title: "Prairie falcon" content: hundred meters of great horned owls, peregrine falcons, red-tailed hawks, and golden eagles, with both sets of parents successfully rearing their young. As of 2006, the population of prairie falcons was estimated to be stable or increasing at over 5,000 pairs, with perhaps 200 pairs breeding at the Snake River Birds of Prey National Conservation Area in Idaho. By contrast, in the years before DDT contamination extirpated the eastern U.S. peregrine falcon population in the 1950s and 1960s, the number of eastern peregrines in the United States had already dropped to about 350 pairs. It is thought the prairie falcon


title: "Prairie falcon" content: mostly avoided the population loss suffered by the peregrine from DDT induced egg shell thinning due to its more remote environment partly insulating it from pesticide contamination. The loss of peregrine population allowed the expansion of prairie falcon range to cliff nesting sites in areas formerly occupied by peregrines moderately outside historic prairie falcon territory. The successful reintroduction of peregrines to eastern and central United States brought peregrine and prairie falcons back into competition in these areas. The reintroduction program led by the Peregrine Fund bred and released more than 4,000 peregrine falcons from 1974 to 1997. The program necessarily


title: "Prairie falcon" content: made use of available captive bred peregrine stock with a strong genetic influence from larger bodied peregrine subspecies. The created strain of mixed subspecies peregrine tends to be heavier and stronger than the prairie falcon, and where they conflict over nesting sites they often displace prairie falcons. However, these reintroduced peregrines are little threat to prairie falcon populations within their natural range, as the prairie falcon with its greater heat tolerance, lower daily food requirement, and wider prey base has the survival advantage in the harsh high desert environment in which it has evolved to prosper. This species is often


title: "Prairie falcon" content: used in falconry. It is the most popular falcon captured from the wild for falconry purposes in the United States, due to its abundance and relative ease to acquire. It is valued for its aggressiveness, agility, and determination to bring down game. Although some falconers considered the prairie falcon hard to train and unpredictable, others note that with proper training taking into account its impatient nature it may be as effective as the peregrine falcon. In his book "The Hunting Falcon", biologist and falconer Bruce Haak states "In the field, the prairie falcon leaves no doubt that it can hold


title: "Prairie falcon" content: its own against the peregrine as a stylish and dedicated hunting companion." The smaller and more agile males are particularly effective in the taking of small game birds such as dove, quail, and smaller ducks, while the larger and more powerful females reliably take larger game up through the size of large ducks and even pheasants. Some prairie falcons will strike still larger game such as geese and greater sage-grouse, but their willingness to do so runs the risk of injury to the falcon. The sage-grouse in particular is difficult game, with the males weighing as much as 8 lbs,


title: "Prairie falcon" content: and being so hard-muscled that inexperienced falcons can easily be injured in striking them in a high-speed stoop. It takes a skilled falcon that knows how to forcefully but carefully and accurately strike them in the head or wing to bring them down cleanly. For this difficult prey experienced falconers usually prefer larger peregrine females, gyrfalcons, or gyr-peregrine hybrids, though some female prairie falcons do master the art of bringing down larger game. Proper training for prairie falcons includes providing abundant food when raising them (to avoid them developing the habit of screaming for food), and extensive "manning" (close contact


title: "Prairie falcon" content: and handling) when training them. Unlike the peregrine, they do not respond well to training with the swung lure, as missing the lure brings out their impatience. Teaching prairie falcons to climb and “wait on” to stoop on game is best accomplished by a reward system of flushing game or serving live birds such as pigeons for the falcon to chase when the falcon has assumed the proper position several hundred feet or more above the falconer. The prairie falcon’s eagerness to hunt and chase requires that it be patiently taught that when it assumes the proper waiting on position


title: "Prairie falcon" content: the falconer can be trusted to reliably flush game. As the falcon comes to understand this, it learns to hunt as an effective team with the falconer. The availability of commercially bred falcons has in recent years reduced the need to capture falcons from the wild for use in falconry. The prairie falcon along with the peregrine and gyrfalcon is now often available via captive breeding. The prairie falcon is also sometimes hybridized with the peregrine falcon or gyrfalcon to create a falcon combining the aggressiveness and heat tolerance of the prairie falcon with the easier trainability and slightly greater


title: "Prairie falcon" content: strength of the larger peregrine subspecies, or the greater horizontal speed and significantly larger size and strength of the gyrfalcon. Prairie falcon The prairie falcon ("Falco mexicanus") is a medium-large sized falcon of western North America. It is about the size of a peregrine falcon or a crow, with an average length of 40 cm (16 in), wingspan of approximately 1 meter (40 in), and average weight of 720 g (1.6 lb). As in all falcons, females are noticeably bigger than males. Though a separate species from the peregrine, the prairie falcon is basically an arid environment adaptation of the


title: "Heraldic badge" content: badges continue to be used for various purposes as part of royal symbolism (such as the titles of pursuivants in the College of Arms), and there is now a general badge of the House of Windsor. Heraldic badges were revived in 1906 by the College of Arms under Alfred Scott-Gatty, and have since then often been included in new grants of arms, in addition to the traditional grant of the coat of arms. Whether or not they are so granted is at the option of the grantee, who pays a higher fee if they are. When granted, the badge is


title: "Youth offending team" content: employment which is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. Youth cautions were reintroduced by the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO) in April 2013, to replace reprimands and final warnings. A youth conditional caution had already been introduced a few years earlier( first piloted in 2009). In reintroducing youth cautions the government, in essence, returned to the pre YOT ways of dealing with juvenile offenders who are not prosecuted. Like reprimands and final warnings, the juvenile has to admit the offence to receive a caution. Available for a range of offences. If the penalty notice


title: Ekiden content: Tour Kyushu, follows a thousand-kilometer (72 stages covering 1056.6 km) course in Kyūshū and is sponsored by the Nishi Nippon Shimbun (newspaper) of Fukuoka. The race begins in Nagasaki and consists of one loop of the coast of Japan's southernmost main island of Kyushu, heading south, turning and heading north through Miyazaki, and ending in Fukuoka (map); the original 10-day venue has been reduced to 8 days of running, with 6 to 8 legs each day. The 60th running was held October 30 to November 6, 2011 website. Nine teams represent their prefectures. 2010 results in English, 2011 midrace results


title: "Minor characters in Bloom County" content: "Bloom County" beforehand, Milquetoast was the first cockroach to become a significant player in the strip. First appearing in the strip's later years, he is a purple cockroach with a large nose, and is often depicted as disgusting and unsavory. He is Opus' recurring nemesis, and frequently bests him in battles of wit. Milquetoast has also done such things as squirt chemicals (like Liquid-Plumr, for instance) up Opus' nose and claim he has no control over his behavior. He also steals food and sends subliminal messages to the other members of the Bloom Boardinghouse while they sleep. Milquetoast was also


title: "Madison Scouts Drum and Bugle Corps" content: Semifinals in Kansas City, Missouri, the Madison Scouts were in command, with a performance that left the crowd screaming for more. They gave more in Finals and won their second DCI World Championship. In 1990 the organization dropped the name Scouts from the corporate name and allowed the charter for Boy Scout Troop 600 to lapse, although the corps remained affiliated with Scouting for another two decades. The Scouts began the conversion to three valve horns in 1991. By 1992, Madison was marching more than a dozen members from outside the U.S., with members coming from Canada, Great Britain, Japan,


title: "Leung Chun-ying" content: pledge was not met. In 1999, Leung was awarded the Gold Bauhinia Star by the Hong Kong Government. In the 2002 Chief Executive election, Leung became the chairman of Tung Chee-hwa's campaign office. Tung was re-elected uncontestedly as a result. He was also a member of the National Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and only submitted his resignation one week prior to assuming his office of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong in 2012. He is currently the chairman and sits on the board of directors of the pro-Beijing One Country Two Systems Research Institute. In


title: Domus content: and tablinum to the peristyle. Vestibulum (Fauces) The vestibulum was a main entrance hall of the Roman Domus. It is usually only seen in grander structures, however many urban homes had shops or rental space directly off the streets with the front door between. The vestibulum would run the length of these front Tabernae shops. This created security by keeping the main portion of the domus off the street. In homes that did not have spaces for let in front, either rooms or a closed area would still be separated by a separate vestibulum. Atrium (plural atria) The atrium was


title: "1992–93 NFL playoffs" content: completion from Young to Rice on third and 10, on a drive that consumed more than seven minutes off the clock and scored on Cofer's game-clinching 33-yard field goal, making the score 20-13. Washington got the ball back with 2:15 remaining and had one last chance to drive for a tying score, but they could only advance a few yards before turning the ball over on downs, as Rypien's final two passes were dropped by wide open targets, receiver Ricky Sanders and tight end Ron Middleton. 49ers running back Ricky Watters was the game's top rusher with 83 yards, while


title: "Japanese embassy hostage crisis" content: the commandos who may have violated civilian laws. On 3 February 2003, APRODEH, on behalf of MRTA family members, filed a petition with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights against the Peruvian state, alleging that Peru violated certain rights recognized in the American Convention on Human Rights to the detriment of MRTA members Eduardo Nicolás Cruz Sánchez, David Peceros Pedraza and Herma Luz Meléndez Cueva, by detaining them and then summarily executing them. The Commission determined the petition was admissible. In 2007 the former head of Peru's security services, Vladimiro Montesinos, the former chief of the armed forces, , and


title: "New Order (Nazism)" content: by planners of the new world order. It is a map of South America and part of Central America as Hitler proposes to organize it" into five countries under German domination. The speech amazed both the United States and Germany; the latter claimed the map was a forgery. While British Security Coordination indeed forged the map and arranged for discovery by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, it likely was based in part on a real, public map of boundary changes German agents used to persuade South American countries to join the New Order. Although pursuing an alliance based on "Realpolitik"


title: "Chinese garden" content: range in a garden scene, gradually became an essential feature of the Chinese garden. There were two periods of the Song dynasty, northern and southern, and both were known for the construction of famous gardens. Emperor Huizong (1082–1135) was an accomplished painter of birds and flowers. A scholar himself, he integrated elements of the scholar garden into his grand imperial garden. His first garden, called "The Basin of the Clarity of Gold", was an artificial lake surrounded by terraces and pavilions. The public was invited into the garden in the spring for boat races and spectacles on the lake. In


title: "Chinese garden" content: lines of the architecture and the permanence, sharp edges and immobility of the rocks. They change continually with the seasons, and provide both sounds (the sound of rain on banana leaves or the wind in the bamboo) and aromas to please the visitor. Each flower and tree in the garden had its own symbolic meaning. The pine, bamboo and Chinese plum (Prunus mume) were considered the "Three Friends of Winter" (歲寒三友) by the scholars who created classical gardens, prized for remaining green or blooming in winter. They were often painted together by artists like Zhao Mengjian (1199–1264). For scholars, the


title: "Shashti Poorthi" content: culture. The Shastipoorti Santi should be performed in the sixty first year and in the same month and day of birth according to the Indian Zodiac. This is considered to be the best option. In case it is not possible to time it exactly on the same day, allowance is given to perform it on a convenient day during and before the completion of sixtieth year. The choice of the place to carry out this tradition could be a pilgrim town, a temple, a river bank or even one's residence. As part of the celebrations the couple's children perform their


title: "Luke Walton" content: and back." The Warriors won the 2015 NBA Finals after they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games to give Walton his third NBA championship and first as a coach. During 2015–16 training camp in October 2015, Walton was appointed as the Warriors interim head coach when Steve Kerr took an indefinite leave of absence to rehabilitate his back that had been bothering him after the NBA Finals. Walton made his coaching debut in the season opener on October 27 in a 111–95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. Three games later, he presided over the third-largest margin of victory


title: Basilideans content: even plausibility. The most distinctive is the discouragement of martyrdom, which was made to rest on several grounds. To confess the Crucified was called a token of being still in bondage to the angels who made the body, and it was condemned especially as a vain honour paid not to Christ, Who neither suffered nor was crucified, but to Simon of Cyrene. The contempt for martyrdom, which was perhaps the most notorious characteristic of the Basilidians, would find a ready excuse in their master's speculative paradox about martyrs, even if he did not discourage martyrdom himself. According to both Hippolytus


title: Lonelyhearts content: if you can't?". Another co-worker, Frank Goldsmith (Mike Kellin), openly mocks and laughs at the readers who seek the column's heartfelt advice. Justy counsels Adam to not get so emotionally involved with the letter-writers' problems. Cynical Shrike insists there is nothing heroic about trying to care about these individuals. After a few weeks, Adam asks Shrike for a new job; the editor harshly rebuffs the request. Later, he hints that he thinks being Miss Lonelyhearts has stirred something deep in the young man. Adam has let Justy believe he is an orphan, but the truth is that his father -


title: "Red-masked parakeet" content: Red-masked parakeet The red-masked parakeet ("Psittacara erythrogenys") is a medium-sized parrot from Ecuador and Peru. It is popular as a pet and are known in aviculture as the cherry-headed conure or the red-headed conure. They are also considered the best talkers of all the conures. Red-masked parakeets average about 33 cm (13 in) long, of which half is the tail. They are bright green with a mostly red head on which the elongated pale eye-ring is conspicuous; the nape is green. Also, the lesser and median underwing coverts are red, and there is some red on the neck, the thighs,


title: "Red-masked parakeet" content: and the leading edge of the wings. Juveniles have green plumage, until their first red feathers appear at around the age of four months. Its call is two-syllabled, harsh and loud. These birds are native to southwestern Ecuador and northwestern Peru, where they primarily live in jungle and deciduous forest. They can also thrive in semiarid regions as well as in suburban regions. While they can live up to above sea level, they are usually found below the mark. Their wide distribution and popularity as pets contributes to their successful introduction in other areas upon release especially in the southern


title: "Red-masked parakeet" content: areas of the United States as exotic feral birds. Escaped cage birds are considered to be introduced in Spain and in El Yunque Rain Forest in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. They are also found in the United States especially in Florida and California. They make up most of the feral population in San Francisco which is documented in the film "The Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill" by Judy Irving, based on the book of the same name by Mark Bittner. They are also seen in part of Hawaii. Although these birds reproduce in the wild, the red-masked parakeet is not


title: "Red-masked parakeet" content: considered established in North America. Breeding populations of feral parakeets have been observed in San Diego County, Los Angeles, San Gabriel Valley, Orange County, California, Sunnyvale, Palo Alto, Long Beach, Houston, Texas, and San Francisco. The birds have been observed feeding on the fruits of the cultivated tropical vegetation and nesting in the ubiquitous palm trees. These feral parrots are also introduced in Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico. Clutches average three to four eggs and incubation is over within 23 or 24 days. Nests are usually made in tree cavities and they can breed successfully in small woodlots or even isolated trees


title: "Red-masked parakeet" content: in degraded forests. Juvenile birds fledge after 50 days with green plumage. It has been the tenth most common Neotropical parrot imported into the US with over 26,000 parakeets checked in from 1981 to 1985. This bird was formerly more common in its limited range, and was reclassified by the IUCN from a species of least concern to a species that is near threatened in 1994. This is due to declining populations brought by widespread local pet trade in Peru and Ecuador which attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation. Red-masked parakeet The red-masked parakeet ("Psittacara erythrogenys") is a medium-sized parrot


title: "Alvin Devane" content: became a reality in December 1984. Street and Bridge made a street sign for her to present to him along with the city plat, detailing the location. The event was covered by a local news television station and was also picked up by the AP, appearing in the Dallas paper. During his military service, DeVane was stationed at Austin's Bergstrom Field where he met his future wife, Antoinette "Toni", at a USO dance. Married in September 1944, they had four children and seven grandchildren. DeVane has a namesake, Alvin DeVane II, who resides in Dallas. He was a fan of


title: "History of juggling" content: fruits on the beach. Incredibly, Polynesian women have been verified showering 7 tuitui nuts, and there are reliable reports of women showering up to 10 nuts. 1680 – Germany
 Town Council of Nuremberg hires a "ball-master" who juggled and taught others juggling and other skills. 1768 – England
 Philip Astley opens the first modern circus. A few years later he employs jugglers to perform acts along with the horse and clown acts. From then until the modern day, jugglers have found work and have commonly been associated with circuses. 1793 – North America
 John Bill Ricketts presents America's first circus.


title: Wastegate content: an internally gated turbocharger. This can be achieved through a specially designed bracket that easily bolts on and restricts the movement of the actuator arm, keeping it from opening. Another route involves welding the internal wastegate shut which permanently keeps it from opening, but failure of the weld can allow it to open again. External wastegates generally use a valve similar to the poppet valve found in the cylinder head. However they are controlled by pneumatics rather than a camshaft and open in the opposite direction. External wastegates can also use a butterfly valve, though that is far less common.


title: "Phantom Phorce" content: "sheer geeky delight" while CokeMachineGlow called the packaging "nostalgic but infuriating". "Phantom Phorce" was also issued on gold-coloured vinyl. Critical reaction to "Phantom Phorce" was generally positive with "Uncut" stating that the album features an "inspired overhaul" of tracks from "Phantom Power", the "Western Mail" describing the record as a "mind-bending collection that radically re-works each track from the original record to create something entirely different, but equally appealing" and musicOMH calling it "an innovative and thoroughly enjoyable set of remixes". Some reviews pointed out that the album compares favourably with other remix albums with "The Guardian" calling "Phantom Phorce"


title: "Apple butter" content: Apple butter Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by long, slow cooking of apples with cider or water to a point where the sugar in the apples caramelizes, turning the apple butter a deep brown. The concentration of sugar gives apple butter a much longer shelf life as a preserve than apple sauce. The roots of apple butter lie in Limburg (Belgium and the Netherlands) and Rhineland (Germany), conceived during the Middle Ages, when the first monasteries (with large orchards) appeared. The production of the butter was a perfect way to conserve part of the


title: "Apple butter" content: fruit production of the monasteries in that region, at a time when almost every village had its own apple-butter producers. The production of apple butter was also a popular way of using apples in colonial America, well into the 19th century. The product contains no actual dairy butter; the term "butter" refers only to the butter-like thick, soft consistency, and apple butter's use as a spread for breads. Sometimes seasoned with cinnamon, clove, and other spices, apple butter is usually spread on bread, used as a side dish, an ingredient in baked goods, or as a condiment. Apple butter is


title: "Apple butter" content: also used on a sandwich to add an interesting flavor, but is not as commonly used as in historical times. Vinegar or lemon juice is sometimes mixed in while cooking to provide a small amount of tartness to the usually sweet apple butter. The Pennsylvania Dutch often include apple butter as part of their traditional 'seven sweets and seven sours' dinner table array. In areas of the American South, the production of apple butter is a family event, due to the large amount of labor necessary to produce apple butter in large quantities. Traditionally, apple butter was prepared in large


title: "Apple butter" content: copper kettles outside. Large paddles were used to stir the apples, and family members would take turns stirring. In Appalachia, apple butter was the only type of fruit preserve normally rendered into fruit leather. In Europe, an apple butter is traditionally made which is closer to dense syrup, in the Netherlands (known as , meaning "apple syrup") and in Germany (known as "") and frequently eaten on bread with (or without) thinly sliced cheese and with "Sauerbraten". A sweeter version, made using pears, as well as apples, is more popular in Belgium, where it is known as "sirop de Liège".


title: "Apple butter" content: Other than in Benelux and the Rhineland, apple syrup is a minority taste in Western Europe (in Germany, outside of the Rhineland, it is generally sold in health food shops), and a similar food is produced in francophone Switzerland, where it is known as . Russian (from Czech "povidla", or Polish "powidła" or "powidło") is prepared by the reduction of fruit puree with some sugar and sometimes spices. The final product should contain no more than 34% of moisture and about 60% of sugar. The most popular one is made from apples, but "povidlo" is also made from apricots, cherries,


title: "Apple butter" content: prunes, pears, and cranberries. Polish powidła are made from fresh purple plums and with addition of sugar. In Jersey, in the Channel Islands, apple butter is known as "black butter" or "lé nièr beurre" and includes liquorice as an ingredient. In Japan, apple butter often contains actual butter and is a considerably lighter in color, typically a shade of yellow. It is used as a spread on toast or as a filling in baked buns, and may consist of a mashed texture with small apple chunks, similar to the red bean paste filling used in "anpan." It is produced in


title: "Apple butter" content: apple-growing regions such as Nagano and Aomori Prefectures and often uses local apple varieties such as Fuji. Apple butter can be used as a fat substitute in reduced-fat or fat-free cooking, as well as vegan recipes. Different types of apples can be used for the production of apple butter. Apples are chosen based on their physical and chemical properties – such as hardness, sweetness, acidity/tartness, etc. Soft apples are often chosen for the production of apple butter because they can be broken down more easily and faster when cooked. These types of apples include: McIntosh (soft, creamy), Cortland (soft, sweet-and-tart,


title: "Apple butter" content: all-purpose), Granny Smith (tartness sweetens upon cooking, ideal complement to savory and salty foods). Apples are first selected based on ripeness, texture, natural sweetness and tartness/acidity. Some of these apples are pressed into fresh apple cider, while the rest are peeled and cored, then wholly steamed and cooked into apple puree. The freshly pressed apple cider and cooked apple puree are added to a large steam vat. Small amounts of sodium bicarbonate are added to the mixture in order to reduce acidity and help bring out sweetness from the natural fructose available in the apples. The mixture will then be


title: "Apple butter" content: boiled during the evaporation process, allowing the volume to reduce to one seventh. The end product will be a concentrated mixture used as apple butter. Apple butter is typically packaged in the same way whether it is prepared in a factory setting or made at home. It can be packaged mechanically in jars or cans through the use of machinery. Apple butter is a product created as a means of preserving apples. Due to its high acidity, high sugar content and low amounts of free water, an opened package can be kept for months at room temperature without spoiling. Nevertheless


title: "Apple butter" content: there are numerous methods that can be used for the storage of apple butter. No method is 100% dependable, as there is always a chance of the presence of bacteria or other microorganisms within the food itself, on the storage equipment or in the storage facility. Typically, the jars are sterilized before packaging to ensure no harmful microorganisms or bacteria will infect the product, causing it to spoil. Ideally, jars are sterilized using a combination of high temperature heating and ensuring a tight seal. Apples are a high acid food, with a pH below 4.6. Therefore, the apple butter can


title: "Apple butter" content: be placed in hot jars without chances of compromising quality of the product. The main sources of spoilage, molds, yeasts and enzymes, are killed at the temperatures reached in the hot water bath during the sterilization process for cans and jars. The spoilage microorganisms in acid foods can be destroyed in a small amount of time at temperatures below that of boiling water, so there is little risk of microorganisms appearing in the food product itself. Freezing jars of apple butter can help to maintain quality and inhibit bacterial growth. This storage method does not destroy pre-existing microorganisms that may


title: "Apple butter" content: be present in the product, so it is important to be wary when consuming previously frozen product. Applying high temperatures over a specified period of time can not only aid in the sterilization of the jars or cans used in packaging, but it can help maximize the storage time of the apple butter or other products. Boiling the jars will remove the oxygen remaining in the jar, which forms a tight seal between the lid and the rim. The heat used for this method of canning can be sufficient to kill bacterial cells found in the food. Only high-acid food


title: "Apple butter" content: with a pH of 4.6 or less can be processed using the boiling water bath method. This is because high-acid foods prevent the growth of spores of the bacterium "Clostridium botulinum", which can’t be killed by boiling. Foods with a pH of more than 4.6 can allow the spores to grow. Similar to the boiling process, vacuum sealing jars or cans of apple butter can remove remaining oxygen in the jar, forming a tight seal. The vacuuming process can be done in both a large-scale factory manner or at home with a mechanical vacuum sealer. Special devices, such as a


title: "Apple butter" content: vacuum pack sealer, can be fitted with specific jar attachments to fit over the lid of a jar and create a secure fit. Low-acid foods can be processed in a pressure canner to get rid of the risk of botulism; however, this treatment is not necessary for high-acid foods such as apple butter. Apple butter does not require sterilization at extremely high temperatures to reach optimum storage and maintain quality, so the pressure canning process is not typically used for this product. The preservation of apple butter involves application of several food science concepts, including controlling the temperature, water activity,


title: "Apple butter" content: and level of acidity in the product. Thermal processing not only helps produce texture and flavor characteristic to apple butter but is also a common way of sterilizing food products. It is a critical step in minimizing the potential growth of spoilage-causing and illness-causing microorganisms in the product. As a result of thermal processing and the softening of the apples, the presence of air bubbles can be minimized during canning. Refrigeration is a way of preserving apple butter after thermal processing. Though it is not a method which eliminates microorganisms, it is a method to decrease the rate at which


title: "Apple butter" content: microorganisms grow. Opened jars of apple butter may last a year if kept under low-temperature conditions. With refrigeration, the quality of apple butter may still decrease over time. Aside from controlling the temperature, regulation of the water activity in apple butter may also preserve the quality of apple butter. Water present in foods may exist in two types: bound water and free water. Bound water refers to water molecules that are attached to other molecules, making them unable to participate in chemical reactions or be utilized by microorganisms to contribute to their growth. Free water refers to water molecules free


title: "Apple butter" content: to perform the above functions, and should be decreased to achieve a longer preservation period. The addition of sugar to apple butter allows more binding with the free water molecules and thereby decreases the amount of free water to support microbial growth. Lowering the pH level of apple butter may also help decrease the rate of spoilage. Acidity in foods creates a less favorable environment for the survival of microorganisms, thus inhibiting the growth of bacteria and molds. Foods that have a pH of less than 4.6 are considered high-acid foods, and apples in general have a pH of 3.7.


title: "Apple butter" content: Some recipes may include the addition of vinegar as a way to further bring down the pH and preserve the quality of the end product. Sometimes, commercial brands of apple butter can be found with other ingredients and food additives. High fructose corn syrup is a preservative that has a high level of acidity and is often used by manufacturers in the preservation of food products, including apple butter. Sodium benzoate, an additive allowed under the Canadian food regulation, is capable of inhibiting the growth of fungi and has been used as a preservative in apple butter. It is possible


title: "Apple butter" content: to observe spoilage in apple butter if the end product is not properly sterilized during the canning process, allowing microorganisms to survive and grow in the container. Lack of refrigeration may also speed up the rate of spoilage of apple butter. Slight deterioration in quality happens with time even if the product is refrigerated, and does not pose a threat to the consumer. Some indicators for change in quality include the change of color and smell. However, apple butter should be discarded if there are clear signs of spoilage, such as when mold is found on the product surface. Even


title: "Apple butter" content: prior to apple butter preparation, the quality of apples should be taken into consideration since it has been reported to correspond to the level of patulin, a type of toxin produced by molds, present in apples. Studies have also shown that a longer period of heat treatment can reduce the levels of patulin present in the product. The nutritional value of apple butter varies quite a bit based on the recipe used to prepare that particular product. The ingredient list can be as simple as just two ingredients to a much more complicated mixture of foods. Although the ingredients may


title: "Apple butter" content: vary, which changes the nutritional value of the apple butter, the two main things that stand out to consumers on the nutritional facts table are the amount of carbohydrates and the amount of sugar that the apple butter contains. For 1 tablespoon the amount of carbohydrates range from 4-15 grams and the sugar content ranges from about 4-10 grams. Apple butter is not a good source for iron, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B, though it contains a small amount of vitamin C. Although all the recipes vary the main ingredients in all apple butters is apples and apple juice. In


title: "Apple butter" content: commercial brands of apple butter the type of apples used are not specified, but in certain homemade recipes they specify what types of apples to use. Commercial brands tend to use corn syrup in their apple butter. In homemade apple butter, sugar or brown sugar are more frequently used. Apple butter may be a healthier choice of spread than other breakfast spreads, but would not be considered to be healthy, as it does not give the consumer very many nutrients. Apple butter is more of an accessory food to put on your toast or other foods simply added for its


title: "Apple butter" content: taste. In the Netherlands, appelstroop is widely recognised as a good source of iron, a dietary element in which modern diets are frequently considered deficient. There is a widespread view that the iron content arises from the interaction of the acid in the apples with the metal of vessels in which the appelstroop is prepared and packaged. However, commercially sold appelstroop is often sold in paper or plastic based containers (or, in Germany, glass jars) and well into the fifties the traditional cooking pots used for its preparation were generally of copper. Regardless of how appelstroop originally gained its reputation


title: "Apple butter" content: as a source of dietary iron, the iron content (10–20 mg per 100 g) in typical factory produced product is boosted by the sugar beet, which is included with apples in the approximate ratio of 30:70. The cooking process thickens the texture of the sugar beet syrup, providing the extra sweetness which modern tastes expect (no refined sugar is added in these recipes) and increases the proportion of various mineral elements including the iron which is already present before cooking in both apples and sugar beet. Apple Butter is at low risk for food borne disease. The way that apple


title: "Apple butter" content: butter is packaged is very similar to that of jams. Apple butter is stored in glass jars, which allow light to enter the container therefore their shelf-life is less than that of food canned in steel cans. The preservation technique used to preserve apple butter is called canning. Canning is a process where pre-packaged food is exposed to moist heat of at least 121 °C for a certain amount of time in order to kill microorganisms that cause spoilage and disease. Although apple butter is at low risk for food borne disease if canned improperly, especially when being made at


title: "Apple butter" content: home, the product may grow dangerous microorganisms. If the apple butter is improperly canned, "Clostridium botulinum" can survive and multiply in the jar. This germ produces a toxin that can seriously harm an individual or in some cases even cause death. Makers of apple butter need to verify that the jars are properly sealed and that the heat treatment is used on the jars of apple butter for a sufficient amount of time in order to kill all microorganisms and prevent the product from contamination through the air of the outside environment. Once the jar is unsealed, the product must


title: "Apple butter" content: be refrigerated to slow down or inhibit the growth of microorganisms that cause spoilage. Apple butter and apple sauce also have different uses. Popular ways of using apple butter include, condiment or spreads for pastries and pie fillings. It can also be used as a healthier alternative for oil, shortening, or butter. Some people also enjoy using it to marinate meat, or pairing it with cooked meat and cheeses such as cheddar, brie or chevre. Apple sauce, in contrast, is usually served on its own or as a side dish for a variety of dishes. During the preparation, apples are


title: "Apple butter" content: cored for apple sauces but not for apple butter, allowing it to have a much stronger apple taste. The two also differ in cooking time; apple sauce just needs to be cooked until the apples are soft enough to be pureed, while apple butter needs to be cooked until the apples brown, break down and thicken. As a result of its long cooking time, apple butter is a much darker, caramel brown color, while apple sauce is usually a lighter golden color. Apple sauce has a more liquid consistency while apple butter is thicker and is more spreadable. In various


title: "Apple butter" content: locations across the United States, the production of apple butter is associated with a community event, most often occurring in the fall at the end of the apple-harvest season. At many of these events, apple butter is cooked on-site in the traditional method, using huge copper kettles over open fires that are stirred for hours. Apple Butter Makin' Days has been held on the courthouse square in Mount Vernon, Missouri, each October since 1967. Kimmswick, Missouri, and Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, each have an annual apple butter festival, as well. Grand Rapids, Ohio also celebrates with an Apple Butter Fest


title: "Apple butter" content: on October 12. There is also an Apple Butter Stir Off held on the first weekend in October in Belpre, Ohio. Wellesley, Ontario, has an annual Apple Butter and Cheese Festival on the last Saturday in September. Fenner Nature Center in Lansing, MI, also has an annual Apple Butter Festival on the third weekend of October. Oak Glen, California, has an Apple Butter Festival in November on Thanksgiving Weekend as part of the close of their official Apple Harvest Season. Apple butter Apple butter is a highly concentrated form of apple sauce produced by long, slow cooking of apples with


title: "Dorian Harewood" content: Papa" Charleston on the NBC drama series "I'll Fly Away". In 2012, he is an announcer for NBC. He also played Dr. Julian Wilkes in the NBC (later syndicated) TV series "Viper". Harewood was born in Dayton, Ohio, the son of Emerson Macaulay (1915–1980) and Estelle Olivia Harewood (1924–1991). He has five siblings, Emerson M. Harewood, Jr. (deceased), Theolanda Harewood (deceased), Philip B. Harewood (deceased), Floranne E. Dunford and Lawanda G. Pitts. He graduated from the Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati in 1972. He is married to actress Nancy Harewood, with whom he has two children, Olivia


title: "AMC Concord" content: marques sold in Mexico. All high-trim Americans for 1982 were no longer available with power door locks, power windows, power trunk release, tilt steering column, quartz digital clock, and rear defroster. Items that were standard for 1981 such as the remote controls for the door mirrors, the intermittent wipers, the reading dome light, and vanity mirror were put on the option list. The rest of the equipment was virtually unchanged from 1981. Despite this, there was a new optional accessory for the year, an AM/FM/stereo tape player radio. All three high-trim editions featured a new VAM-designed luxurious grille with a


title: "Scottish Football Writers' Association" content: Scottish Football Writers' Association The Scottish Football Writers' Association (SFWA) is an association of Scottish football journalists and correspondents writing for newspapers and agencies, founded in 1965. The most prestigious awards in Scottish football is The Official Scottish Football Awards 2010. Every year the SFWA presents the Footballer of the Year award to the best player of the year, the Young Player of the Year award to the best young player of the year, and the Manager of the Year award to the best manager of the year. The main award, the Footballer of the Year, is seen as one


title: "Don Harron" content: with the 100th anniversary of the original novel. Harron was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame in 2010. He married his third wife, Canadian singer Catherine McKinnon in 1969. Harron and McKinnon divorced in 2003. He moved in with and later married his fourth wife, Claudette Gareau, who had played the separatist weather girl in "Shh! It’s the News" (1973) appearing with Harron. Harron's daughter Mary Harron from an earlier marriage to Gloria Fisher, is an independent film director whose credits include "I Shot Andy Warhol" and "American Psycho". She directed "Alias Grace" which won the 2018


title: "Arrow keys" content: which places arrow symbols on these letters since, like the original Mac shown above, it did not have dedicated arrow keys on the keyboard. These correspond to the functions of the corresponding control characters , , , and when sent to the terminal, moving the cursor left, down, up, and right, respectively. (The and functions were standard, but the interpretations of and were unique to the ADM-3A.) This key arrangement is often referred to as "vi keys". HJKL keys are still ubiquitous in newly developed Unix software even though today's keyboards have arrow keys. They have the advantage of letting


title: "Bosom of Abraham" content: of a loving parent. After the same manner was Abraham supposed to act towards his children after the fatigues and troubles of the present life, hence the metaphorical expression "to be in Abraham's Bosom" as meaning to be in repose and happiness with him. According to Maldonatus (1583), whose theory has since been accepted by many scholars, the metaphor "to be in Abraham's Bosom" is derived from the custom of reclining on couches at table, which prevailed among the Jews during and before the time of Jesus. As at a feast each guest leaned on his left elbow so as


title: "Fred F. French Building" content: features in Mesopotamian art. Ives said that all this symbolized integrity and watchfulness. Further at the sides, beehives with golden bees, symbols of thrift and industry. Facing east and west one sees the heads of Mercury. Ives said that these were "spreading the message of the French plan"—a concept explained below. Ives discussed the evolution of the architecture for the building. Although Gothic and Romanesque was first considered, they settled on the Eastern design, in large part due to a new zoning requirement for skyscrapers, which called for setbacks, which allowed more light to reach the streets. This suggested to


title: "Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird" content: when they insist on calling him "Big Dodo", and the dodos all think very poorly of non-birds, suggesting Big Bird should have a bird as a best friend instead of Mr. Snuffleupagus (who is currently watching over Big Bird's nest), which proves to be the last straw for Big Bird. When Big Bird eventually runs away from his new home to head back to Sesame Street, he ends up on the news, Miss Finch tells reporter Kermit the Frog that she intends to reclaim him. His friends on Sesame Street also see the news and band together to find him


title: Subinfeudation content: Subinfeudation In English law, subinfeudation is the practice by which tenants, holding land under the king or other superior lord, carved out new and distinct tenures in their turn by sub-letting or alienating a part of their lands. The tenants were termed mesne lords, with regard to those holding from them, the immediate tenant being "tenant in capite". The lowest tenant of all was the freeholder, or, as he was sometimes termed, "tenant paravail". The Crown, who in theory owned all lands, was "lord paramount". The great lords looked with dissatisfaction on the increase of such subtenures. Accordingly, in 1290


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: Great-tailed grackle The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle ("Quiscalus mexicanus") is a medium-sized, highly social passerine bird native to North and South America. A member of the family Icteridae, it is one of ten extant species of grackle and is closely related to the boat-tailed grackle and the slender-billed grackle. It is sometimes erroneously referred to as a "blackbird" in the southern United States, although blackbirds belong to other genera such as "Euphagus". Similarly, it is often called in areas of Mexico owing to its glossy black plumage, although it is not a member of the genus "Corvus", nor even


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: of the family Corvidae. Great-tailed grackles are medium-sized birds (larger than starlings and smaller than crows; -) with males weighing - and females between -, and both sexes have long tails. Males are iridescent black with a purple-blue sheen on the feathers of the head and upper body, while females are brown with darker wings and tail. Adults of both sexes have bright yellow eyes, while juveniles of both sexes have brown eyes and brown plumage like females (except for streaks on the breast). Great-tailed grackles, particularly the adult males, have a keel-shaped tail that they can fold vertically by


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: aligning the two halves. The great-tailed grackle and boat-tailed grackle were considered the same species until genetic analyses distinguished them as two separate species. Great-tailed grackles originated from the tropical lowlands of Central and South America, but historical evidence from Bernardino de Sahagún shows that the Aztecs, during the time of the emperor Ahuitzotl, introduced the great-tailed grackle from their homeland in the Mexican Gulf Coast to the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan in the highland Valley of Mexico, most likely to use their iridescent feathers for decoration. In more recent times, great-tailed grackles expanded their breeding range by over 5500%


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: by moving north into North America between 1880 and 2000, following urban and agricultural corridors. Their current range stretches from northwest Venezuela and western Colombia and Ecuador in the south to Minnesota in the north, to Oregon, Idaho, and California in the west, to Florida in the east, with vagrants occurring as far north as southern Canada. Their habitat for foraging is on the ground in clear areas such as pastures, wetlands and mangroves. Great-tailed grackles are noted for their diverse foraging habits. They extract larvae and insects from grassy areas; eat lizards, nestlings, and eggs; forage in freshly plowed


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: land; remove parasites from cattle; and eat fruits (e.g., bananas, berries) and grains (e.g., maize, corn on the cob by opening the husks). They turn over objects to search for food underneath, including crustaceans, insects, and worms, they hunt tadpoles and fish by wading into shallow water, and although they do not swim, they catch fish by flying close to the water's surface, and are even reported to dive a few inches into the water to retrieve a fish. They are also known to pick dead insects off the license plates of parked cars, and kill barn swallows while flying.


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: Great-tailed grackles have an unusually large repertoire of vocalizations that are used year-round. Males use a wider variety of vocalization types, while females engage mostly in "chatter", however there is a report of a female performing the "territorial song". Because of their loud vocalizations, great-tailed grackles are considered a pest species by some. They communally roost in trees or the reeds of wetlands at night and, during the breeding season, they nest in territories using three different mating strategies: 1) territorial males defend their territory on which many females place their nests and raise young, 2) residential males live in


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: the larger colony but do not defend a territory or have mates, and 3) transient males stay for a few days before leaving the colony to likely move onto another colony. Resident and transient males sire a small number of offspring through extra pair copulations with females on territories. Territorial males are heavier and have longer tails than non-territorial males, and both of these characteristics are associated with having more offspring. Grackles can solve Aesop's Fable tests - a problem involving a tube that is partially filled with water and a floating out of reach piece of food. The problem


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: is solved by dropping objects into the water to raise the level and bring the food within reach. They are also behaviorally flexible, changing their preferences quickly in response to changes in cognitive tasks. In Mexico, where it is known as the "chanate" or "zanate", there is a legend that it has seven songs. "In the creation, the Zanate having no voice, stole its seven distinct songs from the wise and knowing sea turtle. You can now hear the Zanate's vocals as the Seven Passions (Love, Hate, Fear, Courage, Joy, Sadness, and Anger) of life." Mexican artisans have created icons


title: "Great-tailed grackle" content: in clay, sometimes as whistles that portray the sea turtle with the zanate perched on its back. In Colombia, the species is called "Maria mulata", and is the official bird of Cartagena de Indias. Cartagena artist, Enrique Grau, had an affinity for these birds and because of his inspiration many Colombian monuments and artistic works were created in honor of its intelligence, adaptability, cheerfulness, sociability and collaborative tendencies, diligence, craftiness, and ability to take advantage of adversity. In Austin, Texas, it is commonly found congregating near the city's numerous food trucks. Great-tailed grackle The great-tailed grackle or Mexican grackle ("Quiscalus


title: "Solution concept" content: regardless of the strategies that the other players choose. (Strictly dominated strategies are also important in minimax game-tree search.) For example, in the (single period) prisoners' dilemma (shown below), "cooperate" is strictly dominated by "defect" for both players because either player is always better off playing "defect", regardless of what his opponent does. A Nash equilibrium is a strategy profile (a strategy profile specifies a strategy for every player, e.g. in the above prisoners' dilemma game ("cooperate", "defect") specifies that prisoner 1 plays "cooperate" and player 2 plays "defect") in which every strategy is a best response to every other


title: "Octavarium (album)" content: hard hitting all at the same time", ranking it as one of Dream Theater's best releases. He particularly praised the title track, considering it to be "another Dream Theater classic". "Billboard" considered the results of the band's attempt to write shorter songs and use warmer instrumental textures to be "excellent", particularly praising "The Root of All Evil", "These Walls" and "I Walk Beside You". Harley Carlson of MetalReview.com regarded "Octavarium" as "successfully [showcasing] the band's ability to craft emotive music," although noted that it is "unquestionably Dream Theater, yet there is something missing." Vik Bansal of musicOMH praised "Never Enough",


title: "Sheldon Adelson" content: fundraiser held in Jerusalem. Adelson joined Woody Johnson, John Rakolta, Paul Singer, and several dozen other contributors on the trip. According to "Bloomberg Businessweek", as of July Adelson had given Republicans more than $30 million for the 2012 election cycle. Romney believes that China should be pressured to drop its presumptively low fixed exchange rate policy; according to Bloomberg, Adelson would benefit financially in U.S. dollar terms through his interest in Chinese casinos if the Chinese yuan were to appreciate. Early in 2014 Adelson donated $2.5 million to the Drug Free Florida Committee, the political committee trying to defeat Florida's


title: "Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett" content: Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett Ellis Ashmead-Bartlett (11 February 1881 – 4 May 1931) was an English war correspondent during the First World War. Through his reporting of the Battle of Gallipoli, Ashmead-Bartlett was instrumental in the birth of the Anzac legend which still dominates military history in Australia and New Zealand. Through his outspoken criticism of the conduct of the campaign, he was instrumental in bringing about the dismissal of the British commander-in-chief, Sir Ian Hamilton – an event that led to the evacuation of British forces from the Gallipoli peninsula. Born in 1881, Ashmead-Bartlett was the eldest son of Conservative Party


title: "Jefferson County Public Schools (Kentucky)" content: a few years, the state granted half of the property of the Jefferson Seminary for use in constructing a "High School College." By 1838, the city of Louisville had a full-service school system. Tuition was abolished for all Louisville residents in 1851, and 1856, Male High School and Female High School opened their doors. From 1851 until 1871, 17 schools were erected on 20 lots. School enrollment grew from 4,303 at the beginning of that time period to 13,503 at the end. In 1870, the first public schools in the city for African Americans were established in the Center Street


title: "Dublin and Monaghan bombings" content: McEntee. The 'McEntee Inquiry' was tasked to investigate why the Garda investigation was wound down, why the Garda did not follow-up on some leads, and the missing Garda documents. The report was handed to the Irish government in March 2007 and published shortly thereafter. Subsequent reports by Henry Barron into the Miami Showband massacre, the killing of Seamus Ludlow, and the bombing of Keys Tavern found evidence of extensive collusion with the same UVF members, amounting to "international terrorism" on the part of British forces. At the time of the bombings, Colin Wallace was a British Intelligence Corps officer at


title: "Mishal Husain" content: British army in World War II, becoming a private Military Secretary of Field Marshal Claude Auchinleck. When she was two, the family moved to the United Arab Emirates, where her father practised as a doctor. Husain attended the British School in Abu Dhabi; the family were also based in Saudi Arabia for a period. Husain returned to England at the age of 12 to continue her education at Cobham Hall, an independent school in Kent. She read law at New Hall, Cambridge, now Murray Edwards College, Cambridge followed by a master's degree in International and Comparative Law at the European


title: "Po Lin Monastery" content: Po Lin Monastery Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu Province on the Chinese mainland and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut" ( "Tai Mao Pung"). It was renamed to its present name in 1924. The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well as many Buddhist scriptures. Tian Tan Buddha, a giant Buddha statue completed in 1993, is an extension of the monastery.


title: "Po Lin Monastery" content: The Ngong Ping 360, consisting of the Ngong Ping village and a gondola lift running between Tung Chung and Ngong Ping, was built near to the Po Lin Monastery. The monastery boasts many prominent architectural structures, such as the Main Shrine Hall of Buddha, the Hall of Bodhisattva Skanda. This monastery is also noted for making wooden bracelets that are only sold near the Tian Tan Buddha statue. In 1918, three nuns ordained at this monastery established a private nunnery called Chi Chuk Lam () on Lantau's Lower Keung Hill (). The nunnery is dedicated to Guanyin, the Goddess of


title: "Po Lin Monastery" content: Mercy. There were about 20 "jushi" and nuns residing there in the 1950s, but now only an elderly abbess remains. Po Lin Monastery Po Lin Monastery is a Buddhist monastery, located on Ngong Ping Plateau, on Lantau Island, Hong Kong. The monastery was founded in 1906 by three monks visiting from Jiangsu Province on the Chinese mainland and was initially known simply as "The Big Hut" ( "Tai Mao Pung"). It was renamed to its present name in 1924. The main temple houses three bronze statues of the Buddha – representing his past, present and future lives – as well


title: "Liber XV, The Gnostic Mass" content: the Altar of Incense and the Font (symbolizing the unwinding of the Kundalini Serpent which is twined around the base of the spine) before stopping at the Tomb. She tears down the veil with her Sword, and raises the Priest to life by the power of Iron, the Sun, and the Lord. He is lustrated and consecrated with the four elements (water and earth, fire and air), and then invested with his scarlet Robe and crowned with the golden Uraeus serpent of wisdom. Finally, she gently strokes his Lance eleven times, invoking the Lord. The Priest lifts up the Virgin


title: "Bradley M. Kuhn" content: Affero clause in GPLv3, and then assisted with the production of the AGPLv3 after the FSF decided to write a separate Affero version of GPLv3. Prior to 2010 Kuhn was FLOSS Community Liaison and Technical Director of the Software Freedom Law Center and was president of the Software Freedom Conservancy. In October 2010 he became the Conservancy's first Executive Director. After leadership change he now serves as president and Distinguished Technologist, while Karen Sandler holds the Executive Director position In 2010 Kuhn founded the Replicant project together with Aaron Williamson, Graziano Sorbaioli and Denis ‘GNUtoo’ Carikli, aiming at replacing proprietary


title: "Typhoid Mary (comics)" content: Kymellian technology from Power Pack during the Acts of Vengeance. She was subsequently in the Kingpin's employ once again, and met Bullseye. She helped thwart an attempt on the Kingpin's life by Crossbones. At one point, as she struggled to keep her multiple personalities under control, she befriended Mary Jane Watson and battled Spider-Man when Bloody Mary resurfaced and she began killing men who committed domestic abuse. With the web-slinger's help, Mary regained control and voluntarily turned herself in to the police for treatment. At one point, Mary was confined to a mental institution where each personality hired a mercenary.


title: "Typhoid Mary (comics)" content: in the minds of others. She can use her psionic hypnosis ability to induce sleep in weak-minded individuals and most animals; certain individuals are mentally resistant to her hypnotic powers. However, she has three separate personalities as a result of her mental illness. The timid, pacifist "Mary" personality has no psionic abilities. The "Typhoid" and "Bloody Mary" personalities have the full range of these psionic powers and they are strongest in "Bloody Mary". Her original "Mary Walker" personality is supposed to be a balanced amalgam of all of these, but is seldom dominant. Because of the different heart rates and


title: "Williams X-Jet" content: Grande is one of the WASP II operators trained by Williams International to fly the X-Jet. Williams X-Jet The Williams X-Jet, created by Williams International, was a small, one-man, light-weight, Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft powered by a modified Williams F107 turbofan aircraft engine designated WR-19-7 after some minor modifications. The vehicle was nicknamed "The Flying Pulpit" for its shape. It was designed to carry one operator and to be controlled by leaning in the direction of desired travel and by modulating engine output power. It could move in any direction, accelerate rapidly, hover and rotate on its


title: "Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha" content: role as the new Spiritual Guru. Despite health conditions—cataract operation in 1980—he continued to make extensive tours to more than 4000 villages and towns, visiting over 67,000 homes and performing image installation ceremonies in 77 temples in this first decade. He also embarked on a series of overseas tours beginning in 1974 as the Guru. Subsequent tours were made in 1977, 1979, and 1980. Overall, he embarked on a total of 27 international spiritual tours between 1974 and 2007. His travels were motivated by his desire to reach out to devotees for their spiritual uplift and to spread the teachings


title: "Mint 400" content: book and starring Johnny Depp and Benicio Del Toro. The 2010 and 2011 Mint 400 were featured on Fuel TV, while the 2012 Mint 400 was aired on Speed. Mint 400 The Mint 400 is an annual American desert off road race which takes place in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was resumed in 2008 after a 20-year hiatus. The race was for both motorcycles, until 1977, and four-wheel vehicles (buggies, cars and trucks) sponsored by Del Webb's Mint Hotel and Casino. Del Webb, a real estate developer and friend of Howard Hughes, was owner of the Mint Hotel in downtown


title: "Voltage-gated calcium channel" content: the SH3 domain of the β subunit also gives added regulatory effects on channel function, opening the possibility of the β subunit having multiple regulatory interactions with the α subunit pore. Furthermore, the AID sequence does not appear to contain an endoplasmic reticulum retention signal, and this may be located in other regions of the I–II α subunit linker. The γ1 subunit is known to be associated with skeletal muscle VGCC complexes, but the evidence is inconclusive regarding other subtypes of calcium channel. The γ1 subunit glycoprotein (33 kDa) is composed of four transmembrane spanning helices. The γ1 subunit does


title: WJTC content: Through the use of PSIP, digital television receivers display the station's virtual channel as its former UHF analog channel 44. Syndicated programming on WJTC includes "How I Met Your Mother", "The Simpsons", "Modern Family" and "Two and a Half Men". WJTC broadcasts local high school football games on Friday nights during the fall season. Playoff games are aired as well, but unlike the regular season are tape-delayed because of the Alabama High School Athletic Association's regulations. WJTC also carries the Super Six finals as well as the Alabama high school basketball state finals. When WJTC signed on the air in


title: "Ikuta Shrine" content: Ikuta Shrine According to "Nihon Shoki", it was founded by the Empress Jingū at the beginning of the 3rd century AD to enshrine the "kami" Wakahirume. It was one of three shrines established at this time; the others are Hirota Shrine, dedicated to Amaterasu, and Nagata Shrine, dedicated to Kotoshiro-nushi (also known as Ebisu). During the Genpei War, parts of the Battle of Ichi-no-Tani took place in and around this shrine, and are commemorated by markers in the Ikuta forest behind the shrine. The shrine's land was much larger back then, before the city of Kobe was built around it.


title: "Ikuta Shrine" content: Thus, the precise locations of skirmishes or events can no longer be commemorated on shrine land. Today, two Noh plays, "Ebira" and "Ikuta Atsumori", which retell aspects of the Genpei War, are performed near the Ikuta Shrine on a regular basis. They are performed every year at Ikuta's . Ikuta Shrine According to "Nihon Shoki", it was founded by the Empress Jingū at the beginning of the 3rd century AD to enshrine the "kami" Wakahirume. It was one of three shrines established at this time; the others are Hirota Shrine, dedicated to Amaterasu, and Nagata Shrine, dedicated to Kotoshiro-nushi (also


title: "East St. Louis Race Riots" content: taking lower wages. The Springfield race riot of 1908 in Illinois was an expression of the simmering tensions in the region during the nadir of race relations. While in New Orleans on a lecture tour, Jamaican black nationalist Marcus Garvey, who founded the UNIA in 1916, became aware that Louisiana planters and the city's Board of Trade were worried about losing their labor force, as he recounted in a speech the following year. He said that Mayor Mollman of East St. Louis was also visiting the city that week, and city leaders asked for his assistance to help discourage black


title: "Røros Line" content: Line and the Rauma Line. The primary impact of electrification would be a severe cut in operating costs of the railway companies, and thus better margins for forest owners, who could increase their export. A secondary impact would allow the Rorøs Line to also handle intermodule transport. Cargo trains could run directly from Gothenburg to Trondheim, via the Norway/Vänern, Värmland, Solør and Røros Lines, bypassing the congested cargo lines through Oslo. Intermodule cargo trains operate from Oslo to Trondheim via the Dovre Line, despite its higher elevation, because of the electric traction. If the Solør and Røros Lines were electrified,


title: "David Simon" content: in a Drama for the episode. Simon also received Austin Film Festival's Outstanding Television Writer Award in 2010. Simon left his job with the Baltimore Sun in 1995 to work full-time on "Homicide: Life on the Street" during the production of the show's fourth season. Simon wrote the teleplay for the season four episodes "Justice: Part 2" and "Scene of the Crime" (with Anya Epstein). For season five he was the show's story editor and continued to contribute teleplays writing the episodes "Bad Medicine" and "Wu's on First?" (again with Epstein). He was credited as a producer on the show's


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: Cycas revoluta Cycas revoluta (Sotetsu [Japanese ソテツ], sago palm, king sago, sago cycad, Japanese sago palm), is a species of gymnosperm in the family Cycadaceae, native to southern Japan including the Ryukyu Islands. It is one of several species used for the production of sago, as well as an ornamental plant. Cycads' only relation to the true palms (Arecaceae) is that both are seed plants. The Latin specific epithet "revoluta" means "curled back", in reference to the leaves. This is also called Kungi (comb) Palm in Punjabi speaking areas. This very symmetrical plant supports a crown of shiny, dark green


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: leaves on a thick shaggy trunk that is typically about in diameter, sometimes wider. The trunk is very low to subterranean in young plants, but lengthens above ground with age. It can grow into very old specimens with 6–7 m (over 20 feet) of trunk; however, the plant is very slow-growing and requires about 50–100 years to achieve this height. Trunks can branch several times, thus producing multiple heads of leaves. The leaves are a deep semiglossy green and about long when the plants are of a reproductive age. They grow out into a feather-like rosette to in diameter. The


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: crowded, stiff, narrow leaflets are long and have strongly recurved or revolute edges. The basal leaflets become more like spines. The petiole or stems of the sago cycad are long and have small protective barbs. Roots are called "coralloid" with an "Anabaena" symbiosis allowing nitrogen fixation. Tannins-rich cells are found on either side of the algal layer to resist the algal invasion. As with other cycads, it is dioecious, with the males bearing pollen cones (strobilus) and the females bearing groups of megasporophylls. Pollination can be done naturally by insects or artificially. Propagation of "Cycas revoluta" is either by seed


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: or clonally by removal of basal offsets. It is one of the most widely cultivated cycads, grown outdoors in warm temperate and subtropical regions, or under glass in colder areas. It grows best in sandy, well-drained soil, preferably with some organic matter. It needs good drainage or it will rot. It is fairly drought-tolerant and grows well in full sun or outdoor shade, but needs bright light when grown indoors. The leaves can bleach somewhat if moved from indoors to full sun outdoors. Of all the cycads, "C. revoluta" is the most popular in cultivation. It is seen in almost


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: all botanical gardens, in both temperate and tropical locations. In many areas of the world, it is heavily promoted commercially as a landscape plant. It is also quite popular as a bonsai plant. First described in the late 18th century, it is tolerant of mild to somewhat cold temperatures, provided the ground is dry. Frost damage can occur at temperatures below −10 °C (14 °F), and several healthy plants have been grown with little protection as far north as St. Louis, Missouri and New York, New York, both in USDA zone 7b. "C. revoluta" usually defoliates in this temperate climate,


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: but will usually flush (or grow) several new leaves by spring. This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit (confirmed 2017). The pith contains edible starch, and is used for making sago. Before use, the starch must be carefully washed to leach out toxins contained in the pith. Extracting edible starch from the sago cycad requires special care due to the poisonous nature of cycads. Cycad sago is used for many of the same purposes as palm sago. Sago is extracted from the sago cycad by cutting the pith from the stem, root and seeds of


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: the cycads, grinding the pith to a coarse flour and then washing it carefully and repeatedly to leach out the natural toxins. The starchy residue is then dried and cooked, producing a starch similar to palm sago/sabudana. The cycad seed contains cycasin toxin and should not be eaten as it is possible for cycasin toxin to survive the most vigorous of repeated washings. Cycasin toxin can cause ALS, Parkinson's, prostate cancer and fibrolemellar hepatocellular carcinoma. "Aulacaspis yasumatsui" is a scale insect feeding on "C. revoluta", and unchecked is able to destroy the plant. The hydro-alcoholic extract of leaves of "C.


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: revoluta" shows the presence of alkaloids, steroids and tannins while the chloroform extract shows the presence of saponins, tannins and sugars. Leaflets also contain biflavonoids. Estragole is the primary volatile compound emitted from the male and female cones of "C. revoluta". Cycad sago is extremely poisonous to animals (including humans) if ingested. Pets are at particular risk, since they seem to find the plant very palatable. Clinical symptoms of ingestion will develop within 12 hours, and may include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, seizures, and liver failure or hepatotoxicity characterized by icterus, cirrhosis, and ascites. The pet may appear bruised, have nose


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: bleeds (epistaxis), melena (blood in the stool), hematochezia (bloody straining), and hemarthrosis (blood in the joints). The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center estimates a fatality rate of 50 to 75% when ingestion of the sago palm is involved. If any quantity of the plant is ingested, a poison control center or doctor should be contacted immediately. Effects of ingestion can include permanent internal damage and death. All parts of the plant are toxic; however, the seeds contain the highest level of the toxin cycasin. Cycasin causes gastrointestinal irritation, and in high enough doses, leads to liver failure. Other toxins include


title: "Cycas revoluta" content: Beta-methylamino L-alanine, a neurotoxic amino acid, and an unidentified toxin which has been observed to cause hindlimb paralysis in cattle. Cycas revoluta Cycas revoluta (Sotetsu [Japanese ソテツ], sago palm, king sago, sago cycad, Japanese sago palm), is a species of gymnosperm in the family Cycadaceae, native to southern Japan including the Ryukyu Islands. It is one of several species used for the production of sago, as well as an ornamental plant. Cycads' only relation to the true palms (Arecaceae) is that both are seed plants. The Latin specific epithet "revoluta" means "curled back", in reference to the leaves. This is


title: "Gunnar Jarring" content: Gunnar Jarring Gunnar Valfrid Jarring (12 October 1907 – 29 May 2002) was a Swedish diplomat and Turkologist. Jarring was born in Brunnby, Höganäs Municipality, Skåne County (then part of Malmöhus County), Sweden. He earned a Ph.D. from Lund University in 1933 with his dissertation "Studien zu einer osttürkischen Lautlehre" ("Studies in Eastern Turkic Phonology"). He taught Turkic languages at the university for the rest of the 1930s. Jarring entered the Swedish diplomatic service and worked for the Swedish foreign service as attaché at their embassy in Ankara in 1940. He later held diplomatic positions in Teheran, Baghdad, and Addis


title: Duaringa content: railway sleepers. The people of Rockhampton began donating items to the Boolburra flood victims including blankets, clothing, loaves of bread, meat and rations. After the flood, the government decided to abandon their plan to use Boolburra as the major railway centre it was proposed to be, and instead create a separate settlement seven miles further west along the railway line for that purpose. Boolburra then became an ordinary wayside station instead of its original purpose. The railway line from Boolburra to Duaringa opened on 28 March 1876. A free excursion for people to travel by train from Rockhampton to Duaringa


title: "Melody Time" content: film include books, figures, and posters. At the time of its release, the film received "generally unfavorable reviews". However, "Disney Discourse: Producing the Magic Kingdom" notes that an article in Time Magazine around that time "celebrated the global scope of the Disney product", and a 1948 review for "The News-Sentinel" said the "charm and skill" that one had to expect from Disney is "delightful entertainment" for all children. A 1948 review of the film for the "Los Angeles Times" said the "acts" "Johnny Appleseed" and "Pecos Bill", which the "new variety show from Walt Disney [gave] special attention to" are


title: "Albert Henry Munsell" content: names, harmonize and find them." Later, these objectives became the ground work for creating the Munsell Book of Color. Munsell, Peterson, and Pritchard agreed on the primer to help demonstrate the "rules" of the Munsell Color Theory. Today, the Munsell Color Theory still stands as the basis of color education. It provides a simple, meaningful way to describe colors and organize them. Many companies, such as X-Rite, have color education services that are based on the Munsell Color Theory. These services help describe where color comes from, the basics behind how the Munsell Color Order System is designed, and how


title: "Stockholm Public Library" content: Stockholm Public Library Stockholm Public Library (Swedish: "Stockholms stadsbibliotek" or "Stadsbiblioteket") is a library building in Stockholm, Sweden, designed by Swedish architect Gunnar Asplund, and one of the city's most notable structures. The name is today used for both the main library itself as well as the municipal library system of Stockholm. Discussed by a committee of which Asplund himself was a member from 1918, a design scheme was proposed in 1922, and construction began in 1924. Partly inspired by the "Barrière Saint-Martin (Rotonde de la Villette)" by Claude Nicolas Ledoux, Asplund abandoned earlier ideas for a dome in favour


title: "Stockholm Public Library" content: of a rotunda whose tall cylinder gives the exterior some monumentality. In the course of its planning, he reduced elements of the classical order to their most abstract geometrical forms, for the most part eliminating architectural decor. Stockholm Public Library was Sweden's first public library to apply the principle of open shelves where visitors could access books without the need to ask library staff for assistance, a concept Asplund studied in the United States during the construction of the library. All the furnishings in all the rooms were designed for their specific positions and purposes. Officially opened on 31 March


title: "Stockholm Public Library" content: 1928 in the presence of Prince Eugen, due to financial constraints the library was still missing its west wing which was only added in 1932 to complete the approximately square base around the rotunda of the main reading room. Stockholm Public Library is one of Asplund's most important works and illustrates his gradual shift from classicism to functionalism. Also designed by Asplund and completed in 1931 is the parkland to the south with its large pond and the shops along Sveavägen. The three simple annex buildings to the west, too, formed part of Asplund's original concept but were designed by


title: "Stockholm Public Library" content: other architects, i.e. Erik Lallerstedt (two blocks furthest west, 1929–30 and 1932) and Paul Hedqvist (1952–53). Charles Holden's design of Arnos Grove tube station in North London is said to be based on the Stockholm Public Library. Stockholm Public Library includes more than 2 million volumes and 2.4 million audio tapes, CDs and audio books. The "international library" is the section for foreign languages, housed in two floors of an annex behind the main building, close to Odenplan. Its holdings comprise more than 100 languages with 17,000 volumes in Persian, 15,800 in Arabic, and 14,500 in Spanish. In 2007 the


title: "Stockholm Public Library" content: most borrowed languages were Russian (19,300 loans), Thai, Spanish, Arabic, Persian, Chinese, Polish and Japanese. For some of these languages, Stockholm serves public libraries in the rest of Sweden through interlibrary loans. In 2006, the announcement of an international architectural competition for a library extension attracted 1,170 entries, though few leading international architects participated. The new structure was to be built next to Asplund's main building, using the site occupied by the three annex buildings, whose fate (i.e. demolition or integration) was deliberately left open in the brief. On 16 November 2007, little-known German architect Heike Hanada was declared the


title: "Stockholm Public Library" content: winner with her proposal "Delphinium". Her project includes a high-rise glass building, spatially removed from Asplund's main library but connected to it by a low, podium-like structure with a semi-circular courtyard into which the slope of the Observatorielunden seems to flow. Although Hanada was instructed to produce preliminary plans for the project's realisation, the extension was put on hold in late 2009. This was due to a change in city government with different priorities as well as a local campaign turned international about what critics saw as an unacceptable impact on the original, Asplund approved complex. Stockholm Public Library Stockholm


title: "Battle of Sailor's Creek" content: about one fifth of the remaining retreating Confederate army was taken prisoner or became casualties. Many Confederate officers were captured, including generals Ewell, Kershaw, Custis Lee, Seth M. Barton, James P. Simms, Meriwether Lewis Clark, Sr., Dudley M. Du Bose, Eppa Hunton, and Montgomery D. Corse. Colonel Stapleton Crutchfield was killed leading a detachment of artillery personnel who had participated in the defenses of Richmond. General Humphreys also stated that disorder of the Confederates after their defeats at Five Forks, Sutherland's Station and the Breakthrough "doubtless scattered them to such an extent that many being without rations did not rejoin


title: "Uterine malformation" content: Uterine malformation A uterine malformation is a type of female genital malformation resulting from an abnormal development of the Müllerian duct(s) during embryogenesis. Symptoms range from amenorrhea, infertility, recurrent pregnancy loss, and pain, to normal functioning depending on the nature of the defect. The American Fertility Society (now American Society of Reproductive Medicine) Classification distinguishes: A uterine septum can be corrected by hysteroscopic surgery. An additional variation is the arcuate uterus where there is a concave dimple in the uterine fundus within the cavity. A rudimentary uterus is a uterine remnant not connected to cervix and vagina and may be


title: "Affect theory" content: Affect theory Affect theory is a theory that seeks to organize affects, sometimes used interchangeably with emotions, or subjectively experienced feelings, into discrete categories and to typify their physiological, social, interpersonal, and internalized manifestations. The conversation about affect theory has been taken up in psychology, psychoanalysis, neuroscience, medicine, interpersonal communication, literary theory, critical theory, media studies, and gender studies, among other fields. Hence, affect theory is defined in different ways, depending on the discipline. Affect theory is originally attributed to psychologist Silvan Tomkins and is introduced in the first two volumes of his book "Affect Imagery Consciousness" (1962). Tomkins uses


title: "Section 7 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms" content: fundamental justice. Fundamental justice is read more substantively. Another key difference is that the Fifth and Fourteenth US Amendments add the right to property, and the Canadian Bill adds the right to "enjoyment of property." The fact that section 7 excludes a right contained in its sister laws is taken as significant, and thus rights to property are not even read into the rights to liberty and security of the person. There have been calls for section 7 to protect property. In 1981 the Progressive Conservative Party suggested that section 7 be extended to protect the "enjoyment of property." Some


title: "Individual Taxpayer Identification Number" content: a valid tax return. Effective June 22, 2012 the IRS began requiring most applicants, even those using acceptance agents, to submit original supporting documents or copies certified by their issuing agency. The IRS will not accept notarized copies of the passport for ITIN application. In 2012, the IRS indicated that ITINs would expire after 5 years. In 2014, the IRS amended that policy to expire ITINs only if the numbers had not been used in the last 5 years. Under this revised policy, all ITIN's must be used to file a return or they will expire and be reassigned. This


title: Palekastro content: Palekastro Palekastro (; also transliterated as "Palaikastro"; Godart and Olivier abbreviation PK) is a small village at the east end of the Mediterranean island Crete. It is a historic site. Already in Minoan times the region was a centre of trade. The port of Itanos, today several meters below sea level, is mentioned in ancient times. The very extensive Minoan commercial settlement Roussolakkos close to the Chiona beach, excavated by English archaeologists, clearly shows that the region was one of the most important commercial centres of the Minoan culture in the extreme east of the island of Crete. The Palaikastro


title: "Eurasian otter" content: Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter ("Lutra lutra"), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae), it is found in the waterways and coasts of Europe, many parts of Asia, and parts of northern Africa. The Eurasian otter has a diet mainly of fish, and is strongly territorial. It is endangered in parts of its range, but recovering in others. The Eurasian otter is a typical species of the otter subfamily. Brown


title: "Eurasian otter" content: above and cream below, these long, slender creatures are well-equipped for their aquatic habits. Their bones show osteosclerosis, increasing their density to reduce buoyancy. This otter differs from the North American river otter by its shorter neck, broader visage, the greater space between the ears and its longer tail. However, the Eurasian otter is the only otter in much of its range, so it is rarely confused for any other animal. Normally, this species is long, not counting a tail of . The female is shorter than the male. The otter's average body weight is , although occasionally a large


title: "Eurasian otter" content: old male may reach up to . The record-sized specimen, reported by a reliable source but not verified, weighed over . The Eurasian otter is the most widely distributed otter species, its range including parts of Asia and Africa, as well as being spread across Europe, south to Israel. Though currently believed to be extinct in Liechtenstein and Switzerland, they are now very common in Latvia, along the coast of Norway, in the western regions of Spain and Portugal and across Great Britain, especially Shetland, where 12% of the UK breeding population exists. Ireland's otters are geographically widespread and believed


title: "Eurasian otter" content: to be the most stable population in Europe. In Italy, they can be found in southern parts of the peninsula. The South Korean population is endangered. In India, the species is distributed in the Himalayan foothills, southern Western Ghats and the central Indian landscape. In general, their varied and adaptable diets mean they may inhabit any unpolluted body of fresh water, including lakes, streams, rivers, and ponds, as long as the food supply is adequate. In Andalusia the golf courses became part of their habitat. Eurasian otters may also live along the coast, in salt water, but require regular access


title: "Eurasian otter" content: to fresh water to clean their fur. When living in the sea, individuals of this species are sometimes referred to as "sea otters", but they should not be confused with the true sea otter, a North Pacific species much more strongly adapted to a marine existence. The Eurasian otter's diet mainly consists of fish. Fish is their most preferred choice of food in Mediterranean and temperate freshwater habitats. During the winter and in colder environments, though, fish consumption is significantly lower, and the otters use other sources of food, including amphibians, crustaceans, insects, birds and sometimes small mammals, including young


title: "Eurasian otter" content: beavers. Eurasian otters are strongly territorial, living alone for the most part. An individual's territory may vary between about long, with about being usual. The length of the territory depends on the density of food available and the width of the water suitable for hunting (it is shorter on coasts, where the available width is much wider, and longer on narrower rivers).The Eurasian otter uses its feces, spraints, to mark its territory and prioritize the use of resources to other group members. The territories are only held against members of the same sex, so those of males and females may


title: "Eurasian otter" content: overlap. Mating takes place in water. Eurasian otters are nonseasonal breeders (males and females will breed at any time of the year) and it has been found that their mating season is most likely determined simply by the otters' reproductive maturity and physiological state. Female otters become sexually mature between 18 and 24 months old and the average age of first breeding is found to be years. Gestation for the Eurasian otter is 60–64 days, the litter weighing about 10% of the female body mass. After the gestation period, one to four pups are born, which remain dependent on the


title: "Eurasian otter" content: mother for about 13 months. The male plays no direct role in parental care, although the territory of a female with her pups is usually entirely within that of the male. Hunting mainly takes place at night, while the day is usually spent in the Eurasian otter's holt (den) – usually a burrow or hollow tree on the riverbank which can sometimes only be entered from underwater. Though long thought to hunt using sight and touch only, evidence is emerging that they may also be able to smell underwater – possibly in a similar manner to the star-nosed mole. The


title: "Eurasian otter" content: Eurasian otter declined across its range in the second half of the 20th century primarily due to pollution from pesticides such as organochlorine and polychlorinated biphenyls. Other threats included habitat loss and hunting, both legal and illegal. Eurasian otter populations are now recovering in many parts of Europe. In the United Kingdom, the number of sites with an otter presence increased by 55% between 1994 and 2002. In August, 2011, the Environment Agency announced that otters had returned to every county in England since vanishing from every county except the West Country and parts of Northern England. Recovery is partly


title: "Eurasian otter" content: due to a ban on the most harmful pesticides that has been in place across Europe since 1979, partly to improvements in water quality leading to increases in prey populations, and partly to direct legal protection under the European Union Habitats Directive and national legislation in several European countries. In Hong Kong, it is a protected species under Wild Animals Protection Ordinance Cap 170. It is listed as Near Threatened by the IUCN Red List. In Asia, it is listed as endangered in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Thailand, and critically endangered in Mongolia. Most species that are victims of


title: "Eurasian otter" content: population decline or a loss of habitat tend to eventually lose their genetic difference due to inbreeding from small populations. A study conducted in 2001, examined whether or not the populations of Eurasian otters suffered from a lack of genetic variability. In the study, they examined teeth of otter skulls at the Zoological Museum, Copenhagen and the Natural History Museum, Aarhus. The samples were collected between 1883 and 1963 in Denmark (Funen, Zealand, and Jutland). The study examined the tissue on the teeth of the skulls and determined the genetic variability based on DNA analysis. In conclusion, the study discovered


title: "Eurasian otter" content: that despite the population declines, the Eurasian otter was not a victim of declining genetic variability. Eurasian otter The Eurasian otter ("Lutra lutra"), also known as the European otter, Eurasian river otter, common otter, and Old World otter, is a semiaquatic mammal native to Eurasia. The most widely distributed member of the otter subfamily (Lutrinae) of the weasel family (Mustelidae), it is found in the waterways and coasts of Europe, many parts of Asia, and parts of northern Africa. The Eurasian otter has a diet mainly of fish, and is strongly territorial. It is endangered in parts of its range,


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: Diamondback terrapin The diamondback terrapin ("Malaclemys terrapin") or simply terrapin, is a species of turtle native to the brackish coastal tidal marshes of the eastern and southern United States, and in Bermuda. It belongs to the monotypic genus, "Malaclemys". It has one of the largest ranges of all turtles in North America, stretching as far south as the Florida Keys and as far north as Cape Cod. The name "terrapin" is derived from the Algonquian word "torope". It applies to "Malaclemys terrapin" in both British English and American English. The name originally was used by early European settlers in North


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: America to describe these brackish-water turtles that inhabited neither freshwater habitats nor the sea. It retains this primary meaning in American English. In British English, however, other semi-aquatic turtle species, such as the red-eared slider, might be called a terrapin. The common name refers to the diamond pattern on top of its shell (carapace), but the overall pattern and coloration vary greatly. The shell is usually wider at the back than in the front, and from above it appears wedge-shaped. The shell coloring can vary from brown to grey, and its body color can be grey, brown, yellow, or white.


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: All have a unique pattern of wiggly, black markings or spots on their body and head. The diamondback terrapin has large webbed feet. The species is sexually dimorphic in that the males grow to a carapace length of approximately , while the females grow to an average carapace length of around , though they are capable of growing larger. The largest female on record was just over in carapace length. Specimens from regions that are consistently warmer in temperature tend to be larger than those from cooler, more northern areas. Male diamondback terrapins weigh on average, while females weigh around


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: . The largest females can weigh up to . Terrapins look much like their freshwater relatives, but are well adapted to the near shore marine environment. They have several adaptations that allow them to survive in varying salinities; they can live in full strength salt water for extended periods of time and their skin is largely impermeable to salt. Terrapins have lachrymal salt glands, not present in their relatives, which are used primarily when the turtle is dehydrated. They can distinguish between drinking water of different salinities. Terrapins also exhibit unusual and sophisticated behavior to obtain fresh water, including drinking


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: the freshwater surface layer that can accumulate on top of salt water during rainfall and raising their heads into the air with mouths open to catch falling rain drops. Terrapins are strong swimmers. They have strongly webbed hind feet, but not flippers as do sea turtles. Like their relatives ("Graptemys"), they have strong jaws for crushing shells of prey, such as clams and snails. This is especially true of females, who have larger and more muscular jaws than males. Seven subspecies are recognized including the nominate race. The isolated Bermudan population, which arrived on its own (and was not introduced


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: by humans), has not been officially assigned to a subspecies, but based on mtDNA it is closely related to the population from the Carolinas. Diamondback terrapins live in the very narrow strip of coastal habitats on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States, from as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts to the southern tip of Florida and around the Gulf Coast to Texas. In most of their range terrapins live in "Spartina" marshes that are flooded at high tide, but in Florida they also live in mangrove swamps. This turtle can survive in freshwater as well as


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: full-strength ocean water but adults prefer intermediate salinities. They have no competition from other turtles, although snapping turtles do occasionally make use of salty marshes. It is unclear why terrapins do not inhabit the upper reaches of rivers within their range, as in captivity they tolerate fresh water. It is possible they are limited by the distribution of their prey. Terrapins live quite close to shore, unlike sea turtles, which wander far out to sea; however, a population of terrapins on Bermuda has been determined to be self-established (not introduced by humans). Terrapins tend to live in the same areas


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: for most or all of their lives, and do not make long distance migrations. Adult diamondback terrapins mate in the early spring, and clutches of 4-22 eggs are laid in sand dunes in the early summer. They hatch in late summer or early fall. Maturity in males is reached in 2–3 years at around in length; it takes longer for females: 6–7 years (8–10 years for northern diamondback terrapins) at a length of around . Like all reptiles, terrapin fertilization occurs internally. Courtship has been seen in May and June, and is similar to that of the closely related red-eared


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: slider ("Trachemys scripta"). Female terrapins can mate with multiple males and store sperm for years, resulting in some clutches of eggs with more than one father. Like many turtles, terrapin have temperature dependent sex determination, meaning that the sex of hatchlings is the result of incubation temperature. Females can lay up to three clutches of eggs/year in the wild, and up to five clutches/year in captivity. It is not known how often they may skip reproduction, so true clutch frequency is unknown. Females may wander considerable distances on land before nesting. Nests are usually laid in sand dunes or scrub


title: "Diamondback terrapin" content: vegetation near the ocean in June and July, but nesting may start as early as late April in Florida. Females will quickly abandon a nest attempt if they are disturbed while nesting. Clutch sizes vary latitudinally, with average clutch sizes as low as 5.8/eggs/clutch in southern Florida to 10.9 in New York. After covering the nest, terrapins quickly return to the ocean and do not return except to nest again. The eggs usually hatch in 60–85 days, depending on the temperature and the depth of the nest. Hatchlings usually emerge from the nest in August and September, but may overwinter