Voltaire would disagree with this quote. In his Candide, he portrays the optimist Pangloss as the consummate idiot. Satirically, he may agree that the optimist travels on nothing,-- nothing in his head---to nowhere with happiness. As Henry Kissinger said of Former President Jimmy Carter, "If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there." The optimist wears tinted glasses; he cannot see reality. If this myopia leads to happiness, then, as Voltaire contends, there are indeed many roving idiots. At the very least, they are not realistic.
Posted by mwestwood on August 31, 2011 at 1:03 PM (Answer #5)
If you are walking on nothing and go from nowhere to happiness basically means that you have an inner ability to go from darkness into the light without any problem with the transition. This being said, it implies that perhaps you do not tend to stop and look around to realize that something is wrong. Instead, you immediately find what is right and bright about things. A typical person would go through a period of grief, loss, or mourning when things go wrong, and then fight hard until they find happiness again. Some people may not have to |
||T.T. Martin, a Baptist preacher in Kentucky publishes
articles demanding the resignation of Wake Forest president William
L. Poteat because of Poteat's open acceptance of the theory of
|January 23, 1924 | ||T.T. Martin, a Baptist preacher in Kentucky publishes
articles demanding the resignation of Wake Forest president William
L. Poteat because of Poteat's open acceptance of the theory of
|January 23, 1924
||North Carolina Governor Cameron Morrison
announces that he is opposed to state schools using any textbook that
"prints a picture of a monkey and a man
on the same page." Two of the six biology textbooks recommended by
the state Text Book Commission are rejected by the State Board of Education,
with the Governor's support, because the books discuss evolution.
|January 8, 1925
||D. Scott Poole, legislator representing
Hoke County, introduces a resolution opposed
to the teaching of evolution in state-supported schools in North Carolina.
The resolution is referred to the Education Committee for review.
|February 10, 1925
||The House Committee on Education holds
hearing to discuss the Poole r |
Specific Learning Disabilities
What IDEA '04 Says | Implications for ASHA Members |
What ASHA is Doing | What Members Should Do
What IDEA '04 Says
IDEA '04 retained the definition of specific learning disability as included in previous | Specific Learning Disabilities
What IDEA '04 Says | Implications for ASHA Members |
What ASHA is Doing | What Members Should Do
What IDEA '04 Says
IDEA '04 retained the definition of specific learning disability as included in previous versions of IDEA since 1975.
Specific Learning Disability
''(A) IN GENERAL.–The term'specific learning disability' means a disorder in 1 or more of the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language, spoken or written, which disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or do mathematical calculations."
''(B) DISORDERS INCLUDED.–Such term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental aphasia."
''(C) DISORDERS NOT INCLUDED.–Such term does not include a learning problem that is primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities, of mental retardation, of emotional disturbance, or of environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage."
All of the requirements included in IDEA '04 for evaluations, eligibility determinations, individualized education programs, and educational placements apply to students suspected of having a specific learning disability (see Part B, Section 614, Evaluations, Eligibility Determinations, Individualized Education Programs, and Education Placements).
In addition, IDEA '04 provides local education agencies with alternative methods to use in identifying children with learning disabilities.
First, in determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, the LEA is not required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in oral expression, listening comprehension, written expressions, basic reading skill, reading comprehension, mathematical calculation, or mathematical reasoning. In hearings related to the reauthorization of IDEA, Congress found that:
"There is no evidence that the IQ–achievement discrepancy formulas can be applied in a consistent and meaningful (reliable and valid) manner. In addition, this approach has been particularly problematic for students living in poverty or culturally and linguistically different backgrounds, who may be erroneously viewed as having intrinsic intellectual limitations when their differences on such tests really reflect lack of experience or educational opportunity."
Second, IDEA '04 also indicates that, in determining whether a child has a specific learning disability, a local education agency may use a process that determines if a child responds to scientific, research–based intervention as a part of the evaluation procedures used to determine if the child is a child with a disability. Generically, this is known as response to intervention (RTI).
The bill includes a special rule for eligibility determination to provide that a lack of appropriate scientifically based reading instruction, lack of instruction in math, or limited English proficiency cannot be the determinant factor for deciding whether the child is a child with a disability.
In hearings related to the reauthorization of IDEA, Congress stated that:
"The Committee encourages local educational agencies to provide direct services, especially scientifically based literacy instruction, and speech [–language pathology] services where appropriate, to students served under this section to remedy any reading deficiencies that the students may have and to adequately assess and evaluate the skills of these students. The Committee believes that the provision of these services and the use of the variety of evaluation and assessment methods that accompany the provision of scientifically based literacy instruction will help differentiate between students who have different learning styles and students that have disabilities, especially learning disabilities. The Committee has heard experts discuss the difference between a reading difficulty and a reading based learning disability, and encourages local educational agencies to take careful steps to make these determinations with their students. The Committee reminds local educational agencies that a child with a reading difficulty cannot be identified as a child with a disability if the determinant factor is their reading difficulty. However, children with reading–based learning disabilities can, and should, be appropriately identified as disabled."
Implications for ASHA Members
Based on policy and procedure established by the LEA, speech–language pathologists involved in determining whether a child has a specific learning disability are not required to take into consideration whether a child has a severe discrepancy between achievement and intellectual ability in oral expression, listening comprehension, written expression, basic reading skill, or reading comprehension. As an alternative to using the IQ–achievement discrepancy model, local education agencies can establish a process to d |
Weeds and lawns are almost inextricable companions. If you live in the South where warm temperatures speed weed growth, you're likely to encounter diverse weeds that may easily overwhelm your lawn. Fortunately, a few key characteristics are the most important | Weeds and lawns are almost inextricable companions. If you live in the South where warm temperatures speed weed growth, you're likely to encounter diverse weeds that may easily overwhelm your lawn. Fortunately, a few key characteristics are the most important things you need to know to identify your lawn weeds. If you want to go further in learning about these unwanted plants, there are a number of resources available to show the way.
Lawn weeds in the South or anywhere else are either broadleaf or grassy. Obviously, the most easily identifiable characteristic to distinguish between the two is the leaf; wider leaves are broadleaf weeds, narrower leaves are grassy.
Another important, but more difficult, distinction is if weeds are annuals, biennials or perennials. When you want to rid your lawn of these pests, you're unlikely to want to observe their life cycles.
Learning to recognize specific weeds through photo identification is one way to put a name to your weed and learn more about it. The University of Georgia Turf program is one site that provides mug shots of broadleaf and grassy weeds with accompanying information.
Keying Your Weeds
Keys for determining you weeds are widely available; if you want or need to know the precise identity of your lawn weeds, resources that provide detailed information on leaf, stem and root characteristics, rather than flowers, are most useful to homeowners. You want to identify your weeds before they have a chance to flower and go to seed. One example of such a resource is the North Carolina State University TurfFiles key.
Local Lawn Weed Identification
Some weeds, such as dandelions, are present almost everywhere, but others may dwell in your corner of the world, but aren't familiar elsewhere. Identifying weed lists for your area may help when what you're seeing is not a dandelion or crabgrass. Southern states all have Cooperative Extension materials online and most county Extension offices offer free weed identification through plant clinics and Master Gardener information services.
Effects of Lawn Type
Much of the South is in a transition zone for lawns; both cool season and warm season grasses are recommended for a great portion of the region, and the differences in growth habit and maintenance practices for the two will affect the types of weeds you're likely to see, as well as how to treat them.
Cool-season grasses, such as fescues and Kentucky blue grass, are clump forming and should be kept taller than the warm-season, spreading grasses, such as Bermuda, St. Augustine and zoysia.
Weeds that thrive in cool weather, such as chickweed, clover and henbit are fierce competitors of warm-season grasses, such as St. Augustine grass |
|This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007)|
Modelguns are Japanese replica or toy guns, which are usually made of zinc-alloy or plastic materials. Most modelguns are designed to replicate the physical outlook | |This article does not cite any references or sources. (November 2007)|
Modelguns are Japanese replica or toy guns, which are usually made of zinc-alloy or plastic materials. Most modelguns are designed to replicate the physical outlook and in full scale of the real gun counterpart. Some are even made to copy the internal mechanisms and operate like real ones using tiny bit of gunpowder (the cap) to produce firing sound, spark and the operation, but strictly not able to shoot any projectile. There are very strict gun control laws in Japan to restrain the mechanisms and material of modelguns so that modelguns appeared in the Japanese market are safe and cannot be converted into something that can fire any live cartridge or projectile.
Modelguns were developed after the Second World War due to tight restrictions on firearm ownership in Japan. Civilians are forbidden by Japanese law to possess handguns, although in rare cases they may be permitted to possess live shotguns. As a result, the Japanese have developed a fascination for them. The first "modelguns" were developed in the late 1950s and were fairly crude approximations of actual firearms, with few operational features. Many of the first modelguns were imported cap guns from the United States, but were eventually replaced with indigenous designs. The first Japanese designed modelguns were released to market in 1962. At nearly the same time, MGC produced the Walther VP-2 and Hudson Industry produced the Mauser M1896 in 1962. Both were made with metal zinc alloy. They are now collector's sought after items.
The Japanese modelgun/airsoft inventor Tanio Kobayashi is considered by many Japanese to be the "father" of the modelgun, as Kobayashi's internal modelgun designs led to the modern version of the modelgun.
The various Japanese modelgun laws can be quite confusing, as the initial modelguns where fairly unregulated and some models were closer to real firearms than replicas.
In 1965, the Japanese government began regulating the replica firearms industry. Changes included requiring that the barrels have internal blocks to prevent the firing of projectiles.
The Firearms/Swords law revision in 1971 introduced more safety changes. It requires all metal model handguns released thereafter have to be painted in white or yellow color. Since then, all metal model handguns are either painted in gold color or gold plated. In addition, the modelguns have to stam |
This is a word of thanks for Abraham Lincoln in spite and because of his imperfections on his 200th birthday.
Two years before Lincoln became our 16th President he debated Stephen Douglas in pursuit of the Illinois U. S. Senate seat | This is a word of thanks for Abraham Lincoln in spite and because of his imperfections on his 200th birthday.
Two years before Lincoln became our 16th President he debated Stephen Douglas in pursuit of the Illinois U. S. Senate seat. Lincoln lost. He was too progressive on the issue of slavery for a state that made it a crime to bring into its boundaries “a person having in him one-fourth Negro blood, whether free or slave.”
But the debates did bring out the virtually universal racism of 19th century America including Abraham Lincoln's. For all his greatness—and it is extraordinary—Lincoln was a child of his time on matters of race (as we all are). He became the Republican candidate because his two main rivals (Seward and Chase) were more progressive than he was.
In the 1858 Senate debates Douglas baited Lincoln with the assertion that
the signers of the Declaration of Independence had no reference to negroes at all when they declared all men to be created equal. They did not mean negro, nor the savage Indians, nor the Fiji Islanders, nor any other barbarous race. They were speaking of white men…. I hold that this government was established...for the benefit of white men and their posterity forever, and should be administered by white men, and none others.
In response, Lincoln said he had “no purpose to introduce political and social equality between the white and black races.” He was not in favor of “making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry.” He said there is a “physical difference between the two” that would “probably forever forbid their living together upon the footing of perfect equality.”
Nevertheless Lincoln argued,
[T]here is no reason in the world why the negro is not entitled to all the natural rights enumerated in the Declaration of Independence… I agree with Judge Douglas he is not my equal in many respects—certainly not in color, perhaps not in moral and intellectual endowment. But in the right to eat the bread, without leave of anybody else, which his own hand earns, he is my equal and the equal of Judge Douglas, and the equal of every living man.
Emancipation would come and Lincoln would be celebrated as a hero in that cause. But like every hero, his feet are clay. That is what human greatness is—deeply flawed.
There is one hero, and only one, who will not let you down—Jesus Christ. All other heroes fail us, and the reason they do is to point us to Christ. There is no one more admirable, and more worthy of our praise, than Christ. At the very moment when he looked least praiseworthy, he was achieving the highest triumph of love—his death.
I thank God for Abraham Lincoln today. And among other great reasons one of them is: admiring and disillusioned I turn to Jesus.
* * *
Quotes in this post are from Doris Kearns Goodwin's book Team of Rivals: the Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, pages 204-205. |
The Nuna inhabit some zones of the center-south of Burkina Faso, to the south of the Gurunsi. They belong to the same group than the Gurunsi, Winiama, Nunuma and Lela.
At | The Nuna inhabit some zones of the center-south of Burkina Faso, to the south of the Gurunsi. They belong to the same group than the Gurunsi, Winiama, Nunuma and Lela.
At the beginning of XV century, a group of riders called Nakomsé moved from Dagomba, in the north of Ghana, towards the north subjugating the pacific tribes of the territory that now is Burkina Faso. They founded the state of Tenkodogo, that was the first known Mossi state.
The military power of the Mossi was based on their organized cavalry.
At the end of XV century, pacific agriculturists Nuna and Winiama emigrated from the north of Ghana to their present locations fleeing from the Mossi. In the wooded territories where the Nuna and the Winiama had settled, the horses of the Mossi succumbed before the attack of the tse tse fly, abundant in that zone. Soon legend among the Mossi arose on "the magical" powers of the Nuna and the Winiama, that were able to sleep their enemies.
On the other hand, the Nuna built their villages such way that the Mossi could not penetrate with their horses. From time to time, the Mossi made incursions to the fields where the Nuna worked, to capture slaves.
Except for some hunting and sweet water fishing tasks at dry time, when the grain reserves become scarce, the Nuna are dedicated mainly to agriculture. Among them there are not different social classes, nor political heads. The religious leaders are the unique ones with certain authority. Each town has a council of elders that takes the important decisions.
In the center of the Nuna villages usually there is an altar dedicated to the supreme being, the one who has created everything. Each group with common ancestros keep in a hut the objects they use in rituals, the objets that help them to maintain the contact with the vital forces of the nature. These objects pass from one generation to another, and they always stay in possession of the family, facilitating its cohesion.
The oldest mask of the community represents "su", the spirit who benefits the community and harms his enemies. It provides harmony and it give fertility to the women.
The other masks represent spirits of the nature, and have animal forms such as buffalos, crocodiles, antelopes and chameleons. They are painted every year. They have holes behind, to tie the rafia that covers all the body of the dancer.
If you want to see some interesting photos of Burkina Faso, please click here.
Nuna crocodile mask (sold) |
( Or BAALPEOR.)
Beelphegor was the baal of Mt. Phogor, or Peor, a mountain of Moab. The exact idea of baal seems to be "the possessor", the one who | ( Or BAALPEOR.)
Beelphegor was the baal of Mt. Phogor, or Peor, a mountain of Moab. The exact idea of baal seems to be "the possessor", the one who holds the real domination (Lagrange, Religions Sémitiques, 83, 84); so Beelphegor was the Moabite divinity who ruled over Phogor. Some identify him with Chamos (Chemosh), the national god of Moab, but this is not at all certain, as many localities had their local deities, apparently distinct to the popular mind. To the baal was generally ascribed the fertility of the soil and the increase of flocks; he was worshiped by offerings of the products he gave and often by unchaste practices done in his honor at his sanctuary. One of the great works of the prophets was to stamp out this immoral cult on the soil of Palestine.
Israel came in contact with Beelphegor at Settim, on the plains of Moab, their last station before entering the land of Canaan. Here many men of Israel, as a sequel to their immoral intercourse with the women of Moab, took part in the sacrificial banquets in honor of Beelphegor for which crimes they were punished by death ( Numbers 25 ). It is commonly held, in view of the occurrences at Settim and of the general nature of baal-worship, that immoral rites were part of the worship of this god; while the text does not make this certain, the large number of persons involved and the fact that "the affair of Phogor" is ascribed to the instigation of the seer Balaam, seem to indicate that it had relation to the cult of Beelphegor (xxxi, 16). Marucchi believes the survival of the cult till the middle of the second century is attested by an inscription dedicated by some soldiers from Arabia (?) to Jupiter Beellepharus, whom he identifies with Beelphegor. The proof is |
Blue-ringed Octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa
Taxonomy Animalia Mollusca Cephalopoda Octopoda Octopodidae Hapalochlaena maculosa
Description & Behavior | Blue-ringed Octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa
Taxonomy Animalia Mollusca Cephalopoda Octopoda Octopodidae Hapalochlaena maculosa
Description & Behavior
There are at least 10 species of tiny blue-ringed octopuses, which, ironically for their size, are the most deadly of all cephalopods. Two well-known examples are the lesser (Southern) blue-ringed octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa (Hoyle, 1883), and the greater blue-ringed octopuses, Hapalochlaena lunulata, (Quoy and Gaimard, 1832). The common name comes from the bright blue rings that appear when they are alarmed.
Lesser (Southern) blue-ringed octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa, are the larger of the two and more common. When alarmed, they display smaller blue rings (hence the name "lesser") that generally measure less than 2 mm in diameter. They weigh only 28 grams with bodies to 5 cm long and arms to 10 cm. The dorsal (upper) surface of their mantle usually has a rough appearance covered by numerous irregularly arranged wrinkles. There are also fine, unevenly-sized tubercles covering the head and mantle. While resting, the background color is a uniform gray to beige, with large, light brown patches or maculae — thus the name H. maculosa. On their dorsal mantle, 10 maculae form a pattern of brown chevrons. Smaller patches dot their web and base of their arms. All eight arms are marked with approximately 10 evenly spaced brown patches that form bands running down their arms. Their blue rings are usually not visible in animals at rest. When the octopus is agitated, the brown patches darken dramatically, and iridescent blue rings or clumps of rings appear and pulsate within the maculae. Typically 50-60 blue rings cover the dorsal and lateral surfaces of their mantle.
Greater blue-ringed octopuses, Hapalochlaena lunulata, are slightly smaller than Hapalochlaena maculosa with bodies <5 cm long and arms to 7 cm across the tentacles from tip to tip. Their surfaces are often covered with numerous papillae (a small projecting body part similar to a nipple in form), giving it a rough texture. Large iridescent blue rings (hence their name) cover the dorsal (upper) surfaces of their mantle and web and extend out their arms. Rings on their mantle are up to 8 mm in diameter and number fewer than 25. There is a characteristic short, horizontal iridescent blue line that runs through their eyes. When at rest, faint, thin blue rings are usually visible.
While resting, this blue-ringed octopus is a pale brown to yellow color depending on its surroundings. But when alarmed, the octopus displays bright blue rings all over its body and H. lunulata carries enough venom to kill 26 adult humans within minutes (see below for more information on toxicity).
World Range & Habitat
Blue-ringed octopuses, Hapalochlaena maculosa, can be found only in the temperate waters of southern Australia, from southern Western Australia to eastern Victoria at depths ranging from 0-50 m. Hapalochlaena lunulata can be found in shallow reefs and tide pools from northern Australia to Japan, including Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Philippines, and Indonesia and as far west as Sri Lanka at depths ranging from 0-20 m.
Feeding Behavior (Ecology)
Blue-ringed octopuses feed on small crabs, hermit crabs, and shrimp that it hunts during the day. Two types of venom secreted by two separate venom glands are used against prey and predators. One of the venoms is used for hunting crab, the other, which is extremely toxic, is used as self defense against predators. The venoms are secreted into the blue-ringed octopus's saliva, but the mechanism for poisoning its victim is not well understood. Either the venom is expelled in the saliva into the water or the octopus bites its prey or predator. Once the prey is dead, the octopus begins consuming it with their powerful beak-like mouth.
The mating ritual for blue-ringed octopuses, H. maculosa and H. lunulata, begins when a male approaches a female and begins to caress her with his modified arm, the hectocotylus. Males then climb on the females back, at times completely engulfing the female's mantle obstructing her vision. The hectocotylus is inserted under the mantle of the female and spermatophores are released into the female's oviduct. The female then lays between 50-100 eggs and guards them by carrying them under her tentacle until they hatch about 50 days later into planktonic paralarvae. The female then dies as she is unable to eat while she guards her eggs. The blue-ringed octopus is about the size of a pea when hatched then grows t |
Adolescent alcohol and other drug use continues to be a primary concern for schools and communities across the nation. The most recent national "Monitoring the Future" survey indicates high school seniors show a continuing high use of tobacco; that eighth grade students reported | Adolescent alcohol and other drug use continues to be a primary concern for schools and communities across the nation. The most recent national "Monitoring the Future" survey indicates high school seniors show a continuing high use of tobacco; that eighth grade students reported increased use of several illegal drugs; and that binge drinking ("five or more drinks in a row in the last two weeks"), while continuing a slow downward trend, remains at an unacceptably high level. Rural areas of the country are not exempt from adolescent alcohol and other drag use problems. Results from a 1993 survey of high school students in Nebraska indicated higher alcohol and tobacco use rates among these youth than among their national peers.
This paper describes Nebraska's experience in implementing a program to organize and support local drug-free youth groups across the state. The "Network of Drug-Free Youth" program, developed by staff at a statewide prevention agency, supports the health education and policy efforts of local schools, and provides a link between the school and the community.
Outcome goals for the "Network of Drug-Free Youth" are 1) to delay onset of use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among adolescents who have not yet begun to use, and 2) to reduce or eliminate the amount of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs among adolescents who already use these substances. Process goals of the Network program from 1987-1993 were 1) to organize alcohol and drug-free youth groups for at least 1,200 students in grades 7-12 th |
|Scientific Name:||Allium acutiflorum|
|Taxonomic Notes:||Allium acutiflorum Loisel. is a tertiary wild relative of a number of crops in the allium group, including onion ( | |Scientific Name:||Allium acutiflorum|
|Taxonomic Notes:||Allium acutiflorum Loisel. is a tertiary wild relative of a number of crops in the allium group, including onion (A. cepa L.), Welsh onion (A. fistulosum L.), leek (A. porrum L.), garlic (A. sativum L.) and chives (A. schoenoprasum L.).|
|Red List Category & Criteria:||Least Concern ver 3.1|
|Assessor/s:||Draper, D., Branca, F. & Donnini, D.|
|Reviewer/s:||Nieto, A. & Kell, S.P.|
The population of Allium acutiflorum is fragmented and the subpopulation in Italy is small. However, in |
Typhoid Mary: The Most Dangerous Woman in America: Nova
Irish immigrant Mary Mallon -- the cause of an infamous 1906 outbreak of typhoid fever in New York -- spent nearly 29 years of her life in quarantine | Typhoid Mary: The Most Dangerous Woman in America: Nova
Irish immigrant Mary Mallon -- the cause of an infamous 1906 outbreak of typhoid fever in New York -- spent nearly 29 years of her life in quarantine. Diagnosed as a healthy carrier of the disease, Mallon was eventually released from isolation. But soon after Mallon returned to her career as a cook, another outbreak occurred, and she was again quarantined until she died. This installment of the award-winning documentary series tells her story. |
n the water, will agree that the "flippers" of the Seal are as useful as the fins of the fish.
In fact, the flipper beats the fin, for the Seal earns his dinner by chasing and catching fish. He slips | n the water, will agree that the "flippers" of the Seal are as useful as the fins of the fish.
In fact, the flipper beats the fin, for the Seal earns his dinner by chasing and catching fish. He slips through the water with perfect ease, and seizes the darting fish in their own home. The Seal is nearly always hungry, but so wonderfully quick that his hunting is made easy for him.
It is quite another matter on land, where his best pace is a waddle and a shuffle; but his life is in the wide sea, where he can feed and sleep as easily as other mammals can on land.
Seals are easily tamed, and soon become fond of their owners. Some fishermen once caught a baby Seal, which they gave to a boy, knowing his love of animals. The strange baby soon made itself at home, and loved to lie in the warmth of the kitchen fire. It knew the voice of its young master, and would follow him like a dog.
The older it grew, the more milk and fish it needed each day. At last, this food was not to be easily obta |
Doctoral candidate David Comer Kidd and his advisor, professor of psychology, Emanuele Castano from The New School in New York, New York published new research in the Oct. 3, 2013, issue of the journal Science | Doctoral candidate David Comer Kidd and his advisor, professor of psychology, Emanuele Castano from The New School in New York, New York published new research in the Oct. 3, 2013, issue of the journal Science that indicates reading literary fiction enhances a person’s ability to perceive the mental and emotional states of other people.
The researchers had the same group of test participants read literary fiction, popular fiction, and nonfiction. All works to be read were from credible sources. After reading each type of literature the participants were given a standard battery of tests that measure a person’s ability to perceive the emotions and mental state of other people either directly or from photographs.
In five of five different scenarios, the people who read literary fiction were better able to discern the emotional and mental states of others. This ability is considered an intrinsic and necessary quality for successfully negotiating social settings and achieving social acceptance.
Only reading literary quality fiction achieved the desired improvement in the skills. The texts used in the tests were highly varied in subject matter and content but the results produced were the same.
The authors opine that literary fiction places a person as a reader in complex social situations that are not unlike the realities of social life. Hence, reading literary fiction that parrots real life makes one more adept at managing real life situations. |
The microfossil separation lab was set up, and is operated, by Dr. Reed Scherer to support his research involving diatoms and the ice sheets of Antarctica. Diatoms are single-celled plants which inhabit both fresh and salt water. | The microfossil separation lab was set up, and is operated, by Dr. Reed Scherer to support his research involving diatoms and the ice sheets of Antarctica. Diatoms are single-celled plants which inhabit both fresh and salt water. They secrete a frustule of silica the shape of which is diagnostic of the species, so they can be identified in the fossil record. ( A frustule can be thought of as being like the shell secreted by larger life forms, e.g. sea shells.) Because diatom populations are very sensitive to climate and other environmental factors, |
There are many ways throughout the year the Y responds to its call to action to be socially responsible.
The movement looks to help meet the needs of society in many different areas.
In many ways, as Social Responsibility is an area of focus, the | There are many ways throughout the year the Y responds to its call to action to be socially responsible.
The movement looks to help meet the needs of society in many different areas.
In many ways, as Social Responsibility is an area of focus, the Y's other areas of focus Healthy Living and Youth Development feed Social Responsibility. As the Y endeavors to engage youth in swim lessons (drowning being the second cause of death in children) to obesity intervention and diabetes education, the Y becomes socially responsible while tackling these issues that our community and most times our whole country faces.
There are other times in where the Y will have specific programs that fall under Social Responsibility for example hosting a Red Cross Blood Drive, hosting free community events that engage children and families in healthy, fun and educational ways to hosting seminars for seniors with their c |
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