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Justia Patents US Patent for Method of monitoring patient respiration and predicting apnea therefrom Patent (Patent # 4,365,636)
Method of monitoring patient respiration and predicting apnea therefrom
Jun 19, 1981 - Medicon, Inc.
A method for detecting apnea by sampling a voltage waveform representative of respiration at regular intervals and calculating the instantaneous voltage differences at alternate sample points, and comparing the magnitude of each difference voltage so calculated against a "threshold" value determined to be the minimum value consistent with normal respiration activity.
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This invention relates to a method for monitoring patient respiration; more particularly, the invention relates to a method for monitoring patient respiration by evaluation of an electrical signal generated by an electrode coupled to the patient during respiration. The invention is primarily intended for respiration monitoring and analysis in furtherance of the detection and prediction of apnea.
The medical term "apnea" means cessation of respiration or breathing. The apneic condition has become associated in recent years with the "sudden infant death syndrome", wherein a disturbing pattern of early deaths of apparently healthy infants were noted. Studies and research programs have been conducted by agencies of the federal government and others in an attempt to identify the cause of sudden infant death syndrome, and such studies have revealed that infants who are subject to this syndrome are apparently not the healthy infants before death that they were once believed to be. These infants appear to have subtle and anatomic and physiological defects of a neurologic, cardiorespiratory and/or metabolic nature. There has developed evidence that the syndrome is not caused by a single mechanism working at one moment in time, but rather by a number of developmental, environmental, and pathologic factors which become involved in complex interactions and circumstances to set up a sequence of events that produces the sudden, unexpected and unexplained infant death. Much of this research has revolved around the hypothesis that apnea during sleep is related to the syndrome. It has also been postulated that apneic episodes during sleep which do not necessarily lead to sudden infant death may lead to aberrations in central nervous system development. There is evidence that with infants having numerous apneic episodes during sleep, the resulting inadequate oxygen supply to the brain may lead to retardation of brain development, which in turn may lead to further loss of respiratory control and further apneic problems.
Apnea may be caused by a number of other factors not necessarily related to conditions of infants, some of which are spinal cord injury, muscular dystrophy, lung diseases, drug intoxication, and certain other risk factors which have become apparent in aid of the identification of those who might be candidates or may suffer higher than normal risk for incurring apneic events. In adults, a history of heavy snoring denotes an individual at risk to apnea, especially in combination with other such factors as obesity, underlying heart desease and/or high blood pressure.
Whereas apneic conditions may be monitored in hospital and laboratory environments by means of suitably connected electrodes to a patient's body, and monitoring of a cathode ray tube (CRT) display which exhibits a wave form related to patient respiration, such monitoring is impractical or impossible in less controlled environments. There is therefore a need for techniques and devices which will enable appropriate monitoring of adults or infants and which will detect apneic conditions in time to set off an alarm in order that the condition may be corrected. For sleeping patients, it is frequently only necessary to wake the patient by means of an audible alarm or other alarm indication in order that the patient may become conscious and resume normal breathing. It is therefore important that techniques and devices be developed for utilization in conjunction with sleeping individuals, in order that apneic episodes may be detected and corrected before physiological damage or harm occurs. In all events, the detection of apnea requires a monitoring of respiration and/or heart rates. Such monitoring is accomplished by means of the attachment or coupling of suitable electrodes or other transducer devices to the patient, so that signals developed by such devices may be transmitted to circuitry for detection and analysis. Monitoring transducers are well-known in the art, as for example the respiration monitoring apparatus described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,794, issued Sept. 25, 1973. This device is a capacitor transducer constructed from alternate layers of conductive and nonconductive materials which are placed beneath a patient in a mattress or other resilient support, and which detects motion caused by respiration. In other devices, electrodes are attached to the body to detect changes in body impedance or resistance as respiration occurs. In still other devices, pressure sensing transducers are used in the chest and/or stomach area of the body to detect pressure changes which occur as body movement occurs during respiration. All of these transducers, as well as other similar devices, monitor a physical parameter which is correlated with respiration, convert the parameter monitored into an equivalent electrical signal, and feed this signal into appropriate circuitry whose ultimate function is to note the occurance of a respiration cycle and to perform such other functions as are deemed necessary.
It is a general object of this invention to provide a method and process for the analysis of electrical signals representative of respiration, for the purpose of detecting and predicting apnea. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for analyzing respiration wave forms, for setting an alarm condition upon the detection of an apneic episode.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method for analyzing respiration waveforms and for detecting apnea, wherein the method and detection parameters self adjust for changing conditions of respiration.
The invention includes the step of sampling voltages representative of respiration at a predetermined and constant rate, and collecting a plurality of voltage points therefrom; the step of calculating waveform slope by utilizing collected voltage points separated by at least one sample interval; the step of comparing the slope so calculated against a predetermined threshold value which itself has been determined from monitoring of the respiration waveform; and the step of setting an alarm condition whenever the compared slopes remain less than the threshold value for a predetermined length of time.
An important and preliminary part of the invention is the process for developing a threshold value from observation and analysis of respiration waveforms. This portion of the invention involves the steps of calculating wave form slope values for a predetermined length of time, which time is longer than the time necessary for at least one respiration cycle; selecting the maximum slope value obtained over the predetermined time; repeating these steps for a predetermined longer time, which longer time approaches a steady state respiration condition; averaging all of the collected slope values to calculate a "bench mark" slope value; determining a threshold value which is a predetermined fraction of the "bench mark" slope value, the fraction being large enough to detect respiration activity which is representative of an apneic condition and small enough to ignore respiration activity considered representative of a non-apneic condition.
FIG. 1 shows a typical respiration waveform;
FIG. 2 shows a respiration waveform with periodic voltage sampling; and
FIG. 3 shows a plot of the slopes of pertinent points of FIG. 2; and
FIGS. 4A and 4B shows a flow chart of the method; and
FIG. 5 shows a diagram of an apparatus for performing the method.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown a waveform which is representative of respiration activity as may typically be found in monitoring equipment known in the art. This waveform may be produced by electrical sensors attached directly to the body, or by pressure transducers coupled to the body in one or more of a number of ways. The characteristics of this wave form make it exceedingly difficult to analyze with automatic and unattended electronic or other equipment, whereas a trained technician can readily understand and analyze the waveform while observing it on a cathode ray (CRT) display device. This form of analysis has been widely used in the past, but unfortunately requires the technician to constantly monitor a CRT device in order to detect an apneic condition when one occurs. Some of the waveform parameters which heretofore have defied proper automatic analysis are as follows:
1. The respiration waveform amplitude A, when measured from any arbitrary baseline B, may fluctuate widely and unpredictably during both "normal" respiratory activity and "abnormal" respiration activity;
2. The waveform peak to peak amplitude P may fluctuate widely over all forms of respiration activity;
3. The waveform period T may range over very wide time values from one patient to another, and with respect to a single patient from one time to another; and
4. The waveform shape itself is nonsinusoidal, and therefore requires empirical simplification in order to relate it to normal sinusoidal mathematical treatment, but such empirical simplification must reasonably approximate actual respiration activity so as to provide valid detection without false alarms.
Any method of automatic analysis of the complex waveform of FIG. 1 must therefore take into account all of the variable parameters summarized above, and must also be capable of adapting to real time changes in these parameters such as typically occur during sleep and nonsleep patient activity. For example, a patient while sleeping may undergo periods of deep breathing, followed by subsequent periods of very shallow breathing at higher respiration rates, all of which may be intermittently interrupted by deep sighs or other respiration activity.
It has been empirically determined that respiration rates vary from a high of about two respirations per second to a low of about one respiration per six seconds, and that practically all patients will have respiration rates falling within these bounds. Since the present method contemplates a digital measuring technique, wherein instantaneous waveform magnitudes are sampled at discreet and regular time intervals, the minimum number of such samples necessary for obtaining valid information is therefore governed by the fastest respiration rate. A sampling rate of eight samples per second has been empirically determined to be adequate for obtaining sufficient data points on even the fastest respiration waveform for useful results. Of course, the sample rate could be set higher than eight samples per second to obtain correspondingly more data points, and requiring additional processing of the data so obtained, but it has been determined that eight samples per second gives a reasonable result with a minimum number of data points even at the fastest respiration rates.
It has been empirically determined that a respiration waveform differs in several important characteristics from a pure sinusoidal waveform. Respiration waveforms contain high frequency components which tend to generate a steeper, higher rate amplitude waveform than the comparable pure sinusoidal waveform. For example, it has been determined that the ratio of the maximum waveform slope to the peak waveform amplitude is approximately 1.4 times greater than the same values for a pure sinusoid. Thus, if one is to use this ratio as the base measurement for determining whether the apneic condition exists, and for selecting a threshold value below which an alarm condition should be set, one must select a different threshold level for a respiration waveform than would be selected for a pure sinusoidal waveform. It has been determined that a threshold value of one-half the pure sinusoidal threshold value is required for adequate operation of the method.
The threshold value must be selected low enough such that a wide range of normal respiration waveforms are detected as respiration and not apnea. On the other hand, the threshold must be high enough to prevent false respiration indications during apnea. Since the slowest respiration waveform empirically measured is ten respirations per minute, this is the waveform which forms the basis for selecting the threshold value. This waveform can be represented by a sinusoid having a period of six seconds, and for this waveform it can be shown that selection of a threshold equal to one-half of the peak sinusoidal value will result in values below threshold occurring for no longer than one second. Translating these results to the nonsinusoidal respiration waveform, it has been found that the threshold must be reduced by fifty percent in order for the same relationship to hold; namely, a respiration waveform of six seconds in duration will exhibit no more than one second of time below the threshold value if the threshold value is selected to be 0.25 times the peak value.
FIG. 2 shows a portion of a respiration waveform having discreet sampling intervals related thereto. Waveform points 20, 21, 22, . . . 39, each represent an instantaneous voltage magnitude obtained by voltage sampling the waveform at a regular sampling rate. Since the sampling rate is uniform, a representation of the slope of any line segment between any two points may be made by merely subtracting the magnitudes of the voltages at these points. In the preferred method, the slope is calculated between points spaced apart by at least one measurement interval, in order to minimize the effects of noise upon the sample points. For example, the voltage magnitude at 25 is subtracted from the voltage magnitude at 27, and this subtraction provides a measure of the slope of the line segment joining these two points. This slope may be represented as occurring at 26. Similarly, the voltage magnitude at 26 is subtracted from the voltage magnitude at 28, and this difference represents the slope at 27. FIG. 3 illustrates the slopes so represented at the various sample points of the waveform illustrated in FIG. 2. The maximum slope of this waveform is represented on FIG. 3 at 135. Note, that since the present method is concerned only with the magnitude of the slope the negative direction of the slope should be disregarded.
The preliminary method steps required for the practice of the method herein described involve the determination of a "threshold" slope value. This is accomplished by the steps illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, wherein the process is continued for a time period of four seconds. The maximum slope obtained during this four second time interval is determined and retained, and the cycle is repeated for thirty-one additional four second time intervals. After this time, thirty-two different maximum slope values have been retained, and the average of these thirty-two values is calculated to determine a "bench mark" slope value. The "bench mark" slope value is multiplied by 0.25 to set the "threshold" slope value. The "threshold" slope value is used as described hereinafter for constantly monitoring and detecting for the apnea condition.
However, a new "threshold" value is calculated approximately every two minutes so that major variations in patient respiration can be followed.
There are several exceptions to the step of periodically recalculating the "threshold" value. One of these is when an apnea event is detected during any four-second interval, in which case no maximum slope is calculated for that interval. A second exception occurs during any two minute interval wherein the average "bench mark" value exceeds the value calculated during the previous two minute interval by more than 1.5. In this case, it is assumed that a temporary abnormal respiration event has occurred, which event may be a sigh or moment of deep breathing, but which is not related to apnea or to so-called "normal" breathing patterns. In this event the "bench mark" is set at 1.5 times the "bench mark" previously calculated for the previous two minute interval, and is maintained at this calculated level until a new calculation is made.
Having determined a "threshold" value according to the steps hereinbefore described, this value is used to determine whether the likelihood of an apnea event is occurring. As the normal sampling continues during respiration, and the calculation of waveform slopes continues, each of the slopes so calculated is compared against the "threshold" value. If any slope so calculated is less than the threshold value for three consecutive seconds, a probable apnea condition may be occurring. If such slopes continue for a selectable time period after this three second interval an alarm is set to indicate an apnea event. The alarm may be either a visual or audible alarm, but in the case of an unattended patient it is advisable to have an audible alarm. The sound of an alarm should be sufficient to awake the patient, and once the patient awakens the apnea event will cease. Since interrupted breathing in infants is not usually considered to be apnea until the duration extends to about 20 seconds, the selectable time interval which is chosen for indicating an alarm condition is normally set in the 10-30 second range.
Referring next to FIG. 4, there is shown a flow chart of the method steps. The method is started by manual intervention of an operator and proceeds thereafter automatically until an apnea alarm condition is noted. It is presumed that the necessary and other electrical and other connections have been made to a patent monitoring device, and the method then proceeds through the performance of a number of steps of analysis and treatment of the electronic waveform produced by the monitor device, which waveform is representative of patient respiration. The waveform is sampled at uniform time intervals, which in the preferred embodiment is chosen to be eight samples per second. Each sample produces a value representative of the instantaneous waveform value at the time of the sample. Initially, two samples are required in order to enter into the overall method steps, each of the two samples being stored or retained as instantaneous respiration values. After two samples have been stored, the second previous value is subtracted from the current sample value, and this difference is converted to a number representative of an absolute value slope. During the first thirty-two times the method is performed, the maximum slope value is selected as a bench mark slope, and a threshold value is calculated by multiplying the bench mark by 0.25. Thereafter, this threshold value is updated approximately every two minutes by retaining the maximum slope values for four-second intervals over this two-minute period, and averaging the maximum slopes for the entire two-minute period.
After the method has been performed for a time period in excess of two minutes, there is retained a current threshold value which is utilized in a comparison with each subsequent slope value. If, in this comparison, the current slope value is greater than the current threshold value, normal respiration activity is presumed and the apnea timer is disabled. If the current slope value is less than the current threshold value, and if this condition has persisted for longer than two seconds, the apnea timer is set. The apnea timer therefore begins a timed runout, the duration of which is compared against a preset time, and when the timed runout equals the preset time the alarm is sounded and awakens the patient.
After the comparison of the current slope with the current threshold value the method proceeds through an updating sequence to adjust the threshold value if circumstances require. The maximum slope occurring over a four-second period is retained, and collected along with the maximum slopes occurring over thirty-two such four-second periods. These thirty-two maximum slope values are then averaged to derive an average maximum slope over approximately a two-minute period, and a threshold value is calculated by multiplying this value by 0.25. This threshold value is then utilized as a comparison base for further comparisons with current value slopes during the next subsequent two-minute time period.
The sequence shown in FIG. 4 is repeated eight times per second, the various loops illustrated on the flow chart being activated according to the conditions encountered during each repeat of the sequence. Special conditions described hereinbefore are not included on the flow chart, it being apparent when such special conditions are executed.
FIG. 5 shows a symbolic diagram of an apparatus for performing the method. An analog to digital converter (A/D) 101 is connected to receive the electrical signal from the patient monitor. A clock 102 produces timing pulses at the rate of eight pulses per second, and is coupled to gate 103. When a timing signal is applied to gate 103, the digital value representative of respiration waveform is gated into a difference network 106. Difference network 106 receives the second previous value from storage 108, and forms the difference between the current value and the second previous value. This difference value is transferred over line 107 to a comparison network 110, the other input being fed into comparison network 110 being a signal over 109 repesentative of current threshold value. The current threshold value is also retrieved from storage 108. In the event the current slope value is less than the current threshold value, line 112 into time 116 is activated, thereby starting timer 116. In the event the current slope is not less than the current threshold value line 114 into timer 116 is activated, thereby resetting timer 116 to zero. The output of timer 116 is fed into a gate 118, which gate also has as an input a signal over line 119 from timer preset 120. When timer 116 has run sufficiently long to equal or exceed the value set into timer preset 120, gate 118 becomes enabled and a signal is sent to activate alarm 125. Alarm 125 may be an audible alarm or visual alarm or combination thereof. Alarm 125 preferably includes an audible alarm, the loudness of which is preferably great enough to awaken the patient. It is known that an apnea condition which occurs during sleep may be terminated by merely awakening the patient, and alarm 125 serves this purpose.
In operation, the method is performed on a continuing and recurring basis after the preliminary setup steps are accomplished. First, the patient is connected to a monitoring device through suitable electrodes or transducers. Next, the patient is visably monitored to ascertain that a more or less steady state respiration condition exists. The patient monitoring apparatus is connected to the apparatus for performing the method, and the method is performed for at least a two minute period to permit the development of a first threshold value. Thereafer, the method is automatically performed at regular intervals until and unless an apnea condition is detected according to the teachings of the method. In this event, an audible and/or visual alarm is set and the method is terminated. Alternatively, the method may be continued even after detecting and indicating an alarm condition, by merely resetting the apnea timer and continuing the sequence described herein.
The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being made to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.
1. A method of monitoring waveforms indicative of patient respiration and activating an alarm upon occurrence of predetermined respiration conditions indicative of apnea, comprising the steps of
(a) monitoring a respiration waveform and forming a value representative of the instantaneous magnitude of said waveform at regular and continuous time intervals;
(b) continuously forming the difference between each such value and at least the second previous such value, and developing therefrom a value representative of the instaneous slope of said waveform;
(c) collecting such slope values for a first predetermined time which is at least as long in time as one respiration cycle and selecting from the collected slope values the maximum collected slope value;
(d) continuously repeating step (c) for a second predetermined time which is longer than said first predetermined time, and forming the average of all maximum collected slope values;
(e) forming a threshold value by selecting a predetermined fraction of said average of step (d);
(f) comparing subsequent slope valves as found in step (b) with said threshold value of step (e) and activating said alarm when said subsequent slope values are less than the threshold value of step (e) for longer than a third predetermined time.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said regular and continuous time intervals of step (a) are at least 8 times per second.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the values developed in step (b) are converted to absolute magnitude values.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said first predetermined time is at least four seconds.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said second predetermined time is at least two minutes.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined fraction is 174.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said third predetermined time is in the range of ten to thirty seconds.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said predetermined fraction is 1/4.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein said third predetermined time is in the range of ten to thirty seconds.
12. A method of monitoring patient respiration waveforms and activating an audible alarm upon occurrence of predetermined respiration conditions indication of apnea, comprising
(a) sampling a respiration waveform at a predetermined sampling rate and recording instantaneous waveform magnitude values obtained from such sampling;
(b) subtracting recorded instantaeous magnitude values from previously recorded instantaneous magnitude values and developing therefrom values representative of instantaneous rate of change of respiration;
(c) selecting the maximum rate of change value occurring over a first predetermined time period which is at least as long as one respiration cycle;
(d) continuously repeating step (c) for a second predetermined time period which is longer than said first time period and accumulating the selected maximum rate of change values over said first and second predetermined time periods;
(e) averaging the accumulated maximum rate of change values and forming a threshold value by developing a value which is a predetermined fraction of said averaged values, said fraction being less than one;
(f) comparing said threshold value against subsequent values representative of instantaneous rate of change of respiration as developed in step (b); and
(g) activating an alarm whenever said threshold value exceeds said values representative of instantaneous rate of change of respiration for a third predetermined time interval.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein said predetermined sampling rate is at least 8 samples per second.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein said step of subtracting further comprises subtracting a recorded instantaneous respiration value from a second previous recorded instantaneous respiration value.
15. The method of claim 12, wherein said first predetermined time interval is at least four seconds.
16. The method of claim 12, wherein said second predetermined time interval is at least two minutes.
17. The method of claim 12, wherein said predetermined fraction is substantially 1/4.
18. The method of claim 12, wherein said third predetermined time interval is in the range of ten to thirty seconds.
19. The method of claim 13, wherein said step of subtracting further comprises subtracting a recorded instantaneous magnitude value from a second previous recorded instantaneous magnitude value.
4279257 July 21, 1981 Hochstein
Filed: Jun 19, 1981
Date of Patent: Dec 28, 1982
Assignee: Medicon, Inc. (Minneapolis, MN)
Inventor: Kent R. Barker (Cottage Grove, MN)
Primary Examiner: Kyle L. Howell
Assistant Examiner: John C. Hanley
Current U.S. Class: 128/716
International Classification: A61B 508;


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What to Watch Today
Star-Studded Prom, HSM Holiday Special and More
Courtesy of Netflix
On TV this Friday: Rachel Brosnahan is a woman on the run, High School Musical stages a holiday special and Meryl Streep RSVPs to Ryan Murphy's all-star Prom. Here are 10 programs to keep on your radar; all times are Eastern.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Holiday Special
The cast perform their favorite Christmas, Hanukkah and New Year's songs, and share anecdotes from their memorable holidays. (Watch trailer.)
I'm Your Woman
Film premiere: This '70s-set crime drama stars Rachel Brosnahan (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) as a new mother who is forced to go on the run after her husband betrays his business partners.
Film premiere: Ryan Murphy's adaption of the Broadway musical boasts an all-star ensemble, including Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells and Kerry Washington. (Watch trailer.)
Film premiere: Jay Reeves (All American) plays former Clemson University football safety Ray McElrathbey in the direct-to-streaming biopic.
Series premiere (all 10 episodes): Described as "part survival drama, part dystopia slumber party" (yes, really!), this YA drama follows a group of teen girls after a plane crash strands them on a deserted island. (Watch trailer.)
The Christmas Caroler Challenge
Season 2 premiere: Ten groups put their own unique spin on classic carols; Dean Cain and Laura McKenzie return as hosts. (Get CW midseason dates.)
After Taylor's former protégé is killed, Phoenix Team must track down a dangerous bioweapon and prevent it from falling into the wrong hands.
Pitches include a classic dessert with a healthy twist, and a product designed to boost visibility while navigating the streets. (Get ABC midseason dates.)
Magnum and Higgins' repo job culminates in a crash landing when a drug cartel opens fire at the plane; Higgins has her first date with Dr. Ethan Shah.
Danny and Jamie work together to convict a drug lord; Erin anxiously awaits the Governor's selection for the new DA. (Get Clarice premiere date.)
👨🏻 ON THIS DAY IN TV HISTORY 👨🏻
On Dec. 11, 1980, Magnum, P.I. premiered on CBS, starring Tom Selleck, John Hillerman, Larry Manetti and Roger E. Mosley.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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€194,000 in funding for Clare under Community Monuments Fund
June 16, 2021 /in Media /by james
Four projects to receive grants
Funding targets archaeological heritage projects
Fianna Fáil TD for Clare Cathal Crowe has welcomed the allocation of €193,935 to County Clare for four individual projects, under the Community Monuments Fund.
A total of €4.2 million is being rolled out nationally to fund 139 projects; up €1 million from last year, when the fund was first established.
The main aims of the CMF are the conservation, maintenance, protection and promotion of local monuments and historic sites.
"As an avid historian, I'm thrilled to see that four magnificent historic sites around Clare are receiving these grants," said Deputy Crowe.
"Clonrush Burial Ground is the only Stream 1 project approved in Clare, with €30,351 awarded for essential repairs and capital works for the conservation and repair or archaeological monuments.
"Under Stream 2, which looks specifically at conservation management plans for archaeological monuments and public access, Kilkerren Battery Fort near Labasheeda has been granted €29,129; Templemaley Church and Burial Ground will receive €13,478 and a sum of €29,950 will go to Kilfenora Cathedral.
"Churches and burial grounds are hugely historical places where we, and the offspring of the diaspora the world over, can trace back our family heritage centuries.
"They are fascinating places to visit but too often can fall into disrepair so this funding for Kilfenora Cathedral, Templemaley church and burial ground and the burial ground at Clonrush is hugely welcome.
"Kilkerrin Battery Fort has a very different but equally interesting history.
"The structure was built between 1811 and 1814 by British forces, one of a half dozen dotted along the Shannon Estuary, as a means to repel a threatened invasion by Napoleonic forces.
"It remained in use for much of the 19th century and later fell into disrepair but since the 1980s, there have been efforts made to restore this 200-year-old structure.
"The sum of almost €30,000 will make a significant difference to these efforts by the community of Labasheeda.
"Two projects in Clare were sadly unsuccessful in their quest to secure CMF funding but I would encourage these and any other community that feels they could benefit from this fund to start work now on having all their ducks in a row for next year.
"I look forward to visiting each of the four successful applicants for 2021 and seeing what they do with their grants."
https://cathalcrowe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Crowe2-1.png 650 1350 james http://cathalcrowe.ie/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Cathal-Crowe-TD-logo_t2.png james2021-06-16 08:13:562021-06-23 08:14:45€194,000 in funding for Clare under Community Monuments Fund
Pyrite remedial scheme for Clare homeowners must be urgently developed Housing Update – June 23rd


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Gustav Johansson, født 2. maj 1999 i Falkenberg og opvokset i Glommen, er en svensk professionell cyklist med speciale i banecykling.

Johansson har også konkurreret i landevejscykling, og tog en niendeplads i de svenske mesterskaber i Uppsala 2020.

Gustav Johansson bor på Mallorca og skal i 2022 konkurrere for Team Ormsalva-Bianchi.

Referenser

Eksterne henvisninger
 Gustav Johanssons resultater på  Union Cycliste Internationale.

Mandlige cykelryttere fra Sverige

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The Role of Family in Political Theory
Responses on Procreation and Same-Sex Marriage
Lauren K. Hall • August 17, 2015 • Comments
Scott argues that the fact that so few children live with non-biological relatives suggests that "sex, procreation, and education are all related somehow. The old view would be that sex and procreation are united under a larger institution called marriage or monogamy." Of course they're related, because until very recently, it was very unlikely you would have children if you were not a fertile heterosexual. Now, of course, things have changed. I suppose my argument about reproduction as the foundation for even same-sex marriage is based on anecdotal evidence from the individuals in same-sex marriages I know. Most of my gay friends desire children and have sought out the means to have children, whether through sperm donation, surrogacy, or adoption. Technological limitations therefore explain a big part of the pattern Scott points out. But, as with many new technological changes, people will be very likely to use these new technologies to fulfill their natural desires as human beings. I see little difference between a gay couple fulfilling their desire for reproduction and child-rearing through artificial insemination and a straight couple doing the same thing. Having children, for many if not most married couples, is a fulfillment of the desires of the two partners for a greater union through the creation of a loving family. Scott's discussion here ignores the universal desires, shared by most individuals, for monogamous coupling and the raising of children. How those children get here seems less important to me than how they are loved once they arrive.
Steve's post, on the other hand, slightly misses the mark from the other side. I agree in broad terms with Steve's characterization of the new moderate family and all the benefits we've received from the shift away from patriarchal family as a unit of production. That being said, there are genuine concerns about specific family forms for societies based on free and responsible individuals. Families, as Steve knows, are the foundation for the manners and mores that make the Great Society possible. Certain family forms, single-parenthood and polygamy among them, will struggle to form this kind of character, not because the people in these families are bad, but because the family form itself cannot serve as an adequate transmission device for those manners and mores. The failure of the family as transmitter of manners and mores requires more state intervention in the family and the erosion of the character that prevents the need for government intervention in other areas of life. The crisis is particularly acute among the urban poor. There are important economic and public policy recommendations to reduce the impact of drug laws and mass incarceration on the family, there is also some evidence, as Kay Hymowitz suggested this week, that the problem may be deeper than economic incentives can reach. Moderate supporters of the family need to be clear about the kinds of families the Great Society requires and also how we can encourage their formation.
Also from this issue
Lead Essay
The Family: A Foundation for Moderate Social Individualism by Lauren K. Hall
Lauren K. Hall argues that the family tends to moderate otherwise radical political theories. Moderate theories, however, fare much better. So while Marxists dreamed of a day when society would collectivize the traditional responsibilities of the family, in practice that day never quite arrived. On the other side of the political compass, Ayn Rand's Objectivism seems to stumble when faced with questions of the family: "it is no accident," writes Hall, "that John Galt is an orphan."
Moderate social theorists fare much better, Hall argues. Thus Adam Smith situated the family within the comparatively narrow sphere of our natural capacity to care; for him, our ties to our families exerted a gradual sympathetic effect that could encompass larger and larger communities over time, while moderating our radical political projects and attitudes. Edmund Burke made the family the archetype of a trans-generational social compact, one that binds the living to the dead and also to those yet to be born. As a result, the family acts as a check upon radical impulses from many different quarters.
Response Essays
Hayek, the Family, and Social Individualism by Steven Horwitz
Steven Horwitz accepts Lauren Hall's paradigm that the family inculcates moderate individualism. He goes on to argue that such individualism is highly congruent to F. A. Hayek's social theory. Families are equipped with local knowledge and know-how that may not easily be articulated, but that is also not easily replaced. The aim of much of this knowledge is to produce new adult individuals - a daunting task, but one that somehow human societies have accomplished again and again. Although Hayek was not a theorist of the family, applying his insights about the role of knowledge in society can help to explain just how this work gets done.
Moderation in Pursuit of Extremism is no Virtue by Scott Yenor
Scott Yenor argues that the family is grounded on a natural fact, namely that men and women must unite to produce offspring. In turn, these offspring are helpless for a long time after birth, and without the family they will not be well cared for. Modernity errs when it treats these facts as problems to be overcome. Lauren Hall's politics of moderation doesn't offer enough resistance to the dangerous changes now taking place around us. The modern left's assault on the family does not call for a moderate response; this assault represents all that is "ugly, immoderate, or blind" about modernity, and as a result, we must rethink even modernity's most fundamental principles.
At War with the Patriarchy by Jason Kuznicki
Jason Kuznicki argues that family has not always played a moderating role in political theory. At times, it has been invoked as a support for despotism and even for slavery. Modern individualism may have its dangers, but traditional collectivism, and particularly patriarchy, were certainly worse. As a result, he questions whether family should have a place in political theory at all. He also asks: If, in the modern era, family moderates our politics, then what moderated our families?
Responses to Kuznicki and Yenor: Patriarchy and Other Family Forms by Lauren K. Hall
The Demands of Prudence and Moderation by Scott Yenor
There's No Going Back from the Moderate Family by Steven Horwitz
Unraveling the Mystery by Scott Yenor
Responses on Procreation and Same-Sex Marriage by Lauren K. Hall
My Rose-Colored Glasses by Steven Horwitz
Is the Family Merely Functional? by Jason Kuznicki
No Substitutes for the Family by Lauren K. Hall
Parental Rights and Public Policy by Steven Horwitz
A Practical Approach to Family Policy by Lauren K. Hall
Humanity Isn't Functional. And It Might Be Lost. by Scott Yenor
Cato Unbound is a forum for the discussion of diverse and often controversial ideas and opinions. The views expressed on the website belong to their authors alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or supporters of the Cato Institute.
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text:
Meet Conewago Township's new police chief
Lillian Reed
lreed@eveningsun.com
Conewago Township swore in a new police chief Curtis McCoy Monday in front of a crowd of about 30 people.
McCoy comes to the township with about 28 years of law enforcement experience, he said.
In the coming months, McCoy is planning to perform a thorough review of department policies and procedures.
Before Curtis McCoy knew he had the job of Conewago Township's new chief of police, he was already patrolling the streets.
McCoy was never one to spend all of his time behind the desk, he said.
So he explored the roads and community. He ate at Fifth Street Diner in McSherrystown. He made stops at nearby gas stations.
The extra leg work proved a good use of time as Conewago Township officials swore in McCoy on Monday before a crowd of about 30 people.
"We worked very hard and very diligently at this process," Township Supervisor Robert LeGore said of hiring McCoy. "When I heard Chief McCoy do his interview, I thought, 'There he is.'"
McCoy comes to the township with 28 years experience at Lower Paxton Township Police Department, he said. He has held a myriad of positions, including patrolman, traffic officer and school officer, he said.
"I didn't test for sergeant for a long time because I loved the work," McCoy said. "After careful consideration, I have a knack, it seems, for making decisions."
McCoy also graduated from programs with the FBI National Academy and Shippensburg University, he said.
The new chief's move from Lower Paxton, which has a force of about 60, to Conewago, which has a force of nine, was partially motivated by the area's similarity to his hometown of Greencastle, Pennsylvania, he said.
In the coming months, McCoy's first priority is to perform a thorough review of the department's policies and procedures to ensure they are "up to snuff," he said.
Recently, Conewago has been in talks with McSherrystown and New Oxford Borough to regionalize its police forces. Though the talks stalled somewhat earlier this year, the potential for a regionalized police force did not deter McCoy's decision to move to Conewago.
"Regionalization is a tough subject," McCoy said. "I'm waiting to see what happens."
Township supervisors also presented Sgt. Gary Baumgardner with a plaque of recognition for his time spent as interim chief of police. Baumgardner received a standing ovation after he accepted the plaque.


This sample dynamically creates a chart gallery which demonstrates some of the most commonly used Excel charting features using a single Open XML workbook from Excel 2007-2019 or Excel for Office 365.
Copyright 2009-2017 © SpreadsheetGear LLC. All Rights Reserved.


Today Justin breaks down how he is handling sales compensation at LeadFuze and Greg talks about cautiously exploring bartering for services.
Justin explains how he mapped out the structure based on forecasts that encompass the sales person's potential deals over the course of of time. So far, he sees the benefits to his structure as no ongoing commissions and easily trackable. He feels at some point the focus shifts to customer retention and the customer success team.
Greg explains how his barter exchange with ConvertKit results in a good exchange of value.


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Avista Selects Clearway Energy Group's Rattlesnake Flat Wind Project for Power Purchase Agreement
Agreement provides renewable energy intended to offset higher priced market purchases and fossil-fuel generation
SPOKANE, Wash., March 19, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avista, through a request for proposal issued in June 2018, has selected to purchase power generated by the proposed Rattlesnake Flat Wind project in Adams County, Washington.
Rattlesnake Flat Wind, a wind energy facility permitted and being developed by renewable energy developer Clearway Energy Group ("Clearway"), will provide Avista with approximately 50 average megawatts of renewable energy, or as much as 144 megawatts of nameplate wind capacity, under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with deliveries beginning in 2020. The PPA provides Avista with additional renewable energy, capacity and environmental attributes, which will offset higher priced market purchases. The PPA aligns with Avista's 2017 Integrated Resource Plan which identifies that the utility will consider acquiring additional resources if such resources have lower long-term cost than electric market alternatives. Avista expects to recover the cost of the power purchased through its retail rates.
"Recent market changes, including reductions in the cost of wind power facilities and tax incentives that remain in effect, have combined to make this an excellent time to acquire long-term output from a cost-effective wind resource, which has the added benefit of being located in our service territory," said Jason Thackston, Senior Vice President of Energy Resources for Avista. "Rattlesnake Flat will help Avista meet its goal of providing reliable energy to our customers at a reasonable cost, while bringing even more renewable energy to our region, now and in the future."
"We've been closely working with key stakeholders in Adams County, developing partnerships with landowners, businesses and local government to enable this project, and entering into this long term partnership with Avista is a very exciting next step," said Benjamin Fairbanks, Senior Director of Wind Development at Clearway. "We're proud that Rattlesnake Flat will be a source of home-grown renewable energy for the state of Washington and for Avista's customers for many years to come."
The wind farm will be the largest renewable energy facility in Adams County with the capacity to generate enough clean, renewable energy to power about 37,600 of Avista's customers' homes. Situated on 20,000 privately owned acres near Lind, WA, Rattlesnake Flat will tie into Avista's electric system via Avista's Lind/Washtucna transmission line.
About Avista Corp.
Avista Corp. is an energy company involved in the production, transmission and distribution of energy as well as other energy-related businesses. Avista Utilities is our operating division that provides electric service to 388,000 customers and natural gas to 355,000 customers. Its service territory covers 30,000 square miles in eastern Washington, northern Idaho and parts of southern and eastern Oregon, with a population of 1.6 million. Alaska Energy and Resources Company is an Avista subsidiary that provides retail electric service in the city and borough of Juneau, Alaska, through its subsidiary Alaska Electric Light and Power Company. Avista stock is traded under the ticker symbol "AVA." For more information about Avista, please visit investor.avistacorp.com.
This news release contains forward-looking statements regarding the company's current expectations. Forward-looking statements are all statements other than historical facts. Such statements speak only as of the date of the news release and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, in addition to those discussed herein, all of the factors discussed in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2018.
SOURCE: Avista Corporation
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Clearway Energy Group is accelerating the world's transformation to a clean energy future. Built for 21st century energy markets and focused on providing customers with the power they need and the customer experience they deserve, Clearway was created and staffed with functions specific to renewable energy generation and distribution. With assets across 28 states, more than 500 employees and the capacity to power about 2.7 million homes, Clearway is bringing reliable and clean power to market from day one. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA with offices in Carlsbad, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Houston, TX; and New York, NY. For more information, visit www.clearwayenergygroup.com.
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Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age: The CARDIA study
Satoru Kishi, Gisela Teixido-Tura, Hongyan Ning, Bharath Ambale Venkatesh, Colin Wu, Andre Almeida, Eui Young Choi, Ola Gjesdal, David R. Jacobs, Pamela J. Schreiner, Samuel S. Gidding, Kiang Liu, João A.C. Lima
Epidemiology & Community Health
Background Cumulative blood pressure (BP) exposure may adversely influence myocardial function, predisposing individuals to heart failure later in life. Objectives This study sought to investigate how cumulative exposure to higher BP influences left ventricular (LV) function during young to middle adulthood. Methods The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study prospectively enrolled 5,115 healthy African Americans and whites in 1985 and 1986 (baseline). At the year 25 examination, LV function was measured by 2-dimensional echocardiography; cardiac deformation was assessed in detail by speckle-tracking echocardiography. We used cumulative exposure of BP through baseline and up to the year 25 examination (millimeters of mercury × year) to represent long-term exposure to BP levels. Linear regression and logistic regression were used to quantify the association of BP measured repeatedly through early adulthood (18 to 30 years of age) up to middle age (43 to 55 years). Results Among 2,479 participants, cumulative BP measures were not related to LV ejection fraction; however, high cumulative exposure to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were associated with lower longitudinal strain rate (both p < 0.001). For diastolic function, higher cumulative exposures to SBP and DBP were associated with low early diastolic longitudinal peak strain rate. Of note, higher DBP (per SD increment) had a stronger association with diastolic dysfunction compared with SBP. Conclusions Higher cumulative exposure to BP over 25 years from young adulthood to middle age is associated with incipient LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction in middle age.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
Published - Jun 30 2015
The CARDIA Study is supported by Contracts HHSN268201300025C, HHSN268201300026C, HHSN268201300027C, HHSN268201300028C, HHSN268201300029C, and HHSN268200900041C from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, and an intra-agency agreement between the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AG0005). The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose.
© 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation.
left ventricular function
speckle tracking
10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
Dive into the research topics of 'Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age: The CARDIA study'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
Middle Aged Medicine & Life Sciences 100%
Coronary Vessels Medicine & Life Sciences 80%
Young Adult Medicine & Life Sciences 79%
Echocardiography Medicine & Life Sciences 9%
Hypertension Medicine & Life Sciences 7%
Mercury Medicine & Life Sciences 6%
African Americans Medicine & Life Sciences 5%
Kishi, S., Teixido-Tura, G., Ning, H., Venkatesh, B. A., Wu, C., Almeida, A., Choi, E. Y., Gjesdal, O., Jacobs, D. R., Schreiner, P. J., Gidding, S. S., Liu, K., & Lima, J. A. C. (2015). Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age: The CARDIA study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 65(25), 2679-2687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age : The CARDIA study. / Kishi, Satoru; Teixido-Tura, Gisela; Ning, Hongyan et al.
In: Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Vol. 65, No. 25, 30.06.2015, p. 2679-2687.
Kishi, S, Teixido-Tura, G, Ning, H, Venkatesh, BA, Wu, C, Almeida, A, Choi, EY, Gjesdal, O, Jacobs, DR, Schreiner, PJ, Gidding, SS, Liu, K & Lima, JAC 2015, 'Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age: The CARDIA study', Journal of the American College of Cardiology, vol. 65, no. 25, pp. 2679-2687. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
Kishi S, Teixido-Tura G, Ning H, Venkatesh BA, Wu C, Almeida A et al. Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age: The CARDIA study. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2015 Jun 30;65(25):2679-2687. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
Kishi, Satoru ; Teixido-Tura, Gisela ; Ning, Hongyan et al. / Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age : The CARDIA study. In: Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2015 ; Vol. 65, No. 25. pp. 2679-2687.
@article{c205a37f72254e4bb3fc974d2dd3be6d,
title = "Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age: The CARDIA study",
abstract = "Background Cumulative blood pressure (BP) exposure may adversely influence myocardial function, predisposing individuals to heart failure later in life. Objectives This study sought to investigate how cumulative exposure to higher BP influences left ventricular (LV) function during young to middle adulthood. Methods The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study prospectively enrolled 5,115 healthy African Americans and whites in 1985 and 1986 (baseline). At the year 25 examination, LV function was measured by 2-dimensional echocardiography; cardiac deformation was assessed in detail by speckle-tracking echocardiography. We used cumulative exposure of BP through baseline and up to the year 25 examination (millimeters of mercury × year) to represent long-term exposure to BP levels. Linear regression and logistic regression were used to quantify the association of BP measured repeatedly through early adulthood (18 to 30 years of age) up to middle age (43 to 55 years). Results Among 2,479 participants, cumulative BP measures were not related to LV ejection fraction; however, high cumulative exposure to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were associated with lower longitudinal strain rate (both p < 0.001). For diastolic function, higher cumulative exposures to SBP and DBP were associated with low early diastolic longitudinal peak strain rate. Of note, higher DBP (per SD increment) had a stronger association with diastolic dysfunction compared with SBP. Conclusions Higher cumulative exposure to BP over 25 years from young adulthood to middle age is associated with incipient LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction in middle age.",
keywords = "echocardiography, hypertension, left ventricular function, speckle tracking",
author = "Satoru Kishi and Gisela Teixido-Tura and Hongyan Ning and Venkatesh, {Bharath Ambale} and Colin Wu and Andre Almeida and Choi, {Eui Young} and Ola Gjesdal and Jacobs, {David R.} and Schreiner, {Pamela J.} and Gidding, {Samuel S.} and Kiang Liu and Lima, {Jo{\~a}o A.C.}",
note = "Funding Information: The CARDIA Study is supported by Contracts HHSN268201300025C, HHSN268201300026C, HHSN268201300027C, HHSN268201300028C, HHSN268201300029C, and HHSN268200900041C from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, and an intra-agency agreement between the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AG0005). The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation.",
doi = "10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042",
journal = "Journal of the American College of Cardiology.",
publisher = "Elsevier USA",
T1 - Cumulative blood pressure in early adulthood and cardiac dysfunction in middle age
T2 - The CARDIA study
AU - Kishi, Satoru
AU - Teixido-Tura, Gisela
AU - Ning, Hongyan
AU - Venkatesh, Bharath Ambale
AU - Wu, Colin
AU - Almeida, Andre
AU - Choi, Eui Young
AU - Gjesdal, Ola
AU - Jacobs, David R.
AU - Schreiner, Pamela J.
AU - Gidding, Samuel S.
AU - Liu, Kiang
AU - Lima, João A.C.
N1 - Funding Information: The CARDIA Study is supported by Contracts HHSN268201300025C, HHSN268201300026C, HHSN268201300027C, HHSN268201300028C, HHSN268201300029C, and HHSN268200900041C from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute , the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute on Aging, and an intra-agency agreement between the National Institute on Aging and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (AG0005). The authors have reported that they have no relationships relevant to the contents of this paper to disclose. Publisher Copyright: © 2015 American College of Cardiology Foundation.
N2 - Background Cumulative blood pressure (BP) exposure may adversely influence myocardial function, predisposing individuals to heart failure later in life. Objectives This study sought to investigate how cumulative exposure to higher BP influences left ventricular (LV) function during young to middle adulthood. Methods The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study prospectively enrolled 5,115 healthy African Americans and whites in 1985 and 1986 (baseline). At the year 25 examination, LV function was measured by 2-dimensional echocardiography; cardiac deformation was assessed in detail by speckle-tracking echocardiography. We used cumulative exposure of BP through baseline and up to the year 25 examination (millimeters of mercury × year) to represent long-term exposure to BP levels. Linear regression and logistic regression were used to quantify the association of BP measured repeatedly through early adulthood (18 to 30 years of age) up to middle age (43 to 55 years). Results Among 2,479 participants, cumulative BP measures were not related to LV ejection fraction; however, high cumulative exposure to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were associated with lower longitudinal strain rate (both p < 0.001). For diastolic function, higher cumulative exposures to SBP and DBP were associated with low early diastolic longitudinal peak strain rate. Of note, higher DBP (per SD increment) had a stronger association with diastolic dysfunction compared with SBP. Conclusions Higher cumulative exposure to BP over 25 years from young adulthood to middle age is associated with incipient LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction in middle age.
AB - Background Cumulative blood pressure (BP) exposure may adversely influence myocardial function, predisposing individuals to heart failure later in life. Objectives This study sought to investigate how cumulative exposure to higher BP influences left ventricular (LV) function during young to middle adulthood. Methods The CARDIA (Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults) study prospectively enrolled 5,115 healthy African Americans and whites in 1985 and 1986 (baseline). At the year 25 examination, LV function was measured by 2-dimensional echocardiography; cardiac deformation was assessed in detail by speckle-tracking echocardiography. We used cumulative exposure of BP through baseline and up to the year 25 examination (millimeters of mercury × year) to represent long-term exposure to BP levels. Linear regression and logistic regression were used to quantify the association of BP measured repeatedly through early adulthood (18 to 30 years of age) up to middle age (43 to 55 years). Results Among 2,479 participants, cumulative BP measures were not related to LV ejection fraction; however, high cumulative exposure to systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) were associated with lower longitudinal strain rate (both p < 0.001). For diastolic function, higher cumulative exposures to SBP and DBP were associated with low early diastolic longitudinal peak strain rate. Of note, higher DBP (per SD increment) had a stronger association with diastolic dysfunction compared with SBP. Conclusions Higher cumulative exposure to BP over 25 years from young adulthood to middle age is associated with incipient LV systolic and diastolic dysfunction in middle age.
KW - echocardiography
KW - hypertension
KW - left ventricular function
KW - speckle tracking
U2 - 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
DO - 10.1016/j.jacc.2015.04.042
JO - Journal of the American College of Cardiology.
JF - Journal of the American College of Cardiology.


text:
Red Bull Ring & Austrian GP
January 16, 2017 · by marek	· in F1 History.	·
Grand Prix History – Austrian GP
After hosting a number of sportscar and non championship events between 1958-1963, the bumpy airfield circuit of Zeltweg joined the Formula One calendar to host the Austrian Grand Prix for the first time in 1964, the race marking the Formula One debut of Jochen Rindt in a one off drive for Brabham, with the race being won by Lorenzo Bandini in a Ferrari, the only race the Italian would win in F1.
The track was not well regarded, being tight and bumpy, and the race was dropped from the calendar after one race. The next Austrian Grand Prix was held in 1970, at a new venue, the Osterreichring, a beautiful flowing track using the natural elevation change of the mountains to provide a trilling test of skill over 5.9 km of rises and falls.
The Osterreichring held the race from 1970 (won by Jacky Ickx for Ferrari) through to 1987 (when Nigel Mansell conquered in a Williams in a race started 3 times after multiple crashes on the first two attempts), but the track was dropped from the F1 calendar, with safety concerns playing a role in the tracks demise after numerous crashes and fatalities at the circuit in the preceding years. The track would not return to the calendar until 1997, in its new guise as the A1 Ring, with Hermann Tilke given the task of circuit redesign.
This resulted in chunk of the western section of the track bypassed, and changes to layout of the remaining track, slowing the existing high speed corners to increase run off areas, somewhat neutering the majesty of the old track, reducing the lap to 4.3 km in the process.
Jacques Villeneuve took the win for Williams in his title winning season in 1997, and the track remained on the calendar until 2003 when Ferrari number one Michael Schumacher claimed a win and maximum points after moral victor Rubens Barrichello was ordered to give his team mate the position. This would be the last race at the track until 2014, when new owners Red Bull transformed the facilities to bring them up to standard, building new pits and grandstands and winning themselves a home grand prix in the bargain . Nico Rosberg and Mercedes have been the winners here on both occasions since its return to the calendar.
The original track was a thing of beauty, it was very fast track, and featured fast sweeping corners. Originally, from the start of the lap the drivers blasted uphill into Hella Licht, a fast blind right hander that was modified in 1976 and the removed from the lap entirely in 1977 to be replaced with a chicane due to safety fears. This led onto a straight powering up to the Dr Tiroch Kuruve, a fast and banked right hander that curved back onto another straight, linking back to join the modern circuit at what is now Turn 2. Sadly the section from before Hella Licht through Dr Tirroch Kurve were removed from the track during the circuit redesign which brought F1 back in 1997.
From there the track wound down into the Bosch Kurve, a fearsome downhill right hander with a grandstand on the outside of the corner. The lack of runoff led to the demise of this wonderful corner on the redesign of the track, the corner has been replaced by the new Turn 3, a tighter corner for slower entry and provided with the run off space demanded by today's safety standards. From the Bosch Kurve the track wound into the Texaco Schikane, a series of fast curving left handers that have been replaced by the tighter section between Turn 5 and Turn 6, again slowing the track and providing more runoff. The old track then finished on a wonderful sweeping banked curve leading on to the main straight, which has been tightened into the Turn 8 and Turn 9 combination on the modern track.
1975 – A soaking race that was stopped early and led to half points being awarded. The race saw Vittorio Brambilla take his only Formula One victory, and promptly lose control and spin into the barrier after he crossed the line to take the chequered flag, continuing on celebrating in his battered March.
1982 – Elio de Angelis maiden formula one victory, and the last for Lotus before Colin Chapman died. This race saw Brabham stop to take on fuel during the race, the first time this had been done in modern formula one. The clever strategy did not bring instant rewards to the team however, with Riccardo Patrese retiring from the lead with an engine failure and Nelson Piquet failing to finish due to an electrical fault. Alain Prost looked set to win with a healthy 30 second lead, before his Renault pulled to the side of the track in flames a few laps from the finish, leaving Elio de Angelis in the lead in his Lotus. He was hunted down to the end by Keke Rosberg in a Williams, but just about managed to hang on for victory, both cars crossing the line side by side, with just 0.05 seconds between them.
1984 – Niki Lauda wins his home Grand Prix, taking the championship lead from McLaren team mate Alain Prost, a lead he would keep until the end of the season to claim his third drivers title. The race saw no Ford-Cosworth engine car take the start, after both Tyrrells failed to qualify, the first race to be held without the previously dominant manufacturer since they introduced the DFV engine in 1967.The race also marked the F1 debut of Gerhard Berger, driving for ATS. In the race, Piquet in a Brabham led from Prost, but as they came upon oil spilled from Elio De Angelis blown turbo, Piquet wobbled and Prost spun off into the barriers and a costly retirement. Lauda overtook Piquet for the lead, and coasted clear to record a famous home victory.
1999 – With Ferrari number one Michael Schumacher out after breaking his leg in the previous race, his team mate Eddie Irvine rose to the challenge of leading the Scuderia and claimed victory, pushing him into genuine championship contention. He was aided by David Coulthard nudging team-mate and championship leader Mika Hakkinen into a spin at turn 2 on the opening lap, sending Mika to the back of the pack. Irvine jumped Coulthard in the pits and held on for a memorable victory by less than a second from a late charging Coulthard, while Hakkinen sliced his way back through the field to come third.
2003 –Michael Schumacher led from the start, but lost the lead to Juan Pablo Montoya after his car was briefly set alight in the pits after fuel leaked during refuelling. Team mate Barichello had pitted prior to Schumacher, and after a problem with his refuelling rig the team swapped to Michael's. Schumacher came into the pits next, and as the team rushed forward to connect the refuelling hose fuel dripped onto Schumachers car, catching fire. As the crew removed the hose more fuel spilled onto the flames, increasing the blaze and the crew showered the car with fire extinguisher as Schumacher waited calmly to be released, putting his foot down once given the all clear to resume, re-joining in third place behind Montoya and Kimi Raikonen. Schumacher chased down Kimi Raikkonen to take second, and took the lead and a deserved victory after Montoya retired with engine failure while in his sights.
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2 responses to "Red Bull Ring & Austrian GP"
Qik McSenna January 16, 2017 at 22:42 · · Reply →
It really is heartbreaking to read about the constant castration of F1 tracks and the sterilization of the fastest sweeping turns and corners on iconic F1 circuits. Chicanes are the greatest party pooper ever designed! They drastically retard overtaking manoeuvres and deliver terribly boring single file racing! Circuits were once designed specifically to push the engineers and designers of cars to produce machines capable of racing through them as fast as possible. Now it's all about safety and easily keeping cars on the track with very little skill and even less commitment, it's nothing more than booooriiiing!
With today's technology, surely we can reinstate some of those "crucial", compelling race track features and return F1 to a place where it frightened the daylights out of drivers and absolutely delighted the fans!
With the focus now shifting towards much more aero and mechanical grip, there should be a significant thought process which goes into doing away with some of the terribly "unF1" chicanes and re-instating some of those classic, long sweeping turns and high-speed corners. These were the parts of the circuit which separated the best of the best from the midfield drivers. Even us fans used to hold our breath as they went through those corners in a four wheel drift at 280 kmh, sometimes side-by-side.
When Webber went around Alonso at Eau Rouge a few years ago it was the best thing ever, totally exhilarating! I could watch that footage a million times, get shivers down my spine every single time and NEVER get sick of it.
Any driver can simply steer, brake and turn when their balls aren't sitting in their throat or their life doesn't suddenly flash past their eyes when the tyres lose 5% of their grip. Only the bravest and most skilful can look beyond that fear, trust their abilities and become one with the car. Guys like Fangio, G. Villeneuve, Brabham, Hunt, Senna, Schuey, Alonso, Lewis etc etc etc, those guys could race up to the edge of a cliff with total confidence and then push the car a little further … because that's what a fearless winner does.
I blame the ravenous, hysterical, ludicrous, "want-it-both-ways" media anxiety for glorifying the causes of drivers deaths to sell papers and calling for rule changes to make the sport "totally safe" … but at the same time still demanding F1 is super fast and ultra competitive. It's HYPOCRYTICAL and DAFT!!!
There should be a clause in every F1 driver's contract which states without reproach that he is totally committed to the sport, warts and all, no matter what happens on the track. You are either fearless and fully committed to driving in F1, or PLEASE, just walk away and allow someone in the car who is willing to go to the outermost extremes to entertain the baying masses.
After all is said and done, F1 is a form of gladiator sport. A place where only the bravest, the best of the best do battle to be the ultimate winner … where you are justifiably paid a kings ransom because you willingly put your life on the line because you are absolutely prepared to die if the worst scenario arises while you are trying.
Sounds bloodthirsty I know, but it's been a part of the human psyche since we chased killer dinosaurs to get a feed everyday. If you win, you eat and stay alive to fight another day … if you lose you die of starvation or you get eaten!
Driving an F1 car at top speed has now become far too safe, far too easy, extremely bland & boring to watch and drivers have become incredibly soft because of it.
You only have to see the immense outpouring of adoration for Max after the 2016 Brazilian GP was run in pi$$ing rain. A race where he defiantly looked death in the face for 2 hours … what a show!!! Very few people thought it was anything other than jaw-droppingly amazing motorsport entertainment of the highest calibre!
Hopefully the performance of 2017 cars radically changes the current "wrap them in cotton wool" outlook and a whole new radical, fearless approach to F1 is the result.
If the cars go out and do what they are designed to do on circuits that test them and the drivers to the outer limits, watch how rapidly F1 fans flock back to watch the sport in droves!
BushTurkey January 19, 2017 at 20:26 · · Reply →


Although the feature is limited to read-only in the Developer Preview, the final version of Panther is expected to be able to both read from and write to NTFS-formatted disks. This is great news for dual-platform us ers who may need to be able to do data recovery, backups, and other functions directly with Windows drives.
I knew I couldn't possibly be the first to see this feature. Sorry for the duplicate topic.


Pakalert Press » Georgia Governor Will Sign Best Gun Law In America Today At High Noon!
Georgia Governor Will Sign Best Gun Law In America Today At High Noon!
At noon Wednesday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal is scheduled to sign the sweeping legislation into law. One of the most permissive state gun laws in the nation, it will allow licensed owners to carry firearms into more public places than at any time in the past century, including bars and government buildings that don't have security checkpoints. The law also authorizes school districts to appoint staffers to carry firearms.
No town in the U.S. has been as public about its support for guns as Kennesaw, population about 30,000, where city leaders for 30 years have required that every household have at least one gun.
Video: Harry Reid's BLM's Next Victim: Red River Land Grab Happening Now, First Bundy Ranch Now This!
is happening in this country.
Finally Intelligence is creeping into Georgia.


Pay your bill instantly with Real-Time Bill & earn rewards with each purchase.
Have a meeting after lunch? Need to catch a movie after dinner? Don't worry, you have time! With Glance Pay's Real-Time Bill, there's no need to flag down your server for the bill, no more passing around the payment machine.
Just SCAN TO PAY and be on your way!
First time users of Glance Pay automatically get $5 off their first TWO payments. So grab a bite, take your time and leave when you're ready.
Never wait to pay again. Instantly & easily pay your paperless bill, on-demand, by QR Scan or NFC Tap at the table.
No more obstacles to ordering more items. Browse your menu in-app & place orders directly to the kitchen, without flagging down a server.
Stop standing in line. Place your orders before walking in the door and pick it up when it's ready.
Say goodbye to punchcards and unused rewards points. With Glance Pay, you get rewards each time you pay and discounts are automatically applied on your next payment.
I wish Glance Pay existed when I was a server. You simply take a picture of the bill, confirm and it's done. You don't have to wait for change or the machine to come back. It's a just a simple click and go!
Very useful and intuitive. Speeds the whole dining experience up quite a bit. Easy to track spending. And I get rewards. Quite handy when in a rush but otherwise it's nice to still have human interaction with server.
Our server encouraged us to try it out and we found it pretty quick and easy to use. We didn't have to track our server down to pay so that was super handy. Got $5 off right away so no complaints there as well. Will definitely use it again.
See for yourself why Glance Pay is Vancouver's favourite dine-in app. You'll also an extra treat from us: $5 OFF your first AND second in-app purchases*.
* One offer per user, for new Glance Pay users only. Transactions must occur on different days. Terms may vary by location & restrictions apply.


Peiji is a beautiful application for taking notes and an easy to use editor. It provides a clean and uncluttered workspace in which creativity can blossom, but also includes powerful writing and sharing tools to form a full-featured text editing app perfect for writing notes, articles, journal entries, project plans, or any other type of project.
Thanks to iCloud, your work is automatically save to all your devices.
# Passcode lock feature will give you some peace of mind.


Discussion in 'Mac Pro' started by kittonian, Mar 18, 2016.
I have a client coming in on Monday who is stating that when he plugs in his LG 34UM95 display or his projector, neither receives any signal from the AMD Radeon HD 7950 graphics card. We have tested this card over DVI and it works flawlessly but have not yet tested the HDMI port.
After searching the web with every term I could think of for this issue, I could not find one person who has said the card worked perfectly but not over HDMI.
The system is a 12-core dual 2.93 with 32GB of 1333mhz RAM and a Samsung EVO 840 SSD drive. I just put a fresh install of Yosemite on it Wednesday and when he took it home and tried to hook it up to his monitor, it showed "no signal, power saving". I had him hook up his laptop (MBP) via HDMI and the monitor came alive and worked perfectly.
So, it's not his monitor or his HDMI cable. It's definitely something up with this card.
Any thoughts on things I should be checking (other than the obvious reset the PRAM and make sure both power cables are properly plugged in for the graphics card)?
Which 7950? the reference one? is it flashed?
If the card was not properly flashed or is not of reference design the port mappings won't necessarily work.
You get the boot screen. This was a machine we purchased used that we spruced up a bit and resold, but it came with the video card, which I assumed was the "mac edition" as the guy we bought it from wasn't exactly a computer genius.
Update: I just saw what the "Mac Edition" card looks like (all white) and the card in this machine is red, so I guess it must be flashed.
If it is a flashed PC card (and if it's not a reference flashed PC card) , there could be an issue with port mapping in the ROM . Or, it could just be a badly flashed PC card .
The client is coming on Monday afternoon so I do not have the machine in front of me, however, from all the genuine mac edition card photos I've seen online, they are all white/gray. The card in this machine is red.
If it is badly flashed would you still get the boot screen and the DVI port working? Do I need a PC to reflash the card properly and ensure the ports are mapped correctly or can I do it on a Mac? We do not have a PC unless I take one of our Macs and install bootcamp/windows on it (which I would rather not have to do if at all possible).
Apple Logo at Start Up means there is EFI present on the graphics card .
But it doesn't mean someone did a perfect job flashing the card .
You obviously have a flashed PC Card . You need to contact the individual who flashed the card or re-flash the card yourself .
I would recommend flashing in a DOS environment , not in an OS X or Windows environment . You should learn how to do this and it is too complex for me to discuss it further here . Good Luck !
I would have no idea who flashed the card. Though I am by no means a flashing expert, I have flashed NVidia cards before and it's never been an issue. I have no problem re-flashing the card myself, but I guess I need to setup a Windows machine to do so (I was hoping to be able to use Zeus on OS X). Looking on the Netkas forum I have found a ROM that says it should work, so I guess that's what I will try, though other threads I read suggest that the HDMI port not working is par for the course with these flashed cards.
You need to get in there and find out what card it is exactly. I'm hoping for your sake its based on reference design and the rom will be able to fix the port mapping issues.
If his card is not reference , then all bets are off . His card may just not have all functions supported in an EFI environment . The best flashers can dig into the ROM and try to re-map everything .
The issue is in the framebuffer personalities inside the AMD drivers. No way to remap them without messing with the OS X system kexts (and thus violating SIP).
What you can do instead is modifying the EFI on the card to inject wrong ioreg entries (or non at all). This will make the AMD drivers treat the card like a unflashed PC card, which will usually enable all ports regardless of their physical mapping.
Most of this is described in this thread over at netkas, I think I also provided a EFI which does exactly that.
Thank you to everyone who responded. The DVI and both mDP ports on the card work just fine so instead of worrying about using the HDMI port, the customer opted to leave things alone, and he purchased HDMI->mDP cables which solved all his issues.
EDIT: Missed the fine print on how to check myself and it DOES support Metal, well dang.
New Question: Still have the non-flashed 7970 in my 2010 MacPro. High Sierra running fine but telling me to update to Mojave which requires graphic cards that support Metal. Does the 7970 support metal?
The 7970 DOES support metal, and Mojave works very smoothly with this card. That said, I've heard conflicting reports that the latest Mojave Installer may not (10.14.1).


This month marks twenty years of the Tamborine Bush Volunteers (TBV). Late in 1987 Jenny Schultz talked to Tamborine National Park ranger, John Johnstone, about forming a group of volunteers to help with work in Tamborine National Park.
In March 1988 a public meeting was held in the TMNHA Information Centre to inform the public of the intention to form a new volunteer group for the Mountain. People came to hear officers from QPWS outline the operations of a volunteer group that would run under the auspices of the Service to help maintain the National Park and assist with community projects on the Mountain. The Tamborine Bush Volunteers group was formed.
The first volunteer activity was held in May 1988. Over the years conditions have varied, with member numbers fluctuating, tasks performed in both the cool of the rainforests or the heat of a fire break, but the group continues to be of use to the Service while giving people the opportunity of constructive activity in the natural environment. Some projects involved revegetating the riparian areas on private land and Council reserves.
Projects undertaken by the TBV: Building and repairing lookouts; walking track & picnic area maintenance; weed eradication & revegetation; clearing fire breaks and back‑burning; building foot bridges over streams, painting of park buildings, fences, sign; maintenance of TBV Rehabilitation Nursery; plant propagation from local seed stock.
Other activities: Participating in Weed Busters Weeks, Clean‑up Australia Days, Hinterland Nature Days, Pirralilla "open day", Wildlife workshops.
Since 1997 Len Lowry has coordinated the group which for the past three years been self‑managed. Rangers were withdrawn from weekend supervising duties due to budget constraints and the group's capabilities. The coordinator ensures QPWS is advised of activities and that all members adhere to Service regulations.
In recent years Pirralilla Section has been the group's major achievement. In late 1995, lantana clearing was commenced with the first revegetation activity in February 1996. This has been ongoing and the complete section (both upper and lower portions) has been transformed from lantana jungle to lush rainforest which is now a haven for wildlife.
The group is informal with any relevant business being discussed over the "morning cuppa." The Volunteers are a happy band of workers who enjoy contributing to the maintenance of Tamborine National Park. In 20 years, the TBV have made a significant impact.


Lee Clark was left encouraged by Blackpool's performance against Bolton, as his new-look side drew 1-1.
The manager handed five players home debuts at Bloomfield Road, with Jacob Murphy on target for The Seasiders.
A change in style was evident throughout, though Lee Chung-Yong's leveller left the players having to settle for a point.
"I thought it was such an improved performance from Leeds," Clark said. "The new players have shown that we can be a team that can threaten anybody. We also looked fitter in the way we wanted to play.
"The goal we gave away was a little disappointing, and there could be an aspect of him being offside. It's just a bit of a grey area with this second phase scenario.
"Overall, I'm frustrated for the players and the supporters because I thought they were brilliant today. We just need to get this elusive win and get the momentum."
Murphy's goal, a stunning free-kick, highlighted just why Clark opted to bring him to the club on loan from Norwich City.
"He brings a bit of skill, a bit of excitement and a bit of pace to our front line, which I think we needed. It was a fantastic goal," he said.
Cutting the gap between Blackpool and the rest of the teams in the divisions remains the task now, with a trip to Rotherham next up.
"The bare minimum is what we've had today now so we've got to take exactly the same to Rotherham, if not more because the players will have more training and will be more tactical aware and fitter. Hopefully we can kick-on from this," he added.


What is an animal home? What do all living things need to survive?
A home is a safe place to live. Homes shelter animals from the weather, protect them from predators or enemies, provide them with a safe place to bear and raise their young, and sometimes even provide a place to store food. Homes serve these same purposes for human beings.
An animal's living place is called its habitat.
Different plants and animals require different living conditions to thrive, eg. goldfish need freshwater while whales, sea water.
Animals and plants are adapted to the conditions of the habitats in which they live. Most animals are only adapted to live in one or two habitats. A walrus could not live in a desert. A rattlesnake could not live for very long in the arctic.
A habitat is a place where a plant or animal lives (Its address!).
Different animals and plants are found in different habitats.
Habitats can be big - a forest - or small - a leaf.
What do all living things need to survive?
All living things need food, water, air, shelter (cover) and space to survive.
Shelter Protection from predators or weather.
Air Oxygen either from the air or dissolved in water is required for respiration.
Water All living things require liquid water.
Food All living things need food (for energy) to grow and reproduce. Some organisms (such as plants) make their own food from air, water, and sunlight. Other organisms must eat plants or other living things to get their energy.
Space Animals require different amounts of space to find food, water, shelter and a mate. Some animals defend a large territory or roam over a large range. Other animals only need a small amount of space and can tolerate close neighbours.
Map of where the different types of habitats (biomes) are.
Learn about which creatures live in which habitat and why through this interactive game.
School habitat site that offers six different habitats including house, farms, ponds, seas, and a hedge!
A type of habitat that covers a large area where many trees, plants, and animals live.
Forest plants provide shade and protection for many different types of animals.
This site looks at tree parts and the organisms that live in and around trees.
A chaparral is a shrubby coastal area that has hot dry summers and mild, cool, rainy winters.
Forests in cool, rainy areas. They can be found in the eastern half of North America, and the middle of Europe. The word "deciduous" means exactly what the leaves on these trees do: change colour in autumn, fall off in the winter, and grow back again in the spring. This adaptation helps trees in the forest survive winter.
In the winter, less water is available for trees to take in through their roots, because much of the water in the ground is frozen. Since trees lose water through their leaves, losing leaves is a way for a tree to conserve water.
What does trees losing leaves mean to animals?
Animals will have less cover to hide themselves from predators.
How do animals survive in this habitat?
Animals living in this habitat must adjust to cold winters and hot summers by hibernating, migrating, or keeping active all winter. The trees provide shelter for them. Animal use the trees for food and a water sources. Most of the animals are camouflaged to look like the ground.
This habitat can be found in Canada, Europe and Asia.
The northern coniferous forests are called taiga (Russian for swamp forest) or boreal forests.
The taiga is the largest type of habitat (biome) in the world. Winters are very cold. Summers are warm because the taiga is near the top of the world. Lots of conifers (evergreen trees with needles) grow here.
The taiga has fewer animal species than the tropical or temperate deciduous forests. Many of the animals do not live in the taiga the entire year. Snow, cold, and a scarcity of food make life very difficult, especially in the winter. Some taiga animals and birds migrate south, in the winter, where it is warmer, others go into hibernation, while others simply cope with the environment. Only a few amphibians and reptiles can survive the cold winter.
How have trees adapted to survive the many fires?
The taiga is prone to wildfires. Many trees have adapted to this by growing thick bark, which can protect a tree from a mild fire.
"What is the taiga?" contains a taiga food web at the bottom of the page.
Tropical rain forests occur in regions near the equator. The climate is always warm (between 20° and 25° C) with plenty of rainfall (at least 190 cm/year). While some animals live on the ground, most rain forest animals live in the trees. Many of these animals spend their entire life in the forest canopy. Insects are so abundant in tropical rain forests that the majority have not yet been identified.
Quick Fact: There are cold deserts as well as hot deserts. Cold deserts are in places like Antarctica and Greenland.
Desert covers more than one-third of the world's land and are very hot and dry or cold. Deserts are characterized by dry conditions (usually less than 10 inches per year; 25 cm) and a wide temperature range. The dry air leads to wide daily temperature fluctuations from freezing at night to over 120 degrees during the day.
A Desert is defined as a region that has less than 254 mm (10 inches) of annual rainfall or precipitation.
Most Hot and Dry Deserts are near the Tropic of Cancer or the Tropic of Capricorn.
Hot and Dry Deserts temperature ranges from 20 to 25° C.
Desert animals have many adaptations as well to help them survive in the desert climate. Many are nocturnal, meaning active during the cool night rather than the hot daylight hours. Some examples of these animals are Borrowers, Mourning Wheatears, and Horned Vipers. There are also insects, arachnids, reptiles, and birds.
Cold Deserts have animals like Antelope, Ground Squirrels, Jack Rabbits, and Kangaroo Rats.
Excellent page with information about desert habitats and a picture dictionary of animals found in deserts.
Another excellent page to help you with your homework.
See a map showing deserts around the world.
Information for 24 of the world's deserts.
Quick Fact: Ecosystems vary in size. They can be as small as a puddle or as large as the Earth itself.
Go on a virtual Pond Dip!
Find out about the animals which live under the sea.
Quick Fact: Grasslands are found on every continent except Antarctica.
They are big open spaces of grass.
They are found on either side of two desert belts that circle the earth in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
How much of the earth is grassland?
About one quarter of the earth's land is in the grasslands.
What are the two different types of Grassland?
What animals live in Grasslands?
Grasslands lack the trees and heavy bush to hide many creatures. Because of the open landscape and the widely spaced trees, grasslands are home to large herds of grazing mammals such as the zebra and bison.
Quick Fact: Grasslands receive about 10 to 30 inches of rain per year. If they received more rain, the grasslands would become a forest. If they received less, they would become a desert. Grasslands are often located between deserts and forests.
Find out about animals that live in a grassland habitat.
Many animals live in grasslands, from invertebrates (like grasshoppers and beetles) to large mammals (like antelopes and bison).
Quick Fact: Throughout the world, grasslands are known by many different names. In North America they are known as "prairie", in Asia "steppe", in South America the "pampas" and in South Africa a "veldt".
Quick Fact: There are two types of tundras, Arctic tundras and alpine tundras.
Where is the Tundra Habitat?
The tundra habitat is at the top of the world, near the North Pole.
How much of the earth is Tundra?
How do plants grow on the solid ground?
The bare and sometimes rocky ground can only support low growing plants like mosses, heaths, and lichen. During the brief summers, the top section of the soil may thaw out allowing plants and microorganisms to grow and reproduce. However, these plants and microorganisms become dormant during the cold winter months.
Is there another type of Tundra other than artic tundra?
Yes, it is called alpine tundra and is found on the tops of tall, cold mountains.
What living things are found in the Tundra?
Excellent page with information about tundra habitats and a picture dictionary of animals found in tundras.
Home of producers, consumers, and predators. See a picture of a food web drawn by a student.
Information and picture to colour!
A good picture to print and use for your homework.
Why do they have such thick fir?
What colour would the polar bear be so it was camouflage?
Would it still have thick fir?
Quick Fact: Camouflage is used to help animals attack their prey as well as defend themselves from predators.
Camouflage is important for animal survival.
Animals and people hide things for various reasons. Animals in nature hide their young to protect them from predators. Pirates hide stolen treasure to protect it from being stolen yet again.
Animals which use colour to blend in with their habitat so that they're almost invisible.
Chameleons, hares, tree frogs, flounder fish, grasshoppers, and lizards.
Animals which use a combination of colour, shape and behavior to help them appear like something in their habitat.
Animals which have special markings that help to disguise their shapes.
Learn about camouflage as you play this game.
Quick Fact: Biomes are regions in the world with similar climate (weather, temperature) and vegetation (plants).
What animals (pets) do you have in your habitat (house)?
What animals and birds visit your habitat (garden)? Remember to mention any that live under the ground too!
What insects visit the plants?
Name some plants in your garden?
How can you attract more birds to your garden?
How can you attract a hedgehog?
How can you attract more butterflies?
Remember all living things need food, water, air, shelter (cover) and space to survive. That means humans too!
Can you think of an ideal place for us and say why you think it is good?
We need to live somewhere where we can get food? We need to live near shops.
We need to live somewhere where we can get water? We need to be able to get water from a tap or a well.
We need oxygen so we can't live anywhere where there is no oxygen. We can't live on the moon.
We need protection from weather, animals and people who may harm us.
A house is ideal because it has a roof to stop the rain getting in, walls to keep the cold out, heaters to keep us warm and doors to keep people and animals out. We also have a fence around our garden to keep out some animals and people.
If we live somewhere where there are many people but not enough shops, the shops may run out of food!
Draw a map of part of your garden?
What animals live in your garden?
Birds - Can you find a nest? Do you have a bird table? Can you see one in a tree or on the ground?
Worms - They live in the soil .
Insects - Are there any around the plants? Can you spot a bee?
Are there any insects living under a rock or log?
Moles - Can you spot a mole hill?


text:
Q: After Submit -> Scroll Offset if error in a field my page does have a fixed header.
Therefore, when there is a wrong entry in a field of the form or a mandatory field not filled, page scrolls to the first field with an error.
Unfortunately, this field is covered by my fixed header and therefore not visible.
Is there a way to change this with some kind of offset to this scroll function?
Please let me know if you have any idea.

A: It's a simple CSS problem. I solve some similar with
.tx-powermail:before {
    content: "";
    display: block;
    height: 100px;
    margin-top: -100px;
    visibility: hidden;
}

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