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Science Express: Planetary Overpopulation
Thu 7 Aug 2014,
Level 4 Espresso
Futures Researcher Dr John Robinson discusses the effects of overpopulation. He explores how problems such as peak oil, climate change, and species extinction are created and perpetuated by continued population growth.
He reviews international efforts to slow the effects of population growth and summarises the forecast for a potentially catastrophic ‘perfect storm’ around the year 2030.
Dr John Robinson
Dr Robinson holds a BSc, MSc (mathematics), and Dip Hons (physics) from Auckland University as well as a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His career has extended more than 40 years as a scientist and futures scholar. | http://www.tepapa.govt.nz/WhatsOn/allevents/Pages/ScienceExpressPlanetaryOverpopulation.aspx | fineweb | 717 | 2.84375 |
A pigmentation gene first identified in zebrafish helps explain skin color differences between human European and African populations, a new
While scientists had previously found pigmentation genes that contribute to variations within populations, said senior author Keith Cheng, "it's been a complete mystery" as to what drives major variations in human skin color. "It's remarkable that this difference in skin color that has historically been partly responsible for a great deal of problems in our civilization is due to this one nucleotide out of 3 billion," Cheng told
"What these findings speak to is the molecular differences that explain differences in skin color. That is very different than what people refer to as race," said Greg Barsh at Stanford University, who did not participate in this study.
Cheng's team at the Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine in Hershey was studying the
Using positional cloning, the researchers isolated
When the researchers injected human
The scientists found
The team then turned to genomics to see how the protein might be important in humans. When they consulted the recently published HapMap, they discovered that there were two primary alleles, varying at only one locus. And while nearly all East Asian and African genomes had a site containing alanine, the ancestral allele shared by other vertebrates, 99% of the Europeans had threonine, representing a derived allele. This striking bifurcation, coupled with a marked decrease in heterozygosity in nearby genes within the European genomes, led the group to conclude that the threonine variant has been the target of strong natural or sexual selection in European populations.
As a functional test of their findings, Cheng's group was able to correlate
While Cheng said they have "identified the probable largest impact gene explaining the difference between Europeans and Africans," they are curious about other genes in play that would explain pigmentation differences between East Asian and African populations. On a biochemical level, Barsh said, other proteins that have been implicated in pigmentation seem to have similar biochemical mechanisms to SLC24A5, highlighting the need to determine how SLC24A5 interacts with these proteins and with ones that have yet to be identified.
Cheng's findings are consistent with what he said is the prevailing evolutionary wisdom: melanin blocks UV light, and while darker skin is advantageous under strong sunlight because it reduces the destructive effects of UV rays, lighter skin is adaptive in less sunny climates since it allows more sunlight absorption for the production of vitamin D. | http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/23535/title/Gene-implicated-in-human-pigment-variation/ | fineweb | 2,651 | 3.90625 |
Chrome and Firefox are planet-wreckers, IE cuddles dolphins
Microsoft-commissioned study finds IE sucks less power than rival browsers
Every one of us can do their bit to “save the planet”, whatever that means, and Microsoft has jumped aboard that bandwagon by commissioning a new study that investigates just how much electricity browsers consume when running on desktop and notebook computers.
The Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems put its name to the document, titled “The impact of internet browsers on computer energy consumption” (PDF).
The reason for the study, other than Microsoft sending some cash The Fraunhofer Centre's way, is stated as being that "Internet browsing represents a large fraction of home computer use, so if computer power draw depends significantly on browser selection, this could have an appreciable impact on the unit electricity consumption (UEC) and annual electricity consumption (AEC) of home computers.”
To measure the impact, the Fraunhofer team “installed three popular browsers, Google Chrome, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Mozilla Firefox, on six new notebook and four desktop computers running Windows 8.”
“We then measured the average power draw over one-second intervals for a six-minute period with each of the individual browsers open, for each of the ten most-visited websites in the U.S. In addition, we also measured power draw for both the Flash and HTML5 versions of an online video, as well as the Fishbowl HTML5 benchmark.”
The results – which will surprise nobody – found that Internet Explorer is indeed the least watt-sucking browser of the three tested.
Here's the top-line finding.
Internet Explorer is the best-performing browser, albeit by one watt, which will gladden battery-dependent laptop users. Whether they'll be able to understand the benefits of that saved watt, given most laptops measure battery capacity in milliamp-hours, is anyone's guess.
The study also contains some interesting Y-axis treatments, as can be seen below in the depiction of browser performance when accessing popular websites.
Here's the notebook graph:
And here's the graph for browser power sucking on desktops.
IE's always doing well, until one squints at the Y-axis and notices it's doing just a watt or two better. With the test notebook on top of the study's list, the Samsung Series 5 Ultrabook, packing a 40w power supply, even two watts of better performance means just a five per cent smaller draw. Even that assumes the power supply is varying the amount of power it sends the PC to within that tolerance.
Either way, it's hard to imagine switching to IE is going to make a big difference to household bills.
It may also be worth noting the mention of “home” computers, which we call out because a more efficient browser would make sense in the context of a big corporate PC fleet in which a lot of small improvements add up to a decent eventual reduction in electricity bills. Will home users really change browsers for the chance to save pennies?
Do let us know if this study will change your browsing behaviour in order to save the planet. ® | http://www.theregister.co.uk/Print/2013/06/11/microsoft_study_finds_internet_explorer_is_most_efficient_browser/ | fineweb | 3,114 | 2.6875 |
Moon Light World Map
The map below shows where the Moon is visible from the Earth, depending on weather conditions and moon phases.
UTC time = Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 8:38:00 PM.
= The Sun's position directly overhead (zenith) in relation to an observer.
= The Moon's position at its zenith in relation to an observer (Moon phase is not shown).
Fraction of moon illuminated: 51%
|Previous phase||First Quarter||Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 7:42 PM|
|Next phase||Full Moon||Sunday, September 30, 2012 at 3:20 AM|
Position of the Moon
On Saturday, September 22, 2012 at 20:38:00 UTC the Moon is at its zenith at
The ground speed of the movement is currently 417.41 meters/second, 1502.7 km/hour, 933.7 miles/hour or 811.4 knots. The table below shows the Moon position compared to the time and date above:
|Time||Longitude difference||Latitude difference||Total|
|1 minute||0° 14' 25.2"||15.56 mi||West||0° 00' 02.7"||0.05 mi||North||15.56 mi|
|1 hour||14° 25' 11.0"||933.42 mi||West||0° 02' 52.7"||3.30 mi||North||933.58 mi|
|24 hours||13° 40' 47.1"||885.55 mi||East||1° 43' 41.8"||118.88 mi||North||898.33 mi|
Locations with the moon near zenith
The following table shows 10 locations with moon near zenith position in the sky.
|Vitória||Sat 5:38 PM||66 km||41 miles||36 nm||NE|
|Campos||Sat 5:38 PM||134 km||83 miles||72 nm||SSW|
|Macaé||Sat 5:38 PM||217 km||135 miles||117 nm||SSW|
|Governador Valadares||Sat 5:38 PM||232 km||144 miles||125 nm||NNW|
|Petrópolis||Sat 5:38 PM||320 km||199 miles||173 nm||SW|
|Belo Horizonte||Sat 5:38 PM||337 km||209 miles||182 nm||WNW|
|Niterói||Sat 5:38 PM||343 km||213 miles||185 nm||SW|
|Rio de Janeiro||Sat 5:38 PM||355 km||221 miles||192 nm||SW|
|Guarulhos||Sat 5:38 PM||667 km||415 miles||360 nm||WSW|
|Santos||Sat 5:38 PM||677 km||421 miles||365 nm||SW|
- Seasons Calculator
- Moon Calculator – Find times for moonrise, moonset and more
- Moon Phase Calculator – Calculate moon phases for any year
- Sunrise Calculator – Find times for sunrise, sunset and more
Related time zone tools
- The World Clock – Current times around the world
- Personal World Clock – Shows just the cities you need
- Meeting Planner – Find a suitable time for an international meeting
- Time Zone Converter – If it is 3 pm in New York, what time is it in Sydney?
- Event Time Announcer/Fixed Time – Show local times worldwide for your event. | http://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/light.html?iso=20120922T2038 | fineweb | 2,371 | 3.0625 |
The Nordic Combined is made up of two events, ski jumping and cross-country skiing. The sport first appeared as an individual event at the first Winter Olympic Games in Chamonix, France, in 1924. The team event was added in 1998. The sprint event was introduced four years later.
The Rules of the Game
Skiers compete in the Individual Normal Hill event, the Individual Large Hill event, and the team event. In the Individual Normal Hill event, athletes begin with one jump on the normal hill, then a six-mile cross-country race. The first skier to cross the finish line is the winner. In the Individual Large Hill event, as in the Normal Hill, skiers begin with one jump, this time on a higher hill followed by a six-mile race.
The last part of the Nordic Combined is the team event. Each team includes four skiers, and each athlete jumps once on the high hill. The team score is added to determine who will head up the race. In this event, the six-mile race is a relay, where each person skis for a little more than a mile. The team whose skier crosses the line first wins. | http://www.timeforkids.com/news/nordic-combined/137721 | fineweb | 1,074 | 3.140625 |
Posted on April 13th, 2011 by george.
I posted this on Facebook yesterday and got such a response I decided to crosspost it here. The following is my response to a question Patrick asked me yesterday.
Patrick: If my body temp is 98.7, then why does 82 degrees feel hot? Wouldn’t it have to be hotter than me (which is hard, I know) for it to feel hot to me?
George: We were just discussing this on Sunday. Your *core* body temperature is 98.6 degrees F on average…that’s why you have to measure it on the inside of your body: mouth, ear, rectum, etc. Put a good thermometer to the surface of your skin, though, and you won’t measure 98.6. Your skin surface temperature is lower than 98.6. It can be anywhere from 70 to 90 degrees F, depending on the person. And it varies all over your body. For instance, extremities like fingertips, which are long, skinny, and surrounded by air, are naturally going to be much colder than large, flat surfaces like your chest, or warm crevices like your armpit. But I’m getting ahead of myself.
The nerves in your skin that tell you if you’re feeling hot or cold do so by measuring heat flux. Flux is just a fancy word for transfer. Heat is not something you can hold; you can hold temperature, that is, the random motion of your atoms. But heat is by definition only a transfer of energy. Your body obeys this law of physics. You touch a hot stove, and heat is transferred TO your body, which is much colder. Your nerves measure the influx of heat energy, send a signal spike to your brain, and your reflexes pull your hand back before you know what happened. When you hold onto an ice cube, your hand transfers heat from your body TO the ice. Your nerves measure the outflux of heat, realize it points outward instead of inward, and tell you that the ice feels COLD. Your nerves can only measure change in temperature, not absolute temperature.
This is why you can become accustomed to a particular temperature. It’s like the examples of the frog in a pot of water on the stove…turn the temperature up slowly, and he’ll never notice when it finally boils. Sit in a hot tub long enough, your blood vessels dilate in order to increase surface area which allows larger heat flux from the water to the regulated blood temperature, and you “get used to it.” Jump in the pool, though, and the heat flux is very large for the first few seconds. The pool may be 85 degrees, but it FEELS cold, because your now-hotter body is rapidly rejecting heat to the water. Give it a few minutes, though, your blood vessels constrict to reduce heat transfer, your brain saturates with the “cold” signal from your nerves and starts ignoring them, and now you’re “used to” the temperature of the pool water.
Add to this fact that your body is always using the chemicals in the food you eat to power your cells, and a byproduct of this power generation is heat, which your body uses partially to heat itself, but must reject the excess to the air via convection, or to whatever you touch via conduction. It’s difficult to get rid of much energy at all through radiation, the least effective method of heat transfer. We have this problem on the space shuttle, which is why there are giant radiators on the inside of the payload bay doors. Nonetheless, your body does radiate a little. This is why you show up on infrared night vision goggles as a bright green blur: you produce much more radiative energy than a tree. Remember: you’re a warm-blooded mammal.
Conduction, or bringing into contact two solids, surface to surface, is by far the most efficient method of heat transfer. The second best is convection, in which you transfer heat between a solid and a fluid, or between two fluids. The least efficient is, as mentioned before, radiation. This is why you get hypothermia in water much more quickly than you do in air, even if they’re at the same temperature! Think about it. Would you rather stand in 72 degree air for an hour without moving, or 72 degree water? Obviously air is a better insulator, and allows you to retain more body heat. The REASON it’s a better insulator is microscopic: the distance between the molecules, called “mean free path” (just the average distance they travel before they bump into each other), is MUCH larger for air molecules than for water. Water molecules are, in fact, so tightly packed together that they’re actually *further apart* in solid water. But that’s another story. Because water molecules are so close together, there are more of them available per square inch of your skin to rob your body of heat. So the amount of heat transfer from your body to 72-degree water is much higher than from your body to 72-degree air. This is why you can get hypothermia in water that is well above freezing. It’s also why you’re so hungry after going swimming: your body has been burning extra calories just to keep you warm in the water.
Your metabolic rate controls how much heat you need to reject. It varies from moment to moment and person to person. This is why two people can be in the same room and one feels hot while the other feels cold. One person needs to reject more heat, but the air isn’t cold enough relative to their skin temperature for efficient heat transfer to take place. This person feels hot. The other person’s metabolism is such that their body wants to retain heat to keep their core temperature in a stable operating range, but that same air is cool enough relative to THEIR skin surface temperature that it absorbs more heat than their body wants to give up. This person feels cold. If the rate of heat transfer available with a given air-to-skin temperature gradient balances with the amount of heat your body wants to reject, you feel like Goldilocks: just right, neither hot nor cold.
Topics related to this discussion are exercise, which increases body temperature; sweat, which through evaporation absorbs large amounts of body heat to provide the latent heat for the phase transition (liquid water to water vapor); circulation, which is of paramount importance in regulating localized body temperature (see also cold feet, frostbite, hypothermia); and blankets which insulate your body, i.e. reduce the rate of outward heat flux, and allow you to stay all toasty when the air is cold by not allowing your body to lose heat to the cold air. As every school kid knows, whales have a lot of blubber because they spend so much time in frigid water. Blubber is just fat. Fat is a great insulator. We all have it, to varying degrees, and it’s a very good thing (not just for heat retention but also quite necessary for cushioning internal organs and protecting muscle as well as vital energy storage). Some people have more fat, some less. A person with low body fat is usually going to feel cold at room temperature, but quite comfortable at the beach, in the sun, or in the tropics. A person with high body fat feels hot at room temp because they’re walking around with several blankets wrapped around them, and their body has to work extremely hard to push heat through all that insulation in order to regulate their core temperature.
So, to sum up, even though your core temperature might be 98.7, you felt hot when the air was 82 degrees because the temperature of the surface of your skin was less than 82 degrees, so heat was flowing from the air into your body, and your nerves told you as much.
Patrick: You just blew my mind. And Paolo’s. And soon, Johanna’s.
George: Hahaha ok good. Always happy to help.
Comment on April 14th, 2011.
This was beautifully explained. I wanted to fave this but realized your blog doesn’t have that function. I will remember it’s here so I can send your explanation to the next person that asks me this question (happens often).
Comment on April 14th, 2011.
Thanks Atoosa! It’s good to get this sort of thing out into the public for the purpose of quick reference.
Comments can contain some xhtml. Names and emails are required (emails aren't displayed), url's are optional. | http://www.toastforbrekkie.com/?p=373 | fineweb | 7,998 | 3.03125 |
Predicting Violent Behavior
Todd Ward 10/11/2013 10:33:00 AM behaivoral , behavior , behavioral forecasting , behavioral science , economic , forecasting , navy yard , prediction , science , social science , violence , violent behavior
In the social and behavioral sciences, the word "prediction" has at least two different meanings. In one sense, we can predict future behavior to the extent we can influence it. This is the type of prediction involved in applied work. We call a treatment or other method of behavior change "reliable" and "effective" to the extent that we are confident in the outcome it will produce. Along these lines, the New York Times suggested a "mental health ambulance" of sorts in which mental health professionals would be dispatched to a scene in order to diffuse the situation.
A second type of prediction relates to the prediction of events as they occur in naturalistic settings, separate from any treatment or intervention. A common term for this type of prediction are "forecasting." Weather forecasting aside, the most common type of forecasting we hear about are economic forecasts. The latter exert significant influence over individuals' monetary decisions.
Macro-economics aside, behavioral or psychological forecasting is actually more common than you might think. The Guardian published an article a few years back titled "Forecasting Human Behavior Carries Big Risks" which stated the following:
The personalised recommendations and special offers that pop up when you order books or groceries online, and even the specific sequence of questions an insurance call centre asks about your claim, are all generated by computerised predictive algorithms derived from analysing patterns, links and associations in large sets of data.
The suggested movies and shows given to you by Netflix, for example, can be said to use a type of behavioral forecasting.
Both articles suggest that while we may be able to predict large-scale sociological trends over time, the ability to predict what an individual will do in a naturalistic environment, particularly low-rate once-in-a-lifetime behavior, is extremely difficult. All sciences have their boundaries of knowledge, and this is certainly one for behavioral science.
However, crossing this boundary may present a host of ethical concerns (e.g., a surveillance state) that mankind simply does not want to deal with.
Please share your comments below and don't forget to join bSci21 on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and via email subscription at the top of the page! | http://www.todd-ward.blogspot.com/2013/10/predicting-violent-behavior.html | fineweb | 2,547 | 2.703125 |
Oral Health | Dental Hygiene | News | Gum Disease
According to a small study published in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, a plant-based diet may help reduce symptoms gingivitis.
30 people with gingivitis were studied in a controlled, experimental group by German researchers.
Dental professionals tested and measured their levels of gingivitis.
The severity of their gingivitis and their levels of plaque were then measured by dental professionals.
The participants filled out diet questionnaires, and the researchers took blood samples.
The scientists then randomised half the group who ate their usual diet.
The other half had an anti-inflammatory diet rich in fruits, vegetables (especially legumes), nuts and fish, and minimising trans-fatty acids, sugar, dairy products and other animal protein.
They also took vitamin D supplements.
Both groups were instructed not to use any means of cleaning between the teeth, including dental floss.
After the eight-week study, in the Journal of Clinical Periodontology, there were no differences between the groups in plaque accumulation or in blood markers of inflammation.
Although, they found that compared to the controls, the diet group had higher vitamin D levels, lost weight and had significantly less gum bleeding.
While there were no differences regarding the plaque values, the experimental group showed a significant reduction in gingival bleeding, as well as a significant increase in vitamin D values and a significant weight loss.
As Claydon Dental has a focus on preventative dentistry we would like to encourage all our patients to continue to floss and brush regularly. Keeping up with regular examinations and hygiene appointments are also key to maintaining the highest levels of oral health. | https://claydondentalmk.co.uk/could-a-plant-based-diet-help-reduce-chances-of-gum-disease/ | fineweb | 1,764 | 3.234375 |
Below are quotes from an article written by Lord Rabbi Johnathan Sacks Chief Rabbi of the British Common Wealth about the importance of questions and how asking questions is really something that builds faith.
Isidore Rabi, winner of a Nobel Prize for physics, was once asked why he became a scientist. He replied:
“My mother made me a scientist without ever knowing it. Every other child would come back from
school and be asked, ‘What did you learn today?’ But my mother used to say, ‘Izzy, did you ask a good
question today?’ That made the difference. Asking good questions made me into a scientist.”
As Wilson Mizner once put it: “I respect faith. But doubt is what gets you an education.” To me, this is a
caricature of faith, not faith itself. What is the asking of a question if not itself a profound expression of
faith in the intelligibility of the universe and the meaningfulness of human life? To ask is to believe that
somewhere there is an answer. The fact that throughout history people have devoted their lives to
extending the frontiers of knowledge is a moving demonstration of the restlessness of the human spirit
and its constant desire to transcend, to climb. Far from faith excluding questions, questions testify to faith
– that the world is not random, the universe is not impervious to our understanding, life is not chance.
Critical intelligence is the gift G-d gave humanity. To use it in the cause of human dignity and insight is one of the great ways of serving G-d. When faith suppresses questions, it dies. When it accepts superficial answers, it withers. Faith is not opposed to doubt. What it is opposed to is the shallow certainty that what we understand is all there is.
What struck me was the connection between education and faith. That we know how important it is for students to ask questions and that the skill of asking questions and being inquisitive is often more important than the answer. However we tend to at times in religious classes shy away or be afraid of certain questions. I think what Rabbi Saks is telling us that as in education we need to encourage our students to ask questions and that it is OK to have doubts.
My other takeaway from the article as an educator was the last line: “What it is opposed to is the shallow certainty that what we understand is all there is.” As educators we need to understand we don’t always know the answer but that is OK, because after all it is all about the learning and learning doesn’t only have to be from teach to student but it can be and perhaps should be the Teacher together with the students learning
Finally I wrote a previous blog post (agreenblatt.blogspot.com) about the balance between 21st Century learning and how it fits in a Judaic classroom. Here is another entry point that perhaps in the past certain religious teacher may have shied away from and that is incorporating more inquiry based or problem based learning but as Rabbi Saks shows us asking those questions actually straightens our faith and asking questions and inquiring is something we should embrace and encourage and not shy away from. | https://connectedprincipals.com/archives/4154 | fineweb | 3,110 | 2.8125 |
Mighty Mitochondria Conduct Energy Exquisitely
October 7, 2011
None of us could live without mitochondria. These are the power centers ubiquitous in eukaryotic cells. They contain molecular machines in factories whose jobs are to generate and conduct electrical currents. The currents run turbines that packetize the energy in molecules of ATP, which are then used by most processes in the cell. New discoveries continue to fascinate scientists with how mitochondria work. Some scientists use their energy to find ways Darwinian evolution could build the machinery of life.
Enjoy Your Body Gifts
September 29, 2011
When you eat right and exercise to do your body good, you may have little idea how much your body is giving back all the time. From recent scientific discoveries, here’s a look at a few mechanisms under our skin that not only keep us alive, but provide us with a shopping mall of good things.
September 26, 2011
All biologists agree – creationists and evolutionists alike – that organisms show remarkable adaptations to their environment. They differ only in their explanations for how they got that way. Here are some remarkable examples of adaptation that will challenge any theory of origins.
It’s Still a Rare Earth
September 25, 2011
Now that hundreds of extrasolar planets are known, how do they compare to ours? The Kepler spacecraft has found a varied assortment of all sizes and distances away from their parent stars. Only a few reside in their star’s habitable zones. But that’s only the first of many requirements for life. Two recent studies indicate that Earth remains a rare bird in the celestial aviary.
Evolution Fits Any Data
September 23, 2011
At first blush, it might seem a wonderful thing when many different kinds of evidence can be explained by one simple, elegant theory. Actually, though, too much confirmation can be a theory’s downfall. When a theory explains too much – even opposite things – it really explains nothing. For instance, everything in the universe can be explained by the phrase, “Stuff happens.” Such a theory is useless, even if true. That’s why any theory that explains too much should be looked at askance. Here are some recent observations offered in support of the theory of evolution:
Stretching Credibility in Evolutionary Stories
September 20, 2011
Improbable events happening numerous times; selective extinctions; voodoo phylogenetics – at what point do evolutionary explanations exceed the threshold of credibility a trusting public grants to the gurus of the culture, scientists?
Venus Flytrap De-Darwinized
September 12, 2011
Darwin had a fascination for the Venus flytrap, but is it appropriate to conjure up his ghost when talking about it? The carnivorous plant still defies evolutionary explanations, especially now, when a recent paper drew attention to more amazing design features from macro to micro. For some reason, writers still feel a compulsion to mention Darwin’s name when talking about a plant that defies his evolutionary ideas.
Are Biological Clocks Like Paley’s Watch?
September 9, 2011
What is a clock made of? We think of springs, gears and moving parts made out of metal. But a clock could, in theory, be designed with almost any material. There are water clocks, sundials, and electromagnetic oscillators that all function to tell time. What difference does it make if the parts are made of liquids, laser beams, or plastic? What if a clock was made of biological material—would it be any less a device for keeping time? Would it surprise you that such clocks exist in your body and in every living thing?
Adventures in Biomimetics
September 2, 2011
The imitation of nature in engineering has become one of the hottest trends in science. Almost every week, amazing technologies are being advanced the easy way – by observing how living things do it. We all stand to benefit from the design-based science of biomimetics. Here are a few recent examples.
Hi-Tech Pharmaceutical Plants Are Green
August 19, 2011
In environmental lingo, what could be greener than a tree? And what is more despised by many environmentalists than chemical companies, especially the pharmaceutical and pesticide industries? Maybe we should take a tip from plants. They are not just environmentally friendly, they produce a myriad of complex compounds that are slowly finding their way into healthful products—and evolutionists have no idea how they do it.
Your Rotary Engines Are Arranged in Factories
August 17, 2011
As if ATP synthase was not amazing enough, a team of scientists in Germany now tells us they are arranged in rows with other equipment to optimize performance. From electron micrographs of intact mitochondria, they were able to detect the rotary engines of ATP synthase and other parts of the respiratory chain. Their diagram in an open-source paper in PNAS looks for all the world like a factory.
Would Wood Evolve?
August 16, 2011
The woods. We call them by their primary substance: wood. But would wood evolve from plants lacking woody stems? Was there some evolutionary pressure to force plants to grow tall to reach the sun, so that lucky mutations found a way to produce lignin and the other building blocks of wood? What other mutations did the blind evolutionary algorithm have to find to organize the components into trunks for trees? Two discoveries, a fossil and a mechanism, offer evolutionists a way to enhance their woody story.
Cell Chaperones Keep Proteins Properly Folded
August 2, 2011
Imagine linking together a chain of 300 plastic shapes, some with magnets at various places. Then let it go and see if you could get it to fold spontaneously into a teapot. This is the challenge that cells face every minute: folding long chains of amino acids (polypeptides) into molecular machines and structures for the cell’s numerous tasks required for life. DNA in the nucleus codes for these polypeptides. They are assembled in ribosomes in single-file order. How do they end up in complex folded shapes? Some polypeptides will spontaneously collapse into their native folds, like the magnetic chain in our analogy. Others, however, need help. Fortunately, the cell provides an army of assistants, called chaperones, to monitor, coax, and repair unfolded proteins, to achieve “proteostasis” – a stable, working set of proteins. That army is so well-organized and complex, scientists continue to try to figure out how it performs so well in the field.
Earth Uniqueness Up; SETI Down
July 29, 2011
Our earth seems special – maybe because it is. Some astronomers are seriously considering that life might be rare or unique on our rare (or unique) planet. If so, hopes for finding sentient aliens on the celestial radio dial drop accordingly. The 50th anniversary of the first SETI search came, unfortunately for search enthusiasts, came at a time when funding is harder to get.
Weird Evolution Tales
July 27, 2011
Evolutionary theory leads to some fantastic tales. Since evolution is often presumed to be a fact that explains everything in biology, and is itself not subject to testing or doubt, everything in biology must be viewed through an evolutionary lens. This hard-core stance on evolution often leads to assertions and explanations that appear contrived, if not preposterous, to Darwin doubters. Here are some recent examples of weird evolution stories that made it past the logic inspectors simply because evolution is unquestioned. | https://crev.info/category/origins/intelligent_design/page/84/ | fineweb | 7,438 | 2.59375 |
One of the big questions in recent years about prenatal DES exposure is whether it might have had an effect on people’s sexual orientation or gender identity. Our society has increasingly accepted the medical fact that neither sexual orientation (being attracted to the opposite sex and/or the same sex as you or no attraction to either) nor gender identity (which gender, neither, or both, that you identify yourself as) are choices.
However, a lot of uncertainty remains about the chemical processes in our bodies that determine them. There is research to suggest that genetics, our ancestors’ past exposures and prenatal exposure to certain hormones—primarily testosterone—might play a role in determining sexual orientation or gender identity. The DES community has long discussed the possible role that prenatal exposure to a synthetic hormone could have played in gender and sex identity.
The DES community seems to have a significantly higher percent of LGTBQ+ members than the general population. A January 2020 research study article which appeared in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior conducted by the National Institute of Health DES cohort study researchers stated: “Brain organization that occurs in the prenatal period may influence an individual’s sexual and gender identities.” This study provides some evidence that prenatal exposure to DES may increase the likelihood of being gay among DES Sons, but DES Daughters seem less likely to be lesbians than unexposed women. “In summary, the findings showed that women who were prenatally exposed to DES were signifcantly less likely to report being lesbian or bisexual. In contrast, while men who were prenatally exposed to DES were somewhat more likely to report being gay or bisexual, the estimate was very imprecise and compatible with chance.
Finally, very few individuals reported currently thinking of themselves as a gender different from that assigned at birth in either the exposed or unexposed group.” But one study cannot prove a trend overall, and this study could not address the question of gender identity at all because so few people were transgender. Researchers will need to continue to investigate sexual orientation and gender identity as they relate to prenatal DES exposure. This new study was covered in our Spring Voice 2020. Logged in members may read it in the Archived Voices section.
Gender, Sex, Sexuality and DES-Exposure: A Research Study
Please note: this study was funded by DES Action, USA and was conducted from September 2017-February 2020. Dr. Luce has completed this phase of the study and is no longer accepting new participants. If Dr. Luce extends the study into other phases and requests participants, DES Action will inform our population.
A Letter from Dr. Jacquelyne Luce About the Study
Jacquelyne Luce, PhD
Principal Investigator and Lecturer in Gender Studies
Department of Gender Studies
Mount Holyoke College
How has your exposure to DES shaped your understanding of gender, sex, and sexuality? With a grant from DES Action USA, I am conducting a new research project exploring the relationships between people’s experiences of gender, sex, sexuality, and sexual orientation and their experiences of the physical and psychological effects of being DES-exposed.
This is an area of study that has not received much prior attention.
Most members of the DESexposed second generation would have reached puberty between 1960 and 1985, a time of both very strong societal ideas about femininity and masculinity, as well as increasing resistance to expectations about what it means to be a woman or man.
New ideas about sex hormones and techniques of genital surgery also emerged during this time period, shaping various fields of intersex and transgender health. The third generation of DES-exposed people is likely to have been born anytime between 1975 and now, experiencing life in a world of both rigid and fluid ideas about gender, sex and sexuality.
My work as a researcher involves seeking out and listening intensely to people’s stories about their experiences of the body, health, disability and difference, and situating these within local and global developments in science and medicine.
I wonder: How can members of the DES-exposed communities, who lived through the forefront of the women’s rights movement, the LGBT rights movement, and the Intersex rights movement, contribute to our understandings of the relationship between bodies and identity? How can the stories of this community help us to better understand the historical ongoing health, advocacy, and research needs of LGBTIQ and gender non-conforming DESexposed people?
We will conduct interviews by phone and video conference, recording these with permission. We will anonymize everyone who shares their story in order to protect privacy. These interviews will be like open-ended conversations.
We are not looking for any particular “answer.” Instead, participants will help us shape our research, and the larger themes we explore.
We will be sharing the ongoing thoughts that emerge from this research with the DES-exposed community. If you would like to receive more information about the project please contact jluce[@]mtholyoke.edu.
The Complete Report
Dr. Luce’s Final Report of the study: Embodying Transgenerational Exposure: Gender/sex/sexuality and experiences of being DES-exposed (pdf).
Scott Kerlin’s Paper on DES Exposure in Males and Gender Related Disorders
Scott Kerlin, Ph.D, presented a paper at two health conferences about DES Sons, sex and gender in 2004 and 2005. What he presented is a worthwhile and useful study, but it’s often misunderstood. Kerlin’s goal was not to count what percentage of DES Sons had physiological damages, nontraditional sexual orientations or gender ambiguity. Instead, the study focused on experiences. It’s called a “qualitative” study, with the purpose of collecting experiences and presenting them in an organized way to understand the concerns of a specific group and what importance individuals in that group place on those concerns and experiences.
To collect his data, Kerlin started an online DES Sons group to recruit men to participate in his study. Over five years he gathered 500 study participants. To qualify to be in the study, the person had to be considered male when they were born (called cis-male) and affirm that he either knew or strongly believed he had been exposed to DES in utero. He had to have been born between the late 1940s and early 1970s, the years DES was most commonly used in pregnancy.
Kerlin had each study member report their health history (no medical records were required) and medical and psychological events. Then he conducted several online surveys to determine the issues of greatest concern among the DES Sons. Most interestingly, he conducted open-ended personal interviews with individual DES Sons.
Because the group was not randomly gathered and proof by medical records was not required to show DES exposure, the research can’t be extrapolated to all DES sons or to the general population. However, the interviews are valuable. No other qualitative exploration of the feelings and concerns of DES Sons had been published at the time. (Since then, Jacquelyne Luce’s 2019 qualitative study on gender, sex, and sexuality has been published and touches on some overlapping issues, though it’s a very different study: Embodying Transgenerational Exposure: Gender/sex/sexuality and experiences of being DES-exposed (pdf).)
In his surveys and personal interviews, Kerlin concluded that the three most important issues to DES Sons in his study were the following: (a) hormonal/endocrine health issues; (b) gender identity and sexual health issues; and (c) psychological/mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. Again, however, these were DES Sons who had chosen to join his group—they were “self-selected” in research terms—so these three primary concerns represented only those of the Sons in his group, not necessarily all DES Sons.
Kerlin reported that in his non-random group of DES sons, “Somewhere between one-quarter and one-third of members of the DES Sons’ network since 1999 have indicated that gender dysphoria, transsexual outcomes, and/or sexual health issues were among their top concerns.” (Note: The term “transsexual is no longer commonly used in gender and sex scholarship, but it was in common use at the time.)
Kerlin found a relatively high prevalence of transsexual, transgender, and intersex: “More than 150 network members with “confirmed” or “strongly suspected” prenatal DES exposure status indicated they are either transsexual (pre- or post-operative, 90 members), transgender (48 members), ‘gender dysphoric’ (17 members), or intersex (3 members).”
The high level of transsexual, transgender, and intersex people is not surprising considering the group that was surveyed, nor does it mean anything about potential effects of DES. The way groups like this come together is through word of mouth in social networks. It would only require one or two original members to be LGBTQI+ and/or non-cis/non-binary/non-heterosexual to increase the likelihood that a disproportionately larger number of other non-cis/non-binary/non-heterosexual individuals would join. The word “disproportionate” is meant in the sense that the percentage of members in the LGBTQ+ category does not necessarily reflect the percentage of overall DES-affected non-cis-female people.
Or, a much simpler way of saying all that is that these groups are self-selected, and what contributes to that self selection changes as the group composition changes. That does not invalidate the findings because the study’s goal was qualitative (not quantitative), to understand experiences. It also means, however, that we cannot draw any conclusions about what DES exposure may or may not cause in those exposed before birth. The only conclusions we can draw are about similar feelings, values, beliefs, concerns, etc. across a group of male-identifying people who came together around a shared experience. If a DES-exposed person not involved in Kerlin’s group reads his study and identifies with many of the men’s experiences, Kerlin’s findings might be validating and helpful, revealing that they aren’t alone in how they feel.
One final note worth considering about Kerlin’s study is that it was presented at two conferences, but never published in a peer-reviewed publication. In general, publication in a peer-reviewed publication suggests other scholars in the same area of study have reviewed the methods and findings and agreed that they were carried out and reported according to usual research standards. A study not published in a peer-reviewed journal can still be valid and helpful, but it often requires more skepticism without having gone through layers of review.
In addition, the author does not have any other peer-reviewed medical publications, though he does have a couple educational research publications. That means Kerlin does not have a scholarly reputation based on extended research in medical or sociological science, and it’s unclear how much experience he has in conducting qualitative or quantitative research in topics related to medical exposures or sociological experiences. These points do not invalidate his findings, but they do mean we should assess them with a healthy dose of skepticism about their meanings because no other researcher reviewed the research for its quality and methodology.
The two conferences where the paper was presented were: E.Hormone 2004, New Orleans and International Behavioral Development Symposium 2005, Minot, North Dakota. | https://desaction.org/lgbtq/ | fineweb | 11,674 | 2.953125 |
In one of the largest evaluation to date, scientists concluded that normal weight individuals (those with a normal BMI) that carry their excess weight in the midsection (central obesity) are at the greatest risk of death from any cause relative to those who are overweight or obese and carry their weight elsewhere.
In this large-scale analysis, scientists compared death risk with the weight status of 42,702 English and Scottish adults over a 10-year period. Each participant was categorized in one of the following based on their BMI and waist circumference: normal weight without central obesity; normal weight with central obesity; overweight; overweight with central obesity; obese; or obese with central obesity. When compared with normal weight individuals with flat bellies, only normal weight and obese people with excess belly fat were at an increased risk of death from all causes.
This study backs up several previous studies that have shown that belly fat is the real menace.
Tips to reduce belly fat:
For optimal health, maintain your waist size (measured at the level of the hips) in the following ranges:
Join my email list for upcoming free access to my online course: Boost Your Immunity | https://drannwellness.com/carry-excess-weight-really-matters/ | fineweb | 1,206 | 3.3125 |
|Ficus carica – Common fig|
|Foliage and fruit drawn in 1771|
|Subgenus:||F. subg. Ficus|
Ficus carica is an Asian species of flowering plant in the mulberry family, known as the common fig. It is the source of the fruit also called the fig and as such is an important crop in those areas where it is grown commercially. Native to the Mediterranean and western Asia, it has been sought out and cultivated since ancient times and is now widely grown throughout the world, both for its fruit and as an ornamental plant. The species has become naturalized in scattered locations in Asia and North America.
The word fig, first recorded in English in the 13th century, derives from (Old) French figue, itself from Occitan (Provençal) figa, from Romance *fica, from Classical Latin ficus (fig or fig-tree). Italian has fico, directly derived from Latin ficus. The name of the caprifig, Ficus caprificus Risso, is derived both from Latin capro (billygoat) and English fig.
Ficus carica is a gynodioecious, deciduous tree or large shrub that grows up to 7–10 metres (23–33 ft) tall, with smooth white bark. Its fragrant leaves are 12–25 centimetres (4.7–9.8 in) long and 10–18 centimetres (3.9–7.1 in) wide, and are deeply lobed (three or five lobes).
The fig fruit develops as a hollow, fleshy structure called the syconium that is lined internally with numerous unisexual flowers. The tiny flowers bloom inside this cup-like structure. Although commonly called a fruit, the syconium is botanically an infructescence, a type of multiple fruit. The small fig flowers and later small single-seeded (true) fruits line its interior surface. A small opening or ostiole, visible on the middle of the fruit, is a narrow passage that allows the specialized fig wasp, Blastophaga psenes to enter the inflorescence and pollinate the flowers, after which each fertilized ovule (one per flower, in its ovary) develops into a seed. At maturity, these 'seeds' (actually single-seeded fruits) line the inside of each fig. See Ficus: Fig fruit and reproduction system.
The edible mature syconium stem develops into a fleshy false fruit bearing the numerous one-seeded fruits, which are technically druplets. The whole fig fruit is 3–5 centimetres (1.2–2.0 in) long, with a green skin that sometimes ripens toward purple or brown. Ficus carica has milky sap, produced by laticifer cells. The sap of the green parts is an irritant to human skin.
The common fig tree has been cultivated since ancient times and grows wild in dry and sunny locations with deep and fresh soil, and in rocky locations that are at sea level to 1,700 metres in elevation. It prefers relatively porous and freely draining soil, and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Unlike other fig species, Ficus carica does not always require pollination by a wasp or from another tree, because the fig wasp, Blastophaga psenes can pollinate it so as to produce seeds. Fig wasps are not present to pollinate in colder nations, e. g. the United Kingdom.
The plant tolerates seasonal drought, and the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean climates are especially suitable to it. Situated in a favorable habitat, mature specimens can grow to considerable size as large, dense, shade trees. Its aggressive root system precludes its cultivation in many urban locations, yet in nature this characteristic helps the plant to root in the most inhospitable locations. Having a great need of water, it is mostly a phreatophyte that extracts the needed water from sources in or on the ground. Consequently, it frequently grows in locations with standing or running water, e. g. in valleys of rivers and in ravines that collect water. The deeply rooted plant searches for groundwater in aquifers, ravines, or cracks in rocks. With access to this water, the tree cools the hot environments in which it grows, thus producing fresh and pleasant habitat for many animals that shelter in its shade during periods of intense heat.
The mountain or rock fig ("Anjeer Kohi", انجیر کوهی, in Persian) is a wild variety, tolerant of cold dry climates, of the semi-arid rocky montane regions of Iran, especially in the Kohestan Mountains of Khorasan.
Ficus carica is dispersed by birds and mammals that scatter their seeds in droppings. Fig fruit is an important food source for much of the fauna in some areas, and the tree owes its expansion to those that feed on its fruit. The common fig tree also sprouts from the root and stolon tissues.
The infructescence is pollinated by a symbiosis with a fig wasp (Blastophaga psenes). The fertilized female wasp enters the fig through the scion, which has a tiny hole in the crown (the ostiole). She crawls on the inflorescence inside the fig and pollinates some of the female flowers. She lays her eggs inside some of the flowers and dies. After weeks of development in their galls, the male wasps emerge before the females wasps do through holes they produce by chewing the galls. The male wasps then fertilize the female wasps by depositing semen in the hole in the gall. The male wasps later return to the remaining female wasps and enlarge the holes to enable the female wasps to emerge. Then some males enlarge holes in the scion, which enables the female wasps to disperse after collecting pollen from the developed male flowers. Female wasps now have a short time (<48 hours) to find another fig tree with receptive scions to spread the pollen, assist the tree in reproduction, and lay their own eggs to start a new cycle.
From ancient times
The edible fig is one of the first plants that were cultivated by humans. Nine subfossil figs of a parthenocarpic (and therefore sterile) type dating to about 9400–9200 BC were found in the early Neolithic village Gilgal I (in the Jordan Valley, 13 km north of Jericho). The find precedes the domestication of wheat, barley, and legumes, and may thus be the first known instance of agriculture. It is proposed that this sterile but desirable type was planted and cultivated intentionally, one thousand years before the next crops were domesticated (wheat and rye).
Figs were widespread in ancient Greece, and their cultivation was described by both Aristotle and Theophrastus. Aristotle noted that as in animal sexes, figs have individuals of two kinds, one (the cultivated fig) that bears fruit, and one (the wild caprifig) that assists the other to bear fruit. Further, Aristotle recorded that the fruits of the wild fig contain psenes (fig wasps); these begin life as larvae, and the adult psen splits its "skin" (pupa) and flies out of the fig to find and enter a cultivated fig, saving it from dropping. Theophrastus observed that just as date palms have male and female flowers, and that farmers (from the East) help by scattering "dust" from the male onto the female, and as a male fish releases his milt over the female's eggs, so Greek farmers tie wild figs to cultivated trees. They do not say directly that figs reproduce sexually, however.
Figs were also a common food source for the Romans. Cato the Elder, in his c. 160 BC De Agri Cultura, lists several strains of figs grown at the time he wrote his handbook: the Mariscan, African, Herculanean, Saguntine, and the black Tellanian (De agri cultura, ch. 8). The fruits were used, among other things, to fatten geese for the production of a precursor of foie gras. Rome's first emperor, Augustus, was reputed to have been poisoned with figs from his garden smeared with poison by his wife Livia. For this reason, or perhaps because of her horticultural expertise, a variety of fig known as the Liviana was cultivated in Roman gardens.
It was cultivated from Afghanistan to Portugal, also grown in Pithoragarh in the Kumaon hills of India. From the 15th century onwards, it was grown in areas including Northern Europe and the New World. In the 16th century, Cardinal Reginald Pole introduced fig trees to Lambeth Palace in London.
In 1769, Spanish missionaries led by Junipero Serra brought the first figs to California. The Mission variety, which they cultivated, is still popular. The fact that it is parthenocarpic (self-pollinating) made it an ideal cultivar for introduction.
People of the Italian diaspora who live in cold-winter climates have the practice of burying imported fig trees to overwinter them and protect the fruiting hard wood from cold. Italian immigrants in the 19th century introduced this common practice in cities such as New York, Philadelphia, Boston, and Toronto, where winters are normally too cold to leave the tree exposed. This practice consists in digging a trench that is appropriate to the size of the specimen, some of which are more than 10 feet tall, severing part of the root system, and bending the specimen into the trench. Specimens are often wrapped in waterproof material to discourage development of mould and fungus, then covered with a heavy layer of soil and leaves. Sometimes plywood or corrugated metal is placed on top to secure the tree. In borderline climates like New York City burying trees is no longer needed because low winter temperatures have increased. Often specimens are simply wrapped in plastic and other insulating material, or not protected if planted in a sheltered site against a wall that absorbs sunlight.
The common fig is grown for its edible fruit throughout the temperate world. It is also grown as an ornamental tree, and in the UK the cultivars 'Brown Turkey' and ‘Ice Crystal’ (mainly grown for its unusual foliage) have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Figs are also grown in Germany, mainly in private gardens inside built up areas. There is no commercial fig growing. The Palatine region in the German South West has an estimated 80,000 fig trees. The variety Brown Turkey is the most widespread in the region. There are about a dozen quite widespread varieties hardy enough to survive winter outdoors mostly without special protection. There are even two local varieties, "Martinsfeige" and "Lussheim", which may be the hardiest varieties in the region.
As the population of California grew, especially after the gold rush, a number of other cultivars were brought there by persons and nurserymen from the east coast of the US and from France and England. By the end of the 19th century, it became apparent that California had the potential for being an ideal fig producing state because of its Mediterranean-like climate and latitude of 38 degrees, lining up San Francisco with Smyrna, Turkey. G. P. Rixford first brought true Smyrna figs to California in 1880. The most popular cultivar of Smyrna-type fig is Calimyrna, being a name that combines "California" and "Smyrna". The cultivar, however, is not one that was produced by a breeding program, and instead is from one of the cuttings brought to California in the latter part of the 19th century. It is identical to the cultivar Lob Injir that has been grown in Turkey for centuries.
Figs can be found in continental climates with hot summers as far north as Hungary and Moravia. Thousands of cultivars, most named, have been developed as human migration brought the fig to many places outside its natural range. Fig plants can be propagated by seed or by vegetative methods. Vegetative propagation is quicker and more reliable, as it does not yield the inedible caprifigs. Seeds germinate readily in moist conditions and grow rapidly once established. For vegetative propagation, shoots with buds can be planted in well-watered soil in the spring or summer, or a branch can be scratched to expose the bast (inner bark) and pinned to the ground to allow roots to develop.
Two crops of figs can be produced each year. The first or breba crop develops in the spring on last year's shoot growth. The main fig crop develops on the current year's shoot growth and ripens in the late summer or fall. The main crop is generally superior in quantity and quality, but some cultivars such as 'Black Mission', 'Croisic', and 'Ventura' produce good breba crops.
There are three types of edible figs:
- Persistent (or common) figs have all female flowers that do not need pollination for fruiting; the fruit can develop through parthenocarpic means. This is a popular horticulture fig for home gardeners. Dottato (Kadota), Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Brunswick, and Celeste are some representative cultivars.
- Caducous (or Smyrna) figs require cross pollination by the fig wasp with pollen from caprifigs for the fruit to mature. If not pollinated the immature fruits drop. Some cultivars are Marabout, Inchàrio, and Zidi.
- Intermediate (or San Pedro) figs set an unpollinated breba crop but need pollination for the later main crop. Examples are Lampeira, King, and San Pedro.
While the fig contains more naturally occurring varieties than any other tree crop, a formal breeding program was not developed until the beginning of the 20th century. Ira Condit, "High Priest of the Fig," and William Storey tested some thousands of fig seedlings in the early 20th century based at University of California, Riverside. It was then continued at the University of California, Davis. However, the fig breeding program was ultimately closed in the 1980s.
Due to insect and fungal disease pressure in both dried and fresh figs, the breeding program was revived in 1989 by James Doyle and Louise Ferguson using the germplasm established at UC Riverside by Ira Condit and William Storey. Crosses were made and two new varieties are now in production in California: the public variety "Sierra", and the patented variety "Sequoia".
|Fig production – 2018|
|Source: United Nations FAOSTAT|
In 2018, world production of raw figs was 1.14 million tonnes, led by Turkey (with 27% of the world total), Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria as the largest producers collectively accounting for 64% of the total.
Figs can be eaten fresh or dried, and used in jam-making. Most commercial production is in dried or otherwise processed forms, since the ripe fruit does not transport well, and once picked does not keep well. The widely produced fig roll is a biscuit with a filling made from figs.
In the Northern Hemisphere, fresh figs are in season from August through to early October. Fresh figs used in cooking should be plump and soft, and without bruising or splits. If they smell sour, the figs have become over-ripe. Slightly under-ripe figs can be kept at room temperature for 1–2 days to ripen before serving. Figs are most flavorful at room temperature.
|Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)|
|Energy||310 kJ (74 kcal)|
|Dietary fiber||3 g|
|Vitamin A equiv.|
|Pantothenic acid (B5)|
|†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults. |
Source: USDA Nutrient Database
|Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)|
|Energy||1,041 kJ (249 kcal)|
|Dietary fiber||9.8 g|
|Vitamin A equiv.|
|Pantothenic acid (B5)|
|†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.|
Raw figs are 79% water, 19% carbohydrates, 1% protein, and contain negligible fat (table). They are a moderate source (14% of the Daily Value, DV) of dietary fiber per 100-gram serving (74 calories), and do not supply essential micronutrients in significant contents (table).
When dehydrated to 30% water, figs have a carbohydrate content of 64%, protein content of 3%, and fat content of 1%. In a 100-gram serving providing 249 calories, dried figs are a rich source (more than 20% DV) of dietary fiber and the essential mineral manganese (26% DV), while calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin K are in moderate amounts.
Research and folk medicine
Figs contain diverse phytochemicals under basic research for their potential biological properties, including polyphenols, such as gallic acid, chlorogenic acid, syringic acid, (+)-catechin, (−)-epicatechin and rutin. Fig color may vary between cultivars due to various concentrations of anthocyanins, with cyanidin-3-O-rutinoside having particularly high content.
Like other plant species in the family Moraceae, contact with the milky sap of Ficus carica followed by exposure to ultraviolet light can cause phytophotodermatitis, a potentially serious skin inflammation. Although the plant is not poisonous per se, F. carica is listed in the FDA Database of Poisonous Plants.
Organic chemical compounds called furanocoumarins are known to cause phytophotodermatitis in humans. The common fig contains significant quantities of two furanocoumarins, psoralen and bergapten. The essential oil of fig leaves contains more than 10% psoralen, the highest concentration of any organic compound isolated from fig leaves. Psoralen appears to be the primary furanocoumarin compound responsible for fig leaf-induced phytophotodermatitis.
Psoralen and bergapten are found chiefly in the milky sap of the leaves and shoots of F. carica but not the fruits. Neither psoralen nor bergapten were detected in the essential oil of fig fruits. Thus there is no conclusive evidence that fig fruits cause phytophotodermatitis.
In religion and mythology
In the Biblical Book of Genesis, Adam and Eve clad themselves with fig leaves (Genesis 3:7) after eating the "forbidden fruit" from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Likewise, fig leaves, or depictions of fig leaves, have long been used to cover the genitals of nude figures in painting and sculpture, for example in Masaccio's The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden. Moreover, according to the Aggadah (Jewish text), the forbidden fruit of the Tree of Knowledge in the Garden of Eden was not an apple, but a fig.
The Book of Deuteronomy specifies the fig as one of the Seven Species (Deuteronomy 8:7-8), describing the fertility of the land of Canaan. This is a set of seven plants indigenous to the Middle East that together can provide food all year round. The list is organized by date of harvest, with the fig being fourth due to its main crop ripening during summer.
Babylonian Ishtar for example took the form of the divine fig tree Xikum, the "primeval mother at the central place of the earth", protectress of the savior Tammuz. Moreover, fig and the fig tree were closely linked with female sexuality. In Barbara Walker's encyclopedia on Goddess symbols we learn that the fig leaf is the conventional form of the yoni. "This may account for the common use of the fig tree as a symbol of man's enlightenment, which was formerly supposed to come through his connection with the female principle."
The biblical quote "each man under his own vine and fig tree" (Micah 4:4) has been used to denote peace and prosperity. It was commonly quoted to refer to the life that would be led by settlers in the American West, and was used by Theodor Herzl in his depiction of the future Jewish Homeland: "We are a commonwealth. In form it is new, but in purpose very ancient. Our aim is mentioned in the First Book of Kings: 'Judah and Israel shall dwell securely, each man under his own vine and fig tree, from Dan to Beersheba". United States President George Washington, writing in 1790 to the Touro Synagogue of Newport, Rhode Island, extended the metaphor to denote the equality of all Americans regardless of faith.
Sura 95 of the Qur'an is named al-Tīn (Arabic for "The Fig"), as it opens with the oath "By the fig and the olive." The fruit is also mentioned elsewhere in the Qur'an. Within the Hadith, Sahih al-Bukhari records Muhammad stating: "If I had to mention a fruit that descended from paradise, I would say this is it because the paradisiacal fruits do not have pits...eat from these fruits for they prevent hemorrhoids, prevent piles and help gout."
10 fossil endocarps of †Ficus potentilloides from the early Miocene, have been found in the Kristina Mine at Hrádek nad Nisou in North Bohemia, the Czech Republic. These fossils are similar to endocarps of F. carica.
- Ficus racemosa ("Cluster fig"), a species native to Australia, Malesia, South-East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent
- Ficus sycomorus ("Sycamore fig"), a species native to Africa and Lebanon
- Fig cake
- Fig Monday
- Grocer's itch
- 1771 illustration from Trew, C.J., Plantae selectae quarum imagines ad exemplaria naturalia Londini, in hortis curiosorum nutrit, vol. 8: t. 73 (1771), drawing by G.D. Ehret
- "The Plant List".
- The Fig: its History, Culture, and Curing, Gustavus A. Eisen, Washington, Govt. print. off., 1901
- RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- Flora of China Ficus carica Linnaeus, 1753. 无花果 wu hua guo
- "Biota of North America Program 2014 county distribution map".
- T.F. Hoad, The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology, Oxford University Press, 1986, page 171a.
- Condit, Ira J. (1947) The Fig; Chronica Botanica Co., Waltham, Massachusetts, USA.
- Wayne's Word: Sex Determination & Life Cycle in Ficus carica Archived 2009-09-02 at the Wayback Machine
- "Fig, Ficus carica". Purdue University: Horticulture & Landscape Architecture. Retrieved December 6, 2014.
- Shannon Wolfe, "Carnivorous Figs: The Relationship Between Wasps and Figs", University of California Master Gardener Program of Contra Costa County, 27 August 2014.
- Louise Ferguson and Carlos H. Crisosto, "The Fig: Overview of an Ancient Fruit", in HortScience, August 2007, Vol. 42, No. 5, pages 1083-7.
- Blackburne-Maze, Peter (2003). Fruit: an Illustrated History. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books. pp. 209–11. ISBN 9781552977804. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
- Kislev et al. (2006a, b), Lev-Yadun et al. (2006)
- Leroi, Armand Marie (2014). The Lagoon: How Aristotle Invented Science. Bloomsbury. pp. 244–247. ISBN 978-1-4088-3622-4.
- Mary Beard (2013). Confronting the Classics. Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company. p. 128.
- Cassius Dio. Roman History 56.30.
- Mary Beard (2013). Confronting the Classics. Liveright Publishing Corporation, a division of W.W. Norton & Company. p. 131.
- Roeding, George C. (1903) The Smyrna Fig: At Home and Abroad; published by the author, Fresno, CA, USA
- Storey, W.B, Enderud, J.E., Saleeb, W.F., & Mauer, E.M. (1977) The Fig, Ficus carica Linnaeus: Its Biology, History, Culture, and Utilization, Vol. 13 #2,3,4; Jurupa Mountains Cultural Center, Riverside, CA, USA
- Anne Rowlands (2012-10-01). "Growing Fig Trees in Cooler Climates". conngardener.com. Archived from the original on 2017-12-13. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- Fernanda Santos (2010-02-15). "Winter Coats No Longer the Fashion for Fig Trees". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- Hal Klein (2014-12-25). "Why Bury Fig Trees? A Curious Tradition Preserves a Taste of Italy". Npr.org. Retrieved 2018-04-09.
- "RHS Plant Selector – Ficus carica 'Brown Turkey'". Retrieved 15 April 2020.
- "RHS Plantfinder - Ficus carica 'Ice Crystal'". Retrieved 2020-04-17.
- "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 39. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- Die Feigenernte in Kraichgau und Pfalz läuft auf Hochtouren (English: The fig harvest in Kraichgau and the Palatinate is in full swing) at Rhein-Neckar-Zeitung.
- Christoph Seiler: Feigen aus dem eigenen Garten (English: Figs from your own garden), Stuttgart 2016, page 64.
- Christoph Seiler: Feigen aus dem eigenen Garten. Stuttgart 2016, pages 75 and 78.
- "Figs". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 11 December 2016.
- "Fig". CRFG Publications. California Rare Fruit Growers. 1996. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- North American Fruit Explorers: Figs. Archived 2009-04-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Janick, Jules & Moore, James (editors) (1975) Advances in Fruit Breeding; pgs 568-588: Figs, by Storey, W.B.; Purdue University Press, West Lafayette, IN, USA
- Van Deynze, Allen (editor) (2008) 100 years of breeding: UC Davis Plant Breeding Program. Published by the Dean's Office, Department of Plant Sciences, & Seed Biotechnology Center, Davis, CA, USA
- "New fig cultivar comparison report released by UC Kearney REC". westernfarmpress.com. Archived from the original on 2009-09-06. Retrieved 2016-02-01.
- "Raw fig production in 2018; Crops/World Regions/Production Quantity from picklists". UN Food and Agriculture Organization Corporate Statistical Database, FAOSTAT. 2019. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- "Fig". BBC Good Food. Retrieved 2016-02-02.
- "Nutrition facts for dried figs, uncooked per 100 g". Conde Nast for the USDA National Nutrient Database, version SR-21. 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
- Vinson (1999)
- Veberic R, Colaric M, Stampar F (2008). "Phenolic acids and flavonoids of fig fruit (Ficus carica L.) in the northern Mediterranean region". Food Chemistry. 106 (1): 153–157. doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2007.05.061.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
- Solomon A, Golubowicz S, Yablowicz Z, Grossman S, Bergman M, Gottlieb HE, Altman A, Kerem Z and Flaishman MA (2006). "Antioxidant activities and anthocyanin content of fresh fruits of common fig (Ficus carica L.)". J Agric Food Chem. 54 (20): 7717–7723. doi:10.1021/jf060497h. PMID 17002444.CS1 maint: uses authors parameter (link)
- Landranco, Guido (2001). Mediċina popolari ta' l-imgħoddi fil-gżejjer Maltin [Popular medicine of the past in the Maltese islands] (in Maltese). Valletta, Malta: Klabb Kotba Maltin. ISBN 99909-75-97-3.
- Polat, Muhterem; Öztaş, Pınar; Dikilitaş, Meltem Cik; Allı, Nuran (December 2008). "Phytophotodermatitis due to Ficus carica". Dermatol Online J. 14 (12): 9. PMID 19265622.
- Son, J. H.; Jin, H.; You, H. S.; Shim, W. H.; Kim, J. M.; Kim, G. W.; Kim, H. S.; Ko, H. C.; Kim, M. B.; Kim, B. S. (February 2017). "Five Cases of Phytophotodermatitis Caused by Fig Leaves and Relevant Literature Review". Annals of Dermatology. 29 (1): 86–90. doi:10.5021/ad.2017.29.1.86. PMC 5318534. PMID 28223753.
- "FDA Poisonous Plant Database". U.S. Food & Drug Administration. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
- McGovern, Thomas W.; Barkley, Theodore M. (2000). "Botanical Dermatology". The Electronic Textbook of Dermatology. Internet Dermatology Society. 37 (5). Section Phytophotodermatitis. doi:10.1046/j.1365-4362.1998.00385.x. PMID 9620476. S2CID 221810453. Retrieved November 29, 2018.
- Zaynoun, S. T.; Aftimos, B. G.; Abi Ali, L.; Tenekjian, K. K.; Khalidi, U.; Kurban, A. K. (July 1984). "Ficus carica; isolation and quantification of the photoactive components". Contact Dermatitis. 11 (1): 21–25. doi:10.1111/j.1600-0536.1984.tb00164.x. PMID 6744838. S2CID 26987319. Cited in McGovern and Barkley 2000, section Phytophotodermatitis.
- Li, Jun; Tian, Yu-zeng; Sun, Bao-ya; Yang, Dan; Chen, Ji-ping; Men, Qi-ming (2011). "Analysis on Volatile Constituents in Leaves and Fruits of Ficus carica by GC-MS". Chinese Herbal Medicines. 4 (1): 63–69. doi:10.3969/j.issn.1674-6384.2012.01.010. S2CID 38145943.
- Walker, Barbara (1988). The Woman's Dictionary of Symbols and Sacred Objects. Harper One. p. 484.
- Eric Brandon Roberts (2012). The Parables of Jesus Christ:: A Brief Analysis. Booktango. ISBN 9781468908800.
- Theodor Herzl (1987). Old New Land. Translated by Lotta Levensohn. M. Wiener. ISBN 9-781-55876-160-5.
- "George Washington and his Letter to the Jews of Newport". Touro Synagogue.
- "Foods of the prophet". IslamOnline.
- A review of the early Miocene Mastixioid flora of the Kristina Mine at Hrádek nad Nisou in North Bohemia, The Czech Republic, January 2012 by F. Holý, Z. Kvaček and Vasilis Teodoridis - ACTA MUSEI NATIONALIS PRAGAE Series B – Historia Naturalis • vol. 68 • 2012 • no. 3–4 • pp. 53–118
|Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Fig.| | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ficus_carica | fineweb | 27,474 | 3.359375 |
Intent on finding something love- or Valentine’s-themed to feature in this month’s 852 RARE, I stumbled upon the wonderful picture featured below.
So what do men, baking, and women’s rights have to do with each other? In the 1970s, at the Harvard Law School, it seems quite a bit.
Published in the summer 1977 edition of the Harvard Law School Bulletin, this picture features David H. Fink ’77 at the third annual John Stuart Mill Society’s Men’s Bake Sale. The Bulletin reported that $509 was raised and donated to the National E.R.A. This is a fitting title for a group of men advocating for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and the idea of a men’s bake sale to benefit women’s rights is brilliant! The previous year the Bulletin reported that baked goods had been provided by a number of male professors including Steiner, Sacks, Tribe, and Nesson.
John Stuart Mill (1806-1873) was a British philosopher, economist, and moral and political theorist. Among his writings is the 1869 publication The Subjection of Women, which defended gender equality and the rights of women.
First introduced in 1923, and then rewritten in 1943, it wasn’t until 1972 that both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives passed the ERA. Congress placed a seven year deadline on the state ratification process. By 1975, the process had slowed considerably with only a single new state ratifying the amendment, leaving the 27th amendment four states shy of the 38 states needed. The fight to pass the ERA lives on and on March 6, 2013, Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) will reintroduce the traditional ERA ratification bills in the 113th Congress.
We don’t have much information on the John Stuart Mill Society, so for those involved with the society and willing to share their story, we would love to learn more! Please enjoy this image; a fitting end to the month of love and a great start for March and women’s history. | https://etseq.law.harvard.edu/2013/02/852-rare-men-baking-and-womens-rights/ | fineweb | 1,950 | 2.671875 |
Working memory function changes across development and varies across individuals. The patterns of behavior and brain function that track individual differences in working memory during human development, however, are not well understood. Here, we establish associations between working memory, other cognitive abilities, and functional MRI (fMRI) activation in data from over 11,500 9- to 10-year-old children (both sexes) enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, an ongoing longitudinal study in the United States. Behavioral analyses reveal robust relationships between working memory, short-term memory, language skills, and fluid intelligence. Analyses relating out-of-scanner working memory performance to memory-related fMRI activation in an emotional n-back task demonstrate that frontoparietal activity during a working memory challenge indexes working memory performance. This relationship is domain specific, such that fMRI activation related to emotion processing during the emotional n-back task, inhibitory control during a stop-signal task (SST), and reward processing during a monetary incentive delay (MID) task does not track memory abilities. Together, these results inform our understanding of individual differences in working memory in childhood and lay the groundwork for characterizing the ways in which they change across adolescence.
Bibliographical noteFunding Information:
This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grants U01 DA041174 (to B.J.C.), U01 DA041120 (to D.M.B.), U01 DA041148 (to D.A.F.), and U24 DA041123 (to B.J.C., M.D.C., D.J.H.) and by the National Science Foundation Grant 1714321 (to A.O.C.). The ABCD Study is supported by the NIH and additional federal partners Grants U01DA041022, U01DA041028, U01DA041048, U01DA041089, U01DA041106, U01DA041117, U01DA041120, U01DA041134, U01DA041148, U01DA041156, U01DA041174, U24DA041123, and U24DA041147. A full list of supporters is available at https://abcdstudy.org/federal-partners/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish or preparation of the manuscript.
- Working memory | https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/behavioral-and-neural-signatures-of-working-memory-in-childhood | fineweb | 2,170 | 2.921875 |
Write a program to solve the 8 puzzle problem.
The problem. The 8 puzzle is a game invented by Sam Loyd in the 1870s. It is played on a 3-by-3 grid with 8 square tiles labeled 1 through 8 and a blank square. Your goal is to rearrange the tiles so that they are in order. You are permitted to slide tiles horizontally or vertically (but not diagonally) into the blank square. The following shows a sequence of legal moves from an initial board configuration to the desired solution.
1 3 1 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 2 5 4 2 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8
A solution. We now describe a classic solution to the problem that illustrates a general artificial intelligence methodology known as the A* algorithm. First, insert the starting board position into a priority queue. Then, delete the board position with the minimum priority from the queue. Insert each neighboring board position onto the queue. Repeat this procedure until one of the board positions dequeued represents a winning configuration.
The success of this method hinges on the choice of priority function. A natural priority function for a given board position is the number of tiles in the wrong position plus the number of moves made to get to this board position. Intutively, board positions with low priority correspond to solutions near the target board position, and we prefer board positions that have been reached using a small number of moves.
We make a key oberservation: to solve the puzzle from a given board position on the queue, the total number of moves we need to make (including those already made) is at least its priority. As soon as we deque a board position corresponding to a winning configuration, we have not only discovered a solution to the 8 puzzle problem, but one that uses the minimum number of moves. Why is this true? Well, any other solution must begin with one of the board positions already on the queue. But, each one of these takes at least as many moves as its priority, and we always remove the one with the minimum priority.
A useful trick. When you use the above method, you will notice one annoying feature: the same board configuration is repeated many times. One way to fix this is to keep track of all the board configurations that have already been explored and avoid repeating any. A simpler strategy is to avoid revisiting the board position that led you directly to the current board position.
1 3 1 3 1 3 4 2 5 4 2 5 4 2 5 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8 6
Manhattan distance. You can decrease the number of nodes examined by using a more refined heuristic. The Manhattan distance between a tile and its desired position is the minimum number of moves it would take to move the tile to its desired position assuming you don't have to worry about other tiles. The Manhattan distance priority of a given board position is the sum of the Manhattan distances between tiles and their desired positions, plus the number of moves made to get to this board position. As before, if we solve the puzzle from a given board position on the queue, the total number of moves we need to make is at least its priority. This ensures that we find a solution to the 8 puzzle that uses the minimum number of moves.
Input format. The input will consist of the board size N followed by the N-by-N initial board configuration. The integer 0 is used to represent the blank square. As an example,
0 1 3 4 2 5 7 8 6
Output format. Print the sequence of board positions.
It's fine to print the board positions vertically instead of horizontally. Also print out the number of moves and the number of nodes dequeued.1 3 1 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 2 5 4 2 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 6 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8 6 7 8 | https://www.cs.princeton.edu/courses/archive/fall06/cos226/assignments/8puzzle.html?ref=hackernoon.com | fineweb | 3,673 | 3.484375 |
With higher energy prices on the horizon and environmental changes becoming increasingly severe, more businesses are looking towards solar power as the solution for the future. Having installed hundreds of solar PV systems across the country, Custom Solar is leading the way in making UK businesses more financially stable and environmentally sustainable.
What is a commercial solar PV system?
A Commercial solar PV system refers to the placement of solar panels on business premises to utilise the energy from the sun to generate electricity. Depending on the size of the installation, the electricity generated can meet a large portion, if not all, of the business’ energy needs and can go a long way to reducing energy bills. The benefits of a solar PV installation are also applicable to other sectors, such as public institutions, schools and blue light services.
Solar panels are mounted on the roof of a building, adjacent land or even nearby water bodies and from there integrated into the business electrical network. The photovoltaic system, also known as a solar PV system, transforms the energy from the sun into electricity, which then powers the building’s energy requirements. The solar panels generate electricity throughout the year, although they will naturally generate more in the summer, due to higher levels of irradiance and longer periods of sunlight.
Why invest in a commercial solar installation?
Many businesses today react to short term pressures – often with good reason. With the world economy in a constant state of flux and government policies becoming increasingly unpredictable, reacting to the present has become necessary to ensure not just growth, but survival. It is, however, businesses that are proactive in their approach to energy procurement that is securing their future supply and stabilizing their cost of power.
The required investment in a commercial solar PV system has decreased significantly over the past decade due to a global surge in solar PV deployment, this investment can be funded in a variety of ways from Capital expenditure, asset finance and via Power Purchase Agreements that require zero contribution from the end user. Experts predict that energy prices from national providers will continue to rise, making sustainable energy solutions increasingly desirable.
By investing in a solar PV system, business’ also stand to boost their green credentials. The catastrophic impact of fossil fuels on the environment has been proven time and time again, and companies should look to renewable energies instead to fight the effects of air pollution and global warming. Solar power is already cheaper than it’s grid alternative, yet the benefits of securing your supply and helping create a healthier world to do business in cannot be overlooked. | https://www.customsolar.co.uk/services/commercial-industrial-solar/ | fineweb | 2,803 | 2.625 |
QUIZ YOURSELF ON AFFECT VS. EFFECT!
OTHER WORDS FROM desiredun·de·sired, adjectivewell-de·sired, adjective
Words nearby desired
Example sentences from the Web for desired
Trying to fine-tune all that to a desired end is not only a form of madness but doomed to failure.
Several posts showed an obvious aggression towards the women he desired.
Only the desired outcome he seeks is the correct one—the work of the grand jury be damned.As Michael Brown Grand Jury Winds Down, Is Ferguson on the Brink of War?|Ron Christie|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As with any negotiation, what matters in the end is getting the desired outcome, not just scoring points along the way.
Once the book was done, he promised Ina, they would finally take the trip to France they had desired for so long.‘The Power Broker’ Turns 40: How Robert Caro Wrote a Masterpiece|Scott Porch|September 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He desired his secretary to go to the devil, but, thinking better of it, he recalled him as he reached the door.St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Particularly was this the case with Davout, who since 1809 had suspected that Berthier desired to ruin his reputation.Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
I desired the captain would please to accept this ring in return of his civilities, which he absolutely refused.Gulliver's Travels|Jonathan Swift
Each one congratulated himself that his special teachings had accomplished this desired end.The Awakening and Selected Short Stories|Kate Chopin
The rest is done by cutting away two upper and four under-teeth, and substituting false ones at the desired angle.Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu | https://www.dictionary.com/browse/desired?s=ts | fineweb | 1,634 | 2.59375 |
German engineers are developing a new concept that might change the design of smartphones and the concept of smartphone photography. In an attempt to avoid camera bump, they have created a prototype of the phone which has the camera that slides from the side of a device.
With smartphone cameras, there’s always an issue of space. High-quality photos require more advanced lenses, and these take up more space. As a result, we have the camera bump on the back of most modern devices. At least on those that make amazing photos. Therefore, for the sake of reducing the camera bump on smart devices, German engineers from Fraunhofer Institute have re-imagined the concept of smartphone camera.
They have created a prototype that would simply slide from the side of the device. It uses four image sensors rotated at 90 degrees and a set of tiny mirrors. The original concept predicted one mirror, but it faltered at close range. Then the second one was added so the images would be stitched together, but then you could see the stitching errors. Finally, the engineers added the second set of sensors and mirrors, so the phone was able to calculate and eliminate any stitching errors. Also, they flip around, so it’s possible to take photos from the front and the rear of the phone.
— GbrilliantQ™ (@GbrilliantQ) March 14, 2017
The prototype model is only 3.5 millimeters thin, yet it produces images at 20 megapixel resolution. In addition, it also has focus and optical image stabilization.
According to the developers, the concept works and resolves the issue of camera bump. But it might be a challenge to convince smartphone companies to adopt this system, as it’s largely different from the concept currently in use. Aside from camera bump, this could solve a bigger issue. The camera can’t take photos until it slides out of the phone. So, this could prevent snapping the photos of people secretly without their knowledge.
For now, this is only a prototype, but I’d like to see a camera like this in action, along with some sample images. What about you? What do you think of this idea? Do you think it could work and develop further?
[via PC World] | https://www.diyphotography.net/german-engineers-remove-camera-bump-phones-new-design/ | fineweb | 2,153 | 2.75 |
El Salvador's volcanic landscape
With volcanoes in the news lately, a look at some of El Salvador's volcanoes seems timely. The photo above was taken by a NASA astronaut and provides a stunning relief picture of the San Miguel volcano and other volcanoes near Usulutan. The website Fire Earth has a description of the volcanoes and their history:
Usulután: Formed during Holocene (an ongoing geological epoch that began about 12,000 years ago). El Tigre formed during the Pleistocene Epoch (2.588 million to about 12,000 years ago), probably the oldest of member of the family captured in this astronaut photograph. The summit crater of El Tigre has eroded. Chinameca Volcano (also known as El Pacayal) has a two-kilometer-wide caldera formed after a powerful eruption caused its dome to collapse. San Miguel (also known as Chaparrastique), the youngest member of the family, is situated about 15 km southwest of the city of San Miguel, where it takes its name from. It’s one of the most active volcanoes in el Salvador and last erupted in 2002. | https://www.elsalvadorperspectives.com/2010/04/el-salvadors-volcanic-landscape.html?showComment=1272872692905 | fineweb | 1,045 | 3.40625 |
Last Updated on May 6, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Word Count: 916
Erewhon (ee-ree-whon). Utopian land set vaguely in the South Pacific region—possibly in New Zealand, but because of Erewhon’s vastness, some scholars have argued that it is more likely located in Australia. Early chapters show the struggle of the narrator, Higgs, to cross the unnamed mountain range between a coastal sheep pasture and the interior. He is in the company of Chowbok, an elderly Erewhonian. They travel on horseback to begin with, following the course of a river. After they spot the main range of mountains, with glaciers on their summits, the route becomes rockier, so they release their horses and continue on foot. Many gorges are unscalable or dead ends. After Chowbok deserts him, Higgs continues on alone. The difficult river crossings, dangerous precipices, snowy saddles, and magnificent views (often obscured by clouds) are described in great detail.
As Higgs descends toward the interior of the country, he sees the first evidence of another society: ten huge statues of semihuman forms. However, the people he encounters there are of normal human stature, handsome, and Mediterranean in their coloring. Their villages resemble those of northern Italy, where Samuel Butler spent many pleasant holidays.
As Higgs is taken, without force but on foot, from village to town, it becomes obvious that the vegetation of this land is similar to that of both New Zealand and the Mediterranean. However, the inhabitants’ language is different, and the society completely rejects machines. The first evidence of a difference in Erewhonian philosophy comes when Higgs’s pocket-watch is confiscated and placed in a museum of old and broken machines that houses fragments of steam engines, clocks, and other things that appear to be hundreds of years old. Higgs calculates that the society’s culture is technologically similar to that of Europe in the twelfth or thirteenth century.
Imprisoned for his possession of a watch, Higgs comes to realize that illness is regarded as a crime; even catching a cold can result in a prison sentence. However, over the years, the law has produced a healthy and athletic people. Here, Butler puts Darwin’s principle of the survival of the fittest into operation. On the other hand, criminal activities, such as embezzlement, are considered to be illnesses that should be treated.
Capital. Higgs is transported to Erewhon’s unnamed capital city in a small carriage drawn by a single horse. Butler avoids description of the countryside by having Higgs travel blindfolded. Higgs estimates that his journey covers no more than thirty or thirty-five miles a day for a period of a month—figures that suggest a total of one thousand miles, a distance equivalent to almost the entire length of New Zealand’s major islands. As Higgs gets closer to the metropolis, his blindfold is removed, and he sees towers, fortifications, and palaces. All the buildings Higgs describes are attractive and luxurious.
Nosnibor’s home. Palatial house of Senoj Nosnibor in which Higgs is lodged. The house is a mansion on raised ground on the outskirts of the city, with rooms set around a central courtyard in the Roman style and with ten acres of terraced gardens. Nosnibor’s name, like many in Erewhon, is an anagram of a familiar British name (Jones Robinson). “Erewhon” itself is an anagram of “nowhere.” Butler uses anagrams as a technique of satirizing contemporary society through inversion of conventions.
Musical Banks. Important Erewhonian institution to which Higgs is taken by Zulora, the daughter of his host. Situated on a large central piazza, the building is an example of classical architecture, with pillars, towers and sculptures. Only its stained glass and choral singing seem unusual for a bank, but although money does change...
(The entire section contains 1052 words.)
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- Critical Essays | https://www.enotes.com/topics/erewhon/in-depth | fineweb | 4,170 | 3.3125 |
Beer is often thought to be bad for you. While alcohol, in general, isn’t particularly good for you, scientists have produced the world’s first beer that can increase your gut health.
Beer is drunk around the world by all kinds of different people and cultures. Beer or any other type of alcohol is typically thought of to be really bad for your health. That’s because of the dangers it poses for your liver. People usually drink to get drunk and that is excessive. However, there are multiple different ways it can be beneficial to your health too. Whiskey can increase your cardiovascular health and tequila can stimulate weight loss! Well, scientists have now invented the world’s first probiotic beer.
Researchers from the National University of Singapore have developed the world’s first probiotic beer. Normally hop acids, an essential ingredient in all beer, typically kills probiotics before the product finishes fermenting. The researchers were successful in their mission to create a dairy free probiotic rich beer that contains strain Lactobacillus paracasein L26. This probiotic is already found in the human immune system.
Chan Mei Zhi Alcine, who developed the beer, said: “For this beer, we used a lactic acid bacterium as a probiotic microorganism. It will utilize sugars present in the wort to produce sour-tasting lactic acid, resulting in a beer with sharp and tart flavors. The final product, which takes around a month to brew, has an alcohol content of about 3.5 percent.”
You won’t see a doctor recommend that you drink beer. However, if you suffer from issues due to a lack of probiotics this might be the Friday night drink for you! | http://healinglifeisnatural.com/worlds-first-probiotic-beer-may-heal-the-gut-and-improve-immunity/ | fineweb | 1,657 | 3.140625 |
Our proposal is to introduce this programme to all food handlers. Targeted participants are chef, cooks, general kitchen helpers, waitress and waiters who are directly or indirectly involved in preparing or handling food. This training will import useful guidelines and knowledge on food handling practices and about training in the principles of food hygiene and safety.
Targeted Participants :
- Personnel involve in food handling and who work in the food industry in general
- Hotel and catering managers or supervisors, chef cooks, general kitchen helpers, waitresses and waiters.
At the end of the programme, each participant would be expected to achieve the following :-
- To recognize the risks or danger of improper food handling practices
- To acquire useful guides in their day-to-day job as to ensure safe and quality food is being prepared.
- To be aware of the importance of good code practice.
The programme has been developed inline of the basic principles of food hygiene including :
- Food Poisoning
- Food Contamination
- Prevention of Contamination by Harmful Bacteria
- Cross Contamination
- Personal Hygiene
- Food Storage
- Cleaning and Proper Refuse Disposal Practices
- Pest Control
- Work Ethics and Current Regulations in Malaysia | http://jastrainingconsultancy.com/wp4/food-safety/ | fineweb | 1,256 | 2.578125 |
Narcissus of Jerusalem
|Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem|
|Bishop of Jerusalem and Confessor|
|Born||c. AD 99|
c. AD 216 (aged 117)|
Aelia Capitolina (Jerusalem), Syria Palaestina
Roman Catholic Church|
Eastern Orthodox Church of Arodon
October 29 (Roman Catholic Church)|
August 7 (Eastern Orthodox Church)
|Attributes||Depicted as a Bishop holding a thistle in blossom; pitcher of water near him; an angel depicted carrying his soul to Heaven.|
Saint Narcissus of Jerusalem (c. 99 – c. 216) was an early patriarch of Jerusalem. He is venerated as a saint by both the Western and Eastern Churches. In the Roman Catholic Church, his feast day is celebrated on October 29, while in the Eastern Orthodox Church it is celebrated on August 7.
It is inferred that the average reign of the bishops of Jerusalem was short, as evidenced by the episcopal reigns of those who followed Saint Simeon, the second bishop of Jerusalem, who was martyred in the year 117 by the Emperor Trajan. Of Greek origin, tradition holds that Narcissus was born in the year 99 and was at least 80 when he was made the third bishop of Jerusalem. More than a century had then elapsed since the city was destroyed by the Romans, and it had since been rebuilt as Aelia Capitolina by the Emperor Hadrian.
In the year 195, St Narcissus, together with Theophitus or Theoctistus, bishop of Caesarea in Palestine, presided over a council held by the bishops of Palestine in Caesarea, and it was decreed that Easter was to be always kept on a Sunday, and not with the Jewish Passover. According to Eusebius, the bishop performed many miracles. One miracle of note, as Eusebius testified, had occurred during the Easter Vigil when Narcissus changed water into oil to supply all the lamps of the church.
Narcissus was the subject of several serious allegations made by members of the Christian community, but these proved to be false. He forgave his accusers, but left Jerusalem and lived in seclusion for several years.
Three bishops governed the See of Jerusalem in succession during his absence. Upon his return to Jerusalem, the people unanimously sought him out and asked him to resume his episcopal duties. This he did, but owing to his extreme age and the weight of his duties, he made Saint Alexander his coadjutor bishop. St Narcissus continued to serve his flock and other churches outside his jurisdiction by his constant prayer and his exhortations to the faithful for unity and peace. St Narcissus died while in prayer on his knees at the age of 117. St Alexander, who served as St Narcissus' coadjutor, wrote a letter in the year 212 that he had then reached the age of 116.
- Hoever (1955), p. 423
- St Simeon was elected bishop of Jerusalem after St James the Just was martyred in the year 63, and would reign for nearly 54 years, but not without interruption (owing to persecution). See St Simeon of Jerusalem
- Hoever (1955), p. 424
- Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, Book VI, ch. IX.
- Hoever (1955), pp. 423–424
- Saint of the Day, October 29: Narcissus of Jerusalem SaintPatrickDC.org. Retrieved 2012-03-06.
- Rev. Hugo Hoever; S.O.Cist., eds. (1955). Lives of the Saints, For Every Day of the Year. New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co. | http://library.kiwix.org/wikipedia_en_all_nopic_2018-09/A/Narcissus_of_Jerusalem.html | fineweb | 3,216 | 2.921875 |
Investigation on the Sources and Impact of Trace Elements in the Annual Snowpack and the Firn in the Hansbreen (Southwest Spitsbergen)
We present a thorough evaluation of the water soluble fraction of the trace element composition (Ca, Sr, Mg, Na, K, Li, B, Rb, U, Ni, Co, As, Cs, Cd, Mo, Se, Eu, Ba, V, Ge, Ga, Cr, Cr, P, Ti, Mn, Zr, Ce, Zn, Fe, Gd, Y, Pb, Bi, Yb, Al, Nb, Er, Nd, Dy, Sm, Ho, Th, La, Lu, Tm, Pr, Tb, Fe, In, Tl) and their fluxes in the annual snowpack and the firn of the Hansbreen (a tidewater glacier terminating in the Hornsund fjord, southwest...
Spatial Differences in the Chemical Composition of Surface Water in the Hornsund Fjord Area: A Statistical Analysis with A Focus on Local Pollution Sources
Surface catchments in Svalbard are sensitive to external pollution, and yet what is frequently considered external contamination may originate from local sources and natural processes. In this work, we analyze the chemical composition of surface waters in the catchments surrounding the Polish Polar Station in Svalbard, Hornsund fjord area. We have pooled unpublished and already published data describing surface water composition...
Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) as an indicator of surface water quality in the vicinity of the Polish Polar Station, Horsund
Surface waters were collected in the vicinity of the Polish Polar Station in Hornsund (Svalbard) to determine their concentration of various persistent organic pollutants (POPs), such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). In addition, parameters such as pH, SEC and TOC were measured. In total, 15 samples of lake water from and 15 samples of stream water were analysed. The sampling took...
seen 291 times | https://mostwiedzy.pl/en/filip-pawlak,823038-1 | fineweb | 1,741 | 2.625 |
We are all aware of the importance of staying healthy and the benefits of exercise, a healthy diet, and an active lifestyle but, how many of us really know how beneficial exercise can be for our mental health?
Professor Barbara Sahakian, best known for her research on cognitive enhancers, speaks of the importance of prioritising mental health as well as physical. “As a society, we take our mental health for granted. But, just like the state of our body, it is very important to monitor the health of our psyche,” says Professor Sahakyan.
One in five (20%) Australians aged 16-85 experience a mental illness in any year. As a result, mental disorders are one of the leading causes of disability, with a significant proportion of accidents occurring in depression and anxiety.
Mental and physical health are not mutually exclusive says Barbara, quite the opposite, “exercise is good for your thinking, mood and physical health and you can improve your thinking and brain health throughout your life through exercise and learning.”
So, if regular exercise is not on your daily agenda already you may be curious about how much you need to do to give your mental health a boost.
Surprisingly, it’s not really that much and doesn’t have to be too physical or take a long time. Studies show a moderate level of exercise is ok. That’s like the equivalent of walking fast and being able to talk to someone at the same time.
Joannah Braham our Move with Women Program Exercise Physiologist suggests “30 minutes of exercise, at least five days a week, can make a huge difference. Whether taken across several shorter sessions of 10-15 minutes each or just one 30-minute session!”
So… why not make exercise a daily habit. Try walking instead of driving. Get off the train or bus a stop earlier and walk the rest of the way. You could also spend some time walking with your kids to school. Or get a little more active around the house with gardening, cleaning the windows or even washing the car.
Australia’s physical activity and sedentary guidelines will also give you some handy information. The important thing to keep top of mind is to move more and sit less every day!
If you are ready to begin your journey to a more active and healthy life register for our supportive FREE Move with Women 9-week program for women of all ages and stages HERE or call 1800 328 951 to talk to one of our friendly program specialists. | https://movewithwomen.com.au/how-beneficial-is-exercise-for-our-mental-health/ | fineweb | 2,413 | 3.046875 |
- 1 Which transport is popular in transporting oil and gas?
- 2 Are oil tankers flammable?
- 3 What do oil tankers carry?
- 4 What is the cheapest way to transport oil?
- 5 What are some problems with transporting oil?
- 6 Can crude oil explode?
- 7 Can you smoke on an oil tanker?
- 8 How much is a tanker full of oil worth?
- 9 How fast do oil tankers go?
- 10 How do oil tankers make money?
- 11 How much does it cost to refine a barrel of oil?
- 12 What are the 2 main types of oil in the oil market?
- 13 How much oil is left in the world?
Which transport is popular in transporting oil and gas?
Pipelines. Pipelines are systems of large transportation pipes, generally below ground, that serve the purpose of transporting oil and natural gas within extensive distribution networks.
Are oil tankers flammable?
Fire! Think about it: An oil tanker is essentially an enormous floating container of flammable fluid. More than 80 percent of the ship is filled to the brim with petroleum, while another five percent or more is saturated with combustible fumes.
What do oil tankers carry?
Most tankers carry either crude oil from oil fields to refineries or petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel, fuel oil, or petrochemical feedstock from refineries to distribution centres.
What is the cheapest way to transport oil?
Pipelines remain cheapest way to transport oil Speaking of cost, pipeline is also far and away the cheapest mode of transport. Ranges vary based primarily on distance traveled and grades of crude, but pipeline transportation generally ranges between $2 and $4 per barrel.
What are some problems with transporting oil?
The risk of accidents is a huge concern for transporting oil by rail, and oil spills are extremely dangerous because they negatively impact the surrounding environment.
Can crude oil explode?
The oil products are flammable and explosive in the production and storage process. Once an accident happens, it will inevitably cause significant personal injury and property losses. Therefore, fire and explosion prevention work is especially important in the crude oil gathering-transport combination station.
Can you smoke on an oil tanker?
Specifically, for a healthy lifestyle onboard, many shipping organizations implement a no- smoking policy onboard ships, especially on tankers and on those carrying dangerous flammable cargo. Smoking onboard cargo vessels is only permitted in specific areas, however, crew members smoke in their cabins too.
How much is a tanker full of oil worth?
Some representative prices for that year include $42.5M for a 40,000 DWT tanker, $60.7 million for a 80,000–95,000 DWT, $73 million for a 130,000–150,000 DWT, and $116 million for 250,000–280,000 DWT tanker.
How fast do oil tankers go?
Most containerships are designed to travel at speeds around 24 knots. Slow steaming (18-20 knots; 33.3 – 37.0 km/hr).
How do oil tankers make money?
In a contango market, prices in the short term are lower than in future months, which encourages traders to store oil for sales in the future at a higher price. “ Almost all the spot (tanker) deals right now have floating storage tied into them – that’s the only way to make money.
How much does it cost to refine a barrel of oil?
In the United States, production costs are $36 a barrel — still below the trading price. Those findings are from Rystad Energy’s UCube database, which has information from roughly 65,000 oil and gas fields around the world.
What are the 2 main types of oil in the oil market?
The Four Main Types Of Crude Oil
- Very light oils – these include: Jet Fuel, Gasoline, Kerosene, Petroleum Ether, Petroleum Spirit, and Petroleum Naphtha.
- Light oils – These include Grade 1 and Grade 2 Fuel Oils, Diesel Fuel Oils as well as Most Domestic Fuel Oils.
How much oil is left in the world?
The Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries reports that there are 1.5 trillion barrels of crude oil reserves left in the world. These are proven reserves that are still capable of being extracted by commercial drilling. | https://mydiscountoil.com/fuel-oil/quick-answer-can-an-oil-tanker-transport-jet-fuel.html | fineweb | 4,052 | 2.65625 |
“Embrace the pain to inherit the gain.†Therefore, to achieve success in academic life it is vital that you do assignments well. Homework needs to be used in an appropriate way as it helps to teach the right responsibility and make them efficient in handling complex problems. Doing assignments regularly can develop success in life. A sense of confidence can be developed among children through proper assignments of work. They can learn to adopt different strategies and approaches which can help to reach the goal.
Need to talk to teacher!
Homework is actually something that needs to be re-modified before giving to students. Parents need to recognize that assignments should do wonders to children and help to meet up with the goal. It is an alternative way through which children can retain their knowledge and keep up the pace with classroom lesson. It is the best way to encourage proper revising that checks spelling and also allow in practicing the other knowledge.
Homework issues? The students need to communicate with teacher and clarify all their doubts. It is known to be a proven step which helps to develop independence and individuality among students. A sure shot way to build up confidence among all students. It is possible that every student in a class may not have the same level of grasping power, but through queries it can surely help to boost up knowledge.
Parents need to stay updated with their children activity and interfere in their school work. Staying in constant touch with kids will definitely help them to build up a communication bridge and can share problems whenever encountered. Homework would take many hours to complete. The child would try to discuss homework with teacher without any success. The parents need to get involved into the education process of children.
Few guidelines for teachers
“Hard work without talent is a shame, but talent without hard work is a tragedy.â€
Whenever teachers assign homework to students it comes with a purpose of exploring their knowledge. The main motive behind assignments is to make students thorough with their subject which can further be helpful in exams. Once you start studying from the beginning of session, it becomes easier to grasp knowledge well.
Here are few guidelines that can be adopted by teachers while assigning home task to students:
- Assign students with right amount of work which would not over-stress them. Over-burdening students with high amount of task can lead to frustration and they will also be not able to manage within time limit. Therefore, teachers need to be aware of assigning right amount of homework that can be completed within an evening.
- Overloading kids with homework can also ruin motivation of students. It is the responsibility of every teacher to take care of interest of students on every subject. This can only possible when there is determination as well as motivation in subject. Motivate students with minimal task that can be interesting.
- It is the responsibility of teachers to keep parents informed about necessary work. Whenever teachers give work to students, it is necessary to inform this to parents. So, the parents will know the purpose of homework and make them aware of class rules.
- Communication needs to be clear and precise. Make sure that the homework given to students is easily understandable. So, that they do not encounter problem while dealing with it. As students you could discuss the topic with respective teachers in your school and clarify all necessary doubts to come up with best solution.
- Homework is known to be an effective way through which you can practice your learning and get to know different things that is taught in the class. It is the only way to polish your knowledge and get complete exposure with particular terms. Depending on the grade, the students should be assigned with homework. Ensure that junior level students spend less time on their homework compared to high school students.
Who created the concept of homework: A million dollar questions that are often troubles in mind of students? But, honestly speaking there is no other way then doing homework which can help to learn time management and polish learning skills.
Assignments – interesting or not?
Is homework given to you is meaningful? It should not only be meaningful, but also need to fit all students’ ability. Assignments need to be engaging as well that can easily be managed and turn out to be a part of your curriculum. “I think people who are creative are the luckiest people on earth. I know that there are no shortcuts, but you must keep your faith in something Greater than you, and keep doing what you love. Do what you love, and you will find the way to get it out to the world.â€
- If any student is good in a subject and struggle with other subject, then why give him the homework on subject that he is already good in handling? It is more important to divert the focus on subject that is least in favor of any student and require more attention.
- An important bridge of communication need to be developed between parent and teacher. Give work can be easily manageable at home and parents can offer proper guidance. Have a clear instruction about the assigned work so that the deadlines and guidelines can be maintained.
- There is a life outside school! Teachers need to understand it and so they should offer complete flexibility in school work. Provide a weekly packet for every student rather than emphasizing on nightly work. So, students can maintain good balance between their school and social life.
The main focus of every teacher and schools need to be encouraging creativity in students. Giving too much of homework can be sheer drudgery. Make them work on their skills and emphasize on topic that would force them to implement new ideas and extend their way of learning. Enjoying the homework can be of sure benefits as you develop interest on subject and allow understanding topic well. | https://myhomeworkhelp.com/what-are-some-guidelines-for-teachers-in-assigning-homework/ | fineweb | 5,979 | 3.09375 |
ARMENIAN PEOPLE OF PORTLAND
by Anthony P. Mezoian
In the historical sketch of the Charles Yeghoian family, Mezoian traces this prominent Portland family from the devastating massacres in Constantinople to being paraded through the streets of Marseille, France then to England and on to New York’s Ellis Island and their resettlement in Portland.
America to the Armenians was a land of opportunity and as each Armenian family arrived in Portland and settled in, they sent for others to come – and the community grew—thus, the first wave of Armenian immigrants arrived as far back as 1894.
The rare old treasured pictures were all proudly offered by the Armenian people of Portland, Maine for the book. | https://naasr.org/products/armenian-people-of-portland | fineweb | 700 | 2.640625 |
My great, great grandfather, Enoch Jones, and his brother, Silas Jones, fought in the Civil War for the north. They were members of the 40th Illinois Infantry, Company F. They mustered in August 10, 1961, at Springfield.
In March 1862, the 40th Illinois, 46th Ohio and Morton’s Battery was organized into a Brigade commanded by Colonel Hicks under General Sherman, and they boarded transport ships that carried them up the Tennessee River. They re-combined with the 6th Iowa under Colonel McDowall and entered the Battle of Shiloh. It would be their first armed conflict.
The north took a beating at Shiloh. The 40th Illinois was commended for standing ground under heavy enemy fire even after their cartridge boxes were empty. A total of 196 men of the 40th Illinois were killed or injured in the one battle, including Colonel Hicks.
Silas suffered mortal injuries. He mustered out of this life two weeks later. Enoch mustered out of the 40th Illinois Infantry on May 15, 1865, two days after Jefferson Davis was captured and one month after President Lincoln was assassinated. The north was victorious, but at great cost.
Enoch saw action at the Battle of Shiloh, Siege of Vicksburg, Battle of Missionary Ridge, Battle of Kennesaw Mountain and Siege of Atlanta, and other places before he returned to a humble life in central Illinois. Enoch didn’t participate in the famous “March to the Sea”, because he took a bullet in Atlanta. The bullet drove a button into his chest, but that button saved his life. It earned him the Purple Heart my parents have to this day.
I was fortunate at a Civil War memorabilia show years ago to find a tattered and yellowed dairy written by another volunteer in the 40th Illinois Infantry. He was in a different company, but his periodic reports of the movements and activities of the Brigade gave me a ground level view of the experiences of my ancestors as Union Civil War infantrymen.
When the diary opens, the author anticipates with patriotic and religious confidence the mission they are about to partake. The 40th Illinois was a completely voluntary unit. The diary expresses a kind of righteous hope and abandon to the cause of fighting for God and for country.
I could not help but think of the horrendous carnage of human and equine life they would encounter. Sinew, flesh and bone left exposed to the gaping air as the smoke slowly drifted off future battle scenes. The groans of shattered men lying in their own blood would be the only sound remaining as infantrymen regrouped to count their ranks. Trees splintered by the shrapnel of canons and muskets would stand starkly against the acrid stench of gunpowder lingering still that gaping air.
Did they know what they were in for?
I recalled seeing Civil War physicians’ bags. They carried saws, and picks, and hammers and other objects of painful reminders of the brutality of war without modern anesthetic or antiseptic. Saws saved what was left of the living by cutting off limbs susceptible of gangrene. Many, like Silas Jones, survived the battle with injuries only to die later of infection.
Knowing these things, I was intrigued to read the thoughts and expressions of resilient faithfulness to the duty fight for God and country continue on the pages of that diary after the Battle of Shiloh, and all the way past the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain. Then the diary ended – abruptly. No resolution. No postscript. No clue as to why it simply ended.
I can only imagine the writer mustered out early – maybe in Atlanta. I assume he wasn’t as lucky as my great, great grandfather. But I am not writing merely to tell a story of my ancestor. There is a bigger picture.
As a northerner myself, and a modern one at that, I naturally assume my ancestors were fighting for God and country. They were the good guys, right? Their confidence and faith in the rightness and righteousness of what they were doing was not misplaced – despite the utter ugliness and brutality of battle.
The thoughts that inspire my writing today involve that sense of confidence in fighting for God and country exhibited in the diary I found. More particularly, though, my thoughts are prompted by awareness of similar sentiments of Confederate soldiers who also prayed to God and believed they were fighting for God and country.
I view the Civil War as ending slavery, wresting it from the clenched fist of the South. It preserved the Union, divided and broken though it was. Thinking that Confederate soldiers may have sought their solace, hope and inspiration for fighting in the same God is unnerving.
In Googling for an example, I found a doctoral dissertation, “Soldiers of the Cross”: Confederate Soldier-Christians and the Impact of War on Their Faith, by Kent Toby Dollar, at the University of Tennessee – Knoxville, August 2001. As a northerner, I might be tempted to scoff at the title. They are clearly deluded, right? To think God was with them…
The dissertation follows the writings of nine (9) men before, during and after the war. It finds that “these soldiers became more religious as the war progressed.” Each of these men “read their Bibles, associated with other Christian soldiers, attended religious services, and communed privately with God”, and “[t]he tribulations of war drove them to new spiritual heights and greater maturity”.
But they were on the wrong side! They actually believed the institution of slavery was ordained by God!
They saw the North as “invaders who intended to conquer the South and subjugate its people”, leaving them in “utter ruin and misery”. Diary entries spoke of Northern troops “stealing our property and burning our houses”, fearing that Southern property would be” parcelled [sic] out among a horde of foreign adventurers ad mercenary soldiers”.
They believed they were fighting a just war, defending their homes and families against the Northern aggressors. We may view them as mistaken, misguided and ignorant of the true facts today, but the religious sincerity of men in the study is hard to question.
“[T]he threat of death and concern for loved ones crowded the soldiers’ minds”, realizing they had little control over such things, they leaned on God in faith for hope. They grew in demonstrating Christian virtues. They became more single-minded in their faith in God; they worshiped more sincerely; “they exhibited more humility, and they sought to serve God more actively”.
A tree is known by its fruit, right? These men exhibited the growing fruits of the Spirit. They grew closer to God and stronger in their faith.
Was God on both sides of the Civil War?
I want to say, “No! Of course not. The North was clearly right.”
Right or wrong, men on both sides of the bloody conflict believed in God and prayed.
How do we square that?
Not every Confederate soldier was a saint. The diaries of the nine men expose vice that flourished in the Confederate camps. These men were overwhelmed “by an abundance of immorality”. They remained steadfast in their faith despite these influences. Three of them experienced conversions during the War and remained faithful afterward.
Dare we think that northern camps were filled with saints and no sinners?
Broad is the road that leads to the destruction, and narrow is the gate that leads to life. Few find it. I haven’t done the research, but I don’t think I need to research the matter to know that northern camps reflected southern camps in the character of the men found there.
So, what does this all have to do with the price of tea in China?
The parallels today should be noticeable. The Civil War did not end racial injustice. The same racial attitudes continued unabated after the War, mixed now with new animosities toward the victors, leaving gaping wounds slow to heal. The pain continues today.
I am thinking of the divide between Trump supporters and “never Trumpers”, and the Christians on both sides of that divide. I am thinking of racial issues that continue today, with American Christian divided still.
White evangelicals have overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump, while black evangelicals overwhelmingly have not. The white evangelical world was all about Trump, but praying, believing and Holy-Spirit-filled black evangelicals fall predominantly in the other camp. Thus, I was drawn to one of the New York Times photos of the Year:
Civil war continues, and Christians find themselves on both sides of the issues that continue to divide us. If history is any lesson, we know that we will have a more objective view of our present times in hindsight. But, it’s still unsettling to think that sincere and faithful Christians who pray daily to God and exhibit the fruits of the Holy Spirit can be so divided over current issues.
My conclusion at this time is simply that God is bigger than all of it. God works out His purposes despite the messiness and contradiction of human existence. Just as the nine Confederate believers survived the Civil War with greater humility, singleness of purpose and reliance on God, we would do well to walk in the same direction.
When the smoke of battle clears, we go on living, and this purpose in living only remains clear – to know God and to love Him and to love our neighbors as ourselves.
We may be swept up in conflicts that are greater than we are. We may grope in the darkness of our finite lives, feeling our way to a very imperfect and shadowy understanding of our place in the current scheme of things, but we can never really know. Such is our lot in life.
Where is God in the midst of the smoke-filled battle? He is with everyone who calls on His name.
And so, we cast ourselves on Christ, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, relying on Him for what we cannot do for ourselves – in everything. God, who is all in all, knowing the beginning from the end and every hair on every head in between, is achieving His ends in the great battles of history and in the humble lives of every saint who is committed to Him. | https://navigatingbyfaith.com/2020/12/12/when-the-smoke-of-battle-clears-where-is-god/ | fineweb | 9,952 | 2.65625 |
The New River is a fascinating part of the heritage of London and Hertfordshire. A man-made aqueduct that was completed in 1613, taking nine years to construct, it has acted as a vital source of fresh drinking water for Londoners ever since.
Today it supplies nearly 10% of the capital’s drinking water. It draws its waters from the River Lea (at a sluice called New Gauge House in Ware Hertfordshire), from fresh water springs at Chadwell, and from various boreholes and pumping stations along its course. It now terminates at two large reservoirs in Stoke Newington, North London.
The New River has been under the ownership of Thames Water since 1973 and the company has invested heavily in the New River Path to make it accessible to the public. It is now possible to walk the entire length of the river, albeit with small detours at certain stages. Along the way there is an abundance of things to see and enjoy including wildlife, flora, architecture and some great local pubs.
Over the last few decades, the New River Action Group has campaigned successfully to preserve the New River’s walkways, and protect it from developers. For more information see: newriver.org.uk. | https://newriverbrewery.co.uk/pages/the-new-river | fineweb | 1,177 | 2.8125 |
For high school baseball pitchers, extra throws on game day add up but go uncounted
For high school baseball pitchers, limiting throws during a game helps to prevent fatigue and injuries. But nearly half the number of pitches — ones thrown during warm-ups and in the bullpen — are typically not counted, adding significantly to a pitcher’s risk of injury, new findings by University of Florida Health researchers show.
Excessive pitching is one of the main risk factors for elbow and shoulder injuries among high school baseball players. That’s why the Florida High School Athletic Association limits 17- and 18-year-old players to 105 pitches a day. After observing and counting nearly 14,000 pitches by 115 starting pitchers in North and Central Florida during the 2017 high school baseball season, the researchers found that 42.4 percent of the players’ throws were unaccounted for in teams’ pitch counts.
This is how uncounted pitches add up: The typical player threw about 69 pitches during game action, the researchers found. When warm-ups and bullpen activity were counted, the mean number of pitches per game swelled to more than 119. The findings were published recently in the Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine.
All of those extra pitches should be counted to determine the true number of pitches thrown and to possibly reduce the risk of overuse injury, said Jason Zaremski, M.D., an assistant professor of orthopaedics in the UF College of Medicine and the study’s lead author. The study is the first to reveal the true volume of pitches that players throw, he said.
The stakes are high for pitchers. Previous research has found they suffer the majority of shoulder and elbow injuries among high school players, typically from overuse. Zaremski and his colleagues wanted to know why pitching injuries haven’t decreased despite pitch-count limits enacted in 2016 and better awareness of other known risk factors.
“The volume of pitches being thrown is much greater that what is being counted. It’s not just the effect of one game. Overuse has a cumulative effect over the course of a month, a season or a career,” Zaremski said.
In addition to making pitchers more susceptible to injury, Zaremski said excessive throwing can have other effects, such as changing their pitching motion, reducing their pitch velocity or reducing their ball control.
The study did not make a correlation between pitch counts and injuries. Next, Zaremski plans to begin studying the forces that are put on pitchers’ arms based on how they are pitching.
Knowing pitchers’ true workloads, he said, can be a useful tool for making changes to their regimens that will help them avoid injuries.
“This re-emphasizes the importance of preparing your arm in the off-season and preseason for the rigors of the regular season. If you don’t do that, your arm is going to break down — particularly as you get older and can start throwing harder,” he said.
One possibility is building up pitchers more in the off season so their arms are better prepared for the regular season. Another potential approach is having pitchers build themselves up more slowly at the beginning of the season. Zaremski said this idea may be bolstered by data from Major League Baseball, where the lowest injury rates occur in August and September, when the season is winding down.
“Their bodies have become used to the season,” he said. “They’ve become used to the workload.”
For high school athletes, their coaches and parents, Zaremski stresses several things: Prepare players’ arms for an upcoming season with a comprehensive pitching program; participate in a full-body, “kinetic chain” training program that optimizes energy transfer and efficient, effective movement; and use high-speed video or video analysis of the pitching motion.
While resources can be scarce at the high school level, Zaremski said those practices could reduce injuries that result from chronic overuse. Coaches, players and parents also need to be keenly aware of the total number of pitches on game day — not just the ones during game play.
Still, monitoring a player’s pitches is just one part of avoiding injuries, he noted. Other factors also are at work, including players’ participation in other sports that can limit their time to prepare for baseball season. Likewise, overuse injuries can be more of a hazard in warm-weather states where high school-age athletes play baseball nearly year-round.
About the researcher: Jason L. Zaremski, M.D. is an assistant professor in the UF College of Medicine’s department of orthopaedics and rehabilitation and co-medical director of the UF High School Sports Medicine Outreach Program. He has also been a physician for high school, college and professional sports teams. | https://news.ufl.edu/articles/2018/05/for-high-school-baseball-pitchers-extra-throws-on-game-day-add-up-but-go-uncounted.html | fineweb | 4,759 | 2.984375 |
The Roma ‘Gypsies’ began moving out of Northern India more than 2000 years ago, spreading throughout Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa. Now numbering around 15 million, they face discrimination and live on the outskirts of society in every land they call home. The Roma are a people without a country. There is, however, one place where the Roma flag flies; in Shutka, Macedonia.
With the largest concentrated Roma population in the world, Shutka is the only municipality in Europe with Romani as its official language. Five miles from the modern center of Skopje, Macedonia, yet a world apart in terms of culture and economy lies Suto Orizari, or “Shutka.” This rough mishmash of small homes and dilapidated shanties is home to an estimated 50,000 people. The streets are full of life, the air is thick with smoke from wood fires and burning trash, Turkish pop music blares from boom boxes strategically placed on street corners and from open car doors, men yell greetings across the potholed streets and from horse-drawn carts.
Shutka was founded after the massive earthquake of 1963 that left most of Skopje’s Roma homeless and without any possession. To house the newly homeless the Red Cross built temporary metal huts on the outskirts of the city, many of which are still inhabited today. Relatives of people who were moved to the new town wanted to be closer to their families and began a population boom that made Shutka what it is today.
What connects Shutka with Roma communities throughout Europe is one thing: poverty. Unemployment hovers at around 80%. Most housing is poor at best; families of five to ten often share a single room where they cook, clean and sleep. An estimated two thousand people are without documentation. Roads are in desperate need of improvement; whole blocks are without water and electricity for weeks on end. Militia-like police harass young men for no apparent reason. Drugs and prostitution are hidden but ever present. “This is the ghetto,” says a joyful young man dodging gaping potholes.
As the sun sets on a cold winter evening, merchants close their carts, buses bring back the old men and women lucky enough to have a job sweeping the streets of wealthier neighborhoods, men begin to drink and argue in front of their homes and children run through the streets in blissful unawareness of the realities their future holds.
As for the Roma of Shutka and those throughout Europe, their future may be as undefined as their past. | https://noria-research.com/shutka-the-roma-capital/ | fineweb | 2,482 | 3.234375 |
Nuclear research reactors can be used to assist in the manufacture of nuclear weapons in several ways. The most direct link is the use of research reactors for plutonium production, though it is impossible to produce plutonium-239 weapons from zero-power test facilities. The highly enriched uranium (HEU) research reactor fuel can be diverted for weapons production, and HEU can be extracted from spent research reactor fuel. The 6.5 MW RA reactor and hot cells at the Vinca Institute were apparently part of a nuclear weapons development effort initiated by Yugoslav President Josip Broz Tito.
On October 5, 1958 the Vinca heavy-water research reactor had a criticality excursion, and one person died as a result of this accident. In principle, this reactor could have produced sufficient plutonium for one weapon over a period of several years. According to some reports laboratory-scale separation of plutonium took place at Vinca in the 1960s, although apparently less than one kilogram of plutonium-239 was separated in the hot cells at the facility. Romania also produced plutonium under the Ceausescu regime, and Iraq separated about five grams of plutonium before the 1991Gulf War.
The RA research reactor was closed in 1984. Some 40 kilograms of fresh HEU and 40kg of heavily corroded HEU are stored at the Vinca Institute of Nuclear Sciences. The HEU, enriched to 80 percent Uranium-235 for the RA research reactor, was supplied by the USSR after 1976. The 40kg of spent HEU fuel is stored in four basins with 200 m3 of water.Yugoslavia signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) in 1970. In 1996, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) personnel went to the Vinca research reactor near Belgrade to evaluate the safety of the spent fuel pool. The 1997 IAEA mission to Yugoslavia was concerned with the spent fuel pool at the Institute of Nuclear Science at Vinca. Remedial actions have started in the pool in accordance with a plan developed with the Agency's assistance.
The 60 kilograms of 80 percent highly enriched uranium at the Vinca Institute constitutes enough material to make two nuclear weapons of the implosion-type design, or one of the simpler-to-make gun-type design. There is no indication that Serbia has proceeded with activities associated with weaponization of this material. The HEU could be used as a radiological weapon, a conventional munition to which powdered radioactive material would be added. The area on which such a projectile fell would be contaminated with long-lasting radiation.
Yugoslavia had one nuclear plant in Krško, Slovenia. This 630 MWe PWR was built by Westinghouse in 1981. During the war in former Yugoslavia there were threats of missile or terrorist attacks against the plant several times. Under current plans the reactor will be shut down in September 2000. In 1986 Yugoslavia's international call for bids covered four plants to be built by the year 2000 at an estimated cost of $10 billion. This request attracted 10 bids, including a proposal by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL) for a CANDU nuclear program. The nuclear expansion program eventually collapsed.
During the IAEA Director General’s visit to Serbia in July 2009, Serbia agreed to the Additional Protocol. In cooperation with the United States, European Commission, and IAEA, Serbia began the Vinca Institute Nuclear Decommissioning (VIND) Program in 2002, which was completed in 2010. With the completion of the VIND Program in 2010, no more spent fuel and weapons-grade materials that were left over from the former Yugoslavia remained in Serbia.
Maintained by Jonathan Garbose
Updated Thursday, May 31, 2012 3:57:7 PM | https://nuke.fas.org/guide/serbia/nuke/index.html | fineweb | 3,659 | 3.453125 |
List of Cryptid Turtles
Turtles (Order Testudines or Chelonia) are unique among vertebrates in having a shell that incorporates both dermal armour, vertebrae, and ribs. Other characteristics include a lengthened neck, limb girdles that lie within the ribcage, a keratinous beak instead of teeth, and limbs that retract into the shell (except in marine turtles).
There is considerable uncertainty about which reptile group gave rise to them; evidence exists for both the anapsids (the procolophonids and parieasaurs) and the diapsids (lizards and snakes).
The earliest turtles in the Late Triassic 210 million years ago could not withdraw their heads into their shells: In Proganochelys, the head was protected by loose armour plates, in the tortoiselike australochelids the neck was guarded by an extension of the carapace.
There are two major groups of living turtles. The Side-necked turtles (Suborder Pleurodira) are able to fold their necks sideways into their shells, while the Hidden-necked turtles (Suborder Cryptodira) pull their necks straight back between their shoulder blades. Pleurodires, such as the Snake-necks (Chelodina) and the Matamata (Chelus fimbriatus), are only found in South America, Australia, and Africa. The cryptodires include Snapping turtles (Chelydridae), Sea turtles (Chelonioidea), Soft-shelled turtles (Trionychoidea), and Freshwater terrapins and Land tortoises (Testudinoidea). By the Late Jurassic, sea turtles were common in many areas of Europe and Asia.
The largest living turtle is the Pacific leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), which is found throughout the Pacific and Indian Oceans and averages 6–7 feet from beak to tail. The largest freshwater turtle is the Alligator snapping turtle (Macroclemys temminckii), which has an average length of 15–26 inches and a record length of 31.5 inches; weights upwards of 300 pounds have been recorded. The largest known fossil turtle, Archelon ischyros, measured up to 16 feet long and 12 feet wide and may have weighed as much as 11,000 pounds. It lived some 70 million years ago in marine waters of the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils have been found in South Dakota, Kansas, and Colourado.
The Hindu legend of a giant tortoise that supports an elephant on which the earth rests could be based on fossils of the Pliocene Testudo [Colossochelys] atlas, a land tortoise with a carapace 6 feet wide that is known from deposits in northern India and Pakistan. Hugh Falconer and P.T. Cautley, “Conclusion of Paper on Colossochelys atlas,” Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 12 (1844): 84–88.
Of the six turtles in this list, one appears to be an alligator snapper, one is an enormous marine cryptid, one is a land tortoise that may have survived until very recently, one could be a giant softshell or pleurodire, one is probably a known species of softshell, and one is a six-legged anomaly. | https://occult-world.com/turtles/ | fineweb | 2,884 | 3.84375 |
January 31, 2020 11:47 am
We all remember the Sphinx and several other levels involving the Sphinx in Tomb Raider 4. TR4 is on my list of favourites simply because of my background in Egyptology and how much Egypt is in this game. It was a wonderful romp for our Lara through Egypt’s ancient history and the many archaeological inspirations featured throughout the game.
Through the recent review, I decided to expound on the Sphinx including its origin that is under much debate throughout the archaeological community. I will explore its connection with Thutmose IV and the dream stela. It is a mystery and some of the world’s foremost ancient historians Herodotus for one never mentioned the Sphinx once as far as historians know.
The name “Sphinx” pertains to a mythological being that has a lion’s body and a human head. They are not exclusively Egyptian, but Greek and Asian as well. In fact, the word is a Greek word and it was rooted in the word sphingein which means to bend or squeeze.
However, the name used for the mythical sphinx that we know from history is not related to the meaning of the Greek etymology. The Greeks referred to the statue as Phix.
Additionally, the Sphinx from Egyptian history does not appear to share the same gender attached to Grecian winged sphinx. Their female Sphinx presented a riddle to the people legend tells. “What is it that has one voice and yet becomes four-footed and two-footed and three-footed?” if anyone answered incorrectly the savage flying beast would devour them. It wasn’t until Oedipus answered correctly that the sphinx killed herself. Never has a test been so terrifying!
The Egyptian, Asian and Grecian Sphinx
The Sphinx appeared in Asia through Egyptian influence and they changed it by making it female and so did the Greeks. It is not clear what the Asians thought about the sphinx and what meaning it conformed. Additionally, Asia and Greece added wings.
The Greek sphinx came into play in their culture about 1600 BC. Their version sported a hat, wings and the earliest findings of this legendary creature were discovered in the shaft graves of Mycenae from the Helladic age.
Though they offer much speculation into the role they played in each ancient culture lets get into the main colossus statue of the Sphinx in Giza, Egypt. The most popular of them all.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
The Sphinx is carved out of one massive limestone that measures about 66 feet tall and 240 feet long. This earned the Sphinx the distinction of one of the largest monolithic statues in the world. Interesting enough, throughout all of the hieroglyphs in Giza that date about 4500 years, there is not one account of the statue.
Because of this fact that there is no actual evidence of what the Sphinx meant to the Egyptians. To farther define “evidence” here is what James Allen says about the Sphinx:
“The Egyptians didn’t write history,” says James Allen, an Egyptologist at Brown University, “so we have no solid evidence for what its builders thought the Sphinx was…Certainly, something divine, presumably the image of a king, but beyond that is anyone’s guess.”
However, there are theories about its meaning. One being a guardian that sat at the gates of the underworld where the sun rose and set. It is also thought to have been in the likeness of Khafre who’s pyramid resides behind the mighty statue.
Defining The Khafre Theory
Who built the great sphinx? That is a question that many archaeologists debate about to this day. There is one popular idea shared by the foremost archaeologist in the world regarding the Sphinx Mark Lehner and a few of his colleagues that the Sphinx is in the likeness of Khafre. There are strong reasons for this belief.
We know from the hieroglyphic texts that Khafre’s father, Khufu, had the great pyramid built and that was and is a monumental feat. It looms high over Giza at 481- feet – tall. It resides ¼ mile from where the great sphinx sits now. Khafre later built his pyramid a ¼ mile from the great sphinx as well. Though Lehner felt the connection between Khafre, his father and the monolithic statue and a huge connection in the Giza complex which included the sphinx were all connected and had a common denominator with the sun. However, some skeptics still remain.
Additionally, if you read the following quoted text and click the link attached, you can learn more about why these archaeologists have strong reasons to believe that Khafre is possibly the author of the Sphinx.
“Equally intriguing, Lehner discovered that when one stands near the Sphinx during the summer solstice, the sun appears to set midway between the silhouettes of the pyramids of Khafre and Khufu. The scene resembles the hieroglyph akhet, which can be translated as “horizon” but also symbolized the cycle of life and rebirth. “Even if coincidental, it is hard to imagine the Egyptians not seeing this ideogram,” Lehner wrote in the Archive of Oriental Research. “If somehow intentional, it ranks as an example of architectural illusionism on a grand, maybe the grandest, scale.”
However, let’s not stop there. Another archaeologist, years before, from France, named Auguste Mariette, who worked for the Egyptian department of the Louvre, found a statue of remarkable craftsmanship in the likeness of Khafre. This statue was among the ruins of what is known today as the Valley Temple and this temple and its causeway are adjacent to the Sphinx and Khafre’s pyramid.
Throughout the area, another temple was discovered that was connected to the sphinx. This temple is now known as the Sphinx Temple and is directly connected to Khafre’s pyramid as was the other one. There is a pattern here that connects the Sphinx to the pharaoh, and that is what Lehner saw in the entire lay of the land. It was also clear to his colleagues.
However, other archaeologists still argued about the likeness of the Sphinx and who built it. That did not stop Lehner from pushing on. He acquired a geologist from Germany named Aigner who analysed the limestone from the Sphinx and compared it to the blocks from the quarry that were used to build the wall of the Sphinx temple. These blocks were quarried from the ditch surrounding the statue at the same time the sphinx was being carved. They could decipher this information from the fossil fingerprints found in the limestone from the statue and the temple.
Therefore, it is highly likely that Khafre is not only the likeness of the sphinx, but he had it built as well. There are also those who believe it is in the likeness of Khufu. The debate goes on. Though there are those skeptics, there is a substantial amount of scholars who uphold Lehner’s and his colleagues’ opinions. Additionally, there is a lot of evidence that directly connects Khafre to the sphinx. I hope they unearth something that the archaeological community can unanimously agree in the near future.
Let’s go 700-years ahead in history from Khafre’s time (Old Kingdom) to the New Kingdom. Perhaps one of the most fascinating discoveries about the Sphinx is the Dream Stela. Located between the paws of the statue for more than 3400 years. It is so named because of its connection with Thutmose IV. It is a hieroglyphic display of a vivid dream he had. Rather this dream was true only Thutmose would know. The story goes;
When Thutmose was a young prince he would love to come to the Giza plateau and play at target practice, chariot racing among many other endeavours of a young boy in the ancient world. It was on a day such as that he was tired and very hot from the desert sun. He decided to take a nap in the shade of the sphinx.
While sleeping the sphinx appeared in his dream and told him if he removed the sand from it to free the grasp of the desert he would be king. Even though he was not next in line. Needless to say, he went about removing the sand from the great sphinx, and he later became king Thutmose IV. However, it is not known what happened to his brother. Thutmose IV is also the one who gave the Sphinx a type of resurgence in the ancient world by forming a Sphinx cult of worship. 1550-1070 B.C.
His dream lives on, due to him arranging for the stela to be erected between the paws of the great statue with his dream story carved into it.
Watch these informative videos about the Dream Stela
I hope you enjoyed the read. I will be back with another update.
Explore the World! | https://okheshivartr.blog/2020/01/31/exploring-the-great-sphinx/ | fineweb | 8,381 | 2.828125 |
- from The Wright Brothers
In 1900, the Wright brothers built their first glider. It was a biplane, an aircraft with two sets of wings.
Now they needed a place with strong, steady winds to test it. They got a list of the country’s windiest places from the U.S. Weather Bureau and chose Kitty Hawk, an isolated fishing village on an island off the coast of North Carolina. With winds averaging 10 to 20 miles an hour and sandy soil soft enough for crash landings, it seemed perfect—and it was. Every year from 1900 through 1903, the Wrights went there to test their machines. | https://online.kidsdiscover.com/unit/the-wright-brothers/topic/countdown-at-kitty-hawk/3 | fineweb | 574 | 3.25 |
Gunman, school, and several confirmed dead – these words should never be conjoined in any sentence. But in this time and age, all three are joined together with an astounding frequency. The first suggested-search result in Google that appears when you type in “history of school” is “history of school shootings,” not “history of school funding,” “history of school start times,” or anything innocent. School shootings have became such a huge problem that the number of people searching about past shootings outnumber the amount of people wondering how schools actually looked.
On Valentine’s Day, 2018, a student gunman killed 17 people and injured several others at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. This only marks the most recent of these tragedies. This school shooting has garnered what is considered the most press coverage and public outcry since Columbine. Yet, time and time again, nothing has been done to prevent these tragedies from happening again.
My intent is to present a timeline of these tragedies and present a somewhat unbiased list of the most deadly and impactful school shootings throughout recent history. Unfortunately, there are far too many school shootings for me to list them all, which is a sentence I never thought I would have to type.
Most people do not know that school shootings actually date back to before America even declared independence in 1776. However, most of these shootings entailed killing for revenge, and had one or two fatalities at worst. The first mass school shooting occurred on March 30, 1891. During a school exhibition and concert being held in the Parson Hill Schoolhouse in Liberty, Mississippi, a gunman entered the room with a double barrelled shotgun and injured 14 people.
The University of Texas massacre took place on August 1, 1966, 75 years later. This was the worst school shooting on a U.S. college campus until the shooting at Virginia Tech. The shooter, a graduate student, climbed onto an observation platform on campus and had a 96-minute shooting rampage, killing 17 and wounding 31. This marks the first shooting that seems similar to those happening in America today.
Some school shootings that may be lesser known but by no means less devastating include the California State University shooting in 1972; a custodian killed seven, and injured two. Another in Stockton, California was the Stockton Schoolyard shooting where six were killed and 32 were injured on January 17, 1989. The University of Iowa shooting occurred November 1, 1991, where a graduate student killed six and injured one. The Westside Middle School shooting occurred on March 24, 1998, when two students set off the fire alarm and opened fire, killing five and wounding ten. Then on May 21 of the same year, four were killed and 23 were injured at Thurston High School.
Now we arrive at one of the deadliest and most impactful school shootings: Columbine High School, April 20, 1999. Columbine changed everything. This was the first time a major public outcry caught traction within the government and the American society. We, as a people, grew paranoid. Parents, and the rest of America, scrambled for something to assign fault. Rock music, violent video games, and alternative lifestyles were blamed and thus shunned and demonized. Even dressing outside of the norm was avoided, as outcasts were instantly feared. If you ask almost anyone when this modern shooting craze began, most will say Columbine.
Then came the Virginia Tech Massacre, the deadliest shooting on an American college campus, and, at least at the time, the third deadliest shooting committed by a single shooter in modern U.S. history. On April 16, 2007, a 23-year-old student shot and killed 33 people, injuring another 23 on the campus.
During the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting on December 14, 2012, 28 were killed and two were injured. This was similar to the Columbine shooting in that it, unlike some of the others, did get major media attention. The parents admirably cried out for change and refused to let their children be forgotten.
A little closer to home was the Marysville, Washington shooting on October 24, 2014 at Marysville Pilchuck High School, with one injury and five deaths, including that of the shooter’s.
Other prominent mass shootings, although not in schools, include the Orlando Pulse Club shooting on June 12, 2016. 50 people died, and another 58 were injured at the nightclub. Also noteworthy is the Las Vegas shooting on October 1, 2017, the current deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history with 58 dead.
In writing this article, I had to omit numerous shootings due to limited space. This is not by any means meant to disrespect those that lost their lives or were injured in these shootings, but I must regretfully say that there is simply not enough space to list them all. | https://orcasvikingvoice.com/history-of-school-shootings/ | fineweb | 4,857 | 2.609375 |
From 337 to 527 AD there were many Germanic invasions on the western half of the Roman Empire and the Empire fell. During this time, the Cappadocian Fathers and the Monophysite controversy solidified Eastern Christian thought in the ever-changing society and one of the results was the development and elaboration of a specific Christian art.
Cyril Mango writes that in the second half of the fourth century, Christian pictorial art changed from landscape and pastoral scenes to a kind of didactic, biblical iconography because new Christian converts who could not read were instructed in religious doctrine with explicit picture-stories drawn from the Old and New Testaments. At churches where martyrdom had occurred, picture stories illustrating the feats and sufferings of the martyrs were also created. The practice of displaying portraits of popular saints, bishops and scriptural stories in homes was also slowing occurring. Mango further documents that the Eastern Church Fathers, St. John Chrysostom and St. Cyril of Alexandria, spoke with approval of this imagery and regarded it as a didactic and encouraging aid to those learning about the faith. St. Basil’s famous comment spoken in relation to imperial art and not religious art, “the honor shown to the image is conveyed to its model”, became the slogan in the eighth and ninth centuries of the Iconodule party.
The icon is more than a means of instruction though. When an icon is blessed by a priest, it becomes an existential link between the human and the divine. Standing in an Orthodox Church surrounded by icons, the believer can have the feeling of being surrounded by family and experience communion and fellowship with Christ and the saints. It is for this reason that the icon is also referred to as a window to heaven.
Cyril Mango, The Art of the Byzantine Empire 312-1453: Sources and Documents (MART: The Medieval Academy Reprints For Teaching, No. 16) (Toronto, Buffalo, London in association with the Medieval Academy of America: University of Toronto Press, 1986), 22
Cyril Mango, The Art of the Byzantine Empire 312-1453, 22
Cyril Mango, The Art of the Byzantine Empire 312-1453, 22
Cyril Mango, The Art of the Byzantine Empire 312-1453, 23 | https://orthodoxchristiandevotionals.wordpress.com/2021/01/17/byzantine-iconography/ | fineweb | 2,224 | 3.109375 |
Lying is a huge trigger for most of us as parents because it was a huge trigger for our parents. So we were often yelled at, punished and/or shamed for lying. And parenting beyond our own childhood experiences is probably the most difficult task of parenting. The thing is, almost everyone lies. So creating space for it in our homes is a part of helping children learn to tell even the difficult truths, instead of the small lies we’ve all grown accustomed to telling.
Sometimes children lie because they are trying to avoid getting in trouble. Research shows us (see example here ) that punishments inadvertently teach children to lie and be sneaky, rather than the lesson parents want to teach, such as “don’t hit” or “don’t eat junk before dinner.”
Most children explore lying at some point in their lives…and maybe several times. It is important for us as parents to explore what’s going on for them…
- Are they trying it out to see how it feels?
- Are they reenacting something they experienced themselves?
- Are they deep in their own world of make-believe where truth and lies are hazy concepts?
Sometimes we will feel completely triggered by it and fail to see the underlying reasons for the lie, other times we will know exactly what’s going on and we can talk about it, and other times we may only be able to be curious and accepting with no clear answers.
Here are some things to keep in mind if you’re noticing an abundance of lying:
Are you asking questions that invite lying?
“Did you hit your brother?”
“Did you eat that chocolate?”
“Did you clean your art supplies?”
Make Statements and Focus on solutions.
“How can you let your brother know you’re not done with the toy?”
“I see there’s chocolate on your mouth.”
“What would you like to clean up first, the paints or paint brushes?”
Be honest and curious.
That doesn’t sound like the truth. I’m wondering if you feel scared or threatened? I’ll give you some time to feel better, and we can talk about this when you’re ready.
Mistakes are learning opportunities.
Allow children to learn from their mistakes rather than punishing them. When children are able to make mistakes and try again, rather than just withstanding a punishment, they learn valuable lessons about perseverance and capabilities.
Understand how children learn and make space for their individuality – all children are discovering who they are, and when their explorations are different from what their parents want them to do they will often lie to please their parents.
Respect your children’s choice when they chose not to share information with you. When children feel we’re on their team, rather than trying to always “fix” and “change” them, they’ll share important things with us when they’re ready.
Avoid blame and shame – children lie to protect themselves from emotional pain.
Build trust and connection by focusing on your relationship with your child rather than the behavior.
“Punishing children interferes with their moral development…[because it directs] the child to the consequences of his behavior for… himself….. The more we rely on punitive consequences, including time-out — or rewards, including praise — the less likely children are to consider how their actions affect other people.” -Alfie Kohn, “Punitive Damages”
Here are some additional articles on lying you’ll find helpful: | https://parentingbeyondpunishment.com/what-to-do-about-lying/ | fineweb | 3,338 | 2.984375 |
June 16, 2002
June 16, 2002
June 19, 2002
7.1067.1 - 7.1067.6
Teaching Construction Project Management With an Historical Perspective
John A. Wiggins, J.D., P.E. Assistant Professor Department of Engineering Technology New Jersey Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT The construction techniques, successes and failures of historically significant projects are most often learned as history lessons in social studies class with little emphasis placed on the actual events, circumstances, technology and creativity that led to the success or failure of these projects. A close study of the actual history of these types of project can serve as an interesting and important teaching tool for students of construction management.
The ability to deliver course materials involved in a construction management curriculum generally encourages the instructor to develop artificial projects which serve as little or no inspiration to the students. However, when the modern techniques of construction management are applied to projects of historical note, students view these projects in an entirely new light. Projects that were learned as simple history lessons become case histories that involve the students and require them to fully grasp the process of construction on a grand scale. The students come away with two valuable assets; the use of construction management tools to assess a project and a new respect for the history of the construction industry. Further, as historical records are never quite complete or the information found in the format necessary in analyses, it requires the student to make assumptions concerning the project analysis and check these assumptions against the reality of the construction project.
Through the use of team analyses and presentation of project planning and evaluation techniques, students have become enthused about the role of the construction industry in our society.
Wiggins, J. (2002, June), Teaching Construction Project Management With An Historical Perspective Paper presented at 2002 Annual Conference, Montreal, Canada. 10.18260/1-2--10244
ASEE holds the copyright on this document. It may be read by the public free of charge. Authors may archive their work on personal websites or in institutional repositories with the following citation: © 2002 American Society for Engineering Education. Other scholars may excerpt or quote from these materials with the same citation. When excerpting or quoting from Conference Proceedings, authors should, in addition to noting the ASEE copyright, list all the original authors and their institutions and name the host city of the conference. - Last updated April 1, 2015 | https://peer.asee.org/teaching-construction-project-management-with-an-historical-perspective | fineweb | 2,658 | 2.875 |
For most eukaryotes, sexual reproduction is a fundamental process that requires meiosis. In turn, meiosis typically depends on a reciprocal exchange of DNA between each pair of homologous chromosomes, known as a crossover (CO), to ensure proper chromosome segregation. The frequency and distribution of COs are regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic environmental factors, but much more is known about the molecular mechanisms governing the former compared to the latter. Here we show that elevated temperature induces meiotic hyper-recombination in Arabidopsis thaliana and we use genetic analysis with mutants in different recombination pathways to demonstrate that the extra COs are derived from the major Type I interference sensitive pathway. We also show that heat-induced COs are not the result of an increase in DNA double-strand breaks and that the hyper-recombinant phenotype is likely specific to thermal stress rather than a more generalized stress response. Taken together, these findings provide initial mechanistic insight into how environmental cues modulate plant meiotic recombination and may also offer practical applications.
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
- Molecular Biology
- Cancer Research | https://pennstate.pure.elsevier.com/en/publications/elevated-temperature-increases-meiotic-crossover-frequency-via-th | fineweb | 1,276 | 2.6875 |
Often, you can use both "can" and "be able to" to talk about ability. Both of these sentences are OK:
- "Can you ride a bike?"
- "Are you able to ride a bike?"
However, "can" is more common.
"Be able to" can sound more formal, especially when you are talking about possibility because of a situation.
- "Can you come tomorrow?"
- "Are you able to come tomorrow?"
Sentence (2) sounds more like business English or some other formal situation. In your day to day life, you would use (1).
"Can" is better sometimes
There are some cases where you should not use "be able to" to talk about ability.
Talking about senses
When you use words to talk about your senses, like smell, hear, taste, feel or see, or words it is better to use "can":
- "I can see Mount Fuji from here!" is good; but
- "You are able to see Mount Fuji from here!" is a bit weird.
Know how to
If you mean "know how to", use "can":
- "I can cook."
- "Can you speak French?"
There is a difference between these two sentences:
- "Can you cook?" and
- "Are you able to cook?"
If I ask you (1), that means "Do you know how to cook?" If I ask you (2), that means "Do you have time to cook?" It is asking about your situation, and if it is possible for you to do it.
This second example might be a little difficult to understand, so I will give you an example. My wife knows I can cook. We have been married for years, and I cook most nights (she does not enjoy it, I do). I know how to cook. But imagine that she invites our friends to our house for dinner on Saturday. She knows that on Saturday afternoon, I am busy. She might ask me, "Are you able to cook for our friends on Saturday?" She means, "Do you have time to cook, or are you too busy?"
With a passive
It is strange to use "be able to" with a passive. In that case, you should use "can":
- "Our system can be used on smartphones" is OK, but
- "Our system is able to be used on smartphones" is weird.
Things happening now
If something is happening now, as you speak, use "can":
- "I tried and tried, and now, look, I can do it!" is natural, but
- "I tried and tried, and now, look, I am able to do it!" is strange.
- If you want to talk about past ability, use "could" or "was able to".
- If you want to talk about future ability, use "will be able to" (since there is no "will can"!). | https://poligo.com/en/articles/grammar/when-use-can-or-be-able-ability | fineweb | 2,305 | 2.59375 |
Welcome to the IDF CVID Community Center
The IDF Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) Community Center is your online source for credible CVID information, clinical reference, publications, and support. The Immune Deficiency Foundation (IDF) created this center to provide information, education and support about assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and issues of health and well-being for people living with CVID and their families.
IDF understands the challenges and emotions you are facing. Whether you are recently diagnosed, caring for a loved one, or managing your CVID for a long time, we are here to help guide you through your experience. From locating physicians to providing emotional support, we offer programs, services, and resources to help you better cope with a CVID diagnosis.
Overview of Common Variable Immune Deficiency
Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID) is one of the most frequently diagnosed primary immunodeficiencies, especially in adults, characterized by low levels of serum immunoglobulins and antibodies, which causes an increased susceptibility to infection. While CVID is thought to be due to genetic defects, the exact cause of the disorder is unknown in the large majority of cases.
Compared to other human immune defects, CVID is a relatively frequent form of primary immunodeficiency, found in about 1 in 25,000 persons; this is the reason it is called “common.” The degree and type of deficiency of serum immunoglobulins, and the clinical course, varies from patient to patient, hence, the word “variable.” In some patients, there is a decrease in both IgG and IgA; in others, all three major types of immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) are decreased. In still others there are defects of the T-cells, and this may also contribute to increased susceptibility to infections as well as autoimmunity, granulomata and tumors. To be sure that CVID is the correct diagnosis, there must be evidence of a lack of functional antibodies and other possible causes of these immunologic abnormalities must be excluded. Frequent and/or unusual infections may first occur during early childhood, adolescence or adult life. Patients with CVID also have an increased incidence of autoimmune or inflammatory manifestations, granulomata and an increased susceptibility to cancer when compared to the general population. Sometimes it is the presence of one of these other conditions that prompts an evaluation for CVID. The medical terms for absent or low blood immunoglobulins are agammaglobulinemia and hypogammaglobulinemia, respectively. Due to the late onset of symptoms and diagnosis, other names that have been used in the past include “acquired” agammaglobulinemia, “adult onset” agammaglobulinemia, or “late onset” hypogammaglobulinemia. The term “acquired immunodeficiency” refers to a syndrome caused by the AIDS virus (HIV) and should not be used for individuals with CVID, as these disorders are very different.
Join the official IDF Facebook Group for people diagnosed with CVID and their immediate family members. It is a place where people affected by CVID can network, ask questions, and share insights and experiences.
Clinical Features of Common Variable Immune Deficiency
Both males and females may have CVID. In the majority, the diagnosis is not made until the third or fourth decade of life. However, about 20% of patients have symptoms of the disease or are found to be immunodeficient in childhood. Because the immune system is slow to mature, the diagnosis of CVID is generally not made until after the age of 4. The usual presenting features of CVID are recurrent infections involving the ears, nasal sinuses, bronchi (breathing tubes) and lungs (respiratory tract). When the lung infections are severe and occur repeatedly, permanent damage with widening and scarring of the bronchial tree, a condition termed bronchiectasis, may develop. The organisms commonly found in these sinopulmonary infections are bacteria that are widespread in the population and that often cause pneumonia (Hemophilus influenzae, pneumococci, and staphylococci) even in people who do not have CVID. The purpose of treatment of lung infections is to prevent their recurrence and the accompanying chronic and progressive damage to lung tissue. A regular cough in the morning and the production of yellow or green sputum may suggest the presence of chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis. Patients with CVID may also develop enlarged lymph nodes in the neck, the chest or abdomen. The specific cause is unknown, but enlarged lymph nodes may be caused by infection, an abnormal immune response or both. Similarly, enlargement of the spleen is relatively common, as is enlargement of Peyer’s patches which are collections of lymphocytes in the walls of the intestine. In some cases, other collections of inflammatory cells, called granulomas, can be found in lungs, lymph nodes, liver, skin or other organs. These are largely composed of cells called monocytes and macrophages. They may be a response to an infection, but the cause is not really known. Although patients with CVID have depressed antibody responses and low levels of immunoglobulins in their blood, some of the antibodies that are produced by these patients may attack their own tissues (autoantibodies). These autoantibodies may attack and destroy blood cells, like red cells, white cells or platelets. Although, most individuals with CVID present first with recurrent bacterial infections, in about 20% of cases the first manifestation of the immune defect is a finding of very low platelets in the blood or severe anemia due to destruction of red cells. Autoantibodies may also cause other diseases such as arthritis or endocrine disorders, like thyroid disease. Gastrointestinal complaints such as abdominal pain, bloating, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and weight loss are not uncommon in CVID. Careful evaluation of the digestive organs may reveal malabsorption of fat and certain sugars or inflammatory bowel disease. If a small sample (biopsy) of the bowel mucosa is obtained, characteristic changes may be seen. These changes are helpful in diagnosing the problem and treating it. In some patients with digestive problems, a small parasite called Giardia lamblia has been identified in the biopsies and in the stool samples. Eradication of these parasites by medication may eliminate the gastrointestinal symptoms. Some patients with CVID who may not be receiving optimal immunoglobulin replacement therapy may also develop a painful inflammation of one or more joints. This condition is called polyarthritis. In the majority of these cases, the joint fluid does not contain bacteria. To be certain that the arthritis is not caused by a treatable infection; the joint fluid may be removed by needle aspiration and studied for the presence of bacteria. In some instances, a bacterium called Mycoplasma may be the cause and can be difficult to diagnose. The typical arthritis associated with CVID may involve the larger joints such as knees, ankles, elbows and wrists. The smaller joints, like the finger joints, are rarely affected. Symptoms of joint inflammation usually disappear with adequate immunoglobulin therapy and appropriate antibiotics. In some patients, however, arthritis may occur even when the patient is receiving adequate immunoglobulin replacement. Finally, patients with CVID may have an increased risk of cancer, especially cancer of the lymphoid system or gastrointestinal tract.
Diagnosis of Common Variable Immune Deficiency
CVID should be suspected in children or adults who have a history of recurrent bacterial infections involving ears, sinuses, bronchi and lungs. The characteristic laboratory features include low levels of serum immunoglobulins, including IgG, often IgA and sometimes IgM. Another part of the diagnosis of CVID is to determine if there is a lack of functional antibody. This is done by measuring serum levels of antibody, against vaccine antigens such as tetanus or diphtheria, measles, mumps, or rubella, hemophilus or pneumococcal polysaccharide. Patients with CVID have very low or absent antibody levels to most of these vaccines. Immunization with killed vaccines is used to measure antibody function, and this functional testing is crucial prior to beginning treatment. These tests also help the physician decide if the patient will benefit from immunoglobulin replacement therapy and can be key in obtaining insurance authorization for this therapy. The number of B- and T-lymphocytes may also be determined and their function tested in tissue cultures.
Genetics and Inheritance of Common Variable Immune Deficiency
Patients with CVID usually have normal numbers of the cells that produce antibody (B-lymphocytes), but these cells fail to undergo normal maturation into plasma cells, the cells capable of making the different types of immunoglobulins and antibodies for the blood stream and secretions. The genetic causes of CVID are largely unknown, although recent studies have shown the involvement of a small group of genes in a few patients. These include inducible co-stimulatory (ICOS) and a few other proteins on B-cells. These appear to be causes of autosomal recessive CVID. Mutations in a cell receptor (TACI) needed for normal growth and regulation of B-cells have also been found in about 8% of patients with CVID. However, a causative role of TACI mutations in this immune defect is not yet clear, since some of these mutations can be found in people with normal immunoglobulins. As these are very rare gene defects for the most part, genetic testing is not yet required or indicated for the diagnosis of CVID.
Treatment of Common Variable Immune Deficiency
The treatment of CVID is similar to that of other disorders with low levels of serum immunoglobulins. In the absence of a significant T-lymphocyte defect or organ damage, immunoglobulin replacement therapy almost always brings improvement of symptoms. Immunoglobulin is extracted from a large pool of human plasma; it consists mostly of IgG and contains all the important antibodies present in the normal population. (See chapter titled “Immunoglobulin Therapy and Other Medical Therapies for Antibody Deficiencies.”) Patients with chronic sinusitis or chronic lung disease may also require long-term treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics. If mycoplasma or other chronic infections are suspected, antibiotics specific for those organisms may be indicated. If bronchiectasis has developed, a daily pulmonary toilet regimen (chest physiotherapy and postural drainage) may be needed to mobilize the secretions from the lungs and bronchi and make them easier to cough up. Patients with gastrointestinal symptoms and malabsorption should be evaluated for the presence of Giardia lamblia, rotavirus and a variety of other gastrointestinal infections. In some cases inflammatory bowel disease is found, and this is treated by the medications normally prescribed for patients who are non-immunodeficient. Maintaining a balance between the immunosuppression used to control the autoimmune process while avoiding compounding the defects of the underlying primary immunodeficiency requires close cooperation between the patient and the various specialists involved in their care. (See chapter titled “Autoimmunity in Primary Immunodeficiency.”) If autoimmune or inflammatory disease, granulomas, or tumors develop, the treatment is usually the same as would be given to a person with a normal immune system. However when patients with CVID have these complications, there is a tendency for them to be less responsive to therapy. Regular checkups including lung function are recommended.
Expectations for Patients with Common Variable Immune Deficiency
Immunoglobulin replacement therapy combined with antibiotic therapy has greatly improved the outlook of patients with CVID. The aim of the treatment is to keep the patient free of infections and to prevent the development of chronic inflammatory changes in tissues. The outlook for patients with CVID depends on how much damage has occurred to their lungs or other organs before the diagnosis is made and treatment with immunoglobulin replacement therapy started, as well as how successfully infections can be prevented in the future by using these therapies. The development of autoimmune disease, inflammatory problems, granulomata or malignancy can have a significant impact on the quality of life and response to treatment. Excerpted from the IDF Patient & Family Handbook for Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases FIFTH EDITION. Copyright 2013 by Immune Deficiency Foundation, USA. This page contains general medical information which cannot be applied safely to any individual case. Medical knowledge and practice can change rapidly. Therefore, this page should not be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. | https://primaryimmune.org/about-primary-immunodeficiencies/specific-disease-types/common-variable-immune-deficiency/ | fineweb | 12,890 | 2.765625 |
- Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial), hay
- Animals: bovine
- Animal Production: grazing management, feed/forage
- Production Systems: holistic management, integrated crop and livestock systems
This project provides a low cost, easy to use method for tracking livestock anywhere and accessing the data about livestock movement from a PC web or hand held device. It will track specific animals in a single pasture including 1) normal movement, 2) non-movement which could indicate sickness, entrapment or death, 3) loss of animal via theft or escape 4) excessive movements indicating stress or predator presence. Using existing technology livestock can be tracked remotely without visiting the pasture. Pasture grazing patterns can be captured to help improve pasture management.
Project results will be disseminated through an outreach event and through our adviser's agency, UNH Cooperative Extension. The project and results will be published in various farming related magazines including the Communicator published by the Farm Bureau and possibly Farming Magazine. Software and results will be uploaded to the Open Source repository and will also be available on the Miles Smith Farm website.
Project objectives from proposal:
This project will remotely monitor the location of large livestock and potentially, equipment. (“Large” is typically greater than 75 lbs.) Each animal or piece of equipment has a radio tag placed on it, and there are several (at least 3) “base stations” placed around the monitoring area that use radio transmissions for tracking and record data associated with them.
1. With 98% accuracy, count the number of livestock in two separate fields using a computer or smart phone application.
2. With 98% accuracy determine the movements of livestock within two separate fields using a computer or smart phone application.
3. Demonstrate an application for counting and tracking livestock that is less than $300/base station and less than $35/tag.
Method: Setup monitoring system in two fields. Track livestock visually and track them using a computer or smart phone application. We will put 10 animals in one field then remove 2 or more animals. The application will indicate the number of animals in each field, and the location of each animal within in 5 feet. We will track the 10 animals using the electronic system and will verify the accuracy of the electronic system by manually counting the test animals.
We will setup the monitoring system in two different but adjacent fields at Early Sunrise Farm in Gilmanton. One field is very hilly 20 acre former hayfield with much brush. The other field is also 20 acres, relatively flat with a mixture of brush and hay fields. Both fields are about the same size but with different shapes and terrain. The fields are adjacent to each other so manually counting and monitoring animals can be done by the same testers. We will start with counting 10 animals in a herd of 25 cattle in each of the 20 acre fields. Of the 25 head of cattle, only 10 will be part of this testing exercise. At least three base stations will be used for this testing. Part of the testing will determine how many base stations are needed based on pasture size and terraine.
Method: We will setup monitoring system in two fields. We will count livestock manually at the same time as using a smart phone app to electronically count the same animals. We will put 10 animals in one field visually track their movements. The application will show where each animal moved to over a period of 12 hours. During the 12 daylight hours we will manually monitor the cattle every hour to compare cattle movement to the electronic data collected. We will provide the testers with a pasture diagram. Each hour the tester will notate the location of the animal. After the test period we will compare the manually collected data to the electronic data. This method will be repeated until the data manually collected matches the electronic data for at least 3 test cycles.
Tracking will include the following:
1. If animals are in a predefined area (a predefined field)
2. If an animal has not moved within 4 hours
3. If the monitored animals have moved through the same area multiple times.
4. If the system works in inclement weather.
5. If there are multiple obstacles such as trees in the way, will tracking work.
The testers will review the data collected during testing. They will evaluate
1) ease of reading data, 2) usefulness of data, 3) ease of using the computer application both on a laptop or tablet and on a smart phone application.
Method: The tracking system will average less than $40 per animal (including a $300 base station). For testing the cost is $70 per animal based on testing 10 animals. This cost will be reduced to $40/animal for herds of 60 and the price decreases the larger the herd. The system will be easy to install and maintain and will last for at least two years.
This system will use the Xbee's internal serial number to identify each animal (the Xbee is a miniature radio modem on the ear tag – see attached diagrams). The system will use radio wave time-of-flight and statistical averaging with tri-laterization (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilateration) between the tag and base station(s) to determine each signal's origination.
Issues this system addresses include:
1) Measuring the time of flight for a radio signal, which is crucial because:
At least 12 (decimal) digits of precision are needed for measuring. Most clocks with more than 10 digits require military approval.
Most clocks (excluding only ones self-made) become erratic between 10 and 11 digits of precision. This worsens given temperature fluctuations.
To accurately capture a clock rate of greater than 10 digits, a computer with a CPU clock speed of greater than 3 GHz is needed.
Our system resolves these problem by:
Using three or more "base stations" with high-precision clocks instead of having a high-precision clock on each tag.
Using GPS for a high-precision clock. (But this can be "tinkered with" by the military.)
Using statistics to compensate for externally induced "fluctuations" in the timing.
This proposed system uses active RFID, incorporating IEEE 802.15.4 wireless modems into the ear tags. Depending on the orientation of the animal, the tags can be read from 100–300 ft. away. The ability to quickly and effectively read the cattle's tags from this distance enables a couple of things. Farmers can do faster, easier, and more frequent head counts of the herd by looking at a website or smart phone to get an accurate head count. If an animal is missing, the rancher can take immediate steps: fix a fence, locate a cow that's wandered off or be alert for rustlers.
Because wireless modems are employed, two-way data communications with the animal is possible, but this project does not address those possibilities; the objective of this project is to simply get the basic system operational and track animal location. | https://projects.sare.org/sare_project/fne14-814/ | fineweb | 6,987 | 2.6875 |
Self-raising flour contains baking powder in a proportion that is perfect for most sponge cakes, such as a Victoria sponge, and for cupcakes. … However you should only ever add extra baking powder or bicarbonate of soda (leavening) if the recipe asks for it.
Can I use self-raising flour instead of plain and baking powder?
No. If your recipe asks for plain or self-raising flour, it is important to remember that these two ingredients are not interchangeable and you should use the flour recommended in the recipe along with any raising agents, such as baking powder or bicarbonate of soda.
Can I use self-raising flour instead of baking soda and baking powder?
Baking powder combines soda with other ingredients to make it more versatile, and self-rising flour has baking powder mixed in at the factory, but neither can substitute directly for baking soda.
What happens if use self-raising flour instead of plain?
The same applies to the flour. Bread recipes usually ask for plain flour, and that’s because the raising agent comes from the yeast working with the water, flour and salt. If you use self-raising flour, your bread won’t rise evenly and you could end up with a stodgy crumb.
How do I convert plain flour to self-raising UK?
- Add 2 tsp’s of baking powder to each 150g/6oz of plain flour.
- Sift the flour and baking powder together before you use it to make sure it’s all evenly distributed.
- If you are using cocoa powder, buttermilk or yoghurt you can add ¼tsp of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) as well as the baking powder.
What happens if I don’t use baking powder?
Even if you use baking powder in your recipe, your dough may not always rise in the oven. … It is possible to make cookies without baking soda and banana bread without baking powder. It’s important to note that your batter or dough will not rise when baked in the oven, and the resulting treats will be dense and not airy.
What happens if you use baking soda instead of baking powder in a recipe?
If you swap in an equal amount of baking soda for baking powder in your baked goods, they won’t have any lift to them, and your pancakes will be flatter than, well, pancakes. You can, however, make a baking powder substitute by using baking soda.
Can I use baking soda instead of baking powder for pancakes?
If you have a recipe for buttermilk pancakes, then you may notice that you need bicarbonate of soda instead of baking powder. This is because buttermilk is acidic and will react with the alkaline bicarbonate of soda to give the same effect. … Bicarbonate of soda also helps the pancake to brown.
Can I make self-raising flour into plain?
To substitute self-rising for all-purpose flour, look for recipes that use baking powder: about ½ teaspoon per cup of flour, minimum. … Self-rising flour will work just fine in recipes using about 1/2 teaspoon (and up to 1 teaspoon*) baking powder per cup of flour.
What happens if I use self-raising flour?
Because self-rising flour contains added leavening agents using it incorrectly can throw off the texture and flavor of your baked goods.
They have a small amount of bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) added but if you used self-rising flour then the cookies would spread out drastically and be very thin. … Also self-raising flour can lose its raising ability quite quickly in a humid environment and tends to have a shorter shelf life than plain flour. | https://quitechefy.com/bake/do-i-still-need-baking-powder-with-self-raising-flour.html | fineweb | 3,391 | 2.59375 |
The healthy amount of sleep for the average adult is around seven lớn eight hours each night.
Bạn đang xem: Sleep deprivation là gì
Researchers in the United Kingdom and Italy analyzed data from 16 separate studies conducted over 25 years, covering more than 1.3 million people and more than 100,000 deaths. They published their findings in the journalSleep. Those who generally slept for less than six hours a night were 12 percent more likely lớn experience a premature death. People who slept more than eight khổng lồ nine hours per night had an even higher risk, at 30 percent.
Researchers also found that people who reduced their sleep time from seven hours lớn five sầu hours or less had 1.7 times the risk of death from all causes.
2. Sleep helps manage your appetite
Poor sleep habits can increase the body’s energy needs. At night, movement & need for calories is reduced. But when you are sleep-deprived, your brain will release chemicals to signal hunger. This can lead khổng lồ eating more, exercising less, and gaining weight.
Researchers conducting astudyof almost 5,000 Japanese adults with type 2 diabetes found that those who slept fewer than 4.5 hours or more than 8.5 hours had a higher toàn thân mass index (BMI) and higher A1C values. An A1C is a measurement of a person’s average blood sugar levels over the course of three months. Those who slept between 6.5 và 7.4 hours a night had the lowest A1C levels of all the participants.
Sleep deprivation also affects children. A 2014studyshowed that children who slept less had an increased risk for obesity và high BXiaoMi MI. These risks can affect children as they mature.
3. Sleep helps your immune system function
When you sleep, your immune system releases compounds called cytokines. Some cytokines have a protective effect on your immune system by helping to fight inflammation and infection. Without enough sleep, you may not have sầu enough cytokines to lớn keep from getting siông xã.
A 2013 researchstudyfound that sleep restrictions increase the amount of inflammatory compounds in a person’s body toàn thân. These are the same compounds associated with conditions lượt thích asthma và allergies.
The researchers studied people who had long-term sleep deprivation as well as limited sleep deprivation of four lớn five hours a night for a week. In both cases, the researchers found that the participants’ immune systems were affected by laông chồng of sleep.
4. Sleep helps your memory
In addition to helping you focus, sleep helps protect and strengthen your memory. Researchshowsthat sleeping after learning can help with memory retention. It also reduces interference from external events.
People who are sleep-deprived:have sầu a harder time receiving information due to the brain’s overworked neuronsmay interpret events differentlytkết thúc khổng lồ have sầu impaired judgementthua trận their ability lớn access previous information
It’s important to get seven khổng lồ eight hours of sleep so that you can experience all the sleep stages. No one stage is responsible for memory and learning. Two stages (rapid eye movement và slow wave sleep) contribute to:creative sầu thinkingprocedural memorylong-term memoriesmemory processing
5. Lack of sleep increases disease risk
Lachồng of sleep is a public health problem, according to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s known lớn be a contributing factor for many chronic health conditions, including:diabetesheart diseaseobesityobstructive sầu sleep apnea
Sleep is a habit, just lượt thích eating healthy and exercise. While everyone misses a few hours of sleep sometimes, chronic laông chồng of sleep is part of an unhealthy lifestyle & can increase your risk for serious health concerns.
How khổng lồ get more sleep?
The recommended seven khổng lồ eight hours of sleep is mainly for adults, including older adults. Younger people may need more sleep. See the table below for the recommended amount of sleep by age.
Are you aước ao the many people getting fewer than seven hours of sleep per night? Try adopting some of these practices khổng lồ help you sleep better and longer:
1. Schedule your sleep
Make an effort to go khổng lồ bed & wake up at the same time every day of the week, including weekends. Doing this establishes a regular sleep-wake cycle. It may help you adopt the habit of doing the same things each night before bed, such as taking a warm bath or reading.
2. Avoid stimulants
Caffeine, chocolate, and nicotine can keep you awake past your bedtime. Alcohol may make you feel sleepy initially, but will disrupt your rest later in the night. Stay away from these at least four hours before sleep.
3. Make your bed comfy
A number of new mattresses on the market are aimed at increasing comfort, including those that have sầu “cooling” effects khổng lồ keep a person from getting too warm while they sleep. Memory foam mattresses consize khổng lồ a person’s toàn thân, providing extra shape & tư vấn. Use room darkening shades, earplugs, or other tools that will help create a restful environment.
4. Exercise regularly
Being physically active sầu during the day can help you fall asleep faster at night. Exercise also promotes deeper, more restful sleep. Just make sure you don’t exercise too cthất bại khổng lồ bedtime, since this can leave sầu you too energized lớn sleep.
5. Relieve bức xúc during the day
Try adopting some stress-reducing technique before bed. Keep a journal by your bedside to lớn write down what’s bothering you. Start practicing yoga, learn to lớn meditate, get regular massages, or take long walks.
6. Apps for sleep
Someapps can help you sleep better.Sleep Geniustracks your sleep cycles and offers a progressive alarm cloông chồng to lớn prsự kiện sudden waking that’s associated with increased tiredness. Other apps, likepzizz, provide soft music and ambient lighting used lớn encourage restful sleep. | https://realchampionshipwrestling.com/sleep-deprivation-la-gi/ | fineweb | 5,901 | 3.421875 |
There is a plethora of information on the internet. Today, we have a plethora of information , and a paucity of wisdom. There is a plethora of information on RESTful design principles , development frameworks and examples. There is a plethora of information about photography on the internet. Highway agencies often collect a plethora of data and information about the nation's network of highways. The internet provides a plethora of health information , and patients are accessing that information to take a more active role in their healthcare decisions.
Did You Know?
Listen Listening When choosing between myriad possibilities and a myriad of possibilities , which phrase is correct? When myriad first appeared in English, it was always plural and followed by of, such as many myriads of men. Then, in , the singular form of myriad was first used, followed again by of. This allowed for phrases like a myriad of bubbles. Finally, in the 18th century, the noun was first dropped from the phrase.
Some coffee shops have a plethora of drinks to choose from, while others stick to the basics. Contemporary dance is not blessed with a plethora of media coverage on any platform. There is a plethora of students that are willing to be first in line. The plethora of tasty aromas made Kate hungrier as she waited for her own food. This job site features keyword- or zip-code-based job searches in a plethora of professions, allows job hunters to create a personalized account with different resumes and cover letters, and keeps a detailed record of jobs applied to. Renovated shopping areas and cultural institutions were accompanied by a plethora of hip and exciting shops and restaurant.
Extrovert or introvert? Describing character, part 4. Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Follow us. Choose a dictionary. Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English. Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English. Word Lists. Choose your language. | https://resumecoverletters.biz/pornstar/plethora-of-information.php | fineweb | 2,050 | 2.875 |
Environmental factors significantly influence concrete surfaces. Infrastructures are affected by variety climatic conditions including: extreme temperatures, droughts, moist and humid conditions or even inundation, and they are more likely to experience negative influences on their concrete surfaces. Thus, this research aims to identify sustainable solutions to decrease the vulnerability of concrete exposed to climatic and environmental influences by assessing the response of concrete surfaces to high solar radiation, high temperatures, and wet weather conditions. Our results within warm and tropical regions show that temperature fluctuations lead to expansion and shrinkage of concrete, particularly in buildings with poor thermal insulation. Including iron components are prone to these shrink-swell processes, causing crack development and expansion over time. Then, this study is suggested some responding solutions including; plant covering over concrete surfaces of the structures as well as use of some light-coloured silicates to reduce solar radiation absorption. Another focus of this study is to analyse the roles of some environmental factors including salinity, humidity, rain, and snow that may influence the concrete surfaces, particularly within wet and coastal regions. Previous studies show that the permeability of concrete surfaces increase the Infiltration of water which can lead to corrosion of iron components, and salt accumulation within cavities, particularly affecting coastal-zone infrastructures. Thus, a suggestion of high-density, low-porous concrete to be used to prevent the diffusion of water into concrete surfaces. The concrete surface problems that are occurring due to various environmental factors can cause severe damage. The corrosions including peeling process is an example of such damage that often is not-repairable. Notably, if peeling occurs within the primary reinforcing structure, the metal bodies are likely exposed to corrosion, which then requires a greater response to be fixed. Thus, the information provided in this study yield base suggestions which can support informed decision-making during planning and construction stages to sustain longer-lasting concrete surfaces under different environmental conditions. Additionally, the concrete material industry can benefit from this research, as the findings provide guidance to the use of more suitable materials for improved structural integrity under various climatic conditions. | https://ro.uow.edu.au/smhpapers1/572/ | fineweb | 2,495 | 2.984375 |
•How have States elected senators in the past and present?
•How and why does a senator’s term differ from a representative’s term?
•What are the qualifications for serving in the Senate?
Size, Election, and Terms
•The Constitution says that the Senate “shall be composed of two Senators from each State.” Today’s Senate consists of 100 Senators.
•Originally, the Constitution provided that senators were chosen by the State legislatures.
•In 1912 the Seventeenth Amendment was passed and called for the popular election of senators.
•Senators serve for six-year terms.
•The Senate is a continuous body, meaning that all of its seats are never up for election at the same time.
Qualifications for Senate
•The requirements for the U.S. Senate are higher than for the House of Representatives.
•The Constitution says that a Senator
(1) must be at least 30 years of age,
(2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years, and
(3) must be an inhabitant of the State from which he or she is elected.
True or False
The Senate is known as a(n) oversight function, because only a third of its seats are up for election at the same time.
Which statement about the Senate is true?
a. It has two members from each State.
b. Its members are chosen by State legislatures.
c. Each member represents one congressional district.
d. Seats are apportioned among the States according to their populations.
Which fact disqualifies a person from representing Utah in the Senate?
a. The candidate was born in Guatemala.
b. The candidate is 43 years old.
c. The candidate lives in Utah but works in Idaho.
d. The candidate has been a citizen for eight years.
Answers: F / A / D | http://mrgoudysclassroom.weebly.com/american-government/category/senate | fineweb | 1,677 | 4.15625 |
“Natural parenting” is based on a desire to live and parent responsively and consciously. While no two families who practice natural parenting may define it the same way, there are several principles that are widely agreed to be part of this lifestyle. These are ideals that natural parents tend to hold — even if we don’t always live up to all of them, we keep them in mind as goals.
Please click on each topic to find links to and descriptions of resources for each natural parenting category.
Attachment/Responsive Parenting: Attachment/responsive parenting1 is generally considered to include the following (descriptions/lists are not exhaustive, please follow each link to learn more):
- Prepare for pregnancy, birth, and parenting: parents and parents-to-be research parenting philosophies; maintain a healthy diet and active lifestyle; educate themselves about healthcare providers, birthing options, and the risks and benefits of medical interventions; research breastfeeding and routine newborn care procedures (circumcision, etc.);
- Feed with love and respect: practice exclusive and full-term breastfeeding if possible, and feed with love and respect regardless of whether it is at the breast or with a bottle; parents continue to nurture when introducing solids, and strive to offer healthy, wholesome foods when babies are ready;
- Respond with sensitivity: parents understand that babies cry to communicate needs, and that physical contact is healthy and natural. Parents continue to respond with sensitivity into toddlerhood and beyond, embracing big emotions and helping children learn to communicate gently (rather than stifling emotions or punishing “tantrums”);
- Use nurturing touch: this category includes babywearing and skin-to-skin contact for infants, and hugs and physical play for older children;
- Ensure safe sleep: parents take steps to make sleep safe both physically and emotionally; this category includes bed sharing and co-sleeping, responsive nighttime parenting, and no “crying it out”;
- Provide consistent and loving care: Parents do not attempt to put babies on strict feeding or sleep schedules. When parents must leave children with alternative caregivers, they find caregivers who respect the children’s needs and are supportive of the attachment principles;
- Practice gentle/positive discipline: Parents do not discipline to control, manipulate, or put fear into their children, but to teach. Parents strive for communication and mutual respect and avoid harsh/physical punishment;
- Strive for balance in personal and family life: Families seek to balance the needs and wants of each family member.
Ecological Responsibility and Love of Nature: Families strive to reduce their ecological footprint by living consciously and making Earth-friendly choices, such as by choosing organic when possible, using cloth diapers or practicing elimination communication, supporting local economies, and so forth. Parents may choose to find toys and clothing made of natural fibers and materials. Families spend quality time outside enjoying the natural world.
Holistic Health Practices: Parents research medical choices and make educated decisions regarding all health care (circumcision, vaccinations, medical interventions, medications, etc.). Many families choose to use alternative or natural healthcare such as herbal remedies, chiropractic care, natural childbirth, and so on.
Natural Learning: Families spend time together, and children learn through everyday activities. Parents try to facilitate learning without “teaching,” to help children ask questions that develop thinking, to develop consideration for others without shaming or training, to give choices while guiding the children, to listen to instinctual cues, to honor emotions and desires, to allow development to take place in its own time, and to engender cooperation and harmony without manipulation. This might include the decision to pursue uncommon methods of education, such as alternative classrooms, home schooling, or unschooling.
- Healthy Eating and Living: Families research and consider the benefits of eating local, organic, and/or healthy foods (no artificial colors, etc.). Families make regular time for physical movement (yoga, dance, etc.). Parents understand the importance of a healthy body image.
- Parenting Philosophies: Parents and parents-to-be research different parenting philosophies, such as attachment parenting, consensual living, continuum parenting, radical/whole-life unschooling, and equally shared parenting.
- Political and Social Activism: Families who parent against the grain often see issues in their society they want to change, and they work to make that happen. They tend to have support for those who are misrepresented and misunderstood, and they speak out against what they see as injustice.
- Family Safety and Health: Information about natural disasters, weather, travel, household and personal safety.
- NPN Facebook Frequently Asked Questions: Many parents reach out on our Facebook community to ask about common topics: teething, green cleaning, safe cookware, etc. We have compiled resources on many of these FAQs. This page links to each of the FAQs and their resources. Take a look!
Above all, natural parenting is making the choice to develop a deep bond with your children and family based on mutual respect. An attached child grows into a mature and interdependent individual who understands how to develop healthy, secure relationships with others. | http://naturalparentsnetwork.com/what-is-np/ | fineweb | 5,513 | 2.890625 |
Building upon previous research, a new UCLA-led study found that people who hold more conservative beliefs are more likely to perceive foreigners such as Syrian refugees as threatening, yet visualize them as physically smaller. Conservatives appear to imagine Syrian refugees as smaller because they believe forceful military action against terrorism will prevail.
UCLA anthropology research scientist Colin Holbrook calls this a “Gulliver effect,” inspired by the Jonathan Swift novel.
“Comparatively, we find liberals more hesitant to endorse military action, not just from a moral perspective, but because they lack confidence that fighting will work,’” Holbrook said. “Liberals in our sample tend to say that it will take years or decades for military action to be effective, if ever.”
The study, led by Holbrook, upheld previous research that revealed differences in how political orientation predicts the way people perceive threatening situations or individuals. Their findings were published today in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.
“This is the first study to ask the question ‘How does political orientation affect the way people visualize physical size and strength?'” Holbrook said. “We’re tapping into how the mind uses concepts of body size and strength to represent who is more likely to win in a violent conflict. We call this a ‘Gulliver effect’ because conservatives’ confidence in using force to thwart terrorism was closely related to imagining Syrian refugees as relatively small and weak, not unlike Gulliver’s perception of the Lilliputians.”
In the first study, researchers asked 500 paid respondents in the United States to react to text descriptions of two individuals: a Syrian refugee seeking entry to the U.S., and an unemployed American looking for a job. Respondents then estimated each person by height, overall body size and muscularity.
To determine the political orientation of study participants, the researchers asked them to agree or disagree with a list of 25 topics presented in random order, about half of which were conservative in nature and the other half liberal.
The imagined physical size and muscularity of the characters, and the answers to the political topic questions, were compared to responses about the use of military intervention to combat terrorism.
Participants responded to questions about how many refugees they believe are attempting to enter the country and to rate how likely they think the United States is to suffer a terrorist attack in the next 12 months. They also rated their confidence in the efficacy of U.S. military tactics to combat ISIS, based on how likely they think it is the jihadist militant group will be destroyed and how long it would take to do that. Participants also rated on a scale from 1 to 100 whether they agree the U.S. should send large-scale ground forces or use nuclear weapons against ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Holbrook and his fellow researchers said they thought it was especially relevant in the current political climate to consider the implications of this theory for understanding hostile reactions to Syrian refugees. They conducted two separate studies, one that included respondents from the United States, and one focused on people living in Spain — a country that houses more actual Syrian refugees than the United States, and borders other nations that have taken in a large number of Syrian refugees.
“The findings were the same in both countries,” Holbrook said. “This indicates that the links we observed between political orientation and perceptions of people viewed as possible threats may apply globally. The fact that we obtained a nearly identical pattern of observations in Spain is striking given that the refugee crisis is so much more pressing in Europe, and because we conducted the study shortly after a terrorist attack had occurred in nearby Brussels. For the Spanish participants, the refugee issue probably holds greater real-world relevance.”
It comes down to the way our brains have evolved to make fight-or-flight decisions, Holbrook said. The human brain appears to possess a capacity to assess the fighting ability posed by another individual or situation by subconsciously creating an internal image of its physical formidability. If we spontaneously imagine the opponent as relatively small, we may be more inclined to fight. If we imagine the opponent as large, we’re less inclined to believe a fight would be successful.
“Our ability to think about war on the global stage appears partially derived from an ancient mechanism for thinking about interpersonal conflict in terms of bodily size and strength,” Holbrook said.
Liberal and conservative political perspectives are genetically heritable and represented in every known society, Holbrook noted. This may be because both orientations play valuable roles in human culture — with each bearing real costs and benefits when it comes to identifying and responding to threats.
The conservative intuition to see certain out-groups as not only more threatening, but also as more readily defeated, can be beneficial in some circumstances, Holbrook said. The liberal tendency to perceive less threat, to view fighting as ineffective, and to prefer negotiation may be beneficial in other circumstances.
“As a result, evolution seems to have preserved a balance between both conservative and liberal psychological outlooks,” Holbrook said. “Today, in our time, we may be witnessing some of the consequences of this evolved political psychology in shaping the world’s responses to the plight of millions of refugees.” | http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/ucla-research-finds-that-conservatives-view-syrian-refugees-as-physically-small-and-easy-to-defeat | fineweb | 5,619 | 2.859375 |
|Traditional Food Plants of Kenya (National Museum of Kenya, 1999, 288 p.)|
syn: V. sinensis (L.) Hassk.
Chonyi: tsafe, kunde Digo: chani, kunde Embu: nthoroko English: cowpea Giriama: tsafe Kamba: nthooko (Makueni, Machakos) nzooko (Kitui, Mwingi), kilusya Kambe: kunde, tsafe Kikuyu: thoroko, mathoroko (leaves) Kipsigis: kunde Kisii: egesale Luhya (Bukusu): sikhubi, sikhuvbi Luhya (Isukha): likhuvi Luhya (Marachi): likhubi, likhuvi Luhya (Maragoli): likhuvi Luhya (Tachoni): esikhubi, sikhubi Luhya (Samia): ekhubi Luo: bo, alot-bo Maa: soroko Marakwet: kunde Meru: nthoroko Nandi: kunde Sanya: amos, kunde Swahili: kunde Tharaka: mathoroko, nthoroko Turkana: emaret, ekunde, ekundi
Description: An erect, trailing or climbing herb. LEAVES: With 3 leaflets. Leaflets to 10 cm long or more, ovate, rhomboid or lanceolate, entire or lobed at the base. FLOWERS: Various colours; pale green to light blue or purple, borne on axillary inflorescences composed of a long stalk, usually held vertically and with several flowers towards the tip. FRUITS: Pods to 15 cm long, straight, usually hanging.
Ecology: Cultivated all over Kenya as a vegetable and pulse, mainly 0-1,500 m. Also grows in the wild. Growth is poor at higher altitudes. Requires hot, moderately wet conditions. Prefers loam, sandy and other well-drained soils. Zones III-VI.
Uses: FOOD: Leaves and seeds widely used as a food (+++). Some communities grow cowpeas mainly as a vegetable (Luhya). Young leaves are often cooked with potash. The vegetable may be cooked alone or with other types, mainly Corchorus olitorius and C. trilocularis. The leaves are cooked with Corchorus spp. leaves, milk and butter added and served to breast-feeding mothers (Luo). Leaves are normally eaten with ugali or mashed with maize and potatoes or other pulses (Kikuyu). The seeds may be cooked with sorghum (Luo) or maize (nyoyo, Luo, isyo, Kamba, githeri, Kikuyu) or boiled, fried and made into a stew which is eaten with ugali or other foods. Seeds may also be boiled and eaten alone (afwoka, Luo) or mashed and butter added (mukenye, Luo). Seeds are not traditionally used by some Luhya communities but are harvested for next season's planting. Cowpea leaves may be dried and stored for several months. Cowpea is a major leafy vegetable among the Mijikenda, often mixed with leaves of sweet potato (mabwe), cocoyam (maburu), pumpkin and Corchorus olitorius (vombo).
OTHER: Good animal fodder. Roots reputedly very poisonous.
COMMERCIAL: Both the peas and leaves are sold all over the country. Young plants 3-4 weeks old are uprooted, tied in bundles and sold in markets.
Remarks: As with most cultivated crops, this is a very variable species. Several cultivars are grown that differ in seed colour, pod shape and length, habit (some creeping, others erect) and leaf shape and size. Fast maturing, usually erect cultivars are grown for seeds. The creeping, deeply rooted types are drought resistant and are preferred for their leaves (Kamba, Tharaka, Mbeere, Meru). Wild forms of this species are widely distributed in Kenya. The dark grey seeds of some cultivars and wild forms are impossible to cook satisfactorily (mbitia, Kamba).
Verdcourt, in the Flora of East Africa, recognizes five subspecies in Kenya:
· ssp. dekindtiana (Harms) Verdc.: pods dark, to 10 cm long. Wild or cultivated.
· ssp. unguiculata: pods 20-30 cm long. The cultivated cowpea.
· ssp. cylindrica (L.) Eselt.: pods to 13 cm long. Cultivated or wild.
· ssp. mensensis (Schweinf.) Verdc.: pods to 13 cm long. A wild form.
· ssp. sesquipedalis (L.) Verdc. | http://puka.cs.waikato.ac.nz/gsdlmod?e=d-00000-00---off-0fnl2.2--00-0----0-10-0---0---0direct-10---4-------0-0l--11-en-50---20-about---00-0-1-00---4-4---0-0-11-11-0utfZz-8-00-00&a=d&c=fnl2.2&cl=CL1.5&d=HASH01bacaffdadbafabafb9e082.7.166 | fineweb | 3,580 | 3.3125 |
Concept: Image compression
The exponential growth of high-throughput DNA sequence data has posed great challenges to genomic data storage, retrieval and transmission. Compression is a critical tool to address these challenges, where many methods have been developed to reduce the storage size of the genomes and sequencing data (reads, quality scores and metadata). However, genomic data are being generated faster than they could be meaningfully analyzed, leaving a large scope for developing novel compression algorithms that could directly facilitate data analysis beyond data transfer and storage. In this article, we categorize and provide a comprehensive review of the existing compression methods specialized for genomic data and present experimental results on compression ratio, memory usage, time for compression and decompression. We further present the remaining challenges and potential directions for future research.
We describe a physics-based data compression method inspired by the photonic time stretch wherein information-rich portions of the data are dilated in a process that emulates the effect of group velocity dispersion on temporal signals. With this coding operation, the data can be downsampled at a lower rate than without it. In contrast to previous implementation of the warped stretch compression, here the decoding can be performed without the need of phase recovery. We present rate-distortion analysis and show improvement in PSNR compared to compression via uniform downsampling.
: Post-Sanger sequencing methods produce tons of data, and there is a general agreement that the challenge to store and process them must be addressed with data compression. In this review we first answer the question “why compression” in a quantitative manner. Then we also answer the questions “what” and “how”, by sketching the fundamental compression ideas, describing the main sequencing data types and formats, and comparing the specialized compression algorithms and tools. Finally, we go back to the question “why compression” and give other, perhaps surprising answers, demonstrating the pervasiveness of data compression techniques in computational biology.
Hyperspectral image compression approaches: opportunities, challenges, and future directions: discussion
- Journal of the Optical Society of America. A, Optics, image science, and vision
- Published over 1 year ago
This paper establishes a review of the recent study in the field of hyperspectral (HS) image compression approaches. Recently, image compression techniques have achieved significant advances from diverse types of coding standards/approaches. HS image compression requires an unconventional coding technique because of its unique, multiple-dimensional structure. The data redundancy exists in both inter-band and intra-band methods. The survey summarizes current literature in inter- and intra-band compression methods. The challenges, opportunities, and future research possibilities regarding HS image compression are further discussed. The experimental results are also provided for validity and applicability of the existing HS image compression techniques.
The recent technological advances in capsule endoscopy system has revolutionized the healthcare system by introducing new techniques and functionalities in the system to diagnose entire gastrointestinal tract which resulted in better diagnostic accuracy, reducing hospitalization, and improving its clinical outcome. Although many benefits of present capsule endoscopy are known, there are still significant drawbacks with respect to conventional endoscope system including size, battery life, bandwidth, image quality and higher frame rate, which has restricted its wide use. In order to solve the problem related to current capsule endoscope, the importance of a low-cost and low-power compression algorithm, that produces higher frame rate with better image quality but lower bandwidth and transmission power, is paramount. While several review papers have been published describing the capability of capsule endoscope in terms of its functionality and emerging features, an extensive review on the compression algorithms from the past and for the future is still required. Hence, in this review paper, we aim to address the issue by exploring the specific characteristics of endoscopic images, summarizing useful compression techniques with in-depth analysis and finally making suggestions for possible future adaptation.
There is an immediate need to validate the authenticity of digital images due to the availability of powerful image processing tools that can easily manipulate the digital image information without leaving any traces. The digital image forensics most often employs the tampering detectors based on JPEG compression. Therefore, to evaluate the competency of the JPEG forensic detectors, an anti-forensic technique is required. In this paper, two improved JPEG anti-forensic techniques are proposed to remove the blocking artifacts left by the JPEG compression in both spatial and DCT domain. In the proposed framework, the grainy noise left by the perceptual histogram smoothing in DCT domain can be reduced significantly by applying the proposed de-noising operation. Two types of denoising algorithms are proposed, one is based on the constrained minimization problem of total variation of energy and other on the normalized weighted function. Subsequently, an improved TV based deblocking operation is proposed to eliminate the blocking artifacts in the spatial domain. Then, a decalibration operation is applied to bring the processed image statistics back to its standard position. The experimental results show that the proposed anti-forensic approaches outperform the existing state-of-the-art techniques in achieving enhanced tradeoff between image visual quality and forensic undetectability, but with high computational cost.
Compression algorithm is an essential part of Telemedicine systems, to store and transmit large amount of medical signals. Most of existing compression methods utilize fixed transforms such as discrete cosine transform (DCT) and wavelet and usually cannot efficiently extract signal redundancy especially for non-stationary signals such as electroencephalogram (EEG). In this paper, we first propose learning-based adaptive transform using combination of DCT and artificial neural network (ANN) reconstruction technique. This adaptive ANN-based transform is applied to the DCT coefficients of EEG data to reduce its dimensionality and also to estimate the original DCT coefficients of EEG in the reconstruction phase. To develop a new near lossless compression method, the difference between the original DCT coefficients and estimated ones are also quantized. The quantized error is coded using Arithmetic coding and sent along with the estimated DCT coefficients as compressed data. The proposed method was applied to various datasets and the results show higher compression rate compared to the state-of-the-art methods.
Color image compression is a commonly used process to represent image data as few bits as possible, which removes redundancy in the data while maintaining an appropriate level of quality for the user. Color image compression algorithms based on quaternion are very common in recent years. In this paper, we propose a color image compression scheme, based on the real SVD, named real compression scheme. First, we form a new real rectangular matrix C according to the red, green and blue components of the original color image and perform the real SVD for C. Then we select several largest singular values and the corresponding vectors in the left and right unitary matrices to compress the color image. We compare the real compression scheme with quaternion compression scheme by performing quaternion SVD using the real structure-preserving algorithm. We compare the two schemes in terms of operation amount, assignment number, operation speed, PSNR and CR. The experimental results show that with the same numbers of selected singular values, the real compression scheme offers higher CR, much less operation time, but a little bit smaller PSNR than the quaternion compression scheme. When these two schemes have the same CR, the real compression scheme shows more prominent advantages both on the operation time and PSNR.
Digital images have been extensively used in education, research, and entertainment. Many of these images, taken by consumer cameras, are compressed by the JPEG algorithm for effective storage and transmission. Blocking artifact is a well-known problem caused by this algorithm. Effective measurement of blocking artifacts plays an important role in the design, optimization, and evaluation of image compression algorithms. In this paper, we propose a no-reference objective blockiness measure, which is adaptive to high frequency component in an image. Difference of entropies across blocks and variation of block boundary pixel values in edge images are adopted to calculate the blockiness level in areas with low and high frequency component, respectively. Extensive experimental results prove that the proposed measure is effective and stable across a wide variety of images. It is robust to image noise and can be used for real-world image quality monitoring and control. Index Terms-JPEG, no-reference, blockiness measure.
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques produce millions to billions of short reads. The procedure is not only very cost effective but also can be done in laboratory environment. The state-of-the-art sequence assemblers then construct the whole genomic sequence from these reads. Current cutting edge computing technology makes it possible to build genomic sequences from the billions of reads within a minimal cost and time. As a consequence, we see an explosion of biological sequences in recent times. In turn, the cost of storing the sequences in physical memory or transmitting them over the internet is becoming a major bottleneck for research and future medical applications. Data compression techniques are one of the most important remedies in this context. We are in need of suitable data compression algorithms that can exploit the inherent structure of biological sequences. Although standard data compression algorithms are prevalent, they are not suitable to compress biological sequencing data effectively. In this article we propose a novel referential genome compression algorithm (NRGC) to effectively and efficiently compress the genomic sequences. | http://scicombinator.com/concepts/image-compression/articles | fineweb | 10,571 | 2.625 |
Plagiarism is an intentional or unintentional act of passing on other people’s ideas or work as your own. It can occur whenever the source of original ideas or information is not acknowledged properly. Plagiarism is considered illegal in the academic circles as well as the in the professional world.
In order to the art plagiarism, universities lay down stringent policies. A student held responsible for violating plagiarism policies faces penalties ranging from class failure to eviction from the college. In minor plagiarism cases like copying someone’s assignment, the teachers may only fail your assignment. However, in major copying instances like lifting considerable sections of assignments or articles, the university can refer the case to college judiciary panels that may announce serious verdicts and issue penalties.
Here are some of the actions that a student can face for plagiarism at college-level:
- Class or project failure
The basic action against student caught plagiarizing is failing the assignment or project under consideration. Some colleges take a sequential disciplinary course where sanctions escalate for recurring violations of the scholastic honor code. While minor offenses result in written or verbal warnings, the colleges encourage the teachers to report such instances so that the authorities can manage student’s misbehavior in the case of repeated violations. For major project breaches, the college may fail the guilty student for the entire term.
There are colleges that adhere to strict integrity code and ethical principles to safeguard the value of degrees awarded by them. In such colleges, plagiarism instances can cause immediate eviction. However, some colleges pass verdicts to evict students only in the case when the breach was done on a significant project or a major section of the homework was plagiarized. Repeat offenders face harsher penalties at many colleges. Online Assignment help recommends proper referencing of the texts to avoid penalties.
- Educational Penalties
Sometimes, colleges adopt a learning approach to handle plagiarism with first-time wrongdoers. The colleges ask guilty students to participate in plagiarism seminars where they are taught about proper citation. In some cases, the students are suspended for maybe a semester or just a few days. The students have to provide evidence of service for the duration of the suspension to become eligible for applying to the college again.
A longer-lasting impact of plagiarism at some colleges is formal blacklisting of the student on college records. This step is taken in order to discourage students from cheating. Many colleges make a note on their official records about the students who are found guilty of copying. The notes often remain marked for a long period of time. Although this may not affect students’ professional life, it can reduce possibilities to get admission to other university or colleges.
In the academic world, intentional or unintentional plagiarism can lead to automatic failure for the project. Some colleges handle unintentional plagiarism cases, like improper citing of a source, on a lenient basis. However, scholars writing college homework should exercise care in citing all resources to avoid plagiarism allegations. Assignment help honors the academic integrity codes while completing your assignments to prevent plagiarism accusations. | http://sourceessay.com/plagiarism-and-its-impacts/ | fineweb | 3,396 | 3.15625 |
Plant Based Foods to Help You Sleep Soundly
It's not getting to sleep that's the problem, it's STAYING asleep. It's terrible waking up at 3:00am when all of your problems seem to have increased 10-fold. Good luck getting those zzzz's back.
Have you ever thought that perhaps what you eat for dinner might help you stay asleep? Turns out that you have a little more control than you think, just add more plants to your plate.
"So what makes plant-based foods so beneficial for sleep? Complex carbohydrates stimulate the release of serotonin—a neurotransmitter that calms your brain and helps you sleep. So building your dinner around starchy foods, like pasta, rice, and potatoes, will help you doze off and stay asleep through the night."
"While many people believe that high-protein meals are key to getting a good night’s rest, the opposite is true. High-protein foods block the brain’s ability to produce serotonin. Because high-protein foods contain more amino acids, tryptophan—the amino acid that eventually turns into serotonin—is crowded out of the brain. As a result, high-protein foods will leave you feeling alert."
Understanding that the word 'starch' or 'carbohydrate' is not desirable, remember that it is one of the brain's primary sources of energy and it only has 4 calories per gram. So, how do you eat a big bowl of pasta, without feeling weighted down and sluggish? Crowd it out with vegetables. Here I've created a Mediterranean Pasta Bowl using 1/2 penne and 1/2 vegetables (Swiss Chard, red bell pepper, zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, artichokes and a little bit of marinara) and finally sprinkled a few raw pumpkin seeds on top.
Some other foods that promote restful sleep:
Their potassium and magnesium promote muscle relaxation and help the body prepare for sleep.
Recent studies have lead some researchers to begin promoting cherry juice as a natural treatment for insomnia. This is because they are one of the richest natural sources of melatonin, one of the hormones that regulates the sleep cycle.
A magnesium deficiency can cause sleeplessness, and seeds are a rich source of this vital nutrient. Pumpkin, sesame and flax seed consumption is a great way to increase magnesium in the diet which can help promote restful and uninterrupted sleep. Some seeds, like pumpkin, also contain the amino acid tryptophan, which can also help improve the quality of sleep.
Green Leafy Vegetables
Green leafs are all rich in folate (a B-vitamin) and many studies have linked to improved sleep patterns. Folate also helps those battling chronic fatigue and of course all these vegetables for rich in vitamins, mineral and dietary fiber. | http://stlveggirl.com/blog/plant-based-foods-help-you-sleep-soundly/ | fineweb | 2,688 | 2.59375 |
Description of Practice Perspective: But What about the Other Six Days in the Week?
Many of us work in job roles where we teach people with visual impairments, either individually or in small groups. Instructional time is often limited. Perhaps you are an itinerant teacher who meets with a child for an hour twice a week to work on the use of low vision devices and technology or you are a rehabilitation instructor who spends a few hours once a month at the home of an adult who is losing vision. Often you leave a lesson thinking, “If I only had more time with my student!” One hour once a week is rarely enough to teach a skill to the level of mastery, and experienced teachers soon learn that they can be effective only if they find ways for their students to practice and learn regularly, even when there is no instructor available. | http://www.afb.org/store/Pages/ShoppingCart/ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=jvib090407&ruling=No | fineweb | 838 | 2.71875 |
History of ALICE A. I.
From The Turk to A.L.I.C.E.
The Life and Times of the Famous Eighteenth Century Chess Playing Machine by Tom Standage. "You can talk to Alice, and there are also articles about social reactions to chatterbots and the rules of the Loebner contest."
- http://cogsci.ucsd.edu/~asaygin/tt/ttest.html t h e t u r i n g t e s t p a g e by Ayse Pinar Saygin, "The Future of the Turing Test: The Next 50 Years TIME IS UP!!! A conference at Dartmouth College to be held January 28-30, 2000 along with the 2000 Loebner Prize Contest
Postscript: I was there! It was a really nice conference with many interesting discussions... Congrats to Richard Wallace and ALICE for their success at this year's Loebner Contest!"
- www.turing.org.uk/turing/scrapbook/gsoh.html The Turing Test Sourcebook by Andrew Hodges. "The competition for 2000, the fiftieth anniversary of Turing's prediction, was held at Dartmouth College, New Hampshire. The winner was A. L. I. C. E. by Richard Wallace."
'Professor Weizenbaum was also among the first to write about how some computer programmers become too engrossed in their work; for them, he coined the term "compulsive programmers."
Many new conversational computer programs have appeared in the decades since ELIZA was created. Among the most remarkable in recent years has been ALICE.'
Artificial Intelligence Tutorial Review
Developed and compiled by Eyal Reingold
The Turing Test: Alan Turing and the Imitation Game.
"Dr. Hugh Loebner, a professor very much interested in seeing AI succeed, pledged $100,000 to the first entrant that could pass the test. The 1991 contest had some serious problems though, (perhaps most notable was that the judges were all computer science specialists, and knew exactly what kind of questions might trip up a computer)."
- sitereview.org/?article=818 'A.L.I.C.E is an "Artificial Linguistic Internet Computer Entity" capable of intelligent conversation. She will amaze you with her ability to come up with a relevant response to just about anything! If I didn't know better, I'd think she was human.'
[/a] Natural Language and Computer Programs by Derek Walker. "Anyone
who has tried to explain the workings of a computer, or even a VCR, to
an older relative has a very good idea of why natural language
operation is a goal of computer science researchers. Simply put, most
people have no desire to learn a computer language in order to use
their electronic devices... ALICE's programming can become quite
complex, to the extent of mapping out entire common conversations.
This may seem like a never-ending task, due to the sheer number of
possible things that could be said in a conversation, but ALICE.s
programmers realized that it was not that important. The reason this
is not completely unwieldy (since possible sentences and conversations
grow exponentially every step in), is because of a phenomenon that is
a generalization of the Zipf distribution. In a Zipf distribution,
given a list of statistically related things, such as city
populations, there is a correlation between their place on the list
and their value as a fraction of the top one. Applied to
conversations, after the huge variety of opening conversational
gambits, there are fewer follow-ups that make sense, and after those,
even fewer third-steps. So there are fewer branches coming out of
each successive node, and that means the choices will eventually limit
Copyright © A.L.I.C.E. AI Foundation, Inc. | http://www.alicebot.org/History.html | fineweb | 3,462 | 2.8125 |
New England state fairs made pumpkin history in late September.
Just one day after a New Hampshire pumpkin weighed in at 1,843.5 lbs. to set a world record at the Deerfield Fair, Rhode Island grower Ron Wallace’s submission to the Topsfield (Massachusetts) Fair smashed the record again with a pumpkin weighing 2,009 pounds.
Wallace’s was the first pumpkin to top a ton, a goal deemed impossible a few years ago.
A real American
The pumpkin (actually, a type of squash) is a true native American crop, believed to have originated in Mexico at least 10,000 years ago. Along with maize (corn) and beans, which were domesticated much later, it joins the legendary Three Sisters of early native American agriculture.
Indigenous Americans valued the pumpkin for its long storage life and the portability of its fruits and high-protein seeds. Some native Americans dried strips of pumpkin and wove them into mats, which they traded as food commodities. They also used empty pumpkin shells as storage containers.
Native Americans introduced the European Colonists to the many uses of pumpkin, which quickly became a common staple food, as suggested by this couplet from a Pilgrim verse written around 1633:
We have pumpkins at morning and pumpkins at noon,
If it were not for pumpkins we should be undoon.
If you like pumpkin pie, you’ll enjoy pumpkin butter on your morning toast and pumpkin smoothies, hot or cold, for breakfast (or even dessert). You can also eat the blossoms and the seeds. (The development of naked-seeded pumpkin varieties has made it easy to grow and munch your own seeds.)
If you have grown or come into a lot of extra pumpkins or hard-shelled winter squashes this fall, your best storage option is leaving them whole until you’re ready to use one. Set them so they don’t touch each other on wooden pallets or a few thicknesses of newspapers in a cool (50º-55º), dry location .
Cooked pumpkin also freezes well. You can bake, steam, or boil them; drain well, mash or leave as cubes, and freeze for later use.
Recent research shows that it isn’t safe to can mashed or pureed pumpkin or pumpkin butter, even in a pressure canner. If you insist on canning your pumpkins, can them as cubes, and follow instructions.
Pumpkins for beauty, fitness, and fun
Okay, so you aren’t interested in breaking the big-pumpkin record, and maybe you don’t enjoy eating or drinking pumpkins in any form.
Or just find a pumpkin to play with! | http://www.almanac.com/blog/natural-health-home-tips/great-pumpkin?quicktabs_2=1 | fineweb | 2,438 | 2.9375 |
Lead miner Doe Run Co. hasn't turned lead into gold quite yet. But Dave Olkkonen, manager of research and technical development, has come close, helping to successfully adapt the electrowinning refining process to lead concentrates.
"The technology we're talking about is very similar to what microchips have meant to telecommunications and computers. It's that significant of a technological advance for the lead industry," Olkkonen said.
Traditional lead smelting can be a dirty business. Lead concentrates are mixed with coke and various other raw materials, like silica, limestone or soda ash, and fed into a red-hot furnace where lighter impurities like sulfur are burned off. The energy-intensive process is not fully efficient, as it doesn't draw 100 percent of the lead out of the concentrate mixture and allows lead particles to escape into the air.
More importantly, traditional lead refining is environmentally hostile. Sulfur dioxide is released in large quantities and must be converted to sulfuric acid, and lead emissions leak into the atmosphere—lead particles can escape even the most high-tech installations—pollute land and water. Then there is the slag, a glass-like by-product that's a mix of silica and heavy metal compounds that is hazardous to release into the environment, forcing lead refiners to simply store it.
With that in mind, St. Louis-based Doe Run has been looking for a more environmentally friendly alternative to its Herculaneum furnaces, and began work on lead electrowinning in 1997. The process, widely used in copper and zinc refining, involves electroplating pure metal directly from a concentrated acid solution. The technology was never successfully applied to lead, but in the late 1990s Engitec Technologies SpA, an Italian technology firm, cracked the puzzle. It found that fluorboric acid successfully dissolved lead from concentrates and then allowed the metal to be plated out of the solution.
"What Engitec gave us was the prospect of a commercial wet chemical process to extract lead from lead sulfides," Olkkonen said. But while the technology worked in a laboratory setting, Doe Run faced a variety of problems when it tried to scale it up. "When you're dealing with beakers and lab-sized equipment and scaling it up to using large tanks and large-scale electroplating cells, there are always, always issues and growing pains," Olkkonen said. The project required the team to design everything from the process and operational procedures to equipment like the electrowinning cells and tanks.
The blank slate provided by the scale-up efforts gave Doe Run the leeway to develop a variety of patented processes and technologies along the way. One of the proprietary features of Doe Run's technology is the reverse current leaching tanks, a three-step system that selectively absorbs the lead sulfates from concentrates into the fluorboric acid solution.
Lead concentrates arrive at the plant containing around 80-percent metal and enter the first leach tank to mix with the acid, which dissolves some of the lead out of the lead sulfur particles. The weaker concentrates are then transferred to a second tank where the process is repeated, and the now lead-poor solids and solution are then placed in the third tank to leach out the remaining lead.
What's left behind is basically lead-free sulfur, which has been separated from the lead using a wet chemical process instead of being incinerated in traditional fire smelting and can be used in sellable co-products, Olkkonen said. "We're looking at higher lead metal recoveries from our concentrate. What we've seen is that we can recover 99 percent of our lead from concentrates. I'm not sure what fire-based operations are doing on average, but we're getting anywhere from 2 to 4 percent better recovery."
The leaching solution starts off as lead-free anolyte and travels through the tanks in reverse order, meeting the most lead-poor material when it is strongest and absorbing lead to become catholyte. "We want our richest, highest-potential leaching solution in contact with the weakest lead-poor material," Olkkonen said.
When the lead-bearing catholyte is ready to leave the first leach tank, it is fed into the electrowinning cells where the real magic takes place. The electrowinning tank is divided into cells for lead cathode starter sheets and inert carbon anodes. The lead-rich catholyte is poured into the cathode compartments while the lead-free leach solution, or anolyte, surrounds the carbon anodes. "There's a permeable membrane between the cathodic and anodic compartments that allows the current to pass, and the solution, once it changes its form, to pass as well," Olkkonen said.
Once the cells are filled, the operator flips a switch and an electric current plates pure lead from the solution onto the cathode. The whole process takes around 24 hours, or "very similar to what commercial plating times would be," Olkkonen said. The result is a 150-pound lead cathode (including the 45-pound starter sheet).
Doe Run's demonstration facility in southeast Mo. runs two commercial-sized tanks, each producing 64 cathodes at a time. If operated continuously throughout the year, the facility could generate about 2,450 tons of lead annually, exclusive of starter sheets.
"The beauty of this advance is that we have a sustainable technology for our lead industry here in North America, and potentially a global game changer. It means a better, safer work environment, less exposures, cleaner communities," Olkkonen said.
The new technology comes at a timely moment for Doe Run. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is rolling out new national ambient air quality regulations for lead in 2017 that will force the company to stop traditional lead refining at its Herculaneum smelter in Missouri. "We have several options that we are exploring for the plant," said Jose Hansen, vice president of marketing and sales. "We know primary smelting using our current technology at this location will have to cease by 2017 due to sulfur dioxide emission standards. Our desire is to make the transition to the new technology even earlier than that."
Taking the project from demonstration plant scale to a commercial-sized operation is expected to require investments of more than $150 million. Doe Run officials said earlier this year that they were actively pursuing funding and loan guarantees to help bring the new technology to fruition. | http://www.amm.com/Magazine/2667901/Pricing/StatCity.html | fineweb | 6,455 | 2.703125 |
During the work week, Baltimore-area resident Craig Gordon is the principal architect of cloud strategy for an electric utility company. On the weekends, he engages in his passion of competitive bass fishing.
But you won't find Gordon in a boat with a loud, pollution-emitting gasoline-powered outboard motor. Instead, Gordon propels his boat with a high-tech electric outboard motor sold by Seattle-based startup company Pure Watercraft, which he says convinced him to buy with its lightweight, long-lasting, low-maintenance lithium-ion batteries and its powerful motor.
Using electric propulsion enables Gordon to fish in local reservoirs, where gas-powered motors aren't allowed. "It is also cheaper, cleaner, more convenient and involves less maintenance than dealing with gas rigs," he explains in an email. "You can run, fish and compete for pennies on the dollar."
In recent years, electric propulsion for boats has been growing in popularity, motivated by both a desire to reduce pollution and noise, and by the technology's promise of being cheaper to operate and easier to maintain. U.S. sales of electric outboard motors are expected to nearly double over the next five years, from $63 million in sales this year to $120 million in 2024, according to data released in June by the firm Industry Research.
In another sign of electric propulsion's rising prominence, when teenage climate activist Greta Thunberg arrived in New York harbor in summer 2019 after sailing across the Atlantic, her sailboat was met and assisted to its berth by boats propelled with electric motors produced by Torqeedo, a major manufacturer of the technology.
Electric Propulsion Technology Has Existed Since the 1830s
Electric propulsion for boats actually dates back to the late 1830s, when an inventor named Boris Semonovitch Iakobi outfitted a 24-foot (7.5-meter) naval sloop with a motor that drew electricity from a battery pack to turn paddle wheels. The Elekrokhod, as the craft was renamed, did a test on the Neva River, as recounted in Kevin Desmond's book "Electric Boats and Ships: A History." Others improved the technology. Electric boats increased in popularity in the late 1800s, and were even featured at the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, where visitors paid 25 cents for rides in electric-powered launches.
But, just as the rise of the gasoline-powered internal combustion engine pushed early electric automobiles out of the picture, petroleum-fueled pleasure boats became the standard on the water as well.
Nevertheless, electric propulsion never totally went away, as evidenced by this 1975 "Popular Mechanics" article touting the advantages of "boating without buying gasoline."
But soaring prices at the pump were just one of the drawbacks of petroleum-powered outboard motors. By the late 20th century, pleasure boats propelled by outboard motors were consuming 1.6 billion gallons (6 billion liters) of fuel a year and emitting massive amounts of pollution into the atmosphere. Those traditional motors were highly inefficient, with 20 to 30 percent of their fuel passing unburned or only partially burned through the combustion chamber and being emitted directly into the air and water, according to the website of the environmental group Sailors for the Sea. Running one of those outboard motors for an hour released the same amount of smog-producing pollution as driving a car for 800 miles (1,287 kilometers).
Tougher emission standards, phased in from 1998 to 2006 by the U.S Environmental Protection Agency, compelled manufacturers to develop cleaner gasoline-powered outboard motors. But even with less pollution, boaters still were subjected to unhealthy levels of noise.
Those problems quickly became apparent to Pure Watercraft founder Andy Rebele, a former college competitive rower and coach, who went on to start an internet auction company and become an angel investor, when he decided some years ago to buy a recreational boat. To his dismay, the gasoline-powered outboard motor turned out to be loud and unreliable. "Basically, all the pain points of boats are related to gas propulsion," he says.
Rebele decided that he wanted to go electric instead, but discovered that the then-available options were capable of reaching speeds of only 5 miles per hour (8 kilometers per hour). "I thought, how come a Tesla can go 120 miles an hour?" Rebele recalls. "The electric propulsion boat companies didn't have any answers, but I knew it had to be possible."
Rebele founded Pure Watercraft in 2011 and then spent several years developing a system that includes high-performance batteries coupled with a powerful, lightweight motor and controller, piggybacking on technological advances developed for electric cars. In contrast, "gas powered motor companies are using byproducts of the car industry of the 1950s," he says.
Pure Watercraft delivered its first units to customers in September 2019. The system costs $14,500 for the batteries and motor, plus another $2,000 for a charging device. With the Pure Watercraft motor, a typical boat, like a fishing boat or a rigid inflatable, will run at about 25 miles per hour (40 kilometers per hour), Rebele says. The motor also has been designed to be as quiet as possible, though once wind and waves are factored in, it's almost impossible to create a totally silent boat.
Burning Gasoline Emits CO2
There's tremendous pollution-reducing potential in switching to electric outboard motors. After all, every gallon of gasoline that's burned puts 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, according to the U.S. government's Fueleconomy.gov website. Of course, even switching to electric propulsion won't completely eliminate a boat's carbon footprint, unless the batteries are charged with electricity generated by renewable sources that don't burn any fossil fuels.
And as Rebele notes, electric propulsion also reduces other types of pollution from outboard motors that are harmful to health and the environment. One of Pure Watercraft's early customers, a northern California rowing association, plans to replace the gasoline-powered motors on its eight coaching launches. That will eliminate the same amount of non-CO2 pollution — including particulates, carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen that play a role in the formation of smog and acid rain — as taking 1,000 automobiles off the roads.
Another advantage of electric outboard motors is that they can be used to update existing boats. In this video from the American Society of Naval Engineers, aPure Watercraft outboard motor is used to power a mahogany craft built back in 1929.
This story is part of Covering Climate Now, a global collaboration of more than 250 news outlets to strengthen coverage of the climate story. | https://science.howstuffworks.com/transport/engines-equipment/electric-boats.htm | fineweb | 6,777 | 2.578125 |
In 2000, a research paper investigating the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in Bulgaria was published in the journal Neuroepidemiology.
The results were rather startling.
In their study, the researchers included a subpopulation of over 6,000 gypsies. In a population of that size they had expected to find 10-30 cases of Parkinson’s disease (based on the incidence in other populations of people).
What they actually found didn’t make any sense.
In this post we will look at the incidence of Parkinson’s disease around the world and why the Bulgarian gypsies are unique in the data.
Bulgarian gypsies. Source: Youtube
Trying to determine how frequently a particular phenomenon occurs within a given population sounds like a pretty straightforward task, right?
In practise, however, it proves to be very difficult. In some cases, almost impossible. In the western/developed world – where the medical records databases exist – the task of determining certain medical characteristics within a population of interest is slightly easier, but most experts will agree that most measures of incidence still include a pinch of error and a smidgen of guesstimating.
Beyond the developed world, determining incidence in a population is a ‘door-knocking’ job. Researchers literally have to go from house to house and asking for a survey to be filled in, or conduct doorstep evaluations of the inhabitants. A much harder task and cultural characteristics begin to play a role in the outcomes (such as lower incidence of a particular disease in communities that don’t like to ‘lose face’).
Additional problems with measuring incidence
Other problems with measuring incidence within a population include:
- Unimpeded access to the population (eg. some people live in isolated locations/communities)
- Accurate measures/criteria of the disease (eg. remember we don’t have an accurate diagnostic test for Parkinson’s disease)
- No response bias (posted surveys receive a limited response, and many affected individuals within a community will live with a condition without alerting their doctor)
- The size of the effect (if only one or two people are affected by a characteristic, the task of determining incidence becomes much harder – consider the very low incidence of juvenile onset Parkinson’s disease – Click here for more on this)
With all of that said, many efforts have been made in trying to determine the incidence of Parkinson’s disease. Some consensus has become apparent, but there are some interesting differences.
The incidence of Parkinson’s disease
The incidence of Parkinson’s disease varies around the world and there are some interesting differences.
Most studies agree, however, that the incidence of Parkinson’s disease is approximately 0.3% of the general population in industrialized countries. That is, 1 person in every 2-300. As we are all aware, Parkinson’s disease is more common in the elderly, and as such the incidence rises to about 1% (or 1 in 100) in those over 60 years of age. The incidence rate continues to rise with age to 4% of the population over 80 years of age (almost 1 in every 20 people over 80 year of age).
In 2009, Parkinson’s UK published their report on the incidence of Parkinson’s disease within the UK and their numbers are very similar to those summarised above (Click here for a PDF file of that report).
Disease burden – another way of measuring a disease
Many epidemiologists (the people who measure all of this incidence stuff) now incorporate a different kind of population-disease measurement into their analysis: ‘Disease burden’.
Below is a map of ‘hotspot’ countries (in red) around the world that have the disease burden due to Parkinson’s disease according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) (click here for their raw data – Microsoft Excel file).
A world map of Parkinson’s disease burden (red = high incidence). Source: Wikipedia
The map illustrates the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) rates from Parkinson disease by country (per 100,000 inhabitants).
Yeah I know. It sound complicated, but it isn’t really.
The DALY is simply a measure of the overall disease burden that a population experiences, and it is expressed as the number of years lost due to ill-health, disability or early death. Put another way, the DALY for any given country is calculated by taking the total number of the years of life lost due to dying early and adding it to the number of years lost due to disability. So for the map above, the Maldives (dark red dot in the Indian Ocean) exhibits the highest burden with the country loses 557 years per 100,000 inhabitants.
And importantly these measures are ‘age adjusted’, so that countries with a higher proportion of elderly people (such as Japan) do not appear to have a higher burden due to Parkinson’s disease than a country with a younger population. The WHO numbers are provided by the government health services in each country.
The highest incidence of Parkinson’s disease
Ok, so if we leave the global/macro world of Parkinson’s disease incidence and focus on particular nations/communities of people, what does the research literature tell us about the incidence of Parkinson’s disease?
Well, one of the highest incidence occurs in the Amish community of the US midwest.
The Amish communities of the American midwest. Source: DartMed
The Amish community started in Switzerland in the 17th century. In the 18th and 19th centuries, many adherents
immigrated to the USA in an attempt to flee religious persecution. They now live in communities rather culturally isolated from society – maintaining a traditional way of life, ignoring the modern conveniences, and
marrying strictly within their religion (maintaining strict endogamy). They are not completely isolated, however, as they are work/conduct business with mainstream society. From a scientific standpoint, the Amish are a wonderful cases study. They have diligently kept meticulous family records dating far back in history. In addition, they forbid consumption of alcohol or use of tobacco.
Many years ago, researchers began to notice a high incidence of Parkinson’s features within the community. Several population studies have been conducted on the Amish, including this one:
Title: A population-based study of parkinsonism in an Amish community.
Authors: Racette BA, Good LM, Kissel AM, Criswell SR, Perlmutter JS.
Journal: Neuroepidemiology. 2009;33(3):225-30.
PMID: 19641327 (This article is OPEN ACCESS if you would like to read it)
The researcher in this study tried to recruit all of the individuals over the age of 60 (total 262 people) in an Old-Order Amish community of 4,369 people. Of the 213 subjects who agreed to participate, 15 had Parkinson’s disease while a further 73 individuals had a UPDRS (Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale) motor score of >9 (indicating early stages of Parkinson’s). The researchers calculated the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in this population of people at 5,703/100,000 or 5% of the population over 60 years of age. This was far higher than the 1% of the 60+ years population in the rest of the world.
There are over 200,000 Amish in North America, and they have played a prominent historical role in Parkinson’s disease research – the first Parkinson’s-related genetic mutations were identified in genetically isolated Amish populations (Click here for more on this). The genetics of Parkinson’s disease in the Amish is not clear, however, as a recent large population analysis demonstrated:
Title: Parkinson disease loci in the mid-western Amish.
Authors: Davis MF, Cummings AC, D’Aoust LN, Jiang L, Velez Edwards DR, Laux R, Reinhart-Mercer L, Fuzzell D, Scott WK, Pericak-Vance MA, Lee SL, Haines JL.
Journal: Hum Genet. 2013 Nov;132(11):1213-21.
PMID: 23793441 (This article is OPEN ACCESS if you would like to read it)
The scientists behind this study collected DNA samples from 798 individuals (31 with diagnosed Parkinson’s disease) who are part of a 4,998 individuals living in the Amish communities of Indiana and Ohio. Although there were a couple of areas of DNA that may confer susceptibility towards Parkinson’s disease, the researchers did not find any major/significant regions (or loci) suggesting that even within the Amish the genetics of Parkinson’s disease may be more extensive than previously appreciated.
Is there a gender bias in the incidence of Parkinson’s disease?
Yes there is.
On average women have a later onset of Parkinson’s disease than men. In addition, around the world, men are more likely to be affected by Parkinson’s disease than women by a ratio of approximately 2:1.
Curiously, there is one country that bucks this trend: Japan
There are now several studies that find the incidence of Parkinson’s disease in Japan is higher in females than males (Click here for more on this), and we have previously looked at this curious difference in a previous post (Click here to read that post)
Is there any evidence that the incidence of Parkinson’s disease is increasing?
Interesting question, and yes there is:
Title: Time Trends in the Incidence of Parkinson Disease
Authors: Savica R, Grossardt BR, Bower JH, Ahlskog JE, Rocca WA.
Journal: JAMA Neurol. 2016 Aug 1;73(8):981-9.
This very recent study analysed the incidence of Parkinson’s disease by using medical records from the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify incidence cases of Parkinson’s disease and other types of parkinsonism in Olmsted County (Minnesota) between 1976 to 2005. And the researchers made an interesting discovery: between 1976 and 2005, the incidence of Parkinson’s disease has increased, particularly in men 70 years and older. The researchers speculate as to whether this increase is associated with a dramatic decrease in the rates of smoking or other environmental/life styles changes.
We should add that there is some research that refutes this finding and we are waiting to see what follow up analysis shows us – we will report that when it is available.
So what about the Bulgarian gypsies?
Oh yeah, almost forgot.
Title: Prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in Bulgarian Gypsies.
Authors: Milanov I, Kmetski TS, Lyons KE, Koller WC.
Journal: Neuroepidemiology. 2000 Jul-Aug;19(4):206-9.
So between January and November of 1997, the Bulgarian scientists sent out their questionnaire, and they conducted door-to-door visits, eventually collecting a pool of over 6,000 people of gypsy descent. They were trying to determine the incidence of Parkinson’s disease within this community, but what they discovered was not what they expected:
Just one case of Parkinson’s disease.
A 61 year old man.
Given the incidence in most other communities, in a population of 6,000 people one might expect to see maybe 20 cases. Not just one!
The researchers concluded that the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease in the Gypsies was found to be 16/100,000 (based on that 1 case out of 6163 people), compared to 137/100,000 for Caucasians (based on 119 cases from 87,025 people). This means that Bulgarian gypsies have the lowest incidence of Parkinson’s disease in the world.
Our answer: ????
We really do not know. No one does.
The authors of the research paper suggest that gypsies are believed to originate from North India, and given that the inhabitants of Asia have a lower rate of Parkinson’s disease than their western counterparts, this may partly explain the low frequency in the Bulgarian gypsies. This is only applicable, however, if similar low rates of Parkinson’s disease are found in other gypsy populations. To our knowledge, these studies have not been done (please feel free to correct us on this matter).
The banner for today’s post was sourced from BalkanMusicNight | https://scienceofparkinsons.com/tag/incidence/ | fineweb | 11,701 | 2.953125 |
He may have tried to downgrade Pluto from planet status, but we still love him — and today, we celebrate the life and times of Neil deGrasse Tyson! On this, his sixty third birthday, let’s take a look at a man who has not only made enormous contributions to the planetary sciences, but embraced the mediums of internet and pop culture to ignite a passion for science in a brand new generation.
Born in New York on October 5, 1958, Tyson was the son of academics — Cyril deGrasse Tyson, a sociologist working for the mayor of New York City, and Sunchita Maria Tyson, a gerontologist for the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. An athlete in his youth, he was captain of the wrestling team at the Bronx High School of Science and lettered in wrestling his senior year at Harvard. However, he was drawn powerfully to a study of the stars at a very early age after a visit to the Hayden Planetarium. He went on to take classes there, and has gone on record as saying that the director of the planetarium at the time, Mark Chartrand III, as his first intellectual role model.
As his star rose in the scientific community, with legendary astronomer Carl Sagan trying to recruit Tyson to Cornell for his undergraduate studies when Tyson was only fifteen years old, Tyson continued to pursue multiple interests, rather than losing himself in academia, with sports and even dancing. While such diversified interests may have hampered Tyson’s studies early on — he, himself, has gone on record saying that he likely should have spent more time in the research lab during his graduate studies at the University of Texas at Austin — they likely helped him in his future, not merely as a student of the universe, but as a science communicator.
While Tyson’s studies have covered a variety of subjects such as cosmology, stellar evolution, galactic bulges, and stellar formation, Tyson is best known for his public discourse on the subject of his work. As a writer for the “Universe” column in Natural History Magazine, Tyson publicized the two day event that takes place annually where the evening sun aligns with the Manhattan street grid, and the sunset is visible along unobstructed side streets. He termed this phenomenon “Manhattanhenge,” drawing a corellation to the sun’s solstice alignment with England’s Stonehenge.
However, Tyson’s most infamous astronomical contributions came as a result of his interest in looking at the commonalities of celestial objects by grouping the terrestrial planets together, the gas giants, and to group one object in particular with other like bodies, rather than identifying the known entities in the solar system as a numerical order of planets.
In 1996, Tyson became the director of the Hayden Planetarium — the same venue that shaped his desire to study the planets in his formative years. It was a post he took very seriously, the role not just of director, but as educator and of scientific advocate. During his tenure there, Tyson enacted his agenda in a move that follows him even to this day.
Under Tyson’s decree, the planetarium began removing mentions of Pluto as a planet from educational materials and instruction. The International Astronomical Union (IAU) later agreed with Tyson and downgraded Pluto to a ‘dwarf planet,’ which resulted in controversy. Tyson received a great deal of hate mail over the campaign, much of it from children who disapproved of his decision.
The debate over Pluto’s planetary status made Tyson a contentious figure in pop culture circles—and it made him a popular pop culture figure as he became the centerpiece of innumerable memes, online debates, and even earned him a guest appearance on The Big Bang Theory where his classification of Pluto was the focus of his role on top of his work in astrophysics. He has also become a staple of Twitter, and a common face attached to the sciences through his appearances on shows like the revival of mentor Sagan’s Cosmos series, as well as the PBS series NOVA and the televised version of Tyson’s podcast, Star Talk.
Whatever your stance may be on Pluto, there’s one thing that’s for certain: thanks to Neil deGrasse Tyson, the public is talking about astronomy, celestial events, and science in general. He makes the planetary sciences cool, and that’s makes him out of this world.
Liz Carlie, the Mad Woman with a Box, a regular book reviewer for SCIFI.radio and a regular guest on ‘The Event Horizon’. She has been in and around science fiction fandom for years, and works with the American Red Cross on blood drives at science fiction conventions all over Southern California. | https://scifi.radio/2021/10/05/happy-63rd-birthday-neil-degrasse-tyson/ | fineweb | 4,613 | 2.578125 |
Carrying backpacks for the first time, Scouts leave the familiar comforts of home and strike out on the trail. Following flashlight beams through unknown territory, they arrive at the campsite with their friends. Tents are set up, a fire is lit and they gather around trying to shake off the cold.
They talk excitedly about tomorrow’s climb over a mountain peak to the destination on the other side. They strain their imaginations in anticipation, careful to mask the uncertainty and vulnerability they feel in the volume and bravado of the conversation. Excited anticipation and the fear of the unknown make it hard to sleep that night.
In the morning, the Scouts are up and on the trail. The day unfolds in a series of struggles and challenges that strain their backs and minds. By late afternoon, they reach the campsite on the other side of the mountain. Tired, relieved to drop their packs, they are aglow with a sense of accomplishment. They made it through! They overcame their doubts and fears, they encouraged and helped one another along the way; and now they have arrived.
Our backpacking Scouts have been through a ‘rite of passage’. The term may be familiar but it bears explaining. A rite of passage has three stages :
- Separation – Leaving the familiar comforts of home for a new challenge.
- Transition – Enduring a period of uncertainty and vulnerability.
- Accomplishment – Reaching the goal.
Understanding these stages helps us guide young people on a journey through the series of experiences and challenges that lead to adulthood. We may be familiar with a given experience but it’s new to our Scouts. They are encountering new physical, mental and spiritual challenges. They have voluntarily separated themselves from the familiar and entered into a transitional state subject to their own fears and uncertainties.
Every young person wants to belong to something larger than themselves, to gain acceptance, to be identified as a full member of the group. This desire is so strong, so instinctual, that it blurs the lines between good and bad. Young people are desperate to fill this void whether the group coerces them to negative, destructive behavior like a street gang, or positive, constructive activities like Scouting.
We are familiar with the movie stereotype of a demanding, harsh, insulting, military officer who berates and rides his recruits. We may even have been subject to this sort of thing . As Scouters, we never stoop to hazing, harshness and discouragement. How you experienced of rites of passage will inform your reaction; perhaps you received support and affirmation; perhaps you met with discouragement and harshness. Our instinctive reactions may be positive or negative. As Scouters we check our negative instincts and champion positive, affirming, encouraging rites of passage.
Some rites of passage end in clear outward symbolism like the ceremonial presentation of a badge. Some are more subtle transitions that we mark with words of affirmation in recognition of a Scout’s progress. We are never harsh or disapproving, but unfailingly supportive and understanding. Even when the going is tough, or our Scouts efforts look less than encouraging, we maintain a positive outlook. Scouters trade discouragement for honest praise. We trade demeaning, abusive hazing or ‘initiations’ for ceremonies that honor accomplishment.
How we express honest encouragement is vitally important; it is not simple platitudes or disingenuous praise. To be honestly encouraging we strive to understand the scale of the challenge from each individual Scout’s perspective. Bold, outgoing, and enthusiastic, or shy, meek and fearful, we never belittle or demean a Scout’s effort, even in jest. What we intend as good-natured chiding may be received as a devastating blow. We put the best face on every step forward and support each Scout’s effort towards the goal. | https://scoutmastercg.com/scoutings-positive-rites-passage/ | fineweb | 3,892 | 2.78125 |
JFK's Words Ring True Today, Found On the Walls of The Kennedy Center and the REACH
To passionate arts lovers, the words of John F. Kennedy’s words ring true today. “I look forward to an America which will reward achievement in the arts as we reward achievement in business or statecraft,” (JFK, at Amherst College, October 26, 1963) reads one of the 35th president’s ringing exhortations, prominently chiseled on the walls overlooking the Kennedy Center terrace. Nearby is another: “This country cannot afford to be materially rich and spiritually poor.” (JFK, State of the Union Message, January 14, 1963)
The Kennedy Center, a living memorial to President John F. Kennedy, honors our 35th President everyday by uplifting ideals from his legacy (service, justice, freedom, courage, and gratitude) that live through the arts. The new annex – the REACH – expresses these ideals anew.
The REACH—the name was inspired by JFK’s vision for human potential—is full in tributes to the 35th president. Thirty-five gingko trees, which shed their leaves in the late fall, are there to memorialize JFK’s November assassination. Classrooms are named after Kennedy family horses Macaroni and Sardar, and Kennedy quotations— such as, “I see little of more importance to the future of our country and civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist” and “The artist, however faithful to his personal vision of reality, becomes the last champion of the individual mind against an intrusive society and an officious state.” (Both from Kennedy’s last major speech: Remarks at Amherst College, October 26, 1963) —are etched in glass throughout.
“I hope everybody from D.C. will come and read these quotes,” the Reach’s architect Steven Holl says. “The values of John F. Kennedy are more important than they ever were.”
“Art knows no national boundaries. Genius can speak in any tongue and the entire world will hear it and listen.” (JFK, found on the wall of the PT-109 break out room in the REACH.) | https://shop.kennedy-center.org/blogs/news/jfks-words-ring-true-today-found-on-the-walls-of-the-kennedy-center-and-the-reach | fineweb | 1,995 | 2.984375 |
Let your children be involved in your organic gardening efforts. You can provide a good learning experience that your children can appreciate the more they learn on how to grow healthy produce.
Many people are beginning to enjoy growing an organic garden. Using the information in this article will help you to quickly get up to speed on how to grow your own organic garden. Keep reading to learn some tricks of the trade that will help you get a great garden.
To be most efficient in your gardening, always keep your tools close at hand. You can wear an apron or pants that have a lot of pockets, or use a big bucket or can. Keep your gloves, pruning shears, a hand spade and your other tools handy to quickly and easily do your garden maintenance.
If you have children, plant strawberries, especially everbearing strawberries, in your organic garden. Children are thrilled to harvest fruit from their own garden, and doing so often makes them more enthusiastic about helping out with the more hum-drum aspects of tending a garden.
Do not underestimate pine as great mulch. Some garden plants have a higher acidity, and prefer a more acidic soil. If that’s the case, the easiest thing to do is use pine needles for beds. If you spread a few inches of pine needles around your garden beds, when they break down, the acid they contain will leach into the soil.
If you have plants inside, make sure the thermostat stays between 65 and 75 degrees. The temperature needs to be this warm so they are able to grow. If there are times during the year when you would prefer not to have the temperature that high, another solution you can utilize is to purchase heat lamps for your organic plants.
Your compost pile should contain green plants and dried ones in equal amounts. Green plant material can include old flowers, fruit waste, grass clippings, vegetable waste, and leaves. Examples of dried plant material are sawdust, shredded paper, straw, cut-up woody material, and cardboard. Your compost pile should never contain meat, ashes or charcoal.
You must consider how much light is available when starting your plants indoors. If your residential space has limited sunlight, it will be best that you grow plants that are ideal for this type of environment. You could also consider using grow-lights for this exact purpose.
It is a good idea to get organic garden certification so as to reaffirm your claims that your products really are organic. This should boost your sales while proving to your customers that they are getting healthy products.
Preparing the soil for your perennial garden is easy. Use a spade to dig up some soil, flip the soil over, and finally, sprinkle around 3-4 inches of wood chips on the soil. Let the area have about two weeks, then dig it and plan the new perennials.
Most people favor organically grown fruits and vegetables for their cleanliness and the fact that they are not grown with harmful pesticides. Although this is better for your health, you do need to check organic produce for infestation of bugs before eating it.
Once your seeds have germinated they will not need to be kept as warm as before. Take your plants out of the heat once they start to grow. This also includes removing any plastic that you had covering the plant or container. Watch your seeds carefully to know when you can take these steps.
Research botanical insecticide formulas, as they are often quite effective in eradicating pests. Natural insecticides are sometimes more effective than the myriad synthetic, chemical-based products available. The distinguishing factor of botanical varieties is that they will decay much more quickly and will be eliminated from your environment faster.
You just have to be patient if you want to get your organic garden into tip top shape. Start implementing the hints and tips you’ve been given to find out what an incredible garden you can grow. It doesn’t matter what you’re trying to grow, the tips you learned can help you be successful.
When you plant your garden, do so by creating biodiversity. Packing your garden with multiple species and varieties helps ensure you attract wildlife. You can create a very realistic environment if you plant a wide variety of species in your garden. Not only will wildlife enjoy the space you have created, but you will have a pleasant spot to relax, and feel satisfied that you are helping the environment. | https://sidewalk1.com/sowing-seeds-organic-gardening-advice-for-your-garden/ | fineweb | 4,398 | 2.875 |
Wearables allow users to monitor their health, receive alerts for potential health issues, and preemptively contact a doctor. The most well known are smart watches and fitness trackers. This article discusses how people use wearable tech for healthcare, and the limitations of these devices.
From Fitbits to smartwatches, the use of wearable technology has tripled in the last 4 years, according to Business Insider Intelligence. The promise of better health has people eager to track their vital signs, including blood pressure, heart rate, and calories burned. Some experts, though, say these devices are inaccurate and that people tend to over-rely on them.
Wearables Track Vitals and Trigger Health Alerts
Wearables use sensors to track the user’s physical activity and vitals over time. Users can access their personal data using a range of wearable devices, including:
- Apps that sync the wearable to the user’s smartphone
The proximity of these devices allows them to provide users with real-time health and fitness recommendations. People can quickly glimpse their heart rate, blood sugar levels, or steps taken.
According to Raconteur, 62% of people think wearables will put them in control of their health and 60% think they will improve their overall health.
Insights from wearables both promote healthy habits and mitigate the risk of life-threatening situations. For example, wearable ECG monitors can measure electrocardiograms and send the data to doctors, who can recognize the triggers for degenerative heart disease.
As data accumulates and the market for wearable devices expands, wearable technology will provide support for a greater range of medical conditions.
Users Should Not Rely Solely Upon Wearables
Wearables are a new technology and are dependent on users for a lot of the data they collect. This leaves room for error on a number of fronts. For example, wearables can misdiagnose users based on bad readings or inputs, which can result in costly medical visits and needless anxiety.
A case in point: the Apple Watch EKG software uses electrodes on the back of the watch to detect irregular heart rhythms and atrial fibrillation.
This is a valuable diagnostic tool for users at risk of a heart attack. However, people of all ages periodically experience irregular heart rhythms without any medical significance. Therefore, an Apple Watch may tell a user to seek immediate medical attention when there is no need.
Cardiologists say that it’s ineffective to measure heart rhythms without numerous and more sensitive inputs than a single device.
Despite this, the Food and Drug Administration cleared the EKG software without subjecting the product to peer review or releasing the test data.
“Companies could engage more with independent researchers to validate their products – that is – provide evidence from published, peer-reviewed journals that their products match up, to a reasonable degree, with gold standard methods for measuring such biometrics,” said Dr. Jonathan Peake, a lecturer at the Queensland University of Technology.
People should not solely rely on wearables because they’re untested and prone to false positives. Exercise common sense when interpreting data from a wearable.
Balance Data from Wearables with Common Sense
Wearable users should consider their unique health situation when presented with alarming data.
For users with existing medical conditions, being sensitive to wearable data is highly valuable. For example, responding to an alert about a spike in blood pressure could prevent a heart attack or a stroke.
That said, at-risk users should never substitute their regular medical screenings for the data of a wearable device. Wearables are not tested enough to support this level of trust.
Users without existing medical conditions, though, should take any alerts with a grain of salt.
Doctors say that it’s not helpful for healthy people to be overly concerned with their vitals, as obsessing about non-existent health issues can lead to problems. In a culture increasingly reliant on technology, experts worry that wearable users will adopt hypochondriac tendencies.
A recent study found that using a fitness tracker could lead to feelings of self-loathing and over-reliance, though the sample size was small.
Wearables are fallible and users should consider the data relative to their bodily symptoms and medical history. If a worrying condition persists, consult a doctor.
Personal Data from Wearables is Changing Health Care
Wearables provide information about peoples’ health and fitness, but they are not always accurate.
Users with serious medical issues benefit from tracking their vitals, despite the occasional false positive. On the other hand, paying too much attention to a wearable device may cause needless stress and medical expenses for healthy users.
As the market for healthcare wearables grows, regulations would serve to ensure the accuracy of these devices and the accountability of manufacturers.
Emily Clark is a Content Developer for The Manifest, a data-driven and user-friendly platform business buyers can use to access information about business services.
(Visited 31 times, 1 visits today) | https://smartclave.com/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-health-tracking-with-wearables/ | fineweb | 5,186 | 3.21875 |
Performance management is the overarching process that deals with performance. It reflects the approach one entity has towards performance and it includes sub processes such as: strategy definition (planning / goal setting), strategy execution, training, and performance measurement.
Performance measurement is a subprocess of performance management that focuses on the identification, tracking and communication of performance results by the use of performance indicators. It deals with the evaluation of results, while performance management deals with taking action based on the results of the evaluation and ensuring the target results are achieved. Performance measures quantitatively tell us something important about our products, services and the processes that produce them. They are a tool to help us understand, manage and improve what our organizations do. So, performance measurement is a must and it is imperiously required to support the performance management system.
Benefits of measurement
Substantial benefits are realized by organizations implementing performance measurement systems. The performance measurement system is a process used for continuous learning in which feedback is used to identify achievements and to make ongoing adjustments to agreed-upon strategies or initiatives to ensure continued excellence of activities and services, and to progress for the attainment of organizations mission, vision and objectives. It also can provide a balanced and systematic attempt to asses the effectiveness of organizations operations from different points of view: financial; business performance; the clients and the employees.
The performance measurement provides the essential feedback to improve decision making in organizations at all levels: strategic, operational or individual level. As a process, performance measurement is not simply concerned with collecting data associated with a predefined performance goal or standard. Performance measurement is better thought of as an overall management system involving prevention and detection aimed at achieving conformance of the work product or service to the customer requirements. Additionally, it is also concerned with process optimization through increased efficiency and effectiveness of the process or product. These actions occur in a continuous cycle, allowing options for expansion and improvement of the work process or product as better techniques are discovered and implemented.
Why do we need to measure?
If you cannot measure an activity you cannot control. If you cannot control it, you cannot manage it; “when performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported back, the rate of improvement accelerates”. Measurements therefore can be used for; | https://smartkpis.kpiinstitute.org/kpi-101/performance-management-and-measurement | fineweb | 2,778 | 2.890625 |
Program Leader: Xylia Serafy, South Fork Natural History Museum Environmental Educator
Fish are specially adapted to surviving in their environment. Some have rounded bodies and some are flat. There are tails that are big and wide and ones that are pointy; some fish have huge shiny scales and some have none. See why fish are so special in so many ways. Create your own fishy creature with funny-shaped fins and tail, crazy mouths, and googly eyes. Make your fish as special or strange as you want. Limit 15 children. Material fee $3.
Advance reservations are required for all events. For more information, reservations, and directions to meeting places, please call: (631) 537-9735. | https://sofo.org/event/design-the-perfect-fish-fish-adaptations-children-ages-6-8new-steam-based-programming/ | fineweb | 684 | 3.015625 |
Textile recycling: Here’s how to start, right here
Textiles, especially textiles that are produced domestically, are often used in the textile industry as a raw material.
This can cause serious environmental and health risks.
Some environmental groups have expressed concern that the waste and recycling practices of the textile recycling industry in Alaska are environmentally and health-related and should be banned.
The textile industry in the Alaskan Northwest has long been criticized for not following environmental regulations, particularly on textile waste and its impact on water quality and land.
The environmental and social costs of textile recycling are substantial and are significant.
Textiles are a major source of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, with an estimated 3,200 tons per year of CO2 produced by the textile sector.
Alaskans are the largest textile consumers in the world, consuming about 80% of the country’s cotton, wool, and textiles.
The waste and recyclability of textile waste is a major problem.
Alakas Northwest Textile Recycling Company is an Alaskas oldest and largest textile recycling company, operating from its headquarters in Alaskac.
The company processes about 7 million tonnes of textile products annually.
The Company was established in 1971 and has been operating since 1990.
The Northwest Textiles and Recyclables is one of the most diverse and efficient textile recycling operations in the state.
The Recycler’s Association of the Northwest of Alaska, the Northwest Textilists Association of Alaska and the Northwest Recycled Textiles Association are all registered with the Northwest Paper Industry Council.
The largest textile processing facility in Alaska, Northwest Text Mills, produces about 10 million kilograms of textile per year.
The number of jobs in the industry is relatively small, but it is important to recognize the environmental and economic benefits of textile manufacturing.
Alachas Northwest Recycle & Recycle Association is a non-profit organization that advocates for the textile industries, and its membership includes some of the biggest companies in the Northwest textile industry, including Northwest Textics, Northwest Paper, and Northwest Industries.
The membership of the RecyCLER Association has grown from five to more than 150 members since 2000.
The group also maintains an online directory of companies that have been involved in the process of textile production.
A recent study published in the American Journal of Environmental Science and Technology found that Northwest Textels waste and recycled textiles produced between 10 and 50 percent more carbon dioxide per ton than non-waste textile waste.
The study also found that the process reduced waste by about 20 percent, which is significant in Alaska.
However, it was found that recycling costs were also significantly higher than the cost of non-recyclable textile waste, such as paper and cardboard.
The industry has an important role to play in the local economy in terms of jobs and economic development.
The Alaskayan Northwest Texturization Company, headquartered in Anchorage, is the largest supplier of textilks and other recycled products to Alaska.
It recycles between 25 million and 35 million textiles annually.
Northwest Texticries has been growing and expanding since the 1970s.
It currently operates in Alaska and several states and territories, including Hawaii.
The North American Northwest Texty Recycles Association, an organization with over 600 members, is active and provides a network of local, regional, and national organizations working in the area of textile and recycler.
It also provides information and support to textile producers in the United States.
The textile industry in Alaska produces more than 7.5 million metric tons of texturizing products per year, which accounts for about 5 percent of the state’s overall textile production, according to the Alakasia Northwest Textist RecyCLE Association.
The most recent figures available show that the Northwest Company of Textiles is the third largest textile company in Alaska after Northwest Textys and Northwest Recys, and has a market capitalization of about $30 million.
Northwest Recryclables has more than 600 members in the Washington, D.C., area.
The Seattle-based company has grown to more then 100 members and a market cap of $5 million.
The business provides a wide variety of recycled materials and uses materials like paper, plastic, metal, and rubber to produce more than 100,000 tons of nonwaste materials each year.
Northwest Fiber Recyle, which has branches in Alaska as far west as South Dakota, has also been growing in the last several years.
It is currently in the market for a new manufacturing facility.
The main goal is to start using the land for the processing of more sustainable materials, and the North American Fiber Recycle Association of Washington, which was founded in 2003, supports the expansion of the organization in the Pacific Northwest.
Textile Processing in Alaska The Alakasis Northwest Textorization Company processes about 2 million tons of textile per year and recycles about 6 million tons per month.
The Textile Manufacturing Alliance, which represents | https://bluebelltexbd.com/2021/08/textile-recycling-heres-how-to-start-right-here/ | fineweb | 5,220 | 3.40625 |
Algebra 1 – Geometry – Algebra 2 (AGA) Math Adoption
The Bellevue School District School Board approved the adoption of Discovery Math Techbook to be used as the curricular resource for the Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 courses on March 6, 2018. Implementation of the resource will begin in the 2018-2019 school year.
Have questions? Read our AGA Adoption FAQ
Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 courses are piloting two new instructional resources during first semester this year. The first resource is Pearson enVision Math and the second is Math Techbook. The process will culminate in the recommendation of math instructional materials that will be implemented beginning in the fall of 2018-19. This informational meeting will give parents an opportunity to experience both resources and provide feedback.
We invite community members to explore the resources using the information below. Please feel free to email us with feedback or questions.
Math Techbook by Discovery Education
The purpose of the AGA Instructional Material Adoption Committee is to carry out the textbook selection process and make a recommendation to the Instructional Materials Committee based upon objective evidence gathered during the process. The committee will include teacher representatives, building/district administration and parent representation. The committee will be facilitated by the 8-12 Math Curriculum Developer.
The role of the members of AGA Instructional Material Adoption Committee is:
- Attend scheduled meetings
- Serve as a communication link to the community they represent
- Assist in collecting data regarding the instructional materials under consideration
- Through a consensus process, make a formal recommendation to the Instructional Materials Committee
- Algebra 1 – Geometry – Algebra 2 (AGA) Math Adoption
- AP Physics Adoption
- Biology Adoption Committee
- Elementary Science Adoption
- French 4 Textbook Adoption
- High School Algebra 1 Adoption
- Honors 7th Grade Language Arts Adoption Committee
- Honors Freshman Literature & Composition Adoption Committee
- ISA Middle School Textbook Adoption
- Japanese Textbook Adoption
- Jr. American Literature Textbook Adoption
- Life Skills Curriculum
- Middle School ELA Summer Reading Adoption
- Middle School Math Adoption
- Middle School Science Adoption
- Reading/Literacy Lab Instructional Material Adoption Committee
- Secondary Additional Materials Adoption
- Special Education Direct Instruction Reading Curriculum
- Special Education Preschool ABA Curriculum Committee | https://bsd405.org/departments/curriculum/curriculum-adoption/past-curriculum-adoption-committees/algebra-geometry-algebra-2-aga-adoption/ | fineweb | 2,543 | 2.796875 |
Landscape Architecture: About the Profession
Landscape architecture work is vast and varied, and includes the design of everything outside your door. The scope of work is diverse in form and scale, from residential design to wilderness management. Types of projects include public parks, plazas, streets and parkways, college campuses, trails and campgrounds, backyards, playgrounds, shopping centers, and environmental restoration, to name a few. The profession is multi-disciplinary, incorporating elements of natural and social sciences with the creative arts and design.
The profession is geared towards holistic, big-picture thinking, and responding to key social and environmental issues such as climate change, water scarcity, air and light pollution, sustainable building, public health and active living. Landscape architects are trained to have knowledge and understanding of many disciplines including ecology, hydrology, geology, botany, sociology, and engineering.
Successful landscape architects are creative visionaries and are skilled at communication and collaboration. On a typical project, landscape architects work closely with architects, engineers, surveyors, horticulturalists, planners, scientists, and contractors. Projects commonly begin with envisioning the potential of a site and communicating the idea through drawings and presentations. Landscape architects also prepare technical reports, manage projects and lead interdisciplinary teams.
Landscape architects perform professional work in planning and design of land for human use and enjoyment. They produce overall plans and landscape designs for site improvements based on analyses of environmental, physical and social characteristics, and economic considerations.
The practice of a landscape architect may include: investigation, selection, and allocation of land and water resources for appropriate uses; feasibility studies; formulation of graphic and written criteria to govern the planning and design of land construction programs; preparation review, and analysis of master plans for land use and development; production of overall site plans, landscape grading and landscape drainage plans, irrigation plans, planting plans, and construction details; specifications; cost estimates and reports for land development; collaboration in the design of roads, bridges, and structures with respect to the functional and aesthetic requirements of the areas on which they are to be placed; negotiation and arrangement for execution of land area projects; field observation and inspection of land area construction, restoration, and maintenance.
Landscape architecture is a state licensed and regulated profession overseen by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB). Obtaining licensure requires advanced education and work experience plus the passing of rigorous national and state exams. | http://www.asla-ncc.org/about-us/about-the-profession/ | fineweb | 2,899 | 3.21875 |
Researchers at North Carolina State University have created a new flexible nano-scaffold for rechargeable lithium ion batteries that could help make cell phone and electric car batteries last longer.
The research, published online in Advanced Materials, shows the potential of manufactured sheets of aligned carbon nanotubes coated with silicon, a material with a much higher energy storage capacity than the graphite composites typically used in lithium ion batteries.
“Putting silicon into batteries can produce a huge increase in capacity—10 times greater,” said Dr. Philip Bradford, assistant professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at NC State. “But adding silicon can also create 10 times the problems.”
One significant challenge in using silicon is that it swells as lithium ion batteries discharge. As the batteries cycle, silicon can break off from the electrode and float around (known as pulverization) instead of staying in place, making batteries less stable.
When the silicon-coated carbon nanotubes were aligned in one direction like a layer of drinking straws laid end to end, the structure allowed for controlled expansion so that the silicon is less prone to pulverization, said Xiangwu Zhang, associate professor of textile engineering, chemistry and science at NC State.
“There’s a huge demand for batteries for cell phones and electric vehicles, which need higher energy capacity for longer driving distances between charges,” Zhang said. “We believe this carbon nanotube scaffolding potentially has the ability to change the industry, although technical aspects will have to be worked out. The manufacturing process we’re using is scalable and could work well in commercial production.”
The research was supported by the Donors to the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund. | http://www.azonano.com/news.aspx?NewsID=28000 | fineweb | 1,823 | 3.328125 |
HOW IT GOT ITS NAME: From George Washington, who had traveled through the area on more than one occasion, and to commemorate the fact that it was the first town in Connecticut to be incorporated after the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
ORIGINS: Settled in 1734 when Joseph Hurlbut moved into the eastern section of the area known as the North Purchase of Woodbury, later renamed Judea. The western part of the town, then belonging to New Milford, was settled in 1741 and later renamed New Preston. The town was incorporated in 1779 by combining the Parishes of Judea and New Preston with additional land taken from Litchfield and Kent.
DID YOU KNOW: The town's luxurious Mayflower Inn served as inspiration for the "Dragonfly Inn" in the television program Gilmore Girls (2000-2007), set in the fictitious Connecticut town of Stars Hollow.
FAMOUS RESIDENTS: Some of the town's notable residents have included entertainer Conan O'Brien, singer James Taylor, actresses Linda Dano and Christine Baranski, and educator and prominent abolitionist Frederick William Gunn.
SOURCES: The Hartford Courant; washingtonct.org; imdb.com; Connecticut State Register and Manual | http://www.baltimoresun.com/hc-townname-info-washington-story.html | fineweb | 1,175 | 3 |
RED SEA in a Nutshell
The Red Sea is a popular dive area that has plentiful marine life. It is easily accessed from Europe and boasts warm water and generally great visiblility. The main tourists hubs are in the northern regions, but the crowds thin in the southern areas.
Intro to the Red Sea
Due to its high evaporation rate, miniscule rainfall, and relative geographical isolation, the Red Sea has one of the world's highest rates of salinity. These same conditions provide excellent diving weather; the Red Sea generally boasts 360 dive days per year, with cooler temperatures from October to May and summer conditions from June to September. The Red Sea has few river tributaries feeding into it, which means limited microalgae and excellent visibility.
The Red Sea is known for its prolific marine life, hosting over a thousand fish species, 20% of which exist exclusively in this body of water. Its very sunny conditions make it ideal for coral growth and indeed, over 200 soft and hard corals can be found in the extensive gardens lining the shallow shelves. Beyond these lively shallows, the median central trench dives to depths of over 7000 feet, supporting a water circulation system that supports a healthy marine environment.
The countries surrounding the Red Sea include Egypt, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen. Most visitors, lured by the rich history and topside destinations such as Luxor and Cairo, travel through Egypt.
RED SEA Typical Dive
The Red Sea boasts excellent,easy shore diving out of Dahab and Sharm el-Sheikh. Sharm el-Sheikh is also home to many impressive dive sites which are easily reached on day trips from the city. Most divers choose to utilize scuba dive liveaboards, however, in order to avoid the crowds of the northern region and gain access to remote dive sites such as Brother Islands and Elphinstone Reef. Liveaboard itineraries are varied and generally span 7 days. The Red Sea hosts multiple wrecks including several WWII ships containing numerous artifacts.
Temperatures in the Red Sea reach 84 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer months, with temperatures as low as 70 degrees in the cooler months. Visibility is excellent, reaching up to 200 feet. There are drift dives available, but for the most part, the Red Sea maintains very calm conditions. There are sites to suit every diver from beginner to advanced.
The opportunities are endless; Explore the Valley of Kings in Luxor, take a camel ride to visit the pyramids, or spend a few days in the city of Alexandria - the second most powerful city in the ancient world (following Rome). | http://www.bluewaterdivetravel.com/red-sea-dive-travel-guide | fineweb | 2,583 | 2.953125 |
Essential Qualities in Your Montessori Classroom
1. The Montessori Learning Environment
- A Student-Centred Environment.
The focus of activity in the Montessori setting is on the child’s learning, not on the teacher’s teaching. There should be individual and small group lessons, with some opportunity for whole group activity.
- A Responsive, Prepared, Adaptive Environment.
An environment responsive to the child’s emergent needs is one designed for their interests, abilities and potential and continues to be responsive to the children’s needs and evolving interests.
- Individual Competence.
Within a Montessori setting, children strive to realize their own potential, solve their own problems, and master their own skills at their own pace.
2. The Montessori Learning Relationships
- Mixed Age Groupings.
In order to respond to the diversity of individual children’s developmental needs, classes group children across a three-year age span.
- Social Settings as a Community.
Learning with and from each other to develop the social skills that form a class community.
- Co-operation, Collaboration, Not Competition.
Children are encouraged to respect and support one another in their learning, and with their daily needs and experiences. Learning is a social process.
3. Montessori Learning Activity
- Hands-On Experience with Materials.
Children learn by actively working with the concrete materials that lead to abstract concepts.
- Spontaneous Activity.
The Montessori environment provides a setting in which children can explore, discover, and learn independently and with others.
- Active Learning.
Movement with purpose and control is central to learning.
- Self-Directed Activity.
Children construct their own intelligence. Concentration and engagement are enhanced by choosing their own activities from a carefully prepared curriculum.
- Freedom with Responsibility.
Freedom is given and earned. Self-discipline develops from the freedom and responsibility to appropriately choose their own activity.
- Intrinsic Motivation.
The drive toward competence is fuelled by the child’s natural curiosity and interest.
4. What the Montessori Teacher Is
The teacher responds empathetically to the children’s feelings and needs, while firmly establishing limits for the group.
The teacher is capable of observing, reflecting and planning for each child’s individualized progress.
The teacher is the resource to whom children may turn for help, in all areas of their development.
The teacher models the behaviours, values, and personal qualities which they seek to develop in their students.
5. What the Montessori Teacher Does
- Prepares the Environment.
The teacher creates and facilitates a sense of order, attractiveness and a joy of learning.
- Respectfully engages the Learner.
The teacher links the child to the environment, being aware of their cognitive, social, physical and moral development.
- Parent Partnership.
The teacher establishes the communication that builds the trust and respect between home and school. | http://www.ccma.ca/essential-qualities-in-your-montessori-classroom | fineweb | 3,028 | 4 |
Sharks are among some of the most threatened fishes in the world’s oceans
As a group, face possibly the largest global population declines in modern history. These declines have been caused by the chronic overfishing of some species, driven by the demand the high value fins. Many species of shark are considered apex predators, and are thought to be of critical importance in maintaining equilibrium in marine ecosystems through the regulation of the distribution and abundance of species at lower trophic levels. Consequently, the widespread overexploitation of some shark species is thought to have far-reaching consequences for entire food webs, threatening the stability of these sensitive ecosystems.
The Shark Research and Conservation Program (SRCP) was established in 2006 to increase the capacity for conservation based elasmobranch science in The Bahamas, and the greater Caribbean region. The SRCP has a unique opportunity to study a diverse assemblage of shark species due to our close proximity to multiple ecosystems which are home to wide variety of elasmobranch species. Furthermore, a ban on commercial longline fishing the early 1990s, and a complete moratorium on commercial shark fisheries in 2011 created one of the largest shark sanctuaries in the world. This allows the SRCP to focus on many different elasmobranch resources, ultimately promoting their effective management on a regional and global scale. At present, the SRCP conducts research in every major marine ecosystem found in The Bahamas and the greater Caribbean region.
Current research projects include:
- Deep Water Baited Underwater Video Surveys- The focus of this research is to assess the diversity, distribution and abundance of deep water fauna using ‘The Medusa’ – a specialized deepwater baited video camera capable of reaching depths of up to 2,000m (6,600ft) – For video please clickhere.
- Historical Elasmobranch Abundance– Fisheries independent surveys from the 1970’s being recreated in order to determine 30 year shifts in the composition of elasmobranch assemblages in The Bahamas.
- The Costs of Capture– Commercial longline fisheries are the single largest capture method for elasmobranchs in the world, and the SRCP has several projects that focus on the physiological, behavioral and energetic costs of capture to the individual. This project is run in collaboration with the New England Aquarium research department.
- Oceanic Whitetip Shark Ecology– Thought to be one of the most overexploited species in the western Atlantic, this wide ranging, highly migratory species is very poorly understood. In collaboration with Microwave Telemetry and Stony Brook University we are examining the spatiotemporal movement patterns of this species, and identifying the biological imperatives which drive them. – For video please click here.
- Caribbean Reef Shark Ecology– This species is arguable the most ecologically and economically important species in the greater Caribbean region, yet its fundamental ecology is very poorly understood. The SRCP employs a number of techniques to elucidate the ecology of this species including temporally and spatially structured longline and baited video surveys, mark recapture studies and both acoustic and satellite telemetry.
- Nurse Shark Mating Aggregations– The waters and creeks of Cape Eleuthera are home to large numbers of nurse sharks that form several summertime mating aggregations. Over the last four years this project has assessed the size and duration of these aggregations, in addition to assessing the site fidelity of females.
- Bull Shark Ecology– This species is a common visitor to the Bahamas in the winter months but rarely seen in the summer. Using satellite technology, we aim to discern broad spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use and seasonal residency in The Bahamas.
- Rare Species Baited Video Surveys– Baited Remote Underwater Video Surveys (BRUVs) are a widespread and effective rapid assessment tool. This project increases soak times to multiple hours over multiple days in order quantify the abundance of rarer species.
In the past, we have also focused on:
- Bioenergetics– Understanding the daily energy budgets of sharks can assist in understanding their ecological role. This project aims to quantify daily energy budget of juvenile lemon sharks, and to assess the energetic costs of capture. This project is run in collaboration with the New England Aquarium research department.
- The Immunological Response of Elasmobranchs to Chronic Stress– This study has a multifaceted approach in exploring potential causes of elasmobranch post-release mortality as well as the physiological effects of ocean acidification on the yellow stingray, Urobatis jamaicensis. This project is run in collaboration with the New England Aquarium research department.
- The Importance of Shallow Water Production in Deep Water Ecosystems– This project aims to assess the importance of coastal benthic insular primary production for deep-water carbon flow within the north east Exuma Sound trench community.
If you are interested in more about the Shark Research and Conservation Program or any of its projects please contact Dr. Owen O'Shea at [email protected]
Collaboration & Support
Our research is conducted in collaboration with the Ocean Research and Conservation Association (ORCA); Microwave Telemetry Inc.; Florida State University, Coastal and Marine Laboratory; New England Aquarium; Stony Brook University, Institute for Ocean Conservation Science; University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; University of Exeter; and Newcastle University. | http://www.ceibahamas.org/sharks | fineweb | 5,631 | 3.515625 |
Most of Centeye’s vision chips use logarithmic response pixel circuits. Essentially such pixel circuits generate a voltage level that is a logarithmic function of the amount of light striking a pixel. This is different from most CMOS or CCD type image sensors that use a linear type of pixel.
Logarithmic pixel circuits have several advantages:
- Logarithmic compression allows operation over a wide range of light levels without having to adjust any “shutter”.
- Logarithmic pixels are easy to use- you just sample the voltage. No need to reset, wait, sample, and read out like when using linear pixel.
- Logarithmic pixels allow direct addressing of pixels- they inherently support the ability to directly read out the pixel you want to read at any time and without having to scan out whole rows or columns of pixels first. Of course, this depends on the ability of the image sensor chip to support this feature as well.
- The logarithmic response allows illumination invariant processing- Suppose two pixels A and B are observing the visual scene. The outputs of these pixels will be an essentially be log(A) and log(B). The difference between these pixel signals will be log(A)-log(B) = log(A/B) or encode the ratio of the amount of light striking A and B. If the global illumination levels change (say by someone turning a light on), this ratio stays pretty much constant.
- Logarithmic pixels operate in continuous time- they are always generating a pixel voltage in response to the light striking it. When the pixel is “read out”, this voltage is merely sampled. If you wanted to, you can monitor different regions of the image at different frame rates. This is not readily possible using standard CMOS or CCD image sensors.
- Since logarithmic pixels operate in continuous time, they can have a faster response to changes in light levels. This can in some cases assist with operation in lower light levels.
- It can be argued that logarithmic pixels are more biologically realistic, since the photoreceptors in animal visual systems tend to have a logarithmic response to light levels. (How else can you look at something in the bright sun and the deep shade at the same time?)
Logarithmic pixels have several disadvantages that should be considered. Obviously the logarithmic compression can reduce contrast sensitivity. Another issue is that logarithmic pixels tend to have a stronger fixed pattern noise (FPN) pattern than linear pixels. Whether these are an issue or not really depend on your application, but these can generally be worked around. For example, to boost contrast sensitivity some of Centeye’s logarithmic response vision chips include on-chip amplifiers to amplify the signal voltage before it gets sent off-chip. For dealing with FPN, there are many standard techniques available to cancel out FPN, either with a one-time calibration step or using adaptive techniques in real-time. For applications in which only pixel intensity change is measured, however, FPN is a constant that may be subtracted out and is thus irrelevant.
How Logarithmic Pixels Work:
The figure below shows a typical logarithmic pixel circuit. Diode D1 is the photodiode that responds to light and sinks to ground an amount of current proportional to the light striking it. This current is typically in the nanoamp to picoamp range. Transistor M1 is “diode connected” and, due to the small current levels flowing through it, is subthreshold biased. The voltage drop across it’s source and drain inputs as connected is a logarithmic function of the current flowing through it. Brighter light increases the current flowing through D1 and M1, which increases the voltage drop across M1 and lowers the resulting pixel voltage. Transistor M2 reads out the pixel voltage and, with transistor MC, forms a source follower to read off the voltage without drawing any current. Typically there is one M2 per pixel and just one MC per column of pixels, with transistor M3 being a “row select” switch that connects the selected pixel to the column output. | http://www.centeye.com/technology/47-2/ | fineweb | 4,043 | 3.484375 |
A common refrain about the limitations of solar power is that the technology only works when the sun is shining. That's certainly true of photovoltaic (PV) solar technology. And of course, wind power only works when the wind blows. Some consider these variable energy sources a threat to the reliable operation of the electrical grid.
Concentrating solar power (CSP), while it might be more expensive than PV technology, has an absolute advantage over PV -- the ability to store thermal energy long after the sun goes down. This ability improves CSP's capacity factor and dispatchability, and has the potential to improve CSP's levelized cost of energy (LCOE).
The advantages of molten-salt storage are known and proven:
- Increased capacity factor
- Extended production of electricity into later parts of the day and after the sun sets
- Greater operational flexibility to shape production to meet changing utility customer demand
- Added balancing and shaping capabilities, as well as ancillary services to support a reliable grid
BrightSource claims to have efficiency and cost advantages over competing parabolic trough solar thermal technologies because of the power tower’s ability to reach higher temperatures and higher pressures during operation.
BrightSource’s power tower solar thermal system uses a field of software-controlled mirrors called heliostats to reflect the sun’s energy onto a boiler atop a tower to produce high temperature and high pressure steam. The steam is used to turn a conventional steam turbine to produce electricity. When paired with storage, the steam is directed to a heat exchanger, where molten salts are further heated to a higher temperature, storing the heat energy for future use. Later, when the energy in storage is needed, the heat stored in the molten salts is used to generate steam to run the steam turbine.
Today, molten salt storage is used widely in solar thermal plants in Spain. The “solar salts” are composed of 60 percent sodium nitrate (NaNO3) and 40 percent potassium nitrate (KNO3) -- commonly available materials.
A 19.9-megawatt Gemasolar CSP power tower plant in Seville, Spain offers 24 hours of uninterrupted operation. The 19.9-megawatt steam turbine can supply electricity to a population of 25,000 households using a 140-meter-tall tower and a field using 2,650 heliostats. That's small by the standards of BrightSource Energy's Ivanpah One installation, with its more than 300 megawatts and 173,000 heliostats.
Molten salt storage has been used with trough CSP systems, but Gemasolar is the first plant to use the thermal-storage system in a central "power tower" and heliostat architecture. And now BrightSource is joining that list.
This accomplishment would seem to change the real practicality of solar power if the costs are right.
Brett Prior, a senior solar analyst at GTM Research, has looked at the LCOE economics of CSP in a recent report, Concentrating Solar Power 2011: Technology, Costs and Markets. Cost per watt -- a key piece of the LCOE calculation -- is very high for the Gemasolar plant, but the expected LCOE for a full-size tower plant with storage could be lower than all other solar options. (See chart below and the report for more details.) But even if solar can get its LCOE down to $0.10/kWh, that still seems high versus gas combined-cycle plants at $0.06/kWh. That is the harrowing number that solar and all new energy must compete with if going after dispatchable wholesale power.
Another entrant in the CSP with molten salt storage field is Santa Monica, Calif.-based SolarReserve, which is building a 110-megawatt solar thermal plant in Nevada with help from a $737 million DOE loan guarantee. SolarReserve CEO Kevin Smith told us back at Intersolar that it could produce power for close to 12.5 cents per kilowatt hour, a figure that will drop to 7.5 cents in a few years.
According to the BrightSource S-1, the firm has at least three patent applications covering storage. | https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/brightsource-adds-storage-piece-to-solar-thermal | fineweb | 3,975 | 3.265625 |
Grid-scale energy storage is getting a lot of attention this year. Pricing has come down and perceived value has come up -- expanding the commercial viability of different technologies.
But the story is much more complicated. There are plenty of important technical and market-based nuances that need to be considered.
Technically speaking, battery chemistries drive performance, and they vary greatly. New nomenclature and standards are needed for comparing batteries across applications. As anyone who has cycled batteries in the lab will attest, the lifetime of the battery is dependent on how the battery is used and under what conditions.
Performance turns out to be difficult to communicate using a spec sheet, and vendors self-select the data they share. Consequently, the energy storage business has a bad reputation for over-promising.
Further complicating things, journalists and the general public often confuse a battery’s kilowatt or megawatt rating with its kilowatt-hour or megawatt-hour rating. The first is a power rating; the second is an energy rating. Energy is the capacity to do work over time (cumulative), while power is the rate at which energy is generated or used (instantaneous). Batteries are typically designed to maximize performance for one or the other, depending on the application.
Currently, the best metric for comparing grid-scale batteries is $/kilowatt-hour over the predicted lifetime. But $/kilowatt-hour is not typically provided by OEMs, and it’s easy to understand why: the metric is too dependent on variables that are impossible to characterize. All cycles are not created equal, nor is a battery’s usage-based lifetime easily predictable.
A battery that excels at 2-hour peak shaving may not be the best battery for frequency response, and vice versa.
A major example of the consequences: the repowering of Duke Energy's $44 million, 24-megawatt-hour Notrees storage project in Texas' ERCOT territory.
A theoretical example would be a disappointed consumer whose power-limited Tesla Powerwall trips off because it can’t simultaneously power the HVAC, refrigerator, and flatscreen TV, even though it has the energy to do so.
The situation is only going to get more confusing as energy management companies start to stack benefits and use the same battery for a range of applications.
So what is the best metric for evaluators? The path of least resistance is to report $/kilowatt-hour -- but under standardized conditions, including temperature.
For example, cycle life and $/kilowatt-hour should be provided by OEMs according to two use cases: 1) energy "marathon" mode; and 2) power "sprinter" mode.
For marathon mode, $/kilowatt-hour should be reported using a charge and discharge rate of 0.5 C (capacity name-plate) cycles. For sprinter mode, $/kilowatt-hour should be reported using a charge and discharge rate of 2 C. In each case, the end of life (EOL) should be considered to be 50 percent of the original capacity or lower. The industry standard EOL of 80 percent original capacity is antiquated, as grid-scale energy storage systems will be used way past that limit.
The above would give investors and program managers a levelized $/kilowatt-hour perspective with which to make informed decisions -- although it wouldn’t solve the benefits-stacking lifetime questions that are upon us.
The Rocky Mountain Institute just released an excellent review of the economics of battery storage, which outlines 13 grid services best suited for energy storage, and recommends stacking services to extract the most value from the assets. But nobody really knows what effect benefits stacking will have on battery lifetimes, which will almost certainly be negative.
The industry needs new tools to ensure energy storage does not over-promise. For example, Sandia National Labs developed a test specifically for fast charge and discharge frequency regulation called High-Rate-Partial-State-of-Charge (HRPSoC). The acronym is not very catchy, but the test simulates the ancillary regulation services of utility and wind farm energy-smoothing. Test methods that are developed and applied for specific and multiple ancillary services will help avoid future issues like those experienced with the Notrees project.
In conclusion, grid-scale and behind-the-meter energy storage is full of promise to help stabilize the grid and decrease the costs of delivering electricity. Public and customer expectations have never been higher, which raises the risk of the industry under-delivering (again).
The best way to mitigate this risk is to improve the tools for comparing across technologies and vendors, as well as communicating performance specifications that are aligned with use cases.
"Marathon" and "sprinter" metrics would go a long way toward providing a more accurate view of energy storage project economics, which can swing by millions of dollars based on a system’s true lifetime. Energy storage technology is finally at a place where product performance can and should speak for itself.
Ronald DiFelice has spent the last 15 years in the energy storage business, working all throughout the value chain. He is a managing director at Energy Intelligence Partners, a boutique advisory and consulting firm that supports organizations working to commercialize new opportunities, build businesses, and make investments in the energy and resource sectors. | https://www.greentechmedia.com/articles/read/comparing-energy-storage-its-not-that-simple | fineweb | 5,395 | 2.78125 |
MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan
A non-invasive test in which the individual is placed into a scanner that generates a strong magnetic field that is used to generate detailed images of the hip and knee by computer processing. The images show great detail and are useful in looking at cartilage, ligaments, tendons and some bone conditions. It is very useful in helping in the diagnosis of sports injuries.
Some patients feel claustrophobic in conventional scanners, and in these cases we are able to arrange scans in open or upright scanners which are much better tolerated. For further details please see the “useful links” section.
High-frequency sound waves are used to produce pictures of soft tissues (ligaments, muscles, tendons etc) deep inside the body. No radiation is used. The doctor performing the scan sees images in real-time, so movement of tissues and of blood within vessels can be seen.
CT (computerised tomography) scan
Normal “x-rays” use radiation in a single direction to produce an image. In CT scanning scan, the xrays are not just taken in a single direction but in multiple directions as the x-ray beam rotates around the part of the body being scanned. Very detailed cross-sectional pictures are produced. It images bones in a very detailed manner. | https://www.hipandkneesurgery.co.uk/information/scans/ | fineweb | 1,280 | 3.609375 |
National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages. NIAM was established to encourage people to make sure they are up to date on vaccines recommended. (Read more about the observance.)
Since HIV can make it difficult for your immune system to fight infections, people living with HIV can benefit greatly from vaccines against preventable infections. So immunizations are an important part of health care for people living with HIV. To learn more about which vaccines are recommended for people living with HIV, visit HIV.gov’s Immunizations Recommended for People Living With HIV.
“Hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination,” notes our colleague, Corinna Dan, R.N., M.P.H., who serves as the Viral Hepatitis Policy Advisor in the HHS Office of HIV/AIDS and Infectious Disease Policy. “About 10% of people with HIV are coinfected with hepatitis B. The other 90% can protect themselves by taking the three-dose hepatitis B vaccine series, which is recommended for all people living with HIV who do not have hepatitis B.”
Hepatitis B is easily spread during unprotected sex and through exposure to the blood of someone who is chronically infected. “If you’re not sure whether you’ve been vaccinated against hepatitis B, talk with your doctor,” Dan says, noting that achieving universal hepatitis B vaccination for children and vulnerable adults is a key strategy in the National Viral Hepatitis Action Plan.
Learn more about vaccines from our colleagues at vaccines.gov. You can also enter your address or ZIP code in the HealthMap Vaccine Finder, a free, online tool that can help you find the vaccines you want in local pharmacies and clinics.
During National Immunization Awareness Month this August, make sure you have all your recommended immunizations, help spread the word about hepatitis B vaccinations, and encourage others to get vaccinated. | https://www.hiv.gov/blog/august-national-immunization-awareness-month-are-you-current-recommended-vaccines | fineweb | 1,949 | 3.78125 |
Each year, it seems stores begin displaying Christmas decorations earlier.
Their aisles are lined with artificial trees, glass ornaments, lights, garlands and every other Christmas object imaginable. In 2013, the National Retail Federation calculated Americans spent an average of $730 on Christmas gifts, food, decorations and more, causing holiday sales to increase 3.8 percent to $602 billion. This high spending trend was not always the case, as holiday decorating and gift giving used to be kept quite simple.
Placing a Christmas tree in the home is a tradition that can be traced back to 16th century Germany when people cut down their own trees on land they owned. This is a time-honored tradition that many families still observe by going out and searching for the perfect tree.
Christmas trees were first sold commercially in the U.S. in 1851. While Europeans displayed shorter trees, Americans enjoyed having their Christmas trees reach from floor to ceiling — a tradition that still exists today. Germany first introduced glass ornaments to the U.S. in the late 1800s. In 1883, Sears, Roebuck and Company began offering the first artificial Christmas trees with 33 limbs for $0.50 and 55 limbs for $1.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Americans were mainly decorating their Christmas trees with homemade ornaments, while German-Americans used apples, nuts and marzipan cookies. Popcorn soon followed and was often intertwined with berries and nuts. Edible ornaments became so popular on Christmas trees, trees were often called “sugartrees,” according to the National Christmas Tree Association.
With electricity came Christmas lights, allowing for trees to glow constantly. Christmas trees soon began to appear in town squares across the country, with Rockefeller Center’s Christmas tree being the most popular. Today, 25-30 million Christmas trees are sold in the US each year, with almost all of the trees coming from Christmas tree farms.
Manitowoc’s contribution to Christmas tree history were the Evergleam aluminum Christmas trees produced by Aluminum Specialty Company. The company began producing these shiny aluminum trees in 1959. Over the course of the decade they were in production, Aluminum Specialty churned out more than one million Evergleams. Sizes ranged from two-foot tabletop trees to eight-foot trees and colors varied as well — some of the more unique colors being gold, green, and even pink, which is considered a rarity.
The box included the stand, a wood pole covered in aluminum foil, 90-100 branches, and a colored light wheel. These trees, like any fad, ran their course and in the early 1970s, Aluminum Specialty discontinued the Evergleam trees. Within the last decade, these shiny, space-like trees have been revived and have once again become popular.
As part of “Evergreens on Eighth,” Manitowoc stores on Eighth Street are displaying these sparkling aluminum Christmas trees that were popular in the 1960s until January.
Be sure to check them out, as it is a Manitowoc-based tradition.
Alexandra Brendemuehl is the program coordinator for the Manitowoc County Historical Society | https://www.htrnews.com/story/news/2015/12/12/christmas-holiday-gift-giving-used-to-be-simple/77043416/?from=new-cookie | fineweb | 3,130 | 2.90625 |
Research conducted in the laboratory with cultured, living cells or purified cellular components, i.e. in a test tube.
Research conducted in living organisms (humans or animal models). Also see preclinical research.
The number of new cases of a disease over a period of time (e.g., the annual number of new cases of HIV in a country). Incidence is often expressed as a percentage of a population. (Contrast with prevalence)
investigational new drug
An ongoing process of counseling and communication through which potential clinical trial participants learn about the risks and benefits of participating in the trial so that they can decide whether or not to participate voluntarily.
The last stage in the HIV life cycle when viral cDNA, which is created based on viral RNA, enters the host cell nucleus and becomes incorporated into the host cell’s genetic material, permanently “infecting” that cell.
An application filed by a sponsor with the FDA requesting approval to conduct clinical trials. The IND includes detailed descriptions of all trial phases, protocols, Institutional Review Board (IRB) members, and investigators. | https://www.ipmglobal.org/our-work/glossary/i | fineweb | 1,129 | 2.734375 |
posted by needhelp .
Do you drink the recommended amount of water each day? Most Americans don't! On average, Americans drink 5.4 eight-oz servings of water a day. A sample of 36 education professionals was randomly selected and their water consumption for a 24-hour period was monitored; the mean amount consumed was 46.8 oz. Assuming the amount of water consumed daily by adults is normally distributed and the standard deviation is 10.9 oz, is there sufficient evidence to show that education professionals consume, on average, more water daily than the national average? Use α = .05.
Multiply 5.4 by 8 to get in the same units.
Z = (score-mean)/SEm
SEm = SD/√n
Find table in the back of your statistics text labeled something like "areas under normal distribution" to find the proportion/probability for your Z score.
if your him department has 100,000 active medical records and you received 5352 request for records within a 6 month period, what is the request rate for the past 6 months? round to 2 decimal points. | https://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1406118435 | fineweb | 1,021 | 2.859375 |
Doll in Folklore
Before she died, Vasalisa was given a doll by her mother and advised to feed the doll and ask its advice when she needed it. Clarissa Pinkola Estes (1995) explains that the relationship between Vasalisa and her doll symbolizes a form of empathic magic between a woman and her intuition. While many women find their intuition weak, she explains that this is something which through practice can be strengthened and regained. When this occurs, it is as if the handing down of intuitive reliance between a woman and all females of her lines who have gone before her, this long river of women, has been dammed.
In the tale Vasalisa feeds her doll, to which Estes (1995, p. 93) describes as “an essential cycle of the wild woman archetype, she who is the keeper of hidden treasures”. Vasalisa feeds the doll in two ways, firstly, with bread and more importantly, secondly by finding her way to the old wild mother, the Baba Yaga. She explains the very role of the doll, which is a talisman, is a reminder of what is felt but not seen.
Jeri Studebaker (2014) wonders if the doll in this story can tell us anything about how the Neolithic Europeans might have used their female figurines? Like Vasalisa could it have been a tradition to carry a doll around with you and, like Vasalisa, tell no one about it? She explains that with the Medieval Church in Europe forbidding Goddess worship this practice would then have been a very secret one. She then ponders whether or not this tale contains a secret code describing a pre-patriarchal initiation rite for girls. After Vasalisa’s ordeal, Studebaker (2014) suggests that maybe she is now a fully ordained priestess of the great Crone, Baba Yaga.
The doll has traditionally been seen in therapy as a transitional object, easing the transition in childhood as a child begins to separate from its mother. Susan Napier (2008, p.260) notes the emergence of the theory of adults requiring transitional objects at certain times of their life. In a modern world removed from any notion of the planet as mother or nature as providing for us, she suggests that the doll is a fitting transitional object bridging us back towards the notion of mother and her life giving aspects ‘‘straddling the mysterious boundary between human and other, between concrete reality and the virtual worlds of imagination and play, they open up a bridge between reality and its other, be that supernatural, sacred, or virtual.”
I feel that the doll with its long use through time and across cultures offers us a wonderful tool of transition to rejecting the hunter’s story of our society and adopting the gatherer’s story. This sacred vessel, a house for our prayers and desires, hope and dreams, gratitude’s and connection can be our transitional object as we forge a new path, one away from a society that sings the hunter’s song to one where we sing the gatherer’s song. The path that connects our villages and leads us to our sacred circles where we weave magic and intention, work throughout the wyrd web shamanically and empower each other in the work we each do on our lives and our communities.
Whether fashioned from clay or two sticks wound together with yarn and embellished with fabric, fur, feathers or shells, dolls are part of a tradition which stretches back over countless generations. In a world which has countless issues needing mediation the doll is a very relevant transitional object for those working to create new ways of working and living which honor the sacredness of life. The process of the art itself is a meditation which allows itself to be created with a weaving of intention. The doll offers many insights from how it is used to what it stands for. For those wishing to rebirth a Goddess spirituality the doll is a figure whose roots lie in the very people who saw the world as female and that the doll can act as that figure to honor that outlook and allow an inspiration in embodying those ancient values into a modern world.
(End of the essay. See Part 3.)
Editor’s Note: This is also published in SHE RISES :How Goddess Feminism, Activism, and Spirituality? (Volume 2)
Forster, Tina. Soul Friends: Doll Making as a Spiritual Practice. Presence. An International Journal of Spiritual Direction. Vol 21.1, June 2015, pp. 41-47.
Gimbutas, Marija. 1989. The Language of the Goddess. Thames and Hudson, USA.
Le Guin, Ursula. 1989. Dancing at the Edge of the World: Thoughts on Words, Women, Places. Grove Press, USA.
Napier, Susan. Lost in Transition: Train Men and Dolls in Millennial Japan, pp. 259-261. Contained in: Lunning, Frenchy (Ed). (2008). Mechademia 3: Limits of The Human. University of Minnesota Press, USA.
National Geographic. 2013.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/10/131008-women-handprints-oldest-neolithic-cave-art/ Accessed online 03/01/2016
Nowell, April and Chang, Melanie, L. (2014). Science, the Media, and Interpretations of Upper Paleolithic Figurines. American Anthropologist, Vol. 116, No.3, pp. 562-577.
Olsen, Geri. (1998). Dolls: Protection, Healing, Power and, Play. Somatics, pp 46-50.
Pinkola Estes, Clarissa. 1995. Women Who Run With the Wolves. Ballantine Books, USA.
Studebaker, Jeri. 2014. Breaking the Mother Goose Code. How a Fairy-Tale Character Fooled the World for 300 Years. Moon Books, UK and USA.
Sykes, Bryan. 2001. The Seven Daughters of Eve. The Science that Reveals our Genetic Ancestry. W.W. Norton & Company, USA.
- (Video) Serpentine Love Field by Dr Lila Moore on
- (Poem) Cat Friend by Andrea Nicki on
- (Prose Part 2) DANCING COLORS OF GODDESSES FROM THE NORTH by Kirsten Brunsgaard Clausen, Sweden on
- (Poem) Cat Friend by Andrea Nicki on
- (Essay) Sacred Datura Sings in the Rain by Sara Wright on
- (Photo Essay 1) Goddess Pilgrimage 2017 by Kaalii Cargill on
- (Book Excerpt 4) Re-visioning Medusa Eds. by Glenys Livingstone, Trista Hendren, et. al. on
- (Prose) It is a Matter of Focus by Deanne Quarrie on | https://www.magoism.net/2016/10/essay-4-radical-doll-making-from-willendorf-to-today-the-revelation-of-an-ancient-tradition-by-jude-lally/ | fineweb | 5,944 | 2.671875 |
China has significantly increased its financial aid to Kenya and other developing countries, making it by far the biggest new aid donor to some of the world’s poor countries, says a new report.
With traditional donors attaching more stringent conditions to their aid, China has come to the rescue of poor countries.
It offers generous aid without conditions on how the money is spent.
Kenya, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lao PDR, Senegal, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia are some of the countries where a significant rise in Chinese aid was noted in the report by the Overseas Development Institute.
According to the document, China accounts for an average of more than 50 per cent of all flows beyond traditional official development assistance across the nine lower income and lower middle income countries studied.
In three of these countries (Cambodia, Ghana and Lao PDR), Chinese donations accounted for more than 70 per cent of the aid they received.
But this does not mean that all terms and conditions have been thrown out of the window for the happy recipients, as evidenced by aid patterns in the countries that are critical of China.
For instance, countries that have experienced strained relations with China, such as Vietnam and Senegal, receive much less of its finance.
“Our research suggests funds from China go to those countries it favours at a geopolitical level, with those that have experienced tense diplomatic relations receiving much less,” says the report released on Tuesday.
Annalisa Prizzon, a research fellow at ODI and an author of the report, said: “China’s emergence as a dominant player in the new aid landscape could be key to helping poorer countries.”
The report suggests the rise of China as a development finance provider has strengthened the negotiating power of some developing countries with traditional donors. | https://www.nation.co.ke/news/Now-China-a-top-aid-donor-to-poor-countries/1056-3166718-50mso2/index.html | fineweb | 1,845 | 2.640625 |
Think weightlifting is just for gym junkies and Arnold Schwarzenegger? Think again. New research has shown that regular weight training can lead to increased brain function and can help stave off Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.
Research conducted by the University of Sydney has shown that increased muscle strength leads to improved brain function in adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), which defines people who have noticeably reduced cognitive abilities, such as reduced memory but are still able to live independently, and is a precursor to Alzheimer’s Disease.
Findings from the Study of Mental and Resistance Training (SMART) trial show, for the first time, a positive causal link between muscle adaptations to progressive resistance training and the functioning of the brain among those aged over 55 with MCI.
The trial was conducted in collaboration with the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) at the University of New South Wales and the University of Adelaide.
“What we found in this follow up study is that the improvement in cognition function was related to their muscle strength gains” Dr Yorgi Mavros from the Faculty of Health Sciences, at University of Sydney says.
He said the research team had set out to determine if progressive resistance training could improve cognitive function in study participants.
He explained that participants were randomly allocated to groups that received high intensity strength training, or gentle exercise classes like calisthenics and stretching. All participants undertook two sessions per week for 30-45 minutes, and the trial lasted six months.
Before, at six months and at 12 months, all participants had their cognition and muscle strength assessed and underwent MRI scans as well to determine any long-term changes based from the intervention.
“We saw that only individuals who received the high intensity strength training showed improvements in their cognitive function, and their MRI scans showed that part of their brain increased in thickness (the area is called the posterior cingulate cortex and is known to be affected in Alzheimer’s disease),” Dr Mavros says.
He further explained that their analyses showed that most of the effect of the high intensity was connected to the strength gains.
“The people who had the largest strength gains also had the largest benefit in their cognition,” Dr Mavros says.
“We also saw that people who lifted the most amount of weight during the six-month period also had the greatest improvement in their cognition. So, the results overall suggest that maximising your strength gains with this type of exercise will help protect you from cognitive decline and potentially dementia in the future.”
Participants doing resistance exercise prescribed weight lifting sessions twice week for six months, working to at least 80 per cent of their peak strength. As they became stronger, the amount of weight they lifted on each machine was increased to maintain the intensity at 80 per cent of their peak strength.
Dr Mavros says: “The more we can get people doing resistance training like weight lifting, the more likely we are to have a healthier ageing population.”
“The key however is to make sure you are doing it frequently, at least twice a week, and at a high intensity so that you are maximising your strength gains. This will give you the maximum benefit for your brain.”
And Dr Mavros says it’s never too late to start weight training.
“There is always some benefit to gain,” he says. “What I will say, is that the earlier you start, the better. The oldest person in this study was 86 years old, and the senior investigator on the study, Professor Fiatarone Singh, began her career with nursing home residents in their 90’s.
“If it’s not too late for them, its not too late for anyone.”
Oxley Home Care provides Dementia Care, Private Care, Home Care, Nursing and Allied Health to enable people to live a quality life independently in their own home and stay connected to their local community.
For further information, please feel free to call Oxley Home Care on 1300 993 591.Tags: Aged Care, Aged Care Dementia, Alzheimer's Australia, Care, Caring for parents with dementia, Dementia, Dementia Care, Dementia care at home, Dementia care options, Dementia Care Program, Dementia Care Services, elderly care, Home Care, Home Care Assistance, Home Care Packages, in home dementia care, In-home care, independence, Living with Dementia, Options for dementia patients, Options for people with dementia, Oxley Home Care, Palliative care dementia, Parents have dementia, Support for people with Dementia | https://www.oxleyhomecare.com.au/2016/12/muscle-strength-seniors/ | fineweb | 4,616 | 2.6875 |
Pocono Mountains History
Early Days: The First Inhabitants
Long before the Pocono Mountains became a destination for families, honeymooners, nature-lovers and relaxation-seekers, the area was inhabited by the Delaware, Iroquois, Shawnee, Minisink, Lenape and Paupack Native Americans. In 1659, the Dutch established settlements near the famous Delaware Water Gap, but were forced to leave by the English in 1664. By 1742, English and German settlers were arriving in the Pocono Mountains and the first permanent residence was established by Nicholas Depui in 1725 at Shawnee.
1829 - 1927: First Hotel Established and an Industry is Born
The Delaware Water Gap was the site of the first boarding house hotel, established in 1829 by Anthony Dutot, who initiated what would become a wildly successful resort industry. By 1900, thousands of visitors from the growing cities of Philadelphia and New York escaped to the high altitudes for summer vacations. In the Northern Pocono Mountains, the Pennsylvania Power and Light Company (now PPL Electric Utilities, Inc.) began the construction of what is now the third largest man-made lake in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Lake Wallenpaupack. In 1926, PPL Electric Utilities, Inc. dammed the creek and built a hydro-electric plant and in doing so, a 5,600-acre lake was created with 52 miles of uninterrupted shoreline. “The Big Lake” became a top destination for water sports and recreation. In 2015, ownership was transferred to Talen Energy Corporation. Talen Energy Corporation manages the lake and shoreline in order to protect the recreational, scenic and environmental values of the land and water. Lake Wallenpaupack remains a treasured leisure destination in the Pocono Mountains.
During Prohibition, resorts of the Pocono Mountains described themselves as “Friendly Mountain Resorts” where card-playing or games of chance were not allowed and golf, tennis and other sports were not permitted on Sundays.
Post World War II: Here Come the Honeymooners and Skiers!
During World War II, many GI’s took their leave with their girlfriends and families in the Pocono Mountains. The area took on a romantic appeal for these young people, and many returned after the war as honeymooners. In 1945, Rudolf Von Hoevenberg opened a rustic operation consisting of some cabins and a main lodge, called The Farm on the Hill, the first honeymoon resort of the Pocono Mountains. Plush resorts sprang up in the 1940s and 1950s and spurred the growth of a flourishing resort business in the Pocono Mountains.
In 1946, the Pocono Mountains welcomed the first commercial ski area in Pennsylvania, Big Boulder Ski Area. In 1950, the first patent application for the making of snow by blowing water through a nozzle was filed, and by the winter of 1956, the system was perfected and in place at Big Boulder Ski Area, making the Pocono Mountains a bona fide ski destination. Shortly after, the opening of Interstates 80 and 81 in the late 1950s and 1960s in the four-county region made the Pocono Mountains easily accessible by motor vehicles. Family-owned and operated resorts gained popularity during this time, where the comforts of home could be found among the convenience of a full-service resort for an ideal summer vacation of family picnics, zany games and organized sports and activities.
1960s – 80s: Heart-shaped Tubs and Racing Stripes
In 1963, the heart-shaped tub was introduced at Caesars Cove Haven in Lakeville, Pennsylvania. Life Magazine ran photos of this latest novelty and a flood of publicity followed, resulting in the naming of the Pocono Mountains as the “Honeymoon Capital of the World.” Pocono International Raceway (now Pocono Raceway) in Long Pond, Pennsylvania opened its 2½ mile super speedway in 1971 with the first series of Indy car races. NASCAR soon followed in 1972 and continues to bring over 100,000 race fans to the Pocono Mountains twice each summer. In the 1980s, the growth of whitewater rafting, golfing, outlet shopping and other attractions further broadened the four-season appeal of the Pocono Mountains.
1990s: A Destination Evolves
The 1990s ushered an era of change to the Pocono Mountains: several well-regarded honeymoon resorts closed, while other accommodation facilities and tourist attractions made significant capital improvements to their properties.
A New Century: Fresh New Look and Exciting Future
Fall of 2005 welcomed Great Wolf Lodge, one of the northeast’s largest indoor waterpark resorts and a precursor to the waterpark resorts yet to come. The property features 90,000 square feet of waterslides, a lazy river, an interactive treehouse water fort, a wave pool and 400 rooms. That same fall brought the reopening of a historic inn. Slated for demolition, but instead beautifully restored, the Hotel Fauchere has added to the charm and beauty of the celebrated town of Milford. October 2007 brought the opening of Mount Airy Casino Resort, the region’s first resort featuring slot machine gaming. The casino resort now includes table games along with a championship golf course, five restaurants, an indoor/outdoor pool and a night club. Resorts began adding on-site spas as well to cater to stressed consumers seeking to be pampered. The Lodge at Woodloch, an exclusive $35-million destination spa that opened in spring 2006 in the Lake Region of the Pocono Mountains continues to be one of the most sought after destination spas by guests and travel publications alike.
2010s: Reinvest to Reinvent
Pocono Mountains properties are continuing to invest millions of dollars in improvements and renovations including golf courses, resorts, bed and breakfasts, rental properties and timeshares. To attract midweek business to the Pocono Mountains, resorts have also invested in new conference and meeting facilities that will serve the needs of corporations, associations and other groups looking to hold business-related events, meetings and team building experiences.
Golfers can tee-off at more than 30 courses, including those designed by Robert Trent Jones, AW Tillinghast and Donald Ross. The Pocono Mountains region is also a place for adventure activities such as zip lining, parasailing, stockcar racing, whitewater rafting, hiking, biking, fishing and canoeing. With nine state parks, the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and the Upper Delaware Scenic and Recreational River, the Pocono Mountains offer a wide spectrum of outdoor recreation opportunities.
The region continues to grow as a tourist and conference destination. In 2015, two additional indoor waterpark resorts debuted in the Pocono Mountains. Camelback Lodge and Aquatopia Indoor Waterpark opened in April with 453 guest rooms and suites, 170,000 square feet of wet and dry activity space, and 20,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. Kalahari Resorts and Conventions opened in July with 457 guest rooms and suites, a 100,000-square-foot indoor waterpark and 65,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. The resorts also feature on-site restaurants, spas, and family-friendly activities.
The small towns of the Pocono Mountains are becoming tourist meccas on their own, each encompassing culture, art and history. Milford, along the Delaware River, hosts musical events and a fall film festival and offers its visitors nearby historic sites and a charming downtown of galleries, shops, restaurants and inns. The quaint Victorian town of Jim Thorpe, along the Lehigh River, has historic mansions and seasonal celebrations. Honesdale, the “Birthplace of the American Railroad,” is home to friendly downtown boutiques and themed railroad tours. Stroudsburg awaits visitors with unique shopping and dining experiences, spectacular local artistry, and a variety of festivals.
As it has for almost two centuries, the Pocono Mountains region continues to be so close yet feel so far removed from the everyday hassles of life – a region filled with relaxing and scenic beauty, and encompassing a calm, carefree style that engages guests in leisure pursuits and in connection with nature, friends and loved ones. This is the legacy of the Pocono Mountains. | https://www.poconomountains.com/about-the-pocono-mountains/pocono-mountains-history/ | fineweb | 8,136 | 3.09375 |
This article examines whether children with both biomedical and social risk factors are less healthy than children with one or neither of these conditions. Both biomedical and social risks are linked to poor health, but most research examines only one of these categories of risk while adjusting for the other, so little is known about how the combination of risk factors affects health. Children living in poverty are more likely to have health problems than peers with higher incomes. Biomedical risks such as low birth weight and chronic conditions are also associated with poor health.
The authors analyzed data from 8,174 children participating in the 2002 National Health Interview Survey. They compared participants grouped into four categories: (1) children with low social and low biomedical risk; (2) low social and high biomedical risk; (3) high social and low biomedical risk; and (4) high social and high biomedical risk.
- Seven to nine percent of all children had both high social and high biomedical risk. Children in this category were much more likely to have poor health care and heavy health care utilization than other children.
- Twenty-six percent of children had high social risk and low biomedical risk, while 21-31 percent of children (depending on the measure chosen) had high biomedical risk and low social risk. Social risk was as likely to result in poor health as biomedical risk.
Children with high biomedical and social risk factors are much more likely to be in poor health than other children, suggesting that more attention should be paid to this very vulnerable group of children. | https://www.rwjf.org/en/library/research/2010/05/double-jeopardy.html | fineweb | 1,617 | 2.890625 |
Facts about South-Georgia-and-the-Islands
|Population||no indigenous inhabitants|
Southern South America, islands in the South Atlantic Ocean, east of the tip of South America
General info about South-Georgia-and-the-Islands
The islands, which have large bird and seal populations, lie approximately 1,000 km east of the Falkland Islands and have been under British administration since 1908 - except for a brief period in 1982 when Argentina occupied them. Grytviken, on South Georgia, was a 19th and early 20th century whaling station. Famed explorer Ernest SHACKLETON stopped there in 1914 en route to his ill-fated attempt to cross Antarctica on foot. He returned some 20 months later with a few companions in a small boat and arranged a successful rescue for the rest of his crew, stranded off the Antarctic Peninsula. He died in 1922 on a subsequent expedition and is buried in Grytviken. Today, the station houses scientists from the British Antarctic Survey. Recognizing the importance of preserving the marine stocks in adjacent waters, the UK, in 1993, extended the exclusive fishing zone from 12 nm to 200 nm around each island.
variable, with mostly westerly winds throughout the year interspersed with periods of calm; nearly all precipitation falls as snow
Some fishing takes place in adjacent waters. There is a potential source of income from harvesting finfish and krill. The islands receive income from postage stamps produced in the UK, sale of fishing licenses, and harbor and landing fees from tourist vessels. Tourism from specialized cruise ships is increasing rapidly.
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
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Cities in South-Georgia-and-the-Islands | http://travelworld.thecheers.org/South-Georgia-and-the-Islands | fineweb | 1,689 | 3.03125 |
The speed of almost every variable speed fluid drive is controlled by a moving scoop tube, the heart of a fluid drive. When the fluid element rotates, a torus of oil forms within the rotating shell that surrounds the impeller and runner. The diameter of the inside surface of this torus of oil is controlled by a “scoop tube” that scoops oil from the surface and discharges it outside of the shell so that it can recirculate. In almost all fluid drives, the flow rate of circuit oil (working oil) through the fluid drive element is constant, driven by positive displacement pumps. The scoop tube does not change the amount of oil flowing through the element, it simply changes the inside radius of the torus of circuit oil in the fluid drive element.
One is shaped much like a sheep’s horn and is mounted on a sliding plate that slides back and forth perpendicular to the shaft line in guide blocks.
One is a straight tube with a scoop shaped tip that goes directly in and out and is mounted on an angle of roughly 20 degrees.
The output speed and torque of a fluid drive are determined by the amount of oil in the torus: as the thickness of the ring of oil increases, so does the speed and torque increases as a general rule. Typically there are two types of scoop tubes:
These items are subject to severe duty. At 3600 rpm, the inside diameter of the torus of oil in a size 270 fluid drive is around 14 inches, and at minimum speed, it is around 26 inches. With a circuit oil flow of 400 gpm and at minimum speed, the cross sectional area of the oil that is scooped up is around 0.31 sq in ( 0.55in x 0.55in) and the speed that it is going into the scoop tube is 280 miles per hour.
Due to the change in direction of the flow through the tip, a substantial downward force is applied bending the scoop tube.
When a second circuit oil pump starts, which it can do for various reasons, or when the scoop tube is rammed at a high speed into the torus of oil which might be done at the same time in response to some unusual event, now the flow immediately multiplies, and the scoop tip is bent even more. Many standard design scoop tubes cannot handle this increase in bending force and the tip stretches and yields and remains in a severely bent shape. Sometimes they have bent to the point of closing off the flow, and the speed control is lost. Other times, it is only partially bent and its effectiveness drops. Then, at some time, when the fluid drive is next shut down, the scoop tube goes all the way out to the minimum speed position (from the actuators point of view) and the tip rams into the rotating scoop tube eroding the tip away, so that it no longer works at all, or will only work in certain speed ranges.
The scoop tube is a complex geometry, both on the outside, and more so, on the inside. With considerable effort, TRI redesigned the scoop tube, including the manufacturing process, to be able to withstand an extreme bending force. Several of these have been in service for a few years and none of them have been bent in fluid drives, including those fluid drives in which standard scoop tubes had been bent from time to time in the past.
In the early fluid drives, the straight scoop tubes had brass tips brazed to a straight tube. Because brass has a thermal coefficient of expansion that is about 1.5 times that of steel, the brass tip would expand and contract at a different rate when subjected to the normal temperature range that fluid drives experience (70 deg to 210 deg F), and after a number of cycles, the brass tips would come loose, sometimes falling out of the tube and then the fluid drive would lose speed control
TRI developed a replacement straight scoop tube that has the tip and tube made integral using one piece of alloy steel rod. The tip is made via a CNC process. Being integral to the tube, the tip will not fall off and it will not break.
More Tech Noteshttp://www.turboresearch.com/engineering/tech-notes | http://turboresearch.com/engineering/62-tech-note-scoop-tube-improvements | fineweb | 3,952 | 3.09375 |
Trying to take the square root of a number that is not a perfect square? Think you need a calculator? Think again! This tutorial will show you how to estimate the square root of a number that is not a perfect square without the use of a calculator!
Comparing a square root to another number can be rough, unless you remember that squaring is opposite of taking the square root. Then things get much easier! See how it's done in this tutorial.
Ordering numbers from least to greatest? Are the numbers in different forms? To make comparing easier, convert all the numbers to decimals. Then, plot those decimals on a number line and compare them! This tutorial shows you how! | http://virtualnerd.com/common-core/grade-8/8_NS-number-system/A/2/ | fineweb | 672 | 2.875 |
Vector and bitmap
Inkscape is a vector editor, not bitmap (raster) editor. What does that mean?
The majority of images stored and processed on computers today are bitmaps. A bitmap, however, is a very low-level abstraction. It stores information about what is the color (and, possibly, transparency) of every pixel of the image - but nothing else.
For example, if you have a PNG image with a black circle on white background, in fact there is NO black circle stored in the image at all: it's only the person viewing this image who can "guess" that it displays a circle. All that the computer knows about the image is that some of its pixels are black and some are white.
As a result, there is little the computer itself can do with such an image. It can paint all white pixels blue, but it cannot move or transform the circle because it does not "see" it. These kinds of tasks may be difficult even for humans, as anyone who've used The Gimp or Photoshop would attest: you'll have to use complex and unreliable tools to "select" the circle, and you still cannot do this perfectly if, for example, the edges of the circle are anti-aliased (i.e. smoothed so that some pixels are half-black, half-white).
It's all different with vector graphics. In a vector format, the actual circle can be stored, along with its properties, as an object. This means you can easily separate it from other objects and do whatever you please with it. Moreover, computer can do a lot of things automatically! No more frustrating "selections", just pick any object and edit it as necessary. That's how Inkscape works, and that's its main point of difference from bitmap editors such as GIMP.
Here are the main advantages of the vector approach:
- Editable at any time. The depth of "undo" is a much less limiting factor in Inkscape than in a bitmap editor. Unless you delete some object, it's always as easy to separate from others and edit as always. In a bitmap editor, you are supposed to eventually "flatten" your image, so even if different objects were on different layers, they're no more. By contrast, there's no need to ever "flatten" a vector drawing (you can export it to a bitmap, though).
- Scalable. You can view or export your drawing at any resolution, and you'll never see any jaggedness or "zoom blur." Everything remains crisp regardless of size.
- Animatable. Since in a vector drawing, objects are stored separately, it's easy to animate them by moving, transforming, etc. That's why vector formats such as SVG or Flash usually support animation as well.
- Interactive. Not only can you animate objects, you can make them interactive as well. A drawing can change any properties of objects in response to user actions, which makes it possible to implement complex interfaces with buttons, links, drag-and-drop, etc.
- Easy to create. Since vector objects are similar to how we (humans) tend to think about drawings, and since many vector formats (including SVG) are text-based, it is easy to write a simple vector drawing manually (without graphic editor of any kind) or program a script to generate such a drawing, e.g. on a web server.
- Reusable. It's very easy to pick an object from a drawing and insert it into another drawing. It's like open source! :)
If you are into digital music, you may better understand it if I compare vector graphics to MIDI and bitmap graphics to a sound recording. Another analogy: vectors are like the source code of a program, while bitmaps are compiled binaries.
The only downside of vectors is that you are limited by the types of objects and properties that your drawing tool and vector format support. While you can store arbitrary graphics (e.g. photos) in bitmaps, you cannot easily simulate very complex graphics with vectors. Still, with Inkscape's gradients and transparency, you can create amazingly photorealistic vector images. Note also that, as a higher-level abstraction, vector may include bitmaps as a special kind of object. Thus, you can insert a photo into an Inkscape drawing and combine it with any vector objects. | http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php?title=Vector_and_bitmap&oldid=101816 | fineweb | 4,070 | 2.859375 |
Calvin Coolidge This is a biography of American President Calvin Coolidge. It is from USA Presidents.
From the site:
John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. ( July 4 , 1872 – January 5 , 1933 ) was the twenty-ninth ( 1921 - 1923 ) Vice President and the thirtieth ( 1923 - 1929 ) President of the United States , succeeding to that office upon the death of Warren Harding .
He was born in Plymouth , Windsor County , Vermont on July 4, 1872 , but dropped John from his name upon graduating from college. He attended Amherst College , Massachusetts , graduating in 1895 . He practiced law in Northampton, Massachusetts, and was a member of the city council in 1899 , city solicitor from 1900 - 1902 , clerk of courts in 1904 , and a member of the State house of representatives 1907 - 1908 .
Coolidge was elected mayor of Northampton in 1910 and 1911, was a member of the State senate 1912 - 1915, serving as president of that body in 1914 and 1915 . He was lieutenant governor of the state 1916 - 1918 , and Governor 1919 - 1920. He was elected Vice President of the United States on the Republican ticket headed by Warren G. Harding in 1920 . He was inaugurated on March 4 , 1921 , and served until August 3, 1923 . Upon the death of President Harding, Coolidge became President of the United States on August 3, 1923. Coolidge was visiting at the family home, still without electricity or telephone, when he got word of Harding's death. His father, a notary public, administered the oath of office in the family's parlor by the light of a kerosene lamp; Coolidge was resworn by a federal official upon his return to Washington.
Unusually for a prominent politician, Coolidge was a man of few words, earning him the nickname "Silent Cal." | http://www.american-presidents.org/2004/06/calvin-coolidge.html | fineweb | 1,725 | 3.203125 |
The Office of Traffic Safety and the California Highway Patrol say a new study shows more than 9 percent of drivers were observed using a cell phone while driving compared to about 6.5 percent in 2014.
The study showed the highest use was among 16 to 24-year-old drivers.
CHP Officer Martin Oliveros says even using a cell phone hands-free can be distracting.
"We're just so much dependent on technology and we don't know when to put it down, as in, when we get behind the wheel, we got to realize that, it can be very dangerous," says Oliveros.
The data show 73 percent of people using cell phones while driving were alone. More people use cell phones while driving in suburban areas, fewer in rural areas.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says 80 percent of vehicle crashes involve some sort of driver inattention.
Just last weekend, a man and his son biking in a bicycle lane in Sacramento County were struck by a car.
Sacramento County Sheriff's deputies said the driver was looking down at a text on his cell phone.
The man was killed, his son is in critical condition.
Chris Cochran with the Office of Traffic Safety says some drivers are too addicted to put down their cell phones when they drive.
"Many more smartphones than ever,” says Cochran. “Almost everybody has a smartphone. Those smartphones have many more ways that you can use them, more apps, more ways that you can communicate and tap things out on them."
The Office of Traffic Safety and UC Berkeley researchers recorded 5,400 observations in 17 counties selected for the study. | http://www.capradio.org/articles/2015/07/14/use-of-cell-phones-by-drivers-in-california-rises/ | fineweb | 1,567 | 2.6875 |
Having been compared for many years, fiber and copper seem to be competitors. Someone says it has been a lasting war between fiber and copper. Although, copper has been used for a longer time, now, fiber has already made a foothold in the industry of communication. Besides, with the continuous development of copper technology, the difference between copper and fiber is becoming smaller and smaller. Similarly, the war between fiber and copper also exists in the filed of SFP module. However, is this really a war? What is the difference between fiber and copper SFP? Now, let’s take a look at their pros and cons.
Fiber vs Copper SFP Module: Under the Condition of Long Distance, Fiber SFP Is More Flexible.
The SFP fiber module provides different wavelengths and optical power budgets, allowing distances from 550 meters to 120 kilometers. Some statics also shows that traditional SFP can reach 4.25Gb / s at 150 meters, or reach 1.25Gb / s when 160km runs, and can reach a variety of ranges / speeds between the two according to the type of fiber. Usually, when the running distance is more than 328 feet / 100 meters, the optical fiber SFP module must be considered instead of the copper SFP RJ45 module, because 1000Mbps can only reach 100 meters through the copper cable wiring. In this sense, fiber SFP provides a substantial advantage over copper SFP.
Figure 1: Fiber SFP Module
Fiber vs Copper SFP Module: Under Limited Conditions, Copper SFP Is the Inevitable Result.
For short distance links on Gigabit switches, there is no difference if SFP ports or RJ45 ports are used to interconnect switches. Copper SFP is popular for short-range uplink because using copper SFPs and jumpers is easier and cheaper. The SFP port is mainly used to allow longer distance fiber connections. In particular, in some cases, copper SFP will make sense if the switch on one side does not have copper ports but SFP slots and the switch on the other side only has copper that can’t be fitted with fiber ports. In addition, using copper SFP to connect conventional copper Gigabit ports is a wise choice to make full use of the corresponding number of SFPs on existing connection switches.
Figure 2: Copper SFP Module
Fiber vs Copper SFP Module: Fiber SFP Is More Secure.
Safety is a factor that we must not neglect when considering. As far as safety is concerned, the use of optical fiber SFP module is superior to that of RJ45 SFP module. This is because the optical fiber does not conduct electricity, which makes it able to resist thunder.
Fiber vs Copper SFP Module: Cost Depends on Your Needs.
Within the same short distance, fiber SFP transceivers may be cheaper than copper SFP modules. In Gigabit Ethernet applications, when copper SFP is combined with copper cables for a short time, copper cables are more cost-effective because they are cheaper than optical cables. However, as third party suppliers flourish, they have developed a fully compatible and trustworthy fiber SFP module to support lower cost optical fiber operation. The price gap between the 100 meter copper transceiver and the fiber transceiver has been narrowed. This provides customers with more choices to meet their specific needs.
Through the comparison between fiber vs copper SFP module, we can see that each media has its own advantages and disadvantages. Fiber SFP is not necessarily better than copper SFP, and the contrary has also been set up. Therefore, how could it be a war between the two? In fact, mixed copper and fiber solutions are the best practice for data centers. The development of Internet industry is unpredictable, so we need to look consider all aspects, see the advantages and disadvantages of each technology, and analyze the concretely. Besides, if there is any need, please contact us. FS.COM can provide you with SFP modules, SFP+ modules, GBIC modules etc. We can offer not only fiber SFPs but also copper SFPs. | http://www.china-cable-suppliers.com/fiber-vs-copper-sfp-module-war-not.html | fineweb | 3,912 | 2.625 |
10 Interesting Deforestation Facts
Deforestation is one of the things that are harmful to human survival. People cut down trees to enrich themselves without thinking of the consequences of natural damage that occurs because of their deeds. Deforestation has made a variety of damage and causing natural disasters. It is 10 interesting deforestation facts.
1. The most popular effects of deforestation is increasing global warming, greenhouse gas emissions, global climate, the composition of carbon in the soil, decreased oxygen levels, and the imbalance of the biosphere. Deforestation also causes flooding, being unable to absorb rain water into the soil.
2. Deforestation is usually done for purposes of industrial and agricultural base expansion includes the exploitation of, livestock, timber and forest experiments. Deforestation has turned green land into waste land afterwards.
3. Statistics have shown that rapid deforestation around the world is not slowing down. It is predicted that by the year 2030. Biodiversity in the Amazon will only remains 10% as compared to what we can find today. UNFAO also stated that in 2050, a total area of deforestation around the world will cover an area of the sub-continent of Asia.
4. Every year some of us are destroying 8.5 million hectares of green tropical forest. Most of them are people who are not responsible. Urbanization is also one of the causes of deforestation, they are altering the forest became a place to live.
5. Thanks to corruption and exploitation industry, Nigeria has lost 81 percent of their forests, followed by Brazil 90-95 percent, and India, the Philippines, Thailand, Bangladesh, Burma, China, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Congo and Ghana, which has lost more than 50% its rain forest land.
6. Deforestation affects the water cycle into the atmosphere and creates a dry climate; this makes the hot air and reduces humidity.
7. Deforestation reduces soil quality and lead to soil erosion and flooding. Deforestation has increased the flow of sub-surface and often leads to unexpected flooding to the lower lands.
8. Without trees, the soil above the ground tends to slide down. The roots of rainforest trees have many functions and some of them are keeping the soil fertile and binding on the underlying bedrock. Landslides often cause damage and we can find almost every year in many countries.
9. Deforestation has disrupted the biodiversity in the forest. Countless materials unclassified drug has permanently lost before we know what the benefits from it. One thousand plants, rare animals and insects have disappeared because of deforestation.
10. Deforestation has transformed the living standards of ordinary people. We now depend on a lot of logging and wood products. The endless demand of basic commodities has made the wood timber industry into a sustainable resource. Deforestation makes many problems that threaten human life. These are the facts about deforestation that you should know. | http://www.dailyworldfacts.com/deforestation-facts/ | fineweb | 2,968 | 3.1875 |
Dr. Barreto Luiz Fisioterapeuta and Fisiologista of the Exercise According to OMS, health is not expressed only illness absence. They are part of it: physical, psychological and social factors. The behavior involves psychological and social components that are the physical attitudes, day to day. Me the physical behavior is all the type of aggression imposed to the body.
A well appropriate example is the sedentarismo, another one is me the alimentary behavior, as well as the vices. Me the psychological behavior is generated internally, through erroneous thoughts and has as examples: The negative thoughts that can generate diverse psicorgnicos upheavals and intentions of practical that they attempt against against the peace of third. Me the social behavior is that one where the individual does not fulfill the rules imposed for the society and brings damages to third, many times, in proper benefit. One knows that the work is the way of sustenance of a civilized society. Some use illicit ways to deduct its profits from those that act in accordance with the laws. All me the behavior is generating of estresse. If the behavior of the individual will be incorrect, can generate disequilibria in these components, being able to evolve for the illnesses and, in the worse one of the hypotheses, to the death.
The good behavior brings balance. Buddha mentions behavior to it he disciplines and it as synonymous. Karmapa (2009) tells that me the behavior generates suffering for itself, for the others and of the origin the mental afflictions. The lack of time and of disciplines associated estresse to it generates psychological cardiovascular problems, psychiatry and. Full health (2008). These authors strengthen appropriately that me the behavior destroys the health gradual, or exactly short-term. Me the behavior takes to the one way of suffering, illnesses and many times to the death. Already one saves correct if it translates peace, physical, mental health and a happy society. What it is lacking all to adhere to this wonder? Bibliography KARMAPA, the Way of the Good Behavior. 2009 Mirror of the Good Behavior. Daily of the Great ABC. Column Full Health. 2008 | http://www.davidmadlener.com/health-and-behavior/ | fineweb | 2,177 | 2.640625 |
For decades, Amalgam fillings have been used as the main filling material by dentists. It was and still the most popular filling material due to its properties and advantages. In last few years, popularity of amalgam decreased due to mercury content.
What is Dental Amalgam?
Simply, it results by mixing powdered metal with liquid mercury. The powdered metal is mainly silver (Ag) and tin (Sn). The resulted material (Grey Filling) is used to restore decayed teeth.
Advantages of Amalgam
1- Durability of Amalgam
Amalgam fillings are very hard and they’re considered as the strongest filling material in the market. They can resist wear and withstand mastication forces more than other filling materials. They are very durable and can last up to ten years before they might need to be replaced.
2- Cost of Amalgam
Amalgam is relatively inexpensive when compared to other available options. That is why it is widely used as cost effective option.
Disadvantages of Amalgam
1- Unattractive Appearance (Grey Filling)
Many people are not familiar with amalgam as it doesn’t stimulate the natural color of teeth. it has silver color that darken eventually and may show when you smile. Thus, Dentists use it in back teeth only where they can be hidden.
2- Its Preparation is not a conservative procedure
Amalgam restoration require certain design to be retained to tooth structure. Thus, healthy tooth tissues may be removed in simple cavities by invasive procedures. This result in weakening of remaining tooth structure.
3- Teeth Sensitivity in newly placed filling
Amalgam is a metallic filling material that has great ability to transfer heat and cold through it. This means there are teeth sensitivity followed newly restored teeth. The sensitivity normally subside over time and usually takes a few weeks after restoration placement.
4- Mercury Content of Amalgam
Mercury is a toxic metal that used in manufacturing of Amalgam. Although the toxic nature of mercury is changed when mixed with silver and tin alloys, many believes that mercury content may cause some health problems over time.
ADA (American Dental Association) state that Amalgam is safe filling material that has been used for a hundred years without health problems. Other health agencies state that mercury is used in very low amount that not capable of causing health problems.
Although no studies have proven that amalgam fillings can cause some form of risk to your health, pregnant women shouldn’t get it as mercury vapor can pass placenta.
Is Amalgam a good choice for my teeth?
If you concern about durability and price, Amalgam is the best choice for you as it is the most durable filling material available in the market due to its properties. But if you care about appearance or have a small size tooth decay, it is better to go for other option of treatment as composite filling material. | http://www.dental-science.com/amalgam-fillings-pros-cons/ | fineweb | 2,865 | 2.671875 |
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