prompt
stringlengths 18
524
| text
stringlengths 70
11.4k
|
|---|---|
BEIJING -- The building and testing of a machine that can create super X-rays capable of exposing the complicated structures of chemical compounds and proteins has been completed at Shanghai Zhangjiang High-tech Park in Pudong New Area.
The Shanghai Synch
|
BEIJING -- The building and testing of a machine that can create super X-rays capable of exposing the complicated structures of chemical compounds and proteins has been completed at Shanghai Zhangjiang High-tech Park in Pudong New Area.
The Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility is expected to significantly boost China's capability and competitiveness in scientific research, especially in life sciences, officials from the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the facility's key developer, were quoted as saying by Thursday's Shanghai Daily.
The 1.2 billion yuan (US$176 million) particle accelerator, China's biggest light facility, will also help in the study of viruses and new drugs and the development of technology.
Next month the synchrotron will be opened to universities, scientific institutes and companies for approved research.
The trial operation of the facility in about 60 projects since last month has already yielded results.
"We have found seven new structures including one enzyme which can break down an environmental toxicant," said He Jianhua, head of the institute's synchrotron radiation experiment division.
The institute is cooperating with the Shanghai Institute of Material Medica on researching treatment of bird flu and is expected to work with Sinopec on petroleum catalyzers.
"The machine will be an effective tool in research on viruses as well as for swine flu medicines although we haven't received a request yet," He said.
The facility was jointly proposed by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Shanghai government in 1995, with construction starting in December 2004.
The synchrotron's beamlines were adjusted from May last year to March. So far the facility has built seven beamlines and experimental stations for research and development in life sciences, new materials, physics and biochemical projects.
The particle accelerator can produce X-rays thousands of times stronger than normal X-ray machines capable of exposing the minute structure of human proteins.
"Thanks to the technology, we can know a protein structure within 20 minutes. Such a procedure usually took several months," said He.
The institute hopes to complete the facility's proposed 60 beamlines by 2020, and have 40 completed by 2015.
|
A spate of murdered babies has shocked Germany in recent weeks. The Times [London] reports that at least 23 babies have been killed this year, “many of them beaten to death or strangled by their mothers before being dumped on wast
|
A spate of murdered babies has shocked Germany in recent weeks. The Times [London] reports that at least 23 babies have been killed this year, “many of them beaten to death or strangled by their mothers before being dumped on wasteland and in dustbins.” German officials believe the total number of babies killed this year to be even higher than what has been reported.
Police investigating the murders are at a loss to explain the sudden surge in such cases, which have involved mothers of all ages all over the country.
Now city councils have launched an advertising campaign to highlight the problem and to promote greater use of the Baby-Klappe hatches that allow women to drop off their babies to be found and cared for without having to give their names. Posters were being put up in cities and towns across Germany yesterday, urging women to make use of the Baby-Klappe, with the slogan “Before babies land in the rubbish bin...”
The campaign has already attracted criticism from senior clergymen and from charities, including Caritas, who argue that it could actively encourage mothers to dump their children. But there is agreement that something must be done to address what appears to be an infanticide epidemic.
One criminologist suggested that these mothers are murdering their babies because they seek to save a relationship with the father. Whatever the motivation, these women are committing the homicide of their own infants. The German government’s idea of “drop-off points” is an effort to save at last some babies in the future. According to press reports, there are now more than 90 drop-off points in Germany. Six babies have been pushed through a slot in just one Berlin center since 2003.
The rise of infanticide is shocking, but hardly surprising. After all, in many societies these babies could be safely aborted almost up to the time of their delivery. The logic of infanticide is just the logic of abortion pushed beyond the moment of birth.
The fact that Germans have responded with outrage over this spate of infanticides is comforting in one sense, but it also reveals the hypocrisy of the age. How can infanticide be wrong and abortion be a basic right? Both mean the killing of a baby, and both represent the Culture of Death at its most deadly.
Meanwhile, British authorities are considering a proposal to allow nurses to carry out abortions without a physician present. As The Telegraph [London] reports:
Dr Kate Guthrie, a spokesman for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said: “This is logical. As long as standards of care are high and as long as there is adequate training, competent clinical staff should carry out early surgical abortions and it does not matter if it is a doctor or a nurse.”
But Anthony Ozimic, of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children, said: “Do nurses really want to perform abortions, the killing of innocent human beings?
“The pro-abortion lobby claims that so-called safe, legal abortion was necessary to safeguard women’s health yet, having achieved legal abortion, it now wants to remove safeguards by getting nurses to do doctors’ dirty work for them.”
The effect of this proposal would be to make abortion even more readily available — radically enlarging the number of persons deemed qualified
|
The microflora of traditionally prepared sourdoughs typically consists of two to five strains in a single dough, rarely more. As ~20% of the strains screened were found to produce EPS from sucrose, it is likely that any given
|
The microflora of traditionally prepared sourdoughs typically consists of two to five strains in a single dough, rarely more. As ~20% of the strains screened were found to produce EPS from sucrose, it is likely that any given sourdough contains EPS-producing lactobacilli. The frequencies of fructan- or glucan-positive strains were highest in the phylogenetically closely related species L. reuteri
, L. frumenti
, L. panis
, and L. pontis
originating from type II sourdoughs or the intestinal tract. Van Geel-Schutten et al. (42
) identified two strains of L. reuteri
among 182 lactobacilli of various origins as potent producers of EPS. Outside of the genus Lactobacillus
, glucan and fructan formation have been found in Leuconostoc
spp. and oral streptococci. Strains of species predominating in type II sourdough fermentations are f
|
What are wound and skin infections?
Wound and skin infections represent the invasion of tissues by one or more species of microorganism. This infection triggers the body's immune system, causes inflammation and tissue damage, and slows the healing process. Many
|
What are wound and skin infections?
Wound and skin infections represent the invasion of tissues by one or more species of microorganism. This infection triggers the body's immune system, causes inflammation and tissue damage, and slows the healing process. Many infections remain confined to a small area, such as an infected scratch or hair follicle, and usually resolve on their own. Others may persist and, if untreated, increase in severity and spread further and/or deeper into the body. Some infections spread to other organs and/or into the blood and cause a systemic infection (septicemia).
Skin is the body's largest organ and its first line of defense. Even when it is clean, the surface of the skin is not sterile. It is populated with a mixture of microorganisms called normal flora. This normal flora forms a dynamic barrier that helps to keep other more harmful microorganisms (pathogens) at bay. People may also have pathogens on their skin. At any one time, a certain percentage of the general population will be carriers of a pathogen that displaces some of their normal flora and colonizes locations like the mucous membranes of the nose. Most of the time, normal flora and colonizing pathogens do not cause illness and do not stimulate the immune system. If there is a break in the skin or if the immune system becomes compromised, then any of the microorganisms present can cause a wound or skin infection.
Wounds are breaks in the integrity of the skin and tissues. They may be superficial cuts, scrapes or scratches but also include punctures, burns, or may be the result of surgical or dental procedures. The microorganisms likely to infect them depend on the wound's extent and depth, the environment in which the wound occurs, and the microorganisms present on the person's skin. The skin has three layers: the outer epidermis, the dermis – where many hair follicles and sweat glands are located – and the fatty subcutaneous layer. Below these layers are membranes that protect connective tissues, muscle, and bone. Wounds can penetrate any of these layers, and skin infections can spread into them. Wound healing is a complex process that involves many related systems, chemicals, and cells working together to clean the wound, seal its edges, and to produce new tissues and blood vessels.
Skin and wound infections interfere with the healing process and can create additional tissue damage. They can affect anyone, but those with slowed wound healing due to underlying conditions are at greater risk. Examples of conditions that increase the risk of wound infections include:
- Poor circulation
- Weakened/suppressed immune system (e.g., HIV/AIDS, organ transplant recipient)
- Low mobility or immobility (e.g., confined to bed, paralysis)
When infections penetrate deep into the body into tissues such as bone, or when they occur in tissue that has inadequate circulation, they can become difficult to treat and may become chronic infections.
|
International Seamen's Union
|Full name||International Seamen's Union|
|Date dissolved||August 1937|
|Merged||Seafarer's International Union|
|Affiliation||American Federation of Labor|
The International Seamen's
|
International Seamen's Union
|Full name||International Seamen's Union|
|Date dissolved||August 1937|
|Merged||Seafarer's International Union|
|Affiliation||American Federation of Labor|
The International Seamen's Union (ISU) was an American maritime trade union which operated from 1892 until 1937. In its last few years, the union effectively split into the National Maritime Union and Seafarer's International Union.
The early years
Originally formed as the National Union of Seamen of America in 1892 in Chicago, Illinois, the organization was a federation of independent unions, including the Sailors' Union of the Pacific, the Lake Seamen's Union, the Atlantic Coast Seamen's Union, and the Seamen's and Firemen's Union of the Gulf Coast.
Formed by maritime labor representatives from America's Pacific, Great Lakes and Gulf Coast regions In 1893, the ISU affliliated with the American Federation of Labor, in 1893 and in took the name International Seamen's Union of America in 1895.
The union existed at a turbulent time in the United States shipping industry. The unions within the ISU faced "continual changeover in the makeup and leadership," and weathered the historical periods of the Great Depression and World War I. Select periods were beneficial, including during World War I when a shipping boom and ISU's membership included more than 115,000 dues-paying members. However, when the boom ended, the ISU's membership shrunk to 50,000.
During its existence, the union did have a major effect on the shipping industry. Perhaps the most significant was the successful lobby for the Seamen's Act of 1915. The act fundamentally changed the life of the American sailor. Among other things, it:
- abolished the practice of imprisonment for seamen who deserted their ship
- reduced the penalties for disobedience
- regulated a seaman's working hours both at sea and in port
- established a minimum quality for ship's food
- regulated the payment of seamen's wages
- required specific levels of safety, particularly the provision of lifeboats
- required a minimum percentage of the seamen aboard a vessel to be qualified Able Seamen
- required a minimum of 75 percent of the seamen aboard a vessel to understand the language spoken by the officers
Another of ISU's successes was the strike of 1919, which resulted in wages that were "an all-time high for deep sea sailors in peace time."
However, ISU had its shortcomings and failures, too. After a round of failed contract negotiations, ISU issued an all-ports strike on May 1, 1921. The strike lasted only two months and failed, with resulting wage cuts of 25 percent. The ISU, as with all AFL unions, was criticized as being too conservative. For example, in 1923 the Industrial Workers of the World publication The Marine Worker referred to the ISU's "pie-cards" (paid officials) as "grafters and pimps." Additionally, the union was weakened by the loss of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific in 1934. Furuseth charged that the SUP was being infiltrated by "radicals" from the IWW, and demanded the SUP cease activities with the Maritime Federation. The SUP refused and the ISU revoked their charter.
The ISU was involved the West Coast longshoremen's strike of 1934. Lasting 83 days, the strike led to the unionization of all West Coast ports of the United States. The San Francisco general strike, along with the 1934 Toledo Auto-Lite Strike led by the American Workers Party and the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934, were important catalysts for the rise of industrial unionism in the 1930s.
West Coast sailors deserted ships in support of the International Longshoremen's Association longshoremen, leaving more than 50 ships idle in the San Francisco harbor. ISU officials reluctantly supported this strike. In clashes with the police between July 3 and July 5, 1934, three picketers were killed and "scores were injured." During negotiations to end the strike, the sailors received concessions including a three-watch system, pay increases, and better living c
|
Ivan the Terrible
|Ivan the Terrible
|Ivan the Terrible (State Historical Museum)|
|Reign||16 January 1547 – 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584
|
Ivan the Terrible
|Ivan the Terrible
|Ivan the Terrible (State Historical Museum)|
|Reign||16 January 1547 – 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584|
|Coronation||16 January 1547|
|Predecessor||Himself as Grand Prince|
|Reign||3 December 1533 – 16 January 1547|
|Successor||Himself as Tsar|
|Dmitry Ivanovich (born 1552)
Dmitry Ivanovich (born 1582)
|Born||25 August 1530
|Died||28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584
|Burial||Cathedral of the Archangel, Moscow|
Ivan IV Vasilyevich (Russian: Ива́н Васи́льевич; 25 August 1530 – 28 March [O.S. 18 March] 1584), known in English as Ivan the Terrible (Russian: Ива́н Гро́зный (help·info), Ivan Grozny; lit. Fearsome), was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547 and Tsar of All the Russias from 1547 until his death. His long reign saw the conquest of the Khanates of Kazan, Astrakhan, and Siberia, transforming Russia into a multiethnic and multiconfessional state spanning almost one billion acres, approximately 4,046,856 km2 (1,562,500 sq mi). Ivan managed countless changes in the progression from a medieval state to an empire and emerging regional power, and became the first ruler to be crowned as Tsar of All the Russias.
Historic sources present disparate accounts of Ivan's complex personality: he was described as intelligent and devout, yet given to rages and prone to episodic outbreaks of mental illness. In one such outburst he killed his groomed and chosen heir Ivan Ivanovich. This left the Tsardom to be passed to Ivan's younger son, the weak and intellectually disabled Feodor Ivanovich. Ivan's legacy is complex: he was an able diplomat, a patron of arts and trade, founder of Russia's first Print Yard, a leader highly popular among the common people of Russia, but he is also remembered for his paranoia and arguably harsh treatment of the nobility.
- 1 Sobriquet
- 2 Early life
- 3 Domestic policy
- 4 Foreign policy
- 5 Personal life
- 6 Legacy
- 7 Ancestry
- 8 See also
- 9 References
- 10 Further reading
- 11 External links
The English word terrible is usually used to translate the Russian word grozny in Ivan's nickname, but the modern English usage of terrible, with a pejorative connotation of bad or evil, does not precisely represent the intended meaning. The meaning of grozny is closer to the original usage of terrible—inspiring fear or terror, dangerous (as in Old English in one's danger), formidable or threatening, tough, strict, authoritative. V. Dal defines grozny specifically in archaic usage and as an epithet for tsars: "courageous, magnificent, magisterial, and keeping enemies in fear, but people in obedience". Other translations were also suggested by modern scholars.
Ivan was the son of Vasili III and his second wife, Elena Glinskaya. When Ivan was three years old, his father died from a boil and inflammation on his leg which developed into blood poisoning. Ivan was proclaimed the Grand Prince of Moscow at his father's request. At first, his mother Elena Glinskaya acted as regent, but she died of what many believe to be assassination by poison when Ivan was only eight years old. According to his own letters, Ivan, along with his younger brother Yuri, often felt neglected and offended by the mighty boyars from the Shuisky and Belsky families.
Ivan was crowned with Monomakh's Cap at the Cathedral of the Dormition at age 16 on 16 January 1547. He was the first person to be crowned as "Tsar of All the Russias", hence claiming the ancestry of Kievan Rus. Prior to that, rulers of Muscovy were crowned as Grand Princes, although Ivan III the Great, his grandfather, styled himself "tsar" in his correspondence.
By being crowned Tsar, Ivan was sending a message to the world and to Russia: he was now the one and only supreme ruler of the country, and his will was not to be questioned. "The new title symbolized an assumption of powers equivalent and parallel to those held by former Byzantine Emperor and the Tatar Khan, both known in Russian sources as Tsar. The political effect was to elevate Ivan's position." The new title not only secured the throne, but it also granted Ivan a new dimension of power, one intimately tied to religion. He was now a "divine" leader appointed to
|
Mar. 31, 2009 A team of researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) has developed a new mathematical method to easily predict rises in the level of the Ebro River in Zaragoza based
|
Mar. 31, 2009 A team of researchers from the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM) has developed a new mathematical method to easily predict rises in the level of the Ebro River in Zaragoza based on water flow recorded in Castejón (Navarre). The system has a 97.5% success rate for 20-hour predictions.
“The objective of this work is to prevent flooding in Zaragoza, giving sufficient advance warning to minimise damage and improve the management of the river,” Diego J. Pedregal, a co-author of the study and a professor at the UCLM’s Higher Technical School of Industrial Engineering, tells SINC.
The study, to be published in April in the journal Environmental Modelling & Software, looks at the problem of how to model and predict the flow and levels of the Ebro in the regional capital of Aragon, based on analysis of a 110km section that starts in the town of Castejón, in Navarre.
Pedregal tells SINC that there are other predictive models, “but these are much more complex, determinist, and include a wide range of variables”, while the new model developed, while being less technically conventional, “is more flexible, and is so easy to use that it can be done on any PC”.
The researchers developed the predictive system in two stages. First of all they used a mathematical “transfer” function to determine the scale of the
model and get an approximate idea of the time delay before the water flowing through Castejón has an impact on water levels in Zaragoza.
“But the river’s dynamics don’t behave in a linear way,” points out Pedregal. The professor explains, for example, that the water flows more quickly when it is at an average or low level, that storms do not have the same effect on a dry river bed (which absorbs more water) as a wet one, and that rapid thawing of snow introduces slushy water into the river, which behaves in a different way than liquid water.
All these factors, along with the physics of fluid itself, means that the dynamics of rivers are “not linear”, resulting in the researchers having had to use mathematical systems to reflect these factors and produce a specific algorithm to incorporate the impact of all these variables.
The predictive ability of the model has been contrasted with information from the historical database of the Hydrographic Confederation of the Ebro River, resulting in an average error rate
|
Q: I put some tulips in pots to have early color. Now they are dying back. Can I save the bulbs to plant this fall?
I really wanted to respond with a resounding, “Heck, yeah!” to your
|
Q: I put some tulips in pots to have early color. Now they are dying back. Can I save the bulbs to plant this fall?
I really wanted to respond with a resounding, “Heck, yeah!” to your
question but have deleted and retyped it several times. To explain,
while many gifted and seasonal bulbs can be successfully replanted and
will go on to become gifts that keep on giving, there are a few
exceptions that aren’t worth the bother. Unfortunately they are most
often tulips. Allow me to explain.
The process of encouraging bulbs to forgo their natural timeline and flower early indoors is called “forcing.” It can take some bulbs years to recuperate from the unnatural stress endured during this process. In general, the most resilient candidates worth saving are small bulbs that naturalize or reproduce readily in the garden. Grape hyacinth (Muscari), crocus, snowdrops, and scilla are good examples. Larger hyacinth and daffodil bulbs that have been grown in soil are worth the effort, but anything grown in water should be tossed into the compost bin. They are done. In fact, I am going through the recovery steps with a tray of discarded blue muscari and diminutive ‘Tête à Tête’ daffodil bulbs that I inherited from a friend’s display at a commercial garden show. I don’t expect to see flowers from these hand-me-down bulbs next spring, but if buds do appear, I will (with great difficulty) clip them off to give the bulbs a full growing season to recover.
Unfortunately, many tulip varieties are finicky re-bloomers under the
best circumstances, and some simply never bounce back from forcing to
bloom again. You’ll have the greatest chance of success in cooler
climates that experience a long spring, or with wilder, species tulips
and their hybrids.
To Save All Forced Bulbs:
- Clip off dead blooms, leaving the foliage intact. Set containers in a sunny window indoors, or a bright, but protected spot outside and continue watering as usual.
- Allow the soil to dry out completely once the leaves have withered and died. Set the pots in a cool, dry place in a basement, garage, or shed. Alternately, remove the bulbs from the soil, clean off dead leaves, and allow them to go completely dormant in a paper or mesh bag full of bone-dry
|
Download now Free registration required
Entrepreneurs recognize the latent power and utility of inventions and play a crucial role in bringing those inventions to market. These entrepreneurs - those that Schumpeter described as "The promoters of new combinations" - are individuals
|
Download now Free registration required
Entrepreneurs recognize the latent power and utility of inventions and play a crucial role in bringing those inventions to market. These entrepreneurs - those that Schumpeter described as "The promoters of new combinations" - are individuals who can both see new possibilities and assess market needs (Acs and Audretsch, 2003). High Impact Entrepreneurship (HIE) is fundamentally the study of the actions of individuals responding to market opportunities by bringing inventions to market that create wealth and growth. These entrepreneurs are distinct from mere creators of new firms, those that replicate thousands of other establishments.
- Format: PDF
- Size: 867.5 KB
|
Purdue Center Aims at Preventing, Detecting Food Contamination
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. In an effort to protect the nation's food supply from biological and chemical contaminants, Purdue University and U.S. Department of
|
Purdue Center Aims at Preventing, Detecting Food Contamination
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. In an effort to protect the nation's food supply from biological and chemical contaminants, Purdue University and U.S. Department of Agriculture engineers and food scientists have teamed up to develop faster, more exact ways to detect possibly deadly substances.
With research grants and a partnership with the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, Purdue has launched the Center for Food Safety Engineering focused on developing methods to find, identify and eradicate microbes or chemicals.
"The Purdue Center for Food Safety Engineering is utilizing a multidisciplinary team to contribute to the science and technology needed to enhance food safety," said Michael Ladisch, a scientist in the center that includes work by nearly 90 university researchers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that 76 million cases of foodborne illness occur in the United States annually and claim approximately 5,000 lives and cost $7.7 billion or more. Although disease-causing bacteria accidentally can contaminate meat, fruit and vegetables at any stage, from the field through processing and storage, concern over food contamination has heightened since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on New York City and the Pentagon.
Ying Chang Han, a Purdue food research scientist, tests a way to sanitize a processing vat. Researchers in the Purdue Center for Food Safety Engineering are finding new ways to eliminate biological and chemical contaminants at all stages of food production.Health officials have long viewed the safety of the country's food as a prime concern, Ladisch said. Foodborne pathogens cause 325,000 hospitalizations yearly, according to the CDC. In fact, the Clinton Administration issued a "no tolerance" edict for Listeria monocytogenes in processed and ready-to-eat foods, such as hot dogs. Listeria is one of the most deadly of the biological food contaminants, with a fatality rate of about 20 percent.
One aspect of the task with which researchers must cope is the difficulty of tracing the source of foodborne illness. In addition, a minuscule amount of some pathogens, such as listeria, can cause illness. So the center's scientists are investigating detection methods that not only are faster and more exact, but also require smaller bacteria-containing food samples to make an analysis.
Food science Associate Professor Richard Linton, as center director, leads the biochemists; molecular biologists; physicists; and biomedical, electrical, computer, agricultural and biological engineers. Their quest is to prevent microbial organisms such as Salmonella enteritidis, Listeria, Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7, Campylobacter and Fusarium from entering the food chain at any point, whether it's the farm gate, the processing plant or the consumer's table. The investigators come from five schools within the university Agriculture, Consumer and Family Sciences, Engineering, Science, and Veterinary Medicine, and team with the USDA Agricultural Research Service scientists.
"The multidisciplinary center provides an important platform for bringing different scientific expertise together," said Linton, a microbiologist. "With this collection of creative minds working together, new and exciting research approaches are being developed and studied. This is an important step for solving complex food safety problems and, most importantly, for protecting the health of consumers."
A five-year, $7 million USDA grant provides funding for cooperative projects between the center and the Agricultural Research Service, while other funding has allowed creation of the center for expansion of the university researchers' work.
"We need long-term research to develop and improve techniques and to engineer methods in systems that are readily usable in the plant and the laboratory," said Ladisch, who also is director of Purdue's Laboratory of Renewable Resources Engineering and a distinguished professor of agricultural and biological engineering and biomedical engineering. "The partnership between the USDA and the university allows us to carry out cooperative research that facilitates achieving results that would be difficult otherwise."
The projects currently under way by Purdue scientists at the Center for Food Safety Engineering focus on the following areas:
- Fusarium is a fungus that infests grains and then produces carcinogenic mycotoxins that can affect both people and animals. It often appears in moldy corn, but also has been found in sorghum, rice, cottonseed meal, legumes, wheat and barley. Maribeth Cousin and Charles Woloshuk are working on a method to detect various Fusarium species in grain and foods. This research may give grain storage operators information enabling them to alter storage conditions in order to prevent Fusarium growth.
- Nanotechnology and magnetic beads are integral to investigations by Arun Bhunia and Mark Morgan to develop more sensitive, less expensive, faster methods of detecting Listeria. This bacterium can contaminate almost any food, from vegetables to ready-to-eat bologna, and even grow in the refrigerator. Listeria is responsible for about 2,50
|
Tribology is the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the important subjects of lubrication, friction and wear that impact on the efficiency, reliability and performance of many industrial machines and processes.
Operating within ESR Technology,
|
Tribology is the science and technology of interacting surfaces in relative motion. It includes the important subjects of lubrication, friction and wear that impact on the efficiency, reliability and performance of many industrial machines and processes.
Operating within ESR Technology, The National Centre of Tribology (NCT) has been the focus for expertise in this area for over 40 years. It supports industry through the provision of a wide range of independent consultancy and problem solving services. NCT is made up of a multi-disciplinary, expert team of engineers and scientists which includes specialists in materials, failure analysis, surface engineering, corrosion, wear, metallography, metallurgy, valves, pumps, seals, gears, bearings, lubrication, polymers and tribology.
NCT’s world-class engineers and scientists provide expertise in:
- Root Cause Failure Analysis
- Bearing Design and Application
- Design Audits and Reviews
- Design of Innovative Equipment
- Materials Assessment and Selection
- Surface Engineering
NCT has test facilities for the evaluation of lubricants, materials and components. This is supported by a comprehensive range of equipment for the examination and assessment of materials which includes:
- Tribological Testing
- Metallographic Preparation and Analysis
- Optical Microscopy
- Electron Microscopy
- Mechanical Testing
- Surface Topography
|
Lycian 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 (Trm̃mis)
Greek Λυκία (Lukia)
|Ancient Region of Anatolia
|
Lycian 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 (Trm̃mis)
Greek Λυκία (Lukia)
|Ancient Region of Anatolia|
Lycian rock cut tombs of Dalyan
|Location||Teke Peninsula, Western Taurus Range, Southern Anatolia|
|State existed||15th-14th centuries BC (as Lukka)
|Successive languages||Luwian, Lycian, Greek|
|Successive capitals||Xanthos, Patara|
|Achaemenid satrapy||Satrapy Number 1, with other states|
|Roman protectorate||Lycian League|
|Roman province||Lycia, then Lycia with other states|
Lycia (//; Lycian: 𐊗𐊕𐊐𐊎𐊆𐊖 Trm̃mis; Greek: Λυκία, Turkish: Likya) was a geopolitical region in Anatolia in what are now the provinces of Antalya and Muğla on the southern coast of Turkey, and Burdur Province inland. Known to history since the records of ancient Egypt and the Hittite Empire in the Late Bronze Age, it was populated by speakers of the Luwian language group. Written records began to be inscribed in stone in the Lycian language (a later form of Luwian) after Lycia's involuntary incorporation into the Achaemenid Empire in the Iron Age. At that time (546 BC) the Luwian speakers were decimated, and Lycia received an influx of Persian speakers.
Lycia fought for the Persians in the Persian Wars, but on the defeat of the Achaemenid Empire by the Greeks, it became intermittently a free agent. After a brief membership in the Athenian Empire, it seceded and became independent (its treaty with Athens had omitted the usual non-secession clause), was under the Persians again, revolted again, was conquered by Mausolus of Caria, returned to the Persians, and went under Macedonian hegemony at the defeat of the Persians by Alexander the Great. Due to the influx of Greek speakers and the sparsity of the remaining Lycian speakers, Lycia was totally Hellenized under the Macedonians. The Lycian language disappeared from inscriptions and coinage.
On defeating Antiochus III in 188 the Romans gave Lycia to Rhodes for 20 years, taking it back in 168 BC. In these latter stages of the Roman republic Lycia came to enjoy freedom as part of the Roman protectorate. The Romans validated home rule officially under the Lycian League in 168 BC. This native government was an early federation with republican principles; these later came to the attention of the framers of the United States Constitution, influencing their thoughts.
Despite home rule under republican principles Lycia was not a sovereign state and had not been since its defeat by the Carians. In 43 AD the Roman emperor, Claudius, dissolved the league. Lycia was incorporated into the Roman Empire with a provincial status. It became an eparchy of the Eastern, or Byzantine Empire, continuing to speak Greek even after being joined by communities of Turkish language speakers in the early 2nd millennium. After the fall of the Byzantine Empire in the 15th century, Lycia was under the Ottoman Empire, and was inherited by the Turkish Republic on the fall of that empire. The Greeks were withdrawn when the border between Greece and Turkey was negotiated in 1923.
Lycia today is a substantial component of the Turquoise Coast. It is of interest not only for recreation and sport, but as a location of antiquities going back as early as the Bronze Age. The ruins of ancient Lycia are seemingly everywhere. For reasons unknown, perhaps isolation, recycling of the building stone was minimal compared to other regions.
- 1 Geography
- 2 Features and sights of interest
- 3 Ancient language
- 4 History
- 4.1 Proto-history
- 4.2 Age of legend
- 4.3 Dynastic period
- 4.4 Classical period
- 4.5 Hellenistic period
- 4.6 Lycian League
- 4.7 Roman period
- 4.8 Byzantine era
- 4.9 Turkish era
- 5 Episcopal sees
- 6 See also
- 7 References
- 8 Sources
- 9 External links
The borders of Lycia varied over time but at its centre was the Teke peninsula of southwestern Turkey, which juts into the Mediterranean Sea in a north-south direction, is bounded on the west by the Gulf of Fethiye, and on the east by the Gu
|
Last year when my son was in 2nd grade, I was asked to organize the winter holiday party. The idea that I came up with involved 5 stations where small groups of students created projects and participated in activities relating to different winter holidays
|
Last year when my son was in 2nd grade, I was asked to organize the winter holiday party. The idea that I came up with involved 5 stations where small groups of students created projects and participated in activities relating to different winter holidays. Each group of students spent about 15 minutes or so at each table and then rotated.
Here is a small list of details about the stations we had. At the end of this post, I’ve attached a free PDF of the entire lesson plan for each station as well as sign up sheets to send home to parents. You’re welcome! (wink!)
Station 1. Students read the story ‘Twas The Night Before Christmas and then made Christmas Trees from Popsicle Sticks.
Station 2. Students played The Dreidel game with M&M’s and Skittles.
Station 3. Students made woven Kwanzaa placemats from construction paper.
Station 4. Students drew a picture and wrote about their New Year’s Resolution.
Station 5. Students decorated sugar cookies and then enjoyed their treats!
Here is a detailed list, as promised. Happy Holidays, enjoy!
|
|The egg: It’s a healthy food|
A number of years ago, the egg was given a bad rap — that cholesterol in eggs (all of the cholesterol in the egg is in the yolk) resulted in artery-clogging cholesterol in
|
|The egg: It’s a healthy food|
A number of years ago, the egg was given a bad rap — that cholesterol in eggs (all of the cholesterol in the egg is in the yolk) resulted in artery-clogging cholesterol in blood.
However, a number of studies have shown that this is not true. For example, the Harvard School of Public Health looked at a population of 117,000 nurses who had been followed for eight to 14 years and found no difference in heart disease risk between those who ate one egg a week and those who ate more than one egg a day.
In fact, recent studies have shown that regular consumption of two eggs per day does not affect a person’s lipid profile and actually may improve it. Another study found that regular consumption of eggs may help prevent blood clots, stroke and heart attacks. In one study, women who consumed at least six eggs per week lowered their risk of breast cancer by 44 percent.
Why is the egg so healthy? Because eggs contain a number of important nutrients. While a large egg only represents about 70 calories (less than 4 percent of the daily calorie intake of a person eating 2,000 calories a day) it provides 10 percent of a person’s daily recommended protein, iron, minerals and B vitamins including the folic acid recommended for pregnant women.
One egg contains 6 grams of high-quality protein and all nine essential amino acids. Eggs are an important source of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin. Research also has shown that people who eat eggs every day lower their risk of developing macular
|
Post Medieval English / Early Colonial Style - Northern Version, 1600-1740
Wells-Thorn House - Southern Ell
The Street, Deerfield, MA
Built between 1717 and 1720
Explore the interactive image
|
Post Medieval English / Early Colonial Style - Northern Version, 1600-1740
Wells-Thorn House - Southern Ell
The Street, Deerfield, MA
Built between 1717 and 1720
Explore the interactive image and read about the house. Linked words will pop up glossary definitions. A non-flash, printable version of this feature is also available.
Run your cursor over the picture of the W
|
Key points–Asthma in Australia 2008
This section presents selected findings from the report. Also, each chapter begins with its own lists of key points.
- Asthma represents the second most common self-reported illness affecting the Indigenous population
|
Key points–Asthma in Australia 2008
This section presents selected findings from the report. Also, each chapter begins with its own lists of key points.
- Asthma represents the second most common self-reported illness affecting the Indigenous population.
- Compared with non-Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians:
- have a higher prevalence of asthma, particularly among older persons, children and those living in non-remote localities
- have a higher rate of mortality due to asthma
- have higher rates of hospitalisation for asthma
- have almost double the rate of smoking
- have relatively high rates of exposure to passive smoke as children, both before and after b
|
When thinking about Halloween safety, it's easy to overlook your pets. But they are among the most vulnerable to the horrors of Halloween.
So to make sure your pets are not lost in the shuffle of the festivities.
The Humane Society of America
|
When thinking about Halloween safety, it's easy to overlook your pets. But they are among the most vulnerable to the horrors of Halloween.
So to make sure your pets are not lost in the shuffle of the festivities.
The Humane Society of America offers these tips that will help make sure they stay healthy and happy this Halloween.
First, leave your pets out of the celebration. This holiday is for humans. Don't let your pets roam when friends are coming over for a party, or when trick or treaters are at the door. Costumes are confusing and often frightening to pets.
Tip two: hide the sweets. Candy can be harmful to animals and sweeteners used in many foods, chocolate and gum are the most hazardous to your pet.
Tip three: decorate safely. If you are dressing up your home for the big day, do so with minimal impact to your pet. Changes to their environment make animals nervous and anxious.
Experts also recommend setting up a safe room, undecorated, for your pet to hide out in safely during the night.
Finally, never leave pets alone with decorations. Many are toxic and choking hazards.
Following these tips can help you and your pet enjoy Halloween.
Copyright 2013 CNN. All rights reserved.
|
While plate tectonics has provided us with a strong framework for our general
understanding of Earth, many questions persist about the structure of the North
American landmass, how it was formed and what forces are acting upon it. How
|
While plate tectonics has provided us with a strong framework for our general
understanding of Earth, many questions persist about the structure of the North
American landmass, how it was formed and what forces are acting upon it. How
are the complex fault systems of the western United States organized to accommodate
overall tectonic plate motions between the Pacific and North American plates?
To what extent is mantle underplating responsible for relatively thick crust
in the Basin and Range (30 kilometers), despite 200 to 300 kilometers of crustal
extension? How did the Rocky Mountains form and what role does mantle flow play
in supporting them? Is earthquake activity in the stable mid-continent
region near New Madrid, Mo., related to the early development of the North Atlantic
Ocean more than 500 million years ago?
Seismic and geodynamic models of the mantle suggest that a major feature beneath the North American plate is the Farralon plate, a piece of oceanic lithosphere that was subducted beneath the continent. Images derived from EarthScope
seismic data will make it possible to determine more precisely the effect the subducted Farralon plate has on North American geology. Preliminary GPS measurements suggest little deformation in the North American continent east of the Rocky Mountains. EarthScope GPS measurements will address the apparent discrepancy between the lack of strain accumulation east of the Rockies and the historic record of large earthquakes in areas such as New Madrid, Mo., and Charleston, S.C.
The tectonic history of North America spans at least 3 billion years. Models for its formation include plate tectonic mechanisms, such as the collision of island arcs; and non-plate tectonic mechanisms, such as large-volume magmatism associated with mantle-plume eruptions. The formation of continents, the mechanical response of continents to the forces of mantle convection and plate tectonics, and the long-term survival of continents at Earths surface are intimately linked to crustal properties, and to interactions between the crust and the underlying mantle. EarthScope will provide the first continuous, high-resolution images of the lithosphere at the continental scale to allow us to determine the structure, deformation and evolution of the North American continent.
Quakes: More people, more risk
Our national infrastructure is growing at an exponential rate in many areas
of high seismic risk. The cost of earthquakes and the federal governments
liability is growing proportionally. For example, the ten-fold increase
between the cost of the 1971 San Fernando earthquake ($2 billion) and the 1994
Northridge event ($20 billion) in southern California mostly can be attributed
to the regions increase in wealth density over that time. A repeat of
the magnitude-8.0 earthquakes that hit along the Mississippi River in the central
United States from 1811 to 1812 today would result in losses exceeding $100
Our cities and towns are being built over complex fault systems consisting of hundreds of independently moving sections, many of which remain unidentified. These systems are not just along the plate boundary of the western United States and Alaska. Zones of weakness prone to earthquakes are known to exist along the Mississippi River, the coastal regions of the southeastern United States, and in parts of New England and the North American seaboard. The historical record of North Americas earthquakes is short, and other such zones may have been subject to large, but as yet unrecognized, pre-historical earthquakes.
We have seen major progress over the past decade in understanding how faults rupture and what ground motions earthquakes generate. But what remains remarkably incomplete is our understanding of what controls an earthquakes size, why great earthquakes occasionally strike plate interiors, and when and where the next major events might occur.
Seismic hazard analysis is a strong benefit of EarthScopes multidisciplinary, integrative approach. Seismic data will provide fault locations, fault geometries, seismic velocities and subsurface structure. Geodesy, coupled with geochronology and paleoseismology, will provide regional deformation patterns and fault slip rates. Drill-hole data, combined with seismic recordings, will be tools for developing fault rupture scenarios needed for ground-motion simulations. Ground motion measurements are key for designing structures that can withstand earthquakes. Individuals and groups of scientists will have access to a large, integrated dataset for new research programs and activities.
It now lies within our grasp to forecast the critical aspects of earthquakes, including probable locations of future, major events, and characteristics of the ground motions they could generate. EarthScope will help us identify areas where earthquakes are likely to occur and zones of deformation that contribute to regional seismic hazards. The E
|
While the potential of stem cells to become and replace almost any of the body's cells holds the promise of a cure for numerous serious injuries and degenerative diseases, developing therapies using stem cells has been slower than many hoped.
Current Approved Treatments
|
While the potential of stem cells to become and replace almost any of the body's cells holds the promise of a cure for numerous serious injuries and degenerative diseases, developing therapies using stem cells has been slower than many hoped.
Current Approved Treatments
Currently, the only approved therapies that use stem cells are hematopoietic stem cell transplants and reconstituted skin for burns. Actually, though, both of these therapies predate the recent focused research efforts to develop stem cell technology.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplants
Primarily used to treat leukemia and lymphoma, hematopoietic stem cell transplants (HTSC) are really an extension of bone marrow transplants started 60 years ago. Scientists realized then that bone marrow, the liquid center of the bones, produced the billions of new blood cells required daily to replenish the circulatory system. The new blood cells are formed from hematopoietic cells—blood-forming stem cells that can become red blood cells, platelets, or one of the several white blood cells cells.
Bone marrow can be harvested from the sternum and processed to remove blood and bone fragments then stored for later injection into the patient. Nowadays, though, rather than harvesting bone marrow, typically hematopoeitic cells are filtered directly from the donor's circulating blood in a procedure known as apheresis. Hematopoietic cells can come from a closely matched donor or the patient themselves before their cancer is treated. Also, cells can be isolated from a patient's umbilical cord blood if it was stored when they were born. However it is done, the harvested hematopoietic cells are then injected into the patient's blood after radiation treatment, and they make their way back to the bone to grow and produce new blood cells.
Laboratory Grown Skin Grafts
Growing laboratory cultivated skin grafts occurred in 1983 at Boston Shriners Burn Hospital for Children when two young brothers with burns covering over 90% of their bodies were treated using them. Growing skin grafts starts with some of the main type of skin cells, keratinocytes, from the patient, then uses specialized cell culture techniques in the lab to grow layers of new skin. Genzyme now provides skin tissue grown using this technique as EPICEL cultured epidermal autografts.
It wasn't until several years later that researchers understood the skin could be grown because some of the keratinocytes are actually adult skin stem cells. This realization initiated research on improving the method, and have opened the door to innovative approaches such as the skin stem-cell gun.
Bogus Claims and Unproven Stem Cell Treatments
While routine clinical use of stem cells has only been approved for the two treatments mentioned above, there are a number of companies that have started removing adult stem cells, concentrating them, and reinjecting them into a patient and calling it "stem cell therapy." These are not FDA approved treatments but, since they are done with the patient's own cells, it is not clear they need to be regulated by the FDA—at least that is what the clinics argue.
There is no published scientific evidence these procedures have any benefit. It remains to be seen if they will be able to continue this practice without regulation—at least to the degree of providing proof of some benefit for the risk they encourage patients to take. In the meantime, they contribute little to advancing stem cell technologies since they work outside generally accepted scientific procedures for developing and evaluating new treatments.
Reliable Stem Cell Treatments in Development
While there is no proven therapeutic value to support the clinics that remove and reinject adult stem cells, there are a number of bona fide adult stem-cell trials that are in fact showing promising results. Companies such as Aastrom and Mesoblast, developing treatments to treat cardiovascular disease, BrainStorm developing treatments for neurologically diseases, and Histogenics developing treatments for cartilage and ligament repair are all working with adult stem cells.
Adult Stem Cell Limit
|
A Simple H-R Diagram
Once you know the luminosity and temperature (or color) of a star, you can plot
the star as a point on the H-R diagram. Plot the luminosity on the y-axis
with brighter stars
|
A Simple H-R Diagram
Once you know the luminosity and temperature (or color) of a star, you can plot
the star as a point on the H-R diagram. Plot the luminosity on the y-axis
with brighter stars going toward the top. Since brighter stars have
lower magnitudes, if you choose to plot magnitude on the y-axis, the
values will decrease as you go up! That's OK - just remember that the luminosity of
the star is increasing.
Plot temperature on the x-axis. However, since we can't know a star's real
temperature, you should instead plot color (either the traditional b-v or SDSS's
g-r) on the x-axis. Traditionally, hotter stars have been placed at the
left of the chart and cooler stars to the right. Even though the
temperature decreases as you move the the right, the b-v and g-r
values will increase. So you should make your H-R diagram with b-v or g-r increasing
to the right.
The first H-R diagram you should try is one for the brightest stars in the sky.
The table below shows the 26 brightest stars in the sky. Instead of plotting their
luminosities (which are so large that they're hard to visualize), plot the stars'
absolute magnitudes. Absolute mangitude is defined as the magnitude that a star would
have if you saw it from a distance of 10 parsecs (about 32 light-years). Stars with
higher luminosities put out more light, so they are brighter - they have
lower apparent magnitudes. Stars with lower luminosities put out less light, so they
are dimmer - they have higher absolute magnitudes.
The table below shows the 26 brightest stars, giving their names, apparent
magnitudes, absolute magnitudes, and b-v colors.
If you want more stars, there is a list of the 314 brightest stars
Make an H-R diagram for the brightest stars by graphing
b-v and absolute magnitude for the 26 stars above. Use a graphing
program to make your diagram. For help on how to make a
graph using Microsoft Excel, see SkyServer's
Question 1. Do
you see any groups of stars that appear to have something in common?
Sketch a box around those groups.
Question 2. The stars in the
upper right of the diagram are very bright but are also very cool. If
the stars are cool, why do you think they are so bright?
Question 3. Where does our sun plot on
this diagram? Is it hotter or cooler than average? Does it emit more or less
light than average?
Question 4. Do you think your diagram
constitutes a good random
sample of stars? Why or why not?
|
To early space travelers, Earth must have looked like a ball of blues, green, whites and browns. Did we ever imagine that Earth could look like an abstract painting or a sand painting that a child might make at summer camp?
The U
|
To early space travelers, Earth must have looked like a ball of blues, green, whites and browns. Did we ever imagine that Earth could look like an abstract painting or a sand painting that a child might make at summer camp?
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) along with the Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center offers these amazing shots of Earth. EROS is a remotely sensed data management, systems development, and research field center for the USGS. The organization provides research for science and technology efforts around the world. It's fitting that such scientific entities can produce such beautiful artwork.
This photo was taken in 1999 of the Vatnajokull Glacier ice cap in Iceland's Skaftafell National Park. (Text: Katherine Butler)
|
On a hot and dusty pitch a dozen teenagers in bright red soccer shirts are scrambling for the football. One player goes down in a cloud of dust to cries of “foul” from the other players. This scene could be in any other village
|
On a hot and dusty pitch a dozen teenagers in bright red soccer shirts are scrambling for the football. One player goes down in a cloud of dust to cries of “foul” from the other players. This scene could be in any other village in Thailand but this small field lies in the middle of Tham Hin refugee camp in Ratchaburi province, western Thailand. Some 8.000 refugees from the Karen ethnic group in Burma/Myanmar call this camp their home, one of nine camps strung along the Thai/Myanmar border. They host about140,000 people who have fled the different ethnic conflicts inside Burma/Myanmar.
As the world marks Refugee Day, the plight of the refugees from Burma/Myanmar is a stark reminder that the fate of the largest refugee population in Southeast Asia remains uncertain. Some of these camps have existed for more than 20 years and look like any other village with social services such as schools and primary health facilities. But all the camps are dependent on large-scale funding by international donors. In 2010 alone, the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) is providing € 8 million to help cover the basic needs of the refugees, bringing the total EU funding since 1995 to over €140 million.
Thailand is not a signatory to the UN Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and considers the camps as “temporary shelters”. Thai government officials administer the nine camps and strictly control the movement of the refugees outside the camps. The Thai Burma Border Concortium (TBBC), an alliance of international NGOs, has been providing for the basic needs of the displaced, most of whom belong to a variety of ethnic minorities fleeing the ongoing insecurity in the border areas.
The basic needs of the refugees appear to be well catered for with key food items and cooking fuel being provided. ECHO is also funding basic health care facilities for some 119,000 refugees in six camps, including immunization and mother and child care programmes. Some refugees receive training so they can become health workers. But the crowded living conditions pose many health chall
|
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, the Bureau) is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The latest study on 2010-2020 projections correlates the overall employment
|
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS, the Bureau) is the principal fact-finding agency for the Federal Government in the broad field of labor economics and statistics. The latest study on 2010-2020 projections correlates the overall employment with the US population.
- Shifts in the size and composition of the population can influence the U.S. economy.
- Several factors, including slower population growth, an aging population, and increasing diversity, are expected to affect the population over the coming decade.
- The U.S. civilian non-institutional population, including individuals ages 16 and older, is expected to increase by 25.2 million from 2010 to 2020 (Chart 1).
- For the labor force, the projected growth rate of 10.6 percent is far less compared to last two decades (1990–2000 period and the 2000-10 period).
- As in the past decades, population growth will vary by age group, race, and ethnicity. Minorities and immigrants are expected to constitute a larger share of the U.S. population in 2020.
- Over the decade, the Asian and Hispanic origin populations are projected to continue to grow much faster than other racial and ethnic groups, with the number of Asians growing at a rate of 34 percent and Hispanics, 37 percent.
- 2010–2020 USA Employment Projections
- Jobs and occupation in high demand : 2010-2020 Projections
- US Employment forecast by industry: 2010-2020
- 2010-2020 US Labor Force forecast by race, ethnic groups and by age
- Job search Tips: How to look for a Job effectively!
- 10 most uncommon business ideas for overseas!
- The fastest growing jobs and occupations in USA
- US Employment scene by Race and Ethnicity
|
During an era when interracial tensions in the United States have run high, Rosa Parks became a quiet, unassuming symbol of the continued struggle for human dignity.
(A) have run high
(B) ran high
(C) had run highly
(D
|
During an era when interracial tensions in the United States have run high, Rosa Parks became a quiet, unassuming symbol of the continued struggle for human dignity.
(A) have run high
(B) ran high
(C) had run highly
(D) run high
(E) were running highly
I chose E for this question, but the OA is B. What makes B a better choice? can somebody explain? thanks
Simple Past. E is passive. If you have MGMAT's SC
book I would suggest you look at chapter 3.
A: the era isn't continuing today.
C: past perfect is not needed here
D: is present wrong
|
Sea turtle eggs, imperiled by oil spill, begin journey to Kennedy Space Center
NASA will host the launch of thousands of baby sea turtles doomed by the BP blowout, in a mission being kept hush, hush -- for the rept
|
Sea turtle eggs, imperiled by oil spill, begin journey to Kennedy Space Center
NASA will host the launch of thousands of baby sea turtles doomed by the BP blowout, in a mission being kept hush, hush -- for the reptile's sake.
"This is such an extremely delicate operation they're trying to pull off," NASA spokesman Allard Beutel said. "They want to give these turtles a shot."
Only one in 1,000 hatchling sea turtles makes it to adulthood, experts estimate. But with oil right offshore of the Gulf Coast, biologists put those odds at zero.
So they hope thousands of baby sea turtles soon will hatch at Kennedy Space Center, from an undisclosed climate-controlled facility. Once they break from their shells, the turtles quickly will be taken to nearby beaches at night to make their mad dash to the Gulf Stream.
The hatchlings only feed along the Sargassum seaweed line at the edge of current.
Federal biologists won't disclose the location of where the turtles are being kept to prevent anyone -- including NASA staff and contractors -- from inadvertently disturbing the turtles.
"We have some (eggs) already onsite," Beutel said.
Biologists plan to dig up about 700 turtle nests thought doomed by the ongoing oil spewing from the Deepwater Horizon blowout. Nests have 100 to 120 eggs.
Most of the nests are laid by threatened loggerhead sea turtles, the most common nesters in Florida and along Brevard County beaches. A few are also possible from three endangered species: Kemp's ridley, leatherback and green sea turtles.
They'll dig up some more nests Monday from Panama City to Apalachicola for transport to KSC.
The Space Coast was chosen because NASA offered to take them and has climate-controlled facilities, said Patricia Behnke, a spokeswoman with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Tallahassee.
"It was a situation where they had to do something about it," Behnke said. "It's not so much that beaches are covered with oil. It's what will happen to the hatchlings once they get out into the water."
Biologists said the relocation was a "last resort" and that the turtles surely would surelydie if they hatched and swam into the oil in the Gulf.
Sea turtle eggs can b
|
Virtual World Learning Spaces: Developing a Second Life Operating Room Simulation
- A real-world approach to virtual learning spaces brings similar constraints on the types of teaching and learning possible in the virtual spaces.
- An alternative approach is to develop virtual learning spaces for
|
Virtual World Learning Spaces: Developing a Second Life Operating Room Simulation
- A real-world approach to virtual learning spaces brings similar constraints on the types of teaching and learning possible in the virtual spaces.
- An alternative approach is to develop virtual learning spaces for specific instructional needs.
- This alternative approach allows course objectives and learning tasks to drive the learning space development, escaping the limitations of an existing space.
User-created virtual worlds, such as Second Life, are a hot topic in higher education.1 Thousands of educators are currently exploring and using Second Life, and hundreds of colleges and universities have purchased and developed their own private islands in Second Life,2 including the University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC).
One approach to developing a virtual world educational island is similar to a traditional approach to developing real-world learning spaces: Areas are developed to support broadly defined educational activities. These virtual areas typically include a large lecture hall or auditorium for presentations, smaller classrooms for discussion, a sandbox for student building, and an exhibition hall for displaying student work.3 However, this real-world approach to virtual world learning space brings with it similar constraints on the types of teaching and learning that can happen in those spaces. For example, large lecture halls, whether in the real world or the virtual world, are based on objectivist transmissive teaching; once built, such spaces do little to support more collaborative and constructivist learning approaches.4
Because it is so easy and inexpensive to develop and modify user-created virtual worlds, especially when compared to the real world, we suggest an alternative approach to developing virtual world learning spaces. Instead of anticipating possible educational needs and trying to develop flexible learning spaces for those possible needs, virtual world learning spaces can be developed for very specific instructional needs. Although KUMC Isle, our private island in Second Life, does have a few familiar learning spaces — an auditorium, a sandbox, and a beach area — the majority of our island is devoted to specific course projects: a home to practice assessing and remediating disability issues, a community living center as the context for database development, and an operating room simulation for learning complex medical procedures.
In this article, we provide an in-depth examination of the design, development, and use of one of these virtual world learning spaces, our Nurse Anesthesia operating room simulation for learning the basic induction process. We also briefly describe the learning spaces we developed for several other projects. Our goal is to provide you with some insights into developing virtual world learning spaces and highlight the advantages of those virtual world spaces over real world spaces. Most importantly, we want to encourage you to target your virtual world development efforts on specific learning spaces for specific project needs. In this way, course objectives and learning tasks can truly drive the learning space development, rather than having to adjust objectives and tasks to the limitations of an existing learning space.
- University of Kansas Medical Center, School of Allied Health, Nurse Anesthesia Education
- Information Resources
- Teaching & Learning Technologies
- Second Life
The University of Kansas Medical Center (KUMC) is located in Kansas City, Kansas. KUMC includes three schools: Medicine, Nursing, and Allied Health. Within the KUMC School of Allied Health is the Nurse Anesthesia (NURA) department, which is the academic sponsor of this project. The technical sponsor of this project is the Teaching & Learning Technologies Department within KUMC’s Information Resources Division.
Audio & Transcript: About KUMC and This Project
The University of Kansas Medical Center is organized into three major schools: Allied Health, Nursing, and Medicine. Eight academic departments comprise the KUMC School of Allied Health, including the Nurse Anesthesia [NURA] department, which is the academic sponsor of this project.
The KUMC Master’s of Science in Nurse Anesthesia is an intensive 36-month program which prepares Registered Nurses for the field of nurse anesthesia practice. This program includes both academic and clinical components.
The technical sponsor of this project is the Teaching & Learning Technologies department (TLT), within the KUMC Information Resources division. TLT’s mission is to provide leadership and support for the successful integration of new and existing educational technologies into KUMC learning environments. One of these technologies is Second Life, which KUMC uses for communication, presentations, and learning activities.
Second Life Technical Capabilities
The technical capabilities of Second Life are well documented on the web and beyond the focus and scope of this article. For additional information about Second Life’s technical capabilities, please visit the supplemental links included above.
Audio & Transcript: Technical Capabilities of Second Life
A short description of the technical capabilities of Second Life is probably in order for those people who are not yet familiar with Second Life. You interact with the Second Life virtual world through your avatar, which is your physical representation in the virtual world. You can customize your avatar’s appearance however you want him, her, or it to look. Your avatar can move: walking, running, flying, and even quickly teleporting to remote locations. Additionally, you can use animations to jump, laugh, and dance.
Second Life includes a number of communication and social networking tools: text and voice chats, instant messaging, calling cards to easily connect with your friends, as well as groups to join and events to attend. You can import images and sounds into Second Life, and you can stream audio and video into Second Life.
Of the various technical capabilities, the ability for any user to build objects and script those objects for action is the distinguishing factor which separates Second Life and a few additional user-created virtual worlds, like There and ActiveWorlds, from the other virtual worlds and games. In Second Life, you can build a complex object, like a motorcycle, and program that object to respond to other people, objects, and t
|
How Operations Managers Can Focus on Quality to Achieve a Lean Company
Quality is a pillar of any lean organization. Poor quality contributes significantly to the waste that lean companies strive to eliminate. In lean organizations, quality is the responsibility of everyone. Line
|
How Operations Managers Can Focus on Quality to Achieve a Lean Company
Quality is a pillar of any lean organization. Poor quality contributes significantly to the waste that lean companies strive to eliminate. In lean organizations, quality is the responsibility of everyone. Line workers are trained to detect poor quality, identify the causes of poor quality, and implement improvements. The quality process follows these steps:
Detect the abnormality.
Part of workers’ jobs is to identify poor quality as it occurs.
Stop the process.
Line employees have the power and are expected to stop the line.
Fix or correct the immediate condition.
Action is required to put in place a quick fix so that production can resume as quickly as possible.
Investigate the root cause and solve the problem.
You must implement a permanent solution to replace the quick fix of Step 3.
A radical concept found in truly lean organizations such as Toyota is the ability of workers to stop the production line when a quality issue is identified. The worker pulls an andon cord, which stops the line and sends a signal to an andon board that notifies management and other workers where the problem is.
This ability to stop the line can also be programmed into the equipment itself. Jidoka, sometimes referred to as autonomation, meaning automation with human intelligence, enables a machine to detect when a defect occurs and allows the equipment to stop the line automatically.
For example, if a machine jams, the machine will not only shut itself down but also stop the entire line. The andon board then lights up, signaling for help at the machine. This eliminates the need to have an operator at each machine.
The first priority after you detect a defect is to implement a quick fix so that production can resume. This may involve the addition of another step in the process, such as manual machine adjustments or inspecting parts.
Because the quick fix usually adds some waste into the system, you don’t want it to become permanent. What separates lean organizations from those trying to be lean is a relentless effort to identify the root cause of quality problems and implement permanent solutions. Many companies get lazy, allowing the quick fix to become permanent.
A common excuse for this behavior is that people are too busy with other things, and the fix is working. This firefighting, as it’s often referred to, is what a lean organization is trying to eliminate.
The best way to correct a mistake, of course, is to prevent it from happening in the first place. This is why lean firms embrace poke-yoke, which means preventing mistakes. Lean organizations focus on designing a simple process and training workers to function in the process. Always remember to simplify.
|
||Contact | A-Z Health Index | Events & Meetings|
Falls among persons over age 65 are a growing public health problem both nationally and in Oklahoma. It is estimated that one-third of older adults fall each year. As an individual ages
|
||Contact | A-Z Health Index | Events & Meetings|
Falls among persons over age 65 are a growing public health problem both nationally and in Oklahoma. It is estimated that one-third of older adults fall each year. As an individual ages, the likelihood of experiencing a fall dramatically increases. In Oklahoma and the United States, falls are the leading cause of injury death among individuals aged 65 years and older. The most common fall-related injury resulting in hospitalization is hip fractures.
In Oklahoma, the majority of fall-related hospitalizations were to individuals age 65 and older. Nearly 75% of patients were female.
More injuries occurred at home than any other location, particularly in bedrooms and bathrooms. Two-thirds of the injuries occurred during the morning and afternoon hours. The most common factors associated with the falls were slipping, tripping, and fainting.
Related Reports and Fact Sheets
Older Adult Falls Prevention Committee
2013 Meeting Schedule
2012 Meeting Schedule
2011 Meeting Schedule
Links to Related Sites
Injury Prevention Service
Copyright © State of Oklahoma
|
Australian Solar News
Is Man making the Earth Hotter?
By Dave Christmas
On Saturday November 18th I purchased, as I do every weekend, the Sydney Morning Herald. Upon opening the Good Weekend Magazine my attention was drawn to an article
|
Australian Solar News
Is Man making the Earth Hotter?
By Dave Christmas
On Saturday November 18th I purchased, as I do every weekend, the Sydney Morning Herald. Upon opening the Good Weekend Magazine my attention was drawn to an article written by Dr Karl S. Kruszelnicki. It was in the column entitled Myth Conceptions on page 17, with the sub heading "Is man making the Earth hotter"
In this article Karl makes the point that if you were to believe the popular press you might make the assumption that scientists cannot agree on the outcomes of Global Warming. He then points out that a French scientist Joseph Fourier wrote one of the first papers on greenhouse gases in 1824. That's right, over 180 years ago!
Joseph reasoned that the sun throws its light/heat upon Earth, which warms and in turn radiates some of this heat back into space. If earth had no atmosphere the average surface temperature would be minus 15ºC (same as the moon). But the natural greenhouse gases in the Earth's atmosphere block some of this heat and radiate it back to Earth, lifting the Earth's temperature by some 30ºC to a more pleasant 15ºC.
He then states that since modern industrialisation carbon dioxide levels in our atmosphere have risen by 30% from about 280ppm to around 368ppm. Which has raised the average global temperature by 0.6ºC and the sea level by about 20cm.
In 2004 Dr Naomi Oreskes from the University of California analysed 928 scientific papers discussing "climate change" that had been published in peer-reviewed journals between 1993 and 2003. She found that not one disagreed with the consensus position, even though they may have disagreed in some of the minor details.
DR Karl then questioned why almost half of the articles published in the non-scientific press put forward the idea that scientists are deeply divided over the fundamental concepts of the greenhouse effect?
The answer, according to the world's most prestigious and deeply conservative society, the UK's Royal Society, is that huge company's that make their profits from the burning of fossil fuels, put forward deliberate misinformation.
In September 2006 Bob Ward the Royal Society's manager for policy communication wrote to Nick Thomas, the director of corporate affairs for ExxonMobil in the UK. In this letter Ward asked why ExxonMobil paid millions of dollars to groups that "misrepresented the science of climate change by outright denial of the evidence" Dr Karl states that such a strongly worded letter is very unusual from such a conservative group, but it does reflect that consensus has been reached: things are hotting up.
Another news bite that almost brought tears to my eyes was published in "G" magazine. www.gmagazine.com.au. This was
|
The negative effects of poor omega-3 intake could become incrementally worse through consecutive generations, according to a new study.
The team of US researchers used rats to model how second-generation deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids affected long-term health, mood
|
The negative effects of poor omega-3 intake could become incrementally worse through consecutive generations, according to a new study.
The team of US researchers used rats to model how second-generation deficiencies of omega-3 fatty acids affected long-term health, mood and cognitive functions - finding that deficiencies in the essential fatty-acid over consecutive generations can lead to cognitive and behavioural problems.
Writing in Biological Psychiatry, the team revealed that a lack of omega-3 led to elevated states of anxiety and hyperactivity in second generation adolescents and affected their memory and cognition.
"We found that this dietary deficiency can compromise the behavioural health of adolescents, not only because their diet is deficient but because their parents' diet was deficient as well," said Professor Bita Moghaddam of the University of Pittsburgh - lead author of the paper. "This is of particular concern because adolescence is a very vulnerable time for developing psychiatric disorders including schizophrenia and addiction."
"We have always assumed that stress at this age is the main environmental insult that contributes to developing these conditions in at-risk individuals but this study indicates that nutrition is a big factor, too," she suggested.
Indeed, Moghaddam noted that her team's findings show that while the omega-3 deficiency influences the behaviour of both adults and adolescents, "the nature of this influence is different between the age groups."
"We observed changes in areas of the brain responsible for decision making and habit formation."
Moghaddam and her research team examined the effects of a "second generation" of omega-3-deficient diets - which mimics the situation of many present-day adolescents.
"Given that dietary trends toward lower omega-3 PUFA consumption began in the 1960s and 1970s when most parents of current adolescents and young adults were born, the consecutive generational model might be relevant to the current state of omega-3 PUFA deficiency in humans," said the authors.
"This model therefore makes a strong case for the nutritional contribution to dopamine-related cognitive and affective functioning and vulnerability to psychiatric illness in adolescents."
The team gave both adults and adolescents rats a set of behavioural tasks to study their learning and memory, decision making, anxiety, and hyperactivity - finding that although subjects appeared to be in general good physical health, there were behavioural deficiencies in adolescents that were more pronounced in second-generation subjects with omega-3 deficiencies.
Overall, these adolescents were more anxious and hyperactive, learned at a slower rate, and had impaired problem-solving abilities, the team revealed.
"It's remarkable that a relatively common dietary change can
|
Professor Mark Thomas may have a point in his critique of genetic ancestry testing companies. The line between popularising science and misleading the public is a very difficult one to draw, as responses to the recent BBC TV programme Meet the Izzards, in
|
Professor Mark Thomas may have a point in his critique of genetic ancestry testing companies. The line between popularising science and misleading the public is a very difficult one to draw, as responses to the recent BBC TV programme Meet the Izzards, in which Eddie Izzard traces the migration of his ancestors out of Africa and into Europe, illustrate. But Thomas's portrayal of what he calls "interpretative phylogeography" – the principal means by which those of us who study mitochondrial DNA and the Y chromosome draw conclusions about the dispersal history of modern humans – as "genetic astrology" has profound implications. Here he is taking on not just the commercial use of the scientific work, but the science itself – work that has been published in peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals. Can he really be right?
Phylogeographers compare the genealogical relationships among genetic lineages with their geographical source, to try to work out when lineages moved from one place to another. It relies on the principle that every mutation in the DNA arises at a specific point in space and time, and that a plot pinpointing these locations is effectively an outline of the movement of people across the landscape and around the world.
According to Prof Thomas, this "has never been scientifically shown to work". Well, apart from the fact that the phylogeography of mitochondrial DNA predicted that modern humans had a recent African origin, about 200,000 years ago. This was in 1987, when most anthropologists believed that Homo sapiens had evolved in tandem across the Old World. Improved fossil dating methods soon began to confirm the new picture, and a new consensus was reached. This essentially still stands, even though the recovery of ancient Neanderthal sequences now suggests that there was some interbreeding with archaic groups along the way.
Then there's the fact that the mitochondrial picture almost exactly matches the archaeological evidence for the colonisation of the Remote Pacific, about 3,000 years ago. The same is true for the expansion of Bantu speakers in Africa, from the tropics into the far south, a little later. And the first settlement of the Americas from Asia, genetically dated to about 15,000 years ago, matches the archaeology pretty well too.
Hopefully, the point is made. There are enough archaeologically well-known cases of colonisation to show that phylogeographic interpretations can work in principle.
Why is this denied by Prof Thomas? In some cases, there is a genuine and laudable desire to improve the analytical tools with which we work, which is all well and good. But among people in this small (but vocal) group of detractors, as across science more generally, there is a tendency to want to say that "what we do is science and what you do isn't" – and to draw sharp dividing lines between "rigorous hypothesis testing" and "storytelling". You would think that some awareness of the history and philosophy of science would guard against making such distinctions, but it's a sad fact that some scientists still prefer to ignore the wider picture in favour of a gung-ho advocacy of their favoured bit of scientific methodology.
It's very easy for someone to claim there's "no evidence" for something. Creationists, after all, insist there's no evidence for evolution. What can we do in such circumstances? We can't force people to acknowledge the evidence. All we can do is present it as clearly as possible and hope they will engage.
The problem is perhaps most acute in historical subjects like this where the evidence is especially challenging to interpret, and alternative views always seem possible. Ironically, in areas of science where researchers believe that a new piece of evidence might decisively prove them wrong, they are perhaps more circumspect with their suggestions. Perhaps recent advances in the recovery of ancient DNA sequences – where we can directly see what some of the ancestral lineages were like – might help to chasten all sides of the debate. But contrary to Prof Thomas's apparent view that there should be no interpretations, only "facts", we suspect that "interpretative phylogeography" will still have a central role to play, even as prevailing models are challenged once again.
There are o
|
Here we see a
typical illuminated page from King René's Book of the Heart Possessed
by Love, c 1453. Some text, a magnificent miniature, and a charming
border of acanthus leaves and flowering stems
|
Here we see a
typical illuminated page from King René's Book of the Heart Possessed
by Love, c 1453. Some text, a magnificent miniature, and a charming
border of acanthus leaves and flowering stems, interspersed with little
gold spiky roundels. Sometimes the text is at the top, sometimes at the
bottom, sometimes both. The border colour schemes are predominantly red,
blue, green, and gold. At first sight the borders seem incredibly
complicated, but on closer examination they are surprisingly simple to
Here is a typical border, with enlargements
of some of the flowers.
Details 1a & 1b
On first sight,
there appear to be four different flower types in Border 1, but
there are really only two forms—the lilies and three variants of what I
will call "round flowers." These latter have five or six petals, are
coloured in the same way, and differ only in how deeply the petals are
indented, whether the ends are curved or flat, and the precise details
of the white highlights.
flowers are all painted using the same formula. The shape has been
filled in with medium-density colour, and a circle of a darker shade of
this colour placed in the centre. The same darker shade has been used to
fill in
|
Transitioning is not just about your baby moving on to solid foods. It’s about learning to drink from a cup too. The ideal time to start introducing a first cup is about 6 months.
Learning to drink from a cup is a gradual
|
Transitioning is not just about your baby moving on to solid foods. It’s about learning to drink from a cup too. The ideal time to start introducing a first cup is about 6 months.
Learning to drink from a cup is a gradual process and can be quite messy at times. Although it may be difficult and take some perseverance, you should aim to have your baby off the bottle by their first birthday. After all, using a cup is much better for baby’s teeth.
When choosing a baby cup, remember that:
- A cup with handles is easier for your baby to grasp.
- A see-through cup will help you see if your baby is drinking well.
- A hard spout is recommended by health professionals because it doesn’t encourage your baby to suck, but if your baby finds the transition from bottle to hard spout too much too fast, a soft spout would be an easier intermediary alternative to a hard spout cup.
- Health professionals advise mums to use a free-flowing cup (a cup without a valve) to help children learn how to sip instead of suck.
- If you are concerned about your child spilling their drink and making a mess, a non-spill cup may be the best solution for you, but remember it will require your baby to suck.
What Cup Should I Use?
As with food transitioning, there are three stages to baby drinking transitioing, each requiring a different type of baby cup.
Stage 1 - A cup with a free-flowing hard spout and no valve is recommended by Health Professionals. This free-flowing spout means that baby will not need to suck to get the drink, ensuring healthy development of his teeth and jaw. The alternative to a free-flowing spout is a valved, non-spill spout. A non-spill spout will prevent spillages and mess, but it will require your baby to suck.
Stage 2 – Once baby is happy drinking independently, it is time to try and move him on to drinking from an open top cup. Using a sipper lid will encourage your baby to learn to drink from the rim of a cup.
Stage 3 – Remove the sipper lid so that your baby can start to drink from an open cup.
What Should I Let Baby Drink?
Young babies don’t know the difference betwe
|
A flash of inspiration is known as a light-bulb moment. In an instant, things become clear, like items in a room when you flip on a light switch.
But soon we’ll need a new cliché. The latest light bulbs
|
A flash of inspiration is known as a light-bulb moment. In an instant, things become clear, like items in a room when you flip on a light switch.
But soon we’ll need a new cliché. The latest light bulbs don’t spring to life. Compact fluorescent bulbs warm up slowly, only eventually giving off as much light as an incandescent bulb gives right away.
The new bulbs are more expensive than traditional bulbs, and have other significant drawbacks. For example, they contain mercury. In some states, it’s illegal to throw the bulbs in the trash -- they must be taken to a hazardous waste facility.
And heaven forbid you accidentally break a fluorescent bulb. If that happens, the Environmental Protection Agency recommends you turn off the heating or air conditioning, clear the room and air it out for at least 15 minutes.
After that, “Carefully scoop up glass fragments and powder using stiff paper or cardboard and place them in a glass jar with metal lid (such as a canning jar) or in a sealed plastic bag,” the agency advises. Then use duct tape to pick up any remaining shards of glass.
If you use a vacuum, “Remove the vacuum bag (or empty and wipe the canister), and put the bag or vacuum debris in a sealed plastic bag” once you’re finished. And “the next several times you vacuum, shut off the central forced-air heating/air conditioning system and open a window prior to vacuuming.”
Also, don’t forget to check to see whether your state requires you to deal with the bulb as hazardous waste.
Still, when they don’t break, the fluorescent bulbs are better in many ways. They last longer, use less electricity and throw off less heat. Consumers will reportedly save about $30 over the life of each bulb.
But that raises an interesting question: If the new bulbs are “superior in every measurable way,” as the Mankato (Minnesota) Free Press put it in an editorial, why did Congress need to make traditional incandescent bulbs illegal?
That’s right. As part of the energy bill passed last year, lawmakers phased out traditional bulbs. In a few years they’ll be outlawed, which could lead to a large black market in “Soft White” light bulbs.
Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., wants to keep Washington’s hands off our light sockets. “I was just outraged that Congress would want to substitute its judgment for the judgment of the American people,” she told reporters when she introduced the “Light Bulb Freedom of Choice Act” last month. That measure would repeal the ban on incandescents, leaving Americans free to choose their source of illumination.
This only makes sense.
|
Fighting the Effects of Natural Disasters
Advanced Research can Help Protect Humankind from Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters
Predicting the future. When it comes to severe weather, it can mean the difference between life and death, as witnessed with
|
Fighting the Effects of Natural Disasters
Advanced Research can Help Protect Humankind from Hurricanes and Other Natural Disasters
Predicting the future. When it comes to severe weather, it can mean the difference between life and death, as witnessed with Hurricane Katrina. While neither human nor machine can forecast the future with 100% accuracy, research at Notre Dame is leading to better forecasting models that can better protect humankind from the forces of nature.
Joannes Westerink, professor of Civil Engineering and Geological Sciences and co-developer of the Advanced Circulation Model (ADCIRC), is working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on Southern Louisiana’s $15 billion flood protection system of levees. His model, a finite element-based shallow water equation model that’s also used by both the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, predicts water levels resulting from a hurricane storm surge.
What Would You Fight For?
The University of Notre Dame’s award-winning “What Would You Fight For?” series, now in its seventh season, showcases the work, scholarly achievements, and global impact of Notre Dame faculty, students, and alumni. These two-minute segments, each originally aired during a home football game broadcast on NBC, highlight the University’s proud moniker, the Fighting Irish, and tell the stories of the members of the Notre Dame family who fight to bring solutions to a world in need.Archive
|
Monday, October 6, 2008
The IUCN released its most recent Red List of Threatened Species today at the IUCN World Conservation
Congress in Barcelona. IUCN Red List link The list shows at least
|
Monday, October 6, 2008
The IUCN released its most recent Red List of Threatened Species today at the IUCN World Conservation
Congress in Barcelona. IUCN Red List link The list shows at least 1,141 of the 5,487 mammals
on Earth are known to be threatened with extinction. At least 76
mammals have become extinct since 1500. But the results also show
conservation can bring species back from the brink of extinction, with
five percent of currently threatened mammals showing signs of recovery
in the wild.
“Within our lifetime hundreds of species could be lost as a result
of our own actions, a frightening sign of what is happening to the
ecosystems where they live,” says Julia Marton-Lefèvre, IUCN Director General. “We
must now set clear targets for the future to reverse this trend to
ensure that our enduring legacy is not to wipe out many of our closest
The real situation could be much worse as 836 mammals are listed as Data Deficient. With better information more species may well prove to be in danger of extinction. “The reality is that the number of threatened mammals could be as high as 36 percent,” says Jan Schipper, of Conservation International and lead author in a forthcoming article in Science. “This indicates that conservation action backed by research is a clear priority for the future, not only to improve the data so that we can evaluate threats to these poorly known species, but to investigate means to recover threatened species and populations.”
The results show 188 mammals are in the highest threat category of Critically Endangered, including the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus), which has a
|
Algherese (Standard Catalan: Alguerès, IPA: [əɫɣəˈɾɛs]; Algherese: Alguerés, IPA: [alɣaˈ
|
Algherese (Standard Catalan: Alguerès, IPA: [əɫɣəˈɾɛs]; Algherese: Alguerés, IPA: [alɣaˈɾes]) is the variant of the Catalan language spoken in the city of Alghero (L'Alguer in Catalan), in the northwest of Sardinia, Italy. Catalan invaders repopulated the town and expelled the indigenous mixed population (Sardinian, Ligurian, Corsican and Tuscan) in 1372, after several revolts.1
Catalan was replaced as the official language by Spanish, then by Italian in mid 18th century, but its use remained widespread until at least the 1960s. Today it has semi-official status alongside Italian.2
According to recent linguistic research, 22.4% of the population in Alghero are first language speakers and above 90% have some knowledge of the language.3
- Like in other languages of Sardinia /ɛ/ and /e/, and /ɔ/ and /o/ may merge into mid vowels e̞ and o̞, respectively.
- Coalescing of unstressed vowels /a/, /ɛ/ and /e/ to a (unlike the rest of Eastern Catalan that uses ə).
- Algherese preserves /v/ as a distinct phoneme from /b/, like Balearic and most of Valencian.
- Mutation of intervocalic /d/ or /l/ to r; e.g. 'Barceloneta' (little Barcelona): Eastern Standard [bərsəɫuˈnɛtə], Algherese [balsaruˈne̞ta]; and vila ('town') and vida ('life') are homophones in Algherese [ˈvira].
- Mutation of syllable final /r/ to lateral l, and the possible resulting group /r/ + consonant is further simplified to l; e.g. forn ('furnace, oven'): Standard [ˈfo̞rn], Algherese [ˈfo̞l].
- Depalatalization of syllable final sonorants: lateral /ʎ/ to l, nasal /ɲ/ to n; e.g. any ('year'): Standard [ˈaɲ], Algherese [ˈan].
- Unlike most Catalan dialects, /l/ is never velarized in Algherese; e.g. sol ('sun'): Standard [ˈsɔɫ], Algherese [ˈso̞l].
- Simple past has been replaced by present perfect (present of haver "to have" + past participle), possibly due to Italian influence.
- Imperfect Past preserves etymological -v- in all the conjugations: 1st -ava, 2nd -iva, 3rd -iva (unlike modern eastern and western standard Catalan which has 1st -ava, 2nd -ia, 3rd -ia) (a feature shared with Ribagorçan Catalan).
- Large-scale lexical borrowing and calques from Sardinian, Spanish, and Italian.
The Premi Rafael Sari - organised by the Obra Cultural de l'Alguer 4 - is a series of prizes awarded in September each year to the best literary works of poetry and prose written in Alguerese Catalan. Notable poets include Rafael Sari, Pasquale Scanu and Maria Chessa Lai. There is also a long tradition of writing and performing songs in Alguerese Catalan and the Premio Pino Piras 5 is awarded for new songs written in the language. Notable singer-songwriters include Pino Piras and Franca Masu.
- Diccionari de Alguerés
- Another case of language death? The intergenerational trasmission of Catalan in Alghero - Enrico Chessa
- Sanna, Josep. 1988. Diccionari català de l'Alguer. ISBN 84-7129-391-9
- SCALA LUCA. 2003. Català de l'Alguer. Criteris de llengua escrita. Publicacions de l'Abadia de Montserrat. ISBN 978-84-8415-463-1
|
Banking Trojans traditionally use configuration files that have been stored on the computer under attack. These configuration files contain the addresses of the compromised websites, and the code, called the Webinject, which they are seeking to add to these websites via
|
Banking Trojans traditionally use configuration files that have been stored on the computer under attack. These configuration files contain the addresses of the compromised websites, and the code, called the Webinject, which they are seeking to add to these websites via the banking Trojans. This code is then responsible for stealing access data and personal information, for example.
Stealth Cloud technology
With this new functionality individual parts of the malware configuration are moved to the cloud. Through this procedure, the malware authors intend to prevent an analysis by antivirus vendors and banks.
Graph 1: Classical Man in the Browser attack
Graph 2: Information Stealer with Cloud technology
For detailed technical information, visit the G Data SecurityBlog: http://blog.gdatasoftware.com/blog/article/banking-trojans-disguise-attack-targets-in-the-cloud.html.
|
Studying for the A+, Network+ or Security+ exams? Get over 2,600 pages of FREE study guides at CertiGuide.com!|
Join the PC homebuilding revolution! Read the all-new, FREE 200-page online
|
Studying for the A+, Network+ or Security+ exams? Get over 2,600 pages of FREE study guides at CertiGuide.com!|
Join the PC homebuilding revolution! Read the all-new, FREE 200-page online guide: How to Build Your Own PC!
NOTE: Using robot software to mass-download the site degrades the server and is prohibited. See here for more.
Find The PC Guide helpful? Please consider a donation to The PC Guide Tip Jar. Visa/MC/Paypal accepted.
|Take a virtual vacation any time at DesktopScenes.com - view my art photos online for FREE in either Flash or HTML!|
Tired of the boss? Ever wanted to be an independent freelancer? Not sure how to get started?
The all-new Online Freelancing Guide can help. Tons of useful info, and it's free! Join the online freelancing revolution today.
High Memory Area (HMA)
The high memory area (abbreviated HMA) is the first 65,520 bytes (64 KB less 16 bytes) of extended memory. Technically, it is memory from addresses 100000h to 10FFEFh. It is special because it is the only part of extended memory that can be used by the PC while operating in real mode. Normally in real mode the processor cannot access extended memory at all and must use protected mode or special drivers. See here for an explanation of processor modes.
Note: Don't confuse the high
memory area with the upper memory area, which is different
There are many areas of the PC where weird hardware and software protocols have persisted due to a strange decision made years earlier, or as a result of an unusual circumstance or accident. Of all of these, the story of the high memory area is probably one of the strangest. Here we actually have a very useful feature that is the result of a bug! I'll try to explain it (because it is interesting) without going into too much detail. It's still kind of a sidebar, so skip it if you really don't care (but if you do skip it, read the part at the end of the section that discusses how the HMA is used).
PC memory addresses are referred to using a segment:offset addressing scheme; the segment is multiplied by 16 (shifted one hexadecimal digit to the left) a
|
This experiment shows the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed
by potassium iodide. The reaction is done in a tall graduated cylinder so
that the foamy product shoots out very quickly in a tall cylindrical
shape; hence, the name
|
This experiment shows the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide catalyzed
by potassium iodide. The reaction is done in a tall graduated cylinder so
that the foamy product shoots out very quickly in a tall cylindrical
shape; hence, the name elephant toothpaste.
tall graduated cylinder (at least 500 ml)
30% hydrogen peroxide (H202)
saturated solution of potassium iodide (KI)
1. Wear safety goggles. Also, wear disposable gloves when pouring 30%
hydrogen peroxide, as it is a very strong oxidant.
1. Place a garbage bag or other covering on the lab table and possibly
on the floor.
2. Fill the vial containing potassium iodide with water. Cap and shake
until all the potassium iodide is dissolved (This should now be a
saturated solution of KI made with 15 grams of KI and water.) Set aside.
3. Put on disposable gloves. Pour 80 ml of 30% hydrogen peroxide into a
4. Add about 40 ml of Dawn detergent to the hydrogen peroxide. Swirl to
5. Tilt the graduated cylinder and drip red and/or blue food coloring
down the sides of the graduated cylinder to make your toothpaste striped
6. Quickly add the saturated solution of KI solution and stand back Be
sure to move your hand away from the top of the graduated cylinder quickly
or the hot foam will get on your hand and arm.
7. You may place a glowing splint in the foam to test for oxygen, but
do not drop the splint into the graduated cylinder. The splint will
relight indicating the presence of oxygen.
The rapid catalyzed decomposition of hydrogen peroxide produces O2 gas
which forms a foam with the liquid detergent:
Leave the gloves on while cleaning up. The foam and solution left in the graduated cylinder may be rinsed down the drain with excess water.
Back to FunFun Chemistry Stuff
|
Find out why getting your daily dose of folic acid is so important when you're trying to conceive.
Folic acid is a synthetic B vitamin (B9) that also occurs naturally in many foods and is particularly important to your diet when you
|
Find out why getting your daily dose of folic acid is so important when you're trying to conceive.
Folic acid is a synthetic B vitamin (B9) that also occurs naturally in many foods and is particularly important to your diet when you are trying to conceive. The Department of Health recommend that women trying to get pregnant should have 400mcg (micro grams) of folic acid a day.
Why do I need it?
Getting enough folic acid when you are trying to conceive is beneficial because it can greatly improve foetal development once you do fall pregnant. It helps with the early growth and development of your baby, as well as the development of the placenta.
The right amount of folic acid in your diet can help prevent neural tube birth defects, such as spina bifida (when the spinal cord does not completely form). It may also decrease the risk of miscarriage.
Folic acid helps your body to produce red blood cells, vital hormones like serotonin and norepinephrine, and to construct DNA - all crucial processes that aid your baby's development.
How much do I need?
Experts recommend that you have 400mcg of folic acid a day when trying to conceive.
Although folic acid occurs naturally in many folate-rich foods, it can be difficult to eat enough of these to meet the 400mcg target every day. Therefore it is a good idea to take a daily supplement of folic acid, to complement your diet.
You can find folic acid supplements at your local pharmacy or at many health food and vitamin shops. Make sure that you check the label to make sure each supplement will be delivering your 400mcg a day.
When taking your supplement, it is best to eat something beforehand, as it won't be absorbed as well on an empty stomach.
As well as taking your daily supplement, it's also worthwhile structuring your diet so that you are eating plenty of foods that are rich in folic acid.
Some foods that will up your daily folic acid intake include:
- Bran flakes
- Leafy green vegetables
- Other vegetables such as Brussels sprouts, potatoes, asparagus, and broccoli.
When cooking vegetables that contain folic acid, take care not to over-cook them, as this can damage the vitamin's beneficial qualities. Try steaming your vegetables, or cook them with the minimum amount of boiling water.
When should I start increasing my folic acid intake?
If you are trying to conceive, it is best to start taking folic acid supplements as soon as possible. Ideally, they should be taken for three months prior to conception, but obviously this can be hard to plan precisely.
If you have recently decided to try for a baby, or have been trying for a while, it is best to start getting the recommended dose of folic acid as soon as possible. Otherwise, you should take it as soon as you know you are pregnant, and continue to do so throughout your first 12 weeks of pregnancy.
After this point you can continue to take folic acid if you wish, but its effects won't be as beneficial as taking it before your baby is conceived. The effects of folic acid are most pronounced in your baby's earliest stages of development, so it is best to take it to both pre-empt and coincide with this.
|
Ready-to-use lesson plans for most subject areas and grade levels. Every lesson includes quality learning activities and assessment tools.
Thematic units of multidisciplinary lessons. These extended learning opportunities include student and teacher support materials.
Interactive student modules targeting specific topics
|
Ready-to-use lesson plans for most subject areas and grade levels. Every lesson includes quality learning activities and assessment tools.
Thematic units of multidisciplinary lessons. These extended learning opportunities include student and teacher support materials.
Interactive student modules targeting specific topics and skills. Use these multimedia tools individually or to supplement lesson and unit plans.
A collection of articles, tutorials, presentations, and online books to help teachers improve classroom instruction and student assessment.
|
Connect With Your Child Through Play
When you think about your own childhood, do you recall times when you and your parents played together? Maybe it was hide-and-seek, or Monopoly or rock-paper-scissors. I remember pretending to be
|
Connect With Your Child Through Play
When you think about your own childhood, do you recall times when you and your parents played together? Maybe it was hide-and-seek, or Monopoly or rock-paper-scissors. I remember pretending to be circus performers with my mom and dad, and playing gin rummy with my grandmother.
We used to think of family games as inexpensive entertainment or simple ways to pass the day. Now, with competing demands on everyone's time, the excess of toys marketed to kids and so many electronic diversions, these kinds of activities can seem a bit dated. But they are the stuff memories are made of. They were fun, and they allowed us a chance to feel close to people we love. That's reason enough to play together as a family.
But there are also many other benefits of play -- and research shows its role in children's development.
Play is both a catalyst and context for learning. Through play, children make sense of their experiences, and express their ideas and emotions. Play helps them develop and practice skills underlying success in school and beyond: self-control, working memory, cognitive flexibility, persistence and following rules among others. Playing with others also helps children build relationships.
We also know that, despite evidence of the benefits of play, opportunities to play have diminished. Kids are more likely to be involved in scheduled and structured activities, and plugged into digital devises. To make matters worse, play has largely disappeared from the school day, even in the earliest grades.
So what does this mean for parents? And how does playing with your child fit into the picture?
- It is important that your child has uninterrupted play time every day with simple materials that can be used in many different ways.
- Resist interrupting or taking over when he's contentedly playing alone or with other kids. But, remember, he also loves and needs to be with you.
- When you're busy, you can take advantage of daily routines to play together. You might play peek-a-boo when you're changing your toddler's diaper, a guessing game when you're making breakfast for your preschooler, pretend when you're doing chores with your kindergartner or a license plate game when you're taking your older child to school.
- When there's more time, your child will thrive on your undivided attention as you play together. In the process, you'll have many opportunities to tune into his interests, concerns and needs and to support his development and learning.
Here are a few more simple activities you and your child or family might enjoy:
- What's missing?: Take turns lining up several items. One player covers his eyes and the others remove one or more items. The guesser tries to figure out what's missing. This is a great game to play while you're waiting at a restaurant.
- Surprise Jar: On slips of paper, write messages of things for family members to do. For example, wiggle like a worm, do 20 jumping jacks, empty the trash or try to touch your tongue to your nose. Put these in a jar, and take turns drawing a message from the jar.
- Sidewalk Games: Use sidewalk chalk to draw paths to follow. For example, draw a long line to make a "tightrope" to walk on or take turns drawing an obstacle course to navigate.
- Earth Day Play: Go on a scavenger hunt to find interesting leaves or stones, follow ant trails, watch pigeons or collect and release insects. Make a bird feeder or create something beautiful together from discarded materials.
This article was originally on PBSParents and was written by Ann Barbour.Dr. Ann Barbour is Professor of Early Childhood Education at California State University, Los Angeles, (CSULA) and Series Content Advisor for the Peabody Award winning daily television series A Place of Our Own and Los Niños en Su Casa. These programs are designed to help parents and caregivers nurture the development and enrich the learning experiences of preschool-age children.
More From PBSParents.org:
A Place of Our Own
Start by teaching him that it is safe to do so.
|
|Fish in a forest? Well, maybe not right in the forest -- not usually anyway -- but in the rivers and streams that run through forests. Rivers, ponds, and bogs are all integral parts of natural forests, and there are often
|
|Fish in a forest? Well, maybe not right in the forest -- not usually anyway -- but in the rivers and streams that run through forests. Rivers, ponds, and bogs are all integral parts of natural forests, and there are often complex relationships between the animals in the water and the animals in the trees.|
Bears try to catch spawning salmon in temperate forest rivers. Photograph courtesy Philip Greenspun.
The areas around forest streams and ponds are called "riparian zones", and include the water source plus the wetlands or moist forest in the surrounding area. These places are extremely diverse habitats and home to many animals and plants. Fish live in the more open water, amphibians lay their eggs in shallow ponds or marshes, and the variety of insects that live near the water attract foraging reptiles and birds.
[water] [riparian zones]
view the condensed version of the fish article for faster printing/reading
return to the forest life article
|
Fire & Emergency Information
FOR ALL EMERGENCIES CALL
'Catalyst: Don't Panic: Surviving Extremes' Trailer
ABC1 Sunday 1 December 2013
Major emergencies are an unfortunate fact of life and
|
Fire & Emergency Information
FOR ALL EMERGENCIES CALL
'Catalyst: Don't Panic: Surviving Extremes' Trailer
ABC1 Sunday 1 December 2013
Major emergencies are an unfortunate fact of life and can come in many forms, or types of hazards, including, bushfire, severe storm, flooding and major road transport crashes.
The City of Busselton faces the potential risk of a variety of emergencies, natural and man-made, due to the combination of the City of Busselton's topographical features and land development.
The way we prepare for these events can make the difference between them being an emergency that is managed without unnecessary loss, or a disaster that has major effects on life, property and the environment.
History shows that to minimise the occurrence and the impact of emergencies, we need to remove the common elements of disasters by acknowledging;
- the inevitability of severe events;
- that emergency services m
|
Published on March 26, 2012 at 2:34 AM
The investigators used samples of postmortem brain tissue from non-diabetics who had died with Alzheimer's disease, stimulated the tissue with insulin, and measured how much
|
Published on March 26, 2012 at 2:34 AM
The investigators used samples of postmortem brain tissue from non-diabetics who had died with Alzheimer's disease, stimulated the tissue with insulin, and measured how much the insulin activated various proteins in the insulin-signaling pathways. There was less insulin activation in Alzheimer's cases than in tissue from people who had died without brain disease. Other proteins linked to insulin action in the brain were abnormal in Alzheimer's disease samples. These abnormalities were highly correlated with episodic memory and other cognitive disabilities in the Alzheimer's disease patients.
In tissue from people with Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment (MCI), researchers found that changes to a protein called insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1 pS636/639 and pS616) in brain cells were linked to the severity of memory impairments regardless of age, sex, diabetes history, or apolipoprotein E (APOE) gene status. Levels of IRS-1 were also significantly associated with, but not likely to affect, the presence of amyloid beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the signature markers of Alzheimer's disease. This suggests that insulin resistance contributes to cognitive decline independent of the classical pathology of Alzheimer's disease.
Researchers not
|
Sweden, the U.K., and Germany: The European trio leads the world in fighting climate change.
That’s the finding of the most recent Climate Change Performance Index [PDF], which was released yesterday at COP 17 in Durban. But Sw
|
Sweden, the U.K., and Germany: The European trio leads the world in fighting climate change.
That’s the finding of the most recent Climate Change Performance Index [PDF], which was released yesterday at COP 17 in Durban. But Swedes, Brits, and Germans shouldn’t cheer just yet; even their countries are not contributing their fair share.
In fact, that is the most worrying result of the index: No country is doing enough to seriously fight climate change. Consequently, the report — published by Germanwatch and Climate Action Network Europe — did not reward any country a ranking of 1-3. The countries ranked worst this year are Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Kazakhstan.
What about the United States? In comparison to 2010, the U.S. has climbed up two ranks, mainly due to emission reductions from the recession and increased renewable energy capacity. However, given still-high emissions and the lack of substantial national policies, the U.S. remains toward the bottom of the index, ranked No. 52. Among the large emitters around the world, only Canada, Russia, China, and Iran are worse.
China is a particularly interesting case, with a somewhat contradictory performance. While it remains the world’s largest CO2 emitter (in absolute, not per-capita, terms) and its emissions continue to grow dramatically, its attempts to curb domestic emissions are intensifying, with binding energy-intensity targets and renewable-portfolio requirements. In just a few years, these top-of-the-class policy efforts will influence its emission trajectory.
This is how the index works:
On the basis of standardized criteria, the index evaluates and compares the climate protection performance
|
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘tacking’ tag.
One of the more unintuitive facts about sailing is that it is possible to harness the power of the wind to sail in a direction against that of the wind or to sail
|
You are currently browsing the tag archive for the ‘tacking’ tag.
One of the more unintuitive facts about sailing is that it is possible to harness the power of the wind to sail in a direction against that of the wind or to sail with a speed faster than the wind itself, even when the water itself is calm. It is somewhat less known, but nevertheless true, that one can (in principle) do both at the same time – sail against the wind (even directly against the wind!) at speeds faster than the wind. This does not contradict any laws of physics, such as conservation of momentum or energy (basically because the reservoir of momentum and energy in the wind far outweighs the portion that will be transmitted to the sailboat), but it is certainly not obvious at first sight how it is to be done.
The key is to exploit all three dimensions of space when sailing. The most obvious dimension to exploit is the windward/leeward dimension – the direction that the wind velocity is oriented in. But if this is the only dimension one exploits, one can only sail up to the wind speed and no faster, and it is not possible to sail in the direction opposite to the wind.
Things get more interesting when one also exploits the crosswind dimension perpendicular to the wind velocity, in particular by tacking the sail. If one does this, then (in principle) it becomes possible to travel up to double the speed of wind, as we shall see below.
However, one still cannot sail against to the wind purely by tacking the sail. To do this, one needs to not just harness the power of the wind, but also that of the water beneath the sailboat, thus exploiting (barely) the third available dimension. By combining the use of a sail in the air with the use of sails in the water – better known as keels, rudders, and hydrofoils – one can now sail in certain directions against the wind, and at certain speeds. In most sailboats, one relies primarily on the keel, which lets one sail against the wind but not directly opposite it. But if one tacks the rudder or other hydrofoils as well as the sail, then in fact one can (in principle) sail in arbitrary directions (including those directly opposite to ), and in arbitrary speeds (even those much larger than ), although it is quite difficult to actually achieve this in practice. It may seem odd that the water, which we are assuming to be calm (i.e. traveling at zero velocity) can be used to increase the range of available velocities and speeds for the sailboat, but we shall see shortly why this is the case.
If one makes several simplifying and idealised (and, admittedly, rather unrealistic in practice) assumptions in the underlying physics, then sailing can in fact be analysed by a simple two-dimensional geometric model which explains all of the above statements. In this post, I would like to describe this mathematical model and how it gives the conclusions stated above.
|
One of the persistent myths about the Holocaust is that Jews did not resist, giving in like sheep to the slaughter that was led by Hitler's murderous vision of the end of European Jewry.
It's hard to know where to begin to analyze history
|
One of the persistent myths about the Holocaust is that Jews did not resist, giving in like sheep to the slaughter that was led by Hitler's murderous vision of the end of European Jewry.
It's hard to know where to begin to analyze history to see how much truth there might be in the myth and how much of it is simply wrong. One place to start, perhaps, are with those Jews who managed to find non-Jews to hide or in other ways help them survive. You can read 20 or so stories of such survivors and the families who helped them in a book I wrote with Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn, They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust. Surely that was an example of resistence.
Another reality to consider is how completely unbelievable in the 1930s was the idea that any government could adopt as a goal the elimination of an entire people merely for being who they were. Thus, though Jews may have expected discrimination and oppression, it was hard to believe that they all would be targets to be exterminated. So instead of fleeing at the election of Hitler in 1933, they waited, hoping things wouldn't be so bad.
But Jewish resistance is much more complicated than all that and, in fact, much more common than the relatively small number of Jews who managed to slip away from Hitler's death machine with non-Jewish help.
Some scholars have looked at this matter in the course of writing about the Holocaust as a whole, but now Nechama Tec focuses entirely on the subject in her new book: Resistance: Christians and Jews Who Defied the Nazis Terror.
It's an important and necessary book. And, what's more, it's written not for already-in-the-know scholars but for anyone and everyone, including those just beginning to learn about the horror that was the Holocaust, or Shoah.
Tec, an emerita professor at the University of Connecticut and author of several other Holocaust-related books, tells the story of resistance not just from a 30,000-foot level but also from an on-the-ground level with stories of actual resisters based on interviews with some of them. And she puts all of this in perspective by reporting that German oppression and violence "was met by three distinct reactions: submission, resistance, and collaboration." Her new book, obviously, focuses on the second of those.
She wants readers to know that "resistance is more than not submitting -- it is active and requires taking action, and that means cooperation with others." You might have an individual resilient spirit, but to resist something as massive and deadly as Hitler's "Final Solution" required people to work together. And even then, of course, two-thirds of Europe's Jews died anyway.
One of the things that makes this book so helpful is that as it seeks to understand resistance and the widespread myth that not much of it happened, it also offers a broad outline of how the Holocaust itself came about and played out. And, as our own They Were Just People book does, it asks readers to think about what they might do if faced with life-and-death questions. And although we'll never know how we'd react in any given situation, the more we can think through our options before a crisis happens the better we might be prepared to do the right thing.
* * *
WHAT MAKES THE WORLD WORTH IT
A Catholic publication reviewing "The Great Gatsby" movie concludes that the world is an empty place without faith. Theists, atheists, discuss. But with civility, please.
|
When cooking with wine or liquor, does all the alcohol burn off?
The answer is no. It’s true that alcohol boils at a much lower temperature than water (173 degrees Fahrenheit compared with 212 degrees Fahrenheit), so in a sauce, for
|
When cooking with wine or liquor, does all the alcohol burn off?
The answer is no. It’s true that alcohol boils at a much lower temperature than water (173 degrees Fahrenheit compared with 212 degrees Fahrenheit), so in a sauce, for example, the alcohol will begin to evaporate before the water does. But simply heating the alcohol (or any other cooking liquid, for that matter) will not make it all evaporate.
Wine and liquor are often called for in marinades or to deglaze a pan for a sauce. Jim Lapsley, adjunct associate professor in the Department of Viticulture & Enology at the University of California–Davis, says the amount of alcohol left after cooking will depend on three factors: concentration, heat, and time. A recipe using a higher percentage of alcohol heated briefly will retain more alcohol than a recipe using a lower percentage of alcohol heated for a long time. For example, crêpes suzette flambéed with Grand Marnier will retain more alcohol than boeuf bourguignon made with red wine that has been cooked for several hours.
A 2003 study by the USDA’s Nutrient Data Laboratory shows that the amount of alcohol retained in food can range from 5 to 85 percent, depending on the preparation method. For baked or simmered dishes with alcohol mixed in, after 2 1/2 hours of cooking time, 5 percent of the original amount of alcohol is left. But when the alcohol is added to a boiling liquid and then removed from the heat, 85 percent of the alcohol remains.
|
Representative writings of early American Methodists illustrating their spirituality and lives. This book presents primary source material from the writings of early American Methodists (ca. 1770-1820). Ruth topically organizes and sets each reading in context
|
Representative writings of early American Methodists illustrating their spirituality and lives. This book presents primary source material from the writings of early American Methodists (ca. 1770-1820). Ruth topically organizes and sets each reading in context. Materials from Francis Asbury, Thomas Coke, Peter Cartwright, as well as rank-and-file Methodists are included. Ruth's book demonstrates that early Methodism was made up of both men and w
|
by: David Emmerson, LCCHS Science Teacher and Solana Center Master Composter
Kitchen waste, yard clippings, paper, coffee grounds, and other organic materials that are produced in the home are all considered “biodegradable
|
by: David Emmerson, LCCHS Science Teacher and Solana Center Master Composter
Kitchen waste, yard clippings, paper, coffee grounds, and other organic materials that are produced in the home are all considered “biodegradable”. This term has a positive connotation, especially to us environmentalists. It means that they can be broken down into their raw materials by a variety of living organisms such as microbes (helpful bacteria, protozoa and fungi), earthworms and many different arthropods. Many of our choices at stores are based on purchasing materials that will biodegrade or “rot”. The theory is that the materials will then be reincorporated as plant nutrients and find their way back into the food chain in a healthy ecosystem.
Leslie turns a Biostack compost bin.
In the United States and in many other developed countries, we over-produce and generate a lot of waste. We have become a throw-away society, keeping our homes neat and tidy by either rinsing things down our drains or putting wastes in plastic bags out on the curb where it all goes out of sight, out of mind. The illusion is that we have solved our problems and shouldn’t worry because the waste will biodegrade on its own. We sometimes further the cause by putting “green” waste into special bins to be picked up separately to be kept out of landfills. However, most of us don’t realize is that almost all of the biodegradable material that we flush, rinse or throw out is going to end up breaking down in an anaerobic environment either as sewage sludge or in most cases in landfills. The separated green waste most often gets used as ADC, “Alternate Daily Cover” to top off the day’s trash which is then layered over the next day, so it gets buried anyhow. Locally, the cities of San Diego and Oceanside have composting facilities where green waste collected at the curb can be taken to be composted or mulched. But if you do not live in those cities or in an area where composting facilities are available, you do not necessarily keep it out of the landfill by separating it.
When organic material decomposes without oxygen, the microorganism can only partially break it down. One of the major end products of this type of decomposition is methane gas (CH4). Methane makes up a little over half of the gas that comes from landfills. Global methane emissions from landfills are estimated to be between 30 and 70 million tons each year. Most of this landfill methane currently comes from developed countries, where the levels of waste tend to be highest. The EPA indicates that methane is about 10% of the green house gases released in the US each year. But it is 72 times more effective (over a 25 year period) at contributing to global warming than the better known greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide (CO2). Landfills are the second largest source of human-related atmospheric methane, almost one fourth of the methane we release now comes from landfills. Landfills provide ideal conditions for methane production, with lots of organic material and anaerobic conditions. The huge amounts of waste that are buried in landfill sites means that methane is produced for years after the site is closed, due to the waste slowly decaying under the ground. Having the waste we produce at home shipped to landfills means further greenhouse gas produced from the fuel burned.
The Solana Center garden abounds from the compost ammended soil.
By properly composting kitchen waste and yard clippings you can ensure that the waste will not sit in a landfill producing methane. Instead, it will go to work at creating healthy soil and reducing amount of water runoff. Several very effective composting methods are available for domestic use, with vermi-composting (using worms) being particularly effective at quickly converting kitchen waste into good quality garden compost.
Even if you are not serious about gardening, you will improve the water retention of your soil and improve the health of the lawn, shrubs, trees or other landscaping if you turn your organic wastes into compost and put it back into the ground. Healthy soil is an important factor in protecting our water resources. Compost increases soil’s ability to retain water and decreases runoff. Runoff pollutes water by carrying soil, fertilizers and pesticides to nearby streams and sewer drains. Compost encourages healthy root systems, which also decrease runoff. Healthy root systems mean healthy plants and thus better growth and carbon sequestration. If we use compost, we can reduce or eliminate the use of synthetic fertilizers (which come from petroleum). Many people add fertilizer to flowers or lawns even if they are not gardening. Only a 5% increase in organic material quadruples soils capacity to hold water. Not too interested in back breaking work with a shovel to turn the compost into the soil? Don’t want to pay for a roto-tiller? Good news for you. It has been shown that simply top dressing soil with compost helps retain the mycorrhizal fungi nets that assist plant roots. It may actually be the most effective way to assist the plants you already have around your house.
Whether you are t
|
Maréchal de Champagne, warrior, and first historian in the French language, b. about 1150; d. at Messinople, 1213. As early as 1191 he was Ambrose Maréchal of Champagne
|
Maréchal de Champagne, warrior, and first historian in the French language, b. about 1150; d. at Messinople, 1213. As early as 1191 he was Ambrose Maréchal of Champagne. His life is known only by the occurrence of his name in some charters and by very meagre details in his history. In 1199, with other knights of Champagne, he took the cross at the tourney of Ecry-sur-Aisne. Thibaud III, Count of Champagne, named him as one of the embassy sent by the crusading barons to Venice. After the death of Thibaud III he assisted in electing Boniface de Montferrat as leader of the Crusade (1201). He returned to Venice in 1202 and was engaged in preventing the Crusaders from embarking from other ports. He is silent concerning his share in the intrigues which resulted in changing the direction of this Crusade, but this share must have been very important, for he always participated in the deliberations of the principal leaders and was associated in all their undertakings. At Zara he laboured to restrain the dissidents who wanted to fulfil their vow and set sail for Palestine. At the fist siege of Constantinople he was in the fifth battle with Matthieu de Montmorency. He was one of the agents sen
|
Why is Chicken Different from Beef?
September 10, 2009 8:13 PM Subscribe
Why is chicken meat so much different from beef?
posted by DMan to pets & animals (18 answers total) 4 users marked this
|
Why is Chicken Different from Beef?
September 10, 2009 8:13 PM Subscribe
Why is chicken meat so much different from beef?
posted by DMan to pets & animals (18 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
To narrow that very broad question, one thing I've always wondered is why beef (like steak, not hamburger meat) will bleed if it's not cooked enough, but chicken doesn't do the same thing. Why is that? What's different about the two meats?
I asked a friend who is a food science major, and she had no clue either, and said she's always wondered why intact beef muscle sterile, but not chicken. So why are chickens so much different from cows?
|
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Thraupidae
- Polytypic 9 Subspecies
The Golden Tanager has a large range of approximately 438,000 km2. Because of this, the IUC
|
- Order: Passeriformes
- Family: Thraupidae
- Polytypic 9 Subspecies
The Golden Tanager has a large range of approximately 438,000 km2. Because of this, the IUCN does not list the Golden Tanager as threatened or endangered and assesses the conservation status as of Least Concern. Population declines have been reported recently, but without knowledge of the total population size it is difficult to determine the severity of the effects on the species. Until total population size is known the Golden Tanager will remain at a non-threatened status (BirdLife International 2009).
Effects of human activity on populations
Any human disturbance which affects humid montane forest populations would negatively affect the Golden Tanager. In areas of disturbance, declines in species richness were noticed for many species of birds that occupy the same habitat as the Golden Tanager. Conservation of South American forests is essential to the survival of the Golden Tanager and many other Neotropical bird species, even if their populations are not immediately threatened. It is recommended that conservation efforts be installed for both pristine and disturbed habitats (Aben 2008).
Cameron, Jennifer Lauren, and Kevin J. Burns. 2010. Golden Tanager (Tangara arthus), Neotropical Birds Online (T. S. Schulenberg, Editor). Ithaca: Cornell Lab of Ornithology; retrieved from Neotropical Birds Online: http://neotropical.birds.cornell.edu/portal/species/overview?p_p_spp=613356
|
Between 1969 and the 1998 signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement, more than 3,600 people were killed in Northern Ireland in a period known as “The Troubles.” The Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought Protestant Union
|
Between 1969 and the 1998 signing of the Good Friday Peace Agreement, more than 3,600 people were killed in Northern Ireland in a period known as “The Troubles.” The Irish Republican Army (IRA) fought Protestant Unionist paramilitaries, the British Army, and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) in an attempt to free Northern Ireland of British rule. Though nothing can erase the legacy of hate and hurt, the peace has lasted for nearly 14 years.
Now dissident groups that never signed on to the accords threaten to change that, according to researchers John Horgan, director of Penn State’s International Center for the Study of Terrorism, and John F. Morrison, of the University of East London’s School of Law, who published a paper in the academic journal Terrorism and Political Violence. The two studied recent dissident activity and found that both the level and type of attacks have been increasing.
“Though large scale terrorist activity has been relegated to the past, an escalation of low-level terrorist activity by Irish Republican splinter groups has recently reached its highest level in 10 years,” the researchers write. Among the breakaway Irish Republican terror groups, known as “the dissidents” (characterized by their refusal to sign up to the 1998 peace accord), are the Real IRA and the Continuity IRA, which began to reassert themselves through violent acts in 2009.
The violence that year inaugurated a worrisome trend, according to Horgan and Morrison. Before 2009, the worst year for violent dissident Republican (VDR) activity was 2001, when 55 attacks occurred. In 2009, the number was 91. Then came a surge in VDR activity in 2010. The attacks numbered 185, an increase slightly over 100 percent.
The growing use of bombs by VDR groups also made the trend more destructive and frightening. According to Horgan and Morrison, there were 73 dissident bombing incidents in 2010, up from 24 in 2009. Bombings have continued into 2011.
One attack attributed to dissident Republicans entailed a one-pound bomb attached under the car of Constable Ronan Kerr of the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI). The explosion killed Kerr, who was clearly the target. The bomb “was probably detonated by a tilt switch, which is set off by movement,” the BBC reported.
|
From wastewater to sustainable development
VTT created a research professorship in environmental protection
technology in the mid-1970s. The research was focused on the
prevention of the contamination of waterways. VTT studied, for
example
|
From wastewater to sustainable development
VTT created a research professorship in environmental protection
technology in the mid-1970s. The research was focused on the
prevention of the contamination of waterways. VTT studied, for
example, the environmental effects of wood treatment plants and
developed methods that could speed up the analysis of wastewater.
VTT also examined the waste produced by communities, hazardous waste
in particular, and their processing; studied the composition of
industrial flue gases and how they could be limited; and researched
the biological purification of industrial waters. In the 1980s,
VTT’s investigations included the environmental effects of domestic
fuel production and use.
Next to the digitalisation of information, sustainable development
is the other megatrend strongly steering VTT’s operations.
Environmental technology is no longer seen as a separate field of
research; the perspective of sustainable development is taken into
consideration in all research, development and innovation
Curbing the climate change
Curbing the climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions is of a critical
importance to sustainable development. According to studies by VTT, Finland is
capable of reaching the set emission goals, but this would require, for example,
renewing the entire energy system by 2050 and the development and implementation
of new technology in energy production and other fields. In addition to direct
reductions of emissions and waste, the overall energy and resource efficiency of
production, products and their use are important, as they have an indirect
effect on emissions. VTT’s central research subjects include low-carbon energy
technologies, lean production and eco-efficient environment.
Water technology and use of wastewater for energy
The most important current trends in water technology are the use of wastewater
for energy and the energy efficiency of wastewater treatment. VTT is researching
the use of wastewater also as part of a biorefinery producing renewable
materials and energy.
In order to gather Finnish water know-how together, in 2010 VTT and Kemira Plc
founded a shared water research centre in Finland. VTT and Kemira opened a
shared research centre also in São Paolo.
Refining industrial waste materials
The Ecomining concept developed by VTT for refining industrial waste materials
offers a new, environmentally friendly handling concept for waste streams with
metal content. Bioleaching is used to recover exploitable metals from the metal
waste and direct them to be recycled. This treatment suits, for example, sludge
from the metal industry, dusts and slags, various ashes and slags from
combustion processes, and tailings and waste r
|
IDIOM Lesson Plan
To stick your neck out is to say or do something that is bold and a bit dangerous. A similar idiom that is used for slightly more dangerous situations is to "go out on a limb." In both idioms
|
IDIOM Lesson Plan
To stick your neck out is to say or do something that is bold and a bit dangerous. A similar idiom that is used for slightly more dangerous situations is to "go out on a limb." In both idioms, the idea is that you put yourself in a vulnerable position.
To break the ice is to be the first one to say or do something, with the expectation that others will then follow. Another idiom that means something similar is "get the ball rolling."
To get long in the tooth means to get old. The expression was originally used when referring to horses since gums recede with age. So the longer the teeth a horse has, the older it is said to be.
To have a chip on one's shoulder is usually an
expression to describe a person who acts, as you say, rudely or
aggressively, but also in a manner that could be described as
"aggressively defensive." The person seems always ready
for a fight.
Other Resources for Idioms:
Guide to Idioms
Grade level: Upper Elementary
Goal: Students can identify and use idioms in everyday language or poetry.
In the next minute write down as many idioms as you can.
In the next minute write down the meaning of the idioms you created.
Get into groups of four. Share idioms and meanings for ~ 1 minute. Have the group choose the best (most creative) idiom and read it to the class.
Draw posters illustrating your favorite idiom and share it with the class.
Do this worksheet - Idioms:
Worksheet on Idioms
Directions: Write the meanings of these frequently used idioms:
1. catch a cold _________________________
2. see eye to eye________________________
3. under the weather_____________________
4. stuffed to the gills_____________________
5. out of the frying pan and into the fire________
6. slow boat to China_____________________
7. nose to the grindstone___________________
8. on pins and needles_____________________
9. fly off the handle_______________________
10. toot your own horn_____________________
11. pie in the sky__________________________
12. head in the sand________________________
13. lay down the law_______________________
14. born yesterda__________________________
15. feel like a million________________________
16. just what the doctor ordered________________
17. hold your horses_________________________
18. cat has your tongue_______________________
19. going bananas___________________________
20. bury the hatchet__________________________
Back to the nonjava homepage
|
|This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information|
Publication Number: FHWA-RD-99-089
Date: December 1999
Research, Development, and Implementation of Pedestrian Safety
|
|This report is an archived publication and may contain dated technical, contact, and link information|
Publication Number: FHWA-RD-99-089
Date: December 1999
Research, Development, and Implementation of Pedestrian Safety Facilities in the United Kingdom
7.1 Footway standards
Footways — sidewalks in the United States — are defined as a path for pedestrians adjacent to the carriageway. They are commonly referred to by the public in the United Kingdom as pavements. They are provided on nearly all roads in urban areas. However, the standard of provision varies considerably with the age of the town, the function of the street, the townscape, and the local highway practice. Roads running through rural villages often have no footways for historic reasons.
There is no dedicated manual of UK footway design. Footway standards tend to be included in highway design standards and guidance. Transport in the Urban Environment (IHT, 1997, Chapter 22) recommends that all pedestrian footways should have a minimum width of 1.8 m (6 ft) but should be wider wherever possible. Dropped crossings (i.e., dropped curbs) should be provided where pedestrians with push-chairs (buggies) or wheelchairs are likely to need to cross. There should be no vertical face on the upstand. The gradients of ramps should be not greater than 8 percent (1:12) but a gradient of 5 percent (1:20) is preferred. Additional references on technical standards for footway design are also given.
May and Hopkinson (1991) undertook systematic studies to assess pedestrians' perception of their environment. Leake et al (1991) assessed ergonomic issues affecting disabled pedestrians.
7.2 Pedestrian route networks
York is a UK city with a particularly high level of walking (24% of journeys to work), and it has sought to consolidate and increase use of this mode. Part of its strategy has been the identification of a 120 km (76 mi) Pedestrian Route Network where higher standards for pedestrian facilities will apply. These include:
The cost of implementing these measures is
|
Most Active Stories
- Prof. Nancy Prideaux, University of Texas Austin – Logistics of Black Friday
- Marlboro High School Students, Parents, Sue Coach, District
- Dr. Susan Fiske, Princeton University - Baseball and Schaden
|
Most Active Stories
- Prof. Nancy Prideaux, University of Texas Austin – Logistics of Black Friday
- Marlboro High School Students, Parents, Sue Coach, District
- Dr. Susan Fiske, Princeton University - Baseball and Schadenfreude
- F-35 To Be Housed At Vermont Air Guard Base
- Dr. David Hsu, University of Michigan – The Pain of Social Rejection
Wed April 11, 2012
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo, McGill University – How the Brain Creates Attention
In today’s Academic Minute, Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo of McGill University explains how our brains allow us to focus on more than one thing at a time.
Julio Martinez-Trujillo is an associate professor of psychology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. His research laboratory is focused on investigating how the brain transforms visual signals into coordinated motor behavior and how this process is influenced by attention. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Tuebingen, Germany.
Dr. Julio Martinez-Trujillo – How the Brain Creates Attention
Contrary to popular belief, the brain has a limited capacity. It can only process about 1% of the information that the eyes take in. To solve this problem, the brain has evolved the mechanism of attention. Attention is like a filter that allows us to focus on relevant information and discard irrelevant. One question that has puzzled neuroscientists for a long time is how the brain pays attention to multiple objects at the same time.
Do we attend to one thing at a time by rapidly moving a single spotlight of attention back and forth between objects? Do we zoom out the spotlight to include all the relevant objects but also distracters nearby? Or, can we split the spotlight and simultaneously attend to relevant objects while excluding nearby distracters? My team and I set out to solve this controversy.
We recorded the neural activity in two monkeys as they paid attention to two objects on a computer screen. There was also an object in between designed to distract their attention. We found that the monkeys’ brains were able to suppress the distracter and focus on the two targets. This rules out the theory that attention works like a single spotlight zooming around. The speed at which the monkeys perceived a change in the features of the two attended objects, also ruled out the possibility that they were rapidly switching a single spotlight of attention between them. We could only conclude that they split attention into two different spotlights while excluding the distracter.
These results show that the primate brain has evolved to attend to more than one object at a time. We can indeed multi-task! And although finding the limits to splitting attention will require more research, these findings may give us some hints into what causes attentional deficits in some school age children.
|
At 10:17 a.m. Oct. 17, thousands of Hawaii residents took part in the first Great Hawaii ShakeOut. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory commends everyone who practiced “Drop! Cover! Hold on!” Those participants joined more
|
At 10:17 a.m. Oct. 17, thousands of Hawaii residents took part in the first Great Hawaii ShakeOut. The Hawaiian Volcano Observatory commends everyone who practiced “Drop! Cover! Hold on!” Those participants joined more than 19.5 million people worldwide who also took part in the annual earthquake drill.
If you — as an individual, family, business, school or other group — took action to prepare for Hawaii’s next large earthquake, tell us about it at “Share your ShakeOut,” shakeout.org/hawaii/share, where you can write about your experience and post photos.
Hawaii is subject to many kinds of natural hazards, including earthquakes. Large earthquakes typically occur on and around the island of Hawaii, but historically, they have also occurred around Maui, Molokai and Lanai, with damage extending as far as Oahu. The probability of a destructive magnitude 6.5 or higher earthquake striking the Hawaiian Islands in the next 10 years is 50 percent.
Originating in 2008, the first drill was known as the “Great Southern California ShakeOut.” The main goal of the drill then, as it is now, was to practice “Drop! Cover! Hold On!”
Benefits of taking part in the Great Hawaii ShakeOut include becoming more aware of earthquake hazards along the Hawaiian chain and having an opportunity to think about and practice what you will do during the next large earthquake.
The 15,000 registered participants in the first Great Hawaii ShakeOut were from Hawaii, Maui and Honolulu counties and included a number of schools. Waimea Middle School, the only organization in Hawaii to participate in the national earthquake drill last year, participated again this year. Students at Holualoa Elementary School — first-time ShakeOut participants — created a catchy rap to help fellow classmates learn what to do in an earthquake. When the earthquake drill took place, everyone was prepared, and it was a rousing success.
If you missed the Oct. 17 drill, you can still take steps to minimize your risk of injury during the next Hawaiian earthquake. Go to the Great Hawaii ShakeOut website for helpful information, such as “Recommended Earthquake Safety Actions in Hawaii” — shakeout.org/hawaii/resources.
Given that this year was our first “official” Great Hawaii ShakeOut, participation in the earthquake awareness and preparedness drill far exceeded our expectations and underscores the desire of Hawaii residents to be prepared for natural disasters. We hope in future years to build on this success by educating and informing even more people on the hazards that earthquakes pose to the Hawaiian Islands.
Information on the Great Hawaii ShakeOut website, as well as the organization of the event, was accomplished by a consortium, including the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory, Hawaii County and state Civil Defense agencies, the University of Hawaii at Hilo’s Department of Geology and Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes, NOAA Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, and the American Red Cross.
Kilauea activity update
A lava lake within the Halemaumau overlook vent produced nighttime glow visible via HVO’s webcam during the past week. A deflation-inflation cycle occurred last weekend, and the lava lake level fell and rose correspondingly. No subsequent DI events had occurred as of Thursday.
On Kilauea’s east rift zone, a breakout from the Peace Day tube above the pali was still barely active Monday, b
|
In cold climates the adults of this species usually die when winter comes, so probably live one year or less. In tropical climates they may live longer.
No one has provided updates yet.
Learn how to contribute
Appears under "Life Expectancy
|
In cold climates the adults of this species usually die when winter comes, so probably live one year or less. In tropical climates they may live longer.
No one has provided updates yet.
Learn how to contribute
Appears under "Life Expectancy"
©1995-2012, The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
© The Regents of the University of Michigan and its licensors
BioKIDS Critter Catalog
. "Thomisidae" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed September 16, 2012 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Thomisidae.html
Average rating: 2.5 of 5
Become part of the EOL community!
Join EOL now
Already a member?
Visit the Biodiversity Heritage Library
|
ABOUT THIS BOOKLET
This booklet was prepared by the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) based on the report Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research (2012) which was authored by the
|
ABOUT THIS BOOKLET
This booklet was prepared by the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE) based on the report Improving Adult Literacy Instruction: Options for Practice and Research (2012) which was authored by the Committee on Learning Sciences: Foundations of and Applications to Adolescent and Adult Literacy. The study was sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the National Research Council and do not reflect those of the Department of Education.
A PDF of this booklet is available free to download at http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13242. Print copies are available from the National Academies Press at (800) 624-6242 or (202) 334-3313 (in the Washington, DC, metropolitan area) or via the NAP Website at www.nap.edu.
Committee on Learning Sciences: Foundations and Applications to Adolescent and Adult Literacy: ALAN M. LESGOLD (Chair), School of Education, University of Pittsburgh; KAREN COOK, Department of Sociology, Stanford University; AYDIN Y. DURGUNOĞLU, Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Duluth; ARTHUR C. GRAESSER, Psychology Department, University of Memphis; STEVE GRAHAM, Special Education and Literacy, Peabody College of Vanderbilt University; NOEL GREGG, Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders and Psychology Department, University of Georgia, Athens; JOYCE L. HARRIS, College of Communication, University of Texas at Austin; GLYNDA A. HULL, Graduate School of Education, University of California, Berkeley; MAUREEN W. LOVETT, Hospital for Sick Children and University of Toronto; DARYL F. MELLARD, School of Education, University of Kansas; ELIZABETH B. MOJE, School of Educational Studies, University of Michigan; KENNETH PUGH, Haskins Laboratories, New Haven; CHRIS SCHATSCHNEIDER, Department of Psychology, Florida State University; MARK S. SEIDENBERG, Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin—Madison; ELIZABETH A.L. STINE-MORROW, Department of Education and Psychology, University of Illinois; MELISSA WELCH-ROSS, Study Director
ABOUT THE NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL AND DBASSE
The National Research Council is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. For more information, visit http://national-academies.org.
The Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education (DBASSE)—one of five divisions within the National Research Council—works to advance the frontiers of the behavioral and social sciences and education research and their applications to public policy. DBASSE gathers experts from many disciplines who volunteer their services on study committees to provide independent, objective advice to federal agencies, Congress, foundations, and others through publicly issued reports. For more information on DBASSE’s work, visit http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DBASSE.
|
The much-anticipated Fifth Edition of The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language is the premier resource about words for people who seek to know more and find fresh perspectives. Exhaustively researched and thoroughly revised, the Fifth Edition contains 10,000
|
The much-anticipated Fifth Edition of The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language is the premier resource about words for people who seek to know more and find fresh perspectives. Exhaustively researched and thoroughly revised, the Fifth Edition contains 10,000 new words and senses, over 4,000 dazzling new full-color images, and authoritative, up-to-date guidance on usage from the celebrated American Heritage® Usage Panel.
In keeping with the American Heritage tradition of cutting-edge research, the Fifth Edition represents the work of a dedicated team of experts, scholars, and contributors. Thousands of definitions have been revised in rapidly changing fields such as astronomy and biology, geographical entries and maps have been completely updated, and the dictionary’s signature feature notes on word history, synonymy, and language variation have been enhanced and improved.
Trustworthy advice on controversies and conundrums in English usage is provided by the American Heritage Usage Panel, a group of 200 prominent users of the language. Under the leadership of Steven Pinker, preeminent researcher on language and the mind, the Panel passes judgment on both new and longstanding usage problems. No other dictionary offers such discerning and helpful guidance on issues of usage, grammar, and style.
Word meanings are made easier to understand with thousands of new quotations from classic and contemporary writers. Etymologies explaining word origins and development have been newly created or revised to reflect the very latest scholarship. Many words are traced back to their roots in prehistory through two unique appendixes showing word roots in ancient Indo-European and Semitic.
Reliable, enlightening, and visually stunning, the Fifth Edition of The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language gives you the opportunity to make your mark in the best possible way.
|
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Washington State Department of Health confirmed yesterday that food served at Taco Bell restaurants is the source of Salmonella Hartford and Baildon outbreaks.
At least 155 people in 21 states have been confirmed with salmon
|
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Washington State Department of Health confirmed yesterday that food served at Taco Bell restaurants is the source of Salmonella Hartford and Baildon outbreaks.
At least 155 people in 21 states have been confirmed with salmonellosis and are part of the outbreak. A state spokesperson from Kentucky told eFoodAlert that suspect cases are still under investigation. Eleven of the 28 Kentucky Salmonella outbreak victims were hospitalized.
The CDC reported yesterday that although the restaurant has been implicated as the source of the Salmonella outbreak, a particular food item or supplier has not been identified. An extensive traceback effort was initiated to determine if a common source of Salmonella Hartford or Baildon could be identified but was unsuccessful in determining where the bacteria came from.
For more information about the outbreak and the breakdown of cases from state to state, see yesterday’s story: Mexican Fast Food Linked to 2 Salmonella Outbreaks.
are rare serotypes of Salmonella bacteria, which when ingested causes
symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal cramps, fever, nausea, and
vomiting. Salmonella can be detected in the stool of infected
individuals.© Food Safety News
|
All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person's (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by sharing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's
|
All photographs are memento mori. To take a photograph is to participate in another person's (or thing's) mortality, vulnerability, mutability. Precisely by sharing out this moment and freezing it, all photographs testify to time's relentless melt.
— Susan Sontag
The breadth and depth of the photographs in the Coville Collection now on display at the Ringling Museum of Art spans the entire 20th century and beyond. Its earliest image is the 1888 photograph of the construction of the Eiffel Tower in Paris; it ends with photographs of the destruction of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001.
The 90 photographs are a small sampling of more than 1,000 images given to the museum by Warren and Margot Coville, whose collection focused largely on photojournalism.
The Covilles "focused on photojournalism before photojournalism was considered a genre worth collecting," said Matthew McLendon, curator of modern and contemporary art at the Ringling.
The images on display include such iconic photographs as Jack Ruby shooting Lee Harvey Oswald in Dallas on Nov. 24, 1963; the explosion of the Hindenberg on May 6, 1937; the raising of the flag on Iwo Jima on Feb. 23, 1945; and the shocking image of a man plunging headfirst down the side of the World Trade Center on 9/11.
Less well-known photographs by photojournalists Margaret Bourke White, Gordon Parks, Albert Eisenstaedt and Louis Wickes Hine hang side by side with art photography by Ansel Adams, Andre Kertesz and Edward Weston.
Coville initially began collecting art photography but soon noticed that photojournalism "was not getting the attention it deserved," said McLendon.
He collected through auctions and commercial galleries, "but as he became more excited about photojournalism, he would write directly to the news agency to request the images," said McLendon.
The photography collection is key to the Ringling's Art of Our Time initiative, said McLendon, "not just here but at many other museums."
Before the Covilles donated their collection to the Ringling, the museum's photo collection was small.
"We can now look to new strengths," said McLendon, noting that two other smaller collections had been given to the museum by Hillary Leff and Elliot Groffman and Geoffrey West in honor of the Coville contribution.
The exhibit also includes a handful of images by Coville himself, who was a war photographer aboard a B-17 bomber in World War II.
"Most of these photographs of Warren's were not quite in a shoebox, but a step up from a shoebox," said McLendon.
McLendon said the photographs take on a whole new meaning when matted, framed and displayed in a gallery setting.
"Framing creates a whole new aesthetic," he said.
|
Heavy rains in April quickly swamped Chicago's underground labyrinth of sewers, forcing a stomach-churning surge of waste and runoff back into basements and flooding neighborhoods across the city.
The deluge so overloaded the city's aging infrastructure that nearly
|
Heavy rains in April quickly swamped Chicago's underground labyrinth of sewers, forcing a stomach-churning surge of waste and runoff back into basements and flooding neighborhoods across the city.
The deluge so overloaded the city's aging infrastructure that nearly 11 billion gallons of murky, bacteria-laden wastewater were flushed into Lake Michigan, the biggest hit to Chicago's source of drinking water in nearly three decades.
With climate scientists projecting that Chicago faces more intense rainstorms in the not-so-distant future, city and regional leaders increasingly say that fixing the problem requires a new way of thinking and more spending on green projects that allow runoff to soak into the ground before it reaches sewers.
Cities from Philadelphia to Seattle already are moving aggressively to prevent basement backups and sewage overflows without the expensive work of laying pipes and boring tunnels. Milwaukee is the first city in the nation with a federal stormwater permit that legally requires "green infrastructure," such as streets and parking lots with permeable pavement and neighborhood rain gardens designed to capture the first flush of stormwater.
But beyond a few pilot projects, Chicago has been slow to follow up on a decade of promises to spread green infrastructure widely across the city.
For instance, the Green Alley program promoted by former Mayor Richard Daley has overhauled just 1 percent of the 1,900 miles of Chicago alleys with permeable pavement, according to city records. Other than a showcase project on Cermak Road in the Pilsen neighborhood, city officials could not provide details about any other street outfitted with green infrastructure.
"If we incorporated this kind of work every time we dug up a street in Chicago, it could make a big difference over time," said Hal Sprague, manager of water policy for the Center for Neighborhood Technology, a nonprofit group that has been advocating the use of green infrastructure since the 1970s.
The costs of the existing system's shortcomings are only now becoming apparent. A new analysis by the center found that, from 2007 to 2011, the federal government and private insurers paid at least $660million for residential flooding and sewage backup claims in Chicago and Cook County alone.
Some households filed more than one claim during that period, the analysis found, but the total was equivalent to 1 in 6 properties suffering water damage. Poor neighborhoods appear to have su
|
The latest news about space exploration
astrophysics, the universe...
Posted: Jun 27, 2013
Researchers help launch 3-D printing into space
(Nanowerk News) Researchers at Washington State University are working with Aero
|
The latest news about space exploration
astrophysics, the universe...
Posted: Jun 27, 2013
Researchers help launch 3-D printing into space
(Nanowerk News) Researchers at Washington State University are working with Aerojet Corporation on an exploratory project to make custom satellite parts using 3-D printing. Lower costs, less waste, quicker turnaround and easier modification are some potential benefits.
Amit Bandyopadhyay and Susmita Bose, professors in the School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, will work on printing metal and ceramic components for low-volume manufacturing of a miniature research satellite. About the size of a coffee cup, it holds the world’s smallest liquid rocket engine.
Susmita Bose, left, and Amit Bandyopadhyay with 3-D printer.
3-D printing allows creation of objects directly from computer-aided design (CAD) models. Material is heated using a laser and is printed out layer by layer like melted candle wax into a desired shape.
Although Aerojet has been interested in additive manufacturing (another name for 3-D printing), the company has been concerned about meeting design specifications for attributes like strength, uniformity and brittleness.
"You can imagine that you want to print an airplane structure, but you have to prove that it’s good,’’ said Christian Carpenter, program manager at Aerojet. "The pieces have to work every time - and many of them for long periods.’’
He said he anticipates WSU will help the company develop parts that work every time. The researchers plan to co-author a paper on the project.
Bandyopadhyay and Bose are well known for 3-D printing of bone-like materials for orthopedic implants. With support from NASA, they also have demonstrated the possibility of printing 3-D objects from moon rock regolith (dust, soil and rock bits).
The researchers received support to work with Aerojet from Washington’s Joint Center for Aerospace Technology Innovation (JCATI). The 2012 Washington State legislature established JCATI to pursue joint industry-university research that can be used by aerospace firms.
"We believe that additive manufacturing could mean lower cost parts due to no tooling, no set up and little rejected material,’’ said Carpenter. "This could shorten our schedules for small quantity parts.’’
Parts could also be more easily modified than with traditional manufacturing techniques.
"It enables us to look at new designs that we really can’t build any other way,’’ Carpenter said. "This work is a necessary step that allows us to validate 3-D printing technology for space systems.
"Whether the project successfully produces parts or not, we’re going to learn something valuable,” he said. "I have no doubt that we’re going to find an application for this manufacturing process that provides significant benefit.’’
Source: Washington State University
If you liked this article, please give it a quick review on reddit or StumbleUpon. Thanks!
Check out these other trending stories on Nanowerk:
|
We visted the First Cemetery of Athens last Monday, on the 25th March, which is a public holiday. Although living in Athens for so many years we had never visited it before although we knew that it has some of the most beautiful
|
We visted the First Cemetery of Athens last Monday, on the 25th March, which is a public holiday. Although living in Athens for so many years we had never visited it before although we knew that it has some of the most beautiful nineteenth and twentieth century Greek sculpture.
The cemetery is under the Municipality of Athens and it is declared as an historical monument.
It was the first cemetery to be built after the independence and of course at the time it was in the outskirts of Athens. It opened in 1837 and soon became a luxurious cemetery for famous Greek people and foreigners. As such, it is adorned by works by some of the best sculptors of Greece.
Since then it is the burial place of Greek Prime Ministers, Presidents Archbishops, Heroes of the Greek revolution, benefactors, actors, filmmakers, archaeologists, singers, poets, writers and other prominent Athenians.
Although we visited for about three hours we only managed to explore around one third of the cemetery.
Entrance of the cemetery.
The cemetery is located behind the Temple of Olympian Zeus and the Panathinaiko Stadium in central Athens. It can be found at the top end of Anapafseos Street (Eternal Rest Street). It is large green space including pines and cypresses. In the cemetery there are three churches. The main is the Church of Saint Theodore and there is also a smaller of Saint Lazarus. The third church is a Catholic church.
There are also separate places for Protestants and Jews.
Emmanuel Benakis, Greek merchant and politician, considered a national benefactor of Greece. His daughter Penelope Delta was a famour writer. Today’s Prime Minister, Antonis Samaras, is her great grandson (from his mother’s side).
Larnax style Tomb
Chruch Style Tomb
Family grave with lots of crosses
Heinrich Schliemann, amateur archaeologist who excavated the site of Troy.
His Tomb was designed by designed by architect Ernest Ziller, who was also buried in the same cemetery. The frieze along the bottom shows scenes from the Iliad, interspersed with scenes from Schliemann’s life (conducting excavations at Mycenae, for example).
There are two busts in the interior of the tomb, marked as that of Gerasimos Kouppas, born in 1814 and the other presumably of his wife.
The sculpture is claimed by D. Philippotis (son of the sculptor Z. Philippotis from Tinos island), in an inscription at the base of the right hand Karyatid (the easternmost one). Philippotis was responsible for a number of the cemetery’s sculptures, such as that of Averoff.
Spyridon Merkouris was a Greek politician and long-time mayor of Athens in the early 20th century. His grand-daughter Melina Merkouri, actress, known in her performance of «Never on a Sunday». She later became involved in politics and was the first woman Minister of Culture. She was married to Film Director Jules Dassin, who is also buried there as well.
Miaoulis was an admiral and politician who commanded Greek naval forces during the Greek War of Independence (1821-1829).
Theodoros Kolokotronis was a Greek general and the pre-eminent leader of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Empire. Our visit was on the day celebrating the Greek Independence day and was honoured earlier on that day.
Tomb of Sophia Afentaki. The sculpture «Sleeping Girl», a work by Yiannoulis Chalepas
Lady lying on a bed …
Another sleeping girl
Actress and singer. Her performance of patriotic and satirical songs became a major inspiration for the fighting soldiers during the Second World War.
Ancient Temple style tomb
It is peaceful, green and full of surprising beauty. If you are in Athens it’s worth a visit.
Hope you enjoyed the tour,Share Post
|
Lección 13 ª: Reading
What is a superstition?
Superstition, a belief or practice generally regarded as irrational and as resulting from ignorance or from fear of the unknown. It implies a belief in unseen and unknown forces that
|
Lección 13 ª: Reading
What is a superstition?
Superstition, a belief or practice generally regarded as irrational and as resulting from ignorance or from fear of the unknown. It implies a belief in unseen and unknown forces that can be influenced by objects and rituals. Magic or Sorcery, witchcraft, and the occult in general are often referred to as superstitions. Examples of common superstitions include the belief that bad luck will strike the person in front of whom a black cat passes or that some tragedy will befall a person who walks under a ladder.
But where do these superstitions come from?
If you see a black cat, you'll have bad luck - In ancient Egypt, the Goddess Bast, was a black female cat. Christian priests wanted to wipe out all traces of other religions so convinced their ignorant followers to destroy the evil demons that were black cats.
If you walk under a ladder, you'll get bad luck - This came from the early Christian belief that a leaning ladder formed a triangle with the wall and ground. According to the Holy Trinity you must never walk through a triangle, unless you want to be considered in league with the devil.
If you spill some salt, throw it over your left shoulder to keep bad luck away - In the middle ages salt was a very precious expensive commodity. It was also used for medicinal purposes. If you spill salt you must immediately throw it over your left shoulder to strike the horrible spirits in the eye, thus preventing sickness.
Take care on Friday the Thirteen - Those who know about these things, inform us that Adam and Eve were expelled from the Garden of Eden on a Friday. Noah's flood started on a Friday, and Christ was crucified on a Friday. Christians also noted that twelve witches and one devil are present at Santanic ceremonies so Friday and 13 make a deadly combination.
|
The Hiker's Guide to Poisonous Plants
Before they take to the trails, hikers should understand the dangerous plants they might face on their journey. Contact with poisonous plants can result in everything from an irksome rash to more severe central
|
The Hiker's Guide to Poisonous Plants
Before they take to the trails, hikers should understand the dangerous plants they might face on their journey. Contact with poisonous plants can result in everything from an irksome rash to more severe central nervous system complications. In extreme cases, poisonous plants can cause death. Although wearing protective clothing can reduce the risk of contact with poisonous plants, being able to identify these plants keeps hikers safe on the trails. Understand the characteristics, symptoms, and treatment for common poisonous plants.
Hikers can easily identify poison ivy by looking for three glossy, oval leaflets, two lateral and one in the center. Leaf color changes with the season; poison ivy leaves are green in the summer but change to shades of yellow, orange, and red in the fall and spring. The hairless poison ivy leaves range from three-fourths of an inch to four inches long. Poison ivy grows on woody stems, often climbing on nearby vegetation.
Hikers might mistakenly think that simply touching a poison ivy leaf causes a rash. The leaf is not poisonous; instead, its sap causes the rash. This poisonous sap covers a broken or bruised poison ivy leaf or one that has been damaged. Hikers exposed to the sap will experience swollen, red, itchy ski
|
Compare and contrast the methodology of three international university ranking systems and suggest the ranking system which offers the best analysis of university quality
In recent years, how to select the university ranking system becomes one of the most debatable topics if students want to choose
|
Compare and contrast the methodology of three international university ranking systems and suggest the ranking system which offers the best analysis of university quality
In recent years, how to select the university ranking system becomes one of the most debatable topics if students want to choose
‘That’s the best thing a girl can be in this world – a beautiful little fool.’ In the light of this comment, compare and contrast representations of femininity in A Streetcar Named Desire and The Great Gatsby
As A Streetcar Named Desire and The Great Gatsby were both written by men, it is
Compare and Contrast: Aneas and Turnus
The subtlety in the differences between Aneas and Turnus, reflect the
subtlety in the differences between the Aeneid and the Iliad. Although both
characters are devout and noble, Aneas does not possess the
Compare and Contrast of The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka and The Stranger by Albert Camus
Existentialism is defined as a philosophical movement that human beings are completely free and responsible for their own actions. Existentialists will try not to cause waves and remain completely
Many objects and people these days have the ability to be compared and
contrasted. For example, you could compare and contrast a dog and a cat. A dog
is most commonly a house pet, like the cat. But a dog has more of an ability to
be trained, unlike the cat. But it's not the subject of co
Compare and Contrast
A Harmless Lie
A Hurt Full Truth
What would hurt more? Steering some one away with a harmless lie, hiding them from the horrible truth. Or crushing some ones spirit, breaking their heart, bringing their life to a hate full stop. I will be comparing why a harmle
Compare and contrast the part that the city or state (polis) plays in Antigone and Oedipus The King.
Antigone is a play about the tension caused when two individuals have conflicting claims regarding law. In this case, the moral superiority of the laws of the city, represented by Creon, and the l
War Poetry: ¡§Dulce Et Decorum Est¡¨ and ¡§The Soldier¡¨
2) Compare and contrast the way two writers have approached a similar subject
Poems regarding the subject of war typically fall into one of two categories, ones that idealise and glorify war and ones that highlight the horror an
Compare and Contrast: Macbeth & Lady Macbeth
In the play Macbeth, ambition, strength, and insanity play major roles in how the characters Macbeth and Lady Macbeth behave and react. Both Macbeth and Lady Macbeth present all 3 of these behaviors at one time or another during the play. However, there
Compare and Contrast the Philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes, and Karl Marx
In the idea of human nature; origin of state, the nature of government, the rights of regulation can be drawn as the reflection of insightful philosophies of John Locke, Thomas Hobbes and Karl Marx. By understandin
World Civilization 110-29
21 September 2006
Compare and Contrast: Mesopotamia and Egyp
|
Interface in Java - things to remember
|Top Tutorials||New Tutorials||Submit||Login||Register|
Total Hits: 9114
Total Votes: 89 votes
Category: JAVA/Core JAVA
Submitted on: 2012
|
Interface in Java - things to remember
|Top Tutorials||New Tutorials||Submit||Login||Register|
Total Hits: 9114
Total Votes: 89 votes
Category: JAVA/Core JAVA
Submitted on: 2012-07-21 05:19:38
Submitted By: Javin Paul
Description:interface in Java is keyword which is used to declare abstract contracts. like abstract class you can not create instance of interface instead in order to use interface you need to implement it and its implementation is where code resides. interface is great tool to define type hierarchy for flexible design in Java More detail...
|
The Parts of Speech in Rhyme
A noun's the name of any thing,
As school, or garden, hoop, or swing.
Adjectives tell the kind of noun,
As great, small, pretty, white, or brown.
Instead
|
The Parts of Speech in Rhyme
A noun's the name of any thing,
As school, or garden, hoop, or swing.
Adjectives tell the kind of noun,
As great, small, pretty, white, or brown.
Instead of nouns, the pronouns stand–
Her head, his face, your arm, my hand.
Verbs tell of something to be done–
To read, count, sing, laugh, jump, or run.
How things are done, the adverbs tell,
As slowly, quickly, ill or well.
Conjunctions join the words together —
As men and women, wind or weather.
The preposition stands before
A noun, as in, or through a door.
The interjection shows surprise,
As oh! how pretty — ah! how wise.
The whole are called the parts of speech,
Which reading, writing, speaking, teach.
BY Alfred J. Lawrence, Michigan – submitted by Toni Cosgrove of Notebooking Forum on Yahoo.by
|
If you're prone to illegally talking on your mobile phone and fail to hear spoken instructions to turn left and rights from your sat nav, then a new study by the University of Utah could help.
The boffins have published research that found directions
|
If you're prone to illegally talking on your mobile phone and fail to hear spoken instructions to turn left and rights from your sat nav, then a new study by the University of Utah could help.
The boffins have published research that found directions could be given by a range of devices that are mounted on the steering wheel - and pull skin on the driver's index fingertips left or right.
However, they have said they don't want their results to encourage illegal and dangerous driving by mobile phone users.
"We are not saying people should drive and talk on a cell phone and that tactile [touch] navigation cues will keep you out of trouble," the study's lead author, William Provancher, said in a statement.
Instead, he said he hoped the study would point to new touch-based directional devices to help motorists.
"It has the potential of being a safer way of doing what's already being done - delivering information that people are already getting with in-car GPS navigation systems," he added.
He said the devices could also be used to help those with hearing difficulties drive more safely if they cannot hear a system's voice, as well as helping blind pedestrians with a cane that provides directional cues to the person's thumb.
The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the University of Utah and is based on a "multi
|
The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, released new data on autism today.
The CDC now estimates that 1 in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD.) This is a 28% increase from the most recent CDC report
|
The Centers for Disease Control, CDC, released new data on autism today.
The CDC now estimates that 1 in 88 children is diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD.) This is a 28% increase from the most recent CDC report on Autism in 2009 when ASD was estimated to affect 1 in 110 children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) defines “Autism as a collection of disorders of brain development called autism spectrum disorders, or ASDs”. Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder may have symptoms that range from mild to severe.
Autism Spectrum Disorder is 5x more common in boys than g
|
Forgiveness can make us a better person but does it make a better leader? An eye for an eye for an eye for an eye…ends in making everyone blind. (Mahatma Ghandi)
The knee-jerk reaction of too
|
Forgiveness can make us a better person but does it make a better leader? An eye for an eye for an eye for an eye…ends in making everyone blind. (Mahatma Ghandi)
The knee-jerk reaction of too many people in leadership positions when they feel wronged is righteous indignation and the urge for revenge. But one factor that sets truly transformational leaders apart from the run-of-the-mill is the ability to forgive - to let feelings of anger, resentment and blame fall away and become something constructive.
Great leaders know the art of reconciliation.
“Truly transformational leaders are acutely aware of the cost of animosity,” notes Manfred Kets de Vries, INSEAD Distinguished Professor in Leadership Development and Organisational Change. “They realise the havoc that can be created by an unforgiving attitude… holding grudges is a form of arrested development; it holds people back.”
“Many organisations today are like gulags. People are anxious, there’s a lot of paranoia. [But] what should be remembered is that people who don’t make any mistakes don’t do anything. They’re too busy covering their backs. They’re not going to try anything new.”
In organisations where you know that if you make a mistake you’re going to be fired, there is a culture of fear which stifles productivity, he notes.
“Leaders who can tolerate mistakes, who see them as learning opportunities, are those who create a great corporate culture.”
“Forgiveness offers people the chance to take risks, to be creative, to learn and to grow their own leadership capabilities,” Kets de Vries continues. “Holding onto resentment, bitterness and spite is not what transformational leadership is all about.”
Forgiveness, he claims, builds loyalty and good citizenship. People working in organisations that have been instilled with a forgiveness culture are more likely to make an extra effort, which has important consequences for the bottom line. It also helps transgressors to have a more positive outlook on the future.
Greatest example of forgiveness
Leaders today operate in settings in which strife is rife and, if left unresolved, could have severe implications for their organisation. But by walking the talk and encouraging a culture of forgiveness, leaders promote an organisation which looks to the future.
In his paper “The Art of Forgiveness: Differentiating Transformational Leaders”, Kets de Vries highlights one of the most obvious examples of transformational forgiveness with his comparison of two very different African political leaders.
“When you fly over Zimbabwe you see a wasteland, when you fly over South Africa you see something very different: two leaders with very different attitudes towards forgiveness.
“If I ask my class which living political leader do you most admire, 95 percent say Nelson Mandela. When you ask why, the answer is forgiveness.”
At the end of South African apartheid and after 27 years in prison, Nelson forgave his oppressors and encouraged many of his party’s members who clamoured for revenge to do likewise, telling them, “Forgiveness liberates the soul, it removes fear. That’s why it’s such a powerful weapon.”
In comparison, Robert Mugabe opted for bitterness, vindictiveness and hatred, against white Zimbabweans and the nation’s black citizens who opposed him. By encouraging supporters to forcibly occupy white-owned commercial farms Zimbabwe, once the bread basket of southern Africa, became the poor house. Under his rule, unemployment rose to between 70-80 percent, life expectancy fell. In mid-November 2008, Zimbabwe's peak month of inflation is estimated at 6.5 sextillion percent—making the national currency basically useless. A “clean-up campaign” targeting the slums where his most hardened opponents resided left 200,000 homeless.
Letting go of the grudge
It may seem impossible forgiving someone you believe has slighted or taken deliberate action against you. But the price for bearing a grudge can be high.
“While it may appear easier to hate than to forgive, revenge is so consuming that pretty soon hatred takes over from all other emotions, creating a life governed by endless cycles of resentment and retaliation.”
Numerous studies have shown that bitterness and hatred create stress disorders, negatively affect the immune system and are positively correlated with depression, anxiety, neuroticism and premature death.
“In comparison,” says Kets de Vries, “taking the high road of forgiveness contributes to greater spiritual and psychological well-being, lower anxiety levels, less stress, lower blood pressure and lower risk of alcohol and substance abuse. People who forgive more readily also tend to have fewer coronary health problems.”
Learning to forgive
Lives are not calm flowing rivers. Relating to others whether friends, strangers or family members is always accompanied by the risk of being hurt. And with business today relying heavily on networking and interpersonal relationships, the risk of being offended is hi
|
Definitions for s-expression
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word s-expression
A symbolic expression.
In computing, s-expressions, sexprs or sexps are a notation for nested list data, invented for and popularized by
|
Definitions for s-expression
This page provides all possible meanings and translations of the word s-expression
A symbolic expression.
In computing, s-expressions, sexprs or sexps are a notation for nested list data, invented for and popularized by the programming language Lisp, which uses them for source code as well as data. In the usual parenthesized syntax of Lisp, an s-expression is classically defined inductively as ⁕an atom, or ⁕an expression of the form where x and y are s-expressions. The second, recursive part of the definition represents an ordered pair so that s-exprs are effectively binary trees. The definition of an atom varies per context; in the original definition by John McCarthy, it was assumed that there existed "an infinite set of distinguishable atomic symbols" represented as "strings of capital Latin letters and digits with single embedded blanks". Most modern sexpr notations in addition use an abbreviated notation to represent lists in s-expressions, so that stands for where NIL is the special end-of-list symbol. In the Lisp family of programming languages, s-expressions are used to represent both source code and data. Other uses of S-expressions are in Lisp-derived languages such as DSSSL, and as mark-up in communications protocols like IMAP and John McCarthy's CBCL. The details of the syntax and supported data types vary in the different languages, but the most common feature among these languages is the use of S-expressions and prefix notation.
Find a translation for the s-expression definition in other languages:
Select another language:
Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:
"s-expression." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013. <http://www.definitions.net/definition/s-expression>.
|
It’s always interesting to see what terms or phrases people searched for when they stumbled across your site. OK, maybe its only interesting to a geek like me… ANYway, I was checking out the stats for the site and saw someone had searched
|
It’s always interesting to see what terms or phrases people searched for when they stumbled across your site. OK, maybe its only interesting to a geek like me… ANYway, I was checking out the stats for the site and saw someone had searched for ‘why do they call the soccer field the pitch‘ The sad part was – I didn’t have a clue. Funny considering the name of this site. So I set out to find an answer.
It wasn’t easy. I tried all sorts of search terms and came up empty. My Google-foo was failing me! Then when all seemed lost, I finally found a site with the full story (bits and pieces of which I had seen elsewhere, but not coh
|
Seventy Times Seven
How many times should I forgive? A delightful craft to show how often we should forgive one another.
by Nan Arnold
Easter, Forgiveness, Kindness, Mercy
Paper plate for each child
Approximately
|
Seventy Times Seven
How many times should I forgive? A delightful craft to show how often we should forgive one another.
by Nan Arnold
Easter, Forgiveness, Kindness, Mercy
Paper plate for each child
Approximately 18 minutes
Note: Small round birdseed works best, because we are illustrating the number 490 (70 x 7). However, if you can only find mixed bird food, you can take out the large sunflower seeds or other large pieces. For an Easter theme, you can fill plastic Easter eggs with the birdseed instead of using film canisters.
Before class, write 70 X 7 on the sides of the film canisters or eggs. (This represents the story in Matthew 18:21-35 about how many times should we forgive.) Then write, "Forgive as the Lord forgave you!" Colossians 3:13, on each paper plate. Put the birdseed into a bowl or container from which the children can scoop out the seed. For classes with children under 5 years old, or to save time, you can also glue 7 seeds to the lid of the film canisters or eggs. Complete one craft beforehand to use as an example during class time.
WHAT YOU WILL DO:
Have each child glue 7 seeds to the lid of their film canister or plastic eggs. Do this first to give the glue time to dry. Have the children draw happy pictures on their plates, or fill them in with pretty colors. This is to show how it feels to be forgiven and to forgive someone else. Then they will fill their container with the birdseed and put on the lid.
When finished, show the kids how many seeds are in each container by dumping them out onto your own paper plate. Explain to the kids how this represents how many times they are to forgive one sin. Are you to forgive someone only 7 times like the number of seeds on the lid? No! They are to forgive 70 times 7. Help the children understand that this means an endless number of times. Encourage them to share this truth with their families. They are not to dump out their seeds until they get home and they can only dump them out onto their paper plates.
|
There is no single definition of ecofeminism, and ecofeminists may well disagree with at least some of explanations I give in this section, but there are core principles. Ecofeminists agree that the domination of women and the
|
There is no single definition of ecofeminism, and ecofeminists may well disagree with at least some of explanations I give in this section, but there are core principles. Ecofeminists agree that the domination of women and the domination of nature are fundamentally connected and that environmental efforts are therefore integral with work to overcome the oppression of women.
The primary aims of ecofeminism are not the same as those typically associated with liberal feminism. Ecofeminists do not seek equality with men as such, but aim for a liberation of women as women. Central to this liberation is a recognition of the value of the activities traditionally associated with women; childbirth, nurturing and the whole domestic arena. Some feminists have criticized ecofeminism for reinforcing oppressive stereotypes and for its tendency toward essentialism.
Women and nature
In Western society women are treated as inferior to men, 'nature' is treated as inferior to 'culture', and humans are understood as being separate from, and often superior to, the natural environment.
Throughout our history nature is portrayed as feminine and women are often thought of as closer to nature than men. Women's physiological connection with birth and child care have partly led to this close association with nature. The menstrual cycle, which is linked to Lunar cycles, is also seen as evidence of women's closeness to the body and natural rhythms. Our cultural image of the 'premenstrual woman' as irrational and overemotional typifies this association between women, the body, nature and the irrational.
Ecofeminists focus on these connections, and analyses how they devalue and oppress both 'women' and 'nature'.
Ecofeminism believes that Patriarchal society is built on four interlocking pillars; sexism, racism, class exploitation and environmental destruction. Ecofeminist analysis reveals that it's not only women who are portrayed as being 'closer to nature'; oppressed races and social classes have also been closely associated with nature.
The author of 'What is Ecofeminism?' writes:
Ecofeminism has made a particularly useful analysis of power relations, and rejects any form of hierarchy. The emphasis is on shared power, finding our own 'power-from-within' rather than needing to impose the manipulation and control of 'power-over'. For more on power relations see Starhawk.
Most forms of ecofeminism rely on a historical analysis of ideology. According to this analysis, the oppression of nature and women emerged with a Western ideology called patriarchy which arose roughly 5,000 years ago.
Western patriarchal thinking is based on 'dualism', a world view that orders the world by dividing it into opposed pairs of concepts: Mind is split from body, spirit from matter, male from female, culture from nature. One concept in each pair is deemed superior to the other. This 'other' is sometimes demonized and always discriminated against. Concepts on both sides are bound into complex relationships which become mutually reinforcing. Groups that are oppressed in our society are often associated with the body rather than than the mind and may be portrayed as intuitive but overemotional.
The classic form of this paradigm creates a hierarchy of value as follows:
This hierarchy clearly shows the common prejudices of sexism and speciesism. Many aspects of racism, classism and imperialism operate through this same hierarchy.
The patriarchal belief system valorizes'male' qualities of reason and analysis and characterizes intuitive, emotional 'female' qualities as passive, weak and irrational and therefore inferior. Qualities such as passivity, weakness and irrationality are not in themselves bad, but they are within the ideology of Patriarchal dualism. It can be educational to note our own feelings about such qualities.
Some theorists have suggested that this degrading of the 'other' is driven by fear of nature and mortality, and because of their biological connection with birth women are a constant reminder of death.
According to Rosemary Radford Reuther it was the invention of the concepts of 'nature' and 'culture' that allowed man to degraded the former.
Ecofeminism demands a radical critique of the categories of 'nature' and 'culture' together with an affirmation of the degraded partner in all the patriarchal dualities. 'Female' qualities such as co-operation, nurturing, being supportive, nonviolent and sensual are especially appropriate for creating an environmentally aware society.
Some ecofeminists believe that traditional'male' qualities like competitiveness, individuality, assertiveness, leadership, and intellectuality, are valuable in appropriate contexts and should be integrated with 'female' qualities in a balance person.
The feminist critique of patriarchy is not just an intellectual attack on men. Most feminists, though not all, do not see men as 'the enemy'. Patriarchy is a particular way of thinking which can used by any gender and ecofeminism can be a common ground for both sexes.
"In Feminism and the Mastery of Nature, Val Plumwood identified a pattern of dualistic thinking that permeates some cultures and is implicated in their destructive attitudes toward nature. Dualistic thinking involves setting up two
Plumwood characterized dualistic thinking is "an alienated form
of differentiation, in which power construes and constructs difference
in terms of an inferior and alien realm" (42). Subsequent Plumwood
blames dualistic thinking for creating "logics of colonization."
Ecofeminist Karen Warren gives dualistic thinking a similarly centra
|
The Sustainability Base’s green program extends to its site, which is planted with native California plants and drought-tolerant species. On-site bioswales help filter pollution and ease rainwater runoff, and a series of 99 geothermal heat wells
|
The Sustainability Base’s green program extends to its site, which is planted with native California plants and drought-tolerant species. On-site bioswales help filter pollution and ease rainwater runoff, and a series of 99 geothermal heat wells in a nearby field help to regulate the building’s temperature. The water underground stays at a relatively stable 58 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is pumped through a series of panels in the building to cool it in the summer and warm it in the winter.
NASA is known for its cutting edge technology, and its new Sustainability Base is a test bed and proving ground for some of its most impressive systems. The complex features an incredibly efficient forward-osmosis water recycling sy
|
A tropical worm could one day help to relieve the pain of millions of people with rheumatoid arthritis and similar diseases.
The nematode lives off humans
Researchers in Scotland have found that secretions from a parasitic worm, called a fil
|
A tropical worm could one day help to relieve the pain of millions of people with rheumatoid arthritis and similar diseases.
The nematode lives off humans
Researchers in Scotland have found that secretions from a parasitic worm, called a filarial nematode, have an anti-inflammatory effect.
They believe the discovery could help people with autoimmune diseases - conditions where the body's own immune system attacks itself for no apparent reason.
The worm lives off humans and is carried by hundreds of millions of people in the tropics, where the incidence of autoimmune disease is much lower.
Researchers at the University of Strathclyde say the worm secretes a molecule called ES-62.
This molecule enables the worm to survive inside the host but does not appear to have any visible impact on humans except to reduce inflammation.
Professor William Harnett, who has led the study, described the finding as exciting.
"This discovery is very exciting and it may help explain an observation that has puzzled scientists and clinicians for decades: the reduced incidence of autoimmune diseases in areas of high nematode worm transmission.
"It still seems ironic, however, that a parasitic worm, which lives off humans may also provide a means to relieve suffering for millions of people."
The scientists hope they can harness their research to create a new drug, which could relieve pain for millions around the world.
"We hope to produce a derivative of the worm's anti-inflammatory molecule and use it as the basis for a drug," Professor Harnett said.
"We are in an ideal position to see this research right through to clinical trial stage, where we can really make a difference to patients' lives."
The scientists will collaborate with experts from the University of Glasgow on the project.
Professor Iain McInnes of Glasgow University said the study would benefit patients.
"We desperately need new treatments for autoimmune diseases. Existing treatments, even the newest, most innovative ones, have limitations.
"They do not work for everybody and the side-effects can be debilitating in themselves.
"The prospect of treating painful inflammatory diseases with a drug that doesn't completely suppress the patient's immune system is a major medical breakthrough."
The scientists have received funding from Scotland's Proof of Concept fund, which aims to support technological innovation.
|
May 26, 2009 at 10:45 PM ET
SETI @ Home / UC-Berkeley
|Ten years after the SETI @ Home screensaver |
program made a splash, the Internet is being
enlisted
|
May 26, 2009 at 10:45 PM ET
SETI @ Home / UC-Berkeley
|Ten years after the SETI @ Home screensaver |
program made a splash, the Internet is being
enlisted once again to help alien-hunting scientists.
It's been 10 years since the SETI @ Home online project sparked a revolution in the search for signs of extraterrestrial intelligence. Over the past decade, more than 5 million people around the world have signed up to look for aliens, and now astronomers are enlisting the Internet masses for a new task: deciding what we should tell them.
The "Earth
|
Annual Monsoon Rains Recorded by Jurassic Dunes
On the Cover: Pangaea, the largest landmass in the Earth’s history, was nearly bisected by the Equator during the late Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic er
|
Annual Monsoon Rains Recorded by Jurassic Dunes
On the Cover: Pangaea, the largest landmass in the Earth’s history, was nearly bisected by the Equator during the late Palaeozoic and early Mesozoic eras. Modelling experiments and stratigraphic studies have suggested that the supercontinent generated a monsoonal atmospheric circulation that led to extreme seasonality, but direct evidence for annual rainfall periodicity has been lacking. In the Mesozoic era, about 190 million years ago, thick deposits of wind-blown sand accumulated in dunes of a vast, low-latitude desert at Pangaea’s western margin, now situated in the southwestern USA. Twenty-four slumps, which were generated by heavy rainfall, appear within one interval representing 36 years of dune migration, providing a prehistoric record of yearly rain events.
David B. Loope, Clinton M. Rowe & R. Matthew Joeckel. July 2001. Annual monsoon rains recorded by Jurassic dunes. Nature 412 (6842).
David Loope, Clinton Rowe and Matt Joeckel are all professors of earth and atmospheric sciences.
|
Premium, Select, and Institutional Plus Member Book
This ASCD Study Guide is designed to enhance your understanding and application of the information contained in Productive Group Work, an ASCD book written by Nancy Frey, Douglass Fisher, and Sand
|
Premium, Select, and Institutional Plus Member Book
This ASCD Study Guide is designed to enhance your understanding and application of the information contained in Productive Group Work, an ASCD book written by Nancy Frey, Douglass Fisher, and Sandi Everlove and published in November 2009.
You can use the study guide before or after you have read the book, or as you finish each chapter. The study questions provided are not meant to cover all aspects of the book, but, rather, to address specific ideas that might warrant further reflection. Please note that there are no study guide questions associated with Chapter 7: "Getting Started: Questions and Answers."
Most of the questions contained in this study guide are ones you can think about on your own, but you might consider pairing with a colleague or forming a study group with others who have read (or are reading) Productive Group Work.
- Research points to many positive outcomes of collaborative group work. Which of these outcomes have you experienced yourself? Which have your students experienced?
- Think about experiences you have had with group work, either as a participant or in your classroom. What worked well and what was challenging?
- What would you say are the reasons many students resist working in groups? What are some of the reasons many teachers avoid or abandon group work?
- What are some of the things teachers need to know and do to ensure that group work is truly productive for all group members?
- How would you explain to a colleague the role that collaborative group work plays in a gradual release of responsibility (GRR) model of instruction?
Chapter 1: Defining Productive Group Work
- Do you think the developmental psychologist Lev Vygotsky would support the idea that productive group work is not optional but essential if students are to learn and master new skills? Why or why not?
- Review Johnson and Johnson's five principles for successful group work. How would you describe each principle in one or two sentences? What examples of these principles can you identify in your own group work assignments?
- How does the type of group task affect the quality of collaboration within that group? What kinds of tasks tend to further collaboration? What kind of tasks tend to hinder it?
- How would you define the term "a meaningful task"?
- How does the possibility of failure influence a group's productivity and students' learning?
Chapter 2: Using Positive Interdependence
- What does it mean for students to be interdependent, and why is positive interdependence such a critical component of collaborative group work? Can you identify examples of positive interdependence in your current or past group work assignments?
- What does negative interdependence look like within a group, and how does it affect the group members' learning? Can you identify examples of negative interdependence in your current or past group work assignments?
- What are students focusing on when they are engaged in process learning versus content learning? How do the kinds of questions they ask themselves differ in these different types of learning?
- Why is it important for teachers to pay particular attention to process learning when planning group work?
- Studies of the amygdala suggest it acts as a gatekeeper to learning: blocking information associated with negative events while letting information associated with positive events through. Why is this information important to teachers, particularly when they are first introducing students to group work?
- Describe some ways teachers can foster positive interdependence by ensuring that each group member is able to contribute to the learning task. How might you adjust some of your past group work assignments to facilitate positive interdependence?
Chapter 3: Promoting Face-to-Face Interaction
- What do students gain from face-to-face discussions with peers that they cannot get through written interactions?
- What does the growing body of research about mirror neurons suggest about importance of face-to-face interactions for language development?
- If mirroring facilitates learning, what are the implications for teachers trying to promote the behaviors necessary for effective group interactions?
- During group work, what kinds of student interchanges should teachers listen for as evidence that students are helping each other learn (and not simply telling one another the answers)?
- What kinds of instructional routines help to promote productive interactions? How might you incorporate more of these routines into your own instruction?
- How can an independent activity, such as a quickwrite, improve the quality of face-to-face interactions among students? For which students are quickwrites a particularly valuable preparation for face-to-face interactions?
Chapter 4: Ensuring Individual and Group Accountability
- How would you explain to a colleague the importance of incorporating both individual and group accountability in all collaborative learning tasks?
- Review the guidelines for ensuring accountability in group work. As you read each guideline, imagine "short-changing" it or skipping it all together, and reflect on how doing so would affect individual and g
|
Best Practice: Creating Excitement Through A ‘Demonstration Day’
Definition And Example:
A Demonstration Day (‘demo day’) is when a group of tennis manufacturers (i.e., Prince, Wilson, Head, Babolat, Y
|
Best Practice: Creating Excitement Through A ‘Demonstration Day’
Definition And Example:
A Demonstration Day (‘demo day’) is when a group of tennis manufacturers (i.e., Prince, Wilson, Head, Babolat, Yonex, K-Swiss, Adidas, etc.) gather at a tennis facility and provide their products for trial to participants. The participants are able to demo many different rackets or try on tennis shoes, and are able to speak with the respective manufacturer representatives present at the event.
The significance of a demo day is that it educates the target market (tennis players) about the current tennis products on the market. Considering the significant changes in racket technology every year, the consumer can easily get confused with regards to what make or model suits his game. To use the old cliché, “the best consumer is the educated consumer.”
There are many benefits as a result of a demo day, but I will highlight just a few. First, it provides a forum for manufacturer representatives to educate the target market about their respective products. The likelihood of a racket sale significantly increases after an event like this. Second, the energy and excitement created by a demo day can lead to more tennis play by the participants during the days that follow the event. Tennis professionals either involved with the demo day or who teach tennis in the area can benefit from this enthusiasm. Third, tennis retail operations can benefit by increased racket sales, shoe sales, as well as other tennis accessory sales. A demo day is a terrific vehicle to positively effect different avenues of the tennis industry.
Each manufacturer representative is designated their own court to showcase product and run the participants through various tennis drills and games. Ideally there should be no more than 10 players on one court. The amount of time that the participants stay on a respective court is generally 20 minutes. For example, a player will demo Prince Rackets for 20 minutes and then visit the Head Racket Sports court for a different demo experience for the next 20 minutes. The court rotations continue until each manufacturer representative has had the opportunity to present product to all of the participant groupings. One very important part of the event is MUSIC! This is a key part of the fun! People love playing tennis to music!
- Tennis facility manager
- Tennis Manufacturer Representatives
- Tennis teaching professionals
- Tennis Retail Operations
Advertising: the advertising for the demo day should begin two months prior to the event with follow-up communication done one month followed by a week before the demo day. A consistent reminder will result in a greater participant turnout.
Organizing: for large groups of participants (150 people), it is best to divide the day into two shifts. For example, participants sign up for either the morning demo or afternoon demo. This will help keep the number of people per court to a minimum and more “demo-ing” to take place.
The expenses associated with this event include the following:
- Advertising: print advertisement in the local paper is more expensive than creating your own flier and circulating it amongst the tennis members at the facility where the event will be held.
- Tennis Balls/Hoppers: tennis balls and hoppers should be provided for all of the manufacturers at the event. These items may need to be purchased if there are not enough balls/hoppers.
- Tennis professionals: the pros should be compensated for their time feeding balls and answering questions regarding rackets, etc. Most pros, however, are on contract with a manufacturer and are required to participate in at least one event like this per year.
- Beverages: sports beverage manufacturers are sometimes willing to donate product for the event. It is great exposure for a brand!
Time of Year: A demo day is usually really effective in late spring/ early summer. Most people are eager to enjoy outdoor activities and the fun and enthusiasm experienced at one of these events can lead to increase tennis play throughout the summer months.
Event: A great time to have a demo day is prior to a major tennis event like the U.S. Open. The excitement of a major tournament coupled with a demo day is an effective way to bring the tennis community together.
Most every tennis manufacturer has been involved in a demo day. The manufacturer representative in each territory across the United States is responsible for promoting his respective product line. The best advice is to contact the local representatives in your area.
|
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency is a hereditary condition in which red blood cells break down when the body is exposed to certain
|
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency is a hereditary condition in which red blood cells break down when the body is exposed to certain drugs or the stress of infection.
G-6-PD deficiency; Hemolytic anemia due to G6PD deficiency; Anemia - hemolytic due to G6PD deficiency
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
G6PD deficiency occurs when a person is missing or doesn't have enough of an enzyme called glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, which helps red blood cells work properly.
Too little G6PD leads to the destruction of red blood cells. This process is called hemolysis. When this process is actively occurring, it is called a hemolytic episode. The episodes are usually brief, because the body continues to produce new red blood cells, which have normal activity.
Red blood cell destruction can be triggered by infections, severe stress, certain foods (such as fava beans), and certain drugs, including:
- Antimalarial drugs
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Sulfa drugs
Other chemicals, such as those in mothballs, can also trigger an episode.
In the United States, G6PD deficiency is more common among blacks than whites. Men are more likely to have this disorder than women.
You are more likely to develop this condition if you:
- Are African American
- Are of Middle Eastern decent, particularly Kurdish or Sephardic Jewish
- Are male
- Have a family history of the deficiency
A form of this disorder is common in whites of Mediterranean descent. This form is also associated with acute episodes of hemolysis. Episodes are longer and more severe than in the other types of the disorder.
Persons with this condition do not display any signs of the disease until their red blood cells are exposed to certain chemicals in food or medicine, or to stress.
Symptoms are more common in men and may include:
Signs and tests
A blood test can be done to check the level of G6PD. See: G6PD screen
Other tests that may be done include:
Treatment may involve:
- Medicines to treat an infection, if present
- Stopping any drugs that are causing red blood cell destruction
- Transfusions, in some cases
Spontaneous recovery from a hemolytic episode is the usual outcome.
Rarely, kidney failure or death may occur following a severe hemolytic event.
Calling your health care provider
Call for an appointment with your health care provider if you have symptoms of this condition.
Call your health care provider if you have been diagnosed with G6PD deficiency and symptoms do not disappear after treatment.
Persons with G6PD deficiency must strictly avoid things that can trigger an episode. Talk to your health care provider about your medications.
Genetic counseling or testing may be available to those who have a family history of the condition.
Gregg XT, Prchal JT. Red blood cell enzymopathies. In: Hoffman R, Benz Jr. EJ, Shattil SJ, et al., eds. Hematology: Basic Principles and Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Churchill Livingston; 2008:chap 45.
Golan DER. Hemolytic anemias: red cell membrane and metabolic defects. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, e
|
WorldWar II Veteran Charles Evans, left, with Wayne Clarke from the New York State Military Museum. Evans, 94, recently recorded the 2,000th oral history to be entered into the museum’s project.
Before the actual recording and
|
WorldWar II Veteran Charles Evans, left, with Wayne Clarke from the New York State Military Museum. Evans, 94, recently recorded the 2,000th oral history to be entered into the museum’s project.
Before the actual recording and interviewing process, participants are given a questionnaire. The information form helps Aikey andClark prepare for the interview, as well as gives the veteran a starting point.The questionnaire then also becomes part of the permanent record with the interview itself.
This February, Charles Evans sat down to give his history and indoing so became the 2,000th veteran to be entered into the project’s records.
“Wayne (Clark) called me and asked if I would do this, and I hadno objection. … I think they’ve got a good program,” Evans said.
Evans enlisted in what was then the Army Air Corps in 1941. Hewas a civilian pilot working for Vultee Aircraft Company, and was commissioned as a second lieutenant after six months of military pilot training inCalifornia.
While in the service, Evans was in charge of a 10-man crew andflew B-24 bombers over Europe in World War II, completing 30 bomber missions, the maximum allowed.
“On almost every mission you had pieces of flak or shrapnel penetrate the airplane, it wasn’t uncommon,” he said, noting too that therewere thousands of 88-millimeter shells being fired at Allied planes.
On one mission, Evans’ tail gunner was hit and flak penetrated his lung. There was a medic on board who saved the tail gunner’s life by giving him morphine to slow the bleeding for the rest of the mission, which lasted several hours.
Many missions are memorable to Evans and he had plenty of close calls, but one that he spoke of makes one wonder if it was more than luck that brought him through unscathed. “I had a piece of flack penetrate my side window about 12 inches from my head. We were on a bomb run in Belgium and all of asu
|
A 17-year-old male was diagnosed with Japanese encephalitis (JE) earlier this month, making it the nation’s second confirmed case of the viral disease this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
The teen
|
A 17-year-old male was diagnosed with Japanese encephalitis (JE) earlier this month, making it the nation’s second confirmed case of the viral disease this year, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday.
The teen exhibited symptoms, including fever, headaches and vomiting on May 31, and later experienced reduced consciousness and a stiff neck, the agency said, adding that his illness was confirmed to be Japanese encephalitis after he was hospitalized on June 1.
The young man has recovered and the three people living with him
|
"Philosophy is the knowledge of that which exists, and a clear understanding of the truth; and happiness is the reward of such knowledge and understanding" (Justin, Dialogue with Trypho, 3).
St. Justin, philosopher and
|
"Philosophy is the knowledge of that which exists, and a clear understanding of the truth; and happiness is the reward of such knowledge and understanding" (Justin, Dialogue with Trypho, 3).
St. Justin, philosopher and martyr, was born of pagan parents in Flavia in Samaria at the beginning of the second century.
Following his conversion to the faith, he wrote many works in defense of religion, of which we have only two: the Apology and the Dialogue with Trypho.
Justin also opened a school in Rome in which public debates were held. He was martyred along with several companions during the reign of Marcus Aurelius around the year 165.
Justin never ended his quest for religious truth even when he converted to Christianity after years of studying various pagan philosophies.
As a young man, he was principally attracted to the school of Plato. However, he found that the Christian religion answered the great questions about life and existence better than the philosophers.
Upon his conversion he continued to wear the philosopher's mantle, and became the first Christian philosopher. He combined the Christian religion with the best elements in Greek philosophy. In his view, philosophy was a pedagogue of Christ, an educator that was to lead one to Christ.
Justin is known as an apologist, one who defends in writing the Christian religion against the attacks and misunderstandings of the pagans. Two of his so-called apologies have come down to us; they are addressed to the Roman emperor and to the Senate.
As patron of philosophers, Justin may inspire us to use our natural powers (especially our power to know and understand) in the service of Christ and to build up the Christian life within us. Since we are prone to error, especially in reference to the deep questions concerning life and existence, we should also be willing to correct and check our natural thinking in light of religious truth. Thus we will be able to say with the learned saints of the Church: I believe in order to understand, and I understand in order to believe. --Excerpted from Saint of the Day (www.americancatholic.org).
* * * * * *
IRELAND IN THE NEWS
Croagh Patrick (the "reek"), pilgrimage site, Archdiocese of Tuam
There were two stories regarding Ireland that came to our attention in Canada yesterday:
# details of the Visitation of the Irish Church promised in March in Pope Benedict's Letter to Ireland, which includes among the Visitors Archbishop Collins of Toronto (visiting the Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly) and myself (to visit the Archdiocese of Tuam in the West of Ireland);
#and information on the logo and theme of the 50th International Eucharistic Congress scheduled for Dublin in 2012 and of the possibility of registering on-line for an electronic journal about the IEC.
In order to assist the journey of catechetical and pastoral preparation leading up to the event, and also in celebration of the Solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ on June 6, 2010, the organizers have released the first issue of an on-line magazine, entitled E-Congress, to share information on the details of their pastoral program. E-Congress is currently available in English and Irish on its own website at: http://www.iec2012.ie/E-Congress/index.html; the organizers hope the next issue will also be available in French and Spanish.
Those interested in being notified of the availability of future issues of the on-line magazine are encouraged to register on its distribution list.
Further details follow.
Apostolic Visitation in IRELAND
Excerpts from the Vatican's Press Release regarding the Apostolic Visitation:
Following the Holy Father’s Letter to the Catholics of Ireland, the Apostolic Visitation of certain Irish dioceses, seminaries and religious congregations will begin in autumn of this year.
Through this Visitation, the Holy See intends to offer assistance to the Bishops, clergy, religious and lay faithful as they seek to respond adequately to the situation caused by the tragic cases of abuse perpetrated by priests and religious upon minors. It is also intended to contribute to the desired spiritual and moral renewal that is already being vigorously pursued by the Church in Ireland.
The Apostolic Visitors will set out to explore more deeply questions concerning the handling of cases of abuse and the assistance owed to the victims; they will monitor the effectiveness of and seek possible improvements to the current procedures for preventing abuse, taking as their points of reference the Pontifical Motu Proprio "Sacramentorum Sanctitatis Tutela" and the norms contained in Safeguarding Children: Standards and Guidance Document for the Catholic Church in Ireland, commissioned and produced by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church.
The Visitation will begin in the four Metr
|
Spring is an excellent time to freshen up your flower beds. The warm days and cool nights are perfect for planting stunning selections of annuals and perennials for both sun and shade.
Spade or till your beds at least a few weeks
|
Spring is an excellent time to freshen up your flower beds. The warm days and cool nights are perfect for planting stunning selections of annuals and perennials for both sun and shade.
Spade or till your beds at least a few weeks before planting, and work several inches of organic matter, like peat moss or composted cow manure, into the soil.
For beds and borders, mass plantings of one or two flower varieties provide the best show. Make sure you buy healthy plants, and remember they don't have to have blooms at planting time. In your local garden center, look for wax begonias, angelonias, impatiens, zinnias, and periwinkle.
- Don't Guess, Soil Test
- Florida Gardening Calendar
- Insect and Disease Management in Annual Flower Beds
- Bed Preparation is the Key to Successful Flowers and Vegetables (PDF)
- February in the Garden (PDF)
- Flower Beds: Getting Started in South Florida (PDF)
- Gardening with Annuals in Florida
- Gardening with Perennials in Florida
- March in the Tallahassee Garden (PDF)
- Spring Into the Garden (PDF)
Also on Gardening in a Minute
- Controlling Weeds in Landscape Beds
- Creating a Flower Bed
- Starting Spring Flower Beds by Seed
- Renovating Your Flower and Vegetable Gardens
|
Understanding dog body language is crucial in preventing dog bites
Flickr photo by Hunter Desportes
If you've ever been bitten by a dog, you don't forget it. It usually happens so fast that it leaves you stunned.
May
|
Understanding dog body language is crucial in preventing dog bites
Flickr photo by Hunter Desportes
If you've ever been bitten by a dog, you don't forget it. It usually happens so fast that it leaves you stunned.
May 19-25, 2013 is National Dog Bite Prevention Week, so it seems fitting to kick off this week with the topic.
The following statistics speak to me clearly:
Dog bites are highly preventable, and it comes down to humans (both kids and adults) understanding what facilitates them and how to best deal with a dog who bites.
These incidents happen in all sorts of scenarios.
The truth is, dogs often bite for one common reason: They are uncomfortable or fearful about a situation that a human has put them in, and the human is not reading the dog's behavior correctly.
Sometimes it's as simple as a dog being startled from his slumber. Maybe they just don't mesh well with the ever-changing dynamics at a doggie day care facility. Perhaps a human in their midst doesn't understand dogs very well, and they have handled a situation poorly, or deliberately pushed them too far. In many cases it involves a child — young children often lack the skills to understand when a dog is uncomfortable or just wants to be left alone.
The dog then reacts.
In most of the cases that are seen, the dog's behavior is misunderstood. The pet may have lacked proper socialization early in life, or perhaps it is because they haven't had proper positive reinforcement training. Because of that, they haven't attained the skills they need to navigate through these type of encounters (with both other pets and humans), and some are actually quite fearful. The latter really requires a deft professional who can help both the human and the canine.
Misunderstanding these concepts or writing a dog off as merely 'aggressive', 'dominant' (a commonly misused term) or other labels and leaving it at that can escalate situations to a point when a dog bites someone — and that's not an outcome that anyone wants.
No matter the situation involving a dog bite, it happens because of an oversight on the part of a human.
It's up to us to learn the cues that dogs exhibit in their body language and to properly socialize pets from an early age.
Teaching children the rules of approaching a dog — familiar or otherwise — is crucial. Here are two very wise points that the American Veterinary Medical Association makes:
- Educate children about all things dog at a level they can understand. Don’t expect youngsters to be able to accurately read a dogs’ body language — they lack the mental sophistication to understand. Starting off by demonstrating gentle behavior and talking about that dogs have specific preferences when it comes to interaction and help them gain an understanding of canine behavior that will flourish as they age.
- Giving kids too much responsibility for a pet too early can put them a risk of being bitten. Always supervise kids when they are around a pet.
Click here for a great illustration "How Not to Greet a Dog", by Lili Chin.
|
Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris)
|Synonyms:||Eulemur fulvus collaris|
|Size||Head-body length: 39 - 40 cm (2)|
Tail length: 50 -
|
Collared brown lemur (Eulemur collaris)
|Synonyms:||Eulemur fulvus collaris|
|Size||Head-body length: 39 - 40 cm (2)|
Tail length: 50 - 55 cm (2)
|Weight||2.25 – 2.5 kg (2)|
Classified as Vulnerable (VU) on the IUCN Red List (1) and listed under Appendix I of CITES (3).
This medium-sized lemur has a horizontal posture, which is suited to its predominantly quadrupedal mode of movement (2). These lemurs are also capable of leaping considerable distances, their long furry tails assisting them in maintaining their balance (4). Colouration of this lemur differs between the sexes. Males possess brownish-grey upperparts, wi
|
Psychopathy (pronounced /saɪˈkɒpəθi/) is a personality disorder whose hallmark is a lack of empathy. Researcher Robert Hare, whose Hare Psychopathy Checklist is widely used, describes psych
|
Psychopathy (pronounced /saɪˈkɒpəθi/) is a personality disorder whose hallmark is a lack of empathy. Researcher Robert Hare, whose Hare Psychopathy Checklist is widely used, describes psychopaths as "intraspecies predators who use charisma, manipulation, intimidation, sexual intercourse and violence to control others and to satisfy their own needs. Lacking in conscience and empathy, they take what they want and do as they please, violating social norms and expectations without guilt or remorse". "What is missing, in other words, are the very qualities that allow a human being to live in social harmony."
Psychopaths are glib and superficially charming, and many psychopaths are excellent mimics of normal human emotion; some psychopaths can blend in, undetected, in a variety of surroundings, including corporate environments. There is neither a cure nor any effective treatment for psychopathy; there are no medications or other techniques which can instill empathy, and psychopaths who undergo traditional talk therapy only become more adept at manipulating others. The consensus among researchers is that psychopathy stems from a specific neurological disorder which is biological in origin and present from birth. It is estimated that one percent of the general population are psychopaths.
- See Diagnosis
The prototypical psychopath has deficits or deviances in several areas: interpersonal relationships, emotion, and self-control. Psychopaths gain satisfaction through antisocial behavior, and do not experience shame, guilt, or remorse for their actions.Psychopaths lack a sense of guilt or remorse for any harm they may have c
|
TED Fellows are an extraordinary group of innovators and iconoclasts. Today’s Fellows in the Field features Ayah Bdeir, founder of hardware startup littleBits. Hailed as LEGO for the iPad generation, littleBits are
|
TED Fellows are an extraordinary group of innovators and iconoclasts. Today’s Fellows in the Field features Ayah Bdeir, founder of hardware startup littleBits. Hailed as LEGO for the iPad generation, littleBits are a set of open source, preassembed electronic modules that snap together with magnets to make larger, more complex circuits, allowing anyone to play and create with electronics. The goal: to demystify technology and help people of all ages and abilities understand the building blocks of the 21st century.
Also, this sketch has pin 3 setup as the backlight on the shield. This way you have PWM control over the backlight. You can accomplish this by cutting the VCC trace and soldering the PIN3 jumper on the back of the shield. You can read more on how to do that here.
This sketch has EEPROM settings, if you have not used them before, the values will be zero and need to be set. There are notes about this in the sketch on lines 92 & 93.
With hardware start-ups on the increase, countless gadgets funded via Kickstarter and a resurgence of interest in electronics as a hobby, it looks as though hardware is set become the new Web.
From the first public radio broadcast in 1910 to the home computer revolution of the 1980s, electronics served as the most visible face of technology in the 20th century. When for almost 100 years everyday lives were being transformed by a stream of new appliances, intrepid early adopters could get a slice of the action if they could solder, and electronics empires were being born in garages.
With the arrival of the PC and then the Web we saw a shift in focus, and while software requires computers and the Internet is built upon networking and communications hardware, these took a backseat position and applications and online services garnered more attention. All the hottest start-ups were on
|
Making Prescription Drugs Safer To Use
Some simple questions everyone should ask before taking a prescription drug.
Most of us have to take medication at one time or another. We’ve all heard horror stories of drug reactions or people taking the wrong medication and
|
Making Prescription Drugs Safer To Use
Some simple questions everyone should ask before taking a prescription drug.
Most of us have to take medication at one time or another. We’ve all heard horror stories of drug reactions or people taking the wrong medication and ending up in the hospital. Or worse.
Medication is supposed to make your life better. It should not be an extra cause for stress. By answering the following questions each time you take a new drug, you can reduce the risk of problems.
Question #1: Did you get this prescription from a friend, relative or pharmacist or someone who is not a qualified doctor? If the answer is yes, do not take the drug. See your doctor before taking the drug.
Question #2: Check on the name of the drug. Is the name on the drug strip or bottle the same as that on the prescription? Check on the generic (medical) name of the drug. If the answer is no, contact your doctor before taking the drug. It only takes a few minutes to verify that you have the right drug. Those minutes could save your life.
Question #3: Have you previously taken this drug and had a reaction or side effect to it? If the answer is yes, do not take the drug. Contact your doctor and let him or her know that you have had a reaction to the drug. In a best case scenario, you should make your doctor aware of any previous reactions before he or she gives you the prescription.
Question #4: You should have gotten a leaflet that explains what the drug does and who should and shouldn’t be using the drug. Look at the list of people who shouldn’t be taking the drug. Does any of the items described apply to you?
If the answer is yes, do not take the drug and contact your doctor.
Question #5: Are you pregnant or breast feeding? If the answer is yes, read the section of the leaflet that refers to pregnancy and breast feeding. This will tell you if it the drug is safe for you or not. When in doubt, contact your doctor before taking the drug.
Question #6: Is the person taking the drug an infant or a child under 16 years of age? If the answer is yes, look at the information leaflet. There should be a section about giving the drug to children. Pay attention to any recommendations or precautions that apply to your situation. If you are not sure, contact your doctor before taking the drug.
Question #7: Are you taking any other medicines or drugs at the same time as this one? If the answer is yes, look at the information leaflet. There should be a section that describes interactions with other drugs. Pay attention to any recommendations or precautions that apply to you. If you are not sure, contact your doctor before taking the drug.
Question #8: Check the recommended dose. Is it correct? If the answer is No, contact your doctor before taking the drug.
Once you’ve answered all the above questions and you are sure you have the right medicine for you, go ahead and use the drug as prescribed.
|
Looking for help with teaching social skills for children with autism? Need ideas for teaching other important life skills?
Trumpet Behavioral Health offers help with planning skills activities for use by parents, caregivers, grandparents, teachers and paraprofessionals. Trump
|
Looking for help with teaching social skills for children with autism? Need ideas for teaching other important life skills?
Trumpet Behavioral Health offers help with planning skills activities for use by parents, caregivers, grandparents, teachers and paraprofessionals. Trumpet Behavioral Health is the creator of AutismPro, a web-based solution created for schools to help train educators work with children with autism or other disorders that cause challenging behaviors.
This powerful suite of tools offers training, case management with built in assessments to assist in creating positive behavior support plants, skills plan
|
There’s a bit of news from the G8 summit that might have escaped notice: International leaders agreed to take collective action to decrease greenhouse-gas emissions. And pigs do fly.
The agreement (which, unlike flying pigs, is real — we
|
There’s a bit of news from the G8 summit that might have escaped notice: International leaders agreed to take collective action to decrease greenhouse-gas emissions. And pigs do fly.
The agreement (which, unlike flying pigs, is real — we promise) could be “the biggest step in years in tackling climate change,” as The Telegraph’s Geoffrey Lean says. The catch is that it has nothing to do with carbon dioxide. Instead, it focuses on “short-lived climate pollutants” — all those other pesky carbon-based greenhouse gases, like methane, soot, and ozone.
Decreasing the concentration of these gases in the atmosphere could buy the world some time — three decades or so — to deal with the gobs of carbon dioxide we’re pumping out. Because these other pollutants hang out in the atmosphere for shorter periods of time, it’s easier to decrease their concentrations. Those concentrations might not be as high as the concentration of carbon dioxide, but since the short-lived pollutants are more potent greenhouse gases, decreasing their concentration can have an outsized impact.
Hillary Rodham Clinton, shoring up her new title as Keeper of All that is Awesome, launched an initiative to deal with short-lived pollutants back in February. Two G8 nations (the U.S. and Canada) were already on board. Now the other six have signed on, too. And there’s going to be a report! From the World Bank! Which isn’t the same as actually reducing greenhouse-gas concentrations. But progress is progress.
|
Variability (Trend) Network
The Trend Network examines long-term changes in Florida’s ambient water quality. The network consists of 125 fixed stations
whose locations are based on Florida’s 52 U.S. Geological Survey drainage basins.
|
Variability (Trend) Network
The Trend Network examines long-term changes in Florida’s ambient water quality. The network consists of 125 fixed stations
whose locations are based on Florida’s 52 U.S. Geological Survey drainage basins. The Department manages this network, along with
a complementary program called the Status Network. Data collected by both networks are used to develop
action plans to protect and restore our water resources.
The Trend Network is divided into surface water (SW) and ground water (GW) components.
In both the SW and GW Trend Networks, water samples are analyzed for a suite of
water quality indicators.
Surface Water Trend Network
The SW Trend Network consists of 76 fixed stations in streams, rivers, and canals. Most of the sites are located at the
lower end of a USGS drainage basin and are situated at or near a flow gauging station. These sites allow the Department to obtain
chemistry, discharge, and loading data at a point that reflects the watershed’s water quality. Some SW sites are located at or near the
state boundary with Alabama and Georgia. These stations measure the conditions of major streams entering Florida.
SW Trend sites are sampled each month by personnel working for the Department, the Water Management Districts (WMDs), and county
agencies. All samples are analyzed in the Department’s Central Laboratory.
Ground Water Trend Network
The GW Trend Network consists of 49 fixed stations
(25 unconfined aquifer wells, 22 confined aquifer wells, and 2 spring vents). These sites are located so that
each USGS drainage basin has a representative site for both the confined and unconfined aquifer systems, when both of these systems are
present in the basin.
As with the SW Network, GW Trend sites are sampled by the Department, the WMDs, and county agencies. The Department’s Central Laboratory
performs all sample analyses. Because the water chemistry in confined aquifers changes much more slowly than in unconfined aquifers, field
measurements are taken quarterly at confined sites and monthly at unconfined sites. Samples for laboratory analysis are collected quarterly
at all GW sites.
We are grateful to the citizens and the public & private
agencies that provide us access to sample for regional and statewide water
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.