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Maurice de Vlaminck
|Maurice de Vlaminck|
Maurice de Vlaminck. The River Seine at Chatou, 1906
4 April 1876|
|Died|| | Maurice de Vlaminck
|Maurice de Vlaminck|
Maurice de Vlaminck. The River Seine at Chatou, 1906
4 April 1876|
|Died||11 October 1958
Maurice de Vlaminck (4 April 1876 – 11 October 1958) was a French painter. Along with André Derain and Henri Matisse he is considered one of the principal figures in the Fauve movement, a group of modern artists who from 1904 to 1908 were united in their use of intense color.
Maurice de Vlaminck was born in Paris to a family of musicians. His father taught him to play the violin. He began painting in his late teens. In 1893, he studied with a painter named Henri Rigalon on the Île de Chatou. In 1894 he married Suzanne Berly. The turning point in his life was a chance meeting on the train to Paris towards the end of his stint in the army. Vlaminck, then 23, met an aspiring artist, André Derain, with whom he struck up a lifelong friendship. When Vlaminck completed his army service in 1900, the two rented a studio together for a year before Derain left to do his own military service. In 1902 and 1903 he wrote several mildly pornographic novels illustrated by Derain. He painted during the day and earned his livelihood by giving violin lessons and performing with musical bands at night.
In 1911, Vlaminck traveled to London and painted by the Thames. In 1913, he painted again with Derain in Marseille and Martigues. In World War I he was stationed in Paris, and began writing poetry. Eventually he settled in the northwestern suburbs of Paris. He married his second wife, Berthe Combes, with whom he had two daughters. From 1925 he traveled throughout France, but continued to paint primarily along the Seine, near Paris. Resentful that Fauvism had been overtaken by Cubism as an art movement Vlaminck blamed Picasso. During the Second World War Vlaminck visited Germany and on his return published a tirade against Picasso and Cubism in the periodical Comoedia in June 1942. A practiced s |
ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest | ReadWriteThink couldn't publish all of this great content without literacy experts to write and review for us. If you've got lessons plans, activities, or other ideas you'd like to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.
Find the latest in professional publications, learn new techniques and strategies, and find out how you can connect with other literacy professionals.
Teacher Resources by Grade
|1st - 2nd||3rd - 4th|
|5th - 6th||7th - 8th|
|9th - 10th||11th - 12th|
Spelling Cheerleading: Integrating Movement and Spelling Generalizations
|Grades||K – 5|
|Lesson Plan Type||Standard Lesson|
|Estimated Time||Two 30-minute sessions|
MATERIALS AND TECHNOLOGY
- Paper, glue, and scissors
- Several computers with Internet access
- Spelling Cheerleading! poster
Grades K – 12 | Student Interactive | Writing & Publishing Prose
The Stapleless Book can be used for taking notes while reading, making picture books, collecting facts, or creating vocabulary booklets... the possibilities are endless!
|1.||Print out a copy of The Y Rule poster for classroom display. You may also give each student an individual copy, or make a transparency to display during the lesson.
|2.||Print out a copy of the Spelling Cheerleading! poster for classroom display.
|3.||Print out enough copies of the student Word Sort for half the class. Students will work in pairs for this activity.
|4.||Print out a copy of the School Specialty Intervention Lesson Pack: The Y Rule. |
DatasetAdded By Infochimps
Usage share of web browsers from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The usage share of web browsers is the percentage of visitors to a group of websites that use a particular web browser. For example, when it is said | DatasetAdded By Infochimps
Usage share of web browsers from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The usage share of web browsers is the percentage of visitors to a group of websites that use a particular web browser. For example, when it is said that Internet Explorer has 66% usage share, it means that some version of Internet Explorer is used by 66% of visitors that visit a given set of sites.
Typically, the user agent string is used to identify which browser a visitor is using. |
The following FAQ contains frequently asked questions and answers about the Investigating the 'Mpemba Effect' project. If you are having trouble with the procedure, you may find assistance in the answers below.Q: What if my metal plate is getting red | The following FAQ contains frequently asked questions and answers about the Investigating the 'Mpemba Effect' project. If you are having trouble with the procedure, you may find assistance in the answers below.Q: What if my metal plate is getting red on the stove?A:
That means that the plate is reaching around 1000°F, which is extremely hot! If you see the metal plate getting red, turn down the stove to a lower temperature. You won't need that much heat to warm up the water, and even though it will take a little longer to raise the water temperature while maintaining a low stove temperature, a lower stove temperature is a lot safer. Q: Do you need to cover the beaker? A:
You can use a plastic wrap to cover your beaker during the heating, although the heat can make it become very soft, and it could potentially fall off or into the beaker. One thing to note is that if you are covering the beaker with plastic wrap, you will prevent evaporation, so the water vapor will collect underneath the wrap. That being said, the project idea doesn't explicitly call for covering the beaker, and it would probably be easier to work with open containers (make sure your hypothesis is appropriate). If you are using a sealed container (e.g. covered with plastic wrap), you'll have to make sure that all of your samples have the same pressure, volume, and temperature of the gas to begin with, which can be difficult. Q: Can I use a meat thermometer instead? A:
Yes, you'll just need to make sure that every time you measure the water temperature, you immerse the meat thermometer in the same amount of water. Many meat thermometers are very sensitive to how far into the meat they are inserted, and typically you should insert it about half way. Q: Should I weigh the beaker and water before or after heating? A:
The Project Idea says to quickly weigh the beaker and the water after heating, but if you are weighing the beaker and water before heating, you might want to conduct a separate side experiment to check if the mass difference between weighing the samples before or after heating is statistically significant. If there is a statistically significant difference, it could be due to loss of water mass or other reasons. Feel free to think of other possible reasons for different masses! Q: How am I supposed to keep the freezer shut as much as possible if I have to open it every 5 minutes to check on the temperature? A:
Try to keep the freezer shut as much as possible. You can try things like not opening the door all the way whenever you measure the water temperature, and measuring as fast as possible without losing accuracy. Another idea is to use an electronic thermometer with a remote temperature probe so you don't have to open the freezer at all! However, it should be perfectly fine to use normal thermometers as long as you try your best to be as quick and efficient as possible. Q: Are there any safety precautions we should follow when using dry ice, carbon dioxide, and acetone? A:
When using such materials, the best bet is to check out the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the specific materials you are using. Such MSDS info can be found online, typically on supplier websites. For instance, dry ice can cause frostbite if it comes into contact with bare skin, and it should also not be contained in a sealed container, as the container could explode as it sublimes and produces gas. Carbon dioxide should be used and stored in an area with proper ventilation. Acetone is flammable, so it should be kept away from flames. It can also be mildly toxic, so it should not come into contact with your skin. If you're unsure, consult the MSDS information and always be sure to have an adult supervise you while you're doing your project!Q: Should I measure the time that it takes for the water to reach 0°C or for all of it to freeze? A:
The Project Idea says to measure the time at which the water reaches 0°C. As it is difficult to pinpoint at what time freezing occurs (you'd have to look for tiny crystals of ice forming in random places in the water!), the most simple and accurate way is to measure at what time the water hits 0°C. In order to be very accurate, make sure that your thermometer/measuring device is kept in the SAME place in the water at all times!Q: Why am I not seeing the Mpemba Effect? A:
There are many reasons why |
The museum is home to exhibitions and collections of various species of sea fauna (starfish, seahorses, turtles, jellyfish, crabs, lobsters, rays, sharks, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, eels | The museum is home to exhibitions and collections of various species of sea fauna (starfish, seahorses, turtles, jellyfish, crabs, lobsters, rays, sharks, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, eels, cuttlefish etc.) both stuffed and in skeletal form. The museum's holdings also include a great variety of sea related objects, including model ships, sea animal skeletons, tools, weapons, etc.
An aquarium located in the basement of the museum showcases a wide array of flora and fauna. Four thousand species of fish and over 200 families of invertebrates can be seen. The aquarium also features a presentation of Mediterranean and tropical marine ecosystems.
Jacques-Yves Cousteau was its director for many years, beginning in 1957.
The Oceanographic Museum was inaugurated in 1910 by Monaco's modernist reformer, Prince Albert I. This monumental architectural work of art has an impressive façade above the sea, towering over the sheer cliff face to a height of 279 feet (85.04 m). It |
A biology classroom without an animal is like a language arts class without a book. Keeping live animals in homes or schools is one of the most educational approaches to teaching children respect for wild animals and their environment. Schools often acquire such animals through biological supply | A biology classroom without an animal is like a language arts class without a book. Keeping live animals in homes or schools is one of the most educational approaches to teaching children respect for wild animals and their environment. Schools often acquire such animals through biological supply houses or through pet stores. The specimens can range from ''minnows,'' bullfrogs, tadpoles, snakes, turtles, and crayfish, to crickets and butterflies.
more Gibbons columns
The educational benefits are obvious. Children, even kindergartners, develop an appreciation for animals and their habitats. If the animal is properly cared for, children learn that different animals have different needs and that a person must be responsible and dependable to do the job right.
A soon-to-be-released brochure funded by the Arizona Game and Fish Department's Heritage Fund states, ''Live animals are undeniably an essential and economical tool for teaching students about the natural world. Lessons on biodiversity, physiology, genetics, and animal behavior would be dull, without the use of live specimens.''
The brochure was written by Bruce Taubert and Michael Demlong who work for the department in Phoenix as part of their involvement with Partners in Amphibian and Reptile Conservation (PARC). PARC is a partnership of government entities and private individuals and organizations dedicated to the conservation of amphibians and reptiles and their habitats.
But the primary message of the brochure is not how to keep animals or about the laws that govern their acquisition. The primary message is what to do with the animals when the school year ends. Along with the accountability of knowing how to acquire an animal and keep it as a pet comes another responsibility: getting rid of it. Most people, including many schoolteachers, do not realize that releasing the animal into the wild is the wrong thing to do.
In some states it is illegal to release classroom pets or laboratory specimens into the wild. But as the brochure points out, regardless of whether a law exists, releasing unwanted animals into the wild is always unethical. Negative impacts to native species can result from letting a captive animal go in the wrong place. For example, a native population of a species may be exposed to harmful parasites or diseases to which it has no natural resistance. California desert tortoises have become ill recently from a respiratory infection introduced from tortoise pets released by well-meaning owners.
Other problems that can be created include a loss of resources to native animals due to increased competition or predation from released ones. Chances are, a released pet will not fare well in the wild. It may be unable to capture its own food and thus starve. Or it may be ineffective at avoiding predators with which it has no experience. Releasing animals into the wild has few positive features.
Of course, telling people what they should not do is seldom helpful without providing alternative approaches, and the brochure does just that in a section called ''How can you help?''
The authors recommend following one of the five suggestions rather than releasing ''unwanted classroom or laboratory animals into the wild.''
1. Give the animal to another teacher or school, or to a responsible student.
2. Return it to the place where it was bought.
3. Keep it as a classroom pet until the next semester.
4. Donate it to a local natural history museum as a scientific specimen or to a science center, zoo, or aquarium for display.
5. Use humane euthanasia.
Many people will have a problem with euthanasia, but this last resort is one means of protecting native wild animals that might suffer if you release captive animals into a non-nati |
The Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA) incorporates the use of two independently-acting spring-loaded check valves separated by a spring-loaded differential pressure relief valve, two resilient seated shutoff valves and four properly located test cocks.
During normal operation the | The Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA) incorporates the use of two independently-acting spring-loaded check valves separated by a spring-loaded differential pressure relief valve, two resilient seated shutoff valves and four properly located test cocks.
During normal operation the pressure between the two check valves, referred to as the zone of reduced pressure, is maintained at a lower pressure than the supply pressure. If either check valve should leak, the relief valve is designed to open and discharge water to the outside. A properly functioning Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly (RPBA) will periodically discharge small amounts of water due to fluctuation in line pressure up or downstream of the assembly. For this reason the Reduce Pressure Backflow Assembly should be installed in areas that are not subject to water damage and should be provide with adequate drainage. During a backflow condition, the RBPA can and will discharge a large volume of water, how much is dependent upon the size of the assembly.
The Reduced Pressure Backflow Assembly is designed to prevent backflow caused by backpressure or backsiphonage and may be installed on either low or high hazard connections.
Diagrams of some typical RPBA’s are illustrated below: |
By Robert Deyes
"When I looked under the microscope for the first time I saw the absolute need for humility in the face of Nature. I do not know if there is a God but what I do know is that man is no substitute". | By Robert Deyes
"When I looked under the microscope for the first time I saw the absolute need for humility in the face of Nature. I do not know if there is a God but what I do know is that man is no substitute". These were the words of Professor Challenger in Tony Mulholland's and Adrian Hodges's screen adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, as he prepared for an adventure that would take him into the deepest parts of the Brazilian Amazon in search of prehistoric life (Ref 1). Conan Doyle's The Lost World proved to be a resounding bestseller in its first year. With the Random House edition published on the centennial anniversary of On The Origin Of Species, this action packed adventure clearly caught the public's imagination. Although much has been made of this year's Darwin bicentennial, it is a lesser-known fact that this month many are also celebrating the 150th anniversary of Conan Doyle's birth through public readings of his iconic book (Ref 2).
Set in early 20th century Britain, The Lost World tells a story of four men who ventured out on a voyage of discovery in search of a plateau that, as Professor Challenger unswervingly maintained, harbored a multitude of dinosaurs (Ref 3, p.56). Challenger's claims were initially met with utter disbelief and ridicule as he presented his case to the Zoological Institute in London. He began to set forth his plans for an expedition to the plateau amidst jeering and accusations of scientific misconduct (Ref 3, p.72). Challenger knew that his claims would have to be rigorously tested and that his whole career as a publicly-respected scientist was very much at risk were he to return from such an expedition empty-handed.
So it was that, amidst an air of tota |
Gustave Moynier and the peace societies
31-10-1996 Article, International Review of the Red Cross, No. 314, by André Durand
André Durand is a former delegate general of the ICRC | Gustave Moynier and the peace societies
31-10-1996 Article, International Review of the Red Cross, No. 314, by André Durand
André Durand is a former delegate general of the ICRC. His publications include History of the International Committee of the Red Cross — from Sarajevo to Hiroshima, Henry Dunant Institute, Geneva, 1978; and The International Committee of the Red Cross, Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe, European Research Centre, Lausanne, Switzerland, 1980. Mr Durand has also written many articles on the Movement's history, some of which have been published in the Review. This article is taken from a biography of Gustave Moynier which is currently being completed.
As soon as the Red Cross was founded, the question of its relationship with war was raised. Indeed, it could be argued that placing the protection of war victims on an institutional basis and creating a reserved area off-limits to violence was tantamount to an official recognition of warfare or a tacit acceptance of the use of force. Some even wondered whether the attempt to regulate warfare without trying to eliminate it was not serving the purposes of the military and political leaders responsible for waging war, who would be able to invoke the notion of " clean warfare " to justify themselves in the eyes of public opinion and before history.
These reservations did not weaken the resolve of the founders, who probably felt that they themselves had already overcome the problem. As citizens of a country whose neutrality was institutional, they believed that only war waged for defensive purposes was legitimate and that a militia provided the best guarantee of protection [1 ]. Their objective was to improve the lot of wounded soldiers rather than to reform the policy of nations. At the opening session of the Geneva Congress of October 1863, Gustave Moynier, speaking after General Dufour, explained the position of the International Committee in the following terms:
" Listening to our detractors, we gather the impression that all we are doing is legitimizing warfare as a necessary evil. Is this criticism really justified? I am sure it is not. Of course, as much as and even more than anyone, we want people to stop killing each other and we repudiate this vestige of barbarity which they have inherited. (...) We do believe, nevertheless, that for a long time to come we shall have to deal with human passions and their deadly consequences. Why, then, if there is no immediate, absolute means of guarding against them, should we not try to alleviate them? If only in the name of charity... " [2 ].
All the same, the problem of war cannot easily be ignored. By the very nature of its objectives, the Red Cross is bound to be involved in situations of conflict. Its leaders, its members and its delegates are in direct contact and are constantly negotiating with those responsible for the conduct of warfare. If they attempt to regulate a form of action which they condemn and fail to voice their condemnation, are they not running the risk of accepting the consequences and setting the seal of their authority on armed confrontations which can only lead to carnage and destruction? It could therefore be argued that the Red Cross, and subsequently international humanitarian law, might perhaps have served the cause of humanity better by joining the ranks of those who, by attacking war directly, aimed to do away with both its causes and its effects.
Such was the goal of the peace societies which were set up in the Anglo-Saxon countries soon after the end of the Napoleonic wars: the American Peace Society in the United States and the Society for the Promotion of Permanent and Universal Peace, which later became the London Peace Society, in Britain [3 ]. These societies were initially inspired by religious and moral considerations, under the influence of the Quakers'principles of non-violence. Differences of opinion soon emerged, however, between those who believed in all-out pacifism and those who did not reject defensive warfare.
In France, the early pacifist movements were initially based either on moral considerations, as in the case of the Société de la Morale chrétienne, founded in 1820, or on the theories of Utopian socialism put forward by Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier.
In Geneva, the first peace society was set up in 1830 by Count Jean-Jacques de Sellon. De Sellon took as his guiding principle the inviolability of the individual, which led him first of all to campaign for the abolition of slavery and of the death penalty, and later to devote his efforts to promoting peace and arbitration between nations [4 ].
The first European Peace Congress, convened by the London Peace S |
Guan Zhong (Chinese: 管仲, Wade-Giles: Kuan Chung) (born 725 BC, died in 645 BC) was a Chinese politician in the Spring and Autumn Period. His given name was Yíwú | Guan Zhong (Chinese: 管仲, Wade-Giles: Kuan Chung) (born 725 BC, died in 645 BC) was a Chinese politician in the Spring and Autumn Period. His given name was Yíwú (夷吾). Zhong was his courtesy name. Recommended by Bao Shuya, he was appointed Prime Minister by Duke Huan of Qi in 685 BC.
Guan Zhong modernized the state of Qi by starting multiple reforms. Politically, he centralized power and divided the state into different villages, each carrying out a specific trade. Instead of relying on the traditional aristocracy for manpower, he applied levies to the village units directly. He also developed a better method for choosing talent to be governors. Under Guan Zhong, Qi shifted administrative responsibilities from hereditary aristocrats to professional bureaucrats.
Guan Zhong also introduced several important economic reforms. He created a uniform tax code. He also used state power to encourage the production of salt and iron; historians usually credit Guan Zhong for introducing state monopolies of salt and iron. During his term of office, the state of Qi became much stronger and Duke Huan of Qi gained hegemony among the states. |
Wheels were adapted to many torturous uses. They could be part of a stretching rack, but medieval torturers were far too creative to leave it at that. Early torturers were fond of tying someone to a large wooden wheel, then pushing | Wheels were adapted to many torturous uses. They could be part of a stretching rack, but medieval torturers were far too creative to leave it at that. Early torturers were fond of tying someone to a large wooden wheel, then pushing it down a rocky hillside. A more elaborate method involved a wheel mounted to an A-frame that allowed it to swing freely. The victim would be tied to the wheel, and then swung across some undesirable thing below -- fire was always a good choice, but dragging the victim's flesh across metal spikes also worked well. The wheel itself could also have spikes mounted on it, so the pain came from all directions. Instead of swinging, the wheel might turn on an axle. The difference was likely immaterial to the victims.
One of the most horrible wheel tortures was akin to crucifixion. The victim would have the bones in all four limbs broken in two places by strikes from an iron bar. Then, the shattered limbs were threaded through the spokes of a large wheel. Finally, the wheel would be attached to the top of a tall wooden pole and left out in the sun for days. The victim might be alive for hours, enduring the agony of his or her mangled arms and legs and the relentless sun, not to mention the attentions of crows [source: Hunt].
Next, we'll learn a |
October 28, 2008
CONTACT: Karen Kreeger
Penn Researchers Find Key to Sonic Hedgehog Control of Brain Development
PHILADELPHIA – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have discovered how the expression of the | October 28, 2008
CONTACT: Karen Kreeger
Penn Researchers Find Key to Sonic Hedgehog Control of Brain Development
PHILADELPHIA – University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine researchers have discovered how the expression of the Sonic hedgehog gene is regulated during brain development and how mutations that alter this process cause brain malformations. The results appear online this month in Nature Genetics.
Sonic hedgehog (Shh) plays a key role in regulating many aspects of embryonic development including, growth of digits on limbs and organization of neurons in the brain. It controls cell division of adult stem cells and has been implicated in some cancers.
"Elucidating the regulators of Shh expression in the forebrain will not only improve our fundamental understanding of brain development, but may also lead to novel insights into the pathogenesis of holoprosencephaly and possibly other malformations in the brain,” says senior author Douglas J. Epstein, PhD, Associate Professor of Genetics.
Holoprosencephaly occurs when an embryo's forebrain, the large frontal area of the human brain, fails to divide to form left and right halves, causing defects in the development of the face and in brain structure and function. Symptoms can be moderate, in the case of a cleft lip or palate to severe, as in cyclopia, the development of one eye rather than two. About one in 16,000 live births display a type of holoprosencephaly.
A decrease in the Shh protein by 50 percent predisposes humans to craniofacial problems such as holoprosencephaly. Too much Shh can lead to tumor formation. Shh is the most commonly mutated gene in holoprosencephaly and can involve about seven other genes.
In a previous study published in the journal Development, the Penn group surveyed one million bases, the basic building blocks of DNA, in transgenic mice for the sequences that turn on Shh during the development of the forebrain. They identified a brain specific enhancer that drives expression of Shh in the hypothalamus. Enhancers are regulatory sequences that drive a gene’s transcription, ensuring that it is turned on and off at the appropriate time. Enhancers can be located nearby to the genes they regulate or, as in the case of Shh, operate over hundreds of thousands of base pairs away.
In the current study, the investigators searched for mutations in the enhancer sequence in holoprosencephalic patients. They identified one mutation in a region of the enhancer that has been conserved for over 300 million years of evolution, attesting to the importance of these sequences. The mutation caused a significant reduction in Shh enhancer activity in the hypothalamus.
In turn, they screened for proteins tha |
This section describes the differences in the structures of the DB2 and solidDB SQL procedures.
Constraints are used by DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows (DB2 LUW) to enforce business rules for data. This article describes the following | This section describes the differences in the structures of the DB2 and solidDB SQL procedures.
Constraints are used by DB2 for Linux, UNIX, and Windows (DB2 LUW) to enforce business rules for data. This article describes the following types of constraints:
- NOT NULL
- Primary key
- Foreign key
- Table check
There is another type of constraint known as an informational constraint. Unlike the five constraint types listed above, an informational constraint is not enforced by the database manager, but it can be used by the SQL compiler to improve query performance. This article focuses on only the types of constraints in the list.
You can define one or more DB2 constraints when you create a new table, or you can define some of them by altering the table later. The CREATE TABLE statement is very complex. In fact, it is so complex that although only a small fraction of its options are used in constraint definitions, those options can themselves appear to be quite complex when viewed in a syntax diagram, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Partial syntax of the CREATE TABLE statement, showing clauses that are used in defining constraints
Constraints management can be simpler and more convenient when done through the DB2 Control Center.
Constraints definitions are associated with the database to which they apply, and they are stored in the database catalog, as shown in Table 1. You can query the database catalog to retrieve and inspect this information. You can do so directly from the command line (remember to establish a database connection first), or, again, you might find it more convenient to access some of this information through the DB2 Control Center.
The constraints that you create are handled like any other database objects. They are named, have an associated schema (creator ID), and in some cases can be dropped (deleted).
Figure 2. Partial syntax of the CREATE TABLE statement, showing clauses that are used in defining constraints (continued)
Table 1 shows constraints information in the database catalog. To run successfully, queries against the catalog require a database connection.
Table 1. Constraints information in the database catalog
|Catalog view||View column||Description||Query example|
|SYSCAT.CHECKS||Contains a row for each table check constraint||db2 select constname, tabname, text from syscat.checks|
|SYSCAT.COLCHECKS||Contains a row for each column that is referenced by a table check constraint||db2 select constname, tabname, colname, usage from syscat.colchecks|
|SYSCAT.COLUMNS||NULLS||Indicates whether a column is nullable (Y) or not nullable (N)||db2 select tabname, colname, nulls from syscat.columns where tabschema = 'DELSVT' and nulls = 'N'|
|SYSCAT.CONSTDEP||Contains a row for each dependency of a constraint on some other object||db2 select constname, tabname, btype, bname from syscat.constdep|
|SYSCAT.INDEXES||Contains a row for each index.||db2 select tabname, uniquerule, made_unique, system_required from syscat.indexes where tabschema = 'DELSVT'|
|SYSCAT.KEYCOLUSE||Contains a row for each column that participates in a key defined by a unique, primary key, or foreign key constraint||db2 select constname, tabname, colname, colseq from syscat.keycoluse|
|SYSCAT.REFERENCES||Contains a row for each referential constraint||db2 select constname, tabname, refkeyname, reftabname, colcount, deleterule, updaterule from syscat.references|
|SYSCAT.TABCONST||Contains a row for each unique (U), primary key (P), foreign key (F), or table check (K) constraint||db2 select constname, tabname, type from syscat.tabconst|
|SYSCAT.TABLES||PARENTS||Number of parent tables of this table (the number of referential constraints in which this table is a dependent)||db2 "select tabname, parents from syscat.tables where parents > 0"|
|SYSCAT.TABLES||CHILDREN||Number of dependent tables of this table (the number of referential constraints in which this table is a parent)||db2 "select tabname, children from syscat.tables where children > 0"|
|SYSCAT.TABLES||SELFREFS||Number of self-referencing referential constraints for this table (the number of referential constraints in which this table is both a parent and a dependent)||db2 "select tabname, selfrefs from syscat.tables where selfrefs > 0"|
|SYSCAT.TABLES||KEYUNIQUE||Number of unique constraints (other than primary key) defined on this table||db2 "select tabname, keyunique from syscat.tables where keyunique > 0"|
|SYSCAT.TABLES||CHECKCOUNT||Number of check constraints defined on this table||db2 "select tabname, checkcount from syscat.tables where checkcount > 0"|
The NOT NULL constraint prevents null values from being added to a
column. This ensures that the column has a meaningful value for each row
in the table. For example, the definition of the EMPLOYEE table in the
SAMPLE database includes
LASTNAME VARCHAR(15) NOT
NULL, which ensures
that each row contains an employee's last name.
To determine whethe |
Medical students exhibit signs of depression at higher rates than a matched sample of the general population. And they show greater evidence of mental illness as their medical education continues.
One positive aspect of this troubling trend would be that medical students enjoy greater access to health | Medical students exhibit signs of depression at higher rates than a matched sample of the general population. And they show greater evidence of mental illness as their medical education continues.
One positive aspect of this troubling trend would be that medical students enjoy greater access to health care. But again, the data show otherwise. Despite their proximity to medical services, medical students are less likely than their peers to seek help for their condition.
A study at the University of Michigan Medical School published in the Journal of the American Medical Association explores why depression is prevalent among medical students and why they choose not to treat it. The web-based survey found that most students viewed depression with a stigma. Acknowledging their depression, they felt, would cause peers and faculty to see them as less able.
Unfortunately, this picture of an ultra-competitive environment where any admission of weakness is taboo characterizes many doctors’ medical school experiences. As faculty, we should be attentive to the health of students as well as patients. One way to do that is to talk openly about depression and mental health as a way to lessen the stigma. |
|This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2007)|
The thermopower, or thermoelectric power (also called the Seebeck coefficient) of a material is a measure of the magnitude of an induced thermoelectric | |This article needs additional citations for verification. (November 2007)|
The thermopower, or thermoelectric power (also called the Seebeck coefficient) of a material is a measure of the magnitude of an induced thermoelectric voltage in response to a temperature difference across that material. The thermopower has units of volts per kelvin (V/K), although it is more often given in microvolts per kelvin (μV/K).
Thermopower is a misnomer. What is called thermopower would be more correctly dubbed thermoelectric sensitivity as it measures the voltage or electric potential (not the electric power) induced in response to a temperature difference. Note that the unit of thermopower (V/K) is different from the unit of power (watts).
The phenomenon quantified by thermopower is called the Seebeck effect. The Seebeck effect and two related phenomena (the Peltier effect and Thomson effect) are together called the "thermoelectric effect".
Physics of thermopower
An applied temperature difference causes charged carriers in the material, whether they are electrons or holes, to diffuse from the hot side to the cold side, similar to a gas that expands when heated.
Mobile charged carriers migrating to the cold side leave behind their oppositely charged and immobile nuclei at the hot side thus giving rise to a thermoelectric voltage (thermoelectric refers to the fact that the voltage is created by a temperature difference). Since a separation of charges also creates an electric field, the buildup of charged carriers onto the cold side eventually ceases at some maximum value since there exists an equal amount of charged carriers drifting back to the hot side as a result of the electric field at equilibrium. Only an increase in the temperature difference can resume a buildup of more charge carriers on the cold side and thus lead to an increase in the thermoelectric voltage. Incidentally the thermopower also measures the entropy per charge carrier in the material.
The thermopower of a material, represented as, depends on the material's temperature, and crystal structure. Typically metals have small thermopowers because most have half-filled bands. Electrons (negative charges) and holes (positive charges) both contribute to the induced thermoelectric voltage thus canceling each other's contribution to that voltage and making it small. In contrast, semiconductors can be doped with an excess amount of electrons or holes and thus can have large positive or negative values of the thermopower depending on the charge of the excess carriers. The sign of the thermopower can determine which charged carriers dominate the electric transport in both metals and semiconductors.
Superconductors have zero thermopower since the charged carriers carry no entropy. Equivalently, the thermopower is zero because it is impossible to have a finite voltage across a superconductor. (For example, by Ohm's law, V=IR=0, since the resistance, R, is equal to zero in a superconductor.)
If the temperature difference ΔT between the two ends of a material is small, then the thermopower of a material is defined as:
where ΔV is the thermoelectric voltage seen at the terminals in steady-state when the current is zero. (See below for more on the signs of ΔV and ΔT.)
Strictly speaking, these two expressions are not quite the same, and it is the first, not the second, which agrees with the practical, experimental definition. (They differ because voltage, defined here as "the quantity measured with a voltmeter", depends not only on the electric field but also the internal chemical potential gradient of electrons in the material.)
Sign of the thermopower
Here, again, are the formulas for the Seebeck coefficient, with the sign made explicit:
where "left" and "right" denote two ends of the material, and where the second equation is understood as vector multiplication. Thus, if S is positive, the end with the higher temperature has the lower voltage, and vice-versa, and the electric field will point in the same direction as the temperature gradient.
Note that there is a minus sign in the first equation, but not the second. This is because the electric field points from the higher voltage towards the lower voltages, whereas the temperature gradient points from the lower temperature towards the higher temperature.
Charge carriers tend to respond to a temperature gradient by moving in the opposite direction, i.e. from the hot end to the cold end. They tend to respond to an electric field in different ways depending on their charge: positive charges tend to move in the same direction as the field, while negative charges move in the opposite direction of the field. For equilibrium to be reached, these two tendencies have to cancel out. Thus, f |
In Illinois, teachers use cute cartoons of anthropomorphic coal to teach kids that our dirtiest fossil fuel is great.
But don’t blame the teachers. Blame coal-industry lobbyists and the state government.
The Illinois Coal Technology Development Assistance Act calls | In Illinois, teachers use cute cartoons of anthropomorphic coal to teach kids that our dirtiest fossil fuel is great.
But don’t blame the teachers. Blame coal-industry lobbyists and the state government.
The Illinois Coal Technology Development Assistance Act calls for the promotion of coal in school curricula. A curriculum developed in 2004 to comply with that law blends coal-related lessons into math, geology, and economics classes and art and essay contests. (Jeff Biggers touched on this bizarre situation in a Grist post in 2009.)
Fortunately, there’s now a gust of intellectual fresh air that could help clear Illinois classrooms of some of this nonsense. The state’s Commerce Department, which oversees the coal education program, recently released a 400-page evaluation that recommends an overhaul. Midwest Energy News reports:
[The Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity's evaluation] calls for retiring the current curriculum and revamping it to “provide high-quality scientific content, a balance of perspectives, and present coal as part of an energy portfolio in national and global contexts.” …
The DCEO evaluation concluded that: “Science content experts, teachers and stakeholders found the (curriculum’s) scientific content to be outdated, biased towards a positive image of coal, light on natural science content, and lacking discussion of potential environmental and social impacts of coal use.”
The evaluators recommended that |
Agonized pose tells of dinosaur death throes
Archaeopteryx fossil showing the distinctive head-back death pose of many articulated fossilized birds, dinosaurs and early mammals. Archaeopteryx is an ancient feathered dinosaur. This specimen | Agonized pose tells of dinosaur death throes
Archaeopteryx fossil showing the distinctive head-back death pose of many articulated fossilized birds, dinosaurs and early mammals. Archaeopteryx is an ancient feathered dinosaur. This specimen is at the Humboldt Museum, Berlin. The skull is approximately two inches long.
A classic example of the posture, which has puzzled paleontologists for ages, is the 150 million-year-old Archaeopteryx, the first-known example of a feathered dinosaur and the proposed link between dinosaurs and present-day birds.”
“Virtually all articulated specimens of Archaeopteryx are in this posture, exhibiting a classic pose of head thrown back, jaws open, back and tail reflexed backward and limbs contracted,” said Kevin Padian, professor of integrative biology and curator in the Museum of Paleontology at the University of California, Berkeley. He and Cynthia Marshall Faux of the Museum of the Rockies published their findings in the March issue of the quarterly journal Paleobiology, which appeared this week.
Dinosaurs and their relatives, ranging from the flying pterosaurs to Tyrannosaurus rex, as well as many early mammals, have been found exhibiting this posture. The explanation usually given by paleontologists is that the dinosaurs died in water and the currents drifted the bones into that position, or that rigor mortis or drying muscles, tendons and ligaments contorted the limbs.
“I’m reading this in the literature and thinking, “This doesn’t make any sense to me as a veterinarian,’” said lead author Faux (pronounced fox), a veterinarian-turned-paleontologist who also is a curatorial affiliate with Yale University’s Peabody Museum. “Paleontologists aren’t around sick and dying animals the way a veterinarian is, where you see this posture all the time in disease processes, in strychnine cases, in animals hit by a car or in some sort of extremis.”
Faux and Padian argue in Paleobiology that the dinosaurs died in this posture as a result of damage to the central nervous system. In fact, the posture is well known to neurologists as opisthotonus and is due to damage to the brain’s cerebellum. In humans and animals, cerebellar damage can result from suffocation, meningitis, tetanus or poisoning, and typically accompanies a long, slow death.
Some animals found in this posture may have suffocated in an ash fall during a volcanic eruption, consistent with the fact that many fossils are found in ash deposits, Faux and Padian said. But many other possibilities exist, including disease, brain trauma, severe bleeding, thiamine deficiency or poisoning.
“This puts a whole new light on the mode of death of these animals, and interpretation of the places they died in,” Padian said. “This explanation gives us clues to interpreting a great many fossil horizons we didn’t understand before and tells us something dinosaurs experienced while dying, not after dying.”
Also, because the posture has been seen only in dinosaurs, pterosaurs and mammals, which are known or suspected to have had high metabolic rates, it appears to be a good indicator that the animal was warm blooded. Animals with lower metabolic rates, such as crocodiles and lizards, use less oxygen and so might have been less traumatically affected by hypoxia during death throes, Padian said.
Padian acknowledged that many dinosaur fossils show signs that the animal died in water and the current tugged the body into an arched position, but currents cannot explain all the characteristics of an opisthotonic pose. By studying a large number of fully articulated fossil skeletons, he and Faux were able to distinguish animals that underwent post-mortem water transport, a non-biological or abiotic process, from those with the classic “dead-bird” posture, which they interpret to be the result of biological processes.
Faux, who also works as a disaster veterinarian from her home in Lewiston, Idaho, set out to test other post-mortem processes – rigor mortis, which is the temporary stiffening of muscles after death; and the drying of muscles, tendons and ligaments – that some paleontologists credit with creating the opisthotonic posture.
Working with a raptor recovery center, she obtained birds that were so badly injured they had to be euthanized – great horned owls, red-tailed hawks and falcons – and observed them during rigor mortis, checking periodically for eight to 10 hours to see if they moved during the process.
“In horses and smaller animals, rigor mortis sets in within a couple of hours, so I just looked to see if they were moving or not,” Faux said. “And they weren’t moving. They were staying in whatever position I’d left them in. I thought, ‘If birds aren’t doing it, and I’d never observed a horse doing it, then why would dinosaurs be doing it?’”
The idea that drying causes muscles or tendons to contract asymmetrically also didn’t make sense, she said, based on her veterinary experience and an experiment she conducted with two euthanized red-tailed hawks, which she dried for two months in Styrofoam peanuts. Most joints have counterbalancing muscles that dry the same way, s |
By Amber Lamprecht
Co-Founder of the Literacy and Language Center in San Francisco
Originally published by India Parent Magazine
Reading, in general, is a skill that requires our brains to use a variety of functions. While reading, we | By Amber Lamprecht
Co-Founder of the Literacy and Language Center in San Francisco
Originally published by India Parent Magazine
Reading, in general, is a skill that requires our brains to use a variety of functions. While reading, we need to have the ability to sound out words, the ability to recognize words quickly and the ability to understand what words mean. Not only do we need to do these skills individually but we need to be able to blend these skills together at the same time. To study this, researchers are using functional MRI’s, a brain imaging technique, to study what areas of the brain are working for different reading skills. They have found that the ability to sound out words is a different cognitive function than recognizing sight words. In other words, we use a combination of cognitive functions to complete the task of reading.
The reading programs that are used in schools often focus on one part of the process. For example, the Phonics Program that has been used for decades focuses on builds the ability to sound words out one sound at a time. However, readers that are taught with that program often are slow at processing language because their sight word recognition has been neglected. The Whole Language Program focuses on using contextual clues and meaning of words as a reading strategy. Readers taught with this program often are weak at decoding, spelling and recognizing words. In essence, with both commonly used reading programs, one part of the puzzle is strong but other skills haven’t been developed and therefore can become the weakness in a person’s learning style. This doesn’t mean these programs are not effective but enhancement would be beneficial.
This is where multi-sensory teaching comes in. We take in information using what we see, what we hear and through movement. The best learning programs integrate all three senses at the same time. Multi-sensory learning theory posits that the more sensory pathways used and the more intensely they are used, the more efficiently and effectively information is retained (Montessori, 1967, Orton, 1937).
How can these ideas be integrated into reading instruction? Reading exercises should involve a tactile component as well as the visual and auditory elements. This could mean tracing letters with the student’s fingers on desks to practice spelling or on surfaces like sand. At higher levels multi-sensory elements could include visualizing content they are reading and describing the image in words, both in speaking or in writing as a tool to develop detailed language. To develop comprehension, physical movement is extremely useful, such as acting out what has been learned. Some research proves that when students learn with classical music being played with a strong rhythmic element in it, retention is increased. When students are taking notes they should be encouraged to draw pictures in the margins that match the content since this is an effective way to increase the retention of the information presented.
There are several teaching methods that integrate these ideas that have been proven to be successful, regardless of the student’s learning styles. The Montessori Method uses a multi-sensory approach. There are more Montessori programs for ages 3-6 than for any other age group, but Montessori is not limited to early childhood. For reading instruction, the Orton-Gillingham Method was developed in the 1930’s and integrates learning through the senses. Several programs evolved from this methodology. Lindamood-Bell Learning Processes and Slingerland programs have been adapted to be even more multi-sensory in nature. These programs are especially effective in helping students with learning differences and diagnosed disabilities.
Since multi-sensory programs are scientifically proven to be advantageous for all students, why aren’t the schools using them in all classrooms? The training in these programs is expensive and it takes a long time to master the techniques so that they are being taught properly. Also, generations of educators are being taught out-dated methodology and may not be familiar with these methods. However, parents can seek these methods out and ask educators questions about how they are integrating these practices in the classroom. If a student is falling behind in school, there are many successful outside programs and learning centers to get students caught up using multi-sensory techniques. |
As with most designers, being sure that we explore and select the most successful, memorable and stimulating designs is a vital aspect that underpins every project we undertake. For us, the beginning of a new challenge has never been as simple as asking ourselves | As with most designers, being sure that we explore and select the most successful, memorable and stimulating designs is a vital aspect that underpins every project we undertake. For us, the beginning of a new challenge has never been as simple as asking ourselves what might be the best avenue to take and then sitting down at a computer and attempting to fulfill that idea.
After researching the subject matter, we will almost always begin with a sheet of paper and pencil and draw out a variety of design options to help bring together and develop the breadth of ideas that are maturing in our minds. In this article, we will explore the use of drawing and mark-making as an integral part of the creative process.
An example of mark-making that helps to formulate design ideas for working with type and image. Note the changes in mark-making that indicate different levels of type.
We have found that exploring design options on paper using drawing and mark-making is a great way to ensure that we are moving in the right direction with a project; plus, we don’t think this working process can be beaten for stimulating unexpected solutions that would otherwise have been very unlikely to see the daylight. We‘ll focus on different types of drawing and mark-making as problem-solving tools and skills; they form a vital part of visualizing and exploring design alternatives that involve quantities of type, with or without images.
Why Textural And Tonal Qualities Of Type Should Be Addressed In Drawing
Letterforms, lines of type and words com |
When it opened in 1825, the Crescent Aqueduct was the longest aqueduct in the original system at 1,118 feet. The wall map shows a heavy concentration of homes, businesses, and schools near the Mohawk and Hudson rivers | When it opened in 1825, the Crescent Aqueduct was the longest aqueduct in the original system at 1,118 feet. The wall map shows a heavy concentration of homes, businesses, and schools near the Mohawk and Hudson rivers along the canal.
"Everything was really linked so much to the canal," Winters said. "Where the Hudson and Mohawk meet and everything comes together was very important to the history of the towns at the time, and there was a great deal of traffic down through that area."
"You can see all of the activity that surrounds the canal. There's a lot of population and businesses in the area," Bolen added.
Although the town has changed dramatically in the last 140 years, Winters said some remnants from the past still remain.
"I see the big changes from the small hamlets that were the focus of activity to now a much broader focus," she said. "[But] tons of family names have given their names to the different streets."
The county atlas is available for reference in the library's history room. The book cost $12.95 in 1866, which is equal to about $164 today, according to the U.S Government Printing Office.
According to the book, Clifton Park had a population of 2,712 in 1865 and Halfmoon's population at the time was 3,032. The two towns' populations of cows was 1,227 and 325, respectively. Population figures on swine, sheep, and horses were also available. |
I am wondering what length the padding should be when encrypting or signing with RSA.
Does it matter what length the padding is, and if so — what length should it be?
Another point: Should it be random?
|show 1 more | I am wondering what length the padding should be when encrypting or signing with RSA.
Does it matter what length the padding is, and if so — what length should it be?
Another point: Should it be random?
|show 1 more comment|
First and foremost: it is a bad idea to invent a method to sign or encrypt with RSA (or any crypto). Standards like PKCS#1 or ISO/IEC 9796-2 are here for that purpose, and even these occasionally have more or less subtle flaws.
Given comments, I'll assume that the question is about an RSA encryption scheme enciphering message $M$ into $(M||S)^e\bmod N$, and an RSA signing scheme with appendix producing a signature for $M$ as $(M||S)^d\bmod N$, where $||$ stands for concatenation. $m$ and $s$ will be the bit size of $M$ and $S$ (including leading zeroes), and $n$ the bit size of the public modulus $N$ (excluding leading zeroes). I'll assume $m+s<n$, implying $(M||S)<N$, which allows decryption. The question is about choosing $S$ (designated as salt), and $s$.
In the context of RSA, salt is not a common term; we use padding. In particular, salt is typically assumed random and public, and that is not what $S$ should be.
In the encryption scheme, if $S$ is made public, and $M$ is a message from a small set (e.g. coin or dice throw, winner of an election, password, serial number) or more generally low-entropy, the adversary can compute $(M||S)^e\bmod N$ for plausible $M$, and the only result matching the ciphertext will be that for the right plaintext. Similarly, $S$ must not be a public function of $M$ (e.g. obtained by hashing). The best choice would be $S$ random, undisclosed, and drawn for each ciphertext produced (rather than for each message encrypted; the difference is critical if there are multiple recipients). I'm then confident, without proof, that $s\ge 2\cdot n/3+256$ is safe. That bound is far from optimal, but that answer shows that $s\gg n/e$ is necessary to guard against attack by Coppersmith's theorem, and $s\gg 256$ is necessary to guard against a square-root attack.
In the signature scheme, if $S$ was entirely random, the adversary could choose it freely in attempted forgeries. This is a huge problem, in particular the signatures $1$ and $0$ are both admissible for the empty/all-zero message (other attacks are possible; the larger $s$, the more unsafe). Thus $S$, or at least a sizable portion of $S$, must be non-malleable by the adversary (though some of $S$ can be left random, if it is tolerable or desirable that signing the same message twice does not lead to twice the same signature; that's also useful for some security arguments). $S$ (except for its random portion, if any) is best a public random-like function of $M$, like $S=H(M)||H(H(M))||H(H(H(M)))\dots$ until $S$ is wide enough. Again I'm then confident, without proof, that $s\ge 2\cdot n/3+256$ (including at most 256 random bits) is safe, even if the adversary is assumed to be able to obtain signatures for messages of her choice; again that bound is far from optimal. Update: the verifier must of course check the validity of the padding $S$ (except for its random portion, if any). |
The war split up families and scattered Spaniards far and wide
About 500,000 people whose families had to flee Spain during the civil war and the subsequent Franco era now have the right to apply for Spanish citizenship.
Spain's new Law of | The war split up families and scattered Spaniards far and wide
About 500,000 people whose families had to flee Spain during the civil war and the subsequent Franco era now have the right to apply for Spanish citizenship.
Spain's new Law of Historical Memory, enacted a year ago, applies to people whose mother or father was Spanish, and the grandchildren of those who fled.
They can start submitting applications for Spanish citizenship on Monday.
Most of those who qualify live in Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba, Chile, Venezuela, Mexico and France.
Nearly 300,000 Spanish descendants in Argentina are eligible for citizenship - the largest group, Spain's El Pais news website reports.
Descendants of Spaniards who left the country out of fear of political persecution or economic hardship between 1936 and 1955 can apply for nationality before 2011.
The Law of Historical Memory aims to compensate and rehabilitate victims of Spain's 1936-1939 civil war.
An estimated 500,000 people died in the war, which left Spain as a dictatorship under the rule of the fascist General Francisco Franco.
The country only began a transition to democracy after the death of Gen Franco in 1975. |
Fewer migrating ducks, geese and wading birds are wintering in the UK because more are staying closer to their Arctic breeding grounds due to climate change.
Many birds who migrate to the UK are staying closer to home
New studies by the | Fewer migrating ducks, geese and wading birds are wintering in the UK because more are staying closer to their Arctic breeding grounds due to climate change.
Many birds who migrate to the UK are staying closer to home
New studies by the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) and the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust have revealed the fall.
Teams patrol watersides in winter to count species and numbers of birds.
Their work covers the Wash, Morecambe Bay, Norfolk coast, Solway Firth and the estuaries of the Humber, Thames, Dee and Mersey in the period 2001-04.
Ducks, geese and waders are attracted by the relatively warmer winter conditions in the Gulf Stream protected British Isles but, claims the BTO, global warming could be persuading migrating birds to stay in cooler northern and eastern waters.
Britain is the winter home for about 10 million wetland birds and the Wash sees populations of 350,000, while other sites and the estuaries have numbers of more than 100,000.
However, heavy development of traditional sites in the south of England have seen loss of habitat which has caused the bird populations to move away.
Signs are growing that all is not well for a range of geese, ducks and wading birds.
For species such as the grey plover and dark-bellied brent goose, whose populations peaked in the early 1990s, after long periods of increase, numbers are now declining steadily.
But numbers of little egrets, pink-footed geese, gadwall and black-tailed godwit are all reaching record levels.
Andy Musgrove, of the BTO, who is the wetland bird survey national co-ordinator, said: "Different species are |
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Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)
Symphony No. 4 • Romeo and Juliet Overture
Born in Kamsko-Votkinsk in 1840, the second son of a mining engineer, Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky had his early education, in music as in everything else, at home, under the care of his mother and of a beloved governess. From the age of ten he was a pupil at the School of Jurisprudence in St Petersburg, completing his studies there in 1859, to take employment in the Ministry of Justice. During these years he developed his abilities as a musician and it must have seemed probable that, like his near contemporaries Mussorgsky, Cui, Rimsky-Korsakov and Borodin, he would keep music as a secondary occupation, while following his official career.
For Tchaikovsky matters turned out differently. The foundation of the new Conservatory of Music in St Petersburg under Anton Rubinstein enabled him to study there as a full-time student from 1863. In 1865 he moved to Moscow as a member of the staff of the new Conservatory established there by Anton Rubinstein's brother Nikolay. For over ten years he continued in Moscow, before financial assistance from a rich widow, Nadezhda von Meck, enabled him to leave the Conservatory and devote himself entirely to composition. The same period in his life brought an unfortunate marriage to a se |
Euchee (Yuchi) Indians
Euchee (Yuchi) Indians are not well documented in history.
What is known is that the Euchee were among the Mound-building People making
them among the oldest recognizable residents of | Euchee (Yuchi) Indians
Euchee (Yuchi) Indians are not well documented in history.
What is known is that the Euchee were among the Mound-building People making
them among the oldest recognizable residents of the Southeast. The European
Explorer DeSoto "discovered" them in Tennessee. He noted that they were a large
powerful tribe. Unfortunately, disease and epidemics ravaged the tribe after the
Spanish men visited the East Tennessee area.
At some point after that, the tribe split in half over
politics. Some stayed in Tennessee. The remainder scattered throughout the
Southeast and became part of a confederacy commonly known as the Creek Indians.
Their domain extended from the Atlantic Ocean westward to the area around the
Alabama and Tombigbee Rivers. It included most of Alabama, Georgia, and all of
During the 1700's some of the Euchee moved into the area
around Bruce Creek and Choctawhatchee Bay. This is part of what we now know as
Northwest Florida. The area near Defuniak Springs became known as the
The Euchee believed they desce |
While the standard Excel package includes some basic statistical functions, its support for probability distributions is very limited and almost useless for real world probabilistic modelling applications. This article discusses the worksheet functions provided by EasyFitXL, the distribution fitting add-in for Excel | While the standard Excel package includes some basic statistical functions, its support for probability distributions is very limited and almost useless for real world probabilistic modelling applications. This article discusses the worksheet functions provided by EasyFitXL, the distribution fitting add-in for Excel, that can be applied to perform a range of calculations using a variety of probability distributions.
Which Distribution Should You Use?
How The Distributions Are Presented in Excel / EasyFitXL
How To Specify The Distribution Functions
The Two Most Popular Distribution Functions - CDF and Inverse CDF
Other Useful Distribution Functions
If you work with random data of any kind, you can use the probability distributions to measure the uncertainty and deal with risk affecting your business. There are many different probability distributions developed by statisticians to model random data of different kinds, ranging from business data, finance data (stock prices) to engineering data (system failures) and environmental data (maximum wind speeds, flood flows).
EasyFitXL includes over 55 distributions covering most real world applications. For each distribution, EasyFitXL provides several functions to be used in your Excel sheets. These functions allow you to obtain comprehensive information on any distribution, and thus on the underlying random process you are modelling.
When performing the analysis, it is essential that you select a probability distribution that best fits to your data, since if you use an inappropriate distribution, you will get incorrect results leading to bad decisions. We have |
A BOAT SURROUNDED BY ICE FLOES
Over the years, many people have asked me when Greenwich Harbor had frozen over so that people could actually walk over to Island Beach. I remembered reading something about it, and decided to | A BOAT SURROUNDED BY ICE FLOES
Over the years, many people have asked me when Greenwich Harbor had frozen over so that people could actually walk over to Island Beach. I remembered reading something about it, and decided to research the topic for this blog.
The earliest mention was February 19, 1875. According to the timeline in "Before and After 1776" (HSTG, 1976), Long Island Sound was so frozen over that residents were able to ride their horses and buggies from Steamboat Road to Great Captain's Island! Since newspapers in Greenwich weren't published until 1877, I couldn't find any info on this.
In January 1887, people were reported to have "coasted and sleighed" on Greenwich Avenue. It was 2-degrees F below zero, and ice spread to fill in the bare roads to make a smooth surface for sleighing. Owners of horses and sleighs experienced great business as everyone took to the byways. There were even sleighing parties at night since the clear skies and full moon provided abundant light! People were coasting on sleds and long bobsleds down Greenwich Avenue to Belle Haven Avenue! There were horse races on the Mill Pond in Cos Cob, which was covered over with ice.
Not everyone enjoyed the cold weather, though. Boats were frozen in the Mianus River, and on February 12, 1899, steamers were frozen in ice on Long Island Sound. Ice was measured to be 8-inches thick, and the entire Sound was frozen over. The Maid of Kent, piloted by a Captain Holmes, took 50 hours to sail from New York City to Greenwich Harbor! When he sailed into the Whitestone area, his boat became frozen in the ice. He had to rely on passing boats and steamers to break up the ice so he could continue his voyage. The Maid would try to follow in the wake of the rescue ship, but became re-frozen as she fell behind. She kept backing, sliding and pushing to get free. It took many hours and many vessels to help her reach her destination in Greenwich Harbor.
I've read in several places that early in the 1900s, ice harvesting was a big business. After all, people only had ice chests - not the convenient refrigerators we have today. Men would harvest ice from streams, swamps and ponds, load up wagons and ride around town selling blocks for ice boxes. It's reported that the ice on Conyer's lake was 9-inches thick! Some 2,000 tons were harvested for sale to the public! Ice was also harvested from the Ten -Acre Swamp, which is where the Greenwich High School athletic fields are today.
Greenwich Time columnist Warren Lewin (1/25/1987) wrote about Byram Harbor being frozen over for 8-weeks during the winter of 1904. The steamer Glenville, owned and operated by The Port Chester Transportation Company, was stuck in the ice at the foot of Adee Street. Workers had to use dynamite to open up a channel to the Sound. The Glenville transported felt, shirts as well as wood and coal for furnaces and stoves.
Again, in January 1918, a cold snap froze the Harbor out to Great Captain's Island and Island Beach. People walked out to see a 3-masted barge, which sank on January 10th. Schools were closed since the weather was extremely frigid and there was a coal shortage. The local peach crop was ruined.
On February 9, 1934, the temperature set a new record as the mercury dropped to 20-degrees below zero! Once again, ice was solid from Indian Harbor to Island Beach.
Greenwich was hit with "the worst ice storm in history" on March 4, 1940, resulting in millions of dollars of damage.
Riverside and Old Greenwich lost electricty for five-days after a powerful ice storm hit the area on December 17, 1973.
Winters in Greenwich have moderated somewhat over the years. Every so often, though, ice becomes a threat to boats and pilings. Pilings are long wooden poles, anchor |
You don't have to be a teenager to want to fit in at the school lunchroom. Some wild animals seem to follow similar monkey-see, monkey-do behavior to follow the crowd and find the best eats, new research finds.
South African | You don't have to be a teenager to want to fit in at the school lunchroom. Some wild animals seem to follow similar monkey-see, monkey-do behavior to follow the crowd and find the best eats, new research finds.
South African monkeys switched foods purely because of peer pressure, suggest the results of a study in Thursday's journal Science.
"We're not as unique as we would like to think," said lead author Erica van de Waal, of the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. "We can find many of the roots of our behaviors in animals."
For her study, 109 vervet monkeys living in groups in the wild were given a choice of food tinted pink or blue by the researchers. One color for each group was tainted with aloe to give it a harmless yucky flavor. After a few meals, the food was no longer tainted, but the monkeys still wouldn't eat the color they figured was bad.
But that changed when some of them tried to fit in with a new group of monkeys. Blue-food eaters instantly switch when they moved to an area full of pink-food eaters, even though they shunned pink food before. Pink eaters also changed when they moved to a blue-food area.
The social pressure may be like "teenagers with a desperate need to be just like the other guys," said co-author Andrew Whiten, also of St. Andrews. Or it could be that the monkeys are learning to adapt to local custom — think restaurant reviews or the old saying "when in Rome, do as the Romans do," he said.
Not original goal of study
The researchers were surprised by the finding: They were only aiming to find out if mothers taught their young the same color food preference they learned, Whiten said. The next generation automatically ate the same as their mother, showing how food choice is learned.
Just by sheer luck, some blue-eating monkeys went to the pink-eating tribes and some pink-eating males went to blue tribes. And that's when the researchers saw peer pressure in action
Of the 10 migr |
|Authors||Ken Whistler, Rick McGowan|
This document provides a list of danda characters in the Unicode Standard.
This document is a Unicode Technical Note. Sole responsibility for its contents rests with the author(s). Publication does not imply | |Authors||Ken Whistler, Rick McGowan|
This document provides a list of danda characters in the Unicode Standard.
This document is a Unicode Technical Note. Sole responsibility for its contents rests with the author(s). Publication does not imply any endorsement by the Unicode Consortium. This document is not subject to the Unicode Patent Policy.
For information on Unicode Technical Notes including criteria for acceptance, see http://www.unicode.org/notes/.
Dandas are punctuation characters commonly seen in the typographic traditions of writing systems of South and Southeast Asia. While they occur in many scripts, they are primarily found in traditional materials written in scripts historically derived from the Brahmi script.
The typical appearance of a danda is simply a vertical bar. Two vertical bars may also be paired together in a corresponding punctuation mark known as a double danda. Tripled forms may also occur, but are much less common. Although forms based on a simple vertical bar are typical, in some scripts more elaborate forms have developed, and in some cases—such as Tibetan, in which the danda is termed a shad—the danda mark may accrue additional adornments.
Dandas generally delimit phrase-, sentence-, or section-level divisions in text. When both a single and a double danda occur, the double danda is used to demarcate larger units of text than the single danda. This usage is roughly comparable to the use of commas and full stops in Western typography, although dandas typically mark larger phrasal units than what might be separated by commas in Western typography. In many traditional materials, dandas and double dandas delimit what might be best termed verses or sections, and do not map easily onto concepts such as "sentence". Usage may also vary by script, by language, and by corpus.
Many South and Southeast Asian scripts in modern usage have adopted Western typographic practice in varying degrees. In such contexts dandas are often supplanted by common-use Western punctuation marks.
Many of the danda characters encoded in the Unicode Standard have the word "DANDA" in their name, but there are many instances where punctuation marks are encoded, which historically and functionally are dandas, but which have distinct names specific to a particular script. Also, because danda characters do not all have simple, vertical bar shapes, they are not always easy to find w |
APGAR is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The 1-minute score determines how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. The 5-minute score tells the doctor how well the baby | APGAR is a quick test performed on a baby at 1 and 5 minutes after birth. The 1-minute score determines how well the baby tolerated the birthing process. The 5-minute score tells the doctor how well the baby is doing outside the mother's womb.
The test may rarely be done 10 minutes after birth.
How the Test is Performed
The APGAR test is done by a doctor, midwife, or nurse. The health care provider will examine the baby's:
Each category is scored with 0, 1, or 2, depending on the observed condition.
Why the Test is Performed
This test is done to determine whether a newborn needs help breathing or is having heart trouble.
The APGAR rating is based on a total score of 1 to 10. The higher the score, the better the baby is doing after birth.
A score of 7, 8, or 9 is normal and is a sign that the newborn is in good health. A score of 10 is very unusual, since almost all newborns lose 1 point for blue hands and feet, which is normal for after birth.
What Abnormal Results Mean
Any score lower than 7 is a sign that the baby needs medical attention. The lower the score, the m |
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Syngnathiformes
(Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae
(Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnath | Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Syngnathiformes
(Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathidae
(Pipefishes and seahorses) > Syngnathinae
Etymology: Corythoichthys: Greek, korys, korythos = helmet + Greek, ichtys = fish (Ref. 45335).
Environment / Climate / Range
Marine; reef-associated; depth range 0 - 21 m (Ref. 37816). Tropical; 30°N - 30°S
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range? -? cm
Max length : 19.8 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 1602)
Indo-Pacific: East Africa to Vanuatu, north to southern Japan southward to Australia.
Adults inhabit shallow protected areas of rubble and sand (Ref. 37816), usually semi-silty zones (Ref. 48635). Occur more commonly at depths between 0 and 3 m. Ovoviviparous (Ref. 205). Males carry the eggs in a brood pouch which is found under the tail (Ref. 205). Males may be brooding at 9.0 cm SL. Adults nearly always in pairs (Ref. 48635). Solitary, pairs or in small groups (Ref 90102).
Dawson, C.E., 1985. Indo-Pacific pipefishes (Red Sea to the Americas). The Gulf Coast Research Laboratory Ocean Springs, Mississippi, USA.
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 90363)
Threat to humans
Fisheries: of no interest; aquarium: commercial
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
CollaboratorsPicturesStamps, CoinsSoundsCiguateraSpeedSwim. typeGill areaOtolithsBrainsVision
Estimates of some properties based on empirical models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5002 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00054 (0.00023 - 0.00123), b=3.11 (2.92 - 3.30), based on LWR estimates for this Subfamily-BS (Ref. 93245
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.1 ±0.3 se; Based on diet studies.
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (25 of 100). |
In the last decade, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued several warnings about and recalls on imported food products that exceed federal standards for lead.
Products containing chili peppers and salt, such as Mexican-style candies, were often suspected as | In the last decade, the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued several warnings about and recalls on imported food products that exceed federal standards for lead.
Products containing chili peppers and salt, such as Mexican-style candies, were often suspected as sources of lead contamination. Work by UNLV researchers and the Southern Nevada Health District led to the removal of imported candies from local store shelves in 2006. In 2010, the FDA issued an alert for the “detention without physical examination of candy due to lead” for 39 types of candies from China, Mexico, and the Philippines.
The UNLV researchers turned their attention to hot sauces, which contain similar ingredients to candy but haven’t been evaluated by the FDA. Shawn Gerstenberger and Jennifer Berger Ritchie conducted the first known investigation of lead concentrations in hot sauces.
Their results were published in a recent edition of the Journal of Environmental Science and Health, Part B
In this pilot study, 25 bottles of imported hot sauces from Mexico and South America were purchased from local ethnic markets, grocery stores, and a swap meet. Product selection included a variety of manufacturers and types, particularly those made in Mexico because of previous lead concerns.
Bottles were shaken for 60 seconds and analyzed for lead concentrations and pH levels. The lead content of the packaging was evaluated (lead content in packaging has been known to leech into and contaminate other food products).
Four brands of hot sauces, or 16 percent, exceeded 0.1 ppm lead, the current FDA standard for unsafe levels of lead in candy. All four of these brands were imported from Mexico, but were from four different manufacturers.
There is no known safe level for lead exposure, as lead poisoning can affect almost every organ in the body and is absorbed faster by children than adults. In young children, lead poisoning has been known to cause learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and even seizures, comas and death in extreme cases.
Although hot sauce would not intuitively be counted amongst food products highly consumed by children, the study suggests that ethnic and cultural practices must be considered.
If hot sauce is a regular part of a child’s diet, it could contribute to unsafe levels of lead exposure, especially when combined with exposure to lead in the soil, cookware, and candies, or paint manufactured before 1978.
“The results indicate the need for more rigorous screening protocols for products imported in Mexico, including an applicable standard for hot sauce,” Gerstenberger said. “Without enforceable standards for hot sauces and condiments, manufacturers will not be encouraged to improve quality control measures designed to reduce the amounts of lead and other toxic elements before exporting.”
The study also suggests that the USDA and FDA receive support to create and establish additional standards to protect consumers from chemical hazards, such as lead in hot sauces, and enforce or clarify existing standards.
Gerstenberger recommends the adoption of 0.1ppm lead as a standard of unsafe levels for hot sauces until further conclusive evidence supports a different action level. He also says states can adopt policies to reject all imported hot sauces and other food products found to contain detectable concentrations of lead. |
A schema determines which elements, attributes, and capitalization is valid in that schema. (It also determines the tags and attributes that will be available in IntelliSense.) Select this option if you want Visual Studio to use the content of the page's | A schema determines which elements, attributes, and capitalization is valid in that schema. (It also determines the tags and attributes that will be available in IntelliSense.) Select this option if you want Visual Studio to use the content of the page's <!DOCTYPE> declaration and html element to determine the schema. For example, if you select this option and the page contains the declaration <!DOCTYPE html>, Visual Studio uses the HTML5 schema. However, if the html tag contains an xmlns attribute, (for example, <html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">), Visual Studio uses the XHTML5 schema.
Target when no doctype found
Choose the schema to validate against when there is no <!DOCTYPE> declaration in the page.
Select the check box in order to enable validation. If the check box is not selected, the editor will not mark validation errors.
The remaining check boxes allow you to fine-tune validation by specifying individual types of errors that you want the editor to mark.
Some schemas do not offer options to mark individual types of errors. For example, if you choose XHTML 1.1 as the target schema, all option check boxes are disabled, because in that case all types of errors are marked. |
- About national rivers
- NOR (National Organization for Rivers) seeks to do the following:
1. Clarify public river rights on thousands of miles where they are disputed, including canoeing, kayaking, rafting, fishing, birding | - About national rivers
- NOR (National Organization for Rivers) seeks to do the following:
1. Clarify public river rights on thousands of miles where they are disputed, including canoeing, kayaking, rafting, fishing, birding, and other uses.
2. Address public and private land usage along rivers.
3. To conserve the land along rivers, and keep enough water in rivers to keep them healthy and usable for navigation and fishing.
- Colorado Springs
- Kayaking, fishing, rafting, canoeing, duck hunting |
Your hands-free device may not keep you as safe as you want when you're behind the wheel.
A study released this week from AAA and the University of Utah says using those hands-free features behind the wheel is more distracting and dangerous than talking on | Your hands-free device may not keep you as safe as you want when you're behind the wheel.
A study released this week from AAA and the University of Utah says using those hands-free features behind the wheel is more distracting and dangerous than talking on the phone while driving. In fact, the study says dictating speech to text is the most distracting of all.
“Just because the device is hands-free doesn’t mean it’s risk free,” says Aaron Kupec from AAA Connecticut.
Kupec says the study looked at drivers’ cognitive activity while doing certain tasks behind the wheel.
NBC’s Tom Costello put the driving simulator to the test on the Today show Wednesday morning. He found his reaction time was delayed by 10 percent when concentrating on talking to the car’s computer.
“The key message here is just because your eyes are on the road and your hands are on the wheel doesn’t mean you’re not di |
From a rare dual-sex butterfly and an exciting new addition to the human family tree, to a striking electric-blue lobster and a new horned dinosaur, here are the top 10 favourite 2011 science and nature news stories from the Natural History | From a rare dual-sex butterfly and an exciting new addition to the human family tree, to a striking electric-blue lobster and a new horned dinosaur, here are the top 10 favourite 2011 science and nature news stories from the Natural History Museum website.
1. Electric-blue lobster found in Billingsgate fish market, November
The most popular story from 2011 was about a striking blue live lobster that was brought to the Museum for identification.
2. Ancient Denisovans and the human family tree, January
The 2nd most popular story featured Museum human origins expert Chris Stringer talking about a new group of ancient humans and the research suggesting they interbred with us.
3. New horned dinosaur hidden for 90 years in Museum, December
The 3rd most popular story was about the new dinosaur Spinops uncovered in the Museum collections. Museum dinosaur expert Paul Barrett talks about the discovery.
2011 was also the year for interesting research on the ancient magpie-sized Archaeopteryx. Barrett comments on its place in the dinosaur-bird family tree.
4. Dual-sex butterfly hatches at Natural History Museum, July
As well as being a popular visitor attraction in 2011, the Sensational Butterflies butterfly house was home to the hatching of two rare dual-sex butterflies, one in July and an even rarer one in August.
5. World's heaviest spider title challenged at Museum and video, July
At number 5 was an article and video for the Guinness World Record title challenge between a Hercules baboon spider and Goliath bird-eating spider.
6. Earliest human skull-cups made in the UK, February
The 6th story and video was about how Museum scientists revealed the earliest known examples of human skulls made into cups in Somerset. Museum scientists uncovered another important modern human find in a Devon jawbone that revealed the earliest NW Europeans.
7. Oldest predator Anomalocaris had super sight, December
Scientists at the Museum find first direct evidence that Anomalocaris had compound eyes with 16,000 lenses.
8. Sediba human ancestor could shift our origins to South Africa, September
The 8th most popular story is about an almost 2-million-year-old human-like species that may be the ancestor to the first humans.
9. Bone-eating zombie worms can no longer hide, October
In the number 9 story, Museum scientists showed how a 3-million-year-old fossil revealed traces of bone-eating zombie worms.
10. Bee mimic flies in to a garden near you, April
Last on this list is news of the springtime sightings of a curious fly. The bee-fly is hairy like a bee, hovers and hums, and has a scary looking spike at one end! |
A barrel is one of several units of volume. There are dry barrels, fluid barrels (UK beer barrel, US beer barrel), oil barrels, etc. The volume of some barrel units is double others, with various volumes in the range of about | A barrel is one of several units of volume. There are dry barrels, fluid barrels (UK beer barrel, US beer barrel), oil barrels, etc. The volume of some barrel units is double others, with various volumes in the range of about 100–200 litres (22–44 imp gal; 26–53 US gal), due to historical reasons. Since medieval times the measure barrel has been used with different meanings around Europe, from about 100 litres to above 1000 in special cases. The name comes from medieval French baril. In most countries, its use is mainly obsolete, superseded by SI units. Thus the meaning of corresponding words in other languages normally refers to a physical barrel, not a known measure. In the international oil market context, however, prices in USD per barrel are commonly used. Also, beer kegs are made in standardised volumes.
Dry goods in the US
- US dry barrel: 7,056 cubic inches (115.6 L) (~3.28 bushel).
- Defined as length of stave 28 1⁄2 in (72 cm), diameter of head 17 1⁄8 in (43 cm), distance between heads 26 in (66 cm), circumference of bulge 64 in (1.6 m) outside measurement; representing as nearly as possible 7,056 cubic inches; and the thickness of staves not greater than 4⁄10 in (10 mm) ([Ø ≈ 20.37 in or 51.7 cm]). Any barrel that is 7,056 cubic inches is recognized as equivalent.
- US barrel for cranberries 5,826 cubic inches (95.5 L) (~2.71 bushel)
- Defined as length of stave 28 1⁄2 in (72 cm), diameter of head 16 1⁄4 in (41 cm), distance between heads 25 1⁄4 in (64 cm), circumference of bulge 58 1⁄2 in (1.49 m) outside measurement; and the thickness of staves not greater than 4⁄10 in (10.16 mm) ([Ø ≈18.62 in or 47.3 cm]). No equivalent in cubic inches is given in the statute, but later regulations specify it as 5,826 cubic inches.
Some products have a standard weight or volume that constitutes a barrel:
- cornmeal, 200 pounds (90.7 kg)
- Portland cement, 4 cubic feet (113 L) or 376 pounds (170.6 kg).
- sugar, 5 cubic feet (142 L) (37 US gal)
- wheat or rye flour, three bushels or 196 pounds (88.9 kg).
- lime (mineral), 280 pounds (127 kg) large barrel, or 180 pounds (81.6 kg) small barrel.
Fluid barrel in the US and UK
Fluid barrels vary depending on what is being measured and where. In the UK a beer barrel is 36 imperial gallons (43 US gal; 164 L). In the US most fluid barrels (apart from oil) are 31.5 US gallons (26 imp gal; 119 L) (half a hogshead), but a beer barrel is 31 US gallons (26 imp gal; 117 L). The size of beer kegs in the US is based loosely on fractions of the US beer barrel. When referring to beer barrels or kegs in many countries, the term may be used for the commercial package units independent of actual volume, where common range for professional use is 20-60 L, typically a DIN or Euro keg of 50 L.
An oil barrel (abbreviated as bbl) is a unit of volume whose definition has not been universally standardized. In the United States and Canada, an oil barrel is defined as 42 US gallons, which is equivalent to 158.987294928 liters exactly or approximately 34.9723 imperial gallons. Depending on the context, it can also be defined as 35 imperial gallons or as 159 liters. Oil companies that are listed on American stock exchanges typically report their production in terms of volume and use the units of bbl, Mbbl (one thousand barrels), or MMbbl (one million barrels).
Outside of the United States and Canada, volumes of oil are usually reported in cubic metres (m3) instead of oil barrels. More commonly, companies on the European stock exchanges report the mass of oil in metric tonnes. Since different varieties of petroleum have different densities, however, there isn't a single conversion between mass and volume. For example, one tonne of heavy distillates might occupy a volume 256 US gallons (6.1 bbl). In contrast, one tonne of crude oil might occupy 272 gallons (6.5 bbl) and one tonne of |
History of the Three Gorges DamThe idea for the Three Gorges Dam was first proposed by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the pioneer of the Republic of China, in 1919. In his article, entitled “A Plan to | History of the Three Gorges DamThe idea for the Three Gorges Dam was first proposed by Dr. Sun Yat-Sen, the pioneer of the Republic of China, in 1919. In his article, entitled “A Plan to Development Industry”, Sun Yat-Sen mentions the possibility of damming the Yangtze River to help control floods and generate electricity.
In 1944, an American dam expert named J.L. Savage was invited to do field research on possible locations for the project. Two years later, the Republic of China signed a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to design the dam. More than 50 Chinese technicians were then sent to the United States to study and participate in the creation process. However, the project was shortly abandoned due to the Chinese civil war that followed World War II.
Talks of the Three Gorges Dam resurfaced in 1953 due to continuous floods that occurred on the Yangtze that year, killing over 30,000 people. One year later, the planning phase began once more, this time under the collaboration of Soviet experts. After two years of political debates over the size of the dam, the project was finally approved by the Communist Party. Unfortunately, plans for the construction were once again interrupted, this time by the disastrous political campaigns of the “Great Leap Forward” and the “Proletarian Cultural Revolution."
The market reforms introduced by Deng Xiaoping in 1979 emphasized the necessity to produce more electricity for economic growth. With approval from the new leader, the location of the Three Gorges Dam was then officially determined, to be located at Sandouping, a town in the Yiling District of the Yichang prefecture, in the province of Hubei. Finally, on December 14, 1994, 75-years since inception, the construction of the Three Gorges Dam finally began.
The dam was operational by 2009, but continuous adjustments and additional projects are still ongoing.
Negative Impacts of the Three Gorges DamThere is no denying of the Three Gorges Dam’s significance to China’s economic ascension, but its construction has created an assortment of new problems for the country.
In order for the dam to exist, over a hundred towns had to be submerged, resulting in the relocation of 1.3 million people. The resettlement process has damaged much of the land as rapid deforestation lead to soil erosion. Furthermore, many of the new designated areas are uphill, where the soil is thin and agricultural productivity is low. This has become a major problem since many of those forced to migrate were poor farmers, who rely heavily on crop outputs. Protests and landslides have become very common in the region.
The Three Gorges Dam area is rich in archaeological and cultural heritage. Many different cultures have inhabited the areas that are now underwater, including the Daxi (circa 5000-3200 B.C.E), which are earliest Neolithic culture in the region, and its successors, the Chujialing (circa. 3200-2300 B.C.E), the Shijiahe (circa 2300-1800 B.C.E) and the Ba (circa 2000-200 B.C.E). Due to the damming, it is now virtually impossible to collect and document these archaeological sites. In 2000, it was estimated that the area inundated contained at least 1,300 cultural heritage places. It is no longer possible for scholars to recreate the settings where historical battles took place or where cities were built. The construction also changed the landscape, making it impossible now for people to witness the scenery which inspired so many ancient painters and poets.
The creation of the Three Gorges Dam has lead to the endangerment and extinction of many plant and animals. The Three Gorges region is considered a biodiversity hotspot. It is home to over 6,400 plant species, 3,400 insect species, 300 fish species, and more than 500 terrestrial vertebrate species. The disruption of the river’s natural flow dynamics due to blockage will affect the migratory paths of fish. Due to the increase of ocean vessels in the river channel, physical injuries such as collisions and noise disturbances have greatly accelerated the demise of local aquatic animals. The Chinese river dolphin which is native to the Yangtze River, and the Yangtze finless porpoise have now become two of the most endangered cetaceans in the world.
The hydrological alternations also affect fauna and flora downstream. Sediment build-up in the reservoir has altered or destroyed floodplains, river deltas, ocean estuaries, beaches, and wetlands, which provide habitation for spawning animals. Other industrial processes, such as the release of toxic substances into the water also compromise the biodiversity of the region. Because the water flow is slowed due to the reservoir impoundment, the pollution will not be diluted and flushed to the sea in the same manner as before the damming. Additionally, by filling the reservoir, thousands of factories, mines, hospitals, garbage dumping sites and graveyards have been flooded. These facilities can subsequently release certain toxins such as arsenic, sulfides, cyanides, and mercury into the water system.
Despite helping Ch |
The study, Where Teens Seek Online Privacy Advice, involved a representative sample of 802 teens and 802 parents of teens as well as focus groups involving 156 teens.
Even though young people do tend to share a lot online, “they also | The study, Where Teens Seek Online Privacy Advice, involved a representative sample of 802 teens and 802 parents of teens as well as focus groups involving 156 teens.
Even though young people do tend to share a lot online, “they also take steps to manage what can be seen and who can access it,” according to the report. In other words, it’s about control.
The study also found that 70% of teens have reached out for advice on how to manage their online privacy and, perhaps to the surprise of some adults, parents and peers are about equal when it comes to who they’re likely to reach out to for help.
- 42% have asked a friend or peer for advice on managing their privacy online
- 41% have asked a parent
- 37% have asked a sibling or cousin
- 13% have gone to a website for advice
- 9% have asked a teacher
- 3% have gone to some other person or resource
Yet, in focus groups, the researchers found that many teens “draw on their own wits, observations and knowledge to manage their privacy online and on social media.” They figure out the settings on their own by looking through menus and settings on social networking services and apps.
Private Facebook profiles
Most teens not only know how to use Facebook privacy settings, but configure their profiles as either fully or partially private. Of those who have sought out advice on privacy, 61% post to friends only while 24% are “partially private.” And even those who don’t get privacy advice from others are mostly careful about what they share with the world with 56% sharing to frie |
Eight Tips: Reducing the Environmental Impact of Computing in 2008
PLANO, Texas - There is a drumbeat of change in business and society around 'green'. Concerns about the environment is at a fever pitch. Green, for | Eight Tips: Reducing the Environmental Impact of Computing in 2008
PLANO, Texas - There is a drumbeat of change in business and society around 'green'. Concerns about the environment is at a fever pitch. Green, for all the right reasons has become red hot.
With a steady demand for green information and action by corporations and governments, the IT company EDS, offers tips on greening your IT.
To help corporations and governments kick-off the new year right, the EDS Fellows have highlighted eight ways CIO's can extend the life of existing facilities and reduce the environmental impact of computing in 2008.
1. Virtualize Servers. The first option is to move from the "one application - one server" paradigm many organizations have fallen into. Server virtualization allows multiple applications to operate securely within the same physical server. Moving the current average server utilization from 15-20 percent to 80-90 percent allows fewer servers to do more work using the same energy profile.
2. Turn off Unused Servers. The easiest power to save is the power that isn't used. Servers and disk drives should be on only when they are needed, so sophisticated operating processes must be in place to bring servers back online whenever increased demands require them to do so.
3. Employ Power Saving Techniques. The third option is to employ power saving techniques now familiar to most laptop users. When demand allows it, organizations can run their servers at reduced speed which lessens their consumption of energy.
In addition, an enterprise should always choose a server with the highest power supply efficiency available with the selected configuration.
4. Optimize Applications. The fourth option is to optimize applications being run in the data center. Bloated software, inefficient software, or even software that produces very little business value all need to be pruned, optimized and even discontinued to put a lesser load on servers.
5. Perform Rigorous Maintenance. The fifth option is more fundamental, but also very achievable. Data center managers can improve the efficiency of their facilities by rigorous maintenance to ensure all equipment is operating at the peak of efficiency as well as modifying layout and configuration of equipment to reduce cooling requirements. These and many more efficiency steps will increase overall data center efficiency and lower the carbon footprint.
6. Move to Higher Density, Multi-Core CPUs. The movement to newer, multi-core CPU designs will deliver significant efficiencies, because of their lower voltage requirements. Eight, 16, 24 and higher "processors on a chip" allow for fewer server blades in a rack driving up efficiencies and driving down electricity usage.
7. Pay More Attention to Operating the Infrastructure. We have become so accustomed to "cheap computing" that we have become lax in our process of procuring, deploying and operating the infrastructure upon which so much of our modern society depends. However, when an enterprise looks at total cost of ownership and electricity costs exceed the purchase price of a server, the equation shifts in favor of higher efficiency and rigor which is good for the bottom line as well as for the environment.
8. Cash in on Being Green. It is important to look for innovative applications of IT that makes real impacts for an enterprise and its customers. For example, an enterprise can use Dimmable Addressable Lighting Interface (DALI) in electronic ballasts networked to sophisticated lighting control software that reduces electrical usage by up to 40 percent, or use programmable thermostats and schedules to standardize the temperature, pressure, humidity and set points for occupied and unoccupied periods in all buildings. These technologies require integrated IT to function and provide a rapid return on investment. The world will see an explosion of IT being deployed as we move to a lower energy regime in new and existing buildings throughout society over the next several years. The business advantage of consuming less electricity reduces both the cost structure and carbon footprint of the enterprise, which is good for business and the planet.
Learn more about EDS' environmental sustainability at http://www.eds.com/about/corporate/environmental/index.aspx.
EDSEDS: is a global technology services company delivering business solutions to its clients. EDS founded the information technology outsourcing industry 45 years ago. Today, EDS delivers a broad portfolio of information technology and business process outsourcing services to clients in the manufacturing, financial services, healthcare, communications, energy, transportation, and consumer and retail industries and to governments around the world. |
Last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple's iBooks. For children's books, Apple has devised a number of new gesture options to make reading more fun and interactive | Last week the US Patent & Trademark Office published a patent application from Apple that reveals one of the next chapters for Apple's iBooks. For children's books, Apple has devised a number of new gesture options to make reading more fun and interactive. One such gesture will allow a child to tap on a word and have an associated picture, animation or video pop-up to make that word come to life. For those learning a foreign language, Apple has devised a gesture to have a word present itself in the student's native language so as to quicken the learning process. Apple's ideas also seem to cross over to electronic magazines where tapping on certain words could pop up a related widget. For example, when reading a financial magazine article on Apple (AAPL), tapping on its NASDAQ symbol would automatically open a financial widget showing Apple's current stock price. Yet where Apple's patent application really shines is in its description of a new chip that future iOS devices could end up adopting. Our report reveals the nature of this little wonder that could definitely add a little zing to future iOS devices.
The Next Chapter for iBooks
Apple's patent application describes systems, methods, and techniques for |
Drainage alterations such as increased surface water flow, interrupted below-ground flow, or restricted drainage also lead to reduced forest productivity on disturbed areas. Soil rehabilitation projects must ensure that naturally occurring above- and below-ground drainage patterns are restored and maintained. | Drainage alterations such as increased surface water flow, interrupted below-ground flow, or restricted drainage also lead to reduced forest productivity on disturbed areas. Soil rehabilitation projects must ensure that naturally occurring above- and below-ground drainage patterns are restored and maintained. Consider implementing the following measures to restore drainage and prevent erosion:
Guidelines to ensure successful topsoil handling
Other points to remember
Determining tillage depth
It has been commonly accepted that the deeper the tillage the better, up to some practical physical limit of the equipment – usually around 50 cm. Increasing the rooting depth has been considered advantageous even though the natural forest may have grown on shallower soils. Deep tillage has the possible benefit of breaking up impermeable layers such as dense Bt horizons, and increasing rooting depth beyond that of the original soil. Increased rooting depth may also mitigate some of the adverse effects of the initial disturbance on surface soils.
Deep tillage can have a number of negative effects, such as increased costs, added stress on equipment, and transfer of unfavorable subsoils or rocks to the surface. Some types of equipment capable of reaching 50 cm depths (e.g., crawler tractors with ripper teeth) are not very effective for decompaction. The usual effect of tilling with rock rippers is to create large clods, leave deep furrows, and bring rocks to |
Great Smoky Mountains National Park battling infestation of hogs
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — National park biologists are trying to come to grips with a hog infestation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In 2009 | Great Smoky Mountains National Park battling infestation of hogs
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — National park biologists are trying to come to grips with a hog infestation in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In 2009, the park's hog team removed 620 wild hogs, the third highest since the hog control program started in the late 1950s. Biologists say the hog population spiked last year because of a bountiful mast crop that enabled the sows to produce more than one litter.
Park biologist Bill Stiver told the Knoxville News-Sentinel the introduction of wild, semi-domesticated hogs into the park has made hog control even more difficult. "The speculation is that hu |
Text & photos by Francis Bitonti Studio
Last week marked the start of the New Skins: Computational Design for Fashion workshop, led by designer Francis Bitonti of the famed 'Dita Dress' and facilitated by Pratt Institute's DA | Text & photos by Francis Bitonti Studio
Last week marked the start of the New Skins: Computational Design for Fashion workshop, led by designer Francis Bitonti of the famed 'Dita Dress' and facilitated by Pratt Institute's DAHRC. The three-week summer course, which kicked off on July 22, is an intensive exploration of applications for computationally-based design methodologies and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies.
"I want to give the fashion industry the opportunity to see how computation can be more than a means of execution," says Bitonti. "It's a medium for design, a fresh way to think and as much about aesthetics and culture as it is about production and performance."
During week one, the students created a 3D scan of a human body from a model. This scan data will be used to design a garment entirely in a digital environment. The researchers will use this scan data to "grow" garments in the computer using advanced computer algorithms. In coming weeks the digital immersion learning and implementing both advanced 3D modeling and computer programming. "Computer programming is going to be an essential skill for the next generation of designers," Bitonti asserts. "It's how we talk to machines, it's like learning how to sew for previous generations."
The 12 students themselves come from a variety of disciplines ranging from Architecture, Fashion, industrial Design and Fine Art, and hail from all over the world, from as far afield as Israel and Norway.
Bitonti's approach to leveling out these kinds of gaps in experience level is to completely immerse them in the technology—to "hit them with more than they can absorb." In the first week, students were asked to move between five different software environments, which keeps them from focusing on mastering any specific software platform. By learning the underlying concepts and recognizing similarities between the different software packages, they become more flexible as designers, thinking about processes rather than drawings something specific. It's about experimenting with the computer as a medium—a way of thinking through a problem.
Thu |
Though they can rapidly spread pathogens that afflict humans, bats somehow avoid getting sick from viruses like Ebola, SARS, and other deadly bugs. A new genetic analysis of two very different bat species shows how the animals avoid disease, and live exceptionally long | Though they can rapidly spread pathogens that afflict humans, bats somehow avoid getting sick from viruses like Ebola, SARS, and other deadly bugs. A new genetic analysis of two very different bat species shows how the animals avoid disease, and live exceptionally long lives.
The team seque... Read More
Here's my summary of the second day of ASM2013, an exciting day full of science.
Bacteria that live almost a mile under the surface of the ocean, where light is scare, have adapted biological ways to harness tiny amounts of light very efficiently, and in some cases can use photosynthesis to convert 100 percent of the light they find into electricity. In contrast a typical so... Read More
The influenza virus can spread up to 6 feet from a patient's head via submicron particles during routine hospital care, according to a study of patients admitted to the emergency department (ED) and throughout a tertiary care hospital with influenza-like illness during the 2010 to 2011 influenza... Read More
Choosing the perfect wine may soon involve more than just knowing the perfect vintage and chateau. Differences in the microbes present on grapes even in different parts of the same vineyard may contribute to flavor fluctuations in samples of grapes from different tanks, according to research pub... Read More
Tomorrow morning, the US Food and Drug Administration will consider whether to accept reauthorization of legislation that allows us to know a few details about how many antibiotics are sold each year for agricultural use.
The agency probably will accept the reauthorization, and you would thin... Read More
Unlike most organisms, they don't need iron, but they crave manganese. Scientists have confirmed that the pathogen that causes Lyme Disease—unlike any other known organism—can exist without ir |
An anionic surfactant is a sulfonic acid (negative charge) and a cationic surfactant is a quaternary salt (positive charge). I know what you are saying, but just as in the definition of emulsion | An anionic surfactant is a sulfonic acid (negative charge) and a cationic surfactant is a quaternary salt (positive charge). I know what you are saying, but just as in the definition of emulsion vs dispersion, I refer to them in the book and in my own mind this way. It is due to the way that electronics people and chemists think I guess.
See this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ion
or this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anode
Which explains my reason for the definition and also the confusion around these terms. |
UNICEF provides mosquito nets to protect evacuees from dengue fever
Bangkok, 15 November 2011 – After losing their homes and in some cases loved ones to the Thai floods, families staying at the evacuation centre set | UNICEF provides mosquito nets to protect evacuees from dengue fever
Bangkok, 15 November 2011 – After losing their homes and in some cases loved ones to the Thai floods, families staying at the evacuation centre set up in Bang Krai Nok Temple in northern Bangkok now have something else to worry about – dengue fever.
One of the evacuees at the centre, which itself is inundated with floodwater, recently was stricken with the sometimes deadly disease and transported to a hospital by boat.
Akasit Srichouchom, who is in charge of health care at the evacuation centre, says the hospital is “only a few kilometres away, but it seems further when you go by boat.”
The worst floods in Thailand in more than 50 years are currently affecting almost 3 million people across the country, including some 800,000 people in Bangkok. More than 14,000 people are living in evacuation centres in Bangkok, and dozens of families forced out of their homes due to high floodwaters are now housed in the Bang Krai Nok temple’s school library and classrooms.
To protect families affected by flooding from dengue fever and other mosquito borne diseases, Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) staff are distributing 20,000 insecticide-treated mosquito nets provided by UNICEF.
“When we visit evacuation centres like this, the main complaint we get is about mosquitos,” says Dr. Manit Teeratantikanont, Director-General of the Department of Disease Control. “Mosquitos breed in water and now there’s water everywhere.”
Dengue fever, a severe flu-like illness that affects infants, young children and adults, is spread through mosquito bites in the same way as malaria. Prevalent throughout Thailand, there were more than 115,000 confirmed cases of dengue in 2010, resulting in 141 fatalities. In Asia as a whole, dengue is a leading cause of hospitalization and deat |
Coping With the Diagnosis
Just the thought of a child getting cancer can be frightening and overwhelming. But while cancer can be life threatening, there’s encouraging news. Over the last few decades, improved therapies have helped childhood cancer survival rise to more | Coping With the Diagnosis
Just the thought of a child getting cancer can be frightening and overwhelming. But while cancer can be life threatening, there’s encouraging news. Over the last few decades, improved therapies have helped childhood cancer survival rise to more than 80%. Many kinds of cancer can now be cured or controlled to help give children a better quality of life into adulthood.
The most common type of childhood cancer is leukemia, a cancer of the blood. Leukemia begins in the bone marrow, the spongy substance inside our bones where blood cells are made. Other childhood cancers include lymphoma (blood cancer that begins in the lymph glands) and solid tumors (abnormal clumps of tissue). Solid tumors may occur throughout the body, such as in the brain, kidney, muscle or bone.
The causes of childhood cancer are largely unknown. Childhood cancer can occur suddenly, with no early symptoms, and might get detected during a physical exam.
“If you notice something unusual in your child—unexplained symptoms, not growing properly, belly distended, blood in urine—take your child to the doctor,” says Dr. Nita Seibel, a pediatric at NIH. If the doctor suspects cancer, a series of tests will help identify the type of cancer, where it’s located and whether it has spread to other parts of the body.
Cancers in children can be different from adult cancers. When you’re researching the diagnosis, be sure you’re looking at how that cancer affects children. Often, the outcomes may be better for children than for adults with the same type of cancer.
For instance, Seibel says, childhood tumors tend to respond better to treatment than do tumors in adults. Cancer cells tend to grow very swiftly in the types of tumors seen in children. So therapies can be selected to interrupt this rapid growth. Children with leukemia, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or certain solid tumors tend to have a good outcome.
Doctors design treatment plans specific to each child. Children usually receive one or more of the following treatments: chemotherapy drugs; radiation; surgery (for solid tumors); ; or a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant. Unpleasant side effects are common and can include hair loss, nausea and diarrhea. But side effects tend to fade shortly after treatment ends.
Dr. Stephen Hunger, a pediatric cancer specialist at the University of Colorado, says that most advances in treatment have come from improvements to chemotherapy drugs. For instance, treatment for childhood leukemia 30 years ago often involved radiation to the brain. But radiation can cause health problems later in life. Now, with improvements to chemotherapy, oncologists are using radiation less, if at all, for children with leukemia and some other types of cancer. “This is a good change because of the long-term side effects to thinking and learning, and the risk of later developing brain tumors,” Hunger says.
Improvements to treatment are often based on clinical studies of people who have cancer. Children might be eligible to participate in certain clinical studies of cancer shortly after their diagnosis.
“NIH supports clinical trials for most types of childhood cancer,” says Dr. Malcolm Smith, a pediatric oncologist at NIH. For types of cancer that already have good treatments, he says, trials aim to maintain survival while reducing side effects. Other studies evaluate the safety and effectiveness of experimental therapies for cancers that lack good treatment options. When standard therapy fails, some children may be able to participate in clinical trials that test promising new agents.
One NIH-supported cancer research network links thousands of pediatric cancer experts. Together, they conduct clinical research trials for common types of childhood cancers. Another NIH-sponsored research group is testing potential new drugs for pediatric brain tumors at hospitals nationwide. To learn more about cancer trials, go to www.cancer.gov/clinicaltri |
June 4, 2012
Two summers ago the concept of lucid dreaming took a spin in the swirl of pop culture when the movie Inception hit the big screen. Its core premise is that a master corporate spy, played by Leonardo | June 4, 2012
Two summers ago the concept of lucid dreaming took a spin in the swirl of pop culture when the movie Inception hit the big screen. Its core premise is that a master corporate spy, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, could not only hack into the dreams of other people to steal secrets, but also manipulate their subconscious thinking.
Unfortunately, what most people remember about the film is the scene featured in the ad campaign in which DiCaprio demonstrates the notion of shared dreaming to co-star Ellen Page by exploding, in beautifully choreographed slow-motion, the streetscape around them–suggesting, more than anything, that in his dream world, Leo’s character is a 12-year-old boy.
Despite the movie’s success–or, maybe more likely, because of it–lucid dreaming remains, for most people, the stuff of sci-fi. But a growing body of research shows that humans can take control of their own dreams and now there’s a mini-boom of devices designed to help them do it.
First, a little history. Buddhists have been engaging is something called “dream yoga” for at least 1,000 years and no one less than Aristotle weighed in on the ability of our conscious mind to realize when we’re dreaming. But once 13th-century Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas portrayed dreams as largely the work of Satan, scholars pretty much steered clear of the subject for the next 700 years. A Dutch psychiatrist, Frederik Willem van Eeden, invented the term “lucid dreaming” about 100 years ago, but it wasn’t until the 1970s that a Stanford scientist named Stephen LaBerge started doing serious research on the bridge between our conscious and dreaming states.
Sound and effects
Now, not surprisingly, mobile apps have entered the picture. A research project launched at the Edinburgh Science Festival in April by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire in England, is built around an iPhone app called Dream:ON.
It gives you a choice of 20 “soundscapes”–one theme is “Peaceful Garden, another, “Space Shuttle,” another “A Trip to Tokyo.” Your sounds start playing early in the morning, during your last period of REM sleep, the state in which you’re most likely to dream. The app will assume you’re in REM if your smartphone doesn’t detect any movement in your bed. In theory, the sounds become part of your dream. And to increase the odds of lucidity happening, some soundscapes include a voiceover reminding you that you’re dreaming and that you can take control of what’s unfolding inside your brain.
Users who want to be part of Wiseman’s experiment are asked to record their dreams as soon as the app’s alarm wakes them. Already, the Dream: ON app has been downloaded more than 500,000 times and dreamers reportedly are filling out as many as 30,000 reports a night. So far, says Wiseman, the sounds are affecting the dreams of about 30 percent of the people using the app.
New York inventors Duncan Frazier and Steve McGuigan have taken a different approach. Instead of incorporating sound to help people shape their dreams, they use light. They’ve created a sleep mask they call the Remee, which comes with six red LED lights and runs on a three-volt battery.
The device waits until a person is four to five hours into their night’s sleep–a time when periods of REM sleep tend to last longer–then begins flashing the lights in a pattern that lasts 15 to 20 seconds. It’s a visual cue meant to remind the person that they’re dreaming, which is key to having them take control of what happens.
Clearly, there’s lots of interest in driving dreams. When Frazier and McGuigan posted their idea on Kickstarter, they hoped to raise $35,000. More than 6,500 people have pledged almost $600,000 to help them out.
While you were sleeping
Here are other recent developments in sleep and dream research:
- So much for the light at the end of the tunnel: At least that’s the conclusion of Michael Raduga, head of the Out-of-Body Experience Research Center in Los Angeles. Volunteers trained in lucid dreaming were able to recreate the classic near-death experience of leaving their bodies and flying through a tunnel to a light at the end of it. That, says Raduga, suggests that the experience may just be “the result of spontaneous and hyper-realistic lucid dreams, induced by narcosis or brain damage during dying,” and not evidence of life after death. The study has not yet been peer-reviewed.
- Your Etch-a-Sketch brain: A study at the University of Wisconsin boosts the belief that sleep is critical to the brain being ready to learn and process new information. Based on his research, psychologist Giulio Tononi theorizes that during sleep, the brain breaks connections and wipes itself clean of unnecessary impressions.
- Asleep at the wheel: French scientists say sleepy drivers are almost as dangerous as drunk ones.
- Sleep more, weigh less: People who sleep less than seven hours a night are more at risk of gaining weight due to genetic factors. That’s one of the conclusions of a study of more than 1,000 pairs of twins by the University of Washington Medicine Sleep Center.
- Or do we have a serious zombies prob |
Home » Psychology, Psychiatry, & Social Work » Forensic
Assessing and Managing Violence Risk in Juveniles
Randy Borum and David Verhaagen
Highly practical and accessible, this is an indispensable resource for any mental | Home » Psychology, Psychiatry, & Social Work » Forensic
Assessing and Managing Violence Risk in Juveniles
Randy Borum and David Verhaagen
Highly practical and accessible, this is an indispensable resource for any mental health practitioner working with youth at risk for violent behavior. Presented is a comprehensive framework for evaluating juveniles in the justice system or those whose behavior in school, therapy sessions, or other contexts raises concern about violence. Detailed case examples illustrate the authors' scientifically grounded approach to selecting appropriate instruments, analyzing and communicating assessment results, and designing effective interventions. Special problems addressed include bullying, sexual aggression, fire setting, and homicide. The book also examines the development of aggressive conduct problems and their connections to other emotional and behavioral disorders. |
When the US had its own human rights record reviewed by the UN, the usual repressive regimes took the opportunity to condemn others while glossing over their own abuses. But history shows that human rights reporting can and does advance the cause of human rights | When the US had its own human rights record reviewed by the UN, the usual repressive regimes took the opportunity to condemn others while glossing over their own abuses. But history shows that human rights reporting can and does advance the cause of human rights worldwide.
Human rights are a growing area of diplomatic competition. Since the United Nations defined the playing field in the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the list of countries that say nothing about human rights has dwindled to very few. Unfortunately, that will not prevent certain countries from trying to exploit the process.
On November 5, for example, when the US had its own human rights record reviewed by the UN Human Rights Council, the usual parade of speakers from repressive regimes that use the rhetoric of human rights to condemn failings in other countries while glossing over their own abuses was out in full force.
This pattern frustrates US officials. After receiving comments from other countries, including Libya, a US official noted that “several recommendations are plainly intended as political provocations, and cannot be taken seriously.”
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Home to the famed mountain gorillas, Africa's oldest national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been overrun by armed groups who have slaughtered wildlife and scared off much-needed tourists.
For Belgian park director Emmanuel de Merode and his staff it is | Home to the famed mountain gorillas, Africa's oldest national park in the Democratic Republic of Congo has been overrun by armed groups who have slaughtered wildlife and scared off much-needed tourists.
For Belgian park director Emmanuel de Merode and his staff it is a time of great uncertainty and anxiety.
Last month, they were forced to spend an entire day sheltering in a cellar while the army and rebels battled nearby.
"They let me know that we were not part of their conflict," said Merode, a 42-year-old white African, adding that the park's new luxury tourist lodge was nevertheless standing empty as a result of the fighting.
Straddling DR Congo, Rwanda and Uganda, the Virunga volcanoes conservation area is home to 480 of the world's 790 remaining mountain gorillas made famous by US zoologist Dian Fossey, who was murdered in 1985.
But in recent months, dozens of animals have been killed by armed groups including the DR Congo army, whom an environmental group has accused of poaching under orders from officers who charge a fee to local poachers in a protection racket.
"It takes a few months to kill everything and 40 years to put things back the way they were," Merode said.
Hippopotami, chimpanzees, elephants, antelopes, birds and a lion have all been slaughtered since the fighting began.
Created in 1925, Virunga National Park is home to Lake Edward, which in 1980 was the world's most important hippopotamus sanctuary with 27,000 of the animals. There are now fewer than 300, according to Merode.
In July, during a lull in fighting, rangers began searching rebel-held jungle for six families of the critically endangered mountain gorillas that had not been spotted since fighting erupted in April between the regular army and the M-23 militia led by a renegade general.
In order to begin the search for the missing primates, Merode had to secure agreement from both the army and the M23 rebels.
More than half the gorillas were found and two births were recorded, although rangers' fears were far from allayed.
The fighting has wiped out tourism in the area, depriving the park of a vital source of donations needed to help keep the rangers working.
"Even in the best of times, keeping Virunga's rangers fully funded is a challenge, but with tourism closed because of the war, it has become nearly impossible," Merode wrote in his blog.
"Periods of conflict are when the rangers' jobs are most dangerous - and most necessary. At times like these, opportunists abound and poaching, illegal animal trafficking, and habitat destruction become especially difficult to control," he added.
Visitor numbers had risen from 550 in 2009 to 3300 in 2011, with tourist dollars helping to fund schools and hospitals for local people.
For now, however, the tree-top terrace at the newly opened tourist lodge remains deserted. |
Black females represent the fastest growing segment of the juvenile justice population. Black females also experienced the most dramatic rise in middle school suspension rates in recent years. Six-year old girls have been arrested in Georgia and Florida for having a tantrum in class. | Black females represent the fastest growing segment of the juvenile justice population. Black females also experienced the most dramatic rise in middle school suspension rates in recent years. Six-year old girls have been arrested in Georgia and Florida for having a tantrum in class. A 13-year old girl near Chicago was charged with a felony theft offense after finding her teacher’s glasses and seeking to return them to her, and a Los Angeles high school girl was slammed to the floor of her school and arrested after dropping a piece of cake on the floor.
From these and other incidents in recent years, it has become increasingly clear that punitive disciplinary practices and other criminalizing policies that fuel what we understand as a “school to prison pipeline” impact the girls as well as the boys. However, a deeper look reveals that perhaps the “pipeline” analogy is too linear a framework to capture the education-system pathways to incarceration for black girls.
In discussions with young women who have dropped out of school, or who are attempting to return to school following a period of incarceration, it is becoming clearer that we must think about the multiple ways in which racism and patriarchy marginalize black girls in their learning environments—places that have become hostile learning environments for girls who are too frequently marginalized for acts of “defiance” or for being too “loud” and aggressive in ways that make them nonconforming to society’s gender expectations. For too many black girls, schools are places where they are subject to unwanted sexual harassment, where they are judged and punished for who they are, not necessarily for what they have done, and where their experiences have been overshadowed by a male-dominated discourse on dignity in schools.
In a recent focus group on the subject, a young woman spoke of dropping out of school after she noticed that her teachers were more likely to help the males than the females. She and other young women described scenarios where school faculty would positively intervene when their male counterparts failed to complete assignments or attend class. These teachers seemed determined to “save” the boys; but when girls behaved in similar ways, the young women described how they were met with harsh, exclusionary punishment or no response at all.
To this point a young woman stated, “They don’t care about us.” She lowered her head and stared blankly at the table in front of her, visibly convinced that there were few people who cared about what happened to her or others like her.
Unlike this young woman, I am not convinced that people don’t care. Educators and other stakeholders are typically in this field because they care very deeply for our young people. I believe the problem might be a structural one.
The “pipeline” framework, as I argue in Race, Gender, and the "School to Prison Pipeline": Expanding Our Discussion to Include Black Girls, was largely developed from the conditions and experiences of males. As such, it may limit our ability to see the ways in which black girls are affected by instruments of surveillance (i.e., zero tolerance policies, law enforcement in schools, metal detectors, etc.), and the ways in which advocates, scholars, and community stakeholders may have wrongfully masculinized black girls’ experiences, leaving them without a proper understanding or articulation of the relationships between educational and other factors that are associated with their paths toward incarceration.
We cannot focus exclusively on the conditions of males and hope to impact the experiences of females. Instead, we need a robust conversation about how to reduce the criminalization of black females and males in our nation’s learning environments. We must infuse our analysis of “school to prison” pathways with the experiences of black girls, such that we can provide for and inform efforts to interrupt the “school to prison” pathways for all youth.
Race, Gender, and the “School to Prison Pipeline”: Expanding Our Discussion to Include Black Girls is the first in a series of reports from the author addressing the education-system factors associated with the disproportionate confinement of African American girls. |
Students and teachers protest education cuts in Los Angeles in May 2011.
The United States has cut more than 300,000 education jobs since June 2009 due to budget cuts and financial problems, a White House report says.
The report | Students and teachers protest education cuts in Los Angeles in May 2011.
The United States has cut more than 300,000 education jobs since June 2009 due to budget cuts and financial problems, a White House report says.
The report said that the job cuts were part of a major policy to reduce the Obama administration’s costs.
It said that local school districts are forced to pursue a policy to scale back on teachers and staff that led to larger class sizes and fewer school days.
White House added that the job cuts increased the national student-teacher ratio from 15.3 in 2008 to 16 in 2010, reversing nearly a decade of gains.
US President Barack Obama on Saturday called on the Congress to pass a bill aimed at increasing education budget with an emphasis on teachers.
"Since 2009, we've lost more than 300,000 education jobs, in part because of budget cuts at the state and local level," Obama said during his weekly radio address.
Education cuts are "the opposite of what we should be doing as a country," Obama said. "States should be making education a priority in their budgets, even in tough fiscal times. And Congress should be willing to help out -- because this affects all of us."
Cuts in education jobs also raised strong criticisms in the media. Some are warning that it could lower the quality of education for the country’s almost 50 million public school studen |
Following a century of industrialisation, contaminated sites lie abandoned or underutilized all over the world. Now there is a rapid new approach for risk screening of each site, according to studies from the University of Gothenburg.
Contaminated land | Following a century of industrialisation, contaminated sites lie abandoned or underutilized all over the world. Now there is a rapid new approach for risk screening of each site, according to studies from the University of Gothenburg.
Contaminated land is soil, groundwater or sediment that contains levels of contaminants so high that they exceed natural levels in the environment. Decisions about remediating contaminated land are often based on risk estimates derived from generic guideline values. Guideline values are used at the screening stage of the risk assessment and have been developed to represent "safe" levels of these contaminants applicable over large geographical areas (usually countries).
These guideline values indicate what may be considered acceptable across the majority of sites. Guideline values more appropriate to specific sites can usually also be calculated. Levels of toxins in the soil exceeding the guideline values may entail risks to humans and the environment.
Today's risk screening system has shortcomings
The simplified system, using general and even site-specific guideline values, may not always capture the true risk of contaminants at the site. Using guideline values can lead to overly conservative remedial decisions, resulting in costly clean-ups that may not be necessary.
The guideline values do not take into account the toxicity of the contaminant mixture or the bioavailability of the toxins, i.e. the extent to which they are taken up by plants or animals at the site. Bioavailability depends on a number of factors such as soil properties.
"On |
December 12, 2013,
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule: United States, 2005. Pediatrics. 2005 Jan;115(1):182.
Caruso TJ | December 12, 2013,
American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases. Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule: United States, 2005. Pediatrics. 2005 Jan;115(1):182.
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A global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
Their goal is to provide information and | A global Partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.
The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™
Their goal is to provide information and analyses on the status, trends and threats to species in order to inform and catalyse action for biodiversity conservation. It is widely recognized as the most comprehensive, objective global approach for evaluating the conservation status of plant and animal species.
ARKive is a ‘virtual’ conservation effort. "Using film, photographs and audio recordings, ARKive is creating a unique record of the world’s biodiversity - complementing other species information datasets, and making a key resource available for scientists, conservationists, educators and the general public."
ITIS Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Provides authoritative taxonomic information on plants, animals, fungi, and microbes of the world... to create an easily accessible database with reliable information on species names and their hierarchical classification.
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 and ITIS decided to work together to create the Catalogue of Life... to become a comprehensive catalogue of all known species of organisms on Earth. Rapid progress has been made and this Catalogue of Life edition contains 1,315,754 species... Probably just slightly over 2/3 of the world's known species. |
Skin Cancer Q&A Sheet
What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer occurs when abnormal skin cells begin to grow out of control. While normal cells divide and develop in an orderly fashion, cancer cells do not. Skin cancer cells may penetrate or invade surrounding | Skin Cancer Q&A Sheet
What is skin cancer?
Skin cancer occurs when abnormal skin cells begin to grow out of control. While normal cells divide and develop in an orderly fashion, cancer cells do not. Skin cancer cells may penetrate or invade surrounding tissue. They may also spread to other parts of the body through the blood or lymphatic systems. As cancer cells continue to grow, they crowd out normal cells and often form into a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor. These growths may inhibit normal body function by blocking up internal organs or blood vessels, or destroying nerve pathways, etc. Skin cancer (mostly melanoma) can sometimes lead to death.
What causes skin cancer?
The chief cause of skin cancer is ultraviolet (UV) radiation. While the sun serves as the major source of UV radiation, tanning beds and some welding equipment also produce these harmful rays. Of special note, the federal government classifies UV rays as a “known human carcinogen.” Thus UV rays are classified in the same cancer-causing group that includes arsenic, asbestos, and tobacco smoke.
Are there different types of skin cancer?
There are three major types of skin cancer: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and melanoma. BCC is most common while melanoma is least common. These skin cancers are named according to the specific cells from which they originate.
Melanoma can be quite deadly if left untreated in its early stages. In contrast, less than 1% of individuals with SCC die from this disease. BCC very rarely results in death. Yet, if not treated in time, many skin cancers can lead to some disfigurement based on the amount of damaged skin a physician has to remove.
Do a lot of California residents get skin cancer?
Skin cancer is by far the most common cancer both in California and across the nation. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer in California then the combined total of new cases for the next 12 most common cancers, including cancers of the breast, prostate, lung, and colon. Approximately 128,000 Californians will get skin cancer this year. One of every five persons in California is expected to eventually get skin cancer.
Do UV rays hurt children more than adults?
UV rays harm both children and adults. But a child’s skin, particularly before age ten, is especially vulnerable to the harmful effects of solar radiation. Both childhood sunburns and tanning increase a child’s risk of developing skin cancer as an adult. Sunburns and tanning are outward signs of internal skin damage.
When and under what circumstances are cancer-causing UV rays more intense?
UV rays are stronger per the following conditions:
What does skin cancer look like?
Without specialized medical training, an individual should not expect to be able to determine if a growth or other abnormality appearing on the skin is indeed skin cancer. A person who observes such irregularities on the skin should see a dermatologist (skin doctor). Skin cancer can appear in various forms including a shiny bump; an open sore that may crust and bleed; a reddish patch; a growth with an elevated, rolled border and an indented center; a scaly red patch with irregular borders; or a wart-like growth. Melanoma, the most deadly skin cancer - which often appears near or within a mole - may have one or more of these features: asymmetry, jagged border, multiple colors, or large size (larger then a standard pencil eraser).
How can a person prevent skin cancer?
While a small amount of sun exposure can help maintain one’s health, an individual should usually keep a barrier between him or herself and the sun. Recommended practices include:
How do they treat skin cancer?
In many cases, skin cancer is surgically removed. Other options include: |
Invasive? Bloody Red Shrimp Are Supper for Great Lakes Fish
Time to rethink invasive species, at least when it comes to bloody red shrimp in the Great Lakes. In most cases, invasive species are a bad thing. They compete with | Invasive? Bloody Red Shrimp Are Supper for Great Lakes Fish
Time to rethink invasive species, at least when it comes to bloody red shrimp in the Great Lakes. In most cases, invasive species are a bad thing. They compete with native species and can really screw up an ecosystem. See zebra and quagga mussels. Bloody red shrimp can't be called friendly just yet, but research suggests they may become a new food source for native swimmers.
The findings come from researchers at Queen's University in Ontario, Canada. A study led by biology grad student Mike Yuille suggests --- for the first time --- that fish like the round goby, yellow perch and alewife have added bloody red shrimp to their diets. The work is due to be published in the Journal of Great Lakes Research.
A news release seems to refer to the goby, perch and alewife as "native species." That's true for perch and possibly true for alewives. Not so true for gobies, which are native to Eastern Europe and likely came to the Great Lakes via ballast water tanks.
Anyway... the researchers looked at the stomach content of the three types of fish, all potential shrimp predators, and found increased nitrogen or carbon signatures in fish that frequented areas with high shrimp populations.
This suggests that the fish are eating the shrimp. Interesting, but not necessarily a reason to let shrimp populations grow. These buggers are considered a high-risk invader by some scientists.
See how they swarm.
The bloody red shrimp, aka Hemimysis anomala, likely arrived in the Great Lakes via the ballast water of ships, just like zebra and quagga mussels --- and the goby. The shrimp is a newer "invasive," discovered in Lake Michigan in 2006 and now in all the Great Lakes except for Superior.
Some folks have suggested that humans start eating a potential invader, Asian carp, which are working their way toward the Great Lakes and already populate rivers in states like Illinois. It seems that the goby, perch and alewife have adapted in a similar way. Carp, anyone?
More on Great Lakes and Invasive Species
It's Not Just Asian Carp: U.S. Identifies 40 High-Risk Species
The World's Most Lovable Invasive Species
10 Invasive Species that Changed the World Forever
Feds Hiring Unemployed for Great Lakes Cleanup |
Definition: Find a solution by trying one of several choices. If the choice proves incorrect, computation backtracks or restarts at the point of choice and tries another choice. It is often convenient to maintain choice points and alternate choices using recursion.
Note | Definition: Find a solution by trying one of several choices. If the choice proves incorrect, computation backtracks or restarts at the point of choice and tries another choice. It is often convenient to maintain choice points and alternate choices using recursion.
Note: Conceptually, a backtracking algorithm does a depth-first |
Michigan Volunteers in the Spanish American War
In the spring of 1898 the United States entered the Spanish American War in an
effort to help Cubans who were under the rule of Spain at the time. An American
ship the USS | Michigan Volunteers in the Spanish American War
In the spring of 1898 the United States entered the Spanish American War in an
effort to help Cubans who were under the rule of Spain at the time. An American
ship the USS Main was sunk in Havana Harbor of Cuba on February 15, 1898 and was
the event that set off our involvement.
Michigan National Guard Units were the first to come around and volunteers were
then added. The regiments were the 31st, 32nd, 33rd, 34th, and 35th Michigan
Infantry. A Naval Unit also served. The 35th did not leave the USA. More deaths
resulted from disease than battle.
The names were extracted from: Title: Michigan volunteers of '98. Published
Detroit, Michigan by G. F. Sterling & Co. in 1898.
6,893 named served in Michigan Regiments.
If you find a name that is within your family more records can be obtained by
using the resources listed below.
State Archives of Michigan Circulars of Records Available -
Military Records I - War Records - Bounties Paid
Military Records II - Soldiers |
DistributionRead full entry
Global Range: (20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)) Range includes the Rio Grande watershed of Texas and northeastern Mexico from Brownsville northward to Brewster | DistributionRead full entry
Global Range: (20,000-200,000 square km (about 8000-80,000 square miles)) Range includes the Rio Grande watershed of Texas and northeastern Mexico from Brownsville northward to Brewster County, Texas (Bailey et al. 2005), and the Pecos River drainage of northwestern Texas (Culberson, Reeves, and Loving counties) and southeastern New Mexico, north to Brantley Reservoir (Ernst 1990, Degenhardt et al. 1996). Occurrences in Mexico are known from Coahuila, central Nuevo Leon, and northeastern Tamaulipas (Ernst 1990). In August 2007, Farr photographed individuals 0.5-4 km south of the river near Ciudad Miguel Alemán, Mexico, across from Roma, Texas (Bailey et al. 2008). Elevational range extends from sea level to around 1,100 meters (900-1,100 meters in New Mexico) (Degenhardt and Christiansen 1990, Degenhardt et al. 1996).
A 1998 record also exists for Menard County, Texas, about 170 km northeast of the nearest previously documented locality (Franklin and Reams 2001). This was an adult male found on the shoulder of a road, so additional study is needed to determine whether this record represents an established population or a translocated individual.
A specimen from "Blue Springs" in Eddy County, New Mexico, probably came from the Black River, a tributary of the Pecos River (Legler 1958).
Bailey et al. (2008) found P. gorzugi at low density and with a significant hiatus in the middle reaches of the Pecos River from the New Mexico border southward to the confluence with Independence Creek in Terrell County. Bailey et al. (2008) and W. Farr (Houston Zoo) were unable to locate individuals in the main channel of the Rio Grande south of Roma, Texas.
A sketchy record from the Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Chaves County, New Mexico (Bundy 1951), may |
Bugle is a common herb that often grows in large clumps (4). The flowers are deep purplish blue, rarely pink or white (2), and are arranged on tapering flower stalks. The dark leaves have an unusual colour | Bugle is a common herb that often grows in large clumps (4). The flowers are deep purplish blue, rarely pink or white (2), and are arranged on tapering flower stalks. The dark leaves have an unusual colouration, with a purplish-brown or violet sheen on |
Yes, the word 'conformity' has the stigma of being used only by alternative-loving teenagers. But really, think about it. It is conformity that breeds judgemental behaviour and tribalism, and thus conformity that allows bullying, wars, | Yes, the word 'conformity' has the stigma of being used only by alternative-loving teenagers. But really, think about it. It is conformity that breeds judgemental behaviour and tribalism, and thus conformity that allows bullying, wars, oppression, lack of honest thought, xenophobia, sexism, homophobia...
The term 'taboo' is the warflag of conformity. Wherever something is taboo, conformity has been at work and minds are closed. The very concept of taboo is backwards, and should be challenged in all scenarios. Few are capable of truly scrutinising the values that they have been brainwahsed to adopt. To evidence this truth, I've collected a few common sayings that have long been circulating our Western world, on the topic of difference.
1. We have more in common than there are differences.
2. Let's forget our differences.
3. Diversity is one of the great things about this country.
4. There's nothing wrong with being different.
5. They're still human / Their blood's still red at the end of the day.
All of these are commonly given as positive and peaceful notions. Were I to speak to almost any given person, assuming they weren't racist, I could insert any of these sayings into a conversation on race and expect to be agreed with. This would thus prove his indoctrination, because they can't all be true; they contradict. Quotes 1. 2. and 5. assume difference to be a bad thing whilst quotes 3. and 4. assume different to be good or neutral respectively.
I hope I've come to a place where I might find some exception to this rule of programable people. What do you think about the whole thing? |
Learn something new every day More Info... by email
A resistance movement is any form of political protest by an individual, group of individuals, or collection of like-minded groups. In general, the protests are in opposition to occupation of a nation by | Learn something new every day More Info... by email
A resistance movement is any form of political protest by an individual, group of individuals, or collection of like-minded groups. In general, the protests are in opposition to occupation of a nation by a foreign presence or to internal government policies and rule. Many causes for and forms of the resistance movement concept exist.
Two of the most basic are organized violent uprisings against a foreign invasion or nonviolent resistance. One of the most famous organized violent uprisings was the multifaceted underground French resistance to German Nazi occupation of France was during World War II. An example of a nonviolent resistance was when the spiritual leader Mahatma Gandhi led against British rule in India in the early and mid-1900s. Another example of a largely peaceful and nonviolent resistance movement is the one led by Martin Luther King, Jr., in the United States for civil rights reform, that culminated in a march on Washington, D.C., and ultimately led to King being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Civil resistance against an established government is quite common throughout human history, and is often referred to as an insurrection. Insurrections such as those that have occurred in modern times in states like Iraq, Peru, and Sri Lanka often grow to the point where they can be categorized loosely as a form of resistance movement known as civil war. As recent events in the Ivory Coast demonstrate, resistance movements can also be sparked by failed reform attempts when a presidential election results in the defeat of an incumbent president, in this case Laurent Gbagbo, who refuses to step down.
Religious differences often lead to resistance movements as well. The Shiite, Sunni, and Kurdish Islamic conflict in Iraq is one example, and the conflict between Muslims and Hindus in India is another. The latter led to the creation of Pakistan, and later Bangladesh in 1971, after India and Pakistan fought a brief conflict there.
Protests against a government, however, can have a more narrow scope and definition, but can still be categorized as a resistance movement. The riots that occurred in Los Angeles, California, in the United States in 1992 were sparked by racial inequality, when the widely broadcast trial of the beating of Rodney King resulted in the acquittal of the four Los Angeles police officers involved. Thousands of mostly young black and Latino males protested the verdict through law breaking, including acts of looting, arson, and murder. This resulted in California's governor dispatching 4,000 National Guard troops to restore government order.
The LA riots of 1992 could be categorized as a youth movement due to the makeup of those who were involved. This gives it some similarity to widespread resistance movements that occurred in Western nations in the mid-1960s. Protests sprung up against everything from corporate air and water pollution, to discrimination against women in the workplace, the nuclear arms race, and belligerent government policies of military intervention in foreign affairs.
One of our editors will review your suggestion and make changes if warranted. Note that depending on the number of suggestions we receive, this can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days. Thank you for helping to improve wiseGEEK! |
Children's Department - Recommended Reads
Perfectly Percy by Paul Schmid (picture book)
Percy the Porcupine has a particularly pressing problem. He loves balloons, but he can't seem to keep any around! Percy thinks hard about | Children's Department - Recommended Reads
Perfectly Percy by Paul Schmid (picture book)
Percy the Porcupine has a particularly pressing problem. He loves balloons, but he can't seem to keep any around! Percy thinks hard about how to solve his dilemma and finally comes up with the perfect solution. Can you guess what it is? If you enjoy solving problems, and you like balloons even half as much as Percy, you'll love this sweet story about an ingenious young porcupine. With simple text and delightful illustrations, Perfectly Percy is a wonderful book to read aloud.
DarkIsle by D. A. Nelson (juvenile fiction)
When ten-year-old Morag is locked in the cellar by her cruel guardians, she is cold, hungry, and terrified by thoughts of what may lie in the darkness at the foot of the stairs. Just as she musters the courage to descend, she quickly realizes she's not alone! Instead, Morag is befriended by a talking dodo bird and rat who have taken a wrong turn in their quest to recapture the stolen Eye of Lornish; a stone that protects the animals' magical homeland of Marnoch Mor from an evil warlock and discovery by mortals. Follow along with this unlikely trio as they face danger and battle magical creatures along their heroic journey - while also making a few more friends along the way. Will good once again defeat evil or will a ten-year-old human turn the magical world upside down, changing all the rules? Find out in this exciting story of mystery, suspense, fantasy and fun!
Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara Kerley (juvenile nonfiction)
John Adams and Thomas Jefferson couldn't have been more different from one another. One man was loud and obnoxious. The other was quiet and genteel. But both men loved America and wanted to see the fledgling country freed from the bonds of King George of England. Learn how two opposites overcame their differences and joined together to help make history in this charming book with comic-style illustrations. A fun peek back in time, this story also provides a timeless lesson about cooperation and friendship. |
Buittle Castle was once occupied by the Balliol family who played an important role in the history of Scotland.
Buittle - The Castle and its History
By Mr James Affleck, Castle-Douglas.
The ruins of Buittle Old Castle | Buittle Castle was once occupied by the Balliol family who played an important role in the history of Scotland.
Buittle - The Castle and its History
By Mr James Affleck, Castle-Douglas.
The ruins of Buittle Old Castle may be classed among the leaves of our unwritten history. They are situated in one of the most picturesque and charming spots of "Grey Galloway." In all our antiquarian rambles it has seldom been our good fortune to meet in so small a compass so much peaceful sylvan beauty, coupled with so much thrilling history. Buittle was one of the four examples of pure Norman castle, of which we have ocular evidence, erected in Galloway. These were Lochfergus, Buittle, Doon, and Cruggleton. Buittle was pre-eminently a Norman castle, and, so far as our investigations have gone, it was built by Roland, Lord of Galloway, during the 12th century. Only the site, and part of a ruined gateway, remain, but these are sufficient to show that it was not only Norman in construction, but also a very extensive and strong building. The walls seem to have been about four feet thick, and the mound on which the castle stood measures somewhere about 138 by 99 feet, and is oval in appearance. This mound was encircled by a ditch, which was filled with water from the Urr, and from the Solway tides, which then came up as far as the castle. The special features of a Norman castle were, that it was almost invariably surrounded by a ditch called "the fosse," and within the "fosse," towards the main building, was placed its wall, about eight or ten feet thick, and from 20 to 30 feet high, with a parapet and embrazures called "crenels " on the top. From these "crenels" the defenders discharged arrows, darts, and other missiles. This wall can be traced at Buittle. The great gate was flanked by a tower on each side, with rooms over the entrance, which were closed by massive doors of oak plated with iron. From these rooms the warder raised or lowered the drawbridge, and worked the portcullis. The existing ruins, which we see, formed a part of such towers, and the principal entrance. In the centre of all stood the great "keep" or tower, generally four or five stories in height. This formed the dwelling proper of the baron. As Buittle was surrounded by water on all sides, except the north, the barbican surrounded the large mound which we also see. This large mound formed the courtyard, and was the only vulnerable part of the defences.
"Botle," as the castle was then called, was first inhabited by Alan, but when he succeeded his father and went to reside at Lochfergus, it was occupied by Dervorguil. The name "Botle" means "a dwelling," or as some authorities have it, "a royal dwelling." Alan died at Lochfergus in 1234, and left three daughters — Helena, Dervorguil, and Christian, along with an illegitimate son, Thomas. Helena married Roger de Quenci, Earl of Winchester, Dervorguil married John de Balliol, and Christian married William de Fortibus, Earl of Albemarle. Christian died in 1246, without issue, and her inheritance was shared by the surviving daughters. Therefore all the land on this side of the Cree now belonged to Dervorguil, and all the land in Wigtownshire to Helena. Thus, through Dervorguil, John de Balliol became the most powerful Baron in Galloway. Although he had other lands in England, such as Barnard Castle and Fotheringay, he preferred to live at "Botle." He and his wife Dervorguil took a great interest in the inhabitants, and he lavished much of his wealth on the improvement of his estates. There seems no doubt that "Botle" Castle at this time was much enlarged, and made into a Norman castle, pure and simple. Perhaps the strongest reason for strengthening the castle at this period was the troubled state of the times. By the old law of "Tanistry," or the old Celtic custom, no female could succeed as a ruler over the people, and the Gallovidians refused to have Dervorguil as a ruler. First they invited the King to become ruler, but he declined. Then they besought him to appoint Alan's illegitimate son, Thomas, to be ruler, but this was also refused. The result was that they rose in insurrection, and rallied round Thomas, who came over from Ireland with a band of Irishmen to aid him. In order to quell this insurrection, Alexander II. invaded Galloway, but his troops got so hopelessly entangled in the dense forests and morasses, which then over-spread the land, that he was almost overwhelmed. The Earl of Ross, however, came to his rescue, and the insurgents were defeated. Thomas fled, and one or |
The Governorate of Dhofar is located in the
south of the Sultanate. The coastal strip stretches for 560km, and the region has an area
of around 1,500km2, of which only 130km | The Governorate of Dhofar is located in the
south of the Sultanate. The coastal strip stretches for 560km, and the region has an area
of around 1,500km2, of which only 130km2 are affected by the monsoon
rains. The coast of Dhofar is a haven for the fishing industries and sardines are one of
the most prolific fish in the catch as well as lobsters, abalone and prawns. Agriculture
is a main industry in Dhofar and crops such as coconuts, bananas, sweet potatoes (yams),
lemons, papaya, wheat and corn are grown. Traditional crafts include blacksmithing,
goldsmithing, embroidery and needlework.
Dhofar is an area rich in history. In 1992,
an American satellite discovered the remains of a city submerged beneath the sands of the
Omani section of the Rub' al Khali (the Empty Quarter). Initial speculation indicated that
this was the legendary city, Iram Dhat al Emad, distinguished by its imposing columns and
high walls, which is mentioned in the Quran. The site has been subject to much exploration
and study by archaeologists who have dated pottery and glass vessels excavated from the
area at around 100BC. It has also been ascertained that the city sank under the sands due
to what has been deemed a 'light earthquake'. This could be the 'clamour' which is
referred to in the Quran: '..a great clamour was heard in the sky and Shaddad and all who
accompanied him were struck down' - and the city sank below the ground.
The Dhofar region is subdivided
into 10 wilayats. Its climate is dramatically different
to the rest of Oman due to the effects of the
monsoon rains (khareef)
which arrive during the summer months, creating
humidity and moderate temperatures of around 300C.
As a consequence, the area becomes lush and green,
with waterfalls and rivers feeding the surrounding
pastures. The mountain ridge, which receives the
most rain, stretches for 400km from east to west.
During the khareef, springs gush forth and provide
plentiful water supplies for much of the rest
of the year. The fresh greenery is ideal for cattle
grazing and livestock rearing is an important
occupation in the area.
The wilayat of Salalah, which is the
administrative capital of Dhofar, lies on the Arabian Sea, around 1040km from Muscat in
the north. The city has been subject to many historical and archaeological studies over
the years and evidence has been found in the form of writing, inscriptions and signs
indicating that a number of different civilizations have succeeded each other here.
The Manjawi civilization
dwelt in the district of Belid between the 12th
and 16th centuries. At this time, the
area was renowned for its thriving import and
export activities, the main exports being Arabian
horses and frankincense.
It is thought that Ahmed bin Mohammed al Haboudhi
rebuilt the city and renamed it Al Mansourah (The
Victorious) and this status was reaffirmed in
the writings of explorers Marco Polo and Ibn Batuta.
There are three archaeological sites in Al Mughsil
with traces of ancient walls, tombs and mosques.
Not all the sights in Salalah belong to the
past, however. This wilayat contains stunning beaches and steep, mountainous landscapes.
The rocky outcrops on the beach in Mughsil contain many blowholes which burst dramatically
during high tide. Salalah is developing as a tourist resort and is attracting a number of
international hotel chains such as Holiday Inn and Hilton.
Port Salalah, completed in 1998, is
destined to become one of the world's most important container terminals. Its construction
has provided jobs for many Omanis.
The wilayat of Thumrayt is located at the
juncture of all the principal roads linking Dhofar to the rest of the Sultanate. In the
past, it has been a forwarding post on the overland caravan routes to the ports on the
Arabian Sea. It is believed that the lost city of Ubar is in Shisr in Thumrayt. Ubar was
the mythical city mentioned in the 'Tales of the Arabian Nights'. Much of Dhofar's
frankincense was grown in this area and the ancient people would wa |
- About Ateneum
The subject of this painting is taken from Finland's national epic, the Kalevala. The story of Kullervo, son of Kalervo, is a grim one. During his hard life Kullervo suffered great | - About Ateneum
The subject of this painting is taken from Finland's national epic, the Kalevala. The story of Kullervo, son of Kalervo, is a grim one. During his hard life Kullervo suffered great violence and was himself guilty of terrible deeds.Kullervo Cursing depicts one turning point in the story.
Kullervo's family are racked by jealousy and sibling rivalry. He himself is an orphan with supernatural powers who is sold into servitude and sent into the wilds as a cattle herder. The evil mistress of the house has filled the loaf she gives him with a stone and when he tries to cut into it he breaks his knife, the only memento of his father. Infuriated, Kullervo summons up a new herd made up of wolves, bears and lynx, which gobble her up. However, Kullervo's problems do not end there and an endless spiral of revenge destroys not only his new-found family but also Kullervo himself. The setting, bathed in the sunlight of early autumn, is magnificent. It is a work that combines the beautiful and the tragic.
Kullervo Cursing |
fundamentalism:1 In Protestantism, religious movement that arose among conservative members of various Protestant denominations early in the 20th cent., with the object of maintaining traditional interpretations of the Bible and of the doctrines of the Christian faith in the | fundamentalism:1 In Protestantism, religious movement that arose among conservative members of various Protestant denominations early in the 20th cent., with the object of maintaining traditional interpretations of the Bible and of the doctrines of the Christian faith in the face of Darwinian evolution, secularism, and the emergence of liberal theology.
A group protesting "modernist" tendencies in the churches circulated a 12-volume publication called The Fundamentals (1909–12), in which five points of doctrine were set forth as fundamental: the Virgin birth, the physical resurrection of Jesus, the infallibility of the Scriptures, the substitutional atonement, and the physical second coming of Christ. The debate between fundamentalists and modernists was most acute among the Baptists and the Presbyterians but also arose within other denominations. In a highly publicized case, the so-called Monkey Trial (1925), the fundamentalist leader William Jennings Bryan won Tennessee's case against J. T. Scopes, for teaching evolution in the public schools (see Scopes trial). Other attempts, however, by fundamentalists in the 1920s to rid the churches of modernism and the schools of evolution failed.
By the 1930s many fundamentalists began to withdraw into independent churches and splinter denominations, and fundamentalism became identified in the public mind with anti-intellectualism and extremism. Many fundamentalists rejected this image, and a movement was begun in the late 1940s to present their position in both a more scholarly and popular way. This movement, known as neoevangelicalism (or, more simply, evangelicalism), sought a wider following from the major denominations through its various schools, youth programs, publications, and radio broadcasts. The separatists saw these efforts as compromising fundamentalist views and sought to disassociate themselves from these religious institutions and such well-known evangelical fundamentalists as Billy Graham.
Since the late 1970s fundamentalists have embraced electoral and legislative politics and the "electronic church" in their fight against perceived threats to traditional religious values: so-called secular humanism, Communism, feminism, legalized abortion, homosexuality, and the ban on school prayer. They have continued to oppose the teaching of evolution in the schools or have sought to have creationism or intelligent design taught as well. In recent years some fundamentalists have also attacked the teaching of scientific theories on the origins of the universe (see cosmology). Those Americans who describe themselves as fundamentalists (approximately 25% of the U.S. population) have become a political bloc in their own right. During the 1980s they made up a large portion of the new Christian right that helped put Ronald Reagan into the White House, and early in the 21st cent. they aided significantly in the election of George W. Bush to the presidency. The Moral Majority, founded by the fundamentalist Baptist pastor Jerry Falwell in 1979, was the most visible example of this new trend in the 1980s; the most prominent current group is the Christian Coalition, headed by Pat Robertson. Moderate fundamentalists and conservative evangelicals continue to forge new alliances, for example in the Southern Baptist Convention, to wield political and denominational control.
See N. Furniss, The Fundamentalist Controversy, 1918–1931 (1954, repr. 1963); L. Gasper, The Fundamentalist Movement, 1930–1956 (1963); E. R. Sandeen, The Roots of Fundamentalism (1970); M. Ellingsen, The Evangelical Movement (1988); W. H. Capps, The New Religious Right (1990); J. B. Flippen, Jimmy Carter, the Politics of Family, and the Rise of the Religious Right (2011).
2 In other religions. In Islam, the term "fundamentalism" encompasses various modern Muslim leaders, groups, and movements opposed to secularization in Islam and Islamic countries and seeking to reassert traditional beliefs and practices. After the Shiite revolution (1979) led by Ayatollah Khomeini in Iran, the term was applied to a number of ultra-conservative or militant Islamic movements there and in other countries, suc |
Beautiful Type for a Beautiful Web Site
by John Rettie
If you want to learn about typography, this Web site, created and maintained by John Boardley, a British graphic designer living in Japan, is a pretty good place to start | Beautiful Type for a Beautiful Web Site
by John Rettie
If you want to learn about typography, this Web site, created and maintained by John Boardley, a British graphic designer living in Japan, is a pretty good place to start.
September 01, 2010 — Typography, as its name suggests, is the art and field of study of type, as photography is the art and field of study of photographs. Similarly, typography is an important component of good design. Sadly, most people do not realize typography is a k |
When we think of the heady early years of the gold rushes in Victoria, regional towns like Ballarat and Castlemaine usually come to mind. This entry by Robyn Annear tells the less well-known stories of gold discoveries in the town | When we think of the heady early years of the gold rushes in Victoria, regional towns like Ballarat and Castlemaine usually come to mind. This entry by Robyn Annear tells the less well-known stories of gold discoveries in the town of Melbourne in the early 1850s.
Gold was found in many places in Victoria during the 1840s, mainly by shepherds and farm labourers. Their finds were mainly kept secret, as mining was illegal, all gold (and other metals) being the property of the Crown. No system of licences or miners’ rights existed; in fact, gold discovery was positively discouraged as an unsettling, uncivilising influence in a British colony where savagery had not long since been conquered. |
Innovations in the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes
February 17, 2006
One of the most deadly and disabling consequences of America's obesity epidemic is the precipitous increase of individuals suffering from diabetes. According to estimates by the American | Innovations in the Prevention and Treatment of Diabetes
February 17, 2006
One of the most deadly and disabling consequences of America's obesity epidemic is the precipitous increase of individuals suffering from diabetes. According to estimates by the American Diabetes Association (ADA), approximately 4,110 people are diagnosed with diabetes each day, with 1.5 million new cases diagnosed in 2005. The ADA predicts that one in three Americans born in 2000 will develop diabetes during their lifetime. These stunning projections, coupled with the serious complications and high health care costs associated with the disease, have spurred action to improve the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Some grantmakers are at the forefront of efforts to meet the needs of people at risk or already diagnosed with diabetes, and to lead transformations in how the U.S. health system prevents and treats this disease.
Issue Focus 2-6-2006 — 170KB |
Four Part Rules
When PG was a kid, his grandmother lived in a side apartment, in a house on Virginia Avenue. The owner of the house was Mrs. Stuckey. (PG never learned her “real” name, and assumed | Four Part Rules
When PG was a kid, his grandmother lived in a side apartment, in a house on Virginia Avenue. The owner of the house was Mrs. Stuckey. (PG never learned her “real” name, and assumed that checks were made out to Mrs.) There was a framed piece of paper in Mrs. Stuckey’s hall. The top said “The Four-Way Test of the things we think, say or do”, and featured the logo of the Rotary Club. The four rules were simple, on the surface. Is it the TRUTH?//Is it FAIR to all Concerned?//Will it build GOODWILL and BETTER FRIENDSHIPS?//Will it be BENEFICIAL to all concerned?
The four way test was written by Herbert J. Taylor. In 1932, Mr.Taylor took over the bankrupt Club Aluminum Company of Chicago. Trying to revive the company during the depression, Mr. Taylor wrote a code of ethics, hoping that it would be the basis for the company’s actions.
Many said that the four way test was not practical for the business world. The balancing of integrity and ambition can be daunting. It was said that “This emphasis on truth, fairness and consideration provide a moral diet so rich that it gives some people “ethical indigestion.”
These thoughts are for you to use. They were articulated by a man named Don Miguel Ruiz. They are called the Four Agreements.. HT to activecitizen54..
PG does not claim to live up to these ideals. Number two is especially tough for him. The main thing is to try, and to always do your best. This is not about what you believe or think, it is about what you do.
agreement 1–Be impeccable with your word – Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love.
agreement 2–Don’t take anything personally – Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
agreement 3–Don’t make assumptions – Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
agreement 4–Always do your best – Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse and regret.
This is an edited repost. The original post has more information about the Rotary Club rules for living. Pictures today are from “The Special Collections and Archives, Georgia State University Library”. |
What is in this article?:
• In some years irrigation has little impact on yield and in some years, at the Georgia facility, it actually decreased yields slightly.
• In the Southeast, irrigation timing and application curves go back to when Florunner | What is in this article?:
• In some years irrigation has little impact on yield and in some years, at the Georgia facility, it actually decreased yields slightly.
• In the Southeast, irrigation timing and application curves go back to when Florunner was the overwhelming choice of variety.
When USDA Researcher Wilson Faircloth began his recent presentation to the annual South Carolina peanut meeting talking about cutting back on irrigation water to improve yields, he got mostly blank stares.
By the time he finished his presentation there wasn’t enough time to answer all the questions about selected water stress on peanuts, called ‘prime acclimation’ by Faircloth.
Faircloth is a Research Agronomist at the USDA National Peanut Lab in Dawson, Ga. In 10 years of research at the USDA research facility near Albany, Ga., Faircloth says irrigation does increase yield — over a 10-year average.
However, in some years irrigation has little impact on yield and in some years, at the Georgia facility, it actually decreased yields slightly. In 2005, he says, a series of tropical storms produced an excess in rainfall and irrigated fields actually produced lower yields.
When peanut plants are stressed from lack of water, especially at key times in the growing season, yields can suffer dramatically. Again, over the 10-year test period in southwest Georgia, irrigation frequently improved yield by 1,000-1,500 pounds per acre.
The bottom line, Faircloth says, is that water is the limiting factor in crop production in the Southeast. He says the irrigation application rates and timing for peanuts and most other crops grown in the Southeast are out-dated.
In the Southeast, irrigation timing and application curves go back to when Florunner was the overwhelming choice of variety. As he and colleagues set out to update irrigation timing and amount guidelines they made some interesting observations about peanuts and moisture requirements.
“When peanut growers don’t have irrigation they are at the mercy of timely rainfall to get a high yiel |
Blindness is the partial or complete loss of vision. The leading causes of blindness are glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Blindness can also result from eye diseases, optic nerve disorders, or brain diseases involving | Blindness is the partial or complete loss of vision. The leading causes of blindness are glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy. Blindness can also result from eye diseases, optic nerve disorders, or brain diseases involving visual pathways or the occipital lobe of the brain. The patterns of visual field reduction depend on the area that is being affected by disease. Dama |
|Sultanate of Oman|
|Anthem: Nashid as-Salaam as-Sultani
(and largest city)
|Government||Islamic absolute monarchy|
|-||Sultan||Qaboos bin Said al Said|
|-||Ch | |Sultanate of Oman|
|Anthem: Nashid as-Salaam as-Sultani
(and largest city)
|Government||Islamic absolute monarchy|
|-||Sultan||Qaboos bin Said al Said|
|-||Chancellor||Fahad ibn Mahmood Al Said|
|-||Total||309,550 km2 (70th)
119,498 sq mi
|-||2009 estimate||2,845,000 (139th)|
|GDP (PPP)||2008 estimate|
|GDP (nominal)||2008 estimate|
|HDI (2007)||▲ 0.846 (high) (56th)|
|Drives on the||right|
|1||Population estimate includes 693,000 non-nationals.|
Oman (pronounced oh-MAHN; Arabic: عمان ‘Umān), officially the Sultanate of Oman (Arabic: سلطنة عمان Salṭanat ‘Umān), is an Arab country in southwest Asia on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It borders the United Arab Emirates on the northwest, Saudi Arabia on the west and Yemen on the southwest.
The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the south and east and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The country also contains Madha, an exclave enclosed by the United Arab Emirates, and Musandam, an exclave also separated by Emirati territory.
Wattayah, located in the governorate of Muscat, is the oldest known human settlement in the area and dates back to the Stone Age, making it around 5,000 years old. Archaeological remains from different dates have been discovered here, the earliest representing the Stone Age, then the Heliocentric Age and finally, the Bronze Age. Findings have consisted of stone implements, animal bones, shells and fire hearths. The latter date back to 7615 BC and are the oldest signs of human settlement in the area.
Other discoveries include hand-moulded pottery bearing distinguishing pre-Bronze Age marks, heavy flint implements, pointed tools and scrapers.
On a mountain rock-face in the same district, animal drawings have been discovered. Similar drawings have also been found in the Wadi Sahtan and Wadi Bani Kharus areas of Rustaq. These drawings consist of human figures carrying weapons and being confronted by wild animals. Siwan in Haima is another Stone Age location and some of the archaeological finds have included arrowheads, knives, chisels and circular stones which may have been used to throw at animals.
Oman's Names Sumerian tablets refer to a country called Magan, a name thought to refer to Oman’s ancient copper mines. Mezoun is derived from the word muzn, which means abundant flowing water. The present-day name of the country, Oman, is believed to originate from the Arab tribes who migrated to its territory from the Uman region of Yemen. Many tribes settled in Oman making a living by fishing, herding or stock breeding and many present day Omani families are able to trace their ancestral roots to other parts of Arabia.
From the 6th century BC to the arrival of Islam in the 7th century AD, Oman was controlled and/or influenced by three Persian dynasties, the Achaemenids, Parthians and Sassanids. Achaemenids in the 6th century BC controlled and influenced the Oman peninsula. This was most likely exerted from a coastal center such as Sohar. By about 250 B.C. the Parthian dynasty brought the Persian Gulf under their control and extended their influence as far as Oman. Because they needed to control the Persian Gulf trade route |
SEVENTEEN AND A HALF MILES UPSTREAM FROM THE TOWER is Keyhole Dam and Reservoir, completed in 1952. It takes its name from the ranch where the dam site crosses the Belle Fourche River in Crook | SEVENTEEN AND A HALF MILES UPSTREAM FROM THE TOWER is Keyhole Dam and Reservoir, completed in 1952. It takes its name from the ranch where the dam site crosses the Belle Fourche River in Crook County, Wyoming. Keyhole is a part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri River Basin ProjectCheyenne Division, a program initially authorized by the Flood Control Act of 1944 which approved the general comprehensive plan for the conservation, control, and use of water resource in the entire Missouri River Basin.
The Belle Fourche River is a tributary of the Cheyenne River, which in turn is a tributary of the Missouri River. The dam and reservoir is a multi-purpose unit, providing supplemental storage for the Belle Fourche Project located in South Dakota, limited irrigation in Wyoming, flood control, enhanced recreation, and fish and wildlife conservation. Keyhole State Park encompasses 6,740 acres of land, with the reservoir adding 9,394 acres of water surface and 62 miles of shoreline.
The NPS does not possess water rights for maintaining minimum flows in the Belle Fourche River. The two-plus miles of river within and adjacent to the national monument boundary, while ostensibly under NPS control, are subject to the acts and decisions of organizations and associations far removed from the Tower landscapethis river regulation has affected riparian habitats and geomorphologic processes in the national monument.
ON JULY 16, 1952, Jan Conn and Jane Showacre became the first all-woman technical climbing team to summit the Tower. Conn climbed often in the Black Hills and had climbed the Tower with her husband, Herb, in 1948. At that time she was the first woman atop the Tower since Linnie Rogers climbed in 1895.
Showacre had spent time in the mountains of western Canada and Conn had watched her practice climb on the cliffs along the Potomac River near Washington, D. C. Both felt ready and able to summit the Tower.
Conn recalls, "I was elected to lead the first pitch because it required a long reach, and being one and three-quarters inch over five feet I was three-quarters of an inch taller than Jane."
Showacre, known for her healthy appetite, led another pitch later in the climb. Conn followed with their pack that she claimed held food enough for six people. Conn inched her way upward with much grunting, pushing, and heaving. She thought Showacre looked concerned when she finally reached the top of the crack, and sure enough, Showacre said, "Golly, I hope the oranges didn't get squashed."
After rappelling down and reaching the base of the Tower where a crowd had gathered, they took pictures and gathered their gear. However, they heard one man remark as he turned to leave, "That climb must not be v |
This tutorial was designed for Visual C++ Express which is the free version of Visual C++.
This tutorial will be divided in two parts:
- the first part will have like subject the installation of
PTK in a VC++ project ;
- | This tutorial was designed for Visual C++ Express which is the free version of Visual C++.
This tutorial will be divided in two parts:
- the first part will have like subject the installation of
PTK in a VC++ project ;
- the second part will see the creation of a small program to
practise and see what PTK can offer.
You will find the PTK library with the following
address in the section download : Phelios.com.
Download the zip file for Windows and decompress the file in
an easily accessible directory with a name like “ptk”
Before continuing it's important to know that PTK needs other
basic” librarys will say us.
You will have install the following librarys :
- Platform SDK from Microsoft ;
- DirectX SDK, Version 7.0 is recommended if you intend on developping casual games. Download “dx70
min.zip”, then you will have just copy the contents of
lib” in the directory “lib” of your
IDE and make the same way with the directorys “include”
- OpenGL. ( but you probably already have that one )
Go urgently to this url.
Reason? VC++ Express cannot deal with “Wind32 Application”,
it deals with only “Win32 Console Application”.
If it's important to do it now it's because normally you installed
the SDK, essential thing. The modifications are simple.
We can now pass to the installation of PTK on Visual C++. Start
by creating a project, for that made : File > New > Project.
In the type of project select “Win32” and “Win32
Application” like model. In VC++ Express, only “Win32
Console Application” is available but don't worry, if
you read the preceding "warning",
there isn't problem. Enter a name like “TestPTK”,
and validate with “OK”.
In the new window which appears, click on “Next”
then choose “Empty project” which will create a
project without the least line of code. And if you are under
VC++ Express you will be able to choose “Windows Application”,
which you will make (if not that won't go). It any more but
doesn't remain you to validate with “Finish”.
Us here with an empty project, right click on “Source
Files” then made Add > New Element. Selected like model,
on the right, a file C++ (cpp) and choose a name. As it is our
first file and that it will be our main thing, name this “main”.
Now we will configure VC so that it "recognizes" the PTK library. There are two ways of configuring and installing PTK.
The first is to make it as in the tutorial of Platform SDK. You'll have to add in Tool > Option > VC++Directories, the address of the directorys “lib” (libmicrosoftvc)
and “include” (headers) of your library PTK.
Another method, more complicated, makes it possible to configure the project directly. It's this method which i have chosen here. For that one starts by making a right click on the project and selects “properties”.
Y ou should have an identical window :
At the top of the window in “Configuration” selected
All the configurations”. Select “General”
C/C++” and in “Additionnal Include Directories”
put the access path towards the file “headers” which
is in your file “ptk”.
Now click on “Linker” then "General".
Even thing that before, except that you will do that with “Additonnal
Library Directories” and that it's the access path towards
the directory “libmicrosoftvc” which you will have
Always in “Linker”, select “Input”,
and in “Additionnal Indepencies” to copy/paste the
following line: “libptkvc.lib ksoundvcstatic.lib winmm.lib
opengl32.lib dsound.lib dxguid.lib ddraw.lib d3dx.lib wininet.lib
In the file “readme” it's indicated that you can add the files”.lib " in your project. But we don't need to do that since we added the files in the linker directly.. Add their names in “Additionnal
Indepencies” as that is described above.
Here one finished for the “total” configuration,
apply all that. Then in “Configuration” select “Debug”.
Always in Linker > Input, in "Ignore Specific Library"
copy/paste the following line : libcmt; libc.
Pass in “Release” in “Configuration”
(in top) and return in “C/C++”, but this time in
Code Generation”. In “Runtime Librar |
Demystifying Doppler Flowmeters in Sewage Flow Measurement
The measurement of flows in open channels has been an interesting challenge for many decades. Today, increased regulatory pressures and system improvement requirements for open channel conveyance have stepped up the requirements | Demystifying Doppler Flowmeters in Sewage Flow Measurement
The measurement of flows in open channels has been an interesting challenge for many decades. Today, increased regulatory pressures and system improvement requirements for open channel conveyance have stepped up the requirements for knowledge of actual flows within conduit systems. For many years, there were very limited options for determining open channel flows.
The generally accepted practice was the use of a level curve verse a flow curve with some primary element. The flow method required major construction and was very expensive. Point velocity flowmeters also became popular and for many years were successfully used as an option to primary elements at a significantly less cost.
Both techniques have significant margins of error but, with the lack of options available, they were the accepted techniques. Recently, area velocity portable flowmeters utilizing Doppler technology for use in open-channel measurement have become in vogue based on their price, general ease of installation and apparent accuracy.
This discussion is from the consumers' standpoint. It includes the various aspects of Doppler technology, a survey of the manufacturer's application of this technology and a toolbox for the educated consumer to make a purchase. By providing a base knowledge of this product area, the purchaser can determine the best product to fit their particular application.
History of Doppler Technology
Sound travels as a wave through some medium. Water is a better conductor of the wave than air as it is more dense. Most physics text books will note that sound travels four times faster in water than air. However, the actual tone depends on the perspective of the reference. Therefore, the tone of a given sound wave will seem to change or "shift" based on the reference point of the listener. Christian J. Doppler documented and developed equations for the shifting of frequencies passing a fixed object. This phenomenon is best illustrated by the passing of a police car, train or ambulance while you are standing still. The sound appears to change tone as the distance increases from your point of reference. This changing of the tone is referred to as the "Doppler Shift."
This shift in tone was discussed in theory but appeared to have little practical application until the twentieth century. Engineers were successful in determining a velocity in a closed channel based on averaging the shift in tones within a pipe. Since the cross section of the flow was fixed, a flow rate was readily determined. However, the application was limited to uniform liquids. In the case of water, air bubbles of uniform size were injected into the flow so the sound could reflect. At first, sewage was not a practical application due to the non-uniform size of the suspended solids. In the late 1980s, select companies had the ability to use averaging algorithms in their equipment to determine a velocity based on averages of shifts over a time average. This was performed by taking a set time (e.g.; one minute) and firing the Doppler once a second, listening for the shifts and taking an average of all the velocities for the given time frame. This technique produced marginal results. Most of the applications were limited to the full pipe situation with very little application to the open-channel world.
Doppler in Open-Channels
The early 1990s brought massive advances in computer technology and software development. These advances were applied to the open-channel arena and products began to appear using Doppler technology.
Two prominent methods divide the market today. One is the Peak Doppler method and the second is the Weighted Average Doppler application. Both methods have advantages and disadvantages, and it definitely depends on the application to determine the best selection. Both applications utilize a fast fourier transform for determining velocity components. Unless you are an electrical engineer, the subject of Fourier Transforms and frequency domains may be intimidating. Therefore, they are discussed here in reference only and described for this application.
Both devices take the sound shifts received from the suspended solids in motion and develop a profile in the frequency domain. The faster the object reflecting the sound moves in the liquid, the greater the phase shift, or change in tone the meter registers. A Fast Fourier analysis of these phase shifts (or tone changes) is made and a distribution pattern is established. Fourier analysis is cumbersome and for a long time not possible on portable-type devices. The advances in micro-PC applications make this possible today. Most dataloggers and RTU/PLC families have the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) as a pre-set call or function block. Fourier transformation permits these tone changes to be converted to a form understandable on a graph.
Most studies in this area are performed over time. In this case, substitute frequency for time and the chart becomes understandable. This is essentially moving from the time domain to the frequency domain, where one is examining the change in frequency instead of a change in time. Time becomes a constant. This is a sn |
The numbers running along the bottom of your check aren't mere decoration, each number means something. Some numbers identify your specific bank, some numbers identify your bank account, and other numbers identify the specific check. This article will outline the difference between each | The numbers running along the bottom of your check aren't mere decoration, each number means something. Some numbers identify your specific bank, some numbers identify your bank account, and other numbers identify the specific check. This article will outline the difference between each series of numbers and help you understand where they're located.
A bank routing number (also sometimes called "check routing numbers" or "routing transit numbers") is located on the bottom left of your check between two colons. The number has nine digits. Each bank has its own routing number, which is assigned by the American Bankers Association. When you write a check and the business deposits the check, the routing number tells the business's bank where to go and get the amount written on the check; think of it as a sort of bank return address.
Your account number is listed at the bottom of the check, in the middle, between two colons. The number of digits may vary, but account numbers typically are 10 to 12 digits long. This number will be specific only to you. Think of it as the name on the return address.
The final number is listed on the bottom of the check to the far right. It typically does not have a colon at the end. This is your check number. It will match the number listed on the top right of the check. While this number may be important to you and to your bank, in case you need to track down a specific check, it's not very important to the person who receives your check, or the person who cashes it. When you're filling out paperwork at your job for direct deposit paychecks, you'll never give your check number information. Same goes for filling out paperwork for automatic deductions; it's simply not needed. |
Pangolins are being eaten to extinction
Monday 8 July 2013
Populations of all eight species of pangolin are being devastated as the Chinese pangolin is hunted close to extinction in the wild for its meat and scales.
| Pangolins are being eaten to extinction
Monday 8 July 2013
Populations of all eight species of pangolin are being devastated as the Chinese pangolin is hunted close to extinction in the wild for its meat and scales.
Last week, the first global conference on the conservation of pangolins, hosted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature - Species Survival Commission (IUCN-SSC), saw more than 40 conservationists from 14 countries discuss a solution for the global decline of the world's most traded wild mammal.
Professor Jonathan Baillie, Conservation Programmes Director at the Zoological Society of London and Co-Chair of the IUCN-SSC Pangolin Specialist Group said: “Not only do we need to reduce demand for pangolin parts in East Asia, we also need to ensure there are pangolin strongholds where we can ensure the viability of populations in the wild."
Dan Challender, Co-Chair of the IUCN-SSC Pangolin Specialist Group said: “Following huge declines in populations of the Chinese pangolin, trade has mainly involved the Sunda pangolin in recent years, which occurs across Southeast Asia, but pangolins are now being sourced from South Asia and as far as Africa to meet demand in East Asia. They are more than likely the most traded wild mammals globally”.
Themed ‘Scaling up Pangolin |
The word budget seems like a dirty word to some people. The thought of writing down every expense and categorizing household bills sounds as fun as a root canal. Thankfully, with today’s technology you can keep a simple household budget without spending your entire | The word budget seems like a dirty word to some people. The thought of writing down every expense and categorizing household bills sounds as fun as a root canal. Thankfully, with today’s technology you can keep a simple household budget without spending your entire day recording each expense. A simple budget is one that allows you to reach your goals without having to track every dime every day.
Discuss your goals. Everyone in the family should be on the same page for your budget to be successful. Often, budgeting problems aren’t the result of tracking but are a problem of communication; one member of the family knows how much money the family has and everyone else is living as if money isn’t an issue. By having family discussions often about the budget, you’ll find that everyone spends more frugally.
Write out how you spend money now. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation offers a great worksheet to help you keep track of your expenses for a sample week. If you prefer an online version, the National Foundation for Credit Counseling has a good monthly budget worksheet. Don’t worry about how much you should be spending yet. Just write down your expenses so you can see in writing where your cash goes.
Calculate how much your goals will cost. An effective budget is driven by your true long term goals. It’s easier to avoid the extra coffee or lunch at a restaurant if you know why you have a budget. Assign costs to each goal. To help with longer term expensive goals such as retirement or education costs, use online calculators found at financial websites such as Yahoo! Finance or MSN Money.
Find money in your budget to save toward your goals. Review your expenses and pare down those that you’ll need to cut in order to reach your goals. This is easier than cutting expenses arbitrarily because you can easily see what should be cut to reach your goals. Often, people are able to save money through utility bills by signing up for budget plans or insurance costs by getting competitive insurance quotes.
Use direct deposit to fund your goals. For education, direct deposit into children’s savings, such as a 529 plan or Coverdell IRA. For retirement, have funds automatically withdrawn into your retirement plan, such as a 401k, SEP or 403b plan. If you don’t have these plans, ask human resources if they’re available; if not, set up an IRA at a local brokerage house or bank. If you don’t have direct deposit, use automatic arrangements to have funds move directly from your checking account to investment goal accounts. This will fund your goals automatically, keeping your budget simple.
Find online sites to maintain your budget. Many banks now offer financial tools that will remind you when your account is low or help you categorize and chart your spending habits. If not, look toward free web services, such as Mint.com or Geezeo, or Wesabe. These will automatically track your spending habits and may point out ways to reduce spending or save money m |
Research on the Rise
Families Fuel Discovery
Many rare and devastating diseases lack effective treatments or cures. The faith, funds and passion of families of our patients jump-start the search for answers that will help seriously ill children lead healthier lives.
| Research on the Rise
Families Fuel Discovery
Many rare and devastating diseases lack effective treatments or cures. The faith, funds and passion of families of our patients jump-start the search for answers that will help seriously ill children lead healthier lives.
Scientific discovery takes ideas, dollars and dedication. The families of our patients are an important source of all three, bringing hope and financial support – and forging relationships with investigators – that fuel the work at Seattle Children’s Research Institute.
Families are true partners in the research process. You feel an extra responsibility to make progress because of the faith and funds invested in you.”
– Dr. Nino Ramirez
Pediatric research receives just 6% of the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) funding – a spending history reflective of the trend toward prioritizing research into diseases and disorders that afflict adults at the expense of children and childhood wellness. Rare diseases, conditions that aren’t life-threatening and pilot studies get the short end of a short stick.
While that’s discouraging for families whose children are fighting rare and devastating diseases, many join the quest to find cures and better treatments. By personally supporting research at Children’s, these families are spurring advances in pediatric medicine that are not funded by other means. Families raise money, rally community support, encourage physicians and give consent for their children to join clinical studies to move research from the laboratory to the bedside.
Developing strong relationships with families is part of the research institute’s strategy, says Dr. Jim Hendricks, president of the institute. “Families count on us for hope and we count on them for inspiration. Their passion and participation fuels the fire of discovery.”
Solving mitochondrial riddle
The Mitochondrial Research Guild is a dynamic example of the guilds and family foundations that support research at Seattle Children’s. Mitochondrial disease is a potentially life-threatening group of disorders in which cells fail to generate the energy the body needs to live and grow. Between 1,000 and 4,000 children are born with a mitochondrial disease every year.
There is no cure or effective treatment for mitochondrial disease, and it’s often misdiagnosed because it shares symptoms with other diseases. Jill Herczog, the mother of two daughters with mitochondrial disease, co-founded the Mitochondrial Research Guild in 2003 to raise awareness, improve care and spur research after struggling to find answers for her daughters. Families raised funds so Children’s could recruit two researchers to help solve the riddle of this mysterious metabolic disorder.
Dr. Philip Morgan and Dr. Margaret Sedensky are studying the wide differences in the way patients with mitochondrial respond to anesthesia so they can improve their perioperative experience. The answer could also lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms that drive the disease. “The guild’s ongoing support for our work has been spectacular,” Sedensky says. “The commitment these families demonstrate reminds you what your work is all about.”
A family’s most precious commitment is allowing their child to participate in a clinical study. “It’s not an easy decision for parents to enroll a child in a study, but I can think of only one family out of hundreds who has declined,” Morgan says.
Families are also thirsty for knowledge that can help them cope with rare conditions like mitochondrial disease. To help quench that thirst, Children’s added a day of family-centered presentations to the mitochondrial biology conference it sponsored in August 2012. Families were also welcome to attend other conference presentations intended for researchers and clinicians. Experts from around the world spoke at the two-day meeting, which addressed one of the most vexing problems families face – how to diagnose the disease. Another conference is being planned for 2014.
Making innovation in cancer treatment possible
Funding for new but untested ideas is scarce. Without support from families, many promising therapies would struggle to move forward. The parents of a young boy who died of neuroblastoma when he was just 3 created a fundraising foundation in his name, the Ben Towne Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, to hasten the development of better care and new cures. Funding from the foundation is underwriting the innovative immunotherapy approach to cancer treatment being developed at the Ben Towne Center for Childhood Cancer Research at Seattle Children’s Research Institute. The approach, led by center director Dr. Mike Jensen, involves reprogramming a child’s immune system to attack and kill cancer cells, potentially reducing or eliminating the need for radiation or chemotherapy.
A new way of thinking about Tourette’s
Emerging ways of looking at disease also rely on philanthropy to move forward. Tourette syndrome, ADHD, addiction and other impulse control disorders affect a significant and growing percentage of children, but there are no cures, and treatments are not always effective. Jeanne Tweten and Jim Leslie, whose son has Tourette syndrome, approached Dr. Nino Ramirez, director of the research institute's Center for Integrative Brain Research, about studying these disorders as a group of related conditions. With a generous donatio |
At midnight at the start of Monday, January 1st, Professor Stone set two of his old fashioned clocks to the correct time.
One of his clocks gains one minute every hour and the other loses two minutes every hour.
[Ref: Z | At midnight at the start of Monday, January 1st, Professor Stone set two of his old fashioned clocks to the correct time.
One of his clocks gains one minute every hour and the other loses two minutes every hour.
[Ref: ZDJB] © K |
HTML forms are one of the most basic ways to add interactivity to your website. You can ask questions and solicit answers from your readers, provide additional information from databases, set up games, and more. There are a number of HTML elements you | HTML forms are one of the most basic ways to add interactivity to your website. You can ask questions and solicit answers from your readers, provide additional information from databases, set up games, and more. There are a number of HTML elements you can use to build your forms. And once you've built your form, there |
eso1016 — Science Release
Turning Planetary Theory Upside Down
13 April 2010
The discovery of nine new transiting exoplanets is announced today at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM2010). When these | eso1016 — Science Release
Turning Planetary Theory Upside Down
13 April 2010
The discovery of nine new transiting exoplanets is announced today at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM2010). When these new results were combined with earlier observations of transiting exoplanets astronomers were surprised to find that six out of a larger sample of 27 were found to be orbiting in the opposite direction to the rotation of their host star — the exact reverse of what is seen in our own Solar System. The new discoveries provide an unexpected and serious challenge to current theories of planet formation. They also suggest that systems with exoplanets of the type known as hot Jupiters are unlikely to contain Earth-like planets.
“This is a real bomb we are dropping into the field of exoplanets,” says Amaury Triaud, a PhD student at the Geneva Observatory who, with Andrew Cameron and Didier Queloz, leads a major part of the observational campaign.
Planets are thought to form in the disc of gas and dust encircling a young star. This proto-planetary disc rotates in the same direction as the star itself, and up to now it was expected that planets that form from the disc would all orbit in more or less the same plane, and that they would move along their orbits in the same direction as the star’s rotation. This is the case for the planets in the Solar System.
After the initial detection of the nine new exoplanets with the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP, ), the team of astronomers used the HARPS spectrograph on the 3.6-metre ESO telescope at the La Silla observatory in Chile, along with data from the Swiss Euler telescope, also at La Silla, and data from other telescopes to confirm the discoveries and characterise the transiting exoplanets found in both the new and older surveys.
Surprisingly, when the team combined the new data with older observations they found that more than half of all the hot Jupiters studied have orbits that are misaligned with the rotation axis of their parent stars. They even found that six exoplanets in this extended study (of which two are new discoveries) have retrograde motion: they orbit their star in the “wrong” direction.
“The new results really challenge the conventional wisdom that planets should always orbit in the same direction as their stars spin,” says Andrew Cameron of the University of St Andrews, who presented the new results at the RAS National Astronomy Meeting (NAM2010) in Glasgow this week.
In the 15 years since the first hot Jupiters were discovered, their origin has been a puzzle. These are planets with masses similar to or greater than that of Jupiter, but that orbit very close to their suns. The cores of giant planets are thought to form from a mix of rock and ice particles found only in the cold outer reaches of planetary systems. Hot Jupiters must therefore form far from their star and subsequently migrate inwards to orbits much closer to the parent star. Many astronomers believed this was due to gravitational interactions with the disc of dust from which they formed. This scenario takes place over a few million years and results in an orbit aligned with the rotation axis of the parent star. It would also allow Earth-like rocky planets to form subsequently, but unfortunately it cannot account for the new observations.
To account for the new retrograde exoplanets an alternative migration theory suggests that the proximity of hot Jupiters to their stars is not due to interactions with the dust disc at all, but to a slower evolution process involving a gravitational tug-of-war with more distant planetary or stellar companions over hundreds of millions of years. After these disturbances have bounced a giant exoplanet into a tilted and elongated orbit it would suffer tidal friction, losing energy every time it swung close to the star. It would eventually become parked in a near circular, but randomly tilted, orbit close to the star. “A dramatic side-effect of this process is that it would wipe out any other smaller Earth-like planet in these systems,” says Didier Queloz of Geneva Observatory.
Two of the newly discovered retrograde planets have already been found to have more distant, massive companions that could potentially be the cause of the upset. These new results will trigger an intensive search for additional bodies in other planetary systems.
This research was presented at the Royal Astronomical Society National Astronomy Meeting (NAM2010) that is taking place this week in Glasgow, Scotland. Nine publications submitted to international journals will be released on this occasion, four of them using data from ESO facilities. On the same occasion, the WASP consortium was awarded the 2010 Royal Astronomical Society Group Achievement Award.
The current count of known exoplanets is 454.
The nine newly found exoplanets were discovered by the Wide Angle Search for Planets (WASP). WASP comprises two robotic observatories, each consisting of eight wide-angle cameras that simultaneously monitor the sky continuously for planetary transit eve |
This unique collection includes 4,679 important, and often rare, reference works in plant taxonomy, available by phytogeographic regions. There is also an accompanying Bibliographic Guide whose specifications are shown below.
Up to now the microfiche | This unique collection includes 4,679 important, and often rare, reference works in plant taxonomy, available by phytogeographic regions. There is also an accompanying Bibliographic Guide whose specifications are shown below.
Up to now the microfiche collection, Plant Taxonomic Literature, has only been available in its entirety. Now botanists and amateur naturalists will have the opportunity to acquire just those titles relevant to their own regions.
This unique collection includes 4,679 important, and often rare, reference works in plant taxonomy, available by phytogeographic regions.The Complete Microfiche Collection costs £30,650. The accompanying Bibliographic Guide is available at £95.00. Details of the guide are shown in the specifications above.
The selection of titles in the microfiche collection was originally made possible by publication of the second edition of Stafleu and Cowan's Taxonomic Literature. Using this new edition, Dr James Mears, an authority on taxonomic literature and documentation, produced a master list of the basic, non-journal publications in plant taxonomy. The titles were then evaluated as |
Washington, July 3 (ANI): NASA has recently completed a major space technology development milestone by successfully testing a pressurized, large cryogenic propellant tank made of composite materials.
The composite tank will enable the next generation of rockets and spacecraft | Washington, July 3 (ANI): NASA has recently completed a major space technology development milestone by successfully testing a pressurized, large cryogenic propellant tank made of composite materials.
The composite tank will enable the next generation of rockets and spacecraft needed for space exploration.
Cryogenic propellants are gasses chilled to subfreezing temperatures and condensed to form highly combustible liquids, providing high-energy propulsion solutions critical to future, long-term human exploration missions beyond low-Earth orbit.
Cryogenic propellants, such as liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen, have been traditionally used to provide the enormous thrust needed for large rockets and NASA's space shuttle.
In the past, propellant tanks have been fabricated out of metals.
The almost 8 foot- (2.4 meter) diameter composite tank tested at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, is considered game changing because composite tanks may significantly reduce the cost and weight for launch vehicles and other space missions.
Built by Boeing at their Tukwila, Wash. facility, the tank arrived at NASA in late 2012.
Engineers insulated and inspected the tank, then put it through a series of pressurized tests to measure its ability to contain liquid hydrogen at extremely cold temperatures.
The tank was cooled down to -423 degrees Fahrenheit and underwent 20 pressure cycles as engineers changed the pressure up to 135 psi.
The 5.5 meter (18 foot) tank will be one of the largest composite propellant tanks ever built and will incorporate design features and manufacturing processes applicable to an 8.4 meter (27.5 foot) tank, the size of metal tanks found in today's large launch vehicles. (ANI) |
Last updated on 4 April 2012
Moratorium on desinewed meat*
The UK has been required to re-classify the process by which a very small part of its meat processing industry removes meat from animal bones.
The European Commission | Last updated on 4 April 2012
Moratorium on desinewed meat*
The UK has been required to re-classify the process by which a very small part of its meat processing industry removes meat from animal bones.
The European Commission has asked that a moratorium is put in place on the production of 'desinewed meat' (DSM) from cattle, sheep and goats. Desinewed meat is produced using a low pressure technique to remove meat from animal bones. The product closely resembles minced meat, is currently a meat preparation and is regarded as meat.
DSM has been produced in the UK since the mid-1990s. UK producers have told us that DSM is also exported by other EU countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is clear that there is no evidence of any risk to human health from eating meat produced from the low-pressure DSM technique. There is no greater risk from eating this sort of produce than any other piece of meat or meat product. The European Commission has informed us today they do not consider this to be an identified public health concern.
However, the European Commission has decided that DSM does not comply with European Union single market legislation and has therefore require |
Ever noticed that in the Star Trek universe, no one’s communicator runs out of charge? And Darth Vader never worried about whether he’d remembered to plug in his lightsaber overnight, nor does The Doctor ever dash back into the TARDIS to | Ever noticed that in the Star Trek universe, no one’s communicator runs out of charge? And Darth Vader never worried about whether he’d remembered to plug in his lightsaber overnight, nor does The Doctor ever dash back into the TARDIS to grab his sonic screwdriver charger. It just never happens.
Possibly we’re to understand that these devices have their own tiny power supplies, but more likely these devices have some other way to get their juice. And wouldn’t it be nice to dispense with the problem of recharging once and for all? In our own local space-time continuum, a number of companies labor to make wireless power possible using a host of technologies, but there are two strategies that show a lot of promise, one using lasers, another using magnetic resonance.
Laser Motive, a Seattle company, powered a small remote controlled helicopter for 12 hours, 26 minutes by keeping a laser pointed at it, a new record. It marked the second major breakthrough for Laser Motive, the first coming when it won $900,000 in NASA’s Space Elevator Games in 2009. Laser Motive used a laser to power a climber to scoot up a 1 kilometer cable hanging from a helicopter at 3.9 meters per second (8.8 miles per hour).
At it’s most basic, Laser Motive is just using light power: On the ground it uses electricity, lenses, and mirrors to create an intense laser, which it fires at solar cells on the unmanned aircraft. The solar cells convert it back to electricity, and away they go. Using lasers allows the possibility of sending power over long distances (though always in line of sight) and for sustained periods. Laser Motive envisions unmanned aircraft going on missions, coming back and recharging from a laser without ever landing, and then returning to missions. A more far-fetched, but actively researched, application is to mount solar panels on satellites in space — where the sun comes in unadulterated by atmosphere — and beam the power down to earth.
Closer to the consumer market, WiTricity Corp. uses electromagnetic principles to wirelessly beam power from a wall outlet to a device. A device carrying a coil of wire mounted at the outlet will generate a magnetic field. A corresponding device plugs into a laptop or cell phone, also carrying a coil, but attuned to the magnetic resonance from the first device at the wall. At the outlet, electricity courses through coils in a device, producing a resonant magnetic field. The receiving device can pick up the field and electricity will be induced in its coil, and it will then send power into the laptop (or cell phone or light saber).
Neither company produces a device ready for market, nor even for mass production; there are still scientific and technological barriers to cross. But as we move beyond wired Internet and wired telephones, electricity has become the last major umbilical cord for our precious devices. I look forward to one day dispensing with them once and for all.
Image courtesy Laser Motive
Links to this Post
- Interesting Reading #618 – The Blogs at HowStuffWorks | November 8, 2010 |
Annotation. Shirley was the second published novel by Charlotte Bronte, after Jane Eyre. It is a social novel set against the backdrop of the Luddite uprisings in Yorshire after the Napoleonic Wars, particularly in the | Annotation. Shirley was the second published novel by Charlotte Bronte, after Jane Eyre. It is a social novel set against the backdrop of the Luddite uprisings in Yorshire after the Napoleonic Wars, particularly in the depressed textile industry. The novel's heroine is given a boy's name by her father, who expected a son. The novel's popularity turned the distinctly male name Shirley into a distinctly female one. |
One of the handouts in the conference materials at AASL this year was the document, Implementing the Common Core State Standards: The Role of the School Librarian. This resource (written by David V. Loertscher and Kathryn Roots | One of the handouts in the conference materials at AASL this year was the document, Implementing the Common Core State Standards: The Role of the School Librarian. This resource (written by David V. Loertscher and Kathryn Roots Lewis and reviewed by AASL Reviewers, Carol L. Tilley and Jennifer S. Helfrich) –
“... is designed not only for school librarians who are supporting higher standards for student learning, but also for school leaders as they rethink and re-envis |
Support in school for disabled children.
Giving disabled children the opportunity to reach their full potential in school is perhaps one of the most important aims of the modern education system. Having been heavily criticised in the past for a general lack of support, the Government | Support in school for disabled children.
Giving disabled children the opportunity to reach their full potential in school is perhaps one of the most important aims of the modern education system. Having been heavily criticised in the past for a general lack of support, the Government is now channelling considerable energy into the establishment of an effective, efficient and equal system to ensure disabled children are offered the necessary foundations for living a happy and stress-free life.
Teachers often have large classes to attend to and the concept of key workers makes it possible for each child to receive valuable one to one attention. The allocation of named key workers in schools aims to offer children additional advice, encouragement and understanding in all aspects of school life. Having consistent access to an individual key worker also encourages children to nurture a strong relationship with their key worker and can be instrumental in building ambition, confidence and |
Law and Revolution [B, C]
Modern society has evolved through a series of great revolutions; the revolutions that laid the basis for the evolution of the modern society were all legal and constitutional (Berman). Although they were total revolutions they maintained continuity | Law and Revolution [B, C]
Modern society has evolved through a series of great revolutions; the revolutions that laid the basis for the evolution of the modern society were all legal and constitutional (Berman). Although they were total revolutions they maintained continuity with the pattern that distinguishes modern from premodern societies. We explore two controversial theses: that modernity began with the “first European revolution” (Robert I. Moore) in the 11th and 12th centuries, and continued with the protestant and democratic revolutions of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries; and that the last great revolution was the global legal revolution of the 20th century (Brunkhorst). We examine the dynamics and logic of the evolution of modern society (in particular the development of the state, law, and subjective rights). We also focus on the dialectic of law and revolution in the 20th century and today: is this dialectic ongoing, or has it come to an end? Readings include Berman, Moore, Gorski, Brunkhorst, Luhmann, Arendt, Marshall, Habermas, Kelsen, Parsons, Koskenniemi, and Chimni.
Taught by Hauke Brunkhorst |
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced their new son's name: George Alexander Louis, or HRH Prince George of Cambridge.
This toes the line with tradition but we can't help noticing that they ignored a few more adventurous options. A quick | The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have announced their new son's name: George Alexander Louis, or HRH Prince George of Cambridge.
This toes the line with tradition but we can't help noticing that they ignored a few more adventurous options. A quick look back at William's family tree reveals these zany names from royal history:
It's a radical option, but the name Augustus comes from impressive royal lineage. Augustus was the title given to Octavian, the first Roman emperor, and also Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland in the 1600s. Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex, was also the sixth son of "Mad King" George III. It's derived from Latin, meaning "to increase," "great" or "venerable".
Ernest is a Germanic name, literally meaning Earnest or serious. Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha was a Prussian general and participated in military actions against Napoleon. He was also the great-great-great-grandfather of Queen Elizabeth II and named one of his illegitimate children Ernst.
ABOVE: Queen Elizabeth II with her baby son Charles in 1948 and below, Kate and William with new arrival George
Humphrey is derived from German origins and means "peaceful warrior" - a person who brings warmth, charm and pleasure to others. Much more than just a cat name, then. Humphrey of Lancaster was born in 1390 as the 1st Duke of Gloucester and 1st Earl of Pembroke. He was the youngest son of Henry IV in House of Plantagenet dynasty.
Jasper has seen a recent surge in popularity but its roots lie in ancient Persia, meaning "treasurer; spotted stone." Jasper Tudor, 1st Duke of Bedford, was the uncle of King Henry VII of England and the brains behind his successful conquest of England and Wales in 1485.
Leopold is an old German name, meaning "brave people." Leopold I of Belgium himself was a courageous man - he was the first King of the Belgians, following Belgium's independence from the Netherlands. He was also Queen Victoria’s uncle and a key influencer in the early days of her monarchy. He even helped to arrange her marriage to Prince Albert.
Picture credit: Rex Features |
When Gerba tested for microbes in the bathrooms of commercial jets, he found surfaces from faucets to doorknobs to be contaminated with E. coli. It's not surprising, then, that you're 100 times more likely to catch | When Gerba tested for microbes in the bathrooms of commercial jets, he found surfaces from faucets to doorknobs to be contaminated with E. coli. It's not surprising, then, that you're 100 times more likely to catch a cold when you're airborne, according to a recent study in the Journal of Environmental Health Research. To protect yourself, try taking green tea supplements. In a 2007 study from the University of Florida, people who took a 450-milligram green tea supplement twice a day for 3 months had one-third fewer days of cold symptoms. The supplement brand used in the study was Immune Guard ($30 for 60 pills; immune-guard.us).
A doctor's office is not the place to be if you're trying to avoid germs. These tips can help limit your exposure.
Take your own books and magazines (and kid's toys, if you have your children or grandchildren with you).
Also pack your own tissues and hand sanitizers, which should be at least 60% alcohol content.
In the waiting room, leave at least two chairs between you and the other patients to reduce your chances of picking up their bugs. Germ droplets from coughing and sneezing can travel about 3 feet before falling to the floor.
More from Prevention: |
A majority of Americans rate their current financial situation as poor or fair, and nearly half of Americans say they have encountered financial problems in the past year, according to the Pew Research Center. A University of Missouri researcher studied how parents' financial problems and | A majority of Americans rate their current financial situation as poor or fair, and nearly half of Americans say they have encountered financial problems in the past year, according to the Pew Research Center. A University of Missouri researcher studied how parents' financial problems and resulting mental distress affect their relationships with their children. He found that parents who experience financial problems and depression are less likely to feel connected to their children, and their children are less likely to engage in prosocial behaviors, such as volunteering or helping others.
"The study serves as a reminder that children's behaviors are affected by issues beyond their immediate surroundings," said Gustavo Carlo, Millsap Professor of Diversity |
Introduction: Summary of Contents
The goal of this book is to offer an updated overview on generalized information measures
and statistics, including the basic concepts as well as some recent relevant applications.
The book begins with an historical introduction describing the fascinating development
| Introduction: Summary of Contents
The goal of this book is to offer an updated overview on generalized information measures
and statistics, including the basic concepts as well as some recent relevant applications.
The book begins with an historical introduction describing the fascinating development
of the concepts of heat and entropy. Starting from the ideas of the ancient Greece, an
account of the main historical breakthroughs is provided, which allows to appreciate the
fundamental contributions of Nicolas Sadi Carnot, Rudolf Clausius, Ludwig Boltzmann,
Josiah Willard Gibbs and others. It ends with the seminal works of Claude Shannon,
which led to the foundation of Information Theory, and Edwin Jaynes, which provided the
connection of the latter with Statistical Mechanics.
The second chapter is a basic tutorial on the essentials of information entropy, describing
in an accessible level the concepts and quantities used in the rest of this book. The Shannon
entropy and its associated measures such as the conditional entropy, the mutual information
(a measure of correlations) and the relative entropy (also known as Kullback-Leibler
divergence, a measure of the discrepancy between two probability distributions) are all presented,
together with their main properties and the most important proofs. We also provide
the main features of the Fisher Information, which can be presented in terms of the relative
entropy between two slightly displaced distributions, and the associated Cramer-Rao
bound. Other topics include the definition of entropy in quantum systems, the fundamental
property of concavity and a brief introduction to the maximum entropy approach and
its connection with statistical mechanics. It contains finally the Shannon-Khinchin axioms
leading to the uniqueness theorem for the Shannon entropy together with an introduction
to the concept of generalized entropies.
Chapters 3, 4 and 5, are devoted precisely to the generalized entropy concept. Chapter
3 presents a review by Constantino Tsallis of the famous non-additive entropy Sq which
is known by his name, together with the associated generalized statistical mechanics and
q-distributions. As described there, such generalized framework allows for the possibility
of an extensive thermodynamic entropy in strongly correlated systems where the standard
additive Boltzmann-Gibbs entropy is non-extensive. The chapter includes a comprehensive
list of relevant recent applications of the formalism in the most diverse fields, together with
the concomitant references. It also comments on recent relevant results related with the
connection of Sq with the theory of numbers through the Riemann zeta function.
Chapter 4 presents an axiomatic approach for deriving the form of a generalized entropy.
After describing in full detail the four Shannon-Khinchin axioms, it considers the situation
where just the first three are conserved, together with the requirement of two newly discovered
scaling laws which the generalized entropy should fulfill. It is shown that this leads to
a general form of entropy depending essentially on two parameters, which define entropic
equivalence classes. The connection with the Shannon, Tsallis, R´enyi and other entropies
is described in detail, together with the associated distribution functions and some related
aspects. It includes an appendix containing the technical details and the demonstration of
four associated theorems.
Chapter 5 discusses the relation between generalized entropies and the concept of majorization.
The latter is a powerful and elegant mathematical theory for comparing probability
distributions, which leads to a rigorous concept of mixedness and disorder. This
chapter describes first the concept of majorization in an accessible level. It then considers
its connection with entropy, and shows that by means of generalized entropies it is possible
to express the majorization relation in terms of entropic inequalities. It also describes the
majorization properties of the probability distributions determined by the maximization
of general entropic forms, and the concept of mixing parameters, i.e., parameters whose
increase ensure majorization. Finally, the concept of majorization in the quantum case,
i.e., for density operators, is also examined. As application, the problem of quantum entanglement
detection is considered, where it is shown that majorization leads to a generalized
entropic criterion for separability, which is much stronger than the standard entropic criterion.
In chapter 6, the notion of distance measures for probability distributions is reviewed.
An overview of the most frequently used metrics and distances like Euclidean metrics,
Wootters’s distance, Fisher metric and Kullback-Leibler divergence is made, centering the
analysis in the distance known as the Jensen-Shannon divergence both in their classical and
quantum versions. Application of the latter as a measure of quantum entanglement is also
discussed. This chapter is related to the next two chapters, which are devoted to Statistical
Measures of Complexity, because of the dependence of these measures with distances in
There is no universally accepted definition of complexity, nor of quantifiers of complex- xi
ity. An extensive list of relevant contributions can be found in the introduction of the
chapter 8, as well as in the references of chapter 7. A comparative classification of various
complexity measures, by Wackerbauer, Witt, Atmanspacher, Kurths and Scheingraber, can
be found in the reference of chapter 8. We will here consider just a particular class of
complexity measures based on information th |
125 Years Ago in News History: Nellie Bly Goes 'Insane'
For 10 days in 1887 Nellie Bly, the first female reporter for the New York World, went undercover to investigate deplorable conditions | 125 Years Ago in News History: Nellie Bly Goes 'Insane'
For 10 days in 1887 Nellie Bly, the first female reporter for the New York World, went undercover to investigate deplorable conditions at the Women’s Lunatic Asylum on New York’s Blackwell’s Island.
Bly, who was born Elizabeth Cochran (and later added an “e” at the end of her surname), pioneered the use of undercover reporting. She began her journalism career in 1880 at the Pittsburgh Dispatch, where an editor gave her the pen name. Her first articles examined the difficulties faced by working women.
At the World, the exposé on Blackwell’s Island was one of Bly’s first assignments. To cover the story, she checked into a New York boardinghouse where she started to act strangely and pretended to have amnesia. Fellow boarders alerted the police, and several doctors declared her to be insane. Bly was admitted to the asylum on September 25.
Bly’s firsthand account of the asylum’s cruelty and neglect caused a sensation and was widely read. She described spoiled food and harsh living conditions where women were forced to sit silently on straight-back benches all day and were beaten if they did not. Bly also reported that some patients appeared to be sane.
Bly’s exposé led to a grand jury investigation and subsequent mental health reform. Her ordeal was turned into the book “Ten Days in a Mad-house.”
Bly’s story is recreated in “I-Witness: A 4-D Time Travel Adventure,” shown daily in the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater. Her story is also featured in the News Corporation News History Gallery in an exhibit on female reporters.Related Links:
- News Corporation News History Gallery
- Walter and Leonore Annenberg Theater
- The World According to Nellie Bly |
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