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BistroMD Health Library
Diabetic Food: Debunking Myths
Diabetic Food: Debunking Myths
It comes as a surprise that no matter how advanced we become as a culture, we still believe in the myths that cloud our society. Some myths exist in order to teach morals, while others exist because of fear of the unknown.
Diabetes is a condition that has spawned a lot of myths.
Unfortunately, these myths do little for individuals with the condition. Typically, there only purpose is to promote fear. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular myths surrounding diabetes.
Myth #1: Diabetic food has to be bland and tasteless.
This myth is entirely false. There is, in fact, no such thing as “diabetic food”. There is just real food eaten in moderation. The diabetic food that someone has to eat is basically food that is nutritious and low in sugar, because if the sugar gets to high, the person may have problems lowering it, especially if they are not on insulin.
Myth #2: Sweets are not considered to be diabetic food.
It used to be believed that no diabetic could have any sweets. They would avoid nearly any food that contained high amounts of sugar. It is true that sweets do cause blood glucose to rise, but so do many other foods, such as fruits, breads, and milk. Diabetics can eat whatever they choose, but they have to carefully monitor how many carbohydrates they are taking in during the day to make sure that their blood glucose levels don't get too high.
Myth #3: All diabetic food has to be prepared with an artificial sweetener.
This myth appeared in the last twenty years because of the growing popularity of artificial sweeteners. These sweeteners are actually quite different from regular sugar. Artificial sweeteners don't have the same amount of carbohydrates that regular sugar does. Using one sugar over another is a personal choice. Some diabetics choose to cook with only artificial sweeteners, while others choose to cook with regular sugar and moderate what they are eating. Regardless of whether you choose to cook with artificial sweeteners or not, you will have to watch what you eat, and eat healthy.
Myth #4: Diabetics should eat a lot of fiber to lower blood sugar.
There has been a lot of research done in regards to fiber being a blood sugar regulator. So far it has been confirmed that fiber does help to lower the sugar level a bit, but it is not enough to warrant stopping taking your medication, or watching your meals. Fiber is important for everyone to eat, not just diabetics.
One company that understands these myths is BistroMD. We deliver delicious meals designed for weight loss right to your front door. Each meal is properly portioned, so you don't have to worry about eating too much, or too little! Choosing BistroMD to take care of the preparation side of your eating needs is a great way to ensure your diabetic food needs are in the right hands.
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This weekend, in New York, tinkerers and hackers assembled to trade tips and show off their latest tricks at the World’s Maker’s Faire. This is only the latest in a series of events that are showcasing radical changes in the world of manufacturing.
Hacker spaces are nothing new. Since the beginning of the computer era, there have been spaces around the country where software and hardware hackers have been getting together to experiment with new technologies. Over the last few years, those spaces have increasingly counted computer-controlled CNC machines and 3D printers.
And along with an increase in the availability of those machines, the concept of monthly-membership hackerspace has slowly taken a foothold in many cities, allowing for anyone with an idea for a new product to create a prototype.
Once the prototype has been created, going from prototype to product becomes a question of figuring out how to finance the next step.
With the rise of Kickstarter as a platform, the way products are built and delivered has radically changed. Today, an inventor with an idea and a basic prototype can put together a set of marketing materials and sell a product long before the details of how to create the product at scale have been solved.
Take, for example, a couple of recent fundraising successes on Kickstarter: Last May, Pebble sold over 60,000 copies of a watch that existed only as a concept. Then, in August, Ouya sold a new videogame console to another 60,000 people. Neither product has been delivered. In fact, neither product is ready for production yet. But through the magic of becoming a backer, the new process for product creation can now be launched by anyone with a simple idea and a prototype.
This new approach to selling hardware is changing the established rules of manufacturing. In the past, companies did research in whether a market might work, created a new product, then put it in shops and crossed their fingers. If everything went right, the products would succeed and the money spent on R&D and the initial production run would be recovered. If things went wrong, the hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars spent on that initial offering would be written off.
But in the new world of backer-supported development, anyone with an idea and a prototype can test out demand for a product before even producing the first complete production-ready model. By putting together a set of marketing material in a kickstarter campaign, new product makers can pre-sell products months before they are available.
In today’s new manufacturing world, products no longer need to exist in order to be sold and all the details of making something go from prototype to product can be worked out after commitments have been made on selling a product.
The distributed corporation
But once a product has been pre-sold, it still needs to get built and the skills to take a product from prototype to production-ready are often spread across multiple disciplines.
Companies have two choices in terms of developing the rights set of capabilities to produce products at scale: they can either hire full-timers as employees or they can figure out a way to contract the work out.
Between contract manufacturers and companies like odesk that allow you to find consultants either on an hourly or per-project basis. This means that capabilities like finding the right type of plastic to get certain color of material or figuring out ways to integrate cheaper components to maximize profits without decreasing quality is only a few computer clicks away.
Corporations have been outsourcing jobs for many decades but these capabilities are now available to individuals a very low cost, making it possible for an individual to launch a new hardware-based company at a fraction of what was possible in the past.
A new age of manufacturing
Recently, Marc Andreessen, a pioneer of the internet who has had an amazing ability at figuring out what the next big trends are, declared that “software will eat the world.” And when you look at the different industries that have been displaced by the rise of software-based solutions, it is increasingly clear that software has already eaten a large part of the service industry.
But what about hardware? Can software have an impact on how physical goods are been created a distributed? If you think about how the supply chain is being disrupted by the trends I just highlighted above, you may seen the beginning of a new post-mass production world, where hardware is manufactured by smaller productions lines and in smaller batches.
And a lot of hardware is now first generated as computer models that are fed into CNC machines and 3D printers. So the line between the virtual and the physical is getting increasingly thin and the way in which physical production lines work can also be increasingly automated.
Think, for example, of the recent achievement by NASA when it managed to get a completely software-driven robot to perform the impossible tasks of navigating from space into a safe landing zone on Mars without any human intervention. For 20 minutes, the Mars lander performed a set of pre-programmed actions in an acrobatic ballet that made it possible to land a vehicle roughly the size of a small car without a single issue.
If software can accomplish such an amazing feat, it is only one small leap of faith away to assume that we could get to the point where just-in-time production of a single object on a CNC machine would be based on software runs and the ability to effectively create single-object on a product line in a cost efficient manner.
In these trends, we could see the seed for the rebirth of a light manufacturing industry, with productions lines being located closer to distribution and consumption center.
3D printing, a trend that has yet to make its way into the mainstream, sits very strongly at the center of the maker’s movement. And it is the last key to building a society where goods are created in small batches, with no need to do large wasteful run. I’d venture that within the next 5–10 years, we will see neighborhood stores pop-up where you will be able to order a good online and pick it up or have it delivered a few minutes later.
Today, 3D printers are mostly building tools in plastic composites but some innovators are making it possible to build things in other materials. Innovators like Shapeways are building have been making it possible to print things in metal, ceramics and more and they are doing it only a few miles away from where the Maker’s Faire is being held. Meanwhile, at Maker’s Faire itself, Brooklyn-based Makerbot will be showcasing its new 3D printer.
So this week, the future of manufacturing will be on showcase. If you’re in New York city, you should make your way to the Maker’s Faire this weekend and see that future. And if you’re not, you should get ready for the revolution to come to you. It may be sitting on the edge today but it’s getting closer.
And soon, it will be on your street corner.
Tristan Louis is the founder and CEO of Keepskor and writes the influential weblog, where this was initially posted under the title The new industrial revolution. You can follow him on twitter here or receive his weekly newsletter by subscribing here.
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Hubble Telescope Confirms Existence of God with Incomprehensible Power, Author Says
Contact: Paul Hutchins, 407-506-9000
ORLANDO, Fla., March 28, 2012 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Dead Sea Scrolls have long been considered words from God recorded by men under inspiration. Since their discovery they have been a source of great wonder and revelation for the faithful, and now an author is arguing in his new book that the Hubble telescope validates a passage from the scroll of Isaiah confirming God to be the energy source behind the Universe.
The book retraces the history of the telescope, and is based on Hubble's discoveries made over the past two decades. It chronicles how Hubble has photographed the greatest cinematic drama in human history, uncovering a source of energy beyond comprehension.
The Dead Sea Scrolls (a collection of biblical scrolls) were discovered in caves near the Dead Sea between 1947 and 1956. In among those old scrolls was found the Isaiah Scroll, which, unlike many of the other scrolls, was found mostly intact, and is 1,000 years older than any previously known copy of Isaiah. Written in that scroll was a profound passage originally recorded by Isaiah around 732 BCE.
According to author J. Paul Hutchins's book, "Hubble Reveals Creation by an Awe-Inspiring Power," (book to be released at New York City's BookExpo America in June) Isaiah recorded what appears to be a "divine invitation from God to mankind," inviting man to search the stars to find anyone equal in power.
After retracing the history of the telescope and doing four years of research into Hubble's discoveries Hutchins says, he's convinced that when Galileo turned his telescope to the night sky he ignited in man, "an insatiable quest to the stars, perhaps in response to a Divine Invitation from God."
Since Galileo, man has been embarked on a bold quest, spending billions of dollars and devoting hundreds of millions of man hours in a race to the stars that has now culminated in the invention of the Hubble telescope. For the past two decades Hubble has recorded the unfolding of an Awe-Inspiring Universe, 14 billion years in the making, in detail never before revealed, confirming what Isaiah recorded.
Interestingly, when Isaiah penned those words he didn't have the use of a powerful space telescope, yet his description matches the discoveries made by Hubble in recent years of powerful galaxies like the Sombrero Galaxy. The Sombrero with its ominous glow at its core exhibits unimaginable energy. The galaxy is made up of eight hundred billion stars like our own sun and gives it the look of a Mexican sombrero hat.
As a culmination of man's 400 year quest, NASA's Hubble and other telescopes around the world have discovered that the known universe is made up of over one hundred twenty five billion galaxies like the Sombrero, collectively exhibiting an energy source beyond comprehension.
According to a report by ABC News and other news agencies, Astronomers in Australia say there are 10 times more stars in the visible Universe than all the grains of sand on the world's beaches and deserts. Those scientists think the universe may contain as many as 70 sextillion stars, and that is only the stars in the visible Universe within range of our telescopes, but they suspect many more are out there.
Hutchins says, "such inconceivable numbers provoke the question; how could mortal man comprehend, or begin to wrap his head around the total collective energy emitted by 70 Sextillion stars, when our own sun can blister our skin from 93 Million miles away? The logical conclusion would be what Einstein once concluded; this unimaginable power Isaiah wrote about without the aid of science or a space telescope thousands of years before Hubble revealed it, is Supernatural in Nature."
"That deep emotional conviction of the presence of a Superior reasoning power, which is revealed in the incomprehensible universe, forms my idea of God" -- Albert Einstein |
Chinese Emperors' Calligraphy
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Calligraphy of Chinese Emperors, a Window to a Leader's Heart
Throughout Chinese history, many emperors loved calligraphy so much they became highly accomplished in the field. An old Chinese adage holds, "Calligraphy is a mirror to a person's character." The calligraphy of emperors reflects the different characters that ruled the nation, and even their leadership abilities.
When speaking of emperor calligraphers, Zhao Ji (1082-1135) or Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), immediately springs to mind. His writing style, comprising thin and straight strokes, is called "slender gold" style. His horizontal strokes ended with hooks, the vertical strokes with points. His slanting strokes were sharp as knives, and the vertical hooks as slim and tall as a fine young man. His style reflected a pursuit of perfection while obeying regulations. On the other hand, his endless pursuit of beauty in form made him overlook the overall setting, indicating that he was deficient in resolution, persistence and creativity. His writing style reflected his rule. During his 25 years of governing, Zhao Ji was so addicted to calligraphy and art that he devoted little time to knotty political issues. He first made Cuju (a prototype of football) star Gao Qiu his chief military commander, and then handed almost all governance to a few treacherous court officials, while he devoted himself to art and culture.
Not surprisingly, calligraphers and painters enjoyed their highest social elevation during Zhao Ji's reign. A vast collection of classical calligraphic and painted works was created, and the era produced more masters than any other. As well as calligraphy, Zhao Ji was good at writing poetry and lyrics, composing music, and dancing. Known as a master of the arts, he also spent much time collecting cultural relics, especially calligraphic works and paintings. The imperial art academy was expanded during his reign, and all ancient calligraphies and paintings preserved in the palace collection were catalogued in books that survive to this day. In this respect, he made great contributions to the development of the Song Dynasty's imperial art academy and court style painting, as well as to the sifting and preservation of ancient art works.
However, the emperor's focus on beauty brought him a miserable death. His empire faced many outside threats, and high achievements in the artistic realm could not protect him from invasion by northern nomads. He was captured in 1127 after his capital fell, and ended his life as a captive in Wuguo Cheng (now known as Yilan in Heilongjiang Province).
Another master calligrapher is Emperor Qianlong (1700-1799) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), though he was quite different to Zhao Ji. Qianlong loved calligraphy all his life. He collected famous works, read them and inscribed comments. Nowadays almost all extant authentic ancient works carry his seal. Qianlong's handwriting was stretched out, bold, but formulated in accordance with regulations. His characters were fluid in their strokes, and balanced in construction. Their boldness and vigor came from the emperor's personal characteristics, but were also related to the time he lived in. After ascending the throne, Qianlong defended his empire from invasions and encouraged land reclamations. He banned all books that went against his government and put the authors in jail, thus consolidating his reign. Referring to culture, he set up a publishing house to compile history books. His pride at what he perceived as enhanced national strength was evident in his calligraphic works.
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Why does my baby's urine smell?
Story highlights
• New study shows smelly urine could indicate a urinary tract infection
• If the smell is combined with a fever, bring it to your pediatrician's attention
• Smell could be natural, from certain foods or mild dehydration
A new study published in this week's journal Pediatrics suggests that a combination of fever and foul-smelling urine can be a sign of a urinary tract infection in babies.
Researchers surveyed the parents of more than 300 children between 1 and 36 months of age with a fever. Of those children, 57% who reported to smelly urine were discovered to have a urinary tract infection. Only 32% of those without smelly urine had a UTI.
The smell is thought to come from intestinal bacteria that have entered the urinary tract and multiplied to the point of causing an infection.
Fever in a young child without an explained cause, such as a cold or ear infection, might be written off with the assumption that it is being caused by a virus. Left untreated, UTIs can lead to increased fevers and possible kidney problems.
If your child has a fever, you may want to sniff and see if his or her diaper smells out of the ordinary. If so, be sure to bring the stinky urine to your pediatrician's attention so tests can be performed to check for a UTI.
Of course, that's not the only explanation for smelly urine. As a parent changing your baby's wet diaper, you may notice a light smell of ammonia and other normal waste from the kidneys.
Urine may also have a stronger odor when it is more concentrated, such as first thing in the morning, or during times of illness and mild dehydration.
It is well known that certain foods can cause a change in the urine's smell (asparagus comes to mind), and medications such as penicillin also create a characteristic odor.
Plus, rare metabolic disorders and diabetes can give a sweet smell to one's urine.
Bottom line? Check with your doctor if you notice the smell persists. |
Energy Department warns over smart grid privacy
Its biggest privacy question is control over third-party access to consumer energy usage data
The rollout of smart grid technologies into U.S. homes raises several data privacy issues lawmakers need to recognize and address, a new U.S. Department of Energy report (download PDF) cautions.
The concerns over privacy are related to the collection and use of energy consumption data gathered from homes in which the technologies are going to be installed over the next several years, the department report noted.
However, it said that "because such data can also disclose fairly detailed information about the behavior and activities of a particular household," controls need to be implemented for ensuring the data is collected, used and shared in line with privacy expectations.
A smart grid basically uses digital technology to transmit, distribute and deliver power to consumers in a more reliable and efficient manner than traditional electricity systems.
A key component of such a grid is smart-metering technology, which is used for collecting energy consumption data from homes and transmitting it back to power distributors. Data from these devices will be used by utilities for billing purposes, to manage their networks and calculate demand better.
The technology also is designed to let consumers view their energy usage patterns in near-real time and to help them make decisions to better manage that usage and associated costs.
Future generation smart meters will allow consumers to identify the energy consumption of individual appliances within their homes to help them weed out costly energy usage habits.
The smart-meter data that enables this kind of energy management can also provide a detailed profile of the behavior and activities of a particular household, the report noted. The ability to tie that data to an individual or a household makes the data especially sensitive, the department said.
One of the biggest issues that needs to be resolved is the manner in which third parties should be allowed access to consumer energy usage data, the department said. While that data can be very sensitive, it can also help companies provide people with innovative new energy management products and services. In some cases, it can be used to deliver highly targeted marketing messages, the report noted.
However, it should be the consumer who decides whether and for what purposes a third party is allowed to access or receive usage data, the DOE said. Consumers need to have access to their usage data and should be allowed to make informed choices about allowing third-party access to their information.
Polices need to be in place to ensure that utilities do not share consumer energy usage data with third parties without the consumer's authorization. Third-party requests for user authorizations would need to clearly spell out the type of data being sought, the reasons it is being sought and whether it will be used for targeted advertising purposes.
Third parties that are authorized to access consumer data will need to ensure the privacy, integrity and security of the data and use it only for the purposes for which they were authorized.
Consumer acceptance of smart grids "depends upon the development of legal and regulatory regimes that respect consumer privacy, promote consumer access to and choice regarding third-party use of their energy data," the report said.
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Is there room for multiple religions to be correct?
Asked by: VeniVidiVicii
• The world of true love
Each true religion is supposed to have originated from the heaven, a world of true happiness and true love, and then, it has been translated regarding the culture and traditions of people who have been following it. Therefore, the room of multiple true religions is the heaven which is correct.
• Different Paths to One Mountaintop
I believe the various religions are culturally conditioned responses to the same transcendent reality, all religious paths are culturally and historically influenced, but they all ultimately lead to the same destination, they are just different paths to the same mountaintop, so to speak. Many religions appear to make mutually contradictory truth claims, but that is because they are different ways of experiencing, conceiving and living in relation to an ultimate divine Reality, which transcends all our varied visions of it. Absolute truth claims about God are really truth claims about perceptions of God, just as it is with scientific knowledge, the underlying reality in and of itself, remains unknown.
Even when they are raised in the same culture, people differ, and since religion is universal, it must try to speak to the needs of all, so it necessarily spreads out in almost endless diversity even within the same tradition. In the end, every religion is a blend of universal principles and local setting, the principles, when isolated from the culture, speak to the essence of man's common humanity, and the apparently conflicting diverse paths all lead to the same destination.
• Modern Religions show this to be possible.
To start I would like to clarify 'correct': I mean it in two ways. Correct as in having the possibility of multiple religious paths being followed by one person, and Correct in the theoretical aspect that one day we may discover evidence proving aspects of religions. (Eg. Existence of spirits, gods, magic etc.)
Neo-Paganism definition: "a modern religious movement which seeks to incorporate beliefs or ritual practices from traditions outside the main world religions, especially those of pre-Christian Europe and North America."
Pagans, Wiccans and other Eclectic religious people are evidence that drawing aspects from different religions is completely within reason. If one aspect of a religion can be true, and an aspect of another be also true, then the two could come together on common ground, and both be followed by a person.
For example; Eclectic Pagans and Wiccans draw upon gods from different pantheons. One might ask for the favour of Zeus one day, then Thoth the next (but never together). They also draw upon beliefs of Animism ("the worldview that non-human entities—such as animals, plants, and inanimate objects—possess a spiritual essence.") and Shamanistic practices from both European and North American religions. This combination of beliefs and practices shows the possibility of multiple religions being compatible and 'correct' in different ways.
• Religions are pointless!.
Religions have only divided and caused many premature deaths across the world!!. All religions are, are peoples opinions of how we ought live our lives!. They are followed by the mindless, fanatical, brainwashed people of the world!!!. Sad really, we could have a great planet without them!, however, well just look around you to see the damage they have caused!!!.
Posted by: PTW
• They can't all be right, but they can all be wrong.
• All religions have some differences to them, so it's not likely that they're all correct.
All of the major religions have some differences that sets them apart, like Christianity's salvation from sin or Islam's surrendering your will to Allah, so it's not likely that all of them are correct. On top of that, but some religions are incompatible with each other, esp. Abrahamic faiths and non-Abrahamic faiths. There could be possibly some grain of truth to each of them, but it's very doubtful , to put it mildly, that they could all be right or in agreement about everything.
• Perhaps but i'm thinking no.
I like how "Sidewalker" respond. Since we don't really know of the outcome of many of these religions, i don't think we should cancel out the possibilities of any of them.
You made a good point when you said some of them tend to contradict truth claim.
The way i see this, from all of those religious story we have today. I think that at some point there was a clear story of an existence God. Most of the religion claim that God has an enemy. For the fact that this phenomenal story has existed through our history. And is still the number one major issue we have today, one cannot simply deny the existence of a God. We human do not have any history more talked about, more exploited, more engage in then religion. Today billions of humans are absolutely convince that we Have a God. The discussion of an existing God has been around far longer than science, far longer then any knowledgeable method of thinking we have invented. And frankly even tho our new generation is more into religion than the old. Most of them are not even award of this. We just consider it with different titles.
Sure all of these story must have been disseminated wrongly. But finding it, the real story will be extremely hard, information is easy to get today, but the truth is getting to impossible to find.
There is one story behind all of this. And i am convince that story is true. And that someone have manipulate it so that the real story can mix with the false once. We will find the truth story, it's just a matter of time.
• It Entails Contradiction
I believe there is truth to be found across various religions and it is a fact that there are elements several religions share similarities. But even supposing all religions and their tenets, rituals and sacred books are validated by God it won't remove the fact that religions contradict themselves in many areas; in fact, multiple denominations of the same religion contradict themselves (eg the Catholic Church and some evangelical Pentecostals on creation).
• It sounds nice, but it is unlikely.
I don't really have to point out that the most prominent religions have drastically conflicting views. Muslims, Christians and Jew have always had different ideas on God's nature (if he even exists) and what he will/won't allow his people to do. For example, muslims can't eat pork. There are at least ten religions that probably don't have this as a rule. Not only this, but Jews don't think that Jesus ever existed, so Christians and Jews cannot both be right.
There are monotheistic religions, there are polytheistic religions. There are animal and human sacrifices in some, and others forbid it. In fact, Buddhism doesn't allow harming life at all (and they don't have a specific deity to honor.)
Overall, there are many aspects that conflict in other religions, which makes it almost impossible for multiple religions to be right. If they were more similar than maybe they wouldn't have to fight with each other.
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Stages of Gecko Tail Regrowth
Some species of geckos can regrow their tail when it falls or breaks off through a process called autotomy. The tail breaks off at a specific point at the base of the tail when the gecko is threatened or the tail is pulled on. The tail will twitch on its own while separate from the body in order to distract predators while the gecko gets away. Not all geckos who lose their tails can regrow them, but the species that do regrow their tails experience different stages of tail regrowth.
• When a gecko loses its tail, the tail either falls off, is pulled off or is thrown off depending on the situation. The gecko may also eat its own tail. After the tail is dropped, the gecko will be left with a small, open wound where its tail was. The gecko should be moved to a clean cage with paper towel lining the bottom so there is no chance of dirt or debris clinging to the wound.
• After the gecko's tail falls off, the leftover stump begins to heal. This healing takes only a few hours. During the next few weeks, the gecko should be provided with plenty of food and supplements to give it enough nutrients to grow a new tail.
• The gecko's new tail will begin to grow within a few weeks and may take a few months to a year to grow back completely. However, the new tail will not be as long or thick as the gecko's original tail, which is why it's possible to determine whether a gecko has its original tail or not.
Non-Regenerative Breaks
• Gecko species that can regrow or regenerate their tail, such as the gargoyle gecko, can only regrow it if the tail breaks off at a set point at the base of the tail. Even when intact, this point looks like a line. The gecko cannot regrow a tail if the tail does not break off at this point. For example, if a predator bites off the tip of a gecko's tail, it will not regrow the tip but the tip will heal over. If a predator bites the gecko's tail and the gecko drops the entire tail, it will grow back eventually.
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Ideas for a Baby's Headstone Inscription
The headstone over an infant grave is part of the memorial dedicated to the life of the child. Grieving parents need to choose an inscription for the headstone, but are also dealing with the loss of the child, making choices difficult. Inscriptions relating to the child's passage to heaven may help ease their grief.
Angel Sayings
• Angels and cherubs are significant over the grave of an infant, as they symbolize the innocence of childhood. Include an epitaph on the gravestone including angels. Angels can be depicted carrying a child to heaven in a poem or the "angel" can be the child, such as in the saying, "Sleep, little angel, sleep."
• Include the personal information for the infant, even if the infant lived only a day. Inscribe the first name or the family name, the date of birth and the date of death. Other information can be included at the family's discretion, such as the exact age in days.
• Inscriptions related to flowers symbolize the short life of the infant or the untimely death of a person. Quotations such as, "God's garden needs flowers" or "Budded on Earth to bloom in Heaven" are commentaries on the shortness of the infant's life. Certain flowers such as crocuses, daisies or lilies symbolize innocence and are often used in addition to an inscription on a child's gravestone.
• The lamb is the symbol of purity and innocence, not only in Christian practices, but ancient Egyptian religion. Creating an inscription about the lamb of God or referring to the infant as a lamb reflects on the purity of the child who never had a chance to lose his innocence. Infant and child graves are often found with pictures of lambs. Create a saying, poem or epitaph including a lamb and portray the purity of an infant who has succumbed to an untimely death.
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Thesis Topic: Star formation: probing magnetic fields and their spheres of influence
Thesis Supervisor: Gaitee Hussain
Magnetic fields play a key role in the early formation of low mass stars, from regulating the initial collapse of the protostar, controlling accretion from large circumstellar disks and their evolution along the early main sequence. Our previous work has shown that young stars can host a wide variety of magnetic field properties, which in turn can explain how efficiently the systems accrete mass. The success of this project has opened up a new area of astrophysics aimed at testing our understanding of the role of magnetic fields in the evolution of stars and young planetary systems.
The project would involve collecting and analysing data with the HARPS instrument at the ESO La Silla Observatory as well as the CFHT telescope in Hawaii. It will improving on the latest techniques to detect and analyse astrophysical magnetic fields, as well as associated magnetic and accretion phenomena in young stellar systems. Depending on the interests of the candidate the focus of the project can be adjusted to be more theoretical as this project is part of an international collaboration of observers and theoreticians to understand the formation of star and planetary systems in the first 100 Myr.
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1. dance
2. song
3. music
The best answer is music. The relationship between the first pair of words, Mexico and country, is that of item to category—one word fits into the category named by the other. Therefore, in the second pair of words, one word must fit into the category of the other. Rap fits into the category of music.
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Wandering (See also Adventurousness, Bohemianism, Journey, Quest.) Allusions, Definition, Citation, Reference, Information - Allusion to Wandering (See also Adventurousness, Bohemianism, Journey, Quest.)
1. Ahasuerus German name for the Wandering Jew. [Ger. Lit.: Benét, 1071]
2. Ancient Mariner Coleridge’s wandering sailor. [Br. Lit.: “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” in Norton, 597–610]
3. Aniara spaceship condemned to perpetual earth orbit. [Swed. Opera: Blomdahl, Aniara, Westerman, 562]
4. Argonauts sailed with Jason in search of Golden Fleece. [Gk. Myth.: Howe, 36]
5. Bedouin a nomadic desert Arab. [Br. Folklore: Espy, 98]
6. Bloom, Leopold Jewish advertising salesman whose wanderings around Dublin are ironic parallels of Ulysses’ voyages. [Irish Lit.: James Joyce Ulysses]
7. Cain punished by God to life of vagrancy. [O.T.: Genesis 4:12]
8. Candide a wanderer in search of best of all possible worlds. [Fr. Lit.: Candide]
9. Cocytus Hadean river where unburied were doomed to roam for 100 years. [Gk. Myth.: Benét, 210]
10. Eulenspiegel, Till roams Low Countries as soldier and deliverer. [Ger. Folklore: Benét, 325–326]
11. Flying Dutchman spectral ship doomed to eternal wandering. [Marine Folklore: Benét, 355]
12. Goedzak, Lamme accompanies Eulenspiegel on his circumambulations. [Ger. Folklore: Benét, 325–326]
13. Goliards wandering scholar-poets of 12th-century Europe. [Medieval Hist.: NCE, 1105]
14. Gulliver, Lemuel visits fabulous lands. [Br. Lit.: Gulliver’s Travels]
15. Gynt, Peer Norwegian farmer drifts around without purpose. [Nor. Lit.: Peer Gynt, Magill I, 722–724]
16. Gypsy member of nomadic people who usually travel in small caravans. [Eur. Hist.: NCE, 1168]
17. Harold, Childe seeking an end to disappointment in love, he wanders about Europe. [Br. Poetry: Byron Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage in Magill IV, 127]
18. Herodias condemned to wander the world for centuries for her part in the execution of John the Baptist. [Fr. Lit.: Eugene Sue The Wandering Jew]
19. Ishmael “the wanderer” aboard Ahab’s ship. [Am. Lit.: Moby Dick]
20. Kwai Chang Caine Shaolin priest wanders throughout America. [TV: “Kung Fu” in Terrace I, 449]
21. Labre, St. Benedict itinerant holy beggar. [Christian Hagiog.: Attwater, 64]
22. land of Nod condemned to vagabondage, Cain settles here. [O.T.: Genesis 4:16]
23. Meaulnes, Augustine dreamer with a lifelong fondness for wandering into romantic adventures. [Fr. Lit.: The Wanderer in Magill I, 1081]
24. Melmoth the Wanderer to win souls, he is cursed to roam earth after death. [Br. Lit.: Melmoth the Wanderer]
25. Moses led his people through the wilderness for forty years. [O.T.: Pentateuch]
26. Mother Courage shrewd old woman who makes her living by following the armies of the Thirty Years’ War selling her wares to the soldiers. [Ger. Drama: Brecht Mother Courage and Her Children in Benét, 690]
27. Nolan, Philip transferred from ship to ship; never lands. [Am. Lit.: “The Man Without a Country” in Benét, 632]
28. Odysseus (Ulysses) hero of the Trojan War wanders for seven years before returning home. [Gk. Lit.: Odyssey]
29. Omoo Polynesian word for an island rover. [Am. Lit.: Omoo]
30. Ossian a legendary, wandering Irish bard. [Irish Lit.: Harvey, 603]
31. Route 66 adventure series of two young men wandering along highway Route 66. [TV: Terrace, II, 259]
32. Rugg, Peter wanders on horseback for fifty years, trying to find his way home. [Am. Lit.: Austin “Peter Rugg, the Missing Man” in Hart, 48]
33. Siddhartha character who wanders in search of “inner truth.” [Ger. Lit.: Hesse, Siddhartha]
34. Travels with Charley accompanied by his poodle, Steinbeck drives 10,000 miles through 40 states to discover America. [Am. Lit.: Steinbeck Travels with Charley in Benét, 961]
35. Travels with a Donkey R. L. Stevenson’s wanderings through the mountains of southern France, accompanied by a donkey. [Br. Lit.: Magill I, 1014]
36. Wandering Jew condemned to eternal wandering for mocking Christ. [Christian Legend: NCE, 2926; Fr. Lit.: Wandering Jew]
37. Yorick, Mr. in a leisurely trip through 18th-century France, he meets a variety of people and enjoys the company of the fair sex. [Br. Lit.: Sterne A Sentimental Journey in Benét, 914] |
Over half a million people play squash in the UK. It’s both fun and enjoyable to play, and a great 40 minute workout guaranteed to burn loads of calories. If you’re new to the game and have never played before, watch the below youtube video to understand the basics:
For those wanting to know a little about the history of squash then see what wikipedia has to say about it:
Rules of the game
The basic rules of squash are outlined below (taken from the England Squash & Racketball National Governing Body website):
1. Squash equipment
2. Scoring
3. How to win points
4. Service
d. A service is a fault:
5. Play
NB: If any part of the ball touches the out line the ball is deemed out or if the ball hits the tin or the floor on its first bounce the ball is deemed down. Similarly, if the ball bounces on or before the short line from a service, the serve is deemed a fault.
6. A Good Return
A return is good if the ball, before it has bounced twice on the floor, is returned by the striker on to the front wall above the tin, without touching the floor or any part of the striker’s body or clothing, provided the ball is not hit twice, down or out.
7. Lets
(a) A let may be allowed:
(i) If the striker refrains from hitting the ball owing to a reasonable fear of injuring the opponent.
(ii) If the striker, on the way to playing the ball incurs sufficient interference to impede their access to the ball when the striker would have otherwise played a good shot.
(iii) If the Referee is asked to decide an appeal and is unable to do so.
(b) A Let shall be allowed:
(ii) If the ball breaks during play.
(iii) If an otherwise good return has been made, but the ball goes out on its first bounce.
iv) If the ball in play touches the receiver or anything carried or worn by the receiver whilst on the way to the side wall or back wall in anticipation that the ball would have reached the front wall and hence been a good return.
8. How strokes (points) can be won
A player wins a stroke:
a) If the server fails to make a good serve (See point 4 on the Service).
b) If the opponent fails to make a good return of the ball in play.
e) If the ball hits the ceiling or any object outside of the court.
9. Freedom to play the ball
That is:
10. Warm-Up
The full rules can be downloaded in Microsof Word format from the England Squash & Racketball National Governing Body website. Follow the link below to access:
full rules |
By Andrew Butler /
This is Richard Grosvenor Plunkett-Ernle-Erle-Drax, a Conservative Member of Parliament for South Dorset. He lives in Charborough House (pictured above) on his the family’s 7,000 acre estate, surrounded by one of the longest walls in England, featuring massive arched gateways, one topped with a lion and one with a stag.
Richard Drax is firmly part of England’s landed gentry and ruling elite. Much of his wealth can be traced back to sugar plantations in Barbados, established by his ancestor James Drax, who was integral to establishing both the sugar and slave industries in the Caribbean. Records compiled by University College London show that in 1836, after the abolition of slavery and as part of a massive government compensation package, the Drax family were paid £4,293 (the equivalent of around £3million today) in compensation for the loss of their “property” - the 189 slaves owned by the family and made to work on their sugar plantation. Despite calls for reparations, slaves and their decendents have never recieved compensation.
Ancient history, you might say. Yet Richard Drax owes his privileged position to generations of exploitation and the appropriation of lives and resources by his family. So how does he use his privilege? In a county where a handful of families own and control tens of thousands of acres of land, in a region where up to a quarter of houses are second homes, in a country with more than 600,000 empty homes; Richard Drax uses his position to take aim at immigrants by saying “this country is full”.
He wants to restrict those allowed into the UK to those “with money in a bank account” because, at the end of the day, to people like Drax your value as a human being is only equal to your net worth.
Drax is not unique. Much of Britain's elite ruling class made their wealth on the backs of others, others who they now blame for Britain’s problems. Aided and abetted by their friends in the media, they point the finger of blame toward Calais and the mediterranean, and while people are distracted they continue to siphon wealth and resources from the rest of us.
4.6 ·
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Schoolyard Gadgets Bring Physics to the Periphery
Sixth-graders pouring out of the Misgav regional school for a break last Thursday crowded around several exhibits in the courtyard.
The installations, which demonstrate how the laws of physics work, were initiated and developed by Danny Ovadia, the Eshkol Payis Science and Arts Center director in Misgav.
He explained the various installations to the students, such as a demonstration of water pressure "when we dive in the sea."
At the end of the break, the students - many of whom may have been cutting science class - refused to return to their lessons and were granted a three-minute extension.
Ovadia has developed 75 installations for five different exhibitions demonstrating basic concepts in physics - mechanics, waves, optics, electricity, gas and liquid magnets - over the past year. The exhibits are mounted in peripheral towns such as Nesher, Kiryat Yam, Tirat Hacarmel and Misgav for six months at a time.
Ten years ago, when Ovadia was appointed director of Eshkol Payis in Misgav, he set up a "science park" in the regional school yard. Later, the Kadima Science non-profit organization, dedicated to advancing scientific and technological education in Israel, decided to finance a project to boost science studies.
"I proposed a sort of mini science museum in Eshkol Payis centers in peripheral towns, to enable students to receive science instruction without having to travel far or pay for it," says Ovadia.
The exhibits are intended to demonstrate physics laws and attract students to this unglamorous field, he says.
"I myself was attracted to physics only after experiencing it, because it's hard to get excited over theories," says Ovadia. "As a young teacher I used to take my children's toys and build models to prove to students that the laws work," he says.
The exhibits in Eshkol Payis centers are open to the community at large.
Ovadia, 51, has a master's degree in science education. He has been teaching physics for 23 years, and has co-authored physics textbooks. To his regret, physics instruction has become "extinct in some places."
"The youth are attracted to the arts, cinema and media, and look for subjects with glamour. Physics requires investment and effort, so people recoil from it," he says.
Only 8 to 10 percent of 120,000 students nationwide choose to study physics in school, and an even smaller percentage continue studying it at university. "In some places principals don't even open a physics class because the matriculation exam average is low, equipment costs are high and few students enroll. Principals prefer to social science classes, which apart from a teacher, demand no investment," says Ovadia.
He blames the cuts to the Education Ministry's budget, which have reduced the funds available for physics instruction and laboratories.
"Once there's no budget, there are no labs, the equipment wears down and there's no money to visit the Science Museum. That's why I wanted to bring the exhibitions to the periphery, to expose students and attract them to study physics. It's the heart of science," he says. |
Your Hormones and You: What You Need To Know From a Health Standpoint
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When you think of hormones and hormonal health, the reproductive system and fertility might be the first thing that comes to mind. If you are concerned about weight loss, you might also think about the metabolism and body fat. While it is true that hormones do control all of these processes, that’s only part of the story.
The truth is that hormones play a vital part in all of your bodily functions, which is why hormone health is so important.
What are Hormones?
In a nutshell, hormones are chemicals that control complex processes throughout your body such as organ function, mood, and even the production of other hormones. The organs that produce hormones are called glands, which are part of the endocrine system. All humans have eight major endocrine organs:
• The pituitary gland;
• The hypothalamus;
• The pineal gland;
• The thyroid gland;
• The parathyroid;
• The thymus gland;
• The pancreas; and,
• The adrenals.
Men a women also have additional organs specific to their gender:
• The ovaries and uterus, in women; and,
• The testes and prostate, in men.
Endocrine Functions
Each endocrine structure performs more functions than can be mentioned in such limited space, however there are two endocrine organs that bear mention: the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.
The Pituitary
The pituitary gland is also called “The Master Gland” because it controls almost all of the other glands in your body. For example, if your body needs more estrogen, or testosterone, the pituitary releases luteinizing hormone to stimulate the ovaries or testes to release estrogen or testosterone. If you need more thyroid hormone, the pituitary releases thyroid-stimulating hormone, which causes the thyroid to go to work. All-In-all, the pituitary gland releases approximately eight hormones, all of which control other endocrine organs in the body.
The Hypothalamus
The hypothalamus acts as the watchdog for the pituitary gland. It monitors hormone levels in the blood stream and alerts the pituitary when certain hormones are low. For example, if the hypothalamus realizes your thyroid levels are low, it will release thyrotrophic-releasing hormone, which signals the pituitary to jump-start the thyroid by releasing thyroid-stimulating hormone. In addition to thyroid hormones, the hypothalamus also monitors blood levels of growth hormone, adrenal hormones, and sex hormones.
Endocrine Problems
As you can see, both the pituitary and the hypothalamus play crucial roles in all the other hormone functions in your body. A problem with either of these structures could have serious consequences.
Pituitary Dysfunction
The most common issue that occurs with the pituitary gland is a pituitary tumor, or adenoma. Pituitary tumors are almost always benign, meaning non-cancerous, but they can still cause several problems.
For example, if the tumor is on the part of the pituitary that makes prolactin, it can cause the gland to make too much of that hormone. Under normal circumstances, prolactin causes pregnant women to make breast milk, but abnormal levels from a prolactinoma can cause reproductive problems in men and women, including infertility.
Pituitary tumors can also interfere with hormone production, causing debilitating hormone deficiencies. Additionally, as the tumor grows, it can press against the surrounding brain tissue causing headaches, vision problems, and may even be life-threatening.
If a patient has abnormal hormone levels, a doctor may order a scan of the pituitary to determine if there is a tumor. If the presence of a tumor is confirmed, the doctor might recommend radiotherapy to shrink the tumor, or surgery to remove it.
Hypothalamus Dysfunction
In addition to the pituitary hormones, the hypothalamus also controls body temperature, motor functions, your sleep cycle, and appetite.Dysfunction in the hypothalamus could cause a variety of problems from including:
• A failure to produce pituitary hormones;
• Over-stimulating the pituitary and producing too many hormones;
• An inability to control body temperature;
• Loss of appetite;
• Sleep disturbances;
• An overstimulated appetite; and,
• Sexual dysfunction.
Hypothalamus dysfunction has multiple possible causes including:
• Surgery;
• Injury;
• Radiation; and
• Tumors.
If a patient has symptoms of a pituitary disorder, but there is no pituitary tumor, the doctor may order a scan of the hypothalamus. If a tumor is present, removal of the mass could resolve the symptoms. If the dysfunction is caused by an injury, or surgery, the doctor may need to prescribe medication to replace the missing hormones, and relieve any other symptoms.
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Maharatha in War in Mahabharata – The Meaning of Maharathi
Maharatha, or Maharathi, is a term widely used to refer to a warrior in the Mahabharata, Ramayana and other ancient Hindu scriptures. The meaning of the term Maharathi is a might warrior.
A Maharatha is skilled in the use of all weapons – bow and arrow, spear, mace, sword and other weapons. He is also highly proficient in fist handing and other hand to hand combats.
Maharathi is also skilled in riding animals like horses and elephant.
What makes a Maharatha different from other warriors is that he can take on ten thousand warriors single handedly.
The main warriors in the side of Kauravas and Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war were all Maharathas. |
If you are thinking of starting a small business, the timing may be right. America's June jobs report wasn't good, falling below consensus expectations of economists. But if you've been looking for work, or a new opportunity in this post-recession slow-growth economy, you probably already knew what the numbers just revealed.
The economy gained just 18,000 jobs in June, the U.S. government reported Friday, sharply below the expectation of 125,000 jobs predicted, meaning those who want work or new opportunity should start thinking about becoming an entrepreneur, joining America's one area of growth: small business.
Small businesses drive the U.S. economy and opportunity, meaning if you can't get a job or the one you want, you can create the opportunity. The time may be right, considering the American economy is expected to continue slumbering along the rest of 2011, yielding continued slow jobs growth.
If you are considering beating the dismal June jobs report by starting your own small business, here are five tips to consider based on years of personal experience in a variety of businesses:
1. Explore the franchise route to learn about what's working, or not, and why, but only go with a franchise in the end if you feel the advantage far outweighs what you can copy and create from scratch. Consider that franchises involve more than just the up-front fee. Most franchise companies collect weekly fees from gross sales ranging from six to 12 percent. In a slow economy, that percentage is often the difference between surviving and putting food on the table or not. Use your creativity -- investigate through franchises to see what they are doing then build your own business from scratch. Do it right and maybe you can launch the next franchise, collecting weekly percentage fees.
2. Be imaginative. Don't do what everybody else is doing. It's already being done. Think the cupcake craze is out of this world? Love how the lines string out the door at neighborhood cupcake shops each evening? Remember that all good things can only be so good. Whatever is already red-hot and fully developed is probably not your best move. All fads subside -- your job is to find the next cupcake fad, or develop a traditional business that wins through uniqueness, location, product and service.
3. Develop a niche. Sure, there's a dry cleaners on every corner, but there's room for more dry cleaners, particularly if you create one built upon the need of the day, where the work is done on-site and in a sustainable environment, with less chemicals. Green is big and it's going to get bigger, and you can and should apply that to any business you start. But most importantly, develop a niche in whatever endeavor you tackle. If you want a gourmet hamburger shop like those chains that are so hot now, maybe you should consider a gourmet veggie burger shop as well since the vegetarian movement is hot and the better burger chains are quickly covering all the low-hanging fruit territory in the other space.
4. Approach the business as a full-time employee from the start. Too many people try to keep their current job while investing in a small business on the side, thinking they'll work and earn their way into it, by hanging onto the safety of their paycheck while they get it going. Big mistake. You might as well take your money to be invested and throw it in the river, as you'll only win with hands-on, on-site hard work. Like the jobs market, small business is ultra-competitive, and if you are not there to make sure execution goes according to plan the odds of failure rise exponentially.
5. Whatever you do, plan to build the business plan from a customer service perspective. In a small business, you have to get a premium for your products and services to make a living. The quality of the products and services must be exceptional, of course, but that should be a given. The way to get the premium those quality products and services deserve, however, is through exceptional customer service. It's the dividing line between good small businesses and those that don't make it, and this should be factored in from the start. |
English version
Topic: Bicycles, carts, horses
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishldoce_023_jbicyclebi‧cy‧cle1 /ˈbaɪsɪkəl/ ●●● W3 noun [countable] bicycle.jpg TTBa vehicle with two wheels that you ride by pushing its pedals with your feet syn bike Can James ride a bicycle yet? exercise bikeCOLLOCATIONSverbsride a bicycleRiding a bicycle is very good exercise.get on/off a bicycleI got on my bicycle and cycled over to Rob’s house.push/wheel a bicycle (=walk beside it pushing it)She was wheeling her bicycle and talking to some friends.bicycle + NOUNa bicycle shop (also bicycle store American English)His dream was to own a bicycle shop.a bicycle rideThey went for a 50 km bicycle ride.a bicycle wheel/tyreMy front bicycle tyre is flat.a bicycle pump (=for putting more air in a tyre)Where’s the bicycle pump?a bicycle helmetIt’s safer to wear a bicycle helmet.a bicycle shed (=place for keeping bicycles in)He built a bicycle shed in the back yard.GRAMMAR: Patterns with bicycleYou say get on your bicycle: She got on her bicycle and rode away. You say get off your bicycle: I stopped and got off my bicycle. You say that someone is on a bicycle: I saw her out on her bicycle.You go somewhere by bicycle: Can you get to work by bicycle? Don’t say: Can you get to work with bicycle?
Examples from the Corpus
bicycleBritain still has a bicycle industry; frames and complete bicycles are manufactured here, though most of the components are imported.In learning a task, how to ride a bicycle, for example, one attends at first to every muscular movement.And so does riding a bicycle, with many protruding branches to track and avoid.All her bicycle needed was some regular use.I have this new house and a new bicycle.Then he came around the bend and saw the bicycle.Chastened, you pick up the bicycle and shuffle indoors, convinced you have ruined everything for good.ride ... bicycleIt's as simple as riding a bicycle.I could not even ride a bicycle, much less shoot baskets or play tennis.A man riding a bicycle stopped to ask what was the idea of all the green uniforms.Some people have cars and some ride bicycles and others walk.I didn't even know how to ride a bicycle, though as it happened I was soon forced to learn.In learning a task, how to ride a bicycle, for example, one attends at first to every muscular movement.Next couple of weeks, he was riding a bicycle.What fascinates me here is that the Government actually believes it can control who rides a bicycle and when. |
The legendary 'Captain Crunch' - who inspired the young Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in their 'phone phreak' days - has joined communications company OnInstant.
'Captain Crunch' has a real - and respected - name, John Draper. Draper has a host of notable contributions to the Mac industry under his belt. He was a pioneer of personal computing in the 1970s, emerging as a leading light in the legendary Homebrew Computer Club.
The name 'Captain Crunch' comes from his discovery in 1971 that a small toy whistle given away free with Cap'n Crunch cereal could be used to trick the US phone network into giving free telephone calls, a practice which became known as 'phone phreaking'.
His phreaking activities - which meant he could illegally control the US phone network - was written about in 1971's Esquire Magazine. The article, "Secrets of the Little Blue Box", (which referenced the Draper-developed electronic device which made the tone sounds to control the network), intrigued Jobs and Wozniak so much they tracked Draper down.
Draper's influence on Apple's co-founders
They did so, and he taught them how to make their own boxes, which legend claims they sold door-to-door on the Berkeley campus.
As a leader in the Homebrew collective, Draper also introduced the two Apple Computer founders to computing. Draper eventually joined Apple (as employee number 13), where he designed telephone interface boards and developed hardware and software for the Apple II.
Despite a brief interruption, when convicted in 1972 on phone fraud charges, Draper's plaudits continue: he implemented the first FORTH language on the Apple II, using it to write the world’s first word processor, which was modified for commercial sale and released as Easy Writer.
He then spent 20 minutes porting FORTH to the PC, and 48 hours later was able to deliver Easy Writer to IBM, beating Bill Gates and the early Microsoft team on the project. While working for IBM, Draper created the "Virtual Machine Interface", a screen and keyboard driver.
He continued his work with Computer Aided Design, porting AutoCAD to the Apollo DN-3000, Sun, and Mac. While working with the "Future Group", an elite group of programmers, Draper developed 3D Graphical User Interfaces. This led him to designing visual user interfaces for the Macintosh. These were used to write "Screenplay", a story boarding and scripting program used by movie producers in Hollywood.
Draper's extensive Mac industry experience - going back to before the invention of the first Mac - will be put to good use at OnInstant. He will be directly responsible for bringing OnInstant's presently Windows-only products to the Mac.
He has become director of the FollowMe! development group, which is responsible for cross platform and mobile device compatibility, innovation and development of the OnInstant Internet b2b communications network.
‘FollowMe!’ is a unique patent-pending service that automatically re-routes calls to whatever voice enabled device the user is using. |
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What is oil? How is it made? What can oil make and how? Why is oil so important? How do we find oil? What is oil used for?
Extracts from this document...
Oil What is oil? How is it made? What can oil make and how? Why is oil so important? How do we find oil? What is oil used for? In this essay, I'm going to answer all of the following questions above in great detail. What is it? Oil, like all other chemicals, is in a type of state. That state is usually a liquid matter, which feels greasy and slippery. The appearance of it though depends of the state it's in. It would normally be a black colour. To be specific, oil is made up of hydrocarbons, meaning carbons and hydrogen atoms. Another name for oil is crude oil. Crude Oil (CH4) How is it made? Oil can be found deep under the ocean. The process it has to go through takes millions of years. Firstly, deceased animals/plants sink to the bottom of the ocean, secondly the deceased plants/animals get covered be sedimentary rock, thirdly the sedimentary rocks put pressure the deceased animals including the heat (due to that under the ocean bed is closer to the core) and finally, there's no air, turning the deceased fossils morphing into oil. How do we find it? Oil, sometimes manages to escape and since its density is less than water, it floats on the ocean's surface. ...read more.
What products can it make and how? Oil is commonly known for producing plastics. Other products it makes are: * Bitumen- A thick black liquid used in paving roads. * Heavy fuels- Used by aeroplanes and ships. * Lubricating oils- used as fuel for cars and vans. * Kerosene- Used as fuel for aeroplanes and ships. * Petroleum gases- e.g. butane and propane. * Petrol. With hydrocarbons, you can decrease the amounts. To do this, you need to make the hydrocarbons go through a process which, is called cracking. In this process, you need to provide the hydrocarbons with enough energy to split apart (you provide them with) contains a certain number of hydrocarbons from its original substance. Having fewer hydrocarbons has a greater advantage than substance with more due to that they burn at lower temperature. E.g. If you have a oven and you put in on to a different temperature like 180 degrees centigrade, you'd need a suitable gas for this. Probably you'd want to have butane due to that it burns around that temperature. In big business that produce gigantic quantities of oil related products use catalysts to quickly destroy hydrocarbons. These are big machines that burn the hydrocarbons at certain temperatures (depending on the final product wanted). ...read more.
Old black records that used to play music were made of plastic. Many other things are used by plastics. What if the world never had plastic Without plastic, metal would be used and though durable and strong, it's reacts with water and oxygen meaning it's unsafe to use outdoors (unless coated with layers of paint). No more fridges due to that fridges are made of plastic and plastic reflects the coldnessback onto the food. If there was no plastic, people won't be able to store meat, meaning that meat has to be cooked fresh and ithis would cause a continuous demand for more meat, and this, can cause to more slaughtering of animals. Nearly everywhere you go, you can see plastic is used for something thatis important like rubbish bins. If we were to use more metal instead of plastic though, it would be cheaper but less useful. Conclusion Overall, oil is a great and fantastic product. Without it, we would suffer with diseases due to rotting foods and we could all die. If it weren't for the creation of plastics and gases, we would never be here as central heating keeps us warm and frozen food keeps bacterial away. Oil though, will one day run out if we keep taking it from the ocean and then we could die but, thankfully the oil companies are slowing down the amount of oil. By Gary Kimmelman 10.6 ...read more.
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1. The Importance of Water.
Considerations: * Failure to drink water through lack of thirst * Lack of water in vegetables or fruit * Failure to consume or absorb minerals * Excessive exercise - perspiration * Intake of caffeine, alcohol or soft drinks * Air-conditioning * Pharmaceutical drugs (often diuretic side-effects)
I needed something to do, to take my mind off the recent events. So I decided to go for a walk to explore the island to see if I could find any food as I was getting quite hungry as I didn't eat much of the plane food as it usually tastes really bad even in 1st class!
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Q41. Why do people take drugs? - Drug Addiction FAQs
A41. There are so many reasons as to why people take drugs. These include excitement, risk taking, escapism, curiosity or as a form of relaxation.
People such as clubbers or partygoers take drugs to heighten their mood and enjoyment of the music. Some will take drugs for the ‘buzz’ or the ability to dance all night followed by drugs for ‘chilling out’ afterwards. Other people take legal drugs such as painkillers or prescription drugs for a medical condition which can lead to a dependency. Then there are other people who have low self-esteem, are awkward in social situations or have a poor self-image. These people use drugs as a way of coping with that or to boost their confidence.
Some people enjoy taking drugs, for example drinking alcohol, having a cigarette after a meal or smoking a joint. In their eyes this is a relatively harmless activity and one that they are in control of. Pressure is another factor: if someone works in an environment where heavy drinking or drug taking is part of the culture then it is very hard to resist. They will join in rather than be thought of as not a team player. Anyone who takes drugs has their own reasons for doing so.
Drug Addiction FAQs Index:
Faqs drug addiction Intro
1. What is an addiction?
3. What causes an addiction?
4. Why do some people become addicted but others don’t?
5. What are the physical effects of an addiction?
6. What are the mental effects of an addiction?
7. What is the relationship between addiction and crime?
8. Can you have a harmless addiction to something?
9. Are there any risk factors for addiction?
10. How do I know if I have an addiction?
11. How do you treat an addiction?
12. What is ‘withdrawal’?
13. What are ‘cravings’?
14. What is a ‘relapse?’
15. Can you be cured of an addiction?
16. How does drinking lead to alcoholism?
17. What are the signs of a drink problem?
18. What is the difference between alcohol abuse and alcoholism?
19. What is ‘alcohol tolerance’?
20. What are alcohol withdrawal symptoms?
22. What is the treatment for alcohol addiction?
23. Why is smoking so addictive?
24. What is ‘nicotine'?
25. Why is it so difficult to stop smoking?
26. What are the effects of nicotine withdrawal?
27. How does smoking cause cancer?
1. What are the effects of smoking?
2. What is ‘caffeine’?
3. How can you become addicted to caffeine?
4. Which foods or drinks contain caffeine?
5. What are the effects of too much caffeine?
6. What is caffeine withdrawal?
9. How does an addiction start in young people?
11. Why do young people become addicted?
12. How can we stop young people from becoming addicted?
13. Why do people take drugs?
14. What are ‘hard’ drugs?
15. What are ‘soft’ drugs?
16. Is drug use confined to deprived areas only?
17. What are the signs of drug abuse?
18. What are the effects of drug use?
19. What is the link between drug use and crime?
20. Which are the most popular drugs in the UK?
21. Why do teenagers take drugs?
23. Can you stop taking drugs by willpower only?
24. Why do people lie about taking drugs?
25. How do you treat drug addiction?
26. What is ‘cold turkey’?
27. What is drug rehab?
28. Does drug treatment work?
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Planning and visualization improve food habits: Study
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Washington, Feb 26 (ANI): McGill researchers suggest that the best way to improve the way you eat is to make an action plan and visualize yourself carrying it out.
"Telling people to just change the way they eat doesn't work; we've known that for a while," says Barbel Knauper of McGill's Department of Psychology.
These kinds of visualization techniques are borrowed from sports psychology. "Athletes do lots of work mentally rehearsing their performances before competing and it's often very successful. So we thought having people mentally rehearse how they were going to buy and eat their fruit should make it more likely that they would actually do it. And this is exactly what happened," says Barbel Knauper. This research points to a simple yet effective means of changing eating habits.
The study was recently published in Psychology and Health. (ANI)
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Commodification of Sport and the Implications for Youth Sport Term Paper
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Excerpt from Term Paper:
If you were to ask the average American what they thought was wrong with professional sports today they would likely tell you that the amount of money athletes make is simply grotesque. After all, we live in an age where an eighteen-year-old kid can rake in ten million dollars a year for putting a ball through a hole (and that's not to mention the endorsement deals). Meanwhile, a city garbage man counts himself lucky to earn ten dollars an hour for performing a task much more essential to the functioning of society. So, how did such a drastic disparity come about? Well, it is a funny consequence of the free market economy and the flashy spectacle we call sports. However, it's crucial to keep in mind that the athletes are not to blame. They are not, necessarily, greedy or overpaid but what actually caused their drastic pay increase over the past forty years was the realization of their true market value. The setting that professional sports are currently in, economically, means that these player salaries are merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the commodification of these sports.
Sports have become not only international spectacles, but they are increasingly seen as a possible avenue by which children can escape poverty and become rich. These are relatively new advancements. Prior to competing sports leagues and players strikes an athlete truly did make approximately as much as a garbage man -- though they were far more well-known. The 19th and early 20th century sports were played almost entirely for the aim of good and high-level competition. The 19th century English middle classes played and watched sports for this purpose. However, it did not take long for organized teams and owners to realize the incredible capacity for profit that sports had.
First, it is important to recognize that sports owners are a very "small and interconnected group." (Kahn, 76). This means that relative to other markets sports owners have a fairly strong ability to band together and hold player salaries below marginal revenue product. This is what we call a monopsony -- there is an abundance of players wanting to sell their services but the only buyers are the small group of team owners; and in many cases "players have the option of negotiating with only one team." (Kahn, 76). This gives owners unprecedented power. From this information alone it should be expected that professional athletes earn far less than their actual value. However, this is not the whole story.
There have been a number of instances in history where players' options were no-longer limited to the small number of existing owners; this was a result of rival spots leagues. The two major periods when rival leagues emerged in American history was "from 1876 to 1920, when there was a scramble of professional baseball leagues forming, merging, and dissolving," and, "from the late 1960's to the early 1980's when new leagues were born in basketball, hockey, and football." (Kahn, 76).
Originally, with the birth of the National League, team owners attempted to keep salaries low by enacting the "reserve clause" in 1879. Essentially, this was a clause in each player's contract stipulating that they were permanently bound to the team that had first acquired them. (Tygiel, 112). This was a major coup for owners who were able to keep pay well below actual worth and vastly increase their profits. However, "the lower salaries may have contributed to the birth of a new league in 1882, the American Association." (Kahn, 77). Before the formation of the American Association baseball players averaged $1,375 a year, but by 1891 this had increased to $3,500 (Kahn, 77). The dissolving of the American Association in 1892 brought salaries back to what they had been ten years earlier.
Similarly, when the American League was founded in 1901 athletes' salaries increased again, only to fall back in 1903 when the two leagues joined for the World Series. During the 1913 and 1915 seasons the Federal League appeared and attracted many dissatisfied players. A sharp spike in overall player salaries also characterized this period, but this too was short-lived (Rosentraub, 84). By December of 1915 all but one of the Federal League franchises had either been bought-out of dissolved. The remaining franchise, from Baltimore, took the National League to the Supreme Court charging that they had "conspired with some owners in the Federal League to both monopolize baseball and convince other Federal League franchise owners to abandon the league." (Rosentraub, 85). Yet, the Supreme Court ruled "in 1922 and again in 1953, that baseball was exempt from antitrust laws, and that position was affirmed by the judiciary in 1970. But a mechanism was set in motion that would eventually" change professional sports forever (Calhoun, 151). For a time all athletes in the NFL, NHL, NBA, and Major League Baseball were bound to the team that had acquired them and earned much less than they were truly worth. This began to change in late 1960's when credible rival leagues were founded in both basketball and hockey (Calhoun, 194).
In 1967 the American Basketball Association (ABA) was founded and rivaled the NBA in both salary and quality of play. By 1976 four ABA teams were absorbed into the NBA which briefly brought players' pay down (Calhoun, 224). As a result, the NBA players association "challenged the merger on antitrust grounds, but then withdrew its lawsuit as a result of a settlement which granted free agency rights to NBA players." (Kahn 78).
Up until 1976 every player in each of the four major sports were rooted to their original team -- athletes were "not allowed to become free agents, who could sell their services to any team." (Kahn, 80). This ended when the Major League Baseball Association -- the players' union in MLB -- bargained with league owners using an outside arbitrator in 1975. The arbitrator determined that the reserve clause could not hold players for more than one year. This sent shock waves though all of baseball. Soon the league granted athletes free agency in the interest of setting formal restrictions upon it (Kahn, 81). Basketball players also achieved free agency in the same year through the ABA lawsuit. Football players had a more difficult time. As late as 1989 the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that NFL owners were exempt for antitrust laws (Cosell, 187). But, the players eventually prevailed and now enjoy a free agency agreement with the league.
Football players may make tremendous amounts of money today for playing a game, but this does not mean that they are not entitled to their share of the owners' profits. The simple fact is that team owners should not wield the incredible power over the lives of their workers they once did before the free agency era. Howard Cosell notes that, "If you can block and tackle in Detroit, you can block and tackle in Green Bay or Dallas just as well. There is no need to have a system whereby twenty-eight people dictate where you live and work and raise a family, just because it suits them financially." (Cosell, 178).
Globalization has gone hand in hand with the continual expansion of sports -- now on a global scale. Not only are teams able to recruit players from around the world, but their fan base can spread to wherever television can reach. Because of television, sports are no longer in existence merely to sell tickets, but instead, to sell thousands of corollary products. This means that a child playing baseball in Japan wants a Mark McGuire jersey to play it in, Upper Deck trading cards, and Icy Hot Sports Cream when he pulls a muscle. Realistically, these products have nothing to do with baseball; yet, they are essential to its owners, seeking to generate more profits. As a result, children around the world will grow up associating products with sports.
With the advent of free agency professional athletes in America began to earn far more than any ordinary worker in society could ever realistically hope for. Most people hailed this as the demise of franchise dynasties, team loyalty, and saw it as the liquidation of all great teams across all leagues. Yet, these aspects of professional…[continue]
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Class XI Physics Chapter wise Revision Test – Gravitation and Waves
Questions 1 to 5 carries one mark each
Questions 5 to 10 carries 2 marks each
Questions 10 to 15 carries 3 marks each
Questions 16 and 17 carries 5 marks each
1. What are mechanical waves?
2. The time period of a vibrating source producing sound is 0.01 s. If the velocity of sound is 340 ms -1 calculate wave length
3. State the principle of superposition of waves
4. Why is gravitational potential energy negative?
5. What is geosynchronous satellite?
6. Derive a relation between wave velocity, frequency and wavelength
7. What are transverse and longitudinal wave motions? Give an example for each type
8. What is the effect of pressure on the speed of sound? Justify your answer.
9. What is a progressive wave? Write an expression which represents a progressive wave.
10. State the conditions necessary for a satellite to appear stationary.
11. Define orbital velocity. Derive an expression for it.
12. Define acceleration due to gravity. Show that the value of ‘g’ decreases with altitude or height
13. State the laws of vibrations of stretched strings.
14. Derive an expression for the escape velocity of a satellite projected from the surface of the earth.
15. What is the maximum value of potential energy that can be possessed by a heavenly body? Give the general expression for potential energy of an object near the surface of earth
16. State Kepler’s law of planetary motion. Deduce Newton’s law of gravitation from Kepler’s law.
17. (a)What is Doppler Effect? (b) Derive an expression for the apparent frequency when a source moves towards a stationary observer. (c) A policeman on duty detects a drop of 15% in the pitch of the horn of a motor car as it crosses him. Calculate the speed of car, if the velocity of sound is 330 m/s
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Suppose you have a 3 liter jug and a 5 liter jug (this could also be in gallons). The jugs have no measurement lines on them either. How could you measure exactly 4 liter using only those jugs and as much extra water as you need?
This question was actually asked in a popular movie – Die Hard With A Vengeance.
Try figuring this one out on your own before reading the answer. It should be clear that the goal is to end up with 4 liter in the 5 liter jug, since having 4 liters in the 3 liter jug is impossible.
The answer, broken down in steps:
Step 1 : First, fill the 5 liter jug and then pour it into the 3 liter jug. The 5 liter jug now has only 2 liters left.
Step 2 : Next, empty out the 3 liter jug. Then, pour the 2 liters from the 5 liter jug to the 3 liter jug. So, now the 3 liter jug has 2 liters.
Step 3 : Fill the 5 liter jug again, and pour 1 liter into the 3 liter jug. Now, what’s left in the 5 liter jug? Well, exactly 4 liters! There’s your answer.
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Reasons to Believe
An Inordinate Fondness
For Haldane-an atheist-the existence of a large number of beetle species was prima facie evidence for evolution. If God exists, why would He produce over 450,000 seemingly unnecessary beetle species? An evolutionary perspective seems to make more sense, as this type of wanton biodiversity merely represents the outworking of undirected evolutionary processes.
When challenged along these lines, Christians often try to identify reasons why God created 450,000 beetle species. There is nothing wrong with this approach. In fact, it's possible to offer plausible reasons why God made nearly one million insect species. For example, one study shows that insects are worth $57 billion to the U.S. economy each year.1
In accord with this approach Scripture teaches that God created with specific goals in mind. Psalm 104-a creation account that mirrors Genesis 1-communicates that God created in a purposeful, progressive fashion, with the Creator's activity on each creation day setting the stage for His subsequent work.
The tendency, however, is to think of God exclusively as an Engineer who creates with only one specific purpose or function in mind. Is it possible that God is not just an Engineer, but also a divine Artist who creates at times solely for His enjoyment? Maybe the Creator really does like beetles. And that's why He made 450,000 beetle species.
Scripture supports this idea. Psalm 104:25 states that God formed the leviathan (which in this passage seems to refer to whales) on Day Five to frolic in the vast, spacious seas. In other words, God created the great sea mammals for no other purpose than to play! If God made the leviathan for merriment, could it be true for other creatures throughout life's history?
If not for the fossil record, people alive today would have no idea of the vast history of life on Earth. The fossil record gives an incomplete and often imperfect view of life's distant past, much of which is lost forever. Still, this record provides enough of a window to reveal a menagerie of unusual and interesting animals. Why did the Creator make such a diverse array of creatures at differing points in Earth's history? Could it be that one of the reasons God created so many remarkable animals-like the dinosaurs, creatures that fascinate children and paleontologists alike-was for His amusement?
Artistry and engineering are not mutually exclusive. Human engineers often design cars and buildings to be both functionally efficient and aesthetically pleasing. But sometimes humans create for no other reasons than for their pleasure and for others to enjoy their work. Could not the Creator do the same, for no other reason than an inordinate fondness?
1. Michael Hopkin, "What's the Point of Insects?" (March 31, 2006),, accessed April 5, 2006.
Subjects: Bad Designs
Dr. Fazale Rana
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Vertical Roaster
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A cooking utensil most often used for cooking poultry in an oven or on a grill. Vertical roasting tools are manufactured so the heat can circulate effectively around and through the entire item being cooked, resulting in a more moist or flavorful result. Typically, the cavity of a chicken or some other type of bird is positioned upright or vertically on the roaster with the tail at the bottom and the neck at the top of the roaster. The utensils manufactured for this purpose are built to accomplish the vertical positioning of the bird. Some of the common vertical roasters include: 1) a vertical roasting stand; 2) a can grilling rack or vertical roasting can stand (as used in Beer Can Chicken recipes; 3) a tube pan insert, (also known as an angel food pan insert) which contains a shallow dish instead of the entire pan side wall, with a hollow vertical shaft to hold the cavity bird in a upright position; or 4) a shallow baking pan which holds the bird loosely as it is positions vertically on the pan.
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Instructions For Electrolysis
On the previous page we saw the beautiful results of restoring an antique drawer pull. To remove rust using electrolysis, you'll need:
1. A plastic container big enough for the object to be restored.
2. Measuring cup and spoons.
3. Rubber gloves.
4. Distilled water (to avoid minerals or chemicals in tap water that could deposit or interfere). Available at most supermarkets.
5. Pure washing soda (also called soda ash or sodium carbonate). Available at most supermarkets.
6. A 6 V to 12 V DC power source capable of up to 3 amps, such as a car battery recharger or bench power supply. The power supply must be short-circuit protected. These are available at auto-part stores or electronics retailers.
7. A piece of plain steel (hardware store) or graphite (eBay). We'll discuss this in detail later on.
WARNING! This article describes an activity that involves risk of harm to persons, animals, and property.
• Shock danger due to electrified liquid. Do not touch when power is applied
• Toxic gas danger. Only use with plain steel or iron. Do not use with other materials, liquids, or chemicals
• Explosion or fire hazard due to hydrogen, oxygen, and other gases
• Only operate outside with a non-sealed container
• Do not allow access by animals, pets, children, or those who do not understand the danger
• Do not place it where accidental contact can occur
• Always have adult supervision
• Do not operate unattended
• Proceed at your own risk
Why Washing Soda?
Pure water is a poor conductor of electricity. In order for the electricity to power the chemical reactions, it needs to be able to flow throughout the container. The water needs free ions to conduct electricity.
Arm and Hammer Washing Soda (image courtesy of Arm and Hammer) Sodium carbonate soda ash technical grade PTI Process Chemicals
Left: Arm and Hammer Washing Soda. Right: Technical grade sodium carbonate from PTI Process Chemicals.
Washing soda is sodium carbonate. When dissolved in water, it becomes sodium and carbonate ions. The total combined solution is known as an electrolyte. You may have heard this term associated with batteries and capacitors. Electrolytes provide the same function in those electronic components -- the easy transfer of electricity.
Note: Washing soda is not the same as baking soda, which is sodium bicarbonate.
Washing soda is routinely used to remove oil and grease, as well as certain minerals. Therefore, the washing soda also provides a secondary benefit in electrolysis, as the rusted metal also likely contains these minor contaminants.
Washing soda is a skin irritant. That’s why you should wear rubber gloves.
Preparing the Container
Put on your rubber gloves.
Using a measuring cup, fill the plastic container with distilled water to the level where the rusted piece would be fully submerged.
Next, add enough washing soda to make the solution between ½% to 1% ratio. It’s easy if you use metric measurements: 5 to 10 milliliters of washing soda per liter of water. In imperial units, that’s 1 to 2 teaspoons of washing soda per 5 cups of water, or 1/2 cup of washing soda per 5 gallons of water.
Adding sodium carbonate washing soda to distilled water
Adding sodium carbonate washing soda to distilled water.
Stir the water until the washing soda has fully dissolved. Great! You now have a clean solution that will easily conduct electricity.
The Sacrificial Anode
Obtain a piece of ordinary uncoated steel or iron. Cut it down to a size that will fit in the container, with enough sticking out to connect a power clip. Clean the metal with soap and water to get rid of any surface contaminants.
With power turned off, attach the positive lead (+) from the power source to the piece of metal. This is called the sacrificial anode. It is an anode because it is connected to positive. It is sacrificial because it will rust away during the electrolysis process. Therefore, I wouldn’t use your favorite antique automobile license plate for the anode.
The power clip should not make contact with the water, since we don’t want it to corrode. Also, depending on the metal and plating of the clip, it could damage the piece being cleaned.
The anode should be placed on an interior side of the container (in the water). It should be attached in some non-conductive manner (plastic screws, plastic clamps, tape) so that it won’t come loose or fall on the piece being cleaned.
Electrolysis setup with sacrificial anode cathode restoration and plastic container
Electrolysis setup with sacrificial anode cathode restoration and plastic container.
With power turned off, attach the negative lead (-) (also called neutral or ground) of the power source to the rusted piece that you want to restore. This is called the cathode.
Place the piece in the middle of the container. It should NEVER touch the anode, as this would result in a short circuit. To prevent significant damage due to accidental contact, use a power supply with a current limit, rather than an unregulated power source such as a car battery.
Unlike the anode, the power clip to the cathode can be submerged, since the electrical supply is preventing it from rusting.
Look Again
Double check all of your connections. If you accidently have the connections reversed, you'll rapidly rust the piece you were trying to clean. (And, by the way, if you leave the piece in the water for any significant length of time without power turned on, it will also rust.)
Make sure nothing else is making contact with the water and that there isn’t any water or exposed wiring outside of the container. Also, check that the lid is off to prevent pressure buildup, and the container is outside so that the gasses can escape harmlessly.
If you’re good to go, click to the next page... |
Encyclopedia of Plant Anatomy - Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie
Encyclopedia of Plant Anatomy (formerly: Handbuch der Pflanzenanatomie) is a book series covering all aspects of plant anatomy and pathology. The initial volumes of the series were in German, while more recent volumes are all in the English language.
The volumes are internally consistent and either treat functional units (e.g. plant hair, seeds) or provide detailed information on the the anatomy and histology of a group of plants, or deal with general principles (e.g.Pathological and Regenerative Plant Anatomy).
The series is subdivided as follows:
Vol. I-III: Cytology
Vol. IV-V: Anatomy of individual tissues
Vol. VI-VII: Cryptogam anatomy
Vol. VIII-X: Histology of spermatophytes
Vol. XI-XII: Anatomy of phylogenetically important plant groups
Vol. XIII-XIV: Ecological, experimental and pathological anatomy |
Cystolith in a leaf cell
Cystolith in a leaf cell
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Caption: Light micrograph of a transverse section through the upper surface of an unidentified leaf, showing a specialised cell known as a lithocyst. The lumen of the cell contains an outgrowth of the cell wall on which is deposited a concretion of calcium carbonate (lime). The mass of calcium carbonate itself is known as a cystolith. Lithocysts occur in relatively few plant species; the rubber plant (Ficus elastica) and the stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) are the most common examples. The function of these specialised cells is unknown. Magnification unknown.
Keywords: botany, calcium carbonate, cystolith, leaf, leaf cell, leaves, light micrograph, lithocyst, nature, plant, plants
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Coca Cola, PepsiCo pledge to cut Americans' calories intake
Soft drink giants Coca-Cola and PepsiCo have vowed to cut the number of calories Americans consume drinking sugary drinks by one-fifth in about a decade in face of the nation's expanding waistlines.
The commitment, made Tuesday at the 10th annual Clinton Global Initiative in New York, was an acknowledgment by the companies of the role their products play in America's obesity crisis and the escalating rates of diabetes and heart disease that accompany it.
"This is huge," former US President Bill Clinton said in a telephone interview. "I've heard it could mean a couple of pounds of weight lost each year in some cases."
He said that in low-income communities, sugary drinks may account for a half or more of the calories a child consumes each day. Sugary soft drinks account for about 6 per cent of the average consumer's daily calories.
The companies, which also include the Dr Pepper Snapple Group aim to reduce each American's calorie consumption in sugary drinks by 20 per cent on average by 2025 through a combination of marketing, distribution and packaging. They will expand the presence of low- and no-calorie drinks, as well as drinks sold in smaller portions, and use their promotional skills to educate consumers and encourage them to reduce the calories they are drinking.
The program will cover company-owned vending machines and coolers in convenience stores, as well as fountain soda dispensers like those found in fast-food restaurants and movie theatres. The companies control almost all of those machines, in addition to about one-third of vending machines and 80 per cent of coolers.
It also will spill into grocery stores in end-of-aisle promotions and other marketing. "We'll use the most critical levers we have at our disposal, and the focus really will be on transforming the beverage landscape in the US over the next 10 years," said Susan Neely, chief executive of the American Beverage Association, the industry trade group.
It builds on a previous commitment the companies made to reduce the calories in the drinks they sell on school campuses and will incorporate lessons learned in Chicago and San Antonio, where they worked with mayors to improve the health of municipal employees by reducing calories in the sodas sold in vending machines in public buildings.
The new program, which will start in Little Rock, Arkansas, and in Los Angeles, will use some of the same tactics, Ms Neely said.
The companies have faced an onslaught of regulatory proposals over the last several years, ranging from a contentious effort by then-Mayor Michael Bloomberg in New York to limit the size of soda containers to a stalled bill in California that would require warning labels on such drinks.
Marion Nestle, a professor of nutrition and public health at New York University and a prolific writer about food issues, noted that the companies have fought such efforts vigorously.
"While they're making this pledge, they are totally dug in, fighting soda tax initiatives in places like Berkeley and San Francisco that have exactly the same goal," said Nestle, who has just finished a book about the industry.Sales of sugary drinks have been declining for more than a decade, because of greater awareness among consumers about the link between their eating habits and their health. From 2000 to 2013, calories consumed through sugary drinks fell 12 per cent, according to Beverage Digest, attributed to declining soft drink sales and increased consumption of water and low-calorie drinks.
Over that time, the companies have expanded their portfolios to include waters, juices, and energy and sports drinks, and they continue to diversify. This year, Coca-Cola bought a minority stake in Monster, the energy drink company, and a similar investment in Keurig Green Mountain has led to the development of a machine to make cold single-serve drinks, which will be introduced this fall to compete with SodaStream soda makers.
Health advocates generally dismissed this week's announcement as little more than another example of the industry's marketing prowess.
"I suspect they're promising what's going to happen anyway," said Kelly Brownell, an expert on obesity and dean of the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. "All the trends are showing decreased consumption of high-calorie beverages, and so what better way to get a public relations boost than to promise to do what's happening anyway?"
Clinton said he recognised how hard it would be for consumers to change their habits. "When I was in my freshman year in college trying to live on a dollar a day, I drank at least one and sometimes two 16-ounce bottles of Royal Crown Cola a day because they cost 15 cents," he said.
But after a heart operation in 2004, Clinton radically altered his diet. He said he now mostly drank water or iced tea, though he likes Gatorade G2, a sports drink with 30 calories.
The New York Times |
Why morning people rule the world
We are all morning or evening people. Scientists have established that our genes dictate around half of what they call our "chronotypes" — our natural preference for certain times of the day.
Evolution has produced a range of humans capable of being alert to danger at every hour of the day. Our experience confirms these findings. We all know people who love to be at work bright and early, with a cup of coffee to hand and decisions to make, and others who would rather stumble through the day until reaching a state of relaxed clarity around dusk, when their minds are purring.
Evening and morning are the right and left sides of our brain, the creative and the analytical, both of which we need to organise, process and advance our lives.
Discussing his research in the Harvard Business Review, Randler says: "When it comes to business success, morning people hold the important cards. My earlier research showed that they tend to get better grades in school, which gets them into better colleges, which then leads to better job opportunities. Morning people also anticipate problems and try to minimise them. They're proactive."
Christopher Coleridge, the founder of V Water, the fast-growing vitamin-enhanced water brand, has a different view on the advantages of morning-ness. "Morning is always the best time to get people to make decisions because people are full of optimism in the morning. By 9am, nothing really can go wrong. You're full of hope. By 4pm, at least six annoying things will have happened, so by the evening you're slightly annoyed and frustrated. Fortunately, you then have the rest of the evening to pick yourself up."
Earlier in his career, when Coleridge worked in advertising, he found the culture much more focused on the evenings, when conversations over drinks would lead to creative ideas. But as an entrepreneur, he found mornings were the best time to corral people's energies.
Evening-ness, he says, can be exploited by companies that are full of young people. But mornings appeal more to people with families who want a schedule which allows them to get in early and leave on time. For the growing army of part-time and freelance workers, tight schedules are just as important. "They tend to be very focused because they are moving from project to project and they don't have time to yack away."
In certain environments, morning-ness is unavoidable. In the City, many of the most significant meetings take place before the markets open. Schools, however, force morning-ness on teenagers at a moment when everything else in their lives — their hormones, their social lives, their working patterns — is drifting towards the evening.
But can one change one's chronotype from evening to morning? Randler says "somewhat", but it can be hard. He cites one study that showed half of school pupils were able permanently to shift the time they woke up by one hour. Chronotypes, however, do evolve over one's life. Adolescents tend towards evening-ness; from the ages of 30 to 50, people are evenly split between morning and evening; and over-50s are more morning types.
The challenge for companies, Randler says, is to accept that evening-ness is an inherent trait and, rather than battling against it, find ways to "get the best out from their night owls". |
Ask The Experts
Pop goes the pimple? No, do a chemical peel
Squeezing a pimple may push the infection deeper, making it worse and causing permanent scarring.
Squeezing a pimple may push the infection deeper, making it worse and causing permanent scarring.PHOTO: ISTOCKPHOTO
Q I am a 15-year-old girl. I have had acne since I was around 12 years old and it does not seem to go away.
When one pimple disappears, at least two more will appear.
I have tried creams, face washes and masks, but none of them seem to work. Can you suggest any other methods to keep acne away?
A Acne may be classified as mild, moderate or severe, depending on the number of comedones (whiteheads and blackheads) and inflammatory lesions on your face.
On top of the severity and extent of the acne, dermatologists would tailor the acne treatment based on the patient’s age and sex, duration of the acne problem and response to previous treatments.
When you are a teenager, it is not unusual to have a pimple or two.
Mild acne usually responds well to topical anti-acne creams such as benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. If these over-the-counter creams fail to work, you should see a dermatologist to obtain prescription creams and skincare products.
These usually include an oil-control facial wash, oil-free facial moisturiser, antibiotic cream and a night cream containing retinoids.
Topical retinoids are vitamin A derivatives that unclog pores, reduce oil production, prevent comedones and pimple formation, and speed up cell turnover to improve acne scars and even out skin discoloration.
If you have one or two huge painful pimples, a dermatologist can inject a diluted corticosteroid directly into the painful pimple in a procedure called intralesional corticosteroid injection, also known as steroid shot, or cyst injection.
Within hours to two to three days, the pimple will start to heal and flatten.
If you have break-outs that are not well controlled with creams alone, you would need one of the following oral medications.
Oral antibiotics help to kill bacteria and reduce inflammation of the skin.
Birth control pills regulate the female hormones and would be helpful for women and girls with acne problems.
Isotretinoin is approved to treat moderate and severe acne that may potentially cause severe acne scarring.
It is an oral retinoid that works by reducing the production of sebum (an oily substance produced by the skin) and the production of keratin (outer scales of skin) that blocks the pores of the hair follicle and cause acne.
Other than creams and oral medications, there are procedures to treat acne and improve acne scars.
Chemical peel is performed by applying an acid solution to the skin. The acid solution causes the skin to peel over a period of several days.
As the skin peels, fresh new skin replaces it. This exfoliation reduces comedones, improves pigmentation and superficial scars. However, multiple treatments maybe needed.
There are a variety of lasers used for acne treatments. Some help by decreasing the bacteria that cause acne. Some work by closing the pores and shrinking the oil glands.
Deep acne scars can also be improved by resurfacing lasers or radiofrequency.
And finally, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. In fact, do this regularly before you see a dermatologist.
Research has shown that a low glycemic diet, which limits sugar intake and where the carbohydrates eaten are less likely to cause large increases in blood sugar levels, helps to control and prevent acne.
Try not to pick the pimples or comedones, or squeeze them. You may push the infection deeper, make it worse and cause permanent scarring.
Dr Tan Siew Kiang
Specialist in dermatology and consultant at Raffles Skin & Aesthetics.
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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 11, 2016, with the headline 'Pop goes the pimple? No, do a chemical peel'. Print Edition | Subscribe |
Figures suggest wealthy carry tax burden
Last updated 05:00 05/08/2012
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How much tax do you pay?
The kneejerk answer is always too much, but parliamantarians on the Finance and Expenditure Committee tried to find out what the effective tax rate of the very wealthy was.
The estimate of the Inland Revenue is in 2010/11 when income tax was 38 per cent for the highest-earners for the first part of the tax year, but dropped after October 1 to 33 per cent rate taxpayers, was that the "high net wealth" individuals tracked by the IRD, who each control $50 million or more of wealth, paid 33.9 percent for their personal income, and 28.2 percent when other taxable income was included, such as that earned through a trust, a PIE, or a company.
The committee was slightly sceptical about whether that truly reflected their income, in the broadest colloquial sense, as the wealthy are able to structure their affairs to make money which is not classified as income for tax purposes, most notably through capital gains.
How do the effective tax rates of the wealthiest contrast to New Zealanders of more modest income.
The parliamentarians found it was more difficult to calculate an average tax rate for middle income New Zealanders, but an indicative comparator for someone on an average wage was 17.9 per cent, although Working for Families entitlements would reduce the average net tax rate to 8.4 per cent for a single-earner parent with one child, or 2.3 per cent with two children.
Since the changes in tax rates things will have changed a little, and the wealthiest will have seen their effective tax rates drop on paper at least, because the IRD has been strenuously pursuing them to extract more tax, and the IRD expects to bring in an extra half a billion dollars in revenue from the high net wealth individuals in the next 10 years through its crackdown.
But actually, when it comes to income taxes, New Zealand is something of a tax haven, because when Working for Families rebates are taken into account, 40 to 50 percent of households "effectively pay no net income tax, and roughly 40 to 50 percent of total net income tax is paid by those in the top 10 per cent income bracket, suggesting that the tax burden falls most heavily on the wealthy".
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6 Edible Bugs And How To Enjoy Them
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big-bugs 1
Historically speaking, humans have been eating insects for millions of years. To this day, well over 1/3 of the human population relies on bugs for protein and other vital nutrients. You may be consuming all kinds of bugs that get ground up in flour or make their way into frozen vegetable packages.
In fact, it is estimated that every person in the United States consumes over two pounds of bugs each year without realizing it. Beer drinkers eat even more bugs because just 10 grams of hops contains over 2500 aphids; and this number is acceptable to the FDA.
So, what wouldn’t you count on them for off-grid survival?
grasshoperGrasshopper colors range from light to a dark green, and 1 to 3 inches in size. These insects have 3 pairs of legs, and the rear set is much longer and stronger than the others.
Grasshoppers have wings on their back to assist them in traveling across long distances. Their heads have two antennae, which they use for navigation. They are found on grassy fields, meadows, and along the forest tree line.
To attract them, use a jar or other container and put it on its side. Put fresh leftover vegetables or other edible foods in the jar for bait. Set the trap and put it out at sunset. At sunrise, there will be grasshoppers in the jar. Do not forget to put the lid on the container. You can also catch them by hand. This way is much slower, and you have to start before dawn.
Grasshoppers can be deep fried, roasted, or baked. They can be eaten like this or added to sauces or stews. Some like them with a little salt and vinegar.
Ants are red or black in color, and about 1/4 inch in size. They also have antenna on their heads and 3 pairs of legs attached to an hourglass body.
Ants are found in anthills. Catch them by putting a stick in the anthill, wait a minute, and then remove the stick. Put the ants in a jar by shaking the stick. The ant larva can also be eaten.
In order to attract them, use sugar water, peonies, or any kind of food. Ants can be roasted, toasted, or dipped in chocolate.
Special Notes: Not all ant species are edible. It is best to stay away from fire ants and other poisonous ant colonies since they can easily attack and kill you if the swarms are large enough. Before hunting for ants, make sure you know which ones in the area are safe to eat and hunt.
Sow Bugs (also known as Rolly Pollies)
rolly-polliesSow bugs look like little gray balls the size of a BB at rest. They open up to about 1/4 inch when in motion, but still remain fairly round looking. When eating, they stretch out to look more worm-like.
Rolly Pollies are found under rotten wood, stones, or anything that has been sitting on soil for a while. So place rotten wood, stones, or other materials on the surface of the ground to attract them.
Sow Bugs are best cooked toasted to very crispy. Then they can be eaten by the handful, and they can be consumed raw with pepper or hot sauce.
Termites are about 1 inch long with 2 wings, 2 pair of legs, and antennas on their head. Since termites live in rotting wood, keep some near your base camp. Another way to attract them is to have a light source that is surrounded by a fine mesh net.
Termites are best toasted in a pan with olive oil and your favorite spices.
cricketsCrickets are brown in color and have three pairs of legs. The rear most legs are larger than the others and are used for jumping. Cricket wings are used primarily for communication, and not for flight. Crickets are found on fields, meadows, or along the tree line.
To attract the crickets, put a jar on its side on the ground. Put flour, fresh vegetables, or other bait in it. Put it out at sunset and recover it at dawn. Be sure to cap the container.
Crickets can be fried, roasted, or baked. They can be eaten by themselves, or put in stews and sauces.
maggotsMaggots are about 1/2 inch long, brown in color, and are the larva of flies. They are found in rotten meat, fish, or poultry.
To attract them, lay a piece of rotting meat or fish on the ground and leave it until you see maggots covering the bait. Then, scrape them off the bait into a jar.
Maggots can be fried, roasted or even eaten raw. Their taste will depend on what they were eating. If they were on something noxious, cover with hot sauce or strong herbs.
When you first hear about eating bugs for survival purposes, you may feel grossed out and nauseated. It is very important to realize that you are already eating bugs in modern processed foods.
Therefore, if you have any hesitance about consuming bugs listed in this article, consider that you may have already savored their delicious flavorings, and benefited from their nutrient rich bodies.
BYL 1This article has been written by Fred Tyrell for Survivopedia.
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1. pk allen says:
I think that meal worms were either roasted or fried and used as a snack food. Kind of like we would serve potato or corn chips at a party. I believe this may have been common during the late 1800s. I can't find data to support this, but I remember seeing it on tv years ago. BTW Fred, that rotting meat and maggots thing... There are plenty of other foods maggots can enjoy. The rotting meat/lethal bacterial/ other "surprise!" Parasites thing seems rather risky. And for medical purposes maggots have been used to consume necrotic flesh in humans...living humans with nasty wounds. That sort of thing. The grasshopper eating deal...I would recommend removing those back legs because of those barb like scratchy parts. Choking on a grasshopper leg would be a bummer.
2. cliff truman says:
While deer hunting I kicked over a big stump which was full of fat grubs. I tried them and discovered that they tasted like bacon. Yummy! They would make good cooking oil :o)
3. Ukachukwu Onyeabor says:
It's good to know that the white folks can now enjoy eating ants, maggots, bugs etc., with 'poor' Africans. Good article; good read.
4. Silkworm pupae taste like cashews when they're cooked in a little oil. Haven't tried canned ones; I've heard they're nasty. When raising them you need one good-sized mulberry tree per 1000 silkworms.
5. I've never seen termites as large as you described. The only size I've ever seen were about 3/8" long. Also the picture that you used by the maggot section were grub worms. The smaller variety is about an inch long and is found in the ground. They are the larva for "June Bugs". The larger variety is about 2 inches in length and is found in rotting pine logs or trees. They are the larva for the pine beetle. I have been told that they are both edible. It's recommended that you pinch off the dark last section of their bodies, since that is where the excrement is stored.
6. Kanna-Chan says:
Grubs I can handle, maggots, not so much. I could probably bring myself to eat most insects but not ones normally associated with filth like cockroaches or maggots.
• FYI the image in the "maggot" section of this article is a "European chafer larvae" (which I assume is edible) and is not a maggot. http://www.turf.msu.edu/european-chafer
1. […] for edible plants, edible insects, and edible […]
2. […] may be caught high and dry in the wilderness with little or nothing in the way of survival gear or emergency food, this article aims to arm you with some extra knowledge about common wild edibles. We’ll go over […]
3. […] can also store away ant eggs and other insect eggs that can be used to raise edible insects. Depending on what you choose, an area as small as a shoebox can be used to raise these insects. […]
5. […] many parts of the world edible insects are considered as much a delicacy as they are staple food filled with important nutrients. When you are stuck in one room, or you must […]
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Raspberry Pi: Essential add-ons for modders and everyday users
TechRepublic has covered some pretty nifty hacks for the Raspberry Pi, the $40 credit card-sized Linux computer.
But the Pi ships as a bare board, and if you're going to use the Pi to bark commands at a robot or sail an autonomous boat you're going to need to invest in some extras.
To help you on your way TechRepublic has rounded-up the ultimate collection of add-ons for the Pi, from boards for controlling robots to keyboards and screens that let you use it on the move.
This round-up assumes you already have the basics - the power cables, memory card, basic keyboad and mouse and video leads - you need to get going with the Pi.
Note a lot of these accessories have been built by individuals or small teams, so expect a bit of a wait to receive them.
Before you build a mechanical butler you're going to have to get to grips with the basics of using the Pi to control items in the real world.
This is where the Gertboard comes in, a circuit board that not only allows your to use the Pi to interact with motors, sensors and lights but is designed to teach you how to do so.
The board has been designed to allow you to start with the simplest tasks when using the computer to control devices - beginning with reading whether a button on the board is pressed and flashing an LED, and working up to using the board to talk to items in the outside world.
Programmable directly from the Pi's general purpose input-output port using the Atmel AVR software development kit, the board adds real-time sensing and control capabilities to the Pi.
As Liz Upton of the Raspberry Pi Foundation puts it, the Gertboard is great if you want to use your Raspberry Pi to drive motors, open doors, lift things, power robotics, sense temperature, switch devices on and off, flash lights or teach it to play the glockenspiel - basically to do anything really cool.
It comes with an assembly manual and a user manual, which also act as teaching guides, bundled with plenty of programs to show you how to put things together.
While the board ships with all of the components needed to connect to the Pi it does come in kit form, meaning you're going to have to break out the soldering iron. No fear, as this guide points out, soldering is easy.
Gertboard is available through element14. Readers in the UK can order it here, Singapore and other Asia Pacific countries here; Australians here and Americans here.
Photo: Raspberry Pi Foundation
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How to Fill Out Bankruptcy Schedule A/B: Property
On Schedule A/B of the bankruptcy forms, you provide information about all of the property you own, including your home, car, and personal belongings.
When you file for Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy, you’re required to disclose your income, assets, debts, and transactions on a series of forms. On Schedule A/B: Property you’ll list everything you own, including all of your real estate, money in the bank, clothing, furniture, boats, and farm supplies. If you own property “jointly”—meaning with someone else—you must explain your ownership share, as well.
What to Include on Schedule A/B
With questions covering over 40 different property categories, by the time you’re done with Schedule A/B you’ll have told the court about everything you own. You’ll start by disclosing all of your real estate in the first section. You’ll tell about your remaining property in the categories that follow.
What Is Real Estate?
Real estate—called “real property”— includes any land that you own and buildings on that land. For bankruptcy purposes, real estate also includes property such as a manufactured home or time share. Regardless of whether you are paying a mortgage, have a lien against your property, or own it outright, if you have an ownership interest in any real estate, you must list it on Schedule A/B.
Describing Your Real Property
If you don’t own any real estate, you’ll check “No” to the first question, “Do you own or have any legal or equitable interest in any residence, building, land, or similar property?” Otherwise, you’ll check “Yes.” While most of the remaining questions are self-explanatory, some aren’t as easy to understand. Here’s some extra help.
Where is the property? You’ll start by listing the address of the property, such as “1234 Maple Street, Anytown PA 12345.” If you don’t know the address, you’ll describe the property as best you can, such as “Timeshare in Kissimmee, FL.”
What is the property? The court will want to know whether you own a duplex, a single-family home, or something else. If you don’t find a check box that describes your property, you’ll fill in the “Other” space provided. For example, if you own the right to mine gems or cut down trees on a piece of property, but you don’t own the property itself, you’ll list your mineral or timber rights in the “Other” section.
Who has an interest in the property? In this section, you’ll tell the court if you own the property with someone else. This comes up in a number of situations, such as when you file bankruptcy and your spouse does not, and you own a home together. It also comes up when you own property jointly with siblings, which sometimes happens when real estate is inherited from family members, or when you co-own real estate with any person who is not your spouse. You’ll check the box that best describes the property ownership.
Other information. Sometimes a property is in foreclosure or needs significant repairs when you file for bankruptcy. You’ll use the space provided to tell the court any additional information you believe it needs to know. You can also include the property identification number although it’s not required.
Current value of the entire property? You’ll list the current market value of the entire property, which means how much you could sell it for in today’s market, as is.
Current value of the portion you own? This is where you list your share of the current market value of the property. So if the property is worth $120,000, but you have a 50% interest in the property, you would list $60,000. (Learn more about valuing your real estate in bankruptcy.)
Listing Your Remaining Property
Each of the remaining questions asks for information about specific types of personal property (which is everything other than real property)—such as tax refunds, business inventory, and jewelry—in a straightforward, easy-to-understand manner. If the category doesn’t apply to you, you’ll check the box marked "No.” If you have the type of property asked about, you’ll check the box marked “Yes,” describe the property, and indicate the current replacement value—what it would cost to buy the item, given its age and condition—of the portion you own.
The final category is a catchall, where you must list any personal property that didn't fit into any other category.
Why You Must Be Honest on Your Forms
When you complete Schedule A/B and your other bankruptcy forms, you must be thorough and accurate. If the trustee discovers that you left property off your forms, the consequences could be severe. If the trustee believes you were trying to hide property with the intent to deceive your creditors and the court, it could put your whole bankruptcy case in jeopardy. You might not receive a discharge, or, if you’re found guilty of fraud, you could be assessed a fine of up to $250,000, sentenced to up to 20 years in prison, or both.
If the trustee believes that you made an innocent mistake, you can amend the form. But the trustee will review your other paperwork carefully, looking for other problems. Your credibility will definitely take a hit, which could lead to closer questioning at your meeting of creditors and other hassles.
You Can Keep Some Property
The good news is that you’ll likely get to keep property that's important to you. Many who file for Chapter 7 bankruptcy have what are called "no asset" cases, which means that all of the filer's property is exempt. You might be pleasantly surprised to find that you are able to claim exemptions on Schedule C: The Property You Claim as Exempt for all of your property, or at least all of the property you want to keep.
Even if you want to keep something that isn't exempt, you might be able to negotiate with the trustee by handing over exempt property or cash instead. For example, let's say you own a piano that belonged to your grandmother that has strong sentimental value to you and your family. You don't want to give it up, but it isn't exempt in your state. It's worth about $2,500, so the trustee could well decide to take it and sell it, to distribute the proceeds to your creditors.
You own a used car worth about $3,000. It's exempt in your state, but you don't really need a car—and you've decided to sell it to cut your monthly bills for gas, maintenance, insurance, and so on. You might be able to negotiate with the trustee to take your car instead of the piano. Or, you might be able to sell the car and use the money to "buy back" your piano from the trustee. The trustee isn't interested in depriving you of beloved possessions. The trustee's only interest is the bottom line—how much your nonexempt property is worth—because that’s what determines both how much your creditors will receive and how much the trustee will earn in your case.
To learn more about the Bankruptcy Filing Process, see our topic pages on The Bankruptcy Filing Process
Getting Legal Assistance
If you left important property off Schedule A/B, and particularly if you've gotten caught, you might want to consult with an experienced bankruptcy attorney.
Warning: This article provides general information about Schedule A/B. Before you complete this or any other bankruptcy form, you must understand bankruptcy law in its entirety and may need to know local customs in your bankruptcy court. Consult with a local bankruptcy attorney or read a comprehensive self-help book like Nolo's How to File for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy.
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Erich Wolfgang KorngoldWhen Die tote Stadt (The Dead City) debuted in December 1920, Erich Wolfgang Korngold was only 23. Mahler called him a genius at age 10 after hearing him play, while Puccini was a fan of the Brno-born prodigy too, saying “He has so much talent he could easily give half away—and still have enough left for himself.” Coupled with this natural talent was the fortune of being bred in Vienna, the city that Daily Telegraph writer Ivan Hewett has called “the nerve-centre of Western music.”
At the time of Korngold’s birth (1897), Vienna was unquestionably Central Europe’s epicenter of culture. Not only was Vienna home to the emerging trends of Freudian psychoanalysis and the Secession movement in the arts, but it was also the last bastion of an older form of European conservatism. As the primary capital of the multi-ethnic Austro-Hungarian Empire, Vienna exuded the Habsburg traditions like no other city. From baroque Catholicism to the gentleman emperor Franz Joseph I, the Vienna that Korngold knew as a child must have seemed like a fantasy world full of radiant splendor and ceaselessly cultured manners.
Some of this mystique rubbed off on the budding Korngold, who spent a great deal of his professional career trying to recapture snatches of “Old Vienna.” As such, waltzes, which were considered unfashionable by the second decade of the 20th century, populate many of his arrangements, while Die tote Stadt’s theme of a melancholic longing for the dead past seems like an almost too easy allegory for Korngold and other Viennese dreamers in the post-World War I wreckage of the new Austria.
A large part of this nostalgia could also be considered a supreme form of navel-gazing. Like his contemporaries Franz Kafka and H.P. Lovecraft, Korngold grew up a sheltered child with little regard for the world around him. His life and his music seem to reflect this deep attachment to dreams, and it’s no wonder that his most famous play is about a man being consumed by his own imagination.
Based on a symbolist novel by the Belgian author Georges Rodenbach, Die tote Stadt deals with a lonely man named Paul who is still grappling with the death of his beloved wife Marie. In his home he has built a “Temple of Memories” dedicated to her ghost, and from a portrait to a lock of hair, Paul’s Bruges is truly a city of the dead. The opera’s action begins when Paul’s friend Frank urges him to move on with his life. After all, Marie, he tells Paul, would want him to not obsess over her, especially after her blissful parting from this mortal coil.
Frank’s sensible arguments put Paul into a frenzy, with the grieving man swearing that Marie is still indeed alive. In fact, Paul claims to have seen her on the streets of Bruges. Furthermore, he has invited her to his apartment.
Marie’s substitute is the beautiful dancer Marietta, who, after growing uneasy with Paul’s odd behavior, attempts to seduce the widower with her singing and dancing. Caught between his newfound urges for Marietta and his sense of loyalty to Marie, Paul collapses in a chair due to his moral and emotional exhaustion. Once in the chair, Paul begins to have visions, one of which is of Marie’s ghostly body stepping out from her portrait. Marie reminds Paul to not forget her, all the while she tells him to carry on with his life.
For the remainder of the opera, Paul’s hallucinatory state takes over Die tote Stadt, and these scenes run the gamut between slightly whimsical to downright frightening. In one, after he has embraced Marietta as his new love, the pair observe a religious procession taking place on the street below Paul’s window. Before long, Paul begins to see the procession in his own home with Marietta as the centerpiece.
Die tote stadtAs Paul’s dreams continue, the line between reality and fantasy crumble, thus causing both the viewer and Paul to question their own grasp on sanity. And when Marietta uses Marie’s lock of hair to taunt her agitated lover, Paul uses the object to strangle Marietta. In death, Marietta has now become Marie, and when Paul holds her dead body in his heads, he utters a solemn recognition that both his wife and lover are victims of the same fate.
As trite as it might sound, this is where Paul wakes up. Die tote Stadt reveals itself to be mostly a dream narrative. After becoming fully aware of the power of his own nightmares, Paul decides to leave Bruges for good. He abandons his “Temple of Memories” and leaves Marie to her own peaceful afterlife.
Musically speaking, Die tote Stadt is emblematic of what even then was a dying art—the Romantic composition. Critics in his own day compared Korngold to other Romantic holdouts such as Richard Strauss and Mahler, and these criticisms have survived over the years. As a result, Korngold’s stage music often gets treated as an unfavorable second to his film scores, which, to be fair, are some of classic Hollywood’s greatest. The American Film Institute even ranked his score for The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938) as the 11th greatest film score of all time.
In an odd circle, Korngold’s stage music, which not only brought him his initial fame but also his first taste of critical disapproval, has found a second life in cinema after the composer’s death. In particular, Die tote Stadt’s gorgeous duet “Glück das mir verblieb” has been used in several films, most notably The Big Lebowski.
It’s not hard to see why Korngold and Die tote Stadt, which to modern viewers reads like a precursor to Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, has undergone a resurgence as of late. From revival performances in New York and Dallas to critical appraisals in The Wall Street Journal, Die tote Stadt is currently living in its second act as a piece of art that was famously banned by the Nazis. Their reasons? Besides Korngold’s Jewish background, Die tote Stadt also bears the influence of Sigmund Freud and his theories about the powerful subconscious. Paul is living in a Freudian hell throughout Die tote Stadt, and such angst-ridden characters were not seen as acceptable for National Socialism.
There could be yet another explanation for the antipathy of the Nazis. Considering that it debuted in 1920, Die tote Stadt’s examination of painful memories and the emotional problems associated with the loss of loved ones would have been seen in light of World War I. For Korngold and other Austrians, the First World War represented the final stake in the heart of Habsburg civilization. In its wake came competing national identities, communism, socialism, and, most potently, fascism. In many ways, Die tote Stadt is one of the last gasps of Old Vienna and Old Austria. As conservatives, we can appreciate the culture that raised Friedrich Hayek, Carl Menger, and Ludwig von Mises, and therefore we can appreciate the awesome majesty of Die tote Stadt.
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4 replies to this post
1. A very nice piece, Mr. Welton, about a composer I much admire. It is interesting that you discuss “Die Tote Stadt” as an example of Korngold’s musical conservatism, which it surely is. What has always troubled me about this piece, though, is that the libretto seems to me to be antithetical to conservatism. The dead city seems clearly to be meant to represent the “dead hand” of tradition/history that Paul must throw off in order to come out of his delusional dream and to embrace reality and thereby achieve happiness. Korngold must have found the underlying philosophy of the libretto acceptable to some degree. What do you make of this? I would be much interested in your thoughts.
2. Mr. Klugewicz,
You’re absolutely right. As with my earlier piece on Holst’s “The Planets,” “Die tote Stadt” is emblematic of conservative music with a decidedly non-conservative origin (Astrology in the case of the former and pseduo-Freudian symbolist literature in the latter). As for how much Korngold agreed with the spirit of Paul Schott’s libretto, I must admit that’s for a better man and a better scholar than myself. If I could be so bold as to hazard a guess, then I would say that Korngold, like many modern day musicians, academics, poets, and writers, probably found himself unable to escape progressive fads or left-wing ideologies.
3. Regarding the libretto by Paul Schott, I should like to draw your attention to the fact that Paul Schott was actually a pseudonym for Korngold and his father, the critic Dr Julius Korngold. The changes wrought on Rodenbach’s original novella were entirely Korngold’s because he was, in spite of the crumbling of Empire and the Vienna he loved, an optimist. He composed a theme of upward leaping perfect 4ths, while still a child, which he entitled “The Motif of the Cheerful Heart” and liked to incorporate it in all of his major works; it appears in Tote Stadt in Act 1.
4. Brendan,
Thank you for this information. It certainly adds a wrinkle to my understanding of “Die tote Stadt.”
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Updated on 03.31.10
Mental Math and Good Spending Choices
Trent Hamm
Earlier today, I linked to an article at Free Money Finance that included a quote from Mary Hunt:
Get into the habit of quickly calculating the annualized cost of things and you’ll achieve an effective way to get mindless spending under control.
After reading this, a reader wrote in to me and said:
I can see how a tip like that could be useful, but I’m really awful at mental math and it seems unreasonable to futz around with a calcluator to do the math. How do you do this kind of math?
First of all, I’ll admit that I’m good at mental math. It was something I practiced a lot when I was very young and I can still do things like add a series of numbers or multiply two multi-digit numbers in my head. Thus, I usually do the math in a strange fashion in my head that really is hard to explain or make rational to others.
Instead, I asked a few people on Facebook and Twitter how they did this kind of math and they all responded with more or less the same technique.
First, they figured up how much a week of such purchases costs. If you do this thing once a week, it’s easy. If you do it more than once, double it or triple it – whatever’s appropriate. If you’re unsure about the pennies, round to the nearest dollar. So, if you get a coffee and a bagel for $5.46 three times a week, round the amount to the nearest dollar (down to $5) and multiply that amount by three, giving you $15.
Next, add two zeros on the end. That’s easy enough. If your current amount is $15, your new number is $1,500.
Finally, divide that number in half. If you can’t do it quickly, feel free to adjust the number from the second step. So, for example, if you have a hard time dividing $1,500 in half (it’s $750), just add $1 to the original $15 and divide that resulting number in half – $1,600 divided in half is $800. I suggest adjusting up if you rounded down in step one or adjusting down if you rounded up in step one.
That’s it – you have a very quick thumbnail of how much this expense costs you over the course of a year.
What if the expense is monthly? Slap a zero on the end and you’re getting close, but it’s a bit higher than that, too.
The thing to keep in mind is that this is a rough estimation, just to let you know the approximate amount you’ll be spending on this routine if you keep it up. Being able to come up with a rough estimate quickly is key. This way, you can do the math in your head while standing in line, giving you time to rethink the whole thing.
What’s the real benefit for doing this? If you do this type of calculation, you can quickly put your impulse spending in context. $750 a year spent on bagels and coffee could be half of an extra house payment. Paying off the house sooner makes it easier and more attainable for you to jump into the career you’ve been dreaming of for years. It might also open the door to having a child sooner than you think.
If you decide to go ahead with the purchase after doing this calculation and weighing the options, that’s great – you’ve weighed the options and chosen the option that provides the most value to you. However, denying yourself that opportunity often puts a big restriction on your big dreams.
Yep, a bit of mental math can make all the difference.
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1. jim says:
If you’re serious about getting your finances in order, then messing with a calculator shouldn’t be something that gets in your way. Using tricks to approximate is good, but the key is doing it. If you’re going to let the use of a calculator or lack of math practice be your crutch, then you have bigger problems.
2. Chapeau says:
One of my favorite bits of mental math is “how many hours do I have to work to pay for this?” I have a second job. After taxes, I earn about $7/hour at that job. So your bagel and coffee would “cost” me about 45 minutes at the second job. So not worth it. I’d much rather be out digging in the yard. That snack/piece of clothing/pair of shoes is a lot less desirable if I know it’s going to cost me 2 Saturdays doing what I enjoy.
That math, since it’s a job I don’t really love, earning just above minimum wage, is also more convincing than the math with the full-time job. If I only have to work 15 minutes to buy something, it’s not quite as undesirable. But it still works. Telling my husband that the “great buy” he found will mean I’m away from home for 2 more nights a week really puts it in perspective for him (and me).
On the other hand, don’t do the math to figure out how many hours you’ll have to work for something you just bought. Do it before you buy.
3. Nicole says:
I like leaving 20% tips because there’s fewer math steps involved. (Just have to chop off 2 zeros and multiply by two rather than chopping off the two zeroes, remembering that number, dividing it by two and adding to the number you remembered). I like lazy mental math.
Chapeau– since the 2nd job is your marginal job, you’re actually doing the economically “right” calculation. A lot of people use their average wage to do these, but if you only make $7 for each additional hour, that’s the marginal wage, which is the right comparison.
I never did understand the people who spent money on the overpriced vending machines or fastfood during break at the minimum wage job I had in high school– that was like a full hour of work going down the drain.
4. David says:
Suggest always rounding up rather than down to nearest dollar. If you round down $5.46 * 3 and call it $15 a week, $750 a year, you are deluding yourself because the true figure is $851.76 annually. Of course, even if you round up and call it $16 a week, $800 a year, you are still underestimating, because $5.46 * 3 is $16.38, not $16, and there are 52 weeks in a year, not 50. But perhaps you don’t buy coffee and bagels on your annual vacation.
Another compelling argument in favour of rounding up, not down, is that prices almost invariably go up, not down. Furthermore, if you get into the habit of rounding up then you increase your chance of ending the year under budget, not over it.
Numbers in this post calculated in my head. If they are wrong, go ahead and embarrass me.
5. Jeannette says:
You bring up one of the most viable methods to really understand what something “costs” on a visceral (as well as financial) level.
If more of us actually computed, as you advised– before buying, what something costs us in terms of time, etc. we’d probably spend a lot less.
Instead, I think a lot more folks rationalize the cost of something by how much “pleasure” or usage they’ll get out of something. Sometimes, that is truly a legit way to evaluate cost. Sometimes, not so much.
It’s a lot easier to say “no” to purchases when you are say, saving up so you can leave a lousy job…but often people overspend when they are miserable, rather than belt tightening so they might be able to take a less lucrative but less soul-leeching job.
It reminds me of people who have high-income jobs but travel all the time and are away from their families and very isolated and disconnected. Their families may have lots of nice stuff, but most kids would rather have their parents around and actively present in their lives. Same for a partner/spouse.
6. Ruby Leigh says:
Hi – I will be printing this article for an Extra Credit assignment in my Math Class. I teach Basic Math to adults. I hope that’s okay with you.
7. et says:
And be sure your base price estimate includes tax and the tip where applicable. I’ve gotten caught too many times at the end of a vacation needing more cash than estimated because I didn’t include the added tips. Rounding up more generously would also cover some of the added maintenance/ care/utility costs on certain purchases.
8. Corey says:
@Nicole (#3), you said: “I like leaving 20% tips because there’s fewer math steps involved. (Just have to chop off 2 zeros and multiply by two….)”
Well, I hope you really only chop of one zero. Otherwise, there are probably a lot of waiters and waitresses out there who were not too pleased with their 2% tips. ;)
9. Nicole says:
Corey yeah yeah.
In my defense, I was chopping off two zeroes off of numbers in the CPS while I was writing that post (since they report hourly wage without the decimal)… but yes. Good catch. Just keeping you on your toes. ;)
10. Bill says:
I try to think of the cost of something in before tax dollars. In the 25% tax bracket, I need to earn $1.33 for every dollar I spend. So I need to earn $2.00 to buy a $1.50 coke from the machine. However I need to earn $667 to buy a $500 laptop.
11. Jules says:
This is what summers spent adding 4236 + 8972 and multiplying and long division lead up to: doing quick mental math.
12. I think that’s an even quicker process than mine. I usually mulitply times four for the monthly amount, then multiply times ten and times two and add those together for the annual amount.
Getting proficient in at least a little “mental math” goes a long way to understanding your finances in the “big picture”.
13. J says:
The “annualized cost” is something I especially like to apply to things with contracts or monthly fees. Like cell phones with data plans. I just can’t justify the $800-1000 per year on that.
14. Moby Homemaker says:
Really good post!!!
I get a rounded monthly figure…then multiply by 12–to get the annual expense.
I’m sure there’s an easier and better way–but it seems to work for me.
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Robben Island
Cape Town Travel Blog
› entry 36 of 42 › view all entries
On board the large boat that takes you over to the island
Of the touristy things, the most memorable by far include Robben Island and the Boulder Beach penguin colony. Robben Island of course is the prison where Nelson Mandela and many other political prisoners spent far too much of their lives while the apartheid government struggled to stay in power. The standard tour takes you on a 20 minute boat ride out to the island, and then puts you in a bus with a tour guide who very likely was a former prisoner himself. The bus tour takes you around and gives a general history of the island, of which the prison is just a single part. Among other things, the island was used a leper colony and a refilling station for boats that were working their way around the cape to or from the Orient. You see the limestone quarries where the prisoners mined limestone that would never ever be used for anything.
You see the homes that the prison guards used to live in and the churches where they took their families on Sundays. Now that the island is a museum, those homes are lived in by the people that work there, including the tour guides and other employees.
After the bus tour we were brought in to the prison itself, and we met up with a different tour guide. Our new guide had also once been a political prisoner here. He referred to himself as a “rank and file” member of the opposition, meaning that he wasn’t shaping the anti-apartheid policy or making any decisions, but was actively participating in the protests and activities. He was more somber than the previous guide, telling us what prison life was like, the ways in which he was tortured by the guards, and how the prisoners used to pass messages back and forth to each other inside of a tennis ball that they “accidentally” hit in to the other yard.
At one point during the tour, some dude passed by our guide and smiled and stopped to shake his hand. They had a brief but jovial conversation that I couldn’t understand and then the guy went about his business. The guide explained to us that the guy who had just come by used to be one of the guards, and is now also employed on the island. They are friends now. It was incredible to me that these guys would get along so well, but the guide explained that while some of the guards were cruel people, some of them were just doing their job, and while doing so grew to feel very sympathetic for the prisoners. Because of this, the guard staff was changed every 3 years and the prisoners would have to repeat the process of convincing the new staff that they weren’t godless communist animals bent on taking over the government and killing all the white people.
I can’t imagine how difficult that must have been.
The cell blocks and individual cells are all open now, and in each cell there is a picture hanging of the prisoner who lived there, and a short biography. It’s pretty powerful to walk around and see the faces and read about these people, and to think that this wasn’t happening some long long time ago, it was happening in my lifetime, and these people are still alive. This goes back to one of the things I find most exciting about South Africa; the strong, pervasive feeling that its history is being written right now, coupled with a great optimism that things can still change significantly for the better – a point I’ll come back to later.
The cell that housed Nelson Mandela is closed off, but you can see through the bars that it was a barren cell just like all the others. Finally we are led to the yard where after extreme international pressure, Mandela was eventually allowed to grow and cultivate a garden. There are plaques and photos here memorializing the importance of this yard to the man who would become the nation’s president. If you come to Cape Town, you really have to go on this tour or you’ll miss out on an extremely significant portion of South Africa’s history.
On board the large boat that takes…
On board the large boat that take…
Cape Town
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Biggest Population Growth Seen in Developing Countries
An annual report on world population trends says nearly all of the world's population growth is happening in the world's poorest countries. VOA's Art Chimes reports.
According to the Washington-based Population Reference Bureau, the world's poorest countries as a group have higher birth rates and a younger population compared with richer, industrialized countries.
"More and more, population growth is switching into the poorer countries of the world," said Carl Haub, co-author of the group's annual World Population Data Sheet. "And more and more decline in the wealthier countries. So the gap we're having now in population growth is bigger than it's ever been."
For example, Haub compared Italy with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Today, they are home to roughly the same number of people, but by 2050, Italy is expected to grow from 60 to just 62 million people, while Congo's population is projected to almost triple, from 67 million to 189 million. That's largely because Congo's birth rate is more than five times higher.
"And we noticed that in Italy, there were 568,000 births last year. In Congo, almost three million. That's a bit of a difference."
By 2050, according to this week's release of the population data sheet, world population will top 9.3 billion, up from 6.7 billion today.
Over the next several decades, many of the world's richest countries will actually lose population. Those that don't, like the United States, will gain population more from immigration than from higher birth rates.
Population Reference Bureau official Linda Jacobsen says India's population will grow by half, but China, now the world's most populous country, is growing much more slowly.
"What this means is that, according to the World Population Data Sheet, in 2050, India will be the most populous country in the world, China will be second, and the United States will be third," she said
By mid-century, Africa's population will double, to two billion.
In poor countries, a higher birth rate and poor health go hand in hand. In many parts of the world, childbirth is itself a leading cause of death, but Carl Haub says the chance that a woman will die, at some point in her life, from complications relating to childbirth varies dramatically.
"In the developed countries, about one in 7,300 women are likely to die from a pregnancy-related cause. One in 7,300. In eastern Asia, that's one in 1,200. In North Africa, one in 210. South Asia, one in 61. And finally, sub-Saharan Africa, one in 22."
Better medical care obviously improves the odds of a woman surviving pregnancy and childbirth, but so does reducing the number of pregnancies she has.
Families with lots of kids may find it difficult to provide enough nutritious food for all of them. Richard Sholkin of the Population Reference Bureau points out that the results of poor nutrition in the first years of life can be charted over a lifetime.
"An important share of the world's population doesn't get enough food to eat, or enough of the right kinds of food. In young children this often leads to stunting, which means they're especially short for their age. Stunting is related to cognitive deficits, and it's related to lower productivity as adults," Sholkin said.
The Population Reference Bureau reports that, in developing countries, one person in five is undernourished; and in some countries, more than half the people are not getting enough to eat. |
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Old Palestine hatchery still serves purpose
John McCoy
ELIZABETH - When people think "fish hatchery," they tend to think of water-filled concrete raceways and fancy buildings filled with high-tech egg incubators. By that measure, West Virginia's Palestine Hatchery hardly seems like a hatchery at all. Hardly any concrete can be seen. The few raceways that exist are elevated troughs fashioned from stainless steel. Only its ponds, arranged side-by-side along the banks of the Little Kanawha River, give the slightest hint that fish might be raised there.Despite its unassuming appearance, the Palestine facility plays a vital role in the Division of Natural Resources' ability to grow bass, walleye, catfish, muskellunge and other warm-water fish species."It's important to us for several reasons," said Chris O'Bara, the DNR's fisheries research supervisor. "It allows us to grow more fish, to grow different species than we otherwise might be able to, and gives us flexibility as to what we grow, when we grow it and how we grow it."
That's a significant change of heart from 2001, when DNR officials wondered if they should close the aging facility.The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers had just finished construction on the state-of-the-art Apple Grove Hatchery in Mason County, and corps officials were ready to hand over the keys to the DNR. Because Apple Grove was so much larger than Palestine, and could grow so many more fish, DNR administrators considered closing the 60-year-old Wirt County facility.Bret Preston, the DNR's assistant chief in charge of fisheries, remembers what happened."We were talking with [agency officials from] other states about the new hatchery, and we mentioned that we might want to close the old one," Preston recalled. "They told us to be wary about decommissioning a site." The DNR brain trust ultimately decided to keep Palestine open, and today they're happy they did."We found that some species of fish do better in Apple Grove's [plastic] lined ponds, and that some species do better in Palestine's earthen ponds," O'Bara said. "For example, hybrid striped bass and walleyes do great in lined ponds, but muskies do much better in earthen ponds."Keeping both hatcheries open also gave DNR officials something they'd never had before - extra space."If we had one hatchery or the other, we wouldn't have the flexibility we enjoy right now," O'Bara said. "Having two facilities has allowed us to experiment with different strains of walleye, to grow [larger-sized] muskie fingerlings, and to start growing blue catfish. Without the extra space, we couldn't raise the number of fish we do today."
Operating an aging facility isn't without headaches, and at age 70-plus, Palestine causes more than a few. Its water comes from the Little Kanawha, which often runs muddy for weeks at a time.Null and his crew try to minimize strain on the hatchery's 50-year-old main pump by running it only when the river is running clear. Sometimes, though, they have no choice but to take in muddy water, which strains the pump and clogs the hatchery's plumbing with sediment."Our biggest problem is old, deteriorated water lines," Null said. "We did a big pond renovation about five years ago. Basically we cleaned out the pond bottoms and put in new water lines and drain lines. That helped matters a lot."Null said the good thing about working with antiquated technology is that most of the problems are pretty straightforward."When something breaks, it's usually pretty easy to fix," he added.The hatchery's low-tech nature also helps it keep a low profile. Trout hatcheries, with their crystal-clear waters, tend to attract scads of sightseers. Null said Palestine rarely gets visitors.
"The ponds are murky, so there isn't much to see," he said. "Sometimes in the spring, we spawn fish in the hatchery building, but that's about the only time of year we're doing anything people would want to watch."There might not be much to watch, but O'Bara said there's plenty for anglers to enjoy."Because of Palestine, fishermen are seeing more fish and better-quality fish," he said. "And they're seeing some species, like paddlefish and blue catfish, that we would never have been able to get involved with."Reach John McCoy at 304-348-1231 or [email protected].
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The theory of punch holes: the illusion of movement in the Universe
Ever unreeling them – ever tirelessly speeding them
Walt Whitman, “Noiseless Patient Spider”
In the beginning, there was light. Light was God and light was everything. One endless ocean of light. To create matter, like a masterful illusionist, God put a veil over the ocean of light. Everything went dark.
Then they made a gateway, a punch hole in that dark veil for the light to come through. The event became known as “the big bang”. Light pierced the veil and entered “the world”.
This is how the great shadow theater of the Universe was born. A show of light and shadow. For we can only realize light is light, when there is shadow to contrast it.
The illusion of movement
The Universe stands completely still, and yet we believe it is in motion. The motion is perceived at all levels – no level of existence is still. However that motion is illusory.
The tiniest particles in the existence can ONLY be of wave-particle nature. They are the drops in the sea of light. The ocean is one indivisible whole. Its parts can behave as waves or as corpuscles.
When drops of life and light behave as waves, they create a flow, a current. The current flows at all levels of the existence. It creates not only gravity, but also forms polarities – those are created through geometrical patterns forethought by the Universal mind.
The need for “punch holes”
Without any “punch holes’ the world is one still lake of darkness. Through punch holes that exist at different levels, the light particles perform their well-planned dance.
Sometimes they seem to be coming at you, sometimes they appear to be running away from you – just like the current. This is how the illusion of movement is created. In reality, behind the scenes the ocean of light that penetrates everything in the existence, always stands still.
There is no time there, born by motion. For there is no shadow against which waves of light can carry out their performance.
The analogy of the lake
Picture this with your mind’s eye. Imagine you come to a completely still lake. The water is one glassy surface – there are no ripples, no current, no ups and downs or differences of the potentials.
You bring a funnel with you. You come up to the water and slowly you start putting the funnel into the water. Now the water starts flowing. It enters through the smaller hole at the bottom of the funnel. Depending on how fast you’re pressing it against the water, the latter can make bubbles, splashes, tiny waves…
This is the movement we observe when elementary particles enter and exit our world through “punch holes” made in all the right places by the Great Architect.
On flipping the coin, turning the tide and starting off on the wrong foot
Today is October the 18th, year 2015. I am writing this very important post, dressed as Julian Assange at the time of a press release – wearing a jacket.
I don’t know why it has taken so long for the puzzle to complete. It’s been 21 years, I guess. But everything in its due time, and the discovery of anti-gravity is not an exception.
The day I lost my NOW
When I was 12, which was 21 years ago, my family and I travelled to a tiny village of Sobich in the Sumy region of Ukraine. One beautiful afternoon, I was walking down the sand village road when I suddenly had an epiphany – NOW does not exist.
I was a painful moment for me from the psychic point of view. It was as if the invisible teacher (who has been always present in my life) stealthily removed the safety layer of perception that had been keeping me sane and said “from now on, you continue on your own”. A child swimmer newly robbed of their life jacket.
A kind of consciousness leap occurred in me. The familiar picture of the world was gone. Instead, I was looking at a new reality. In this new reality, I did NOT watch the boy run down the street chasing a dog. And I watched the boy and the dog, and the chasing act slip into the past.
I did NOT observe a horse-driven carriage go past me. Instead, I observed every squeak of the wheel irreversibly slip away, slip away.. into the past. My mind cried out silently “Where did NOW go?”
It was quite a shock. A kind of mental distress. I went to my mom and told her:
-Mom, look. I just said “Mom, look”, and where did my words go? Are they already in the past? It was only a split second ago! My words are disappearing as I speak.. Ohhhh!
My mom is a big skeptic, and at the time she wasn’t yet used to my idiosyncracies. She told me I should look for better things to do than stare at the road and watch life go by. That had a kind of grounding effect on me.
Still, for three days in a row, I was suffering from a severe perception shift I could not explain to no one. My NOW was gone and it was gone for good. From that point on, life has been inevitably spilling into the past in front of my eyes. That was how I discovered the CURRENT.
On the nature of Current – my postulate of Gravity
The discovery of the current hasn’t been always obvious for me. Only decades later, it was time to bring this concept back into my life.
I have always wondered about Gravity and Anti-gravity. Any serious physicist knows that Gravity is a big mystery, nobody understands it fully.
Hence, I’d like to put forth my postulate of gravity. The one born out of years of observations, internal discoveries and conversations with the stars. In many ways, this is not my idea. I’m sure you’ll see why.
In the beginning of time, there was nothing before there was something. And this something started off on the right foot.
This something (matter) appeared as a current going in particular direction. At the turning point ( = the edge of the loop), the current reversed direction, spiralling back to where it came from – the non-existence.
The reason no one can, to this day, understand gravity is because the other half of this phenomenon is missing from the material world. It takes place in the anti-world of anti-matter.
Gravity is born out of the current of elementary particles that travel back and forth between the two worlds.
Time is of essence if we want to understand gravity at least to a decent extent. “You are here” is a point in time where we get the feeling of the false NOW. This is the point where the upcoming current and the downward-spiralling current meet. It’s a very balanced point indeed, therefore we don’t feel the powerful pull of gravity at all!
The point in which the current enters the plus-world is the past, the point in which it exits the plus-world and enters the minus-world is “the future”. And it happens very, very fast. Not slower than the speed of light for sure.
A recent discovery of black holes inside atoms support this postulate. In short, it has been discovered that light (=the matter-forming substance) escapes atoms from the inside via tiny black holes. In other words, science has approached the point at which it could discover inter-world migration of matter.
Could Tiny ‘Black Hole Atoms’ Be Elusive Dark Matter?
A Black Hole at the Heart of an Atom! PDF
Black hole in the nuclei of an atom
This permanent, eternal, since-the-beginning-of-time current of matter has been the glue which holds the worlds together, in patterns. A magnet emerged when the poles disagreed, didn’t it?
The anti-current, the anti-matter and the wrong foot
As I wrote earlier, the world started off on the right foot. It is an analogy, of course. The dance of life began when the great dancer stamped their right foot, then the left one, and so on.. The rhythm has been kept the same ever since. The rhythm of life.
No matter what, the dancer will always start off on the right foot, for they are bound by the rhythm. To reverse the current, you kind of have to start off on the wrong (=left) foot.
You have to reverse time. Then it will be the upcoming current you are facing, not the down-spiralling one.
And how exactly do you do that? As far as I see you need to flip the super-massive black hole inside the atom. Oppenheimer has proven to the world that the forces contained inside of an atom are not to be toyed with. Could they contain the key to anti-gravity? This might well be the case.
Lord’s Prayer and Gayatri Mantra – Same Piece of Code?
To me, prayers are pieces of code that launch forth and execute particular processes in our etherial as well as material bodies.
Some spiritual teachers say each should have their own prayer, since it’s really a conversation with God. However, there are universal prayers that help one establish contact with the divine and appeal to it in times of need.
The Lord’s Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer is of immense significance to me. I learned it during my teenage years when I took much fancy in Christianity.
At some point, I realized Christianity had its limits, and could no longer lie to myself or pretend those limits did not exist. I moved on, yet the Lord’s Prayer stayed with me I knew it very well by heart at the time.
Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done,
in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
for ever and ever.
These days, the Lord’s Prayer works awesomely for me when I need to ward off demons in my dreams.
This prayer is so powerful, it reestablishes your connection with the divine and cuts any unwanted contact short. It reignites the divine spark in you and helps you close the borders of your divine domain, in which you are in full charge.
The Gayatri Mantra
I was introduced to the Gayatri mantra by a very good friend of mine. She told me this mantra helped bring abundance into the life of the listener.
I began listening to it from time to time, but I never really wondered if it had any particular meaning.
Then one evening, I was listening to the Gayatri mantra before going to sleep, and I wondered if it was possible to understand any words if I listened very carefully.
Suddenly, I got the impression the mantra spoke of God. And I “heard” the following meaning in it:
God manifested on all planes
Luminous be your name
Your blessed gifts be bestowed upon us
We humbly ask you for those.
The discovery was so profound for me. I felt as if I had just found two identical pieces of code that were written in different languages, but produced the same effect. I felt the Gayatri Mantra and the Lord’s Prayer were the same piece of code!
As I listened on, I got a strange feeling of my body expanding. It was as if the borders of my body had moved, and it had become as big as a house. And, my super-sized body was all there was at that moment. My head was the ceiling of the world, my feet were its floor, and my left and right arms were its side borders.
A sceptical voice in my head told me I was making things up, and it couldn’t be that the Gayatri Mantra and the Lord’s Prayer were the same text.
I decided to check that in the morning, and here is was I found out.
One possible interpretation of the Gayatri Mantra:
May He enlighten our minds.
And here is another one:
Now, what do you think about this; do you think these two prayers are related?
The Rape of Europa, an Astronomical Interpretation of the Myth
One of the earliest texts of the Rape of Europe is attributed to the Greek poet Moschus (near 150 BC):
Cypris, when all but shone the dawn’s glad beam,
To fair Europa sent a pleasant dream;
When sleep, upon the close-shut eyelids sitting,
Sweeter than honey, is eye-fetters knitting,
The limb-dissolving sleep! When to and fro
True dreams, like sheep at pasture, come and go.
Europa, sleeping in her upper room,
The child of Phoenix, in her virgin bloom,
Thought that she saw a contest fierce arise
Betwix two continents, herself the prize;
They to the dreamer seemed like women quite,
Asia, and Asia’s unknown opposite.
This was a stranger, that a native seemed,
And closer hugged her–so Europa dreamed;
And called herself Europa’s nurse and mother,
Said that she bore and reared her; but that other
Spared not her hands, and still the sleeper drew,
With her good will, and claimed her as her due,
And said that Zeus Ægiochus gave her,
By Fate’s appointment, that sweet prisoner.
So, Cypris sends Europa a dream, in which Europa is disputed by two continents. The two continents are Asia and Asia’s opposite. While Asia claims to be Europa’s mother, the other continent wins in this struggle and claims Europa as her own in the end.
Now let’s put the same in astronomical terms.
“Cypris” is the one who sends Europa the prophetic dream. This is the first and the most important clue. The entire story is going to be about Venus, the morning and the evening star, since Cypris is synonymous with Aphrodite/Venus in Greek mythology.
“The child of Phoenix” means the child of the East. For ancient Greeks, everything to the East was Phoenicia, the land of the rising sun. The Greek word Φοῖνιξ (phoenix in Latin) means “purple”, “pink”, “reddish”. Phoenix is the firebird that is born out of darkness each morning, it is the rising sun.
That’s when the morning star, Venus, appears in the sky for the first time. Born by her Oriental mother, but already disputed by its opposite – the West. To the Greeks, everything towards the West is, well… Europe.
The origin of the word “Europe” is the composition of two Greek words “wide/broad” and “face/countenance”. So, Europe is broad-faced. This said, Venus is the second-brightest object in the night sky after the Moon.
Every 584 days planet Venus returns to the same point in the horizon (as observed from Earth). Half of this time, Venus appears as the morning star, and roughly half of the time it’s the evening star and it appears at sunset in the West.
The discovery that the morning Venus and the evening Venus was one and the same star was so striking and important to the Greeks that they put together a nice story about it. Which involves a maiden, her girlfriends, the bull, the crossing of the sea… So, the myth continues:
Up-started from her couch the maiden waking,
And felt her heart within her bosom quaking;
She thought it true, and sat in hushed surprise–
Still saw those women with her open eyes;
Then to her timid voice at last gave vent;–
‘Which of the gods to me this vision sent?
What kind of dream is this that startled me,
And sudden made my pleasant slumber flee?
Who was the stranger that I saw in sleep?
What love for her did to my bosom creep!
And how she hailed me, as her daughter even!
But only turn to good my vision, Heaven!’
So said, and bounded up, and sought her train
Of dear companions, all of noble strain,
Of equal years and stature; gentle, kind,
Sweet to the sight, and pleasant to the mind;
With whom she sported, when she led the choir,
Or in the river’s urn-like reservoir
She bathed her limbs, or in the meadow stopt,
And from its bosom odorous lilies cropt.
Her flower-basket in each maiden’s hand;
And to the meadows near the pleasant shore
They sped, where they had often sped before,
Pleased with the roses growing in their reach,
And with the waves that murmured on the beach.
A basket by Hephæstus wrought of gold,
Europa bore–a marvel to behold;
He gave it Libya, when a blooming bride
She went to grace the great Earth-shaker’s side;
She gave it Telephassa fair and mild,
Who now had given it to her virgin child.
Therein were many sparkling wonders wrought–
The hapless Iö to the sight was brought;
A heifer’s for a virgin’s form she wore;
The briny paths she frantic wandered o’er,
And was a swimming heifer to the view,
While the sea round her darkened into blue.
Europa wakes up from the dream, and goes to bathe with her girlfriends. There, they pick flowers and Europa receives a golden basket from Hephaestus. The basket had been previously given to Libya before it had been given to Telephassa.
So, what’s the deal with this transferring of the golden-precious-basket?
Europa’s “dear companions, all of noble strain, of equal years and stature” are other stars that surround Venus as it appears in the morning sky. But no offence, they’re not as bright as the Virgin star.
Venus appears to have received a “golden basket from Hephaestus”. Now, Hephaestus in Greek mythology is the fire god, the son of Zeus. He was born defective and, since he was a child, he toiled in this father-god’s underwater workshops, making amazing things of pure gold. He is the most skilled smith the world has known.
Hephaestus had already made a golden basket for other members of Europa’s family (in order of appearance):
“Libya” is the first to receive the basket when she is still a bride of the “Earth-Shaker”. According to mythology, Libya is first the bride and then the wife of Poseidon. Together these two have twins, Agenore and Belus, the former later becoming the ruler of Phonecia and, consequently, the father or Europa.
Most likely, the lands and countries are referred to here. Libya is associated with the country by the same name. Agenore rules Phonecia – the East. His twin brother Belus (Busiris?) is the ruler of Egypt.
Telephassa” who inherits the golden basket from Libya is, in fact, Libya’s daughter-in-law, the mother of Europa. In Greek, her name Τηλέφασσα means “far-shining”. I guess it runs in the family.
Eventually, Europa is the lucky owner of the basket. Which makes her shinier-than-the-shiniest, because she bears the basket with many “sparkling wonders”.
Meanwhile, the myth has not yet been told:
Two men upon a promontory stood,
And watched the heifer traversing the flood.
Again where seven-mouthed Nile divides his strand,
Zeus stood and gently stroked her with his hand,
And from her horned figure and imbruted
To her original form again transmuted.
In brass the heifer–Zeus was wrought in gold;
Nile softly in a silver current rolled.
And to the life was watchful Hermes shown
Under the rounded basket’s golden crown;
And Argus near him with unsleeping eyes
Lay stretched at length; then from his blood did rise
The bird, exulting in the brilliant pride
Of his rich plumes and hues diversified,
And like a swift ship with her out-spread sail,
Expanding proudly his resplendant tail,
The basket’s galden rim he shadowed o’er.
Such was the basket fair Europa bore.
They reached the mead with vernal blossoms full,
And each begun her favourite flowers to pull.
Narcissus one; another thyme did get;
This hyacinth, and that the violet;
And of the spring-sweets in the meadow found
Much scented bloom was scattered on the ground.
Some of the troop in rivalry chose rather
The sweet and yellow crocuses to gather;
Shining, as mid the graces Cypris glows,
The Princess in the midst preferred the rose;
Nor long with flowers her gentle fancy charmed,
Nor long she kept her virgin flower unharmed.
With love for her was Saturn’s son inflamed,
By unexpected darts of Cypris tamed,
Who only tames e’en Zeus. To shun the rage
Of Heré, and the virgin’s mind engage,
To draw her eyes and her attention claim,
He hid his godhead and a bull became;
Not such as feeds at stall, or then or now,
The furrow cuts and draws the crooked plough;
Not such as feeds the lowing kine among,
Or trails in yoke the heavy wain along;
His body all a yellow hue did own,
But a white circle in his forehead shone;
His sparkling eyes with love’s soft lustre gleamed;
His arched horns like Dian’s crescent seemed.
In this part, we see Zeus, “wrought in gold”, transform into a bull and approach Europa. Because his son fell in love with the maiden and her alter ego, Cypris (who is Venus, as we remember), got enraged.
The flowers mentioned in this passage point to the time of year when the transit of Venus takes place, which is Spring.
When Zeus transforms into the bull, he is described as having a “white circle” in his forehead and “arched horns”.
Astronomers know of such a thing as the horns of Venus barely visible to the naked eye. The planet looks different as it passes from one side of the sky to the other. Hence, its comparison with a maiden riding, holding a bull by his horns, is easy to explain.
He came into the meadow, nor the sight
Fluttered the virgins into sudden flight.
But they desired to touch and see him near;
His breath surpassed the meadow sweetness there.
Before Europa’s feet he halted meek,
Licked her fair neck and eke her rosy cheek;
Threw round his neck her arms the Beautiful,
Wiped from his lips the foam and kissed the bull;
Softly he lowed; no lowing of a brute
It seemed, but murmur of Mygdonian flute;
Down on his knees he slunk; and first her eyed,
And then his back, as asking her to ride.
The long-haired maidens she began to call;–
‘Come let us ride, his back will hold us all,
E’en as a ship; a bull unlike the rest,
As if a human heart were in his breast,
He gentle is and tractable and meek,
And wants but voice his gentleness to speak.’
She said and mounted smiling, but before
Another did, he bounded for the shore.
The royal virgin struck with instant fear,
Stretched out her hands and called her playmates dear;
But how could they the ravished Princess reach?
He, like a dolphin, pushed out from the beach.
From their sea-hollows swift the Nereids rose,
Seated on seals, and did his train compose;
Poseidon went before, and smooth did make
The path of waters for his brother’s sake;
Around their king in close array did keep
The loud-voiced Tritons, minstrels of the deep,
And with their conchs proclaimed the nuptial song.
But on Jove’s bull-back as she rode along,
The maid with one hand grasped his branching horn,
The flowing robe, that did her form adorn,
Raised with the other hand, and tried to save
From the salt moisture of the saucy wave;
Her robe, inflated by the wanton breeze,
Seemed like a ship’s sail hovering o’er the seas.
But when, her father-land no longer nigh,
Nor sea-dashed shore was seen, nor mountain high,
But only sky above, and sea below–
She said, and round her anxious glance did throw;–
‘Whither with me, portentous bull? Discover
This and thyself; and how canst thou pass over
The path of waters, walking on the wave,
And dost not fear the dangerous path to brave?
Along this tract swift ships their courses keep,
But bulls are wont to fear the mighty deep.
What pasture here? What sweet drink in the brine?
Art thou a god? Thy doings seem divine.
Nor sea-born dolphins roam the flowery mead,
Nor earth-born bulls through Ocean’s realm proceed;
Fearless on land, and plunging from the shores
Thou roamest ocean, and thy hoofs are oars.
Perchance anon, up-borne into the sky,
Thou without wings like winged birds wilt fly!
Ah me unhappy! who my father’s home
Have left and with a bull o’er ocean roam,
A lonely voyager! My helper be,
Earth-shaking Regent of the hoary sea!
I hope to see this voyage’s cause and guide,
For not without a god these things betide.’
To her the horned bull with accent clear:–
‘Take courage, virgin! nor the billow fear;
The seeming bull is Zeus; for I with ease
Can take at will whatever form I please;
My fond desire for thy sweet beauty gave
To me this shape–my footstep to the wave.
Dear Crete, that nursed me, now shall welcome thee;
In Crete Europa’s nuptial rites shall be;
From our embrace illustrious sons shall spring,
And every one of them a sceptered king.’–
And instantly they were in Crete; his own
Form Zeus put on–and off her virgin zone.
Strowed the glad bed the Hours, of joy profuse;
The whilom virgin was the bride of Zeus.
This last part describes the sea voyage of Zeus and Europa with her “long-haired maidens”, that is, other stars in the sky. Eventually they arrive at Crete where Zeus becomes human (or rather god) again, and weds Europa.
Nereids, Tritons and Poseidon are sea creatures mentioned here to give flavor to the tale, since the sky is compared to the ocean. Zeus (aka Jupiter) takes Europa (Venus) and crosses the ocean-sky with her East to West.
Jupiter is a bright spot in the sky (the white bull, the regal planet) that appears to draw Venus North as Venus performs its transit.
Now, in the Hellenistic times, the Empire also included Memphis in Egypt in the South. So, in respect to the East, Crete was “up North”, virtually in the middle of the imaginary night sky.
Minos, a mythological figure and the ruler of Crete, was the son of Zeus and Europa. He is believed to have received from Zeus the laws of Venus-Jupiter synchronicity. This synchronicity formed the basis for the Old Greek exeligmos (literally, “the turning the wheel”) , a cycle made up of 54 years and 33 days.
Minos watched closely the changes of Golden Thrones of Venus (occurring every 8 years) and planetary alignments, the so-called Olympiads.
This article would have been impossible without the help and advice of my dearest friend and mentor, M.I. Mikhailov. His interpretation of the Europa Myth you may find here.
Thank you, Rodrigo Cortés
A web of neurons
A web of neurons
I am grateful to director Rodrigo Cortés to two reasons. Reason one is his brilliantly written and directed movie Red Lights. Reason two is a far-reaching discovery this movie has lead to. Well, in my case.
If you are not familiar with it, Red Lights tells a story of two skeptics who probe into the psychic phenomenon. They are hard-sells, and they believe every phenomenon has a logical explanation.
“When I hear the drumming of hooves, I think horses, not unicorns,” says Dr. Margaret Matheson (played by Sigourney Weaver in the movie). And they continue their investigation untill, one day, they encounter a case that’s hard to explain…
So, yes, you should watch the movie to find out what happened next. It’s a great movie and all, but the reason it was extraordinary for me was this.
As I was half-way through it, one of the students asked Dr. Margaret if she had ever come across an anomalous ability. To which Margaret replied:
An anomalous ability? Like what? Like running a hundred meters in under ten seconds? Like composing a masterpiece when you’re stone deaf? Your brain may be an exception, Ben, but most brains carry out a dazzling array of complex mental processes every second.
A hundred thousand million neurons are in constant synaptic communication geared to generating and regulating our sensations and perceptions. How we reason, how we think, our emotions, our mental images, our attention span, learning, memory. Are these not merits enough for the brain without it having “special powers” as well?
The moment she said “a hundred thousand million neurons”, I knew I was onto something. A light went off in my head. I think I even jumped in my seat.
It felt like being one of those explorers who just bumped into the starting point of their world trip and realized the Earth was round.
And the reason I was so excited was this:
The number of neurons in the brain – 100 billion
The number of stars in a galaxy – 100 billion
The number of galaxies in the Universe – 100 billion
Law and order in every way, everywhere.
We are either living inside a huge, cross-galactic brain or we each have a Universe inside us!
Both perspectives are equally exciting for me.
Galactic matter: a model built after an explosion in space let scientists see this filament
Everything is connected. Thank you, Rodrigo Cortés, for allowing me to become firmer in this belief.
On vegetarians, meat-eaters and food in general
The original article in Spanish was written by Matías de Stefano. Translation into English courtesy of the Anno Domini group
The topic of food is critical to human evolution during the period of transition, vibrational ascension and social regeneration. You’ll read a lot about food in books and on the Internet… or you can take advice of doctors, dietitians or spiritual teachers.
Some people say meat is damaging to the body and that you should stop eating it. That you should also give up certain cereals and dairy, plus there is contaminated or genetically modified fruit that can harm you, and, in their turn, chicken and fish have hormonal additives; grains and nuts are good, but in moderation, so it’s recommended to follow a vegetarian diet, both for health and ascension reasons… and those who come from subtle worlds might say: I live off water and honey! Or … I’m Lemurian, that’s why my basic food is pollen and nectar … or, I’m vegan and I can only eat vegetables… which all boils down to this: eating… is bad.
Food is the basis of humanity … it makes us what we are.
For example, the Chinese have a strict diet: it’s always the same assortment of cereals, vegetables (almost raw) and fish cooked in the same way, but above all – cereals. This makes them dependent on a structure, on a kind of solar grip. One cannot say the same about the Argentines, who are the biggest consumers of beef in the world… people who are emotionally unstable, easily irritated, funny, disoriented and without a clear organizational structure. [The person who wrote this is from Argentina – note by translator]
This way, if we want to understand the political course of a country, we can simply look at what they cook every afternoon. This applies to each individual, too, and that’s why food is so important in the evolutionary process, in cleaning one’s physical as well emotional (soul) and mental body, but my question is this … Do you know why the human diet is so diverse?
Scientists call it “the food chain”. This scheme represents great injustice to any animal lover, or a vegetarian, and they are forcing themselves to break it, either to enhance their evolutionary process, or just for the heck of it.
Let’s consider this basic scheme… The sun gives energy to plants; plants give energy to herbivores, who in turn give their energy to carnivores or omnivores, who then give their energy to bigger consumers, bigger carnivores. This scheme is very simple… Allow me to tell you what happened the moment the Earth began to evolve:
“Planet Earth, this massive being we are part of, was ready to take up the work the rest of the planets were staying out of…
Enlightenment. To get enlightened, it needed different beings to assist it in capturing the necessary energy. Therefore, millions of souls came to Earth, born as different minerals that existed on the face of the planet: rocks, quartz, crystals, mountains, all those beings began capturing sunlight, the divine light, and making it stay on Earth… This way, they retained the light that flew in the atmosphere, in the interior of the planet that desired light.
Soon they saw the necessity to bring this light to the depths, to the center, and to move it along, up and down, thus illuminating the face of the world through continuous breath of light, through its irradiation… That was how some mineral particles began to channel light and stopped retaining it in themselves… This lead to the appearance of first plants on Earth… which with time transformed into gigantic trees that grew in vast forests and jungles.
Many of those trees saw that their channeling power wasn’t enough, that they needed even more light, and that other trees could get it much easier than them, either due to their height or the size of their leaves, and so those beings thought “and what if I eat that tree?”. This way, many plants and microorganisms began to eat other plants. This let them get more light with less effort.
Eventually, the idea was to make light move faster across the surface, so, hordes of such beings came into existence – animals that were consuming light and moving it across the planet. And from the moment those animals realized they could carry even more light in them if only, instead of eating plants, they ate other beings that lived off plants … Carnivores came into being.
Until … in a period of history, light began to be channeled in an unprecedented way: it began to be channeled through all its bodies, physical, emotional, etheric, in motion, in stillness, in the mental, in a network and a channel, and everything that, to that moment, had existed as diverse forms of bringing light to the world, manifested its entire self in one conscious being … and, well, the scheme became like this:
But let’s look a bit further into this: the human began channeling all the light, and because his work was essential, he needed the light of all other worlds, the minerals, the plants, the animals… and that was how man became the biggest predator in History.
Because of his gluttony, he no longer existed to channel the light and thus lost his purpose. That’s why so many souls came to the world to remind themselves and others that food has meaning and purpose, which is enlightenment.
The problem is that many are frustrated at the greed of their predecessors, and have begun to decry all food or to give up certain types of it: to give up meat, to denounce even vegetarianism, to talk about “prana eating”, that is, getting food exclusively from sunlight through breathing.
I believe it’s essential to clarify that food is not something that is governed by public conscience… but it is something that is governed by the physical body. We should remember that, as humans, we have a body to respect, and that the body itself knows very well how the system of our physical enlightenment works. Oftentimes, our body needs meat, which is true of many vegetarians, and perhaps we need it because we’re flying, and we need to cling more to Earth, and this is the role of meat.
Sunlight had densified itself until it became emotional animals, and they are often the ones who help us adapt to these worlds. Eating plants that grow above the ground makes the solar plexus (stomach), the sacral (kidneys), and the base chakra (genitals) stop working in the long run, which can lead to problems with creation, taking action, actualization, life, and we separate ourselves from Earth.
Remember that the wise one here and now is the body; it knows what we need to eat at all times. The food chain is a process of Departure and Return: which is why we need to anchor ourselves, we had to consume light, then minerals, then plants, then animals, and then all four at once. But the journey of Return means that, only when we are fully integrated as individuals, our body will know when to stop eating completely, when to stop eating animals, when to give up vegetables, then the minerals, so that later it return to consuming only light.
Respecting this order is essential to our ascension: the point is not to avoid killing animals because they are living beings; the point is to respect them as light beings.
All of us being in this divine scheme of light anchoring, the food, is how we sustain, channel and transform light for the Earth: it is a sacred system. Apart from the advice you can get from doctors, ayurvedics, homeopaths, friends, vegetarians, vegans, carnivores, dietitians or who not… always remember that the true authority on the subject of food is your very own physical body.”
Some Clues:
• Beef, lamb, pork: help you anchor on Earth and maintain emotional activity on a permanent level (for people who fly a lot or who don’t usually display emotions). These meats are not recommended for highly emotional people or people with emotional disorders, and depends on the economy.
• Poultry and fish: help you remain present and maintain an emotional line…
• Plants that grow in soil: potatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes, etc., everything that’s below the ground helps you remain firmly in reality and facilitates the work of chakras that deal with creation and will. In order to maintain a healthy level of emotional and mental materialism.
• Plants above the ground: tomato, lettuce, etc., are good for cleaning emotions and thoughts, good for mental clarity and spiritual ascension, for maintaining the connection. Not recommended in large amounts for autistic people, people who have thoughts of leaving the planet or ascending in a snap to higher levels of consciousness.
• Cereals: good for emotional cleaning, maintaining emotional order, basic vitamins (always to be combined with other types of food).
• Minerals: salts, water, etc., are good for physical, emotional and spiritual cleaning.
• Prana or sunlight: steady and deep breathing before, during and after every meal, up to the moment it’s not necessary to do it while the food is eaten.
Stop eating these foods in the order in which they appear on the list above.
Always respect the body’s decision to eat: if it’s asking for a piece of meat, respect it, if it only wants a tomato, respect it.
Maintain a balanced diet of all these foods until the body eliminates that, which is not needed according to its new balance.
Nobody should be forced to stick to a particular diet, we should respect each person’s eating process. It’s acceptable to recommend someone a healthy diet, but not to make it a condition. (For example: if you do not eat potatoes this afternoon, you’re not playing on the computer! Or: if you eat beef, you’re going to dream of cows who are going to eat you). |
Why ESA Scientists Really Want to Crash a Satellite into an Asteroid
On December 1 and 2, the ministers from the European Space Agency’s 22 member states will convene in Lucerne, Switzerland to discuss future ESA missions and how to fund them. This meeting will determine the scope of Europe’s activities in space for the coming years, but due to current political and economic difficulties affecting many of the ESA’s member states, the meeting is expected to be particularly “challenging.”
By Daniel Oberhaus | MOTHERBOARD
One of the biggest topics on the table at the conference is the ESA’s involvement in the Asteroid Impact and Deflection mission (AIDA), a joint venture between NASA and the European Space Agency which will involve the launch of two spacecraft to an asteroid in 2020. However ESA’s ability to fund their part of this mission will require the member states to pledge roughly €250 million in funding (which is actually pretty modest, as far as space missions go) at the conference—which in light of the economic situation in Europe is far from certain.
“Nothing is for sure until the [mission approval] is signed,” Patrick Michel, a planetary scientist and senior researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research, told Motherboard. “Even if I’m optimistic and see the high potential of this mission, I know that some countries would be happy to make this mission, but can’t afford it. Their budgets are very, very tight so we need to push until the end and keep up the pressure.”
read more
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FIFO (computing and electronics)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Representation of a FIFO (queue) with enqueue and dequeue operations.
FIFO is an acronym for first in, first out, a method for organizing and manipulating a data buffer, where the oldest (first) entry, or 'head' of the queue, is processed first. It is analogous to processing a queue with first-come, first-served (FCFS) behaviour: where the people leave the queue in the order in which they arrive.
FIFO's opposite is LIFO, last-in-first-out, where the youngest entry or 'top of the stack' is processed first.[1]
Computer science[edit]
Data structure[edit]
Representation of a FIFO (first in, first out) queue
Depending on the application, a FIFO could be implemented as a hardware shift register, or using different memory structures, typically a circular buffer or a kind of List. For information on the abstract data structure, see Queue (data structure).
#include <iostream>
#include <stdexcept>
template <typename T>
class FIFO
struct Node {
T value;
Node *next;
Node(T _value) : value(_value), next(NULL) {}
Node *front;
Node *back;
FIFO() : front(NULL), back(NULL) {}
~FIFO() {
while (front != NULL)
void enqueue(T _value) {
Node *newNode = new Node(_value);
if (front == NULL)
front = newNode;
back->next = newNode;
back = newNode;
T dequeue() {
if (front == NULL)
throw std::underflow_error("Nothing to dequeue");
Node *temp = front;
T result = front->value;
front = front->next;
delete temp;
return result;
Head or tail first[edit]
The ends of a FIFO queue are often referred to as head and tail. Unfortunately, a controversy exists regarding those terms:
• To many people, items should enter a queue at the tail, and remain in the queue until they reach the head and leave the queue from there. This point of view is justified by analogy with queues of people waiting for some kind of service and parallels the use of front and back in the above example.
• Other people believe that items enter a queue at the head and leave at the tail, in the manner of food passing through a snake. Queues written in that way appear in places that could be considered authoritative, such as the operating system Linux.
In computing environments that support the pipes and filters model for interprocess communication, a FIFO is another name for a named pipe.
Disk scheduling[edit]
Communications and networking[edit]
Communication network bridges, switches and routers used in computer networks use FIFOs to hold data packets en route to their next destination. Typically at least one FIFO structure is used per network connection. Some devices feature multiple FIFOs for simultaneously and independently queuing different types of information.
FIFO schedule.
Examples of FIFO status flags include: full, empty, almost full, almost empty, etc.
The first known FIFO implemented in electronics was done by Peter Alfke in 1969 at Fairchild Semiconductors. Peter Alfke was later a Director at Xilinx.
FIFO full-empty[edit]
1. Read Pointer/Read Address Register
2. Write Pointer/Write Address Register
Read and write addresses are initially both at the first memory location and the FIFO queue is Empty.
FIFO Empty
When the read address register reaches the write address register, the FIFO triggers the Empty signal.
When the write address register reaches the read address register, the FIFO triggers the FULL signal.
1. When the read address register equals the write address register, the FIFO is empty.
2. When the read address LSBs equal the write address LSBs and the extra MSBs are different, the FIFO is full.
See also[edit]
1. ^ Kruse, Robert L. (1987) [1984]. Data Structures & Program Design (second edition). Joan L. Stone, Kenny Beck, Ed O'Dougherty (production process staff workers) (second (hc) textbook ed.). Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632: Prentice-Hall, Inc. div. of Simon & Schuster. p. 150. ISBN 0-13-195884-4. The definition of a finite sequence immediately makes it possible for us to attempt a definition of a list: A 'list' of terms of type T is simply a finite sequence of elements of the set T. ... The only difference among stacks and queues and more general lists is the operations by which changes or accesses can be made to the list. |
Prompt criticality
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In nuclear engineering, prompt criticality is said to be reached during a nuclear fission event if one or more of the immediate or prompt neutrons released by an atom in the event causes an additional fission event resulting in a rapid, exponential increase in the number of fission events. Prompt criticality is a special case of supercriticality.
An assembly is critical if each fission event causes, on average, exactly one additional such event in a continual chain. Such a chain is a self-sustaining fission chain reaction. When a uranium-235 (U-235) atom undergoes nuclear fission, it typically releases between one and seven neutrons (with an average of 2.4). In this situation, an assembly is critical if every released neutron has a 1/2.4 = 0.42 = 42% probability of causing another fission event as opposed to either being absorbed by a non-fission capture event or escaping from the fissile core.
The average number of neutrons that cause new fission events is called the effective neutron multiplication factor, usually denoted by the symbols k-effective, k-eff or k. When k-effective is equal to 1, the assembly is called critical, if k-effective is less than 1 the assembly is said to be subcritical, and if k-effective is greater than 1 the assembly is called supercritical.
Critical versus prompt-critical[edit]
In a supercritical assembly the number of fissions per unit time, N, along with the power production, increases exponentially with time. How fast it grows depends on the average time it takes, T, for the neutrons released in a fission event to cause another fission. The growth rate of the reaction is given by:
Most of the neutrons released by a fission event are the ones released in the fission itself. These are called prompt neutrons, and strike other nuclei and cause additional fissions within nanoseconds (an average time interval used by scientists in the Manhattan Project was one shake, or 10 nanoseconds). A small additional source of neutrons is the fission products. Some of the nuclei resulting from the fission are radioactive isotopes with short half-lives, and nuclear reactions among them release additional neutrons after a long delay of up to several minutes after the initial fission event. These neutrons, which on average account for less than one percent of the total neutrons released by fission, are called delayed neutrons. The relatively slow timescale on which delayed neutrons appear is an important aspect for the design of nuclear reactors, as it allows the reactor power level to be controlled via the gradual, mechanical movement of control rods. Typically, control rods contain neutron poisons (substances, for example boron or hafnium, that easily capture neutrons without producing any additional ones) as a means of altering k-effective. With the exception of experimental pulsed reactors, nuclear reactors are designed to operate in a delayed-critical mode and are provided with safety systems to prevent them from ever achieving prompt criticality.
In a delayed-critical assembly, the delayed neutrons are needed to make k-effective greater than one. Thus the time between successive generations of the reaction, T, is dominated by the time it takes for the delayed neutrons to be released, on the order of seconds or minutes. Therefore, the reaction will increase slowly, with a long time constant. This is slow enough to allow the reaction to be controlled with electromechanical control systems such as control rods, and as such all nuclear reactors are designed to operate in the delayed-criticality regime.
In contrast, a critical assembly is said to be prompt-critical if it is critical (k=1) without any contribution from delayed neutrons and prompt-supercritical if it is supercritical (the fission rate growing exponentially, k>1) without any contribution from delayed neutrons. In this case the time between successive generations of the reaction, T, is only limited by the fission rate from the prompt neutrons, and the increase in the reaction will be extremely rapid, causing a rapid release of energy within a few milliseconds. Prompt-critical assemblies are created by design in nuclear weapons and some specially designed research experiments.
When differentiating between a prompt neutron versus a delayed neutron, the difference between the two has to do with the source from which the neutron has been released into the reactor. The neutrons, once released, have no difference except the energy or speed which have been imparted to them. A nuclear weapon relies heavily on prompt-supercriticality (to produce a high peak power in a fraction of a second), whereas nuclear power reactors use delayed-criticality to produce controllable power levels for months or years.
Nuclear reactors[edit]
In order to start up a controllable fission reaction, the assembly must be delayed-critical. In other words, k must be greater than 1 (supercritical) without crossing the prompt-critical threshold. In nuclear reactors this is possible due to delayed neutrons. Because it takes some time before these neutrons are emitted following a fission event, it is possible to control the nuclear reaction using control rods.
A steady-state (constant power) reactor is operated so that it is critical due to the delayed neutrons, but would not be so without their contribution. During a gradual and deliberate increase in reactor power level, the reactor is delayed-supercritical. The exponential increase of reactor activity is slow enough to make it possible to control the criticality factor, k, by inserting or withdrawing rods of neutron absorbing material. Using careful control rod movements, it is thus possible to achieve a supercritical reactor core without reaching an unsafe prompt-critical state.
Once a reactor plant is operating at its target or design power level, it can be operated to maintain its critical condition for long periods of time.
Prompt critical accidents[edit]
Main article: Criticality accident
Nuclear reactors can be susceptible to prompt-criticality accidents if a large increase in k-effective (or reactivity) occurs, e.g., following failure of their control and safety systems. The rapid uncontrollable increase in reactor power in prompt-critical conditions is likely to irreparably damage the reactor and in extreme cases, may breach the containment of the reactor. Nuclear reactors' safety systems are designed to prevent prompt criticality and, for defense in depth, reactor structures also provide multiple layers of containment as a precaution against any accidental releases of radioactive fission products.
With the exception of research and experimental reactors, only a small number of reactor accidents are thought to have achieved prompt criticality, for example Chernobyl #4, the U.S. Army's SL-1, and Soviet submarine K-431. In all these examples the uncontrolled surge in power was sufficient to cause an explosion that destroyed each reactor and released radioactive fission products into the atmosphere.
At Chernobyl in 1986, an unusual and unsafe test was performed that resulted in an overheated reactor core. This led to the rupturing of the fuel elements and water pipes, vaporization of water, a steam explosion, and a graphite fire. Estimated power levels prior to the incident suggest that it operated in excess of 30 GW, ten times its 3 GW maximum thermal output. The reactor chamber's 2000-ton lid was lifted by the steam explosion. Since the reactor was not designed with a containment building capable of containing this catastrophic explosion, the accident released large amounts of radioactive material into the environment. The catastrophic fire in the graphite neutron moderator compounded the problem, sending massive amounts of radioactive debris into the atmosphere.
In the other two incidents, the reactor plants failed due to errors during a maintenance shutdown that was caused by the rapid and uncontrolled removal of at least one control rod. The SL-1 was a prototype reactor intended for use by the US Army in remote polar locations. At the SL-1 plant in 1961, the reactor was brought from shutdown to prompt critical state by manually extracting the central control rod too far. As the water in the core quickly converted to steam and expanded, the 26,000-pound (12,000 kg) reactor vessel jumped 9 feet 1 inch (2.77 m), leaving impressions in the ceiling above.[1][2] All three men performing the maintenance procedure died from injuries. 1,100 curies of fission products were released as parts of the core were expelled. It took 2 years to investigate the accident and clean up the site. The excess prompt reactivity of the SL-1 core was calculated in a 1962 report:[3]
The delayed neutron fraction of the SL-1 is 0.70%... Conclusive evidence revealed that the SL-1 excursion was caused by the partial withdrawal of the central control rod. The reactivity associated with the 20 inch withdrawal of this one rod has been estimated to be 2.4% δk/k which was sufficient to induce prompt criticality and place the reactor on a 4 millisecond period.
In the K-431 reactor accident, 10 were killed during a refueling operation. The K-431 explosion destroyed the adjacent machinery rooms and ruptured the submarine's hull. In these two catastrophes, the reactor plants went from complete shutdown to extremely high power levels in a fraction of a second, damaging the reactor plants beyond repair.
List of accidental prompt critical excursions[edit]
A number of research reactors and tests have purposely examined the operation of a prompt critical reactor plant. CRAC, KEWB, SPERT-I, Godiva device, and BORAX experiments contributed to this research. However, many accidents have also occurred, primarily during research and processing of nuclear fuel. SL-1 is the notable exception.
The following list of prompt critical power excursions is adapted from a report submitted in 2000 by a team of American and Russian nuclear scientists who studied criticality accidents, published by the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, the location of many of the excursions.[4] A typical power excursion is about 1 x 1017 fissions.
Nuclear weapons[edit]
Main article: Nuclear weapon design
In the design of nuclear weapons, on the other hand, achieving prompt criticality is essential. Indeed, one of the design problems to overcome in constructing a bomb is to contract the fissile materials and achieve prompt criticality before the chain reaction has a chance to force the core to expand. A good bomb design must therefore win the race to a dense, prompt critical core before a less-powerful chain reaction (known as a fizzle) disassembles the core without allowing a significant amount of fuel to fission. This generally means that nuclear bombs need special attention paid to the way the core is assembled, such as the novel implosion method hypothesized by Richard C. Tolman, Robert Serber, and other scientists at the University of California, Berkeley in 1942.
See also[edit]
References and links[edit]
3. ^ IDO-19313 Additional Analysis of the SL-1 Excursion, Final Report of Progress July through October 1962, November 1962.
4. ^ A Review of Criticality Accidents, Los Alamos National Laboratory, LA-13638, May 2000. Thomas P. McLaughlin, Shean P. Monahan, Norman L. Pruvost, Vladimir V. Frolov, Boris G. Ryazanov, and Victor I. Sviridov.
• "Nuclear Energy: Principles", Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt; apparently excerpted from notes from the University of Washington Department of Mechanical Engineering; themselves apparently summarized from Bodansky, D. (1996), Nuclear Energy: Principles, Practices, and Prospects, AIP
• DOE Fundamentals Handbook |
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome
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Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome
A characteristic "delta wave" wave seen in a person with Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome. Note the short PR interval.
Classification and external resources
Specialty Cardiology
ICD-10 I45.6
ICD-9-CM 426.7
OMIM 194200
DiseasesDB 14186
MedlinePlus 000151
eMedicine emerg/644 med/2417
Patient UK Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome
MeSH C14.280.067.780.977
WPW affects between 0.1 and 0.3% in the population.[1][2][3] Sudden cardiac death in people with WPW is rare (less than 0.6%), and is usually caused by the propagation of an atrial tachydysrhythmia (rapid and abnormal heart rate) to the ventricles by the accessory pathway.[3][4]
Video explanation
Signs and symptoms[edit]
People with WPW are usually asymptomatic. However, the individual may experience palpitations, dizziness, shortness of breath, or syncope (fainting or near fainting) during episodes of supraventricular tachycardia. The telltale "delta wave" may sometimes be seen on an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG).
Graphic representation of the electrical conduction system of the human heart
Electrical activity in the normal human heart begins when a cardiac action potential arises in the sinoatrial (SA) node, which is located in the right atrium. From there, the electrical stimulus is transmitted via internodal pathways to the atrioventricular (AV) node. After a brief delay at the AV node, the stimulus travels through the bundle of His to the left and right bundle branches and then to the Purkinje fibers and the endocardium at the apex of the heart, then finally to the ventricular myocardium.
The AV node serves an important function as a "gatekeeper", limiting the electrical activity that reaches the ventricles. In situations where the atria generate excessively rapid electrical activity (such as atrial fibrillation or atrial flutter), the AV node limits the number of signals conducted to the ventricles. For example, if the atria are electrically activated at 300 beats per minute, half those electrical impulses may be blocked by the AV node, so that the ventricles are stimulated at only 150 beats per minute—resulting in a pulse of 150 beats per minute. Another important property of the AV node is that it slows down individual electrical impulses. This is manifested on the electrocardiogram as the PR interval (the time from electrical activation of the atria to electrical activation of the ventricles), which is usually shortened to less than 120 milliseconds in duration.
Individuals with WPW have an accessory pathway that communicates between the atria and the ventricles, in addition to the AV node. This accessory pathway is known as the bundle of Kent. This accessory pathway does not share the rate-slowing properties of the AV node, and may conduct electrical activity at a significantly higher rate than the AV node. For instance, in the example above, if an individual had an atrial rate of 300 beats per minute, the accessory bundle may conduct all the electrical impulses from the atria to the ventricles, causing the ventricles to contract at 300 beats per minute. Extremely rapid heart rates such as this may result in hemodynamic instability or cardiogenic shock. In some cases, the combination of an accessory pathway and abnormal heart rhythms can trigger ventricular fibrillation, a leading cause of sudden cardiac death.
WPW may be associated with PRKAG2, a protein kinase enzyme encoded by the PRKAG2 gene.[5]
Bundle of Kent[edit]
Graphic representation of the bundle of Kent in Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome
The bundle of Kent is an abnormal extra or accessory conduction pathway between the atria and ventricles that is present in a small percentage (between 0.1 and 0.3%) of the general population.[1][2][3] This pathway may communicate between the left atrium and the left ventricle, in which case it is termed a "type A pre-excitation", or between the right atrium and the right ventricle, in which case it is termed a "type B pre-excitation".[6] Problems arise when this pathway creates an electrical circuit that bypasses the AV node. The AV node is capable of slowing the rate of conduction of electrical impulses to the ventricles, whereas the bundle of Kent lacks this capability. When an aberrant electrical connection is made via the bundle of Kent, tachydysrhythmias may therefore result.
One beat from a rhythm strip in V2 demonstrating characteristic findings in Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome: Note the characteristic delta wave (above the blue bar), the short PR interval (red bar) of 80 ms, and the long QRS complex (blue bar plus green bar) at 120 ms.
WPW is commonly diagnosed on the basis of the electrocardiogram in an asymptomatic individual. In this case, it is manifested as a delta wave, which is a slurred upstroke in the QRS complex that is associated with a short PR interval. The short PR interval and slurring of the QRS complex are actually the impulse making it through to the ventricles prematurely (across the accessory pathway) without the usual delay experienced in the AV node.
If a person with WPW experiences episodes of atrial fibrillation, the ECG shows a rapid polymorphic wide-complex tachycardia (without torsades de pointes). This combination of atrial fibrillation and WPW is considered dangerous, and most antiarrhythmic drugs are contraindicated.
When an individual is in normal sinus rhythm, the ECG characteristics of WPW are a short PR interval (less than 120 milliseconds in duration), widened QRS complex (greater than 120 milliseconds in duration) with slurred upstroke of the QRS complex, and secondary repolarization changes (reflected in ST segment-T wave changes).
In individuals with WPW, electrical activity that is initiated in the SA node travels through the accessory pathway, as well as through the AV node to activate the ventricles via both pathways. Since the accessory pathway does not have the impulse slowing properties of the AV node, the electrical impulse first activates the ventricles via the accessory pathway, and immediately afterwards via the AV node. This gives the short PR interval and slurred upstroke of the QRS complex known as the delta wave.
In case of type A pre-excitation (left atrioventricular connections), a positive R wave is seen in V1 ("positive delta") on the precordial leads of the electrocardiogram, while in type B pre-excitation (right atrioventricular connections), a predominantly negative delta wave is seen in lead V1 ("negative delta").[6]
People with WPW may have more than one accessory pathway—in some cases, as many as eight abnormal pathways have been found. This has been seen in individuals with Ebstein's anomaly.
Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome is sometimes associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy, a form of mitochondrial disease.[7]
Risk stratification[edit]
Treatment is based on risk stratification of the individual, which is performed to determine which individuals with WPW are at risk for sudden cardiac death (SCD). The medical history may point to previous episodes of unexplained syncope (fainting) or palpitations (sudden awareness of one's own, usually irregular, heartbeat). These may be due to earlier episodes of a tachycardia associated with the accessory pathway.
If an individual's delta waves disappear with increases in the heart rate, he or she is considered to be at lower risk of SCD. This is because the loss of the delta wave shows that the accessory pathway cannot conduct electrical impulses at a high rate (in the anterograde direction). These individuals typically do not have fast conduction down the accessory pathway during episodes of atrial fibrillation.
Risk stratification is best performed via programmed electrical stimulation (PES) in the cardiac electrophysiology laboratory. This is an invasive but generally low-risk procedure during which the atria are stimulated to try to induce tachycardia. If a tachycardia involving the accessory pathway can be triggered, the cardiologist can then assess how rapidly the accessory pathway is able to conduct. The faster it can conduct, the higher the likelihood the accessory pathway can conduct fast enough to trigger a lethal tachycardia.
High-risk features that may be present during PES include an effective refractory period of the accessory pathway less than 250 ms, multiple pathways, septal location of pathway, and inducibility of supraventricular tachycardia (AVRT, atrial fibrillation). Individuals with any of these high-risk features are generally considered at increased risk for SCD or symptomatic tachycardia, and should be treated accordingly (i.e.: catheter ablation).[8]
It is unclear whether invasive risk stratification (with PES) is necessary in the asymptomatic individual.[9] While some groups advocate PES for risk stratification in all individuals under 35 years old, others only offer it to individuals who have history suggestive of a tachydysrhythmia, since the incidence of sudden cardiac death is so low (less than 0.6% in some reports).[3][4][10]
People with atrial fibrillation and rapid ventricular response are often treated with amiodarone[11] or procainamide[12] to stabilize their heart rate. Procainamide and cardioversion are now accepted treatments for conversion of tachycardia found with WPW.[13] Amiodarone was previously thought to be safe in atrial fibrillation with WPW, but after several cases of ventricular fibrillation, it is no longer recommended in this clinical scenario.[14]
AV node blockers should be avoided in atrial fibrillation and atrial flutter with WPW or history of it; this includes adenosine, diltiazem, verapamil, other calcium channel blockers, and beta blockers.[15] They can exacerbate the syndrome by blocking the heart's normal electrical pathway (therefore favoring 1:1 atrial to ventricle conduction through the pre-excitation pathway, potentially leading to unstable ventricular arrhythmias).
The definitive treatment of WPW is a destruction of the abnormal electrical pathway by radiofrequency catheter ablation. This procedure is performed by cardiac electrophysiologists. Radiofrequency catheter ablation is not performed in all individuals with WPW because inherent risks are involved in the procedure. When performed by an experienced electrophysiologist, radiofrequency ablation has a high success rate.[16] Findings from 1994 indicate success rates of as high as 95% in people treated with radiofrequency catheter ablation for WPW.[17] If radiofrequency catheter ablation is successfully performed, the condition is generally considered cured. Recurrence rates are typically less than 5% after a successful ablation.[16] The one caveat is that individuals with underlying Ebstein's anomaly may develop additional accessory pathways during progression of their disease.
The bundle of Kent is eponymously named for British physiologist Albert Frank Stanley Kent (1863–1958), who described lateral branches in the atrioventricular groove of the monkey heart (erroneously believing these constituted the normal atrioventricular conduction system).[18][19]
In 1915, Frank Norman Wilson (1890–1952) became the first to describe the condition later called Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome.[20] Alfred M. Wedd (1887–1967) was the next to describe the condition in 1921.[21] Cardiologists Louis Wolff (1898–1972), John Parkinson (1885–1976) and Paul Dudley White (1886–1973) are credited with the definitive description of the disorder in 1930.[22]
Notable cases[edit]
See also[edit]
1. ^ a b Rosner MH, Brady WJ, Kefer MP, Martin ML (1999). "Electrocardiography in the patient with the Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome: diagnostic and initial therapeutic issues". American Journal of Emergency Medicine. 17 (7): 705–14. doi:10.1016/S0735-6757(99)90167-5. PMID 10597097.
2. ^ a b Sorbo MD, Buja GF, Miorelli M, Nistri S, Perrone C, Manca S, Grasso F, Giordano GM, Nava A (1995). "The prevalence of the Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome in a population of 116,542 young males". Giornale Italiano di Cardiologia (in Italian). 25 (6): 681–87. PMID 7649416.
3. ^ a b c d Munger TM, Packer DL, Hammill SC, Feldman BJ, Bailey KR, Ballard DJ, Holmes DR, Gersh BJ (1993). "A population study of the natural history of Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome in Olmsted County, Minnesota, 1953–1989". Circulation. 87 (3): 866–73. doi:10.1161/01.CIR.87.3.866. PMID 8443907.
4. ^ a b Fitzsimmons PJ, McWhirter PD, Peterson DW, Kruyer WB (2001). "The natural history of Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome in 228 military aviators: a long-term follow-up of 22 years". American Heart Journal. 142 (3): 530–36. doi:10.1067/mhj.2001.117779. PMID 11526369.
5. ^ Gollob MH (January 2008). "Modulating phenotypic expression of the PRKAG2 cardiac syndrome". Circulation. 117 (2): 134–35. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.747345. PMID 18195183.
6. ^ a b americanheart.org Atrial and Ventricular Depolarization Changes Last updated 11/24/2008.
7. ^ Mashima Y, Kigasawa K, Hasegawa H, Tani M, Oguchi Y (1996). "High incidence of pre-excitation syndrome in Japanese families with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy". Clinical Genetics. 50 (6): 535–37. doi:10.1111/j.1399-0004.1996.tb02732.x. PMID 9147893.
8. ^ Pappone C, Santinelli V, Manguso F, Augello G, Santinelli O, Vicedomini G, Gulletta S, Mazzone P, Tortoriello V, Pappone A, Dicandia C, Rosanio S (2003). "A randomized study of prophylactic catheter ablation in asymptomatic patients with the Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome". New England Journal of Medicine. 349 (19): 1803–11. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa035345. PMID 14602878.
9. ^ Campbell RM, Strieper MJ, Frias PA, Collins KK, Van Hare GF, Dubin AM (2003). "Survey of current practice of pediatric electrophysiologists for asymptomatic Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome". Pediatrics. 111 (3): e245–47. doi:10.1542/peds.111.3.e245. PMID 12612279.
10. ^ John Kenyon. Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome and the Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death. Doctors Lounge Website. Available at: http://www.doctorslounge.com/index.php/blogs/page/14613.
11. ^ "Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome". 8 Dec 2009.
12. ^ Fengler BT, Brady WJ, Plautz CU (June 2007). "Atrial fibrillation in the Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome: ECG recognition and treatment in the ED". Am J Emerg Med. 25 (5): 576–83. doi:10.1016/j.ajem.2006.10.017. PMID 17543664.
13. ^ Ritchie JV, Juliano ML, Thurman RJ. "23: ECG Abnormalities". In Knoop KJ, Stack LB, Storrow AB, Thurman RJ. The Atlas of Emergency Medicine, 3e.
14. ^ 1. Tijunelis M, Herbert M. Myth: Intravenous amiodarone is safe in patients with atrial fibrillation and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome in the emergency department. CJEM. 2005;7(4):262–5.
15. ^ Wald DA (2009). "Resuscitation". In Lex J. Emergency Medicine Q&A (3rd ed.). McGraw–Hill. p. 4. ISBN 0-7216-5944-6.
16. ^ a b Pappone C, Lamberti F, Santomauro M, Stabile G, De Simone A, Turco P, Pannain S, Loricchio ML, Rotunno R, Chiariello M (1993). "Ablation of paroxysmal tachycardia in Wolff–Parkinson–White syndrome". Cardiologia (in Italian). 38 (12 Suppl 1): 189–97. PMID 8020017.
17. ^ Thakur RK, Klein GJ, Yee R (September 1994). "Radiofrequency catheter ablation in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome". CMAJ. 151 (6): 771–76. PMC 1337132Freely accessible. PMID 8087753.
18. ^ Kent AFS (1893). "Researches on the structure and function of the mammalian heart". Journal of Physiology. 14 (4–5): 233–54. PMC 1514401Freely accessible. PMID 16992052.
19. ^ Kent AFS (1914). "A conducting path between the right auricle and the external wall of the right ventricle in the heart of the mammal". Journal of Physiology. 48: 57.
20. ^ Wilson FN (1915). "A case in which the vagus influenced the form of the ventricular complex of the electrocardiogram". Archives of Internal Medicine. 16 (6): 1008–27. doi:10.1001/archinte.1915.00080060120009.
21. ^ Wedd AM (1921). "Paroxysmal tachycardia, with reference to nomotropic tachycardia and the role of the extrinsic cardiac nerves". Archives of Internal Medicine. 27 (5): 571–90. doi:10.1001/archinte.1921.00100110056003.
22. ^ Wolff L, Parkinson J, White PD (1930). "Bundle-branch block with short P-R interval in healthy young people prone to paroxysmal tachyardia". American Heart Journal. 5 (6): 685–704. doi:10.1016/S0002-8703(30)90086-5.
23. ^ Associated Press (2007-04-10). "Aldridge out with Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2007-04-10.
24. ^ Hedegaard, Erik (19 August 2010). "Michael Cera: Nerdchild in the Promised Land". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 March 2015.
25. ^ Landsberger S (April 17, 2008). "Courageous dog all heart". Retrieved 2008-04-17.
26. ^ a b "By The Way, in conversation with Jeff Garlin podcast episode #5".
27. ^ "Quentin Groves, ex-Jaguars draft pick out of Auburn, passes away at 32". FOX Sports. October 15, 2016.
28. ^ John Joe O'Regan (2013-03-22). "Dan Hardy "has wolf heart"". Fighters Only.
29. ^ "Jessie J Shares Battle With Heart Disease". International Business Times. November 21, 2014.
30. ^ http://www.livinghealthy360.com/index.php/wolff-parkinson-white-cardiac-ailment-33063/[dead link]
31. ^ "Meat Loaf recalls stage collapse". BBC News. 2003-11-28. Retrieved 2007-04-17.
32. ^ Chere R (2008-09-25). "New Jersey Devils' Rupp has been in teammate Tallackson's shoes". NJ.com. Retrieved 2008-11-21.
33. ^ "MVP Interview". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-06.
34. ^ http://archive.aggiesports.com/football/news/100804monty.htm
External links[edit] |
NOAA team uses GPS to size up monumental task
NOAA team uses GPS to size up monumental task
Geodesists take on a tall order'figuring exact height of the Washington Monument'and get results
By Frank Tiboni
GCN Staff
NIST scientist David Ward inspects a bracket the agency built to hold a GPS antenna atop the Washington Monument.
New York's World Trade Center buildings: 1,758 feet. The Empire State Building: 1,250 feet. Chicago's Sears Tower: also 1,377 feet.
But how tall is the Washington Monument'perhaps the most recognizable structure in the nation's capital?
That's a frequent question on the National Mall when tourists look up at the landmark honoring the father of the country and its first president, George Washington.
A team of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration geodesists, whose job it is measure the size and shape of the Earth and precisely locate points and coordinates, used Global Positioning System calculations this month to get figures on the exact height of the white granite obelisk.
'Engineers will also use this information to monitor the monument's stability, measuring any shifting, settling or other movement of the structure,' NOAA administrator D. James Baker said.
The last official geodetic measurements from atop the monument were made in November 1934 by the Coast and Geodetic Survey, the predecessor agency of NOAA's National Geodetic Survey. The earlier survey crew used a metal chain hung from the apex of the structure to the ground to get the height, said Charles W. Challstrom, the survey's current director.
The crew measured the monument'which was dedicated by President Chester A. Arthur in 1885'at 555 feet, 5.5 inches.
Sixty-five years later, a NOAA team traded in a chain for 24 Defense Department navigational satellites and portable GPS receivers.
Using GPS, a special antenna and a receiver that costs $20,000 to $25,000, the team got a precise 3-D position survey. The team also had to have something more'nerve.
The team members rode a caged elevator up the scaffolding on the outside of the monument'which is in the midst of repairs'to the 490-foot level. Then they climbed to the apex on a 60-foot ladder, which had a catwalk under it.
'It is an awesome experience to touch the top of the monument,' said Dave Zilkovski, the National Geodetic Survey's deputy director.
Zilkovski tested some of the equipment at the apex. 'It's a feat that only a few people will experience.'
Challstrom said he could not wait to touch the aluminum that blankets the top of the monument. In the late 1800s, aluminum was considered a precious metal.
Once the team members had climbed to the top of the ladder, waving at sightseers inside the monument on their way up, they placed on the apex a mounting bracket designed and built by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Then they attached a GPS antenna the size of a Frisbee to the bracket.'The antenna had a microstrip that received radio signals from GPS satellites on two frequencies.
Via a cable, the antenna was attached to a GPS receiver inside the monument. The receiver captured and corrected for the time delay between the time the signal left the satellite and when it hit the antenna, Challstrom said.
Time to read
The team used five to seven satellite readings for the survey. NOAA took the data from the receiver along with other data received from GPS stations at NIST and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., to NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring, Md., for processing.
In their offices, the team members hooked up the receivers to Pentium PCs running Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 to analyze the data with a trio of GPS analysis programs.
How tall is the Washington Monument today? GPS data found it is 555 feet, 5.9 inches. The 1930s-era metal chain was only 0.4 inches off.
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OCR A2 R.S. Philosophy of Religion notes
These are all the notes I made for A2 Philosophy of religion, compiled from 5 different sources. Enough to get you an A or A*.
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Inductive argument if the premises are true, it is unlikely that the conclusion would be false.
Deductive argument it is impossible for the premises to be true but the conclusion to be false.
Analytical statements true by definition (e.g. a triangle has 3 sides)
Synthetic statements can only be verified by senses (e.g. it is raining outside
A priori based on logic and reasoning.
A posteriori based on empirical observations.
Religious Language
Cognitive language conveys facts and knowledge.
Non-cognitive language things that are not factual, e.g. feelings, metaphysical claims.
Univocal language words that have the same meaning in all contexts.
Equivocal language words/language that has several different meanings, so unclear and ambiguous.
Religious language is not univocal (so the meaning of a statements is unclear), it is equivocal (as it
concerns the realm outside of existence, so there are different interpretations)
o So these arguments to religious language attempt to conclude if language has meaning or
not/if it is objectively useful despite it being equivocal.
Verification Principle
Logical positivists Vienna, 1920s, concerned with relationship between the use of language and
knowledge, rejecting non-cognitive statements as meaningless.
A.J. Ayer(Language, Truth and Logic-1936)
o "A statement which cannot be conclusively verified cannot be verified at all. It is simply devoid
of any meaning"
o Analytic propositions (
a priori) true by definition because this is required by the word (a
triangle has 3 sides), or because they are mathematical (2+2=4).
o Synthetic propositions (
a posteriori ) true by confirmation of sense (I can see it is raining).
o Strong verification an assertion only has meaning if it can be verified according to empirical
information, anything else is meaningless.
o Weak developed to allow historical facts to have meaning. Some evidence is enough to make
a statement meaningful (e.g. eyewitness accounts).
Religious claims are meaningless as they are non-cognitive and cannot be verified.
Hick eschatological verification, talk of God may be verifiable in principle; convincing evidence is not
apparent now but may be in the future; i.e. when reach the "Celestial City" (heaven)
Swinburne propositions which no-one knows how to verify are not meaningless, e.g. toys that come
out at night when you are asleep, it is not possible to prove or disprove this but this doesn't mean it is
The weak form of verification would support some religious statements, e.g. some historical evidence
for the existence of Jesus and his acts, and evidence of possible design could support "God as creator"
Ayer's creation of the weak verification principle may suggest that the verification principle has gaps.
Falsification Principle
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A principle for assessing whether statements are genuine scientific assertions by considering whether
any evidence would ever disprove them.
Karl Popper(Conjectures and Refutations- 1963)
o Differentiate between genuine science and pseudoscience.
o Any theory that is impossible to disprove is an invalid theory e.g. Freud's psychoanalysis (theory
by which empirical data was interpreted, not tested against). Einstein's theory of relativity is
genuine science in Popper's view.
Anthony Flew
o Religious statements cannot be falsified, therefore religious language is meaningless.…read more
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A mystic, emphasises non-verbal experiences of God (mysticism).
o Tried to express in words the experience of mystical communion with Christ in poetry form.
Moses Maimonides (A Guide for the Perplexed)
o "God has no positive attributes...the negative attributes of God are the true attributes"
o "There is no similarity in anyway whatsoever between Him [God] and his creatures...the
difference between them...is absolute"
o A Neo-Platonist suggests God is ultimate and indescribable, only experienced by a mystical
experience.…read more
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It can help believers make sense of a concept (God) that is beyond human
o Criticisms
St. Paul we cannot accurately express God even through analogy until we see
Analogy tells us nothing new about God analogies are based on what is known
through His creation.
Based on the notion that God exists analogy has no meaning to non-believers
Implies that analogy is part of a language game (Wittgenstein), so no
objective meaning.…read more
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Similarity of relation symbols are like analogies, e.g. the images of Jesus in
The Gospel of John: the Living Water, the Light of the World, Good
Shepherd; the True Vine. Symbolic relations of proportion are in operation.
o Understood to be a story that is not true but has other value e.g. inspirational and
o A literary device that enables us to talk about ineffable things.
o A method of interpreting reality, so haves symbolic meaning.…read more
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Means it is difficult to discuss religion and religious concepts if different faiths have different
religious languages.
D.Z. Phillips
o Religious language is a language game as religious language is not grounded or criticised in
reason; it's a system of its own.
o Statements such as "God exists" are not grounded in belief, instead they are expressions of
belief.…read more
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Passivity not actively bringing it about, instead receiving something that is offered,
the divine teaches about the divine.
Ineffability inability to describe the experience, descriptions are meaningless to
people that haven't experienced it.
Noetic quality revelation, insights into normally unobtainable truths, knowledge
grasped through perception.
Transiency lasting for a limited amount of time, but effects last longer, well
remembered experience.
Only gives probable explanations as it is an inductive argument.…read more
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Three types of vision
o Intellectual gives knowledge of God; inner visions.
o Imaginary strengthen faith, usually in dreams.
o Corporeal when a figure is visibly present.
Bernadette of Lourdes
o Visions of a figure describing themselves to be the "immaculate conception" (Virgin Mary)
o Initially felt bewilderment but then overcame this with a great feeling of peace.
o She was suffering from asthma and contracted cholera at a young age.
St.…read more
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Everyone has transformations in ideas
If we stop trying to change then true change can occur.
All adolescents go through symptoms similar to conversion experiences.
Religious experiences begin with a feeling of incompletion e.g. John Wesley.
Therefore religious experiences could simply be a person shifting their changing
o Swinburne (Is There a God?)
Can be used anywhere in religious experience
A realist believes that there are objective moral truths regardless of moral
Belief in God is reasonably possible.…read more
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Criticism apparent contradictions in the Bible pose a challenge to this view.
Liberal view
o Roots in the early 18th Century during the Enlightenment period.
o Use of reason to discover truth, as opposed to blind faith, so rejects the miraculous as not
o Treat the Bible as any other text not literally. Biblical "Higher Criticism".
o The Bible is a purely human book, so has no absolute divine authority.…read more
Jon Favreau
i rate this 6 cancers outs of 1
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Apathy and noradrenaline: silent partners to mild cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease?
Purpose of review Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a comorbid factor in Parkinson's disease. The aim of this review is to examine the recent neuroimaging findings in the search for Parkinson's disease MCI (PD-MCI) biomarkers to gain insight on whether MCI and specific cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease implicate striatal dopamine or another system. Recent findings The evidence implicates a diffuse pathophysiology in PD-MCI rather than acute dopaminergic involvement. On the one hand, performance in specific cognitive domains, notably in set-shifting and learning, appears to vary with dopaminergic status. On the other hand, motivational states in Parkinson's disease along with their behavioral and physiological indices suggest a noradrenergic contribution to cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease. Finally, Parkinson's disease's pattern of neurodegeneration offers an avenue for continued research in nigrostriatal dopamine's role in distinct behaviors, as well as the specification of dorsal and ventral striatal functions. The search for PD-MCI biomarkers has employed an array of neuroimaging techniques, but still yields divergent findings. This may be due in part to MCI's broad definition, encompassing heterogeneous cognitive domains, only some of which are affected in Parkinson's disease. Most domains falling under the MCI umbrella include fronto-dependent executive functions, whereas others, notably learning, rely on the basal ganglia. Given the deterioration of the nigrostriatal dopaminergic system in Parkinson's disease, it has been the prime target of PD-MCI investigation. By testing well defined cognitive deficits in Parkinson's disease, distinct functions can be attributed to specific neural systems, overcoming conflicting results on PD-MCI. Apart from dopamine, other systems such as the neurovascular or noradrenergic systems are affected in Parkinson's disease. These factors may be at the basis of specific facets of PD-MCI for which dopaminergic involvement has not been conclusive. Finally, the impact of both dopaminergic and noradrenergic deficiency on motivational states in Parkinson's disease is examined in light of a plausible link between apathy and cognitive deficits.
Related material
EPFL authors |
Amounts i.e. positive numbers analysed as objects of the real vector space
A class to analyse positive amounts in a classical (non-logarithmic) framework.
rplus(X, parts=1:NCOL(oneOrDataset(X)), total=NA,,
detectionlimit=NULL, BDL=NULL, MAR=NULL, MNAR=NULL, SZ=NULL)
vector or dataset of positive numbers considered as amounts
vector containing the indices xor names of the columns to be used
a numeric vectors giving the total amount of each dataset
should the user be warned in case of NA,NaN or 0 coding different types of missing values?
a number, vector or matrix of positive numbers giving the detection limit of all values, all columns or each value, respectively
the code for 'Below Detection Limit' in X
the code for 'Structural Zero' in X
the code for 'Missing At Random' in X
the code for 'Missing Not At Random' in X
Many multivariate datasets essentially describe amounts of D different parts in a whole. When the whole is large in relation to the considered parts, such that they do not exclude each other, and when the total amount of each componenten is actually determined by the phenomenon under investigation and not by sampling artifacts (such as dilution or sample preparation) then the parts can be treated as amounts rather than as a composition (cf. rcomp, aplus).
In principle, amounts are just real-scaled numbers with the single restriction that they are nonnegative. Thus they can be analysed by any multivariate analysis method. This class provides a simple access interface to do so. It tries to keep in mind the positivity property of amounts and the special point zero. However there are strong arguments why an analyis based on log-scale might be much more adapted to the problem. This log-approach is provided by the class aplus.
The classes rcomp, acomp, aplus, and rplus are designed in a fashion as similar as possible in order to allow direct comparison between results obtained by the different approaches. In particular, the aplus logistic transform ilt is mirrored by the simple identity transform iit. In terms of computer science, this identity mapping is actually mapping an object of type "rplus" to a class-less datamatrix.
a vector of class "rplus" representing a vector of amounts or a matrix of class "rplus" representing multiple vectors of amounts, by rows.
Missing Policy
Missing and Below Detecion Limit Policy is in mored detailed explained in compositions.missing.
K.Gerald v.d. Boogaart
van den Boogaart, K.G. and R. Tolosana-Delgado (2008) "compositions": a unified R package to analyze Compositional Data, Computers & Geosciences, 34 (4), pages 320-338, doi:10.1016/j.cageo.2006.11.017.
See Also
iit,rcomp, aplus, princomp.rplus, plot.rplus, boxplot.rplus, barplot.rplus, mean.rplus, var.rplus, variation.rplus, cov.rplus, msd
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What’s Wrong With In Vitro Meat?
Posted in: Other Commentary
Dutch scientists recently presented the first “In Vitro” hamburgers for sampling before an audience in London. The scientists had created the burgers from meat grown from a laboratory culture. Many animal activists rejoiced at the news, hoping that perhaps people could soon successfully move from consuming the remains of slaughtered animals and their reproductive secretions, to consuming test-tube-cultured animal products instead. I am not, however, as pleased and optimistic as some of my fellow vegans are, about the development of In Vitro meat. In this column, I will explain why.
Animals Still Die for Cultured Meat
I imagined, when first hearing about cultured meat, that one needed only a cell or two from a living animal and that—like a “starter” for sourdough bread—cells from the animal could then divide and reproduce and thereby generate meat in perpetuity. That is, I thought that after initially taking some cells from a living animal, one would not need to return for more animal cells later. As it turns out, I was mistaken.
Contrary to popular belief, cultured meat involves the use and slaughter of animals. The material used to make the hamburgers served in London involved a type of cell removed from cows’ necks at a slaughterhouse and cultured in a medium of fetal calf serum taken from a slaughtered, pregnant cow. The kind of cell that scientists have used to create cultured meat has important practical advantages but cannot reproduce indefinitely, so it would reportedly “never be completely animal-free; . . . [the inventor] will always need a supply of muscle tissue from which to obtain new cells.” If this is so, then “cultured meat” does not offer the promise of an end to animal slaughter and exploitation.
At most, cultured meat offers the possibility that people might pay for the slaughter of many fewer cows than before. Slaughtering fewer animals is an improvement over slaughtering more animals, but it is still slaughtering animals. I therefore have a difficult time seeing the product of that slaughter as an unambiguously positive development, even on its own terms, and I certainly would not consider the product ethical or “cruelty-free.”
Animal Foods Are Unnecessary for Humans
A somewhat different reason for my discomfort with cultured meat is a tacit premise of its development: that people’s current choice to consume animal products must be taken at face value as everlasting and inevitable.
Consider a related scientific project. In addition to working on cultured meat, (other) scientists have been developing laboratory-grown organs for human transplant, so that people with failing organs would not need to rely primarily on sudden tragedies befalling others to accommodate their organ needs. But cultured meat differs from cultured human organs. It makes perfect sense to try to grow a human kidney, heart, or lungs in a laboratory, because people really do need to have a kidney, a heart, and lungs to survive. We therefore also need to have a source for these organs when ours fail.
People who die prematurely in car crashes and other tragedies do provide one source of replacement organs, but not all such people choose to donate their organs, and many patients in need of a transplant die waiting for a tragedy to befall a healthy and generous person. Cultured organs, in contrast, would not require anyone to die, and could even be tailored to better match the tissue of the patient receiving the transplant. Culturing organs thus fills a true need that humans have, and therefore represents a more or less unambiguous good.
The consumption of animal products, by contrast, is unnecessary for human survival. Indeed, accumulating evidence points to the affirmative harm that such consumption causes in people. To spend time and money attempting to develop cultured meat is therefore to pursue an unnecessary goal that is premised on an unexamined commitment of humans to the consumption of animal products. That unexamined commitment is itself destructive, for reasons that go beyond—and will therefore persist along with—the consumption of In Vitro meat.
Why is the commitment to consuming animal products destructive? First, it foolishly ignores the current availability of a cornucopia of natural, healthful, non-animal-based foods that people regularly eat and that nourish them without inflicting suffering and death on nonhuman animals. One can literally live on vegetables, such as potatoes, corn, yams, carrots, spinach, cabbage, and broccoli; fruits, such as apples, grapes, pears, bananas, peaches, plums, cherries, oranges, raspberries, blackberries, and melons; legumes, such as lentils, black beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, green beans, black-eyed peas, white beans, and yellow split-peas; grains, such as pasta, rice, wheat, oats, and barley; and nuts and seeds, such as walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, almonds, sesame seeds, and sunflower seeds. Mushrooms too—members of the “fungi” kingdom—add a healthful and delicious component to an animal-free diet. And if one enjoys decadent food, one can achieve desired textures, creaminess, and flavor with an all-vegan menu as well.
Unlike with the development of cultured human organs for transplantation, in other words, we are not currently lacking for things that people can eat (and thoroughly enjoy eating) when they decide to stop consuming animal products. When we dedicate scarce resources to finding something that we already have in abundance, we are wasting those resources. Instead of using human ingenuity to culture meat, we could be distributing delicious vegan food samples to people who might otherwise believe, as at least two people in my circle of acquaintances have claimed just in the last month, “I don’t think I have ever eaten anything vegan.” (Ever had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a bag of potato chips?)
In addition to wasting resources by seeking what we already have—an alternative to consuming the flesh and secretions of animals—the “cultured meat” endeavor is destructive for a second, albeit related reason. By honoring the false proposition that it is important for people to be able to eat cows (“beef”), we implicitly encourage everyone to think that it is also important for people to be able to eat chickens (“chicken”), ducks (“duck”), fishes (“fish”), birds’ ovulatory secretions (“eggs”), cows’ and other mammals’ mammary secretions (“milk”), or whatever their favorite animal corpse or secretion might be. Once we take seriously the notion that people must eat their preferred animal-based cuisine, there is no end to the science projects to be pursued to satisfy each and every one of the particular tastes that people have, through often-unreflective (and virtually always unnecessary) habits and practices.
It is hard to imagine that anyone who is too committed to consuming hamburgers to stop, notwithstanding the resulting animal suffering and slaughter, environmental devastation, and food scarcity, will be satisfied with just one type of “In Vitro” animal product. The problem, then, is the commitment to animal-based consumption, and it may be difficult to solve that problem by treating the commitment itself—a socially contingent set of human habits—as sacred and untouchable.
The “Yuck” Factor
A number of commentators have suggested that meat-eaters will likely resist cultured meat, because of the “yuck factor” attached to its unnatural origins. Little, to be sure, is natural about breeding sentient beings to have bodies that maximize their “food” potential, thereby imposing painful and sickening conditions on them even before the first knife or branding iron is brought to their sensitive, un-anaesthetized skin. For one illustration of this evolution in reverse, consider the fact that “egg-laying” hens have been bred to lay about fifteen times as many eggs per year as their closely-related wild ancestors do, thus yielding painful conditions, such as uterine prolapse and osteoporosis, that result from the hens’ essentially being in labor every day, and from their relinquishing stores of calcium to eggshells in the process, when that calcium rightly belongs in the animals’ bones.
Another example of such “survival of the sickest” evolution is domesticated turkeys, who are bred to be too large to be able to mate at all (other than through forced artificial insemination). And if you think about it, how natural is it for humans to drink another species’ lactational fluid at all, let alone into our adulthood?
Yet people have gotten used to consuming these foods, and to doing so in quantities that in prior eras were limited to royalty (whose remains have the atherosclerosis to prove it.) And people have come to think of what they happen to do now as natural and normal.
Change can be frightening. But consuming cultured meat would also represent a change, and the change, here, is to eating something that is in some sense completely new. While most non-vegans have on occasion eaten an apple, a handful of peanuts, or a plate of rice and beans, just about no one has ever eaten a hamburger that was cultured in a laboratory. A cultured hamburger may be biologically identical to a fully-slaughterhouse-sourced hamburger (minus the fecal bacteria found in most meat), but the manner in which people think about laboratory-grown food may nonetheless stand in the way of appetite.
Eating a dinner of salad with Italian dressing, pine-nut cream-based mushroom soup, cashew-based cheese lasagna, and apple pie is likely to be less threatening to most people than a laboratory meat sandwich. Even if cultured meat did not in fact come from slaughtered animals; even if cultured versions could be developed for every animal product under the sun; and even if finding a “substitute” for animal products were not utterly unnecessary, the laboratory version could itself face serious obstacles to acceptance among people who are wedded to doing things the way they always have.
Conceiving of Animals as a Food Source
As a vegan, I acknowledge that I find the idea of a cultured animal product unappetizing. Indeed, I find it unappetizing for the same reason that I find a slaughterhouse version of the animal product unappetizing. I no longer regard nonhuman animals as food (or clothing or beauty product) sources, but instead think of them as fellow sentient beings, experiencing their lives on this planet and entitled to be free of our violence. My disgust response, in this case, is thus very closely connected to my moral development in coming to realize that animals are beings whose lives matter to them (a fact that was obviously true before I discovered it, but to which I had been willfully oblivious, earlier in my life, in the case of farmed animals).
My friend and former colleague, Professor Gary Francione, commenting on the In Vitro meat debate, said it very well when he asked rhetorically whether we would want to eat a human arm if we could do so without hurting any human? Of course we would not, because we do not view humans as food. In fact, this may help explain why so many people find disgusting the prospect of mistakenly consuming bottled “breast milk” (i.e., human lactational fluid). As adults, we do not think of humans as food sources, and we may accordingly find the notion of human-milk-based ice cream or cheese revolting (even if someone assures us that the flavor is wonderful).
Scientists could, in the future perhaps, develop some way of culturing an animal product without actually hurting an animal. Nonetheless, our continuing to think of our fellow animals as food sources is likely to yield our continuing to exploit our fellow animals. If you learned that a handbag or briefcase was made out of human skin—even the skin of a human who had died naturally—you would probably prefer to avoid using that handbag or briefcase. The same is almost certainly true for, say, a chess set made out of human teeth. Though you would not be eating these items (and the disgust factor might therefore be diminished), it would feel immoral and disrespectful to be using human remains in this way. Showing respect for dead humans, in other words, is an emotional extension of the respect we show to living humans as beings whose lives matter in themselves, independent of their utility to others. Trying to recreate bio-identical animal parts and secretions in a laboratory for humans to eat thus contributes to the same sort of moral risk as would eliminating the stigma attached to consuming human arms, skin, and teeth would. It is a way of “culturing” disrespect.
Mixed Feelings
Having expressed my reservations about cultured meat, I nonetheless recognize some (limited) positive features in it. First, the fact that someone wants to create it is, to my mind, a positive sign. It suggests that there are people who currently consume the products of animal suffering and slaughter, but who have a desire to stop doing so. This impulse is positive and gives me hope, even as I suspect that the existence and use of cultured meat itself will not change very much, if people continue to think of consuming animal products as a legitimate, morally innocuous enterprise. I thus regard In Vitro meat as potentially standing as some evidence of positive ethical movement within people’s consciences, though I do not think the cultured meat itself will further facilitate that movement.
For another, independent reason, I also see In Vitro meat as a potentially positive development. At the moment, people who provide housing and sanctuary to domesticated and feral carnivores (for instance, cats) confront a moral dilemma: they wish to save nonhuman animals who, for various reasons, are unable to live without human assistance, but these particular animals may require other animals’ flesh for nourishment. In such cases, people of conscience who care about animals have no unambiguously good choices: They either abandon the carnivores to starvation or they contribute to the torture and slaughter of other animals. If there were a way to culture large quantities of animal flesh without harming any living animals, then we could feed sheltered carnivores with a clean conscience. Victoria Moran raised this possibility in a discussion of In Vitro meat on her Main Street Vegan radio show.
Notwithstanding these caveats, however, I remain ill at ease about the development of cultured meat products, an enterprise aimed primarily at human consumers. As I describe in my new book, Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger? And Other Questions People Ask Vegans, our food and our lives can be nutritious, delicious, decadent, and joyous without anyone having to endure the pain, misery, and slaughter that farmed animals all endure because people consume animal products. What we need, to spare animals, is not a laboratory so much as a willingness to consider what we mean when we say, as most of us do say, that we would never wish to inflict unnecessary suffering and death on an animal.
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Ask Sam letter
To Sam
Rights in School
Hello, I'm a 13 year old (in year 9 at school ) and I'm a lesbian nobody knows but I am going to tell my parent very soon but I'm very disappointed that my school does nothing to actively support the lesbian / gay / transgender kids and I know that there are quite a few in my year alone and I've been reading up on line on things you can do to raise awareness and I found that in the usa to raise awareness of remain silent for all or part of the school day to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth and I'm very confused about whether kids in the uk have the right to remain silent for a day during school hours including not answering questions in class? the students involved would have a show a note to the teacher to explain why they will not be answering to the register and stuff like that but does a child/teen have the right to remain silent? I understand that you may have more important questions to answer to but this could help a lot of people feel accepted I would like to make clear that the school is not homophobic and gives every pupil the chance to speak to the school nurse in private if that would help but most kids would rather not have to come out of the closet to feel accepted thank you :)
Ask Sam
Hi there,
There are different kinds of rights. Some we call basic human rights, others are rights that the laws of our country provide, and there are also rights that places we work or learn (such as school) give to us. Everyone is entitled to basic human rights, but some other kind of rights can be given or taken away because there are consequences to our actions.
Standing up for things you believe in is great. Supporting equality for LGBT people is a good cause. I also think it's important to think about why you are making a stand and what you hope to achieve.
Youve said youre disappointed with how the school is not actively supporting LGBT students. I think it would be good to think about how you would like them to show this support. Think about what they have not been doing that you think they should start doing.
The next step would be to think about the best way to challenge them on this. Protest usually comes after someone has taken reasonable steps to try and work things out. If you were to go straight to a protest of silence without giving your school the chance to change things, then they might see you as being unreasonable.
If you have tried to talk to the school and you feel they are still not doing enough then standing up for what you believe in is the right thing to do. However, how you do that is still important to think about. Staying silent for a day is a powerful message, but will it achieve what you want? Breaking the rules is usually a risky tactic. It can put your school in a difficult position. Either they have to give in and risk people breaking rules whenever they dont like something, or they have to punish you for standing up for what you believe in. They wont be keen on doing either of those.
You do have a basic right to stay silent if you want to. Nobody should be able to force you to talk if you dont choose to. Your school, however, also has the right to set rules and ask you to follow them, one of which might be participation in lessons. So although you have the right to stay silent, there may be consequences of this when youre breaking rules. You would need to decide if its worth the consequences and whether youre achieving what you want.
Think about whether there are other, more effective ways to get your point across without breaking any of the schools rules. You might find that working in this way gets you to your goal quicker.
I hope this makes sense and helps you work out what you want to do.
Take care,
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In terms of the critical thinking principles proposed by Richard Paul and Linda Elder in their books and guides, what are the best qualities of the best thinkers? How can these qualities be put...
In terms of the critical thinking principles proposed by Richard Paul and Linda Elder in their books and guides, what are the best qualities of the best thinkers? How can these qualities be put into practice in order to improve the quality of thinking?
Asked on by bbtharpe56
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durbanville's profile pic
durbanville | High School Teacher | (Level 2) Educator Emeritus
Posted on
Critical thinking allows a person to find the best solution to a problem. By assessing a problem in a systematic manner, through reasoning and logic, relevance and appropriateness, and the elimination of potential difficulties, the best resolution can be reached. Skills can be taught or acquired but the strongest contenders for reaching the best decisions are people who are well-rounded, flexible, open-minded and well-informed.
Richard Paul and Linda Elder have various guides and books and are respected authorities in critical thinking. They recognize the value of an intellectual approach which provides a foundation for acquiring the necessary skills because, to create the best critical thinkers, they propose specific stages of development. It is the intellectual methodology which can be taught most effectively and which has six essential stages.
There must be a deliberate attempt rather than a subconscious desire to develop as a critical thinker. It is also important that critical thinking is applied in all areas of a person's life and it should therefore not be restricted to only a specific field of expertise. The intellectual qualities that characterize the best thinkers, according to Linda Elder and Richard Paul, are:
1) Intellectual integrity: This means that a person holds him or herself to the same standard as he (or she) expect of others. A person with intellectual integrity has sufficient confidence to remain steadfast in his own beliefs.
2) Intellectual humility: Self-awareness is crucial to the best critical thinkers as it ensures that they understand their own limitations and the potential to be overconfident.
3) Confidence in reason: This requires a belief in others that they will be able to reach sound conclusions from rational arguments despite the tendency, in human-nature, to internalize problems and create solutions which favor individual interests.
4) Intellectual perseverance: In coming to the best solution, intellectual perseverance allows a person to consider all possibilities and opinions of others and to overcome the confusion that may arise from too many choices. A deeper understanding can only be reached by applying rational argument in order to disregard those less feasible arguments which at first may seem appealing and rational.
5) Fairmindedness: The ability to reason objectively regardless of any influences or personal agenda.
6) Intellectual courage: The best critical thinkers can overcome their own personal emotional response to certain problems by applying intellectual courage - having the confidence to believe in their own ideals but recognizing the intellectual merit of other conclusions or even the compromised one-sided views within their own circles.
7) Intellectual empathy: Accepting that they may have been wrong and adjusting their thinking is fundamental to the best critical thinkers. They have the ability to identify truth, even when it exists outside their preferred beliefs.
8) Intellectual autonomy: Being sufficiently in control to reach the best conclusion is dependent upon the ability to ask questions appropriately, accept rational beliefs as appropriate and even to comply when that is the rational choice.
Slowing down the process and recognizing that rational conclusions can only be reached through purposeful deliberation and an awareness that these steps in the process do exist, will ensure that the qualities of the best critical thinkers can be used by anyone searching for the best solutions.
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Overall, what does the Green Political Party believe in?
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rrteacher | College Teacher | (Level 2) Educator Emeritus
Posted on
The Green Party originated as a political arm of the environmentalist movements of the 1970s. Green Parties emerged first in Europe, then in the United States, though the founders of the movement, including Charles Reich, were American. In short, Greens believe in environmentalism, fighting for issues of social justice, "grassroots democracy," and pacifism. These broad ideals include fighting for gender and racial equity, fair trade, environmentally sustainable practices, and other causes.
In the United States, the Greens ran their first candidates in state elections in North Carolina and Connecticut in the mid-eighties. In 1996 and 2000, they achieved their greatest notoriety, running the famous consumer advocate Ralph Nader for the presidency. Almost 3 million Americans voted for Nader, allowing him to finish third in the popular vote behind George W. Bush and Al Gore.
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What must we as people give up to facilitate public order?
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pohnpei397 | College Teacher | (Level 3) Distinguished Educator
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To facilitate social order, we as people have to give up our right to behave in whatever way we want. We want social order so that the government can protect our life, liberty, and our property. In order to get that, we give up our right to act in all sorts of ways that we might want to act.
For example, in our society, we give up our right to be drunk in public. In most places, this is a crime. We do not want people to be drunk in public because they tend to diminish other people’s ability to enjoy themselves or to feel safe.
As another example, we give up the right to make noise whenever we want. If we lived out in the country with no neighbors, we could make noise whenever we liked. The same is true if we did not care about social order. However, in order to have social order, we need to compromise. We need to not act in ways that will unduly disturb other people. Therefore, we give up our right to make loud noises at certain times of day.
To take an example that seems silly, we give up the right to walk around naked. This is something that does not really hurt anyone, but we still cannot do it because it offends people. When we live in a society, we give up our rights to do things like this so that we can manage to live in relative harmony with many other people.
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Written by Subject: Central Intelligence Agency
By Frosty Wooldridge
As population rises, carrying capacity drops. What is “carrying capacity?” For a quick rendition, it means, “the amount resources on a given piece of land to allow long term sustainable human, plant and animal life.”
If animals or humans exceed ‘carrying capacity’ of any given land mass, they crash in numbers by various means, i.e., famine, war and disease.
For the 6.4 billion humans in the 21st century, oil resources will define that capacity quotient. Noted Geologist Walter Youngquist said, “This is going to be an interesting decade, for the perfect storm is brewing—energy, immigration and oil imports. China grows in direct confrontation for remaining oil. I think the USA is on a big, slippery down hill slope. Will the thin veneer of civilization survive?”
The world uses 84 million barrels daily! That’s 42 gallons to a drum! By mid century, use will top 110 million barrels per day. The fact is, it’s going to run out because there is only so much in the ground.
How many people in the United States are enough? How far down the rabbit hole do we want to dig ourselves? At what point is enough—too much? If we shut down the borders today with zero immigration, while enjoying our sustainable 2.03 fertility level of American women on average, we would still grow via ‘population momentum’ by an added 40 million.
In other words, we’re painting ourselves into a perilous corner. Once the numbers manifest, our society will suffer irreversible consequences with unsolvable problems. People say, “Population is not the problem.” How far into the denial hole have you stuck your head? One visit to Los Angeles will show you they suffer toxic air, dwindling safe drinking water, gridlock to the point of insanity, water shortages, endless highways and housing development. Consider San Francisco, Atlanta, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Denver and all other large cities grow beyond the bounds of reason!
Sustainable growth, slow growth, managed growth, smart growth and all other kinds of growth are oxymoronic. There is no such thing as sustainable growth. Why? All growth exceeds carrying capacity at some point. In other words, the bubble bursts, the dam breaks, the glass spills, the balloon pops and the red-lined engine blows up.
Dr. Bartlett suggested Kenneth Boulding’s three theorems: 1. Dismal Theorem—if the only ultimate check on the growth of populations is misery, then the population will grow until it is miserable enough to stop its growth. (China is an example) 2. Utterly Dismal Theorem—technical improvements can only relieve misery for a while, thus improvements will enable more people to live in misery than before. (Green revolution is an example) 3. Moderately Cheerful Form of Dismal Theorem—if something else, other than misery and starvation, can be found which will keep a prosperous population in check, the population does not have to grow until it is miserable or starves; it can be sustainably prosperous. (Population stabilization)
‘Silent-assertion’ worked until it brought China, India and Bangladesh to their knees with sheer misery of numbers. How do I know? I’ve spent a lot of time in Asia and other overpopulated regions. China, even with enforced one child per family, grows by 10 million annually. India, with 1.1 billion, adds even more yearly. Bangladesh suffers 129 million people in a landmass the size of Ohio. Do you see anyone racing to immigrate to those havens of human overload?
What I ask is, do we as a nation, want millions upon millions of added people from countries already exceeding their ‘carrying capacity’? Legal immigration is just as dangerous as illegal. To think otherwise will allow that ‘silent-assertion’ to create another China or India in America. Just imagine Ohio with 129 million people and all the rest of the United States with THAT kind of population density!
Maybe some of us choose to maintain our ‘silent-assertion’ in the face of growing consequences, but how can any parent or grand parent be that callous to their children? That rabbit hole is mighty deep!
By Frosty Wooldridge
In the last column you read and connected the dots from Dr. Albert Bartlett as he asked questions that pertain to the ‘silent assertion’. You know this country cannot keep pretending that we can grow forever. We must stabilize our population sooner rather than later. We cannot apply 20th century solutions that will not solve 21st century challenges.
We cannot expect Third World countries to solve their own exploding populations.
Those of us living in large cities in America can’t help but wonder: where does it all lead? Denver, where I live, suffers a ‘Brown Cloud’ so thick with toxins that every breath is filled with poison air. Our traffic is a daily nightmare of accidents, road rage (one guy killed two others last week) and wasted hours sitting in bumper to bumper frustration. I-70 heading into the mountains makes a weekend getaway a nightmare. Returning is an ordeal beyond belief. Throw in our water shortages and you’ve got quality of life racing to the bottom of the sewer. Our natural gas costs jumped 33 percent this fall after they jumped 30 percent last year. Our electricity costs jumped 13 percent. You all know where the price of gas is headed—yes--over five dollars a gallon. It’s already five and six dollars a gallon in Europe.
Because of mass immigration, we expect an added four million people into Colorado by mid century. Texas adds 12 million by 2025 while California adds 20 million by 2035. Water shortages will become water wars!
The 1993 EPA report stands as a perfect example of silent assertion’s denial of population growth as the prime culprit of our cities’ dilemmas: “Where many areas are experiencing rapid urban growth and associated environmental problems…a stronger emphasis on sustainable agricultural practices will be a key element in any long-term solutions to problems in the area.”
How frickin' stupid is that statement? There is no way to keep growing and stop destroying farmland! In Colorado, we pave 100,000 acres annually in the name of ‘growth’. Tell me how you can grow corn, wheat and vegetables on pavement! You cannot solve traffic gridlock by adding thousands of cars to the highways. You cannot solve water shortages by adding more people, lawns and toilets to flush.
The respected journalist Bill Moyers introduced another aspect of overpopulation when he asked science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, “What happens to the idea of the dignity of the human species if population growth continues at the present rate?”
Asimov replied, “It will be completely destroyed. I like to use what I call the bathroom metaphor: if two people live in an apartment and there are two bathrooms, then both have freedom of the bathroom. You can go to the bathroom anytime you want and stay as long as you want for whatever you need. Everyone believes in the freedom of the bathroom. But if you have 20 people in the apartment and two bathrooms, no matter how much everyone believes in the freedom of the bathroom, there is no such thing. You have to set up times for each person, you have to bang on the door. “Aren’t you through yet?” And so on!”
Asimov made what may become a profound observation as we head into further overpopulation dilemmas: “In the same way, democracy cannot survive overpopulation. Human dignity cannot survive overpopulation. Convenience and decency cannot survive overpopulation. As you jam more and more people into the world, the value of life not only declines, it disappears. It doesn’t matter if someone dies, the more there are, the less one person matters.”
Fellow Americans—does anyone here think Chinese and Indian citizens enjoy their predicament? If they enjoy it, why are they fleeing their countries?
Thus, you might ponder a few of Dr. Bartlett’s Laws of Sustainability:
First Law: Population growth and/or growth in the rates of consumption of resources cannot be sustained. Persons who advocate population growth are advocating unsustainability. Such persons mislead themselves and others.
Second Law: In a society with a growing population, the more difficult it will be to transform the society to the condition of sustainability. This is caused by the phenomenon of ‘population momentum’.
Third Law: The response time of populations to changes in human fertility rate is 70 years. In other words, if we want to stabilize the population by mid 21st century, we must make changes now. For the record, the US created a stable society at 2.03 fertility level, but immigration at four million annually negates it.
Fourth Law: The size of population that can be sustained (carrying capacity) and the sustainable average standard of living of the population are inversely related to one another. The higher the standard of living one wishes to sustain, the more urgent it is to stabilize population growth.
Fifth Law: Sustainability requires that the size of the population be less than or equal to the carrying capacity of the ecosystem for the desired standard of living. The rate of destruction of ecosystems increases as the rate of growth of the population increases.
Sixth Law: The benefits of population growth and consumption accrue to a few. The costs are borne by the ‘many’ average citizens. That’s why politicians and developers promote growth along with real estate people. They move to other havens where they escape the ‘results’ of their labors.
Ninth Law: When large efforts are made to improve efficiency, the results are wiped out by added population.
Fourteenth Law: If humans fail to stop population growth and growth in the rates of consumption of resources, nature will stop these growths. By contemporary standards, nature’s method of stopping growth is cruel and inhumane.
One look at the March 14, 2005 Time Magazine piece that reported eight million
people die annually of starvation world wide—offers a window into our future. Additionally, you can see it on many of the religious channels where they solicit money for food for millions of starving children in Africa. Notice they offer food which creates more children, so they never solve the core issue of too many humans. They need to offer birth control devices, for, without birth control, all their efforts and your money become useless as those populations explode by 85 million annually.
Nonetheless, I’ll receive hundreds of emails countering this column by well meaning people who operate via emotions, hopes and faith that it will turn out okay. Their propensities fall into the “Cassandra Syndrome”: The Cassandra Syndrome is a term applied to predictions of doom about the future that are not believed, but upon later reflection turn out to be correct. This denotes a psychological tendency among people to disbelieve inescapably bad news, often through denial. The person making the prediction is caught in the dilemma of knowing what is going to happen but not being able to resolve the problem. The origin of the name is derived from Cassandra, who, using her prescience, foresaw the demise of Troy. No one believed her.
What happened to Bangladesh, China and India, happened! Their problems relating to overpopulation create a miserable life for their citizens. As to what is happening in Amsterdam, Holland; Paris, France and Sydney, Australia from immigrating incompatible Third World cultures and languages, which resulted in violence, happened! They dug a ‘rabbit hole’ they can’t escape because the ‘beast’ is inside them. It WILL and it IS happening in America unless we change course before the ‘beast’ is too big for us to stop. If we allow another 10 million illegal Mexican immigrants, we’ll become another Mexico with all the trash, disease, poverty, corruption, gangs and degradation of our society that is now manifested in Mexico. We either do it today or Paris, France will be the streets of “Any town, USA” in the very near future.
David Durham of Carrying Capacity Network added, “Cultural carrying capacity is also very important, because too much cultural diversity leads to loss of social cohesion shown by recent French and Australian riots. Carrying Capacity Network is the most comprehensive source for all scholarship and activism relating to protecting carrying capacity. Our two thousand six hundred page carrying capacity briefing book contains a virtual road map to achieve the sustainability of the United States. It was favorably written up in the New York Review of Books.”
I’ve covered the major laws. If you want a full and terribly sobering copy of this report, call 1 800 352 4843 or Ask for the Fall 2005 Quarterly. While you’re at it, help educate your friends and neighbors with a booklet from For a video of Dr. Bartlett’s absolutely enthralling “Arithmetic, Population and Energy,” please call 303 492 2670 or email Another web site that offers you tremendous information about this crisis:
We can be docile passengers on the Titanic by silently suffering our fate, or, we can stand up and speak out to the captain and crew of our ship (president and Congress). We are not lemmings or other helpless animals willing to be led over a cliff. I’m confident that millions of Americans refuse the ‘silent assertion’ mode of denial. They know their actions will be the only thing that saves America from drowning by mass immigration. They know their actions create change for their children like their parents’ action in the last century gave them the wonders of a country that provides “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
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If you feel like you’re constantly checking your phone, you’re not alone: TIME reported in December 2015 that the average person checks their phone 46 times a day. And considering most people have an insatiable urge to check if they have a new alert, coupled with the constant release of new and addictive apps, that number could be on the low-end in a year or two.
While being a participant in the modern world makes it difficult to ever detach from your phone completely, there are steps to stop checking your phone so frequently.
If you’re thinking, “Why would I want to stop checking my phone? I like feeling connected to everything,” that’s understandable. “The internet gives us wonderful things [like access to] amazing apps, news, and a way to stay connected to friends and family,” says relationship specialist and therapist Sharla Macy, LMFT. “[But] I think something that we’re becoming more conscious of is: is this controlling us? Or are we controlling it? You say, ‘I’m just going to check a couple of emails or go online to Facebook or Twitter,’ and then two hours later…”
Macy notes that a hit of dopamine is released whenever you, say, see a new message on your phone and then reply to it, an action which is often followed by more texting, tweeting, and Googling. This phenomenon is called a “dopamine loop”.
Macy says, “we need to have a wise mind around how to use [our phone], and how to turn it off.” These are some of her best practices.
Set limits on when and where you check your phone
Macy says she likes the advice of writer Ned Hallowell, who recommends dedicating a certain amount of time to check your phone and then turn it off. This certainly takes discipline, as a lot of us are used to checking our phone practically all the time. So, Macy suggests giving your mind and body something else to do in the meantime. “I think withdrawal is real for this [type of] addiction,” she says. “If you turn [your phone] off, go take a walk. Stretch. Get another way to release that tension or stress. We need to move our bodies or take breaths mindfully. Have a practice that utilizes that.”
One thing I’ve found helpful is to be mindful in places where I normally resort to checking my phone—like in line at the grocery store. The supermarket used to be a place where I’d either zone out and stare at my phone or be completely incensed that my time was being wasted because the person in front of me couldn’t find their credit card. Nowadays, I know I have other options. I can focus on my breath, or pay attention to what’s going on around me—all of which feel like a kinder way to treat myself than going on another dopamine loop.
Let your friends or partner help you
As someone who counsels couples, Macy says her clients frequently cite their spouses ignoring them in favor of their phones as a problem in their relationships. “For couples, it’s [about] putting the relationship first, and having times when you both turn off [your] devices,” she says. For example, Macy says she and her husband have a rule that banishes phones from the bedroom. Instead, Macy has replaced being on the phone in the bedroom with reconnecting with her spouse by talking or reading together.
For people who often check their phone for work, Macy notes that people “need to have some boundaries around [their] work/life balance” and just because you have the ability work anytime, anywhere, and all the time, doesn’t mean it’s a healthy choice.
Let an app limit your phone time for you
I later spoke to Macy about the appeal of using apps like Flipd, an app that basically locks you out of your own phone for a predetermined amount of time. She noted that “if you don’t have the control within yourself” to stay off your phone for the time periods you desire, she sees nothing wrong with downloading an app to do it for you.
And when you do look at your phone
Macy has one last tip for you when you eventually reach down to use your phone: keep in mind the 5:1 ratio that was popularized by the relationship expert Dr. John Gottman. He initially developed it to illustrate that if a couple in a relationship has a ratio of five positive interactions for every one negative reaction, then “the relationship is likely to be stable.” Macy believes this applies to a general theory of well-being and says to be mindful of what you’re actually doing on your phone. Try to consume five positive bits of content on your phone to one negative.
So now you have an excuse to go look at five cute kitten videos. |
Laying Blame: Parental Responsibility for Children's Misdeeds
Laying Blame: Parental Responsibility for Children's Misdeeds
by Michelle Fabio, Esq., August 2008
After not studying for a test, a 10-year-old calls in a fake bomb threat to his school.
An unarmed 15-year-old steals a stereo from an electronics store to resell.
Over a two year period, a 13-year-old sexually assaults an 8-year-old neighbor.
A 17-year-old takes a sawed-off shotgun to school and kills several students and teachers.
In which of these cases, if any, should the parents be held responsible for their children's acts? And the phrase "held responsible" goes beyond fines or parenting classes—it means incarceration.
Slamming Prison Gates on Parents
In reality, the answer depends in part on which state the incident occurred in. To curb gang behavior, California made it a crime for parents to fail to "exercise reasonable care, supervision, protection, and control" over their kids. In short, California parents can serve prison time for failing to supervise their children. And at least 17 other states have similar laws. In fact, at least 36 states hold parents responsible to some extent when their kids break the law.
Highly publicized juvenile crimes—like school shootings—have increased the awareness of parental responsibility. However, the concept of parents answering for their children's actions is by no means new. Legislation holding parents financially responsible for their kids stepping out of line dates back 150 years. Although damage amounts are often limited, parents across the nation can be sued for their children's crimes.
State Laws Go Beyond Grounding in Punishing Parents
Today, many states have followed California's lead on parental incarceration. Other potential repercussions for parents include paying juvenile court fees and participating in counseling programs. States like Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Missouri, and Texas require parents and juvenile offenders to perform community service. However, this can also be in addition to parental incarceration.
The Child Access Prevention (or CAP) laws specifically address kids and guns. These laws penalize adults with a prison sentence and/or fine when firearms fall into underage hands. Nationally, about a quarter of the states have CAP or similar laws.
City Ordinances Go Outside the Ordinary
Local governments have also passed ordinances to encourage parental responsibility. For example, Cincinnati guardians of unsupervised minors can be forced to take a parenting class, perform community service, and/or pay a fine.
Schools are on the bandwagon too. Public schools are increasingly holding parents more accountable for their children's actions. In Virginia, parents of a suspended student must meet with school officials or risk paying a fine.
Other Influences on Kids: Opponents of Parental Punishment Laws
Such laws aren't lacking in opposition. Critics argue they are unconstitutionally broad considering terms like "reasonableness" and "gross negligence" are often used in parental responsibility laws.
Holding someone criminally responsible for the acts of another is very serious when intent is a key component for the conviction of most crimes. And children can often be tried as adults. That potentially means locking up two "adults" for the same crime.
A 2005 study investigated public support for parental punishment legislation. The researchers found that 69% of those polled thought parents of delinquent teens were at least partially responsible. However, the same group was reluctant to agree these same parents should be locked up. |
Synonyms and Antonyms of class
1. 1 one of the segments of society into which people are grouped <a politician who appeals to people of every class> Synonyms caste, estate, folk, gentry, order, stratum Related Words bracket, echelon, grade, layer, level, tier; place, position, rank, standing, status; food chain, grouping, hierarchy, stratification; clan, family, fraternity, people, race, tribe; subcaste
2. 2 one of the units into which a whole is divided on the basis of a common characteristic <a new class of wireless devices that could be used for Internet access as well as personal communication> Synonyms bracket, category, classification, division, family, genus, grade, group, kind, league, order, rank(s), rubric, set, species, tier, type Related Words description, feather, ilk, kidney, like, manner, nature, sort; branch, section, speciality, specialty, subclass, subdivision, subgroup, subspecies, variety; breed, race; generation; heading, label, title
3. 3 a number of persons or things that are grouped together because they have something in common <only a particular class of burglar would do that> Synonyms breed, sort, description, feather, genre, ilk, kidney, kind, like, manner, nature, order, species, strain, stripe, type, varietyRelated Words model; sample, specimen; bracket, bunch, category, division, family, grade, group, grouping, lot, persuasion, rank(s), set, suite
4. 4 a series of lectures on a subject <took a class on modern art> Synonyms courseRelated Words elective, refresher; clinic, institute, seminar, survey course; minicourse; core, curriculum
5. 5 degree of excellence <only horses of great class are allowed to enter the Kentucky Derby> Synonyms caliber (or calibre), quality, grade, rateRelated Words hallmark; mark; footing, place, position, rank, standing, stature, status; benchmark, criterion, measure, par, standard, touchstone, yardstick
6. 6 dignified or restrained beauty of form, appearance, or style <an old mansion with tremendous class that puts today's gaudy behemoths to shame> Synonyms elegance, classiness, courtliness, elegancy, fineness, grace, gracefulness, handsomeness, majesty, refinement, statelinessRelated Words augustness, brilliance, gloriousness, glory, grandeur, grandness, lavishness, luxuriance, luxuriousness, luxury, magnificence, nobility, nobleness, opulence, ornateness, plushiness, plushness, resplendence, resplendency, richness, splendor, sumptuousness; artfulness, chic, polish, sophistication, taste, tastefulness; choiceness, classicism, dignity, exquisiteness, restraint, simplicity; affectedness, grandiosity, ostentation, ostentatiousness, pretentiousness, showinessNear Antonyms coarseness, crudeness, flamboyance, flashiness, garishness, gaudiness, glitz, grotesqueness, grotesquerie (also grotesquery), kitsch, tastelessness, tawdriness, vulgarityAntonyms gracelessness, inelegance
7. 7 high position within society <the woman exudes an aura of class and breeding> Synonyms rank, dignity, fashion, quality, standing, stateRelated Words gentility, gentleness, nobility, nobleness; grandness, highness, loftiness; distinction, dominance, precedence, preeminence, primacy, superiority; caste, station, status; prefermentNear Antonyms debasement, degradation; subordinateness, subordination; baseness, commonness, inferiority, lowliness, lowness
Synonyms and Antonyms of class
1. to arrange or assign according to type <I would class that suggestion as helpful, so let's make a note of it> Synonyms assort, break down, categorize, classify, codify, compartment, compartmentalize, digest, distinguish, distribute, grade, group, peg, place, range, rank, relegate, separate, sort, typeRelated Words array, dispose, draw up, marshal (also marshall), order, organize, systematize; alphabetize, catalog (or catalogue), file, index, list, refer; pigeonhole, shelve; identify, recognize; cull, screen, set, sieve, sift, winnow; clump, cluster, colligate; recategorize, reclassify, regroup; subcategorizeNear Antonyms confuse, disarrange, jumble, lump, mix (up), scramble; misclassify, missort, mistype
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"Victim Justice: A New Day Dawns"
By (name of author)
(Title/Agency or Organization)
The basic premise upon which the foundation of America was established is "liberty and justice for all" citizens of our great nation. When just one individual is denied justice, we all feel the sting. And when justice is handed down to just one individual, we can feel relieved that guilty criminals are held accountable for their actions, and that our communities are much safer as a result.
Yet today in America, there is a growing population of individuals who believe that "justice for all" must mean justice for victims of crime, and comprehensive, meaningful victims' rights and services. Today, during 1996 National Crime Victims' Rights Week, the rallying cry for victim justice will be heard louder than ever -- in communities large and small, rural and urban, from individuals young and old, representing all races and religions, because criminal justice in America can never, ever be complete without justice for victims of crime.
Consider for a moment the important rights of persons accused of crime in our nation. Our Constitution guarantees them the right to be informed of their rights, the right to counsel, the right to face their accusers, and the right to a jury by their peers, among other significant protections. Yet the Constitution is noticeably silent when it comes to the rights of victims, who often endure great indignities and suffering as a result of criminal acts committed against them.
Victim justice: What do these two words mean in America in 1996? They mean, first and foremost, that victims of crime only want to be treated as well as alleged and convicted offenders. They mean that victims should be treated with dignity, compassion and respect, not only by our justice system, but by all individuals with whom they have contact in the aftermath of a crime.
Victim justice means that victims are no longer treated simply as evidence in criminal and civil proceedings, but as active participants with considerable stake in the outcomes. They are informed of their case proceedings. They are not only allowed, but encouraged to participate in all stages of the criminal justice process. And their voices are heard, so the system and our society can begin to truly comprehend the devastating effects that crime wreaks on law-abiding members of our community.
The accomplishments of our nation's victims' rights movement are truly impressive. In the past three decades, over 27,000 laws have been passed at the Federal and state levels to protect and enforce crime victims' rights. Twenty states have passed constitutional amendments guaranteeing victims the right to participate in the criminal justice process. Every day in the U.S., 8,000 victim service organizations provide information, support, assistance and referrals to victims of crime and their loved ones -- individuals traumatized by child abuse and neglect, rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, hate violence, elder abuse and neglect, drunk driving, and homicide. Here in (your community or state), (describe two or three of your most significant accomplishments).
Do victims in (your state or community) truly receive justice? Not always. But a new day is dawning for victims of crime....a day that begins with the sunrise of fair treatment, continues with meaningful participation and involvement in the justice process, and ends with a sunset of dignity, compassion and respect.
It is a day that results from over 43 million persons in America being victimized by crime each year, individuals who want involvement and information. It is a day when public safety and victim justice become a reality in our homes, our neighborhoods and our communities. And it is a day in which we will all take tremendous pride that victims of crime are no longer blamed for the heinous crimes that are committed against them.
It is a day when VICTIM JUSTICE is no longer a dream, but a precious reality for the millions of people in America who are touched by crime each year.
(Provide a two-sentence description of the author or NCVRW coalition here).
NOTE: This opinion/editorial column can also be utilized as an actuality for radio or television. Most stations require that radio/T.V. actualities -- read by the author -- be limited to 60 seconds. Please edit as needed to deliver a comprehensive message that is personalized to your community.
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Is Aspartame bad for me?
1. May 27, 2006 #1
I've been reading about High Fructose Corn Syrup in fruit drinks and some people are saying that it can be really bad, like exciting neurons to the point of frying and such.
Is HFCS really bad for me and if so, how bad?
2. jcsd
3. May 27, 2006 #2
I've never heard about the "neuron frying" and it does sound just a tad exaggerated, close to crackpot science for me in my opinion, but I would gladly see the source of this.
Speaking from a general health point of view, the answer is both yes and no. It all depend on your lifestyle. Fructose is a "simple sugar" or monosaccharide that almost goes directly into your blood stream after you have eaten it. You will reach a peak and your blood sugar levels will drop. You will start to experience symptoms of blood sugar crash. That is the short-term effects.
The long-term effects from a high sugar diet and little or no exercise includes obesity, diabetes, osteoporos (your bones will easily be damaged) and ultimately, death. That is bad for you.
If you are healthy and do exercise regularly, I see no objections to not eat it. Of course one shouln't overindulge, but there shouldn't be any harm if you eat it once in a while.
If there are any bad effects (like the one you are describing) arising from the corn Syrup it is not because of the fructose I would say.
4. May 28, 2006 #3
not quite right...fructose is a sugar which actually doesn't cause a very large insulin jump (compared to eg dextrose). you can check it against the GI tables, which seem to be in fashion lately :uhh:
From what little I know, it's converted to liver glycogen only....so if this has something to do with the insulin response...maybe...ask in the bio forums.
the point is, is that it is a source of calories with very little actual nutrition...(vitamins/mineral/antioxidants...take your pick)
I think it binds to certain minerals in the GI tract as well...don't ask me which ones. Leading to deficiency?
Summary: eat fruit, don't drink packaged juice.
5. May 28, 2006 #4
Sorry, I got HFCS confused with aspartame - nutrasweet - which is in diet cokes.
How bad then is nutrasweet for me??
Here's link and "neuron excitation" article...
How Aspartate (and Glutamate) Cause Damage
Multiple sclerosis (MS)
Memory loss
Hormonal problems
Hearing loss
Alzheimer's disease
Parkinson's disease
Brain lesions
Neuroendocrine disorders"
6. May 29, 2006 #5
User Avatar
Science Advisor
I have to be skeptical of a guy who appears to be hawking his own version of a diet, and also a guy who seems to list references after his broad statements, but then doesn't appear to list the actual references.
By the way, the part on that page about methanol is crap. Yes, a small amount of methanol is produced in the metabolism of aspartame, but you ingest far more methanol by eating an orange than you do by eating a serving of aspartame. You don't die from eating an orange.
I am almost certain that the amount of phenylalanine and aspartic acid you get from a serving of aspartame is nowhere near enough to cause any of these effects he is referring to; they probably only occur when you have a massive excess of these amino acids.
Oh, and there is no way that AIDS is caused by either of these additives. I call shenanigans.
7. May 29, 2006 #6
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Staff Emeritus
Science Advisor
Gold Member
We've had discussions on aspartame several times before. Use the search feature to look up aspartame for the previous discussions, and please continue discussion there if your questions are not already answered to avoid redundancy.
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How do you write a fee-waiver request letter?
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A fee-waiver request letter includes a detailed explanation of the reason for the request, which should be evidence of financial hardship. The explanation can include the writer's income, the family's income, if appropriate, and the writer's current living situation.
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People usually use a fee-waiver request letter when applying for college, though it can also be used for legal matters such as visa applications and court costs. According to CollegeBoard.com, families who can illustrate financial hardship may be eligible for college-application fee waivers, especially when applying to several colleges. Students can also apply to have SAT fees waived.
A fee-waiver request letter should be accompanied by documentation of financial hardship. This can include tax forms, pay stubs or documentation of unemployment or disability. If such documentation cannot be produced, the letter should include a detailed explanation of why they aren't available, such as loss of documents due to a fire or flood. If possible, writers should also include a police report or other document supporting their explanations, or a letter from a member in good standing in the community.
Examples of demonstration of hardship include families with students who participate in federal free or reduced-price school-lunch programs, families who receive public assistance, minors who are wards of the state or orphans and those whose annual family incomes fall within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
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What can cause loss of balance while walking?
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Various diseases, disorders and conditions can cause a loss of balance, explains Healthline. For example, inner ear infections and inflammations resulting from the flu or an upper respiratory infection can make patients dizzy or unsteady. In addition, head injuries, strenuous physical activity and atmospheric pressure changes can also contribute to a loss of balance.
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What can cause loss of balance while walking?
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One common type of balance disorder is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, states NIHSeniorHealth. Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo causes a short, but intense instance of vertigo after changing the position of the head. This disorder causes small calcium deposits in the inner ear to become displaced and throw off balance. The exact cause for this disorder is unknown as of 2015.
Ménière's disease is another condition that can cause loss of balance, states NIHSeniorHealth. Symptoms of Ménière's disease include vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus and a full feeling in the ear.
Although ear conditions are often responsible for balance issues, poor blood circulation, chemical imbalances in the brain, high and low blood pressure and arthritis can also trigger loss of balance, states Heathline. In addition, certain medications can affect balance. Because balance issues can have multiple causes, a doctor can conduct blood tests, hearing exams, eye movement tests and brain imaging to find the root cause of the loss of balance.
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What is the device called that can block cell phone signals?
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Generally, a device that blocks cellular phone signals is known as a cell phone jammer. This device may also be referred to as a signal blocker or text stopper.
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A cell phone jammer is a device designed to interfere with communication over the air waves. This equipment uses radio frequency to disrupt the signals that telecommunication towers transmit over a geographic area. A jammer works by getting on the same frequency as a mobile phone and preventing the device from connecting to a cellular network. This occurs due to the louder signal being emitted by the jammer, which provides interference and hinders a cell phone from accessing cell tower service.
In the United States, a cell jammer is considered to be an illegal device as of 2015. Under federal law, civilians and commercial establishments that are caught operating any type of jamming device are subject to monetary sanctions, seizure of the illegal device and even jail time, notes FCC.gov.
Jamming technology is said to pose serious security threats to crucial public safety communications, such as reaching 911 for emergency situations. A jammer can also potentially interfere with critical police operations that require radio communication. Aside from banning the operation of cell jammers, the U.S. government also criminalizes the marketing, selling, renting, importing, exporting and distribution of these devices.
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Is buying a new truck a better investment than buying one used?
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Buying a new truck is rarely a better investment than buying one used. Vehicles that are used for transportation rarely appreciate in value.
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Personal vehicles, such as cars and trucks, tend to depreciate very quickly, which means that they decrease in value. They depreciate faster in their first year of life, losing around 10 percent in the first year of ownership, according to Forbes. Insurance rates are also usually higher for new cars, which makes them more expensive in the long run. Purchasing a new car on credit can also increase costs as owners must pay interest on the original purchase price.
Drivers can save lots of money by purchasing used trucks. Because cars depreciate faster when they are newer, buying a car that is a few years old is usually much cheaper than purchasing a new one. Drivers should also pay upfront for their vehicles as credit involves interest, which adds to the cost.
There are a few exceptions to the deprecation rule. Models that are in short supply and high demand can occasionally sell for more than the original cost, according to Time magazine. Also, some new car and truck models are more fuel efficient than models that are a few years old, which can save drivers lots of gas money in time. Manynew models can also have lower maintenance costs, according to Car and Driver magazine.
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What is the lemon law?
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Lemon laws exist nationwide as protective legal mechanisms for consumers purchasing used cars; these laws entitle consumers to safe cars free of unknown faults and defects. In the United States, lemon laws cover consumers in all 50 states, but the states maintain discretion in creating provisions for their citizens. Nationally, the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act of 1975 affords consumers federal protection against purchasing cars that are not free of faults and defects; warranties offered under the federal lemon law break down into two distinct types.
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What is the lemon law?
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Many people refer to laws providing warranty from damaged, dangerous and defective vehicles as "lemon laws." In addition to setting the scope of laws, states have authority for naming these consumer laws differently if they choose. Each state adopts the federal model, which breaks down into several laws and acts.
State laws offer two types of warranties: express warranties and implied warranties. Express warranties typically provide less extensive coverage for vehicle owners. These warranties, when challenged in court, often favor manufacturers. Express warranties exist primarily in writing and cover arbitrary car issues, such as aesthetics.
Implied warranties, in contrast, offer greater protection. These warranties ensure cars sell without mechanical fault. While state regulations on these laws vary widely, consumers have legal protection at the federal level through several laws, including the original enacting Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, the Uniform Commercial Code and the Federal Trade Commission's Used Car Rule.
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Boat trip from Rovinj to Brijuni Islands
Take a boat ride along the coast to the beautiful Brijuni Islands to explore the Brijuni National Park. Interestingly, the national park was once a holiday destination for the former Croatian President Tito, who was attracted to the islands for their incredible beauty.
Take a guided tour or a leisurely stroll around the island to discover the wildlife and historical sights. Due to the warm climate, exotic plant life flourishes here, including many endangered species of flowers. The park is also home to a 1600 year old olive tree and wide, green meadows that are lined with holm-oak trees. On the northern edge of Veli Brijun is an enclosed safari park with several llama, zebra, elephants and cattle. Enjoy spotting the different species of bird including the well known yellow- crested cockatoo, Koki |
Who Can Provide Psychotherapy?
Different Mental Health Professionals Can Deliver Different Services
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When you hear the term psychotherapist, you might immediately think of a psychologist. However, there are actually a number of different people who are able to provide psychotherapy services to clients suffering from mental illness and psychological distress. While each of these professions deals first-hand with the practice of psychotherapy, they often utilize different techniques and approaches.
Each profession also has its own unique educational and training requirements.
Professionals who provide psychotherapy and other mental health services often hold a number of different titles, credentials, or licenses. Job titles such as "Psychologist" and "Psychiatrist" require the individual to meet specific state and national requirements.
The regulation of titles such as "Psychotherapist" and "Therapist" varies from state to state. For example, in the state of Oregon, use of the title "Psychotherapist" is restricted to individuals who are licensed by the Oregon Board of Psychological Examiners.
If you are interested in working in mental health or if you are seeking a therapist for treatment, it is important to understand the credentials, licensing requirements and certifications of therapy providers.
• Psychiatrists: Psychiatrists are medical doctors who have graduated from medical school and then participated in a resident program in psychiatric care. The specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illnesses and have the ability to prescribe medications, such as antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications. Some psychiatrists are board-certified, indicating they have passed written and oral board exams after completing medical school and psychiatric residency. Most psychiatrists do not offer counseling services, but will recommend treatment and give referrals to therapists.
• Psychologists: Psychologists typically offer individual or group therapy treatment sessions. There are levels within the distinction of psychologist. PhD psychologists have undergone five years of graduate training in psychology. PsyD psychologists have the same training as those with a Ph.D., but there is less emphasis on research and experimental methods.Most states require one to two years of supervised experience after graduation for to be fully licensed to practice. In most states, psychologists do not have prescribing privileges.
• Counselors: Licensed counselors typically have two to three years of graduate training in counseling methods. Specialty areas include marriage and family counseling, school counseling, community counseling and substance abuse counseling. Many states require counselors to be licensed by National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC), which can grant the title of National Certified Counselor.
• Social Workers, LCSW; Licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) have approximately two years of graduate training in therapy, as well as completion of an internship and supervised experience in the field. Other social workers may have a Master's degree in social work as well as supervised clinical experience.
• Advanced Psychiatric Nurses; Advanced psychiatric nurses hold a Master's degree or higher in psychiatric-mental health nursing.These professionals are able to assess patients, diagnose disorders, provide psychotherapy and prescribe medications in some states. Advanced psychiatric nurses work as clinical nurse specialists or nurse practitioners and work in diverse settings including hospitals, private clinics, mental health settings, emergency psychiatric settings and substance abuse treatment centers.
When seeking treatment for a mental illness or disorder, consider your needs. Your primary care physician can help you determine what kind of mental health professional you need and can give you a referral.
Mental Health America. Types of Mental Health Professionals. 2015.
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Affixes: the building blocks of English
Affixes: the building blocks of English
dermat(o)- Sometimes derm(o)-.
The skin.
[Greek derma, dermat-, skin or hide.]
Dermatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of skin disorders, such as dermatitis, a condition of the skin in which it becomes red, swollen, and sore; dermabrasion is the removal of superficial layers of skin with a rapidly revolving abrasive tool, as a technique in cosmetic surgery; dermatoglyphics is the study of skin markings or patterns on fingers, hands, and feet, and its application, especially in criminology.
The form dermo- was once common but now largely replaced by dermato-; surviving examples include dermoid, relating to the skin, usually found in dermoid cyst, an abnormal growth containing skin cells, hair follicles, and sebaceous glands; and dermographism (Greek -graphia, writing), a local reaction caused by pressure on the skin, such that it can be ‘written’ on, producing welts.
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Know your IEDs
As you get ready to deploy to Afghanistan both in pre-mobilization and post-mobilization training and maybe even in your indoctrination training once you get in country, you will get more than your fair share of IED training. You will see many of the same pics, same videos, etc. over and over. You will probably hear about how IEDs work in Iraq and may or may not hear about how they work in Afghanistan.
I can tell you that the IEDs in Afghanistan are not as sophisticated as they typically are in Iraq but they tend to be much, much larger.
You will learn about the signs to look for on the side of the road, in the road and how to know what areas on the road are the highest risk.
In the interest of OPSEC I will not spell out all of those details in this blog, as I don’t want the enemy to know how we know where they bury those nasty things.
However I will talk about how you as a service-member may be traveling the roads could make a good guess as to what kinds of IEDs may be on the route you want to take.
There are several categories and sub-categories of IEDs. There are victim-initiated and command detonated.
Victim-initiated (VI) are dumb IEDs and the most dangerous. They don’t distinguish between local Afghans or coalition soldiers. They don’t require a triggerman or spotter. As the name suggests, they are triggered by the victim themselves. Good examples would be pressure plate IEDs or even a basic landmine.
Command Detonated (CD) IEDs are smarter than victim-initiated as in they require a trigger man to detonate. These triggers could be hardwired to the explosive or remote control detonated via a wireless signal of some type. There will always be a triggerman and these triggermen will almost always have “eyes on” the location of the IED so they know when to “trigger” it.
It is common to fine VI IEDs on routes that are not as heavily traveled by Afghans, and are usually on routes where the enemy can influence the locals to stay off of the route. The local areas can be informed of the threat so they don’t travel on the route. This raises the chance that only coalition forces will be the ones to initiate the IED. So this means you will rarely see VI IEDs on routes that have heavy traffic. For lack of a better term, these would be main supply routes (by Afghan standards).
Another example is that you can expect to see VI IEDs on routes which are one way (into a dead end of a valley, etc.), or on routes between small villages. This is why it is important to practice very good opsec and not allow your movement plans to leak out. If the enemy finds out you are planning to visit a particular location then it helps them know what routes they stand the highest chance of hitting you on.
CD IEDs will typically be found on high-traffic routes where any number of people could travel (jingle trucks, taxis, coalition forces, etc.) On these types of routes the enemy wants to be more selective of their target and hit the right target at the right time. While on these types of routes where there is a higher chance of seeing CD vs. VI IEDs you always want to have situational awareness of the area around you and in front of you to keep an eye out for the trigger man. There is also a slight chance to see VI IEDs on routes like this as I once experienced myself.
While on one mission, a part of our unit used a specific route that we were not aware of. Because of that and the fact that an IED cell was given an alert that we were heading down the road, they were able to hastily plant a standard anti-tank landmine with a modified tilt-rod. They did this as we rolled down the road and as we found out later, just barely got it installed before we came up on them. In fact the IED planter rode his bike right by my truck and even waved to me.
I know this was not a lot of info, but writing this posting with really meaningful information and with all that you need to know is very tough as OPSEC has to be adhered to. So that is why this posting is shaped to know the most probable type of IED you may see, and not necessarily how to defeat it. You will get the best briefing on that once you get into country, but I hope it is before you ever get your world “rocked” by one of these nasty things.
09.08 IED strike 15
Command detonated IED hole that killed two and wounded two. This was a double-stack daisy-chain “pusher charge”
What a hastily planted anti-tank landmine will do to an Afghan Army Light Tactical Vehicle.
Hole left by Remote Controlled IED set off by a trigger man with bad timing. It blew right before the lead Humvee got to it. As you can see by the size of the hole, this was built for serious damage.
1. Very informative but I am glad you are still here to post this info. Love ya!!
2. Amazing information here that I hope many read. It's so easy to read about IEDs, but to see the actual damage caused by one makes you really think about what these men and women face in Afghanistan. Thank you!
3. The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 07/30/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.
4. Glad you are okay and thank you for posting responsibly.
Linked to this on my MySpace and Twitter.
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Desert Gardener: Spider awareness
August 25, 2001|By ERIC T. NATWICK, University of California-Imperial County Cooperative Extension
Most people dislike spiders. The mere mention of spiders can strike fear in the heart of some people.
Spiders are beneficial to man because they prey on insect pests and other arthropod pests and few species harm people. Most spiders have toxic venom, which they use to kill their prey. However, only those spiders whose venom causes a serious reaction in humans are called "poisonous" spiders. Spiders commonly seen out in the open during the day are unlikely to bite people.
Spiders do not seek out people to bite them. Generally, a spider doesn't try to bite a person unless it has been squeezed, laid upon or similarly provoked to defend itself. The jaws of most spiders are so small that the fangs cannot penetrate the skin of an adult person. When a spider is disturbed in its web, it may bite instinctively because it mistakenly senses that an insect has been caught. If bitten by a spider, remain calm and promptly seek medical advice; it is helpful if the offending spider can be caught and saved for identification.
Spider bite first aid treatment should follow these steps, 1) wash the bite, 2) apply an antiseptic to prevent infection, and 3) use ice or ice water to reduce swelling and discomfort. If the bite causes an unusual or severe reaction, contact a physician. If you can catch the spider, preserve it for identification and take it to your county UC Cooperative Extension office.
The most common harmful spider in the Imperial Valley is the black widow spider. Black widows and their webs are usually found outdoors in dark, dry, sheltered, relatively undisturbed places such as among piles of wood, rubbish or stones; in culverts, utility meter boxes, hollow stumps and old animal burrows; and sometimes among plants. Indoors, black widows may be in garages, sheds, barns, crawl spaces and outhouses. People are most likely to be bitten when they disturb the spider while they are cleaning or picking up items in such places. A sensible precaution is to always wear gloves and a long-sleeved shirt when working in areas that have been undisturbed for a time and where there are good hiding places for spiders.
Venom from a black widow spider bite can cause reactions ranging from mild to painful and serious, but death is unlikely and many symptoms can be alleviated if medical treatment is obtained. Anyone bitten by this spider should remain calm and promptly seek medical attention.
Black widow bite symptoms range from mild to severe and are largely internal, but some local redness and swelling may develop at the bite site. Pain spreads from the bite to other parts of the body, muscular spasms may develop and the abdominal muscles may become rigid. Other effects can include profuse sweating, fever, increased blood pressure, difficulty breathing and speaking, restlessness and nausea. Typically, the pain and other symptoms reach a maximum within a day of the bite, then gradually subside over the next two or three days. Most people who are bitten spend a few hours under observation by a physician but do not develop symptoms severe enough to require treatment. Small children, the elderly and persons with health problems are likely to suffer some of the more severe consequences of the bite.
Spiders are primarily beneficial and their activities should be encouraged in the garden. Pesticide control is difficult and rarely necessary. The best approach to controlling spiders in and around the home is to remove hiding spots for reclusive spiders such as black widows and regularly clean webs off the house with brushes and vacuums.
Spiders enter houses through cracks and other openings or they may be carried in on items like plants, firewood and boxes. Vacuuming is a good way to remove individual spiders. Sweep or vacuuming windows, corners of rooms and storage regular to remove spiders and their webs. Seal cracks in the foundation and gaps around windows and doors to prevent spiders from coming indoors. Screening of attic vents windows and doors will keep out many spiders and will discourage them by keeping out insects, their prey.
In indoor storage areas, place boxes off the floor and away from walls to reduce habitat favored by spiders. Tape boxes or use self-sealing storage containers to prevent spiders from taking up residence. Regularly clean storage areas in garages, sheds and basements, but wear gloves to avoid accidental bites.
Outdoors, remove webs and spiders from buildings regularly by using a broom, mop, garden hose or vacuum. Eliminate places for spiders' habitat by keeping the area next to buildings free of trash, leaf litter, heavy vegetation and other accumulations of materials. Trim plant growth away from the house and other structures to discourage spiders from taking up residence.
Insecticides do not provide long-term control and should only be used selectively against spiders outdoors. Regular nighttime searches with a flash light will help find black widow spiders along building foundations. The spiders can be killed with a broom, with a rolled up newspaper or your shoe or a vacuum. Aerosol insecticides can be used to kill black widow spiders but the spray must directly contact the spider as spray residues do not have a long-lasting effect.
Insecticide control is only temporary and must be accompanied by housekeeping. There are various insecticides available in retail outlets labeled for spider control, including pyrethrins, resmethrin, allethrin or combinations of these products.
Questions? Send mail to: Desert Gardener in care of Cooperative Extension, 1050 E. Holton Road, Holtville, CA 92250 or send e-mail to:
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This is something I don't know much about, although I gather that there are many theories that attempt to contextualise religion within evolutionary processes.
I'm familiar with the animistic bias/error management theory version of religion as a byproduct of the evolutionary benefits of paranoia (I like that one); and I'm aware of the theory that uncertainty has considerable drawbacks, leading people to formulate what one might call 'working hypotheses' ('guiding principles' in Adlerian psychology, or 'fictions' in Vaihinger's philosophy of as if) to deal pragmatically with unknowns.
I have come across other theories, although I've forgotten the details, many of which I wasn't immediately convinced by (which is presumably why I forgot them again); what are the current views on evolutionary advantages of religion, and what do people think of them? I've even forgotten the particulars of Dawkins' version...
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I think Dawkins' version had elements of both of the two explanations you provided. I can't remember the details specifically, but I think he pegged religion on the misfiring of a different process.
I am also very fascinated on the subject of the evolutionary benefits of religion. I stumbled upon this article the other day:
I would assume you would see this as a reliable source.
What I myself gather from Dr. Cornwell is; that the fear instilled by Religion aids in keeping the cohesion in a small group or society. And as a group you gain evolutionary advantages in having more resources on how to address and adapt to different "environmental changes", to use Darwin's own terms. So the concept of religion could be interpreted more, as being a tool formed from the above mentioned paranoia, developed and homed in keeping and driving human groups towards common social goals. A stronger and more cohesive group tends to fight more for their own kind, and may therefor be seen as safer environment to propagate within, which in turn draws more individuals to the this particular successful group.
I do not know if my above writing makes any sense or if I have interpreted the article correctly. I do find the hypothesis, as I understand it, very plausible since it explains why religions have come to existence- from what I know- in all societies, even very isolated groups. A misfiring theory does not really give a good explanation upon this fact, since one would expect the existence of isolated small civilizations without religion, where the misfirings were not as dominant genetically within the population.
I hope this post may spawn a bit more discussion, since it is extremely fascinating and I am very curious to hear more thoughts and knowledge upon the subject.
Fantastic, thanks for posting that link.
I've come across this argument before, but had forgotten the specifics - this should refresh my memory...
The existence of religion (or at least a strong belief in spirits) is found in all cultures, with few if any exceptions, regardless of the time they have been separated from other contact, some more than 7 millennium. Cultural traditions do not survive for that length of time but genetic code can. The conclusion can only be that there is a genetic component to the human disposition toward religion.
Any culture would use that disposition as an element of group cohesion, a definite survival trait for a group; with advancing cultures it became more of an instrument of coercive social control. Those that complied with the social/religious edicts were acceptable to the society, those which were not were ostracized, banished or killed. In any case few contribute to the societies gene pool.
The interplay of genetics and culture (including religion) is cloudy but there is much to suggest how one influences the other in an ongoing feedback relationship.
I see what you're saying, and it does make sense. Ultimately I've never been completely convinced by the 'genetic disposition' (with renegades being weeded out) idea - for instance it does not account for the individuals who do not conform. As 'genetic freaks' they should have become rarer over time, but this has not been the case in the last few centuries, although obviously the role of conditioning complicates both sides of the debate.
The animistic bias, undesirability of uncertainty (both related to Error Management Theory) and group cohesion factors certainly contribute to a general 'encouragement' of religion, in my opinion articulated by psychological propensities towards believing the irrational when 'convenient' - how this 'convenience' might relate to evolutionary advantages is perhaps the real question, as religious thought (in my view) has some, strictly speaking, anti-social aspects, principally a borderline-pathological deference of responsibility for oneself and ones world onto an imagined other...
I don't think there is a single gene effect here, but rather, a more complex interaction of genetic factors that produces a wide range of phenotypic expression. The majority the population is in the high predisposition group but a considerable number have lessor degrees of genetic influence.
There is also the ability for deception in the human lot - it ain't that hard to give a few amens at appropriate moments and pretend to believe the shit. Politicians do it with apparent ease.
From my understanding, reading "The God Delusion", the religious "misfiring" is supposed to be a unintentional bi-product of an advantageous genetic disposition- e.g. our instinctual propensity towards social structures and hierarchies. Something in the same line as the brittle weakness in the human spine is an unfortunate bi-product of the advantage from erect locomotion.
Now admitted, I had difficulties getting the entire grasp of Dr. Dawkins' explanation on the subject and would love it if some kind soul would be able to paint out the hypothesis in simpler terms.
I want to state though, that even if I did not express the obvious genetic linkage of religion in the first reply, I am personally very convinced, that the human susceptibility towards religious superstition and beliefs in the supernatural is a genetic trait, that has withstood the selective process and proven to have had an evolutionary advantage.
I fear that as a working Biochemist/Cell Biologist, I automatically connected evolutionary forces with genetic traits, and expected that other people did the same, which of course is a narrow minded view.
Ok, it's all coming back now - it is just an 'unfortunate byproduct' then, though, and not strictly speaking a 'misfiring'?
Because the 'susceptability/genetic trait' thus does not refer specifically, or even primarily, to religion; in other words it's part of a wider, more generally 'advantageous' impulse... But within that process the specifically religious impulse is an instance of the process 'working correctly' as it were...
I would agree with that. The genetics certainly doesn't dictate religion per se, but has a wider function which, I think, has to do with pattern recognition and pattern seeking behavior as well as the ability to connect cause and effect. The pattern seeking behavior in primative humans lead to assuming supernatural forces are the causes of unexplainable phenomenon (thunder, lighting, earthguakes, floods etc.)
...which is simply the flip side to Error Management Theory played out through the mechanism of the guiding principle...
Is that not distinct from the 'group cohesion' factor, though? In other words:
a) infer patterns in a way that is advantageous for survival (i.e. even if they don't exist)
b) encourage this behaviour in a social context (because it is advantageous), because
c) integrated group behaviour is also advantageous.
In which case b) is an application of a) to c) - or am I missing a more fundamental connection here?
I think you got it about right. You might emphasize the fact that "knowledge is power", and that in a context where only the priest class claims to know the ultimate truths, religion becomes the most efficient way to ensure 'group cohesion'.
Let's start again, tabulation free...
Now there's an interesting contrast of Type I and Type II Errors: Ceding power to a ruling elite may be detrimental to ones wellbeing, but is nevertheless advantageous in terms of ensuring the survival of the species. Ouch - no wonder we humans are so fucked up...
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Benefits Of everything that matters
Benefits Of Urbanization
Benefits of Urbanization
Urbanization is defined as the movement of people to urban areas which results to growth of urban centers. Although urbanization has numerous social and economic benefits, it also has its share of disadvantages as well.
1. Increases food production
Food consumption may change due to high demand as a result of urbanization. When more people move from urban areas in search of better job opportunities, food production significantly increases to feed the population. However, urbanization can affect environmental changes which in turn affect food production.
2. Rise in fertility rates
Urbanization substantially increases fertility rates which in turn cause population increase. Contrary to common perception, nevertheless, it reduces mortality rates, despite the appalling living conditions in most states, for example in the developing cities.
3. Efficiency
Cities are tremendously efficient in a way. For instance, imagine 50 families living in 50 separate apartments spread out evenly over a large piece of land. If the families were to stay in single flats, it would require less effort to supply social amenities like water and energy. Additionally, waste removal is efficient in urban areas.
4. Convenience
You can have access to almost everything in a city. Access to health, social services, cultural events and education is readily accessible in urban areas. Because everything is connected, cities definitely make vehicle use pointless since urban cities have public transportation in place, which is not feasible in rural areas.
5. Access to resources
Because of increase in population, many institutions have been created to cater for the population, which would be unrealistic if resources where spread out. Basically, when people come together, they come up with new ideas on how to change their lives – political, commercial, and cultural activities. For instance, universities would never have been created if there were no cities.
Urbanization often leads to traffic congestion and increase in crime due to lack of employment opportunities.
Benefits Of Urbanization
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Monday, June 14, 2010
More words of wisdom from AP History students
Here are some more beauties for this year's group taking the Advanced Placement U.S. History test.
QUESTION 1 (DBQ): Deals with the influence of the Puritans on colonial New England in the mid-1600's.
- William Penn, after being expelled from Massachusetts Bay, founded Pennsylvania.
- As John Winthrop's "Model of Christian Charity" shows, Puritans really sucked at spelling.
- Puritan religion dictated that men were always on top of women.
QUESTION 2: Deals with the factors that led to America's victory in the Revolutionary War.
- The Revolution was won thanks to Gen. Thomas Paine.
- Well, this is AMERICA, and AMERICANS aren't a bunch of tea-drinking, crumpit-eating, dirty-teethed WANKERS.
- Never before had men, women, and other sexes taken part in a war.
- The more I read this, the hungrier I become. Reading this is making me think not about the Revolutionary War, but a nice Crunchwrap Supreme from Taco Bell. See, they almost relate in a way. The soldiers work together just as the beef and cheese make a perfect pair. Without them working together my taste buds would not be satisfied, and right now my mind and stomach are having a war for nourishment, and my stomach is winning by a landslide. All I can picture in my mind is that first bite. That perfect combination of hard shell, soft shell, meat, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and sour cream.... I'm just waiting until my time is up and I can go satisfy my aching stomach.
QUESTION 3: Deals with the role of slavery in causing the Civil War.
- The rapture caused a decrease in agricultural prices.
- Slavery was the backbone of the south, and more like the left pinky nail of the north.
- The southern economy relied on huge plantains.
- Gruesome violence led to Bloody Arkansas.
- Stephen Douglas wanted to build a transcontinental railroad that would run from Chicago all the way to Florida.
- Slavery was rare north of the Nixon-Dixie Line.
- No one, no one, no one ever.... is to blame.
- Slavery started in the South when slaves couldn't get jobs.
- John Brown was like the Charles Manson of the Civil War.
QUESTION 4: Deals with the role of women in causing reform during the Progressive era (1880-1920).
- Teddy Roosevelt passed the Forestry Act after reading Silent Spring.
- The first birth control clinic was opened by Margaret Thatcher.
- The fire in the Triangular Wastebasket was a disaster.
- The progressive era saw the invention of frozen food that people could heat up in their microwaves.
- Women had protests with chants and picket fences.
- Men were terrified when Lizzie Borden came into bars and smashed bottles with her ax.
- Yet MORE women who were apparently Progressive reformers: Eli Whitney, Alice Walker, Mother Goose, June Cleaver, Annie Hall, Sadie Hawkins, Mary Poppins, Calamity Jane, Princess Fiona
QUESTION 5: Deals with the importance of population shifts (suburbanization, immigration, Sunbelt) after WWII.
- A lot of Asians moved to the U.S. during the Gold Rush of 1949.
MISCELLANEOUS: Funny stuff not related to the questions.
- Sorry I led you on like this, making you think I was gonna finish. But I'm a senior, and I just don't have it in me today.
- I know I'm not gonna pass, but it's okay - my parents don't beat me.
I'll post the last group of them tomorrow.
1 comment:
SherryTex said...
All of that is so wrong, my brain hurts. |
The Way to BE
Schizophrenia, Depression, and the Little-Known "Mental Health"/Dietary Link: An Interview with Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride
Did you know your food can affect your mood? What you eat and the state of your digestive system can keep you healthy and happy or may cause schizophrenia, depression, and developmental disorders.
Did you know there could be a link between mental health and your diet?
Imagine treating schizophrenia, depression, ADHD and ADD, bipolar disorder, autism, and obsessive-compulsive disorder with food instead of medicine!
In the UK, Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride has uncovered a link between mental health and the food we eat. Prompted to look outside conventional medicine for a solution to her own child's developmental disabilities, Dr. Campbell-McBride found that digestion plays a major role in healthy development, mood, and mental health.
Today we discuss her book Gut and Psychology Syndrome and the link between mental health and diet that could change your life!
Q. In your book, you talk about the gut-brain connection. What is it and why is it important to psychiatric patients?
This reality makes digestive health imperative for anyone with a mental disorder. Correcting digestive health can treat the disorder, and in some cases heal it.
Q. Where do the dangerous neurotoxins come from that may cause schizophrenia, depression, and other mental disorders?
A. One source of neurotoxins is digestion of certain foods, especially processed foods like sugar, flour and milk products.
For example, many people who suffer from depression, schizophrenia, ADD,ADHD, and autism also have an overgrowth of a yeast called Candida albicans. Candida and other yeasts feed on glucose from sugar and digest it differently from the good bacteria in your gut.
Candida albicans (and other yeasts turn dietary glucose into alcohol (ethanol) and its by-product acetaldehyde.
These toxic products of impaired digestion can:
• Reduce stomach acid
• Damage your gut lining
• Impair your immunity
• Affect your metabolism
• Cause brain damage
So for many people with digestive problems, consuming sugar is like consuming alcohol.
Q. Now it makes sense why sugar is known as the "white death." What about gluten and casein? Many people with developmental and mental disorders avoid them. Why?
A. Gluten and casein are two other dietary substances that are difficult to digest and may contribute to mental health problems.
Gluten is a protein found in grains, and casein is a protein found in milk and milk products. Many people with digestive dysfunction (and mental disorders) struggle to digest the proteins in gluten and casein. Their bodies turn these proteins into substances similar to opiates like morphine and heroin.
Researchers believe that these substances get into the brain and affect it just like the drugs would and could be a cause of schizophrenia, depression, and other mental disorders.
Q. So you're saying that improper digestion might be a leading cause of schizophrenia, depression, ADD and ADHD, and autism. How does digestion become so impaired to allow these disorders to develop?
A. Any of these mental health conditions is due to a complex set of factors that is different for each individual. Gender, genetic makeup, pre-natal nutrition, drugs, environmental factors and more all contribute to a person's development.
In most cases, those who suffer from mental health disorders like depression and schizophrenia, and from developmental disorders like autism, something has harmed the beneficial bacteria in their gut, sometimes before birth and sometimes later on in life.
Some common culprits that damage gut flora include:
• Antibiotics
• Over-the-counter pain killers
• Steroids
• Birth control pills
• Diets full of sugar and processed foods
• Disease
• Stress
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, shows how digestion can affect your mental health. With clear explanations and helpful diagrams, she clearly shows how food can change your mood, and more! While Dr Campbell McBride's dietary suggestions follow the guidelines of the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, Donna Gates recommends that EVERYONE read The Gut and Psychology Syndrome today to learn valuable information that will enhance your understanding of the connection between the brain in our gut and the brain in our head!
Q. How can we heal the intestines and in turn heal our mental health?
A. Diet and lifestyle are two key factors that can cause schizophrenia, depression, autism and other mental disorders. Similarly, diet and lifestyle can heal mental and physical health.
If digestion heals, then the brain can also heal. Soon, mental disorders will be a thing of the past!
A Great Complement to The Body Ecology Diet!
Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride's book, Gut and Psychology Syndrome, delves into the functioning of your intestines and explains in detail how digestion and mental health are intricately connected. She also gives wonderful advice on how to heal your gut with diet.
This book is an excellent addition to your natural health library and will expand on concepts you've learned in The Body Ecology Diet. Both books together are key in your journey to mind and body health.
Want more articles like this?
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• http://Alternative Mental Health (facebook) Elizabeth Ward
This works. if you combine enzymes by Enzymedica - digest spectrum with this diet and see a homeopath , you can cure any mental illness. I recommend this diet for all people with mental illness but supplements and enzymes are needed because deficiencies are really bad and the gut cannot absorb adequate nutrients until it heals.
I have schizoaffective bipolar type and I have zero symptoms now because I followed this diet and healed my gut using enzymes, supplements by Douglas Labs, and A.O.R advanced B complex. I do not eat sugar, drink caffeine, or eat grains except for rice on occasion. I eat meat, vegetables, raw vegetable juice, and fermented foods like saurkraut and kimchi every day with meals. I make bone broths which are mineral rich and eat organ meats which are very high in coenzyme Q10 and minerals. Nutrient dense diet is needed along with enzymes to heal the gut and fermented foods. Stay away from sugar and carbs. See a homeopath to help with stress responses which can hurt digestion and balance copper levels. Take extra zinc by lozenges.
• Linda Daffe
I'm so happy to have found you website. My son has been struggling for years and I had no idea why. Now I'm so grateful to have this information. He and we have suffered for so long. Thankyou so much !
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What Educational Expenses Are Tax Deductible?
You can claim education tax breaks on your 1040 form.
You can claim education tax breaks on your 1040 form.
If you're paying for school, chances are you'll take any extra tax deductions you can get to lower your tax bill. The IRS offers two education-related deductions: the tuition and fees deduction and the work-related education deduction. You may also be eligible to claim the American Opportunity Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit for your education expenses. To be deductible, the costs have to be paid to a post-secondary school, such as a college, trade school or grad school.
Most Tuition
Generally, you can include all your tuition when figuring your education tax breaks. However, you can't include tuition for sports, games, hobbies or other non-credit courses unless they are required as part of your degree program. For example, if you're taking a bowling course and you're an engineering major, you can't include that tuition cost unless its a required general education credit. However, if you're studying to be a gym teacher and your major requires you to take several sports courses, you can include those costs.
Most Fees
Most mandatory fees count towards figuring your education tax break as long as they are required for you to attend the school. For example, if the school charges a technology fee to all students, you can include that cost. However, optional costs and certain other costs aren't deductible even if required. Non-deductible fees include insurance costs or medical fees, including student health center fees. For example, if you elected to pay for student tickets to the school's basketball team, you can't deduct that as a fee.
Books and Supplies
Books and supplies that you aren't forced to purchase from the school can't be included in figuring the tuition and fees deduction or the Lifetime Learning Credit. However, if you're claiming either the American Opportunity Credit or the work-related education deduction, you can include books and supplies. The American Opportunity Credit is only available for your first four years of post-secondary education. You also have to be enrolled at least half-time, have no felony drug convictions on your record, and have your income fall below the annual limits. The work-related education deduction is a miscellaneous deduction, so you can only deduct the portion that exceeds 2 percent of your adjusted gross income.
Tax-Free Aid Reduction
When figuring your tax benefits, reduce your educational expenses by the amount of tax-free aid you receive. Examples of tax-free aid include Pell grants, scholarships and veterans' educational assistance. However, it doesn't include loans, your savings, gifts from others or your inheritance. For example, if your costs total $25,000, but your scholarship pays for $22,000, you've only got $3,000 of expenses for your education tax benefits.
Photo Credits
• Comstock/Comstock/Getty Images |
[peyst-uhp] /ˈpeɪstˌʌp/
noun, Printing.
(def 14).
noun (printing)
a sheet of paper or board on which are pasted artwork, typeset matter, etc, for photographing prior to making a printing plate another name for camera-ready copy
another name for collage (sense 1), collage (sense 2)
Read Also:
• Pasteur
[pa-stur; French pah-stœr] /pæˈstɜr; French pɑˈstœr/ noun 1. Louis [loo-ee;; French lwee] /ˈlu i;; French lwi/ (Show IPA), 1822–95, French chemist and bacteriologist. /French pastœr/ noun 1. Louis (lwi). 1822–95, French chemist and bacteriologist. His discovery that the fermentation of milk and alcohol was caused by microorganisms resulted in the process of pasteurization. He also […]
• Pasteur-effect
noun 1. the inhibiting of fermentation by oxygen.
• Pasteurella
[pas-tuh-rel-uh] /ˌpæs təˈrɛl ə/ noun, plural pasteurellae [pas-tuh-rel-ee] /ˌpæs təˈrɛl i/ (Show IPA), pasteurellas. Bacteriology. 1. any of several rod-shaped bacteria of the genus Pasturella, certain species of which are parasitic and pathogenic for humans and animals. Pasteurella Pas·teu·rel·la (pās’chə-rěl’ə, pās’tə-) n. A genus of aerobic to facultatively anaerobic, nonmotile bacteria of the family Pastuerellaceae […]
• Pasteurella multocida
Pasteurella multocida Pasteurella mul·to·ci·da (mŭl’tō-sī’də) n. A bacterium that causes fowl cholera and hemorrhagic septicemia in warm-blooded animals.
|
Lucy Liu: Heroic kids not giving up
Lucy Liu helps impoverished children
Lucy Liu helps impoverished children
Lucy Liu helps impoverished children
Lucy Liu helps impoverished children 01:54
Story highlights
• Actress Lucy Liu is a UNICEF ambassador who has met children around the world
• Liu: It's "heartbreaking" to see kids who want an education but can't have one
• Despite their disadvantages, she says, children are always "warm and inviting"
Actress Lucy Liu is an ambassador for UNICEF, an organization that gives children the essentials for a safe and healthy childhood.
Approximately 21,000 children die every day from preventable causes, according to UNICEF, and its mission is to reduce that number to zero.
Liu recently sat down with CNN's Sonya Hamasaki to talk about UNICEF's efforts to save lives around the world and what a hero means to her. Below are excerpts from that interview.
Sonya Hamasaki: Why did you decide to get involved with UNICEF?
Lucy Liu: I'd heard about UNICEF for a really long time. ... They are on the ground all the time for these children. It's so comforting to know that they have the ability to provide.
When I go on these missions and I am there with the children in these villages, it is so heartbreaking. But it's so inspiring to know that people have dedicated their lives to being there for these kids. I just feel like there's so much more that needs to be done and that can be done, and I want to be part of that.
Hamasaki: What's it been like working with children around the world?
Liu: I think the one thing that I've taken away from all of the travels and all of the countries that I've been is that the children are always so warm and so inviting.
Even though some of their parents may have passed away, there's always a wonderful sense of community that these kids have with one another and within the village that they live. It is about taking care of others and looking out for others. There's a sense of family, togetherness. These kids stick together through thick and thin, and that's something I think that's really exciting.
Hamasaki: Education is important to you. What does UNICEF do to promote education?
Liu: I think it's really heartbreaking to see children who want to have an education, who are hungry for that, but they're not able to receive that. And I think UNICEF has the ability to put together -- in very difficult situations -- a sense of normalcy.
In Pakistan, when I went there after the earthquake, they set up these school-in-a-box tents. It's very simple, and you give children a feeling that there's regularity in their lives even though everything else is falling apart for them.
It's easy for people to contribute also by saying, "I can contribute $10 to buy salts to make the water clean," "I can give $100 for school-in-a-box," which contains all the things that you need for school. It's just incredible to see how much it means to them and how much we can give them.
Hamasaki: What is a hero to you?
Liu: A hero to me is somebody who puts themselves last, who puts everything on the line for other people. I think that children can be heroes also.
I have met young women and young men who have been abused, some young women who have been raped and who have been near death and have seen so much violence in their lives, but they don't give up. They go and work in the shelter and tell their stories and help other women who have the same problem.
Young girls who have had unimaginable things happen to them. ... They still stand up, and they still walk with their head high. These people could have given up a long time ago, and they never did. |
(redirected from Antimater)
Also found in: Dictionary, Thesaurus, Wikipedia.
Related to Antimater: dark matter, CERN, black hole
see antiparticleantiparticle,
..... Click the link for more information.
Matter which is made up of antiparticles. At the most fundamental level every type of elementary particle has its anticounterpart, its antiparticle. The existence of antiparticles was implied by the relativistic wave equation derived in 1928 by P. A. M. Dirac in his successful attempt to reconcile quantum mechanics and special relativity. The antiparticle of the electron (the positron) was first observed in cosmic rays by C. D. Anderson in 1932, while that of the proton (the antiproton) was produced in the laboratory and observed by E. Segré, O. Chamberlain, and their colleagues in 1955. See Electron, Elementary particle, Positron, Proton, Quantum mechanics, Relativity
The mass, intrinsic angular momentum (spin), and lifetime (in the case of unstable particles) of antiparticles and their particles are equal, while their electromagnetic properties, that is, charge and magnetic moment, are equal in magnitude but opposite in sign. Some neutrally charged particles such as the photon and &pgr;0 meson are their own antiparticles. Certain other abstract properties such as baryon number (protons and neutrons are baryons and have baryon number) and lepton number (electrons and muons are leptons and have lepton number) are reversed in sign between particles and antiparticles. See Angular momentum, Baryon, Lepton
The quantum-mechanical operation of turning particles into their corresponding antiparticles is termed charge conjugation (C), that of reversing the handedness of particles is parity conjugation (P), and that of reversing the direction of time is time reversal (T). A fundamental theorem, the CPT theorem, states that correct theories of particle physics must be invariant under the simultaneous operation of C, P, and T. Simply put, the description of physics in a universe of antiparticles with opposite handedness where time runs backward must be the same as the description of the universe. One consequence of the CPT theorem is that the above-mentioned properties of antiparticles (mass, intrinsic angular momentum, lifetime, and the magnitudes of charge and magnetic moment) must be identical to those properties of the corresponding particles. This has been experimentally verified to a high precision in many instances. See CPT theorem, Parity (quantum mechanics)
When a particle and its antiparticle are brought together, they can annihilate into electromagnetic energy or other particles and their antiparticles in such a way that all memory of the nature of the initial particle and antiparticle is lost. Only the total energy and total angular momentum remain. In the reverse process, antiparticles can be produced in particle collisions with matter if the colliding particles possess sufficient energy to create the required mass. For example, a photon with sufficient energy which interacts with a nucleus can produce an electron-positron pair. See Electron-positron pair production
Since mesons do not possess baryon or lepton number, only charge, energy, and angular momentum need be conserved in their production. Thus, a process such as a collision of a proton with a proton can produce a single neutral pi meson. Other quantum numbers, such as strangeness and charm, must be conserved if production of mesons possessing these quantum numbers is to proceed through strong or electromagnetic interactions. In these cases a particle with the negative values of the particular quantum number must also be produced. Such a process is termed associated production. See Charm, Quantum numbers
Isolated neutral particles, notably K0 and B0 mesons, can spontaneously transform into their antiparticles via the weak interaction. These quantum-mechanical phenomena are termed K– or mixing, respectively. Mixing can lead to particle-antiparticle oscillations wherein a K0 can become its antiparticle, a0, and later oscillate back to a K0. It was through this phenomenon that observation of CP violation first occurred. That observation, coupled to the CPT theorem, implies that physics is not exactly symmetric under time reversal, for example, that the probability of a K0 becoming a 0 is not exactly the same as that in the reverse process.
Experimental observations, both ground- and balloon-based, indicate that the number of cosmic ray antiprotons is less than 1/10,000 that of protons. This number is consistent with the antibaryon production that would be expected from collisions of cosmic protons with the Earth's atmosphere, and is consistent with the lack of appreciable antimatter in the Milky Way Galaxy. Attempts to find antimatter beyond the Milky Way involve searches for gamma radiation resulting from matter-antimatter annihilation in the intergalactic gas that exists between galactic clusters. The null results of these searches suggests that at least the local cluster of galaxies consists mostly of matter. If matter dominates everywhere in the universe, a question arises as to how this came to be. In the standard model of cosmology, the big bang model, the initial condition of the universe was that the baryon number was zero; that is, there was no preference of matter over antimatter. The current theory of how the matter-antimatter asymmetry evolved requires three ingredients: interactions in which baryon number is violated, time reversal (or CP) violation, and a lack of thermodynamic equilibrium. The last requirement was satisfied during the first few microseconds after the big bang. Time reversal violation has been observed in the laboratory in K0 decays, albeit perhaps not of sufficient size to explain the observed baryon-antibaryon asymmetry. But the first ingredient, baryon number violation, has not yet been observed in spite of sensitive searches. Thus, the origin of the dominance of matter over antimatter remains an outstanding mystery of particle and cosmological physics. See Thermodynamic processes
Matter composed entirely of antiparticles. Ordinary matter and antimatter would annihilate on contact. Although individual antiparticles are produced in cosmic-ray showers and in high-energy particle accelerators, the search for antimatter in the Universe has so far proved unsuccessful. It is thought therefore that the Universe is not now symmetric between matter and antimatter, although initially equal amounts were created. An excess of matter over antimatter may have resulted from processes occurring very early in the evolution of the Universe while it was out of equilibrium.
material which is constructed of antipar-ticles. The nuclei of the atoms of matter consist of protons and neutrons, and the shells of atoms are formed of electrons. In antimatter the nuclei consist of antiprotons and antineutrons, with positrons occupying the place of electrons in their shells.
According to a contemporary theory, the nuclear forces which determine the stability of atomic nuclei are identical for particles and antiparticles. The same can be said of electromagnetic and exchange forces, owing to which stable configurations of electrons in atoms and molecules take place; because the charges of all antiparticles are opposite to the charges of the corresponding particles, the negatively charged nuclei of antiatoms attract positrons in exactly the same way as nuclei attract electrons in atoms. Therefore the whole hierarchy of the construction of matter from particles must also be feasible for antimatter, which consists of antiparticles. In 1965 it was first demonstrated experimentally that aggregates of the same type as those made up of particles can be constructed from antiparticles. A group of American physicists under the direction of L. Lederman obtained on the accelerator and recorded the first anti-nucleus, an antideuteron (a cohesive aggregate of an antiproton and an antineutron). In 1969, in experiments on a Serpukhov proton accelerator of 70 giga electron volts, Soviet physicists (under Iu. D. Prokoshkin) recorded nuclei of antihelium-3, consisting of two antiprotons and one anti-neutron.
Inasmuch as the laws of physics are identical for particles and antiparticles, the question arises as to whether there is an equal amount of matter and antimatter in the whole universe. In the part of the universe observable to us, no significant accumulation of antimatter has been discovered. In particular, there are no antiprotons or antinuclei in cosmic rays. However, the question of the abundance of antimatter in the universe, important to astrophysics and cosmology, remains open.
Material consisting of atoms which are composed of positrons, antiprotons, and antineutrons.
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miércoles, 19 de noviembre de 2014
eX MERLIN he is the wizard who...............
The legends of King Arthur belong to the oral tradition.
They were put in writing by Geoffrey of Monmouth in
1136. In the Middle Ages, French writers like Chrétien
de Troyes also wrote about them. In 1470, Sir Thomas
Malory wrote a long book in English called The Death of
King Arthur and his knights are Britain’s greatest
legendary figures.
Although the legend of king Arthur is developed in the middle age period (norman) it is the story of a British king who fights Anglosaxons
Chapter 1: With the help of Merlin’s magic, King Uther
marries the beautiful Igraine on condition that Uther gives
him their firstborn. When Arthur is born, Merlin hides
young Arthur travels to London, with his step father, Sir
has words on it: ONLY THE KING CAN TAKE THE
SWORD FROM THE STONE, so Arthur becomes the
next king.
Chapter 2: Arthur quickly gathers around him the
bravest and best knights in the kingdom and marries
Guinevere, the most beautiful woman in Britain. Merlin
makes a round table for the knights at Camelot, the most
important city in Britain.
Chapter 3: Arthur comes across Queen Annoure’s castle
escapes, she orders Sir Pellinore to kill him. Unaware that
he is fighting Arthur, Pellinore wounds him lightly but
then realises who he is. Since Arthur’s sword breaks in the
hands Arthur a magic sword called Excalibur.
Chapter 4: Morgan le Fay hates Arthur and tricks him
and one of his knights into a fight in which neither knows
the other’s identity. This time Arthur is severely wounded
steals his magic scabbard and throws it into a lake.
Chapter 5: Lady Vivien wants to be the greatest magician
in the world and tricks Merlin into getting into a cave he
cannot get out of. Legend says Merlin is still trapped in
this cave.
Chapter 6: When Sir Meligrance kidnaps Guinevere, Sir
Lancelot rescues her. Meligrance is forgiven by Guinevere
but he locks Lancelot into a room and tells Arthur that
Guinevere has run away with him because she loves him.
When Lancelot escapes, he kills Meligrance for being a
Chapter 7: Tristram gets poisoned in his fight against the
King of Ireland’s son and travels to Ireland to get cured.
Without knowing Tristram is his son’s murderer, the king
Tristram and Isolt fall in love but Isolt has to marry King
Mark, Tristram’s uncle, and Tristram becomes a Knight of
the Round Table. When Sir Tristram learns Isolt has been
kidnapped, he fights Sir Palamides, her captor, and takes
her to King Mark who suspects Tristram and Isolt are
in love and kills Tristram. Isolt dies of sadness and King
Mark is killed by one of Arthur’s knights.
at the only vacant place on the Round Table, reserved for
the best knight. Once dubbed a knight, Galahad takes a
long journey in search of the Grail which, according to an
apparition, is in the country. As many knights accompany
him, the brotherhood of the Round Table is practically
dissolved. They finally find the Grail on a ship at sea
Galahad king and foretells the latter’s imminent death.
When the other knights return, Arthur can sense the end
of the Round Table is near.
Chapter 9: In Arthur’s absence, Sir Mordred attempts to
kidnap Guinevere. Arthur returns and one of Mordred’s
men kills Sir Gawain, Arthur’s knight. In Arthur’s sleep,
the dead Gawain advises him to wait for Sir Lancelot’s
help. The fight against Mordred’s men starts by accident.
As many knights die, an enraged Arthur kills Mordred and
gets a deadly wound. Arthur asks Sir Bedivere to throw
Excalibur into the lake. When Bedivere finally does so, the
him. Before leaving, Arthur promises to return whenever
his country needs him and asks Bedivere to tell his story.
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11 December 2007
Why don't sports teams use randomization?
Suresh said...
my sense is that there's an intuituve understanding of randomized equilibria among the players. Namely, pitchers and batters (to take one example) know intuitively that they need to be unpredictable (not technically the same as random, but functionally equivalent) in order to get an edge.
Similarly for basketball players (should I drive left or right to the basket, etc).
This might not be codified at the level of strategy, which is what you're asking about I think, but it does play a role in mano-e-mano strategizing.
Anonymous said...
a pitcher has 3 pitches (curve, chageup,fastball), a batter comes up to the plate and can't hit sliders and changeups... guess which one you throw?
defensive line (in football) is weak on one side of the field (starter just got off injury list), what side do you put pressure on?
Randomness wouldn't make sense then. Every team has a weakness/strength that needs to be exploited/avoided. Randomness would be silly if the pitcher was told to throw a slider he can't throw.
In the long run randomness might work, but that's if everything the randomness is controlling is done perfectly. If you can't throw a slider, and the computer tells you to, it wont slide and it turns into a home run.
Math example:
I think winning at a game where you have a row of coins, an even number of coins, and you alternate picking one up with another person. the person starting can always win by choosing even or odd (whichever set is more valuable) and only picking those up. But you can get a better score by alternating your strategy and picking up the most valuable coins along the way.
I see that is what sports are doing...
R said...
It seems to me that players do use randomized strategies, but not in the simplistic sense of random (or quasi-random) number generation.
A better description of the players' strategy would be, as already implied in the previous comment, some sort of a highly-structured stochastic model (say, a Bayesian network) where there is substantial randomness but also significant bits of prior information that makes sure that a particular players weaknesses are suitably exploited and nonsensical maneuvers do not appear in crucial situations.
Anonymous said...
We're talking about "sports teams". People who refused statistical evidence that showed that there was no such thing as a hot hand. |
ACAL_fuelcell.jpgPlatinum's costs make it a prohibitive factor in the more widespread use of fuel cells. There are other more affordable alternatives in existence, but compared to platinum, they degrade quickly and produce low current densities. But a UK-based company called ACAL Energy promises to reduce the use of platinum in a fuel cell by 80 percent, and still maintain the same power capacity - equivalent to a 40 percent reduction in costs, ACAL claims.
Whereas in a traditional fuel cell, the platinum contents would lie embedded within porous carbon electrodes, ACAL's design places the platinum on a liquid cathode using molybdenum and vanadium as catalysts. Using this set-up, ACAL's fuel cell reaches a power density of 1.5 watts per square centimeter. This leads ACAL's co-founder and chief technology officer, Andrew Creeth, to proclaim: "We believe that we're getting close to a marketable product." In fact, ACAL is slated to introduce its one-kilowatt system to a limited market next year, with a wider release to follow by 2011. Instead of focusing on fuel cell system for cars, the company will start targeting the diesel generator market with systems ranging from one to 10 kilowatts in capacity.
Reducing costs of platinum aside, the company claims the way the system works further reduces costs associated with it. For example, lab tests prove the system can run for 1,500 hours straight, and since there is liquid involved, there isn't any need for a cooling system fuel-cell stacks might require. |
(GK) Science: Chemistry
(GK) Science: Chemistry
1. Presence of bicarbonates of Calcium and Magnesium in water leads to
Ans : Temporary hardness of water
2. Stainless steel contains
Ans : Iron, Chromium and Nickel
3. White phosphorus is stored under
a. Palm oil
b. Sodium Nitrate
c. Water
d. Liquid Ammonia
Ans : C
4. Which gas comes in third position in volume in atmosphere after Nitrogen & Oxygen
a. Neon
b. Carbon dioxide
c. Carbon monoxide
d. Argon
Ans : D
5. Amalgam is an alloy in which one of the compound is
a. Zinc
b. Mercury
c. Platinum
d. Silver
Ans : B
6. Atomic number is equal to
a. Number of protons
b. Number of electrons
c. Total number of protons and electrons
d. Total number of protons and neutrons
Ans : A
7. The anti-knocking compound used in petrol in order to enhance the capacity of petrol engine is
Ans : Tetra Ethyl Lead
8. ‘Aqua Regia’ is a mixture of
Ans : Hydrochloric acid and Nitric acid
9. The chief chemical component of pearl is
Ans : Calcium carbonate
10. Global warming is due to increased production of all the following, except
a. Methane
b. Sulpher dioxide
c. Ethane
d. Carbon dioxide
Ans : Carbon dioxide
11. Which acid is present in lemon
Ans : Citric acid
12. Brass is an alloy of copper and
Ans : Zinc
13. The hardest natural substance known in the world is
Ans : Diamond
14. Permanent hardness of water may be removed by the addition of
Ans : Sodium carbonate
15. Which is Vinegar
a. Oxalic acid
b. Citric acid
c. Acetic acid
d. A mixture of all the above
Ans : C
16. Which of the following gas is used in cigarette lighters
a. Butane
b. Propane
c. Radon
d. Methane
Ans : A
17. Baking Soda is also known as
Ans : Sodium bicarbonate
18. Bond order of a molecule can be at the maximum of
a. 2
b. 3
c. 4
d. 5
Ans : B
19. Neutral molecules in which one of the carbon atoms has six valence electrons are called
Ans : Carbenes
20. Which of the following is non-radioactive
a. Cobalt − 60
b. Deuterium
c. Tritium
d. odine − 129
Ans : B
21. Which of the following is a thermo setting plastic
a. Teflon
b. PVC
c. Polythene
d. Bakelite
Ans : B
22. Octane number of petroleum can be increased by
a. Atomization
b. Adding catalysts
c. Heating with H2
d. Dehydrogenation
Ans : A
23. Atoms of the same element having the same atomic numbers but different atomic weights are called
Ans : Isotopes
24. What is the main constituent of soap
Ans : Sodium hydroxide
25. Name a fertilizer that contain maximum amount of Nitrogen
Ans : Urea
26. Which compound is called oil of wintergreen
Ans : Methyl Salicylate
27. What is alum
Ans : Potassium Aluminium Silicate
28. A minute amount of radio isotope is called
Ans : Tracer
29. Name an alloy of copper, antimony and tin
Ans : Babbitt metal
30. Which is the most commonly used bleaching agent
Ans : Chlorine
31. Which among the following elements is stored in kerosene
a. Fluorine
b. Iodine
c. Potassium
d. Sodium
Ans : D
32. The main component of egg shell is
Ans : Calcium carbonate
33. Which type of fire extinguisher is used for extinguishing petroleum fire
Ans : Powder type
34. The purest form of carbon is
Ans : Diamond
35. A substance which can react chemically as either an acid or a base is known as
Ans : Amphoteric
36. Which one of the following metals has the highest density
a. Gold
b. Platinum
c. Lead
d. Iron
Ans : B
37. Give an example for a Tribasic acid
Ans : Phosphoric acid
38. What is ‘White Vitriol’
Ans : Zinc Sulfate
39. Which among the following element is stored under water
a. Sodium
b. White Phosphorous
c. Lead
d. Potassium
Ans : B
40. Cyanide Process is widely used to extract
a. Gold
b. Titanium
c. Copper
d. Manganese
Ans : A
41. What is commonly known as ‘Blue vitriole’
Ans : Copper sulfate
42. Deuterium is an ………. of Hydrogen
Ans : Isotope
43. Fluorspar is the ore of
Ans : Calcium
44. The gas used in refrigerators and ice plants is
a. Ammonia
b. Carbon dioxide
c. Teflon
d. Calcium carbonate
Ans : A
45. Carbon monoxide is readily absorbed by
a. Magnesium
b. Copper
c. Nickel
d. Aluminium
Ans : C
46. Synthetic ethanol is produced by reacting ethane (in the presence of phosphoric acid) with
Ans : Hydrogen
47. What is called in the bond between two amino acids in protein
Ans : Peptide bond
48. Which of the following is not a noble gas
a. Argon
b. Silicon
c. Radon
d. Neon
Ans : B
49. Which metal remains in liquid form at normal temperature
Ans : Mercury
50. Common salt (Sodium Chloride) when kept open absorbs moisture from air. This is due to the presence of
a. Ammonium Chloride
b. Sodium Carbonate
c. Potassium Chloride
d. Magnesium Chloride
Ans : D |
International Vegetarian Union (IVU)
IVU logo
15th World Vegetarian Congress 1957
Delhi/Bombay/Madras/Calcutta, India
extracted from material written by
Honorary General Secretary. Burma Humanitarian League
In reply to an article entitled "People Esteem Austerity" by Ohn Gine, stating that "The Buddha, ate meat and allowed meat-eating to those in the Sangha on three conditions : that it has not been seen, heard, or suspected (to be killed especially for one),'" a long article was prepared in rejoinder, quoting at length from the Buddhist Scriptures, revealing the Buddha's attitude in this matter. Briefly summarized, U San Hla sets forth the following :
Fielding Hall in "The Soul a of People" testified that "No Burman will kill a cow or a bullock and no Burman will sell its meat." Though fish could be obtained anywhere and was freely eaten, the fisherman was an outcast from decent society. When Mr. Hall sent for a fowl for his dinner, his man was usually waylaid by some compassionate Burman woman who offered him double the price of the fowl that she might release it and thus gain merit. "Public opinion was so strong, he dared not refuse. The money was paid, the fowl set free, and I dined on tinned beef." Mr. Hall also noted that the villages were full of fowls, kept but certainly not for food.
At a meeting held on 18 May 1954, at the Kaba Aye Pagoda, Rangoon, to consider ways and means of propagating Buddhism in India, attended by Buddhist monks from many places, it was stated that anyone attempting such work must be "a vegetarian and a non-smoker. .. and be contended with such foods as dhall and jaggery that the Indians are wont to offer."
As for the story told that the General Siha slaughtered meat for a dinner for the Lord, when a man approached Siha and asked him if the news so spread was true, he definitely declared : "Not for our life would we ever intentionally kill a living being."
Rules regarding Meat and Fish:
The Lord, however, in the interest of the salvation of the great majority of the people who were not strict vegetarians, broke the ancient tradition by allowing in His Order those who ate fish obtained through three conditions and meat if it had not been specifically killed for food. Here are the Rules enunciated by Him:
"Let no one, O Bhikkhus, knowingly eat meat (of an animal) killed for that purpose. Whosoever does so is guilty of a dukkata (offence)
"I prescribe, O Bhikkus, that fish is pure to you in three cases: if you do not see, if you have not heard, if you do not suspect (that it has been caught especially to be given to you) (Mahavagga)
U San Hla points out that only the flesh of animals that has died a natural death through disease, old age, or accident, could be eaten if a monk is desirous of doing so. Since a dead body has no consciousness, nor feelings, and no killing is involved, hence there is no unwholesome karmic reaction attached to this. As for fish, it formed a necessary dish of a great majority of the people, especially the poorer classes, and it would be extremely difficult for them to give it up, even for the sake of their own salvation. Fishes are also less liable to pain than the animals of the land, as they are cold blooded creatures. Consequently, the killing of these is less liable to immoral karmic consequence. But even there the Buddhist Bhikku could not eat of fish caught for him - the slightest suspicion that such was the case made it prohibitory.
Nor can one purchase from a shop, consoling himself with the idea that such fish were not especially killed for him. U San Hla makes a compassionate plea to those who hold that the Buddha permitted meat to realize that they cannot imagine that the meat in a butcher-shop was not killed specifically for them - if there were no Buddhist Monks who ate meat, at least, in Rangoon alone, over five per cent of the animals killed would be saved from an unnatural death.
A description is given in detail of the dreadful way a pig is first spiked with a distance shot, and finally put into boiling water, before it is extinct after rolling on the ground bloodsmeared.
Rhys Davids and other philologists have definitely accepted "macchamamsa" as meaning a fish diet while "mams-macchi" means fish and meat; "dead"meat or meat that has by itself "appeared" is termed "pavatta mamsa" but killed meat is "udissaka mamsa" which means with intention or purpose.
But even in the case of fish, in Anguttara Nikaya the Lord inveighs against their slaughter, and stated he who does so will never reap happiness or prosperity. And similarly with those who gloat on the slaughter of animals and humans. Said the Lord to the Brahmin Ujjaya:
"In whatever sacrifice, Brahmin, cows are slaughtered, goats and sheep are slaughtered, poultry and pigs are slaughtered and divers living creatures come to destruction - such sacrifice, Brahmin, which involves butchery, I do not praise."
In the Dhammika Sutta, the Most-Compassionate Buddha said: "Let him not kill, nor cause to be killed any living being nor let him approve of others killing, those that are strong and those that tremble in the world." (Cullavagga S.B.E., X) In connection with this, Henry S. Ol;cott, who was a Buddhist and who did much for the revival of Buddhism in Ceylon, has the following footnote in his book, "The Golden Rules of Buddhisrn " : "One who buys butcher's meat or poultry violates this patha. For by paying the butcher for meat he has killed, the buyer shares his sin by 'sanctioning' his act."
Again quoting from Anguttara Nikaya [I: " He, having thus gone forth, having entered upon the may of life in the training followed by monks, abandoning the slaying of creatures, abstains therefrom. He lives as one who has laid down the rod, who has laid down the knife, who has scruples, is kind and has compassion for every living thing."
"Vegetarianism was once practised throughout Burma," writes U Ba in the "Message of Theosophy," January 1918: ''In the days of the Burmese Kings, if any person was found killing an ox, a cow, or a buffalo, or any flesh found in his possession, the following punishment was inflicted: The offender, with the meat hung round his neck as a visible sign of disgrace, was driven along the main roads of the town or village by a policeman beating a gong. When they reached the cross-roads, the offender received ten lashes on his back and ten lashes on his breast. ... When I was a boy we lived in Mandalay ... when King Thibaw reigned. . Evory Sabbath day, it was the custom. and at every corner of every street, the proclamation was called aloud that 'no flesh of ox, cow or buffalo was to be found for sale, that no flesh of any big animal or fish was to be sold in the market, that no animal was to be ill-treated, that infants and children were to be properly fed and cared for, that people were to observe the Pancha Sila every day and the Uposada Sila every Sabbath Day."
The Lord also enjoined the Bhikkhus that it was not enough to take it for granted that meat was from a harmless source: "Let no one, O Bhikkus, eat meat without having enquired what it is."
Could the Lord have countenanced any act of Himsa ithe Lord who said in the, Sutta Nivata - the Metta Sutta.
As a mother at the risk of her life watches over her own child, her only child, so also let every one cultivate a boundless (friendly) mind towards all beings.
"And let him cultivate goodwill towards all the world, a boundless (friendly) mind, above and below, and across, unobstructed, without hatred, without enmity."
When Devadatta attempted to stir up division in the Sangha by attempting to get the Lord to impose impossible conditions upon the Blikkhus, such as living only in the woods, it being an offence to go to a village, never accepting an invitation to eat, clothing themselves only in cast-off rags, never accepting a gift from a layman never sleeping under a roof, and making a life-long abstinence from fish, he hoped to put the Buddha in it difficult position - if he made these rules he would work incredible hardships upon the brethren; if he did not make them, he could be condemned as non-ascetic. But the Lord replied :
"No, Devadatta. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the woods ; whosoever wishes to do so, let him dwell in the neighbourhood of a village. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him beg for alms ; whosoever wishes to do so, let him accept invitations from the laity. Whosoever wishes to do so, let him dress in rags: whosoever wishes to do so, let him receive gifts of robes from laymen. Sleeping under trees has been allowed by me, Devadatta, for eight months in the year; and the eating of fish, that is pure in the three points - to wit, that the eater has not seen, or heard, suspected that it has been caught for that purpose." - Cullavaga
This the Lord escaped the trap set by Devadatta. Yet in the Vinaya Texts, he actually praised the very things demanded by Devadatta to be set as an inescapable discipline, to wit, begging only for alms, living on rags, at the foot of a tree, with urine only as medicine.
However, the Lord Buddha always rebuked the Monks for any holier-than-thou attitude, whether for one's ascetiscism or for any other reason. Colonel Olcott writes in connection with the Amagandha Sutta cited as authority for buying and eating butcher's meat, that he cannot understand how anyone can quite their conscience by quoting the Scripted in question, since "the meaning of the Teacher here is so obvious... I have listened with amusement to the sophistical argument that the sin of the killing is with the butcher, and not with his sanctioning and abetting customer."
The spirit of the Sutta can be seen in the Dhammapada, V 141 which states:
"Not nakedness, not plaited hair, not dirt, not fasting, nor lying on the earth, nor rubbing with dust, nor sitting motionless, can purify a mortal who has not overcome desires."
The special verse 11 of the Amaghanda Sutta in Sutta Nipata states:
"Neither the flesh of fish macchamamsa, nor fasting, nor nakedness, nor tonsure, nor matted hair, nor dirt, nor rough skins, not the worshipping of the fire, not the many immortal panances in the world, nor hymns, nor oblations, nor sacrifice, nor observance of the seasons purify a mortal who has not conquered his doubt." (Fousboll transl.)
Did the Lord eat pork as his last meal?
T. W. and C. A. F. Rhys Davis in their translation of the "Maha Parinibbana Suttanta" state that the "sukara-maddava" partaken of was a form of "truffles" or a tuber that could be boiled and turned into a pwoder and after mixing with ghee, nuts, and honey, made into a halva. F. Woodward also endorses the opinion of these other eminent Pali scholars.
In the Vimana Vatthu is to be found records of many a man and woman who had obtained fine mansions in Deva Loka by giving alms such as flowers, fruits, milk-cooked rice, molasses, sugar-cane, Timburu fruit, cucumber, creeper fruit, greens, roots, mango-mash, oil, sesame seed cake, sweet-meats and cakes etc.; but nowhere is there any mention of anyone who had obtained happiness in Deva Loka by having offered such items as fish and meat.
In the Lankavatara Sutra, we find:
"for innumerable reasons, meat is non-edible for a compassionate Buddhist. Those who regard every living being like themselves, how can they eat flesh which is obtained only by killing animals?"
In the Majjhima Nikaya, (Cula-Kamma, Vibhanga Sutta) the Lord said:
"Now taske the case of anyone - man or woman - who, putting all killing from him and abstaining from killing anything, laying aside cudgel and sword, lives a life of innocence and mercy, full of compassion for everything that lives: Such deeds, if persisted in of deliberate choice, either bring that person at the body's dissolution after death to bliss in heaven; or, if his rebirth is again among mankind, then length of days is his portion in whatever station he is born into - such merciful courses tend to length of days here."
"In the Samanna-phala Sutta-Dialogues of tile Buddha, the Lord Said :
"And how, O King, is his conduct good?
In this, O King, that, the Bhikku, putting away the killing of living things, holds aloof from the destruction of life. The cudgel and the sword he has laid aside, and ashamed of roughness, and full of mercy, he dwells compassionate and kind to all crealures that have life."
In the Metta Sutta: The All-Compassionate Buddha said :
"All beings long for happiness; therefore let all beings be embraced in thy compassion."
Again in the Sutta Nipala, he declared: "As I am, so are these."
The Buddha's rules on self-control should be a point of reflection: "Monks, possessed of two things a monk in this very life lives painfully, harassed tormented, and when the body breaks up after death, the ill-bourn for him may be expected. What two things?' Not guarding the door of the sense-faculties and lack of restraint in eating..." - (Itivuttaka)
"Let us observe moderation in eating! Wisely reflective, let us partake of nourishment, not for the sake of the pleasure and enjoyment it may yield, nor yet out of ostentation and vanity, but only for the sake of the body's support and maintenance, its preservation against untimely decay, its help in living the Holy Life. So shall we banish the further feeling of discomfort from hunger, so shall we prevent the fresh arising of such a feeling, so shall we live free from fault and in comfort. Thus, Monks, have you to train yourselves." (Aasapura Sulta)
"So long as Dharma is only what He proclaimed. something external to us," said C. Jinarajadasa, the late President of the Theosophical Society, "Dhamma is not fully real to us. We Buddhists take upon ourselves to observe the precept not to take life. But so long as it is a precept which He gave to which we subscribe, it is not our own Dhamma, the inner law of our being. It is an external law. Then we begin our quibbles and excuses, and when we eat flesh of creatures we say to ourselves: 'I did not kill; and if another killed, that is his karma.' But when we have an inward Dhamma, the principle of our inmost self of Metta, Pity, then we live the First Precept, because it has ceased to be the Lord's Precept and become our own precept, a true expression of our soul." |
A: For All Ages.
PK: For Pre-Kindergarden and Early Childhood.
ES: For Elementary-School
MS: Middle-School.
HS: High-School.
Science and
Engineering Courses
Hands-on Scientists A
Students learn the scientific method and focus on hypothesis, observation vs. inference, data representation, and conclusion. Science experts—from botanists to chemists—work with students to conduct experiments from all areas of the science curriculum. LeAp's extensive experiment library includes topics such as the acidity of various liquids, optics and reflected light, tropisms, plant adaptation, starches and foods, and electrolysis of water. In all cases, connections and applications are made between the science lab and everyday life. This program is excellent preparation for the NYS Science Performance Test. For All Ages.
Young Scientists PK
Students in grades pre-K through 3rd grade receive an introduction to science, scientific procedures, and the scientific method. For example, students may make weather stations and read thermometers and barometers to make simple weather forecasts and study the changing seasons. Marshmallow molecules introduce students to the idea that all matter is composed of atoms, elements, and molecules. Animal observations and simple plant experiments teach students about life cycles, habitats, and environmental science. For Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood.
Building Science Lab Skills ES
Working with a scientist, students learn the scientific method and specific science skills, such as measurement or categorization, through easily replicated experiments. This program also introduces and reinforces the basic concepts covered in the NYS Science Performance Test. For Elementary-School.
Going Green: Global Ecology/Global Environments A
Students create and play games that focus on the ecology and environments of countries from around the world. Students research and analyze the countries' approach to ecological concerns. They then make and play ecology games, organize a “go green” campaign, or create a class ecology exhibit, demonstrating their greater understanding of the complex balance between cultural values, societal needs, economics, and environmental issues. For All Ages.
Lots to Landscapes/Environmental Science A
Working with an environmental scientist, students conduct an ecological study involving experiments on the soil, air, and plants found in a local park or empty lot. For All Ages.
Plant Diversity: Why Roses are Red ES, MS
Working with a scientist, students conduct experiments and answer questions such as: What is a plant? What does it need to grow? What are tropisms? How and why do genetics affect plant adaptation and evolution? For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Water Ecology MS
Through experiments and activities in and out of the classroom, students discover their own power to impact the ecosystem both positively and negatively. Students take water samples to test for contamination, water density, salinity, etc; explore and photograph healthy and polluted water environments; and discuss issues such as the impact of human choices on the environment.
Geology/Plate Tectonics A
A professional geologist teaches basic plate tectonics through hands-on activities. The geologist shows students how to create topographical clay models to demonstrate the formation of geological features from faults to rifts. This
program teaches geography, social studies, mathematics, and science concepts. For All Ages.
Comets, Asteroids, and the Solar System ES
Students work with a scientist to study basic astronomy. Students create demonstrations, conduct experiments, build models of the solar system, and develop audio-visual productions to show their understanding of the subject.
Digging Up Dinos PK
Students in grades pre-K through 3 visit the Dinosaur Hall and related exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History to learn about fossils, dinosaurs, and the role of the paleontologist. At their school, a LeAp artist helps students create dinosaur dioramas, models, faux fossils, murals, and books. For Pre-Kindergarten and Early Childhood.
Rain or Shine: Create Your Own Weather Station ES
A professional scientist teaches students to design and build their own functioning weather stations in order to learn the basics of weather recording and forecasting. Students learn to build, collect, and record data from barometers, anemometers, rain gauges, radiometers, and/or hygrometers. For Elementary-School.
Squid to Whales/Marine Biology ES, MS
Students learn about marine biology from life in a glass of water to entire marine environments. This program focuses on life cycles, the characteristics of organisms, or the impact of humans on marine environments. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Hands-on Biology A
A biologist helps students explore all aspects of basic biology, including the microcosmic world of the cell and the study of major ecosystems. For All Ages.
Animal Diversity ES
Students study animal habitats and learn how animals survive and adapt to their environments. Working with a LeAp expert, students make dioramas, soft sculptures, and three-dimensional murals depicting animals and ecosystems. For Elementary-School.
Adopt a Bird ES
Each student selects a mammal, fish, bird, amphibian, or reptile for “adoption” and researches it using LeAp's research forms. After creating and painting stuffed paper models, students paint a simple mural of the animal’s habitat and attach their animals to the appropriate places within the environment. For a limited number of classes, the project can include an Audubon Bird Walk. For Elementary-School.
Healthy Body/Healthy Mind A
This program encourages students to lead active, healthy lives by teaching them about nutrition, health, exercise, and how the body works. Students also learn to prepare healthy foods and snacks. Dance movements, exercises, and sports help students build strength and improve flexibility. For All Ages.
Chemistry Experiments You Can Eat ES, MS
Students experiment with the basic principles of chemistry through cooking. For example, students explore how the body transforms carbohydrates into energy, or compare the process of photosynthesis to our digestion of starches. Students are also introduced to the pH scale by examining edible acids from citrus fruits and the way they are neutralized by edible bases. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Forensic Science ES, MS
This exciting program introduces students to a different “crime” scene each week. Students collect clues and work with a LeAp scientist to apply scientific tests and analyze the clues to determine who or what was responsible. “Crimes” are grade-level appropriate and do not promote violence. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Science of Sight ES, MS
A LeAp scientist works with students to conduct science experiments that demonstrate the properties of light waves, optics, the color spectrum, and lenses. Students learn about refraction and reflection by building kaleidoscopes or periscopes. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Science of Sound ES, MS
Students study the connection between physics and sound by building instruments and conducting experiments. A LeAp scientist helps students understand the relationship between wavelength and tone, frequency and pitch, and amplitude and volume. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Building Bridges: Structures and Science ES, MS
Students learn what causes a structure to either stand or collapse by building suspension, beam, and arch bridges. Through a series of engineering challenges, students learn basic physics, such as the importance of span length, load, and vibration. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Rube Goldberg: The Physics of Simple Machines A
Rube Goldberg was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist and sculptor. Students view his cartoons, and then design and build their own Rube Goldberg contraptions using all five simple machines. This program introduces students to physics, problem solving, and technical logic. For All Ages.
Rocketry: Technology and Flight ES, MS
Students study the principles of flight, including gravity, thrust, lift, and drag, by making a series of airplanes and flying objects. They experiment with different wing prototypes to determine the optimal design before building and launching their own working rockets. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Industrial Design: Everyday Engineering A
Students investigate the world around them and learn the science and design behind making everyday objects functional, ergonomic, and aesthetically appealing. Students take apart small appliances and objects revealing the circuitry and mechanisms that make them work. Students then learn about basic electricity, ergonomics, and manufacturing processes as they redesign and create their own new and improved versions of everyday products. For All Ages.
The Physics of Mechanical Toys ES, MS
Students examine mechanical toys from various cultures and time periods, and then create their own small mechanical toys which incorporate the five simple machines, Newton’s three laws, and other principles of physics. Throughout the program, students conduct experiments that link the science curriculum with toy making. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Junior Edison: Creating Inventions to Solve Everyday Needs A
Working with a LeAp scientist, students research several famous and lesser-known inventors and their contributions to the world as we know it. Then, working in groups, students design and create working models of their own inventions. This program teaches basic physics and math. For All Ages.
Electricity and Art: Louis Comfort Tiffany A
Students study the history and designs of Louis Comfort Tiffany's handcrafted, stained glass lamps and create their own working Tiffany-style lamps. Students learn simple wiring, basic physics, and a variety of art skills, including making faux stained glass. This program may be combined with a visit to the Tiffany collection at the Queens Museum. For All Ages.
Calder the Engineer, Calder the Artist A
Students examine the mobiles and stabiles of Alexander Calder to learn about the laws of gravity and simple physics concepts including kinetic energy, action and reaction, momentum, and mass. Students then construct their own mobiles and stabiles, applying the laws of physics and the artistic style of Calder. For All Ages.
Mechanical Robots ES, MS
Students design and build their own working robots, powered by small motors. This robots program teaches the basic principles of electricity, the physics of simple machines, the relationship of gear ratios and torque, and the transfer of energy, while developing creative problem-solving skills. For Elementary-School and Middle-School.
Andy Goldsworthy, Designs from Nature A
Students learn how environmental sculptor Andy Goldsworthy fuses art and nature to raise environmental awareness. A LeAp artist helps students use natural materials to create ecosculptures in the style of Goldsworthy. For All Ages.
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The Incoherence of Determining Death by Neurological Criteria: Reply to John Lizza
Human life and death should be defined biologically. It is important not to conflate the definition of death with the criteria for when it has occurred. What is distinctively "human" from a scientific or normative perspective has nothing to do with what makes humans alive or dead. We are biological organisms, despite the fact that what is meaningful about human life is not defined in biological terms. Consequently, as in the rest of the realm of living beings, human beings die when they no longer function biologically as organisms. In contrast, a determination of exactly when death has occurred, required to serve various social purposes, combines social and normative considerations with biological facts. |
Various multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) antenna techniques are being used by TD-LTE, FDD-LTE, and LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) wireless technologies. Given the growing complexity in MIMO systems, related test methodologies will also become more challenging. For example, currently deployed MIMO technologies implement two antennas to improve channel performance. Yet some LTE communities are pioneering eight-antenna technologies to reap even higher performance gains. Such advanced technologies will make the choice of test methodology even more critical.
To find the right approach, it is essential to have a solid understanding of the antenna techniques used for each version of LTE. For example, beamforming is a key feature of TD-LTE. While it is an attractive transmission scheme for some scenarios (e.g., open rural area or hotspot coverage), however, it is not always the optimum approach. Beamforming boosts the received signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of a cell for enhanced coverage or to improve the user experience near the cell edge. It also spatially confines the signal to minimize interference. In areas where the SNR is sufficient, though, beamforming does not result in increased data rates.
By spatially multiplexing simultaneous data streams, MIMO can increase data throughput under low-correlation, high-SNR channel conditions. To optimize MIMO data rates, TD-LTE employs eight antenna elements. In Figure 1, four antennas (shown as blue) are physically polarized at the same angle while the other four (shown as green) are physically orthogonal to the first four.
Figure 1
(Figure 1)This diagram shows a TD-LTE eNodeB antenna configuration, which is used to optimize MIMO data rates.
Each set of four antenna elements can boost SNR by forming a beam which is directed toward specific user equipment (UE). The two orthogonally polarized beams effectively resemble two low-correlation antennas—even though the actual spatial correlation may be high. As a result, this antenna configuration enlarges the coverage area in which high-data-rate transmission is possible (Fig. 2).
Figure 2
(Figure 2)Here, an 8x2 beamforming system creates orthogonally polarized beams.
In addition to TD-LTE, eight-antenna techniques can be used in FDD-LTE. Network operators may use this antenna configuration to enhance uplink reception by offsetting the link budget limitations of low-power UEs. The 3GPP’s RAN1 working group is actively discussing the practical deployment of eight-antenna techniques in LTE-A.1,2
In traditional performance testing, antenna patterns—or signal gains in each direction of an antenna array—are usually disregarded. This is partially due to an assumption—based on legacy testing in single-input, single-output (SISO) systems—that antennas are omnidirectional. But this is not true for most base stations. The directional aspects of signal strength play a big role in MIMO spatial channels and an even more significant role in beamforming applications. Considering antenna patterns is therefore important when testing eight-antenna systems.
To fully exploit the benefits of eight-antenna arrays, LTE and LTE-A systems use advanced transmission schemes like dual-layer beamforming and receiver techniques like Interference Rejection and Combining (IRC). IRC is a technique in which an eNodeB base transceiver station (BTS) uses information gathered from various UEs (typically cross-co-variance between noise sources) to intelligently reject noise. Such schemes add to the complexity of emulating the MIMO channel. In addition, they present the following testing challenges:
Number of channels:To test a beamforming system, one must set up the MIMO channel. In TD-LTE, the downlink and uplink radio links are characteristically identical. In FD-LTE, the channels may or may not be correlated to some degree—depending on such factors as frequency separation or the level of fading being observed (i.e., Rayleigh fading, shadow fading, etc.). Any RF channels created in the lab for test purposes must account for each of these details.
For eight-antenna systems, such testing obviously involves a large number of RF channels. An 8x2 bidirectional MIMO channel, for example, requires 16 RF channels. In many labs, space is a factor. Thus, delivering this significant increase in capabilities without a proportional increase in test-stand size requires consideration.
In addition, channel reciprocity requires that an 8x2 bidirectional MIMO testing system is phase-calibrated for testing a system’s beamforming capabilities. Effective phase calibration and alignment of the channels are critical factors for reliable and efficient testing. This increase in the number of channels also requires dense integration of RF hardware into the system. Otherwise, it can be next to impossible to accurately and reliably cable RF channels with outboard splitters, combiners, circulators, etc.
Advanced channel modeling: Because eight-antenna LTE systems use advanced antenna techniques, the modeled channels used for testing must replicate the physical characteristics of the channels used in those techniques. Failure to include every detail in the emulation results in an incorrect baseline for evaluating true system performance. For example, polarization affects the power of a signal received by a UE. Compared to the non-polarized case, the received signal has less apparent power. This loss, which is directly due to polarization, is dependent on the UE’s direction relative to the eNodeB antenna array.
The antenna pattern also has a direct effect on signal strength. The power of the received signal varies as a function of the direction of signal travel. Because each possible scenario has a unique set of angles-of-departure (AoDs), power again varies as a function of direction. The combination of antenna patterns and polarization makes this problem even trickier. The Table shows the power loss of different combinations in two-channel scenarios. An “X” in the table represents a cross-polarized antenna pair, while vertical bars (||) represent antenna elements with no polarization.
Effects of Polarization and Antenna Patterns on Received Power
Dynamic scenarios: For a beamforming system, testing in a static (non-moving) condition is insufficient. Beamforming essentially involves two steps: estimating the direction of the UE and directing a beam toward it. When the UE moves, its direction (relative to the eNodeB antenna array) varies. This brings up two questions that are fundamental to understanding a system’s performance: How fast can the system track movement of the UE and how well does the system perform as a result? To answer those questions, one must test a beamforming system using dynamic scenarios that represent actual operating conditions.
Test Methodology
For reasons discussed earlier, an effective test methodology must address all of the challenges described: high numbers of reciprocal RF channels in a compact form factor, channel modeling that accounts for antenna patterns and polarization, and the ability to test beamforming in dynamic (motion) scenarios. The number of channels needed in bidirectional 8xN system testing presents an unprecedented challenge. Figure 3 is a graphical depiction of a modern system used for 8x2 bidirectional testing. A legacy channel emulator might occupy a 40U rack and require significant outboard RF hardware to achieve the same channel scenario.
Figure 3
(Figure 3)Shown is a depiction of channel emulation for 8x2 MIMO beamforming testing.
As the technology advances, test-system requirements will only become more challenging and demanding. An example is dual-layer beamforming applications, which involve two UEs talking to the same eNodeB BTS from different physical positions. The required testing topology includes an 8x4 bidirectional MIMO channel (i.e, 16 RF channels with 32 digital channels). Another example is IRC. Testing IRC requires that the eNodeB BTS, which is the device under test (DUT) in this test case, receive signals from one “desired” UE and several interfering UEs and the testing accounts for the effects of fading.
The future also holds some challenging test scenarios as new techniques are developed and existing techniques are implemented in high-antenna-count MIMO systems. Multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), for instance, is not necessarily new. But testing it in the context of LTE’s MIMO UEs presents significant challenges, as complex techniques are “layered” together. In MU-MIMO, the system uses signal processing to take advantage of the spatial differences between multiple UEs. Another example is Coordinated Multi-Point (CoMP) transmission in LTE-A. This technique takes advantage of network redundancy in cases where the UE is connected to multiple eNodeB BTSs (typically at overlapping cell edges).
Figure 4 shows a typical compact setup for testing dual-layer beamforming, MU-MIMO, and CoMP with integrated bidirectional MIMO channels. The channel density of the integrated solution does more than just meet the challenges of limited lab space for a large number of RF channels. It also is a much more reliable platform in terms of both phase calibration and stability.
Figure 4
(Figure 4)This compact test setup handles dual-layer beamforming, MU-MIMO, and CoMP test scenarios.
Geometric Channel Models
When it comes to testing advanced antenna techniques in LTE and LTE-A systems, correlation-based, legacy MIMO channel modeling is not a good fit. This traditional modeling approach does not capture the MIMO channel’s spatial characteristics or the effects of the advanced antenna techniques that were previously discussed.
Most correlation-based MIMO channel modeling is based on an assumption that the signal is omnidirectional as it leaves the transmit antennas and that it arrives at the receive antennas in the same way.4 This is not true in the case of MIMO beamforming.
To solve the problem, the research community came up with a new channel modeling approach known as Geometric Channel Modeling (GCM). In GCM, each signal path from each transmit antenna to each receive antenna is geometrically traced and summed together to generate the channel. This approach intrinsically supports antenna patterns and polarization. Given these properties, the GCM has been chosen to evaluate next-generation wireless technologies.3
Real-Time Fading
A real-time fading method generates channel data in real time as opposed to pre-calculating data and replaying it from buffer storage. There are two main drivers for real-time fading: to create true dynamic scenarios and to enable trial-and-error R&D troubleshooting. In dynamic or moving scenarios, channel parameters change over time. Real-time fading enables scripting of the channel parameters to mimic channel dynamics. Using a real-time fading engine, creating different types of UE movement for beamforming testing is simple and intuitive.
R&D testing requires flexibility in controlling the channel for troubleshooting. Together with geometric channel modeling, real-time fading allows an engineer to adjust one or more channel parameters and instantaneously get a response. This “trial-and-error troubleshooting” approach is common in product development and widely used in system performance tests.
As the industry pursues higher data rates to enable newer wireless applications, both the number of antennas used and the complexity of advanced antenna techniques are destined to increase. This trend poses significant challenges of testing LTE and LTE-A with advanced antenna techniques. It requires both new methodologies and new ways of thinking about test scenarios.
Eight-antenna systems quadruple the number of RF channels used in 2x2 MIMO systems. Yet researchers are already exploring techniques that will require eight times as many antenna elements as 2x2. Replicating reciprocal high-antenna-count test scenarios imposes a serious constraint in labs where space and other resources are constrained. Emerging advanced antenna techniques impose yet another challenge when compared to traditional channel modeling. Testing the system in dynamic scenarios is essential when the tester needs to fully understand the system’s performance.
An effective test methodology that meets these challenges must employ geometric channel modeling that supports advanced antenna techniques. It also has to run dynamic scenarios in real time. Finally, the test approach must reliably and efficiently create all of the details of bidirectional MIMO channel for eight-antenna systems—and do so in a compact form factor.
1. R1-100708, “Proposal of Realistic Antenna Configuration for MU-MIMO and CoMP,” Vodafone, Deutsche Telekom AG, Orange, RAN1#59bis, Valencia, Jan. 2010.
2. R1-103376, “Antenna configurations for practical deployments,” AT&T, Orange, Vodafone, RAN1 #61, Montreal, May 2010.
3. Report ITU-R M.2135-1, “Guidelines for evaluation of radio interface technologies for IMT-Advanced,” ITU, Dec. 2009.
4. Douglas Reed, Fading Basics - Narrow Band, Wide Band, and Spatial Channels,, 2011.
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Ask The Rabbi
Starry Starry Night
The Color of HeavenArtscroll
Topic: Shabbat, Ending time, Stars
Ian Pamensky wrote:
Dear Rabbi,
Why does Shabbat end plus or minus 1 hour after sunset? Can you rely on the 3 stars? Many thanks in advance.
Dear Ian Pamensky,
The Talmud says that three medium-sized stars together in the sky signify nightfall. Halachic opinions about when this is range from 20 minutes to 72 minutes after sunset.
Ideally, you shouldn't rely on "three stars." Cloudy skies can make it hard to know exactly when this is. And even on a clear night, it's difficult to determine exactly which stars are considered "medium" and which are considered "large." Furthermore, the Chafetz Chaim writes that "three medium stars" was a reference for people in Babylon (Middle East). But people who live far to the north (Europe and America) where the sky takes much longer to darken should wait for three small stars. Ideally, you should go by the clock and a reliable Jewish calendar.
Did you hear about the ship's captain who, one foggy night, perceived a glowing light out in the distance? He watched it intently, but couldn't figure out why it grew no closer to his advancing ship. Finally, after staring at it for 20 minutes, he realized that the light was coming from the bowl of his pipe!
• Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 261
• Ibid. Mishna Berura 23
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The chitinolytic machinery of Serratia marcescens – a model system for enzymatic degradation of recalcitrant polysaccharides
V. Eijsink, Department of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB), PO Box 5003, NO-1432 Ås, Norway
Tel: +47 6496 5892
The chitinolytic machinery of Serratia marcescens is one of the best known enzyme systems for the conversion of insoluble polysaccharides. This machinery includes four chitin-active enzymes: ChiC, an endo-acting non-processive chitinase; ChiA and ChiB, two processive chitinases moving along chitin chains in opposite directions; and CBP21, a surface-active CBM33-type lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase that introduces chain breaks by oxidative cleavage. Furthermore, an N-acetylhexosaminidase or chitobiase converts the oligomeric products from the other enzymes to monomeric N-acetylglucosamine. Here we discuss the catalytic mechanisms of these enzymes as well as the structural basis of each enzyme's specific role in the chitin degradation process. We also discuss how knowledge of this enzyme system may be extrapolated to other enzyme systems for conversion of insoluble polysaccharides, in particular conversion of cellulose by cellulases and GH61-type lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases.
carbohydrate binding module
chitin binding protein 21
fibronectin III
glycoside hydrolase
lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase
The genus Serratia is a member of the Enterobacteriaceae order that currently has 15 cultured type strains registered in the Ribosomal Database Project database [1]. The bacterium is known for its ability to synthesize the red pigment prodigiosin (2-methyl-3-amyl-methoxyprodigiosene [2, 3]) and for being frequently encountered in nosocomial infections [4-7]. Other capabilities have made this bacterium one of the most rigorously studied organisms related to conversion of recalcitrant polysaccharides, namely its simple but yet highly efficient enzymatic machinery for degradation of chitin, a linear insoluble polymer of β-1,4-linked N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc).
In 1969, a groundbreaking study by Jaime Monreal and Elwyn T. Reese concluded that Serratia marcescens was the most efficient chitin degrader amongst 100 tested microorganisms [8]. The aim of this work was to locate a source for ‘pure’ chitinase activity which would then allow detailed studies of these enzymes as ‘lytic agents’. Indeed, these findings laid down the cornerstone for a model system employed by many to study enzymatic chitin degradation. A similar study conducted by Carroad and Tom 9 years later [9], which aimed at finding bacteria efficient in bioconversion of shellfish wastes, led to the same conclusions as the study by Monreal and Reese. Following these studies, the next important contribution to the study of S. marcescens chitinases came when Roberts and Cabib described a simple method for purifying the enzymes by a chitin-affinity strategy [10]. This method was based on a method for chitinase purification published in Methods in Enzymology in 1966 [11] and involved binding the enzymes to an insoluble but easily degradable chitinous substrate. After binding, the mixture was incubated at 30 °C until the chitin was fully degraded. By removing the reaction products by dialysis, the chitinases were left in their pure form. Some years later Fuchs et al. combined the Roberts and Cabib purification method with a size exclusion chromatography step in an attempt to purify the individual chitinolytic components of S. marcescens, and concluded that the bacterium secretes five individual proteins involved in chitin conversion [12]. These proteins would later be named ChiA, ChiB, ChiC1, ChiC2 and CBP21. In 1986, Fuchs et al. and Jones et al. reported the first cloning of S. marcescens chitinases, namely ChiA and ChiB [12, 13]. ChiA and ChiB were cloned by various groups later [14-16], followed by CBP21 [17, 18] and ChiC1/ChiC2 [19-21]. In the meantime, another component of the system, an N-acetylhexosaminidase which is commonly referred to as chitobiase, was discovered and cloned [22, 23]. A more convenient way of releasing the various chitin-active enzymes from chitin was discovered by Watanabe and co-workers who managed to separate chitobiase, CBP21 and the chitinases by applying a pH gradient (pH 6.0 to pH ~ 3.6) [24].
According to the CAZy sequence-based classification system [25], all S. marcescens chitinases belong to glycoside hydrolase family 18 (GH18). The catalytic domain of the chitobiase belongs to family GH20, whereas CBP21 has been classified as a CBM33, i.e. a carbohydrate binding module (CBM) in family 33. Following the cloning and purification of the chitinases, CBP21 and chitobiase, X-ray crystallographic structures of these enzymes started to emerge. ChiA was the first Serratia chitinase to have its structure solved, representing the first ever structure of a bacterial or fungal GH18 chitinase [26]. Subsequently, the structures of chitobiase [22], ChiB [27] and CBP21 [18] were solved whereas the structure of the catalytic domain of ChiC was solved in 2012 [28].
Further insight into the S. marcescens chitinolytic machinery was obtained by combining this structural information with a variety of biochemical analyses, including studies of enzyme kinetics and chitin-degrading potential, studies with inhibitors such as the natural product allosamidin [29] and a variety of mechanistic studies supported by site-directed mutagenesis work. Our current knowledge of the system results from these studies and is reviewed below. Highlights include (a) the discovery of a substrate-assisted catalytic mechanism to cleave the β-1,4 bonds in chitin and chito-oligosaccharides [30], (b) novel insights into the mechanism of processivity obtained using chitosan, a soluble variant of chitin [31-33], and (c) the discovery of the enzymatic activity of CBP21, which was the key to revealing a novel enzyme family currently referred to as lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) [34, 35].
The GH18 chitinases ChiA, ChiB and ChiC
Structures and modular organization
The GH18 catalytic domains of ChiA, ChiB and ChiC have a (β/α)8 TIM-barrel fold with crucial catalytic residues (see below) being located on β-strand number 4. All three chitinases are multimodular (Fig. 1, Table 1), having an N-terminal chitin binding module with a fibronectin III (FnIII) like fold (ChiA), or a C-terminal CBM5 chitin binding module (ChiB) or a C-terminal FnIII module coupled to a downstream CBM12 chitin binding module (ChiC). Full-length ChiC, also referred to as ChiC1, tends to be cleaved by endogenous proteases to yield ChiC2, a form observed in the early studies on secreted chitinolytic proteins and comprising the catalytic domain only [19-21] (this is observed both in S. marcescens and when recombinantly expressing full-length ChiC in Escherichia coli). Note that the available crystal structures for ChiA and ChiB comprise the complete two-domain proteins, whereas for ChiC only the crystal structure of the catalytic domain has been determined. However, there exists structural information for individual FnIII and CBM12 modules from work on chitinase A1 from Bacillus circulans (Fig. 1) [36, 37].
Table 1. Domain structure of the S. marcescens chitinolytic machinery. The protein structure database (Protein Data Bank, PDB) entries are those for the wild-type apo-enzymes. For each enzyme, the top to bottom order of the listed domains reflects N-terminal to C-terminal in the protein. References for the classification systems: CAZy [25], Pfam [148], CATH [149]. N/A indicates that the domains are not classified
EnzymeECUniprot IDPDB IDCAZy modulesPfam IDsCATH topology
ChiA3.2.1.14 P07254 1CTN N/APF083292.60.40 Immunoglobulin-like
GH18PF007043.20.20 TIM barrel
ChiB3.2.1.14 Q54276 1E15 GH18PF007043.20.20 TIM barrel
CBM5PF028392.10.10 Seminal fluid protein PDC-109 (domain B)
ChiC3.2.1.14 Q700B8 4AXN GH18PF007043.20.20 TIM barrel
Chitobiase3.2.1.52 Q54468 1C7T N/APF031732.60.40 Immunoglobulin-like
N/APF031743.30.379 Chitobiase; domain 2
GH20PF007283.20.20 TIM barrel
N/APF028382.60.40 Immunoglobulin-like
CBP21N/A O83009 2BEM CBM33PF030672.70.50 Coagulation factor XIII; Chain A, domain 1
Figure 1.
Structural overview of the family 18 chitinases of S. marcescens. The picture shows the crystal structures of ChiA, ChiB and the catalytic domain of ChiC, and the NMR structures of homologues of the FnIII and the CBM5/12 domain in ChiC. Helices are colored dark blue, β-strands are colored cyan. The side chain of the catalytic acid (a Glu) is shown in yellow. See text and additional figures for references and further details.
The roles of the additional CBMs and FnIII modules have been addressed in several studies, but remain partly unresolved. The substrate binding properties of CBMs in general are well documented [38] but exactly how and to what extent CBMs contribute to the efficiency of substrate conversion is not completely clear. Among the more ‘advanced’ potential functions of CBMs are roles in correctly positioning the catalytic domain, contributions to processive action, and perhaps even local decrystallization of the substrate (e.g. [39, 40]). The 40–60 residue CBM5 and CBM12 modules often found in chitinases are distantly related and appear as one family in Pfam (PF02839; Both are characterized by the presence of conserved exposed tryptophans that interact with the substrate (see below). Several studies have confirmed that the presence of these domains increases substrate affinity as well as the efficiency of chitin hydrolysis, especially for the more crystalline chitin forms [41-44].
The FnIII module of ChiA (Pfam name ‘chitinase A N-terminal domain’) contains exposed aromatic residues and mutational studies have clearly shown that these residues contribute to substrate binding and the efficiency of substrate hydrolysis [45]. This domain shares barely detectable sequence identity with FnIII modules that are found in ChiC and in several other chitinases such as ChiA1 from B. circulans [37, 42] and that form a separate Pfam family (Fig. 1, Table 1). Watanabe and co-workers have carried out both functional and structural studies of the latter type of FnIII domain, leading to the conclusion that these domains are not directly involved in chitin binding. Nevertheless they are important for enzyme activity, probably by affecting the overall enzyme structure and the spatial localization of the catalytic domain and the CBM12 domain [42]. In contrast to the N-terminal domain of ChiA, the structurally characterized FnIII domain of ChiA1 from B. circulans does not have exposed aromatic residues on its surface [37]. Model-building studies (not shown) indicated that the FnIII domain of ChiC also lacks surface-exposed aromatic residues.
Apart from the actual bond cleavage, catalysis by these chitinases involves gaining access to a single chain of chitin, substrate binding and positioning and, after cleavage, substrate displacement, as discussed in detail further below. The enzymes may cleave randomly in the chain (endo-action) or they may primarily bind to chain ends (exo-action). Each of these two modes of initial binding may or may not be combined with processive action, the latter meaning that each productive enzyme–substrate association leads to a series of consecutive cleavages, releasing dimeric products from the polymer substrate.
The first GH18 chitinase structures were those of ChiA from S. marcescens [26] and of a plant single domain endochitinase called hevamine [46, 47]. These structures were puzzling in the sense that the putative catalytic centers of the enzymes did not show the typical arrangement of two carboxylic acids normally found in GHs. One of these residues acts as a catalytic acid that protonates the leaving group, whereas the other acts as a nucleophile in retaining GHs or as a water-activating base in inverting enzymes (see [48, 49] for further details). After having shown that hevamine is a retaining enzyme, Terwisscha van Scheltinga and colleagues proposed a solution to this puzzle on the basis of the crystal structure of hevamine in complex with allosamidin [30]. The pseudotrisaccharide allosamidin [29] is a highly specific inhibitor of GH18 enzymes and contains an allosamizoline group. The structure of the hevamine–allosamidin complex showed that the allosamizoline group binds in the −1 subsite, leading Terwisscha van Scheltinga and colleagues to propose that it mimics a reaction intermediate in which a positive charge at C1 is stabilized intramolecularly by the carbonyl O atom of the N-acetyl group at C2 [30]. Thus, the nucleophile ‘missing’ from the structures is provided by the substrate itself.
This substrate-assisted catalytic mechanism has since been studied in much detail and there is now ample evidence supporting and refining the original ideas. Furthermore, it has been shown that a similar substrate-assisted mechanism is used by other GHs acting on GlcNAc glycosides, including the GH20 chitobiase, one of the other members of the chitinolytic enzyme system [50] (see later), and the O-GlcNAc hydrolases of family GH84 [51]. Today, there is an abundance of evidence from crystallographic [51, 52] and biochemical studies [53-55] supporting the idea that the anchimeric assistance from the acetamido group on the −1 sugar leads to formation of a covalent oxazolinium ion intermediate. As shown in Fig. 2, the formation of this intermediate requires distortion of the −1 sugar towards a boat conformation, which entails the formation of an even less favorable half-chair type transition state conformation along the way towards the boat form [56-58]. The distortion of the −1 sugar has been confirmed by various crystallographic studies [50, 59-61].
Figure 2.
Catalytic mechanism of GH18 glycoside hydrolases. The schemes show the formation of the oxazolinium ion intermediate, which is then hydrolyzed by an incoming water molecule, shown at the bottom right. See text and Fig. 3.
Some of the most detailed work aimed at unraveling the catalytic mechanism of the GH18 chitinases was done on ChiB from S. marcescens. The GH18 chitinases contain a diagnostic DXDXE motif ending with the catalytic acid (Asp140–Glu144 in ChiB; Figs 2 and 3). Another highly conserved residue is a serine that is part of a less well known but equally diagnostic SXGG motif (Ser93 in ChiB). Additional conserved residues include Tyr214 and Asp/Asn215 (Figs 2 and 3). Using crystallography, site-directed mutagenesis and computational analysis, roles for each of these residues have been proposed as follows (for work on ChiB, see [59, 62, 63]; for some key studies on other GH18 chitinases, see [61, 64, 65]).
Figure 3.
Key elements of the catalytic machinery of family 18 chitinases. The picture shows two situations that have been crystallographically observed for ChiB [59]. Main chains are shown in cartoon representation and illustrate the β-barrel structure of the catalytic domain. Carbon atoms of the side chains and substrate (in B) are colored magenta and grey, respectively. Asp140, Asp142 and Glu144 are part of strand 4 and comprise the diagnostic DXDXE sequence motif. In the apo-structure (A), Asp140 and Asp142 share a proton. Upon substrate binding (B), Asp142, with its proton, rotates away from Asp140 and this rotation is accompanied by changes deeper down in the barrel that stabilize the now ‘lonely’ (and partly buried) Asp140 [62].
• Glu144, the catalytic acid/base: In the first phase of the reaction, Glu144 facilitates leaving group departure by donating a proton. In the enzyme–substrate complex Glu144 has a drastically elevated pKa due to the combination of substrate binding and the presence of Asp215 (GH18 enzymes with an Asn in this position have an acidic pH optimum for activity whereas the optimum for ChiB lies around 6–7). The −1 net negative charge on the Asp140–Asp142 pair may also contribute to the elevated pKa. In the second phase of the reaction, after leaving group departure, Glu144 acts as a base. Its pKa is now lower due to departure of the leaving group, which exposes the carboxylate to solvent and reduces the effect of Asp215 [62]. Furthermore, the rotation of protonated Asp142 towards Glu144 will also contribute to reducing the pKa of the latter.
• Asp142: This residue plays several interconnected roles. First, its interaction with the acetamido group of the −1 sugar fixes this group in a distorted conformation that promotes nucleophilic attack on the anomeric carbon. Second, through the same interaction, Asp142 stabilizes the developing positive charge on what is to become the oxazolinium ion intermediate. Finally, as alluded to above, the mobility of Asp142 may play a role in the necessary ‘cycling’ of the pKa of Glu144.
• Asp140: This partly buried residue seems crucial for keeping Asp142 protonated. Mutation of Asp140 to Asn or Ala drastically reduces activity and yields an acidic shift in the pH optimum for activity.
• Ser93 and Tyr10: These residues interact with Asp140, relatively deep ‘down’ in the β-barrel (Fig. 3). Structural data show that rotation of protonated Asp142 towards Glu144 leads to adjustments of Tyr10 and Ser93 that have two consequences. First, the adjusted side chains of Tyr10 and Ser93 partly fill the space left by Asp142. Second, and probably more importantly, due to these adjustments both residues now act as donors in strong hydrogen bonds with Asp140, thus compensating in part for the negative charge of the latter.
• Tyr214: As shown in Fig. 2, the phenolic hydroxyl of the tyrosine side chain stabilizes the acetamido group in the distorted conformation that promotes nucleophilic attack on the anomeric carbon. Several of the mutational studies cited above have shown that mutation of Tyr214 (to Phe or Ala) has a drastic effect on catalytic efficiency.
• Asp215: This residue is involved in binding the −1 sugar in its distorted conformation (Fig. 2). Furthermore, the negative charge on this residue helps to raise the pKa of the catalytic acid, especially in the enzyme–substrate complex where the glycosidic oxygen is placed between the carboxyl groups of Asp215 and Glu144. In line with these roles, mutation of Asp215 to Asn (which can still hydrogen bond to the substrate) only has a small effect on maximum activity but leads to an acidic shift of the pH optimum for activity. Mutation of Asp215 to Ala is highly deleterious for activity [62].
Importantly, the experimental data for ChiB show that catalysis involves many residues beyond the key residues Asp142 and Glu144. In fact a larger part of the TIM-barrel core may be involved in catalysis, as suggested by the fact that there is another highly conserved aspartate even further down (Asp137) in what in fact is a DXXDXDXE motif (note that the D137N mutant of ChiB could not be produced due to protein folding/stability issues). Also, GH18 enzymes tend to have positively charged residues in the ‘bottom’ of the TIM-barrel (i.e. near Asp137) that could affect active site electrostatics, e.g. through an effect on the pKa of Asp140. The GH18 chitinases provide one of the better studied GH types as far as the complexity and extent of the catalytic site are concerned. Clearly, such complexity is not unique to GH18 enzymes, since fine-tuning and, in retaining GHs, cycling of pKa values is a common enzyme feature. In-depth studies of a family 11 retaining xylanase from B. circulans provide another example of such complexity [66-68].
Exo- versus endo-action, processivity and directionality in the GH18 chitinases
Whereas the three S. marcescens chitinases employ the same catalytic machineries, the architectures of their active sites suggest that they have different roles in chitin degradation. As shown in Fig. 4, ChiA and ChiB have deep substrate binding clefts lined with aromatic residues, suggesting that these enzymes are processive exo-acting enzymes [69-71]. One key feature of the ‘deep-cleft’ chitinases is the presence of the so-called α + β insertion domain that forms one ‘wall’ of the substrate binding cleft [72]. This 60–80 residue domain is inserted between strand 7 and helix 7 of the TIM-barrel in only part of the GH18 enzymes. The domain may contain extra loops that participate in substrate binding, as is the case in ChiB (with a 79-residue α + β domain) but less so in ChiA (with a 61-residue α + β domain). ChiC lacks the α + β domain and has a much shallower substrate binding cleft lacking most of the aromatic residues seen in ChiA and ChiB (Fig. 4), suggesting that ChiC may be a non-processive endo-acting enzyme.
Figure 4.
Substrate binding clefts of (A) ChiA, (B) ChiB and (C) ChiC. The left figures highlight the aromatic amino acids that interact with the substrate through stacking interactions. The top right figures show aromatic amino acids (magenta-colored carbons) in the active site cleft and their interactions with the substrate (grey-colored carbons). Subsites are indicated by numbers [150]. The side chains of the catalytic acids are shown with yellow carbons. The bottom right figures illustrate the depth of the binding clefts. The view is indicated by the arrow in the left figures, where the dashed rectangles indicate the approximate surface areas shown in the bottom right figures. Note that W300 in ChiC is structurally equivalent to W403 in ChiB and W539 in ChiA; this is a fully conserved residue in the −1 subsite. Structural data for the enzyme–ligand complexes come from [61], [59] and [28], respectively.
Structural alignment of ChiA and ChiB reveals several striking features. First, the carbohydrate binding domains are situated in opposite directions (Figs 1 and 4) suggesting that the two enzymes degrade the polymer from different ends, ChiA from the reducing end and ChiB from the non-reducing end. This suggestion, originally derived from comparing the two structures [26, 27], was supported by work from Hult et al. who used tilt microdiffraction in combination with specific labeling of the reducing ends to determine the directionality of chitin degradation by ChiA and ChiB [73]. Second, both enzymes have linear paths of surface-exposed aromatic amino acids starting from the chitin binding domains and extending into the catalytic domains. From work discussed below, as well as studies on other enzymes, it is now clear that hydrophobic stacking interactions between aromatic residues and sugar moieties offer a solution to the problem of how processive enzymes manage to remain attached to their substrates while at the same time retaining the ability to slide during the processive mode of action [33, 70, 74-79].
Processivity and its directionality are challenging to measure (see [80] for an extensive discussion of possibilities and pitfalls). Measuring final dimer/trimer ratios is a classical method for determining the degree of processivity for glycosidases in general [81-83], but this method is prone to errors, primarily because the ratios are strongly affected by specific, not processivity-related, binding preferences of individual enzymes for oligomeric intermediate products [80]. Final dimer/trimer ratios after degradation of β-chitin by the three individual chitinases were determined as 7.3 for ChiA, 12.6 for ChiB and 4.1 for ChiC [84], which is compatible with the idea that ChiA and ChiB are more processive than ChiC (note that ChiC by all standards seems absolutely non-processive; see later).
Interestingly, the degree of processivity for family 18 chitinases can be determined by using the water-soluble chitosan as the substrate [31]. Chitosan is obtained by random partial deacetylation of chitin [85] and it is possible to prepare ‘chitin-like’ chitosans, i.e. chitosans with a high degree of acetylation. Since a correctly positioned N-acetyl group in the −1 subsite is essential for catalysis by GH18 chitinases (Fig. 2), binding of chitosan may be non-productive because the sugar bound in the −1 subsite may lack an N-acetyl group. Formation of a non-productive complex could lead to complete substrate release followed by re-binding. Alternatively, in processive enzymes, the substrate could remain loosely associated with the enzyme and be displaced until a productive complex is formed. Because the repetitive unit in chitin and chitosan is a dimer, the latter processive scenario would imply that every oligomeric product resulting from the same initial enzyme–substrate association, except for the very first, would be even-numbered in length. This is exactly what was observed for ChiA and ChiB, but not for ChiC. When chitosan is the substrate, ChiA and ChiB generate a surplus of even-numbered oligomers while ChiC produces equal amounts of both even- and odd-numbered oligomers [32, 86].
Chitosan offers another method for measuring both processivity and the endo/exo character, which is based on simultaneously monitoring the generation of new reducing groups and the reduction in substrate viscosity [86]. Using this method, it was shown that treatment with ChiC has the same effect on chitosan as acid hydrolysis. For both treatments, the viscosity reduction per generated reducing end is at a maximum, meaning that ChiC is an endo-acting, non-processive enzyme. The same method confirmed that ChiA and ChiB are processive enzymes and also showed that both tend to bind chitiosan in an endo fashion (as opposed to chitin, which seems to be attacked in an exo fashion [73]).
The contribution of aromatic residues to the processivity of ChiA and ChiB has been studied using these methods for analysis of processivity. Early work [45, 87, 88] had already revealed that aromatic residues are important for interactions with the substrate and that mutation of these residues tends to lead to modest reductions of chitin hydrolyzing activity. These studies were mainly focused on residues remote from the catalytic center and did not address processivity. Studies of ChiA and ChiB have shown that aromatic residues near the catalytic center are crucial in determining both the degree and the directionality of processivity. The first clue came when it was shown that mutation of Trp97 in the +1 subsite of ChiB (Fig. 4) to Ala nearly abolishes processivity [33]. The Trp220Ala mutation in the +2 subsite yielded similar results, i.e. a large reduction in processivity. Mutation of the analogous residues in ChiA, Trp275 and Phe396 respectively (also to Ala; Fig. 4), reduced the degree of processivity only slightly [74]. In ChiA, however, replacement of Trp167 in the −3 subsite by Ala led to the same drastic reduction in the degree of processivity as observed for mutation of Trp97 in the +1 subsite of ChiB. These results show that aromatic residues close to the catalytic center are important for the processive mechanism. Moreover, and of major importance, the results show that it is the aromatic residues in the substrate binding subsites, i.e. the subsites interacting with the polymeric substrate rather than the oligomeric product, that determine processivity. In ChiA, which presumably breaks down chitin from its reducing end, the polymeric part is thought to bind to the – subsites and, indeed, a Trp in the −3 subsite seems crucial for processivity. In ChiB, which presumably breaks down chitin from its non-reducing end, the polymeric part is thought to bind to the + subsites and, indeed, Trp residues in the +1 and +2 subsites seem crucial for processivity.
These studies of ChiA and ChiB revealed an interesting pay-off between processivity and intrinsic enzyme speed. As expected, the non-processive mutants were less effective in degrading crystalline chitin but, quite remarkably, these mutants showed increases in their activities towards chitosan by an order of magnitude. So, while processivity contributes to the degradation of crystalline polysaccharides, probably because once detached single-polymer chains are kept from reassociating with the solid material, the data for the ChiA and ChiB mutants show that this processivity comes at a large cost in terms of enzyme speed. These observations show that the rate-limiting steps in chitin and chitosan hydrolysis are different, and this was confirmed in a follow-up study by Zakariassen et al. (2010) on the kinetics of polymer degradation by ChiA variants [89]. Using Eyring analysis, the authors determined the activation energies for various enzyme–substrate combinations. The results showed that association with the substrate is rate limiting in chitin hydrolysis (reflected in a large entropic term); in this case, the Trp to Ala mutations have an unfavorable effect on the activation enthalpy due to loss of favorable enzyme–substrate interactions. On the other hand the activation energy of chitosan hydrolysis is dominated by an enthalpic term, suggesting that product displacement and release are rate limiting. In this case, the Trp to Ala mutations have a favorable effect on the activation enthalpy, reflecting that fewer interactions need to be broken during product displacement.
The different architectures of the active sites of ChiA and ChiB are also reflected in the thermodynamic signatures of allosamidin binding. Allosamidin binds to subsites −3 to −1, which are ‘substrate’ subsites in ChiA and ‘product’ subsites in ChiB. While allosamidin binds equally strongly to both ChiA and ChiB at pH 6.0 (Kd ~ 0.2 μm), binding to ChiA is driven by enthalpy whereas binding to ChiB is driven by entropy [90]. Mutation of Trp167, which is crucial for processivity in ChiA, to Ala reduced the enthalpy gain of allosamidin binding by 4.4 kcal·mol−1. In another study, addressing the ‘substrate’ subsites of ChiB, it was shown that mutation of Trp97 to Ala leads to a 200-fold increase in Km for (GlcNAc)4 while kcat is increased [91]. This underpins how the ‘stickiness’ of the ‘substrate’ subsites, which is needed for processivity, affects enzyme efficiency.
The difference between non-processive and processive GH18 chitinases has been explored through molecular dynamics simulations of enzyme–substrate complexes [28]. These simulations revealed differences that seem to relate to the more dynamic on–off ligand binding processes associated with non-processive action. In short, non-processive enzymes have more flexible catalytic centers and their bound ligands are more solvated and flexible.
Transglycosylation in GH18 chitinases
Some family 18 chitinases are known to catalyze transglycosylation in addition to hydrolysis. Since transglycosylation is a kinetically controlled reaction, efficient transglycosylation requires an enzyme with an active site architecture that disfavors correct positioning of the hydrolytic water molecule and/or favors binding of incoming carbohydrate molecules, through strong interactions in positive subsites [92]. While wild-type ChiB does not yield detectable levels of transglycosylation products, wild-type ChiA does show a minor activity [93]. To attempt to improve transglycosylation efficiency, specific mutations were introduced in ChiA and ChiB that were likely to disfavor correct positioning of the hydrolytic water molecule and/or favor binding of incoming carbohydrate molecules. Asp313/142 in ChiA and ChiB, respectively, is the second Asp in the conserved DXDXDE motif (its role in the catalysis is described above). Quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics have shown that mutating Asp142 in ChiB to Asn leads to a change in active site electrostatics that could lead to lower hydrolyzability of the oxazolinium ion intermediate or an increased probability of the intermediate being attacked by an incoming sugar, perhaps due to effects on the catalytic water [94]. Furthermore, the Asp142 to Asn mutant of ChiB has a reduced Km for oligomeric substrates which could imply increased affinity for sugar acceptors since this affinity may to some extent be reflected in the Michaelis–Menten constant [62, 93]. Interestingly, both the ChiA-Asp313 to Asn mutant and the ChiB-Asp142 to Asn mutant indeed showed increased transglycosylation activity.
Mutation of Trp97 in the +1 subsite of ChiB and Phe396 in the +2 subsite of ChiA (Fig. 4) to Ala led to reduced transglycosylation activity, probably due to reduced acceptor affinity. Interestingly, mutation of Phe396 to Trp in the already transglycosylating ChiA-Asp313 to Asn mutant, a mutation meant to increase acceptor affinity, led to a clear increase in the transglycosylation efficiency. Similar results have been obtained very recently by Umemoto et al. [95], using a plant GH18 chitinase. These results show that the aromatic residues that seem to determine the degree and direction of processivity also may co-determine to what extent the enzyme in question may yield transglycosylation products.
Chitobiase, a family GH20 N-acetylhexosaminidase
The 95.8 kDa chitobiase (Uniprot ID Q54468) is the only characterized GH20 from S. marcescens. The GH20 family hosts enzymes that cleave off the non-reducing end sugar of oligosaccharides containing β-N-acetylhexosamines (β-N-acetylhexosaminidase, EC, and β-1,6-N-acetylglucosaminidases) or β-6-SO3-N-acetylglucosamine (β-6-SO3-N-acetylglucosaminidase), as well as enzymes acting on lactose (lacto-N-biosidase, EC The functions of GH20 enzymes range from recycling gangliosides in the lysosomes of higher organisms to food scavenging in bacteria and fungi. Apart from chitin conversion, some bacterial GH20 enzymes may also be involved in the hydrolysis of N-glycans and are sometimes classified as virulence factors [96].
The primary role of the S. marcescens chitobiase is to convert the main product of chitinase action, GlcNAc2, to GlcNAc. It should be noted though that chitobiase and other β-N-acetylhexosaminidases are in general also capable of cleaving off single GlcNAc moieties from the non-reducing end of longer soluble chito-oligosaccharides [97]. Production of chitobiase is induced by both GlcNAc and (GlcNAc)2 and during chitin degradation the enzyme is both secreted into the medium and retained in the periplasm [23, 98]. An S. marcescens mutant lacking the chitobiase grows better on GlcNAc than on (GlcNAc)2 showing that the bacterium depends on chitobiase for optimal utilization of chitin [98]. Chitobiase may also be important to alleviate possible (product) inhibition of the chitinases by (GlcNAc)2, although available data indicate that such product inhibition is not very strong (mM range) [99].
The structure of chitobiase
The chitobiase gene was first cloned and expressed in 1989 by Kless et al. [23]. The structure of chitobiase was the first of a GH20 enzyme and its complex with the substrate (GlcNAc)2 provided important structural evidence of substrate-assisted catalysis in this enzyme family [22]. The enzyme comprises four domains (Fig. 5, Table 1): domains I, II and IV are organized around a central catalytic domain (III). Domains I, II and III are closely associated, whereas domain IV forms a protrusion. Chitobiase is the largest member of the chitinolytic machinery and its active site pocket and most common substrate (chitobiose) are intriguingly small compared with the vast size of the enzyme. The structure of domain I resembles that of a CBM2 [22], but there is no experimental evidence supporting a function in binding to an insoluble substrate (binding of chitobiase to chitin is weak, G. Vaaje-Kolstad and S. Lislebø, unpublished observations). Neither domain II (α + β topology) nor domain IV (two β-sheets) bear resemblance to known protein domains with carbohydrate-related activities and the functional roles of these domains are enigmatic.
Figure 5.
Structure of chitobiase. The left figure shows the complete four-domain protein in complex with chitobiose (magenta), whereas the figures at the right show details of the active site [22]. The catalytic center is in domain III and contains Glu540, the catalytic acid (in yellow). In the left figure, the long linker joining domains I and II, which adds to shaping the entrance to the catalytic site, is colored green. The upper right figure shows (GlcNAc)2 (shown in sticks with magenta-colored carbon atoms) bound in the substrate binding pocket of chitobiase (grey-colored surface representation). The −1 sugar is buried, while the +1 sugar is exposed to the solvent. The lower right figure shows details of the interaction between (GlcNAc)2 (shown in sticks with magenta-colored carbon atoms) and the enzyme (shown in sticks with grey-colored carbon atoms) where the −1 sugar shows a distorted conformation (‘pre-Michaelis complex’) [22]. Numbers ‘−1’ and ‘+1’ indicate subsites. All figures show the catalytic acid (Glu540) in stick representation with yellow-colored carbon atoms.
It is interesting to note that there is large domain variability amongst the known members of the GH20 family. For example, one of the best characterized β-N-acetylhexosaminidases, SpHex, lacks domains I and IV [52], whereas other GH20 members have different auxiliary modules with unknown functions (for examples see [100, 101]).
Domain III hosts the active site and has an (β/α)8 fold like the catalytic domains of GH18 enzymes. The wall of the entrance to the catalytic site is also defined by domain I and partially by the linker joining domains I and II (Fig. 5). The active site pocket has the shape of a boot and is defined by two subsites (−1 and +1; Fig 5). The −1 subsite hosts the non-reducing sugar and it contains tryptophans, making hydrophobic interactions with the sugar, as well as polar residues forming hydrogen bonds with hydroxyl groups, the 2-acetamido nitrogen and the glycosidic oxygen. Thus, the −1 subsite provides an environment that forces the bound sugar into a distorted conformation that facilitates hydrolysis of the glycosidic bond. The +1 subsite provides few interactions with the bound sugar, which is somewhat surprising considering that the many interactions in the −1 subsite are offset by substrate distortion [22]. Apparently, the net binding energy in the −1 subsite is sufficient for effective and productive substrate binding.
Catalysis in the chitobiase
As alluded to above, the structures and catalytic mechanisms of GH20 β-N-acetylhexosaminidases and GH18 chitinases were unraveled at approximately the same time. As excellently described in a landmark paper by Tews et al. [50], it turned out that both enzymes use a mechanism that includes anchimeric assistance and formation of an oxazolinium ion intermediate (Figs 2 and 6). Next to the catalytic acid (a glutamate) both enzymes have an aspartate that interacts with the acetamido group of the −1 sugar and positions it for nucleophilic attack on the anomeric carbon. Interestingly, in GH20 enzymes the aspartate and the glutamate are neighboring residues while in GH18 chitinases they form a DXE motif. Viewed in a historical perspective, the first kinetic evidence for neighboring group participation in β-N-acetylhexosaminidases was provided by Yamamoto [102] who used free energy relationships to analyze catalysis by a protein isolated from Aspergillus oryzae [103], presumably a GH20 enzyme.
Figure 6.
Proposed catalytic mechanism of GH20 enzymes. The schemes show the formation of the oxazolinium ion intermediate, which is then hydrolyzed by an incoming water molecule, shown in the central panel. See text for details.
In their original crystallographic study [22], Tews et al. determined the structure of a chitobiase–(GlcNAc)2 complex that turned out to be a ‘pre-Michaelis complex’ having a distorted sugar in the −1 subsite with the glycosidic oxygen positioned for protonation by a catalytic acid (Glu540; Fig. 5). Furthermore, and most importantly, the structure showed the 2-acetamido group of the −1 sugar being positioned in such a way that its participation as a nucleophile could be envisioned. Further evidence for neighboring group participation was obtained when chitobiase was proved unable to hydrolyze chito-oligosaccharides lacking a 2-acetamido group on the non-reducing sugar [97]. Mutational studies later confirmed Glu540 as the catalytic acid/base and also indicated an important role for Asp539 in substrate binding and positioning of the 2-acetamido group for nucleophilic attack on the anomeric carbon [104]. The role of Asp539 has been confirmed by studies of the corresponding amino acid in other GH20s (e.g. SpHex from Streptomyces plicatus) where the role of this residue in activation of the 2-acetamido group has been convincingly demonstrated [105, 106]. In an excellent study published in 2005, Vocadlo and Withers [106] studied α-deuterium kinetic isotope effects to show that the reaction intermediate indeed is a covalent dicyclic oxazoline intermediate rather than a stabilized oxocarbenium ion as has sometimes been proposed (e.g. [30, 61, 107]). Notably, accumulated experimental data on the catalytic mechanism of GH20 enzymes [22, 50, 52, 54, 105, 106, 108-110] have been instrumental for our current understanding of the substrate-assisted mechanism used by other enzymes hydrolyzing GlcNAc containing glycosides, including GH18 chitinases.
CBP21, an example of a family CBM33 lytic polysaccharide monooxygenase
During the initial characterization of the S. marcescens chitinolytic proteins, a small (~ 21 kDa) and abundant secreted protein was identified [12]. Although no activity could be specifically related to this protein, it was still reported as ‘chitinolytic’. The gene encoding this protein was later cloned, and the protein was expressed, purified and partially characterized by Suzuki et al. [17]. The latter study showed that the protein had strong affinity for β-chitin, which also inspired the name (chitin binding protein 21 or CBP21; the number 21 reflects the estimated molecular weight in kDa). While Suzuki et al. [17] could not detect any enzymatic activity for this protein, it was clear that CBP21 was an important part of the chitinolytic machinery as it was secreted in large amounts by S. marcescens during chitin degradation and since its production was co-regulated with chitinase production and induced by (GlcNAc)2 [17, 111].
At the time of its discovery, CBP21 was one of few proteins identified and characterized in the CBM33 family. The first proteins studied from this family were all isolated and cloned from various Streptomyces strains, a major effort carried out by the Schrempf group of Osnabrück University. The first family 33 CBM to be isolated and characterized was CHB1 from Streptomyces olivaceoviridis [112]. CHB1 was shown to bind strongly to α-chitin and was also observed to bind to fungal hyphae. Since CHB1 had no apparent hydrolytic activity, it was proposed to aid the Streptomyces chitinases in chitin degradation by invading and loosening the chitin structure. The presence of several conserved aromatic amino acids led Schnellmann et al. [112] to propose a chitin binding function for these residues, primarily because it was known at the time that the interaction surfaces of carbohydrate binding enzymes or modules often contained aromatic residues that are crucial for binding (see [38, 113] for reviews). However, it was shown later that most of these aromatic amino acids are located in the hydrophobic core of CBM33s which makes a role in substrate binding highly unlikely [18]. Since 1994, several other family 33 CBMs have been isolated and characterized, showing binding specificities for both α- and β-chitin [114-121]. Prior to 2005, the functional roles of these CBM33s were unknown, but they were generally thought to play a role in chitin degradation as they were found to be co-expressed with chitinases [111, 122, 123].
The year 2005 was a turning point for our understanding of how CBM33s work, and CBP21 played a central role in obtaining this understanding. The first clues were provided by the X-ray crystallographic structure of CBP21 (the first of a CBM33-type protein) that was accompanied by data exploring the contribution of conserved solvent-exposed residues to substrate binding [18]. Remarkably, while most CBMs carry solvent-exposed aromatic amino acids mediating binding to carbohydrates, the structure of CBP21 showed that the conserved binding surface of this protein is dominated by polar residues. A second study on CBP21 published shortly after then showed that CBP21 was able to boost the degradation of chitin by chitinases, presumably by increasing the accessibility of the substrate, although the mechanism was unknown at the time [124]. This mechanism was unraveled in a groundbreaking study in 2010, demonstrating that CBP21 is an enzyme capable of depolymerizing chitin chains through an oxidative mechanism [34] (the mechanism will be discussed in detail below). Subsequently, similar enzymatic activities have been demonstrated for other members of the CBM33 family, including CBM33s that are active on cellulose [125]. After some initial confusion concerning the naming of these novel enzymes, most workers in the field have now adapted the term lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs). Interestingly, it has been shown that proteins originally classified as glycoside hydrolase family 61 (GH61) [126] are also LPMOs [127] (see below).
The structure of CBP21
CBP21 is a monomeric enzyme with a compact distorted β-sandwich fold/architecture consisting of two β-sheets stabilized by two disulfide bridges and a hydrophobic core consisting of multiple tryptophans (Fig. 7). The CATH database classifies CBP21 as having a ‘coagulation factor XIII’ topology (Table 1). A stretch of 62 residues joining β-strands 1 and 2 contains three helices (one α- and two 310-helices) that constitute most of the surface that hosts conserved residues involved in both substrate binding and the active site. An important feature of the structure is the strictly conserved N-terminal histidine. The imidazole side chain and the N-terminal amino group of this conserved residue constitute a copper binding site in conjunction with another strictly conserved histidine residue (His114 in CBP21; Fig. 7). The binding surface is flat, i.e. without any grooves or pockets that could harbor a carbohydrate moiety. Multiple conserved, mostly polar residues cover the substrate binding surface. A selection of these residues have been experimentally shown to be important for substrate binding [18] and recently the binding surface has also been mapped by NMR methods [128] (Fig. 7). While the binding surface is dominated by polar side chains, both mutagenesis and NMR studies have shown that the only solvent exposed aromatic amino acid (Tyr54) is also important for substrate binding.
Figure 7.
Different views of the structure of CBP21. (A) Illustration of how the N-terminal amino group and the side chains of His28 (the N-terminal residue after signal peptide processing) and His114, both with yellow-colored carbon atoms, bind a metal ion (shown as a gold-colored sphere). (B) Residues known to be involved in chitin binding, from mutagenesis, NMR experiments or both, are colored yellow, blue and green, respectively [18, 128].
Catalysis by CBM33-type LPMOs
In the 2010 study unraveling the enzymatic activity of CBP21, it was shown that CBP21 is a metal-dependent enzyme that cleaves chitin chains in the presence of an external electron donor and molecular oxygen [34]. This reaction leads to generation of a regular non-reducing chain end and an oxidized chain end (Fig. 8). The oxidized chain end appears as an aldonic acid in solution, and isotope labeling experiments showed that the two carboxylic oxygens in this product are derived from molecular oxygen and water, respectively (Fig. 8). Most probably, the reaction produces a δ-1,5 lactone as the initial oxidized product, which at physiological pH will be hydrolyzed to an aldonic acid (the equilibrium is driven towards the lactone form at acidic pH; indeed, at lower pH both types of products can be observed [34]).
Figure 8.
Schematic overview of the reaction catalyzed by CBP21. The enzyme carries a reduced copper ion that transfers an electron to molecular oxygen. The resulting superoxo intermediate initiates cleavage of the substrate by a mechanism that is not known in detail (but see [131] for suggestions). This yields a non-oxidized product (‘HO-R’) with a newly generated non-reducing end and a product where the downstream end is oxidized to yield an aldonic acid. The aldonic acid contains one oxygen coming from O2 (red) and one as a result of hydrolysis by bulk water (blue; see text for details). Note that GH61-type LPMOs seem to vary with respect to which side of the scissile bond they oxidize: some oxidize C1 (as CBP21), others oxidize C4 or C6, on the downstream side of the scissile bond [127, 138]. Figure reproduced from [128].
Addition of a metal ion chelator (EDTA) or mutation of the metal binding His114 led to inactivation of CBP21, demonstrating the enzyme's metal dependence [34, 124]. Initial studies on both CBP21 [34] and a GH61-type LPMO [126] led to the idea that these enzymes could function with a wide variety of divalent metal ions. This is remarkable, since one would expect these otherwise cofactor-free redox enzymes to contain a redox-active metal. However, subsequent studies on several LPMOs [127, 129-131] and on CBP21 itself [128] convincingly showed that the enzymes in fact are copper-dependent (the initial studies most probably overlooked the presence of sufficient ‘background’ amounts of copper in buffers, solvents and the substrates used).
A recent NMR study of CBP21 [128] showed that the enzyme binds Cu+ more strongly than Cu2+ with dissociation constants of ~ 1 nm and 55 nm, respectively. Thus CBP21 is able to protect once reduced copper ions from oxidation (Fig. 8). These observations suggest a sequence of events that is compatible with a catalytic mechanism for LPMOs that has been suggested by Phillips et al. [131] and Beeson et al. [132]: the copper ion is reduced on the enzyme, which leads to increased affinity for molecular oxygen [133]. Upon oxygen binding, an electron is transferred from Cu+ to O2, generating a superoxo intermediate that may initiate the reaction by abstracting a hydrogen from the substrate (Fig. 8).
Interestingly, when applying the reaction conditions discovered in 2010 [34] the boosting effect of CBP21 on chitinase activity turned out to be much larger than was observed in the 2005 study [124] that first described this effect. It is believed that CBP21 acts on regions of the substrate (e.g. crystalline surfaces) that are likely to be the least accessible for chitinases. By introducing chain breaks CBP21 generates new attachment points for chitinases. Furthermore, the introduction of negative charge is likely to disrupt crystal packing which would augment the beneficial effect of CBP21 on substrate accessibility. Indeed, under optimal conditions, CBP21 has a tremendous effect on chitin particles, which become highly amorphous (see Fig. 2C in [34]).
The synergistic action of CBP21 and each of the individual chitinases from S. marcescens [124] suggests that CBP21 has a fundamentally different role than the GH18 glycoside hydrolases. To illustrate this difference, Vaaje-Kolstad et al. [34] compared the product spectrum generated by CBP21 and non-processive endo-acting ChiC. Both enzymes are thought to act randomly on chitin chains in an ‘endo’ fashion and are thus expected to generate longer oligosaccharides. If the same chain is cut twice, products that are sufficiently short to be detectable by mass spectrometry will emerge. In this experiment, chitin was incubated with either ChiC or CBP21, each supplemented with a chitin deacetylase that, by deacetylating GlcNAc, increases product solubility. Figure 9 shows that the two enzymes yield fundamentally different product profiles. The products generated by CBP21 show a clear dominance of even-numbered oligomers. Keeping in mind that the repeating unit of a chitin chain is chitobiose, production of an even-numbered product implies that the chitin chain from which this product originates has been attacked twice from the same side. This is compatible with this chitin chain being part of some sort of crystalline packing, where only one face of the chain is accessible. On the other hand, the products released by ChiC represent a continuum of lengths, indicating that ChiC approaches its substrate from ‘any side’ as could be the case if ChiC were to act on the more amorphous regions of the substrate.
Figure 9.
Product spectra illustrating the difference between CBP21 and ChiC. β-Chitin was incubated at pH 8.0 with a chitin deacetylase and CBP21 (upper panel) or ChiC (lower panel). The figures show MALDI-TOF MS spectra of the product mixtures. Product lengths (DP) are indicated, as is the presence of an oxidized chain end (subscript ‘ox’). All major products generated by CBP21 are oxidized and still contain two acetyl groups. All major products generated by ChiC are not oxidized and contain only one remaining acetyl group (in the case of CBP21 the deacetylation reaction is hampered by the oxidized chain end). Figure reproduced from [34].
Similarities between the S. marcescens chitinolytic machinery and cellulolytic enzyme systems
Figure 10 provides a schematic overview of the chitinolytic machinery of S. marcescens that is based on the data discussed above. Several studies have shown that the enzymes discussed above need to be combined to achieve efficient chitin degradation [99, 124, 134]. Similar enzyme systems exist for cellulose, an important insoluble plant polymer composed of β-1,4-linked glucose [135]. Enzymes degrading chitin or cellulose face similar challenges, and the Serratia enzymes ChiA, ChiB and ChiC and chitobiase have obvious counterparts in processive cellobiohydrolases attacking the cellulose reducing (GH7, GH48) and non-reducing (GH6) ends, endo-cellulases (e.g. GH5, GH7, GH9 and GH12) and beta-glucosidases (GH1, GH3), respectively [135].
Figure 10.
Schematic overview of the S. marcescens chitinolytic machinery and its action on chitin. Chitin is shown as densely packed polymer chains of GlcNAc (open circles). ChiB degrades the chains from their non-reducing ends (labeled ‘NR’) and ChiA from the reducing ends (labeled ‘R’); both enzymes use a processive mechanism thus predominantly producing chitobiose (the repetitive unit in the substrate). ChiC makes random cuts in the more amorphous regions of the substrate opening these regions for attacks from ChiA and ChiB. Note that ChiC also has a CBM but that the position of this CBM is not clear due to lacking structural information (see text). CBP21 makes oxidative cuts in the most ordered and crystalline regions of the substrate yielding aldonic acids (GlcNAcA; filled circles) at the newly generated downstream ends. Thus, CBP21 creates new chain ends for the processive enzymes, directly through the cleavage itself and indirectly by disruption of substrate packing near the cleavage site. The chitobiase converts chitobiose and short chito-oligosaccharides to monomers.
Interestingly, ChiA and ChiB, which act processively in opposite directions, both belong to GH family 18 and use a similar, retaining enzyme mechanism for hydrolysis. Processive cellulases from the same GH family, on the other hand, seem to degrade cellulose in one direction only. For degradation from the reducing end cellulases use both retaining (GH7) and inverting (GH48) mechanisms. However, for degradation from the non-reducing end only the inverting mechanism (GH6) has been observed. Glycoside hydrolysis by a classical (non-substrate-assisted) retaining mechanism as used by cellulases involves formation of a covalent enzyme substrate intermediate where the enzyme is linked to the C1 carbon of the glucose at what will become the newly generated reducing end [69, 136]. In the case of a cellobiohydrolase working from the non-reducing end, this intermediate would contain the product, cellobiose, whereas the remaining polymer, which needs to remain associated with the enzyme during processive action, in fact would need to be displaced in order to create access for the water molecule used to hydrolyze the intermediate. It is thus conceivable that such covalent intermediate binding of cellobiose could interfere with a processive mechanism, which might explain why only the inverting mechanism has been observed for cellobiohydrolases that are thought to act from the non-reducing end. Similar reasoning could in principle apply to ChiB, where the intermediate state would entail formation of an oxazolinium ion of the product, chitobiose. However, in this case it is not the enzyme but the N-acetyl group of the substrate that binds to the C1 carbon of the new reducing end, which, apparently, makes a difference relative to cellulases.
Recently, it has become clear that also CBP21 has counterparts in cellulolytic enzyme systems [35]. So far, cellulose-active LPMOs have been found in fungi, where they are currently classified as GH61 [127, 130, 132, 137, 138], and in bacteria, where they are currently classified as CBM33 [125]. These cellulose-active LPMOs are receiving massive attention because they make enzymatic saccharification of cellulose much more efficient, which is of major importance for the development of second generation biofuels and the bio-economy in general [35, 126]. Indeed, the latest commercial cellulase cocktails such as Cellic CTec2 from Novozymes contain GH61s [139].
All in all, the past decade has shown that chitin degradation is a useful model system for cellulose degradation. Chitin is easier to work with than cellulose, one reason being the availability of the convenient soluble derivative chitosan. Chitin degradation products are more soluble (or, rather, less insoluble) than cellulose degradation products or can be made more soluble by deacetylation (e.g. Fig. 9). Some of the enzyme systems involved are relatively simple, with less multiplicity (e.g. [129]), although this certainly is not a general feature (e.g. [140]). Studies of chitinases have been instrumental in creating deeper understanding of enzyme processivity and the directionality thereof [33, 74, 80, 141] and work on the S. marcescens chitinolytic system [18, 34, 124] has led to the discovery of LPMO activity.
One intriguing issue concerns the pay-off between processivity and intrinsic enzyme speed that has been observed for the GH18 enzymes [33, 74, 80]. Processive cellobiohydrolases are dominant components in natural and commercial cellulose mixtures and are generally considered to be very important in the degradation of the least accessible forms of cellulose. Extrapolating from the chitinase data, it is conceivable that these enzymes suffer from ‘intrinsic slowness’, which in part may be due to the tendency of the enzymes to get stuck on the substrate [142-144]. With current knowledge at hand, one may speculate that more efficient enzyme mixtures may be developed by reducing the amount of processive ‘sticky’ enzymes while at the same time developing strategies that increase accessibility for non-processive cellulases, e.g. by increased use of LPMOs.
Concluding remarks
The chitinolytic machinery of S. marcescens, depicted in Fig. 10, represents a well-studied, minimal, but seemingly complete enzyme system for degradation of insoluble polysaccharides. Studies of this enzyme system have provided novel insights into how the catalytic centers of GHs are differently shaped for conducting complementary tasks, and have led to the discovery of LPMOs.
Accumulated data for the three chitinases show that the most important difference between ChiA and ChiB on the one hand and ChiC on the other hand relates to the enzymes being processive or not, rather than to the enzymes acting exo or endo, respectively. The studies with chitosan show that ChiA and ChiB can bind in an endo mode [86] but their deep and rather ‘closed’ substrate binding clefts will normally prevent them from doing so on highly inaccessible substrates. Thus, on a real insoluble substrate such as crystalline chitin, ChiA and ChiB will have a strong preference for binding to chain ends, as is indeed observed [73]. Obviously any further (processive) cleavage resulting from an initial productive enzyme–substrate association event is an ‘exo’ cleavage.
As to processivity, the studies with chitosan lead to one important conclusion that so far has not been discussed very much in the literature: processivity is not directly related to catalysis and cleavage of a glycoside bond, but is rather a result of limited diffusion that is controlled by the substrate binding surface of the enzyme (e.g. specific tryptophans, as seen in ChiA and ChiB). The chitosan data clearly show that the formation of a non-productive enzyme–substrate complex is not necessarily followed by substrate release. Instead, the substrate is displaced while remaining associated with the enzyme; thus an initially non-productive binding mode may eventually be reorganized into a productive binding mode.
The 2005 discovery of the chitinase-boosting activity of CBP21 presented the first clear example of a substrate-disrupting protein, the existence of which had been predicted as early as 1950 during studies on cellulose degradation [145]. At the time (in 2005), CBP21 was thought to be non-catalytic. Already in 1969, when screening for an efficient chitin degrading organism, Reese and co-workers pointed out that the so-called prehydrolytic factor (C1) that they had anticipated to exist in cellulolytic enzyme systems was likely to also be part of chitinolytic enzyme systems [8]. Today, we know that Reese et al. were right and that these ‘prehydrolytic factors’ are LPMOs.
Importantly, almost all fundamental studies of chitinases, and also many studies of cellulases, are carried out using non-natural substrates, i.e. substrates that have been processed in some way. For example, in shrimp shells, chitin is part of a complex heteropolymeric structure rich in proteins and minerals [146]. Chitinous fungal cell walls are also complex heteropolymeric structures [147] (likewise, plant cell walls are highly complex heteropolymeric structures). In laboratory experiments, one usually uses deproteinized and demineralized chitins as substrates. Thus, most of what we know about chitinolytic enzyme systems today concerns the ability of these systems to convert model substrates. While this by no means disqualifies current knowledge, it should be noted that effective implementation of this knowledge in for example biorefining of chitinous biomass will require additional research. Most probably, when working with real non-processed or hardly processed biomass, additional enzymes such as proteases or additional GHs are needed.
We thank Jerry Ståhlberg for helpful discussions concerning analogies between chitinases and cellulases. Our research on chitinases has been supported by various grants from the Research Council of Norway, most recently by grants 186946 and 196885 (to V.G.H.E.), 209335 and 177542 (to M.S.) and 214138 (to G.V.-K.). |
CSS tutorial for jQuery developers
This tutorial is targeted to jQuery developers who want to know a little bit more about how CSS works. CSS and jQuery are tightly coupled together, because the main syntax of jQuery is CSS-like. Also, jQuery can read the values of all CSS properties, thus providing an invaluable help in most cases. What's more, jQuery animations are CSS-based and the jQuery UI theming is based in turn on CSS cascading. Let's see some use cases of how CSS works.
Cascading and specificity
Cascading is the way by which multiple styles combine together and specificity is the mechanism that allows browsers to assign the final values to all page elements. Suppose that you have the following CSS rule:
#test {
width: 100px;
height: 100px;
background: gray;
You have an element with ID test. Suppose now that you want to dynamically change its styles by adding the following class to it:
.evident {
background: red;
width: 150px;
height: 150px;
Then you use jQuery like so:
$('#test').hover(function() {
}, function() {
but nothing happens. Why? This is where CSS specificity comes into play. Since both rules have the same declarations and since an ID selector is more specific than a class selector, the first rule wins. If you want to make this code work, you have to increase the specificity of the second rule:
#content div.evident {
background: red;
width: 150px;
height: 150px;
If you're in trouble with specificity, use the !important statement: it makes a declaration take precedence over the others.
#content div.evident {
background: red !important;
width: 150px !important;
height: 150px !important;
But what happens when two rules have exactly the same specificity and the !important declarations have failed? In this case, the rule that comes later in the source wins. This principle applies also to linked style sheets: the style sheet that comes later in the source has an higher precedence over the others. Suppose that you want to overwrite the default theme of jQuery UI. In this case, your custom CSS file must come later in the source:
<!--<link> to the jQuery UI CSS file-->
<link rel="stylesheet" href="theme-custom.css" type="text/css" media="screen"/>
The same rule applies to imported style sheets: a style sheet imported through the @import rule has a lower precedence over the style sheet that hosts it. For further reading, check out this post.
CSS positioning is used with animations to move an element around the screen. There are two kinds of positioning: relative and absolute. Relative positioning is calculated using the current position of an element as reference, while absolute positioning takes the whole viewport as its default reference.
Consider this example:
#slider img {
position: relative;
float: left;
width: 200px;
Then when you use the animate() method, the offsets of each image will be calculated according to their positions. So if your first image is visible inside the slider, its initial position will have a left offset of 0, while the second image will have a left offset of 200 and so on. The sliding of each image will be calculated in relation with their initial offsets:
function moveImage(index) {
$('img', '#slider').eq(index).
left: - $(this).position().left
}, 1000);
By default, the movements obtained with top, right, bottom and left CSS properties are the following:
1. top: from top to bottom
2. right: from right to left
3. bottom: from bottom to top
4. left: from left to right
If you use a negative value, then the movement is inverted. In our example, the movement will take place from right to left.
Absolute positioning, instead, calculates the offsets and positions by taking the whole browser viewport as reference. This default behavior can be modified if you set position: relative on the parent element of the child elements you want to absolutely position. By doing so, now the positions and offset of the child elements will be calculated against their parent element, not against the viewport.
Since absolute positioning doesn't take into account the current position of an element, as with relative positioning, all elements will be by default put on the very top left corner of their parent, that is, they will be entirely removed from their original positions. You should always be aware of this fact when you decide to use absolute positioning.
Unlike positioning, that removes elements from the normal flow without affecting other elements, floating moves elements along the current line by pushing them to left or right. The main problem with floating is that they make vertical space collapse, so you have to contain them. For example:
#slider {
width: 200px;
overflow: hidden;
height: 100%;
Using the overflow property set to hidden, combined with an height declaration for IE6, it's one of the most used techniques for containing floats. The only case when containing floats is not necessary is when your parent element has a stated height: in this case, vertical space doesn't collapse.
Another thing to bear in mind is horizontal space: when a float doesn't have more room for being displayed on the same line, it's automatically moved to the next line. That's why most sliders use the following approach:
#slider-wrapper {
width: 2000px;
height: 200px;
2000 pixels prevents floated images from being moved to the next line. This rule is used in combination with overflow: hidden on the main container to make sure that all images will be on the same line and that only one image will be visible at time.
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Income Restrictions of the First Time Homebuyers Grants Program
by Monica Dillon
First-time homebuyer programs are designed to help low to moderate income families achieve homeownership by making the process affordable and accessible. If you're thinking about purchasing your first home and not sure what kinds of assistance is available, researching grant assistance programs for first time homebuyers makes sense. Whether this program works for you will largely depend on if you meet income limit requirements and have the ability to meet additional qualifications.
Income Limits Based On City
State housing finance agencies administer most first-time homebuyer programs. Working with designated lenders, a HFA will pre-screen first before sending you to a participating lender. Your first hurdle to cross is meeting the area median income limits set by HUD. Income limits are set by each program and vary from city to city. For example, the area median income limit set by the California Housing Finance Agency in San Francisco for a family household of two is approximately $95,000. In Texas, on the other hand, the income limit is set at 115 percent of the area median income of the homebuyer's city. In Dallas, that limit would be approximately $73,000.
Grant Specifics And How They Work
While each city has its own version of a first-time homebuyer grant program, the basic mechanics are similar. The state's HFA will assist you with closing costs and in some cases a portion of your down payment by providing a "silent second" deferrable loan or a DAP. The loan is usually interest-free and deferrable for as long as you live in the home. The loan may become due and payable if you move out of the home or rent it out.
Additional Requirements
In addition to meeting income limits, there are also additional requirements. To be a first-time homebuyer, you can't have owned a home in the last three years according to federal housing rules. You must also plan to make the home your primary residence. The HFA will also require you to complete a homebuyer education course in order to complete your application. Lastly, the home purchase price must fall within limits set by the HFA.
Disadvantages Of First Time Homebuyer Programs
While first time homebuyer programs offer low-interest loans and more flexible credit score requirements, there are some drawbacks. If your long-term plan is to eventually rent out your primary residence, you may want to consider flexible financing that doesn't penalize you for moving. Additionally, the loans offered through the FHA may not match the lowest interest rates available on the open market. Lastly, if you sell the home within nine years of purchasing it, you may be subject to recapture tax by the IRS. If the home has increased in value significantly in the first few years of ownership and you sell, you'll be required to pay a portion of the profits back in tax.
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Thursday, July 05, 2012
Targum Onkelos, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon
Summary: Why translate כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר as כְּגִנַּת שִׁקְיָא דְּעַל פְּרָת, making it refer specifically to a garden on the Euphrates. Rav Chaim Kanievsky answers with a unique fertile property of the Euphrates. Rabbi Yitzchak Zeev Diskin suggests the same, as well as that it is a reference to Gan Eden. I suggest that there is a gzeira shava of nahar nahar to earlier in the parasha, to where the speaker, Bilaam, lived. And finally that it is a reference to one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
PostA curious targum for a pasuk in Balak. Bemidbar 24:6:
כד,ה מַה-טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ, יַעֲקֹב; מִשְׁכְּנֹתֶיךָ, יִשְׂרָאֵל.מָא טָבָא אַרְעָךְ, יַעֲקוֹב; בֵּית מִשְׁרָךְ, יִשְׂרָאֵל.
כד,ו כִּנְחָלִים נִטָּיוּ, כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר; כַּאֲהָלִים נָטַע ה, כַּאֲרָזִים עֲלֵי-מָיִם.כְּנַחְלִין דְּמִדַּבְּרִין, כְּגִנַּת שִׁקְיָא דְּעַל פְּרָת; כְּבֻסְמַיָּא דִּנְצַב יְיָ, כְּאַרְזִין דִּנְצִיבִין עַל מַיָּא.
"Like a watered garden upon the Euphrates." Two aspects which strike me as strange are:
1) ganot in the Biblical Hebrew is plural, whereas ginat in the Aramaic is singular
2) Nahar is rendered not as river, nor as (typical unspecified Nahar) Nile, but as Peras, the Euphrates (the Nehar Hagadol Nehar Perat).
In terms of (1), we could just say that the nikkud is incorrect, and it should be plural. But why specifically the Euphrates? I've seen some answers, and I have one additional one I'll save for the end.
a) According to Rav Chaim Kanievsky, in Taama deKra:
Rav Chaim Kanievsky
כגנות עלי נהר ובתרגום כגנת שקיא דעל פרת וצ״ע למה דוקא על פרת וי״ל דמבואר בתוס׳ גיטין נ׳ א׳ ד״ה מאי דא״א לזרוע על שפת הנהר משום שהמים מקלקלין הזרעים א״כ איזה שבח זה כגנות על הנהר, אמנם בפרת אי׳ בב״ר פט״ז מעשי מודיעים עלי אדם נוטע בי ירק והיא' עומדת לג׳ ימים א״כ שם הגנות מוצלחים ביותר וודאי לזריעה ולכן תרגם דעל פרת
"And it requires investigation, why specifically on the Euphrates? And there is to suggest that it is stated in Tosafot in Gittin 50a, d"h mai, that planting is not possible on the side of the river, because the water ruins the seeds. If so, what benefit is there in כְּגַנֹּת עֲלֵי נָהָר? However, regarding the Euphrates river, it is stated in Bereishit Rabba parasha 16, 'my actions testify upon me. A man plants me an herb and it flourishes in 3 days.' If so, there the gardens are extremely successful for planting, and therefore it translated 'upon the Euphrates'."
Perhaps; but perhaps if a garden is not directly on the riverbank, it can still prosper, such that the gemara and Tosafot is not such a problem.
Rabbi Yitzchak Zeev Diskin, in Zivchei Tzedek, offers two explanations.
The first is as Rav Kanievsky suggested. The second is to link it to Gan Eden, which is the כְּגִנַּת שִׁקְיָא, as we see in Bereishit that it is watered by the Euphrates.
I would suggest a third explanation. Who is the speaker here? It is Bilaam, who lived in Petor, which is on the Euphrates.
As we read earlier in the parasha:
ה וַיִּשְׁלַח מַלְאָכִים אֶל-בִּלְעָם בֶּן-בְּעֹר, פְּתוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר עַל-הַנָּהָר אֶרֶץ בְּנֵי-עַמּוֹ--לִקְרֹא-לוֹ: לֵאמֹר, הִנֵּה עַם יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם הִנֵּה כִסָּה אֶת-עֵין הָאָרֶץ, וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב, מִמֻּלִי.5 And he sent messengers unto Balaam the son of Beor, to Pethor, which is by the River, to the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying: 'Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt; behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me.
The Nahar is the one in Aram Naharayim, and refers to the Euphrates. If so, there is an obvious gezeira shava of Nahar Nahar, that when Bilaam speaks of Nahar, he is speaking of the Euphrates.
A 16th-century hand-coloured engraving of the
"Hanging Gardens of Babylon" by Dutch artist
Martin Heemskerck, with the Tower of Babel in
the background
Finally, there was a famous garden, or even better, a group of gardens, which are on the Euphrates river. They are one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World: The Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
To cite a description by Strabo (ca. 64 BCE – 21 CE):
Note the text I bolded. This famous garden, or gardens (ganot / ginat) was watered (shikya) by the waters of the Euphrates (Perat).
It makes sense, in this poetic pasuk, to refer to that famous watered garden.
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Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Lying About People: Developing Fictional Characters
Character development is one of the main keys to writing a successful novel. If your characters are not believable and well rounded, your readers will not be able to keep their interest in your story. This is true whether your story is plot or character driven. It is vitally important for character driven stories.
There are many ways to create a believable character that your readers will either love, or love to hate. Likeability is an important part of character development, as well as motivation. If you can combine the two, you will be able to create characters that are real and three dimensional. That is the secret to success as a novelist.
First, create a backstory for every character in your book, no matter how insignificant they may be to the story. This will help you develop their motivation or why they do what they do and why they are the way that they are. Everyone has a story, and it is important to take the time to develop each character's personal story.
Next, you can develop a personality profile for your characters. How do they react under pressure? What little things do they do that make them real? One of the biggest mistakes a writer can make is creating two dimension characters that have no personality quirks. While you do not want to go overboard with this, it is important to make each character an individual in their own right.
Your characters are people – real people – even if their lives are confined to the pages of your book. By looking at it in this way you will be able to create a story that is compelling, believable, and most importantly, highly readable. By going into your story with this mindset, you will be creating a book that will be read and this is the best goal a novelist can have.
1. Good advice, and if it seems daunting, I've found that you don't have to do this all before you write the book. I've had success with broad character background sketches which are filled in as the plot evolves (yeah, I don't plot in advance either!) and the "why would he do that?" questions arise.
End result is the same; the timing varies with each writer's method of getting from Page 1 to The End.
2. I get stuck with imaginary people, I always need to start with some resemblance to a real character and then just make all the changes. My next protagonist is a 12yr. old boy and I have girls in my house, so when I picked them up today I found myself watching the kids leaving school thinking - could he be like that kid? I need to exercise my imagination more. Thanks for getting me thinking. :-)
3. For me the most affective method is to become that character. That way I can figure out all of the back information. To me, every one of my characters is real, no matter how insignigicant. Names for them is also something I take very seriously, but can be fun. I try to find a name that sounds nice, yet also has a meaning that fits the personality of the character. I cannot remember where I heard this but it was: you are only as good as what you know. Which to me means that every person in my books relate to someone that i knew or know. It could be multiple people, but they are all based off of something that I know about.
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Grace and Cuss Words
As a Christian who has grown up in the church, this word had become dull. Once, a bright glowing BOOM of a word, it, over time, had lost it's impact on me.
Eugene Peterson talks about how often words get "ruined or desiccated...([he] thinks of 'marriage,' 'love,' 'sin,' and so on)" and as a result "require constant rehabilitation."
How do we rehabilitate words? Words that we thought had power but lie paralyzed in our lives?
We have control of the meaning of words, you know. Try explaining the difference between the words dang-it and damn-it to a child.
"Well, you can say the word dam if it refers to something that involves a beaver and a river but if you say it with an 'n' attached...I know it doesn't change the sound of the word...I know you can't see how the word is spelled when you speak it...I know you don't understand what it means to 'bring condemnation upon something'...That's it, too many questions that I don't have good answers for...DANG-IT! Ugh..."
The meaning of words are shaped within our hearts and minds by the world around us. By the people who say them. By the other words that are wrapped around them. By the tone of voice through which they are spoken and the facial expressions that accompany them. These moments, where words are learned, sometimes assisted by a mother's hand cupping your cheek, while other times emphasized by a clenched jaw and sharp eyebrows, have told us the true and sometimes false meaning behind the words spoken to us.
Oftentimes, somewhere along the way, rich, life-changing, heart bursting words, like Love or Bless or Yes or Spouse or Best or Promise or even Grace, become diluted or destroyed by someone/people in our lives who misuse them. Perhaps they misuse them intentionally. Maybe not. My best guess is that, when a word is misused, the speaker hasn't ever truly understood its meaning in the first place. Someone told them that Love meant Absence, Shame, or Abuse and they believed them. They stored the word deep in their memory banks alongside other words like Run, Fear, Baggage, Weakness and when they pulled Love out on you it dragged these others words with it, reshaping it and redefining it within your own mental dictionary.
I hadn't realized it but something like this had happened within me concerning the meaning of the word Grace. It felt fluffy and pastel. It flopped and grew flimsy. It was shallow and unremarkable. Until one day, one day I found myself thinking, "What is this? What is the word for this? Where has this been and why haven't I been more aware of it?"
Grace- The freely given, unmerited favor and love of God.
Unmerited- Not earned, warranted or deserved; baseless, groundless, unjustified.
Grace has been reshaped in my life by a tiny bundle named Jett. Here is a text message that I sent to a dear friend who was asking about Jett’s bonding with our family:
"…the bonding has been an unbelievable spotlight of God’s grace in our lives. We prepared for hardness. We prepared for a tiny emotionally disrupted/upset child who didn’t choose us or want us but would eventually put up with us because we would keep them constantly awash with our love for them...but did God give us what we were prepared for? Did He look at our legs braced and our shoulders rigid in a stance of readiness/action and say, 'There, you are ready for the storm' and then hand us one more trial to make it through? Nope, He handed us Jett, giggly, wants ME, laugh-filled, smiley-eyed, looks at me with googly eyes, Jett as a handwritten note that says, once again, Sarah, I am your God and I. Love. You. Gah, friend, I am sitting here just crying as I type this text because of the absurdity of it. His love. Gah."
We have a son and he is redefining Grace in our lives. He is showing us what it means to receive a Love that we could never have earned. To have our hearts filled with a Love that we could never repay. He is teaching us that real Grace will make us squirmy. We will find ourselves wanting to justify it, to tip the scales so that things are even and nothing is owed, to hold up a banner that says, "I have merit!!!" But true Grace, God’s love, is and will always be unmerited. For some this will be too heavy, they won't allow it to crush them and prove their true weakness. It is too humbling and their egos won't have it. They will need to continue trying to justify their existence and laboring to prove their value.
But, if we are willing to stop our squirmy-ness for just a moment and allow God's Grace to overshadow what we think our value is, then we can catch these little glimpses of what He thinks our value is.
James 4:6 says that God "gives grace [continually] to the lowly (those humble enough to receive it)."
That means that He will constantly and without end reveal the value that He sees in us if we are willing to be humble enough to receive it. And sometimes, just like I continue to find myself, when I think of my son, we weep at the absurdity of it. We laugh, crushed beneath the understanding of so great a value that our language doesn't have words strong enough to describe it. We just sit and feel it within our bursting/overwhelmed chests. Is that unbearable? Most of the time it is, yes, but it is the most beautiful unbearableness that we encounter in this lifetime and it will drive us to live the most beautiful lives as a result.
Grace is neither weak nor irrelevant.
Grace is not listless or impotent.
Grace is not sickly or ineffectual.
We are coming upon our Jett’s first birthday and his fifth month in our arms. We will sing and squeal and laugh and be ridiculous. We will flat out rejoice, as we celebrate our son and the gift that he is to us. We will revel in our new Grace-crushed lives and hope that we can, in some way, be a part of the redefining of Grace to any our family comes into contact with.
Happy birthday Jett!
(we are the ones who have received the greatest gift)
Jett J Bear
Posted on March 2, 2015 . |
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Why we're not perpetually tongue-tied
By Tanya Lewis
Spoken language may seem effortless, but it requires a complex dance of the muscles in the lips, jaw, tongue and voice box. New research reveals the patterns of brain activity that control these finely wrought movements, essentially keeping people from being perpetually tongue-tied.
The wide variety of sounds in American English are produced by combining just a small set of movements, researchers reported online Wednesday in the journal Nature. In the study, scientists recorded the activity of neurons in a part of the brain called the sensorimotor cortex, which coordinates muscle movements, while people pronounced various syllables. Researchers measured brain activity using electrodes placed on the surface of the brain as part of a clinical treatment for epilepsy.
The results showed that the activity patterns of large populations of cells corresponded in space and time to certain phonetic features.
In essence, the scientists have charted a map of the brain's somatosensory cortex for specific facial and oral body parts, computational neuroscientist Nicho Hatsopoulos of the University of Chicago, who was not involved in the study, told LiveScience. Furthermore, the timing of activity in different brain areas is important, Hatsopoulos said. "You see activity in one part that might represent the lips or tongue, and then later in time, another area gets activated."
The resulting brain activity is like a carefully tuned orchestra; each instrument section generates a specific sound, and those sounds are coordinated to produce the overall symphony.
The researchers' map of different vocal regions in the brain mirrored the layout of the vocal tract. They found an additional region, representing the voice box (the larynx), which is not present in non-human primates. The area could be a unique human specialization for speech, the researchers say.
Previous studies have shown that merely stimulating one spot in the brain cannot produce speech sounds. Rather, speech requires the concerted activity of many different neurons, as the new study confirms.
The speech features found in the study aren't unique to English, but define many other languages as well, hinting that humans evolved to have these characteristics. Further fine-tuning of the speech features may give different languages their unique sounds.
Beyond helping in understanding how the brain works, this research could ultimately lead to the development of brain-machine interfaces that could decode what a person with facial paralysis is trying to say, Hatsopoulos said.
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The Korean Wave’s Northern Undertow: Cultural Hybridity and the Moranbong Band
By | June 25, 2013 | 4 Comments
Winnie the Pooh and Moranbong, too: "Cultural hybridity" in the DPRK | Image: KCNA
Winnie the Pooh and Moranbong, too: “Cultural hybridity” in the DPRK | Image: KCNA
Following a boom in the 2000s, the Korean pop cultural phenomenon, or Hallyu, has garnered attention from media critics, social commentators, and academics across a variety of disciplines. As culturally hybrid products, Eunmee Kim and Jiwon Ryoo claim that Hallyu products have distinct “odors” or “fragrance” that identify their origin. K-Pop artists’ hybridity is confusing to Western audiences, Kim and Ryoo claim, because in mass American markets the singer “was not ‘exotic’ or ‘Asian’ enough to the critics’ eyes and a mere copy of the US stars.” North Korea remains an exotic cultural commodity in the US, but has shied away from mimicry of American pop norms.
Sherri L. Ter Molen examines the potential for the Moranbong Band (모란봉악단), a North Korean all-female musical performance group formed directly by Kim Jong-un in 2012, to appeal to foreign audiences in a way similar to Hallyu products. Using two 2012 examples of South Korean singing acts as points of comparison, Ter Molen posits that rather than leveraging any “odor,” the Moranbong’s fragrance may be diluted by the overpowering discourse on North Korea and the expectations for global pop. — Darcie Draudt, Assistant Editor
The Korean Wave’s Northern Undertow: Cultural Hybridity and the Moranbong Band
By Sherri L. Ter Molen
In May 2013, Psy became the first South Korean to win a US Billboard Music Award when he walked away with the trophy for the Top Streaming Song (Video) for “Gangnam Style.” Psy was not the first K-pop star to make inroads in the United States, but he certainly made the biggest splash so far in the American advance of the Korean Wave. The Korean Wave is the English translation of Hallyu, a term coined in China in the 1990s to describe the ever-growing popularity of South Korean pop culture across Asia.[1]
To date, there is not a comparable term, in Chinese, English, or Korean, for North Korean pop culture. And with YouTube music videos such as “North Korea Army Music: Death to US-Imperialism (미제가 덤벼들면 죽음을 주리),” it is not surprising that North Korean music has not garnered legions of US fans or that its artists have not claimed Billboard Music Awards. Times are changing, however. NK-pop may not be popular in the United States today, but no one predicted that South Korea’s “Gangnam Style,” a song recorded primarily in Korean but with high-energy Western dance beats, would peak at number two on the US-based Billboard Hot 100 music chart in September 2012 either.
Moranbong Takes the Stage: Cultural Flows into and out of the DPRK | If a candidate exists that might represent the edge of a possible NK-pop invasion, it is surely the Moranbong Band, which debuted at a concert for Kim Jong-un in July 2012—not incidentally, the same month in which Psy’s “Gangnam Style” was released. With its all-female band members dressed in sparkling mini-dresses and playing electric instruments with upbeat fervor, this North Korean group’s musical style veered tremendously from that of state propaganda and other popular music such as this rendition of “Rimjin River (림진강).” The Moranbong’s divergence from key regime propaganda themes, however, did not so much capture the attention of the US press at this remarkable concert; instead, the foreign press focused almost exclusively on the event’s unauthorized use of Disney-copyrighted costumed characters, music, and film footage.
Despite its apparent foray into the realm of Western-centric globalized culture, Moranbong might still have seemed more foreign than familiar to the US press even when playing a medley of tunes pilfered from various Disney soundtracks. Cultural hybridity theory posits that local cultures reimagine and incorporate elements of foreign cultures into their own. This theory, however, does not account for the possibility that globalized culture can overshadow the local elements to the extent that hybrid products may actually be globalized culture simply repackaged for local audiences.[2] Unfortunately, there is not a precise recipe for the “correct” level of hybridity that will retain a local culture while at the same time also appeal to global audiences. The New York Times, chastised South Korean superstar, Rain, when he performed at Madison Square Garden in February 2006, accusing him or being a Korean rehash of Michael Jackson, Babyface, Justin Timberlake, George Michael, and Usher. In contrast, Moranbong’s performance of an instrumental version of Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” was reminiscent of over-synthesized noraebang tunes or the soundtracks of old Asian films that aired on late night television in the United States decades ago. Therefore, it is possible that the local-to-global ratio might have been where the progressive turn of Moranbong was obscured in the eyes of the US media.
Power Goes Pop: Peninsular Pursuits of Soft Power | Pop culture is a building block of soft power, which “is just as important as hard command power… If [a state’s] culture and ideology are attractive, others will more willingly follow.”[3] For this reason, the South Korean government developed a campaign in the 1990s to promote the country as a worldwide brand with national image, identity, and pop culture as essential components.[4] This soft power success has been salient in the political arena. The father of video art, Paik Nam-june attended a state dinner at the White House in 1998 where he shook hands with US President Bill Clinton, and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung invited Jang Gong-gun and Kim Nam-ju, two Korean drama actors who were extremely popular in Vietnam at the time, to a state dinner with Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong in 2001. Even Park Geun-hye had to nod to “Gangnam Style” at her Presidential inauguration this past spring, associating herself with the man who had performed for the Obama family on the television broadcast of Christmas in Washington, appeared on popular daytime programs such as The Today Show and Ellen, and even starred in an advertisement for Wonderful Pistachios that aired during the Super Bowl.
North Korea has been framed in the media as an adversary of the United States, a human right violator, and a military threat,[5] and its pop culture such as the Arirang mass games have been ridiculed by the US press for exhibiting “strange conformity” among the North Korean people.[6] In addition, North Korean films have rarely been screened in the United States perhaps because, as Crossing the Line Director Daniel Gordon notes, the DPRK covets them as “national treasures”[7] but perhaps also because the United States imports few North Korean products overall due to trade sanctions. If North Korea would want to open up to the world—whatever “open up” may mean—developing its soft power could be a catalyst. To this end, the DPRK government, which has been so adept at managing its image within the country, may be trying to change its global image by leveraging its soft power with the introduction of Moranbong.
Gee! Hallyu Girls and Cultural Hybridity | Here on Sino-NK, Draudt and Lee compare Moranbong to the South Korean girl group Girls’ Generation, and there are some similarities including the all-female rosters, the slender body types, and even the groups’ dance moves. Yet, Girls’ Generation has received much more attention from the US media than its North Korean counterpart. Girls’ Generation reached “a new level of mainstream American exposure” in early 2012 when it performed an English version of its song, “The Boys,” on the American talk show, Late Night with David Letterman. With its three American-born members, its embrace of the English language, and its desire to emulate “nine Beyoncés,” Girls’ Generation clearly reflects a Western-centric global identity. This is not to say that the group is devoid of a South Korean identity altogether. One notable aspect of Hallyu, despite The New York Times review of Rain’s performance, may be that it retains aspects of Koreanness unlike Japanese pop culture, which has been called “odorless” because global audiences are not always able to identify its country of origin.[8] To the contrary, when Girls’ Generation performed on Letterman, the host introduced the group as follows:
Our next guests are a very popular group from South Korea who have just released their first album in America. It’s entitled “The Boys.” Please welcome, making their network television debut, Girls’ Generation.
Letterman noted the origin of the band and even thanked them in Korean after their performance, suggesting that the balance between the Beyoncé-aspirations and “kamsahamnida (감사합니다)”comprise a favorable hybrid identity.
It’s Been a Long Road, Baby: The Roots of Korean Pop’s Global Appeal | Notwithstanding, Girls’ Generation did not achieve this success on its own. Three years before “Gangnam Style” but without quite as much fanfare, “Nobody” by the Wonder Girls was the first South Korean song to wedge its way onto a US Billboard music chart when it appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 in October 2009. And before Psy, Girls’ Generation, and the Wonder Girls each made their marks in the United States, there were earlier generations of South Korean musicians who did not penetrate the US mainstream market despite hybrid aspects. The Father of Korean Rock, Shin Joong-hyun, and the first Korean rap group, Seo Taiji and Boys,[9] were relatively unknown in the United States during the heights of their popularity in South Korea. Yet, these artists paved the way for future generations of K-pop stars domestically and abroad.
Although Moranbong may be the most hybridized band in DPRK history, trading their neck-to-floor hanbok for Western-style mini-dresses and playing the “Theme from Rockyinstead of “We Shall Hold Our Bayonets More Firmly,” it is unlikely that the band will charge onto the US music scene itself since its hybrid ratio still leans toward the North Korean rather than the Western-centric globalized end of the scale. Moranbang’s music may seem progressive to North Korean ears, but US audiences are unlikely to interpret it as such when compared to the sounds of current chart-topping pop starlets like Selena Gomez or Rihanna. Moreover, while Moranbong’s costumes may seem risqué to North Korean eyes, they are much more modest than what seems to be the norm for American female entertainers such as Lady Gaga or Christina Aguilera. Nevertheless, Moranbang, like the early hybrid cultural products of South Korea, may end up paving the way for future generations of NK-pop groups, which may eventually learn to decode the formula for appealing to the global audiences.
If Moranbong was created for international as well as domestic audiences as Draudt and Lee propose, the US media may not be able to ignore Moranbong or future NK-pop bands forever. North Korea may be testing the waters for a cultural tsunami of its own and may be ready to embark on a prolonged campaign to bolster its soft power. If so, the challenge will be to find hybrid identities for the DPRK’s cultural products that will resonate with global audiences while also maintaining North Korea’s unique cultural heritage. But with just the right hybrid blend and a single YouTube video hit like Psy’s “Gangnam Style,” North Korean soft power may one day reshape American perceptions of the country and its people, deflating decades of negative US news coverage, and an NK-pop star may then take home North Korea’s first US Billboard Music Award.
Further Readings
Darcie Draudt and Jimin Lee, “Packaged and Controlled by the Masculine State: Moranbong Band and Gender in New Chosun-Style Performance,” Sino-NK, May 3, 2013.
Jimin Lee, “Soft Power on a Hardened Path: On DPRK Musical Performance,” Sino-NK, August 2, 2012.
Adam Cathcart, “Let Them Eat Concerts: Music, the Moranbong Band and Cultural Turns in Kim Jong-un’s Korea,” Sino-NK, July 12, 2012.
[1] Chua Beung Huat and Koichi Iwabuchi, “Introduction East Asian TV Dramas: Identifications, Sentiments and Effects,” in East Asian Pop Culture: Analysing the Korean Wave, ed. Chua Beung Huat and Koichi Iwabuchi (Aberdeen: Hong Kong University Press, 2008).
[2] Dal Yong Jin, “Critical Interpretation of Hybridization in Korean Cinema: Does the Local Film Industry Create a Third Space?” Javanost-The Public (2010): 58.
[3] Joseph S.Nye Jr., “Soft Power,” Foreign Policy 80 (1990): 167.
[4] Woongjae Ryoo, “The Political Economy of the Global Mediascape: The Case of the South Korean Film Industry,” Media, Culture, & Society 30, 6 (2008): 880-881.
[5] Jeongsub Lim and Seo, Hyunjin, “Frame Flow Between Government and the News Media and Its Effects on the Public: Framing of North Korea,” International Journal of Public Opinion Research 21, no. 2 (2009): 204 -223.
[6] ABC Primetime North Korea: Inside the Shadows, DVD, Directed by Roger Goodman and Eric Siegel (New York, NY: ABC News, 2006).
[7] “An Interview with Director Daniel Gordon,” Crossing the Line. DVD. Directed by Daniel Gordon (New York, NY: Kino Lorber Home Video, 2006).
[8] Koichi Iwabuchi, Recentering Globalization: Popular Culture and Japanese Transnationalism (Aberdeen: Hong Kong University Press, 2002,) 2. Cited by Sun Jung, Korean Masculinities and Transcultural Consumption (Aberdeen: Hong Kong University Press, 2011), 3.
[9] Mark James Russell, Pop Goes Korea (Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press, 2008), 140-147.
1. Huh? Most Kpop fans will tell you (and I’ve been into Kpop since 2004) that they prefer Kpop to Jpop because it sounds more like American pop. Everything from the production of the music to the videos themselves. And Jpop has had a huge influence on Kpop…
2. The Jimin Lee essay you cited raised this issue of possible foreign tours, which is rather intriguing.
Could it also be argued that Moranbong Band is being used primarily in a kind of “cultural defensive” by Kim Jong-un? With this group, he gets to tell North Korean youth that DPRK culture is modernized and that they’re able to enjoy a bit of fun (along with a massive amount of traditional socialist culture, to be sure), but it’s a bit more like an inoculation than a cultural wave within the country, unless you see changes in clothing fashion, etc. to be part of an updating wave. The writing about the Children’s Union by Christopher Robinson would seem to indicate that things on the whole are remaining relatively stable/orthodox for North Korean kids in the cultural realm.
The other aspect that Moranbong obviously handles is military morale and support for the Songun agenda. The debut concert was obviously the most “liberal” of all of their shows, and, had the repertoire and the visual backdrops stayed along those lines, then we might see it as more geared toward foreign audiences. But their concerts in October 2012, New Year’s 2013, and April appearances all seemed to prevaricate very much toward support of the country’s military and missile programs. That evolution is quite interesting, and I wonder if it reflects some internal debate about the limits of their repertoire, presentation, and the overall goals of the group. There is that slogan about “keeping feet firmly planted in Korea, looking out over the world” that they seem in many ways to embody: A selective absorption and reflection of external norms, rendered back in a very North Korean fashion.
I haven’t yet seen footage of their recent performance in Kanggye, but would welcome anyone leaving a link. I would suspect that, given the arms-production going on in that city, that they were there to again spark production. In other words, the Moranbong is proving to be more Stakhanovite exhortation rather than cosmopolitan icons, or, perhaps they are both, which in a way is rather fitting for today’s DPRK.
3. I very much like the idea of thinking of DPRK’s capacity for “soft power” — although they themselves have not picked up this lingo (to my knowledge, they haven’t, but their Chinese comrades very much have and debate it actively), the North Korean leadership and cultural apparatus certainly tries to project it. Steven Denney and I have a manuscript under review at present that deals with the “North Korean ‘soft power'” topic with regard to the Unhasu Orchestra visit to Paris in March 2012, etc. If Moranbong were able to get more of their original music beyond the boundaries of DPRK, that would certainly help, and I don’t believe sanctions apply to musical tours, as long as the musicians aren’t buying flat-screen computers and bringing them back home…
See also:
Cheers, and thanks for an interesting and valuable addition to the Moranbong Band literature.
4. I regard the Moranbong Band in exactly the “inoculation” way hypothesized above. Creating an entity that the people of North Korea can be told “does things our way” while wisely “taking the best of Western culture and keeping out the worst,” just as a sage matriarchal ruler and ruling party should.
Equally, it fits notions of creating a societal domain consensus through media, allowing the authorities to lay out the limits of what it will do for the people, and what it expects the people to do for it, thus in some senses replacing the role of a free press and press secretaries from ministries and departments.
More of that in my essay for Sino-NK this weekend, or so they say… |
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