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Lincoln's successor, Andrew Johnson, at first pleased the radicals by publicly attacking the planter aristocracy and insisting that the rebellion must be punished. His amnesty proclamation (May 29, 1865) was more severe than Lincoln's; it disenfranchised all former military and civil officers of the Confederacy and all those who owned property worth $20,000 or more and made their estates liable to confiscation. The obvious intent was to shift political control in the South from the old planter aristocracy to the small farmers and artisans, and it promised to accomplish a revolution in Southern society.
With Congress in adjournment from April to Dec., 1865, Johnson put his plan into operation. Under provisional governors appointed by him, the Southern states held conventions that voided or repealed their ordinances of secession, abolished slavery, and (except South Carolina) repudiated Confederate debts. Their newly elected legislatures (except Mississippi) ratified the Thirteenth Amendment guaranteeing freedom for blacks. By the end of 1865 every ex-Confederate state except Texas had reestablished civil government.
The control of white over black, however, seemed to be restored, as each of the newly elected state legislatures enacted statutes severely limiting the freedom and rights of the blacks. These laws, known as black codes, restricted the ability of blacks to own land and to work as free laborers and denied them most of the civil and political rights enjoyed by whites. Many of the offices in the new governments, moreover, were won by disenfranchised Confederate leaders, and the President, rather than ordering new elections, granted pardons on a large scale.
Sections in this article:
The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2012, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved. | <urn:uuid:af0c1487-f089-4b73-a4a0-bc4ea522da54> |
The FAO Component of the Consolidated Appeals 2009: Democratic Republic of the Congo
The resumption of conflict in late-August 2008 in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo intensified the humanitarian crisis that has affected the region for more than a decade. Approximately 1.35 million people remain displaced in the east and further population movements are foreseen as a result of overall insecurity, localized armed conflict, natural disasters and epidemics tied to the deterioration of public services and repeated violations of human rights. The extended presence of displaced populations has depleted the coping capacity of host communities and markedly increased levels of poverty.
CAP 2009 – List of Countries
These chronic and structural problems have also affected food security in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which according to the IPC, remains precarious. Out of 154 territories, more than 117 are moderately food insecure and 28 others are in a state of acute food insecurity and livelihood crisis. Some 1.7 million children suffer from acute malnutrition, while one out of every two children is chronically malnourished. It was necessary for the humanitarian community to adapt its intervention strategy to the continuation and impact of the crisis while addressing its causes in order to reduce the need for prolonged humanitarian aid.
Challenges facing food security and livelihoods
The loss of assets in the agriculture sector has diminished production throughout the course of conflict and/or climatic hazards along with the lack of strategic food stocks and storage capacity. These factors have increased strain on the local market, which faces continuous demand for foodstuffs alongside the yearly rise in population rates.
The ongoing conflicts in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo have increased suffering among the civilian population, depriving them of basic means of subsistence, accelerating socio-economic deterioration and isolating entire communities. Mass displacement has notably decreased food availability and agricultural activities.
The extent of population movement has caused food insecurity and vulnerability to rise among host communities. An earthquake, the epicenter of which was situated in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, caused severe damage and displaced thousands in the beginning of 2008. It is essential to continue humanitarian assistance while committing to a long-term strategy that takes into account the needs of vulnerable groups and aims to support and develop mechanisms that foster self-sufficiency.
Key actions in the fight against food insecurity include the expansion of farming activities through the provision of inputs, such as vegetable seeds, agricultural tools and equipment, and increasing agricultural production. With the aim to reduce malnutrition rates and to strengthen the livelihoods of vulnerable households in 2009, it will be essential to strive for conditions that boost agricultural production, notably through adapted and improved techniques for crop and livestock production, conservation and marketing.
Food Security Cluster response
Given the scope of the humanitarian operation and evolution of needs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Humanitarian Action Plan does not contain individual project profiles as in the traditional CAP. Since 2007, the international community has convened to present a humanitarian plan and budget based on strategic cross-cutting objectives that require the implementation of complementary humanitarian activities for multiple clusters.
In addition to its participation in the logistics cluster, FAO is the lead agency of the food security cluster together with WFP. In this capacity, FAO’s assistance in 2009 seeks to improve food security among vulnerable populations through agricultural production, livestock-raising and income-generating activities. These initiatives will contribute to reducing malnutrition rates and improving the food security and livelihoods of vulnerable households, including IDPs and host communities.
Efforts of food security cluster members to boost agricultural production and livelihoods include the distribution of basic agricultural input kits with a view to ensuring household food availability and sale of surplus production. Vulnerable groups will also receive assistance to establish nurseries to produce grain and vegetable seeds as well as cassava cuttings, in collaboration with provincial government departments, which often supply seeds and cuttings for multiplication through their action-research centres. Planned activities also aim to support livestock production through the distribution of small ruminants. In order to strengthen beneficiaries’ access to markets, efforts will aim to rehabilitate feeder roads, set up road maintenance teams among beneficiaries and provide them with basic tools.
To continue the activities carried out in 2008 and in collaboration with the UN system, food security cluster members will contribute to strengthening the early warning system for the prevention of malnutrition through use of IPC. The IPC is a tool for improving analysis and decision making in emergencies that integrates food security, nutrition and livelihood information into a clear statement about the severity of a crisis and its implications for humanitarian response. It is being used in 145 districts throughout the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for which FAO provides capacity building and support to decentralized government departments to monitor the food security situation, carry out regular mapping and produce situation analysis reports.
These activities aim to assist vulnerable rural households to rebuild, preserve and use their livelihood assets in a sustainable way. | <urn:uuid:7394a965-75f9-4e8d-bcc4-551ad2d1853a> |
They used to put cocaine in Coca Cola. Vegetables were once routinely covered in deadly DDT. Ever wonder what poisons you eat that will make future generations look back in horror?
In case you need something new to worry about, the answer could be food dyes, as a new infographic by SpecialEducationDegrees.net illustrates. Titled “Colors to Die for: The Dangerous Impact of Food Coloring,” a liquid black skull introduces a rainbow of toxins found in foods Americans eat every day. These dyes can cause everything from chromosomal damage to hyperactivity to brain tumors to eczema. The main culprits are listed in a key, including candy (“Skittles: Taste the Rainbow” suddenly has a sinister ring to it), cereal (Froot Loops aren’t born that beautiful), beverages (orange soda does not contain oranges), and dog food (but dogs are colorblind!). Among the worst offenders are Yellow #5 and #6, which give Kraft Macaroni & Cheese that neon hue of nuclear waste.
Many of these dyes are already banned in saner countries, like France, England, Finland, Norway, and Sweden. So why do Americans still guzzle the toxins? Because it drives sales--we eat with our eyes. Nutritionist Mira Calton, who wrote Rich Food, Poor Food, says “Recent studies have shown that when food manufacturers left foods in their natural, often beige-like color instead of coloring them with these chemical agents, individuals thought they tasted bland and ate less, even when the recipe wasn’t altered.”
Americans are now eating five times as many food dyes as they were in 1955, and studies have linked this fact to rising rates of hyperactivity in children.
If this infographic freaks you out, let the words of 16th-century philosopher Paracelsus sooth you: "All things are poisons; nothing is without poison; only the dose determines whether there is a harmful effect.” So let’s hope that as long as you don’t mainline melted gummy bears or snort Kool-Aid powder, you’ll be okay.
[Image via Shutterstock] | <urn:uuid:484d86e0-04f2-4d07-a206-8f2086beb7ca> |
Imagine a wireless sensor embedded in your gym clothes, so small and lightweight that it is barely noticeable, that tracks your heart rate and calories burned as you exercise and sends the data to your mobile phone. Or a wireless heart monitor that warns a physician that her patient with congestive heart failure is experiencing severe symptoms, in time to intervene before an arrhythmia occurs.
These and other wireless health care innovations hold tremendous promise to transform health care delivery, not only by revolutionizing the way patients manage their own care, but also by cutting costs and increasing efficiencies across our health care system.
The U.S. spends about $2 trillion annually on health care expenses—17% of GDP and more than any other industrialized country. Chronic disease management accounts for 75% of our total health system costs, and because of that, many wireless health devices are targeting this very aspect of health care. Studies have found that remote patient monitoring reduced the risk of hospitalization by 47%, reduced hospital stay length, and reduced office visits by 65%.
Read more » | <urn:uuid:9ee5567c-0264-4a70-8c82-23b5895728ca> |
Classic Literature Ebooks
Book Description HTML | Report this book
The Europeans: A sketch is a short novel by Henry James, published in 1878. It is essentially a comedy contrasting the behaviour and attitudes of two visitors from Europe with those of their relatives living in the 'new' world of New England. The novel first appeared as a serial in The Atlantic Monthly for July–October, 1878. James made numerous minor revisions for the first book publication. | <urn:uuid:b64b9ccb-8fa7-4b5c-9048-59bda997f0bf> |
The Carolina jasmine plant (Gelsemium sempervirens) is an evergreen vine that produces an abundance of yellow blossoms that are produced from winter into spring. The flowers grow in clusters, have a tubular shape and are quite fragrant. Each blossom can easily measure 2 inches in length and 1 inch wide. Hummingbirds, butterflies and bees regularly congregate around the vine. Fruit appears in the summer, is bright red in color and measures approxomately 1 1/2 inches in diameter. The entire plant is highly toxic.
The vine will easily grow up to 20 feet long when planted in a shady location. Carolina jasmine can be grown in full sun but the growth rate is slowed and the vine tends to remain in bush form instead of a spreading vine. Grown wild, the Carolina jasmine will climb over fences, trees and shrubs with ease.
The Carolina jasmine vine is native to the southeastern United States. It flourishes in mild climates. The vine can tolerate frost but will die if exposed to severe freezing conditions for an extended time. It is widely grown along the coastal plains because of the vine's high tolerance to salt conditions.
Carolina jasmine is very drought-tolerant but flourishes with adequate moisture. The vine prefers to be planted in moist, well-drained soils. The plant will drop its leaves during a drought and rarely blossom if abundant rainfall does not occur or it is not watered regularly.
Carolina jasmine is a popular ornamental plant for growing on a trellis, arbor, sloping soil or along a fence line. The vine is an excellent low-maintenance plant choice because it does not require any watering. The plant can subsist on natural rainfall in the region if the homeowner does not mind the vine appearing scraggly with limited blossoms during times of drought. Plant Carolina jasmine away from livestock because ingestion of any part of the plant can prove fatal.
Pruning and Shearing
The Carolina jasmine can be allowed to grow wild or it can be trimmed to maintain size and shape. Shearing can take place several times a year to maintain the vine's rapid and aggressive growth habits. The woody stems can be woven into chain link with care. They are quite flexible but can easily break if care is not taken when handling. | <urn:uuid:3177ffb9-669a-4085-8c75-f47cf6b2b634> |
on Destination Germany
Built between 1726 and 1743. Destroyed in 1945. Reconstruction began in 1994. The reunification of Germany 25 years ago and the reconstruction of the Church of Our Lady are inextricably linked. Thanks to donations from more than 600,000 people around the world, the city was able to rebuild what is arguably the most famous church in northern Europe. This monumental sandstone construction was officially reopened in 2005. Today the Church of Our Lady is an icon of German unity and a compelling example of civic engagement.
Share our bloggers' perspectives with your friends or show us your own incredible pictures and let the world see them too – via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #germany25reunified | <urn:uuid:a78b231a-68df-4f04-aa5a-4feec4206e49> |
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People of both genders tend to perceive women as body parts and men as entire people, finds study published in European Journal of Social Psychology
All that talk about the objectification of women may, disturbingly enough, be true: a new study published in the European Journal of Social Psychology found human beings - of both genders - perceive men as people and women as objects, reports ScienceDaily.
The study found considerable differences in how the two genders are perceived by observers, who were shown pictures of both genders.
When looking at an image of a male, observers relied on "global" processing, and perceived the man as a whole human being. But it was different with women: observers tended to break the female image down into component body parts.
The study was carried out like this, says ScienceDaily: observers were shown images of non-distinctive looking men and women, then were shown two news images: one the original, and the other a modification of the original with a sexual body part included. The observers had to swiftly indicate which image they had seen before.
ScienceDaily reports that the men's sexual body parts were recognized more readily in the context of their whole bodies. Women, on the other hand, were easy to recognize as sexual body parts in isolation.
Of particular interest was that the gender of the observer had little effect on their perceptions: both men and women tended to view men as a whole, and view women as "body parts."
"Local processing underlies the way we think about objects: houses, cars and so on. But global processing should prevent us from that when it comes to people," said Sarah Gervais in ScienceDaily, the study's lead author and an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
"We don't break people down to their parts -- except when it comes to women, which is really striking. Women were perceived in the same ways that objects are viewed." | <urn:uuid:df35697d-cfdc-453a-bfc6-878f48b878e0> |
In 1971, motivated by their vision of a green and peaceful world, a small team of activists set sail from Vancouver, Canada, in an old fishing boat.
The founders of Greenpeace believed a few individuals could make a difference. Their mission was to "bear witness" to the USA's underground nuclear testing at Amchitka in one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.
A tiny island off the West Coast of Alaska, Amchitka was the last refuge for 3000 endangered sea otters, and home to bald eagles,peregrine falcons and other wildlife.
Even though their old boat, the Phyllis Cormack, was intercepted before she got to Amchitka, the journey sparked a flurry of public interest. The US still detonated their bomb, but the voice of reason had been heard.
Nuclear testing on Amchitka ended that same year, and the island was later declared a bird sanctuary.
Today, Greenpeace is a global organisation that gives priority to campaigns that can be addressed on a global scale. Based in Amsterdam,Greenpeace has 2.8 million supporters worldwide, and national / regional offices in 41 countries.
You can find out more about our history, at our 30th Anniversary page.
If you want to read more, there are several good books about Greenpeace: "The Warriors of the Rainbow" byRobert Hunter, "Journey into the Bomb" by David Mc.Taggart, and "The Greenpeace Story" by John May and Michael Brown. They can often be found at used book and auction sites such as Ebay , Amazon and Powells. | <urn:uuid:c673fc13-8f37-4b07-a13d-21bd9d7a02e9> |
This is a moorland relative of the common bramble or blackberry, but is extremely rare in Ireland. Unlike the blackberry, the fruit is orange in colour, but for some reason the Irish plants are stunted and usually fail to produce either flowers or fruit. It is also a much smaller plant than the blackberry, growing low against the ground and with undivided leaves.
The plant is confined in Ireland to one mountain top in the Sperrins, clearly merely a last remnant of a much bigger population that would have occurred in Ireland in the past (it is much commoner in similar situations in Great Britain). Probably its decline has been caused by climate change and increased competition from other plants during the period since the end of the ice-age, but the present population size seems stable.
All names: Rubus chamaemorus L. | <urn:uuid:37d8c312-cfb8-4cdb-b4a4-f7135020bfdc> |
James Geddy Foundry
Foundry reconstructed behind Geddy home
At the rear of the James Geddy House stands the reconstructed James Geddy Foundry. Prior to 1750, the brass founder's workshop where William, David, and James Sr. worked straddled two lots originally purchased by James Geddy Sr. In 1750, six years after her husband's death, Anne Geddy sold the east lot, forcing her sons to relinquish the workroom on the property to its new owner. Subsequently, the brothers built a workroom on the west side of the foundry.
Brothers continued and expanded father's trades
A 1751 advertisement in the Virginia Gazette indicates that David and William Geddy were partners, continuing their father's dual trades of gunsmithing and brass founding. In addition, the advertisement indicates that David and William were also skilled as buckle maker, cutler, and sword cutler. David's presence on the site and his role in the foundry after 1751 is open to question, since he does not appear in any records between then and the outbreak of the Revolution.
After 1760, when James Geddy Jr. purchased the house and lot from his mother and established his silversmith and jewelry business, William and David continued to operate the foundry as a separate enterprise, although they probably paid their brother rent.
William Jr. operated foundry for 30 years
The Geddy foundry had two masters (or owners), brothers William and David, and at least two apprentices, William's son William Jr., and an orphan named Thomas Dugar. An older man, John Dennis, was employed as a journeyman. It is not known whether William Geddy used slave labor in the foundry, but William Geddy Jr., did own a slave named Charles who was a blacksmith. There may have been others present in the shop as well. William preserved and expanded his father's business and operated it successfully for more than 30 years.
Shaping metal in the 18th century
In the 18th century there were two basic ways to shape metal: hammering it, which was generally the work of a smith, and casting it, the process of melting metal and pouring it into a mold, which was the work of the founder. Harder, more brittle metals, or those that are particularly fluid, were generally cast, whereas softer, more malleable metals were more likely to be hammered.
The shape of the article to be made was probably the most important factor in determining whether the metal would be hammered or cast. A bowl, a tray, or a cup would generally be hammered; a candlestick, a bell, a buckle, a watch key, or a spandrel for a clock would be cast. These and hundreds of similar articles in a variety of metals would have been produced in the foundry that the Geddy family operated for nearly 50 years. Artifacts of many of these articles were found in the 1968 excavations of the Geddy site. | <urn:uuid:38d0d704-4f82-400d-81d0-aebfa4346b49> |
By Branden Ferguson, Multimedia Video Journalist - bio | email
Van Vert, OH -
Ceci Wiselogel illustrated patriotism to local middle school students, using symbols such as Uncle Sam, the bald eagle and Abraham Lincoln. For many of the students, it was an interactive learning experience, outside of the classroom.
The program teaches those in attendance of the history behind the stories told in textbooks, while talking about historical references people are familiar with. Jim Rigdon was in attendance with foreign exchange student Mahoe. Rigdon was excited to share American history and his love for America.
After making more than 9,000 speeches to a variety of people, teaching today's young minds never gets old for Wiselogel.
Students also took the time to sing several patriotic songs including "The Star Spangled Banner," and "America the Beautiful," before being dismissed back to the classroom. | <urn:uuid:2f7d8c03-95fb-4524-b232-2aa077d0f4c6> |
Field bindweed as a pollinator plant
I recently got into a discussion with a reader—Jess from Olympia—about the white pollen I’ve been seeing on my bees. She did some research and came up with a couple possible sources for this snow-white pollen: white chicory or field bindweed. Further investigation showed that white chicory is rare and blue chicory has yellow pollen—so bindweed must be the answer. It just so happens that there is plenty of field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) near where I live.
The plant is native to Europe and Asia and was introduced to North America during colonial times. It was first recorded in Virginia in 1739.
As is turns out field bindweed—also known as morning glory—is a Class-C noxious weed in Washington. That designation is for weeds that are of special interest to the agricultural industry, and the counties may enforce control if it is beneficial for the county to do so.
Bindweed is particularly problematic in field crops such as cereal grains, beans, and potatoes because the long viney stems get entangled with harvesting equipment, may cause the crop to lodge (fall over), and can host several potato viruses. The flowers are pollinated by bees, moths, and butterflies.
The plants have a long flowering period that lasts from June until first frost, so they make reliable bee forage especially in hot, dry weather. The flowers I saw were attracting bumble bees that nestled right into the twisty, funnel-shaped flowers.
According to the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service, bindweed is a “very valuable honey plant” and “produces a surplus of white honey.” | <urn:uuid:510042ba-81a8-4997-bfb6-9c1e343ae744> |
The term colorectal cancer refers to cancer that arises in the lower gastrointestinal tract, which is divided into the cecum, the ascending (right) colon, the transverse colon, the descending (left) colon, the sigmoid colon, and the rectum. The large intestine (colorectum) begins at the cecum, which is a pouch of approximately two to three inches in length. Ileal contents empty into the cecum through the ileocecal valve. The appendix extends from the base of the cecum.
The ascending colon rises from the cecum along the right posterior wall of the abdomen, to the right upper quadrant and to the undersurface of the liver, where it turns toward the midline (hepatic flexure), becoming the transverse colon. The transverse colon crosses the abdominal cavity toward the spleen in the left upper quadrant; where it turns downward at the splenic flexure. Continuing along the left side of the abdomen, the descending colon turns medially and inferiorly to form the S-shaped sigmoid colon. The rectum makes up the last five to ten inches of the large intestine, beginning from the end of the sigmoid colon down to the anal canal.
The rectum is located within the pelvis and is not a true intra-abdominal structure. The diameter of the rectum is larger than that of the colon, and serves primarily as a storage reservoir.
The pelvic musculature, or levator ani muscles and the internal and external anal sphincter muscles, bind the most distal rectum and anus. The sphincter muscles maintain bowel continence.
|Normal colorectal anatomy. A: anatomy of the colon; B: anatomy of the rectum.|
The entire large intestine is approximately five to six feet in length, with a diameter that varies from one to two inches.
It is the site of salt and water absorption. Glands secrete large quantities of alkaline mucus that lubricates the intestinal contents and neutralizes acids formed by bacteria in the intestine. These bacteria aid in the decomposition of undigested food residue, unabsorbed carbohydrates, amino acids, cell debris, and dead bacteria through the process of segmentation and putrefaction. Short-chain fatty acids formed by bacteria from unabsorbed complex carbohydrates provide an energy source for the cells of the left colon. Maintenance of potassium balance is also performed by the colon, wherein the epithelium absorbs and secretes potassium and bicarbonate.
Next: From Polyp to Cancer | <urn:uuid:04753eb5-780c-4ad4-a003-351c4dd5f67c> |
Coverage from the Harvard Gazette, featuring HSPH’s Rebecca Mozaffarian
Coverage from Boston.com, featuring HSPH’s Walter Willett
The Expert: Dr. Walter Willett
Fredrick John Stare Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition, Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology, and Chair, Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
A recent JAMA study got major media attention when it claimed that grade 1 obesity (BMI 30-<35) was not associated with any greater mortality, than being normal weight (BMI 18.5-<25). The authors also concluded that people who are up to 30 pounds overweight appear to have a lower risk of death than those who are within the normal BMI range for healthy weight. Many news articles or segments claimed that the study should come as a relief to those constantly struggling to lose weight because their extra pounds could actually be helping their health! Other sources have suggested that we need to re-organize our BMI ranges to reflect the study’s results, moving grade 1 obesity into a normal or healthy range. But our expert, HSPH’s Nutrition Department Chair, Dr. Walter Willett, explained that the study’s results are flawed and extremely misleading. In the following questions and responses, partially published by USAToday, Willett details the study’s weaknesses and provides advice to those who are overweight and possibly confused by these new findings. Read more about maintaining a healthy weight, what the BMI means, and explore ways to prevent obesity.
The Expert: Dr. Lu Qi
Assistant Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health
We asked Dr. Lu Qi of the Harvard School of Public Health to explain the importance of considering genetic factors when approaching your diet. His recently published study suggests a link between sugary drinks and a genetic risk of obesity, and highlights the importance of gene-environment interaction in determining health outcomes. In the study of 33,097 individuals, those with a genetic predisposition to obesity were likely to be more adversely impacted by drinking sugary beverages; and the detrimental effects of sugary drink on body weight appeared to be amplified by high genetic risk. Read more about the study here.
Coverage from US News, featuring HSPH’s Dariush Mozaffarian
Coverage from Harvard Health Publications, featuring HSPH’s Edward Giovannucci
Coverage from Huffington Post, featuring HSPH’s Lilian Cheung
Coverage from US News, featuring HSPH’s Lu Qi
Coverage from TedMed, featuring HSPH’s David Ludwig | <urn:uuid:c1c20bc8-a8a2-47a6-ab54-0010c3eb1e0a> |
Global warming is revving up the planet's cycle of evaporation and precipitation, making wet places even wetter and dry places drier, a new study suggests.
A team of researchers found the intensity of the water cycle increased roughly 4 percent over the last half of the 20th century by examining changes in the ocean's salt content.
This means more movement of water between the locations where it's stored, such as the atmosphere, oceans and lakes. Their results indicate that as a result, salty places are becoming saltier due to more evaporation, while fresh places are becoming fresher due to more precipitation.
A warming world
During the study period, from 1950 to 2000, global surface temperatures rose 0.9 degrees F (0.5 degrees Celsius).
"There are all of these independent lines of evidence that climate is actually changing. What this result provides us with is another piece of the puzzle," said study researcher Paul Durack, a postdoctoral researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.
Not only was the shift in the water cycle observable — with spatial patterns of evaporation and rainfall intensifying over the world's oceans — but the observations agreed with theoretical expectations for how climate change would affect the water cycle, he said. [The World's Weirdest Weather]
An ocean gauge
When looking at how water cycles through the environment — falling as rain or snow, then evaporating, then eventually cycling back as precipitation — it makes sense to look at the oceans. They occupy 71 percent of the planet's surface, and an even larger share of evaporation and precipitation takes place over them.
"The oceans are where all of the action is happening," Durack said.
The ocean surface's salinity, or salt content, increases with evaporation and decreases when more rain falls into the water, serving as a sort of gauge for large-scale patterns. These changes don't last forever; over long periods, ocean circulation driven by winds and large-scale currents redistributes the salt.
For more than a century, scientists have been recording ocean salinity, which is measured by looking at water's ability to conduct electricity. Since salt is composed of charged atoms, called ions, its presence enhances electrical conductance.
In the last decade, a network of floating sensors, called Argo, that collect data from different depths has greatly increased the information available to scientists. Research ships also continue to contribute measurements, according to Durack.
Computer models that make climate-change projections produce more conservative estimates of shifts in the water cycle than those observed, but the models appear to be correctly capturing the nature of the changes, Durack said.
A question of scale
The team's analysis reveals changes over a large geographic scale over the oceans; they expect to see similar changes over the continents. On a smaller scale, however, these changes are expected to become much more complex.
"What is the more interesting question is how regionally those changes will happen," Durack said. "No one actually experiences global mean rainfall; what we experience is our own regional change in rainfall."
The research conducted by scientists at Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California appears in the April 27 issue of the journal Science.
Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. | <urn:uuid:d963edb7-fdd5-404d-bf4d-01dd7f7f8e52> |
By CASSANDRA SWEET
Texas led US states in carbon dioxide emissions from energy, followed by
California and Pennsylvania, according to the latest data.
Nearly half of the Lone Star State's 663 million metric tons
of CO2 emissions came from petroleum fuels
in 2010, according to a Energy Information Administration
report. Coal and natural gas use and operations in the state
contributed roughly a quarter each of the rest.
California produced about 370 million metric tons of CO2 in
2010, about two-thirds of it from petroleum fuels and about a
third from natural gas, according to the report released last
Nearly half of Pennsylvania's 257 million metric tons of CO2
came from coal, while about a third came from petroleum fuels
and about a fifth came from natural gas.
The daily average concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
reached 400 parts per million for the first time, at a
benchmark US monitoring site in Hawaii, scientists at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said
Climate scientists said the data were a sign that manmade
greenhouse gases were growing, rather than declining, which
they predicted could boost global warming and lead to more
frequent extreme-weather events, such as droughts, wildfires,
floods and rising sea levels.
CO2 emissions from energy dropped in most US states between
2000 and 2010, although emissions rose in Nebraska, Iowa,
Colorado, Arizona and other states, according to the EIA.
Dow Jones Newswires | <urn:uuid:b2ee262a-36a2-4eab-90c0-03c3cef7f1bb> |
Definition and Causes
Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), is a range of developmental or biomedical disorders that affect many parts of the brain.
Symptoms begin in childhood and include a variety of social, communication, and behavioral impairments or differences.
1 in 88 children in the US, five times more boys (1 in 54) than girls (1 in 252).
Scientists little understand how or why autism occurs. Possible causes have become the subject of heated debate among medical practitioners
and patient advocacy groups. Vaccines, heavy metal poisoning, wheat and dairy diet, and oxygen insufficiency have all been eliminated from
serious consideration. Strong genetic ties have been firmly established. Most research today focuses on identifying specific genes,
environmental triggers, infections, brain development, and problems before, during, and after childbirth.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Approval Status
Read the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) 5 Dec 2009 position paper,
The Treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder with HBOT. [PDF]
Treatment with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) and especially so-called mild HBOT (inflatable bags) are widely used off-label to treat
autism at independent clinics and at home. Proponents hypothesize that HBOT enhances or restores neurologic function by oxygenating
the brain or flushing toxins from cells, blood, tissues, and organs. The clinical evidence in the peer-reviewed medical literature
does not support this physiologic rationale or the use of HBOT to treat autism spectrum disorder. The
mentions autism specifically in its
about the potential dangers of using HBOT to treat off-label conditions.
People living with autism, beware. Perhaps no patient community today is so beset by healthcare fraud and quackery. Hyperbaric
oxygen therapy has gotten caught up in a powerful movement away from evidence-based practice and toward alternative therapists
promising miracle cures. Their claims are as wild as their HBOT is mild. What thin evidence we have on HBOT for autism (see
Rossignol, et al, 2012)
is fraught with contradictions and undercut by investigator bias. Thankfully, patients and families can turn to a growing network
of trustworthy autism educators and caregivers. The first signs of ASD typically emerge before age 3. Early diagnosis is the key to
success with evidence-based autism therapy, including applied behavior analysis (ABA) and other proven methodologies.
HyperbaricLink recommends the following websites for anyone seeking authoritative information, patient advocacy, and
community support for autism.
A nonprofit corporation that funds cutting-edge research into autism causes and treatments, the Autism Science Foundation
adheres to rigorous scientific standards and values.
A not-for-profit organization committed to improving the education, treatment, and care of people with autism, the ASAT works
for higher standards of accountability.
With a mission to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research, the NIMH also provides an excellent
Parent's Guide to Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- Asperger syndrome
- Asperger's disorder
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Autistic disorder (classic autism)
- Childhood disintegrative disorder (CDD)
- Pervasive developmental disorder (PDD)
- Pervasive developmental disorder not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS)
- Rett syndrome
- Rett's syndrome
Thinking Person's Guide to Autism,
edited by Shannon Des Roches Rosa, Jennifer Byde Myers, Liz Ditz, Emily Willingham, and Carol Greenburg (Deadwood City Publishing, 2011). | <urn:uuid:ffeb39bf-fbd3-4764-b281-5ac82b2896ef> |
Ten Thousand Repetitions
Early on, we called it the rule of 10,000
Simply stated it meant you had to work very hard if you wished to
develop a skill. Problem was many people wanted to become experts but they expected it to happen overnight. That’s not reality. Anything we truly desire or hope to achieve requires discipline, fortitude and practice to
Whether the skill be a punch or a kick, a kata, or a self defense concept, you will achieve your objective only with a great number of focused repetitions. Though it is rarely done it this way anymore,
back then we would sometimes run cycles of 1000 repetitions. That would include each kick and each hand technique during training cycles. Likewise, when attempting to perfect the fine points of a Kata, we would
frequently run through the form 10-20 times.
Needless to say, this could be exhausting, and mentally challenging. It was however productive, if excellence was the objective. Furthermore, there were the associated
benefits to physical conditioning, endurance, and strength.
So what does the rule of 10,000 really mean?
I can share a story related by Steve James the great country blues and roots musician. Steve had
been teaching a slide guitar class and had volunteered insights into some of his unique guitar fills. Not unexpectedly, some in the group were challenged by the dexterity demanded to strike the notes cleanly. One of the
students hailed Steve, saying in frustration that he would never get it ... questioning whether it was even possible. Steve encouraged the student, noting the grist for any situation where you’re attempting to learn new
technique is repetition. The only question for the student was whether he could rise to the test. The student queried, “Exactly how much repetition?” Steve answered, “As much as it takes.” The student posited whether
that meant a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand. Steve underscored, “Whatever it takes.” All that Steve could promise was that repetition would result in improvement and that enough repetition would eventually result in
Several days later, in a follow-up session, the same student shared with the group that he had learned to play the Steve James lick which had previously eluded him. He demonstrated, and Steve was
satisfied the student was well on the road. Steve then asked the student, “How many?” The student responded, “How many what?” “Repetitions, how many repetitions did you go through before it became fluid?” The student
answered, “Eleven hundred and nineteen.”
Part of the magic of repetitions is that it's a way of programming yourself to to recognize what’s most important to you. Your body and mind need that ... to focus as
they’re meant to. The many aspects of daily life which occur only once are processed quickly through our stream of consciousness, and are instantly flushed. For example, can you recite your food menu for the past seven
days? Can you remember what you had for dinner three days ago?
That's why repetition looms larger than anything else in perfecting your martial art. Things like patterns, forms and Kata were designed and meant to
be lifelong pursuits, in some cases producing their fruit only after decades of diligent practice, exploration and meditation.
Repetitions were the key. My teachers never let me lose site of the point, even
though that key was frequently lost to others. They posited the benefit of 10,000 repetitions would accrue to the student as an outcome of certainty. If you paid the price, success would follow. And that would happen
whether you spent 50 years doing the repetitions, or one year.
Let's see what they meant.
Suppose you learn a new Kata and because of your schedule, practice it once weekly. That means during the next
year, you would do 52 repetitions, give or take. In 50 years, assuming you have that much time remaining, you will have done 2600 repetitions. For all of those 50 years, and for all those repetitions, you will struggle
with the execution, sometimes making false moves, sometimes blanking out, and sometimes being unable to complete the form. You will gain some degree of physical conditioning, and acquire some rudimentary fighting
skills, but will not achieve excellence or mastery.
Let's say is that you're still executing the kata once weekly, and do so for a period of two years, then taper off. At the end of two years, you’ve done about
100 repetitions and your skills will be minimal. As soon as you taper off, the movement, lessons, and benefits, will quickly disperse.
Suppose you're more ambitious, and do the form once daily, never missing a
day. In one year you will have executed 365 repetitions and at some point approaching 30 years, you will have executed 10,000. You will derive substantially more benefit than you would have in the other scenarios, and
you might even achieve a certain degree of mastery over the form. We would expect all of your movement to be crisp and we would also expect you to attain the full physical conditioning warranted by the regular activity.
If you executed with proper focus, we would even expect you to achieve deep insight into the flows of energy and power within the structure and geometry of the form, perhaps even coming to understand how those energies
and configurations are applied in real life.
Now, think about executing 10 times a day for three years. I was taught you could achieve the same gains in that routine as you would in the preceding 30-year routine.
The main advantage here being that once the form has been mastered, your energies are freed and available to pursue other learning objectives. Ultimately, mastery means the form becomes you ... and is no longer
something you have to practice repeatedly. Therein lies the reward.
My teachers expected nothing less than one hundred repetitions of each form, each week. That meant 5200 repetitions per year, and mastery in as
short a period of time as possible. As you can imagine, that required considerable sacrifice, and dedication, but in return, produced accelerated and tangible benefits. At the end of two years, the form will have become
a permanent part of your identity. You will never forget the moves, and they will be there at your command when needed. The techniques will be precisely defined, explosive, and effective. Most importantly, the skills
you develop with this approach will become part of the package you bring to the next form, as you pursue further growth. In effect, the better you get, the better you can become. Everything builds on what has already
transpired. The more you’ve done, the more you can do.
In the old days, Master Steve Armstrong would characteristically teach one - two katas per year. He was a strong proponent for seeing excellence in a form,
before allowing anyone to progress beyond. His expectation of excellence, and insistence that it be pursued, resulted in sparkling executions, even dominance, by his students in tournaments throughout the West Coast for
For me, the role of 10,000 is a personal standard. Whether it's a technique, a skill, tai chi, sword, or even poker, I have come to consider 10,000 to be the threshold separating the dilatante from the
committed. It just boils down to you, as an individual deciding who you are and what is important.
After spending years perfecting their chops in the clubs of Hamburg and Liverpool, the Beatles entered the world
stage as an extremely polished and competent band ... though only just out of their teens.
In various interviews regarding that period, Paul McCartney has been questioned regarding the technique he and John
Lennon used writing songs. The interviewer inevitably asks McCartney whether they recorded, or wrote everything down so that nothing good was lost. McCartney typically responds, “No we didn't do that as we worked.” The
interviewer, puzzles, then asks McCartney to explain. McCartney adds that if something was good, both he and John Lennon recognized it immediately, and once they decided it was good, they would know to commit it to
memory, and not to lose it.
Now that’s thinking like a martial artist. If it’s really important, treat it like it deserves to be a permanent part of you! | <urn:uuid:ee471bbd-e109-49cb-8a00-94e60a3d72c4> |
Java programs do not run in a VM any more.
Patent nonsense. The JIT compiles methods that have run several thousand times, and it uses the tracing information it collects during bytecode execution in order to do so. That's why it methods in the server VM require more
calls as bytecode before they're ever compiled. And it's still designed to back out to bytecode whenever it needs to, such as in the face of new overloads appearing.
JVM Bytecode is starting to resemble something like an IR, but that doesn't mean it is one.
Okay, you're right because there is an interpreter in HotSpot. That said, the majority of the time it won't be in use and really doesn't need to be used at all. Its not that much different than having a scripting engine and 1000 is a small number in the computer world. Of course that is how HotSpot treats Java bytecode. Not every platform, device, or compiler does it that way. You wouldn't just port HotSpot and call it good.
For future reference I will try to look to see if the interpreter works on an instruction level or method level. For tracing information you only need to watch which branch is taken, so you do not necessarily need to emulate a CPU to get that information. How IR is used does in one part of one program does not change the fact it is IR. LLVM has an interpreter and bytecode may be used as IR for Android and GCJ. | <urn:uuid:64e06b57-57a2-4202-8afe-ed168b5b13be> |
“To be a Jew is to be commanded to take actions because they are right, not because they bring personal comfort or material gain. Had Abraham wanted tranquility and prosperity, he would have carried on his father’s idol business.
“To be a Jew is to open one’s tent on all four sides so that any stranger in need of food and shelter can enter from every direction. To be a Jew is to believe that the world can be redeemed. To be a Jew is to be carried by the current of the ancient Jewish river that keeps on flowing. The journey will continue.”
These words by the late Arthur Hertzberg convey what the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations sees as its mandate and has lived by since its inception. American Jewry has learned that for this journey to succeed, it must be united in working for the welfare of its community and its country; of Israel; and of world Jewry.
Malcolm Hoenlein, Presidents Conference executive vice chairman and CEO since 1986, notes that the lesson of Jewish history is that every great accomplishment and miracle had one precondition: unity.
When we stand together, others will join us and we are able to achieve the impossible. When we are divided, every challenge seems insurmountable. It’s this unity of purpose, of shared commitment and common aspirations, that enables the Conference to reach out to leaders across the political spectrum.
Working in concert doesn’t require sacrificing principles or suppressing differences, Hoenlein insists. He started as executive vice chairman with a staff of three and thirty-some organizations. Today there are fifty organizations representing the broad spectrum of the American Jewish community.
He acknowledges that “at times there are tensions and difficulties. But we know that what we are doing is a sacred responsibility and the consequences are of great significance.”
Intended as an informal body during its formative years in the mid-1950s, the Conference was formally established in 1959, three years after it played a pivotal role in representing the American Jewish community at meetings at the White House and State Department during the crisis precipitated by the Suez War of October 1956.
The Conference helped marshal public opinion by organizing mass rallies throughout the country and by persistently appealing to the Eisenhower administration to recognize Israel’s right to self-defense and to live in security after Egypt’s president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, nationalized the Suez Canal and the Suez war ensued.
Repeatedly tested, the Conference demonstrated its ability to speak effectively, forcefully and with dignity for Israel and to galvanize support for it in the U.S.
Nahum Goldmann (chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, president of the World Jewish Congress, and chairman of the Conference of Jewish Material Claims on Germany) and Philip Klutznick (president of B’nai B’rith and B’nai B’rith International) were main forces behind the creation of the Conference. In part, they were responding to U.S. government requests to have one voice speak for the American Jewish community.
As Moshe Fox points out in his extensive work on the history of the Conference, these men and their contemporaries shared a vision of the American Jewish community working together on the world stage to further the Jewish cause, to defend the rights of Jews, and to harness the authority of American public opinion and the support of the American government to strengthen and reinforce the only democracy in the Middle East.
The new forum would not be another Jewish organization; instead it would function as a representative body.
Since all members of this forum were presidents of their membership organizations, the group became known as the Presidents Club, meeting informally. Judd Teller, a prominent journalist and scholar, served as unofficial coordinating secretary. The group’s name was changed in 1959 to reflect its status as an umbrella group for its member organizations.
About the Author: Dr. Alex Grobman is an author and formerly the executive director of the America-Israel Friendship League. Malky Tannenbaum Haimoff is a writer and editor. Previously she was special projects coordinator at the Presidents Conference.
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The Weekly Commentary of JTS KOLLOT: Voices of Learning
Mi-ketz 5764Shabbat Hanukkah
Rabbi Lauren Eichler Berkun
Genesis 41:1 - 44:17
Numbers 7:54 - 8:4
December 27, 2003 2 Tevet 5764
As the menorah shines with all eight candles on this Shabbat Hanukkah, I am inspired to reflect on the powerful spiritual metaphor of light in the Jewish tradition. Light is one of the enduring symbols for God in our sacred texts. The new Conservative chumash, Eitz Hayim, offers a profound commentary on the lighting of the menorah in the Tabernacle and the Eternal Light which adorns the ark of every synagogue:
"Why has light been such a favorite symbol of God? Perhaps because light itself cannot be seen. We become aware of its presence when it enables us to see other things. Similarly, we cannot see God, but we become aware of God's presence when we see the beauty of the world, when we experience love and the goodness of our fellow human beings" (Eitz Hayim Commentary, p. 503). Thus, as we gaze at the beautiful burning candles of the menorah, we are reminded of God's presence in our lives. As the light of the menorah illuminates our homes and the glowing faces of our loved ones, we can contemplate God's bountiful blessings.
Light also serves as a metaphor for Torah, mitzvot, and the human soul as the Proverbs teach, "A mitzvah is a candle, and the Torah is light" (Proverbs 6:23) and "A candle of God is the soul of man" (Proverbs 20:27). The mystical commentator, Sefat Emet, explains that performing a mitzvah is like lighting an internal candle. He writes:
"Doing a mitzvah is like lighting a candle before God -- it is preparing a place where God's glorious presence can dwell. By means of this you enliven your soul, the candle... The more light a person brings about in the physical darkness, through doing the mitzvot, the more that one will enlighten one's soul from the light above" (Rabbi Yehudah Leib Alter of Ger, Sefat Emet, Parashat T'tzavveh ). The mitzvot become spiritual tools for opening our souls to God's light and spreading that light into the world around us.
In this wintry season of darkness, we recognize both God's role and our own human efforts in bringing light into the world. God's light illuminates the universe with justice and righteousness. Each mitzvah we perform and each Torah text we study enables us to partner with God in shining that light through the world. This Hanukkah, may the burning candles of the menorah mirror the flaming candles of our souls, enlightened and enlivened by our commitment to God, to mitzvot, and to the study of Torah.
Shabbat Shalom and Happy Hanukkah. | <urn:uuid:a2fdabc7-97a7-4a1f-bfbf-44bf1f711dd9> |
Texas Aggies like to think their school is among the world’s biggest movers and shakers, and now science has confirmed it. An oceanographer has uncovered the world’s largest volcano in the Pacific Ocean – about the size of New Mexico – and has named it for Texas A&M University.
William Sager, who spent 29 years working at Texas A&M in the College of Geosciences and was holder of the Jane and R. Ken Williams '45 Chair in Ocean Drilling Science, Technology and Education, first began studying the volcano about 20 years ago. He named it Tamu Massif – Tamu for the abbreviation of Texas A&M University, while massif is the French word for “massive” and a scientific term for a large mountain mass.
It is believed to be the largest single volcano ever discovered on Earth and may rival some of the giants found on Mars. Sager, who recently joined the faculty of the University of Houston, and team members from Oregon State, Yale, the University of Hawaii and the United Kingdom, have published their findings in the current issue of Nature Geoscience.
The project was funded by the National Science Foundation, both through direct grants and through its Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) that is headquartered at Texas A&M.
Sager and the team examined a large underwater area in the northwest Pacific known as the Shatsky Rise, located about 1,000 miles east of Japan. Sager had found that the plateau contained three enormous mounds.
“We got tired of referring to them as the one on the left, the one on the right and the big one,” Sager recalls. He dubbed the largest one Tamu after Texas A&M, and hence the school is now in the volcano business.
“We knew it was big, but we had no idea it was one large volcano,” he adds.
“Our final calculations have determined it is about 120,000 square miles in area, or about the size of the state of New Mexico, making it by far the largest ever discovered on Earth. It rivals in size some of the largest volcanoes in the solar system, such as Olympus Mons on Mars.”
Olympus Mons, the largest volcano on Mars, is so big that it can be seen with many common backyard telescopes.
The largest active volcano on Earth is Mauna Loa in Hawaii, which has erupted off and on for the past 700,000 years. But it is about 2,000 square miles in size, a tiny fraction of Tamu Massif.
Tamu Massif is believed to be about 145 million years old, and it became inactive within a few million years after it was formed, Sager says.
Its top lies about 6,500 feet below the ocean surface, while much of its base is believed to be in waters that are almost four miles deep.
“What is unusual about the volcano is its slope – it’s not high, but very wide, so the flank slopes are very gradual,” Sager explains. “In fact, if you were standing on its flank, you would have trouble telling which way is downhill. We know that it is a single immense volcano constructed from massive lava flows that emanated from the center of the volcano to form a broad, shield-like shape.
“Its shape is different from any other sub-marine volcano found on Earth, and it’s very possible it can give us some clues about how massive volcanoes can form. An immense amount of magma came from the center, and this magma had to have come from the Earth’s mantle. So this is important information for geologists trying to understand how the Earth’s interior works.”
Tamu Massif follows a long line of locations named after Texas A&M or people associated with it. These include many topographic features in the Gulf of Mexico or Atlantic seaboard, including Antoine Bank, named for Texas A&M researcher John Antoine; Geyer Mound and Geyer Bank, named for Texas A&M researcher Richard Geyer; McGrail Bank, named after Texas A&M oceanographer David McGrail; Tamu Basin, Tamu Bank and Tamu Dome, all named for the school; Bryant Canyon, named after oceanographer William Bryant; Rudder Basin and Reveille Basin, named for former president James Earl Rudder and the school’s collie mascot; Gyre Basin, named for a former Texas A&M research ship; and Applebaum Bank, named for Texas A&M researcher Bruce Applebaum.
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A Case of Mistaken Identity
a photo that was labeled as a monarch larva found in northern Mexico, we
heard from Mike Quinn, Invertebrate Biologist of Texas Parks and Wildlife
of Texas: "This is a queen, not a monarch larva!" he exclaimed.
This is a queen, not a
How could he tell
this tiny larva, only a few millimeters long, was not a monarch? Here's
your chance to learn:
With That Picture?
Caterpillar Identification Quiz
Inspect the two larvae below. One is a monarch larva and the other a queen.
(These large larvae are at the 5th instar stage, the last stage of growth
before the chrysalis forms. However, the same field mark that distinguishes
the two can be seen on the tiny larva that was misidentified.)
- How can you tell the difference between a monarch larva
and a queen? What characteristic can be used to separate the two?
- Draw a Venn
Diagram to help you identify similarities and differences between
the two species.
Ask a question
about objects, organisms, events. (K-4)
involve asking and answering a question and comparing that to what scientists
already know about the world. (K-4)
2003 Journey North. All Rights Reserved.
Please send all questions, comments, and suggestions to our | <urn:uuid:cd1fc829-8cc5-4c5e-bdc9-b84c11824fac> |
Photos and text by John Laslett, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Public Relations & Marketing Intern
Butterflies are some of the most delicate creatures in the world. The butterfly, of all creatures, is most robbed of the power to destroy. Thousands may descend and produce little more than a fragile breeze, the likes of which delights all as it breaks upon the face of babes.
This is one reason why people love butterflies, because some consider their value as purely aesthetic (although here at the Garden, we know their incredible importance as pollinators.) Chaos theory is so eloquently described by the great beating of butterfly wings because butterfly wings are not great, they are beautiful. I can tell you that, after spending time in the Butterflies LIVE! exhibit here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden.
The question, though, is: what becomes of the defiantly casual air cruisers after they have lived out their lives in the Butterflies LIVE! exhibit? Once the butterflies expire of natural causes, some are mounted and available in The Garden Shop. Not only does this prolong their beauty, it provides an educational opportunity for closer study. It is our hope this inspires people to learn more about butterflies, and therefore our interdependence on them and plants, which affects us all.
Because many species are not native to this area, there are strict regulations governing what happens when the butterflies expire. When you buy a mounted butterfly here at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, you are buying a creature that has died of natural causes and been packaged for display. They have been frozen (following USDA regulations) and mounted in a box. It may seem slightly macabre to buy the expired brethren of the creature you just saw joyously wafting around the exhibit, but rest assured, these butterflies lived longer-than-normal lives safe from predators and died of natural causes. I bought three of the displays. They are unapologetically beautiful. I wish I looked that good now, much less when I am older.
And what will happen to the butterflies still alive at the end of Butterflies LIVE! on Oct. 14? They will take a trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History where they will live out their ephemeral lives in the butterfly exhibit there. | <urn:uuid:5c3b5248-8acc-4f1c-9662-e6da5a72802d> |
People, as a rule, are born with a pioneering spirit to find new frontiers. Man discovers knowledge that challenges him to apply his skills. It requires risk, motivation and a desire to seek and produce the best. Europe, America as well as Asia and the Middle East used it to build and establish their communities. People discovered the arts of science to research their universe. They learned of mathematics, physics and astronomy that gave them architecture, technology and medicine. The earliest known civilization of Mesopotamia, Sumer, developed reading and writing and brought us the wheel. Their efforts gave rewards of progress and wealth to individuals and nations. Man created beauty and comfort that has improved his life tremendously.
He also became disturbed, when his neighbor did better than him. It turned his actions into a bloody and painful history of legalities and wars. The ancient stories teach about human nature and how to nurture it into a good life. They also show repeated patterns of disasters if man refuses to be obedient to simple prohibitions. In the book of Genesis God executed his first judgment over Adam and Eve by banishing them from the Garden of Eden. Man and woman were guilty as charged by eating from the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge and committed the first sin. Sin cannot co-exist with perfect order and had to be expelled. Their form of discipline was to leave the comfort of paradise. They had to enter the wilderness where man was to discover their moral compass again through personal trials and rewards.
The biblical story of Cain and Abel, sons of Adam and Eve, tells of the first act of murder blotting the earth with innocent human blood. Cain killed his brother Abel over envy. Cain’s offer of sacrifice to God was less pleasing than his brother’s and was rejected. Able gave his best while Cain held back. He kept the best for himself and only offered the mediocre results of his labor. Abel’s innocent death left the descendents of Cain to wander the earth. They still search for happiness and continually encounter sin through repeated wrongful behaviors that bring feelings of guilt and rejection.
Feelings of guilt keep man in a state of perpetual anxiety that requires relief. These feelings can settle into a deep depression if not relieved. Feelings of rejections inflate his perception of reality. He constantly tries to alter it by constraining his environment down to his level. It gives him control over fears. Tribes and cultures throughout history began the practice of finding an innocent human or animal sacrifice to relieve him from guilt and to be accepted by his gods. A man’s guilt without redemption could not bring mercy. A man’s offer of his innocence (guilt free) is still the best part of himself. It is the only part that becomes acceptable to produce a good life and a bountiful harvest. People and society were, and still are, manipulated if these feelings are left on their own. They become trump card in the game of politics and relationships.
The Jewish religion had stopped the pagan practice of innocent human sacrifices. The Christian religion teaches salvation through the ultimate spotless sacrifice of Jesus Christ and puts an end to all sacrifices. However, the wisdom of these teachings cease and are forgotten when people’s desire for justice is continually being controlled by Cain’s envy. It has killed many innocent people in his bloody battle to control guilt and rejection.
Guilt and rejections are still personal hurdles that any of us must deal with at one time or another regardless if one is religious or not. Most of us know guilt brought on by our own doing. All of us know rejection or have rejected another. There is an inherent desire within each human being of wanting to be disciplined and corrected in order to relieve us from guilt. Children are very receptive to discipline, because the correction of their parents can give them a sense of direction. Appropriate guilt of one’s own actions is the right balance that allows for self-examination and contemplation to improve behavior. It is followed with remorse, and, a price to pay for the wrongful act (redemption).
Continual rejection by others also demands an intellectual understanding that can be the first step in learning about one’s self through introspection. Knowing and observing how we think and react to our own feelings are keys that can unlock doors to our intellect and wisdom. Feelings are part of the human make-up and serve as guideposts that only point to our own state of being. They can let us know what needs to be adjusted, fine-tuned or simply enjoyed. Feelings only serve as messengers that can lead us out of our self-absorbed emotional life into wholeness that includes our mind and spirit. Feelings are neither good nor bad; they just are. They require, however, to be restrained through rational reasoning before they bring us down with impulsive reactions that harm.
Great thinkers and philosophers emerged through the ages that tried solving man’s violent and deathly history that he created with his bloodthirsty practices. Everyone searched for a way back to Eden. Some arrived back to the original teachings of ancient biblical wisdom that giving the best part of one self is always pleasing in the sight of God. It can be brought out in the form of labor, learning, as well as personal acceptance of responsibility and kindness to one another. It also requires the adaptation of a moral law to keep his community in order. This gives him a contract to protect his possession and a right to defend that what he paid for.
Others have rejected it completely and proposed their personal irrational reasoning. Their powerful message rejects the ancient truth. It requires very little thinking and discipline from their disciples. It only requires that their feeling of guilt can be temporarily soothed by absolving guilt through blame and by approving their current perception of their world image as reality (which may change again with another feeling). It totally supports the notion that not giving your best justifies Abel’s death. Envy and self-pity support their theories. It has enslaved entire nations in losing their freedom with their quest for social justice.
Karl Marx empowered the working class in Western Europe by placing guilt on owners of the means of production during the 19th Century. His envy over the reward that capitalism offered hard-working individuals (giving their best), did not sit well with him. In his view, he felt that the new Abel of modern times deserved Cain’s judgment. Social justice was his answer and remedy that would fix his world. He held up the label of "exploiters" to a receptive working class, who forfeited their rights of free employment. Labor unions were created to enforce regulations on their employers in exchange for security. He was also able to play on the feelings of rejection to the lower economic class by proposing equal distribution of wealth between the poor and the rich. His message of equal distribution of wealth pulled the strings in those who felt rejected and left out. Like Cain, his followers wanted to kill Abel all over again. The result of his philosophy spread into Eastern Europe that was followed with the Bolshevik Revolution and Stalin’s regime. The total death toll will never be known. It’s estimated that during 1924—1954 roughly 51 million innocent people died through war, extermination, and starvation in Russia. All this in the name of equality, security and social justice creating a state that was to resemble Eden at its final stage. It never happened. In 1989 the Soviet Union crumbled apart. It returned the natural boundaries of original states that were forcefully kept together for 60 years.
The First and Second World War have been the most devastating causes of guilt man has ever imposed on himself. Each time Germany was given the verdict of "guilty." During World War I it had the blood of 6.5 million civilians on her hands. During the Second World War the death toll of civilians rose to 30 million globally. This is not even including the military casualties. Approximately 760,000 Germans died of starvation during 1914—1918. The guilty verdict of the First World War did not sit well with an already rejected and beaten populace.
The US stock market crash in 1929 required foreign loans to be repaid. After a chain of related events, this raised Germany’s unemployment rate to 4 million by 1930. Hitler’s campaign promised tax cuts and price control, defeat of communism and distribution of wealth. He criticized profits made by businesses and even promised to crush the power of the labor unions. His speeches were never clear on how he intended to accomplish this great task. The rejection of the harsh Treaty of Versailles was Hitler’s main campaign theme and helped him turn guilt into aggression.
Although similar in their roots of ideology, competing communism was greatly despised by National Socialism. Its evil twin, the Communist Party, had one of the strongest representations in the Weimar Republic along with the Social Democratic Party. Hitler’s National Socialist Worker’s Party (NSDAP) finally succeeded in gaining parliamentary majority in 1933. Violent tactics as exhibited by the Sturmabteilung (SA) Brownshirts against socialists and communists did not sit well with the people who were hesitant in electing his party into parliament. Hitler found new ways to manipulate the population through fear and anxiety by claiming that a Bolshevik revolution was planned for Germany. This bold move paved his way to the chancellor position with the support of the industrialist who persuaded Paul von Hindenburg to accept.
A shameless in audacity propaganda campaign kept even the doubting masses on the side of the new state. The Nazi Party, now in full control of the government, only needed to find a sacrificial lamb to take the brunt of their hate. Such lamb first came in a convenient form of communism. It was further twisted to fit the basic Nazi racial ideology of virulent anti-Semitism. From that point on, Judaism and communism became inseparable from one another in the official diatribes of the Nazi propaganda apparatus. A “Jew-Bolshevik” became an indistinguishable amalgam of ethnicity, religion and ideology that targeted all Jewish communities simultaneously regardless of the actual individual beliefs. Given that amalgam, a Jew was found then to be guilty of at least one of the three accusations, most often the one that could not be avoided — being born to the wrong parents. Having been made a criminal from birth, the entire people then became a subject of an organized persecution by the state, which outlawed their right to exist. Gypsies awaited the same fate. The need to avenge blood for blood had made its entrance into the 20th Century. Man continued his obsessive-compulsive behavior to relieve his anxiety brought on by guilt by finding human sacrifices to pay for sin.
Germany’s brief spiritual, economic and technological revival fueled by her powerful war machine ended with the death of her Fhrer in 1945. His fear of rejection and falling into the hands of justice was too much for him to bear. He never uttered one word of admittance of guilt for his actions. Hitler felt that the German people should go down with him; after all, he proclaimed, they deserved it. He felt no remorse over his actions nor did he care what happened to the German population after the fall of his Reich. Albert Speer, Minister of Armament, was given the orders of scorched earth to destroy all infrastructures. Speer, whose architecture was greatly admired by Hitler (his own art was rejected), disobeyed orders to blow up factories, bridges and buildings all over Germany. He wanted to spare civilians from a total loss. Ironically, the allied bombings took care of that in selected cities throughout Germany during the last six months of the war, killing thousands of civilians. Hitler shot himself hidden away in the depth of his bunker while Berlin and the rest of his country burned to the ground
The victors of WWII debated over how to execute justice. A great number of the German military personnel and the top Nazi party officials, along with the SS/Gestapo leaders, were put on trial to face the post-war tribunals all across Europe. An attempt by a victorious party to use law and order to highlight the barbarity of the losers, if not the victors themselves, were the first attempts by a military tribunal to charge individuals who knowingly committed crimes. Yet, the burden of retribution to repay the loss to the victims and survivors was still left with the population whose taxes also financed the war efforts in the first place.
Old guilt and shame hid in the hearts of people who turned all of their energy into rebuilding their lives and economy. Trying to put the miserable years of war and starvation behind them, Germans turned their now smaller nation into a powerful economy through newly found freedom with hard work. People possessed a sense of pride in their organizational skills, craftsmanship and performance for excellence. It turned their naturally gifted talents into a new purpose and away from the Prussian military image. Germans wanted to show the world that they had more to offer than goose-stepping while greeting the Fhrer in Roman fashion. Germans experienced a taste of freedom for the first time.
After 1945 the balance of powers was divided by the Iron Curtain cutting a clear line between Democracy in the west and totalitarian regimes in the east. Yet, no political arrangements could guard against the mutation of perverted ideologies that thrive on guilt and rejection. They have survived in the form of socialism and found support both in Europe and the US. The scales of Justice continue to tip to her left. Justice is to be objective, as the blindfold in her image suggests. Yet, her sword in her right hand cannot strike real justice when guilt is deliberately applied to those that are innocent. Abel did not commit his parents’ sin; but died in the hands of his brother’s envy. The tragedy of this lesson only continues when prohibited behaviors are repeated.
Biased judges, that favor the philosophy of the affirmation crowd, only pervert justice when siding with them in their verdicts. These judges live by a lukewarm philosophy, indeed, for it does not serve truth. The accusations of those who feel rejected and victimized demand laws that affirm their temporary and feeble perception of their circumstances. Her scales can only balance out with truth that judges an actual offense of a law committed by an individual. This truth is reflected in laws that have proven to be true over very long periods of time. The consequences of disregarding these laws can be found in the tragic stories of human history. The wars of the 20th Century still continue in the legal court system and is known as the culture war.
The most powerful tool in this new type of warfare is the media. It can create images and stories that require little thinking but are appealing to the feelings of her viewers and readers. The media has perfected what communist Russia started and Joseph Goebbels perfected during the Nazi era. Goebbels was a writer of novels, poems and plays whose work was rejected by publishing companies. Berliner Tagblatt, a local newspaper, also rejected him as a reporter. Goebbels became instrumental in controlling the propaganda against the allies and against the Jews, who he blamed for his rejection. Today’s opponents that battle the right hand of justice are those who use the media as a mouthpiece for their supposedly good intentions. They demand political actions through legal proceedings to social and economic issues by blaming others groups that are not directly responsible for their circumstances. The legalized spirit of inappropriate guilt has settled over the free world with a vengeance and birthed the new term of political correctness.
It is both ironic and sad that democracy, in whose name the free world spilled her blood, enabled political correctness. The process has removed more individual freedom from its US citizens than ever before. It actually resulted in a sharp rise in criminal activities and sentenced many of the previously able to a life of welfare checks and food stamps. If at all, it took away incentives to use one’s talents, whatever they may be, to climb out of poverty and the despair. It unleashed a never-ending cycle where behavior must be controlled by unproven laws that are being imposed on all citizens who were not guilty of the charges. America’s racial divisions as well as the gender war can all be traced back to guilt and rejection. It now demands a new sacrifice, liberty, for actions not committed by anyone in particular. The rejected Cain of today’s culture gets easily offended when truth tries to reason with him. Rather than give the best of himself, he demands fairness with his emotionally charged sense of justice. Mediocrity remains his calling card and reflects in modern society’s lowered standards of expectations.
Even as Europe recovered from Hitler’s attempt to establish Großdeutschland, it never really revived a healthy spiritual and philosophical era. Although, in the years following WWII, the state’s interference in the economy was fairly low, it never discarded its belief in a general socialist philosophy that existed since the 19th Century. It continues to hold on to its vision of equality that true social justice can only exist with redistribution of wealth. The EU 15-member parliament in Brussels is designed to improve the quality of life for the citizens for its members by reducing the economic gap between the countries. The strategies will be challenging, especially if 90% of the population in the 10 newest members have a per capita GDP less than 75% of the EU average.
The EU has a relatively poor performance over the past 10 years and heavily focuses on conserving energy and environmental friendly enforcements. This attitude reflects in people’s work ethics and their productivity. An average 6-week vacation, paid sick leave and doctor prescribed spas retreats are costly entitlements that workers have enjoyed and misused for years. Meanwhile, many of the new EU members, especially in the Baltic Sea region, have embraced capitalism with great vigor and are applying the pioneering spirit of early capitalism. One can’t help but wonder if the new EU members will soon create a redevelopment plan for the ailing economies of Germany and France.
European culture also faces the challenges of Asian and African immigration that are escaping the tyrannies and abject poverty of their countries. Outwardly, the Europeans embrace tolerance for the newcomers but this tolerance is slowly destroying the grand old heritage of these legendary nations. The philosophy of social justice holds the state responsible to help the tired, poor and huddled masses. Yet, reality plays out differently. Europe already has to deal with frequent labor strikes, high unemployment, high taxes and a shrinking indigenous population. Supporting an influx of immigrant workers has only complicated matters when the support comes through their social network.
The brave spirit of early US immigrants also followed a desire for a new life. They found it in the frontiers of a new land. The state-sponsored welfare did not exist. People were willing and determined to take great risks in pursuing their own happiness without any state assistance. A free nation of individuals produced wealth and progress with a "just (or free-market derived) social justice" until the Great Depression changed America’s politics.
Germany is a nation that is still influenced by this old guilt from her past. The economy has been driven down with welfare benefits and labor restrictions. Since 1989 it had to pay for an expensive reunification to former East Germany. The increased involvement of the state has legislated enough tolerance and regulations that created one burden after another to eventually move the economy to a standstill. It has made every effort in complying with extensive EU regulations that turned their country into one big bureaucracy. People feel more entitled than wanting to give their best. The falling rate of marriages and births is a sure sign of holding back the best. It can no longer support their aging population. The cultural decay is only enabled by an ignorant socialistic parliament that sits on the guilt of its own past. The irony escapes the politicians and the media. Socialism is still the religion and the culprit that slowly runs a country into the ground. The nation is manipulated by labor unions and price control. Millions of euros are spent annually in farm and energy subsidies only costing the taxpayers. Sadly, there still exists a great dislike for those who profit and succeed in business. Hitler was able to use the Bolshevik Revolution as a threat. Now left-wing politicians are using the "evils" of capitalism as a threat to their security. The opposition Christian Democratic Union is too afraid to make a move whose political philosophy is still socialism.
The German Renaissance of the Middle Ages has given the world original thinkers, artists and inventors that have revolutionized society. Germany can only celebrate them but new talents go abroad to develop their talents as well as their profitable businesses. Support for welfare doesn’t really produce a love for liberty and original thought. Germany’s unemployment rate of 5 million shows that much. The brief post-war period of the 1950′s has given Germany the freedom to thrive economically. It has produced original innovation. Selling manufactured goods on the world market made Germany one of the top leading exporters. Craftsmanship of products branded with "Made in Germany" translated to quality.
Names like BMW, Porsche, Siemens, Bayer, Mercedes Benz are still known as the best of the best. Germany’s healthy export contributed to the country’s fast growing success. It includes shipbuilding, iron and steel production, machine tools as well as the precision machinery, optics and pharmaceuticals. However, Germany’s muse that inspired her poets, musicians and painters and thinkers lies frozen in fear. She’s still waiting to be liberated along with her beaten entrepreneur spirit. State education has driven down Germany’s excellence of higher learning into mediocre performance. An international PISA study conducted in 2000 put German schools on a very low performance level compared to other countries.
Today’s Cain still challenges those that produce and give their best. He continually wants to lower the standards with mediocre performances. Rather than bring up his own level of accomplishments, he discards the inputs — effort, investment, and determination — that are needed for success. In his new and better world he wants to avoid rejection and apply guilt wrongfully using the power of the state to lower standards. The blindness of his purely emotional sense of justice drains people from being motivated to give their best. His actions have strengthened governments into power-hungry state-run institutions that swallow up a man’s rightful earnings to be sacrificed for a collective, for which he is not responsible. History shows that legalization of fabricated charges and affirmative-based laws will bring a country down in every aspect. It drains it of energy and life. Freedom is still based on admitting one’s own guilt and search for a fuller life even after rejection. It brings the vibrant and flourishing spirit of the pioneers that motivates to give the best to produce the best. The success that comes with it belongs to achievers who refuse to buy into mediocrity.
Sabine Barnhart [send her mail] moved to the US in 1980 and lives in Fort Worth, TX with her three children. For the past 15 years she has been working for an international service company. | <urn:uuid:e0ac79e6-9106-49ab-a770-d9a8de68c6f4> |
and the City
A Centennial View of the
University of Chicago
|page 1 of 3| « previous | next »|
A City Builds a University
The Shadow of the Old
The founding of the Old University had seemed bright with promise. In 1856, Chicago Baptist leaders accepted an offer from Senator Stephen A. Douglas of "a site for a University in the city of Chicago." Douglas was a leading figure in the city and state, general counsel for the Illinois Central Railroad, and two years away from the critical series of debates with his downstate rival Abraham Lincoln. Though not himself a Baptist, Douglas was willing to give land to any group that would found an institution of higher learning and thus promote the continuing commercial and cultural development of the city.
Ten acres for a campus were set aside on the west side of Cottage Grove Avenue just north of 35th Street, directly across the road from "Oakenwald," Douglas's expansive lakeshore estate. University leaders confidently anticipated financial support from Douglas and his wealthy friends and hoped that he would deed them the remainder of his land as the institution grew.
The south wing of the Old University's main building was completed in time for the beginning of classes in 1859. Construction was then begun on the main part of the building, Douglas Hall, and on the Dearborn Observatory constructed on its west side, all of which was completed by 1864. In addition to college courses, a preparatory school was established along with medical and law departments. The newly organized Baptist Union Theological Seminary (BUTS) offered its first classes in Douglas Hall in 1867, and the next year it erected its own building adjacent to the campus. For any outside observer, the two institutions seemed ideally situated to reap the benefits of the increasing prosperity of the Baptist community and the steady southward growth of the city of Chicago.
Those inside knew better. Senator Douglas, who was named the first president of the Old University's board of trustees, died in 1861 without providing the institution a bequest. The financial panics of 1857 and 1873 eroded the prosperity of wealthy supporters, both Baptist and non-Baptist, and the great fire of 1871, while leaving the south side of Chicago unscarred, destroyed the commercial heart of the city. The Civil War also disrupted the lives and fortunes of potential donors, and its impact was felt directly when Camp Douglas, one of the Union's largest prisons for captured Confederates, was located just to the north of the Old University grounds.
Faced with growing debt, the BUTS accepted an offer of land from trustee George C. Walker and moved its faculty, students, and library ten miles south to suburban Morgan Park in 1877. The Old University was not so fortunate. Unable to meet its obligations, primarily the debt incurred in erecting Douglas Hall, the institution lost its mortgage to its principal creditor and was forced to close in the spring of 1886.
Baptist leaders in Chicago and throughout the Middle West were humiliated by the extent of the catastrophe. While the BUTS survived in its suburban refuge, the failure of the Old University left the denomination without an academic base to rival the nearby institutional successes of the Presbyterians at Lake Forest College or the Methodists at Northwestern University in Evanston. Resolving to re-establish a Baptist academic presence in Chicago was a group of determined ministers and laymen including George C. Walker, Henry A. Rust, Frederick A. Smith, the Rev. George W. Northrup, president of the BUTS; E. Nelson Blake, president of the Baptist Theological Union; and the Rev. Thomas W. Goodspeed, financial and recording secretary of the board of the BUTS. They shared, Goodspeed wrote later, an "inextinguishable desire and unalterable purpose" that a new institution should emerge from the old. Goodspeed pressed their case with particular urgency on two laymen with close ties to the situation in Chicago: William Rainey Harper, a professor of Semitic languages at Yale who had just left the faculty of the BUTS, and John D. Rockefeller, the Baptist oil magnate who was serving as vice-president of the BUTS board.
|page 1 of 3| « previous | next »| | <urn:uuid:7f84662e-b54a-4caf-ab06-4af18c29ca90> |
GNU Project] - was launched in 1984 to develop a
complete Unix-like operating system which is free software: the GNU
system. Variants of the GNU operating system, which use the kernel
Linux, are now widely used; though these systems are often referred to
as "Linux", they are more accurately called GNU/Linux systems. This is
also the web site of the Free
Software Foundation (FSF). FSF is the principal
organizational sponsor of the GNU Project.
Europe] - supports all European aspects of Free
Software; especially the GNU Project. They are actively supporting
development of Free Software and furthering GNU-based Operating Systems
such as GNU/Linux. Also, they provide an assistance centre for
politicians, lawyers and journalists in order to secure the legal,
political and social future of Free Software.
Standard Base] - "Standardizing The Penguin" - The
goal of the Linux Standard Base (LSB) is to develop and promote a set
of standards that will increase compatibility among Linux distributions
and enable software applications to run on any compliant Linux system.
Standards Group] - is an independent, non-profit
organization dedicated to accelerating the use and acceptance of open
source technologies through the development, application and promotion
Hierarchy Standard (FHS)] - The filesystem standard
has been designed to be used by Unix distribution developers, package
developers, and system implementors. However, it is primarily intended
to be a reference and is not a tutorial on how to manage a Unix
filesystem or directory hierarchy.
Source Initiative (OSI)] - is a non-profit
corporation dedicated to managing and promoting the Open Source
Definition for the good of the community, specifically through the OSI
Certified Open Source Software certification mark and program.
Open Group] - is an international vendor and
technology-neutral consortium that is committed to delivering greater
business efficiency by bringing together buyers and suppliers of
information technology to lower the time, cost and risk associated with
integrating new technology across the enterprise.
- "The Linux Assigned Names And Numbers Authority" is your authority
for Linux name space assignments. LANANA's charter is to prevent
namespace collisions by providing a responsive, easy-to-use
(Open Source Development Laps)] - is a non-profit
organization that provides state-of the-art computing and test
facilities in the United States and Japan available to developers
around the world.
- is an alphabetical list of Free Software / Open Source, Open Content
and related licenses.
Version des Lizenz Centers].
Source Education Foundation] - The OSEF exists to
enhance K-12 educational opportunities through the use of technologies
and concepts derived from the Open Source and Free Software movement.
Research and development of hardware and software solutions for use in
educational settings is the organization's primary focus.
- Schoolforge's mission is to unify independent organizations that
advocate, use, and develop open resources for primary and secondary
education. Schoolforge is intended to empower member organizations to
make open educational resources more effective, efficient, and
ubiquitous by enhancing communication, sharing resources, and
increasing the transparency of development.
- was created in the Summer of 1999 to promote the use of Linux as an
educational and entertainment platform for children. This site is
available in English, Français, Español,
Project] - is an internal project to make Debian an
OS that children of all ages will want to use. The initial focus will
be on producing something for children up to age 8. Once accomplished
this, the next target age range is 7 to 12.
- shows the lighter side of Linux, the open source operating system
everyone and their brother are talking about. Jokes about Slashdot,
Microsoft, and Tux Penguin are thrown in for good measure.
Gazette] - "... making Linux just a little
more fun!". This is the Comics & Fun
Section of the Linux Gazette, an WWW publication
dedicated to two simple ideas: making Linux just a little more fun
& sharing ideas and discoveries.
Fun for IBM eServer] - IBM made a little investment
in some Linux fun. They created these animated features for your
enjoyment - take a look, have a laugh.
- Linux Multimedia Files] - On this Page you'll
find a lot of Linux related Videos to download.
Magazine] - "Open
Source. Open Standards". Is a monthly Linux Magazine.
Journal] - "The Monthly Magazine of the Linux
For You] - India's first Linux Magazine for
Newbies, Power Users, IT Implementors, Developers & Corporate.
Admin] - is a journal for Unix & Linux
Format] - is the longest running and best selling
Linux magazine in the UK.
Productivity Magazine] - popular, widely read and
often quoted magazine.
Enterprise] - deutschsprachiges Linuxmagazin.
- Magazin fuer Linux-Einsteiger in deutsch.
Magazin] - Magazin in deutsch.
User] - Magazin in deutsch.
- Magazin fuer Linux, BSD und UNIX in deutsch.
- Magazin mit Schwerpunkt Netzwerk Technologie.
Events - Germany].
Conference & Expo].
Cox's Web-Diary] - Diary of the great Linux
Central] - the /root for Linux resources.
- Nothing But Unix.
- The Source For Computers And Technology.
Gazette] - is dedicated to two simple ideas: making
Linux just a little more fun and sharing ideas and discoveries.
- formerly known as LinuxPorts, is a free on-line
forum for discussion of Linux issues.
- is "the first really international Linux Magazine" (available in many
NetMag] - is a Community Site in Dutch, English,
German, Polish, Swedish, Romanian, French, Chinese.
- is the world's largest Open Source software development website, with
the largest repository of Open Source code and applications available
on the Internet.
- Infos und Beispiele einer erfolgreichen Linux - Migrationen fuer
Unternehmen und oeffentliche Einrichtungen.
Professional Institute (LPI)] - it is currently
best known for its Linux skills certification exams.
Hat Global Learning Services] - provides
performance based certification for Linux techs.
- is a FREE, multi-platform BSD-based UNIX-like operating system.
OpenBSD supports binary emulation of most programs from SVR4 (Solaris),
FreeBSD, Linux, BSD/OS, SunOS and HP-UX.
- is an advanced BSD UNIX operating system for the Intel compatible
(x86), DEC Alpha, and PC-98 architectures.
- The Industry's Foundation for High Performance Graphics.
- Unleashing the Modular Computing Revolution.
- Dokus zum Common Gateway Interface (CGI).
- the official website for the Python language.
DNS Network Services] - provide free dynamic/static
DNS aliasing services and web redirection services to the net community.
- "Deutschlands Referenzseite in Sachen Webhosting".
Server Pages] ... technology allows Web developers
and designers to rapidly develop and easily maintain, information-rich,
dynamic Web pages.
- World Wide Web - Consortium - "Leading the Web to its Full Potential
|[ up/nach oben ] | <urn:uuid:3fed4af4-d383-454d-b50b-8d5d4ac0d56d> |
The standard light gun-howitzer of the German Army is the 105 mm
(see figs. 1 and 2). It is directly comparable to our 105-mm howitzer
and to the British 25-pounder. The following table of characteristics
shows the relationship between the German gun-howitzer and its American counterpart:
|| German 105-mm|
|| U.S. 105-mm|
|Maximum muzzle velocity||
||1,542 ft per sec.||
||1,550 ft per sec.|
|Weight of standard H.E. shell ||
|Weight of bursting charge||
It must be noted, however, that the performance of the German gun-howitzer is
rendered less effective by a standard use
of charge 5 rather than charge 6. This
reduces the maximum muzzle velocity from 1,542 feet per second to 1,283 feet per
second, and the maximum range from 11,674 to 10,007 yards. The use of semi-fixed
ammunition cuts down the maximum rate of fire and further reduces the effectiveness
of the weapon.
The German gun-howitzer may either be tractor-drawn or horse-drawn. In
tractor-drawn units a light tractor is used; when the piece is horse-drawn,
the howitzer and limber are pulled by a six-horse team.
2. DESCRIPTION OF COMPONENT PARTS
The tube of the German 105-mm gun-howitzer is long, and of
monobloc construction, with the counter-recoil cylinder above it. The
elevating mechanism permits the piece to be used as either a gun or a
howitzer, as the occasion dictates. Its high elevation
and the use of semi-fixed ammunition give it the characteristics of a
howitzer. On the other hand, the long tube allows a high muzzle velocity, and
the long split trail gives the piece good stability when it is to be
used as a gun.
|Figure 1.—German 105-mm Gun-Howitzer, Left Side View (trails spread and spades locked in position).|
The breech mechanism is of the horizontally sliding type, and simply
designed. Built-in safety devices
allow the firing mechanism to operate only when the breech block is
in the fully open or fully closed position. Also, a hand-operated safety
device is provided.
|Figure 2.—German 105-mm Gun-Howitzer, Rear View (traveling position)|
The recoil and recuperator systems are of the hydro-pneumatic type. The
elevating mechanism is a well protected unit; it is entirely enclosed
except for the elevating arc and its pinion. The total elevating arc
is 47 degrees and 37 minutes. Since the worm and worm wheel are permitted
to move against Belleville springs, the recoil and counter-recoil
force is absorbed.
The traversing mechanism is of the nut-and-screw type, and is almost
completely enclosed. The total traversing arc is 56 degrees and 14 minutes,
or 28 degrees and 7 minutes, to the right and to the left.
The bottom carriage is of very complicated design, and has more parts
than the bottom carriage of our 105-mm howitzer.
In design and general construction, the optical fire-control equipment is similar
to the corresponding equipment used on the American 105-mm howitzer.
The standard high explosive shell used in the German gun-howitzer consists of
a shell case, primer, and propelling charge of nitroglycerine powder (divided
into five zones and contained in cloth bags). This powder is not flashless.
The projectile consists of a two-piece steel shell, similar in shape to our
105-mm M-1 shell, and has a rotating band of
copper (on a steel backing) that is rolled into place.
A super-quick percussion fuze, or a time-and-percussion fuze, is provided, and
a booster fits in a pocket below the fuze cavity.
Howitzers with semi-fixed ammunition have propellant charges which
are divided into sections called "zones." When a range has been determined, one
or more zones can easily be removed from the shell case, so as to give the
desired charge for the range in question. The German gun-howitzer, which has
six zones, uses any combination of the first five as the standard charge; whereas
the American howitzer, which has seven zones, uses any combination of the first
six as the standard charge. | <urn:uuid:7ef4172b-ef84-4714-b234-466d8ad37eb2> |
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Before we get started we need to talk about: what the DOM is, why its important, and discuss some DOM related terminology. The DOM is and acronym for Document Object Model. Its job is to describe the structure of a HTML document and the relationship between different elements like tags, attributes, and texts on a page. As you add, delete or modify existing elements on your website, you're creating structure that a browser interprets as the DOM. So, if I go to this page and I add a new navigational element.
Once that structure exists, it can can map the CSS I wrote and target a specific element in the page. It's really best to think of the DOM as an upside down family tree. I'm working with a really simple webpage with a traditional HTML structure plus a header, an article tag, and a footer. At the top of the family tree is the document itself. And then what we called a root element, which is normally the HTML tag. Inside that element, we have children of the html element, which is normally the head and the body tags. Inside those, we may have some additional elements.
For example, in the head section, we may have a title element, a script tag, and maybe a call to an external style sheet. Inside the body tag we may have a header, and that header can have a nav, and that nav can have a list of links. Each one of those links may have an anchor tag inside them. We could also have an article tag, with a series of headlines and paragraphs.
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Changampuzha Krishna Pillai was a legendary poet of Kerala. His poems had lessons in which, he profoundly analyzed his failures from his own life. Changampuzha Krishna Pillai had affection towards laborers and often depicted through his poems as idols. Changampuzha Krishna Pillai’s poetry is included in Kerala’s academic curriculum due to its in-depth meaning and grammar perfection.
The poet watches a farmer plowing the paddy fields and describes his dedication of work through this poem. Changampuzha Krishna Pillai depicts this farmer as an ideal farmer who does not care about scorching sun but only cares about the job he does. Traditionally paddy fields in Kerala were plowed with a special tool called “kalappa” which was very tough manual work.
Oh man, who follows the bulls in the paddy field
You do not even care about the scorching heat.
“I salute you “
Mother Earth is kind enough to give us food because of your hard work.
Mother earth will never feed us, if you preferred to sit idle. | <urn:uuid:bf0d885a-5274-4ae3-981d-e8ca1ba9a861> |
"Hospitals around the country have been actively pursuing electronic ordering for many years," explained Dr. Michael Algus, the medical director of the hospital's Quality Department, who led the hospital's effort to implement the new system. "A robust electronic ordering system provides an additional layer of safety in a hospital. It automatically checks medication orders against the patient's allergies, preventing potentially serious medication errors. In addition, computerized order sets help physicians stay on top of the most current treatments for a variety of conditions."
The new system comes with a number of benefits for patients, physicians, and the hospital.
For patients, it bolsters safety by reducing errors related to legibility or transcription of handwritten physician orders, and by giving physicians access to best practices in patient care. For physicians, the new system gives them quicker access to evidence-based medicine.
It also supports their clinical decision-making through automated alerts and reminders. For the hospital, it will improve efficiency by reducing rework caused by illegible or incomplete orders. In addition, it has the potential to reduce redundant orders for tests and treatments.
The project's successful completion comes after nearly four years of hard work by the hospital's Information Systems Department, physicians, pharmacists, nurses, and other clinicians.
The work included extensive upgrades to the hospital's medical records database and its computer infrastructure on which the entire system functions.
It also included creating new or improved connections between the database and computer systems in the hospital's imaging department, pharmacy, laboratory, and operating rooms.
"To begin a project like this, we first had to assess and upgrade our infrastructure," explained Gail Balch, director of information systems. "That included things as mundane as ensuring that we had adequate power supply and cooling systems for the additional servers the project required. Once we completed the necessary infrastructure upgrades, we were able to turn our attention to creating more than 100 new order sets, such as admission to the hospital for care after orthopedic surgery."
Hospitals are set up to care for patients with a wide range of diseases, from pneumonia and heart disease to hip replacements and gastrointestinal surgery.
As a result, there are thousands of combinations of medication, diet, rehabilitation, surgical, and other orders that physicians can prescribe for patients.
To simplify the system, the implementation team worked with physicians and other clinical experts to create standard orders for the most common types of conditions treated in the hospital. By standardizing the orders, the team simplified ordering for most physicians. At the same time, the standardized orders help physicians provide the best, most up-to-date care by including the best practices.
"Without creating standard order sets, physicians would be left to wade through hundreds of different order choices each time they treat a patient," explained Dr. Ann Marie Swann, a hospitalist who was responsible for implementing order sets and training other physicians. "However, creating these standard order sets was a Herculean undertaking. It required researching best practices for each condition and working with physicians to ensure that our research was correct. Once we were able to identify and confirm the elements of each order set, our information systems experts then created the order set in the computer system."
Last month, the hospital reported that approximately 80 percent of all of the orders for inpatients were completed electronically. In addition, the hospitalist group, which treats most of the hospitals inpatients, were using electronic ordering more than 90 percent of the time.
"The physicians who care for patients in the hospital most frequently are using computerized ordering extensively," Dr. Algus added. "Occasionally, particularly when phoning in orders, the physicians are unable to use the electronic ordering system and must rely on a nurse to place the orders for them."
As SVHC completes one electronic ordering project, it is scaling up to implement a similar system in its emergency department.
In the emergency department, the new system will integrate electronic nursing notes as well as electronic physician ordering.
In addition, the emergency department system will be tied more closely to the electronic medical record system currently in use in the rest of the hospital.
Despite the promise of better care in the hospital and in other care settings, adoption of electronic health records has been relatively modest.
According to Health Affairs, a trade journal covering the health care industry, in 2011 only 27 percent of hospitals were using any form of electronic health record.
Moreover, only about nine percent of hospitals nationwide have a comprehensive system, with small, rural hospitals having the lowest adoption rate of electronic health records.
"When we complete the emergency room electronic system, we will have comprehensive system for our hospital," Balch added. "Our long-term goal is to electronically connect the hospital, our medical practices, our visiting nurse association and hospice, and our nursing home and subacute unit. Such a broad-based system would enable us improve care in all of our locations, helping us keep patients healthier, while reducing costs."
The Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is part of Southwestern Vermont Health Care (SVHC), a non-profit integrated health system that serves communities in Vermont, New York, and Massachusetts.
SVHC also includes the VNA and Hospice of SVHC, the Centers for Living & Rehabilitation, the SVMC Northshire and Deerfield Valley Campuses, Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Center, and the Southwestern Vermont Health Care Foundation.
Southwestern Vermont Medical Center is Vermont's first Magnet hospital for nursing excellence and home to the region's only breast care program fully accredited by the National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers. | <urn:uuid:390005f9-8a1c-4cb3-b3a7-6d4ab1272e37> |
Increasing Internet use means higher energy costs
The Apple App store will revolutionize computer software purchasing.
TEXT OF STORY
Kai Ryssdal: The Internet, as most of us know, can be an amazingly valuable tool. It can also be a colossal waste of time. All told, we watched 700 billion YouTube videos this year. That's according to the company itself. It's also a whole lot of Justin Bieber and random cat videos. But all those songs, bloopers and bad comedy come at a price.
We asked Marketplace Sustainability reporter Adriene Hill to find out just how much energy the Internet uses.
Adriene Hill: 17 million people have watched a three-year-old cry over a YouTube pop star.
Toddler: 'Cause I love Justin Bieber.
Woman: You're crying because you love Justin Bieber?
But, watching that gem and doing all the other things we do online -- from paying our bills to downloading movies -- takes electricity. Electricity to power data centers, servers, computers and iPhones.
Author Stan Cox estimates that next year the U.S. digital network will drain as much energy as the whole country of Mexico produces.
All that energy creates CO2. According to Molly Webb of The Climate Group, information technology systems globally account for 2-3 percent of total carbon emissions. And...
Webb: It is growing and it's growing mainly because of the new applications, video.
But, Rich Brown from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory says it's important to keep it in perspective. The Internet is still a relatively small energy suck, compared to things like cars.
Rich Brown: That shouldn't be the primary focus of where we're trying to cut energy use. There's a lot bigger fish to fry.
Which means I don't have to feel too guilty about spending a few minutes watching the latest Taylor Swift video... except maybe that it's Taylor Swift.
I'm Adriene Hill for Marketplace. | <urn:uuid:7d0eae37-f871-4d28-b075-0b7beaa85c6d> |
Low potassium (hypokalemia) refers to a lower than normal potassium level in your bloodstream. Potassium is a chemical (electrolyte) that is critical to the proper functioning of nerve and muscles cells, particularly heart muscle cells.
Normally, your blood potassium level is 3.6 to 5.2 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). A very low potassium level (less than 2.5 mmol/L) can be life-threatening and requires urgent medical attention.
Jul. 08, 2014
- Mount DB. Causes of hypokalemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 13, 2014.
- Hypokalemia. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine_and_metabolic_disorders/electrolyte_disorders/hypokalemia.html. Accessed May 13, 2014.
- Reid A, et al. Hypokalemia: Common things occur commonly — A retrospective survey. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine. 2012;3:80.
- Patient information: Hypokalemia (the basics). http://www.uptodate.com/home. Accessed May 13, 2014.
- Potassium, serum. Mayo Medical Laboratories. http://www.mayomedicallaboratories.com/test-catalog/Clinical+and+Interpretive/81390. Accessed May 13, 2014. | <urn:uuid:57598050-72cf-4080-b646-91c9c28af885> |
Scenes from the Life of Abraham, mid–17th century
Linen worked with silk thread; tent and couching stitches; 23 x 37 1/4 in. (58.3 x 94.5 cm)
Gift of Irwin Untermyer, 1964 (64.101.1306)
This panel was probably intended as a cushion cover. It illustrates scenes from the life of the biblical patriarch Abraham, as recounted in the Book of Genesis. The central scene shows Abraham being informed by a host of angels that his wife Sarah will bear him a son, despite her advanced age. Other scenes include Abraham banishing his servant Hagar and her son by Abraham, Ishmael (lower left corner), and Abraham's attempted sacrifice of Sarah's son Isaac, the act he was ordered by God to perform as a test of his faith (upper right corner).
Biblical narratives were extremely popular subjects for seventeenth-century pictorial embroideries, and a number of other examples depicting the life of Abraham exist. The imagery of the Museum's example is derived from engravings after Maarten de Vos which first appeared in Gerard de Jode's 1579 illustrated bible Thesaurus Sacrarum Historiarum Veteris Testamenti, published in Antwerp. These engravings were also the inspiration for other biblical embroideries, such as the story of David and Bathsheba, and David and Abigail (64.101.1325). | <urn:uuid:3e465a23-5aa3-49b4-9529-1e938172f297> |
Immigrants and Welfare Use
Immigrants and Welfare Use
This Spotlight examines the eligibility of immigrants for welfare as provided for in the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. These rules were subsequently modified (see "Immigrants, Welfare Reform, and the Coming Reauthorization Vote" by Audrey Singer), but the significant changes made under the PRWORA make it worth examining in detail.
The PRWORA was passed with bipartisan support under the Clinton administration, and dramatically reformed the nation's welfare system. A specific provision, Title IV, changed the eligibility of noncitizens for public assistance. In addition to income, eligibility for major federal benefits was linked to immigration status and whether the applicant arrived before Aug. 22, 1996, which was the date the law was enacted. Specifically, PRWORA provides for the following:
- Legal permanent residents (LPRs) who were residents of the United States as of Aug. 22, 1996, are barred from receiving food stamps and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits. Each state, however, is allowed to offer LPRs Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and Medicaid. Since 1997, states have been mandated to provide State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) coverage to immigrant children legally in the U.S. before Aug. 22, 1996.
- LPRs entering after Aug. 22, 1996 are not eligible for food stamps or SSI. However, they can apply for Medicaid and TANF benefits five years after entering the country legally, and are then allowed benefits at each state's discretion. States may use the maintenance of effort requirement to serve post-1996 legal immigrants who would be eligible for TANF if not for the five-year bar. In addition, the Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 restored immigrants' access to food stamps.
- Refugees and asylees are eligible for benefits seven years after their date of entry.
- Nonimmigrants and undocumented immigrants are barred from receiving benefits. They are eligible, however, for public health, emergency services, and programs identified by the attorney general as necessary for the protection of life and safety.
(Sources: Richardson and Wassem 2002, National Conference of State Legislators).
- Approximately 935,000 noncitizens lost benefits due to the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity and Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) of 1996. Half of immigrant families were poor in 1999. (Fix and Passel 2002).
- Under PRWORA, three populations of noncitizens are eligible for public assistance: refugees during their first five to seven years in the U.S.; immigrants with 40 quarters of work history; and noncitizens who have served in the U.S. military. (Fix and Passel 2002).
- Between 1994 and 1999, legal immigrants' and refugees' use of welfare benefits declined significantly. This decline was not accounted for by an increase in the number of naturalizations or by rising incomes within immigrant families. (Source: Fix and Passel 2002).
For LPRs, the percentage of reductions in usage were:
Food stamps: -48%
Social security insurance: -32%
For refugees, the declines were as follows:
Food stamps: -53%
- At the time of PRWORA's passage in 1996, immigrants represented 15 percent of all welfare recipients in the U.S.. By 1999, that number dropped to 12 percent. (Fix and Passel 2002, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
- In 1994, 7.1 percent of households headed by a foreign-born person received AFDC cash assistance (later incorporated into TANF) and 12.6 percent received food stamps; in 1999, 3.2 percent received TANF cash assistance and 6.7 percent received food stamps. (Fix and Passel 2002, Fremstad 2002).
- Under a 1997 congressional revision to PRWORA, elderly and disabled immigrants were made eligible for Social Security, Medicaid and food stamp benefits. Legal immigrant children are also eligible for food stamps. The revision excludes adults of working age (18-64) who account for approximately three-quarters of the 935,000 noncitizens who lost benefits. (Fix and Passel 2002).
- After PRWORA was enacted, the majority of states continued to provide federally funded benefits to immigrants if they had the option to do so. All states chose to continue TANF benefits for LPRs who entered before the law's enactment, and all states except Wyoming provide Medicaid benefits. Five states (Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas) do not provide TANF for legal immigrants entering after the law's enactment and who have been living here for five years, and seven states (Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, North Dakota, Texas, Virginia, and Wyoming) do not provide Medicaid benefits. (Source: Fremstad, 2002).
- Of the seven largest immigrant-receiving states which account for three-quarters of the nation's foreign-born population (California, New York, Texas, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, and Arizona), California provides the most extensive benefits in the areas of health, cash assistance, and nutrition to immigrants. Whereas pre-enactment immigrants are subsidized by federal funds, the benefits of post-enactment immigrants are financed solely through state funds. (Source: Fix and Passel 2002).
- Nine states (New York, Florida, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Washington, Minnesota, Iowa, and Wyoming) still allow undocumented immigrants to access their state health insurance programs after welfare reform. Only one state (Maine) that had previously covered undocumented immigrants before the passage of the reform withdrew benefits after PRWORA was enacted. (Source: Zimmerman and Tumlin 1999).
- In 1999-2000, 13 percent of low-income, noncitizen families in Los Angeles, California and 22 percent in New York City received food stamps, compared with 34 percent of low-income native citizen families in each of these states. (Source: Capps et. al 2002).
- In the 23 states that provide the least amount of support for immigrants, food insecurity within immigrant households increased between 1994 and 1998. In 1993-1994, 11.3 percent of households headed by immigrants were food insecure (meaning that the household had members who were hungry or had to either skip or cut back on meals because of lack of income), compared to 16.3 percent in 1997-1998. In these same states, the percentage of food-insecure households headed by native-born persons fell. (Fremstad 2002).
- By 1997, noncitizen families with incomes below 200 percent of poverty had welfare use rates that were significantly lower than citizens' rates?14.5 percent versus 17.9 percent. (Fix and Passel 1999)
- Between 1995 and 2000, the number of noncitizen children and noncitizen parents receiving Medicaid fell by seven to eight percentage points. At the same time, the percentage of low-income, noncitizen children and parents who lack health insurance, including job-based insurance, increased by six to seven percentage points. (Fremstad 2002).
- Between 1994 and 1999, low-income LPR families with children receiving TANF decreased by 53 percent, and refugee families receiving TANF decreased by 78 percent. (Fix and Passel 2002).
- While the number of naturalized citizen families increased by 480,000 between 1994 and 1999, the number participating in TANF dropped by 300,000. There were only 16,000 new enrollments. At the same time, the foreign-born population grew from 24.5 million in 1995 to 28.4 million in 2000. (Fix and Passel 2002).
- Sixty-nine percent of foreign-born adult TANF recipients do not have a high school diploma or GED (General Education Development high school equivalency diploma), compared with 37 percent of native-born adult recipients. (Fremstad 2002).
- In two of the largest immigrant-receiving cities in the country, New York City and Los Angeles, immigrants with limited English proficiency are poorer than immigrant adults overall. In Los Angeles, the poverty rate is 33 percent for immigrants with limited English language proficiency versus 13 percent for those who speak English well, while in New York City the poverty rate is 34 percent versus 14 percent. (Capps et. al 2002).
Capps, Randy et.al., "How are Immigrants Faring After Welfare Reform?: Preliminary Evidence from Los Angeles and New York City," (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, 2002).
Fix, Michael and Jeffrey Passel, "The Scope and Impact of Welfare Reform's Immigrant Provisions," (Washington, D.C: The Urban Institute, 2002).
Fix, Michael and Jeffrey Passel, "Trends in Noncitizens' and Citizens' Use of Public Benefits Following Welfare Reform: 1994-97," (Washington, D.C. : The Urban Institute, 1999).
Fremstad, Shawn, "Immigrants and Welfare Reauthorization," (Washington, D.C.: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, February 4, 2002).
Richardson, Joe and Ruth Ellen Wasem, "Noncitizen Eligibility for Major Federal Public Assistance Programs: Policies and Legislation" (Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service, 2002).
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, "Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program," report to Congress, Washington, D.C. August 2002.
Zimmermann, Wendy and Karen Tumlin, "Patchwork Policies: State Assistance for Immigrants Under Welfare Reform," (Washington, D.C.: The Urban Institute, 1999). | <urn:uuid:4e6d6f2d-b238-4cc6-b5ae-7d546b4091a7> |
A tranquil pool containing fish and plants is projected onto the floor.
When the participants discover the pool, they see mostly fish but few plants,
because the fish are the plants' predator. When the participants
enter, the fish, mysteriously attracted to the participants,
playfully swarm around their feet. Because the fish are distracted from
eating, the plants are then able to bloom. Most people imagine that
ecosystem disruption means the destruction
of a specie(s).
However, as this project illustrates, a counter-intuitive effect of ecosystem
disruption is often that one species is suddenly increased
population due to a predator displacement.
(c) 2010 Mine-Control, Inc. | <urn:uuid:d9afb9e1-d88b-429e-9cae-aedb2806d4b9> |
Could human blood unlock carbon capture technology?
As cells pump CO2 produced during respiration into the blood, the enzyme carbonic anhydrase converts the gas into bicarbonate for easier transport to the lungs. There the same enzyme works in reverse, turning the molecules back into the CO2 gas you exhale. This action could play the critical role of selectively capturing CO2 from mixed gas emissions for later sequestration.
Carbozyme has created a system made up of millions of microscale, porous tubes coated with a synthetic version of the enzyme. The idea is that as smokestack gases pass through the tubes, the enzyme pulls CO2 from the mix and transforms it into bicarbonate and back. This CO2 can then be pumped underground and stored in layers of basalt rock. The process reportedly uses a third less energy than competing CO2 sequestration methods. | <urn:uuid:15b7def0-61f9-4ddc-a509-3ca6454a83af> |
|exon trapping||medical dictionary|
<molecular biology, technique> A technique used to identify exons with a specialised vector. The vector has two exons that are normal, splicedtogether in a transcript.Fragments of DNA can be inserted into the intron, and when the insert is an exon, the exon is splicedinto the transcript, thereby giving a longer transcript that can be detected by Northern blotanalysis.
(09 Oct 1997)
|Bookmark with:||word visualiser||Go and visit our forums| | <urn:uuid:d411717e-f22b-4b44-a16c-97d799056001> |
What do I feed my chickens to get the most flavorful, nutritious eggs?
Basically, all you have to do is raise them as free-range or pastured poultry, so they can enjoy a varied diet of insects and green plants, in addition to grains.
When chickens (as well as cattle, pigs and other livestock) are allowed to eat their natural diet, numerous studies have shown that their eggs, milk and meat tends to be richer is several important nutrients (see www.eatwild.com for lots of details). Tests conducted by Mother Earth News found that, compared to the standard values reported by the USDA for commercial eggs, hens raised on pasture produced eggs with two-thirds more vitamin A, twice the omega-3 fatty acids, three times more vitamin E and seven times more beta carotene. The tests also showed that pastured eggs had one-third less cholesterol and a quarter of the saturated fat. In addition, fresh eggs from pastured hens taste better and provide more “lift” in baked goods.
The more you can allow your birds to range freely, the better their eggs will be. (They eat lots of pests — see Poultry Pest Patrol for more information.) To keep them safe from predators, yet still allow them to graze, you can house them in a lightweight portable pen like this easy-to-make portable mini-coop.
Cheryl Long is the editor in chief of MOTHER EARTH NEWS magazine, and a leading advocate for more sustainable lifestyles. She leads a team of editors which produces high quality content that has resulted in MOTHER EARTH NEWS being rated as one North America’s favorite magazines. Long lives on an 8-acre homestead near Topeka, Kan., powered in part by solar panels, where she manages a large organic garden and a small flock of heritage chickens. Prior to taking the helm at MOTHER EARTH NEWS, she was an editor at Organic Gardening magazine for 10 years. Connect with her on Google+. | <urn:uuid:fd0f8dc4-a836-4a27-85f5-2a9af3d68990> |
In 2 Samuel 13:1-22, Amnon rapes his half sister Tamar. Nothing happens to him.
Men have been in the business of deciding when it is okay and when it is not okay to rape women for thousands of years. If Missouri Rep. Todd Akin's claim that women's bodies magically fend off rapist sperm or the GOP's meditation on what's really rape sound medieval to you, that's because they are. Check out our timeline of the male notions and common-law statutes that have defined rape over time, and see for yourself which eras the GOP's views on rape line up with:
Property theft: The Code of Hammurabi, one of the first sets of written laws, which dates to about 1780 BC (and contains the old "eye for an eye"), defines rape of a virgin as property damage against her father. If you were married, sorry lady: You were an adulteress. Punishment? You get thrown in the river.
Translation: Girl, you're screwed. Batigolix/FotopediaGod is a dude: Deuteronomy 22:28-29 says if you rape a virgin, you have to give her dad 50 shekels and take her to the altar.
Et tu, Roma? The Latin root raptus referred to the abduction of a woman against the will of whatever male controlled her life. What the abductor did with her was secondary.
Rape of the Sabine Women, by Giuseppe Cesari. Dirk Huijssoon/FotopediaTodd Akin, 1.0: As the Guardian recently pointed out, one of the earliest British legal texts, Fleta, which was written around 1290, laid the foundation for Akin's notion that if you get preggers, you weren't raped: "Without a woman's consent she could not conceive."
(Mississippi and) The Middle Ages: During the 13th century, the severity of punishment under Saxon law varied according to the type of woman raped—whether she was a virgin, a wife, a widow, a nun, or a whore. That's appropriately medieval. But in the United States, well into the '90s (yes, the nineteen-nineties) some states still had laws that held statutory rape wasn't rape if the woman was "impure". Mississippi was the last state to ditch such a law—in 1998. King Edward I and his wife Eleanor. From an early 14th century manuscript/Wikipedia
Pre-wave feminism: King Edward I of England was a forward-thinking chap. He enacted the landmark Statutes of Westminster at the end of the 13th century. They redefined rape as a public wrong, not just a private property battle. The legislation also cut out the virgin distinction and made consent irrelevant for girls under 12, laying the basis for the modern principle of statutory rape.
"The wife hath given up herself": In a treatise on capital crime and punishment from around 1670, English judge and lawyer Sir Matthew Hale wrote this little gem: "[T]he husband cannot be guilty of a rape committed by himself upon his lawful wife, for by their mutual matrimonial consent and contract the wife hath given up herself in this kind unto her husband, which she cannot retract." The law had quite a bit of traction. A man could legally rape his wife in North Carolina until 1993.
If you were brown: It didn't count, whether you were a slave or a "savage." And after abolition, the white legal establishment pretty much ignored rape against black women.
Rape to prove rape: Men in common law courts in the 18th and 19th centuries had a bit of trouble agreeing on how much proof a woman had to give to show she wasn't lying. Some said the hymen had to be broken. Some said she had to provide evidence of semen. Virginity test, anyone?
Egyptian women protest the ruling military council's "virginity tests" in December 2011. Ayman Mose/ZUMA Press"Absolute rape," kind of like "legitimate rape": English physician Samuel Farr was pretty certain women couldn't get pregnant without an orgasm. The Guardian quotes the mansplanation from his 1814 Elements of Medical Jurisprudence: "For without an excitation of lust, or the enjoyment of pleasure in the venereal act, no conception can probably take place. So that if an absolute rape were to be perpetrated, it is not likely she would become pregnant."
You can't thread a moving needle: Or: If you don't squirm a lot, it's not rape. Dr. Lawson Tait, an eminent 19th century gynecologist and medical officer who helped police with criminal investigations, was "perfectly satisfied that no man can effect a felonious purpose on a woman in possession of her sense without her consent." Said he: "You cannot thread a moving needle."
The FBI calls rape by its name: As the Post's Gerhart explains, the federal government used the "rather prim euphemism, 'indecent assault,' a phrase that seems as linguistically tortured as 'legitimate rape,' from the 17th century until 1929, when the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting Program renamed it like this: "the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will." That definition was still totally 17th century, btw.
Lady rules: Feminists had been fighting to raise the statutory rape age in states since the 1890s (in response, some legislators proposed raising the age of consent to 81). Nonwhite feminists had been fighting for equal treatment under the law. Second wavers gave the movement another push, demanding a range of other expansions to make the definition of rape gender neutral, include date rape, and scrap medieval marital exceptions and virginity requirements.
Sue Lyon in Stanley Kubrick's 1962 Lolita. Zellaby/Fotopedia83 years later: January of 2012: that's when the FBI decided to update its definition of forcible rape. As Kate Sheppard pointed out last year, the year 1929 "was quite a while ago—before the Great Depression, before Mickey Mouse, and before the Empire State Building, to name a few. It was also before roofies had been invented and before date or partner rape were even concepts." The new, expanded definition includes other forms of sexual assault, other genders, and instances where the "victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity, including due to the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age."
Backward, ho!: Last year, House Republicans pushed to limit taxpayer funding of abortions by excluding non-"forcible" rapes from federal abortion funding. Their plan failed. But the Republican war on women was just starting to heat up.
Johnny Andrews/ZUMA Press"Legitimate rape": "If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down." Or, as Urban Dictionary puts it: "Rape between one man and one woman who are not married or even acquainted; the only rape sanctioned by the Republican Party." | <urn:uuid:0e475812-bc6c-454b-9b14-7d1d5c57c52a> |
Diabetes: Treating Severe Foot Infections
Diabetes makes it harder for the body to heal. Even minor foot problems can develop into serious infections. If not treated, infections can lead to amputation. They can even become life-threatening. Prompt treatment by your doctor is needed to protect your foot and restore your health.
In some cases, infections can spread through the feet and up the leg. To treat a severe infection, you may be hospitalized and given intravenous (IV) antibiotics. You may also be referred to healthcare providers who specialize in treating infections. If the infection is a serious risk to your health, surgery may be recommended.
The Goals of Surgery
The goal of surgery is to remove the infection and protect your foot or leg. Some surgeries remove a small amount of dead tissue from the infected area. In some cases, toes or larger amounts of tissue may be removed. Surgery may be done in a hospital or wound care facility. The length of your stay depends on the surgery and how well you’re healing. During recovery, you will likely need to limit activity for a while. You may also have visits from a home healthcare nurse. Be sure to see your doctor for follow-up appointments.
Regular wound care after surgery helps keep your foot free of infection and aids healing.
Change your dressing every 6 hours.
You may need IV (intravenous) antibiotics to help control the infection. Other medications may be used to help your foot heal more quickly.
A home care nurse may shorten your hospital stay by helping with your dressings or IV antibiotics at home.
If needed, your doctor may refer you to a wound care facility. These are medical facilities that specialize in treating ulcers and infections that are hard to heal. While you’re there, you may work with several kinds of doctors. You may also be given antibiotics or other medications that help fight infection. Part of your treatment also includes learning to care for the wound at home.
You may be told to keep your foot elevated as much as possible. You may also be told to avoid putting weight on the foot. | <urn:uuid:dd539a46-40c4-40d8-b592-64580a19e8e7> |
Drexel researchers are investigating the development of new materials and architectures for nanostructured solar cells. The amount of solar power incident upon the earth is 10,000 times larger than global power consumption. Converting sunlight to electricity represents a sustainable and robust solution to the world's energy problem. Nanostructured solar cells offer the potential for low processing and material costs while maintaining reasonably high efficiencies. Work at Drexel focuses on understanding the relationships between processing, material and interfacial properties, and solar cell performance. A number of different solar cell designs are currently being investigated, including dye sensitized solar cells, extremely thin absorber solar cells, quantum dot solar cells, and organic solar cells. New combinations of materials, new manufacturing methods, and new solar cell designs are being studied to understand fundamental limitations in performance and reliability and to improve device efficiency and lifetime.
Back to Areas of Expertise | <urn:uuid:ad65ba31-7d87-4c63-a479-601297245b75> |
The majority of EMTs and paramedics receive their education and training in programs offered by EMS agencies, community colleges, universities, hospitals and medical centers, fire departments, or private training programs. Increasing numbers of colleges offer bachelor’s degrees in EMS (Delbridge et al., 1998). However, medical education for EMS careers varies widely across the country, and it is frequently inadequate. Adherence to the NSC does not in itself ensure quality (NHTSA, 2000), and as noted, considerable state-level variation continues to exist.
This situation mirrors the challenges faced by the broader medical education system in the early 20th century. At the time, there were no standards for medical education programs and no adequate system to ensure quality. A report issued by Abraham Flexner in 1910 called for the establishment of more rigorous standards for medical education programs (Beck, 2004). Flexner visited 168 graduate and postgraduate medical schools in the United States and Canada and evaluated them on the basis of several criteria, including entrance requirements, faculty training, and financing to support the institution. The report was highly critical of the majority of schools visited. In the years following the report’s release, a large percentage of those schools closed, while others merged (Hiatt and Stockton, 2003). Consequently, the report is credited with triggering reforms in the standards, organization, and curriculum of medical schools across North America. In many respects, today’s EMS education system calls for a similar response.
The Education Agenda proposed national EMS education program accreditation as a way to address this problem. Currently, most states have some process for approving EMS education programs; however, these requirements vary widely. Some states require only that proper paperwork be filed (NHTSA, 2000). State education program approvals typically focus only on the paramedic level, and national accreditation is usually optional. The only nationally recognized accreditation available for EMS education is through the Committee on Accreditation of Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) under the auspices of the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP). The Education Agenda advocated that a single national accreditation agency be identified and accepted by state regulatory offices.
The committee maintains that greater standardization and higher quality standards are needed to improve EMS education nationally and at the state level. Therefore, the committee recommends that states require national accreditation of paramedic education programs (4.2). However, the committee recognizes that this requirement would increase the cost of and thus likely reduce access to paramedic education in many states. Access to EMS education programs is a critical issue in many areas of the country but especially in rural states, where reasonable access is necessary for communities to train and | <urn:uuid:dcf34b1b-d2dc-4a8a-a5c9-2170d6e4e0e4> |
Mission: Hubble Space Telescope Deploy
Space Shuttle: Discovery
Launch Pad: 39B
Launch Weight: 249,109 pounds
Launched: April 24, 1990, 8:33:51 a.m. EDT
Landing Site: Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Landing: April 29, 1990, 6:49:57 a.m. PDT
Landing Weight: 189,118 pounds
Rollout Distance: 8,874 feet
Rollout Time: 61 seconds
Mission Duration: 5 days, 1 hour, 16 minutes, 6 seconds
Returned to KSC: May 7, 1990
Orbit Altitude: 330 nautical miles
Orbit Inclination: 28.45 degrees
Miles Traveled: 2.1 million
Image above: STS-31 Crew photo with Commander Loren J. Shriver, Pilot Charles F. Bolden, Jr., Mission Specialists
Steven A. Hawley, Bruce McCandless II and Kathryn D. Sullivan. Image Credit: NASA
The launch was scheduled for April 18, then April 12, then April 10, following the Flight Readiness Review (FRR). The first date set at FRR was earlier than that shown on previous planning schedules. The launch scheduled for April 10 was scrubbed at T-4 minutes due to a faulty valve in auxiliary power unit (APU) number one. The APU was replaced and payload batteries recharged. Countdown briefly halted at T-31 seconds when computer software failed to shut down a fuel valve line on ground support equipment. Engineers ordered valve to shut and countdown continued.
The primary payload, Hubble Space Telescope, deployed in a 380-statute-mile orbit. Secondary payloads: IMAX Cargo Bay Camera (ICBC) to document operations outside crew cabin and hand-held IMAX camera for use inside crew cabin; Ascent Particle Monitor (APM) to detect particulate matter in payload bay; Protein Crystal Growth (PCG) to provide data on growing protein crystals in microgravity; Radiation Monitoring Equipment III (RME III) to measure gamma ray levels in crew cabin; Investigations into Polymer Membrane Processing (IPMP) to determine porosity control in microgravity environment; Shuttle Student Involvement Program (SSIP) experiment to study effects of near-weightlessness on electrical arcs, and Air Force Maui Optical Site (AMOS) experiment.
NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center | <urn:uuid:eda43750-d319-40c8-94d7-7ad05bb0c401> |
I never heard anything about low stomach acid levels until I started researching ways to rid myself of acid reflux. During my research I found info on low stomach acid levels, in fact I think this is the real problem with almost all cases of digestive problems.
Think about this – Stomach acid levels tend to Decrease as we age! This is understandable as many other things tend to not work as well as we age. We tend to not have as many of the cells that produce the acid in the stomach.
This condition is known as atrophic gastritis. Although its not the only cause of age related stomach acid decline, it is the major one.
Younger people tend to not have indigestion while people in their mid- 20’s on up get it more frequently.
Does this make sense to you?
The group of people that generally has the higher amounts of acid in their stomachs, young people, has the lower instance of reflux and heartburn.
The group of people that has a higher percentage with less acid, older people, also has the most incidence of acid reflux and heartburn.
I am no doctor and I am not dispensing medical advice here, but if what I said above doesn't make you think, how about this - Before the doctor put you on acid suppressing pills, did anyone measure the acid levels in your stomach?
Here are some of the symptoms of having too little acid in the stomach from atrophic gastritis
These are just some, I didn’t list them all. Do any of those sound familiar? They should because most are the same symptoms as acid reflux caused by too much acid!
If you don't have enough acid in the stomach food doesn’t get broken down like it should and nutrients cannot be extracted and absorbed by your lower digestive tract. The stomach and small intestine can get overgrown with bad bacteria that normally wouldn’t survive there.
Every day millions of bad germs get into your body through the food we eat, the air we breathe or touching anything to the mouth, nose or lips. It is just an unavoidable part of being in a human body. Normal stomach acid levels kill these threats.
Low stomach acid levels allow for more of these bad germs to get a foothold and cause illnesses like salmonella.
The worst effects of atrophic gastritis come from decades of low stomach acid levels. If low levels can make us this sick, do you think it is wise to be taking pills that essentially do the same thing as atrophic gastritis, lower or eliminate stomach acid?
If this interests you and you want to learn more, here is a really great book on the subject; Why Stomach Acid Is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux and GERD
Let me be clear and say that there is no study that I found that says taking acid reducing pills will cause these problems, but they haven't been around that long yet.
Are you beginning to see how important a healthy digestive system is? Your goal should be more than to just rid yourself of acid reflux or heartburn. It might be time to take an active role in getting your health back and doing what you can to keep it before it leads to something worse.
Click the following link if you want to try to rid yourself of acid reflux naturally, and it doesn't matter if you have low stomach acid or too much, the fix is basically the same. | <urn:uuid:dab07a5b-6185-4459-937f-cef6f6cc5e53> |
2011 C.A.R.E. Guide: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps
NEA Guide for Educators
The 2011 edition of the C.A.R.E. Guide contains student activities, educator reflection opportunities, and video clips of experts sharing research and practice tips for educating culturally diverse students and students from low-income families.
download the full document
- C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps
( PDF, 12 MB, 174 pgs.)
C.A.R.E.: Strategies for Closing the Achievement Gaps offers strategies for improving the learning experiences of diverse students, especially those who are struggling to achieve at high levels. It focuses on four factors that affect student achievement: Culture, Abilities, Resilience, and Effort (C.A.R.E.).
Look at cultural differences by learning about the cultures that students bring to school - their everyday experiences - and connect these experiences to what is taught.
Recognize the abilities students have learned in their homes and communities that do not show up on standardized tests, but can contribute to academic success.
Cultivate resilience in students to help them persevere in school, despite repeated failure or discouragement they may have experienced in their environment.
Find out how students who are difficult to motivate are motivated outside of school and bring those interests inside the schoolhouse where they can be used to direct students toward academics. | <urn:uuid:fd5086ff-2787-4c7e-9ca4-6bcf377775ba> |
NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Saturday, August 30, 2014
HIV and AIDS
I am a student who is still studying and would like to ask questions regarding to AIDS, as I need some information that will help me in my assignment. I hope you can answer all of my questions, but if you can`t then just omit the question.
1. What are the strategies taken to increase the level of AIDS awareness among people?
2. Do you think cocktail drugs or antiretroviral drugs are effective to prolong the lives of AIDS patients? If possible, please give some example of cases to support your view.
3. Can you please explain how AIDS prevention is able to reduce the number of new AIDS cases among homosexual and heterosexual?
4. What are the efforts taken to educate AIDS patients to prevent spreading HIV to others?
5. How may people’s denial and complacency affect AIDS prevention and awareness campaign?
I hope you can give me some feedback since there are lots of book and articles that I have read giving different answers for the above questions that makes me wondering which one is true and accurate. Please kindly state your name, position and qualification so that I can refer your name in my reference list. Thank you and hope you will reply me soon.
Answers to questions #1, #3, #4. The HIV Prevention Trials Network (HPTN) is a worldwide collaborative clinical trials network established by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to evaluate the safety and efficacy of non-vaccine prevention interventions, alone or in combination, using HIV incidence as the primary endpoint. The HPTN will conduct Phase I, II, and III trials at 9 U.S. and 16 international sites, and is a successor to the HIVNET research network. For example, SEXUAL TRANSMISSION Prevention efforts Viral Load and Heterosexual Transmission of HIV-1. The risk of heterosexual transmission within couples in Uganda, in which one partner was HIV- infected and the other was not, increased with higher viral load. HIV transmission was rare among the couples where the HIV-infected partner had a viral load of less than 1500 copies of HIV-1 RNA per mL. Reductions in STDs Not Associated with Reduced HIV Incidence. A large study in rural Uganda found that community interventions to control sexually transmitted disease (STDs) were effective in reducing STDs, but did not impact the incidence of HIV. Intense HIV exposure in these communities and low population attributable risk may have overwhelmed the potential effects of the community intervention.
MOTHER-TO-INFANT TRANSMISSION Simple and Low Cost Nevirapine Regimen Reduces Transmission From Mother to Infant by 50%. A study conducted in Uganda found that a single oral dose of nevirapine given to an HIV-infected woman in labor and another to her baby within three days of birth reduced the transmission rate by half compared to a similar short course of AZT. Because the regimen is simpler to administer and much cheaper than the short course regimen of AZT, it may have useful in preventing mother to infant transmission globally. AZT Shown to Significantly Reduce Mother to Infant Transmission of HIV. In 1994, a landmark study conducted by the Pediatric AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) demonstrated that AZT, given to HIV-infected women who had very little or no prior antiretroviral therapy and CD4+ T cell counts above 200/mm3, reduced the risk of mother to infant transmission from 25% to 8%. This study formed the basis for the treatment of HIV-infected pregnant women in the U.S. and has resulted in the dramatic decrease in the number of pediatric AIDS cases in the U.S.
HIV Transmission through Breastfeeding. In urban Malawi, Africa, researchers measured the frequency, timing and risk factors for breastfeeding transmission of HIV. The results show that the risk of HIV transmission to an infant is highest in the early months of breastfeeding but is present for as long as an HIV-infected mother breastfeeds her child. Level of Maternal HIV RNA Strong Predictor For Risk of Perinatal Transmission. A study of HIV-infected pregnant women found that the infants born to women with the high levels of HIV in their blood had the highest rates of infection, while infants born to women with undetectable levels of HIV avoided infection.
SECONDARY PREVENTION Prevention of Recurrent Tuberculosis in HIV-infected Individuals. The rate of recurrence of Tuberculosis (TB) was found to be higher in HIV-infected individuals and strongly associated with a history of symptomatic HIV disease before initial diagnosis of TB. Post-treatment isoniazid prophylaxis was effective in decreasing the risk of recurrence in HIV-infected individuals and should, therefore, be considered for HIV-infected patients with a history of HIV-related symptoms at the time of TB diagnosis.
Answer to question #2. In the early 1980s when the epidemic began, AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency disease) patients were not likely to live longer than a few years. With the development of safe and effective drugs, however, people infected with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) now have longer and healthier lives.
Pamposh Kaul, MD
College of Medicine
University of Cincinnati | <urn:uuid:58eb04fa-5e87-4377-b750-78142dd8cf69> |
SALT LAKE CITY -- The slide that took down a corner of a Utah copper mine just might land in the record books.
Landslide experts say last month's rock avalanche at the Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah has all the signs of being North America's biggest one to date, not counting ones that happened before records were kept or those tied to volcanoes.
"It's so big," said Jeff Moore, the University of Utah geologic engineer behind the estimate, "it's hard to sense and feel."
"We haven't had something of this magnitude since [Montana's] Earthquake Lake" in 1959.
Moore's assessment is based on fact sheets mine owner Kennecott Utah Copper released shortly after the April 10 slide, when the company announced "more than 165 million tons" had tumbled from the century-old mine's northeastern section and sloughed to the mine floor six-tenths of a mile down.
By Moore's estimate, that's around 85 million to 92 million cubic yards of rock and dirt, along with traces of the copper, gold, silver and molybdenum that's been mined from the pit for more than a century.
That makes the slide bigger than the one that buried Thistle in Utah County in 1983. That landslide, of natural causes, amounted to around 28 million cubic yards and destroyed the town of Thistle, Utah, causing about $400 million damage.
The volume of material that fell from the side of Bingham Canyon on April 10 would fill 21 Great Pyramids of Giza, and spread out over New York City's Central Park, it would be 65 feet deep, Moore estimates.
And the epic Quake Lake slide in Montana? That earthquake-triggered landslide amounted to less than half the size of Kennecott's at 36 million to 43 million cubic yards.
Notably, even though Quake Lake was smaller in volume, its impact was felt in terms of loss of life. The quake and slide killed 28 people.
In the Kennecott slide, mine operators cleared people and most equipment out of the pit before any harm could come to them. The smart preparation meant damage to shovels, hauling trucks, graders, dozers and miscellaneous other equipment, but no injuries.
And one other important point: The slide isn't the biggest ever, or even Utah's biggest if you are counting volcanic and prehistoric landslides.
For one, the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption in Washington released around 4.8 billion cubic yards of debris. That makes it around 50 times larger than the Bingham Canyon rock avalanche.
"There are also many large events in the geological record indicating prehistoric landslides that outsized this one," Moore noted, pointing to the Sentinel slide that blocked Zion canyon and might have been as much as six times larger.
Kennecott spokesman Kyle Bennett said Wednesday the company is sticking by its early estimate that 165 million tons sloughed into the pit last month. But he declined to affirm Moore's ranking.
"I'm confident enough that I can say without a doubt that it is the largest one in Kennecott history," he said, adding that it is probably one of the biggest slides in the mining world, too.
Lynn Highland, a geographer and coordinator for the U.S. Geological Survey's Geologic Hazards Science Center in Colorado, has looked over Moore's estimates and concluded the Bingham Canyon slide is probably the biggest man-made one she's ever heard of.
"There's no doubt it was a big one," she said, echoing Moore's cautions about lumping it together with volcanic and prehistoric slides that no one was around to measure.
Highland noted that scientists and engineers will probably want to study Kennecott's slide even though their access to it will probably be limited because it happened on private property and was measured by a private company's monitors.
Already, she's heard from other mine operators who want to know how they can forecast big slides in their own pits.
"As a federal agency," she said, "we usually don't come in unless we're asked or invited because it is private property."
Even though he hasn't been invited into the pit to study it, Moore can't help but be fascinated by the big landslide.
Besides finding its place in landslide history, he's already developed a few more surprising guesstimates.
According to the University of Utah Seismograph Stations, there were actually two distinct slides, one at 9:30 p.m. and the other at 11:04; both of them lasted 1 to 1.5 minutes.
Moore's back-of-the-envelope calculation: Around 165 tons moved at more than 120 mph, even up to 200 mph. That's the speed of a Formula One race car.
For comparative purposes, consider that relocating the Atlas tailings pile outside of Moab, Utah, which is one-tenth the size of the Bingham Canyon landslide, will take 30 years.
The Bingham Canyon slide is not only bigger than the 1983 Thistle slide, but probably will have a higher price-tag, Moore predicts, when the cost of the mine slowdown, the cleanup and jobs lost are tallied. | <urn:uuid:8898abf9-74df-4adb-9b1e-6a9eefc253b9> |
Direct from the master
An original manuscript by Albert Einstein has been found by a student in the Netherlands. Rowdy Boeyink discovered the 16-page document, dated 1924, among papers that belonged to one of Einstein's friends. It describes the exotic state of matter now known as a Bose-Einstein condensate, which Einstein was working on at the time with the Indian physicist Satyendra Nath Bose.
Shuttle returns to no flight
The space shuttle will be grounded until March 2006 to give NASA time to fix the problems with falling foam. NASA's announcement follows publication of a report on 17 August in which seven members of a 25-strong group monitoring Discovery's return to flight say that NASA made the same mistakes as it did before the launch of the ill-fated shuttle Columbia in 2003.
A collapse in demand has forced one of the world's largest bicycle manufacturers into bankruptcy. The ...
To continue reading this article, subscribe to receive access to all of newscientist.com, including 20 years of archive content. | <urn:uuid:50517f61-7646-40f2-ad49-855699c4390a> |
IS THERE a pattern behind prime numbers? This is one of the biggest questions in mathematics. Now networks that reproduce relationships between primes and non-primes could point the way to an answer.
Primes are numbers that are only perfectly divisible by themselves and by 1. They can be thought of as the building blocks of numbers, because any non-prime – or composite – can be generated by multiplying primes together. But they remain mysterious: no one has been able to find a pattern in the way prime numbers are distributed among the composites.
To investigate, Marián Boguñá of the University of Barcelona, Spain, and his colleagues turned the numbers from 2 to 1 billion into a network by linking composites to their prime building blocks. They also devised a way to generate similar networks using other simple rules to link the numbers, and wondered if they could get these networks to reproduce the pattern of links between primes and composites.
Their rules depend on probabilities, so the generated networks are different each time. On average, the researchers found that the webs are very close to the real network of primes and composites. Previous work made it possible to estimate how many primes there are below a certain number, but this is the first time a model has reproduced the relationships between primes and composites.
The next step will be to generate more prime-like networks. Testing theories about the real primes has been difficult because there was no other similar system before this research. "There is only one set of primes, but with their technique you can produce a thousand different networks," says Dave Platt of the University of Bristol, UK. This might even help tackle a problem called the Riemann hypothesis, a proof of which is worth $1 million.
This article appeared in print under the headline "Prime numbers emerge from simple network"
If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to. | <urn:uuid:ae475cb9-5255-4c47-a2bb-57e6a385c90c> |
The New Nanny: Tablets and Other Mobile Devices that Teach and Entertain Kids
The new study from Nielsen shows that 42 percent of kids use educational apps on an iPad, iPod, or smartphone. While more and more parents are downloading apps for their children at home, educators have started infusing tablets and apps into their lesson plans. In 2011, more than 600 school districts nationwide reported using iPad programs to replace traditional textbooks in the classroom.
Schools.com released an infographic exploring how tablets and other mobile devices are transforming the way children learn and interact with technology. “The New Nanny: Tablets and other mobile devices teach and entertain kids“ centers on the recent upsurge in tablet purchases and their use among children ages 8 and younger.
“It’s fascinating to see how children embrace tablets and other technologies so quickly,” said Seth Restaino, spokesperson for Schools.com. “They’re not just using these devices to play mindless games, but instead games and apps that promote reading, memory, and math skills.”
“Many students are seeing higher grades on tests and overall improved academic performance,” continued Restaino. “Technology can be distracting and overwhelming at times, but in this case, it’s proving to be beneficial.”
How are your children using apps? Are they using them at home, in the classroom, or both? Let us know in comments!
Courtesy of: Schools.com | <urn:uuid:c425c9b3-8aa7-4a6a-820a-55bdaba0eec3> |
Photo journalism is the act of photographing people, events or places, in order to put together a narrative. The stories told by these types of photographs, which are collected, edited and presented in publications, on TV, in film, or via the Internet, must display honest depictions of subject matter, in order to create an ethical framework.
Impartiality is at the heart of effective photojournalism, so photographers, editors, and presenters must work hard to create stories that align closely with reality. Most photo journalists make a living by selling their work to newspapers or media organizations. These days, digital photography is a popular medium for photo journalism. However, more old-fashioned methods of photography may also be used, in order to capture certain moods and effects.
Principles of Photo Journalism
According to photo journalism experts, three principles must be adhered to, in order to create photographs that may be classified as true examples of photo journalism. The first principle is timeliness – in other words, images must have meaning within the context of current events. Capturing day-to-day events and reporting on them via pictures is what the best photo journalism is all about.
The second principle of photo journalism is objectivity – in other words, subject matter must be captured, edited and presented in an honest and unbiased way.
The third principle of photo journalism is narrative – in other words, images must gel with other news elements, so that facts may be understood by viewers, within a cultural framework.
Photo journalists report what they see, much as traditional reporters (who write stories) do. They simply use photographs instead of words. Therefore, the same principles of journalistic integrity come into play.
Daily Duties of Photo Journalists
Photographers who practice photo journalism must be prepared to endure harsh weather, unruly crowds, political tension, and physical challenges (such as lugging their photographic equipment wherever they go) in order to do their jobs effectively.
History of Photo Journalism
In the late nineteenth century, printing and photography advances allowed roving photographers to ply their craft almost anywhere that they wanted to go. Important events could then be captured on film. From 1880 to 1897, the first examples of photo journalism appeared, such as photographs of accidents, natural disasters, and important social events. In the old days, photos needed to be tweaked by engravers before they could be used in publications.
Typical photographs from the early days of photo journalism included daguerreotypes, which depicted soldiers who fought in wars, such as the Mexican-American conflict. One popular photo journalist of that time period was a Romanian artist and photographer named Carol Szathmari. His photographs were expertly conceived and composed, and they impressed a range of notable personages of the day, including members of the British Royal Family. Good examples of photo journalism often ended up on display in the world’s most prestigious art galleries and museums. In this manner, photo journalism evolved into a true and important art form.
Modern Photo Journalism
During the 1980s, photo journalism featured more realistic depictions of subject matter, which appeared in newspapers. Due to offset printing that allowed for more natural, clear reproductions of photographs, those who practiced photo journalism were able to get better end results. Part of the reason why photographs looked better due to offset printing was the higher fidelity of images. In addition, paper quality improved, offering a whiter, purer background for photo journalism shots.
Today, photo journalism may be practiced by anyone who respects the three principles of ethical and responsible photo journalism. Due to social media and the Internet, it’s possible for people from all walks of life to record the stories of the world in pictures. For this reason, photo journalism is more immediate and honest than ever before.
However, true photo journalists will always spend years developing their skills and ethics as they learn the intricacies of their jobs. Those who put painstaking detail into telling news stories through compelling and unforgettable photographs will always rise to the top of this challenging, but fulfilling occupation.
In the Internet Age, digital photographs may be transmitted to buyers or publications, virtually instantly. This speeds up the pace of business, and allows photo journalists to do their jobs in a whole new way. | <urn:uuid:7e44085d-dcd4-4670-a8bd-cd324a6a0568> |
Traces the origins of HIV to colonial Africa and examines efforts to fight the disease, identifying factors that are preventing effective treatments while outlining recommendations for fighting the epidemic.
Journalist Craig Timberg, the former Johannesburg bureau chief for The Washington Post, says international AIDS organizations working in Africa went off in the wrong direction in fighting the spread of HIV across the continent.
A woman walks past a banner placed around the perimeter of the Rand Afrikaans University in Johannesburg on World AIDS Day. The university used the banner to raise public awareness about AIDS and the devastating toll the disease has had in South Africa.
Paul Botes/AP Photo | <urn:uuid:e1e818ba-73d1-4e73-ba51-8236a2ada4b0> |
Memorial Day 2010
American citizens throughout this great land of ours gather on Memorial Day to remember our veterans, past and present.
We gather in cemeteries, large and small.
We come together in city parks and town squares and village greens to celebrate our most meaningful and important observance.
Our nation has observed Memorial Day for over a century, since the time of the Civil War. It’s a time to reflect on the greatness of a nation built on the sacrifices of her soldiers, soldiers who still today serve the underlying dreams of our homeland: freedom and peace, compassion and decency, and democracy.
It is always a great privilege to carry on the essential observance of Memorial Day. To pay tribute to those left behind in Germany and on the beaches of Normandy, Iwo Jima, the hills of Korea, the jungles of Vietnam, the sands of the Middle East, and the mountains of Afghanistan.
On June 6, 1984, in remarks commemorating the 40th Anniversary of D-Day, President Ronald Reagan said, “We will always remember. We will always be proud. We will always be prepared, so we may always be free.”
So we remember our soldiers on Memorial Day.
As well, we must remember and salute the millions of veterans living in New York State, and all of the many millions across our nation. Every single one of them deserves our gratitude.
We must especially remember and salute the men and women who serve in harm’s way this very moment to keep America strong and the world safer in the war against terror. They remain shining examples of the bravery, courage, and honor on which the American way of life has survived. Because of their service, we can look into the eyes of our young, the faces of the future, and have faith that they, too, will be instilled with the spirit to keep America great. To believe that the American way is a good, decent, worthwhile way.
In the end, perhaps this is the greatest justice for all of the missions flown, for all of the foxholes dug, for the hills taken and the battles fought. Our soldiers -- American soldiers -- have made and continue to make the ultimate sacrifice to keep America free, so that she can lead the way to a more free world.
Our soldiers sacrifice to keep alive America’s promise, so that people throughout the world can look to her for inspiration.
Our soldiers sacrifice to keep America strong, so that other nations can draw courage from her strength.
On this Memorial Day it is with a great deal of heartfelt emotion that we are able to say: our soldiers always have and always will stand ready.
For as long as we remember and keep our soldiers alive in our hearts, we will stand as we do -- free in a land of opportunity and promise. | <urn:uuid:5a833324-b5fb-4f27-bf03-1cf2994fbe29> |
The Theatre In France - Historical Comedy, Dogmatic Moralities, Dramatic Moralities, And The Last Mysteries In The 16th Century
( Originally Published 1902 )
Political Comedy under Louis xii.: Le feu du Prince des Sots,.—Political Comedy under Francis i.: La Farce des Théologastres, and the Reformation in Germany—Comedy in the provinces—The Theatre and the struggles of the Reformation in France : La Maladie de Chrétienté La Comédie facétieuse de Frère Fécisti, and the end of the political theatre—The Dramatic Morality the precursor of the Social Drama : Un Empereur qui tua son neveu--The Mimed Mystery in Paris and the provinces—The Spoken Mysteries, and the Brothers of the Passion : Les Actes des Wires and Le Vieux Testament at the Hôtel de Flandres—Disputes between the Brothers and the Parliament—Last representations of the Mysteries at the Hôtel de Bourgogne: the Edict of 154S—The Farce, the Sotie, and Parliamentary censure : end of Mediaeval Comedy—Influence of the Mysteries and Moralities on the destiny of the French Theatre.
COMEDY continued to flourish in the sixteenth century under the form of the Morality, the Farce, and the Sotie, and, in conformity with the traditions of the preceding century, remained the faithful mirror of the chief political events of the time.
The good days of the Theatre were under Louis xII. Even the most audacious comedies were patronised by the king, from political motives. By protecting the Farce and the Sotie, Louis xII. preserved them in a measure for his own uses, hoping thus to exploit the stage as a tool to work upon the minds of his subjects, and attach them to his cause. He did not even shrink from sacrificing his amour propre, and permitted himself to be constantly attacked and ridiculed at the theatre on the score of his avarice. A farce called La Résurrection de Jenin Landore, written about 1509, doubtless at the king's wish, abounds in allusions to the war with Italy, and the struggles of France with the Pope, with Spain, and with Venice. In I510 came the rupture of Louis with Pope Julius 11. This was due to the disloyal conduct of the Pontiff, who had suddenly turned against the French after summoning them to Italy as his allies. Since this struggle assumed a religious character, Louis XII. needed the support of his people to engage in a war with one who was recognised by all French Catholics as their spiritual leader. In this emergency he called the Theatre to his aid, and the poet Gringoire, at the king's order, composed different farces with the direct object of exciting the Catholics against the Pope, and thus winning them to the cause of their sovereign. The Carnival Fêtes were used for playing these farces, the most famous of which is Le Jeu du Prince des Sots.
This piece was acted on Shrove Tuesday, February 25, 1512, and the king himself is believed to have assisted in the performance. Le jeu du Prince des Sots is divided into three acts or parts : the sotie, the farce, and the morality. The principal abstract personages are the Seigneur de la Lune, who symbolises the part of the inconstant ones ; the Seigneur du Plat d'Argent, who personifies the poets, often without a roof to their head; the Prince des Sots, who is no other than King Louis xi1. ; Mère Sotte, the Pope ; and lastly, Sotte Commune, who stands for the peasants. Louis XII. won his cause ; but the Pope found some zealous defenders in the provinces, particularly at Lyons, where plays in honour of the Sovereign Pontiff were performed publicly in the market-place. Unfortunately, none of these plays have come down to us.
In the reign of Francis 1., who succeeded Louis XII., political allusions were rarely tolerated. In any case, the rôle of the Political Comedy in Paris became that of mere description. In this order of idea may be cited La Farce morale des trois pèlerins et Malice, which dates from the year 1520 : it gives us a very complete picture of contemporary manners, at the same time setting forth the Lutheran doctrine. From this period, indeed, began the active propaganda in France in favour of the Reformation spreading from Germany. The first Reformers perceived that the Theatre was a considerable force in the diffusion of their doctrines, and to this end wrote a great number of comedies and pamphlets, with the object of discrediting the Catholic religion. The most celebrated of their plays is La Farce des Théologastres, composed about 1525. The characters in this play are : Théologastre, or theology ; Fratres, or the monks ; Reason ; Faith ; the Mercury of Germany, who personifies Luther. Théologastre and Fratres discuss with Text and Reason the contradictions of the Councils, and the Mercury of Germany arrives, boasting that he is going to bring in light, and cure Faith, whom he declares to be very sick. To this end he washes Text in the Holy Scriptures, blackened by the theologians of the Sorbonne ; and after this operation Faith recovers his ancient vigour, and the piece ends.
In the provinces the Theatre was more free, and did not scruple to mix in politics after a general fashion. One celebrated farce, played at Rouen in 1536, is that of Les Sobres-Sots, which is filled with allusions to the political affairs of the moment, such as the edict against those who harboured Lutherans (1535), the tortures of the heretics burned in Paris, the expeditions of Charles v. to Tunis, Piémont, and Provence.
The Reformation in France dates from the first year of Henri 11. From that period, and down to the accession of Henri IV., comedy was often the instrument by which the Reformers attacked their enemies and set forth their own doctrines. The Catholics, on their part, resorted frequently to the same means for their defence. In 1558, at La Rochelle, a famous farce called La Maladie de Chrétienté, a violent satire against the Christian religion, was played before the King and Queen of Navarre. The principal characters of the play are Hypocrisy and Christianity. The latter, having fallen into a serious sickness after absorbing the poison of sin, refuses the ministrations of a third person, the Heavenly Doctor, who signifies Christ. Christ then forces him to swallow a syrup of justifying grace, and Christianity is at once relieved. The physician then undertakes an analysis of the poison absorbed, and this analysis is nothing more than an attack against all the powers that be—in particular, the clergy. Marguerite of Navarre, sister of Francis i., was herself the author of several farces written in favour of the Reformation. The best known is that entitled L'Inquisiteur. The Church began to resent these attacks ; and, in 1559, an edict was published at Nantes, by the terms of which it was forbidden to perform in public any farces, comedies, or moralities which had not previously been approved by the chief curé, officer, or magistrate.
The Catholics more than once resorted to the Farce as a weapon against their religious adversaries, but their plays were weak and had little success. The best of them is La Farce morale du maitre d'école, la mère et les trois écoliers, which is a direct attack on Luther. The Reformers re-plied by La Comédie facétieuse et très Taisante de Frère Fécisti en Provence, which contains all sorts of outrages against the Pope, the Sorbonne, and the monks. The excesses of this play contributed in large measure to disgust the public with Political Comedy. In the later years of the reign of Henri III. it was seen less and less frequently, and by the accession of Henri Iv. it had entirely disappeared from the stage.
Towards the middle of the sixteenth century some genuine little dramas were composed, under the name of Moralities, taken sometimes from history, or from historical legends, sometimes in-spired by sensational contemporary events. These compositions, while insignificant in appearance, marked a date in the history of the French Theatre. They were, in fact, the first step towards a National Drama in the English sense ; a drama, that is to say, released from the tyrannical exigencies of the ` rule of the three unities,' and gay, pathetic, and animated, without recourse to antiquity, or to the. surrounding nations. If this type had found acceptance, the dramatic genius of France would have revealed itself half a century sooner. The Romantic School would perhaps have essayed its forces at the same moment as Shakespeare, that is, more than two hundred years before the publication of the Preface to Cromwell ; and the bourgeois drama of Ducis and Diderot would also have seen its destinies advanced by two centuries.
The most famous of these dramatic moralities are the plays entitled Un Empereur qui tua son neveu, and La Tragédie Française à huit personnages, traitant de l'amour d'un serviteur et de tout ce qu'il en advint, both taken from contemporary history. Among the dramatic moralities in which the subject was drawn from the sources of ancient history, we have a pretty play founded upon a celebrated anecdote related by Pliny the Elder. It is the story of a woman condemned to death as a traitor to her country. Her daughter, who has vainly sued for pardon from the judges, obtains instead the favour that her mother shall not perish by a violent death, but shall suffer the pains of starvation. Permitted to visit the prisoner in her cell, this girl, who is married and is at the moment nursing her child, nourishes her mother, thus prolonging her life for six weeks, to the stupefaction of every one. Detected by the gaolers, she is denounced to the judges, who are struck with admiration, and pardon the condemned mother.
While Comedy was flourishing in the sixteenth century, the Religious Drama continued to enjoy a certain popularity, at least till 1550. The Mimed Mystery of the fifteenth century, though sup-planted by the Spoken Mystery, made a few last efforts in Paris during the first quarter of the sixteenth century ; but, as we have already seen, it changed its character after 1458--the allegorical element having come in to replace the purely religious element. Thus the two mimed mysteries represented in 1514 and 1515, the first on the entry into Paris of Mary of England, the other on the entry of Francis 1., were pure allegories. In the provinces the mimed mystery preserved its religious character. It was derived from the scenes of the Old and New Testament, and was usually played at the Feast of Corpus Christi, on sumptuous scaffolds. This was particularly the case at Draguignan and at Béthune, which were celebrated for the magnificence of their processions at the Fête-Dieu.
The Spoken Mysteries in Paris were the mono-poly of the Brothers of the Passion, who played them on Sundays and Feast days in a permanent theatre. Thus between 1500 and 1539 the Passion and the Mystère du Vieux Testament were represented in the Salle de la Trinité. Yielding, however, as we have seen, to the demands of the spectators, who began to weary of the monotony of these performances, the Brothers subsequently arranged with the Enfants Sans-Souci to act farces, and henceforward mingled the pleasing and the severe, to the great satisfaction of their audience. In 1539 the Brothers established themselves in the Hôtel de Flandres, where they performed Les Actes des Apôtres and Le Vieux Testament.
Five hundred characters took part in Les Actes des Apôtres, which was played on Sundays and Feast days, from Easter to All Saints. The mystery of the Vieux Testament was given in the following year, and its performance caused considerable annoyance to the Confraternity. The licentious character of the drama attracted the attention of the Parliament, and they forbade its performance in public, but the Brothers took no notice. This dispute between the Confraternity and the Parliament contributed not a little to the popularity of the show. The attacks aimed against the immorality of the play stimulated the curiosity of the Parisians, who resorted in masses to the theatre, and thus made its fortune. The play was so run after that Antoine, King of Navarre, passing through Paris on a week-day, and being unable to prolong his stay till the Sunday, solicited the favour of a special performance. The authorities acceded to his request, and he was thus enabled to applaud this highly religious, but also very indecent, mystery. Finally, however, the Parliament won its cause from Francis 1., who sanctioned the former interdict, by the terms of which it was forbidden to the Brothers to introduce into the mysteries any profane, licentious, or ridiculous scenes. It further profited by this opportunity to exact obedience to the statutes limiting the duration of the performances and the price of seats. Since their removal from the Hôpital de la Trinité, the Brothers had, in effect, increased their prices, which in any case did not exceed two sols, and had lengthened the performances, which should have been over by five in the afternoon. In 1547 the Hôtel de Flandres was demolished, and the Brothers settled finally at the Hôtel de Bourgogne, Rue Mauconseil. Less than a year after, the Parliament issued its famous edict of November 17, 1548, by which the performance of sacred mysteries was forbidden, while the Confraternity was still licensed to perform moralities and farces. This edict, at the same time, conferred on them the exclusive monopoly of the theatre in Paris and in the suburbs. The performances of mysteries at the Hôpital de la Trinité and the Hôtel de Flandres, between 1500 and 1547, numbered about eighty. Between 1547 and 1576 not more than fifteen were given. Finally, during the last quarter of the sixteenth century, the number of performances dropped to eight. After 1548, moreover, not a single play had been composed of the nature of the true mystery.
Exiled from the capital, the Mysteries took refuge in the provinces, where they were suitably represented throughout the second half of the sixteenth century. Those most frequently per-formed were : the Sacrifice d'Abraham, at Chartres, Laval, Metz, Lyons, Nancy ; the Saint jean-Baptiste, at Chaumont, Lyons, Draguignan ; La Passion, at Rouen, Argentan, Auxerre ; La Ré-surrection, at Angers and Douai ; and Le Vieux Testament, at Lyons and Draguignan.
The Mysteries were proscribed in Paris, in 1548. Neither were the Farces and Soties in any brilliant case at that moment. As early as 1536, the Basochians and the Enfants Sans-Souci had been forbidden to make allusion to any person whatsoever in their plays. In 1537 they were compelled to submit the manuscripts of their comedies to the censure of the Parliament. The rigours of the law applied to those who did not submit to this preventive measure, as well as the restrictions pertaining to the institution itself, disgusted authors and actors alike with the theatre.
Mediaeval Comedy weakened year by year, after 1550, and towards the end of the sixteenth century it entirely disappeared. During the whole of this period three regular dramatic companies were giving performances : the Brothers of the Passion, the Basochians, and the Enfants Sans-Souci. Along with these three societies, there were also troops of wandering comedians, histriones, mountebanks, art and trade guilds (who gave occasional performances), and burlesque societies, which flourished in particular at Rouen and Dijon, and whose spectacle consisted mainly in processions.
The influence of the Mystery on the destinies of the French Theatre was nil. Between Sacred Drama and Classical Tragedy there was nothing in common ; the passage from the one type to the other took place without any transition, and from the one day to the next the Drama underwent a radical alteration in form and matter. The influence of the Morality upon Comedy was quite otherwise ; the evolution occurred in regular order. The Morality in shedding off its abstract personages developed naturally into the Comedy of Character, such as L'Avare, Le Misanthrope, Tartufe, of Molière ; and later (in the eighteenth century) the Turcaret of Lesage ; Le Curieux Impertinent, and L'Ingrat, of Destouches. The Farce, in its turn, in becoming regularised, developed into the Comedy of Manners inaugurated by Les Précieuses ridicules of Molière ; illustrated in the eighteenth century by the plays of Dan-court ; and in the nineteenth by those of Picart, and, above all, of Labiche. | <urn:uuid:1517fdf2-55f5-4166-a15d-c262de12fb56> |
The legal definition for “nuisance”, though not quite as broad as its common usage, is still broad enough to encompass a variety of activities and conditions. In fact, one judge has even called it “a sort of legal garbage can.”
A nuisance is any human activity or physical condition that is harmful to the health of another person, is indecent or offensive to the senses, or interferes with another person’s reasonable use and enjoyment of his or her property.
Examples of a public nuisance include indecency, pollution, noise, and contagious disease. The exact definition may vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, so it is important to check your state’s laws.
Totality of the circumstances. Whether or not an act is a nuisance depends upon the unique facts and circumstances of your individual case. Relevant factors include:
- the population and location of your neighborhood
- the prior use of the land (in other words, what it has been used for historically)
- whether or not you have “come to the nuisance” (meaning that you moved to a location where the alleged nuisance condition has been ongoing for years)
- whether the nuisance is permanent or occasional
- the number of people harmed, and
- the degree of the harm.
So, some activities, such as roosters in your backyard, can be a nuisance in one location but not in another.
Policy behind nuisance laws. The purpose behind nuisance laws stems from the idea that you can use your own property as you like, however, in so doing, you cannot unnecessarily damage or devalue the property of another person, or the general welfare of the community.
Private Nuisance v. Public Nuisance
A nuisance can either be “public” or “private”. Generally speaking, a public nuisance affects the rights of an entire community or a large number of people, whereas a private nuisance affects an individual or the property rights of a small number of people.
However, the sheer number of people affected does not transform a private nuisance into a public one. The public must be affected in a manner specifically proscribed by your state’s statutes or common laws.
What is a Private Nuisance?
A private nuisance is an unreasonable, unwarranted, or unlawful interference with another person’s private use and enjoyment of his or her property. The test to determine whether an invasion is reasonable is whether the gravity of the harm is outweighed by the social benefit of the nuisance.
The interference must either be intentional, negligent, reckless, or ultrahazardous, and the harm caused must be significant and of a kind that would be suffered by a normal person or property in the same community. This means that if you are hypersensitive to a particular smell caused by a factory, the activity might not be considered a nuisance.
What Is A Public Nuisance?
A public nuisance is an unreasonable, unwarranted, or unlawful interference with a right common to the general public. Generally, any nuisance that is not a public nuisance is a private nuisance. So, a landlord's violation of a state’s housing codes would be both a public nuisance as well as a private nuisance to the tenants.
Why This Distinction Is Important
The distinction between public and private nuisance is important for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it determines whether or not you have standing (i.e., the right to sue).
An individual does not have standing to sue for a public nuisance, unless an exception applies. The principal exception is if you are harmed in a manner that is different in kind from the harm suffered by the public at large (i.e., you have a special injury).
Furthermore, a private nuisance is a civil wrong, meaning that damages are the appropriate remedy for those who have been harmed. On the other hand, a public nuisance is sometimes classified as a criminal offense, and it may be remedied by civil or criminal penalties, but it usually takes a city attorney or another public official (as opposed to a private citizen) to initiate an action over a public nuisance. | <urn:uuid:45adbe68-f07b-4b7b-9dc7-655d3d18e2ee> |
Want to help people? Interested in biology and psychology? There are a lot of paths open to you, but here's an especially promising one: occupational therapy.
What is Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is a branch of health-based service that involves providing aid and rehabilitation to people with injuries or disabilities so that those individuals can function in their lives without difficulty. Occupational therapy is different from physical therapy, because physical therapy is more focused on purely physical, movement-based issues, while occupational therapy has a broader emphasis on providing for unhindered life.
In general, occupational therapy is oriented around the bottom-line goal of functionality—of being able to perform the tasks that most individuals can perform on a regular basis with as little difficulty as possible. These include tasks such as using a computer, cooking and eating food, dressing, and so on.
Who is Treated Through Occupational Therapy?
Occupational therapy is used to treat both individuals who have suffered some sort of problem or injury and those who were born with permanent disabilities. Such disabilities might be of a more directly physical nature or they might be cognitive.
For example, occupational therapy would be used to help individuals suffering from disorders such as cerebral palsy or muscular dystrophy. Occupational therapists would not only provide some amount of education and training to these individuals so that they might be able to overcome their own disabilities, but they might also develop devices or tools which might make their patients' lives easier. Occupational therapy also involves helping individuals with disorders such as autism or ADHD to adapt to those conditions and come to function in their everyday lives without excessive difficulty.
An individual who studies occupational therapy may do so with an eye toward specializing in a particular section of the populace in terms of his or her intended patients. For example, someone who studies occupational therapy may what to work exclusively with children, while other students of occupational therapy schools may intend to work with the elderly.
Occupational Therapy Schools
Most occupational therapy schools exist at the graduate level of education, as occupational therapy continuing education is necessary to become a fully accredited occupational therapist.
For those interested in pursuing occupational therapy at an undergraduate level, there are two options: to pursue a joint bachelor's/master's program that will take you all the way to a full master's degree in occupational therapy or to go look into occupational therapy schools that award occupational therapy assistant degrees. Occupational therapy assistants are not full occupational therapists and are not allowed to perform the full spectrum of duties assigned to occupational therapists, but it is a good entry-level path into occupational therapy.
High-school or undergraduate students interested in occupational therapy may also attempt to prepare themselves for graduate level occupational therapy schools by studying appropriate subjects, including biology, psychology, chemistry, sociology, anthropology, and anatomy, which are courses typical for most careers in healthcare.
At occupational therapy schools, students should be hoping to obtain a master's level degree, such as an Occupational Therapy Master of Science (MS) degree or a Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT). The exact requirements held by occupational therapy schools may vary from school to school, but there are some general requirements dictated by the American Occupational Therapy Association, which are common across the board.
For more information, follow the link to our article on occupational therapy colleges
. Additionally, for information on the versatile options available through distance and online education, visit our page on online occupational therapy programs
What are the Job Prospects for the Occupational Therapy Field?
An occupational therapist can find work in many different places. These include rehabilitation centers, which often house useful tools and machines provided for assistance in occupational therapy. However, working at rehabilitation centers will often require a great amount of time and effort from the practicing occupational therapists.
Occupational therapists may also find work at elementary schools. Many students at elementary schools are in need of some form of occupational therapy, and many school systems are equipped and budgeted to provide such occupational therapy to their students. Unfortunately, working at a school is unlikely to provide as much of a complete and useful setting as working at rehabilitation centers. In addition to ample opportunities for jobs in different working environments, the average occupational therapy salary on the market today is on the rise.
Regardless of where you find work and what you earn, though, one thing is certain. Work in occupational therapy can be some of the most fulfilling work out there in the world today, and if you have the interest, it's a path that can take you to great places.
If you want to pursue occupational therapy as an undergraduate or if you're interested in pursuing occupational therapy assistantships, check out our article on earning an undergraduate occupational therapy degree. | <urn:uuid:1031c644-c449-488f-af16-e94caf23e9cb> |
Wales (1593 - 1633) Timeline
Christian : Protestant
Poems by George Herbert
Books - Links
His mother was a supporter of the arts and was particularly known for her patronage of the hugely influential poet John Donne.
George Herbert studied at Trinity College, Cambridge. It was during this time that Herbert wrote his first known poems. In them, he declared that love of God was a more worthy subject for poetry than love of women -- a decided shift from the often erotic focus of the earlier works of John Donne and other early Metaphysical poets.
After Herbert's graduation from Trinity, he gained notoriety as a university orator. Around this time, he also had some connection with Sir Francis Bacon (who has sometimes been linked with secret spiritual societies). A year before his death in 1626, Bacon dedicated a translation of the psalms to Herbert.
Instead of using his connections and rising position to attain high political office, he did an about face and took holy orders within the Church of England and became a country parson. He served the local community as a rector outside of Salisbury for the rest of his relatively short life. The care he showed his parishoners was so sincere that he was referred to as "Holy Mr. Herbert."
It wasn't until he was on his deathbed that he sent his unpublished poems to a friend, telling him to publish them only if he thought they might help "any dejected poor soul."
The manuscript was published as The Temple the same year as Herbert's death. It was immediately influential in British poetry and spirituality, inspiring other spiritual poets, like Henry Vaughan and Richard Crashaw.
Poems by George Herbert
An excellent site with a biography, timeline, all of the poems from The Temple, links to essays about Herbert. Worth a visit.
A biographical sketch, and several helpful links.
George Herbert & The Temple
Lots of links related to George Herbert's collection of poetry The Temple and its influence on Anglican liturgy.
The Academy of American Poets - George Herbert
A brief biography, along with a small selection of poems and links to other Metaphysical poets.
George Herbert Journal
A print publication of essays related to George Herbert. You can access a free sample issue online.
The Life of Mr. George Herbert
An in-depth biography of George Herbert written in the 1600s.
George Herbert and Bemerton
An very good website on George Herbert and his work, with biographical details, resources for teachers, etc. | <urn:uuid:9563f8a3-8354-46b6-97e8-c0fc445c7754> |
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Synopses & Reviews
John Reader, author of the seminal book Africa: A Biography of the Continent, now brings us Cities: A Magisterial Exploration of the Nature and Impact of the City from Its Beginnings to the Mega-Conurbations of Today?an eye-opening journey from the earliest settlements in Mesopotamia to the sprawling megalopolises of today?Tokyo, Mexico City, and Sao Paolo. Reader reveals how cities came to be, what made them thrive, how they declined, and how they remade themselves. He debunks long-held theories and shows that the first cities actually preceded and inspired the growth of farming; that trees grow better in cities; and that even though three thousand years separated Imperial Rome from the Sumerian cities, their everyday lives were quite similar and share commonalities with our lives today. Focusing as much on Baron Haussman?s creation of the Paris sewers as on his plans for the grand boulevards, on prostitution as on government, on human lives as on architecture, on markets as on cathedrals, Reader gives us a humanistic work fit to stand alongside Lewis Mumford?s classic, The City in History. Throughout this stimulating survey, Reader proves a marvelous tour guide to what he calls ?the brightest stars in the constellation of human achievement.?
"In his often captivating treatise on the city, Reader (Pyramids of Life) squelches the notion that country living is preferable to urban living, explaining in detail how cities actually maintain civilization and have done so since Sumerian times. More than half the world's population now lives in cities, compared with less than 10% in the 1700s. Cities provide more economic opportunities, and more intellectual and social stimulation than nonurban life. But the demands of their populations must be met from outside the city itself. (Cities cover only about 2% of the world's land mass, but require nearly three-quarters of its resources.) Thus, posits Reader, cities will need to improve for the quality of life of their inhabitants to improve — and to sustain themselves without damaging the rest of the planet with their heavy ecological footprints. He explores cities' historical and anthropological elements, focusing particularly on Europe and Africa (one of the book's flaws is the short shrift given to Asia, where overcrowding is phenomenal). Although heavy on statistics, this thorough and readable look at urban growth will interest historians, anthropologists, sociologists and urban dwellers. Illus. Agent, Jane Kirby. (Sept.)" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)
Charting the emergence of cities from the world's first cities in Mesopotamia to the megapolises of today (Tokyo, Mexico City, Sao Paolo), the author reveals how cities came to be, what made them grow and thrive, how they declined, and how they remade themselves.
A magisterial exploration of the nature of the city from its beginnings to contemporary Cairo, the largest city the world has known.
In his new book, an exploration of the city's functions and forms, John Reader grounds his work in broad-based research into the city's achievements and problems and makes extraordinary and thought-provoking connections as to the nature of cities, old and new.
From the ruins of the earliest cities to the present, Reader explores how they develop and thrive, how they can remake themselves, and how they can decline and die. He investigates their parasitic relationship with the countryside around them, the webs of trade and immigration they inhabit, how they feed and water themselves and dispose of their wastes. He focuses as much on Baron Haussman's creation of the Paris sewers as of his plans for the grand boulevards, on prostitution as on government, on human lives as on architecture, on markets as on cathedrals.
In this sweeping exploration of what the city is and has been, The Anatomy of the City is fit to stand alongside Lewis Mumford's 1962 classic The City in History.
"From the Hardcover edition.
Awe-inspiring in its scope and detail, Reader's Cities charts the emergence of cities from the world's first cities in Mesopotamia to the megapolises of today (Tokyo, Mexico City, Sao Paolo). He reveals how cities came to be, what made them grow and thrive, how they declined, and how they remade themselves. He scrutinizes cities from the ancient times up to the modern era, providing a genealogy of the world's first cities in Mesopotamia, examining Imperial Rome's rise and London's emergence as the capital of an economic empire. He looks at the design challenges presented by today's megalopolises, and refutes the conception that cities are essentially "artificial." His panoramic gaze captures the geographical and architectural forms of cityscapes as varied as industrial London, neo-classical Paris, and postmodern Los Angeles.
The New York Times called John Reader's Africa "awe-inspiring?a masterly synthesis." Cities is a work of equally ambitious scope?erudite and accessible.
What Our Readers Are Saying | <urn:uuid:aee24b9f-602e-4fa8-bb27-9bfa11855383> |
What it is: Your shins have to bear up to 6 times your weight while you exercise, so foot-pounding activities like walking and running can cause problems for the muscles and surrounding tissues and create inflammation. The strain and leg pain results from strong calves pulling repeatedly on weaker muscles near the shin. "Walkers who walk too much too soon, or too fast too soon, or who go up a lot of hills are susceptible to this injury because the foot has to flex more with each step, which overworks the shin muscles," explains Frank Kelly, MD, an orthopedic surgeon in Macon, GA, and a spokesperson for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Spending too many hours walking on concrete can also lead to this sort of inflammation. Severe or pinpointed pain in the shin could also be a stress fracture of the tibia.
What to do about it: Cut back on your walking for 3 to 8 weeks to give the tissues time to heal. "If it hurts to walk, avoid it," says Joel Press, MD, medical director of the Spine & Sports Rehabilitation Center of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago. You might need an anti-inflammatory medication, such as ibuprofen, or cold packs to reduce swelling and relieve pain. In the meantime, keep in shape by cross-training with low-impact exercises such as swimming or cycling. You should also strengthen the muscles in the front of the lower leg (anterior tibialis) to help prevent a recurrence.
Use this simple exercise: While standing, lift toes toward shins 20 times. Work up to three sets and, as you get stronger, lay a 2- or 3-pound ankle weight across your toes to add more resistance. Once you're ready to start walking again, choose a dirt path and walk for 20 minutes at a moderate pace. Increase distance or speed slightly each week. "If your shins start to feel sore, rest for a day or two, and when you exercise again, take it even more slowly," says Byron Russell, PhD, chair of the department of physical therapy at Eastern Washington University.
More from Prevention: Joint-Friendly Cardio Workouts | <urn:uuid:e2065248-487d-4616-8c09-67d2d2c87e1b> |
The North and South Pacific region is approximately 10,000 km east to west and 5,000 km north to south and comprises numerous islands of varying sizes (Papua New Guinea being the largest while Nauru, Tokelau and Tuvalu are each less than 30 square km in area). The marine environment is broadly tropical, extending north and south of the Equator. The broad pattern of marine biodiversity is a gradient of decreasing numbers of species from west to east and from warm equatorial waters away from the equator to more temperate waters. The western Pacific, of which this region is a part, has the highest marine biodiveristy in the world.
Key coastal marine ecosystems that characterise the region include mangroves, coastal lagoons coral reefs, seamounts, ridges, trenches and the pelagic ecosystem, which sustaines the world's largest remaining stocks of tuna. The area is significant for humpback whale migratory routes between breeding and feeding grounds in the north and the south Pacific. Other important marine species that are rare or globally threatened include turtles (6 species), saltwater crocodiles, dugong and sharks.
The indigenous people of the region are either Micronesian, Melanesian or Polynesian and are related to pan-Pacific migrations over the past two thousand years. More recent influences of French, British, Japanese and U.S. cultures have resulted in a wide diversity of people, cultures and languages. Traditional practices and customs are strongly focused on the coastal marine area, as many communities rely heavily on coastal and nearshore marine resources for subsistance needs.
Major threats to the Pacific region's biodiversity include a decline in coral reefs through bleaching, disease, runoff and nutrient enrichment, overfishing and sea level rise.
- Conservation Action Planning (CAP)
Since 2004, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) has been using the Conservation Action Planning (CAP) process to help guide our site conservation actions in Micronesia. The CAP process has the following objectives:
- Identify actions that produce long-term measurable conservation results at the local conservation area level;
- Establish partnerships to support and implement conservation interventions;
- Quantitatively and qualitatively measure conservation impact in the area over time.
The CAP integrates both empirical data and qualitative information in five core components:
- Systems – Identifying the biological systems, communities, and species in the Area of Biodiversity Significance that are the “targets” or primary focus for management and conservation efforts. These targets also serve as surrogates for the complex biophysical processes necessary to maintain them.
- Critical Threats – Identifying, assessing and prioritizing the threats that are degrading the targets and their causal factors.
- Stakeholders – Identifying individuals, groups, organizations and institutions that have an interest in the ABS and who can impact critical threats and conservation efforts.
- Strategies – Developing management and conservation interventions to improve biodiversity health, abate critical threats and build local capacity for long-term conservation.
- Measures of Success – Developing a monitoring and evaluation protocol to assess conservation impact over time.
To share this process rapidly with new projects and partners in the region, TNC uses a CAP workshop series, with 4-6 field-based teams coming together to comprehensively analyze biological, social, economic and other factors at their conservation sites. Teams then develop and assess strategic conservation actions to preserve or improve biodiversity, abate critical threats, and build local capacity for conservation. In 2007 and early 2008, TNC piloted a new CAP process. TNC invited new teams from the CNMI, Chuuk, Guam, and the RMI to participate in a series of on-site workshops facilitated by Trina Leberer, TNC Marine Conservation Coordinator. Teams were comprised of representatives from a variety of sectors, including local and federal governments, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and community groups. On-site workshops resulted in the following outputs:
Draft lists of conservation targets, with at least one key ecological attribute to their viability assessed per target
- Draft list of ranked threats (both stresses and sources)
- A Vision for each site
- Stakeholder / situation analysis for each site
- Revised map of the area
- Draft objectives and some strategic actions, and indicators to monitor
- Capacity assessment
- Process mapped from start to “finish” on how to work with communities in each site to do CAP / management planning
- SWOT analysis
These workshops also used the Pacific Island Marine Protected Area Community (PIMPAC) management planning guidebook and drew from the Locally Managed Marine Area Network (LMMA) methods for engaging communities in the planning process to ensure a key outcome of the process is the development of management plans for the CAP sites. In addition, in order to train the next generation of Micronesian CAP coaches, capable and interested individuals from previous teams have been participating in the process as coaches-in-training. The coaches-in-training include: Umiich Sengebau, TNC; Steven Victor, PICRC; Eugene Joseph, CSP; Betty Sigrah, KIRMA; Alissa Takesy, FSM PAN Coordinator; Mary Rose Nakayama, MCT; and Meghan Gombos, NOAA and PIMPAC co-coordinator. In April, 2008, teams from all four sites participated in one 5-day workshop to share their CAPs and draft management plans and receive feedback from each other. In the latter part of 2008, the coaches will then return to each site to facilitate the teams through modifications identified by peer-review at the group workshop, to discuss next steps for implementation of key strategies, and to help finalize management plans.
- Assistance in Identifying Ecoregional Priorities
In order to assist local partners in the FSM to fine-tune strategic conservation priorities identified in the FSM Blueprint and fill gaps in information on marine areas of biological significance (ABS), rapid ecological assessments (REAs) have now been completed in all 4 states (Pohnpei, Kosrae, Yap, and Chuuk). Following the completion of the Chuuk REA, TNC, partnering with the FSM Department of Economic Affairs, MCT, and state government agencies and conservation NGOs, is also planning to conduct a gap analysis / design criteria workshop to assess current ABS (both terrestrial and marine) for the nation and identify any gaps in potential design options for a nation-wide network of protected areas (20-23 October, 2008).
- Assistance in Sustainable Funding and Policy for Conservation
TNC is working with MCT to assist local partners in the 5 MC jurisdictions to develop sustainable financing plans for achieving the goals of the Micronesia Challenge within their jurisdictions. This entails identifying the long-term financial needs to effectively manage and conserve marine and terrestrial resources throughout Micronesia and assisting each jurisdiction to devise strategies for meeting these financial needs in a sustainable way.
- 2nd Regional Meeting of the Micronesia Challenge
More than 60 participants from the FSM, CNMI, RMI, ROP, and Guam converged on Pohnpei from 2-6 June, 2008 for the 2nd Regional Meeting of the Micronesia Challenge. The meeting was comprised of three components:
- A technical workshop “Moving Toward Measuring Our Effectiveness: The 1st Meeting of the MC Measures Working Group” to continue the discussion on regional indicators;
- A communications workshop “Moving Toward Communicating our Messages: the 1st Meeting of the MC Communications Working Group” to develop a regional communications strategy; and
- The 4th meeting of the MC Steering Committee.
The Measures Working Group met with the goal of defining a proposed process and timeline for the periodic measurement and analysis of progress made toward achieving the goals of the MC. In addition, the working group met the following five associated objectives:
- Establishment of a technical working group focused on developing a process for and coordinating the periodic completion of measurement and analysis of progress made toward achieving the goals of the MC;
- Identification of the regional overlaps and gaps associated with biological and social indicators related to natural resource management being collected across terrestrial and marine ecosystems by participating agencies and organizations operating within each of the participating jurisdictions;
- Identification of a shared set of results chains that are related to the MC goals;
- Consensus around a proposed set of relevant and useful categories of MC measures and a possible set of corresponding indicators to be collected across jurisdictions, as appropriate; and
- Recommendations to the MC communications working group on how the outputs of the MC measures working group could be used for messaging purposes.
The Communications Working Group met concurrently and succeeded in meeting the following five objectives:
- Review and finalization of a modular regional MC Communications strategy;
- Development of a template for island-wide communications plans that clearly link to the regional MC Communications strategy;
- Building a cohesive regional communications team by sharing information and lessons learned among communications and outreach working group members and carrying out team building exercises;
- Development of a regional inventory of summaries, photos, presentations, and other outreach materials; and
- Recommendations to the MC measures working group to foster the development of effectiveness measures that support messaging to key audiences.
Steering Committee Meeting
The Steering Committee came together for their fourth meeting in Pohnpei on 5 June 2008. The Committee elected Marion Henry (Focal Point, FSM) as the new Chairperson and Fran Castro (Focal Point, CNMI) as new Vice Chairperson. The Committee then discussed the following:
- Hiring process for the position of Regional Coordinator and the steps needed to finalize the office set-up in Palau,
- Update on the Micronesia Conservation Trust,
- Successes, lessons learned, and remaining obstacles and challenges that may be preventing the MC from moving forward more effectively,
- Piloting a business planning process in Palau as a follow-up to jurisdictional sustainable finance plan development,
- Upcoming fundraising opportunities at high profile events, and
- Hiring of a Communications consultant, at least on a temporary basis
The Committee also developed a proposed Regional Organizational Diagram and outlined several jurisdictional diagrams to better describe how the various conservation and management efforts connect in each place and across the region, in conjunction with the MC.
- The Nature Conservancy & Micronesia
More than 1,300 species of reef fish, 85 species of birds, 1,400 species of plants and 66 threatened species are found in Micronesia. Learn more about The Nature Conservancy's work and initiatives there.
- Sylvia Earle Alliance - Hope Spots
Hope Spots are special places that are critical to the health of the ocean, Earth's blue heart. Some of these Hope Spots are already protected, while others are important enough that it is imperative that they be protected. About 12% of the land around the world is now under some form of protection (as national parks, world heritage sites, monuments, etc.), while less than one percent of the ocean is protected in any way.
Micronesia Conservation Trust | <urn:uuid:14152157-422a-4e6e-b765-f201cc033887> |
Every day, people make choices among options they may have never experienced. Yet, they can make such choices rapidly, even confidently—yet unwisely. Whether good or bad, the choices are likely to be biased from past learning conditions,
Research is now clarifying how biased choices are made. All choices, biased or not, are influenced by the values we place on alternative choice options. If a past choice led to a good outcome, people are biased to make that choice again because a positive value has been attached to it.
If in a current situation where there is no past relevant experience, we can still make a choice easily. To do that, we must be able to assign positive value to the choice made. But how can that be done in the absence of past experience? It now appears from recent experiments that such decisions can guided by past memory associations.
Memories certainly modulate value assignment and thus decision-making. In one recent study, brain-scan imaging of humans has revealed that giving people monetary rewards activates a pre-established network of memories that spread the positive value of reward to non-rewarded items stored in memory. This creates a bias for later decisions to choose non-rewarded items.
As an aside, the study revealed that a key structure involved in memory formation, the hippocampus, predicts choice bias. It appears that activity in the hippocampus, as revealed in brain scans, helps to spread the reward value among memories of items that had never been rewarded, and thus bias future choices for these non-rewarded items.
The rationale for the study began with the authors’ realization of how the hippocampus helps to form memories. It encodes relationships between items and events to form a remembered association. Later, when an item is recalled, the hippocampus can automatically reactive the neural representation of the associated item. Here then might be a way that the hippocampus could re-allocate reward value when a past situation is recalled.
The choice task had three stages. First, the subjects had to learn association between paired items. They were shown a series of pairs of images, first one and then the other. Next was a reward phase, in which half of the second stimuli were rewarded with money. Thus, subjects unconsciously learned a response to value those stimuli that were directly rewarded. The researchers expected that the non-rewarded member of the pair might pick up some value by virtue of being associated with the rewarded member of the pair. If so, a bias might have been created for these non-rewarded items in future choice situations. Indeed, that is what they found in a later test in which only the first member of each pair was presented and subjects were asked to pick the preferred items. If no transfer of value had occurred in the prior learning, the choices would have been evenly divided. But that is not what was found. Subjects more often than chance preferred the stimuli that had previously been paired with a rewarded second stimulus.
Why is this important to the issue of blame? This issue was never considered by the authors. But to extrapolate from the experiment, we could conclude that sometimes we may blame a bad choice on the wrong cause. The real cause may have been our own bias for making a bad choice, in which we had erroneously assigned value on the basis of some past associations with experiences that were rewarded. That bias may have been created by some past experiences in which we had inappropriately assigned a high value to certain choice options that did not deserve such value.
So, for example, we might have had a past experience in which a good thing happened at the same time as other events which had no learned value or even negative value. But the value of the good thing spreads to bias attitudes toward the other events. In the future, in a different circumstance, we might unwisely choose the previously low-value option.
Here is a common example. Suppose we have a dear friend who we have found to offer a valuable relationship. We meet the dear friend’s associates, who may be unseemly characters that would make poor choices for us to value as friends. Yet, the value we attached to the dear friend spills over to the others and makes us less likely to be critical of them. Thus, we might start running with a bad crowd of people that get us into trouble. When we get into trouble, we likely will place the blame in the wrong place, without realizing it all started with the bias created in us by the value we had placed in our dear friend.
You can probably conjure your own examples. This whole process of learned bias can affect every aspect of our life. It is important for us to be more aware of our biases and the true value of our choice options.
Wimmer, G. E. and Shohamy, D. (2012). Preference by association: how memory mechanisms in the hippocampus bias decisions. Science. 338: 270-273. | <urn:uuid:c90e6c09-2af9-4927-8481-3a9b6bc4105e> |
The cornerstone of oxygenation therapy is the presumption that human disease, including cancer, is caused by a deficit of tissue oxygen. According to proponents, hypoxia results in anaerobic fermentation, a loss of capacity for oxidative detoxification of toxins and metabolic products, and failure of immune killing of invading bacteria and viruses. To restore ability to carry out these functions, oxygenation promoters propose using chemicals they claim will release oxygen in tissue or act as germicides in vivo. Some of the claims are based on the concepts of William F. Koch (1885-1962) and Otto Warburg (1883-1970) .
William F. Koch, a Detroit physician, theorized in 1919 that cancer was caused by a metabolic defect brought on by a single toxin produced by an injury or irritation. He proposed that toxins produced during metabolism and by bacteria were normally burned off during oxidation of carbohydrates. If the toxins persisted, they damaged the toxin-burning system and converted a normally present "harmless germ" into a virulent cancer-causing one. To cure cancer, Koch invented an "antitoxin to cancer" which he said was a mixture of an oxidizing catalyst he called glyoxylide (O=C=C=O) and a chemical called l:4 parabenzoquinone. A one-million-fold dilution of this solution was given to patients by injection every six months, to "stimulate all the body's oxidation reactions to cure the cancer and a host of other diseases." Koch never revealed the process for the manufacture of glyoxylide, nor did he show it to exist.
Does Koch's glyoxylide exist? The molecule glyoxylide has been a subject of investigation by chemists including H. Staudinger in 1913 to Berson in 1986 . Recently Sulzle reviewed the literature and considered the theoretical possibilities for the existence of a compound like glyoxylide. He found that all efforts to prepare, isolate, or chemically identify this compound failed. His studies on the theoretical physical chemistry of glyoxylide showed that the substance described by Koch cannot exist in nature. This, along with Jenssen's failure to find anything in Koch's "medicine" , confirms the conclusion that the glyoxylide which Koch claims to have invented did not exist.
Otto Warburg professed that the cancer problem could be solved if one could identify a biochemical difference between the energy-producing systems of normal cells (controlled growth) and cancer cells (uncontrolled growth.) His research with tissue slices led to the discovery of oxygen-transferring enzymes in cellular respiration, and for this he won a Nobel Prize (1931). In 1944 he won a second Nobel Prize for identifying the enzymes that transfer hydrogen in metabolism . But his research never showed that oxygen use by normal and cancer cells was different. What he did find was that cancer cells produced lactate from glucose in the presence of oxygen whereas normal cells only produced lactate from glucose in the absence of oxygen. This observation led him to conclude that energy metabolism in cancer cells was defective .
By 1960, research had identified nearly all energy-producing metabolic pathways in both normal and cancer cells and showed that energy-producing systems in normal cells were the same as those found in cancer cells . Despite this, Warburg insisted until his death in 1970 that the cause of cancer was "inferior" energy of anaerobic metabolism.
Oxygenation proponents follow the lines of Koch and of Warburg. They claim that toxins that adulterate processed foods, the environment, and medications damage the oxidative metabolism of normal cells which then regress into anaerobic metabolism in which an inferior energy is produced, resulting in cancer. Normal functions such as digestion, elimination, and immune function are also claimed to benefit from treatment with pure, all-natural, poison-free nutrients, vitamin and mineral supplements, and oxygen-yielding substances that restore and replenish the oxygen needed by tissues for burning off toxins. Hydrogen peroxide and ozone are the substances recommended [11-13].
Hydrogen peroxide, H2O2 , was discovered in 1818. It is present in nature in trace amounts. Hydrogen peroxide is unstable, it decomposes violently when in direct contact with rough surfaces or traces of organic or particulate matter. Light, agitation, heating, or chemical substances like carbonates, proteins, chlorides, charcoal, and iron all accelerate the rate of hydrogen peroxide decomposition in solution. One volume of 30% hydrogen peroxide solution will yield 100 volumes of oxygen gas when it decomposes. At 30-35 %, so-called "food grade" hydrogen peroxide is caustic, producing severe skin burns. It can start a fire if allowed to dry on a combustible surface.
Among the earliest proponents of the use of hydrogen peroxide as a treatment for degenerative diseases like cancer was Father Richard Willhelm, . In the 1940's, while working with a microbiologist at the Mayo Clinic, he "learned that bacteria can gnaw at the joints, cause inflammatory arthritis, give off calcium waste that cements bones together, lodge in the liver and kidney and form stones, leave hard deposits on walls of arteries, short circuit the energy in the brain, cut off the blood supply to cells and cause a loss of oxidative metabolism." From Koch and Warburg's work he heard that "cancer doesn't like oxygen," and because he knew that hydrogen peroxide gave off oxygen when it decomposed, he concluded that it should be used to treat diseases which were the result of "inadequate oxygen metabolism." Willhelm referred to hydrogen peroxide as "God's given immune system."
Willhelm met Walter Grotz, a retired US postal system employee, in 1982. When Grotz complained about the pain that his arthritic condition was causing, Willhelm suggested that each day for several weeks Grotz drink from l to 7 glasses of pure water to which a few drops of "food grade" 35% hydrogen peroxide had been added. Grotz said that doing this made him pain free, and he became Willhelms disciple. As a result of their travels, spreading word about peroxide, peroxide became popular for many other uses such as misting flowers, disinfecting aquariums, oxygenating garden soil, bathing pets, treating livestock and fowl, and washing vegetables and farm crops . Most often however it was promoted as a treatment for human illness because, as Willhelm put it, "hydrogen peroxide joyfully relieves asthma, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, emphysema, cancer, the common cold, herpes, candidiasis, angina, malaria, gingivitis, tumors, warts, lupus, psoriasis, moles, amoebiasis and hemorrhoids." [l6,17]
Proponents [11,12] also suggested that patients treat themselves at home by drinking hydrogen peroxide, using it for brushing their teeth, enemas, high colonics, or douches, soaking in a bath with it, or massaging it into the skin. Instructions for preparing the peroxide to be drunk are given in newsletters from "health food" companies that sell what is called "food grade" hydrogen peroxide . One proponent states that it takes one week to "clean out" both the "good and bad" flora in the stomach: "When hydrogen peroxide comes in contact with virus and streptococcus (the bad flora) in your stomach, it liberates free oxygen. If your stomach feels queasy after you drink the (peroxide) solution, the peroxide is seeking out and destroying virus and streptococci. The normal flora, the good ones, can then be replaced by eating plain yogurt and health food supplements that contain acidophilus, bifidus and bulgaricus."
Proponents suggest that hydrogen peroxide can also be administered by soaking for 30 minutes each day in half a bathtub of water containing a pint of 35% "food grade" peroxide, by spraying a 3% solution of "food grade" hydrogen peroxide on ones body, massaging it into the skin three times a day, and by rubbing a gel containing 35% "food grade" hydrogen peroxide, glycerin, and Aloe Vera into the skin . Wilhelm describes a "do it yourself" recipe for making hydrogen peroxide pills for those who are unable to drink it. It calls for mixing baking soda and food grade 35% hydrogen peroxide, allowing the mixture to dry overnight and placing the pulverized powder into capsules. The patient takes three pills per day .
Another proponent proposes intravenous infusion of hydrogen peroxide as oxidative therapy [l3]. "There is no distinct class of patients that are [sic] best suited for intravenous hydrogen peroxide therapy because of the wide variety of pathological conditions that improve from oxidative detoxification, the oxygenation of hypoxic tissues and the stimulation of the immune system that an intravenous infusion of hydrogen peroxide induces. Specific benefits are seen in patients with peripherovascular, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular diseases, arrhythmias, emphysema, asthma, cancer, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, Parkinson's disease, migraine, cluster and vascular headaches, allergies, and pain. There may even be a reversal of atherosclerosis due to the action of the peroxide on the lipid material in blood vessel walls" [13,19].
In directions for injecting hydrogen peroxide intravenously one is instructed to prepare 100 ml aliquots of sterile l5% hydrogen peroxide infusion solution made from 30% "food grade" hydrogen peroxide and sterile water to be stored frozen in sealed vials. For injection, the stock is diluted with 5% dextrose to give the final 0.075 % product .
Ozone was discovered and named by Schonbein in l839. It is formed when an electric spark or ultra-violet (UV) light splits an oxygen molecule into two highly reactive oxygen atoms. Each of these combines with intact oxygen to form the tri-atomic ozone, O3. Ozone is one of the most powerful natural oxidizing agents known because of the highly reactive free radicals it generates on decomposition. These free radicals can destroy many natural biological substances . The discovery of inert plastics made ozones medical applications possible. In the late 1930's, German doctors began to use it in experiments on patients who had a variety of infections and wounds [20-22]. Ozone gas might be bubbled directly into the patients blood, it might be bubbled into blood taken from the patient after which the blood would be re-infused, it might be bubbled into a solution to be used in an enema, colonic irrigation, or douche, or it might be pumped directly into the rectum. Except for situations in which ozone was used topically, the determination of effectiveness was depicted by patient testimonials.
When ozone is introduced into blood, it reacts with water in red cells producing hydrogen peroxide. This aqueous decomposition of ozone also produces bactericidal and membrane-damaging free radicals . Ozone used for treatment is prepared by creating an electric spark in a chamber of pure oxygen. The final mixture contains between 0.l and 5.0% ozone, concentrations that are equivalent to from l.0 ppm to 50 ppm ozone in pure oxygen.
Ozone generated this way has a half life of 45 minutes at room temperature, and under ideal conditions of sterility, dryness, and cleanliness, it must be prepared on site each time it is used. A two-hour exposure to 1200 ppm ozone is needed to kill microorganisms on open surfaces and in water . Concentrations of ozone recommended are: for topical treatment of superficial wounds, 70 to 100 ppm; for slow-healing ulcers, between 40 and 70 ppm; and when oxygenating effects are needed to treat diseases associated with hypoxia, from l to 40 ppm .
Ozone has been proposed as a treatment for AIDS [24,27-29]. "Results of experiments indicate that medical ozone has the ability to inactivate extra-cellular HIV-l in serum-supplemented tissue culture fluids and to inhibit the growth of HIV-l at concentrations that are benign to cells in tissue culture." However, HIV is susceptible to inactivation by many relatively innocuous compounds, and claims for benefiting AIDS patients are unconfirmed [ 26,30,31].
In 1993 testimony before Senator Harkin's Subcommittee of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Ed McCabe, a promoter of ozone, stated, "644 German ozone therapists successfully treated 384,775 patients with 5,579,238 doses of ozone with no ill effects. Thousands of published medical papers contain proof of ozones effectiveness in vivo. Numerous US physicians have converted hundreds of AIDS patients from HIV sero-positive to HIV sero-negative status using ozone. Help is available to AIDS patients right now but the medical establishment is ignoring it." No evidence for the claims exist in reliable scientific literature.
Does anaerobic metabolism cause cancer?
In a 1961 monograph , Aisenberg reviewed and analyzed the subject of energy metabolism in normal and tumor tissues. He concluded that most carcinogens are not respiratory poisons; most respiratory poisons are not carcinogens; oxygen neither prevents nor inhibits cancer growth; tumor cells grow optimally in tissue culture dishes in atmosphere containing 20% oxygen; tumors grow rapidly in tissues that are well supplied with oxygenated blood; absence of oxygen does not stimulate tumor growth in vitro or in vivo; agents effective against cancer interfere with DNA synthesis, not with aerobic metabolism; tumors do not get a significant amount of their energy from anaerobic metabolism; tumors can and do produce energy by an oxygen-driven metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.
Since the mid 1960s, information amassed has identified cancer initiation, promotion, and progression. Alteration of genetic regulation through DNA damage, oncogene activation, and inhibitor dysregulation give rise to abnormally proliferating cancer cells. There is no evidence of "poisoning" in the respiratory enzyme systems of tumor tissues. Although Warburg discovered some differences in metabolism between normal and cancer cells, research did not bear out what he considered to be the "primary cause of cancer," i.e., the replacement of respiration by fermentation..
How much of an effect can "oxidative therapy" have in treatment of disease?
The transfer of atmospheric oxygen in the lungs to tissues involves oxygen transport from alveoli to hemoglobin in red cells to tissue cells for use in oxidative metabolism. When oxygen is used as a drug, its pharmacological properties must be defined so that the hazards that attend its use can be monitored . Under normal circumstances, each breath of air taken at sea level has a volume of about 500ml. Slightly less than 20% of this is oxygen. The pressure of air at sea level is 760 mm of mercury (Hg), and the partial pressure of oxygen is about l60 mm Hg. When inspired air reaches the alveoli, it mixes with the gases already present. The partial pressure of oxygen in the alveolar sac is about 100 mm of Hg. Since the partial pressure of oxygen in the pulmonary arteries in the alveolar membranes is about 40 mm of Hg, the oxygen in the alveoli diffuses across the alveolar membrane and into the venous blood. There it is taken up by red cell hemoglobin .
Under normal conditions, hemoglobin in blood leaving the lungs is 98% saturated with oxygen. The hemoglobin in one liter of blood can carry about 200 ml of oxygen, and about 50 ml of this is extracted each time it passes through tissue capillaries. The metabolism of a normal 60 kg adult requires delivery of between 200 and 250 ml of oxygen each minute . Since the amount of hydrogen peroxide that is infused into a patient during one "oxidative therapy" session, yields a total of 100 ml of oxygen per day, the treatment can make no significant contribution ones oxygen requirements .
Is hydrogen peroxide bactericidal and viricidal?
Phagocytosis is the principal mechanism for the removal of pathological bacteria and fungi . Activated phagocytic cells are drawn to the site of infection, attach to the infectious organisms, and ingest them. The killing of the organisms takes place inside the phagocytic cell. Enzymes generate superoxide free radicals which are fused by superoxide dismutase to produce hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide oxidizes cellular chloride in the cell to the killing chloride free radical.
Proponents of oxidative therapy propose that hydrogen peroxide kills bacteria because of their low levels of peroxide-destroying enzymes. But there is no evidence of oxygen intolerance in anaerobic organisms. Although proponents allude to a variety of antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-parasitic actions of hydrogen peroxide , they admit that no peroxide-related germicidal activity is found when hydrogen peroxide is infused into patients infected with a variety of organisms . The absence of hydrogen peroxide bactericidal activity has been confirmed by independent investigators . For instance, there is no bactericidal when hydrogen peroxide is infused into blood of rabbits infected with peroxide-sensitive E. coli.
Moreover, increasing the concentration of peroxide ex-vivo in rabbit or human blood containing E.coli produced no evidence of bactericidal activity. Lack of effect of high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide was directly related to the presence of the peroxide-destroying enzyme, catalase. To have any effect, high concentrations of hydrogen peroxide would have to be in contact with the bacteria for significant periods of time. But the large amounts of hydrogen peroxide-destroying enzymes normally present in the blood makes it impossible for peroxide to exist in blood for more than a few seconds. One must conclude that hydrogen peroxide introduced into the blood stream by injection or infusion cannot act as a germicide in human blood.
Hydrogen peroxide does participate in the bactericidal processes within activated phagocyte cells. But when it escapes from the cells into the adjacent extra-cellular space during the inflammatory process, it becomes a major contributor to the tissue damage seen in lung disease, malignancies, and hemolysis. The presence of pharmacological concentrations of hydrogen peroxide in the blood is clearly a double-edged sword which can easily cause as much harm as it can cause good .
Can infused hydrogen peroxide raise blood oxygen levels?
Hemoglobin in red cells of arterial blood gives up about 25% of its oxygen when it passes through the tissues, so the hemoglobin of the venous blood leaving the tissues is oxygen-poor. When hydrogen peroxide is injected into venous blood, the oxygen released by the action of catalase is taken up by oxygen-poor hemoglobin. When this venous blood reaches the lungs, it is carrying more oxygenated-hemoglobin than normal. Less oxygen from inspired air is required to saturate it. When arterial blood leaves the lungs it is almost fully (98%) saturated with oxygen and so it becomes impossible for the intravenous infusion of hydrogen peroxide advocated by "oxygenation" proponents to further increase the amount of oxygen carried to the tissues.
The infusion of hydrogen peroxide into arterial blood is a completely different situation. A theoretical model predicts the effects of an infusion of a hydrogen peroxide solution into arterial blood. Hemoglobin in arterial blood is already saturated with oxygen, so the oxygen released from hydrogen peroxide would not be taken up by hemoglobin. Therefore it would go into plasma. But the process of solution is slow, so undissolved oxygen gas could linger in the blood as bubbles for as long as 30 minutes. In the model, Johnson used 0.12% peroxide to produce a final level of 0.006 volumes peroxide per 100 ml in rabbit blood. Although this amount of hydrogen peroxide released 3.0 ml of oxygen gas in every 100 ml of arterial blood, most of the gas could be taken up by the small amount of unsaturated hemoglobin (2%) in the arterial blood. If however, the hydrogen peroxide content of the blood was doubled, 6.0 ml of oxygen gas would be generated per 100 ml of blood, and this could not be handled by available hemoglobin. Undissolved arterial oxygen would then create gas embolism. Consistent with this prediction for peroxide levels higher than 0.006 volumes percent, Johnson found that at 0.01 volumes 0.12% peroxide, oxygen gas embolism resulted in complete shut down of capillary blood flow in the treated rabbits.
Can oxygen dissolved in the plasma support metabolic needs?
When little or no unsaturated hemoglobin is present,100 ml of plasma at100 mm of ambient (alveolar) oxygen pressure can hold 0.3 ml of oxygen in simple solution. This means that the total amount of oxygen that could be dissolved in all of the plasma in a 60 kg adult, would be about 20 ml. Since there is no physiologic mechanism by which oxygen dissolved in the plasma can be extracted, and since tissues require 200 to 250 ml of oxygen per minute , the 20 ml of oxygen dissolved in plasma can be of little use in relieving tissue hypoxia or for supporting aerobic energy metabolism [14,32,33].
Is ingestion or infusion of hydrogen peroxide safe?
At the end of his paper on how to infuse hydrogen peroxide intravenously, Farr cautions that the capacity of the lungs to allow gas embolism diffusion is limited. A continuous infusion of peroxide that results in 0.01 volume per 100 ml blood can cause an arterial gas embolism and irreversible lung damage . That such adverse reactions do occur is clear from reports in the medical literature. These incidents include: oxygen gas emboli, necrosis and gangrene following peroxide enemas or colonic lavage [37-41,]; emphysema following peroxide mouth wash or gargle ; and ulcerative colitis, gas embolism, and emphysema following deep wound irrigation [43-45]. Peroxide ingestion results in respiratory arrest, seizures, gas embolism in the portal circulation, shock, and acute hemolysis. [46-48] Stroke and multiple cerebral infarcts and venous embolism follow irrigation of anal fistula and irrigation of surgical wounds . In contrast, the literature published by proponents of oxygenation therapy contain no report of adverse clinical incidents resulting from ingestion or infusion of hydrogen peroxide.
Is ozone effective against HIV?
In 1991, Wells et al reported that gaseous ozone inactivated cell-free HIV-l in cell-free culture medium. Using escalating concentrations of ozone, they showed that a l200 ppm dose delivered into the solution for two hours, reduced the number of infectious viruses by about l011 and reduced detectable virions about 85%. However, there was also a significant reduction in infectivity after virus exposure to nitrogen. Other factors influencing the rate and degree of inactivation of HIV-I by ozone were protein and plasma components in the culture medium. (HIV is known to be inactivated by a host of relatively inactive substances.) While ozone might be useful in rendering commercial blood products free of infectious organisms, more extensive analyses of the HIV-I life cycle was needed before ozone's usefulness as an in vivo anti-retroviral agent could be defined. Poiesz, Wells' co-author, wrote, " No further in vitro work has been done and to my knowledge no in vivo work has been done."
Carpendale and Freeberg studied the effect of 4 ppm ozone on HIV-l suspensions in vitro. Ozone was rapidly degraded by serum components in the culture medium. They theorized that the virus inactivation must have been caused by unknown ozone reaction products. Reaction products of ozone and fatty acids called ozonides have been studied, and some are known to mimic the cellular effects of ozone [51,52]. But Carpendale et al did not report on the effects of ozonides on HIV in suspension.
Does autohemotherapy kill or inactivate HIV-I ?
Ozone has been used to treat infections for nearly 50 years. For the most part the treatments were based on impressions from uncontrolled anecdotal clinical experiences reported in German newspapers, magazines, and proponent newsletters. With the coming of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s, some physicians offered ozone treatment. Organizations began promoting the medical use of ozone at international meetings. The majority of the papers presented at these meetings referred to the germicidal activity of high concentrations of ozone in vitro, but no convincing evidence was presented that autohemotherapy with ozone at concentrations ranging from 0.l to 5.0 ppm had an effect against HIV in AIDS patients.
In 1991, Garber et al carried out the first well controlled clinical study of auto-hemotherapy for AIDS. These investigators first tested for safety in a Phase I trial and found no toxicity after 12 weeks of treatment. In the Phase II trial which followed, AIDS patients were entered into a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded program designed to compare the effects of unprocessed or ozone-enriched blood infused intermittently over a period of 8 weeks. All patients had CD-4 T-cell counts between 200-400 cells/ul. The results showed that ozonated blood produced no significant hematologic, biochemical, or clinical toxicological effects when compared with controls. CD-4 T-cell counts, interleukin 2, gamma interferon, beta-2 microglobulin , neopterin, and p-24 antigen were unaltered. These results have been replicated and confirmed by independent investigators .
In May 1995, the 12th World Congress of the International Ozone Association convened in Lille, France. Of the 42 papers presented, none addressed the effectiveness of autohemotherapy in the treatment of AIDS . In August, 1995, Prof. V. Bocci, one of the organizers of that meeting, wrote:
My positon is based on theoretical grounds that ozone autohemotherapy may be useful only because there is no valid alternative. From a practical point of view I have great difficulty organizing clinical trials. I have frequently expressed my deep concern over the irresponsible, uncontrolled, and unscrupulous information that is being spread around. You must understand that I am not responsible for what is being done or said by people in the U.S. Personally, my interest is in investigating whether properly performed autohemotherapy can be useful for the treatment of chronic viral diseases and other pathologies. As of this time there is no evidence of its validity .
In reviewing the clinical histories of AIDS patients who were being treated with ozone, H. S. Fuessl, leading German AIDS specialist , states:
After observing ozone treated AIDS patients for long periods of time, we noted that patients who had just started on the ozone therapy showed some increases in CD-4 T-cell counts. But a few weeks later their CD-4 T-cell counts not only returned to their original low levels but in many cases went lower as the clinical picture clearly worsened. Two patients died before our eyes from opportunistic infections soon after beginning the ozone therapy. Those of us who treat HIV infected patients on a daily basis recognize that monitoring the changes of the CD-4 T-cell counts over a short period of time, does not accurately reflect the effect of the treatment or the prognosis of the patient. After following a number of AIDS patients that were receiving ozone therapy, I recognized that increases in the CD-4 T-cell counts could occur in any patient, at any time. But it did not mean that HIV was being killed or that the infection was being arrested. In spite of this knowledge, CD-4 T-cell counts are still the primary diagnostic and prognostic tools used by ozone therapists. (translated from the German by S. Green)
Is autohemotherapy approved by German medical authorities?
Autohemotherapy proponents refer to the widespread use of this treatment in Germany, implying that it is sanctioned by the German medical establishment. Dr. Barbara Burkhard of the Medical Office of Patients Insurance-Bavaria (Munich, Germany) writes, "Ozone therapy is not approved by the medical establishment in our country. The National Health Insurance (Gesetzliche Krankenversicherung) is not allowed to pay for it. In the book of laws on this subject (Sozial Gesetzbuch V), the obligations for insurance institutions are fixed. They are only required to pay for methods that are in accordance with generally accepted medical knowledge and which have made proven contributions in medicine. Doctors who have contracts with health insurance companies only get reimbursement for treatments that are approved by the Bundesausschub der Artz und Krankenkassen. This committee is governed by social insurance regulations and issues the rules for diagnostic and therapeutic medical methods. In an Appendix to their book of rules, methods not approved are listed. Ozone therapy is number 3 on that list."
Are there adverse effects of the use of autohemotherapy?
As of 8/14/1995, a search of the Medline, Health, AIDSline, and Cancerlit databases back to 1966 turned up more than 100 papers citing adverse effects in humans or in experimental animals caused by ozone or ozone reaction products. There were no references to papers in peer-reviewed medical journals that reported beneficial effects when ozone was used as a treatment for viral infections.
How are AIDS patients sold ozone autohemotherapy?
The idea that infusion of ozone-treated blood can cure AIDS patients is being marketed despite is lack of efficacy. This was clear from the testimony of Mr. Ed McCabe, before Senator Harkin's subcommittee of the Committee on Appropriations, U.S. Senate, 1993 . After accusing the medical establishment of intentionally ignoring an effective treatment for AIDS, McCabe declared that he had proof that help is available to AIDS patients right now and that thousands had been successfully treated. But McCabe did not give the Committee references by which his proof could be verified, and he did not identify any of the medical papers he said contained the evidence of autohemotherapy's effectiveness. He showed no proof that US physicians had converted hundreds of AIDS patients from HIV positive to HIV negative status through autohemotherapy; he did not identify how, where, or when he interviewed the "644 German ozone therapists who successfully treated the 384,775 patients with 5,579,238 ozone treatments." He did not provide evidence that autohemotherapy was clinically effective and resulted in long-term benefits.
Oxygenation therapists proposed that disease is caused by absence of oxygen and loss of cellular ability to use oxygen for "good energy" metabolism, detoxification, and immune system function. Oxygen therapies are proposed in order to restore the body's ability to produce "good" energy, to "detoxify" metabolic poisons, and to kill invading organisms. However, over the five decades that have passed since this concept was proposed, scientists have shown that:
Dr. Green (1925-2007) was a biochemist who did cancer research at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center for 23 years. He consulted on scientific methodology and had a special interest in unproven methods
The original version of this article was published in the Spring/Summer 1998 issue of the Scientific Review of Alternative Medicine. | <urn:uuid:1809082c-1f22-4367-8e85-984dfcb51887> |
Celebrate African American History Month with Random House, Inc.
Since 1926, The Association for the Study of African American Life and History has established the national theme for the month-long celebration. This year's theme is "Black Women in American Culture and History."
In addition to Black Women for Beginners—an ideal book for this year's theme—we are happy to suggest these other great, graphic non-fiction titles also from the For Beginners imprint: African History for Beginners and Black History for Beginners. And don't miss these great graphic offerings from the Campfire Books line as well: Muhammad Ali: The King of the Ring and Nelson Mandela: The Unconquerable Soul.
Celebrate African American History Month with your students by sharing these titles from Knopf Doubleday: The Warmth of Other Suns, the decades-long migration of black citizens who fled the South for northern and western cities, in search of a better life; The Grace of Silence, a memoir that boldly examines racial legacy and what it means to be an American, and Life Upon These Shores, a landmark book tracing African American history from the arrival of the conquistadors to the election of Barack Obama.
Feel free to browse our African American History Month calendar page for more suggestions. | <urn:uuid:a0bd4bc3-795e-4efd-b236-203d4a4c442a> |
75 years old & still charming
Rockwell exhibit highlights original art from Disney’s ‘Snow White’
Detailed drawings of each performer was essential for continuity as many different artists work on the same character. It’s estimated that more than a million drawings were created during the course of the project. (Color Model Sheet of Dwarfs. Graphite copy on paper. Courtesy Walt Disney Animation Research Library; ©Disney.)
A 14-year-old Marge Belcher models Snow White’s dress. She would later marry Gower Champion and the two would dance their way through seven MGM musicals and the Broadway stage. Courtesy Marge Champion. ©Disney.
In creating Snow White the artists copied Marge Champion’s eyes. When she was asked to improvise, the 14-year-old asked “What?” She had no idea what the word meant. Snow White Greets a Baby Bird. (Disney Studio Artist Reproduction cel setup; airbrushed post production background on paper. Courtesy Walt Disney Animation Research Library; ©Disney.)
Marge Champion has been a Berkshires summer resident since 1979 and a major player in the development of Jacob’s Pillow where she is now director emerita. Last April she was photographed at her New York city apartment. (Photo by Jeremy Clowe. Courtesy Norman Rockwell Museum. All rights reserved.)
In the first year of its release Snow White was translated into 10 different languages, appearing in 46 countries. Disney won an honorary Oscar and seven smaller statuettes were created for each dwarf. Five years ago the American Film Institute voted the film as the greatest animated movie of all time. Above, Poster with Snow White and Dwarfs Lobby card; print on paper. Courtesy Walt Disney Animation Research Library; ©Disney.
"Snow White Dancing with Dopey and Sneezy. Doc, Happy, Bashful, Sleepy Playing Music." Disney Studio Artist Reproduction cel setup; ink and acrylic on cellulose acetate. Courtesy Walt Disney Animation Research Library. ©Disney.
Once upon a time in the Midwest, a boy was raised by a stern father who used physical punishment as a discipline. The father frequently took the youngster and his three older brothers to the basement for a “strapping,” using a leather belt as a whip.
The boy received no allowance. There were no toys at Christmastime, just practical gifts of shoes or clothes. When he was 9 years old, he was awoken each morning at 3:30 to begin a paper route. For the next seven years, his father withheld the route’s wages from him. When the boy’s three brothers came of age, they all ran away from home.
When the boy turned 16, he saw a silent Paramount movie, “Snow White.” The young Walt Disney was spellbound. The fairy tale was never forgotten.
On December 21,1937, Disney unveiled a groundbreaking version of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the world’s first feature-length, full-color, celluloid-animated film and the earliest blockbuster of the sound era.
Now through Oct. 27, Stockbridge’s Norman Rockwell Museum displays a four-gallery exhibit of some 150 original drawings, animations, movie shorts and recreated cel paintings highlighting the art of the 75-year-old film. The unique showing arrived directly from San Francisco’s Walt Disney Family Museum, where it premiered last November. The exhibit’s companion catalogue is “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Art and Creation of Walt Disney’s Classic Animated Film” by J.B. Kaufman (Walt Disney Press; 256 pages, $35).
Still dancing at age 93
“It’s hard for us to imagine that there was a time when colorful, feature-length animation films were not commonplace,” the exhibit’s curator, Lella Smith said during a press reception. She’s the creative director of Disney’s Animation Research Library.
“If Walt had listened to all his critics who called this his ‘folly,’ and not made the film, there’s no doubt that the development of animated film would have been delayed for a significant period of time.”
Smith was joined at the microphone by the dancer and actress Marge Champion who, as a teen, was the model for Snow White. She later modeled as the Blue Princess in “Pinocchio” and, despite her petite frame, Champion winningly conveyed the balletic hippopotamus-with-tutu in “Fantasia.”
She worked on the fairy tale two to three days a month for almost two years, receiving $10 a day, graduating to $25 per diem for Fantasia.
“It was not lucrative in that way, but it was endlessly lucrative for the training that I got,” Champion said. “It was a series of good luck for a just 14-year-old girl who had no actual acting experience and who certainly didn’t know how to ‘lip-sync.’”
Champion synchronized her lips to the piercingly sweet singing voice of 18-year-old Adriana Caselotti. To create Snow White, the two young women learned how to work with imaginary characters.
“(When) I was speaking to anyone, there was no one talking to me ... I had to be that happy little girl (singing) as if there was a big orchestra there, but there was no one,” Caselotti said in a 1986 interview.
Champion, who went on to star with her husband, Gower, in MGM musicals and Broadway shows, said she had an edge over other applicants for the Snow White role. Her British father ran the largest dance studio in Los Angeles and was known as “the dancing teacher to the stars.”
From her parents she acquired that rarest of qualities in Hollywood — sincere politeness. Among her refined table manners she learned to say, “I’ve had an elegant sufficiency and I would like to be excused.”
“Snow White” marked the first time Disney artists animated people, a challenge graphically light years away from the bottom-heavy, extraordinarily rounded mice, ducks and dogs they’d made famous.
The dancer was filmed and her frame-by-frame images were traced over, a process known as rotoscoping.
The technique, however, was only partially successful as animator Grim Natwick recalled in Leonard Maltin’s “Of Mice and Magic” (New American Library; 485 pages, $14.95)
“We went way beyond rotoscope,” Natwick said. He recalled one scene with 101 photographic tracings. “I used drawing one and drawing 101 and I filled in the rest ... there wasn’t enough in it for us to animate.”
Champion was key to the animation. Artists had to see her head, arms and body in motion, from when she escaped through the forest to her dance with imaginary dwarfs.
“By watching a dancer they could see how delicately a person can move, the way her skirt turns and the way a belly moves on a dwarf,” Champion said.
“It was a very crude set,” she said. “When I was running through the forest, I was just pushing ropes away and when I was caught by the bushes that was the animators down on the floor holding my skirt.”
The artists found the Prince extremely difficult to animate and so relegated him to brief cameos.
Both Snow White and her evil stepmother, the Queen, went through several transformations. Snow originally mirrored 1930s oversexed legend Betty Boop, since one of the animators formerly drew her at the Max Fleischer Studios. The princess was blonde, red-haired and finally, brunette.
In the Brothers Grimm story, decidedly more ghastly than Disney’s creation, it’s Snow’s mother who attempts to kill her. Disney artists based the looks of the wicked Queen upon the face of actress Katherine Hepburn. Seeking to add distance to the relationship, Disney made the Queen Snow’s stepmother.
“Therefore making it hell for every stepmother who followed,” Smith joked.
“I can tell you that’s true,” Champion said, smiling. “I’ve been a stepmother.”
Champion last appeared on Broadway 12 years ago and can still gracefully lift her toes up over her head in a high kick. Try it sometime.
At 20, Disney owned his own modest film studio and, less than 10 years later, was wowing audiences with the first synchronized sound cartoon. In 1932, “Flowers and Trees,” the earliest Technicolor cartoon, won the first of numerous Academy Awards for the studio. Soon Disney was producing some 20 cartoons each year and embracing new technologies.
In 1937, while “Snow White” was in production, “The Old Mill” highlighted the use of the multiplane camera. With a lens shooting through several celluloid layers of artwork, the viewer sees not flat animation, but remarkable depth.
“All the pioneering work in animation work at Disney was leading up to something,” Walt’s nephew Roy Disney Jr. said during the film’s 50th anniversary.
In 1934, when Disney first assembled his key artists to explain his ground-breaking idea, he masterfully acted out every role.
“That one performance lasted us three years,” one animator recalled. “Whenever we got stuck, we’d remember how Walt did it.”
The conventional wisdom was that no one on the planet would sit still for a feature-length cartoon. Disney artists muted their colors and avoided frantic cartoon pacing. Much of the artwork was already completed when the multiplane was available so its use was infrequent.
For some scenes, the animators embarked upon a Mount Everest of geometrical calculation. Although less than a minute on screen, it took four artists a half year to animate the seven dwarfs leaving their diamond mine for home in a diminishing perspective.
“Each dwarf had a different style of walking. They were always in a row and they had to stay even,” animator Shamus Culhane told Maltin.
Added to this, the dwarfs all wore different clothes and Dopey walked out-of-step.
“You couldn’t possibly realize all the things we had to learn, and unlearn in doing ‘Snow White,’” Disney told a reporter at the time.
The animators intently studied the movements of small animals, the amount of light a candle would cast and figured the length of the Prince’s shadow when he arrived at 3 in the afternoon.
The budget zoomed upward.
“We’ve considered changing the name of the picture from ‘Snow White’ to ‘Frankenstein,’” Disney said to a reporter during production.
He initially estimated “Snow White’s” overall costs at $250,000. By its completion, the project rang in at $1.5 million.
There were frequent trips to the Bank of America for more loans. At one point, Disney nervously showed the bank’s vice-president Joe Rosenberg some completed segments and animated pencil sketches. The businessman was silent throughout the presentation while Disney sat in a cold sweat. When it was over, it wasn’t clear what the banker was thinking.
“Goodbye,” Rosenberg said. “That thing is going to make a hatful of money.”
Within three months, 20 million people had seen the fairy tale in an era when a movie ticket could be as low as a quarter. In its first year, it grossed $8.5 million.
Disney’s folly became the greatest adventure of his youth and a movie for the ages.
“Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: The Creation of a Classic” continues at the Norman Rockwell Museum through Oct. 27. Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission: adults $16; seniors, $14.50; college students, $10; ages 6 to 18, $5.
Directions: The museum is less than 3 miles from downtown Stockbridge. Signs direct motorists to Route 102.
Don Stewart is a freelance writer who lives in Plainfield. He has written for The Recorder since 1994. | <urn:uuid:b2db4d51-581b-4841-a992-2983fdeebbb1> |
Coral Reefs Reduce Risk Of Coastal Hazards, Climate Change
redOrbit Staff & Wire Reports – Your Universe Online
While an elevated risk of strong storms, flooding and other coastal hazards could be threatening the lives of hundreds of millions of people around the world, an international team of researchers writing in Tuesday’s edition of the journal Nature Communications has discovered an unusual way to reduce that risk: coral reefs.
“Coral reefs serve as an effective first line of defense to incoming waves, storms and rising seas,” study co-author Dr. Michael Beck, lead marine scientist of The Nature Conservancy and a research associate at the Institute for Marine Science, explained in a statement. “200 million people across more than 80 nations are at risk if coral reefs are not protected and restored.”
“This study illustrates that the restoration and conservation of coral reefs is an important and cost effective solution to reduce risks from coastal hazards and climate change,” added lead author Dr. Filippo Ferrario from the University of Bologna.
Dr. Beck, Dr. Ferrario and colleagues from the University of Bologna, The Nature Conservatory, the US Geological Survey (USGS), Stanford University and the University of California-Santa Cruz analyzed the global role and cost-effectiveness of coral reefs in reducing the risk of these coastal hazards.
They found that reefs provide “substantial protection” by reducing wave energy by an average of 97 percent across all tropical oceans. Eighty-six percent of that energy can be dissipated by the reef crest, or the shallowest part of the reef where the waves break first, they added.
The researchers report that at least 100 million people could receive risk reduction benefits from coral reefs, and point out that restoring them is far less expensive than other types of hazard mitigation strategies. While the median cost for building artificial breakwaters was calculated at $19,791 per meter, the per-meter cost of reef restoration projects was just $1,290.
The study also reported that there are 197 million people worldwide who could benefit from coral reefs alone, especially those in villages, towns and cities that live in low, risk prone coastal areas (below 33 feet in elevation) and within 30 miles of coral reefs. Most of those individuals resided in Indonesia (41 million), India (36 million), the Philippines (23 million), China (16 million) and Vietnam (9 million).
“Coral reefs are wonderful natural features that, when healthy, can provide comparable wave reduction benefits to many artificial coastal defenses and adapt to sea-level rise,” said co-author and USGS oceanographer Dr. Curt Storlazzi. “This research shows that coral reef restoration can be a cost-effective way to decrease the hazards coastal communities face due to the combination of storms and sea-level rise.”
“While there are many concerns about the future of corals reefs in the face of climate change, there are still many reasons for optimism about the future of coral reefs particularly if we manage other local stressors such as pollution and development,” added Dr. Fiorenza Micheli of Stanford University. | <urn:uuid:98bdd160-3be5-4f70-aa79-4489f3fccce0> |
Scientists learn to ‘declaw’ plutonium
Engineers at the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev in Israel say they have developed a way to
declaw nuclear fuel, ensuring only peaceful plutonium use.
The engineers said their technique
denatures plutonium created in large nuclear reactors, making it unsuitable for use in nuclear arms. They said that by adding Americium, a form of the basic synthetic element found in commercial smoke detectors and industrial gauges, plutonium can only be used for peaceful purposes.
Professor Yigal Ronen, who led the research, said if the United States, Russia, Germany, France and Japan agreed to add the denaturing additive into all plutonium, it would affect other nations now developing nuclear power.
When you purchase a nuclear reactor from one of the five countries, it also provides the nuclear fuel for the reactor, said Ronen.
Thus, if the five agree to insert the additive into fuel for countries now developing nuclear power — such as Bahrain, Egypt, Kuwait, Libya, Malaysia, Namibia, Qatar, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Yemen — they will have to use it for peaceful purposes rather than warfare.
The research is to be reported in next month’s issue of the journal Science and Global Security. | <urn:uuid:3976a6e0-56ae-496a-bf46-bc5532242255> |
The gluteus medius
(or glutæus medius
), one of the three gluteal muscles
, is a broad, thick, radiating muscle, situated on the outer surface of the pelvis
Its posterior third is covered by the gluteus maximus, its anterior two-thirds by the gluteal aponeurosis, which separates it from the superficial fascia and integument.
separates the tendon of the muscle from the surface of the trochanter over which it glides.
Origin and insertion
It arises from the outer surface of the ilium
between the iliac crest
and posterior gluteal line
above, and the anterior gluteal line
below; it also arises from the gluteal aponeurosis
covering its outer surface.
The fibers converge to a strong flattened tendon, which is inserted into the oblique ridge which runs downward and forward on the lateral surface of the greater trochanter.
The Glutæi medius and minimus abduct the thigh when the limb is extended but are principally called into action in supporting the body on one limb, in conjunction with the Tensor fasciæ latæ
Their anterior fibers, by drawing the greater trochanter forward, rotate the thigh inward, in which action they are also assisted by the Tensor fasciæ latæ. When the hip is flexed to ninety degrees however the glutæi medius aids in rotating the thigh outwards.
The posterior border may be more or less closely united to the piriformis
, or some of the fibers end on its tendon.
The posterior fibres of gluteus medius contract to produce hip extension, lateral rotation and abduction. During gait, the posterior fibres help to decelerate internal rotation of the femur at the end of swing phase. | <urn:uuid:2f7d7157-03db-4484-be26-576f32c9e83c> |
The Massachusett were a tribe of Native Americans who lived in areas surrounding Massachusetts Bay in what is now the state of Massachusetts. One of the first to encounter English colonists, their numbers were quickly depleted, although descendants continue to inhabit the Greater Boston area. "Massachusett" translates from Algonquian as "The people who live near the great hill". By local legend this refers to the Blue Hills located south of Boston. They belong to the Algonquian family of peoples. They were almost totally wiped out by a European-introduced plague between 1616 and 1619, and the remaining population was scattered in the wake of a massacre of Massachusett military leaders led by Captain Miles Standish of Plymouth Colony in 1623. A period known as the Great Migration between 1630-1640 introduced over 20,000 English settlers to formerly Massachusett territory. Though much diminished in size and strength from their numbers before the arrival of English colonists, the Massachusett Indians were documented to have participated in King Philip's War of 1675-1676.
The Massachusett fished the shores, and farmed the lands, migrating from longhouses on the coast to wigwam settlements inland for farming. The tribes were introduced to John Eliot, who converted them to Christianity, created a written alphabet and also published the Bible in the native language. The tribe was confined to praying villages and later suffered at the hands of colonists, who mistrusted the Indians after King Philip's War, despite the fact that Massachusett Indians had served as guides and scouts. Many perished in the islands in Boston Harbor, where they were confined. Crispus Attucks, the first casualty during the Boston Massacre was of Massachusett descent through his mother. | <urn:uuid:31ce8c06-6a52-41df-96af-306089b012a1> |
Lizards Learn Faster Than Previously Thought
A study of an Australian lizard has shown that lizards are not slow learners as previously stated in older studies but can have have more rapid and flexible learning capabilities. Researchers at Macquarie University in Australia conducted tests on the Eastern water skink (Eulamprus quoyii) in environments that more closely resembled their natural environments rather than in lab type settings. The lizards were given spatial tasks that made them learn and seek out safe havens in the test environments. In as little as one week, according to the study, 1/3 of the skinks learned spatial learning and spatial reversal tasks. According to the study, the skink's capability to act on information in its surroundings and change what they learn determines their capability to survive.
D. Gordon E. Robertson
Eastern water skink
“Previous studies have reported that lizards require dozens of trials before learning a relatively simple spatial task if they learn at all. We found this wasn’t the case,” says lead researcher Daniel Noble, Macquarie University. “The idea that lizards and snakes have poor cognitive abilities has been spurred in part by the use of ecologically irrelevant tasks. We observed flexible spatial learning in water skinks by testing them under a biologically meaningful context and in semi-natural conditions. This learning may have been fast because of the diversity of available cues lizards could use to make associations with particular refuges. In contrast, laboratory experiments are often only interested in a subset of these cues, which may inhibit lizards from learning quickly ” says Noble.
Noble said that the results of the study make sense because lizards have to escape predators in the wild and this requires the knowledge of spatial locations of safe havens, and the capability to adjust the use of these havens as conditions change.
The Eastern water skink's habitat includes areas close to slow flowing creeks and estuaries. It can also be found in dry environments. It ranges from southern Victoria to central Queensland Australia. | <urn:uuid:95ad3f20-00ab-4b64-a23f-75cb4c713b00> |
See what questions
a doctor would ask.
Agranulocytes: Agranulocytes are one of two group classifications of white blood cells. Agranulocytes have nuclei in one segment. Agranulocytes include the lymphocytes and monocytes.
Conditions that can afflict the agranulocytes include leukemia, leukopenia, lymphocytic leukocytosis, lymphocytopenia, genetic abnormalities, autoimmune disorders, chemotherapy, and cancer.
The following organs are closely related to the organ: Agranulocytes:
The following conditions are related to the organ: Agranulocytes:
The following are other names for the organ: Agranulocytes:
The following list contains sub-parts of the organ: Agranulocytes:
These symptoms are related to afflictions of the organ: Agranulocytes:
Condition count: 0
Organs: list of all organs
Search Specialists by State and City | <urn:uuid:68e6b5ea-6d91-4219-a8ef-544123ae3bd4> |
Types of Papers: Compare/Contrast
To write a compare/contrast essay, you’ll need to make NEW connections and/or express NEW differences between two things. The key word here…is NEW!
- Choose 2 things that could go in the same category, but are also quite different. Good choices might be:
- Basketball & Football (both sports)
- Horses & Cats (both animals, but different in many ways)
- Writing & Singing (both art forms, but different in many ways)
- Gather your ideas by writing down characteristics of each thing. Note the differences and similarities between them.
- Ask yourself these important questions before you begin writing your draft:
- Does my instructor want me to compare AND contrast, or am I only being asked to do one of those things?
- Are these 2 things similar and/or different, in at least one meaningful way?
- Do I know enough about my topic to write an effective compare/contrast essay about it?
Does my instructor want me to compare AND contrast, or am I only being asked to do one of those things?
Some instructors prefer that you only write about the differences between two things, while others want you to focus on explaining the similarities as well. Either way, you'll need to make sure that your thesis statement reflects your instructor's expectations. For example, if I wanted to write about Social Networking sites, I'd need to write different thesis statements depending on my compare/contrast assignment.
Sample thesis statement for contrast paper: In terms of social networking sites, Facebook focuses on presenting your daily life to others, whereas MySpace allows you to focus more on demonstrating your personal style.
Sample thesis statement for compare/contrast paper: While both Facebook and MySpace allow you to meet other users who have similar interests, only MySpace allows you to demonstrate your personal style.
If you want to write a successful compare/contrast essay, you'll need to avoid writing about really obvious differences and similarities. For example:
- We all know that horses are larger than cats.
- We also know that basketball teams contain less players than football teams.
Tell us something we don't know (or might not notice)!
It would be better to write about how sensitive both horses and cats are to human needs and emotions. You could also suggest that though both basketball and football require a lot of teamwork, basketball players are expected to be a lot more versatile than football players.
You don't have to be a genius to write an interesting compare/contrast essay--you just have to look at ordinary things in a new way!
Unless you're being asked to do some research as part of your compare/contrast project, make sure that you choose 2 things that you feel comfortable discussing, at length.
Your instructor may ask for multiple similarities and differences--make sure you're prepared to write a well-developed, meaningful essay on a topic that you know well before you get started!
Organizing Your Compare and Contrast Paper
There are two primary ways to organize your compare and contrast paper.
Chunking: placing all of the information for each individual subject in one place (chunk), and then using similarities as transitions.
Here’s a sample outline:
- Jane is distinct because…
- Jane is similar to Alice in these ways
- Alice is distinct because…
Piecing: giving pieces of the information for each individual subject in each paragraph—arranging the information by topic rather than by subject.
Here’s a sample outline:
- Differences and Similarities in Jane and Alice’s appearances
- Differences and Similarities in Jane and Alice’s backgrounds
- Differences and Similarities in Jane and Alice’s interests | <urn:uuid:cde004e7-17d5-4f1c-a44e-b34a2bf56319> |
Description of the desert where Chæremon, Nesteros, and Joseph lived.
And so he took his staff and scrip, as is there the custom for all monks starting on a journey, and himself led us as guide of our road to his own city, i.e., Panephysis, the lands of which and indeed the greater part of the neighbouring region (formerly an extremely rich one since from it, as report says, everything was supplied for the royal table), had been covered by the sea which was disturbed by a sudden earthquake and overflowed its banks, and so (almost all the villages being in ruins) covered what were formerly rich lands with salt marshes, so that you might think that what is spiritually sung in the psalm was a literal prophecy of that region. “He hath turned rivers into a wilderness; and the springs of waters into a thirsty land: a fruitful land into saltness for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.” 1689 In these districts then many towns perched in this way on the higher hills were deserted by their inhabitants and turned by the inundation into islands, and these afforded the desired solitude to the holy anchorites, among whom three old men; viz., Chæremon, Nesteros and Joseph, stood out as anchorites of the longest standing.
Psa. 107.33 sq. | <urn:uuid:6db9c55f-aeec-43d9-bf15-8967fcfa2297> |
Contact: Robert Irion (408) 459-2495; [email protected]
RESEARCHERS FIND CONTAMINANTS IN SEA OTTERS ANDBALD EAGLE EGGS IN THE WESTERN ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
* This news release is embargoed until Friday, July 25, 1997,when the Marine Pollution Bulletin will publish the research.
SANTA CRUZ, CA--Remote islands of surreal beauty, the foggy, windswept Aleutians are thousands of miles from heavily populated areas. Even so, the islands harbor a nasty reminder of human activity: Sea otters and bald eagle eggs from the western Aleutians carry potentially harmful levels of DDT and other contaminants.
A team led by scientists from the University of California, Santa Cruz, found that sea otters from the western Aleutians contained almost twice as much of the industrial compound PCB as otters from the central California coast, an area known to have agricultural and industrial contamination. The otters also carried almost 40 times more PCBs than otters from a relatively uncontaminated site in southeast Alaska.
Such high PCB levels may have an insidious effect on the otters' health. Similarly high levels can cause reproductive failure in mink, a closely related species.
Bald eagle eggs contained elevated levels of both DDT and PCB. DDT, known to thin the eggshells of birds of prey elsewhere, may harm these raptors as well: Eagles on the island with the highest levels of DDT are reproducing at half the rate of those on other islands.
Although the researchers can't pinpoint the sources of the pollutants, their distribution patterns yield some clues. The PCBs may come from former military activity on some of the islands; the DDT could be windborne or waterborne contamination from agricultural use in Asia.
"We expected the Aleutians would be very clean because it's a remote oceanic environment--that's why we picked it," said James Estes, a wildlife biologist with the U.S. Geological Survey and UC Santa Cruz. "We found these high levels in the Aleutian Islands, higher even than in California, so that was a big surprise. The levels of compounds in these animals are alarmingly high."
Estes and several colleagues published their work in the current issue of Marine Pollution Bulletin. Coauthors are researchers Corinne Bacon and Walter Jarman of UCSC's Institute of Marine Sciences; Ross Norstrom of the Canadian Wildlife Service; and Robert Anthony and Keith Miles of the U.S. Geological Survey at Oregon State University and UC Davis, respectively.
Sea otter populations are still recovering from intensive hunting in the 1700s and 1800s. Most otter populations in Alaska and the Aleutians are now growing at almost 20 percent per year, a healthy rate. In contrast, the California population is increasing at just 5 percent per year and is still listed under the Endangered Species Act as threatened.
To investigate whether contaminants such as DDT and PCB are impeding the recovery of sea otter populations off California's Central Coast, the researchers compared contaminant levels in the livers of California sea otters to otters from sites believed to be clean. To test for pollutants, the team collected carcasses from beaches in central California and on the Aleutian island of Adak in 1991 and 1992. Alaskan Natives provided otter carcasses from southeast Alaska.
Surprisingly, California's otters did not carry the highest amount of PCBs. That dubious honor went to the otters from Adak. Their livers harbored 309 parts per billion total PCBs, while California otters had 185 parts per billion, and those from southeast Alaska had only eight.
Because they found no dead otters on the other Aleutian Islands, the scientists also collected bald eagle eggs that had failed to hatch. That analysis confirmed the PCB contamination in the western Aleutians, particularly on the islands of Adak, Amchitka, and Kiska. DDT also contaminated the eagle eggs, and it exhibited a striking trend: The further west the island, the more DDT.
These patterns provide clues to the pollutants' origins. The PCBs may come from military operations: Eggs from the three islands with former military activity had four times more PCBs than eggs from Tanaga, the only island that has not been a military site. Since eggs from the more westerly islands have higher DDT levels, that subtance may come from Asia via wind and water currents.
"Anytime you see DDT, it's a recent application, within the last few months or years," Jarman said. "One theory is that if they use a ton of it in China, we'll see it in the Aleutians." DDT also may come to the Aleutians via migratory animals, especially birds, Estes noted.
Other studies also hint at trouble for the region's marine birds and mammals. Said Estes: "That whole North Pacific ecosystem is a worry because lots of things are declining--the Stellar sea lion, for instance. It raised the issue in our minds that maybe contaminants were playing some role."
After the team completed its study, Estes discovered that otter populations on Adak are not faring as well as previously. With funding from the Department of the Navy, the team is starting a more detailed investigation of contamination levels in otters from the western Aleutians to southeast Alaska. Jarman said, "I expect there'll be hot spots and clean spots."
Editor's notes: You may reach the coauthors as follows: Estes: (408) 459-2820 or [email protected] (wildlife issues)Jarman: (801) 585-3082 or [email protected] (toxicology)
Mari N. Jensen, a former intern in the UCSC Public Information Office, wrote this news release.
The above story is based on materials provided by University Of California, Santa Cruz. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.
Cite This Page: | <urn:uuid:28723a59-a5f1-487d-a1b5-c6e9c1e92486> |
Are We Getting Smarter? Rising IQ in the Twenty-First Century
by James R. Flynn .
Cambridge University Press, 2012 ($22)
The average person today scores 30 points higher on IQ tests than his or her grandparents did. This observation is the starting point of the new book Are We Getting Smarter? by Flynn, an emeritus professor at the University of Otago in New Zealand.
Best known for documenting the eponymous Flynn effect—the tendency for standardized intelligence testing scores to increase over many decades across the world—Flynn is the right man for the job. Based on analyses of current IQ data, he speculates that we are not born with more mental potential than our ancestors; however, because our modern brain is expected to handle higher-level cognitive tasks from a very young age, our mental capabilities have changed. In particular, we have become more adept at learning theoretical concepts in science and technology.
The gains in IQ are not evenly distributed across populations. Flynn makes predictions about which countries' scores will rise the most and shares recent data showing that women now outshine men.
Yet there is a catch to this IQ trend, one that Flynn calls a “bright tax.” The more intelligent the person, the steeper the decrease in IQ score as a person ages, sometimes by more than 20 points. The cause of this decline, however, remains a puzzle. Flynn reasons that our modern brains require more maintenance to stay sharp, so as we age and use our analytical skills less, our IQ may drop quite steeply.
In fact, interpreting IQ scores can mean life or death. Flynn argues that the U.S. Supreme Court needs to reconsider how it uses IQ scores when determining a person's fate. Convicts who have scores below a certain number cannot be put to death, but with this IQ inflation over time more convicts will face the death penalty unless IQ scores are standardized across different tests and time frames.
Though fascinating, Are We Getting Smarter? often reads like a transcript of a lecture. Flynn tends to explain his ideas with charts and statistics rather than examples. Despite this flaw, the book remains valuable for grasping our changing capacity for learning over time—and our room for growth. | <urn:uuid:e2300069-e1c7-42dd-b0be-639b0eb05c96> |
In Malibu on Wednesday, scientists will present a workshop on why you might want to see piles of seaweed on public beaches.
That seaweed left above the tide line is called “wrack.” Kelp wrack has a lot of benefits for coastal marine life that feed from and around it.
Shorebirds like the black bellied plover thrive on beaches that look a little messier because the kelp attracts insects and other small animals on which they can feed.
Most southern California beaches are groomed. Where people make beaches smooth and bare, less wildlife come to feed, and the absence of kelp wrack can have ecological impacts that can take years to recover.
Scientists Jennifer Dugan from UC Santa Barbara and Karen Martin from Pepperdine will hold a public talk Wednesday from 5 to 7 pm. Their workshop sponsored by the City of Malibu is part of a three-week state-sponsored public education effort called Coastweeks. The idea is to improve public awareness and public management of coastal areas around California and the rest of the country. | <urn:uuid:b77a67e4-ee70-4e8a-b81f-fefc8ad44ec9> |
Using the State monad for Random Generation
module RandomGen where
import System.Random (StdGen, mkStdGen, next) import State import Control.Monad
Recall that quickCheck needs to randomly generate values of any type. It turns out that we can use the state monad to define the
Gen monad used in the QuickCheck libary.
First, a brief discussion of pseudo-random number generators. Pseudo-random number generators aren't really random, they just look like it. They are more like functions that are so complicated that they might as well be random. The nice property about them is that they are repeatable, if you give them the same seed they will produce the same sequence of "random" numbers.
Haskell has a library for Pseudo-Random numbers called System.Random.
type StdGen -- a type for a "standard" random number generator. -- | Construct a generator from a given seed. Distinct arguments -- are likely to produce distinct generators. mkStdGen :: Int -> StdGen -- | Returns an Int that is uniformly distributed in a range of at least 30 bits. next :: StdGen -> (Int, StdGen)
For example, we can generate a random integer by constructing a random number generator, calling
next and then projecting the result.
testRandom :: Int -> Int testRandom i = fst (next (mkStdGen i))
If we'd like to constrain that integer to a specific range (0,n) we can use
nextBounded :: Int -> StdGen -> (Int, StdGen) nextBounded bound s = (i `mod` bound, s') where (i, s') = next s
testBounded x = fst . nextBounded x . mkStdGen
QC is defined by class types that can construct random values. Let's do it first the hard way...
-- | Extract random values of any type class Arb1 a where arb1 :: StdGen -> (a, StdGen)
instance Arb1 Int where arb1 = next
instance Arb1 Bool where arb1 s = undefined
testArb1 :: Arb1 a => Int -> a testArb1 i = fst (arb1 (mkStdGen i))
What about for pairs?
instance (Arb1 a, Arb1 b) => Arb1 (a,b) where arb1 s = undefined
And for lists?
instance (Arb1 a) => Arb1 [a] where arb1 s = undefined
Ouch, there's a lot of state passing going on here.
State Monad to the Rescue
Last time, we developed a reusable library for the State monad. Let's use it to define a generator monad for QC.
Our reusable library defines an abstract type for the State monad, and the following operations for working with these sorts of computations.
type State s a = ... instance Monad (State s) where ... get :: State s s put :: s -> State s () runState :: State s a -> s -> (a,s)
Now let's define a type for generators, using the State monad.
type Gen a = State StdGen a
With this type, we can create a type class similar to the one in the QuickCheck library.
class Arb a where arb :: Gen a
For example, we can use the
state operation to inject the
next function into the
State StdGen a type.
instance Arb Int where arb = state next
bounded :: Int -> Gen Int bounded b = liftM (`mod` b) arb
What about random generation for other types? How does the state monad help that definition? How does it compare to the version above?
instance Arb Bool where arb = undefined
instance (Arb a, Arb b) => Arb (a,b) where arb = undefined
instance (Arb a) => Arb [a] where arb = undefined
sample :: Show a => Gen a -> [a] sample gen = evalState (sequence (replicate 10 gen)) (mkStdGen 932497234)
Welcome to CIS 552!
See the home page for basic information about the course, the schedule for the lecture notes and assignments, the resources for links to the required software and online references, and the syllabus for detailed information about the course policies. | <urn:uuid:1548b316-0bc8-441b-adb6-30dc6681c867> |
By David B. Williams
Creating an elaborate park system was probably the furthest thought
from their minds when the Denny party arrived at Alki Point on
November 13, 1851. All they could see through the rain were trees,
more trees, and water. Building a home was far more important
than building a place to play. And yet, just 33 years later Seattle
had its first park and 20 years after that, the city had a comprehensive
plan for major parks and parkways that would rival any found in
the United States.
Few cities in the world can claim
such an achievement. Today's citizens owe a debt of gratitude
to the landscape architects most responsible for crafting this
master plan-the Olmsted family of Brookline, Massachusetts, who
are best known for designing Central Park and the Boston and Buffalo
park systems. The Olmsted Brothers firm worked in Seattle for
34 years, designing 37 parks and playgrounds including Colman,
Frink, Green Lake, Interlaken, Jefferson, Mt. Baker, Seward, Volunteer,
Washington Park and Arboretum and Woodland parks, as well as Lincoln
Park (now known as the Bobby Morris Playfield), Hiawatha Playground
and Lake Washington, Magnolia, and Ravenna boulevards.
Park planners across the country
recognize Seattle's Olmsted park system as one of the best preserved
and best designed in the United States. More importantly, while
many eastern cities have only one or two Olmsted-designed parks,
Seattle has an extensive multi-park plan linked by boulevards.
It is this legacy that makes Seattle one of the most livable spots
in the country.
In the Beginning
Although the Olmsted Brothers are sometimes credited with starting
Seattle's park system, five public parks existed when the firm's
lead designer, John Charles Olmsted, arrived in 1903. The city's
park movement had begun inauspicously in 1884, when the city converted
the town cemetery into a five-acre park and named it Seattle Park.
Now known as Denny Park, for David and Louisa Denny, who donated
the property, the land was located on the outskirts of town. Visitors
reached the park from a narrow track cut through the surrounding
The system grew tenfold in 1887.
George Kinnear donated 14 acres at the base of Queen Anne hill.
The city also designated 40 acres on top of Capitol Hill as Lake
View Park. A few years later the name was changed to City Park
and finally in 1901 to Volunteer Park, to honor veterans of the
While the city created these parks,
five privately owned parks also opened to the public. The owners
of Seattle's trolley system created Madison, Madrona, and Leschi
parks. Often described as "pleasure grounds," they included
pavilions, horse tracks, amusement rides, and dance halls. They
served one purpose for the developers: promotion and sale of the
surrounding land, which also happened to be owned by the trolley
Another developer, William Beck,
owned the fourth private park, Ravenna, which he had named for
the Italian city. Beck cleared the surrounding land but left the
deep ravine mostly intact. He built meandering paths through the
forest of Brobdingnagian-sized Douglas fir and western red cedar,
installed benches and pavilions, and developed the sulfur springs.
Beck charged $0.25 to enter his park.
The biggest change to Seattle's nascent
park system occurred in 1900 with the acquisition of the fifth
private park, Woodland, and what would become Washington Park.
The city bought Woodland Park for $100,000 from the Guy Phinney
estate. With the purchase, Seattle gained over 100 acres of mostly
cleared land, along with Phinney's personal zoo including herds
of wild deer, elk, and buffalo. Seattle also acquired most of
Washington Park from the Puget Mill company, who later developed
Broadmoor Country Club.
Public sentiment, however, did not
favor such extravagant purchases. A local newspaper, the Argus,
wrote about the proposed acquisition of Woodland Park: "If
this park was properly located there might be some excuse for
paying the enormous price. But to pay more than it would bring
to cut up into town lots for a piece of land much of which is
barren wilderness, and none of which possesses the features that
Seattle should demand in a park, is little short of criminal."
No more large tracts of land would be acquired for another eight
Hiring the Olmsted Brothers
Despite this vocal opposition to the purchase of Woodland Park,
the Seattle Board of Park Commissioners decided in 1902 that it
wanted a more elaborate park system. To reach this goal, the Board
planned on hiring the best landscape architect in the country,
Frederick Law Olmsted. In addition, the Park Commissioners believed
that the Olmsted name would add an air of distinction to the growing
When the Board contacted the landscape
architecture firm in Brookline, Massachusetts, however, they discovered
that Frederick Law Olmsted was in poor health. He would die the
following year. His son, Frederick Jr., had joined the firm, now
known as the Olmsted Brothers, but he was teaching and could not
make it to Seattle. The firm wrote that their senior partner,
John Charles Olmsted, was available. The dubious Board wanted
to know more about this 'other' Olmsted. After the firm sent a
letter listing his extensive park planning work, which they normally
felt was rather unnecessary, the Board finally hired John Charles
Olmsted. Rarely did the Board of Park Commissioners ever make
such a wise decision in choosing the 'wrong' man.
Although the Park Commissioners did
not know it, John Charles Olmsted was the most experienced landscape
architect in the country in 1903. His career had begun in 1875,
when he apprenticed with his stepfather, Frederick Law Olmsted
Sr. The younger Olmsted's credits included design work on the
Boston, Louisville, and Rochester park systems, as well as numerous
private estates throughout the east.
Olmsted and his assistant Percy Jones
arrived in Seattle on April 30. They could not have timed it better.
Money from the Klondike Gold Rush had helped Seattle become a
more wealthy city. Furthermore, the anti-park tide had started
to retreat. A 1902 full-page article in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer
had urged the city to acquire more land and to develop an elaborate
park system. The story, Let Us Make a Beautiful City of Seattle,
ended with sparkling endorsements for parks from many of the city's
Olmsted also had two important documents
that helped his evaluation. Eleven years earlier in 1892, Superintendent
of Parks Edward Otto Schwagerl had produced a city-wide plan for
the development of a park system. Schwagerl proposed two parks
on Puget Sound (Ft. Lawton and Alki Point) and two on Lake Washington
(Sand Point and Seward Park). Parkways would link these parks
with the privately owned "pleasure grounds" and with
the existing public parks. Schwagerl wrote "[T]he establishment
of a fine system of Parks and Drive-ways as such is manifestly
the most effective means of rendering a city a beautiful and desirable
place of residence."
In 1900, Assistant City Engineer,
George Cotterill, had produced a plan for a 25-mile system of
bicycle paths around the city. Olmsted incorporated several miles
of these trails into his plan, including the paths through what
would become part of Interlaken and Washington parks.
With these plans, and accompanied
by a host of park commisioners, Olmsted and Jones spent the month
of May surveying the city by horse, trolley, foot, and boat. They
left on June 6 and sent their formal report back to Seattle on
July 2, 1903.
The Seattle City Council approved
the Olmsted Brothers' "A Comprehensive System of Parks and
Parkways" on October 19, 1903. Olmsted wrote that the "primary
aim should be to secure and preserve for the use of the people
as much as possible of these advantages of water and mountain
views and of woodlands, well distributed and conveniently located."
He recognized the changing real estate market and urged the city
to move swiftly to acquire as much land as possible especially
"all the borders of the different bodies of water."
Seattle's citizens actively supported
the plan. In the eight years following the original proposal,
city citizens passed bonds totaling 3.5 million dollars (about
$57 million in 1999 dollars) for park enhancement.
One other event also made a significant
impact on their plan. In March 1904, the city voted to give the
Borad of Park Commissioners powers separate from the City Council.
The pre-1904 powers of the Park Board were later characterized
by its successors: "After learning it was necessary to kneel
to the council and play the political game to secure appropriations
on the work, nearly all of these 35 commissioners resigned or
retired in disgust."
With this change, the new board would
have the same independence as park boards in eastern cities. Taking
advantage of this change in the power structure, the Olmsted Brothers
proposed to "furnish a competent and experienced park superintendent"
and then pay him, too. Their man, John Thompson, remained the
Superintendent for 17 years. With new power the Board began to
implement the Olmsted plan for Seattle.
The central feature of the Olmsted plan was a twenty mile-long
parkway that ran from Bailey Peninsula (Seward Park) to Fort Lawton
(Discovery Park). From Bailey the pleasure drive would snake along
the lake shore, climb up and wrap along the bluff that now encompasses
Colman and Frink Parks, dive back down to the water at Madrona
Park, and eventually turn inland to Washington Park. From here
the roadway would cut to the UW campus, pass through it to Ravenna
Park and the adjacent ravine (Cowen Park), and eventually parallel
the brook that flowed from Green Lake. The parkway would continue
through Woodland Park, descend to the northwest corner of Queen
Anne, wrap around the hill's north end and through Interbay to
Smith's Cove with a final extension along the Magnolia bluffs
to Fort Lawton.
In addition, spur roads would connect
Lake Washington Boulevard at Mt. Baker Park to Beacon Hill Park
(Jefferson). A second link went from Washington Park along Interlaken
Boulevard with forks to Volunteer Park and Roanoke Park. Another
boulevard would connect Kinnear Park on Queen Anne with Magnolia.
Although the Olmsted report focused
on park and boulevard development, it also promoted a new concept
to Seattle-playgrounds. According to David Streatfield, a University
of Washington landscape architecture professor, John Charles Olmsted
was a pioneer in this concept. "Olmsted believed that playgrounds
were a necessity for a civilized society. Children would learn
fairness and decency via sports in the playground." says
Streatfield. In the firm's 1908 report to the Park Commissioners,
Olmsted recommended locating small parks and playgrounds, oriented
toward young children and women with babies, within a half a mile
of every home. He also supported additional playgrounds and outdoor
gymnasiums for older boys.
The 1903 report was the beginning
of a relationship between the Olmsted Brothers and Seattle that
lasted until 1941. Initially, the city hired the firm to make
plans for all the parks it already owned, none of which had been
formally designed. The city then asked the firm to create plans
for the new lands it acquired: Colman, Cowen, Frink, Green Lake,
Leschi, Madrona, Ravenna, Seward, and Schmitz Parks. The Washington
Park Arboretum, designed by John Charles Olmsted's collaborator
and successor in Seattle, James Dawson, was the Olmsted Brothers
final, major public project in Seattle.
One of John Charles Olmsted's main
concerns in Seattle was that parks should fit into their surroundings.
In the 1903 report Olmsted wrote: "The different parks of
the city should not be made to look as much like each other as
possible, but on the contrary every advantage should be taken
of differing conditions to give each one a distinct individuality
of its own."
David Streatfield points out at Colman
and Frink Parks: "It is clear that Olmsted recognized the
fragility of the environment in these ravines." He did not
alter the rough terrain, wild growth, and tall trees, except next
to the roads. The winding roads follow the land's contours, while
the overpasses allow people to easily move through the park. Many
consider these parks to be the best examples of Olmsted park design
On the other hand, since Volunteer
Park was located within a "highly finished style of city
development," Olmsted proposed a formal design with large
grassy areas and extensive flower beds, the clearing of densely
growing fir trees, and construction of an observation tower. Another
style emerged at Washington Park, which combined a shady brook
and swampy areas surrounded by native trees with "marked
open spaces, [not] of large extent, and ... covered smoothly with
grass so as to adapt it for use by large crowds."
Olmsted did not always leave the
land alone, though. He recommended lowering Green Lake by four
feet to create a "lake within a park." The city took
this further and eventually dropped the lake seven feet, creating
almost 100 acres of additional land
According to Jerry Arbes, Board Member
of the National Association of Olmsted Parks and also of Friends
of Seattle's Olmsted Parks, the key to appreciating what the Olmsteds
did for Seattle is not to look at the separate parks but to look
at the system as a whole. "There is a sense of connection
in the Olmsted plan," says Arbes. "The interlinked parks
provide a diversity of experience, yet one senses a relationship
between these separate elements."
All of this was a far cry in the future on that dreary November
day in 1851. A virgin wilderness of unknown proportions spread
out in all directions from the Dennys and their clan. Their vision,
though, was so grand that they named the place "New York,
Alki" - New York bye and bye.
Seattle's founders rightly saw no
need for preserves or parks in their forested domain. Fifty years
later, though, civic leaders, and most importantly, John Charles
Olmsted understood that the city's growth had changed the fabric
of the landscape so that Seattle's citizens now needed places
away from "the restraining and confining conditions of the
Almost 100 years later, parks have
become even more central to the city's existence. Surveys by the
Park Department over the last 30 years show that parks act upon
us at a level we don't always understand. When asked if they used
parks, many of those surveyed initially said "No," but
when probed further, the respondents realized that they walked,
biked or drove through or by a park, and most often one designed
by the Olmsted Brothers, almost every day. Part of the park system's
appeal is that these greenspaces do not feel like designed landscapes,
but blend into their residential surroundings. noticed the trees
and water in the parks on almost a daily basis.
This is part of the Olmsted Brothers
legacy to Seattle-that so much land was protected and that the
designs were good enough to survive to the present. How many Seattleites
had their first experience with the natural world in an Olmsted
park? We are fortunate. We still have places like Schmitz Park,
which has hints of the virgin forest that once covered this land;
Interlaken Park, which remains the province of frogs and quiet
streams; or even a more formal park like Woodland, where anyone
can sit quietly under an 80-foot-tall oak and forget the city
Equally as important is that the
Olmsteds also gave the city a philosophy that protecting our natural
scenery was and still is important. John Charles Olmsted wrote
in his initial report to the city that it should "secure
and preserve...these advantages of water and mountain views."
According to Don Harris, Director of Environmental Programs for
the Department of Parks and Recreation, this admonishment still
guides city planners. He cites the 1989 King County Open Spaces
and Trails Bond, which provided funding to preserve 531 additional
acres of green space, as an example.
Harris says: "Over the years
we have created a wonderful mix of larger parks such as Gasworks
and Discovery and smaller jewels like Thornton Creek and Maple
School Ravine, but the key element was the Olmsted legacy. It
has helped provide the links that sustain the system."
For More Information in Seattle
The water tower in Volunteer Park is a good place to begin for
those interested in learning more about the Olmsted legacy. In
1997, the Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks created a multi-faceted,
interpretive exhibit that details the city's association with
the Olmsted Brothers. It includes photographs, maps, text, field
notes, and historic postcards that address the creation of Volunteer
Park, Seattle's water system and its relationship to the parks,
specifics on what the Olmsteds designed in Seattle, and a history
of the Olmsted family's design work.
The permanent exhibit is open daily from 10am to dusk. The water
tower also provides some of the best views of the city.
An ADA accessible version of the
Olmsted Interpretive Exhibit is located at the Seattle Department
of Parks and Recreation. For more information contact Parks and
Recreation at 206-684-4075.
The Friends of Seattle's Olmsted
Parks was formed in 1983 to promote awareness, enjoyment, and
care of the the city's Olmsted parks and landscapes, both public
and private. For more information about joining or volunteering
or to receive a brochure that details many of the features displayed
in the water tower please contact:
Friends of Seattle's Olmsted Parks
P.O Box 9884, Seattle, WA 98109
© David B. Williams | <urn:uuid:cca6b98b-6548-4974-8d2b-c58633888952> |
UNIT 1 Please call me Chuck. - Presents the language needed for names and titles, greetings, and introductions. - Wh-questions and yes/no questions, short answers, and statements with be. What is your name ? My name is first and last name
Information question What Whom Who Whose Where Why When How Which Possessive Adjective My xxxxx Your xxxxx His xxxxx Her xxxxx Its xxxxx Our xxxxx Your xxxxx Their xxxxx Titles Mr. Ms. Mrs. Miss Title + Last name Verb TO BE I am You are He She is It We You are They
UNIT 2 How do you spend your day? - How to talk about their jobs, schools, and daily routines. - Introduces simple present wh-questions and statements, and time expressions including prepositions. Do Does Go Goes Have has “ s” or “es” (x,sh,ch) I study at URBE He studies at URBE Preposition On In At After Around For Adjectives Early Late Adverbs Until Before I You We They Feel Have Do He She It Feels Has Does
What does he/she do?
Where does he/she work?
What does he/she do, exactly?
UNIT 3 How much is it? - Talk about money, especially with regard to shopping. - Introduces How much...? with demostratives this/that/these/those and the pronouns one/ones. 1- How much does it cost? It costs $30. 2- How much is it? It is $45. 3- How much is this necklace? This one? 4- How much are these earrings? Which ones? 5- How much is That? That one? 6- How much are those earrings? Which ones? 7- which one do you prefer? I prefer the blue one. - Ways of expressing preferences and making comparisons with adjectives are also presented. Adjectives Nice nicer Cheap cheaper Pretty prettier Big bigger Good better Bad worse Funny funnier Busy busier Easy easier More expensive Comparative Adjective Good better Bad worse Far farther further
cvc + c + “ er “
2. Ends “e “ add “ r “
3. Ends “y “ add “ie r “
UNIT 4 Do you like jazz? - How to talk about the topic of entertainment and personal likes and dislikes, and how to make invitations. 1- Do you like jazz? Yes, I do. I like it a lot. No, I don`t like it very much. Do you like movies? Yes, I do. I like them a lot. 2- Does he play piano? Yes, he does. He plays piano. No, he doesn`t play the piano. No, he doesn`t. He plays the guitar. 3- What kind of music do you like? I like salsa. 4- Who do they like? They like U2. - Presents yes/no questions with do, object pronoun, the modal would, and verb+to+verb constructions. Love Like Want Have Possessive Object Adjective Pronoun My me Your you His him Her her Its it Our us Your you Their them Verb TO DO Subject Pronoun I do You do He She does It We You do They
UNIT 5 Tell me about your family. - Introduces the theme of family life. - Practices the present continuous in questions and in statements, and presents the use of determiners. Getting Running Shopping Swimming Jogging Danceing Taking Writeing Driving Comeing Riding Liveing Making Giveing Closing Admitting Whispering Listening Drying Studying Crying Fixing Mixing Drawing Sewing Playing Staying Siblings 1. cvc + c + ing 2. Ends “e “ drop “ e “ add “ ing “ 3. Exception ( x, w,y) 4. 2 s y llable Verb TO BE + verb*ing I am You are He She is working It We You are They Stative Verbs (not ing) Have Love Like Know want Grandparents Parents Children Relatives
UNIT 6 How often do you exercise? - Introduces the topics of sports, exercise, fitness routines, and leisure activities. - Presents adverbs of frequency, questions with how, and short answers. The adverbs of frequency Definite: they go at the end of the sentence. Indefinite: They always go before the verbs. Exception: They go after the verb to be On >> over something In >> general - inside At >> specific Simple Present To Be To Go To Have To Do I am Go Have Do You are He She is Goes Has Does It We You are Go Have Do They 1. An Activity + ing --> GO. 2. Team sport --> PLAY. 3. Individual activity --> DO.
UNIT 7 We had a great time! - Practices describing daily, weekend, and leisure activities as well as vacations. - Introduces the past tense in wh- and yes/no questions and statements with regular and irregular verbs. Re g ular Stopped Shopped Enjoyed Stayed Played Drawed Fixed Regular Cleaned Started Wanted Worked Watched Vacuumed Loved Closed Invited Danced Admitted Transfered Transmitted Whispered Visited Listened Studied Cried Tried Irregular Run – ran Feel – felt Buy – bought Swim – swam Pay – paid Do – did Go – went See – Saw Meet – Met Sleep – Slept Drink - Drank 1. cvc + c + ed 2. Ends “e “ add “ d “ 3. Exception (w,y,x) 4. 2 s y llable Simple Present Past To Be I am was You are were He She is was It We You are were They
UNIT 8 How do you like the neighborhood? - Introduces language used to talk about places. - Presents several grammar points: there is/there are, prepositions for describing locations. and countable uncountable nouns with how much and how many. Preposition of place On In In front of In back of Behind Under Next to Near Close Far Between Across from On the corner of Quantifiers Some Any A lot of A little Much A few Many Count and non-count Uncountable or non-count Countable or count Statements Affirmative Negatives and questions Singular Use a or an Plural Use s or es There is There are Hay | <urn:uuid:7e774725-6842-45ae-b907-36234efac142> |
NASA’s Mars Atmosphere and Volatiles Evolution (Maven) spacecraft is seen inside the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility on Aug. 3. 2013 at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. MAVEN will be prepared inside the facility for its scheduled November launch to Mars.
As NASA's Curiosity rover celebrates one year on Mars, the space agency has begun final preparations for the launch of its next Red Planet mission later this year.
The Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution spacecraft, or MAVEN, arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Friday (Aug. 2), just three days before the one-year anniversary of Curiosity's dramatic Mars landing.
MAVEN is now sitting in a cleanroom, where engineers are testing and fueling the orbiter ahead of its planned Nov. 18 launch from Kennedy toward the Red Planet. [NASA's MAVEN Mission to Mars: Photos]
"We're excited and proud to ship the spacecraft right on schedule," David Mitchell, MAVEN project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., said in a statement Monday (Aug. 5). "But more critical milestones lie ahead before we accomplish our mission of collecting science data from Mars. I firmly believe the team is up to the task. Now we begin the final push to launch."
Studying Martian air
Mars has lost most of its atmosphere to space over the eons. The $670 million MAVEN mission, which is slated to arrive in an elliptical orbit around Mars in September 2014, aims to help researchers understand how this happened and what the consquences have been for the planet's ability to support life as we know it.
Mission team members hope that observations the spacecraft makes during its one-year prime mission will yield insights about Mars' shift from a relatively warm, wet world in the ancient past to the cold, dry planet it is today.
"MAVEN is not going to detect life," mission principal investigator Bruce Jakosky, a planetary scientist at the University of Colorado Boulder, said in a statement. "But it will help us understand the climate history [of Mars], which is the history of its habitability."
A U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane transported MAVEN from Buckley Air Force Base in Colorado to Kennedy Space Center on Friday. (Lockheed Martin Space Systems, which designed and built the spacecraft, is based in Littleton, Colo.)
"It's always a mix of excitement and stress when you ship a spacecraft down to the launch site," Guy Beutelschies, MAVEN program manager at Lockheed Martin, said in a statement. "It's similar to moving your children to college after high school graduation. You're proud of the hard work to get to this point, but you know they still need some help before they're ready to be on their own."
Over the next week, engineers at Kennedy will perform a number of tests. For example, they'll check out MAVEN's software and test-deploy the spacecraft's solar panels and booms, NASA officials said.
A big day for Curiosity
While MAVEN enters the home stretch in its launch preparations, the Curiosity rover is marking a big milestone of its own: one year of exploring the Red Planet.
The 1-ton rover touched down on the night of Aug. 5, 2012 U.S. Pacific Time (early morning Aug. 6 EDT and GMT), kicking off a two-year surface mission to determine if Mars could have ever supported microbial life.
The six-wheeled Curiosity has already accomplished that goal, determining that a site called Yellowknife Bay was indeed habitable in the ancient past. Curiosity has now embarked on a long trek to the base of Mount Sharp, a mysterious mountain that rises more than 3 miles (5 kilometers) into the Red Planet sky.
Curiosity started that journey, which covers about 5 miles (8 km) of straight-line distance, last month. It will probably take the rover about a year to reach Mount Sharp's foothills, mission team members have said. | <urn:uuid:d9d139dd-e2a9-4ae6-863f-3c891dd17289> |
Spokes supports ‘informed choice‘ over cycle helmets – not just ‘choice‘. Informed choice means that individuals should be told the pros and the cons of helmet use, then allowed to make their own decision.
Organisations involved in selling or promoting helmets should be required to advise potential users about the pros and cons, so that they can cycle more safely whether or not they choose to use a helmet, as well as to help them in making that choice. This applies to manufacturers (e.g. on packaging), sales outlets (e.g. in sales materials), and organisations such as the police, councils or other organisations (e.g. in publicity leaflets).
We are against helmet compulsion and against heavy or one-sided promotion of helmets. This makes cycling appear more dangerous than it is and so risks scaring people off and losing the multiple health and other benefits of getting about by bike. Secondly, for those who do choose to cycle, helmets may give them added confidence to use more dangerous roads* than they otherwise would. See below for evidence on these points. [*The difference in danger between different road types is staggering - see p7 of Spokes Bulletin 115 and p5 of Bulletin 117].
Note: Spokes is not involved in Sport, and can’t comment on helmets for sport cycling. See the CTC briefings below instead.
DOCUMENTS AND ARTICLES FROM SPOKES
We summarise and reference the evidence on helmets below. A much shorter summary is in our printed helmets factsheet [pdf 390k]. Page 1 is intended to counter the widespread publicity that helmets are an unalloyed good with no downsides. Page 2 explains some of the main issues and our stance, and provides some evidence links.
Our views on helmets are reflected in our policy on advertising and on promotion of events.
CREEPING COMPULSION / HELMET CULTURE
The way in which helmets are promoted by some public institutions and by financially-interested private organisations is leading to ‘creeping compulsion’ – a growing public mood that not to wear a helmet is irresponsible. Some charity rides, supposedly open to all, now ban all unhelmeted cyclists, or those under 18. In the tragic death of Edinburgh Cyclist Audrey Fyfe, the Sherrif blamed Mrs Fyfe for not wearing a helmet, even though the crash resulted entirely from careless driving and no evidence was produced that a helmet would have affected the outcome.
An article in Spokes Bulletin 113 about helmet ‘creeping compulsion’ generated a lot of media interest, which prompted us to produce the above factsheet and a 15 June 2012 news posting explaining our position further and outlining feedback received following the Bulletin article. Our concerns are further discussed on page 5 of Spokes Bulletin 114.
For a picture of everyday cycling in European countries with less injuries per mile cycled than in Britain, see…
For links to the research evidence on helmets, see…
- Bicycle Helmet Research Foundation – www.cyclehelmets.org
- European Cyclists’ Federation – www.ecf.com/road-safety/helmets-and-reflective-vests
- CTC Briefings -
- BicycleSafe.com – bicyclesafe.com/helmets.html – interesting US helmets advice article [with links to evidence] from a website dedicated to how to cycle safely [as it's USA, read 'left' for 'right' and vice versa!]
Other more anecdotal evidence…
- Bike Share schemes – evidence suggests that users of bike share schemes are usually unhelmeted, yet have significantly lower casualty rates than the general cycling population. See this major MIT study of North American bike share schemes [pdf 5MB]. Also London Boris Bikes – see page 5 of Spokes Bulletin 114.
- Which – conversation.which.co.uk/transport-travel/bike-helmets-cycling-compulsory-law ‘Which’ did a report on cycle helmets, and this subsequent online conversation contains some fascinating comments and useful links.
Some specific papers…
Here we list one source of evidence for each of the main claims made in the Spokes factsheet. Further sources can be found in the above website and briefings.
- If you are helmeted, drivers tend to give you less space when passing … www.bath.ac.uk/news/articles/archive/overtaking110906.html
- When helmeted, some cyclists behave less cautiously … www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21418079
- Helmet compulsion reduces the numbers cycling (and may make cycling less safe for the remaining cyclists) … www.cyclehelmets.org/1250.html
- Helmets can cause or worsen head/brain injury through neck rotation … www.cyclehelmets.org/1039.html
- Helmets are designed to help if you fall off your bike, not for anything like the closing speed of a car/bike crash … www.cyclehelmets.org/papers/c2023.pdf
- Cycling is as safe as many common daily activities, such as gardening or football … www.cyclehelmets.org/1026.html
- Protective headbands for motorists seem likely to save lives (and have less disadvantages than cycle helmets – why are they not promoted by the ‘road safety’ industry?) … www.copenhagenize.com/2009/10/australian-helmet-science-for-motorists.html
1. 1209 29 New York Times To Encourage Biking, Cities Lose the Helmets
‘Many researchers say, if you force or pressure people to wear helmets, you discourage them from riding bicycles. That means more obesity, heart disease and diabetes. And — Catch-22 — a result is fewer ordinary cyclists on the road, which makes it harder to develop a safe bicycling network. …
“Pushing helmets really kills cycling and bike-sharing in particular because it promotes a sense of danger that just isn’t justified — in fact, cycling has many health benefits,” says Piet de Jong, a professor in the department of applied finance and actuarial studies at Macquarie University in Sydney. He studied the issue with mathematical modeling, and concludes that the benefits may outweigh the risks by 20 to 1. He adds: “Statistically, if we wear helmets for cycling, maybe we should wear helmets when we climb ladders or get into a bath, because there are lots more injuries during those activities.”’
2. Copenhagenize.com has published a series of articles on helmets for everyday motoring.
3. 1312 13 New York Times Ski Helmet Use is not Reducing Brain Injuries
An interesting parallel with the cycle helmet debate. At the same time as a huge rise in helmet-wearing, head injuries amongst skiers have stayed static (one study) or have risen (two other studies). As with cycle helmets, an explanatory theory is that skiers are taking more risks because they feel safer, even though helmets are only very effective in low speed crashes – and ‘providers’ are colluding by building more extreme skiing facilities, assuming skiers are safer.
“Skiers and snowboarders in the United States are wearing helmets more than ever — 70 percent of all participants, nearly triple the number from 2003 — (but) there has been no reduction in the number of snow-sports-related fatalities or brain injuries. … Experts ascribe that seemingly implausible correlation to the inability of helmets to prevent serious head injuries … and to the fact that more skiers and snowboarders are engaging in risky behaviors.”
MORE RESEARCH NEEDED
Three big questions need answered…
1. How much will a helmet help you, and in what sorts of crashes?
A fair bit of research has been done – some is linked from the above sites. Generally speaking the message is that a helmet may help if you have a slow speed crash such as falling off and hitting your head on the road, but is unlikely to make much difference in a crash with a motor vehicle.
2. Are you more likely to crash if you use a helmet?
This could happen because drivers think you are safe and so give you less space when passing; or because you feel safer and so cycle faster or use a faster road. Some limited research has been done, pointing in this direction [see links above] but very little. There are many supporting anecdotes such as the London taxi driver who said, “I always give the Boris bikes a wide berth” and the cyclist who told Spokes, “I would never use that road unless I was wearing my helmet.” i.e. the helmeted cyclist is taking on more risk from traffic; the unhelmeted bike-hire user is taking on less.
The government, police, helmet manufacturers, road safety agencies, etc refuse to take these arguments seriously or to commission any serious research. They are thus potentially risking the safety of individual cyclists, by promoting helmets as an unalloyed good and not, at the least, advising wearers to be aware of the downsides.
3. Do overall cyclist deaths and injuries per mile or per bike user fall if helmets are made compulsory or become very commonplace in a country?
A medium amount of research has been done [some in the links above]. The answer in general seems to be that deaths and injuries per unit of exposure do not fall – and they often rise. The reasons could include…
- Usually many people are put off cycling – no one has researched why this happens, but one theory is because the emphasis on helmets makes cycling feel dangerous – i.e. we aren’t told to put on a helmet to walk or drive to the shops, so cycling must be more dangerous. If the people who stay cycling are the more confident, fully equipped ones who use fast roads, and those deterred are the more ordinary unhelmeted cyclists who stick to local and quiet roads, this could explain why casualties rise – because there is a huge differential in cycling danger on the two types of road – see Spokes 115 [forthcoming] page 7.
- There may be more crashes per cyclist for the reasons in (2) above. | <urn:uuid:c96e3e24-9d5b-4518-b7ef-4c76dd448791> |
Scoliosis Research Society (SRS)
An International Organization Dedicated to the Education, Research and Treatment of Spinal Deformity
Our Mission is to Foster Optimal Care for All Patients with Spinal Deformities
A normal thoracic spine extends from the 1st to the 12th vertebra and should have a slight kyphosis ranging from 20o to 45o. When the "roundness" of the upper spine increases past 45o it is called "hyperkyphosis". Scheuermann's kyphosis is the most classic form of hyperkyphosis and is the result of wedged vertebrae that develop during adolescence. The cause is not currently known and the condition appears to be multi-factorial and is seen more frequently in males than females. | <urn:uuid:35553ef2-d86c-4559-bd97-21945933cd4a> |
Fitness may prevent dementia
Being physically fit in midlife is associated with a lower risk of dementia in old age, a new study reports.
Between 1971 and 2009, 19,458 healthy adults younger than age 65 took a treadmill fitness test as part of a broader health examination. Researchers followed the subjects through their Medicare records for an average of 24 years.
After adjusting for age, smoking, diabetes, cholesterol and other health factors, the researchers found that compared with those in the lowest 20 percent for fitness in midlife, those in the highest 20 percent had a 36 percent reduced risk of dementia.
The reason for the association is unclear, but it was independent of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular risk factors for dementia, suggesting that both vascular and nonvascular mechanisms may be involved. The findings were published last week in The Annals of Internal Medicine.
Flu spread and close contact
The intense flu season this year is enough to make anyone want to keep a distance from the coughs and sneezes of others. But an arm's length may not be enough.
The conventional wisdom is that flu is spread largely through close contact with others and by touching contaminated surfaces. A recent study by scientists at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, however, shows that people infected with the flu can send virus particles shooting into the air six feet away, farther than previously thought.
The researchers looked at 94 people admitted to the hospital with flu-like illness and assessed the patients' symptoms, including coughing and sneezing.
Of the 61 patients who tested positive for flu, 26 released virus particles into the air. One out of five was considered highly infectious, releasing up to 32 times more virus particles on average than the others. These were also the patients with the highest viral loads and the worst symptoms.
A person within a range of 6 feet, the team found, "could be exposed to infectious doses of influenza virus."
-— New York Times
Folic acid and autism spectrum disorders
Mothers who took folic acid supplements around the time they became pregnant were less likely to have children with an autism spectrum disorder, a new study has found.
Researchers in Norway examined health records of more than 85,000 children born there between 1999 and 2009. They also looked at questionnaires completed by their mothers to see how much folic acid they were consuming in the month before they became pregnant and during the first eight weeks of pregnancy, a critical period of embryonic brain development.
Among the 85,176 children in the study, 270 (or 0.32 percent) received an ASD diagnosis — 114 (0.13 percent) had autistic disorder, 56 (0.07 percent) had Asperger syndrome and 100 (0.12 percent) were diagnosed with "pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified," or PDD-NOS.
These children were more likely to be born to women who did not take folic acid. In the raw analysis, mothers who skipped the supplement were more than 2.1 times more likely to have a child with autistic disorder compared with mothers who took the supplement. | <urn:uuid:cc2738c9-89d4-4904-ac46-f18689f8b346> |
ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELDS - EMF
The following links are provided as a public service to help answer questions relating to Electro-Magnetic Fields (EMF). The State of Maine does not presently have any regulations that govern EMF fields.
Generally speaking EMF is divided into two different groups, Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) EMF like those found around electrical devices operating at Alternating Current (AC) frequencies, and other EMF of higher frequencies like those found around broadcast radio antennas and cell phone antennas. If there are links that you have found that are not presented here but you feel should be included, or if you have any questions please contact Jay Hyland.
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (part of the National Institute of Health) EMF page
NIEHS report on EMF (60+ pages pdf document 750 kb)
NIEHS Q + A booklet on EMF (11.7 Mb pdf document)
Fact Sheet on ELF EMF (power frequencies)
Fact Sheet on EMF (radio frequencies)
Fact Sheet on EMF (Static, no frequency, DC)
Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (SSI)
Health Protection Agency, United Kingdom
General conclusion (from above document)
Laboratory experiments have provided no good evidence that extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields are capable of producing cancer, nor do human epidemiological studies suggest that they cause cancer in general. There is, however, some epidemiological evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of power frequency magnetic fields is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children. In practice, such levels of exposure are seldom encountered by the general public in the UK. In the absence of clear evidence of a carcinogenic effect in adults, or of a plausible explanation from experiments on animals or isolated cells, the epidemiological evidence is currently not strong enough to justify a firm conclusion that such fields cause leukaemia in children. Unless, however, further research indicates that the finding is due to chance or some currently unrecognised artefact, the possibility remains that intense and prolonged exposures to magnetic fields can increase the risk of leukaemia in children.
Conference of Radiation Control Program Directors
(these are older documents but still informative) | <urn:uuid:2235cf22-805d-42ae-b885-c996b133ffdc> |
Calcium Channel Blockers
Calcium channel blockers are drugs that mainly lower blood pressure by either preventing calcium from entering cells of the cardiac muscle, or the smooth muscle cells of the blood vessel walls. Some of these drugs also target nerve cells and they are used as antiepileptics.
When calcium channel blockers bind to cardiac muscle cells, they prevent calcium from entering them. The result is a decrease of contraction and conduction of the heart, and a decrease of heart rate.
When calcium channel blockers bind to smooth muscles of blood vessels, they cause them to relax and widen (vasodilatation), therefore lowering blood pressure.
There are three classes of calcium channel blockers. Dihydropyridines are relatively selective to muscle cells of blood vessels. They can be easily identified by the suffix “-dipine”. These drugs are primarily used to treat high blood pressure. They are not generally prescribed to patients suffering from angina because one of their side effects is reflex cardiac stimulation which can increase cardiac demand in oxygen. Amlodipine and nifedipine are exceptions in the dihydropyridine class used to treat angina.
Phenylalkylamines are relatively selective to cardiac muscle cells. By reducing contraction and oxygen demand, these drugs are often used to treat angina. Phenylalkylamines have little effects on blood vessels.
Benzothiazepines are part of an intermediate class. They have both cardiac effects and blood vessel relaxation action, without the reflex cardiac stimulation caused by dihydropyridines.
Examples of calcium channel blockers
Examples of dihydropyridines include:
- Amlodipine (Norvasc, Azor).
- Aranidipine (Sapresta).
- Azelnidipine (Calblock).
- Barnidipine (HypoCa).
- Benidipine (Coniel).
- Cilnidipine (Atelec, Cinalong, Siscard).
- Clevidipine (Cleviprex).
- Efonidipine (Landel).
- Felodipine (Plendil).
- Lacidipine (Motens, Lacipil).
- Manidipine (Calslot, Madipine).
- Nicardipine (Cardene, Carden SR).
- Nifedipine (Procardia, Adalat).
- Nilvadipine (Nivadil).
- Nimodipine (Nimotop).
- Nisoldipine (Baymycard, Sular, Syscor).
- Nitrendipine (Cardif, Nitrepin, Baylotensin).
- Pranidipine (Acalas).
Examples of phenylalkylamines include:
- Verapamil (Calan, Isoptin).
- Gallopamil (Procorum, D600).
An example of benzothiazepines:
- Diltiazem (Cardizem).
Calcium channel blockers are usually prescribed to treat hypertension, angina and arrhythmia. Other conditions can also be treated with these drugs.
Doctors recommend calcium channel blockers to treat:
- Hypertension (high blood pressure).
- Angina (chest pain).
- Arrhythmia (irregular heartbeats).
- Brain aneurysm complications.
- Some circulatory conditions, such as Raynaud's disease (disorder that affects blood flow to the fingers, toes, nose and ears, when exposed to cold).
- Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure that affects the arteries in the lungs).
Common side effects of calcium channel blockers include:
- Excessive hypotension (low blood pressure).
- Oedema (Swelling in the feet and lower legs).
- Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat).
- Flushing (red face and other areas of the skin).
The cardiac selective, non-dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers can cause excessive bradycardia (slow heart beat), impaired electrical conduction, and depressed contractility. Therefore, patients having pre-existent bradycardia, conduction defects, or heart failure caused by heart dysfunction should not be given calcium channel blockers, especially the cardiac selective ones.
Calcium channel blockers, especially non-dihydropyridines, should not be prescribed to patients being treated with a beta blocker because beta blockers also depress cardiac electrical and mechanical activity. Taking a calcium channel blocker therefore increases the effects of beta blockers.
Major drug groups
Sélection Reader's Digest, Le Guide canadien des médicaments, 2002.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (www.wikipedia.org).
Mayo Clinic, medical information and tools for better living (www.mayoclinic.com).
CV Pharmacology, cardiovascular pharmacology concepts (www.cvpharmacology.com).
The information above should be used as a reference only. Any medical decision should not be done before consulting a health care professional.
Last update: 29th of July 2009. | <urn:uuid:0a5000a0-323b-4397-beb3-393a9d469a95> |
- News & Views
- Solution Providers
Facebook Reports Emissions Data for the First Time
August 3, 2012
The annual carbon footprint of social networking site Facebook is equivalent to the footprint of a couple glasses of wine per active user, the company said this week, releasing data for the first time on emissions, energy mix and energy use.
The social networking giant reported the annual carbon footprint per monthly active user at 269 grams. Total emissions from data centers, office space, employee commuting, employee air travel, data center construction and server transportation was approximately 285,000 metric tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
In 2011 the company used 23 percent clean and renewable power, 27 percent coal, 17 percent natural gas, 13 percent nuclear and 20 percent uncategorized (energy that’s purchased by utilities on the spot market and can include any or all of the above categories). The company’s total energy use from office space, data centers and other facilities was approximately 532 million kWh.
In a blog post the company said it was releasing the data “because we believe in the power of openness, and because we hope that adding another data point to our collective understanding of our industry’s environmental impact will help us all keep improving.”
Facebook rival Google released similar data for the first time last September, and at 1.46 million metric tonnes of carbon in 2010, Google’s footprint was roughly five times greater than Facebook’s.
Both companies seem to be responding to criticism over the last year and a half for a lack of transparency concerning their environmental impacts. In an April 2011 report on cloud-computing companies, Greenpeace gave Google an "F" on transparency and Facebook a "D". Since then both companies have opened up considerably. Greenpeace praised Google for taking a leadership position in energy policy among IT companies, and Facebook responded to Greenpeace’s call for clean energy use, setting a goal of 25 percent renewable energy by 2015.
“In the short-term, reducing our impact and significantly altering our energy mix will be challenging,” Facebook wrote on its blog. “The reality is that as a fast-growing company our carbon footprint and energy mix may get worse before they get better.”
The company said it expects to see a steady increase in clean and renewable energy sources when it brings its new data center online in Lulea, Sweden, in 2014. That data center will make use of Sweden's cold climate to help cool the thousands of computer servers housed at the facility.
Facebook shares its strategies for energy-efficient data center operation with the industry at large via its Open Compute Project. The company now has a policy of siting data centers in locations that have access to clean and renewable energy sources and incorporating a renewable energy component to every new data center.
Bart King is a PR/marketing communications consultant and principal at Cleantech Communications. | <urn:uuid:70ffb910-ba70-44e2-9f65-64e8760b1a63> |
Antibullying resource for educators released
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October 21, 2013 By:
ASCD announces the release of a new PD In Focus® channel for educators, titled “School Culture and Climate: Addressing Bullying.” The PD In Focus online application is web-based professional development tool with videos, related resources, activities, and insight from some of the most important voices in education today.
In addition to the new PD In Focus channel, ASCD also provides a variety of resources on bullying, including
- A PD Online® professional development course Bullying: Taking Charge, 2nd Edition, which features video examples, in-depth readings, and problem-solving scenarios.
- Special Edition Policy Priorities newsletter on cyberbullying curriculum and prevention resources.
- How to Stop Bullying edition of ASCD Express that discusses bullying, how it affects students, and advice on how to prevent harassment and create a safe and comfortable learning environment.
- Experts from organizations like the National School Climate Center and the U.S. Department of Education share blog posts and other resources that address bullying in the classroom on the Whole Child Blog. ASCD’s website also provides a list of school climate resources under the “Research a Topic” section.
- The September 2011 issue of Educational Leadership, “Promoting Respectful Schools,” features articles on bullying, school climate, and preventing hate language.
For more information, visit www.ascd.org | <urn:uuid:b7541fda-c759-4379-a5a6-aa5348c1cb81> |
Download Now Free registration required
Saving energy and increasing network lifespan are important problems in Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). WSNs with many small nodes can be used for monitoring and controlling the physical environments. This network due to the shared wireless environment and deployed unpleasant surroundings is fault prone. This paper introduces the New Energy-efficient Fault-tolerant Protocol for Wireless Sensor Network. Proposed EFP protocol, aims to decrease the consumption of the network resources in each round of data communication and aggregation and it is a fault tolerant technique that guarantees trustworthy of the communications between sensor nodes and base station by selecting a best sensor node as a cluster head in terms of energy and distance and electing a reserved cluster-head.
- Format: PDF
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Articles from a special issue of the Radical History Review that map the development of interpretations of the South African past and depart radically from the official history
History from South Africa
Alternative Visions and Practices
Search the full text of this book
edited by Joshua Brown, Patrick Manning, Karin Shapiro and Jon Wiener
More starkly than any other contemporary social conflict, the crisis in South Africa highlights the complexities and conflicts in race, gender, class, and nation. These original articles, most of which were written by South African authors, are from a special issue of the Radical History Review, published in Spring 1990, that mapped the development of interpretations of the South African past that depart radically from the official history. The articles range from the politics of black movements in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries to studies of film, television, and theater as reflections of modern social conflict.
History from South Africa is presented in two main sections: discussions of the historiography of South Africa from the viewpoint of those rewriting it with a radical outlook; and investigations into popular history and popular culturethe production and reception of history in the public realm. In addition, two photo essays dramatize this history visually; maps and a chronology complete the presentation. The book provides a fresh look at major issues in South African social and labor history and popular culture, and focuses on the role of historians in creating and interacting with a popular movement of resistance and social change.
Preface John Brown, Patrick Manning, Karin Shapiro, and Jon Wiener
Part I: Radical Historians and South Africa's Past
Part II: Photo Essays
Part III: Popular History and Popular Culture
Chronology: South Africa, 1800-1900
Joshua Brown is Art Director of the American Social History Project at Hunter College and a member of the Radical History Review editorial collective.
Patrick Manning is Professor of History and African-American Studies at Northeastern University. He is the author of a 1982 book on the economic history of Dahomey, Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa, 1880-1985 (1987), and Slavery and African Life (1990). He is also a member of the Radical History Review editorial collective.
Karin Shapiro, a history graduate student at Yale University, studies both American and South African history. She will complete her dissertation, "The Tennessee Coal Miners' Revolt, 1981-92: Convict Labor, Political Culture, and Southern Rural Industrialization" in 1991. She is also a member of the Radical History Review editorial collective.
Jon Wiener teaches History at the University of California, Irvine. He is a member of the Radical History Review editorial collective, and a contributing editor to The Nation.
Contributors: Philip Bonner, Helen Bradford, Colin Bundy, Stephen Clingman, C.R.D. Halisi, Jon Lewis, Tom Lodge, Chris Lowe, Bill Nasson, Gideon Mendel, Santu Mofokeng, David Anthony, Luli Callinicos, Harriet Gavshon, C. A. Hamilton, Deborah James, Paul la Hausse, Andre Odendaal, A. W. Oliphant, Bhekizizwe Peterson, Melanie Walker, Leslie Witz, and the editors.
In the series
Critical Perspectives on the Past, edited by Susan Porter Benson, Stephen Brier, and Roy Rosenzweig, is concerned with the traditional and nontraditional ways in which historical ideas are formed. In its attentiveness to issues of race, class, and gender and to the role of human agency in shaping events, the series is as critical of traditional historical method as content. Emphasizing that history is itself an interpretation of material events, the series demonstrates that the historian's choices of subject, narrative technique, and documentation are politically as well as intellectually constructed. | <urn:uuid:8afc14b3-9c9b-4b03-95b8-6cd11e6241c1> |
Inhabitants in 1991: 14.375
municipal territory of Signa, in Valdarno Inferiore, extends for 18,81
square kilometres in plains and hills. It takes its origins from
a municipality in the Medieval era with modifications and additions.
Initially separated in the municipality of Gangalandi (Lastra a Signa).
Signa and Lecore in 1774 underwent a restructurisation when the
community of Signa and that of Lecore were united to that of Campi, until
in 1808 with a Napoleonic decree, Signa became elected a community
existing by itself. A royal decree of November 1928 assigned part of the
suppressed municipality of Brozzi to it.
The main centre, or Roman origin (Exinea), placed at the influx
of the Bisenzio with the Arno, it was testified for the first time
as castle in 978; it is to be noted that along the whole course of
the Arno between Firenze and Pisa, Signa was the only centre which
possessed a bridge, attested to already before the XII century as
head of which on the left bank, and therefore opposite the original habitat
a centre had formed, whose name (market) left no doubt as to its function
(1252). Punto Nevralgico, therefore, with regard to the viability
it must not be forgotten that on the bank where the market was situated
passed the road to Pisa and a strategic centre of notable importance
in that it was situated on the borders of the Fiorentino county and
that of Pistoia. This situation was negative for Signa on some occasions,
like when in 1325 Castruccio Castracani after having destroyed the bridge
over the Arno set fire to the town. For the importance which we have mentioned
already in 1326 the municipality of Firenze had given permission for the
rebuilding of the castle (two of its gates are still visible) together
with the best part of the surrounding walls. The reconstruction of the
walls followed that of the bridge, and from then apart from isolated cases
(a siege of 1397) the town did not suffer other damage. The economic position
of Signa was prosperous and at the end of the XVIII century it was
recorded as the most populated country community of the Grand Duchy.
During the war the town and in particular the locality of Ponte a Signa
was badly damaged and, other than destroying the bridge which was reconstructed
further up stream, had 48% of its building destroyed.
|Places to visit:
Castle, ancient nucleus formed
before the year 1000 surrounded by the ruins of the 1300 wall which
comprises also S. Maria in Castello, church already documented in
746 and remade several times over the centuries.
Battista, or della Beata, in the 1400 parish church is laid the
body of the blessed Giovanna da Signa. The three nave interior together
with other works of art preserves the mural with the History of
Blessed Giovanna carried out in two different epochs.
Historical info reproduced upon authorization of Regione Toscana - Dipartimento della Presidenza E Affari Legislativi e Giuridici
Translated by Ann Mountford | <urn:uuid:060b8f03-653f-412d-9cc1-f0bc08606089> |
Twitter may provide useful clues for detecting a spike in influenza, but its users are too different from the population at large for counting votes before they're cast.
There is a sense among big-data utopians that the world we live in is eminently knowable, that buried within the titanic collections of data are the answers to virtually any question if one knows how to look. Nowhere is this more apparent than the recent trend of data-driven attempts to PREDICT THE FUTURE (yes, please read that phrase with a Wizard-of-Oz-like booming echo). Researchers have claimed that online social data can grant the ability to predict everything from box-office revenues and the spread of disease to election outcomes. This is futile and ridiculous. Despite our deep-seated desire that the world be tractable and controllable, we can't predict the future.
The best we could possibly do is early detection. That is, in the best of circumstances it is possible detect the online projections and manifestations of existing offline phenomena that tend to coincide with particular outcomes or events. This works best when there are clear and understandable mechanisms of interaction between these offline phenomena and online social media participation. For instance, early detection of flu outbreaks with Twitter is based on the understanding that people tweet about themselves and their experiences, and as more people fall ill in a given area, more people in that area will tweet about their symptoms. Given that the flu is something we are all exposed to, there is no reason to believe that the sample of people on Twitter is not representative of larger patterns. In cases like this the path from real-world phenomena to people expressing that phenomena online is obvious, and the danger of that expression being highly skewed or disproportionate is low. Hence, early detection using social media is viable.
However, election predictions are a wholly different matter. Election forecasting with twitter is a particularly trenchant example of the cocktail of hubris and naïveté that is widespread in social-media prediction work. For instance in a particularly well-cited 2010 paper titled "Predicting Elections with Twitter: What 140 Characters Reveal about Political Sentiment," researchers in Germany argued that Twitter is a "valid real-time indicator of political sentiment'' in which "the mere number of tweets mentioning a political party" has predictive power that rivals traditional polling. However, this paper, which claimed to have matched traditional polling's error rates for the 2009 German Parliamentary Elections, is indicative of many of the problems with such predictive studies.
Strong early detection work is seriously grounded in the offline social dynamics and phenomena that would lead someone to express a related sentiment online. Work on "predicting" election outcomes is not. Public-opinion polling -- the contemporary gold standard of election forecasting -- involves incredibly sophisticated sampling procedures to identify "likely voters" as opposed to "registered voters," often stratifying by various populations of interest that might otherwise be under-represented. This is a means of grounding the work in the real social dynamics of voting. Only by building into the predictive model a view of what will actually get which people to the polls, is it possible to translate the loosely held public political sentiment of the moment into something that relates to actual outcomes on election day. In Twitter prediction to date there has been no such subtle inclusion of the dynamics of participation and how these map to real world action.
One significant problem is that Twitter is a notably non-representative sample of people. While the demographics of the user base are not yet totally understood (it is difficult to do work on demography on anonymous or pseudonymous platforms), research indicates that the Twitter population in the US, for example, over-represents males, Caucasians, and people in coastal and urban regions (PDF). This population does not differ in dimensions that are particularly relevant for influenza contraction, but they differ significantly in ways that are quite relevant for gauging public opinion. | <urn:uuid:550fe682-b3ea-4fc8-b1a6-4ad8a2ce22c6> |
What the Bible Says About Tithing
Tithing is an interesting subject, and often one of controversy. While tithing is certainly a biblical concept, some churches teach that it is commanded of Christians, and some teach that it isn't. What does the Bible teach regarding tithing under the New Covenant?
In order to understand how tithing fits (or doesn't fit) into the life of a Christian, we must first examine tithing as it was originally commanded, it's purposes, and it's meaning. For this we go to the Old Testament.
The word "tithe" simply means "tenth," and as it is used in the Bible, it refers to giving a "tenth" to God. "A tenth of what?," you might ask. This will be discovered as Scriptures regarding the tithe are studied.
Abraham and Jacob Tithe Before the Law
The first time a tithe is referred to in Scripture is in Genesis 14:18-20, where we read:
And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.Abram had just returned from defeating several kings to rescue his nephew Lot who had been taken captive, as well as goods that were taken. When Melchizidek blessed Abram, Abram gave Melchizidek a tenth "of all." This "tithe" is not limited to income, but clearly includes a tenth of all of Abram's possessions. A similar tithe is seen with Jacob, in Genesis 28:10-22, where Jacob pledges that if God blesses him, he would give a tenth back to God. In both of these instances, the tithe is made before the law to tithe is given, but this offering is made in response to blessing, out of thanksgiving.
Institution of the Tithe Under the Law
The tithe is first given as law in Leviticus 27:30-33. This consisted of "all the tithe of the land, whether of the seed of the land, or of the fruit of the tree" (vs.30); specifically, it consisted of livestock, grain, fruit, and the like. If desired, a man could "redeem" part or all of his tithe with money, but if he did so, he was required to add 20 percent ("a fifth" - vs. 31) of the value to it (in other words, a man wishing to "redeem" his tithe [keep it for himself] was required to pay 120 percent of the value of the tithe). This apparently only applied to the tithe from the land. It seems that animals could not be redeemed. Animals were to be chosen by counting every tenth, and not deciding between "good" or "bad" animals - almost a random picking based on the animals passing before the shepherd and choosing every tenth animal. If a man wanted to substitute an animal for one of the animals to be set aside for the Lord, both animals were then considered holy, and neither could be redeemed. (The entire 27th chapter of Leviticus focuses on dedicating things to the Lord, and concludes with the tithe).
Purpose of the Tithe, and the Second Tithe
In Numbers 18:20-32, God gives the reason for the tithe seen in Leviticus 27 - to support the Levitical priesthood (cf. Nehemiah 10:37-39). Since the Lord specified that the Levites would "have no inheritance" among the Israelites, the tithe was given to them "for an inheritance, for their service which they serve, even the service of the tabernacle of the congregation." (Num. 18:21,31). Aaron himself was told that he would have no inheritance among the Israelites as well, but that God was his share and inheritance (Num. 18:20). God then specifies that the Levites were to give a tenth (tithe) of all the tithes they received to Aaron (Num. 18:25-29) - this was "the Lord's portion".
Deuteronomy 12:5-6,11 tells us that the tithe was to be brought to "the place the Lord your God will choose from among all your tribes to put His Name their for His dwelling" (Deut. 12:5). Deuteronomy 12:17-28 continues along this line of thought, then speaking of the tithe being eaten. Specifically, verses 17 and 18 say:
"Thou mayest not eat within thy gates the tithe of thy corn, or of thy wine, or of thy oil, or the firstlings of thy herds or of thy flock, nor any of thy vows which thou vowest, nor thy freewill offerings, or heave offering of thine hand: But thou must eat them before the LORD thy God in the place which the LORD thy God shall choose, thou, and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite that is within thy gates: and thou shalt rejoice before the LORD thy God in all that thou puttest thine hands unto."Seeing as this is addressing the entire nation of Israel (vs. 12 makes that clear - note that the list includes the Levites, hence it is not directed toward the Levites alone), it is apparently a second tithe, since the first tithe was to be given entirely to the Levites. Deuteronomy 14:22-27 expands upon this concept by commanding the people to "eat before the LORD thy God, in the place which he shall choose to place his name there, the tithe of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the firstlings of thy herds and of thy flocks" (Deut. 14:23). The purpose of doing this? "...that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always" (Deut. 14:23)
Continuing in this context, if the person could not get to the place "which the LORD thy God shall choose to set his name there" (Deut. 14:24), then the person was to convert the tithe to money and take the money "unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose" (Deut. 14:25). Once there, the person is commanded to buy "whatsoever thy soul lusteth after, for oxen, or for sheep, or for wine, or for strong drink, or for whatsoever thy soul desireth" (Deut. 14:26), and again, to eat it there before the Lord. This again is evidence against this being the first tithe, as it is not given explicitly and completely to the Levites.
Every third year, this tithe (the second tithe) was to be kept in the local towns (wherever the person tithing lived) for "the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates" (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). This is restated in Deuteronomy 26:12-13. Again, this can be assumed to be the second tithe first from the context, and secondly because it is not set aside solely for the Levites.
Other Old Testament Tithing
In 1 Samuel 8, when the Israelites desired a king, the Lord told Samuel to tell the Israelites that when a king was set in place over them, this king would take a tenth of their grain, their vintage, and their flocks among other things (1 nbsp;Samuel 8:10-18). This is not specifically called a tithe, however, since Israel was a theocracy, this shows a sort of 10 percent taxation that would be set in place to support the theocracy, and can probably be considered a tithe (which would make this a third tithe).
2 Chronicles 31:4-6,12 illustrates the Israelites tithing to the Levites. In this instance, there was so much to the tithe that it took four months to assemble. However, this was not a new tithe, but the first tithe, since it was given specifically to and for the Levites. This time, we find that the purpose was "that they [the Levites] might be encouraged in the law of the LORD" (2 Chron;31:5).
Finally we come to Malachi 3:8-10, a seemingly favorite camping ground for those who wish to impose the tithe on Christians. This seems to refer to the first tithe, since it says "that there may be meat in mine house" (Mal. 3:10, emphasis mine), and also since it says "you are robbing Me [God]" in verse 9. So again, this is a tithe specifically commanded for the Jews in order to support the Levites.
The Tithe in the New Testament
It is interesting to note that the "tithe" is mentioned very few times in the New Testament, and of the times it is mentioned, none is in the context of a command.
Jesus scolds the "scribes and Pharisees" in Matthew 23:23-24 as having tithed but having "omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith" (verse 23; cf. Luke 11:42), thus showing that there were other parts of the law considered "more important" than the tithe. He then continues, stating that "these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone." Notice however, that when Christ says this, "ought ye to have" is past tense. This is what they should have done. Also note that Jesus is speaking to Jewish Pharisees and scribes, not Christians, so this cannot be used to support the idea that Christians should tithe.
In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus tells a parable of a Pharisee and a tax collector who go to the temple to pray. The Pharisee boasts of his tithing, among other things, and the tax collector simply asks for mercy (nothing is mentioned of tithing in the case of the tax collector). Yet in this parable, the tax collector, not the Pharisee, goes away justified (of course, the primary focus of this parable, as stated in verse 14, is a lesson in humility - nonetheless, the principle of being justified without tithing, or not being justified despite tithing, is still present).
Hebrews 7:1-10 gives a picture of tithing through the story of Abraham and Melchizidek as seen in Genesis 14. Though it is described here, allusion is made to the first tithe (to the Levites), but it is not commanded of Christians, nor does the writer seem to imply that this is an example to follow. This passage is simply a picture, using Melchizidek, to show what kind of high priest we have in Jesus, as opposed to the Levitical priesthood which has been done away with (this can be seen by reading the rest of Hebrews chapter 7).
We've seen that the first tithe was instituted to support the Levitical priesthood (Numbers 18, 2 Chronicles 31:4-6,12). However, there is another aspect to the first tithe as well: thanksgiving.
You'll note that Abram gave a tithe to Melchizidek because Melchizidek (and God had) blessed Abram (Genesis 14). This could easily take us off course into the realm of give-to-get theology, however, it should be readily apparent that this giving was done as a matter of thanks in response to blessing already received, not in order to receive blessing. Jacob also said he would give a tithe to the Lord in response to what the Lord had done (would do) for him (Genesis 28).
Next we see that God says we tithe (this was in relation to the second tithe - this also referred to eating it where He chose for "to place His name there") "that thou mayest learn to fear the LORD thy God always" (Deuteronomy 14:23). So the tithe was a matter of helping the Israelites to learn reverence for the Lord.
Again, the third year tithe (the second tithe collected every third year as described in Deuteronomy 14:28-29) was in order to feed the Levites, strangers, fatherless, and widows among the Israelites.
Three important facts to glean from these verses is that 1) Abram and Jacob gave out of thanks for blessings received, 2) the tithe supported the priesthood, and 3) it was done so that the Israelites could learn reverence for the Lord.
From these passages, it should be noted that if a Christian wishes to "tithe" according to the Bible, they should be tithing of all they have, giving two tithes, and making sure that every third year, the second tithe goes to support the strangers, fatherless, and widows in their town, as well as their pastor and ministers. However, tithing is not commanded for Christians in any passage of the Bible.
New Testament Giving
In the New Testament, for Christians, giving took on much the same purpose as the tithe for the Israelites; however, it was not according to any laws. An Old Testament passage gives excellent insight into Christian giving. Deuteronomy 8:10-20 is about giving thanks to God for what He has blessed us with, and making sure we do not become proud, but humbly recognizing that all that we have is by God's hand and not our own. We must also realize that what He gives us is not because of our righteousness or faithfulness (Deuteronomy 9:6 and surrounding context).
Paul writes some instruction regarding Christian giving in 1 Corinthians 9:14, where he states that, "...the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel." In other words, preachers should be paid to preach. Where does this money come from? In Galatians Paul tells us, "Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things" (Galatians 6:6 - this can be better understood from another translation: "And let the one who is taught the word share all good things with him who teaches" (NASB). We see this same concept again in 1 Timothy 5:17-18 where Paul writes, "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward." Therefore, we should be giving to support those who teach us faithfully.
In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Paul tells the Corinthians that each man should set aside a sum of money on the first day of every week, "as God hath prospered him", for a collection to be taken to help the saints in Jerusalem. He follows up on this subject in 2 Corinthians 8, where he explains how the Macedonians gave overwhelmingly, even though they were impoverished; and the Macedonians' giving was marked by their joy, and the feeling that it was a privilege to be able to give. Thus, he encouraged the Corinthians to make good on their promise to give. So we see, this giving was due to a promise made of their own volition, not a legalistic method of tithing. This point is again reinforced by Paul's statement in verse 8 that "I speak not by commandment..." Notice in verse 12 that "if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not." Implicit in this verse is that the gift is not acceptable if the willingness is not there. Paul further explains that this giving is so that there might be equality among the saints (apparently, many among the saints in Jerusalem were impoverished).
Moving on to chapter 9 (which is a continuation of chapter 8), Paul states that his reason for writing about this is so that they will be ready when the time comes to collect the money to take to Jerusalem (verse 3). He continues by stating that he wants it ready so it will be "that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness" (verse 5 - that it is given willfully, not grudgingly). This again enforces the idea that giving should be done willingly. Paul continues to reinforce this thought in verse 7 when he states, "Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give ; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." Paul also states that God gives us what we need to be able to give (verse 10), so we can continue to give generously. He again gives reason for the giving in verses 12-15. Therefore, we should give to help the saints who are in need.
Still we have not seen any instance in the New Testament where people were urged or commanded to tithe. You would think that if a command to tithe would be given, it would be given to those who were new to the faith, especially Gentiles, who would not necessarily be aware of the Jewish laws and customs. However, when a question arises how to deal with Gentiles who were being added to the church, the apostles and elders met together, and led by the Holy Spirit, decided on some requirements for the Gentiles. Their requirements were four-fold: "... abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood" (Acts 15:20). They then wrote a letter "unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia" (verse 23), stating that these requirements came from the Holy Spirit (verse 28), and restating "that ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication" (verse 29). Surely this would have been a most appropriate time to institute a tithe among the churches, yet the Holy Spirit, the elders, and the apostles did not.
In light of all of the evidence presented, tithing is not a principle which Christians are subject to, but was part of the Mosaic law. Rather, Christians should give out of the willingness of their heart, and thanksgiving to and reverence for God, both for who He is and for the blessings He has bestowed upon them. Giving is done in response to the good teachings which Christians receive, to support those who teach, and to support saints in need. By following these teachings, and the examples set by New Testament Christians, we may always give willingly and joyfully, and please God with what we have and bring to offer. | <urn:uuid:c72b0312-fbeb-46bd-be43-d2040989ed3a> |
|thrush on skin
Oct 31, 2001
On this forum it appears that oral thrush is a common symptom in babies who are hiv positive. However would it be unusual if an infant potentially infected with hiv develop's thrush in areas such as the perianal region, under arms, between toes and in the groin area, but have no oral thrush at any time in the present and past? Thanks
Response from Dr. Jackson
Candida infection is common in infants especially in the groin area (diaper dermatitis)and next is oral thrush (oral candidiasis) which affects 2-5% of all newborns. So thrush is relatively nonspecific for HIV infection.
relationship between ages, race and HIV mothers breastfeeding
viral load at 8 weeks post exposure
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Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material. | <urn:uuid:20c4f2d8-b564-4384-8eb2-697f8b283c12> |
Allelix Experiments on Space Shuttle Set to Begin.
The experiments on mission STS-95 will examine the effects of microgravity on bone cells and the ability of these cells to grow new bone in response to ALX1-11. Payload specialist John H. Glenn is overseeing management of these tests throughout the nine-day mission.
"Space travel has a deleterious effect on the skeleton, leading to the onset of space-induced osteoporosis in a very short period of time," said Dr. John Dietrich, senior vice president of research and development at Allelix. "In space, bone loss can be four to ten times faster than on earth. These studies may shed light on why bone loss occurs so rapidly in space as well as provide a potential treatment for this loss."
"The shuttle mission provides a unique and valuable environment to better understand space induced bone loss," said Graham Strachan, president and chief executive officer of Allelix. "The OSTEO experiments on STS-95 will provide knowledge about this condition that could benefit osteoporosis patients on earth and astronauts of the future. We are pleased to be working closely with the Canadian Space Agency and our Ontario based industrial and academic partners in this challenging and important research."
Recent clinical studies conducted by Allelix and to be reported in detail in December at the meeting of the American Society for Bone and Mineral Research have shown that ALX1-11 significantly increases bone mass previously lost as a result of osteoporosis.
In a release of top-line Phase II data reported October 23, 1998, ALX1-11 was reported to reverse bone loss suffered by patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. The effects of ALX1-11 in this trial were greater than any other reported data on an agent used to treat this disease. The ability of ALX1-11 to reverse bone loss in osteoporosis patients suggests that it may have a similar effect in managing the skeletal loss accompanying space flight.
The Allelix test is one of three Canadian experiments aboard STS-95 that make up the OSTEO payload, a bone research collaboration sponsored by the Canadian Space Agency. Other partners in OSTEO are Millenium Biologix Inc., Mount Sinai Hospital, University of British Columbia and the University of Toronto.
Allelix Biopharmaceuticals Inc. is a Canadian based company with R&D facilities in Canada and the United States. The Company discovers and develops biopharmaceuticals in partnership with international pharmaceutical companies and other members of the biopharmaceutical sector.
Products in clinical development include ALX1-11 for osteoporosis, ALX-0646 for migraine and ALX-0600 for gastrointestinal disorders. The product pipeline includes ALE-26015 for dementia, a series of GlyT-1 inhibitors for schizophrenia and additional neuroscience compounds.
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Floating to space
JP Aerospace unveils a unique way of getting into orbit
by Jeff Foust
|“People have never figured out JP Aerospace,” Powell said.|
However, Powell said, all of these projects are part of a single, coherent plan that JP Aerospace has been following since the beginning. That plan is an effort to devise a better way to get into space than chemical rockets. Powell unveiled that plan at Space Access with a simple, descriptive title: Airship To Orbit.
As the name suggests, Airship To Orbit (ATO) involves flying lighter-than-air vehicles from the surface into low Earth orbit without the need for rockets of any kind. A single airship would be unable to fly from the surface to orbit: conventional airships are too heavy, while those large and light enough to make the trip would not survive the winds in the lower atmosphere. Instead, JP Aerospace has devised a three-step architecture to carry payloads of up to several tons into space using airships.
The first step is an atmospheric airship, the Near Space Maneuver Vehicle (NSMV), also called the Ascender, designed to fly from the surface to the upper atmosphere. The V-shaped airship would use a combination of buoyancy and aerodynamic lift to fly, powered by propellers specially designed to operate in the upper atmosphere. The airship would have a crew of three and carry an unspecified mass of cargo or passengers.
The second step in the architecture is the Dark Sky Station, in essence a waystation in the upper atmosphere. The balloon-supported facility, over three kilometers across, would hover at an altitude of over 42 kilometers (140,000 feet) in the polar vortex, circling over the Arctic Circle. The Dark Sky Station would serve as the destination for the Ascender airships, as well as the assembly point for the final step in the architecture.
That final step would be another airship that is much larger than the Ascender. The Transatmospheric Ascender would be a giant airship, nearly two kilometers across, too large and light to survive in the lower atmosphere. The airship would use its buoyancy to drift up from the station to about 60 kilometers altitude, at which point it would use an electric propulsion system to gradually reach orbital velocity and altitude over a five-day period. Powell said they are looking at three different propulsion systems for the airship: a conventional ion propulsion system and two confidential designs.
It would be easy to dismiss ATO as simply an interesting idea—or worse—but for the fact that some elements of the system are already being built. Under an Air Force contract JP Aerospace has been developing the NSMV, developing several subscale vehicles as well as a full-sized one, over 50 meters long. The full-scale NSMV is currently in a hangar in Texas, with flight tests slated to begin later this month. The Air Force is not necessarily interested in the ATO concept—they see the NSMV as a potential high-altitude reconnaissance platform—but their support has paved the way for continued development of the system.
Besides the low-altitude airship, JP Aerospace has continued work on the Dark Sky Station. Several subscale models of the station have been carried aloft to up to 30 kilometers high, allowing JP to test every component of the system at that altitude. JP also plans to carry an ion engine to 35 kilometers altitude later this year as an initial test of the propulsion system for the orbital airship.
|“We’re not looking for that big cash infusion,” Powell said. “Real customers have written real checks.”|
While ATO has been under development for over two decades, the project now has an ambitious schedule. The initial NSMV flight tests are planned for this month, and the first manned flights of the Dark Sky Station are planned for about 18 months from now. Powell said that the plan calls for completing the entire architecture in about seven years. “We’re actually just a hair ahead of the game,” he said.
Despite their bold plans and schedule, JP Aerospace is not seeking funding. Powell said that they have adopted a “pay as you go” philosophy for its development, with each element of the architecture serving as a profit center. Besides the Air Force’s use of the NSMV as a reconnaissance system, the Dark Sky Station has generated interest among telecommunications companies. “We’re not looking for that big cash infusion,” Powell said. “Real customers have written real checks.”
The reaction to the ATO concept among Space Access attendees was a mix of interest and skepticism. The concept of a system that could be potentially far cheaper and more robust than conventional rockets was certainly attractive to the audience. However, some raised concerns about various aspects of its implementation. For example, the radiation environment in the polar vortex, near the magnetic poles, would be particularly strong. Powell acknowledged that radiation was “one of the big hurdles” but that they have a solution in the works. Others noted that trying to do assembly work at the Dark Sky Station could combine some of the worst aspects of Earth and space: pressure suits would be required at that altitude, but the work would still take place in full gravity. Moreover, depending on the station’s location relative to the pole and the season, it could be subject to extended periods of darkness.
Powell was aware of those and other concerns, as well as the possibility that many people may simply not take the ATO concept seriously. However, he seemed untroubled about those prospects, despite the inroads JP Aerospace has made in the last few years with the military and other customers. “It’s time to take all this credibility and all this respectability and chuck it out the window,” he said as he introduced the concept. “If people aren’t laughing at you, then you’re not thinking innovatively enough.” | <urn:uuid:eafdd085-2ed2-4f10-818c-bef32a430fe9> |
Milly, Molly speak Maltese
The four Milly, Molly books for children written by Gill Pittar and illustrated by Cris Morrell can now be read in Maltese after they were translated by Frans Attard and published in Malta by Uptrend Publishing. Milly, Molly stories in English, the original language, can also be found in the same book.
The stories centre around two girls who "may look different but they feel the same". The stories originated in New Zealand and are now published in 40 languages.
Each story, vividly illustrated, is an episode from the daily life of Milly and Molly and each focus on a different subject. The four books published in the Maltese/English version are about respect for nature, honesty, sharing feelings and thankfulness.
The books address difficult issues in a way in which children can easily and enjoyably relate. This allows teachers and parents to introduce discussion, thought and change in a manner that best suits their own philosophies and cultures, a spokesman for the publishers said.
Each book includes a parents' and teachers' guide to facilitate and stimulate discussions at school and at home. | <urn:uuid:c16f90ef-4bcc-4400-aa33-47f656e39543> |
Do you want to plant and grow your own Papaya? Here are some tips that can help.
The Papaya tree (Carica papaya) is a tropical fruit that originated in Mexico and South America. It is now grown throughout the North American tropics and other tropical regions around the world.
The fruit of the Papaya is also called pawpaw and is eaten raw without the skin. The fruit is sweet, low in calories and high in potassium and vitamin A. Papaya is also used in drinks, jellies, salads, desserts and is also dried and candied.
There are many varieties of Papaya, but the main varieties grown in the U.S. are Red Lady, Maradol, and various Solo types. To successfully grow Papayas, you need a frost free climate, lots of sunlight, lots of water and good soil. If you give your plant all of these conditions, then you can grow a papaya from seed and generally have fruit in 6 to 12 months.
Growing Tips for Papayas:
- Climate: Thrive in subtropical and tropical climates. Zone 10 to 11. They do not tolerate freezing temperatures and are damaged or killed if temperatures go below 32 degrees.
- Pollination: The female plants produce fruit and may be cross pollinated with others by insects and wind. There are plants that may be self-pollinating (bi-sexual).
- Growth Habit: The papaya is a short lived, fast growing woody herb. They generally have a single trunk and grow 10 to 15 feet tall, but some plants have been known to grow taller.
- Sun Light: Grow best in full sun. Papayas love the heat and sunlight.
- Fertilize: Papayas are heavy feeders and require regular fertilizing. Adding compost is also recommended.
- Water: Papayas have large soft leaves and evaporate a lot of water in warm weather, so they need above average watering.
- Soil: Papayas do best in rich soil that is high in organic matter. Make sure your planting location and soil has good drainage to avoid root rot.
- Harvesting: Generally, fruit is picked when there is 1/5 to 1/3 color change in the fruit. After picking, keep at room temperature to fully ripen. Ripe fruit will keep 4 to 7 days in the refrigerator.
We currently have Papaya seeds and young plants for sale in the Garden Shoppe and grow the several varieties on the grounds of the Estates. Visit the Edison & Ford Winter Estates Garden Shoppe to see some of the varieties we have available. The horticulture staff is available to assist you and to answer any further questions you may have. | <urn:uuid:9fdf17bc-a02c-458c-90b1-e622f6efdcd2> |
There are many instances when one wants to create a dependent drop down list such that the choices in that list depend on an earlier selection in another drop down list. One example is first selecting a category of food (vegetables, fruits, etc.) from one drop down list. This selection changes the available choices in the next drop down list so that it lists individual vegetables or fruits.
A cascading query is the same concept except that it works with a relational database. It uses the results of one query to adjust the criteria for a subsequent query. One example is shown below. First, we want a list of all departments. When a selection from that list is made, we want a list of all boxes in storage for that department. Finally, when one selects a particular box, we want a list of all the files in that box.
|Figure 1 shows the
result of a query that returns a department list.
|Figure 2 shows a
drop-down selector that lets one select a department based
on the results of the previous query.
It also shows the result of a parameterized query based on the selection of a department. This query output lists all the boxes in storage for the selected department.
|Figure 3 shows a
drop-down list selector that lists all the boxes in storage,
a list returned by the previous query.
It also shows the result of a parameterized query based on the selection of a department and a box.
In some ways, given the separate database and the separate query workbook, and especially if multiple people are likely to use the final system, it might be better to implement this as a system on the Internet or the organization's Intranet. For one such template see Building cascading queries
The first query is a standard MS Query-based query. For more on how to create queries see Building and using a relational database in Excel (with a little help from MS Query) and specifically Query 1 -- A simple table linking multiple tables in the relational database, though this time around there is just one table.
The drop down box in Figure 2 (cell E6) relies on a named formula (Insert | Name > Define...) that contains all the departments IDs returned by the first query.
|E6 actually contains a
data validation condition. Select Data | Validation...
and set the dialog box as:
The query that returns the list of boxes is a parameterized query that uses E6 for the value of its parameter. For more on parameterized queries see
The drop-down capability in cell J6 uses an approach similar to that for E6 except it refers to BoxIDList rather than DeptIDList.
The third query is a parameterized query that uses two parameters for its work, the Department ID and the Box ID.
Solutions that rely on Excel-native functions are not as flexible as the method described above. One approach that requires data layouts customized to a specific cascading configuration is demonstrated by Dick Kusleika at http://www.dailydoseofexcel.com/archives/2004/05/11/conditional-data-validation/ and by Debra Dalgleish at http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal02.html A somewhat more flexible solution uses a single table but is still restricted in that it requires the table to be sorted by one particular key. Debra demonstrates that approach in http://www.contextures.com/xlDataVal13.html
cascading drop-down, list | <urn:uuid:cc6c1e76-794e-4b83-8b38-b2a1b78c81ca> |
Surveying Walden: 01_The Frozen Water Trade
(For full project, see http://the-distopians.com/?p=323)
Ice-harvesting seems, perhaps, a strange place to begin reading Thoreau. How odd to dig though transcendentalist musings on a pond merely to, in Lewis Carroll fashion, come out the other side entangled with the cotton of Calcutta or the confectionery connections between cloves, lager, and frozen seafood shipping. Yet, Thoreau’s description of the 1847 ice harvest provides an opening to explore the links between the democratization of climate control and the mechanisms of colonial trade.
This infographic excavates both the local impacts of the 1850s ice-trade, from rail-based harvest sites to the enlargement of Boston's milkshed, and the larger trade triangles supported by shipping ice as a ballast. | <urn:uuid:ad893f39-0c36-425d-b932-a225f700b85a> |
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