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Mississippi (/ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/ (listen)) is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. Mississippi is the 32nd most extensive and 34th most populous of the 50 United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Alabama to the east, the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana to the south, and Arkansas and Louisiana to the west. The state's western boundary is largely defined by the Mississippi River. Jackson, with a population of approximately 175,000 people, is both the state's capital and largest city.
The state is heavily forested outside the Mississippi Delta area, which is the area between the Mississippi and Yazoo rivers. Before the American Civil War, most development in the state was along riverfronts, as the waterways were critical for transportation. Large gangs of slaves were used to work on cotton plantations. After the war, freedmen began to clear the bottomlands to the interior, in the process selling off timber and buying property. By the end of the 19th century, African Americans made up two-thirds of the Delta's property owners, but timber and railroad companies acquired much of the land after the financial crisis, which occurred when blacks were facing increasing racial discrimination and disfranchisement in the state.
Clearing of the land for plantations altered the Delta's ecology, increasing the severity of flooding along the Mississippi by taking out trees and bushes that had absorbed excess waters. Much land is now held by agribusinesses. A largely rural state with agricultural areas dominated by industrial farms, Mississippi is ranked low or last among the states in such measures as health, educational attainment, and median household income. The state's catfish aquaculture farms produce the majority of farm-raised catfish consumed in the United States.
Since the 1930s and the Great Migration of African Americans to the North and West, the majority of Mississippi's population has been white, although the state still has the highest percentage of black residents of any U.S. state. From the early 19th century to the 1930s, its residents were majority black, and before the American Civil War that population was composed largely of African-American slaves. Democratic Party whites retained political power through disfranchisement and Jim Crow laws. In the first half of the 20th century, nearly 400,000 rural blacks left the state for work and opportunities in northern and midwestern cities, with another wave of migration around World War II to West Coast cities. In the early 1960s, Mississippi was the poorest state in the nation, with 86% of its non-whites living below the poverty level.
In 2010, 37% of Mississippians were African Americans, the highest percentage of African Americans in any U.S. state. Since regaining enforcement of their voting rights in the late 1960s, most African Americans have supported Democratic candidates in local, state and national elections. Conservative whites have shifted to the Republican Party. African Americans are a majority in many counties of the Mississippi-Yazoo Delta, an area of historic slave settlement during the plantation era.
* Description and images provided by
CC-BY-SA 3.0 license | <urn:uuid:7c18ebd9-b920-4e83-aac2-aa67dd0cc2dc> | CC-MAIN-2020-45 | https://www.fastweb.com/directory/mississippi-scholarships | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-45/segments/1603107912593.62/warc/CC-MAIN-20201031002758-20201031032758-00494.warc.gz | en | 0.967068 | 654 | 3.421875 | 3 | {
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TONGUE-TIES OR LIP-TIES
Tongue-Ties And Speech Problems
Infants With Nursing Problems
A new baby with a too tight tongue and/or lip frenum can have trouble sucking and may have poor weight gain. If they cannot make a good seal on the nipple, they may swallow air causing gas, colic, and reflux or spitting up. You may hear clicking noises when the baby is taking the breast or a bottle. Nursing mothers who experience significant pain while nursing or whose baby has trouble latching on should have their child evaluated for tongue and lip tie. It can also cause thrush, mastitis, nipple blanching, bleeding, or cracking in the mother and inability to hold a pacifier. The mother often reports it’s a “full time job” just to feed them because they are constantly hungry, not getting enough milk, and spitting up what they do get.
Although it is often overlooked or dismissed by other medical professionals, a tongue and lip-tie can very often be an underlying cause of feeding problems that not only affect a child’s weight gain, but lead many mothers to abandon breastfeeding altogether. Very often, after releasing the tongue and/or lip, mothers report immediate relief of pain and a deeper latch. The symptoms of reflux and colic almost disappear and weight gain occurs rapidly. The sooner the tongue-tie is addressed the better the child will learn to use his or her tongue correctly.
Upper lip tie is when the upper lip is tethered to the upper gum. Though most infants have some degree of upper lip tie, when it becomes large and tight enough, it may prevent the upper lip from flaring out or curling up which is essential for breast-feeding in order to create an adequate seal with the breast. Also, some infants with upper lip tie will exhibit an upper lip crease with the skin turning pale in an attempt to flare up during breast-feeding.
If the upper lip tie is tight enough, an infant may have trouble feeding even from a bottle.
Tongue tie (otherwise known as ankyloglossia) is when the tip of the tongue is anchored to the floor of the mouth. Tongue tie may extend all the way to the tip or it may extend partially to the tip resulting in a partial tongue tie. There is also a condition called posterior tongue tie in which the tongue tie is hidden under the tongue lining.
Regardless whether dealing with a newborn or an, the treatment is the same. But when it comes to newborns, tongue tie can lead to feeding problems which can be quite distressing to both child and mother.
With tongue tie, the tip of the tongue is unable to help the infant draw the nipple into the mouth. It also prevents the tongue from being normally positioned between the nipple and lower gumline leading the infant to chew on the nipple. Ouch!
WHAT TO EXPECT DURING THE VISIT
AFTERCARE STRETCH EXERCISES
A small amount of spotting or bleeding is common after the procedure, especially in the first few days. Because a laser is being used, bleeding is minimized. Wash your hands well prior to your stretches (gloves aren’t necessary). apply a small amount of the teething gel to your finger prior to your stretches. The area of the surgery will have a diamond shape. Initially it will be pink to red in color, but will eventually turn white.
Do one stretch on the evening of surgery. Then, skip ahead to the next morning (keep in mind that this is the only time that you should skip the overnight stretch).
Our recommendation is that stretches be done:
6x/day for the first 3 weeks, and then spending the 4th week quickly tapering from 6 to 5 to 4 to 3 to 2 to 1 per day before quitting completely at the end of the 4th week. We find it’s easiest for parents to do 5 of the stretches during their waking hours and one of those stretches in the middle of the night, taking care to not go more than 6 hours between stretches. Diaper changes are a good time to do the exercises. | <urn:uuid:f6c555ea-0ad2-4ee2-b196-bd47883783bb> | CC-MAIN-2021-25 | https://www.jupiterkidsdentistry.com/frenectomies/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-25/segments/1623487608856.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20210613131257-20210613161257-00194.warc.gz | en | 0.936712 | 863 | 2.625 | 3 | {
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Title 17 of the United States Code includes the Copyright Law of the United States. Title 17 defines what type of work is protected under the Copyright Law. Under Title 17, owners whose works are tangible, meaning that they may be expressed in writing, pictures, physical acts, and sound recordings have exclusive rights to their work and they mus. Title 17 also makes it clear that copyright protection does not extend to intangible things such as ideas or concepts.
Associated Press v. Fairey
Recently, there have been several copyright infringement cases that have played out in the media. In fact, the media was actually a party to one of these cases, Associated Press v. Fairey. In 2008, artist Shephard Fairey created what is perhaps the single most memorable image of President Barack Obama’s first presidential campaign. The image of the then presidential hopeful deep in thought, tinted in a patriotic red, white, and blue and complete with the word “hope” written at the bottom, soon became a moving symbol of the Obama candidacy. Fairey’s image was plastered all over Obama’s campaign paraphernalia as well as the media, earning Fairey a decent amount of fame and money in the process.
The original AP picture taken by photographer, Mannie Garcia (left) and the altered version of the picture by Shephard Fairey as used in the 2008 Obama Presidential Campaign (right)
The only problem (and it soon became a big one) was that the picture on which Fairey based his work was originally taken by Associated Press photographer, Mannie Garcia. Fairey never asked permission to use the picture nor did he credit the Associated Press for using it. Soon after Fairey’s picture became widespread, the Associated Press sued Fairey for copyright infringement and demanded compensation for Fairey’s use of the work. While the case was settled out of court, this case created a lot of discourse around the value of work in these copyright battles. It’s unlikely that Garcia’s work could have ever reached the level of fame it did, if not for Fairey’s alteration of it. Yet, it is widely agreed that Fairey should have at least credited either Garcia or the Associated Press for it. This case brought the importance of crediting an original source of a licensed work to the legal forefront.
As illustrated above, it can often be difficult to determine whether or not your work is protected by copyright laws. If you believe that your original work was misused by someone without your permission, you should contact an intellectual property attorney in order to determine whether you may have an actionable copyright infringement claim. | <urn:uuid:3a214d75-6f57-42e2-99db-bbce374af1ca> | CC-MAIN-2022-21 | https://www.ymsllp.com/blog/2014/july/what-type-of-work-is-protected-under-us-copyrigh/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-21/segments/1652662512249.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20220516204516-20220516234516-00360.warc.gz | en | 0.970424 | 557 | 2.71875 | 3 | {
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When it comes to educating low-income students and students of color, community colleges do the heavy lifting. They educate students for robust jobs that require sub-baccalaureate credentials in middle level STEM (Sciences Technology Engineering and Math) positions and promise premium wages. They open educational opportunities and reduce class and racial imbalances in educational attainment, career advancement and wealth accumulation.
“STEM positions are very important for upward mobility, and community colleges play this role of really being engines of upward mobility. STEM fields in particular are associated with having livable wages and above living wage level positions,” said Jenna Cullinane, Ph.D., strategic policy lead for higher education initiatives at The Charles A. Dana Center, The University of Texas at Austin.
To ensure that community college and four-year college students who are interested in STEM jobs enter and complete the math courses required to compete in these fields, Jobs for the Future, The Charles A. Dana Center at The University of Texas at Austin and Achieving the Dream released a call to action. The document was coauthored by Cullinane. It’s called “A Call to Action to Improve Math Placement Policies and Processes: Six Policy Recommendations to Increase STEM Student Aspirations and Success While Decreasing Racial and Income Gaps,” and it encourages states and colleges to revise their math placement policies, processes and supports.
“We think it’s really important that all students have access to (STEM jobs), and many students, especially low income and minority students, don’t have the math skills or the background from their K-12 experience to be really competitive and to perform well in some of these STEM programs,” Cullinane said.
Redesigning Math Pathways
The nation cannot allow placement policies, processes and instruments to undermine promising efforts to increase student success in mathematics and increase attainment of STEM credentials, Cullinane wrote in the report. She contends that efforts to redesign math pathways can improve the teaching and learning experiences of students who need college algebra—many of whom are STEM students—and help those students persist toward and maintain STEM aspirations.
The biggest barrier minority students face persisting in STEM programs is math preparation. “If students are not successful in mathematics early in their programs, they often leave the STEM fields,” Cullinane said. Some leave college altogether.
Keeping students interested in STEM has become a priority at many colleges. The more progressive ones have created differentiated developmental and gateway math pathways targeting the math needs of particular academic programs while improving teaching, learning and support in math. Students who need algebra remediation, for example, can enroll in redesigned math classes while those who do not take an alternative pathway that aligns with their program.
Redesigning math pathways, however, is not enough. If placement policies, processes and supports do not keep pace with the change, school place students by using methods that do not align with the content of or that do not effectively predict or support success in differentiated math pathways. When this occurs, the differentiated pathways actually close doors to STEM opportunities.
To ensure those doors remain open, schools must modify their placement processes and consider students’ goals, majors, interests, time and capability within that process. “The placement process should be a much more comprehensive, in-take supportive process,” Cullinane said.
The Report’s Recommendations
Cullinane and her co-author Lara K. Couturier (who leads research and publications for Jobs for the Future’s Postsecondary State Policy work) designed their six recommendations as a roadmap for colleges. To begin with, they encourage schools to begin their placement support process early to ensure freshmen are ready for college-level math.
Successful programs assess high school students early to determine their readiness and provide them with information about how much time and money they’ll need to complete a degree. “It’s good to give the students that information early,” Cullinane said.
High schools students interested in STEM programs that require algebra should begin work to meet that requirement early. Colleges should provide high school counselors who can discuss students’ career interests. High schools should allow students to take college placement exams early and provide intensive math courses the summer before they enroll in college.
Research suggests that existing placement instruments alone are not good predictors of student success in college. Other measures, like high school GPA, work well if not better to determine student placement into developmental education. Some states and colleges are shifting placement practices to include cognitive and non-cognitive measures, high school performance, holistic advising and acceleration and co-requisite placement. Cullinane recommends that all colleges follow suit.
“The Compass test has been discontinued and there have been a variety of studies that have basically undermined the traditional assessments that have been used primarily in community colleges,” Cullinane said. “High school grades are actually a better indicator of success in college level work and could be used in combination with other assessment information.”
No assessment fits the needs of all students and educators. Existing assessments often do not reflect differentiated content and especially not content that would help place a student in a statistics or quantitative reasoning pathway. Cullinane recommends that colleges require test makers to align placement tests with differentiated math pathways and improve their predictive value, even as states move toward using multiple measures of placement.
She encourages test makers, mathematicians and representatives of other disciplines to collaborate. “Tests right now focus on algebraic skills students will need if they are going on to calculus. But we know that two thirds of students, nationally and in Texas, are enrolled in programs that do not require calculus. So a great majority of programs would be better served by a statistics or quantitative reasoning type course. Current assessments don’t cover any of that material,” Cullinane said.
Orientation, advising and assessment services are key supports for accurate and equitable placements and help students make good program choices, determine their developmental and college-level math needs and select courses within their intended programs. Students’ goals and needs should drive this process, Cullinane wrote. As colleges offer differentiated math pathways, she recommends that schools keep academic doors open for all students and eliminate equity implications for students who arrive unprepared. As schools revise their placement processes she wants them to keep an eye on student intentions.
During the placement process, schools must prioritize student academic and career goals, making every effort to keep STEM-aspiring students on STEM pathways. Schools should create cohorts of students grouped by program interest, advise students accordingly, provide supplemental help and support differentiated math pathways placement no matter their readiness.
Finally, Cullinane and Couturier recommend that schools create a bridging mechanism from non-algebra pathways to algebra pathways. Even with the most robust placement processes and policies, some students switch programs, affecting the required math courses. “Sometimes people raise their aspirations. We want to make sure students (can do this), without having to repeat coursework and spend a lot more time and money moving to a program that would be more STEM intensive,” Cullinane said.
Cullinane hopes her Call to Action kicks off an important national conversation followed by state and college changes to assessment and placement policies, processes and supports. “We put out this report as a call to action to say that this is an area that policy makers both at the institution and state level need to really be thinking about. We are seeing more and more momentum and similar calls coming from different entities,” Cullinane said. | <urn:uuid:8785c0be-5e2e-4dd5-b9e7-56ab98535593> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | https://www.hispanicoutlook.com/featured-articles/2016/2/24/call-to-action-recommends-redesigning-math-pathways-to-stem-by-frank-dimaria | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463609061.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20170527210417-20170527230417-00481.warc.gz | en | 0.952779 | 1,565 | 2.9375 | 3 | {
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"reasoning_level": 3,
"interpretation": "Strong reasoning"
} | Education & Jobs |
Parenting – How your child will grow
The rate at which your baby crawls, walks or talks will no doubt be different to others of a similar age. Your baby may walk at 11 months, while your friends baby may still be crawling at 16 months. Both are quite normal; each child is different because each is an individual. This section looks at the way children grow.
How Children Develop
Children arent just born different, they also have different lives and theyll learn different things. A child who plays a lot with toys will be learning to use his or her hands and eyes together. A child who goes out to the park every day will soon learn the names of ducks and trees. A child who is often talked to will learn more words. A child whos given love and praise for learning new things will want to learn more.
Some children have difficulty learning, perhaps because of physical problems with, for example, hearing or sight. You may already know that your childs development is likely to be slower than normal or you may be worried about your childs progress. Your child may be offered regular development reviews (see keeping an eye on your baby’s development) but you dont have to wait for a check-up. If youre concerned, talk to your health visitor or GP. If somethings holding your child back, the sooner you find out, the sooner you can do something to help.
Feet and Shoes
Babies feet At birth and throughout the first year of life, babies feet are very different from yours. They are a different shape, being wider in the forefoot and narrow at the heel with the toes often curling easily. They are designed to function barefoot, so if they are cramped by tight bootees, socks, stretch suits or pram shoes, the toes cant straighten out and grow properly. Try to keep your babys feet as free as possible and make sure bootees and socks leave enough room for their toes, both in length and width. The bones are also undeveloped at this stage and consist solely of cartilage, so they are very soft and pliable. There are twenty six bones in each foot which gradually develop throughout infancy, becoming bony by the age seven or eight.
Do not force your baby to walk; they will do so naturally and in their own time. The age at which a baby takes his or her first steps varies quite a lot between individuals. It can occur between 10 and 18 months, but later than this does not imply anything is wrong.
Dont put your baby into proper shoes in the early stages of walking, as they are unnecessary and in fact may affect the growth. It is wise to allow your baby to walk barefoot in order to strengthen the muscles in the feet. However make sure there is no risk of injury to the feet by ensuring the floor is clear of obstruction and clean.
Once ready to walk outside, the provision of shoes becomes necessary. Remember to take the following points into consideration whenever you buy shoes for your child:
* Always have your childs feet measured by a qualified fitter for each new pair of shoes. Children under four years old should have their feet measured every six to eight weeks. Those over four should have their feet measured every ten to twelve weeks.
* Shoes should be about 1 cm (a bit less than 1/2 in) beyond the longest toe and wide enough for all the toes to lie flat.
* Shoes with a lace, buckle or velcro fastening hold the heel in place and stop the foot slipping forward and damaging the toes. If the heel of a shoe slips off when your child stands on tiptoe, it doesnt fit.
* Buy footwear made of natural materials, i.e. leather, cotton or canvas as these materials breathe. Plastic shoes make feet perspire and may cause fungal infections and abrasions.
* Never rely on the question do they feel comfortable? Because childrens bones are soft, so distortion and cramping can occur without your child feeling it.
* Never buy second-hand shoes or hand shoes down as these take on the shape of the previous owner and will rub and not support vital areas.
Whenever possible you should encourage your baby to kick and exercise free from the constrictions of clothing. This will enable the muscles of the feet and legs to strengthen ready for when walking begins.
Babies and small children’s feet grow at an incredibly rapid rate, so the fit of socks and baby-grows should be monitored continually. If they begin to look even slightly restrictive, change the garment for the next size up. Bedclothes should not be tucked in too tightly as this can also be restrictive to your baby’s feet.
Baby’s nails sometimes curl round and follow the contours of the toe. This is quite normal and is due to the thinness of the nail in the early months. They will soon toughen and develop a more conventional free edge. Never cut down or probe into the sides of the nail, and always trim the nails straight across and not too short.
Common foot problems
Dont be concerned if your baby appears to be walking flat-footed. In the early stages of development this is quite normal and gives them a more stable base until the legs and feet have gained strength.
It is also quite common for toddlers to walk with their feet apart or for young children to appear to be bow-legged, knock-kneed or walk with their toes turned in or out. Most minor foot problems in children correct themselves. But if you are worried about your childs feet or how he or she walks in any way, talk to your doctor or health visitor. If necessary, your child can be referred to a chiropodist, orthopaedic surgeon or paediatric physiotherapist.
Bow legs a small gap between the knees and ankles when the child is standing up is normally seen until the child is two. If the gap is pronounced or it does not correct itself, check with your doctor or health visitor. Very occasionally, this could be a sign of rickets.
Knock knees this is when a child stands with his or her knees together and the ankles are at least 2.5 cm (1 in) apart. Between the ages of two and four, a gap of 6 to 7 cm (2 to 23/4 in) is considered normal. Knock knees usually improve and correct themselves by the age of six.
In-toeing (pigeon-toed) here the childs feet turn in. The condition usually corrects itself by the age of eight or nine and treatment is not usually needed.
Out-toeing (feet point outwards) again this condition usually corrects itself and treatment is not needed in most cases.
Flat feet if when your child stands on tiptoe the arch forms normally, no treatment is needed.
Tiptoe walking if your child walks on tiptoes, talk to your doctor or health visitor.
Oral care should start from even before your babys first teeth emerge, as certain factors can affect their future appearance and health. Tetracycline, an antibiotic, can cause tooth discoloration, so should not be used by nursing mothers or by women in the last half of pregnancy. The age when babies get their first primary (or milk) teeth varies. A few are born with a tooth already through, while others have no teeth at one year. Most infants sprout their first tooth at six to eight months, usually in front and at the bottom, with the last of the molars appearing between 20 to 30 months. There are 20 primary teeth in all, 10 at the top and 10 at the bottom. The first permanent second teeth come through at the back at around the age of six. Good oral care is one of the most important health lessons you can teach your child. Help your child brush their teeth twice each day, limit the number of sweet snacks and visit the dentist regularly.
Due to the discomfort of teething, your baby may experience increased drooling, gnawing and chewing, sleep disturbance and general unhappiness. Teething is often blamed for an onslaught of other problems such as coughing, diarrhoea and fever, but a recent study found these are often unrelated. Teething symptoms should only happen during the few days surrounding the eruption of each tooth, so if symptoms are prolonged, your child may be sick with something else.
It can help to give your baby something hard to chew on such as a teething ring, though avoid stiff plastic or silver ones as they may exacerbate the pain if clamped down on too aggressively. Some soft plastic or liquid-filled rings may be frozen for extra comfort, but avoid the variety with small objects floating inside. Even gnawing on a wet washcloth, a crust of bread or breadstick, or a peeled carrot provides relief. Avoid rusks because almost all contain some sugar. Constant chewing and sucking on sugary things can cause tooth decay, even if your baby has only one or two teeth.
For babies over four months old you can try sugar-free teething gel, available from the chemist, applied on the gum. Speak to your GP or health visitor if your baby is younger than four months.
If your baby hasn’t started teething at the usual time, don’t be alarmed. Like other milestones such as walking and talking, every child has their own pace. It may be as late as 14 months before a tooth will emerge. In rare cases, delayed eruption may be the result of rickets, a vitamin D deficiency. If your child hasn’t begun teething by 18 months, see your GP to rule out this possibility.
Decay in babies teeth can be caused by frequent exposure to liquids containing sugars, including milk, formula, and fruit juices. The sugary liquids collect around the teeth for long periods of time, particularly as your baby sleeps, leading to cavities that first develop in the upper and lower front teeth. Try to prevent your baby falling asleep with a bottle of juice or milk, instead, when your child is ready to sleep give a bottle filled with water. If you breastfeed, avoid letting your baby nurse continuously and after each feed, wipe your baby’s teeth and gums with a clean, damp washcloth.
Caring for your childs teeth
Brush your childs teeth thoroughly, twice each day, using a small pea-sized amount of fluoride toothpaste or a tiny smear for babies. Start brushing as soon as your babys teeth start to come through. Buy a baby toothbrush or one with soft bristles for older children and use it with a tiny smear of fluoride toothpaste. You can also clean your babys teeth by wrapping a piece of damp gauze with a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste over your finger.
Check with your dentist whether baby toothpaste has enough fluoride for your babys needs. Dont worry if you dont manage to brush much at first. The important thing at the start is to get teeth brushing accepted as part of the everyday routine.
Gradually start to brush your childs teeth more thoroughly, brushing all the surfaces of the teeth twice a day. Not all children like having their teeth brushed, so you may have to work at it a bit. If it becomes difficult, try games, or try brushing your own teeth at the same time and then help your child to mimic you.
How to brush
The best way to brush a babys teeth is to sit him or her on your knee with the head resting against your chest. Stand behind an older child and tilt his or her head upwards. Brush the teeth in small circles covering all the surfaces, angling the brushes toward the gums. Let your child spit the toothpaste out afterwards.
It’s a good idea to supervise your child’s brushing until the age of six, following the guidelines below:
Cutting down on sugar
Its not just the amount of sugar in sweet food and drinks that causes tooth decay but more importantly, how often and for how long there are sugary things in the mouth. This is why sweet drinks in a bottle and lollipops are so bad, as the teeth are bathed in sugar for quite a long time.
From the time you start your baby on foods and drinks other than milk, avoid giving sweet things, this will to encourage a savoury taste. Watch for high sugar content in baby foods, even the savoury varieties can sometimes have large amounts. Baby drinks such as squashes and syrups, especially fizzy drinks, should be avoided.
If you give your child sweet foods and fruit juice try to limit these to mealtimes to avoid tooth decay. Well-diluted fruit juice containing vitamin C can be given with a meal, as this can help iron to be absorbed. It is better to give milk or water between meals.
Try to find treats other than biscuits or sweets and ask relatives and friends to do the same, instead use things like crayons or small toys.
If children are given sweets or chocolate, it is less harmful for their teeth if they eat them all at once and after a meal, than if they eat a little every hour or so.
Avoid giving baby juices or sugar-sweetened drinks at bedtime or in a bottle, and keep drinking times short. Only milk or water should be given as a drink during the night, unless your baby is still feeding in the night.
Try to avoid giving drinks containing artificial sweeteners such as saccharin or aspartame. If you do, dilute with at least 10 parts water to 1 part concentrate.
Ask your pharmacist and doctor for sugar-free medicine for your child.
Looking for sugars on the label
The following are sugars that can cause dental decay sucrose, glucose, dextrose, maltose, fructose, hydrolysed starch.
Invert sugar or syrup, honey, raw sugar, brown sugar, cane sugar, muscavado and concentrated fruit juices all contain sugars.
Fruit juices contain sugars, which can cause decay too. Always dilute these.
Maltodextrin is not a sugar, but may cause decay.
Taking your child to the dentist
You can take your child to be registered with a dentist under the NHS as soon as your child has been born, even before any teeth come through. In addition to monitoring your child’s dental growth and development, dentists can give you information about tooth development, the need for fluoride, how to help your child maintain proper oral hygiene, diet and nutrition, and how to prevent oral injuries. NHS dental treatment for children is free.
Take your child with you when you go to the dentist, so that going to the dentist becomes a normal event. Try to emphasise that a dental visit is a positive experience and explain that visiting the dentist helps maintain good oral health. If you can create a positive attitude your child will be more inclined to see a dentist regularly throughout life.
If you need to find a dentist, you can ask at your local clinic or contact your local health authority.
Fluoride is a natural element found in our diet, mostly in fish and tea, which can help prevent tooth decay. It is also present in many water supplies, but usually at a level too low to be beneficial.
In areas with little or no fluoride in the water, some children may benefit by taking fluoride drops (for babies) or tablets as dietary supplements. They should not be used in areas with fluoride naturally present or artificially added to the water, as an excessive fluoride intake is undesirable. Therefore advice from your dentist is essential before giving them. Fluoride in toothpaste is very effective for babies use a tiny smear and for children only use a small pea-sized amount on the brush.
The sucking reflex is normal in babies, however, a thumb or finger sucking habit in older children can cause problems. The growth of the mouth and jaw, and position of teeth, may be affected if it continues after permanent teeth have come through, between the age of four and seven. Front teeth that point outwards and an open bite may result from habitual thumb or finger sucking. This can cause problems in adulthood that include premature tooth wear, increased dental decay and discomfort on biting. | <urn:uuid:b716445b-a598-4c28-8661-13ed8aa06a61> | CC-MAIN-2018-09 | http://www.thdn.co.uk/parent-information/parenting-guides/how-your-child-grows/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2018-09/segments/1518891812306.16/warc/CC-MAIN-20180219012716-20180219032716-00737.warc.gz | en | 0.95203 | 3,363 | 3.21875 | 3 | {
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Tip #9 to Get a Top ACT Math Score
Students come into my office and say, "I can't do this question because I don't know what consecutive means." I get to say, "Oh cool, it just means numbers in a row, like 4, 5, 6." Then the question becomes easy. In fact, for some questions, the only hard part is knowing the vocabulary, and once you know the terms, the questions are easy. That's why I love these next four Skills; memorize the terms, practice using them in the drills, and you will absolutely gain points, guaranteed. Also, once you know the terms, watch for them and underline them when they appear. That will eliminate many careless errors.
Here are the first nine math vocabulary terms:
Real number—You can ignore this term, it just means any number: –3, –2.2, 0, , π.
Constant term—This word really throws some kids, but it just means a letter in place of number, kinda like a variable, except that it won't vary.
Integer—Numbers without decimals or fractions: –3, –2, –1, 0, 1, 2, 3,…
Even/odd—Even numbers: 2, 4, 6, 8,… ; odd numbers: 1, 3, 5, 7,… The number 0 is considered even.
Positive/negative—Positive numbers are greater than 0. Negative numbers are less than 0.
Consecutive numbers—Numbers in a row: 7, 8, 9, 10.
Different numbers—Numbers that are… ummm… different.
Prime—A number whose only factors are 1 and itself. The numbers 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17,… are prime. Note: The number 1 is NOT considered prime, and the number 2 is the only even prime number.
Units digit—Just a fancy term for the "ones" digit in a number, like the 2 in 672.
Let's look at this question:
Solution: List the primes less than 20: 2, 3, 5, 7, 11, 13, 17, 19. All are odd except 2. Remember that 1 is not a prime number. So there are 7 odd prime numbers less than 20.
Correct answer: D
- For all real numbers x, what integer values satisfy the equation 2x2 = 50 ?
- 25 only
- 5 only
- –5 only
- –5 and 5 only
- –5, 5, and 25 only
- If the sum of three consecutive odd integers is 33, what is the value of the largest of the three integers?
- If 2 consecutive prime numbers have a sum of 42, what is the larger number?
- Two consecutive odd integers have a sum of –32. Which of the following is NOT a justified conclusion?
- Both numbers are negative.
- The lesser number is –15.
- Both numbers are greater than –20.
- Both numbers are less than –10.
- One of the numbers is a factor of 60.
- Which of the following is a list of all positive integers between 40 and 46 that are not consecutive odd prime numbers?
- 42, 44, and 45
- 42, 43, and 44
- 41, 42, 43, and 44
- 41 and 45
- 42 and 44
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- First Grade Sight Words List | <urn:uuid:90a28176-62a2-4638-8f8d-282940c1fc31> | CC-MAIN-2013-48 | http://www.education.com/reference/article/math-vocab2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2013-48/segments/1386163844441/warc/CC-MAIN-20131204133044-00084-ip-10-33-133-15.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.900208 | 809 | 3.640625 | 4 | {
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The Coalition both federally and in Queensland have responded with scepticism, arguing smart meters may actually push up prices.
“Today’s proposed $250 saving is a dishonest grab for a headline that is not backed up by any details," said Queensland Energy Minister
In fact, the Productivity Commission report on which Ms Gillard based her claim does suggest that smart meters will save consumers $100 to $250 a year but it also says that done wrongly, smart meter technology and the related idea of time-of-use pricing could end up costing them money.
“The actual extent of the estimated benefits depends crucially on the manner in which demand management is implemented – for example, under some implementation scenarios, some initiatives are forecast to deliver net costs," the commission said in its latest report on electricity networks.
Indeed, a cost-benefit analysis showed that smart meters matched with a system of “time-of-use" or peak tariffs for electricity could deliver anything from $7.60 of benefit for every $1 invested to a net cost of 70¢. It all depends how the scheme is implemented.
The key issues to be decided include how “smart" smart meters need to be and how the costs of power will vary between peak and off-peak times. The power companies are also arguing over who will get to install and monitor the meters. And most crucially, there is an argument over whether it should be compulsory or voluntary to have a smart meter at all.
The fundamental problem smart meters are designed to address is that demand for power spurts on a few hot days each year when households turn up air conditioners and other appliances.
To meet this peak demand, energy companies have to build expensive back-up gas generators and poles and wires that are used for less than 100 hours a year.
All consumers pay the cost of building this almost redundant infrastructure. About 25 per cent of power network spending is used only 1 per cent of the time.
Smart meters are a first step – and only a first step – to reduce this waste by providing some basic information. The “accumulation" meters on most houses today just say how much power you have used in the three months up to the meter reader’s visit and can’t tell when you used the power. But smart meters measure power use in five minute or half-hour intervals.
Once smart meters are in place, the next step is to change the pricing system so that households will pay higher prices at peak times of the day, which in turn should encourage households and businesses to reduce peak power use. To that extent, opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt is right in saying that the Prime Minister’s embrace of smart meters amounts to increasing power prices at “dinner time".
But the Productivity Commission says the new pricing should save individual households money because they can easily switch a lot of consumption to off-peak. Pool filters could be altered to work in the morning and air-conditioners could be switched to intermittent use at peak times.
In NSW, where smart meters have been installed in about 400,000 houses and time-of-use pricing already exists, off-peak power can cost about one-eighth that of peak-time.
Longer term, if this change in behaviour slows the growth in peak demand across the whole system, it will allow power network companies to defer billions of dollars of costly infrastructure spending, delivering an even bigger saving.
Frontier Economics has estimated that savings from peak demand reduction are likely to be between $4.3 billion and $11.8 billion over the next 10 years but the benefit will vary considerably from state to state.
In South Australia and Queensland the saving per household could be $500 a year, in NSW $350 but in Victoria only $120. That is because Victoria relies on brown coal power stations that tend to run whether or not there is demand, so the gap between off-peak and peak generation costs is considerably narrower.
That is the theory but it can go badly wrong and Victoria is the prime example. The former Labor government decided that all households would be fitted with smart meters and the cost would be added to their household bills.
Unfortunately, the cost of what was then fairly new technology blew out to over $2 billion or $800 a household. The government was also concerned that some disadvantaged households that did not understand the system or could not adjust their power use might face huge bills. To avoid an outcry, until next July Victoria refused to allow time-of-use pricing, which was the whole point of the exercise.
“It appears that the Victorian decision to roll out smart meters was premature and/or poorly planned, with inadequate knowledge about smart meter technologies, their costs and associated risks," the commission said.
A swag of reviews has been commissioned to work out how to avoid a repeat of that debacle. Giving consumers more warning and better information about how they can save money by switching to off-peak use is the key. The reviews also call for a security net for low income customers such as age pensioners.
Another question is how to cut the cost of meters. Victoria had very tight specifications for its designs, which raised costs. Some say a more basic “interval" meter will cut the unit’s cost per household to $70. Others say the meters must have displays so people can see how much power they are consuming at any time.
Power companies in Victoria have opened web portals for people to study their consumption patterns and help them prepare for time-of-use pricing. But a trial by NSW power companies Ausgrid and Endeavour Energy found that people tire of the displays and most ignore them after the first two years.
Some say the smart meter should be linked to a switch, so that it can automatically turn off some appliances. And indeed, the Productivity Commission says some consumers may dispense with the meters and just install technology that turns off power at peak times.
Queensland network company Energex offers households $250 to fit new air-conditioners with a device that switches the power to intermittent on a signal from the power supplier. For the energy industry the two crucial questions are whether the roll-out of smart meters should be compulsory and whether it will be run by the network companies or by the electricity retailers such as
A series of reviews has found that one of Victoria’s big mistakes was that it rolled out the meters to all consumers, including those who have little capacity to shift from peak to off-peak power.
The commission found that this sort of compulsory roll-out would in general be much less cost effective than a selective approach, because a lot of households would barely change their behaviour.
A key state and federal adviser, the Australian Energy Markets Commission, which on Friday released a review called “Power of choice" on how to manage demand peaks, has recommended a hybrid approach where smart meters are compulsory for large power customers, which almost always have some flexibility in their time of power use, but where they are optional for smaller consumers.
The latter may choose to stay with an average same-all-day tariff. Alternatively, power retail companies may make it a selling point to offer smart meters to allow consumers to benefit from low off-peak costs. “The onus will be on the retailer... to elicit consumer consent to a smart meter through offering appropriate retail pricing offers and value added services," the AEMC said.
Ms Gillard seems to be backing this sort of voluntary approach. “No one should be afraid that they are going to be forced with a cost that they don’t want and no one should be afraid that they will be forced to do something they don’t want to do," she said on ABC Radio on Monday.
Retailers are champing at the bit to get into this market but it is the network companies in NSW and Queensland, owned by state governments, that have a monopoly on metering. And state governments are all terrified of deregulating power prices, partly because they fear it may leave consumers exposed to price gouging. Without the freedom to distinguish between peak and off-peak prices though, retailers will not be able to convince households to change their habits.
The system will be most effective in cutting peak demand if prices for those with smart meters are allowed to spike during the most critical peaks. The Productivity Commission said the most effective policy would be a limited roll-out to large customers and others with the most capacity to curb peak demand and this would be combined with very high pricing on the hottest days.
But on those hot days it recommended that consumers should be warned by SMS or email to turn off their appliances.
The Australian Financial Review | <urn:uuid:4d48871f-950c-4508-af9f-6591f6af0185> | CC-MAIN-2015-35 | http://www.afr.com/business/energy/electricity/smart-meters-spark-national-electricity-argument-20121203-jik1l | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-35/segments/1440644059993.5/warc/CC-MAIN-20150827025419-00112-ip-10-171-96-226.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.966177 | 1,787 | 2.515625 | 3 | {
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Welcome travelers, and we off on another exciting adventure today to:
A little History
On March 2, 1561, Pedro del Castillo founded the city and named it Ciudad de Mendoza del Nuevo Valle de La Rioja after the governor of Chile, Don García Hurtado de Mendoza. Before the 1560s the area was populated by three tribes, the Huarpes, the Puelches, and the Incas. The Huarpes devised a system of irrigation that was later developed by the Spanish. This allowed for an increase in population that might not have otherwise occurred. The system is still evident today in the wide trenches (acequias), which run along all city streets, watering the approximately 100,000 trees that line every street in Mendoza. The Spanish founded the city at the bank of river (present name) Río Mendoza, only later realizing that the “river” was a wide irrigation canal dug by the indigenous Huarpes people.
It is estimated that fewer than 80 Spanish settlers lived in the area before 1600, but later prosperity increased due to the use of indigenous and slave labor, and the Jesuit presence in the region. When nearby rivers were tapped as a source of irrigation in 1788 agricultural production increased. The extra revenues generated from this, and the ensuing additional trade with Buenos Aires, no doubt led to the creation of the state of Cuyo in 1813 withJosé de San Martín as governor. It was from Mendoza that San Martin, other Argentinian patriots and Chilean patriots organized the army with which they won the independence of Chile and Peru.
Mendoza suffered a severe earthquake in 1861 that killed at least 5,000 people. The city was rebuilt, incorporating innovative urban designs that would better tolerate such seismic activity. Mendoza was rebuilt with large squares and wider streets and sidewalks than any other city in Argentina. Avenue Bartolomé Mitre and additional small squares are examples of that design. Tourism, wine production, and more recently the exploitation of hard commodities such as oil and uranium ensure Mendoza’s status as a key regional center.
The city’s suburbs, the most important of which are Godoy Cruz, Guaymallén, Las Heras, Luján de Cuyo, and Maipú, have in recent decades far outpaced the city proper in population. Comprising half the metro area population of 212,000 in 1947, these suburbs grew to nearly 7/8 of the total metro area of 894,000 by 2009, making Mendoza the most dispersed metro area in Argentina.
Source = Wikipedia
Real hot summers and moderately cold winters so be sure to avoid January if you fear 40C weather.
What is there to see?
Amazingly beautiful parks, a zoo, wineries and much much more! Depending on your taste, this location offers you lots of outdoor and indoor entertainment.
We hope you enjoyed travelling with us today and until next time, keep up the adventure! 😀
This blog is proudly brought to you by Sidra Baksh. Go check out our website for professional English, Spanish and Portuguese translation services! | <urn:uuid:d6f8d31d-2ab5-46c2-a73a-19fb1b8bb204> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | https://sidrabaksh.wordpress.com/2013/11/04/adventure-time-8/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218188553.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212948-00624-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.951254 | 662 | 3.03125 | 3 | {
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In my opinion the Catch is more important then the pass. Think about it, you can catch balls from anywhere, you can only pass the ball when you already have it on your 5-bar. Learning to catch and control the ball can make you a foosball machine.
Our goal in catching is to keep the ball in control under the next rod. Remember the loose ball lesson? We want to use the back of the man to slow the ball only 1 time, think of it as a 'chest trap' in soccer. You wouldn't see a soccer player try to use their chest more then one time on the ball right? You have no control with the chest so you try to get the ball down and use your feet. In foosball you want to use the sides of the man and the toe. So the ball is coming to your rod, does not matter where from but let's say a pass for argument.
- Trap the ball: Against the wall or in the middle of the table it is the same. Trap it and take as much of the force off the ball as you can, but never let it get away from you. Two schools of thought here, absorb and angle.
- The absorb the impact theory: Some people think you should use your hand to "take" the edge off the speed of the ball by actually giving to the balls direction. While most good players do this, I find it quite challenging for newer players.
- The angles of the men theory: Physics would say that there is an angle that you can set your figure so that the ball comes into the foot and all the energy is directed down and the ball stops. You need to adopt this in general because you want the majority of the ball energy to go into the table.
- Unified Theory of Catching: Man that sounds impressive. Due to spin and the ball being lifted off the table a bit, neither the "absorb" or the "angle" theory works perfectly, so we use a combined theory. We want to start with the foot in a good position, then when the ball hits the foot of your man, you absorb some of the energy. Some of this absorption is down automatically by your grip and some is done in your mind.
- Grip on the handle: You need to have control of the handle, but you need to be soft. Your hand needs to be able to manipulate the rod and the men, while at the same time being soft when the ball comes in contact with the foot. CRITICAL: DO NOT BOUNCE ON IMPACT. If your hand is "limp", you might bounce when the ball hits your man, meaning the ball will go backwards. Either learn to avoid this, learn to pin the ball as it rolls away or become a graceful loser.
- Finger tips on rod: This is a trick some people use. They actually pinch the rod with their finger tips. This allows for nice absorption, with no bounce. Give it a try.
- Control the ball: So you trapped the ball, now if it is not stopped either pin it to the wall or get it rolling side to side under the rod. DO NOT USE THE FRONT OR BACK OF YOUR MAN! Use only the sides or the toe where ever possible. You must break the habit of using the front/back of your foot on the ball! Only use them when you shoot or pass. This is a good start for you. Remember to learn the loose ball skills.
Click here to read foosball blog on catching. | <urn:uuid:69daccac-b523-4059-a3b9-d386ee84df5f> | CC-MAIN-2022-05 | https://foosball.com/schooloffoosball/catching | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-05/segments/1642320301475.82/warc/CC-MAIN-20220119155216-20220119185216-00063.warc.gz | en | 0.934492 | 728 | 2.71875 | 3 | {
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The end of summer and going back to school can be challenging in the best of times. Now that we are returning back to school under COVID-19, it can be even harder. The good news is that there are many things that you can do to support your children and youth with going back to school during COVID-19.
Deciding whether to send your child back to school
School boards across the country are now planning for a return to school for fall 2020. Many school boards are offering parents the option between:
- returning students physically back to school (ranging from part-time to full-time)
- keeping your child at home and continuing with virtual schooling
- a combination of physical return and virtual schooling
Are you uncertain about which choice to make? The Centres for Disease Control has a Back to School Decision-Making Tool to help you weigh the risks and benefits of each option. Reasons to attend school include:
- Your child learns best when physically at school.
- Your child benefits from seeing peers and other school activities, such as gym arts and music.
- The school allows parents to work and provides access to meal programs and other services.
Reasons to avoid a physical return to school:
- Your child (or someone living at home such as a parent or sibling) has an underlying condition (or age) that increases the risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
- The level of community spread is high in your area (which increases the risk of COVID-19).
Reasons to consider virtual schooling from home:
- Your child has someone that can supervise them at home.
- Your child has access to reliable technology (such as the internet) for your child’s virtual learning.
- Your child’s virtual learning option gives opportunities for real-time interactions with the teachers (e.g., have live instruction).
- Your child’s maturity and learning style are sufficient for virtual learning.
TIPS FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS
This reference is for educational purposes only. If you have any questions, ask your health-care provider. Other considerations:
Does your child have special needs such as ADHD, autism, mood disorders, anxiety or other issues? Does your child have other issues such as bullying, or other school stressors? It is recommended that schools work with parents and healthcare providers to ensure that adequate supports will be in place in the classroom to help with special needs. Every child and situation is unique.
Back to school tips
Here are some tips that may be helpful as the school year starts, whether or not your child will be returning to school physically or virtually.
- Continue to encourage your child or youth to stay social with their friends and peers. This will help them feel more connected by the time they get back to school. Ideally this involves face-to-face connections outside, as per COVID-19 physical distancing.
- If they can’t meet face-to-face, try a video call or even write a letter to a friend.
- Gradually get back into school year structure and routines. Bring up the topic that summer is coming to an end and that school will be restarting.
- Talk about routines. You might say: “Hey guys, with COVID-19, you’ve had a lot more screen time than usual, but now that school is starting up again, we’re going to get back into our old routine… “
- Set a bedtime (and/or wake up time) and move it closer to what it should be for the school year.
- Set a screen curfew (a “downtime” after which point there are no screens). For example 8-9 p.m. for school-aged kids and 8:30-9:30 p.m. for high-school-aged kids.
- Consider posting a family calendar with the school start date marked down, to help your family see how many days are left until school starts.
- Ask about routines to continue. “What new COVID-19 routines would people like to continue during the school year? For example, regular family walks after dinner; family dance night, etc.
- Write down the new COVID-19 school-year schedule, for example:
7:00 a.m. – Wake up
8:00 a.m. – Leave for school
8:40 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. – School
3:45 p.m. – Arrive home, wash hands
3:45-5:00 p.m. – Homework time
5-6:00 p.m. – Family dinner
6-8:00 p.m. – Free time (non-educational electronics only allowed on Fridays and Saturdays)
8:30 p.m. – Screen time finished, bedtime routine
10:00 p.m. – Lights out
Some children will be able to wear masks easily but others may have a harder time. Consider the following exposure and desensitization strategies
- Are you buying a mask? Try giving your child some of the newer child-friendly designs to choose from or get them to help decorate a pre-made mask.
- Are you making a mask? Let your child choose the material.
- Create an exposure hierarchy to understand your child’s fears. From least scary to most scary it might be: seeing others wear a mask, seeing a mask, touching a mask, putting on a mask for short periods of time and putting on a mask for longer periods of time.
- Teach distraction strategies like distracting with music, videos, video games to help pass the time while wearing a mask.
- Practice calming strategies like deep breathing, going outside, going for a walk, etc.
- Consider motivating kids to get used to wearing a mask by pairing it with something they enjoy, like allowing video game time (within your limits) while wearing their mask.
Does your child or youth still have struggles with mask-wearing, despite your best efforts?
Consider seeing your health-care provider see if there might be other options, including seeing if your child may have a valid medical exemption.
Help your child continue to cope
- Stay connected to your kids. Kids do best when they feel loved by their caregivers, which happens when you spend quality time with them and listen, validate and empathize with their feelings (as opposed to seeing adults as being angry, upset, and emotionally unavailable to them).
- Model healthy coping. Kids do best when they learn healthy ways to cope with adversity, such as following public health recommendations with masks and physical distancing (as opposed to unhealthy strategies such as focusing on negatives and blaming).
- Attach positive meaning to the pandemic. Kids do best when they can have a positive meaning of a situation. You might say: “On one hand, this pandemic has not been easy. On the other hand, we’ve been able to have a lot more fun times together. And learn new things such as how to cut each other’s hair!”
Ease your child’s worries
Does your child seem to have excessive fears and anxiety about COVID-19? COVID-19 restrictions (such as restricting parents from entering the school) may lead your child to feel more isolated.
- Ask about their fears, and try to reassure or problem solve. Ask: “What worries you the most?”
- Validate and accept your child’s feelings about the situation. You might say: ” “I can see why you might be feeling (insert your child’s feelings here) about this.”
- Give your child a sense of control.
- Explore in more detail. Try to listen without interrupting. Say: ” “Tell me more…”
- Try giving your child a sentimental object that reminds them of you, e.g. a photograph, a special piece of jewelry, etc. Or perhaps a small favorite toy car or stuffie.
The first week back to school
- Leave earlier than usual. Whether you are driving, or simply dropping off your kids at the bus stop, this will give you more flex time
- Consider working a shorter day on the first day back, so that you can pick them up earlier on the first day back until they get used to the new routine.
- Establish a goodbye ritual. When its time to say goodbye to your child, give them a final hug, kiss, say goodbye, and talk about when you’ll see them next. Don’t just say “Goodbye!”, but bridge the separation by talking about when you will see them next.
- Have you dropped off your child? Try to take some time just for yourself, whether it’s going for a walk, to the coffee shop, having tea with a friend, or just going home to nap. Breathe a sigh of relief and savor this time.
- Check-in with your children about how the day went. If your child isn’t ready to talk, then ask them later when they are ready. You might ask: “How did your day go?” “How did it go with wearing your mask and keeping away from people and all that?” “What was hard, what was easy?”
- If they are sad, validate the sadness: “I can see you are feeling sad and it’s ok to cry. I’m going to miss you too.” Offer comfort like a hug or offering a tissue. Crying is good because it helps the brain. | <urn:uuid:25340691-6a69-476e-9ddb-a6936cc0dc4f> | CC-MAIN-2023-23 | https://www.ava360.com/back-to-school-during-covid-19-tips-for-parents-and-caregivers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-23/segments/1685224652149.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20230605153700-20230605183700-00483.warc.gz | en | 0.951331 | 2,046 | 2.796875 | 3 | {
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Post-spring recess, we are back to exploring Daniel T. Willingham’s Why Don’t Students Like School? with renewed appreciation for our own times of reluctance to be in the classroom. Spring fever hits tenure-track faculty just at the time when grading and professional review expectations increase, and our students are also showing signs of restlessness in the midst of their growing lists of assignments.
Not much of a surprise, then, to find that our teaching challenge discussion concerned student behavior or that we wanted our students to establish classroom norms for themselves rather than to shift responsibility to their instructors. Nor was it much of a surprise to find that we were nearing the end of our semester-long discussions by sharing our struggles to keep students on track despite differences between those who master material and concepts quickly and those who seem far behind our intended schedules.
Willingham’s eighth principle states that people “do differ in intelligence, but intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work.” He breaks this principle into two main areas for discussion, one of intellectual capacity and one of intellectual development. He argues that the two are closely entwined.
Intelligence, read through Willingham’s research, connects closely with thinking. Intelligence is a combination of problem-solving skills, use of working memory, and expansion of both working and long-term memory to support mental tasks of increasing complexity. Intelligence, then, is active and can be affected by intentional practices that increase its capacities as well as by neglectful or passive practices that allow working and long-term memory to atrophy. This is good news for those of us raised to believe that brain cells die over our lifetimes without the regeneration typical of other organs: we do not necessarily become less intelligent as we age. (Willingham does not address fatigue, hormonal changes, or stress as factors that might cause aging to affect intelligence temporally or indeed long-term).
In reading this chapter, I was reminded of a NewsRadio episode [http://youtu.be/pfOd4ccy8p0] in which the media editor Matthew, generally hapless and more than a few steps behind, drinks a potion called “Smart Juice.” Convinced that he has been doped into genius, Matthew renames himself SMatthew (Smart Matthew) and marvels his colleagues with his abilities to reason and to absorb new information. Sadly, SMatthew discovers that he has been drinking a placebo, and his smart self is unable to sustain the fiction his less capable self happily embraced.
Willingham’s principle clearly opposes this magical thinking. Sustained hard work is the subtext of each chapter’s argument for enhancing intellectual abilities. Moving from the capacity of intelligence to its development, Willingham then reviews the nature versus nurture debate. Which is more important to intelligence, genetics or environment? Willingham points out that this is in some ways a false dichotomy: what seems to occur in our lives is not only an increase in intelligence but a self-selection towards the environments in which our specific strengths of intelligence (verbal, quantitative, analytic, and creative, as examples) are supported in continuing to intensify and improve. We seek out what reinforces our sense of who we can be.
This sounds encouraging, and yet in this text, Willingham does not address the environments within which most of us live and work, engaged with identities of race, gender, ethnicity and culture, sexuality, religion, and economy. How much can any of us self-select into a supportive intellectual environment that maximizes our capacities when our capacities for health, prosperity, and overall self-determination are so limited? These are questions that are and should be present for us in the classroom and in our preparations and assessments of our teaching.
As we move into the final chapters of our shared text and the final weeks of the term, we are facing these questions with a deeper understanding of what brings each of us to teaching and learning. The experience of sharing teaching challenges across disciplines in the context of a larger discussion of how we and our students learn and can learn now brings us to the question of how we practice our teaching more effectively at the same time that we ask our students to learn more effectively. | <urn:uuid:1ed2c4f1-8a23-4cb6-9cfa-75564a0ae185> | CC-MAIN-2014-35 | http://lehmanfacultyprofessionaldevelopment.commons.gc.cuny.edu/page/2/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-35/segments/1408500836108.12/warc/CC-MAIN-20140820021356-00127-ip-10-180-136-8.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.959832 | 868 | 2.75 | 3 | {
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} | Education & Jobs |
1. The fact that she's not speaking doesn't mean she's not communicating.
Long before your baby said her first word, she was already chatting you up. Establishing eye contact, imitating your facial expressions, babbling, cooing, gurgling, crying -- these are all forms of dialogue. So don't leave her hanging. Imitate her sounds or respond to her cries to let her know that you hear her and that she matters.
2. To give your baby a really big vocabulary, talk -- constantly.
You may feel silly saying to your child, "What's Daddy doing? He's opening the refrigerator. Oh, look! He took out the milk!" But we promise, the more you talk to your kid, the bigger her vocabulary will be. It also helps when you label things you pass on the street or throw into your cart at the grocery store.
And while it probably won't hurt to use your baby as a sounding board for your latest rant about your boss, it's better to focus on the things that actually interest her. If she's pointing at a cat but can't say the word, help her out by saying, "Kitty. What a soft, pretty kitty." The more you speak and expand on your baby's sounds, the more chance she has of picking up words.
3. Kids are very fast learners.
Get this: between 18 months and 2 years, your baby's vocabulary goes from around 50 words to as many as 250! The experts call it fast mapping. We call it amazing.
4. Kids understand more than they can say.
Ask your 1-year-old to "give Daddy the ball," and he'll be able to do just that, even if he can only say the word "ball." It's at this age that kids are first able to follow simple directions. And around the time babies say their first word, they understand between 3 and 50, says Diane Paul, director of clinical issues in speech-language pathology for ASHA in Rockville, Maryland.
5. Don't let language milestones stress you out too much -- they're more guidelines than rules.
As with everything, kids learn language at different rates, so trust your instincts. Karen Slotnick, director of the Speech-Language Learning Center at the Beth Israel Medical Center, in New York City, says not to worry unless your child shows no desire to communicate (not reaching out to you or making eye contact). If you're concerned, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor or a speech pathologist. Here are a few basics to watch for in the first year: In the first three months your baby will interact by cooing, gurgling, and making different cries for different needs. By six months she'll graduate to babbling and turning her head toward a noise. Then, around 12 months, she'll imitate speech sounds and say her first word (we're pulling for "Mama" or "Dada" for you!). | <urn:uuid:7f82b5d9-4b21-49e4-8f4c-1f603bc99183> | CC-MAIN-2014-41 | http://www.parents.com/parents/templates/story/printableStory.jsp?storyid=/templatedata/ab/story/data/1235414455823.xml&catref=prt1436 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-41/segments/1410657128304.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20140914011208-00058-ip-10-196-40-205.us-west-1.compute.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.97312 | 614 | 2.65625 | 3 | {
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} | Health |
Asthma is a struggle that plagues 1 in 13 people. That’s 25 million people in the U.S alone. With sports being a big part of a lot of people’s lives, how can people overcome this diagnosis?
Though asthma has different levels of severity and various triggers, some of the most common ones are allergies and exercise. Therefore, outdoor sports can be a big trigger for asthma attacks, which can be life-threatening.
WebMD describes the symptoms of asthma as dry coughing, tightness in the chest, pale or blue skin, and rapid breathing. These symptoms can end in hospitalization or even death.
However, sports, when done correctly, according to an article on teen’s health, can actually lessen the symptoms of asthma. The article talks about the benefits of exercise and how it strengthens breathing muscles. It also recommends different sports that would be more suited to this condition but they reiterated that sport’s challenges can be worked through by talking to coaches and working extra hard.
Since exercise is such a big part of having a healthy lifestyle, professionals will likely suggest lighter exercise methods for people with asthma rather than eliminating physical activity from their routine. An article from MedicineNet discusses how things like hiking, biking, golf, gymnastics, baseball, short track events, and even football can be wel-suited to athletes with asthma. Even in these sports, letting coaches know and keeping an inhaler nearby is a safer option.
Medicine Net also talks about how sports that require high levels of endurance such as soccer, basketball, and cross-country should be played with caution. Coaches should be properly informed coaches and knowledgeable about the signs of an asthma attack. Informed coaches should allow breaks or lenience during practices and drills.
Athletes with asthma should also be closely monitored in winter sports. The dry air that is present during the winter can trigger asthma, says Mayo Clinic.
In addition to the physical consequences of playing sports with asthma, teens may also face social anxiety. An article on Teen Health mentions that teens with asthma may fear that their peers think differently or less of them. They may fear that fellow athletes perceive extra breaks as unfair or special treatment. To avoid feeling isolated from one’s teammates, Teen Health recommends keeping breaks to a minimum while still staying safe. They also recommend replacement drills or modified drills rather than exemption.
Asthma doesn’t need to prevent people from sports, it simply adds a challenge for people to overcome.
People with asthma have historically overcome this struggle to become very successful athletes. Across all sports and leagues, most people don’t even know the struggle that most of them face.
Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Dennis Rodman had a form of asthma that centered around allergies. Despite this, he won five NBA championships and was the only player from the second round of the 1986 draft to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
David Beckham, a retired soccer player for the LA Galaxy, was only found to have asthma when he was photographed using an inhaler in a 2009 MLS cup game. That was 13 years after he made his debut to the sport. An article on Healthline mentions how in numerous interviews Beckham has said that it wasn’t something he felt he needed to talk about. But he added that if it did help people who were struggling with this, he would hope his success would motivate them.
Paula Radcliffe, a marathon runner for 29 years, also suffered from asthma from a young age. She told Healthline, “I don’t think asthma affected my career- if anything it made me more determined to reach my potential.” One of her biggest accomplishments was setting the world record for the fastest women’s marathon time in 2003 with a time of 2:15:25. Only recently in 2019 was this record beaten. She held the record for 16 years in spite of having asthma.
Swimmer Amy Van Dyke was diagnosed at only the age of 18 months, says an article on Health Grades. Then when she was 6 years old, doctors recommended swimming for her to strengthen her lungs around less dry air sports. 17 years later, Amy would compete in the 1996 summer Olympics and win 4 gold medals. She later went on to win 2 more. Though from a young age she was at a disadvantage with other swimmers, she never let that stop her; it only motivated her to become the best she could be.
Eighth-grade MMS student, Lauren Furnas, was diagnosed with activity-based asthma at age twelve but that hasn’t stopped her from participating in a variety of sports. Of all the sports she’s played, soccer and swimming are her focuses. In an interview, Lauren stated, “If anything, swimming worsened it. It didn’t get worse because of swimming but because it is activity-based. It still flares up during sports.” Even though Lauren says that inhalers don’t help her personally, she has overcome this challenge through hard work and practice.
Another eighth-grade student, Owen Milroy, was diagnosed with allergy-based asthma at the age of four. He mentioned the absence of modified drills in his sports’ experiences and how he just had to work through the challenge. Owen also participates in several sports, the main ones being swimming, soccer, and track. In his experience, he only uses an inhaler when he’s “straight-up dying.”
Asthma and sports may seem to not mix, but historically, and in our own school, people have found workarounds and have been able to partake in any sport they wanted. | <urn:uuid:5d720d4f-55c7-4cd8-8689-ee5eee94df83> | CC-MAIN-2022-27 | https://wildcatvoice.org/6370/sports/asthma-and-sports-how-can-they-mix/?return&print=true | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-27/segments/1656103036099.6/warc/CC-MAIN-20220625190306-20220625220306-00020.warc.gz | en | 0.979521 | 1,168 | 3.34375 | 3 | {
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"interpretation": "Strong reasoning"
} | Health |
What people do not understand is that there is no proof of
"Man-Made" Global Warming without using irrelevant
computer models. Yes computer models have a place in engineering
but are utterly useless at fortune telling, I mean "climate
prediction". With engineering you can build and test in
the real world to confirm the computer model's accuracy. You
can do no such thing with the planet Earth and it's climate.
You cannot build a planet and it's atmosphere to "test"
your computer climate model.
I am a computer analyst and can program a computer model to
do whatever I want. If you program a computer model so that
X amount of CO2 increase "forces" X amount of temperature
increase then it will happen, this does not make this true in
the real world.
"...all of our models have errors which mean that they
will inevitably fail to track reality within a few days irrespective
of how well they are initialised." - James Annan, William
GIGO: Garbage in = Garbage out
Computers need exact information and the exact procedures to
process that information to get accurate answers, without that
you get useless results, period. There is no way around this.
Computers cannot fill in the blanks for you like nature does
when you do an experiment in the real world. With computers
everything must be programmed into them from the beginning and
everything that is programmed into them must be 100% understood
and 100% accurate. Even the most advanced and expensive computer
climate models include various approximations known as 'parameterizations'.
These "guesses" include:
- Cloud Cover
- Transfer of Solar Radiation in the Atmosphere
Fundamental Computer Science - if a Computer Model includes
merely one approximation for what latter dependent calculations
or data are derived from then the output of the model is useless.
This is Computer Science 101.
(Article continues below)
Computing incomplete, biased or flat out wrong data (guesses
and assumptions) based on poorly understood climate physics
in a "model" will give you useless output. But since
these models have been "tuned" (guesstimated or deliberately
altered to get the results they want) they get results that
"seem" likely or even convincing to the average computer
illiterate, yet they are absolutely meaningless for prediction.
What the modelers do is they keep playing with the numbers until
they think they guess right, a useless exercise. Technically
they are mathematically adjusting various climate related equations
based on theoretical assumptions.
Alarmist scientists presenting their "predictions"
as fancy graphs or nicely colored renderings does nothing for
the accuracy of their predictions. They like to use colors such
as yellow, orange and red to have an emotional effect for worthless
computer generated results.
Question: Would you use a mathematically broken calculator?
Nothing is emotional about computers they are pure logical
machines, 1 + 1 must = 2. Imagine trying to use a mathematically
broken calculator based on poorly understood arithmetic to get
a correct answer but you have no way to confirm that "correct
answer" except to wait 50-100 years. Sound crazy? Welcome
to Global Climate Modeling. Yes the models have to be exact
to give any sort of relevant results. That is like saying a
calculator does not have to be based on accurate arithmetic
to be a useful tool in mathematics - utter propaganda.
Weather vs. Climate
Computer models are used to predict your weather and you know
how accurate they are. But Al Gore and Gavin Schmidt can certainly
tell your what the climate will be 50-100 years from now. Give
me a break! Don't be fooled that the basic principles of how
computers work changes whether you are modeling the climate
or the weather. Nor is one more accurate than the other long
term. Computer code is computer code no matter what name you
give it and how a computer works does not change because you
change the name you call the code. You cannot simply excuse
away missing data, substitute mathematically created observations,
parameterize what you are unable to model and then run the model
over a longer time and think your results have any remote relation
The existence of parameterizations (approximated assumptions)
means that various calculations are not fully resolved to scale
and thus the models are flawed by design, this is basic computer
science. You have results based on estimated calculations and
thus worthless results. No hand waving can change this. Any
computer code that is not 100% perfect will produce meaningless
results with scientific and math calculations. That is the fundamentals
of how a computer works.
The Myth of Testing
Testing a model against past climate is an advanced exercise
in curve fitting, nothing more and proves absolutely nothing.
What this means is you are attempting to have your model's output
match the existing historical output that has been recorded.
For example matching the global mean temperature curve over
100 years. Even if you match this temperature curve with your
model it is meaningless. Your model could be using some irrelevant
calculation that simply matches the curve but does not relate
to the real world. With a computer model there are an infinite
number of ways to match the temperature curve but only one way
that represents the real world. It is impossible for computer
models to prove which combination of climate physics correctly
matches the real world. Do not be fooled this logic is irrefutable
by anyone who understands computer science and computer modeling.
"These codes are what they are - the result of 30 years
and more effort by dozens of different scientists (note, not
professional software engineers), around a dozen different software
platforms and a transition from punch-cards of Fortran 66, to
Fortran 95 on massively parallel systems." - Gavin Schmidt,
Computer Science vs. Natural Science
To make matters worse it is not computer scientists creating
these models but natural scientists coding them using Fortran.
These natural scientists do not even begin to have the basic
understanding of computer science or proper coding practices.
Their code is not 100% available publicly and you do not have
independent auditing or code validation. Sloppy and buggy code
is very likely littered inside these climate model programs
yet there is next to no accountability for any of this. How
do you separate a programming error from a temperature anomaly?
How can you replace observational data with a complex mathematical
equation? You can't.
How many of the models used by the IPCC have had ANY bug fixes
or code changes since the most recent IPCC report? If they have
had ANY - all previous model run results become null and void
based on simple logic thus easily invalidating the ridiculous
conclusions of the IPCC report.
"No complex code can ever be proven 'true' (let alone demonstrated
to be bug free). Thus publications reporting GCM results can
only be suggestive." - Gavin Schmidt, RealClimate.org
All the computer illiterates are convinced that because something
is done on a "super computer" that costs "millions
of dollars" it is infallible. The more complex the model,
the more "mysterious" it seems to the average person.
The public gives computer climate models this mystical aura
because they are largely computer illiterate about how they
actually work and when they hear the term "computer"
they do not want to sound or feel stupid, so they nod their
heads and go along with it.
Why are we not turning to models to predict the future for
everything? Because they can't, not even remotely. Some of them
work "sort of" for the weather in very, very short
term results (1-3 days) until all the data they are processing
that is wrong combined with all the data they are missing and
the millions of variables they are not accounting for start
to kick in and grow exponentially the farther out the model
runs and wham - the model is wrong. No kidding, there are simply
way too many variables that they cannot account for and the
computer power necessary to even start to take these variables
into account does not exist.
The sheer ignorance of the scientists creating these models
is astounding. The fact that they have absolutely no scientific
understanding of computer systems in any remote way is appalling.
They instead rely on the computer illiteracy of the general
public and their perceived standing as "intellectuals"
to get away with this fraud.
You are expected to believe that they can "model"
the climate 50-100 years in the future when they cannot even
give you accurate weather 3 days out? Don't be fools, I do this
for a living, Computer Models cannot predict the future with
anything as complex as the Earth's climate.
Climate models are rubbish (The Register, UK)
"My first heresy says that all the fuss about global
warming is grossly exaggerated. Here I am opposing the holy
brotherhood of climate model experts and the crowd of deluded
citizens who believe the numbers predicted by the computer models.
[...] But I have studied the climate models and I know what
they can do. The models solve the equations of fluid dynamics,
and they do a very good job of describing the fluid motions
of the atmosphere and the oceans. They do a very poor job of
describing the clouds, the dust, the chemistry and the biology
of fields and farms and forests. They do not begin to describe
the real world that we live in. The real world is muddy and
messy and full of things that we do not yet understand. It is
much easier for a scientist to sit in an air-conditioned building
and run computer models, than to put on winter clothes and measure
what is really happening outside in the swamps and the clouds.
That is why the climate model experts end up believing their
own models." - Freeman Dyson, Professor Emeritus of Physics, | <urn:uuid:0eff7cb5-2de7-484c-adc9-73acd6a0c90e> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.infowars.net/articles/november2008/041108FACT.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510271862.24/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011751-00027-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.920907 | 2,101 | 2.703125 | 3 | {
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} | Science & Tech. |
Through history.. the bridesmaids & groomsmen have had many different responsibilities.
This comes from MentalFloss.com:
1. In a time in which “marriage by capture” was practiced, close friends of the groom would assist him in taking the bride from her family. They’d form a small army to fight off angry relatives so that he could escape with her.
2. Witnesses at the marriage bed were once required to get REALLY involved. A tradition in medieval England and France was called "fingering the stocking”: literally checking the bride's stockings for signs that the marriage had been consummated.
3. There was a lot of shoe-throwing in the old days. In Anglo-Saxon times the groom “symbolically" struck the bride with a shoe to “establish his authority.” Brides would throw shoes at their bridesmaids (instead of a bouquet) to see who would marry next. Whoever caught it would throw her shoe at the men, and the first guy hit would be the one to wed.
4. Ancient Roman law required 10 witnesses to be present at a wedding, which is considered a precursor to the bridal party tradition. Bridesmaids and groomsmen had to dress just like the bride and groom to confuse vengeful spirit presences (or real-life jealous suitors) who might try to harm the newlyweds.
5. Another origin story for the bridesmaid tradition is Biblical: When Jacob married Leah and Rachel, each brought her own “maid”—but they were personal servants rather than your typical bouquet-holding bridesmaids.
6. The tradition of the “best man” is thought to have originated with the Germanic Goths of the 16th century. He was the “best man” for, specifically, the job of stealing the bride from her neighboring community or disapproving family, and he was probably the best swordsman, too.
7. In some early traditions, the groomsmen were called Bride’s Knights, because they helped protect her—and her dowry, and her virginity—or because they assisted in her kidnapping.
8. The chief bridesmaid might be in charge of the dow-purse (much the way today’s maid of honor would hold the bride’s bouquet). She’d also help the bride take off her gloves and then hold them during the ceremony.
9. In some traditions, bridesmaids led the bridegroom to the church and the groomsmen led the bride.
10. In medieval times, some bridesmaids made the bride drink and eat a concoction of plum buns in spiced ale to “restore the energies.”
11. Part of the job was to walk carefully: If a bridesmaid stumbled on the way to the altar, the superstition was that she would never marry.
12. Given the likelihood that the bride's family would attempt to retrieve her from her groom or get revenge—or that another suitor would try to take her, or she might try to escape—the best man stood right next to her at the wedding, at the ready with his weapon. Later, he was moved to the groom's right side (possibly due to jealousy on the part of the groom). After the ceremony he stood guard outside the newlyweds' bedroom or home.
13. In ancient Roman weddings, the matron of honor was a moral role model, known for fidelity and obedience. (She had to have been married no more than once, and to have a living husband.) She joined the right hands of the bride and bridegroom for the first time at the ceremony.
14. In early Victorian times, tradition called for all-white weddings, so bridesmaids—who were supposed to be younger than the bride—wore white dresses with short veils, contrasting with the bride’s more ornate veil and train. By the 20th century, this had fallen out of favor, and the bride alone wore white to better stand out.
15. Victorian bridesmaids were tasked with making party favors out of things like ribbons and flowers and pinning them onto the sleeves and shoulders of guests as they left the ceremony. Bridesmaids of the past also used to walk down the aisle with aromatic bunches of garlic, herbs, and grains to drive evil spirits away (and to help make things smell nice in times when hygiene was a bit different).
16. A maid of honor once attended to the bride-to-be for several days prior to a wedding, making sure the bridal wreath was made and helping her get dressed. Bridesmaids also helped undress her, making sure to remove all pins (if a pin remained, it was bad luck for the wedding), and helped decorate for the wedding feast.
17. The “stag” or bachelor party originated in Sparta in the fifth century, as his buddies—de facto groomsmen—toasted him and feasted on the night before his wedding.
18. Being a bridesmaid was considered a good way to procure a husband. In the 16th century, if you had served as bridesmaid three times without getting married yourself, it was believed that evil spirits had cursed you. To break the spell, you’d have to be a bridesmaid four more times, for a total of seven rounds on the wedding circuit.
19. The bride’s friends would “shower” her with gifts before her wedding in cases when her father didn’t approve of her groom and wouldn’t provide the necessary dowry for her to marry the man of her choice. The gifts they gave would become her dowry.
20. The bride was often accompanied by a child—think today’s flower girls and ring bearers—meant to symbolize a fruitful union. Flower petals tossed in the bride’s pathway were representative of the way to a beautiful future.
21. Open carriages were considered an easy target for evil spirits, so wedding guests would use bells and firecrackers to scare them away. This translates to today’s celebratory car honking after ceremonies. | <urn:uuid:9d65c1a9-21e8-443b-a5d2-af11bbad5a01> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://kiss1067.iheart.com/onair/pauly-17900/21-historical-roles-of-wedding-parties-12570268/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218190183.80/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212950-00281-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.976915 | 1,318 | 3.28125 | 3 | {
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} | Social Life |
Holi is one of India’s best-known festivals, providing great material for photographers from all over the world. Its marks the beginning of spring and takes place at full moon in the lunar month of Phalgun (February-March). It is known as the festival of colours and also the festival of love, commemorating the divine love of Krishna and Radha.
Holi is also day for breaking down barriers, releasing tensions and ending conflicts – a day of forgiving and forgetting. It is also a festival of unity and brother-/sisterhood. It brings together all social classes, all castes, men and women; everyone looks the same when drenched in coloured powder!
The celebrations start with a Holika bonfire the night before Holi proper. Holi is named after Holika, the sister of the king and demon-deity Hiranyakashipu.
According to legend, Hiranyakashipu had obtained powers that made him indestructible. As a result he became arrogant, considered himself a fully-fledged god, and demanded that everyone worship him.
But his son Prahlada, a fervent devotee of Vishnu, would not bow down to his father.
The furious king decided to kill his son, but his plan failed; Prahalad survived being thrown from a cliff, crushed by elephants, bitten by snakes and attacked by soldiers.
So Hiranyakashipu asked his sister Holika to kill Prahalad. Holika took Prahalad on her knees and sat atop a pyre. She had obtained a power from the gods that made her impervious to fire.
But the gods were displeased that she should use this power for evil purposes and immediately took it from her. She was burnt to ashes. Prahalad, who had remained faithful to his convictions, was protected by Vishnu and survived. Shortly afterwards, Vishnu killed Hiranyakashyap and Prahalad inherited the throne, reigning as a wise king.
To celebrate this legend, great bonfires are built and an effigy representing Holika is placed on top. On the night before Holi the fires are lit and people sing and dance around them.
Some take embers home with them, for this fire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil.
Holi proper starts the day after Holika. The streets explode with all the colours of the rainbow. People run playfully after each other and throw coloured water or powder at each other until everyone is covered in colour from head to foot.
If you are out in the streets during Holi you will be assailed from all sides. There is no way to escape it and you cannot protest because that is the spirit of Holi – there are no limits. So be prepared! Don’t dress smart, protect your hair and skin, and wear glasses.
Originally, the coloured powders used for Holi were made from natural pigments: turmeric for ochre yellow, kumkum for carmine, blue hibiscus for indigo, etc. – plants that are used in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia. Because people can catch chills at this time of changing season, throwing the powders had a preventive or curative purpose.
Unfortunately the powders used nowadays are made with chemicals and there is no control over their origin or properties. They can persist on the skin for several days and sometimes cause irritation.
Holi is a general letting off of steam. Indeed this was one of its original purposes, allowing people to be momentarily free of all prohibitions.
But the party can also degenerate with too much alcohol and drugs such as bhang, a drink made from cannabis. Men under the influence soon become uncontrollable. It is best to attend Holi in the morning, before the men have drunk too much or overindulged in drugs.
In fact many Indian families prefer to stay home and play Holi amongst themselves rather than get too close to the excesses going on in the street.
Holi, festival of colours, is intimately linked to the Hindu god Krishna.
Krishna has blue skin because a demon-woman called Putana poisoned him with her breast milk when he was a baby. In his youth Krishna was desperate to know whether Radha and the other gopis (cowherd girls) would like him despite his blue skin. His mother, tired of seeing her son lament in this way, told him to approach Radha and colour her face with whatever colour he liked. He did, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha’s face has been celebrated at Holi.
In the region of Braj, where Krishna grew up, the festival lasts 16 days in commemoration of Radha’s divine love for Krishna (see below)
Another story tells that Krishna liked to play jokes on the girls of his village by throwing coloured water at them.
Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and towns around it are associated with the Lord Krishna story and are famous for their Holi celebrations. Barsana, an hour’s drive from Mathura, has a unique version of Holi called Laddoo and Lathmaar Holi.
Laddoo Holi celebrates Krishna’s visit to Barsana during Holi. It takes place on the day before Lathmaar Holi.
Laddoos are ball-shaped sweets that are very popular in India. At this festival they are thrown from the top of the Radha temple onto the crowd below, who try to catch them. They are regarded as prasad – holy food – and are treated with great respect.
The literal meaning of Lathmaar Holi is “Holi with stick-beating”. Legend has it that when Lord Krishna was living in the neighbouring village of Nandgaon, he used to visit Barsana where his beloved Radha was born. The dark-faced god enjoyed teasing Radha and her gopi friends (gopis are cowherd girls). The girls took offense and chased him out of town.
To relive the legend, the men of Nandgaon come to Barsana during Holi and are greeted by the women of the village armed with long sticks called lathi. The Nandgaon men chant verses to provoke the women, who set about them with their sticks. The men use shields to protect themselves. The next day the women of Barsana go to Nandgaon and are drenched with coloured water by the men there. | <urn:uuid:cae5c379-7849-4e44-a0be-d27a14f15cd2> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://magikindia.com/holi-india/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780057775.50/warc/CC-MAIN-20210925202717-20210925232717-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.976594 | 1,376 | 2.71875 | 3 | {
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Number 1 Coy. 5/60th Royal American (Rifles) were a British serving company within the 5th btn, 60th Regiment of Foot (Royal Americans).
The 60th itself was a regiment raised to police America only, originally being given the number 62 in the line, it changed to the 60th in 1757. The regiment was charged mainly with fighting the French, and actually won the motto ‘Celer Et Audax’ (Swift & Bold) from General James Wolfe after driving the French from Quebec. This motto is still in use today with the modern day Rifles.
Parliament passed legislation in late 1797 to add another battalion, 1,000 men strong to the Regiment. This brought the addition of a fifth battalion to the 60th, which was raised on the Isle of Wight with Lt. Col. Baron de Rottenburg as the commanding officer. The first return for the battalion was sworn in front of Newport Magistrates in March 1798, and depicts the four companies of the battalion based on the Isle of Wight drawing pay. Within 6 months those four companies had moved to Waterford, Ireland.
The battalion was wholly armed with a Prussian Rifle, and consisted of men drafted in from two foreign corps; Lowenstein’s Chasseur’s (Dutch) and Hompesch’s Mounted riflemen (German). It is from the latter that the battalion gained it’s uniform style – a pair of tight fitting pantaloons, and a green jacket with scarlet facings (unlike the other battalions of the 60th, the 5th used a green jacket with red facings instead of a red jacket with blue facings, but retained the royal status of the regiment with its royal blue pantaloons). This battalion became the first in the British Army not only to be wholly equipped & specifically trained in the use of rifles, but also to wear the now famous green jacket.
Early service in Ireland beckoned the newly raised 5th btn, and saw them successfully quash a rebellion at the Battle of Vinegar Hill under the command of Sir John Moore. The four companies of the battalion then headed for the West Indies in 1799, where on arrival the battalion was strengthened to ten companies, with recruits being drafted in from Lowenstein’s Chassuers, York Rangers and also a company of the Walloon Guards amongst others. The battalion then served in the America’s briefly, serving at Martinique, Surinam, Grenada, Trinidad and Halifax (Nova Scotia) before travelling on to Portsmouth, England.
1808 saw the opening of a marvelous and colourful chapter in not only the regiments history, but also of Britain itself. Sir Arthur Wellesley (Later Lord Wellington) landed at Mondego Bay in Portugal, thus beginning the Peninsular Wars. The 5/60th along with the 2/95th were the first men ashore and became the first British forces to encounter the French. The battalion itself was ordered to work at Company level (the typical European way of employing riflemen in the field) and was strung through the various divisions of the British army to provide elite’ sharpshooters to work with the light companies of line regiments. It’s also important to note that on the first order of the battle made during the Peninsular, 5/60th were accompanied by 2/95th Rifles in the Light Division, with 5/60th being the senior battalion.
The battalion went on to win no less than 16 battle honours in the Peninsular and France campaigns, which are still worn with pride today by the officers of the current Rifles.
The Commanding Officer of the 1st Company who we represent, was called John Galiffe. He was the most highly decorated officer of the British Army which served in the Peninsular Wars, with no less than 15 actions to his name. Galiffe went on to command the 5/60th from the beginning of 1813 until the end of hostilities in April 1814.
5/60th itself was itself present in the Peninsular from the very beginning to the last day of the war (1808-1814). Only two other battalions in the British Army achieved this feat.
The battalion was eventually disbanded in 1818 with the remaining men, battle honours & traditions amalgamated into the 2nd. Rifle Battalion, Duke of Yorks’ Rifle Corps. Their motto ‘Swoift & Bold’ also went with them, and carried on in use when they became the KRRC in 1830. In 1948 the KRRC merged with the Rifle Brigade & Ox & Bucks. LI to form the Royal Green Jackets (RGJ). Finally in 2007 the RIFLES were formed from the RGJ , Devonshire & Dorset LI; The Light Infantry & finally the Gloucestershire, Berkshire & Wiltshire LI. The 60th’s battle honours, traditions and history is kept alive by 2nd Battn. The Rifles, with their original motto ‘Swift & Bold’ now used by the whole regiment, the single largest regiment in the British Army. | <urn:uuid:841cb94e-b360-461d-89f6-9931341ff653> | CC-MAIN-2019-35 | http://5th60thrifles.co.uk/?page_id=108 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-35/segments/1566027313996.39/warc/CC-MAIN-20190818185421-20190818211421-00444.warc.gz | en | 0.972436 | 1,079 | 2.6875 | 3 | {
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AIS Special Report, February 28, 2017
Armored trains have a place in the popular imagination, having been featured in films such as Doctor Zhivago (1965), The Train (1964) and the James Bond thriller Goldeneye (1995). More fantastic armored trains are now encountered in popular video games and Japanese anime. Hundreds of these menacing iron giants armed with formidable naval guns once roamed the expanses of Eastern Europe and Asia, but today there are only four left in service; the Russian Defense Ministry’s armored trains Terek, Baikal, Amur and Don (like the cruisers of the sea, these cruisers of the rails are given individual names). The Terek is the Russian Army’s sole factory-made, purpose-designed armored train, the others having been converted from various civilian rail cars.
A Weapon Built for Russian Expanses
Russia has an extensive history of armored train use, largely due to the difficulty of moving large numbers of troops across the vast road-less regions of early 20th century Russia. Large numbers of armored trains were deployed on the mobile battlefields of World War One’s Eastern Front, but the Russian Civil War of 1917-22 saw a virtual explosion in their use, with over 200 in operation at one point.
Many of the White Russian trains passed into the service of northern Chinese warlords before falling into the hands of the Japanese after their 1931 invasion of Manchuria. Both Russia and Germany deployed armored trains on the Eastern Front in World War Two. Russian armored trains patrolled the wild east Siberian frontier during the Sino-Soviet border conflict of the 1960s and appeared again during the 1990 Nagorno-Karabakh War. During the most intensive phases of the Chechen-Russian War armored trains were successful in performing reconnaissance missions, de-mining operations and the escort of military trains carrying troops and equipment.
The defensive weaknesses of armored trains (vulnerability to ambush, derailment, capture etc.) were recognized early and by 1919 it was common for each Russian armored train to carry a desantniy ortryad (raiding team) that could be quickly deployed alongside train-borne tanks or other armored vehicles. With fire called in by forward observers deployed from the train, the armored train can provide powerful fire-support to drive away or destroy enemy forces. In modern times these raiding teams include BMP-2 infantry fighting vehicles and T-62 or T-72 tanks. While mounted on flatcars, the more vulnerable sides of these vehicles are protected by timber and sandbags. The tanks have a secondary role as tractors in the event of a derailment.
Armored trains may also use small railed reconnaissance vehicles known as draisines to scout the track ahead of the main train. The trains typically carry the material and trained men necessary to quickly repair damaged track as immobility places a train in danger of ambush or capture.
Use in Counter-Insurgency
Modern armored trains are vulnerable to air raids or artillery strikes, making them suitable only for counter-insurgency operations where such capabilities are typically unavailable to insurgents. Armored trains were first used for counter-insurgency work by the Austro-Hungarian Army in 1848. Later armored trains were used on counter-insurgency missions by the British against the Boers in South Africa, the Germans against Partisans on the Eastern Front in World War Two and by the French against the Viet Minh in Indo-China. Their use enabled railway troops to secure important transportation links from sabotage and provide fire support to infantry and armor.
Though armored trains have become vulnerable to modern tank tactics and armor-piercing munitions, their rail support allows the trains to carry a weight in weapons and armor that would crush paved roads or have mobility difficulties on certain types of ground. Expendable flatcars (often loaded with sandbags) are typically deployed ahead of the train to absorb the initial impact of explosives or derailment.
Antiaircraft gun of the Armored Train Terek. The Baikal is to the left. This photo was likely taken at the Russian Armored Train base at Khankala, Chechnya. © Photo: otvaga2004.ru
Modernizing Russia’s Armored Train Fleet
The return of the Russian Defense Ministry’s four armored trains to service after a brief retirement is part of an expensive program to modernize and expand Russia’s armed forces by 2020, though sanctions and economic difficulties have hindered implementation. The trains were operated by Russian Railway Troops (Zheleznodorozhniki -ZhDk) in the North Caucasus from 2002 to 2009, at which point Defense Minister Anatoly Serdyukov decided the trains had outlived their usefulness as the Chechen insurgency wound down. Serdyukov was sacked over corruption allegations in 2012 and his order to dismantle the trains was never carried out. His replacement, Sergey Shoigu, had seen the trains in action and decided to bring them back into service (International Business Times, August 28, 2015).
Armored train Terek © Photo: otvaga2004.ru
The four corps of ZhDk railway troops are under the authority of the Defense Ministry and are responsible for securing and repairing Russia’s railway network during military operations or natural disasters.
There is no sign yet that the Defense Ministry trains will be re-joined by the Russian Interior Ministry’s sole armored train, the largely improvised Kozma Minin, which served in the Caucasus in the periods 1994-2002 and 2011-2012 before being sent for a technological overhaul in 2013. The Kozma Minin operated separately from the Army’s trains, carrying out missions for Interior Ministry forces.
Diagram of the Baikal and Amur armored trains: The Baikal (top) features 1) cover platform 2) anti-aircraft gun 3) locomotive 4) kitchen and dining car 5) sleeper car 6) radio station 7) headquarters 8) jammer; the Amur (bottom) features 1) freight car 2) anti-aircraft gun 3) locomotive 4) kitchen and dining car 5) sleeper car 6) sleeper car 7) radio station 8) jammer 9) headquarters 10) freight car 11) freight car, 12) crane 13) cover platform. © Politrussia.com
The Defense Ministry’s overhauled armored trains now include an electronic warfare wagon capable of jamming enemy communications and radar. New tactical protocols now allow the trains to operate in tandem with helicopter support, a potentially lethal combination for insurgents operating anywhere close to the railway system (Sputnik News.com, August 15, 2016). Russia’s armored trains have also been fitted out with anti-mine technology, including the Kamysh M4K system, which uses white noise to interfere with radio-controlled IEDs at a distance of up to 20 meters. Firepower is now provided, not by naval guns, but by powerful, rapid-firing twin 23 mm ZU-23 anti-aircraft guns (MK.RU, August 12, 2016). These guns are protected by shields and their crews have access to armored shelters on both ends of the gun-car. Heavy use of camouflage nets helps reduce the visibility of the armored trains as targets.
Armored Train Baikal © Photo: otvaga2004.ru
Amur and Baikal undertook intensive drills in Volgograd, Krasnodar, North Ossetia and Crimea in August 2016. One of the high points of the exercise was the construction by railroad troops of a 1300-foot long pontoon bridge over the Volga capable of supporting the armored trains (Russia Today, August 17, 2016; Video of the operation at Vesti.Ru, August 17, 2016).
Russia is also re-introducing military trains equipped with the new MS-26 Rubezh light intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), armed with multiple nuclear warheads (the whole system is known as “Barguzin”). An earlier version of these missile trains was deployed from 1984 to 1994, but the enormous weight of these missiles damaged the rail system and the entire project was shut down in 2005, partly due to strategic weapons treaties (Russian Beyond the Headlines, May 17, 2016). The new, much lighter missile trains will be disguised by the inclusion of normal freight cars and wagons in the train to prevent their easy detection from space (Independent, November 23, 2016). | <urn:uuid:c2992028-d332-4858-9012-db0cc90b10cf> | CC-MAIN-2022-40 | https://www.aberfoylesecurity.com/?p=3873 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-40/segments/1664030338213.55/warc/CC-MAIN-20221007143842-20221007173842-00517.warc.gz | en | 0.952668 | 1,745 | 2.84375 | 3 | {
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One of the biggest issues we face when making food is balancing health with taste, as well as also cost. We want our food to be tasty and healthy, but we don’t want to break the bank making food. An excellent indicator as to how costly our food will be is what we cook it with. This is why so many struggle with gas or electric appliances, considering what the outcomes are.
Most people are aware of the basics. As Saving Electricity points out:
“Natural gas is almost always cheaper than electricity. Of course, if you don’t cook very much, the savings won’t be that great. Electric stoves account for only 2.8% of electric use for households that have them. (The oven part of the stoves comprises only 1.8%.)”
However, this is not perfect or universal. After all, some people could use the stove so infrequently any difference becomes negligible. Someone who barely uses his electric stove probably won’t be using his electric oven, either.
According to most studies, working purely with costs, the energy efficient winner is gas. How Stuff Works summarises the findings of leading institutes:
“[Gas] takes about three times as much energy to produce and deliver electricity to your stove. According to the California Energy Commission, a gas stove will cost you less than half as much to operate (provided that you have an electronic ignition.)”
But that doesn’t quite answer our cooking needs nor provide a full picture.
Where the debate lies
As Kitchen Myths points out, in its list of where gas and electric stoves succeed, it’s clear the answer is not simple. For example, boiling is essential to cooking. Yet, one does it significantly better than the other.
“In comparison tests, gas stoves are almost always slower to boil a large pot of water than an electric stove with the same BTU rating. This is probably because a lot more heat escapes with gas.”
Timing is everything here. So, if one does it slower than another, that will have an effect on taste. Indeed, because you’re spending more gas than you would electricity, you might find the cost is more in this instance.
Common knowledge then isn’t conclusive. What we need to do is carefully calculate our costs at the end of the month, using whatever appliance we currently have. Then, we need to obtain details about particular stoves or appliances. With this data and info, we can compare the differences and see whether there is anything significant.
The overall point is that gas isn’t obviously better, only more likely to be so. We should, however, always think of our own individual situation before making a purchasing decision. | <urn:uuid:d8e4366f-b228-4e35-b488-36c4cfdebb59> | CC-MAIN-2017-13 | http://tasteobservatory.com/gas-vs-electric-the-ongoing-debate/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-13/segments/1490218191984.96/warc/CC-MAIN-20170322212951-00083-ip-10-233-31-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.963568 | 575 | 2.765625 | 3 | {
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A Short History of Flying in Idaho
Idaho's storied connection with aviation begins early in the twentieth century. It was here, in the Intermountain West, that commercial airmail first took hold, on the Pasco-Boise-Elko route.
"The airmail had been flown by the army to start out with," said historian Arthur Hart. "But they were killing too many pilots, so the army got out of it. Congress put it out for contract in 1925, and that's when Walter Varney put in a bid for a route that he was sure nobody else would want."
Varney Airlines came to Idaho, not to carry passengers, but to carry the mail. "That was their specialty, but they soon became part of the larger conglomerate called United Airlines – one of several small companies that joined. So United quite correctly considers that its history begins on April 6, 1926, when Varney flew the first commercial mail. Commercial passenger service was immediately thereafter."
According to Hart, Idaho has one other claim to fame. "As far as I can tell, the first smoke jumpers jumped into Idaho. They were based in Missoula, but the first jump was into Idaho, and I think that was in a Travelair."
In its infancy, aviation was propelled by industry, often by mining companies needing equipment flown in to remote locations. In fact, just about every major business in Idaho had its own plane and pilot.
Penn Stohr, of Johnson Flying Service, was one of the most famous of backcountry pilots. He seemed right at home in any kind of weather.
In the winter of 1943 Stohr became a national hero when he spotted and rescued five crew members of an army B-23 bomber that had crash landed in the rugged mountains near Loon Lake, outside of McCall. You can still see the wreckage along the shore of the lake.
The headlines of The Idaho Statesman said it all: "Primitive Area Flier Saves Five Airmen Marooned Near Lake." Stohr had been flying the mail plane from McCall to Warren when he noticed the tops of a string of pine trees had been clipped off on the south shore of Loon Lake. "The wings appeared to have been sheared off as the plane was landed," said Stohr.
The men were rescued the next day. The newspapers called Stohr "Idaho's miracle pilot."
And people still talk about Bill Woods, the self styled "Old Man of the Mountains." He spent 30 years hauling in every conceivable kind of machinery, including tractors and mining equipment and even livestock. Pilots say he left parts of wrecked planes scattered all over the backcountry. Sometimes the wreckage would be hauled down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River to be reassembled later.
But the Old Man of the Mountains managed to log 29,000 hours of mountain flying and, impressively, walked away from every accident. | <urn:uuid:d8382eeb-b60b-462c-b29e-cf845e54a642> | CC-MAIN-2014-23 | http://www.idahoptv.org/outdoors/shows/flyingIdaho/historyIdahoAviation.cfm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-23/segments/1406510267876.49/warc/CC-MAIN-20140728011747-00446-ip-10-146-231-18.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.987201 | 607 | 2.671875 | 3 | {
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Anyone can be affected by bed bugs, including luxury hotels. While they had disappeared in the 1950s, here they are again, posing real health problems, to the point that the minister in charge of housing needs to take up the subject. How does this insect live and how to eradicate it from the house? It is important to know your enemy in order to get rid of them better. So, here is our file which will help you to come to end of it.
Who is the bed bug?
Recognizing bedbugs is essential in order to act quickly to control their development. The bedbug is an insect of the family of Cimicidae, parasite of humans. But unlike lice, it doesn’t live on us. Here is their description:
- Adult bedbugs are usually brown, with red variations when engorged with blood, their nymphs being light brown, translucent,
- Their shape is oval,
- Visible to the naked eye, they are the length of an apple seed, measuring between 4 and 8 mm,
- As they have no wings, they do not fly. They don’t jump either, moving at an ant’s speed.
These insects have been known since ancient times, but they had almost disappeared from our lives after World War II, when thehygiene had developed significantly, as had the use of insecticides. However, these bugs reappeared in the 2000s to settle again in our lives. The causes are multiple: more limited use of pesticides, increased travel and trips which they take advantage of to spread, fear of ostracization of infected people who do not report their presence.
Reproduction and movement of the bedbug
The bedbug’s mode of reproduction is rare in insects. It is said to be “traumatic” because the male pierces the female’s abdomen thanks to his sharp reproductive system. By injecting his sperm into the female’s paragenital organ, he also risks introducing pathogenic microorganisms that can cause at least one disease, if not the death of the female.
Reproduction gives rise to the laying of whitish eggs, the size of a pinhead, forming clusters fixed in small tight spaces like micro-cracks, and this 3 to 10 days after fertilization. They hatch between 7 to 15 days after laying, depending on temperature conditions. The eggs hatch to give birth to nymphs, which are like adults, but smaller. They will become adults after a month. The life of an adult bedbug lasts 5 to 6 months. In the absence of food, unlike the nymph which does not survive, the adult can resist for more than a year by placing itself in a state of dormancy.
Adult females can lay between 5 and 15 eggs per day, between 300 and 500 eggs in a lifetime. It is therefore important to react without delay to limit an infestation that will otherwise settle in some months only.
The life of the bedbug is very sensitive to temperature:
- Bedbugs only develop above 13 ° C,
- It survives 20 minutes at 48 ° C, 5 days at – 7 ° C and 2 days at – 18 ° C,
- It no longer feeds below 9 ° C and goes into hibernation.
Its ideal development temperature is between 21 and 28 ° C.
Bed bugs are spread during moves, travel, in walls, ceilings and floors, along pipes, conduits and electrical cables, by contact of soiled linen with unsoiled linen in laundry rooms and laundry rooms. Be wary of items acquired from flea markets and thrift stores.
How does the bedbug eat?
The bedbug feeds on blood, which is what makes it a parasite and our nightmare. Both males and females bite us to suck our blood, like a mosquito would. The meal lasts 3 to 15 minutes. The insect then hides for digestion which usually takes several days. A bug bites on average once a week.
As with the mosquito, during the bite, the saliva of the insect acts as an anticoagulant to keep the blood fluid and facilitate aspiration. Result: a reaction of the skin to the insect’s saliva, traces of bites similar to those of mosquitoes, causing itching whose strength varies between individuals. The bites are on the parts of the body discovered during sleep. The bites can form characteristic lines but also spread all over the body.
Bedbugs are especially active at night: the bedroom is therefore their chosen land. Shunning light during the day, they fold up in dark, narrow and inaccessible places: box springs, mattresses, bed frame but also cupboards, plinths, etc.
Spot the bed bug
Besides the bites it leaves on the body of their victims, and since they hide during the day, the easiest way to identify them is to spot the small ones. black stains that they leave on the sheets, the mattress or the box spring: it is their excrement. In case of a heavy infestation, it is possible to see them alive, moving in the bed, and to crush them while you sleep, in which case you will see traces of blood on the sheets. Translucent skins can also be found in different places, like so many traces left behind when they molt.
How to get rid of bed bugs ?
The big cleaning is the first reflex to adopt! Here are the different actions to take:
- Machine wash over 60 ° C and tumble dry for at least 30 minutes for supporting clothes.
- For other clothes, freeze at -20 ° C, 72 hours minimum.
- Cleaning the carpets, curtains and corners of your home with a device generating steam at 120 ° C.
- Suction of baseboards, cracks, bed structures and other less frequently cleaned places with the fine nozzle of the vacuum cleaner. After operation, packing of the vacuum cleaner bag in a plastic bag and deposit in an external trash. Clean the vacuum cleaner duct with soapy water.
- Some surfaces require the use of the brush. It is about unhooking the insects, their eggs and their larvae. It is essential to vacuum or clean the entire area after passing the brush.
- If you want to get rid of a contaminated mattress or furniture, it must be deposited directly in the landfill, without deposit in the street or elsewhere which could lead to reuse and therefore a displacement of the problem.
If bed bugs are still present despite your efforts, it is necessary to resort to chemical methods. But these can only be implemented by professionals. The selected company must be specialized in detection by sniffer dogs and have a Certibiocide certificate issued for less than 5 years.
For any question, there is a telephone number open by the State: the 0806 706 806, accessible at the cost of a local call.
Photo credit: CDC / Harvard University, Dr. Gary Alpert | <urn:uuid:f8b152e6-9a59-403c-ba90-b1526f5c3685> | CC-MAIN-2021-39 | https://www.newslax.com/the-bedbug-how-does-it-live-how-to-eradicate-it-from-the-house/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2021-39/segments/1631780056297.61/warc/CC-MAIN-20210918032926-20210918062926-00059.warc.gz | en | 0.958729 | 1,425 | 2.765625 | 3 | {
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Abstract and Introduction
Sunscreens have been on the market for many decades as a means of protection against ultraviolet-induced erythema. Over the years, evidence has also shown their efficacy in the prevention of photoaging, dyspigmentation, DNA damage, and photocarcinogenesis. In the USA, most broad-spectrum sunscreens provide protection against ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and short-wavelength ultraviolet A (UVA) radiation. Evidence suggests that visible light and infrared light may play a role in photoaging and should be considered when choosing a sunscreen. Currently, there is a paucity of US FDA-approved filters that provide protection against long UVA (> 370 nm) and none against visible light. Additionally, various sunscreen additives such as antioxidants and photolyases have also been reported to protect against and possibly reverse signs of photoaging. This literature review evaluates the utility of sunscreen in protecting against photoaging and further explores the requirements for an ideal sunscreen.
Chronic sun exposure has long been known to cause photoaging, a process where the skin undergoes changes in epidermal thickness, increases in pigment heterogeneity and dermal elastosis, degradation of collagen in the dermis, development of ectatic vessels, and increases in mutagenesis of keratinocytes and melanocytes in the skin. Clinically, this is characterized by an increase in rhytides, telangiectasias, dyspigmentation including lentigines and ephelides, volume loss, and cutaneous malignancies. A recent observational study further characterized skin aging as hypertrophic and atrophic variants, with atrophic photoaging presenting with erythema and increased risk of skin cancers and hypertrophic photoaging with increased skin thickness and sallowness.
In today's society, the value placed on a youthful appearance is reflected in the multibillion-dollar industry centered around anti-aging products.[3,4] It has been reported that approximately 80% of skin aging on the face can be attributed to ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Therefore, despite the emphasis of the market on the reversal of skin aging, the best defense against cutaneous age-related changes is through prevention with rigorous photoprotection. It should be noted that proper photoprotection consists of seeking shade when outdoors; wearing a wide-brimmed hat, photoprotective clothing, and sunglasses; and applying sun protection factor (SPF) ≥ 30 broad-spectrum tinted sunscreen on exposed sites.
In the USA, most broad-spectrum sunscreens provide protection against UVB radiation and short wavelength UVA radiation. However, there is a paucity of US FDA-approved filters that provide protection against long UVA (> 370 nm) and none against visible light (VL), making the ideal sunscreen a product that requires further innovation and research. Notable exceptions are pigmentary grade zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which reflect VL; however, the whitish discoloration they leave on the surface of the skin makes them cosmetically unappealing to consumers. This review evaluates the utility of sunscreen in protecting against photoaging and further explores the requirements of an ideal sunscreen.
Am J Clin Dermatol. 2021;22(6):819-828. © 2021 Adis Springer International Publishing AG | <urn:uuid:5f6b2827-6e0a-4859-96ba-fb11538366d5> | CC-MAIN-2022-49 | https://www.staging.medscape.com/viewarticle/962704_1 | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2022-49/segments/1669446711394.73/warc/CC-MAIN-20221209080025-20221209110025-00590.warc.gz | en | 0.920256 | 693 | 3.3125 | 3 | {
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} | Health |
Recurrent Erosion Syndrome
What is recurrent erosion syndrome (RES)?
Recurrent corneal erosion syndrome (RES) is diagnosed when a person wakes up in the morning with a very painful eye, which feels like something has “ripped” on the surface of the eye. An abrasion or corneal ulcer develops when the epithelium (skin) on the surface of the cornea is dislodged.
What causes it?
The most common cause of recurrent corneal erosion is a fingernail injury or other trauma to the cornea. It can also occur spontaneously, or in patients with a weakness of their cornea called Map Dot Fingerprint (Epithelial Basement Membrane) Corneal Dystrophy.
What treatments are available for recurrent corneal erosion syndrome?
There are 3 main treatments:
- Lubricating ointment at night-time and drops during the day. Sometimes oral antibiotics to improve Meibomian gland dysfunction and reduce tear enzymes are recommended. Lubricating ointment will prevent the eyelid from sticking to the epithelium and lifting it off the cornea.
- Bandage contact lens, used under close medical supervision, changed monthly for at least 3 months.
- Laser phototherapeutic keratectomy (PTK). Laser PTK is performed by removing the epithelium (or outer skin of the cornea) and then applying excimer laser treatment to the surface of the cornea. The goal is to produce a smoother and clearer cornea, and to enable the epithelium to bond better to the rest of the cornea to prevent recurrent erosions.
What happens during PTK surgery?
Anaesthetic eye drops are used to numb the surface of your eyes. A clean drape will be applied around your eye, and a gentle eyelid clip will keep your eyelids open during the procedure.You will be asked to look a target light while the epithelium, a thin layer of protective skin that covers the cornea, is removed with a fine spatula. The laser will then treat your cornea. It is important to continue looking at the target light whilst the laser treatment is taking place. The laser treatment will be finished in less than a minute or two, depending on the amount of treatment needed. Your eye will then be examined by Miss Saw at the slit lamp microscope. Sometimes a little more laser treatment will be done that day, until the cornea is smooth and clear. A bandage contact lens will be place in the eye at the end of the procedure.
What happens afterwards?
Your vision will be blurry or hazy for the first few days. You will experience some discomfort as the epithelium heals and covers the treated area. Your eye will be gritty, red, watery and sensitive to light, especially during the first week, but this will gradually improve. Cool compresses, regular pain tablets and eye drops will be used to minimize this discomfort. Sleeping will help the eye to heal. You will either use an eye pad for 2 days, or use a soft bandage contact lens for up to 1 week. Most patients resume normal activities after the first week, sometimes earlier. Vision can fluctuate for up to six months.
What are the risks of PTK?
PTK is a safe and effective procedure, but like any surgical procedure, it does have some risks and side effects. Some patients find that their spectacle or contact lens prescription is slightly different after the procedure. After PTK, it is normal to experience light sensitivity, glare and halos. These visual side effects are mild and temporary and have a tendency to resolve over time. When treating recurrent corneal erosions, PTK may need to be carried out more than once. Serious complications following PTK are extremely rare but include corneal infection, irregular astigmatism (where contact lenses may be needed to improve vision which cannot be improved with spectacles), or permanent scarring which impairs the quality of vision.
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The London Clinic 119 Harley Street London W1G 6AU | <urn:uuid:6de535ee-d8fc-4e1b-b3bf-069a21c9db70> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://valeriesaw.com/treatments/recurrent-erosion-syndrome/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510179.22/warc/CC-MAIN-20230926075508-20230926105508-00426.warc.gz | en | 0.910682 | 899 | 2.75 | 3 | {
"raw_score": 1.41158926486969,
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} | Health |
Content: The argument is clear, focused, and supported. These papers engage with the text thoroughly and competently, and clearly demonstrate how the analysis fits in with the larger point of the essay. Further, they make efforts to engage counterarguments, consider the implication of the argument to other areas of the text, or demonstrate an awareness of the complexity of the topic. Finally, papers that push beyond simply “answering” the assignment and attempt to work with the material in provocative, interesting, and complex ways will fall into the “A” category.
Structure: Structurally, they follow a clear development of ideas, providing evidence where appropriate. The paragraphs are developed and progress logically from what precedes them. An introduction and a conclusion are effective; the introduction provides necessary contextual information in an engaging and original way and the conclusion moves beyond simply restating the introduction by suggesting the implications of the argument.
Style & Mechanics: Aside from being virtually free of grammatical errors, “A” papers read with a certain ease and clarity. They also demonstrate stylistic variety – on the level of the word, sentence and paragraph – by varying length and word choice.
Content: Put simply, these papers are good essays – they accomplish the task at hand and do not have any significant structural, grammatical, or analytical errors that deter from the overall success of the paper. They demonstrate a thorough understanding of the text and have arguments that are adequate (but could be sharpened). They employ close reading and analysis successfully and are able to work textual support into the fabric of the argument. If counterarguments are not addressed directly, their absence does not weaken the argument. Though well-executed, these essays do not push their analysis into the realm of “provocative.”
Structure: The structure of the paper is logical (tying points back to the whole), contains relatively few areas of disorganization, and attempts to use transitions. This paper provides enough detail in the body to satisfy the reader and presents an effective introduction and conclusion.
Style & Mechanics: While they may contain a small number of awkward sentences, “B” papers are, for the most part, well-written and contain few grammatical errors.
Content: Overall, “C” papers demonstrate an understanding of and ability to work with a topic. The essay makes effort to answer the assignment; however, it may fall short when considering all aspects of the issue at hand. The approach is not as “well-rounded.” These papers attempt to make a point or argument, yet run into some problems when following the argument through the entire paper. Arguments are often defined only generally and do not address the complexity if the topic. The supporting evidence, gathered responsibly and used accurately, is, nevertheless, often obvious or easily accessible.
Structure: While the paper does follow a structure, this organization is sometimes lost and unclear. Transitions may be used, but are often mechanical.
Style & Mechanics: Some patterns of grammatical error emerge and take away from the strength of the essay. Sentence structure is relatively simple and the writing style seems slightly awkward and choppy at moments.
Content: These papers may gesture at an overall point but do not articulate this clearly. Some attempt is made to answer the assignment, but clarity and depth of analysis give way to summary. Points are made yet may exist without textual support and a clear tie to the rest of the paper. Understanding of the text is uncertain and possibly incorrect.
Structure: Transitions are non-existent and the movement from paragraph to paragraph and sentence to sentence seems arbitrary at multiple points.
Style & Mechanics: The paper contains a significant amount of grammatical errors. Coupled with the overall lack of organization, this makes the essay difficult to read.
This paper makes no effort to respond to the assignment. It contains no argument or point and does not engage with the text in any coherent, analytical way. Organization is absent and grammatical mistakes are numerous. Writing style is both awkward and inappropriate. This paper may also be plagiarized. | <urn:uuid:95275e43-df32-4a87-9520-01da7e384f0f> | CC-MAIN-2015-40 | https://sites.google.com/site/hustcolloquium/home/grading-rubric | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-40/segments/1443737962531.78/warc/CC-MAIN-20151001221922-00142-ip-10-137-6-227.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.934175 | 840 | 3.09375 | 3 | {
"raw_score": 2.823791980743408,
"reasoning_level": 3,
"interpretation": "Strong reasoning"
} | Education & Jobs |
FIG. 2: Schematic of an array of four vacuum nano tubes (cross section, side view). The cathode (− − −) is a planar. The anode (+ + +) is a nano tip on a flat electrode. The thin curved lines indicate the electric field lines. The cathode is a conducting solid with high tensile strength, such as tungsten or steel. The flat part of the anode needs to have a high tensile strength, such as steel. The nano tip is a conducting solid with extremely high tensile strength, such as a carbon nanotube clamped to the steel electrode, or a tungsten Spindt-tip . The design of the electrodes is similar to a tunneling microscope, except that tunneling microscopes have one movable tip, whereas the vacuum tube arrays have many stationary tips. The insulating walls (dots) are solids with a high compressive strength, such as silicon oxides. The electrodes and the walls create a vacuum tube. The electric field is in the vacuum tube between the anode tip and the cathode.
Digital quantum batteries: Energy and information storage in nano vacuum tube arrays
Alfred W. Hubler and Onyeama Osuagwu
Department of Physics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,
1110 W Green Street, Illinois 61801, USA
(Dated: September 22, 2009)
Dielectric material between capacitor electrodes increases the capacitance. However, when the electric field exceeds a threshold, electric breakdown in the dielectric discharges the capacitor suddenly and the stored energy is lost. We show that nano vacuum tubes do not have this problem because (i) electric breakdown can be suppressed with quantization phenomena, and (ii) the capacitance is large at small gap sizes. We find that the energy density and power density in nano vacuum tubes are large compared to lithium batteries and electrochemical capacitors. The electric field in a nano vacuum tube can be sensed with MOSFETs in the insulating walls. Random access arrays of nano vacuum tubes with an energy gate, to charge the tube, and an information gate attached to the MOSFET, to sense the electric field in the tube, can be used to store both energy and information.
PACS numbers: 52.80.Vq 68.37.Vj 85.35.-p
Electronic address: [email protected] | <urn:uuid:32fec538-d637-43d6-9ad9-7d8069e1c001> | CC-MAIN-2017-43 | http://donpatent.blogspot.com/2010/02/digital-quantum-battery-layout.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-43/segments/1508187824894.98/warc/CC-MAIN-20171021190701-20171021210701-00793.warc.gz | en | 0.896341 | 508 | 3.671875 | 4 | {
"raw_score": 2.5921480655670166,
"reasoning_level": 3,
"interpretation": "Strong reasoning"
} | Science & Tech. |
[By Douglas Novick, DVM]
As breeding season approaches, it is important to understand the heat or estrus cycle in order to maximize the chances of success when breeding your mare. Before I go into the details let me share with you that although breeding is often filled with worry, each an every client of mine who has gone through the experience has found it to be one of the most exciting and rewarding experiences of their lives. These foals hold a special place in their heart.
Horses are referred to as seasonally polyestrus. This means they have breeding season in which they have multiple heat cycles and a period where they will not go into heat. For horses the wintertime is the period without heat. Towards the end of winter in February and March they start going into heat on an irregular basis. Usually by the end of April mares will have regular heat cycles which last until about October.
The estrus (heat) cycle during the spring and summer lasts and average of 21 days. That is during each 21 day period one egg is ovulated. For an average of 5 days during that period the mare is receptive to stallions. This referred to as "in" or "showing" heat. Ovulation takes place approximately 24 hours prior to the end of the heat period. The mare is then unreceptive for the next 16 days followed by another heat period if the egg is not fertilized.
The rest of the article will describe the hormonal changes that occur during the estrus cycle. In response to increased light in the spring and summer the brain releases GnRH, gonadotropin releasing hormone. This stimulates gland at the base of the brain, called the pituitary, to release FSH, follicle stimulating hormone. FSH stimulates the ovaries to prepare one or more eggs. The ovary grows a follicle or a sort of capsule around the egg in response to the FSH. As the follicle develops estrogen is secreted. Estrogen act on the behavior of the mare to stimulate Estrus behavior making her receptive to stallions. The estrogen also inhibits further secretions of FSH from the pituitary gland and stimulates the release a second hormone LH, lutenizing hormone. This burst of LH, lutenizing hormone causes the follicle to mature and induces ovulation of the egg.
After ovulation the ovarian follicle is replaced by a reddish-yellow mass called the corpus luteum (yellow body). The corpus luteum secretes the hormone progesterone that causes the mare to stop being receptive to stallions and stops the release of LH, lutenizing hormone from the pituitary gland. After 12 to 14 days the uterus secretes the hormone prostaglandin which causes the corpus luteum to regress. Progesterone is no longer secreted. Within days FSH, follicle stimulating hormone, starts the development of the next follicle and the process begins again.
However, if the egg is fertilized when it enters the uterus 4 to 5 days after ovulation an entirely different process starts, pregnancy. By day 14 through an unknown mechanism the mare recognizes she is pregnant. This stops the prostaglandin secretion from the uterus. The corpus luteum continues to secrete progesterone stopping the estrus cycle. As the pregnancy continue the placenta forms, which starts to produce PMSG, pregnant mare serum gonadotropin. The combination of PMSG and progesterone maintain the pregnancy to term.
|Prostaglandin released by Uterus||Uterus recognizes Pregnancy|
|Corpus Luteum regresses||Embryo Implants into Uterus and Placenta is formed releasing PMSG|
|Progesterone Decreases||Progesterone and PMSG maintain pregnancy|
|Back to FSH release||Foal is Born|
Dr. Douglas Novick is an equine veterinarian practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area. His practice is limited to the treatment of horses with special interests in equine lameness, equine dentistry and reproduction. He is also the first veterinarian in Northern California to implant horses with ID Microchips with optional freeze brands as a method of preventing horse theft.
more at www.novickdvm.com | <urn:uuid:95fd40d3-71e8-464b-8c7a-313b6b173b17> | CC-MAIN-2014-49 | http://www.novickdvm.com/estrus.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2014-49/segments/1416931004246.54/warc/CC-MAIN-20141125155644-00042-ip-10-235-23-156.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.915634 | 890 | 2.9375 | 3 | {
"raw_score": 2.127380847930908,
"reasoning_level": 2,
"interpretation": "Moderate reasoning"
} | Health |
How to be a Good Public Speaker: In order to effectively interact with a big audience, express one’s views and ideas, and establish one’s credibility and authority in one’s profession, one must master the art of public speaking. The idea of speaking in front of a sizable crowd, however, can be rather frightful and terrifying for many people. The good news is that anyone can improve their public speaking skills with effort and practice. We’ll go over some pointers and techniques in this post to help you hone your public speaking abilities and develop into a self-assured communicator.
Know your audience
Knowing your audience before you begin speech preparation is crucial. This includes their expectations, expertise in the subject, and areas of interest. You may make your speech more interesting and relevant to your audience by studying them and adjusting it to suit their needs and interests.
Prepare your speech
For a speech to be effective, preparation is essential. Spend some time researching your subject, planning your speech, and organizing your ideas. A compelling introduction that grabs the audience’s attention should come first, then a succinct and clear body should follow, and the conclusion should leave a lasting impact. To become familiar with your speech’s substance, practice it several times. Also, be prepared to modify it as needed in response to your audience’s reactions.
A crucial aspect of public speaking is confidence. Take a deep breath, stand up straight, and make eye contact with your audience before you begin speaking. Keep in mind that your audience wants to see you succeed and is listening to what you have to say. If you’re feeling anxious, attempt to focus that apprehension on your performance and utilize it to be passionate and compelling.
Use visual aids
Videos, diagrams, and PowerPoint presentations can all serve as effective visual aids to support your points and keep your audience interested. However, it’s crucial to avoid overusing visual aids because doing so can make them distracting. Keep your graphics straightforward, understandable, and pertinent to your point.
Use your body language
Your audience’s perception of your message might be greatly influenced by your body language. To highlight your point and establish an emotional connection with your audience, use the proper movements, facial expressions, and gestures. Don’t overdo it, though; too many gestures and movements might be distracting.
Speak clearly and at a comfortable pace
Clear and succinct speech is crucial to effective communication. Clear communication and an easy-to-follow pace are key when speaking to an audience. Speaking too quickly or slowly can cause your listeners to become bored or miss essential ideas, so try to keep your pace moderate.
Recommended: How to Develop WillPower
Engage your audience
Keeping your audience interested in your speech and paying attention to them is essential. calatori desfaso calatori calatorisectiune Echipa masura desfaso”) calatori calatoriDisp”) Conf AccesUneoriUneoriUneoriUneoriUneori Measure Accel linguri urmari ingrijire sarbatori comunist descarc devin piatra trez gag desfaso buna masuri indeplin diamant Possible spalat producator piept ofera Possible Encourage audience engagement by soliciting comments, inquiries, or viewpoints.
Handle mistakes gracefully
Even the most skilled public speakers err. Keep calm, take a deep breath, and carry on speaking even if you fumble over your words, lose your train of thought or encounter technological issues. Instead of lingering on the error, admit it and move on because doing so might draw greater attention from your audience.
How to be a Good Impromptu Speaker
The capacity to talk spontaneously and unprepared is known as impromptu speaking. It is a crucial skill that can be useful in a variety of contexts, including networking events, group debates, and job interviews. Here are some pointers for improving your impromptu speaking abilities:
Stay Calm and Confident
Being calm and self-assured is the first stage in developing effective impromptu speaking skills. Inhale deeply, gather your thoughts, and concentrate on the work at hand. Always keep in mind that the people listening to you want you to succeed.
Understand the Topic
Verify that you are familiar with the topic before you begin to speak. Take a minute to think about the main issues you want to discuss, and organize your thoughts in a logical and cohesive manner.
Use Personal Experience
Employing a personal experience is a powerful strategy for engaging your audience. Give a personal example or anecdote that relates to the subject and supports your argument. Your speech may become more relatable and interesting as a result.
Humor may help you connect with your audience and leave a lasting impression on them. Include a joke or hilarious story that is pertinent to the circumstance and the subject at hand. As a result, your audience may become friendlier and more open to your message.
Since impromptu presentations tend to be shorter than planned addresses, it is crucial to be succinct and get to the point as soon as possible. Stick to the primary points you wish to convey and refrain from rambling or going off on tangents.
Speak Clearly and Slowly
Effective communication requires brief, clear speech, especially when speaking spontaneously. Clear communication and an easy-to-follow pace are key when speaking to an audience. Speaking too quickly or slowly can cause your listeners to become bored or miss essential ideas, so try to keep your pace moderate.
Establish Eye Contact
In every speaking circumstance, but especially in impromptu speaking, eye contact with your audience is crucial. As you speak, maintain eye contact with your listeners to build rapport and involve them in your message.
Practice, Practice, Practice
You will get better at impromptu speaking the more you practice it. Take on responsibilities that demand impromptu speaking, such as moderating a panel or facilitating a group discussion, and look for opportunities to speak in front of groups.
In conclusion, developing effective impromptu speaking skills takes preparation, practice, and self-assurance. Maintain composure, comprehend the subject, use humor and personal experience, be succinct, speak slowly and clearly, create eye contact, and rehearse as much as you can. You may succeed in any speaking circumstance by using this advice and techniques to develop your impromptu speaking skills.
Recommended: How to be a Good Writer
In conclusion, developing effective public speaking skills requires patience and practice, but it is a skill that can be learned with commitment and hard work. Remember to be confident, know your audience, prepare your speech, use visual aids, engage your audience, speak clearly and at a comfortable speed, and handle errors graciously. You may develop your public speaking skills, become a confident speaker, and produce presentations that have an impact by using these tips and techniques. | <urn:uuid:0aad5afe-0d53-4a7e-aa80-5fa4b87bedcf> | CC-MAIN-2023-40 | https://www.goclassroom.org/how-to-be-a-good-public-speaker/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2023-40/segments/1695233510085.26/warc/CC-MAIN-20230925183615-20230925213615-00738.warc.gz | en | 0.926972 | 1,443 | 2.875 | 3 | {
"raw_score": 1.929923415184021,
"reasoning_level": 2,
"interpretation": "Moderate reasoning"
} | Education & Jobs |
Stevia comes from a South American herb that has been used by the indigenous people of Brazil and Paraguay for thousands of years as a sweetener as a folk remedy for diabetes. It is hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar, but in its original form it has a bitter aftertaste that some people find objectionable. Many of the new stevia products that are now available, such as Truvia, Nuva, and PureVia, use only the sweet-tasting part of the leaf combined with erythritol as a bulking agent. Stevia is also available as a liquid and as a blend with fructooligosaccharide (FOS), a sweet fiber that comes from chicory root or Jerusalem artichokes, and other sweeteners.
Stevia was banned for use in foods in the US in the early 1990s and could only be sold as a dietary supplement. As a result of intense lobbying from the soft drink industry, rebaudioside-A, an extract of stevia, was granted GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status in 2008. A GRAS designation allows it to be sold as a food without undergoing the normal tests for safety. Some countries still restrict or ban the sale of stevia.
A study published in Denmark in 2000 demonstrated that stevia has the ability to stimulate insulin secretion by acting on the beta cells in the pancreas. The researchers concluded that it may have potential as an anti-hyperglycemic agent in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. 1
Stevia can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in some people and it may increase insulin sensitivity and delay the absorption of glucose from the intestines. As a result, it can change the effectiveness of diabetes medications and interfere with the timing of injected insulin, making it essential for those with diabetes to consult a doctor before using it. It is also said to lower blood pressure, so those on medication for hypertension should seek medical advice about using stevia.
Mayo Clinic nutritionist, Katherine Zeratsky, R.D., L.D., had this to say: "...It is probably safe in moderate doses. However, until we have more research, women who are pregnant or breast-feeding should probably avoid using stevia. Similarly, people taking diabetes or blood pressure drugs should use stevia with caution because of the risk that it might cause hypoglycemia or hypotension when combined with these drugs."2
I've noticed one more thing about stevia from my personal experience that I haven't seen mentioned. It has always been known that some people love stevia and some think it tastes bitter. The new reb-A extracts were supposed to solve that problem by using only the sweet compounds and leaving out the bitter ones. When I tried some of the new products, I found that they didn't taste bitter, but they also didn't taste sweet. It dawned on me that some of us can't taste the sweet components and that's why it tasted bitter in the first place. That would explain what happened a while back when the owner of a company that makes stevia-sweetened cookies sent me some samples. (I can't remember the nameand wouldn't tell you if I did, as I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from trying them or hurt the company's business.) I really wanted to like them, but they were horrible, like a mouthful of straw. The comments posted on Amazon by buyers showed that some people loved the cookies, but some reacted the same way I did.
Many sugar substitutes that contain stevia are blended with erythritol, lo han guo, sucralose, or other sweeteners, and those taste fine to me, but not quite sweet enough, as would be expected if I can taste all the sweeteners except the stevia. I still use them, but I either use a bit more or kick up the sweetness by adding a little sucralose. I'm not sure how many people are like me in regard to stevia. It is especially strange because I am usually something of a "super-taster." I can't eat cilantro, for example, because it has a strong, nasty flavor to me that other people can't taste at all. Clearly, there's just no accounting for tastes.
1 Jeppesen, P.B.; Gregersen, S.; Poulsen, C.R.; Hermansen, K.; "Stevioside acts directly on pancreatic beta cells to secrete insulin: actions independent of cyclic adenosine monophosphate and adenosine triphospate-sensitive K+-channel activity," Metabolism 2000 Feb; 49(2):208-14. Abstract at:
Stevia photo by Ethel Aardvark.
(C) 2011, Judy Barnes Baker | <urn:uuid:4f0aea82-8e1e-4e77-979b-0c9d7c291385> | CC-MAIN-2015-22 | http://ehealthforum.com/blogs/judybarnesbaker/stevia-the-good-the-bad-and-the-bitter-b22622.html | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2015-22/segments/1432207927458.37/warc/CC-MAIN-20150521113207-00161-ip-10-180-206-219.ec2.internal.warc.gz | en | 0.953749 | 1,007 | 2.921875 | 3 | {
"raw_score": 2.9044363498687744,
"reasoning_level": 3,
"interpretation": "Strong reasoning"
} | Health |
- by BLE Mobile Apps
BLE Technology also known as “Bluetooth Smart” is an enhanced version of classic Bluetooth technology. Before being adopted by Bluetooth SIG, it was introduced and named by Nokia as “Wibree.” It was specifically developed to give power to “Internet of Things” (IoT). BLE enabled device along with a mobile application is a combination which people can use anywhere from personally using it or as a business offering.
Benefits of BLE for Consumers
BLE is now becoming an integral part of our day to day life. It is being used in many applications which has been beneficial to consumers as given below –
- BLE enabled wearable device when connected with Smart Phone/Watch can help in monitoring heart rate, blood pressure etc.
- Your Smart phone can work as a remote control to your home appliances like Air Conditioner, Washing Machine etc.
- BLE enables location base communication. Thus, you can find your missing items or lock/unlock doors by establishing connection between BLE enabled devices and smart phone, tablet or smart watch.
Benefits of BLE for Mobile App Developers
Despite of so many wireless protocols available these days, BLE is preferred by mobile application developers as it –
- Consumes low energy
- Can communicate with almost all the operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows etc.
- Relies on standardized application development architecture
- Works under high-standard security and data encryption
Various Industry Applications of BLE
The benefits and huge potential of BLE technology has encouraged many companies to come up with BLE enabled devices and applications being used in different industries. Here we will discuss some of the BLE application areas experiencing consistent growth at present.
BLE in Healthcare
BLE has contributed to the healthcare industry at a great extent. There are many examples of BLE powered healthcare devices. To name the few – blood pressure monitors, pulse oximeters. The data from your BLE powered blood pressure monitor or pulse oximeter can be sent to your Smart Phone and also your physician’s Smart phone or tablet.
BLE in Retail
The potential of BLE enabled devices in retail is quite high. Imagine if you have just walked into a retail outlet and your smart phone starts showing you the special offers introduced by the store. It would be a win-win situation for both – the consumer and the retailer. Also there are BLE applications developed for retail industry which can notify the shortage of inventory, monitor the staff activities, etc. These smart retailing options can help retailers in efficiently managing and growing their business.
BLE for Wearable Devices
BLE enabled wearable devices are in trend these days and companies like Samsung, Apple, Jawbone etc., are facing cut throat competition in this field. These devices generally are used in fitness and entertainment areas. For example, your BLE powered wrist band sends notifications about your activities, running speed, sleeping patterns, food logging, etc. to your Smart phone. These small-sized wearable devices fulfill the requirement of being highly energy efficient and are useful in day-to-day tasks.
BLE for Smart Home
BLE technology can help you operate your smart home appliances and other equipments with the help of your Smart phone or tablet. Companies like Philips, Haier, etc., have recently introduced BLE powered products in the market which can help consumers to control and customize their home environment for efficient energy management and increased security.
Whether you need to flourish your retail business or require monitoring your personal health, BLE technology can play an indispensable role in your life. Empowering your business with BLE technology can be a smart investment as that would help you in targeting right customers at the right time. Just let us know your requirement and we can come up with new ideas, suggestions and features which can be incorporated in the mobile application for operating your BLE enable devices. | <urn:uuid:2fc7a6ca-94b4-4eb2-8c7b-d83ca869f675> | CC-MAIN-2020-24 | https://www.blemobileapps.com/blog/ble-technology-mobile-applications/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-24/segments/1590347424174.72/warc/CC-MAIN-20200602100039-20200602130039-00559.warc.gz | en | 0.947145 | 794 | 2.5625 | 3 | {
"raw_score": 1.9813824892044067,
"reasoning_level": 2,
"interpretation": "Moderate reasoning"
} | Hardware |
We’ve observed on several occasions that many of the incidents in novels set during the Age of Sail are heavily influenced by actual events. In most cases, the novel’s protagonist expands on the accomplishments of the actual character. In Ramages’s Diamond, Lord Ramage manages to turn the battery later known as HMS Fort Diamond into a combat multiplier that enables his mini-squadron consisting of his frigate, a prize frigate, and a prize sloop to snap up a French convoy and its escorts.
Alexander Kent, on the other hand, perhaps feeling that the actual event was too improbable, actually downplays Nelson’s use of one Spanish ship of the line as a bridge to board and take a second, larger Spanish ship of the line and has Richard Bolitho use a friendly brig as a bridge to board and take a French frigate.
Every once in a while, though, the novel’s protagonist makes out worse than the actual character.
Fans of C. S. Forester’s Horatio Hornblower all know of how Hornblower became a prisoner of Bonaparte. Hornblower, in the novel Ship of the Line, in HMS Sutherland (74) is on detached patrol in the Mediterranean. He meets up with a French squadron consisting of four ships of the line, including one three-decker. Hornblower, knowing his squadron is just over the horizon, decides to engage the French at the hazard of his own ship in order to cripple the enemy ships sufficiently to guarantee their destruction. His gamble succeeds but Sutherland is pounded into a dismasted, sinking hulk in the process and Hornblower has to strike his colors. The 1951 film, Captain Horatio Hornblower starring Gregory Peck, uses this as the central battle of the film.
We’ve already introduced Captain Henry Trollope. In 1795 he was asked to end eight years of half-pay and take command of one of six Indiamen purchased by the Navy Board from the East India Company for conversion into men o’ war. Trollope was given command of HMS Glatton (56) which was scheduled to be commissioned with 28 long 18-pounders in her main battery and 28 carronades, 32-pounders, on the deck. Trollope received Admiralty approval to replace the long 18-pounders with an equal number of 68-pound carronades making Glatton, like Trollope’s previous command Rainbow, equipped with all carronades.
Glatton joined the fleet of Admiral Adam Duncan off the Dutch coast in early 1796.
Late in the evening of July 16, 1796, about 15 miles off Hellevoetsluis, Glatton spotted a squadron consisting of six ships, four of which were frigates including one 50 gun ship, one a brig, and the last a cutter. He challenged them via signal flag and they did not answer. This, and the way they were maneuvering, convinced Trollope that they were hostile.
A lesser man might have sailed for help. Not Trollope. He ordered Glatton cleared for action and steered for them. For reasons that aren’t clear, the enemy squadron kept their stations and did not move against Glatton. Around 10pm Glatton was alongside the third ship in the squadron, the largest frigate which was flying a commodore’s pennant, and Trollope hailed her. Ascertaining she was French he ordered her captain to strike. He received a broadside instead. At a range of about 30 yards, or “pistol shot”, Glatton returned fire. That ship’s consorts came to her aid and Glatton found herself with a French frigate on either side with yardarms nearly touching.
Glatton was only staffed to provide a full crew at one battery and a half crew on the other. Even so, the carronades enabled Glatton to keep up a full rate of fire from both sides of the ship.
Things continued to deteriorate. The other French ships took up station off Glatton’s bow, stern, and quarter and poured fire into her. The volume of this fire was obviously constrained by the fact that the two French ships alongside Glatton would have been potential targets of friendly fire but it had to be disconcerting, at least, to be set upon by five or six ships.
In this battle, Glatton suffered severe injuries to her masts, rigging, and steering and became nearly unmanageable. Trollope managed to stay alongside his adversaries and continue to fire. The first ship Trollope had challenged broke off the fight. While trying to maneuver Glatton to stay in contact with this ship he had to draw men from the batteries to compensate for damage to the ship’s system for making sail and steering. One of the French ships bore down on her, probably thinking that she was ready to strike, Trollope called the men back to the guns and drove this ship off.
The French broke contact but Glatton was so damaged that she was unable to pursue. Trollope spent the remainder of the night making repairs to his masts, yards, and rigging. By 7 am he was ready to continue the action, in the meantime the entire French squadron was in flight in the direction of the port at Flushing.
Trollope pursued the enemy until 9 am when he realized the he could not catch them and that there were no other British ships in the vicinity. He broke of pursuit and sailed to Yarmouth for repairs arriving on July 21.
All of the French ships were severely damaged, one of them sinking in Flushing harbor.
In this case, Captain Trollope outdid the fictional exploits of Captain Hornblower. | <urn:uuid:73095a30-438c-431e-86a9-b9cce9c585ed> | CC-MAIN-2019-04 | https://ageofsail.wordpress.com/2009/02/23/hms-glatton-takes-on-all-comers/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2019-04/segments/1547583657557.2/warc/CC-MAIN-20190116175238-20190116201238-00209.warc.gz | en | 0.981234 | 1,187 | 2.671875 | 3 | {
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The Himalayan challengeTackling the complexities of the risks in the Himalayas requires a critical, adaptive and interactive governance approach
Albert Einstein said that the mindset responsible for creating a problem cannot find solutions to it. Similarly, we cannot use the same mindset to solve problems we are facing in the Himalayas, where society and environment are experiencing some of the greatest challenges in the world. Not only is climate change posing a threat, but Himalayan societies are also undergoing rapid changes.
The Himalayas are facing unprecedented challenges. The region is a global climate hotspot with a five times higher rate of temperature rise compared to the global average. This can massively alter the entire Himalayan ecosystem, with impacts upon the 400 million people living downstream. Further, the recent wave of earthquakes in Nepal, Afghanistan and Pakistan adds to the risk level. Social tensions are also surfacing across the region. And governance throughout the region is often too weak to tackle the twin challenges of environmental sustainability and social development.
Back in 1968, Erik Eckholm warned that the Himalayas are in crisis because of rampant deforestation and unsustainable farming. He blamed the people and local action but failed to see the larger dynamics. This theory of the Himalayan degradation has since informed much of the conservation and development interventions in the region. Later this view was challenged by others, but not in fundamental ways. Guided by the theory, external interventions still target the local roots of the problems, ignoring their wider political and social roots.
Tackling the challenge
Alternative theories have also emerged and proposed new solutions to the Himalayan crisis. We joined this attempt, albeit in a modest way, through a collaborative process which we termed the ‘Future Himalaya Dialogue’. With support from the British Academy, and in partnership with Himalaya-based institutions, we convened a two-day meeting on 23-24 May 2016 hosted by the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. It was an attempt to foster dialogue among those who are engaged in the Himalayan sustainability and development agenda for over two decades.
We were motivated to hold the dialogue because in our two decades of work in parts of the Himalayas, we have seen Eckholm’s thesis still alive and active: People and institutions still blame either nature or the local people as the causes of fragility, underdevelopment and vulnerability in the region. The solutions still emphasise alien ideas at the expense of dialogues and deliberations that are grounded locally and regionally. We found this situation unfair to the people of the Himalayas and potentially disastrous for nature. We felt that the practice of development in the region, despite good intentions, has not really ushered in new thinking, one that embraces critical reflection, alternative knowledge, and transformative change. In many respects, the opposite is true. In the wake of recent climate awareness, the Himalayan challenge has been subjected to even more linear, technocratic and global frames of knowledge and interventions. Alternative attempts have remained too localised or suppressed by the dominant discourses and underlying political economies.
The first ‘Future Himalayan Dialogue’ in Edinburgh brought a group of 20 people with two decades of experience in interdisciplinary and engaged research, development practice, and policy analysis in the Himalayas. Some have done advanced theoretical work on environment and society in the context of the developing world. Others have international and transboundary policy engagement in the Himalayas—working with donors, civil societies, national governments, and intergovernmental organisations in the region. The people invited also brought programme evaluation and teaching expertise, as well as sectoral expertise related to water, forests, biodiversity, climate change, political economy, institutional studies and policy analysis.
In the process, we did not reinvent the list of problems but rather fostered interdisciplinary dialogue to envision a pathway towards a better Himalayas. We drew upon our locally grounded work in parts of the region to explore possible solution pathways that can reconnect research, practice and policy. Our approach was critical and yet constructive and pragmatic—looking at what is already out there and exploring what we can add. The small group size ensured the quality of discussion and at the same time brought remarkable range of thoughts and perspectives into the debate.
In the ‘Future Himalaya Dialogue’, we delved into various questions haunting the Himalayas. Critical social scientists questioned whether the western model of development really works for the Himalayas. Development practitioners challenged current conceptions of development, asking whose development the existing institutions are promoting. The participants were self-conscious not to impose ideas and solutions from outside, but also careful to recognise the emerging new terrain of moral and political space to influence policies on the Himalayas for the well-being of the disadvantaged local people and the resilience of the region at risk.
Researchers also questioned their own research practice, and envisioned new models of engaged and interactive research that can stimulate learning on all sides of the partnership. It was emphasised that the need is not only for a dialogue between various disciplines, but also for a move towards trans-disciplinary research. Questions were also raised about the politics of scaling—the way that there is a tendency to bring national and global perspectives to bear on local issues while not enough space exists for local perspectives to inform larger scale problem framing and solutions. The diversity of governance regimes found in the region was also noted, and implications drawn on how this complicates any effort to promote transboundary governance.
Ecosystems and social systems are often treated in isolation. Policy is seen as a specific document to be written and complied with, downplaying the political process that is integral to policymaking and implementation. Knowledge of the Himalayas is also fragmented, with a tendency for scholars to be specialists within nation states rather than across the region. The development regime has existed for over four decades, but the Himalayan actors still struggle to make sense of change and chart out appropriate strategies of change. What surfaced as a matter of significant concern was the limited investment in the generation of new knowledge from within the Himalayan region.
A key question identified was how to promote the generation of independent knowledge within the region, in such a way that it is not tied to specific development projects and is also capable of challenging dominant presuppositions guiding the development works in the Himalayas. Given the complexity and uncertainty of the future risks in the Himalayas, participants in the ‘Future Himalaya Dialogue’ highlighted the need to foster a critical, adaptive and interactive governance approach. They also emphasised the need to transcend grand ideological divide and to explore critical and pragmatic approaches that can help deliver the Sustainable Development Goals in the context of the Himalayas. But new mindscape—embracing new ways of thinking and acting—is needed to tackle the Himalayan challenge.
Ojha is a public policy expert; Nightingale is a professor at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala with extensive research experience in Nepal | <urn:uuid:84ad7f24-27da-4988-9ece-c2aefe60747f> | CC-MAIN-2020-29 | https://kathmandupost.com/opinion/2016/06/10/the-himalayan-challenge | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-29/segments/1593655921988.66/warc/CC-MAIN-20200711032932-20200711062932-00283.warc.gz | en | 0.940147 | 1,403 | 2.8125 | 3 | {
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The Heath Family (Ericaceae) is a very cosmopolitan family of great beauty and delectability. Ericaceous plants are found everywhere with the near exception of Australia, where it is largely replaced by a related family Epacridaceae. The Pacific coastal region is characterized by an abundance and variety of ericaceous shrubs which often dominate the understory of mature coniferous forests as well as high elevations and peatlands, there are also large concentrations in the Himalayas, New Guinea and southern Africa. The Heath Family consists of a 100 genera and 3,000 species, and includes plants such as; rhododenron, azalea, manzanita, madrone, heather, heath, huckleberry, lingonberry, blueberry, cranberry, wintergreen, and many of the curious saprophytes (plants living off of decaying plant matter). The primary branches of this family (subfamilies) are; Rhododendroideae, Ericoideae, Wittsteinioideae, Monotropoideae, Pyroloideae, Vaccinioideae. The overall classification of the family and its allies has been a matter of dispute with last three subfamilies treated as separate families; Monotropoideae (lack chlorophyll), Pyroloideae (herbaceous habit), and Vaccinioideae (many have inferior ovaries).
Rhododendroideae has 19 genera and in the Pacific Northwest is represented by; Rhododendron (rhododendron and azalea, Greek for rose tree), Andromeda (bog rosemary, from Greek mythology Andromeda was the beautiful daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia who was chained to a rock in the midst of the ocean which bathed her feet until rescued by Perseus, indicative of the habitat mossy hummocks in swamps), Kalmia (swamp laurel, named after a student of Linnaeus who traveled extensively through northeastern America in the mid 1700s), and Ledum (Labrador tea, Greek for a plant Cistus ledum with similar foliage).
Ericoideae has 20 genera, characterized by Erica (heath, Latin for ling or broom) and Calluna (heather or ling, Greek for to look becomingly). A subfamily not well represented in the Pacific Northwest, the only wild heath in California (Erica lusitanica) was introduced from southwest Europe and is quite invasive. A dominated shrub in many open and disturbed areas in the Trinidad area, these hardy European heaths aptly have been credited with a high weed-smothering potential.
Vaccinioideae has 50 genera, many of which are found in the Andes of South America. Some regionally common genera are; Arbutus (Pacific madrone with sinewy, graceful and smooth reddish limbs, Latin for A. unedo, the strawberry tree a common horticultural tree native to southern Europe and Ireland), Arctostaphylos (manzanita, Greek for bearberry, the berries are often a staple of bears with 60 species nearly all from the west coast of North America), Gaultheria (wintergreens, such as salal named after a botanist/physician of Quebec in the 1700s), Cassiope (moss heather a dwarf creeping heather-like shrub, from Greek mythology Cassiopeia mother of Andromeda and wife of Cepheus King of the Ethiopians), and Vaccinium (an ancient Latin name applied to some berried shrub grazed by cattle, hence the Latin vacca meaning cow with many species such as blueberries, huckleberries, lingonberry and cranberries all with delightful eatable berries). Cranberry has been placed in its own genus Oxycoccos (Greek for bitter-berried), but currently the old generic name now reflects the species name (Vaccinium oxycoccos), the pollen of this species has been identified in ancient bogs millions of years old.
Wittsteiniodeae has one genus, Wittsteinia, from Australia, which has been place in the related family, Epacridaceae. Pyroloideae has 4 herbaceous genera; Pyrola (wintergreen, Latin for little pear in reference to the similar leaf shape), Chimaphila (Pipsissewa, Greek for winter-loving due to the evergreen habit), Moneses (Greek for single delight describing the attractive solitary and pendant flower), and Orthilia (Greek for straight spiral from one-sided inflorescence, a circumpolar genus of one to two species only). The leaves of many species of these genera have been used in the healing of wounds.
In Monotropoideae a variable number of species is recognized, some being; Allotropa (candy-stick, Greek for other turn, as the young flowers point up and the older ones turn downward), Hemitomes (gnome plant, Greek for half sterile because of the characteristic sterility of one of the paired anther-cells of each stamen), Hypopitys (pine-sap, Greek for beneath a pine tree in reference to the plants common habitat), Monotropa (Indian-pipe, Greek for one direction as the single terminal flower points downward), and Pterospora (pine-drops, Greek for wing seed due to the unusual seed with a large and translucent net-like wing at one end).
Two largest genera of the Heath Family, Rhododendron (1,200 species) and Erica (500 species), have remarkable concentrations of species in relatively small areas. The genus Rhododendron has 700 species in an area where the great rivers of eastern Asia break through the Himalayan chain and another centered in New Guinea with 300 species. The genus Erica has 450 species within Cape Province in southern Africa. The genus Gaultheria has a puzzling distribution that rings the Pacific Ocean.
Several genera of this family are poisonous and contain the same toxic compounds; mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia, a plant of moist meadows, rock crevices, and bogs in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Ranges and Klamath Ranges), Labrador tea (Ledum glandulosum, a plant of swampy areas along the north coast, and in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade Ranges and Klamath Ranges), Sierra laurel (Leucothoe davisae a plant of boggy areas in the Sierra Nevada, and Klamath Ranges), mock azalea (Menziesia ferruginea, found in the redwood forests of Del Norte and Humboldt Counties), Japanese pieris (Peiris japanica, a very common ornamental in California), rhododendrons, and western azalea. The toxic compounds are called andromedotoxins which produce cardiovascular disturbances in both animals and people, there have been fatal poisonings from children and livestock eating or chewing the leaves . These andromedotoxins are present in the entire plant including the nectar and honey, although bees normally do not work these flowers. The leaves of Labrador tea (trappers tea) were used by the native Americans and pioneers as a beverage tea, possibly low concentrations of this brew may have produced restorative effects (others report a relaxing effect) similar to those resulting from the caffeine in tea without a toxic effect. The yellow rhododendron (Rhododendron chrysanthum) leaves were widely used in Siberia as a remedy for rheumatism. The oil of wintergreen was another remedy for rheumatism (Gaultheria procumbens, a northeastern wintergreen of North America and close relative to salal). It is very important to bear in mind that difference between a plant being medicinal or poisonous may only be a factor of dosage or the part of plant used. | <urn:uuid:aac5be5e-5574-4ae9-af00-66ce486652fb> | CC-MAIN-2017-22 | http://cnps.site.aplus.net/DT/artf97c.htm | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2017-22/segments/1495463608984.81/warc/CC-MAIN-20170527171852-20170527191852-00243.warc.gz | en | 0.929942 | 1,655 | 3.09375 | 3 | {
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Making the transition from a basic K-12 education to a deciding a career can be harrowing for many young people. One must understand the requirements for each company, such as which personal training certifications one might need to join a particular gym or which accounting qualifications suits the firm one would like to join upon graduating. However, knowing what one needs to succeed can be especially difficult if a student does not know which career option would be best for him or her. With so many options available, a precarious economy, and the mounting worry of student loans, choosing a career can be one of the most difficult decisions that a young adult can make.
Much of whether or not a student will be successful will depend on prepared he or she is for a chosen career and the steps he or she has taken before searching for a job. Here are some tips to help soon-to-be graduates on the road to developing a fulfilling career.
While an excellent transcript might help in terms of adding a merit at graduation, it might not be a defining reason an employer would choose a certain candidate for a job. Good grades and academic excellence never hurt, but many companies are also looking for applicants that show an interest and an aptitude for the career they have chosen.
“[M]any employers have stopped putting so much stock in academic achievements alone. In fact, a recent survey from the research firm Millennial Branding found that only 2% of employers consider GPA the most important factor when evaluating job applicants,” writes Avik Roy for Forbes.
Academic excellence might be a factor in why someone would choose to hire a candidate, but they are also going to keep several other factors in mind. This might include how passionate and knowledgeable a recent grad is about the industry he or she is entering and whether they know how to work in a team environment.
While most students have been known to cram for a test the night before, this isn’t necessarily the best way to show that a student is prepared to handle a full work load. Much of the college experience is learning how to multitask and apply management skills to classwork. Just as a student would have to hold themselves accountable in a workplace to make sure everything gets done, college can offer a similar experience.
“Students have a lot to balance, and college is a great opportunity to put self-management skills to use,” states Carol J. Carter for the Huffington Post.
Students will want to find a way to successfully manage their studies, their extra-curriculum and their social lives. Not only can this make the collegiate experience much less stressful, but it can also show employers that these skills will translate to the office.
No matter which industry a student chooses to enter, there is a high likelihood that he or she will have to network at some point. While clubs and meetups can prepare young people to some extent, a student might need to use an entirely different skill set in order to land the job he or she wants. Career fairs can also be beneficial, but young adults might need to look outside their campus environments in order to truly learn how to connect with others on a professional level.
“Students often come out of college having heard that they should network, but not understanding what that means or how to do it. As a result, some new grads simply don’t network at all, and others inadvertently use strategies that turn off their contacts,” warns Alison Green from U.S. News.
Soon-to-be grads might want to ask the campus career office if there are any ways to practice connecting with professionals and if there is an opportunity to practice interview skills.
The truth is that many academic programs don’t necessarily teach students the hard skills they will need once they have reached the workplace. A higher education can teach important things such as how to research, communicate, and develop an argument. However, students should also look into the industry they are thinking about entering and consider which other skills might set them apart from other candidates for a job.
“The basis of any solid employment marketing campaign is the actual skill based worker presents to potential employers. At the most fundamental level, soft skills like interpersonal communication, the ability to speak and write correctly and present ideas clearly are the areas most often cited when employers discuss the downside of hiring young people,” comments Jennifer Kushell for the Huffington Post.
By thinking about which skills will be necessary in a future job, students are already one step ahead of the competition. This might mean taking some time to learn outside of the classroom and considering what attributes could help them in a future position.
With a changing market, it is never too early for students to begin considering future employment and how they can prepare for a future career. It might take a little extra work, but those who have taken their careers into consideration before graduation are often the individuals likely to land a job he or she wants. | <urn:uuid:8d8d0426-560c-4dfa-a9c5-b29a474da757> | CC-MAIN-2020-05 | https://campuspress.yale.edu/tribune/paving-the-way-for-ones-career-starts-on-campus/ | s3://commoncrawl/crawl-data/CC-MAIN-2020-05/segments/1579251783000.84/warc/CC-MAIN-20200128184745-20200128214745-00071.warc.gz | en | 0.970848 | 1,007 | 2.671875 | 3 | {
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