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6,067,200
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Could Taking Probiotics During Pregnancy Help Cut Belly Fat Afterwards? : Growing Your Baby
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New research suggests that taking probiotics during their pregnancy may help women keep belly fat under control after pregnancy.
Researchers from the University of Turku in Finland enrolled 256 pregnant women in a study on weight gain, dividing them into three groups during their first trimesters.
Women in two of the groups received dietary counseling consistent with what doctors recommend for healthy weight gain and optimal fetal development.
They also were sent home with foods such as spreads and salad dressings with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, as well as fiber-enriched pasta and breakfast cereal.
Women in one of those two groups also received daily capsules containing lactobacillus and bifidobacterium, the most commonly used probiotics — bacteria that help maintain a healthy bacterial balance in the gut. The third group received dummy capsules and received no dietary counseling.
All of the women were weighed at the start of the study and then again 12 months after childbirth.
Central obesity — defined as a body mass index of 30 or more and a waist circumference over 80 centimeters (31.5 inches) — was found in 25% of the women who had been given the probiotics as well as advice on what to eat.
Those not given probiotics didn’t do as well. Central obesity was found in
- 43% of the women who got dietary counseling alone
- 40% of the women who got neither probiotics nor dietary advice
The average body fat percentage in the probiotics group was 28%, compared with 29% in the diet-advice-only group and 30% in the third set of women.
“The women who got the probiotics fared best,” says Kirsi Laitinen, a nutritionist and senior lecturer at Turku. “One year after childbirth, they had the lowest levels of central obesity as well as the lowest body fat percentage.”
She adds that more research is needed to confirm the potential positive role of probiotics on belly fat. Additionally, she says her team of researchers will continue to track the women and their babies to determine whether giving probiotics during pregnancy has any influence on the health of the children.
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Should Multiple Choice Be Left Behind? #commoncore | Hanover Research
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March 12, 2012
By Sarah Van Duyn
Today, No Child Left Behind and increased accountability demands have spurred the widespread use of high-stakes, multiple choice tests. When Frederick J. Kelly invented an early form of the multiple choice test as an industrial revolution-era response to the need for efficiently assessing America’s growing body of students, he probably had no idea that almost a century later, his invention would still have an impact on educational testing. While multiple choice tests may be somewhat antiquated, when used in conjunction with other assessment types, they can provide powerful objective benchmarks to inform school planning.
Externally-created multiple choice assessments, the type often used by states for Adequate Yearly Progress indicators and high-stakes decisions, are not inherently problematic. These assessments are often tested for reliability and validity, and can provide useful tools for measuring student achievement over time, or for evaluating student performance more broadly (e.g., in relation to overall district, state, or national benchmarks). Problems arise when these assessments are the sole source of information used in decision making – as they often are. Whether the test has high-stakes consequences for
the student, by preventing graduation;
the teacher, by determining compensation or employment; or
the school, by mandating resource allocations or even closure,
the impact of high-stakes accountability tends to disproportionately disenfranchise certain students, teachers, and schools. In particular, disadvantaged communities with little access to affordable early childhood education and crater-sized achievement gaps for minority and disadvantaged students tend to suffer the most negative consequences. Too often, this type of educational testing evaluates the level of resources available to the school and community rather than student achievement, disempowering students, teachers, and the school.
In order to prevent these negative consequences, formative and summative educational assessments should be used in a non-punitive environment, with multiple measures used to benchmark student progress throughout the year and inform decision-making regarding instructional strategies and resource allocation.
Student achievement data can be a wonderful tool to raise questions and inform planning to overcome obstacles to teaching and learning.
The Ontario Focused Intervention Partnership, for example, examines student test data to identify low- or stagnant-performance schools, analyzes achievement data in partnership with these schools and districts, and then uses this analysis to target effective instructional strategies and resource allocation. Schools within this partnership have improved at a much faster rate than the average for the province.
If educational testing is used to evaluate schools, it must include multiple measures and involve the whole school in the examination of data and the improvement planning that arises out of this analysis. Often, this type of comprehensive approach is not undertaken, turning educational testing from a tool that builds the collective capacity of a school to a punitive, accusatory tool that isolates and demoralizes teachers. Educational testing, when used as part of a system focused on building schools’ and teachers’ capacities and providing equal access to educational opportunities for all students, offers tremendous value.
For more information on how districts can use testing data to inform decisions regarding teacher and learning, please see Best Practices in Data Collection and Management, Measuring Student Learning Growth and Its Use for Evaluations, Review of Student Performance Assessments, and many other reports in Hanover’s Member Library.
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How to Increase Collagen By Eating the Right Foods - Skin Care
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Red fruits and vegetables also are excellent sources to up the collagen content of foods in the diet. The presence of lycopenesl in these types of foods helps to act as
antioxidants, which in turn increases collagen production. Try adding red peppers, beets, and fresh or stewed tomatoes to the diet. Also include sweet potatoes, carrots and more. Research from Dr Ronald Watson at the University of Arizona has found that the antioxidants in red, yellow and orange foods build up under the skin creating extra UV protection. "The effect is so strong that eating six portions a day for about two months will build a natural barrier equivalent to a factor four sunscreen," says Dr Watson.
Vitamin C rich fruits and vegetables are natural sources of collagen production. You should try to include citrus fruits like oranges, lemons and strawberies into your daily diet.
Prunes One of the biggest causes of skin aeing is attack by substances called free radicals, that break down healthy skin tissues. Antioxidants helps neutralise these free radicals before they can do any damage - and prunes are the fruit containing the absolute highest level of antioxidants. Blueberries are a close second. Eat five to six prunes, or a small basket of blueberries, daily to get a great health boost .
Omega Acids also help to create an ideal environment for collagen production. Fish such as salmon and turna are excllent sources of omega fatty acids. Nuts such as cashews, pecans, almonds and Brazil nuts contain healthy amounts as well.
Flaxseed is a major sources of the healthy fat omega-3. Skin cells are surrounded by a fatty layer made from this and other fats so, the higher your omega-3 intake the stronger that layer is, and the plumper your skin cells are - which helps disguise lines and wrinkles. Mix it into smoothies or add it to balsamic vinegar and use it as a salad dressing, but try to have a tablespoon each day.
Foods that are rich in sulphur content are also important to collagen production. Among these are green and black olives, fresh cucumbers, and fresh stalks of celery. Working in conjunction with the sulphur, vegetables that are rich in Vitamin A also aid in keeping collagen levels high. Try adding raw carrots, fresh cantaloupe and baked sweet potatoes to the diet for an extra boost.
Turkey contains a vital skin-friendly protein called carnosine that slows down a process in the skin called cross-linking. When this happens, fibres grow into the collagen of the skin making it stiff and inelastic. This then stops it snapping back when you do things like smile, laugh or frown - and this is what causes smile lines or crows feet. Eat turkey two to three times a week.
Chocolate is really is good for your skin. In studies in Germany, it was found that after drinking a cocoa-packed drink, blood flow to the skin was boosted (meaning it gets higher levels of nutrients and moisture). It also seemed to be more protected against UV damage - the number-one skin ager. Only dark chocolate contains enough antioxidants to have effects, though.
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Type 2 Diabetes - Assess Your Symptoms
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Type 2 Diabetes
Assess Your Symptoms
Type 2 diabetes is a slow-progressing disease, and symptoms aren’t always obvious. You may have had diabetes for years before you received a diagnosis or even noticed any symptoms, such as increased thirst or hunger, frequent urination, or recurring infections. When you have diabetes, you’re at higher risk for certain diseases, so it’s important to pay attention to symptoms of possible complications. Learn how to spot the symptoms of nerve, kidney, and heart damage, and mouth, skin, and hearing conditions before they progress.
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Hindustan Times
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The West turns East
In 1508, the Portuguese arrived. Francisco de Almeida, a nobleman and explorer, sailed into a natural deep harbour and immediately recognised its potential. The
current ruler of the islands – the Shah of Gujarat – was forced to hand power to the Portuguese in 1534. He was later murdered by the new settlers.
built many important landmarks, such as St Andrew’s church in Bandra, and brought with them Catholicism. They named the islands Bom Bahia (good bay).
The physical growth of any town must begin at some specific location. Incredible as it may seem, the contemporary burgeoning city of Bombay can trace its
development to a modest Manor House and surrounding thatched huts built by Garcia da Orta, a physician and botanist. The sheer existence of these structures
possibly made them the starting point of the settlement that was to be Bombay.
1661 would prove to be a crucial date in the history of Mumbai.
'Bombay' island - a gift
The King of Portugal gifted the islands to King Charles II of England when he married the Portuguese
princess, Catherine of Braganza. In 1668, Charles II handed over the islands to the British East India Company “at a farm-rent of ten pounds payable on September 30
in each year,” thus assuring Mumbai’s future as a trading centre. Perhaps as an incentive to future settlers, a clause in the Royal Charter stated that “all persons born
in Bombay were to be accounted natural subjects of England”.
Sir George Oxenden took charge as the first Governor of Bombay and, according to the historian, SM
Edwardes, he “aimed at encouraging trade in all possible directions, encouraging people of all classes to settle on the island and rendering Bombay proof against all
The Company built a customhouse and several fortifications at Mazagaon, Mahim, Sion and Varli equipped with cannons. The main consideration was not conquest
but the promotion of trade and the British considered themselves traders, not rulers, at this stage.
The British realised they needed to create a connection with the
hinterland and that this could only be achieved via the local Indian merchants. Therefore, incentives to settle in Bombay were not restricted to Europeans; clearly both
the Company and the Indian merchants were to have a stake in the future of the town. This situation of two cultures working together to settle a town was unique and
had tangible effects on the way Bombay was eventually organised and segregated.
In 1672, Bombay Castle (the original Portuguese Manor House) was fortified and a town was planned in the vicinity, with a small hospital, court and printing press.
Asia's busiest seaport
Mumbai’s transformation into one of the busiest seaports in Asia began in 1735. Lowjee Nusserwanji, a Parsi foreman from the Company’s shipyard at Surat was
invited to build ships and modernise the shipyard. Trade of cotton, pepper and other goods was extended to the Persian and Arabian Gulfs, Africa, Malaysia and
By the end of the 18th century, the Company altered its policy from trade and administration to conquest and imperialism. Boards were established in the 1780s for
administering marine, military, civic, revenue and trade affairs. A remarkable feature inherent in the growth of the settlement was the residential segregation that took
place on the basis of race, community and caste, with many communities that settled in Bombay establishing their own enclaves.
The most obvious divide was apparent within the boundaries of the walled town, with the east-west line of Churchgate Street conveniently functioning as an intangible
demarcation between the homes of the ‘whites’ and the ‘blacks’. This was not only due to cultural skepticism and racial prejudice on the part of the English, but also
the rigid religious restrictions imposed by the Hindus, who would be considered polluted by social contact with non-Hindus. Both groups, although segregated, were
encompassed by the fortifications that were built and reinforced in the coming years, thus creating a fraternity that co-existed in that state in the founding years of the
By the early 19th century, a new Town Hall was built on Bombay Green, close to the castle. It became a focal point for the city’s commercial and social life. The
Town Hall became the centre of civic debate with public meetings. A dynamic urban identity began to emerge. The creation of the Literary Society of Bombay (later
renamed the Asiatic Society) in 1804 was another example of an enlightened period and the arts flourished in Bombay.
Back to the History Home Page
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Bull and Bear Markets
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Ancestors lost in the crowd?
New to family history research?
Perhaps these articles on our website may help:
Census 1841 - 1911
Birth, Death and Marriage Registration
The London Gazette
Articles on the History of Essex, Researching your Ancestors,
and British History
Bull and Bear Markets
Bear and Bull in Frankfurt, Germany
Photo by Pete at Flickr CC-BY
The origin of these stock market terms.
Bull and Bear Markets refer to trends in a market, particularly the Stock Exchange. Their origin is unknown and open to speculation. But can we identify when the phrases first appeared in print?
Bull Market and Bear Market, as locations, were both found in London and New York in the 17th and 18th centuries, but there is no evidence that either gave rise to the term.
The Oxford English Dictionary cites the use of Bull Market from 1891 and Bear Market from 1903. These can now be antedated by History House with the use of newspaper archives which are now available online.
The earliest reference found is from the Dundee Courier 23 January 1844.
"Our bear market has been very excited for some time past, but there are indications that this article has now reached its maximum price for the present."
The next reference is from the Derby Mercury, 17 May 1848
"as the Market is a Bear market, and stock is scarce."
An earlier version of our research gave this as the first print reference: The Pall Mall Gazette, 12 March 1873, in a report on the day's stock market:
"Home Railway Stocks are a "bear" market and there is a backwardation in Sheffield Stock."
The following month a reference in the same paper to both types of market:
"With two or three exceptions contangoes are now being paid which shows the market to been changed from a "bear" into a "bull" market"
A search on Google Books, Google News archive and other newspaper archives reveals that both phrases were starting to be used in the 1880s in both US and Britain.
One interesting article is from 1885 which appears to show that knowledge of the term was not restricted to just stock market traders. A waiter in hotel in New York when asked why business was slow is said to have replied,
"Oh! That's always the way in a bear market. The bears don't spend no money. But the bulls, they're livers. When the market goes their way they buy big dinners. Why, one of them came in last winter when the market was going up and spent thirteen or fourteen dollars for his lunch! I guess the bears have got dyspepsia, for they can't eat nothing when stocks are going down."
I have no doubt that as further archives come online, the earliest use of these phrases may well be pushed back earlier in time.
Article updated 16/11/2012 moving back the first reference by almost 30 years.
Dundee Courier January 23 1844
Derby Mercury May 17 1848
The Pall Mall Gazette March 12 1873
The Pall Mall Gazette April 28 1873
The Pall Mall Gazette January 28 1885
All papers available on The British Newspaper Archive.
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6,067,206
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Asian History | HistoryOrb.com
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Asia has given rise to great empires and cultures that have simultaneously threatened and enriched their neighbours. As the Qing dynasty, the greatest of all the empires weakend the imperialist powers began to see the region and specifically China as the great prize. The injustices perpetuated in the era gave rise to numerous political struggles for independence, the establishment of communist regimes and in some countries, democratisation.
In the years between 1368 and 1800 China's economy expanded immensely. However steady compounding growth in China's population was the main driver of this growth. Agriculture, industry and trade thus increased in absolute terms but stagnated in relative per capita terms.
The traditional Chinese world order utilised the tribute system to place China at the centre of the civilised world. In exchange for recognising China's superiority, other states were granted permission to trade with China. It was this China centric world order that European ships sailed into in 1517.
Manchuria between the years 1895 and 1914 was under greater foreign control than any other major part of China. Russia and Japan competed fiercely to achieve this control, creating spheres of influence at China's and at each other's expense.
Japan as a have-not country felt the distribution of natural resources in the world was unfair and in Manchuria and China proper saw its opportunity to right the balance. The need for a larger economic base was closely linked with Japanese conceptions of coming wars, the effect of the great depression and a rise in anti-Japanese feeling in China. Japan, while making strides in Manchuria, never met its goal of economic self-sufficiency.
China and North Korea's communist parties came to power at similar times, in nations with a great deal of shared history and culture. While their specific paths to power were very different the form of communism they implemented during their first two decades of rule bared a great resemblance.
Economic development is conducive to democratisation but is not sufficient for its achievement. For while economic growth provides people with the spare time and resources to partake in politics and also creates the demand for it, it does not automatically ensure democratisation takes place.
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Moorland-Spingarn Research Center at Howard University
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The Individual Manuscripts Collection, also known as Omnium Gatherum (OG), is one of our 650 manuscript collections. U.S. slavery is documented in this collection which comprises more than 1,000 items, including letters, diaries, slave documents, broadsides, maps, literary manuscripts, artifacts, speeches and more, on topics so varied, and sometimes so unusual and rare that it has been one of our best-kept secrets. OG is now available on our searchable in-house database, the primary purpose of which is to make single item materials accessible to researchers.
Our collection of Clothing Account Books of the U.S. Colored Troops in the Civil War comprises 429 ledger books, recording the monetary value of clothing and gear allotted to each enlistee. Other information includes name of the enlistee, and place and date of muster. These ledgers are an important source of the history of the African American contribution to the War effort, and have become a good source of genealogical data, among other things. Regiments include the 55th and 54th Massachusetts Volunteers, made famous by the movie “Glory.”
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HPCwire: Ohio Supercomputer Steamlines 400-MPH Electric Car
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Visit additional Tabor Communication Publications
August 09, 2011
The Ohio Supercomputer Center (OSC) is being used to test the new generation of an electric car that has been reported to be capable of reaching speeds upwards of 400 miles per hour.
The team, comprised mostly of engineering students at the Ohio State University’s Center for Automotive Research, has been refining the design, build, and alternative fuel scenarios since 2001, producing a number of experimental vehicles that reach top speed using battery power.
This newest version of the “Buckeye Bullet” which is currently undergoing aerodynamic testing at OSC, could dramatically outpace its competitors, the fastest of which was clicked at just over 300 miles per hour in 2004 and well over 300 mph a few years later.
The current incarnation of the Buckeye Bullet is being redesigned “from the ground up” according to Ohio State University’s project lead, Giorgio Rizzoni.
As Rizzoni went on to note, “Driven by two custom-made electric motors designed and developed by Venturi, and powered by prismatic A123 batteries, the goal of the new vehicle will be to surpass all previous electric vehicle records.”
According to Chief Engineer for the project, OSU mechanical engineering student, Cary Bork, “What sets the new design apart from the previous Buckeye Bullet vehicles is that at these higher speeds it is possible to produce shock waves under the vehicle. Such shock waves under the vehicle negatively affect the vehicle drag and can produce lift. Lift is undesirable in this application. Minimizing or eliminating these shock waves is critical to ensuring the safety and stability of the vehicle.”.
In addition, the student team behind the project hopes to be able to reduce drag on the new vehicle by almost 15%, running several fluid dynamics scenarios at OSC.
Full story at Earthtechling
In a recent solicitation, the NSF laid out needs for furthering its scientific and engineering infrastructure with new tools to go beyond top performance, Having already delivered systems like Stampede and Blue Waters, they're turning an eye to solving data-intensive challenges. We spoke with the agency's Irene Qualters and Barry Schneider about..
Large-scale, worldwide scientific initiatives rely on some cloud-based system to both coordinate efforts and manage computational efforts at peak times that cannot be contained within the combined in-house HPC resources. Last week at Google I/O, Brookhaven National Lab’s Sergey Panitkin discussed the role of the Google Compute Engine in providing computational support to ATLAS, a detector of high-energy particles at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC).
The Xeon Phi coprocessor might be the new kid on the high performance block, but out of all first-rate kickers of the Intel tires, the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC) got the first real jab with its new top ten Stampede system.We talk with the center's Karl Schultz about the challenges of programming for Phi--but more specifically, the optimization...
05/10/2013 | Cleversafe, Cray, DDN, NetApp, & Panasas | From Wall Street to Hollywood, drug discovery to homeland security, companies and organizations of all sizes and stripes are coming face to face with the challenges – and opportunities – afforded by Big Data. Before anyone can utilize these extraordinary data repositories, however, they must first harness and manage their data stores, and do so utilizing technologies that underscore affordability, security, and scalability.
04/15/2013 | Bull | “50% of HPC users say their largest jobs scale to 120 cores or less.” How about yours? Are your codes ready to take advantage of today’s and tomorrow’s ultra-parallel HPC systems? Download this White Paper by Analysts Intersect360 Research to see what Bull and Intel’s Center for Excellence in Parallel Programming can do for your codes.
In this demonstration of SGI DMF ZeroWatt disk solution, Dr. Eng Lim Goh, SGI CTO, discusses a function of SGI DMF software to reduce costs and power consumption in an exascale (Big Data) storage datacenter.
The Cray CS300-AC cluster supercomputer offers energy efficient, air-cooled design based on modular, industry-standard platforms featuring the latest processor and network technologies and a wide range of datacenter cooling requirements.
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BrushUp Newsletter: Summer 2011 - Dental Basics
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There's No Time Like Summer for a Beautiful Smile
Of course you need to be careful and protect your skin from too much summer sun. But still, nothing goes better with healthy summer skin than a bright smile. And a bright smile is usually a sign of good oral health – that is, healthy teeth, gums, and mouth.
Because good dental health and cleanliness, also called hygiene, are important year-round, it's always a good time to review your basic skills.
Plaque: what it is, and why it's the bad guy
First, let's talk about plaque, the main factor in poor oral health and gum disease. The American Dental Association describes plaque as a "sticky film of bacteria" that covers your teeth. When you eat or drink, these bacteria release acids that attack tooth enamel, which is what your teeth are made of. Over time, attacks by this acid can break down tooth enamel. Weak tooth enamel is at risk for holes, also called "cavities." Once a cavity starts, it's like a hole in a shield: bacteria and germs can get into the vulnerable material inside the tooth. From there, it's easy for infection to set in. And infection is what leads to disease, which leads to tooth loss.
When we don't control plaque with daily brushing and cleaning between our teeth, it can harden and become what's called "calculus" or "tartar." When tartar builds up above the gum line, brushing and cleaning between teeth become more difficult. The gums can swell, and may bleed. This condition, "gingivitis," is the early stage of gum disease. And things only get worse from there.
The good news: it's not hard to protect yourself from plaque attacks.
Chances are, you already know what to do. Brush your teeth twice a day, and floss your teeth at least once a day. You can do more things, but these are your first line of defense for beating back plaque.
The ins and outs - and ups and downs and backs and forths - of brushing
The Mayo Clinic offers these tips:
Brush your teeth at least twice a day. Even better, brush after every meal.
Take your time. Make sure you do a good job. Get every corner, including the tops and backs of your teeth. Don't forget your tongue and the roof of your mouth!
Use the right stuff. All you need is fluoride toothpaste and a soft or extra-soft brush that fits easily into your mouth. An electric or battery-powered toothbrush is also good, especially if you have trouble brushing the traditional way.
How to brush: Hold your toothbrush at a 45-degree angle. Then use short back-and-forth strokes to gently brush all surfaces. Don't scrub your teeth too hard! This can lead to sore gums. Harsh brushing can also wear down tooth enamel over time, so it's better to brush more gently for a little longer.
Keep your toothbrush clean. Always rinse it when you're done brushing. Store it "bristles up" to help it dry completely. Don't keep your brush in a closed container. This can lead to bacterial growth.
Replace your brush every 3 - 4 months. When your toothbrush is worn, get a new one. Three or four months seems to be a toothbrush's average life span, but if yours looks "scrubby" before then, it's time to throw it away.
Don't forget to floss
There's nothing like dental floss for the places your toothbrush can't reach. In fact, most dentists say flossing is just as important as brushing. Flossing removes food particles from between teeth and under the gums, which lowers the risk of bacteria or infection. So try to floss at least once a day.
A few tips from the Mayo Clinic:
Use enough floss. Pull out about 18 inches of floss. Wind most of it around the middle finger on one hand. Wind the rest around the middle finger on the other.
Floss one tooth at a time. Use your thumbs and index fingers to gently pull the floss. Starting at your gum line, gently scrape the floss up your teeth to remove plaque and food. Be sure to floss all sides of your tooth. Unwind fresh floss for every tooth or two as you need it.
Waxed floss is easier for tight spaces. If you have trouble getting floss in between your teeth, try waxed floss. Floss holders, picks, and "interdental cleaning sticks" can also make things easier.
Don't give up. Even if seems like hard work at first, flossing can become second nature. And it's so important for a healthy mouth.
You can now buy mouth rinses that are designed to kill germs and strengthen teeth. Since you only have one set of teeth, every little bit helps!
Don't forget the dentist
Regular visits to the dentist are also very important for preventing gum disease and other problems. And because the early signs of some other health problems like diabetes might show up in your mouth, your dentist can also help spot those. The American Dental Association recommends seeing your dentist once or twice a year. And if you notice any of the following changes or problems, call your dentist right away:
- Pain or greater sensitivity to hot and cold
- Loose permanent (adult) teeth
- Tender or swollen gums
- Gums that bleed during brushing or flossing
- Gums pulling away from teeth
- An unusual taste in your mouth tht won't go away
- Chronic bad breath
Nutrition and dental health
The American Dental Association says that what you eat can make a difference to your dental health, too. The three big tips:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Limit snacks between meals
- Avoid drinks with lots of sugar
And, of course, whenever you can, brush your teeth after you eat or drink. If you can't brush, rinsing your mouth with water can still help remove some of the germs that cling to plaque.
Together, all these things will help keep a smile on your face, too. Here's to your health!
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Android and Arduino pair up
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Google has announced an SDK that allows the development of USB peripherals for all Android devices using an Arduino hardware component.
Many news sources are getting this confused with the bigger and more ambitious project that Google has in mind to make Android the universal home control system - Android@Home - but this isn't the case. The new facility solves a much more modest problem but it has the advantage of being with us now.
While other phone manufacturers are doing their best to keep you out of their hardware Google's ADK - Accessory Development Kit - aims at making it easy for you to connect almost anything to an Android. In short it is a way of creating Android hardware peripherals that connect to the device via USB. The ADK works on the latest Android 3.1 and it has been backported to work on Android 2.3.4.
A special Android Open Accessory mode has been introduced which allows the devices to communicate via USB. In this case, however, it is the remote device is the primary device, i.e. the host, and even charges up the Android as if it was an accessory.
Some Android devices are already capable of acting as a host, usually tablets with an additional host USB connector. In this case you can simply connect any standard USB device, a hard disk say or USB stick and use it in the standard way. However, most phones can't act as a host device and can't initiate a USB connection. You can plug them into a PC say and then the PC acts as the host and makes the Android storage available as local storage. It is reasonably safe to say that most Android devices have to have a non-host USB connector, however.
So to be clear, the ADK simply provides a way of creating USB peripherals to those devices that can't act as a host by allowing the peripheral to act as the host and use the Android device as an accessory. When an ADK based peripheral is connected to an Android device it first has to check that the Android can work in the required mode - if not it simply won't connect. So ADK based peripherals are not going to work until a significant number of devices are running Android 2.3.4 or later.
The ADK is based on the assumption that the other device will be based on an Arduino controller, which is also an open source platform and why the pairing of the two makes good sense. As well as software the ADK also has a hardware component that includes a Arduino development board with a USB shield - the only problem is that they sold out almost at once! Using the Arduino as an intermediary it should be relatively straightforward to engineer a connection to any other peripheral you care to think up - data collection device, sensor, GPS, video camera and so on.
The idea that the add-on device is the host is a little strange but there are some situations where having the Android device tethered so that it doesn't run out of battery power over a long period of use might be an advantage.
What people will do with this sort of ability only time will tell - but I can think of a few projects already.
Android Open Accessory Development Kit
There's an Arduino for that!
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BGreek: Re: Questions from Matthew's gospel and semitic languages
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From: Lee R. Martin ([email protected])
Date: Fri Oct 11 1996 - 00:16:21 EDT
> My last question is does anyone know anything about whether or
> not a cognate accusative is a phenomenon borrowed from semitic
> languages? The verse in my mind is Matt. 2:10 ". . . exaphsan xaran.
> . . ." The cognate accusative was indeed part of my training in
> claasical Greek, but I have to admit it is a strange animal, and it
> makes me wonder is such 'strangeness' due to English as my first
> language or a semitism in Greek.
The cognate accusative is very common in Hebrew, because so much of the
vocabulary is developed from the verbal roots, e.g. "sacrifice a
"say a saying," "command a commandment," "pitch with pitch," "brick
(make brick) bricks," "white wash with whitewash," etc. The Greeks did
no borrow the concept, however, it is a linguistic phenomenon that
results from the evolution of
vocabulary in any language. The longer a language exists, and the more
words that are assimilated, the less you will see cognate accusatives.
them in English because we deplore redundancy. The first three Hebrew
above could be used in English, as well as "build a building," "plant a
"straw straw," etc.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.4 : Sat Apr 20 2002 - 15:37:53 EDT
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What is PCP/Medical Home? - Illinois Health Connect
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A medical home is the place you go for healthcare. Your medical home is where all of your records are kept.
You and your family will go to your medical home to see your Primary Care Provider (PCP) when you are sick or due for a checkup.
- All your medical records are kept there in one place.
- Your primary care provider gets to know you well.
- You get better health care because your personal doctor knows all of your health care needs.
- You and your family get the top quality health care you need to stay healthy.
Even if you are healthy and never get sick, it is good to have a medical home.
It is good to have a medical home because you get better healthcare. When you have a medical home, your PCP will get to know you well.
You will feel more comfortable talking to your PCP about your health or any problems or questions you have. That way, you and your family
get the quality healthcare you need to stay healthy. Even if you are healthy and never get sick, it is good to have a medical home.
A Primary Care Provider (PCP) is the family doctor, nurse or other healthcare provider at your medical
home who takes care of you and your family. Your PCP gets to know you well.
Your PCP will:
- Take care of you when you are sick.
- Give your children check-ups and immunizations (shots) to stay well.
- Help you manage diseases and other conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma.
- Refer you to specialists or other healthcare providers when you need to go.
- Answer questions you have about your health care.
- Give you the information you need to stay healthy.
- Work with you to get the health care you need.
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7 Scientific Health Reasons To Use Pomegrante Juice In Green Smoothie Recipes | Incredible Smoothies
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Pomegranates are antioxidant-rich superfruits just waiting to be enjoyed every late-fall and winter. Pomegranate juice has been the subject of many scientific and clinical studies over the years. Preliminary research is showing a lot of promise for this superfood.
You can either blend pomegranate arils and pith in a green smoothie, or use pomegranate juice as a liquid in your smoothie recipes.
Here are seven scientific health reasons to use pomegranates or pomegranate juice in your next green smoothie:
1 – Pomegranates Are Nutritional Superfruits
One cup (250ml) of pomegranate juice provides up to 33% RDA (recommended daily allowance) of vitamin E. You’ll also get all B vitamins (except B12) including folate (13% RDA), vitamin B5 (30% RDA) and vitamin B6 (20% RDA). Pomegranate juice also contains 9% RDA of vitamin A (as beta-carotene) and 10% RDA of vitamin K.
As for minerals, one cup of pomegranate juice provides 1.2 milligrams of iron, 13% RDA of potassium and 19% RDA of copper.
2 – Pomegranate Juice May Support Brain Health
The antioxidants in pomegranate juice may protect the brain against damage from free radicals. The polyphenols in antioxidant-rich fruits like pomegranate have been shown to be neuroprotective. Oxidative stress on the brain has been looked at as a potential cause or contributing factor in the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
A December 2006 study published in the journal Neurobiology of Disease showed that supplementing pomegranate juice in the diets of mice found that not only did they perform better in cognitive tasks (like water mazes), they also had “significantly less amyloid deposition in the hippocampus”. Amyloid plaque is generally associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
3 – Pomegranate & Prostate Cancer
Naturally occurring ellagitannins in pomegranates produce urolithins when digested. Scientists think that these urolithins may fight prostate cancer, or at least provide some benefit to prostate cancer patients. A team of researches presented their findings in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry after discovering that urolithins slowed down prostate tumor growth in mice that consumed pomegranate juice.
Human studies have shown similar results. A 2006 study published in Clinical Cancer Research found that prostate cancer patients who drank eight ounces of pomegranate juice daily had a slower progression of prostate cancer. They found that mean PSA (prostate-specific antigen) doubling time significantly increased with treatment. Prior to the study, the average doubling time of PSA in human test subjects was 15 months, and it increased to 54 months at the end of the study.
Elevated PSA levels are typically associated with prostate cancer. The amount of time it takes for PSA levels to double indicates how fast the disease is progressing.
4 – Pomegranate & Breast Cancer
The ellagitannins in pomegranates have shown promising potential in prostate cancer in men, but women with breast cancer may also benefit from the phytochemicals in this fruit.
A study published in Cancer Prevention Research found that urolithins (produced from ellagitannins) inhibited the growth of estrogen-responsive breast cancer cells. While this was an “in vitro” study, meaning that the compounds from pomegranate were applied to breast cancer cells outside of the body, there will likely be future studies looking into the link between eating pomegranates, or drinking its juice, and its effects on breast cancer.
5 – May Protect Against Colon Cancer
Colon cancer is another condition that that may benefit from pomegranate ellagitannins. According to a 2010 article published in the American Chemical Society journal, ellagitannins in pomegranates may inhibit cancer cell proliferation in the colon.
6 – May Help Men With Erectile Dysfunction
A 2007 study published in the International Journal of Impotence Research showed a link between the consumption of commercial pomegranate juice and an improvement in mild to moderate erectile dysfunction. According to the article, pomegranate juice “enhances endothelial nitric oxide levels and directly impacts atherosclerotic changes associated with erectile dysfunction”.
Of the 53 men between the ages of 21 and 70 that completed the study, 42 reported improvement in their erectile function. Of the 42, 25 reported improvement after drinking the pomegranate juice. While this study is not “statistically significant”, it offers a tantalizing direction for further study in treating mild to moderate ED with pomegranate juice supplementation.
7 – May Lower Blood Pressure & Promote Cardiovascular Health
A 2001 study published in the journal Athlerosclerosis showed a 5% reduction in systollic blood pressure as well as a 36% decrease in serum ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) levels after ingestion of pomegranate juice. According to the researchers, pomegranate juice “can offer a wide protection against cardiovascular diseases which could be related to its inhibitory effect on oxidative stress and on serum ACE activity”.
A small study published in the August 2006 issue of Athlerosclerosis investigated the effects of pomegranate juice consumption in patients with type 2 diabetes. The researchers concluded that pomegranate juice consumption “by diabetic patients did not worsen the diabetic parameters, but rather resulted in anti-oxidative effects on serum and macrophages, which could contribute to attenuation of atherosclerosis development in these patients”.
And yet another study of pomegranate juice supplementation among patients with kidney failure who were on dialysis found that regular consumption of pomegranate juice may provide some protective effect against cardiovascular complications that may result from the disease.
Get Your Pomegranate On
Pomegranate is a powerful fruit and one that you should definitely use in your green smoothies this winter. For more recipes and information, visit the pomegranate smoothie writeup on Incredible Smoothies.
Tags: Alzheimer's disease, athlerosclerosis, brain health, breast cancer, cardiovascular, erectile dysfunction, green smoothie, Health Benefits, kidney, Nutrition, pomegranate, pomegranate juice, prostate cancer, vitamin e
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In Vitro Culture Methods of Skin Cells for Optimal Skin Reconstruction by Tissue Engineering | InTec
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Replacement of a wounded or destroyed tissue is now technically possible using an in vitro method of tissue engineering. This method involves isolating and culturing human cells (autologous or not) in optimal conditions to form a reconstructed tissue with similar characteristics to its in vivo counterpart. Burn victims were the first patients to benefit from this method in 1981, wherein reconstituted human epidermal tissues were used to treat the burns (O'Connor et al., 1981). The pioneered technique comprises epidermal cell isolation, culturing and grafting as a unique layer of cells organized in a sheet. The differentiation of the cells into a pluristratified epidermis is performed in vivo after grafting.
Numerous improvements, most notably the addition of a dermal part in skin tissue reconstruction have been made since the technique’s inception. However, the dermis is more difficult to reconstitute because of the complexity of its organization. Briefly, the dermis is a mix of matrix and cells, which are primarily fibroblasts. Moreover, the dermis is also composed of several structures such as the epidermal annexes (e.g., hair and sebaceous and sweat glands) and a network of capillaries. Several others cells like lymphocytes, or neurons are also more difficult to add on dermis despite their crucial roles in acquiring all the functions of the skin. Furthermore, the third part of the skin, the hypodermis is vital in vivo and addition of this tissue will increase the function of the grafted skin.
In classical cutaneous grafting with split- or full-thickness skin, the amount of dermis that is grafted to a wound bed inversely correlates with the degree of scarring and wound contracture which impacts the functional and cosmetic outcome (Bombaro et al., 2003). Similarly, dermal cells have been fundamental in the efficacy and quality of cultured keratinocyte grafts (Moulin et al., 2000) (El Ghalbzouri et al., 2002) (Kirfel and Herzog, 2004; Gallant-Behm et al., 2011) (Robert et al., 1997).
Currently clinics widely use dermis that is constituted of matrix and fibroblasts. The methods used to obtain cultured living dermis, which can be grouped into three different categories (Table 1) represent the three main methods of tissue engineering. These categories are based on the materials used to originate the matrix, such as biomaterials, biological materials and dermal fibroblasts. Biomaterials are materials that are not present in skin but that are compatible with cells. Biological materials such as collagens are primarily derived from non-human sources. Lastly, the matrix may be created by human dermal fibroblasts themselves during culture. We refer to this last method as the “self-assembly method” in our lab. The cell source is primarily allogeneic, which allows for a high quantity production of tissues with a quick delay before grafting. Using this method, the cells are available to stimulate healing and are replaced by the patient’s cells with time. In a few cases (Hyalograft 3DTM or “LOEX” skin), cells are isolated directly from the patient’s skin. Using the approach, reconstituted tissues comprise a true graft and do not disappear with time. However, this method is time consuming and costly.
2. Fibroblast functionality
While simplified dermis comprised of matrix and fibroblasts are presently used to treat patients, several improvements in this tissue reconstruction method are necessary to obtain a skin with better functional acceptability.
The capacity of the skin fibroblasts to grow, remodel the matrix, secrete and degrade proteins, and produce numerous growth factors or cytokines is crucial for the regulation of the tissue structure and its cellular microenvironment. During reconstitution of dermal substitutes, the cells must retain their capacity to regulate their environment. Several parameters must be monitored to ensure proper fibroblast functions in growth capacity, matrix deposition and remodeling or differentiation state maintenance, all of which are inherent to these cells in normal human skin. There is a paucity of published studies dedicated to the analysis of the cell phenotype changes in vitro versus in vivo. This phenotype can change depending on several parameters, such as the cell duration of the cell culture (Endt et al., 2011), the location of the skin biopsies (Chang et al., 2002) and the age of the donor (Dumas et al., 1994). However, these results are highly controversial due to a lack of reproductibility by other groups (Ng et al., 2009) (Falanga et al., 1991).
2.1. Cell passage number
The replicative potential of a human cell population must be considered when those cells are used to reconstruct an engineered tissue. Indeed, because the replicative potential of most cells is limited, tissues reconstructed from cells at lower passage yield tissues of better quality. However, using cells promptly after their isolation and limited expansion is not always possible due to the requirement for several passages to obtain the quantity of cells needed. Therefore, knowing the cell passage range that yields the optimal results when using fibroblasts in tissue reconstruction is important.
We studied three fibroblast populations isolated from human skin biopsies at different times of culture, which were assigned by passage number. Fibroblasts were isolated using a collagenase solution (Rompré et al., 1990) and cultured with DME+10% fetal calf serum. When cells reached confluency, they were trypzinized and seeded until they reached the twelfth passage. Population doubling times, which were indicative of the cell growth capacity, the diameter of the cells, and the contractile capacity were evaluated from the first passage until the 12th passage.
Doubling times were calculated using the following formula: DT = ln2* t / (ln C1-ln C0), where t is the culture duration, C1 is the number of cells at the end of the culture and C0 is the number of seeded cells. Doubling times of three cell populations isolated from human skin biopsies were studied, and no statistical difference was detected from Passage 1 to 12 (Figure 1A). This is in agreement with results reported by Endt et al. (2011), wherein analysis of only one fibroblast population did not reveal any doubling time differences before the 15th passage. The cell diameter variation has also been investigated (Figure 1B) as a marker of a cell phenotype modification. This parameter remained constant with time (17 µm± 0.83) and lacked any apparent modifications.
Cell senescence has been shown to increase with time and has been detected in fibroblasts from the 30th passage (Endt et al., 2011). However, a higher sensitivity to apoptosis is also indicative of cellular aging. We monitored the apoptotic rate of cells using propidium iodide incorporation (Moulin et al., 2004) in the presence of 10% FBS, an additive that induces cell growth. A very low rate of apoptotic cells can be detected (<4%) at all passages and cell populations (Figure 2A). When FBS was removed from the culture medium, the absence of a growth factor induced a slight increase in apoptosis (<4%) during the initial passages. However, passages 10 and 12 exhibited a marked increase in the apoptotic rate, which is indicative of a change in the cell’s response to apoptotic stimuli (Figure 2B).
The contractile capacity of cells has been studied to evaluate one of their function during healing (Finesmith et al., 1990; Delvoye et al., 1991). Cells were seeded into a collagen gel according to Moulin et al. (1998), and the gel diameter was evaluated daily (Figure 3). Differences in the gel contraction speed, which reflects the contractile capacity of the cells, were not observed when cells were cultured from passages 3 to 12.
In summary, fibroblasts isolated from the dermis can be cultured without any major changes for at least 8 passages. After this time, the occurrence of several minor stresses, such as a transient lack of nutrients, can interfere with the phenotype of the cells and, thus, their response to stress in vivo. After grafting, cells placed in an engineered, reconstructed tissue must respond to several stresses, such as an absence of nutrients before revascularization, trauma, or infection, for the entirety of the patient’s life. Thus, cells must be as similar to the original cells as possible. For a skin graft, sub-culturing of fibroblasts for 8 passages, corresponding to at least 25 doubling populations where one isolated cell will generate 8.4 million cells, permits the accumulation of enough cells to reconstruct a large surface area of the dermis.
2.2. Age and sex of the donor
For autologous grafting, the age of the donor should not change. However, many tissue-engineered derma are produced using allogeneic cells. Therefore, the age of the donors’ cells is a valuable parameter to estimate. We have calculated the doubling times for 17 different cell populations isolated from the human dermis at passage 5. Biopsies were taken from 20- to 64-year-old donors. Variations in the doubling time were not detected with donor age. In our experimental conditions, the doubling time mean of the fibroblasts was 47.2 ± 7.5 hours (Figure 4).
A comparison of cell populations from female and male donors of similar age and biopsy location did not reveal a statistically different doubling time (Student’s t-test, p=0.63, N=3 for each category) (data not shown).
2.3. Location of the biopsy
The importance of the location of the biopsy at the origin of the fibroblasts in modulating in vitro cellular phenotypes has been addressed with mixed results (Chang et al., 2002; Chipev and Simon, 2002; Falanga et al., 1991). We did not find a statistical difference in the doubling time of fibroblasts from different biopsy locations, including the forearm, scalp, abdomen, and breast (Figure 5).
One of the most important properties of fibroblasts is to secrete extracellular matrix to create the dermis. To evaluate this parameter, we used the self-assembly approach developed at the LOEX (Michel et al., 1999). Fibroblasts that are cultured for 4 weeks in the presence of ascorbate secrete and remodel extracellular proteins, a measure of the matrix remodeling capacity of the cells (Bellemare et al., 2005). A statistical difference in the thickness of the reconstructed dermis was observed for the various biopsy locations tested. When cells were isolated from the scalp or abdomen, the dermis was thicker than when fibroblasts were isolated from the breast or forearm (Figure 6). However, the thickness of the dermis was not dependent on the age of the patient (data not shown). Because the biopsy site may dictate the quality of the reconstructed dermis and, thus, the viability of its graft, the need for accurately choosing the biopsy site from which to collect cells to reconstruct a tissue is crucial.
3. Capillary network
The graft of thick tissues is always a challenge due to the absence of a capillary network, which impedes nourishment of the tissue during the first days after grafting. Malnourishment is often responsible for the increase in the percentage of rejected grafts observed with these types of tissues. Different approaches are currently used to improve skin substitute vascularization before or after transplantation. The addition of growth factors, including VEGF and FGF2, via absorption or incorporation into scaffolds has been shown to trigger a localized and sustained delivery that promotes vascularization (Bouhadir and Mooney, 2001). Transplanted cells can also be genetically modified to produce angiogenic proteins that promote better and faster vascularization (Supp et al., 2000). Forming a capillary network into the tissues before grafting has been reported as an effective method to bypass this problem. Of several described techniques, seeding endothelial cells in biomaterial or on a dermal sheet that is then superimposed has been used most often (Black et al., 1998).
3.1. Isolation of human capillary endothelial cells
The isolation of the needed capillary cells can be performed from the same small tissue biopsy (less than 1cm2) used to isolate the keratinocytes and the fibroblasts, that allows for the reconstitution of an autologous skin with a differentiated epithelium and a vascularized dermis.
The skin biopsy was cut into 0.5 cm2 pieces and transferred into a thermolysin solution (500µg/ml) in HEPES buffer (Germain et al., 1993) then incubated at 4oC overnight. The epidermis was gently peeled from the dermis with forceps and constantly agitated in a trypsin/EDTA (Valeant Canada Limited) solution for 15 min. The epidermal cells were centrifuged, and plated in the presence of irradiated 3T3 feeder layer cells as previously described (Moulin et al., 2000).
The capillaries were extruded by pressing the dermal layer and were plated on gelatin-coated tissue culture flasks with EGM-2 medium (Cambrex Bio Science Baltimore, Inc., Baltimore, MD). After 24h, the medium was replaced to eliminate non-adherent cells and the cells were cultured for one week. The cells were removed from the culture flask by trypsin/EDTA and processed with CD31 antibody-coupled magnetic bead (Dynabeads, Invitrogen) for 30 min, allowing for further purification of the cells (Richard et al., 1998). Immunostaining was performed to validate the presence of the von Willebrand factor, a specific marker of endothelial cells, in the whole population (Figure 7). After the extrusion of the capillaries, the dermis was incubated in a collagenase H (0.125U/ml) solution for 4-5 hours at 37°C then plated and cultured as in (Moulin et al., 2001).
3.2. Reconstruction of a tissue-engineered endothelialized skin
The self-assembly approach is a tissue engineering method based on the in vitro production of mesenchymal sheets devoid of biomaterial or exogenous matrix proteins that were previously described for the production of human skin and blood vessels (L'Heureux et al., 1998; Michel et al., 1999). Dermal fibroblasts are cultured on petri dishes with the fibroblast medium supplemented with ascorbic acid (50µg/ml). Cells secrete and remodel matrix that form a manipulable sheet after 4 weeks. Endothelial cells are then seeded on the sheet and cultured for an additional week in EGM-2 medium with ascorbic acid. Two of these sheets are then superimposed to form an endothelialized tissue-engineered dermal substitute. Subsequently, keratinocytes can then be added onto the dermis to form an epidermis after differentiation at the air-liquid interface (Rochon et al., 2010) (Figure 8).
We have evaluated the formation of the capillary structure with time after endothelial cell seeding on dermal sheets and we observed an increase of capillary like structure over time. The formation was evaluated using CD31, a protein that localizes to junctions between endothelial cells. The formation of capillary-like structures reached a maximum at 21 days and remained stable until at least day 28 (Figures 9 and 10).
This endothelialized tissue-engineered skin has been grafted onto mice. Complete re-vascularization of non-vascularized skin substitutes usually takes 14 days. Authors have demonstrate that endothelial network inosculates with the host’s own vascular system within 4 days allowing to a quick revascularization of the tissue (Gibot et al., 2010). Furthermore, an active invasion of the dermis by the sprouting of host capillaries from the wound bed has been detected. The authors conclude that the microvascular network constructed in vitro is an interesting method to quickly vascularize a thick tissue. This finding will facilitate the graft take of thick engineered-tissues that, currently, die due to a lack of oxygen and nutriments.
4. Other possible improvements
The skin is a complex organ that cannot be pared down to a bilayer tissue comprised simply of an epidermis and a dermis. The third part of the skin, the hypodermis, is often ignored; however, it is crucial in controlling the temperature and nutriment storage, as well as secreting important hormones such as leptin that are important during healing (Frank et al., 2000). The addition of this skin moiety to a tissue-engineered reconstructed skin should increase the functions of the grafted skin. Researchers can now reconstruct an autologous hypodermis using human adipose-derived stem/stromal cells and incorporate it to a reconstructed skin (Trottier et al., 2008).
The absence of sebaceous and sweat glands in the reconstructed tissue is a recurrent problem for patients with large burn areas that have been grafted with tissue-engineered skin. This absence induces important thermoregulation problems and causes a dry skin that needs to be constantly moisturized. The addition of these glands to a tissue-engineered skin is not trivial but recent results offer promise (Huang et al., 2010).
Hair follicle regeneration was thought to be impossible during adult life. Wound stimulus and wnt pathway activation have been recently shown to trigger de novo hair follicle formation from epidermal stem cells (Ito et al., 2007). This observation suggests that tissue-engineered skin with normal hair follicles is plausible.
If added, these complex skin structures can improve the functionality of the tissue. Furthermore, several other cell populations have also been added such as melanocytes, improving UV protection of the skin (Scuderi et al., 2008); Langerhans and dendritic cells, immunological cells present in the skin (Bechetoille et al., 2007) or nerves to improve skin sensation (Blais et al., 2009). These additions, if possible in laboratories for experiments, have now to be added in tissue-engineered skin for routine use as human skin replacement on patient.
The possibilities of the tissue engineering method are wide and an increase in the functionality of the grafted tissues will enhance their use. The skin has been the first tissue to be reconstructed and used in clinics to cure patients including large burn victims and for ulcer therapy. Techniques that have been developed for the skin reconstitution are currently used to reconstitute other tissues with more complex structures. However, numerous improvements are needed before obtaining an identical tissue.
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what is the composition of porcelain dental crowns? | Intelligent Dental
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A dental crown is prostheses that replicates the features of a tooth that it is replacing, and will be fixed onto the tooth after the tooth it is replacing has been cut down. There are a few ways to classify a dental crown, and if it is classified according to its composition, there are three types: porcelain crown, porcelain fused metal (PFM) crown, and metal crown.
What is porcelain?
Porcelain, or also known as fused ceramics, is ceramics added with extra materials such as silica and feldspar for translucency and extra strength. Ceramic is mainly made from clay, and is opaque, relatively weak, and porous, which makes it unsuitable for dental applications. Fused ceramics has long been used in the art field because of its ability to be produced in any shade desired, and also its translucent effect unlike other materials. Therefore, it is not surprising that dentistry has turned to porcelain for construction of bridges, crowns, onlays, and much more.
What is the composition of porcelain?
There are two types of porcelain used in dentistry – high-fusing dental, and low-fusing dental, with low-fusing dental being used more often. High fusing dental porcelain fuses around 13000C to 14000C, while low fusing dental porcelain fuses around 8500C to 11000C.
The contents of high fusing dental porcelain are as below:
While the contents of low fusing dental porcelain are as below:
Clay is also known as kaolin, which is a hydrated aluminosilicate, while feldspar is a mixture of potassium and sodium aluminosilicate. Feldspar acts as a flux or a binder and is the lowest fusing component. Because of this, it melts and flows during firing, uniting other components into a single solid mass. The fusion temperature of feldspar may be even further lowered by adding other low fusing fluxes such as borax.
The given components of porcelain are the general guidelines for dental prostheses construction. However, there is a trend presently to decrease the proportions of clay, while increasing the feldspar content to improve the translucency. But to achieve this, highly controlled firing times and temperatures are needed.
The powders supplied to the technicians or the dentists are not just a combination of the various components as listed above. The components are first mixed together, and then fused together to form a frit. The frit is then broken up by dropping it while it is hot into cold water, and then grounding it into fine powder. During the fusion process, the flux will react with the outer layers of kaolin, silica and glass, partially combining them together. When the technician or the dentist fuses the porcelain powder, the flux is simply being remelt without causing any significant reaction between the flux and the other components.
Metal oxides are often added into porcelain powders as pigments for them to be tooth coloured, as metal oxides are stable during fusion temperature. This gives porcelain an advantage over other materials as they can match the shade of the adjacent tooth closely and gives a realistic appearance.
Some feldspathic porcelain are supplied as opalescent porcelains, which contains small amounts of metallic oxides. These metallic oxides have high refractive index and particle size near to that of the wavelength of light, therefore, they can give out a light scattering effect. This mimics the natural teeth, which is also display some degree of opalescence, and further improves the aesthetics of the fabricated prostheses. Uranium used to be added into porcelain powders to stimulate tooth fluorescence as seen in natural teeth. It is discontinued now because of its obvious hazard to health and also it gives an unnatural appearance and it is unnecessary.
After the prostheses has been fabricated, a smooth surface can be achieved by glazing it with a low fusing, transparent glass. This also gives the prostheses a more translucent appearance, making it more aesthetically superior. Another method of obtaining a smooth surface finish is by carefully controlling the furnace temperature. The surface of the normal porcelain will flow and glaze with only a slight rounding of the contours of the prostheses. However, the disadvantage of this method is that any overheating will cause gross distortions to the prostheses, rendering it useless.
Porcelain is undeniably a very useful and suitable material for the time being to fabricate dental prostheses because of its ability to mimic natural tooth. However, it is brittle and prone to fracture when submitted to occlusal loads repeatedly. Therefore, there has been various methods to strengthen porcelain, such as adding aluminum into porcelain to produce aluminous porcelain and sintered alumina core ceramics.
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One Million Dots! | The Interactive Mathematics Classroom
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- Queensland Maths
- File Types
Page 1 of this flipchart contains 10,000 dots - 10 rows of 10 squares, where each square consists of 10 rows of 10 dots. 10 x 10 x 10 x 10 = 10,000.
On page 2, I shrank the big square of dots on page 1, and then made a square that consists of 10 rows, each containing 10 of these squares, or 100 squares altogether. 10,000 x 100 = 1,000,000! So this page actually contains 1 million dots.
If you use the ActivStudio zoom tool, you can zoom in enough to see the original dots. Interesting side note - the file is only 10.02 KB.
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The Truth About Software Piracy in Developing Nations - Taimoor Zubair - Internet Evolution
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Software piracy in developing countries is a serious issue. According to a report from the Business Software Alliance trade group, the value of software pirated across the globe in 2010 was $59 billion. Out of this, the value of pirated software used in emerging markets was over $31.9 billion.
While more than half of all the PC shipments in the world were made to emerging markets in 2010, the share of emerging markets in global PC software sales was merely 19 percent. The average piracy rate among the developing countries was 69 percent as compared to 26 percent in developed economies.
Many experts believe that the problem of piracy exists because laws related to protecting intellectual property are not enforced properly in the developing nations. According to the World Trade Organization's Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, governments have to fulfill their obligations by implementing laws and regulations that prevent infringement of intellectual property rights.
Let's look at the problem in a different dimension. For a start, consider the following statistics related to various countries in both the developed and emerging categories:
From the stats, it's evident that income levels have a direct impact on piracy rates. The low-income level in some of the developing countries is the foremost reason for high piracy rates. Hence, in the case of these emerging economies, the issue to target is the affordability of the software, as opposed to implementation and enforcement of piracy laws.
Assuming piracy laws are made stricter in developing countries and enforcement is improved, the situation is likely to get worse. IT is one of the most booming sectors in some of the developing countries, and software plays a key role in the development of the economy. With laws against piracy, many small businesses (that cannot afford licensed software) will be deprived of valuable applications that they use in everyday business. Students are also likely to suffer as they lose access to valuable educational programs and resources.
It's unlikely that software companies will gain anything out of enforcing piracy laws in developing countries. In fact, by depriving small businesses of growth opportunities, they are losing out on potential customers. If small businesses grow into large organizations, they are more likely to purchase licensed software for use.
Book publishers realized long ago that it would be a great challenge to cut down on piracy in the developing economies. They came up with the idea of "low-priced editions" specifically for developing countries. These books were printed on low-quality recycled paper and were bound in paperback.
A similar solution is needed in the software industry. Software companies should start shipping low-priced, stripped-down versions of original software to developing countries. The low-priced versions can have all necessary features of the original packages, but with certain missing options. Microsoft has been following a similar strategy by rolling out free "Express" editions of their development tools, but this is yet to be implemented for commonly used products such as Windows or Office.
A lot of other software companies need to step up and follow this approach to cut down on piracy globally.
— Taimoor Zubair works as a software engineer at a leading BPO solutions company in Pakistan.
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IRIN Latin America and Caribbean | GLOBAL: WHO move boosts fight against fatal diarrhoea | Afghanis
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GLOBAL: WHO move boosts fight against fatal diarrhoea
A young diarrhoea patient in a Dhaka hospital (file photo)
DAKAR, 9 June 2009 (IRIN) - The World Health Organization has paved the way for children in Africa and Asia to be vaccinated against a diarrhoea-causing virus that kills some 500,000 children annually worldwide – 85 percent of them in African and Asian developing countries.
WHO has recommended that the vaccine for rotavirus – the leading cause of severe and often fatal diarrhoea and dehydration in under-five children – be included in national immunization programmes worldwide.
As of 2007 the organization had said more research was needed on the vaccine’s efficacy in developing countries with high child mortality; new data from clinical trials has led WHO to recommend global use of the vaccine, according to a 5 June communiqué.
The decision means poor countries in Asia and Africa can now apply for funding to include rotavirus vaccines in their national immunization programmes.
“This [vaccine] will significantly reduce mortality and morbidity of rotavirus disease,” Samba Ousmane Sow, associate professor of medicine at University of Maryland and coordinator of the Centre for Vaccine Development in Mali, told IRIN.
“For rotavirus, as with many infectious diseases, mortality is often a question of geography,” he said. “For the many people in rural Africa who cannot easily access medical care, the best and most practical solution [against this lethal illness] is to bring the vaccine to them.”
A child with rotavirus disease – which causes fever, vomiting and diarrhoea – can rapidly become dehydrated. Death from rotavirus is most common where there is no quick access to medical care, so vaccination is the most effective way to prevent severe cases and deaths, experts say.
Transmitted primarily by the faecal-oral route, the virus affects the vast majority of children globally before age three, according to WHO. The virus attacks the villi – tiny projections on the wall of the small intestine. Destruction of the affected cells reduces digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in diarrhoea with a loss of fluids.
The virus is resilient and traditional hygiene measures that might prevent other sanitation-related illnesses are not sufficient to limit its impact, according to PATH
, an international health non-profit and one of the organizations conducting vaccine trials with WHO and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI
|For rotavirus, as with many infectious diseases, mortality is often a question of geography
But given that there are many causes of diarrhoeal disease, the rotavirus vaccine must be part of a comprehensive control strategy, including improving water quality, hygiene and sanitation and providing oral rehydration solution and zinc supplements, WHO says in its communiqué.
"This [oral] vaccine, coupled with improvement of sanitation and hygiene, can shrink the gamut of diarrhoeal diseases within a population," George Armah, professor and rotavirus expert at Ghana's Noguchi Memorial Insitute for Medical Research, told IRIN in the Senegalese capital Dakar, where he was attending a meeting of the West Africa rotavirus advisory group.
"But we know that hygiene alone does not eliminate the rotavirus, hence the urgent need for this vaccine."
Armah noted that now governments will have to prepare an investment plan for including rotavirus vaccine in their immunization programmes. The GAVI Alliance uses a co-financing
approach, in which countries procure some vaccines with non-GAVI funds; the intention is for countries to gradually increase their share of vaccines' cost, making immunization programmes sustainable.
The GAVI Alliance board is expected to decide at its November 2009 meeting whether all 72 GAVI-eligible countries will now become eligible to apply for funding to include the rotavirus vaccine in their immunization programmes, GAVI’s Ariane Leroy told IRIN.
Clinical trials of the vaccine are ongoing in Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, but WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts has recommended the vaccine for all populations given available evidence, WHO says.
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Urban Villages
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TECHNIQUES OF URBAN SUSTAINABILITY
BY JEFF KENWORTHY
Photos by JEFF KENWORTHY
Characteristics of urban
The key characteristics of urban villages
In order for urban development to achieve the urban village qualities outlined in Box 1, increased densities are essential. However, increasing densities is a major problem in low density cities because of perceived threats to the existing quality of life in suburbs. It is important therefore to discuss the density issue in some detail and to see how it might be approached more positively in cities.
There are increasing numbers of architects and planners who say positive things about density eg David Sucher (1995) in 'City Comforts: How to Build an Urban Village' says:
'...density is simply a by-product of people trying to be at the same interesting spot' (p171).
However, the reaction to higher density housing, the most basic requirement of an urban village, is often because it is seen by local communities as a way of imposing poor quality flats onto low density residential areas in an ad hoc attempt at better utilising vacant, derelict or underutilised urban land, without any thought to the effect on surrounding single family housing. There are of course many examples of poorly conceived development of this type which justify people's fears, but there are also very many fine examples of high quality reurbanisation projects which put such fears and objections to rest. The difference is usually based on whether design guidelines are utilised that insist on developments being aesthetically consistent with the surrounding areas and having attractive, friendly street frontages rather than just garages and high walls.
The approach taken by us however, is that the positive qualities of density (and mixed land use), such as reduced travel and better transit options, are less likely to occur, or to be as effective in magnitude, unless development is designed to bring transportation and land use together in a very coordinated and consciously planned way. That is, to build Transit City or Walking City characteristics planners need to do a lot better than just scattering increases in density across a cityscape.
Town planning and the development industry need to work together to find centres and corridors to define as urban villages throughout the modern car-based cities we have constructed. Already a lot of reurbanisation has occurred in Australian inner cities and the focus could perhaps now shift to middle and outer suburb locations for such nodes and corridors. In US cities urban villages are needed across all parts of their cities, especially in abandoned inner city locations. All Auto Cities need to ensure that transit systems are built to the centre of each village. And they need to allow all the creative human forces of urban citizens who want to live, work and walk in these urban villages, to be channelled into the rebuilding of a human scale where density and mixed use are desired qualities.
Many cities, such as Vancouver, are finding that this approach of selective, nodal densification also helps to gain community acceptance of higher densities, because it focuses redevelopment at a number of confined points and along corridors, rather than spreading its effects across the entire landscape. The land that is redeveloped in this way also often needs upgrading (eg derelict industrial sites), such that the redevelopment, if well-designed, can be seen as a positive contribution to the local area (Gallin, 1996).
PHOTO 1 Nodal urban village development at Joyce Station on Vancouver's Skytrain line.
The urban village is primarily human in scale because walking (or cycling) is the best way to get anywhere. Car use obviously has to be restricted in such environments through pedestrianization, parking controls and traffic calming, and it is critical to link urban villages together, preferably with electric transit, in order for people to gain access to those needs that cannot be met at a local level. However, the hardest battle in Anglo-Saxon cities seems to be over density where often the smallest dual occupancy proposals are feared.
There are valid and invalid reasons why people fear density, as alluded to above. The valid reasons are that many cities in the developed world haven't done much good, organic, high density design - the 60's flats in many North American and Australian cities are about as organic and attractive as plastic flowers, and some of course, mainly big public high rise housing projects in the US, have been so bad they have been torn down. But there are, as suggested above, also some wonderful examples of good, high density to be found in these cities which can be a guide for the future.
For example, in Canada, the West End of Vancouver and so many parts of Toronto and Montreal are living examples of organic, high density, walking environments. In the US, the Brooklyn 'brownstones' and the San Francisco 'painted ladies' are testament to high density elegance, human scale and urbanity. In Australia, there are Fremantle and Subiaco (in Perth), much of inner Melbourne and Balmain, Glebe and Paddington (in Sydney), which show that we once knew how to live graciously and efficiently in cities at much higher densities. New development that uses the qualities of these areas are generally the ones that are successful economically and have community support. There are often government programs seeking to do just that (eg the Australian Federal Government's Better Cities program of urban villages).
PHOT0 2 A human scale streetscape in Vancouver's West End, the densest neighbourhood outside of Manhattan.
The invalid reasons for fearing density are those outlined above that suggest it is something inherently evil or alien to the human spirit. One part of the nineteenth century town planning movement (primarily in England) identified all the environmental and social ills of industrial cities as being associated with density. They thus put all their effort into designing new low density 'garden suburbs' and low density New Towns, which were in fact not in keeping with Ebenezer Howard's original Garden City vision. They gained some positive environmental features such as the green 'commons' and the original garden suburbs in London were close to railway stations and somewhat denser than their more automobile-based descendants. However what they lost was the human scale, as too little remained accessible by walking.
Drawing its basic inspiration from the original garden city movement, Milton Keynes outside of London is typical of the later, car-based totally planned 'garden city' New Town with low density, strictly zoned, urban parts that are set in a sea of heavily-watered, grassed open space. The result is a town where few people ever seem to be visible, the carefully designed walkways and cycle paths are almost unused, whilst the roads and car parks are full. Milton Keynes has been studied in comparison with a Dutch New Town called Almere, typical of a European tradition of building at a density that enables walking and cycling to be the central transportation function (Roberts, 1992). The data are compared in Table 1.
|Walk||18% }24%||20%} 48%|
|Average Travel Distance||7.2 km||6.9 km (much less for non-work)|
|Form||'scattered', separated use.||'organic', mixed use.|
|Proportion who see a car as 'essential'||70%||50%|
|% Households with children under 12 years who are always supervised outside home||52%||16%|
|% of children under 12 who are never supervised outside home||8%||48%|
Table 1. Comparison
of two small New Towns, Milton Keynes (UK) and
Almere (Netherlands), in travel and land use characteristics
Source: Roberts (1991)
Although both cities are claimed to be influenced by the Garden City tradition, only Almere has anything like the density recommended by Ebenezer Howard 100 years ago. The British Town Planning profession (after Howard) believed they could have a green city without the higher densities needed for convenient pedestrian qualities - they were wrong and the differences in Table 1 show it quite clearly. The rather sad differences in the freedom of children are particularly marked.
The 'nothing gained by overcrowding'/abhorrence of density tradition was exported to all Anglo-Saxon cities by the Town Planning profession (King, 1978). It is rarely questioned, even though the evidence of problems associated with density has been shown to be false (see myths Case Study and Newman and Hogan, 1981).
Canberra, as suggested earlier in this discussion, is Australia's greatest contribution to the 'nothing gained by overcrowding' tradition. The city is very green in the mechanistic, formal sense, as it has a high amount of green space, but a large part of it is along and between its extensive road network and so is not particularly usable on a casual basis. The density of the city at 9 people per hectare is about as low as it is possible to build a settlement and still call it a city. As a result, it is Australia's second most car-dependent city (behind Perth), despite its smallness (300,000 people compared to 1.2 million) and heavy commitment to the planning of ostensibly self-sufficient sub-centers and neighbourhoods (Newman and Kenworthy, 1989; 1991). Its suburban sprawl now extends over 30 km and its need for new freeways is as endemic as in Los Angeles.
Tranter (1993) found that children in Canberra were largely unable to move around with any freedom, despite the city having relatively low crime rates. The sheer distances and car dependence have created a culture of chauffeuring; and now most children are even driven to school because the 'traffic is so bad' and parents 'fear for the safety of their children'.
PHOTO 3 An example of the green, but somewhat sterile and isolated approach to urban planning in Canberra.
Cities clearly need to become more creative about densities. Urban villages can be developed where children are free to run around in attractive, traffic-free space, where people can live conveniently in communities that meet most of their needs without a car. People need to become involved in designing, building, landscaping and filling such urban villages with all kinds of urban activity. This is the approach adopted by Jan Gehl in his studies of how to make central cities more human (Gehl and Gemsoe, 1996) and it tends to be the approach of the New Urbanists, though few examples yet approach the necessary densities. The technology for dense, solar-oriented, ecological, urban villages is available to assist this process (see Green City case studies and Woodroffe, 1994) and town planning can ensure that it occurs in an equitable, aesthetic and sustainable way.
One of the obvious differences between pre-modern cities and Auto Cities is the degree of mixed land use. Old cities, particularly the inner areas of many cities that were built around streetcar systems (eg inner Philadelphia, San Francisco or Sydney), and even late 19th century transit suburbs, have highly mixed land uses. The result of this fine-grained, diverse urban fabric is that auto travel is kept to a minimum through shorter distances that reduce the need to travel by all modes and which favour non-auto modes. Short distances mean greater opportunities for walking and cycling, as well as transit; there are simply more activities accessible within a small radius so that it is feasible to walk or ride a bike, or even to conveniently hop a few stops on a bus or train. Different trip purposes such as shopping, work and personal business can also be strung together into a single trip in areas of mixed land use, often through just combining transit and foot travel. In zoned suburban areas these same trips would require separate, multiple car trips, adding up to many vehicle kilometres of travel.
PHOT0 4 The richly mixed land use and excellent LRT service along Spadina Avenue in Toronto's inner city.
Holtzclaw (1990) and Neff (1996) have quantified the travel advantages of such trip-linking in mixed use, dense environments by showing that there is a 'transit leverage' or 'transit substitution' effect at work where one kilometre travelled on transit can replace up to 10 kms of car travel depending on conditions (the average appears to be more around 5 km). Part of the mechanism for this appears to be the 'hidden' non-motorised mode use that occurs in transit-oriented, mixed use environments.
The distinct influence of mixed land use on reducing automobile use, has also been clearly identified by authors such as Cervero (1995) and Holtzclaw (1994) through careful analyses of automobile and transit use in neighbourhoods with mixed land uses versus those with zoned, separated land uses.
Despite these obvious advantages in terms of travel efficiency, for the past 50 years town planning has been unmixing cities by the use of rigid zoning that separates single uses into each differently coloured part of the city's town plan. The rationale was to prevent pollution from industry getting to residential or other areas but that is now largely unnecessary as controlling industrial impacts is always best achieved by simple health regulations or through environmental control and most new employment in the cities of the late 20th century is information-oriented.
In order to demonstrate that cities can become more creative about densities and that the urban village approach works, the following provides a brief overview of some good examples of urban villages in Munich, Stockholm, Vancouver and Portland.
Arabella Park, or the Bogenhausen District Centre, is a major sub-center in Munich and is an excellent example of the concept of an urban village both in the intensity and mixture of the activities and in the extremely high quality of urban design and human scale, traffic-free and traffic calmed public spaces in which the development is set. There is a particularly strong emphasis on landscaping and general greening of the environment. The whole development is based around an underground rapid transit station located in the centre's Market Square and a complex of 8 to 10 storey offices is sited right adjacent to the station. The development is approximately 5 km from Marienplatz in the heart of Munich's pedestrianised core. Arabella Park has excellent accessibility to other parts of the city on Munich's newest and most attractive U-Bahn line, which is an important selling point of the centre.
Arabella Park consists of homes for 10,000 residents in rental and owner/occupier apartments, employment for 18,000 workers and 2,000 hotel rooms. The result is a fine grained, lively mixture of land uses including offices, shops, restaurants, hospitals, movie theatres, night clubs, an adult evening school, a city library, post office, swimming pool, recreational centre and sports facilities, as well as a multitude of peripheral facilities and service companies.
PHOTO 5 Arabella
Park district centre in Munich. This development represents a fine example of a
mixed use, traffic-free urban village connected to the rest of the city by a quality rail system.
In the public spaces of Arabella Park there is a lot of social interaction with people of all ages on foot and bike making use of the greened boulevardes and market areas to talk and relax. Some of the urban design elements such as small areas of running water and sculptures provide useful focal points for activity. There is also a steady stream of business people walking through the area. The number of parents and grandparents with children on bikes and playing in the public areas is particularly striking.
PHOTO 6 Public space in Arabella Park is rich in human interaction and provides equality of access for all ages.
The office sections of the development are set on a mixture of traffic-free areas and small roads on the periphery. There are attractive undercover bicycle storage facilities and ramps incorporated into steps for people with bikes or strollers.
PHOTO 7 and 8 Emphasis is placed on walking, cycling and public transport access through quality public space in Arabella Park.
Not all urban villages are of the size or diversity of Arabella Park which is a genuine sub-center. Others such as Zamila Park in Munich are more residential in character with some mixture of land uses.
Zamila Park is located on Munich's S-bahn system and is a short walk from a rail station. It is a 19ha site which contains a mixture of 1300 dwellings of different types (ranging from 2 storey homes and units with private gardens, up to 6 storey quality apartments), 50,000 square metres of office space, as well as a centre within walking or bicycling distance of all dwellings (the centre contains local facilities such as restaurants, food shops, newsagent, laundromat and so on). There is also a large lake area on one side of the development and a good complex of sporting facilities a short walk from all dwellings.
PHOTO 9 Zamila
Park from the air showing the dense clustering of residential and mixed
commerical and retail uses along an S-Bahn line in Munich.
The emphasis in the design is on traffic-free or traffic-calmed public areas, including quiet inner courtyards, pedestrian and bicycle spines and park-like green areas which link the development together into a contiguous whole. There is minimal penetration of roads and traffic onto the site and parking is underground and along a few traffic-calmed streets. Dwellings of different styles and colours add a large amount of visual variety to the project and avoid any sense of a monolithic environment. The public spaces within the area are characterised by children playing and parents and adolescents strolling or sitting on the seats provided.
PHOTO 10 and 11 Traffic-free public space with a sense of ownership by residents characterises the common areas in Zamila Park.
There is a noticeable amount of interaction between balconies and the public spaces. The number of families living in the development is clear from the amount of children's play equipment visible in the yards of many dwellings, the formal playgrounds built into the development and the number of small bikes parked in courtyards.
12 and 13 Zamila Park clearly demonstrates some of the advantages of generous traffic-free public environments for all ages.
It appears from observation that a sense of privacy and ownership over private territory is maintained but that this does not limit the opportunities for interaction where residents decide that is what they want and play opportunities for children are many. By building in opportunities for sociability in well-designed, inviting public areas, it appears that the likelihood of isolation, and probably crime, would be considerably reduced in Zamila Park.
It has long been policy in Stockholm to focus urban development around stations on the rapid transit system. One of the first and best known examples of this was the development of Vällingby in the 1950's. Since then numerous other satellite centres have been added such as Kista, Akalla, Tensta, Rinkeby, Skärholmen and so on. The centres are strung together like pearls on a bead along the railway system (tunnelbana) and are all of a high density, particularly around the station core. All these sub-centers show the characteristics of urban villages, though some are predominantly residential while others are highly mixed centres.
PHOTO 14 The centre of Vällingby around the rail station. Vällingby was Stockholm's first urban village built around the new rail system.
PHOTO 15 Looking from Kista along the tunnelbana line towards the next nodal development.
premises easily convertible to meet new service needs as times change;
Centres to be linked and permeated by a coherent network of foot and bicycle facilities separated from roads with the convenience of invalid users in mind.
Stockholm's centres are compact and walking scale with a rich array of facilities clustered together within a relatively small area. In Kista for example, the rail system delivers passengers directly into an enclosed large shopping mall which opens into a car-free town centre surrounded by community facilities, shops and housing and the excellent network of footpaths and cycleways feeding into it makes these modes the easiest and most convenient way to move around. The shopping centre forms a bridge between the rail station and the predominantly residential development on one side of the railway and the commercial/office development and high-tech businesses on the other side. Kista is Stockholm's 'Silicon Valley'.
PHOTO 16 Kista sub-centre looking across the shopping centre to the side dominated by residential development. Note the preservation of natural areas around the station node.
PHOTO 17 Within the Kista centre circulation is predominantly by foot and bicycle.
The total segregation between motorised and non-motorised traffic in Stockholm's centres together with traffic-free town squares and well integrated community spaces, such as children play areas, help make the environment of a human scale, despite being high density. Stockholm's centres are also well endowed with open space networks weaved throughout the housing areas and a comprehensive network of natural open spaces (lakes, forests, fields etc) are in direct contact with each centre.
PHOTO 18 The pedestrianised centre of Vällingby station showing segregation between motorised and non-motorised transport.
PHOTO 19 A quiet place within one of Stockholm's centres. When less land is taken for roads and car parks it is possible to built in quality natural spaces into urban villages.
While there is an emphasis on local self-sufficiency within Stockholm's sub-centers, the broader need for good transit connections to the rest of the city is seen as being paramount. It is recognised that the smaller satellite centres cannot contain all the diversity of typical central city functions and people will always want to travel beyond their local centre for a range of needs. There is an assumption in Stockholm that feeder buses and the rail system, rather than cars, will be used as a major way of getting to Stockholm's core and other areas across the city in peak and off-peak periods.
PHOTO 20 Feeder buses operating at the centre of Vällingby. Note the clustering of higher density uses around the rail station.
There are also examples of urban village style developments in Canada and the United States, but Vancouver has a few of particular note.
Since the introduction of Skytrain to Vancouver in 1986 a lot of development has clustered near to some of the stations. This is particularly noticeable at New Westminster which was the end station on the line prior to its further extension a few years after opening. At this site, 22km from downtown Vancouver, there is a mixed commercial, office, residential and public market development along the Fraser River within a short walk of the station. The new housing is extensive and ranges from quality high rise towers, 3 to 4 storey condominium style developments, down to townhouses. The housing consists of a mixture of individual housing cooperatives and market housing. The public environment in which the housing is set is of a high standard of urban design, including an extensive, landscaped, garden boardwalk along the riverfront onto which some of the housing units face. The area is maintained as a public park. There are also some community facilities such as tennis courts.
PHOTO 21 New Westminster urban village is served directly by Skytrain, pictured through the arch.
PHOTO 22 The boardwalk that knits together the New Westminster urban village.
The public market, which is in a multi-level building, has a wide range of goods and services under one roof and is within walking distance of much of the housing. It also has a direct link to the Skytrain station. The market provides something of a focal point for the centre with entertainment and somewhat more human appeal than most suburban shopping centres. The new compact, mixed use development which has been spurred on by the rail system, in combination with the older centre of New Westminster, means the area has achieved a new sense of vitality and attraction.
PHOTO 23 People walking back to their apartments in New Westminster after shopping at the markets.
Approximately 15 km along the Skytrain line from downtown there is major new mixed use development connected via a raised pedestrian concourse directly to the Metrotown station. Metrotown is a strong, mixed use nodal development which has greatly strengthened its town centre status in response to the added accessibility offered by Skytrain since 1986. Some of the uses within the centre include a major hotel, office tower, department store, cinema complex, apartments, and a variety of shops and other uses. The Metrotown centre is tightly ringed by a variety of medium to high density housing which maximises walking and cycling access both to the station and centre. There are also cycleway connections and a large bus/rail interchange which facilitates cross-city movement on buses to a variety of destinations. Metrotown in 1996 contained 18,000 residents (urban density of 60 people per ha) and 20,000 jobs within a 298 ha area (a total activity intensity of 128 per ha).
PHOTO 24 Metrotown sub-centre built around Metrotown station on Vancouver's Skytrain.
There are numerous other stations along the Skytrain which have progressively integrated a mixture of high density residential and commercial development within a few hundred meters of the trains. Vancouver is gradually starting to re-shape itself into a more transit-oriented metropolis through this very visible process of quality high density nodal development (see Vancouver case study in section 4.5.4 for a discussion of this process).
Not on Skytrain, but linked to frequent trolley bus services, False Creek is a major inner city housing area set on the waterfront opposite to downtown Vancouver. This very compact site, commenced in the 1970s, is presently home to around 10,000 people and is being actively extended. False Creek provides an excellent example of how to build a high density urban village in the context of extensive and beautifully designed open space together with adjacent mixed land uses such as markets, hotels, cultural activities, community center, shops and restaurants (located at Granville Island). The extensive open spaces and children's play areas are traffic-free as road access is from the rear of the development via a 2 lane road and parking is mostly under the buildings at the rear. The False Creek urban village looks onto and runs along the waterfront opposite the central city area and water forms an important part in the design of the open spaces.
PHOTO 25 A view of False Creek urban village showing the attractive relationship between the extensive public gardens, pedestrian thoroughfares and high density housing.
PHOTO 26 False Creek is one of the best mixed use inner city urban villades in the world
There is an enormous variety in housing forms and styles including townhouses, terraced units and medium rise apartments, many of which are early cooperative housing ventures facilitated through the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation. False Creek is linked together by a generous, meandering boulevarde for pedestrians and cyclists along which there are some local shops and facilities built into the housing areas.
PHOTO 27 A typical scene within False Creek showing the emphasis on non-motorised transport.
PHOTO 28 People with children move freely and comfortably through False Creek on their way to and from the variety of shops, businesses and community facilities.
In many ways False Creek is something of a model in terms of planning and urban design which demonstrates how to combine the elements of urbanity, convenience, beauty and spaciousness into a dynamic and exciting urban environment. This is all the more important because it has been achieved in a relatively high car owning metropolitan area.
PHOTO 29 False Creek, whilst having abundant gardens and open space, is set within a truly high density, but people-oriented urban environment.
The success of False Creek is confirmed by the ongoing extensions to the area on vacant land used for the 1986 Expo. The approach here, as in the early development, is to ensure that the public areas of the new high density housing complexes are a positive addition to the city which can be used by all residents. They consist of parkland, gardens, boulevardes, cycle facilities, seating and viewing areas on the water and so on, and are linked in a continuous way with other parts of the city so that movement by pedestrians and cyclists can occur with minimum interruption. This extensive public infrastructure is critical to the success of such high density environments and is the first to be laid out and constructed. In the new extensions of False Creek, urban densities will reach over 800 persons per ha, testament to the desirability of the location and the high quality of public environments they will offer.
PHOTO 30 False Creek is being extended and has become one of the world's finest examples of urban village development that delivers, high quality of life, efficiency and greatly reduced auto-dependence.
This development is located in downtown Portland overlooking the Willamette River and consists of a complex of up to 5 storey attractive apartments, small shops and businesses, and a hotel built in the same style as the housing units. The apartments are set amidst good quality gardens and the shops are located under apartments on a pedestrian and cyclist boulevarde overlooking the river. River Place is part of Portland's planning commitment to encouraging greater residential development in the central city area. It shows what can be achieved in terms of good quality compact housing in an urbane, well designed total environment on a very constrained site (which once served partly as a car park).
PHOTO 31 Portland's River Place with its emphasis on walking and cycling and residential development mixed with shops and other uses.
These examples of urban villages are of course not exhaustive. There are many other cities which could have been elaborated. Many sections of Toronto have been built on urban village principles, San Francisco is developing an increasing number of urban village style developments around BART, and Washington DC is also of particular interest as it has reshaped itself in the past two decades around a new rail service with high density urban villages. Most Canadian cities such as Calgary and Edmonton are actively pursuing the development of urban villages around their rail systems with varying degrees of success and Melbourne has an excellent 'Urban Villages' program sponsored by a number of government bodies (Energy Victoria, Environment Protection Authority, Department of Infrastructure, Energy Research and Development Corporation, 1996).
These examples show the extent to which automobile dependence can begin to be substantially altered by a commitment to higher densities and mixed land use based around transit.
Even though False Creek is presently not linked directly to a rail service, its proximity to a variety of trolley bus routes and its walking/cycling distance to downtown, ensure it works well from a transportation perspective. There are, however plans to link it into a light rail system via an old freight right-of-way which runs at the rear of the development.
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Ethnic Disparities Between Blacks and Whites Receiving Cardiac Procedures Eliminated - 1999 - News R
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February 1, 1999
Ethnic Disparities Between Blacks and Whites Receiving Cardiac Procedures Eliminated
In a seven-year national study, white patients with chronic renal failure were three times more likely to receive cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, and coronary artery bypass surgery than were their black counterparts, according to researchers at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. This large ethnic disparity narrowed greatly, however, once blacks developed end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which made them eligible to receive comprehensive medical care through Medicare. The study was published in the February 2, 1999, issue of The Annals of Internal Medicine.
Lead author Gail L. Daumit, MD, senior fellow, the Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Schools of Public Health and Medicine, said, "The study suggests that when patients have adequate health insurance, a regular source of care, and a strong clinical indication for a cardiac procedure, equity in use of services among blacks and whites can be achieved."
During 1986-1987, the scientists enlisted a random sample of 4,987 adults (1,835 black and 3,152 white patients) with chronic renal disease from 303 dialysis facilities across the nation. Patients with chronic renal disease were studied because they are at high risk for cardiovascular disease and, with the onset of ESRD, they almost always become eligible for Medicare and comprehensive health care. The patients were followed for up to seven years--until death, renal transplant, or the end of the study on 12/31/92--while the researchers recorded if and when coronary catheterization, angioplasty, or bypass surgery was received.
Prior to developing ESRD and starting dialysis, whites were more than three times as likely as blacks to have received a cardiac therapeutic procedure (catheterization, angioplasty, orcoronary bypass surgery), even after accounting for factors such as education, employment, age, and medical history. After onset of ESRD, however, whites were only 1.4 times more likely than blacks to receive a cardiac procedure. In those patients receiving Medicare before onset of
ESRD, and in those admitted to the hospital for a heart attack, the initial three-fold difference in procedure use was eliminated.
Senior author Neil R. Powe, MD, MPH, professor, Epidemiology and Health Policy and Management, and director, The Welch Center, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, said, "This study shows that the U.S. health care system is capable of eliminating ethnic disparities in health care under the right circumstances. We need to learn how to make this happen under all circumstances so that all Americans can benefit from health care technology."
Although coronary heart disease deaths have decreased significantly since the 1980s due to cardiac catheterization, angioplasty, and bypass surgery, African Americans' rates of cardiac mortality and of invasive cardiac procedures continue to compare unfavorably to those of whites.
Support for this study was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH); and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NIH).Public Affairs Media Contacts for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: Tim Parsons or Kenna Brigham @ 410-955-6878 or [email protected].
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Flight Attendant Job Description, Salary, and Training Information
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Flight attendants are employed by airlines to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members. International safety regulations require the presence of flight attendants. Attendants are required on all commercial flights with over 19 passengers and on select business and military flights.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the number of flight attendant jobs will increase by 8% through 2018. Competition for jobs is expected to be fierce. Because there are no higher education requirements to become a flight attendant, the industry generally has more applicants than there are jobs. Applicants with a college degree have the best chance of being hired. The most opportunities in the industry are expected to come from regional and low-cost carriers.*
*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
The primary responsibility of a flight attendant is to ensure that all safety regulations are followed. Approximately one hour before takeoff, flight attendants are briefed by the pilot on the details of the flight. The briefing includes expected flight time, any unusual weather or flying conditions and any special passengers onboard. Prior to boarding, flight attendants work with other airline personnel to ensure that the plane is in working order. Attendants check that the in-cabin emergency and first aid equipment is working properly and that the plane is stocked with amenities such as beverages and snacks.
As passengers board the plane, flight attendants ensure that all passengers are properly seated. Attendants help passengers properly store luggage in overhead bins and under seats. Once all passengers are properly seated and luggage is stored, flight attendants read a federally regulated safety brief, which provides emergency information in the case of an evacuation or loss of power. Attendants demonstrate the proper use of seat belts, oxygen masks and flotation devices.
Once in the air, the number one priority for flight attendants is attending to passengers’ safety. In the case of turbulence or an evacuation, attendants assist and reassure passengers. If any passenger becomes ill or needs first aid during the flight, attendants help tend to the person in need. Flight attendants perform cabin checks every 20-30 minutes to check for any safety issues.
Flight attendants also perform duties to make the flying experience more comfortable for passengers. They serve drinks and snacks, hand out headsets, answer questions and help clean the cabin.
On large flights, a lead flight attendant helps oversee the work and duties of other flight attendants. The lead flight attendant is sometimes known as a purser.
Training and Education Requirements
Although a high school diploma is the only degree necessary to become a flight attendant, employers are increasingly seeking candidates with college degrees. Candidates who major in fields related to tourism, communication or customer service are especially desirable.
All airlines provide formal training programs for newly hired flight attendants. These programs are generally about one month long and teach new hires how to handle emergency situations, how to provide first aid and how to perform basic in-cabin duties. Employment is contingent upon successfully completing the training program. After completion of the program, attendants receive the FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency.
Once newly hired attendants have completed the training program, they are assigned to a carrier’s base and placed on reserve to fill in when an aircraft needs extra crew members. While on reserve, attendants must be very flexible and ready to fly on a moment’s notice. After serving one year or more on reserve status, attendants receive regular assignments. New employees have the last pick of routes and flying times. Only the most experienced flight attendants can pick their base and flying routes.
Salary and Wages
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median wage for flight attendants is approximately $35,000. The middle fifty percent of attendants earn between $28,000 and $50,000 annually. Pay varies by carrier. All new hires generally start at the same pay rate and receive increases on a fixed schedule.*
*According to the BLS, http://www.bls.gov/oco/
Beyond salary, flight attendants enjoy free travel benefits. Usually, attendants and their immediate family are entitled to free or greatly discounted fare on any flight that has empty seats available.
All flight attendants must receive the FAA Certificate of Demonstrated Proficiency prior to their first flight. This certificate demonstrates that the flight attendant has been properly trained in emergency evacuation, cabin duties and security procedures. For experienced flight attendants, the FAA requires ongoing retraining and safety certifications.
FAA certifications are relevant for a specific type of aircraft. Flight attendants who switch airlines are usually required to undergo a one-to-two day refresher course prior to beginning work. If an airline introduces a new type of aircraft, the crew must be re-certified by the FAA.
Most flight attendants belong to the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA), which is the primary union for the industry. Over 50,000 attendants on 22 airlines are members of the AFA. The union works to ensure fair wages, hours and working conditions for all union members.
The Transport Workers Union of America and the International Brotherhood of Teamsters are two other unions that represent flight attendants.
Looking for a New Career in 2012?
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Reshiat, Daasanach of Kenya Ethnic People Profile
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Introduction / History The Daasanach are a people with a fairly recent history. Their ties to one another have resulted from a common place of residence rather than from heredity. Exiles from many groups around the area of north Lake Turkana have united in support of one another in this hostile, arid environment. They have developed a unique tradition and culture, and are open to the inclusion of other immigrants who are willing to abide by Daasanach customs and values.
Until the turn of the century, very little was known of the Daasanach, sometimes called the Merille. At that time, formal borders were created for many African countries, and the Daasanach found their traditional lands divided between Sudan, Ethiopia and Kenya. Since then, these semi-nomadic people have moved as freely as possible across the borders of these countries, but this movement is being more and more restricted by border posts and entry formalities.
The Daasanach are known for their fighting prowess and are feared by many neighboring groups, such as the Gabbra and Turkana. Raids to obtain more cattle are celebrated, and Daasanach warriors are proud of the number of enemy they have killed. Their unique culture is valued, and the Daasanach are reluctant to adopt outside technology. Irrigation systems to aid in agriculture were introduced to this area by American missionaries in the 1960's, but these systems have been disregarded since foreigners were expelled from Ethiopia after the overthrow of Emperor Haile Selassie in 1974.
Today church work is being carried out in Kenya where only ten percent of the Daasanach people live. Here there are very few Daasanach Christians. What is left of earlier church work in Ethiopia is unknown.
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Marla Day looks at textiles in Smithsonian African-American project
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January 11, 2012
Marla Day looks at textiles in Smithsonian African-American project
When the Smithsonian Institution launched "Save Our African-American Treasures," the staff called Marla Day, curator of the Historic Costume and Textile Collection at K-State’s College of Human Ecology. They needed her expertise to help appraise and explain potential textile treasures brought in during a series of "Antiques Roadshow"-type events.
Day traveled to four cities: Detroit, Dallas, Topeka and Houston. She examined quilts, peeked in pockets, checked out articles of clothing and cradled rag dolls, looking at hundreds of textile objects. "We didn’t put values on the objects," Day said. "We tried to help people understand what the object was and how to preserve it." Often she packed the item in archival, acid-proof paper before handing it back.
"Most wanted to know the history of the object," Day said.
The mission of the program is to raise awareness about how important family heirlooms are in telling the story of African-American history and to provide information about how to care for them, according to the Smithsonian. While Day and several others examined textiles brought to the sites, other experts looked at objects, photographs, papers and books.
"I love interacting with the people, talking with them about the treasures they brought in," Day said. "Sometimes they were clueless about they had. When I could give them a piece of information they didn’t have about the treasure, they saw the object in a new, fresh perspective. I could help them learn more about their families."
In Houston in October, the textiles group saw lots of quilts and crocheted pieces, a few dolls and some clothing. One person brought in a Black Sox uniform. The Black Sox was a professional team from Baltimore that won the American Negro League championship in 1929.
Several of the quilts had new tops and backs sewn on older worn-out quilts. This recycling was common in the 19th century, Day said.
One woman brought in a quilt obviously made from scraps of fabric that were well worn. Some of the scraps were patched.
"She told me that she came from a large, poor family and her mother wasted nothing, not even fabric with holes worn in it," Day said. "The holes were carefully matched with patches so they were hardly noticeable and the edges were neatly turned under with her tiny hand stitches.
"I showed her how the quilt was actually two quilts, the second layer was probably infant and baby blankets. It was lovely to help her discover more of her family stories, to piece together memories of living with mother and how she made do."
In Houston Day worked with Renée Anderson, museum specialist, Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, and Mary Ballard, senior textiles conservator, Museum Conservation Institute, Smithsonian Institution.
"I loved working with other professionals in the museum field," Day said. "It was a great network of people and I was representing K-State to that community."
It was an honor to work with the people at the Smithsonian Conservation Center and the National Museum of African-American History and Culture, she said about her one-on-one consultations.
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Water and Sewer Pipeline - Water and Sewer Storm Drainage Systems Blog
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Water and Sewer Contracting Company Talks about Storm Drainage Systems, Water Pipelines and Subsurface Utility Engineering.
April 30, 2013 | Comments: 0
A good pipeline contractor is hard to come by especially because there is no trade school to become a pipeline project manager or superintendent. The only way to really learn pipeline construction is to work directly for pipeline construction companies. In some cases, there is no formal in-house training offered and new employees simply go out in the field and learn hands-on from their associates. Pipeline contractors may have had decades of field experience, learning the company's culture along the way, to get the basics. However, some things just tend to get missed when lacking formal training.
To solve this problem, Kana Pipeline developed its own in-house pipeline contractor training program for its future Superintendents and Project Managers - those who are directly involved with contract work.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Pipeline Contractor"
October 09, 2012 | Comments: 0
Fireline refers to a type of water pipe system that is used to extinguish fires. Underground pipes attach to fire hydrants or fire suppression systems and deliver pressurized water at an accelerated speed.
Fireline is installed by pipeline contractors. The process is similar to other types of water pipe and entails excavating the land, preparing trenches, laying pipe, and attaching components.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Fireline"
September 28, 2012 | Comments: 0
Water pipe is used to convey drinking water, reclaimed water, and fire suppression water. Without them, communities would not have access to vital services and would be forced to utilize wells and water holding tanks.
Potable water pipe provides people with fresh water for drinking, showering, washing clothes, and other vital tasks. Fireline water pipes are needed to provide fire departments with sufficient water to extinguish fires in residential communities and business parks.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Water Pipe"
August 20, 2012 | Comments: 0
A concrete storm drain structure is rather nondescript in appearance, but serves an important duty. The bulk of these structures are primarily hidden underground or protected by embankments. Visible parts include curb inlets and street gutters which are positioned along sidewalks and roadways.
Areas without a concrete storm drain structure are often plagued by flooding any time it rains. Storm drains are designed to pull excess water into the system by means of gravity. City streets and parking lots are built with slight elevation so water will naturally flow into systems.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Concrete Storm Drain Structure"
August 09, 2012 | Comments: 0
Storm water drain construction plays a vital role in public safety. Storm drains are needed to manage water flow that occurs after rain or snow storms. Water is transported swiftly through a series of underground pipes so that is does not accumulate on ground surfaces and result in flooding.
Storm water drain construction is performed by licensed contractors who have been trained in Environmental Protection Agency wastewater management practices. The EPA monitors all types of pipeline that release water into American waters.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Storm Water Drain Construction"
July 31, 2012 | Comments: 0
Sewer pipeline is probably one of the oldest types of pipeline systems in existence. Usage of this type of pipeline has been traced back to thousands of centuries. Archaeological excavations have unearthed many such systems made of orange colored clay such as that of timeless pottery pieces. Today, this same orange colored clay pipe material is still the most commonly used for sewage related pipeline construction. This is because of its ability to withstand disintegration from strong acids such as those in harsh chemicals and other liquid pollutants that would otherwise eat through any other type of pipe material.
Originally, these sewer pipe systems were used to irrigate crops using gravity-fed water from local rivers. Not all pipes were cast in a circular shape. In fact, some pipes were cast into a square shapes, with the top part of the pipe open and exposed. These pipes were used to carry away human waste product.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Sewer Pipeline"
June 21, 2012 | Comments: 0
Subsurface Utility Engineering (S.U.E.) is in a nutshell, vacuum utility potholing and private utility locating. S.U.E. tasks essentially involve pre-design investigative processes of vertical and horizontal locations under the ground. These processes allow topside investigation of existing utilities in order to verify whether a proposed new utility or utility pipeline installation in that area would be feasible.
Many consider S.U.E. to be the damage prevention solution to consulting engineers. S.U.E. helps ensure that there are no underground utility conflicts once plans are approved and underground pipeline construction has begun. As the saying goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. So goes S.U.E., in preventing underground utility conflicts in the design and preconstruction phase of any new construction project.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "S.U.E."
May 29, 2012 | Comments: 0
Concrete storm drain construction is a specialty field that necessitates learning specific skill sets. This type of work involves the understanding and reading of civil plans, and then installing these underground pipeline systems that eliminate storm water runoff.
Concrete storm drain construction offers a variety of job opportunities ranging from administrative duties to field work. Although many positions require a college degree, there are jobs for high school graduates as well.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Concrete Storm Drain Construction"
May 24, 2012 | Comments: 0
Did you know that storm drain chambers can process millions of gallons of water per day? It's hard to believe these compact half-domed plastic pipe halves can convey so much water volume, but they can.
It's a good thing storm drain chambers are so efficient. Otherwise, people would spend a good part of their day dealing with flooding every time it rained or snow began to melt. Instead, civil engineers developed systems that can effectively and efficiently make good use of excess water through a series of these unique underground pipes.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Storm Drain Chambers"
May 21, 2012 | Comments: 0
Did you know storm drain catch basins have been in use since ancient times? Long ago, early civilizations used drainage systems to collect water for their crops prior to dry seasons, as well as to safeguard crops from flooding during rainy seasons.
Although storm drain catch basins have evolved and are no longer used for crop irrigation, they are still used to protect communities against flooding. Without these drainage systems cities and towns would be underwater or constantly dealing with flood management.
Water and Sewer Pipeline on "Storm Drain Catch Basins"
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What exactly does column-oriented mean? - kdb faq - online book - kdb+/q faq - Kdb+ is the regi
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It means that all the values in a column are stored together. This is in contrast to row-oriented, in which all the values for a row are stored together. Which organization is better depends on the access pattern of your application.
Many operations are more efficient with a column-oriented approach. In particular, operations that need to access a sequence of values from a particular column are much faster. If all the values in a column have the same size (which is true, by design, in kdb), things get even better. This type of access pattern is typical of the applications for which q and kdb are used.
To make this concrete, let's examine a column of 64-bit, floating point numbers:
q)t: ( f: 1000000 ? 1.0)
As you can see, the memory needed to hold one million 8-byte values is only a little over 8MB. That's because the data are being stored sequentially in an array. To clarify, let's create another table:
q)u: update g: 1000000 ? 5.0 from t
Both t and u are sharing the column f. If q organized its data in rows, the memory usage would have gone up another 8MB. Another way to confirm this is to take a look at k.h.
Now let's see what happens when we write the table to disk:
q)`:t/ set t
q)\ls -l t
"-rw-r--r-- 1 kdbfaq staff 8000016 May 29 19:57 f"
16 bytes of overhead. Clearly, all of the numbers are being stored sequentially on disk. Efficiency is about avoiding unnecessary work, and here we see that q does exactly what needs to be done when reading and writing a column - no more, no less.
OK, so this approach is space efficient. How does this data layout translate into speed?
If we ask q to sum all 1 million numbers, having the entire list packed tightly together in memory is a tremendous advantage over a row-oriented organization, because we'll encounter fewer misses at every stage of the memory hierarchy. Avoiding cache misses and page faults is essential to getting performance out of your machine.
Moreover, doing math on a long list of numbers that are all together in memory is a problem that modern CPU instruction sets have special features to handle, including instructions to prefetch array elements that will be needed in the near future. Although those features were originally created to improve PC multimedia performance, they turned out to be great for statistics as well. In addition, the same synergy of locality and CPU features enables column-oriented systems to perform linear searches (e.g., in where clauses on unindexed columns) faster than indexed searches (with their attendant branch prediction failures) up to astonishing row counts.
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Response: ruisahdUWhat exactly does column-oriented mean? - kdb faq - online book - kdb /q faq - Kdb is the registered trademark of Kx Systems, Inc.
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Kent District Library
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The Scarecrow and His Servant
Title: The Scarecrow and His Servant
Author: Philip Pullman
A tattered scarecrow stands in the middle of a muddy field, taking no notice of the violent thunderstorm around him. But when a bolt of lightning strikes him, fizzing its way through his turnip head and down his broomstick, the Scarecrow blinks with surprise–and comes to life.
So begins the story of the Scarecrow, a courteous but pea-brained fellow with grand ideas. He meets a boy, Jack, who becomes his faithful servant. Leaving behind his bird-scaring duties, the Scarecrow sets out for Spring Valley, with Jack at his side. As the valiant Scarecrow plunges them into terrifying dangers–battles, brigands, broken hearts, and treasure islands–he never realizes he’s being followed by the one family who desperately wishes he’d never sprung to life. Will the Scarecrow discover the secret to his past before the crooked Buffalonis close in on him?
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Bartonella, the Cat Scratch Disease Bacteria - Pet Health - Kingston Animal Hospital PC
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| Bartonella "The Cat Scratch Disease Bacteria"
Approximately 20% of healthy cats, living in the United States, are infected carriers of these dangerous Bartonella bacteria.
It is transmitted between cats by fleas and ticks. The bacteria can be spread to people via cat scratches and bites, contact with fur, and probably rarely by infected fleas and ticks. Although most infected people do not become ill, Bartonella, transmitted from cats, can cause 22 human diseases.
Cat symptoms includes:
Treatment involves giving antibiotics for 21 days.
- Oral Diseases: Gingivitis, Stomatitis, Oral ulcers
- Respiratory Disease: Upper respiratory disease, Rhinitis, Sinusitis
- Ocular Disease: Conjunctivitis, Uveitis, Choriorentinitis, Blepharitis, Keratitis
- Intestinal Disease: Inflammatory bowel disease, Diarrhea (chronic), Vomiting (chronic)
- Other diseases: Enlarged lymph nodes, Fever of unknown origin, Liver disease-hepatitis, Skin diseases-papules & dermatitis, Heart disease-Valvular disease (murmurs)
Bartonella testing is a simple blood test. Call today to make an appointment.
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QUEENS CONSORT by Lisa Hilton | Kirkus
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How the little-known queens of England’s early history contributed to the nation’s political stability—or didn’t.
In this vast, rigorous text, Hilton (Athenais: The Life of Louis XIV’s Mistress, the Real Queen of France, 2002) includes an impressive bibliography, and the reading experience requires frequent switchbacks and consultations of family trees (mercifully provided). The narrative encompasses the lives of queens from William the Conqueror’s wife, Matilda of Flanders, whose alliances were key to his success at Hastings in 1066, to Elizabeth of York, who had been designated as a bride for her uncle Richard III, until the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485 heralded the triumph of Henry VII and the end of the medieval era. The author is fascinated by the things that set these women apart among their sex: their “sacred capital“; their legal rights (they could manage their own affairs, while most females other than widows had to submit to masculine authority); their uncommon education; their piety and the cult of maternity associating them with the Virgin Mary. Hilton examines the double standard that depicted assertive queens as unbecomingly masculine viragos. Strategically tracing tangled hereditary strains, the narrative moves from the rule of the Normans and the Angevins to the “apogee of English queenship” under the very literate Matilda of Scotland and later Matilda of Boulogne, who was adored by her husband, King Stephen. Foreign queens from the South included the exceptionally powerful Eleanor of Aquitaine, who overcame stifling 12th-century strictures to become a formidable politician, and a terrifying mother-in-law. During the turbulent period of the Plantagenet monarchs, the extraordinary Isabella of France first deposed her husband’s probable homosexual lover and then King Edward II himself in order to install her son on the throne. The book closes with the feud between the houses of Lancaster and York, painting a touching portrait of the love match between commoner Elizabeth Woodville and Edward IV.
A compelling trek through English history in the company of some remarkable women.
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KVR: Yamaha show Vocaloid @ Musikmesse
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9th March 2003
By just inputting the melody and words on their PCs, users can produce the vocal parts for their pieces with no further work. The synthesized sound retains the vocal qualities of the original singers voices because Vocaloid synthesizes the sound from the "vocal libraries" of recordings of real people singing. The software also features simple commands that allow users to add expressive effects such as vibrato and pitch bend to their synthesized vocals.
Further development of the range of available vocal libraries will make the production of songs using vocals in a wide range of voice qualities possible using Vocaloid. Currently Vocaloid can generate singing in Japanese and English.
Yamaha intends to concentrate on licensing Vocaloid to selected producers of vocal libraries and software marketers. The company has already agreed on the basic framework of a license agreement with a number of sampling CD development and marketing firms, including Crypton Future Media in Japan, Best Service in Germany and Zero-G in the UK.
Yamaha hopes to commercialise Vocaloid by the end of 2003 or early 2004.
Vocaloid uses Frequency-Domain Singing Articulation Splicing and Shaping, a vocal (singing voice) synthesizing system developed by Yamaha.
With this system, the "Singing articulations" (Collections of voice snippets, such as phrases, and snippets of vocal expression variations like vibrato) needed to reproduce vocals are collected from custom produced recordings of accomplished singers and put into a database after conversion into frequency domains.
To synthesize vocal parts, the system retrieves data consisting of voice snippets, applies pitch conversion, and splices and shapes them to form the words of a song as input by the user. As this processing is done at the frequency domain level, pitch can be easily changed according to the specified melody, and the voice snippets can be spliced in a way that reproduces smooth flowing words.
Vocaloid itself consists of a score editor, which does the scale, song word, and expression processing; the Vocal Sound Generator, the engine that synthesizes the vocals; and libraries (each comprised of a pronunciation database and a timbre database) for each vocal. New vocal libraries can be created by recording real voices pronouncing basic vocabulary and reproducing variation effects (such as vibrato) according to templates.
- Piano Roll note editor.
- Easy to use lyric editing.
- Drag and drop musical expression assigning.
- Reads Vocaloid libraries.
- Synthesizing vocal tracks.
- Saving vocal data in wave files.
- Up to 16 vocal tracks.
- SMF Input/Output.
- Easy to manipulate voice characteristics.
- English and Japanese lyrics available.
- VST Instrument version planned.
Yamaha don't appear to have any information about Vocaloid on their English web sites yet but the "more info" link will take you to a Babel Fish translation of their Japanese site.
10 Apr 2013 Yamaha StageMix Version 4 for iPad Coming in May
17 Jul 2012 Yamaha updates VOCALOID3 Editor to v220.127.116.11
23 Mar 2012 Yamaha updates Vocaloid 3 Editor to v18.104.22.168
25 Nov 2010 Yamaha updates M7CL StageMix for iPad to v1.1
09 Nov 2010 Yamaha releases M7CL StageMix for iPad
31 Jul 2009 Yamaha releases S90 XS/S70 XS Editor v1.2.2
19 May 2009 Yamaha updates Motif XS Editor VST to v1.2.1
04 Jul 2008 Yamaha announces Music Production Power Pack
23 Jan 2008 Yamaha launches X Factor DVD and Web Community
27 Feb 2006 Yamaha updates Vocaloid to v1.1.2
14 Sep 2005 Yamaha releases Vocaloid v1.1.1
15 Jun 2005 Yamaha releases Vocaloid v1.1
06 Mar 2013 Zero-G Vocaloid Download Sale (30-60% Off)
28 Feb 2012 PowerFX release Vocaloid 3 Oliver
15 Jan 2010 Zero-G announces Vocaloid Tonio
07 Jan 2010 PowerFX releases Big Al (Vocaloid)
14 Jul 2009 Zero-G releases Vocaloid Sonika
02 Jul 2007 PowerFX releases Sweet Ann (Vocaloid 2)
11 Nov 2004 Vocaloid Meiko released
01 Jul 2004 Zero-G Vocaloid Miriam released
17 Nov 2003 Zero-G announces the first Vocaloid products
19 Mar 2003 Zero-G Soul Vocalist announced
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Briefly about history of Legal Aid
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Briefly about history of Legal Aid
Before 1911, the commonly held view was that justice for the poor was a work of charity—and that one had to deserve charity in order to get it.
So a workman hired on Monday and fired on Thursday by an unscrupulous employer who didn’t pay him on Friday had neither the money to hire a lawyer nor the fees to file a lawsuit.
Access to the courts was a luxury for the rich and charity for the poor. The Charity Organization Society (the predecessor of the Federated Charities) offered legal help to the poor through “honorary counsel,” members of the bar who provided pro bono services to the poor.
While commendable, then as now, pro bono service by the private bar was insufficient to meet the need.
A significant step toward closing the justice gap occurred in 1911, when the Federated Charities founded the Legal Aid Bureau in Baltimore. It was part of trend started in New York and other American cities toward the end of the 19th century to form societies to offer legal assistance to immigrants and other poor people.
Thomas F. Cadwalader was named Legal Aid’s first general counsel in September 1911. His office was staffed on a part-time basis and handled 234 cases that year. From its founding through 1929, Legal Aid operated as a program of the Federated Charities and depended on private contributions for its operations.
In 1929, Baltimore attorneys H. Hamilton Hackney and John A. O'Shea took over leadership of Legal Aid. and set up an office at 818 Equitable Building in Baltimore. Hackney believed that justice shouldn’t be a matter of charity and that people should be secure in the knowledge “that their poverty does not necessarily mean that they will be in a position of inequality before the law.”
As a result of Hackney and O'Shea's efforts, Legal Aid evolved from a charity organization to an independent, private nonprofit corporation. He also reorganized Legal Aid and lobbied for government support. Its budget the first year was $4,433.
According to The Sun (July 7, 1949), “[t]he first case handled in 1929…[was] from a letter sent to the bureau from the Supreme Bench, requesting it to interest itself in the marital difficulties of a wife who had appealed to the judge for help.”
After the Depression began, Legal Aid’s poverty practice mushroomed. By 1932 it was serving 3,200 clients a year (with a paid staff of two and a budget of $8,000 from the Community Chest), while the organization obtained financial support and free office space from the Baltimore City government. Additional help in the form of more attorneys came from the federal government’s Works Progress Administration.
According to newspaper articles and period documents, Legal Aid lawyers staved off foreclosures on clients’ homes, settled landlord-tenant disputes and help clients deal with furniture dealers when they fell behind in their payments. They took employers to court who tried to cheat laborers out of their $9-a-week wages. In 1932, wage cases were the largest portion of Legal Aid’s case load.
By the mid-1930s, Legal Aid’s budget had grown to $12,000 a year and the staff provided advice and representation in 5,000 cases. As early as 1938, Legal Aid lawyers did not engage in an outside practice. The Legal Aid Clinic, a program jointly sponsored with the University of Maryland School of Law, provided the first clinical experience for law students.
Hackney was also ahead of his time in realizing that taking on clients’ problems piecemeal wasn’t the most effective way to help. Under his guidance, Legal Aid compiled statistics that illustrated the legal dilemmas of the poor, and it sometimes recommended remedial legislation to further protect their rights. But like other legal service organizations of its era, Legal Aid lacked the resources and clout to effect meaningful change.
Following Hackney’s resignation in December 1939, J. Martin McDonough was appointed counsel for Legal Aid. He continued Hackney’s work and fostered cooperation with the private bar. A joint committee formed in 1940 determined the types of matters appropriate for referral to the private bar, with the goal of increasing the availability of legal counsel for clients.
Gerald Monsman succeeded McDonough in 1941; the legal staff consisted of five lawyers. Monsman led Legal Aid until 1954, overseeing its 100,000th client in 1949 and seeing the annual caseload grow to 7,000. Monsman stressed professionalism in the practice of law and was a supporter of the Legal Clinic.
In 1953 Baltimore City built its new People’s Court Building at Fallsway and Gay streets. The third floor was dedicated to Legal Aid’s use—the first arrangement in the U.S. between a legal aid office and a municipal government. The office’s opening was attended by Mayor Thomas J. D’Alesandro Jr. and Harrison Tweed, president of the National Legal Aid Association, delivered the dedication address.
Through much of the 1960s, Paul R. Schlitz, who later served as the Clerk of the District Court, served as Chief Attorney. The period was a time of change both nationally and locally as the civil rights movement gathered steam and President Kennedy was assassinated. Lyndon Johnson became president and instituted a war on poverty, which funneled funds for legal services to the nation’s cities for the first time.
In 1962, Legal Aid was scraping by on a $64,000-a-year budget (largely gleaned from private charitable contributions) with a staff of six lawyers that served 9,000 clients (managing to get fewer than 600 cases to court). Yet by nationwide standards, it was an impressive effort as private legal aid societies around the nation collectively were only able to raise about $5 million.
The 1964 Economic Opportunities Act passed by Congress altered the landscape dramatically by launching the war on poverty. Influenced by a seminal Yale Law Review by Jean and Edgar Cahn, the Johnson administration decided that legal representation for the poor would help further the cause.
The federal Office of Economic Opportunity, the command center for Johnson’s anti-poverty effort, created the Office of Legal Services, first headed by Clinton Bamberger (a Baltimorean who later served on the board of Legal Aid).
By 1966 OEO was pumping $20 million into 130 local legal services organizations around the country with a mission that included an examination of the root causes of poverty and to break the cycle of poverty. Legal Aid’s budget was quintupled and by 1970 boasted an $800,000 budget ($450,000 from the feds) and served nearly 22,000 clients.
Legal Aid also expanded by opening neighborhood offices. Joseph A. Matera, first as deputy director to Schlitz and then as executive director, guided the effort. The number of attorneys on staff rose to 34, including Reginald Heber Smith Fellows and VISTA lawyers.
Legal Aid also initiated the first public defender program in Baltimore in 1970 to defend people accused of crimes and continued to operate the program until the state created the Office of the Public Defender in 1972.
With additional funding (the United Fund of Central Maryland, the Bar Association of Baltimore City, the state department of employment and social services, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Governor’s Commission on Crime and Law Enforcement), in 1971 Legal Aid established full-time offices in Anne Arundel, Carroll and Harford counties.
The same year Legal Aid also pioneered a paralegal program to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of its legal work. Between 1969 and 1971, the staff more than doubled and the budget increased to $1.7 million.
In 1974 President Nixon, in one of his last presidential acts, signed into law the National Legal Services Corporation Act; the next year the Legal Services Corp. was established. Legal services organizations across the country continued a rapid expansion.
The same year, Charles H. Dorsey, who had served as Matera’s deputy director, was appointed executive director of Legal Aid. Under his leadership Legal Aid established offices in Prince George’s, Montgomery, Howard and Frederick counties; and in Cumberland, Salisbury and Centreville (now Easton), marking its expansion to a statewide system.The Baltimore County office (Towson) opened in September 1979.
Dorsey grew up in segregated Baltimore and was the first black graduate of Loyola College and the first black attorney to serve on the state Board of Law Examiners. Under his guidance, Legal Aid—whose budget had grown to $12.5 million—reached out to both the urban and rural poor. Attorneys began to take on larger cases, often using the aggressive tool of class-action litigation.
Starting in the late 1970s, Legal Aid began to champion the cause of migrant farmworkers, sued the state’s steel industry to eliminate practices that prevented women and minorities from getting higher-paying jobs, and targeted the cause of mentally disabled people.
In 1979, Legal Aid won a landmark case in the state courts guaranteeing the mentally disabled the right to have attorneys represent them at commitment hearings. The same year they won a federal decision, Johnson v. Solomon, that compelled mental institutions to regularly review the cases of child patients and determine whether they had improved enough to gain release.
In Griffin v. Richardson, a U.S. Supreme Court case, Legal Aid overturned as unconstitutional a federal rule barring children born out of wedlock from getting their deceased fathers’ social security benefits—a win that not only helped impoverished children in Maryland, but aided 30,000 children across the nation.
Yet the efforts of legal services in Maryland and elsewhere were drawing ire from conservatives.
In the 1980s, President Reagan sought to eliminate LSC, submitting seven straight budgets without an appropriation for the corporation. While some of the funding was restored by a sympathetic Congress, Legal Aid lost $1.2 million in funding in 1982. The shortfall forced a cut in staffing of attorneys in most offices from three to two, forcing those who remained with hard choices about who needed the most help.
In response to the cuts, the General Assembly established the Maryland Legal Services Corp. to provide additional funding to Legal Aid and other small nonprofits representing the poor. MLSC set up an Interest of Lawyers’ Trust Account (IOLTA) program, a method used in other states to collect interest paid on the accounts (containing clients’ funds such as real estate settlements and awards in personal injury cases) for use by legal service organizations.
In 1984, Legal Aid filed a class-action lawsuit against the state against top state social services officials and 20 case workers in charge of monitoring foster children in Baltimore. The suit brought $15 million in damages for the lead plaintiff, L.J. (a nine-year-old boy known only by his initials) and four other abuse victims and major changes in the way the foster-care system was run.
Class-actions, however, became a thing of the past for LSC-funded organizations in 1995, when the newly Republican-controlled Congress tried to achieve what Reagan couldn’t—to do away completely with LSC. Its funding was slashed from $400 million to $278 million. In Maryland, Legal Aid lost $1.4 million (a 34-percent drop).
In addition, Congress succeeded in placing major restrictions on what LSC-funded lawyers could do: prohibiting class actions, barring the collection of attorneys’ fees, rulemaking, lobbying, litigation on behalf of prisoners, representation in drug-related public housing evictions, and representation of certain categories of immigrants.
The restrictions went into effect in 1996, a year after Dorsey died suddenly of a heart attack. His successor, Wilhelm H. Joseph Jr., is a veteran of LSC-funded programs in Mississippi and New York. Under Joseph’s leadership, funding for Legal Aid grew from $7 million to over $20 million a year.
Other changes include the renovation of all of Legal Aid’s offices and increased staff salaries— which helps explain why seven out of 13 chief (or managing) attorneys around the state are former Legal Aid lawyers who returned after stints in private or government practice.
The beneficiaries of the improvements are Legal Aid’s clients, who include residents of subsidized and public housing, the elderly, migrant farmworkers, and neglected and abused children. Examples of this bread-and-butter work include highly contentious custody disputes, cases involving sub-standard housing and loss of shelter, and the loss of disability and other health benefits, to name a few.
As it enters the 21st century, Legal Aid’s major objectives are to increase economic stability of its clients, preserve affordable housing, and stabilize families and communities. Yet its efforts go beyond helping individual clients. Those objectives include making changes in systems that affect the poor.
For example, one ongoing project (funded by the Abell Foundation) works to decrease employment barriers to 45,000 non-custodial fathers in Baltimore whose child-support obligations (especially money owed to the state) exceed their ability to pay. Think dead broke, not “deadbeat.”
Another example: housing preservation. Under a three-year, $450,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Legal Aid helped thousands of low-income Marylanders living in properties where federal subsidies are about to run out.
In Annapolis, Legal Aid’s 20-year representation of the Bloomsbury public housing project resulted in a victory that resulted in the relocation of residents—many of them elderly and disabled—to new waterfront housing that keeps intact the last black neighborhood in the city.
“Instead of moving to a remote area far from jobs, shopping, schools and public transportation, the residents will move a block to new housing that will conform to historic-area building standards on a former parking lot on College Creek,” said Janet LaBella, then chief attorney of Legal Aid’s Anne Arundel County office.
The bottom line? It’s Legal Aid’s commitment to justice.
“We at Legal Aid have the most exciting and satisfying jobs in the world,” Joseph said. “In a society that stresses individual achievement—where you pull yourself up by your bootstraps—Legal Aid helps those without boots.
“By providing access to justice to tens of thousands of Marylanders each year, Legal Aid attorneys and support staff bring equity and stability to society.”
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Titles - UA Libraries Digital Services Planning and Documentation
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From UA Libraries Digital Services Planning and Documentation
The following information is extracted, paraphrased, and adapted from Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS), published by the Society of American Archivists (Chicago: 2005).
(Sec. 2.3, p. 17) The title provides a word or phrase by which the material being described is known or can be identified. If a label has been attached to the document, use professional judgment to determine whether or not a transcription of that label is appropriate to serve as a title.
2.3.1 When supplying a title, take the information from any reliable source, including the internal evidence, an external source, or a title on another copy or version of the material being described.
2.3.3 (General Rules) When supplying title information, compose a brief title that uniquely identifies the material. 2.3.21 Choose a term or phrase that most precisely and concisely characterizes the unit being described. The term or phrase should incorporate the form(s) of material and reflects the function, activity, transaction, subject, individuals, or organizations that were the basis of its creation or use.
- Oneida Nation petition to Jasper Parrish
- James Joyce Letter to Maurice Saillet
- Richard Nixon letter to H.R. Haldeman regarding the Watergate break-in
The following is not in the DACS but may assist in photograph caption creation
For photographs, focus on the primary content of the image. Consider:
- who or what is the focus
- if it contains people but you have no names, use the term "unidentified" in conjunction with descriptive nouns, such as men, women, children
- what is happening
- if the time frame or setting is important, include that in the title.
Please do not try to interpret or explain why.
- Jeff Coleman and unidentified man standing on White House steps
- Riot outside Gorgas Library during civil rights demonstration
- Caricature drawing of Uncle Sam by Benjamin Franklin Pierce
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Kids on Strike | LibraryPoint
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Kids on Strike
By Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In the old days, poor children were much more likely to work long hours at hard jobs in scary and dangerous places than go to school and have a chance at a better life. But, sometimes the kids fought back, refusing to work until they got paid more and were treated better. These brave young workers were an important part of the Labor Movement in the United States.
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Bone grafting for dental implants Liverpool bone graft in Liverpool - Liverpool Implant & Aesthe
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Bone Grafting for Dental Implants
Dental implants are substitute tooth roots which are placed in the jaw bone. In order for an implant to be successful, the patient must have sufficient bone tissue to support the implant. If there is not enough bone tissue in the jaw bone, the bone will not be able to support the implant. In the past, this meant that it was not feasible for a patient to have dental implants – however, technology and science are advancing at a rapid rate and patients who have reduced bone tissue are now able to have treatment as a result of bone grafting.
What is bone grafting?
Bone grafting involves taking bone tissue from one area of high density and using it to bulk up an area of low density. In this case, the bone is removed from one area of the body and placed in the jaw bone. Bone grafts are most often taken from either the hip or another area of the mouth. The bone grafting procedure will be carried out if your dentist has discovered insufficient bone tissue in the jaw.
- The dentist will examine your mouth and carry out X-rays to confirm the depth and density of the tissue. If there is not enough bone to support an implant, they will discuss the bone grafting procedure with you.
- Bone grafting sounds daunting, especially if you a nervous or dental phobic patient, but it is actually a relatively simple process. Once bone tissue has been taken from the donor site, an incision will be made in the gum, a flap of tissue lifted and the bone placed on the intended site.
- The flap will then be returned to its original place and the gum stitched. A protective membrane will be placed to protect the wound and reduce the risk of infection.
- Healing period following a bone graft varies according to the individual, but it is typically around 4 months.
Types of bone graft
There are different types of bone graft but the most common is called an Autograft (also known as Autogenous). This is where bone is taken from another part of the patient's body and used to bolster the jaw bone. It is also possible to use bone grafts taken from animals (xenografts) or other humans (allograft). A type of procedure called an alloplastic graft can also be conducted where synthetic material is used to strengthen the jaw bone.
Are there any disadvantages to bone grafting?
As with all procedures success is not guaranteed, but bone grafting is usually a very effective procedure. Following a bone graft the patient will have to wait an average of 3-4 months for the bone to integrate, which will obviously delay the treatment process. However, the wait will be worthwhile once the implants are placed and you are in possession of a rejuvenated smile.
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Fish Sensory Organ Duplicated for Submarines | LiveScience
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Fish Sensory Organ Duplicated for Submarines
Warmer Water Threatens Fish Globally
Fish use a row of specialized sensory organs along the sides of their bodies, called lateral lines, to hunt for prey, alert them of predators, and aid in synchronized school swimming.
Now scientists have developed a lateral line for submaries.
"Our development of an artificial lateral line is aimed at enhancing human ability to detect, navigate and survive in the underwater environment," said Chang Liu, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. "Our goal is to develop an artificial device that mimics the functions and capabilities of the biological system."
Equipped with an artificial lateral line, a submarine or underwater robot could similarly detect and track moving underwater targets and avoid collisions with moving or stationary objects, Liu and colleauges say.
The device is made of micro-fabricated flow sensors. They can detect the hydrodynamic wake formed behind a propeller-driven submarine.
"By detecting changes in water pressure and movement, the device can supplement sonar and vision systems in submarines and underwater robots," Liu said.
The research, announced today, was detailed in the Dec. 12 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. It was funded by the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research and by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).
"Although biology remains far superior to human engineering, having a man-made parallel of the biological system allows us to learn much about both basic science and engineering," Liu said. "To actively learn from biology at the molecular, cellular, tissue and organism level is still the bigger picture."
- Top 10 Animal Senses Humans Don’t Have
- Sharks' Sixth Sense Related to Human Genes
- Great Inventions: Quiz Yourself
- All About Robots
MORE FROM LiveScience.com
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Fun With Science - Space Capsules - Resources
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Several videos are available through NASA's Central Operation of Resources for Educators (NASA CORE). Educators can search the NASA educational products and resources data base at http://core.nasa.gov .
The Dream is Alive, Warner Home Video, 1985, ASIN B000058CKH
An introduction to space travel for young and old viewers. IMAX format.
Hail Columbia, Warner Home Video, 1982, ASIN B00005MEPI
A space documentary capturing the Shuttle program filmed in the expansive IMAX format.
NASA Planetary Spacecraft
Carmen Bredeson, Enslow, 2000, ISBN 0766013030
Children ages 7 to 11 can learn about the Magellan, Voyager, Galileo, and Pathfinder missions, as well as explore the planets.
Living in Space
Katie Daynes, Education Development Center, 2002, ISBN 0794503012
Children ages 4 to 6 explore Earth and space, and the practical side of living in space for a period of time; how do you keep clean? What do you eat?
Amanda Visits the Planets
Gina Ingoglia, Inchworm Press, 1998, ISBN 1577193407
Children, age 3 to 5 can follow a young girl as she tours our Solar system.
Friendship 7: First American in Orbit
Michael Cole, Enslow Publishers, Inc., ASIN 0894905406
This book presents the history of space exploration by chronicling several missions for young readers ages 9 to 11.
The Mercury Seven
Stuart Kallen, Abdo & Daughters, 1996, ISBN 1562395653
The efforts of the Soviet Union and the United States to put the first man in space are detailed in this book, with particular emphasis on the Mercury Mission.
Paul Sipiera and Diane Sipiera, Children's Press, 1997, ISBN 0516204432
Children ages 7 to 9 learn about the manned space program of the United States, including technology, mission accomplishments, and the men involved in the missions.
The Gemini Spacewalkers
Stuart Kallen, Abdo & Daughters, 1996, ISBN 156239567X
Project Gemini's unmanned and manned missions are explored.
My Life as an Astronaut
Alan Bean, Pocket Books Publishing. 1988, ISBN 0671634526
This autobiography of Bean the lunar module pilot on Apollo 12 (1969) and the fourth U.S. astronaut to walk on the moon, will be enjoyed by children ages 8 to 10.
One Giant Leap
Mary Fraser 1999, Henry Holt, ISBN 0805057730
Apollo 11's expedition to the Moon and Armstrong's first steps on the Moon are retraced through images, transmissions, and colorful illustrations in this resource for children ages 9 to 11.
Handshake in Space
Sheri Tan, Sheri, Higgins Bond, and Matthew Rotunda, Soundprints Corporation
Audio, 1998, ISBN 1568995342
Two children find themselves time-traveling back to 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Test Project and re-enact the historic first rendezvous in space.
The New Book of Mars
Nigel Hawkes, and Richard Rockwood, Copper Beech Books, 1998, ISBN 0761307311
This book explores our neighbor Mars, and presents information about the various Pathfinder missions.
Gravity: Simple Experiments for Young Scientists
Larry White and Laurie Hamilton, Millbrook Press, 1995, ISBN 1562944703
Young children, ages 7 to 11, undertake simple hands-on activities to investigate gravity.
Cosmic Science: Over 40 Gravity-Defying, Earth-Orbiting, Space-Cruising Activities for Kids
Jim Wiese, John Wiley & Sons, 1997, ISBN 0471158526
Demonstrations and activities, for children ages 8 to 10, explore the structure of our Universe and space travel, along with some of the underlying physical principles.
Bowled Over: The Case of the Gravity Goof-Up (Kinetic City Super Crew series)
Chuck Harwood, McGraw-Hill, 1998, ISBN 0070070555
Elementary age children will enjoy this adventure of the Super Crew as they travel back in time to meet Galileo and help him experiment with gravity.
The U.S. Space Camp Book of Rockets
Anne Baird, David Graham, and Buzz Aldrin, William Morrow, 1994, ASIN 0688122299
Children ages 8 to 10 can explore the origins and history of rocketry. Lots of photographs and models.
On the Shuttle: Eight Days in Space
Barbara Bondar and Roberta Bondar, Maple Tree Press, 1993, ISBN 1895688124
Follow the Discovery mission of January 1992 and learn about living and working in space. Well illustrated, with many photographs.
Peter Campbell, Milbrook Press, 1995, ISBN 1562941909
Children ages 7 to 9 can learn about the preparation, launch, flight, and return of the shuttle Atlantis.
Apollo 11: First Moon Landing
Michael Cole, Countdown to Space Series, Enslow, 1995, ASIN 0894905392
America's manned space-flight program is presented in this well written and illustrated book for children ages 9 to 11.
Apollo 13: Space Emergency
Michael Cole, Countdown to Space Series, Enslow, 1995, ISBN 0894905422
Children ages 9 to 11 can follow the flight of Apollo 13.
The Dream Is Alive: The Flight of Discovery Aboard the Space Shuttle (Imax/Smithsonian Wide World Series)
Barbara Embury and Tom Crouch, Harper Collins Children's Books, 1990, ASIN 0060218134
Based on the IMAX film, this book for children ages 9 to 11 explores the space-shuttle program, including its history, technology, challenges to flight, and human elements.
Race to the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11
Green, Jen, Bergin, Mark and MacDonald, Fiona. Expedition. Franklin Watts, 1998. ISBN 0531153436
Describes the events leading up to the Apollo 11 flight that put the first man on the moon and the technological advances that made this and later flights possible.
The Space Shuttle Operator's Manual
Kerry Joels, Ballentine Books, 1982, ISBN 0345341813
Readers experience all the stages of a real mission.
Do Your Ears Pop in Space?: And 500 Other Surprising Questions About Space Travel
Mike Mullane, Wiley and Sons 1997, ISBN 0471154040
Shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane shares what it is really like to travel in space.
Rocket Science: 50 Flying, Floating, Flipping, Spinning Gadgets Kids Create Themselves
Jim Wiese and Tina Cash-Walsh, Wiley, 1995, ISBN 0471113573
Children ages 9 to 12 explore the principles of physics and other sciences in this illustrated collection of activities.
David Getz, Henry Holt, 1997, ISBN 0805065806
A young girl explores the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral and becomes involved with a space shuttle mission. Children ages 6 to 9 will enjoy learning about the astronaut preparation presented in this book.
Apollo 10: The Story is an interactive exploration of the Apollo 10 mission – precursor to the Moon landing of Apollo 11. Children ages 9 and older can learn about the mission and see diagrams of the capsule. Lesson plans, tied to the British school system, also are available.
NASA's Office of Space Science mission page provides links to the main pages of past, pending, and present missions. Each main page presents the mission goals, timeline of events, and an overview of mission engineering. Learn more about different types of space capsules and, in some cases, the ways in which they land on other planetary bodies.
What is the sun made of? Are the Earth and planets made of the same materials? The Genesis Mission sent a spacecraft to collect samples of the sun, called solar wind, that may contain the answers.
The goal of the Dawn Mission is to characterize the conditions and processes of the solar system's earliest epoch by investigating in detail two of the largest protoplanets remaining intact since their formations – Ceres and Vesta.
Scientists will learn about this small planet nearest to our Sun – Mercury – through the MESSENGER Mission
The Stardust Mission sampled Comet Wild 2 in January 2004 and is due to return sample material in January of 2006.
The Deep Impact Mission will propel a projectile into the surface of a comet to create a huge crater. Not only will this allow scientists to understand the cratering process, but they will be able to study a fresh comet surface and gain insights into how our Solar System formed.
On February 17, 1996, the Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous was the first Discovery Program spacecraft to be launched. It is the first spacecraft to orbit and land on an asteroid – Eros.
The Cassini Mission successfully went into orbit around Saturn in June 2004 – after a 7 year voyage. Its probe, the Huygens probe, will travel to the surface of Titan and provide information about this moon.
This site contains details about the Huygens atmospheric probe, which is designed to be released from the Cassini Spacecraft and to descend to the surface of Saturn's moon, Titan. The capsule design needs to ensure that the probe will land safely.
Spirit and Opportunity roved across Mars in the Mars Rover Exploration Mission
Surveyor probes were the first U.S. spacecrafts to land safely on the Moon (1966–1968). The Surveyor probes were tasked with obtaining close-up images of the lunar surface so that it could be determined if the terrain was safe for manned landings.
The Soviet Venera Spacecraft missions encompassed a variety of Venus orbiters, landers, and probes between 1961–1983.
A small lander and rover were successfully delivered to the surface of Mars in 1997. JPL's Mars Pathfinder site includes mission information and images.
The Soviet Lunar program had 20 missions to the Moon, including the first probe to impact the Moon, the first flyby and image of the far side of the moon, the first soft landing, and the first circumlunar probe to return to Earth.
This historical archive of NASA's space history, rocket history, early astronauts, and the manned missions will be of great interest to individuals interested in the chronology of space aeronautics.
Find the latest news about the Space Shuttle program.
Web resources for the Apollo program.
The Gemini Mission pages from NASA's Kennedy Space Center. Gemini's mission included getting a man into space for up to two weeks, docking with orbiting vehicles, and perfecting the ways in which capsules re-entered Earth's atmosphere.
Johnson Space Center's searchable collection of more than 9000 NASA press release photos spanning the American manned space program, from the Mercury program to the STS-79 Shuttle mission.
February 22, 2005
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Word 2007: Formatting Long Documents | Video Tutorial from lynda.com
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Whether it’s a short story, a product catalog, a technical manual, or a business report, every document needs a compelling format. Although the content and the length may differ, long documents have similar formatting challenges. In Word 2007: Formatting Long Documents, David Rivers uses his 20 years of training expertise to demonstrate efficient methods of formatting entire documents and making changes to specific sections and pages. He covers the details of how to use field codes and building blocks to streamline the workflow, and shares best practices for producing printed documents with a professional look. Exercise files accompany the course.
Exploring document style formats
Using page breaks and continuous section breaks
Creating a table of contents and an index
Generating a table of figures
Manipulating endnotes and footnotes
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Lynxmotion Tech Support • View topic - Anyone build a recharging station ???
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The Roomba stuff does use IR for homing in. In fact, if you browse the inventor portion of their site, I remember seeing a white paper on it (look at their white papers for the Create platform).
Inductive charging would be bad for robots I think, as it would cause all sorts of RF at the microprocessor level. I have some of those candles that charge inductively, and they not only take forever to charge, but also require three foot clearance from other electronics (or so the manual says).
--- Edit ---
Ok, slightly mispoke. There are far less details then I remembered.
On page 18 of the Create Open Interface
it shows that the iRobot base station emits three fields of IR, based on distance, and offset location.
If we were to do this homebrew, I imagine we could do the same thing, with multiple frequencies of IR encoding.
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How To Cure Rashes | Made Manual
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How To Cure Rashes
How to cure rashes often depends on individual body chemistry and family history. Common skin rashes may involve a number of factors and may be simple to address with homemade topical remedies. How to cure a rash means diagnosing a rash and rashes are not always easily detectable at first. While annoying, most are non-threatening such as a reaction from swimming pool chlorine or other identifiable and fixable sources such as drying cold weather. Sometimes, however, a rash can be more serious. Using self-care in learning how to cure a skin rash usually requires supervision and advice of a doctor.
You will need:
- Baking soda
- Food diary
- Keep a daily record of the food you eat. Curing rashes may be as simple as discovering an allergic reaction to food. Removing the troublesome or triggering food may help alleviate skin symptoms. Start with removing, one at time, any of these most common culprits: dairy, wheat, and citrus. Monitor if the outbreak worsens, remains the same or improves. It might be necessary monitor a month's worth of recording and experimenting to gain an accurate assessment.
- Check the weather. Weather can factor in how to cure a rash. If the skin has been overexposed to extreme heat or cold, the result could be a heat rash or reaction to the cold. Xerosis or excessive dry skin occurs during cold weather. Keeping the skin well covered may allay the rash symptoms.
- Moisturizing lotions and baking powder may ease the discomfort and help cure superficial skin rashes. Using a gentle medicated moisturizing lotion helps soothe the skin and reduce the dryness. Curing skin rashes can be achieved by using home remedies. A light dusting of baking powder on the rash can neutralize the symptoms, provide relief from itching and stop the rash from worsening
- Drink lots of water and take herbs and vitamins. Hydration of the skin begins with a generous intake of water on a daily basis. In looking at how to cure skin rashes, one needs to assess if there is enough water in the body. Regular intake of B-vitamins are essential in attaining healthy supple and strong skin. Herbal medicines for the skin such as slippery elm as soothing element and red clover tea as a blood cleanser can help with inflammation.
- Remove perfumes scented soaps incense or other fragrance related substances. Sensitive skin may not react well to soaps and deodorant containing alcohol or fragrance. Abstaining from the use of perfume or cologne may clear up the existing skin rash and prevent outbreaks. Many commercially based soaps, shampoos, and deodorants offer unscented options, organic or natural ingredients perfect for sensitive skin. To lower the chances of getting a rash, it is also advised to monitor household cleansers and detergents which may need to be replaced with unscented varieties.
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Making the Modern World - Icons Of Invention - Technology - 1939-1968
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© National Physical Laboratory
The Pilot ACE (Automatic Computing Engine) derives from the earliest postwar attempt to create a general-purpose electronic computer in Britain. It was built at the National Physical Laboratory (NPL).
The design for ACE embodied the original ideas of the mathematician Alan Turing. This reflected his prewar theoretical work on computation and his conceptual discovery of the Universal Turing Machine - a computer that is not structured to carry out particular tasks, but can perform any task specified by programming instructions.
Turing, and the team around him, had wartime experience of electronics and computation at Bletchley Park where the German 'Enigma' signal traffic was decoded and where the special-purpose Colossus code-breaking machines were used.
ACE was intended to capitalise on this work and, with the confidence that characterised postwar British technology, was intended to take on the Americans and launch a national computer industry. The machine shown here was built as a 'pilot', or test assembly, and was probably a that time the fastest computer in the world. Commercial machines followed from Ferranti, English Electric and ICL, but the resources of the USA and its huge home market meant that Britain eventually stopped building its own large-scale machines.
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Get A-Level Oedipus the King VS. An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge
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- Join over 1.2 million students every month
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Oedipus the King VS. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce is a 19th Century mystery story
The first 200 words of this essay...
Ms. Lori Fox
May 19th 2005
Oedipus the King VS. "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge"
"An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce is a 19th Century mystery story that is set at the time of the American Civil War (1861-1865), when the Slave owning Confederate States in the South engaged in conflict with the Federal Government of the USA. The story focuses on a character called Peyton Farquhar, who was about to be hung for trespassing the Owl Creek Bridge. The story ends with a curious twist in the plot. The main aspect of the story is set in Farquhar's mind, however while reading, at the first instinct, the reader is unsure (despite careful, hidden hints placed by Bierce) of this fact. Only at the end, when it is clearly stated that Farquhar is hanging lifelessly with a broken neck from the bridge that the reader will become conclusively aware of this facet. In Oedipus the King by Sophocles', it is a 5th century Greek tragedy play that is set at the time of major battle against the Persian navy also known as
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T. Cliff: Peron (Summer 1962)
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From International Socialism (1st series), No.9, Summer 1962, pp.31-32.
Thanks to Ted Crawford & the late Will Fancy.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’Callaghan for the Marxists’ Internet Archive.
Oxford University Press. 21s.
This is a condensed picture of Argentine’s past and present. The central part of it is a study of the Peron period; it provides a very useful illumination of Peronist Bonapartism – a balancing between Argentinian workers and landlords, Argentinian nationalism and Yankee imperialism.
Peron established complete state control of the trade unions. Only friendly union leaders were recognised, others were smashed. At the same time, however, considerable concessions were made to industrial workers – a big rise in wages, compulsory annual holidays with pay for all workers, mass housing projects, etc. He also made deep inroads into the vested interests of the big landlords by instituting a state monopoly over the buying and selling of agricultural produce, in the interests of industrialisation and national independence. He used the deep anti-Yankee feelings prevalent to get a mass base on which he could rely.
The limitations of this Bonapartism are also shown clearly. The state monopoly of trade in agricultural goods caused inflation, and did not secure increased production, but on the contrary discouraged it. Lack of capital resources accentuated by wasteful malinvestment and by a worsening of the international terms of trade led to increasing inflation, a slowing down of economic activities, and finally compromise with US business interests in an effort to attract American capital.
The Peronist theme of a national independence was thus harmed. Concessions to the trade unions were cut. The balancing act of Bonapartism came to an end.
Peronist support among the workers declined. The army, tired of workers’ resistance, dared to intervene (encouraged by the Church). In the end the central limitation of Peronism was shown up – the fact that Peron left intact the old state machine and above all the army; he did nothing to arm the workers.
Last updated on 12 March 2010
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Improving Sleep Quality | Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary
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Improving Sleep Quality
Sleep is key to our survival. Ideally, adults need at least six hours of deep, restorative sleep each day to stay healthy and prevent excessive waking fatigue.
Treating sleep apnea and reducing the severity of snoring are two important ways to improve the quality of sleep. Additionally, doctors recommend other steps for a healthy sleep routine, described as “good sleep hygiene.”
- Dedicate at least eight hours to sleep each day
- Avoid using the computer right before bed because it stimulates the brain and can make it more difficult to wind down
- Keep the sleep environment quiet
- Exercise and keep your weight in control
- Don’t smoke
- Avoid alcohol in the evening
It is important to avoid sleep aids when sleep apnea is suspected. Sleeping pills can depress brain function, slowing arousal when breathing stops and prolonging periods of decreased oxygen.
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RPI Mathematical Sciences: Course Materials and Resources
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Current Course Websites
Ready... Set... Calculus
The “Ready... Set... Calculus” book has been designed to help guide incoming Science and Engineering majors in assessing and practicing their “initial” mathematical skills. The problems involve arithmetic, algebra, inequalities, trigonometry, logarithms, exponentials and graph recognition and do not require the use of a calculator. The book has problems, examples and links to web pages with further help and can be used online.
“Ready... Set... Calculus” (Adobe PDF file)
Introductory Guide to Maple, by Mark Holmes (Adobe PDF file)
A short introduction along with brief descriptions of commands used in calculus.
Using Maple (from the RPI Help Desk)
FAQ, tutorial, quick study, and more.
Differential Equations: Maple Worksheets
More Maple Resources
Project Links is one of several MATC (Mathematics Across The Curriculum) projects funded by NSF.
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Derivative Plotter
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Have fun with derivatives!
Type in a function and see its slope below (as calculated by the program).
Then see if you can figure out the derivative yourself.
It plots your function in blue, and plots the slope of the function on the graph below in red (by calculating the difference between each point in the original function, so it does not know the formula for the derivative).
You also have the option to plot another function in green beneath that calculated slope ... if the lines coincide there is a good chance you have found the derivative!
Things To Try!
Enter the function at top, then see if you can find the derivative by trying different functions at the bottom.
See if you can discover the pattern!
This is just a numerical estimate, it does not know the formula for the derivative ... that is up to you to find!
Also, because it just does simple calculations, it will not handle special conditions such as holes, jumps, etc. See Continuity.
However, it is a fun and educational tool, so enjoy!
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Cavities/tooth decay: Complications - MayoClinic.com
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ComplicationsBy Mayo Clinic staff
Cavities and tooth decay are so common that you may not take them seriously. And you may think that it doesn't matter if children get cavities in their baby teeth. However, cavities and tooth decay can have serious and lasting complications, even for children who haven't yet gotten their permanent teeth.
Complications may include:
- Tooth abscess
- Tooth loss
- Broken teeth
- Chewing problems
- Serious infections
In addition, when cavities and decay become severe and very painful, they can interfere with daily living. The pain may prevent you from going to school or work, for instance. If it's too painful or difficult to chew or eat, you may lose weight or develop nutrition problems. Cavities that affect your appearance or result in tooth loss may affect your confidence and self-esteem. In rare cases, an abscess from a cavity can cause serious or even life-threatening infections when not properly treated.
- Gonzalves W. Oral health. In: South-Paul JE, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment in Family Medicine. 2nd ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw-Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3036775. Accessed Jan. 25, 2011.
- Ubertalli JT. Caries. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/sec08/ch095/ch095b.html. Accessed Jan. 25, 2011.
- Fontana M. Defining dental caries for 2010 and beyond. Dental Clinics of North America. 2010;54:423.
- Selwitz RH, et al. Dental caries. The Lancet. 2007;369:51.
- Using fluoride to prevent and control tooth decay in the United States. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/fluoridation/fact_sheets/fl_caries.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2011.
- Dental amalgam use and benefits. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheets/amalgam.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2011.
- Dental sealants. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/oralhealth/publications/factsheets/sealants_faq.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2011.
- Aranha ACC, et al. Eating disorders part II: Clinical strategies for dental treatment. Journal of Contemporary Dental Practice. 2008;9:e1. http://www.thejcdp.com/journal/view/eating-disorders-part-ii--clinical-strategies-for-dental-treatment. Accessed Jan. 31, 2011.
- Alfara EV, et al. Dental implications in children with gastroesophageal reflux disease. Current Opinion in Pediatrics. 2008;20:576.
- Tinanoff N, et al. Update on early childhood caries since the surgeon general's report. Academic Pediatrics. 2009;9:396.
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Esophagram definition - Medical Dictionary definitions of popular medical terms easily defined on Me
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Definition of Esophagram
Esophagram: A series of X-ray images of the esophagus. The X-ray pictures are taken after the patient drinks a barium solution that coats and outlines the walls of the esophagus. Also called a barium swallow.
Last Editorial Review: 4/27/2011 5:27:15 PM
Back to MedTerms online medical dictionary A-Z List
Need help identifying pills and medications?
Get the latest health and medical information delivered direct to your inbox FREE!
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MetaGlossary.com: Hearsay Rule
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The long-standing evidentiary rule is that hearsay cannot be used in court. Rather than accepting testimony based upon hearsay, the trial process asks that the person who was the original source of the hearsay information be brought into court to be questioned and cross-examined. Exceptions to the hearsay rule may occur when the person with direct knowledge is dead or is otherwise unable to testify.
a rule of evidence that requires the declarant be subject to cross-examination at the hearing; many exceptions to the rule exist
Rule of evidence that disallows out of court statements offered for the truth of the matter asserted.
a rule that declares not admissible as evidence any statement other than that by a witness
Hearsay evidence is generally inadmissible since the court and jury cannot judge the demeanor of the person making the statement, the statement is not made under oath, and the person making the statement is not subject to cross examination.
Rule of law that hearsay cannot be used in court unless it falls under one of several exceptions to the rule.
A rule of evidence that prohibits secondhand testimony at a trial. For example, if an eyewitness to an accident later tells another person what she saw, the second person's testimony is hearsay. The reason for this rule is that the opposing party has no ability to confront and cross-examine the person who has firsthand knowledge of the event.
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Liturgical daily cycle of the Byzantine Rite
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The Christmas Fast
The Christmas Fast, in preparation for the feast of the Nativity on December 25, is one of the minor fasts of the Church. This fast of forty days was introduced in the 12th century. Counting back 40 days from the feast of the Nativity, the fast begins on the evening of November 14 - the feast of the holy apostle Phillip. As a result, it is traditionally called Phillip's Fast or the Phillipian Fast (in Slavonic, Filipovka).
This fast is not penitential, but is rather a fast of preparation, like the pre-Communion fast. By abstaining from certain foods, we are opening up a "space" in our lives through asceticism and obedience, into which God may enter.
Traditional rules of fasting
Customs vary, but in general the traditional Christmas fast calls for the faithful to observe strict abstinence (no meat, fish, dairy or other animal product, wine or oil) on Mondays, Wednesday and Fridays, and a lesser abstinence (no meat, fish, dairy or animal products) on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Fish is allowed on Saturdays and Sundays, but no other animal products.
Several popular feasts fall during the first three weeks of the Christmas Fast: the Entry of the Theotokos into the Temple on November 21, the feast of Saint Nicholas on December 6, and the Maternity of Holy Anna (Conception of the Theotokos) on December 8 or 9. As a result, in many places the Christmas Fast either does not begin until December 10, or becomes stricter at that point.
In the Byzantine Catholic Church, this fast may be observed voluntarily, partially or in its entirety.
The final day of fasting before the feast of the Nativity is particularly strict. On this day - either December 24, or the preceding Friday if December 24 falls on a Saturday or Sunday - the Royal Hours are celebrated, and the faithful are encouraged to fast if possible until after Vespers, which may be combined with the Divine Liturgy. After this service, it is traditional in many places to hold a meal called the Holy Supper, which is meatless but festive.
Liturgical preparation for the Nativity
As the fast begins, there is no daily liturgical preparation for the feast of the Nativity. Instead, pre-festive prayers and hymns are added during the course of the fast.
The first announcement of the Nativity
Beginning on November 21 (the feast of the Entry of the Mother of God into the Temple), the Canon of the Nativity is sung at Matins as katavasia (that is, the irmosy or theme song of the Nativity is sung at the end of each ode of the canon). This is the first liturgical announcement of the Nativity: "Christ is born! Glorify Him!"
On the feast of the holy apostle Andrew (November 30), at Vespers, we hear the first pre-festive hymns:
Isaiah, dance for joy: receive the word of God! Prophesy to the Virgin Mary that the bush burning with fire shall not be consumed by the radiance of our God. Let Bethlehem be prepared! Let the gates of Eden be opened! Let the Magi come forth to see, wrapped in swaddling clothes, in a manger of beasts, the salvation which the star has pointed out from above the cave: the life-giving Lord, who saves us all!
These hymns become more urgent when we come to the feast of the holy archbishop Nicholas the Wonder-worker (December 6):
O cave, prepare yourself to receive the Mother who bears Christ within her womb. O manger, receive the Word who destroyed the sins of all. O shepherds, keep watch and then bear witness to the awesome wonder. O magi, from Persia now come, and bring your gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to the King. For the Lord has appeared from a Virgin Mother; yet she bowed to him as a servant and spoke to him in her bosom, saying: "How were you conceived in me? How did you grow in me, my God and Savior?
The Prophets of the Old Testament
During the month of December, we commemorate several of the Old Testament prophets: Nahum (December 1), Habbakuk (December 2), Zephaniah (December 3), and Haggai (December 16). All of these prophets preached repentence, and the coming of the Messiah in great glory.
Daniel, whom we remember on December 17, was also a prophet: an apocalyptic seer who foretold an everlasting Kingdom of God. With him, we commemorate the three young men, Hananiah, Azariah, and Mishael, who were thrown into a fiery furnace on account of their faith in the one God of Israel, and were seen there walking about with a fourth man, "one like a son of God" (Daniel 3:92). The Fathers of the Church saw this fourth man as a prefigurement of Jesus himself, and the faith of Daniel and the three young men as a summation of the best of the saints of the Old Covenant. That is why hymns in honor of Daniel and the three youths are sung not only on their feast day (December 17), but on the two Sundays before Christmas as well.
The Sundays before Christmas
On the Second Sunday before the Nativity (December 11-17), the Sunday of the Forefathers, we recall the holy men and women who lived under the Old Covenant, and looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. At the same time, in the Gospel st the Divine Liturgy (Luke 14:16-24), we hear our Lord tell the parable of a feast to which those who were first invited, did not come - and how the master ordered the house to be filled with those who we not, at first invited." Thus in the troparion we sing:
By faith, O Christ, you justified the forefathers. Through them, you betrothed yourself to a Church from all nations.
On the Sunday before the Nativity (December 18-24), the Sunday of the Ancestors, the genealogy of Jesus is read at the Divine Liturgy (Matthew 1:1-25); the Epistle, from the Letter to the Hebrews, praises the saints of the Old Testament for their faith, but says that in spite of that faith, they did not receive the promised Messiah. Instead, "God had made a better plan - a plan which included us" (Hebrews 11-40).
The Pre-festive Days of the Nativity
Finally, on December 20, we begin the actual pre-festive days of Christmas:
Bethlehem, make ready, Eden has been opened for all. Ephrathah, prepare yourself, for the Tree of Life has blossomed from the Virgin in the cave. Her womb has become a spiritual paradise in which divinity was planted. If we partake of it, we shall live and not die like Adam. Christ is born to raise up the likeness that had fallen. (December 20)
On each day, we sing hymns of the journey of Mary and Joseph to the cave, as we await the celebration of the birth of the Son of God.
The Royal Hours of Christmas
One final day of strict fasting awaits us. Normally, this would be the Vigil (in Greek, Paramony) of the Nativity, December 24. But Saturday and Sunday are never days of strict fasting in the Byzantine Rite (with the single exception of Great and Holy Saturday). So when December 24 falls on one of these two days, the day of strict fast is anticipated on Friday.
On this day, a special service called the Royal Hours is celebrated. This service consists of the daytime services of the First Hour, Third Hour, Sixth Hour, Ninth Hour, and Typika, celebrated with special psalms and readings for the Nativity. (This service is called royal because, at one time, the Emperor himself always attended the service.) Each part of the service has an Old Testament prophecy, an Epistle reading, and a reading from the Holy Gospel.
The Vigil of the Nativity
Finally, we have come to the very eve of the Nativity - the Paramony or Vigil of Christmas (December 24). If it is a weekday, it is a day of strict fasting, with the Royal Hours celebrated during the day, and Vespers and the Divine Liturgy of Saint Basil in the evening.
If December 24 is a Saturday or Sunday, the Divine Liturgy may be celebrated in the morning, and we sing the troparion of the Vigil:
At that time, Mary registered in Bethlehem with the elder Joseph, who was of the house of David. She had conceived without seed and was with child; and her time to give birth had come. They found no room in the inn, but the cave became a pleasant palace for the Queen. Christ is born to raise up the likeness that had fallen.
The fast is not quite over; if there is a meal or Holy Supper in the evening of December 24, after Vespers, it is a meatless one. But we have arrived at the feast of the Nativity of our Lord, God and Savior Jesus Christ.
The Emmanuel Moleben
In many places, it has become traditional to celebrate a devotional service called a moleben during the pre-Christmas fast. This service is not one of the fixed daily offices, like Vespers or the Divine Liturgy, and so it can be celebrated at any time of the day, and on any day of the week.
This particular moleben uses the pre-festal hymns of the Nativity, and readings like those of the Royal Hours. Several different versions of this service are presently in use in the Byzantine Catholic Church. All of them emphasize the message of preparation for the Nativity - "Come, Lord Jesus!" - and the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah.
This service can be used occasionally or weekly throughout the Christmas Fast, to help the faithful prepare for the coming feast. The version prepared by the Metropolitan Cantor Institute provides seven sets of readings, to facilitate a weekly celebration. For more information. see Singing the Emmanuel Moleben.
- The Traditional Byzantine Celebration of the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord. Byzantine Leaflet Series, No. 5. (Pittsburgh: Byzantine Seminary Press, 1976).
- Father Thomas Hopko. The
(Crestwoord, NY: St. Vladimir's Seminary Press,1984).
An excellent account of the Christmas Fast, and the feasts of the Nativity and Theophany.
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What is dementia?
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What is dementia?Dementia develops insidiously and erases what is most precious to all of us - our memories, talents, identities, and our ability to communicate.
Dementia is a syndrome consisting of a number of symptoms that include: a gradual onset and continuing decline of memory, changes in judgement and reasoning; changes in mood and behaviour; and, the inability to perform familiar tasks.
There are about 100 diseases associated with the symptoms of dementia. Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia and accounts for 64 per cent of all dementia cases in Canada. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive, degenerative and terminal disease of the brain, which causes thinking and memory to become seriously impaired.
Dementia affects everyone differently and progresses at different speeds for each person. The average number of years between early symptoms and complex dementia is eight to 12, but for some people it is anywhere between three and 20 years.
According to the Alzheimer's Society Rising Tide Report, one in five baby boomers will develop dementia by 2038.
Sources: Veteran's Affairs Mental Health Fact Sheet, Dementia Care Foundation and Alzheimer's Society of Canada.
The Harsh Reality - Dementia is on the Rise on Vancouver Island
Ten years from now, one in three people over the age of 85, or more than 3,300 individuals in Central Vancouver Island, will be afflicted with Alzheimer's disease, plus an additional 1,880 with other forms of dementia. Add to that an additional 5,000 for the number of people who will develop dementia in their 60s and 70s.
Currently, for all of Vancouver Island there are only 700 long-term beds set aside for people with various stages of dementia. There is a huge gap between the facilities available and current and future needs on the Island.
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National Attention Focused on Florida’s Coral Reefs | The Nature Conservancy
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For the first time since 2004, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) will meet in Florida, providing an opportunity for local input on reef issues of importance to the region and the nation.
The theme of the USCRTF meeting October 17-21 in Ft. Lauderdale is "Integrating Management of the Florida Reef Tract,” and it will specifically address coastal and marine spatial planning, water management and coral reef restoration.
The Ft. Lauderdale meeting is being held in conjunction with the 2nd Reef Resilience Conference, October 18-19, the official workshop of the USCRTF meeting. “Planning for Resilience” in the Florida, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico coral reef context is the focus of that conference, which will combine presentations on biological and social science research conducted in Florida, statements from fishermen and divers who depend upon coral reefs, and small group discussions that will generate input for the Task Force meeting. The conference and public portions of the USCRTF meeting are open to all interested parties.
The USCRTF was established in 1998 by Presidential Executive Order to lead U.S. efforts to preserve and protect coral reef ecosystems. The USCRTF includes leaders of 12 federal agencies, seven states, territories, commonwealths, and three freely associated states. The purpose of the USCRTF is to help build partnerships, strategies and support for on-the-ground action to conserve coral reefs.
The meeting is being organized by a planning committee of more than four dozen local scientists, managers and conservationists. These partners have come together from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, The Nature Conservancy, the Department of Interior, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Mote Marine Lab, University of Miami, Nova Southeastern University’s National Coral Reef Institute, Reef Relief, Miami-Dade Department of Environmental Resources Management, Broward County Environmental Protection and Growth Management Department, and Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management.
It is anticipated that the meeting, at the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel in Ft. Lauderdale, will be attended by local scientists, students, environmentalists, business leaders, and other stakeholders who depend upon coral reefs for their livelihoods. Staff and members of the seven U.S. coral reef jurisdictions which include American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Marianna Islands, Florida, Guam, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, will be participating as well. For more information on this meeting, visit http://www.coralreef.gov.
The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. The Conservancy and its more than 1 million members have protected nearly 120 million acres worldwide. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.
Christopher Boykin (305) 795-1222
Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection
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How to use XML in ASP.NET
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With the help of XML your document will be well-ordered and easy to transfer through different applications.
XML is a very popular and useful format of storing data. It stands for Extensible Markup Language, markup language means that apart from the content there are also other elements that determine the look or interpretation of a given content. In such a language you use special tags that begin with < and end with > character. You can for example create <library> object and than within this element <book> objects. With the help of XML your document will be well-ordered and easy to transfer through different applications.
Creating XML file
Now I'll show you how to use XML in your applications in .NET. So open Visual Studio and create new web application. Firstly we will create XML file that we can later use in our application so go to the Solution Explorer window on right and right-click on the name of your program and choose Add - New Item. Then find "XML File" on list in Data tab, name it as you like and click Add button:
In the file that is created we have the following line:
It defines version of XML and character encoding used in the document. As I mentioned before each element of the document is a tag within < and > characters. Unlike in HTML tags are not predefined, you can create them by yourself according to the structure of your data. Each opening tag <...> should have its own closing tag <.../>. Visual Studio is helping you while you create XML document by automatically adding closing tags to each opening tag. Remember that XML document should have always only one root tag. Within this tag you can create as many other tags as you like.
In this tutorial we'll use XML that describes few countries in the world. So add the following code to your XML file:
Here you can see in the picture the schema of this XML document:
Reading XML file
Reading XML in .NET is quite easy because of already existing classes and its methods. In this example we'll use XmlTextReader object and then print its content to the output in Visual Studio. Firstly we have to declare namespaces that we'll use:
Now take a look at the following piece of code:
Firstly we are creating a new XmlTextReader object and specifying the xml file that we want to read. To do this we're using Server.MapPath() method that maps virtual path to physical location on the server. Then according to the type of node we're writing data from xml file to our output. To check the type of node we're using NodeType property, two of the most important values it can have (which we are using in our application) are:
- XmlNodeType.Element - it's simply one element (like for example <country>)
- XmlNodeType.Text - it's a text content of the current node
Element can have children like for instance other elements, it can have also attributes. In our example we iterate through all attributes of each element and print it on the screen.
Writing to XML file
Writing to XML is even easier than reading it. We'll do it using XmlTextWriter class as in the following example:
This code creates an xml file with a list of movies. We used in this example following methods:
- xmlWriter.WriteStartElement - creates a starting tag with specified name
- XmlWriter.WriteEndElement - writes a closing tag for an element
- XmlWriter.WriteElementString - creates a new element with specified name and value
The result of running the code listed above would be the following:
Binding controls to XML
I'll show you also how to bind controls to XML. Firstly let's create such a control on your page, to do this open designer mode of your page in Visual Studio, find GridView control in Toolbox and drag-and-drop it into your page. Now go the the code-behind file of your page - we'll create a data set there, populate it with the content of movies.xml that we have created in previous example and bind it to GridView control. Let's insert the following code in the Page_Load method:
And that's all, after binding movies.xml file to GridView page control should look like this one:
XML is a very useful format to work with data. It makes it easier to read, allows you to separate data from the rest of your application, simplifies transfer of data and is a widely-used standard in web design. What's more as you can see in this tutorial .NET supports extensively XML making it easy to read and write it and allows to bind controls to XML as well.
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Internet2 milestones
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- Google I/O 2013's Coolest Products and Services
- 10 Star Trek Technologies That are Almost Here
- 19 Generations of Computer Programmers
- 25 Must-Have Technologies for SMBs
Network World - Internet2 has been around for 15 years, but it’s roots go back to NFSnet, which was officially turned on in 1986. Here are some other key moments in the history of Internet2.
The National Science Foundation began funding the creation of five new supercomputing centers. At the same time, the NSF established NSFNet, a network connecting the centers to each other and to other campus networks using TCP/IP.
The NSFnet goes live, using PDP 11 minicomputers and running at a 56k bit/sec.
NSFnet expands the network to 13 nodes and boosts bandwidth to 1.5M bit/sec.
The network continues to grow and reaches 45M bit/sec. Under the controversial accepted use policy, commercial activity is prohibited.
A transition period in which NSFnet backs away from funding the network and allows commercial ISPs to take over, triggering the explosive growth of the Internet.
Thirty-four university researchers meet to create a high-speed network for educational and research purposes.
Not-for-profit University Corporation for Advanced Internet Development (UCAID) is formed.
UCAID changed its name to Internet2; announced plans for Abilene Network at White House ceremony featuring Al Gore. Quest, Cisco and Nortel are the technology partners.
Abilene is operational, a 10,000-mile, 2.4G bit/sec network with 70 members participating.
Internet2 transfers data from CalTech to CERN (4,300 miles) at more than 1Tbyte per hour.
Abilene upgraded to 10G bit/sec with Juniper routers.
Internet2 launches hybrid optical and packet network.
Abilene Network is retired and Internet2 switches on new dynamic circuit network run by Level 3 Communications.
Internet2 is awarded $62 million in federal stimulus money to expand and upgrade the network. Technology partners include Ciena, Cisco, Infinera and Juniper. The plan is to support up to 8.8Tbit/sec of wavelength capacity by completion in 2013.
Read more about lans & wans in Network World's LANs & WANs section.
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Annals of Broadcasting: Life Lessons : The New Yorker
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ANNALS OF BROADCASTING about how telenovela soap operas are changing the world. One afternoon, in a conference room in San Miguel de Allende, in central Mexico, a dozen social workers were arguing about what should happen to Rocio, the 16-year-old heroine of a radio soap-opera script they were writing. Rocio's mother, Apolonia, had come home from her job as a maid to find her nephew, Javier, sexually assaulting Rocio; she chased him away, but didn't take Rocio to the police station for months. “How about having Apolonia kill the nephew?” Marla Salcedo, a social worker with Fronteras Unidas Pro Salud, a health clinic in Tijuana said. Rocio had been modeled on a girl Salcedo knew; most of the others in the room also worked at women's health agencies, and had all encountered women in similar situations. The telenovela workshop was organized by Population Communications International (P.C.I.), a New York-based group that, for the past 20 years, has pioneered the use of soap operas as a weapon against poverty. The social workers were to perform their scripts, which, if successful, would be produced and broadcast to as many as a million listeners. The first “soap operas for social change” were developed by Miguel Sabido, a Mexican TV producer, in the late 1970s. Dramas produced according to the “Sabido method” have aired in 100 countries. Some are large-scale TV productions that are funded by U.S. AID or the U.N., and some are $75 radio serials made by a local N.G.O. In 1992, researchers found that there were significant differences in condom use after an AIDS-related soap opera was produced in Tanzania. Other studies have had similar results. In a Sabido soap, the trick is to get a health message across while still producing a show that entertains. Mentions psychologist Albert Bandura, who found that the best way to teach new behavior is to give people models they can bond with. In a Sabido soap opera, there's always a fallible character with whom the audience identifies. The assumption is that viewers can gain more control over their lives if they're shown how to go about it. Sabido grew up within a circle of post-revolutionary Mexican artists and intellectuals. He began writing telenovelas in the early 1960s, and, in 1974, he started incorporating socially responsible themes in them. Within weeks of the airing of a literacy plotline in “Ven Conmigo,” nearly a million new students in Mexico had signed up for literacy classes. Another telenovela, “Accompaname,” focused on family planning and soon contraceptive sales in Mexico increased 23%. In 1983, Sabido created a telenovela, “Hum Log,” for Indian TV. A 1996 study of an Indian radio soap opera, “Tinka Tinka Sukh,” showed that the serial helped change the attitudes of Lutsaan villagers toward dowries and female education. Telenovelas often air topics that governments would rather avoid. Describes how, in 2000, the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs sponsored a soap opera in Nepal called “Asal Logne.” Mentions Diane Summers. The most widely viewed program in the world is not a telenovela but “The Bold and the Beautiful,” a CBS soap opera. In 2001, in a major twist, Tony, a young designer, told Kristen, his girlfriend, that he was H.I.V.-positive. A study in Botswana found that the show had a significant effect on people's attitudes towards AIDS. The effort to get this kind of story line on “The Bold and the Beautiful” and on other American soaps was spearheaded by Sonny Fox, who became chairman of the board at P.C.I. in 1992. In 1993, Fox began organizing what he called annual “soap summits,” inviting producers, head writers, and network executives to hear from cabinet members and other government officials. Fox is now thinking beyond poverty reduction, to broader social and cultural issues, including anti-Americanism. Mentions Karen Hughes.
Annals of Broadcasting
by Hanna Rosin June 5, 2006
Newyorker.com has a complete archive of The New Yorker, back to 1925. The complete archive is available to subscribers in the digital edition. If you subscribe to the magazine, register now to get access. If you don't, subscribe now.
You can also buy online access to a single issue. Individual back issues are available for sale through our customer-service department, at 1-800-825-2510.
All articles published before May, 2008, can be found in “The Complete New Yorker,” which is available for purchase on hard drive and DVD. Most New Yorker articles published since December, 2000, are available through Nexis.
To search for New Yorker cartoons and covers, visit the Cartoon Bank.
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NurseTogether - To Strike or Not to Strike: Does such action undermine nursing professionalism?
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On June 10, 2010, over 25,000 nurses are set for a one day strike in California and Minnesota1. If the strike comes to pass, this is expected to be the largest strike in US history. In the case of California, the decision to strike comes with the failure to agree on a contract. This step in California follows a long period of negotiations that included a special neutral fact finder who weighed in on issues of nurse staffing and nurse relief for breaks. Minnesota nurses state that their strike action is scheduled because of the failure of management to negotiate in good faith about a range of issues from pension to staffing2. While historically unions and other collective bargaining entities have been viewed as dealing with issues of salary and benefits, in reality, the conditions of work have always been central to the growth of nurse “militancy”. In both California and Minnesota, the nurses say that issues of safe staffing are a primary concern.
California nurses affected include the registered nurses from five University of California Medical Centers: San Diego, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Sacramento; along with four other facilities: Citrus Valley Medical Center (Covina), San Pedro Hospital (San Pedro), Marina del Rey Medical Center (Los Angeles) and Olympia Medical Center (Los Angeles). These nurses are represented by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee. Their primary concern is that the hospitals are trying to roll back the legislation that mandated nurse to patient ratios3. In reality, given the mounting budget crisis in California, the nurses concerns are real. There has been support from more than forty legislators for implementing the recommendations of the fact finding process. But at the same time, there is a growing movement by a small group of legislators and other policy analysts to try to overturn the nurse staffing ratio laws4. This is on the rise despite recent research by Aiken (2010) that demonstrated that such ratios really make a difference. According to Aiken, “nurse staffing ratios mandated in California are associated with lower mortality and nurse outcomes predictive of better nurse retention in California as well as in other states where they occur"5 .
Historically, during times of economic recession, businesses seek to claim concessions on union contracts. The question of which side comes out on top is an important one, as it ultimately affects patient care. The role of unionism or industrial action by nurses served as a catalyst or push for change in the United States and many other countries of the world. In the 1980s to present, the threat of unionization was one of the most powerful drivers for hospitals to move to professional models of practice6. As the education of nurses in college programs emphasized practice based on knowledge and skill, blinders of paternalism no longer held in hospitals7. Taught to be patient advocates, staff nurses recognized that they needed to pay attention to the conditions of work.
Collective bargaining efforts by nurse are not easy. Now in 2010, as in 1974 when the Taft-Hartley Act was amended to protect nurses right to organize, the decision to strike is not an easy one. Months of negotiation without results, perceived failure of management to negotiate in good faith, and the frustration of not being able to practice are commonly voiced concerns. Nurses are faced with accusations of greed in a profession long viewed as selfless service. Nurses are told that strike actions are abandonment of patients.
This year, striking nurses face a new challenge in that, unlike many previous years, the recession has temporarily suspended the nursing shortage in many parts of the country. Filling nurse positions with new graduates waiting in the wings is a very real possibility. It is also not clear if the younger nurse generation understands the sacrifices of the nurses who were willing to throw their jobs away to have hospital administration simply talk with them at the onset of collective bargaining in the late 1960s. Too often viewed as “nurses eating their young”, the staff nurses of today need to reach out to young nurses and embrace and educate them about the struggles fought to make safe staffing a reality. The history of nurse efforts to advance the practice of nursing through professionalism will be shaped once again by what happens on June 10th. Nurses face a new set of socio-economic challenges and will add to the chapter of the history of nursing’s work place politics.
2. http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2010/05/28/nurses-set-strike-date/ and for information from the Minnesota Nurses Association go to http://www.mnnurses.org/.
3. Read more about the ratios at: http://www.calnurses.org/nursing-practice/ratios/ratios_index.html and http://www.calnurses.org/assets/pdf/ratios/ratios_booklet.pdf.
4. Burehaus, P. (2007). Avoiding Mandatory Hospital Nurse Staffing Ratios: An Economic Commentary. Nursing Outlook, 57(2):107-12.
5. Aiken, L., Sloan, D., Cimiotti. J., Clarke. S., Flynn,JA., Spetz, J, Smith H. (2010). Implications of the California Nurse Staffing Mandate for Other States. Health Services Research (epub ahead of publication) retrieved from http://www.nursing.upenn.edu/chopr/Documents/Aiken.2010.CaliforniaStaffingRatios.pdf
6. Wolf, K. (1996). The Slow March to Professional Practice in L. Andrist, P, Nicholas, and K. Wolf. Boston:Jones & Bartlett.
7. Ashley, J.A. (1978). Hospitals, Pateranliism and theRole of the Nurse. Columbia University-Teachers College Press.
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JOSEPH REISERT: Court must decide whether Voting Rights Act still needed | The Morning Sentinel, Wat
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Wednesday, May 22, 2013
Joseph R. Reisert
The Supreme Court last week heard oral argument in a case challenging the constitutionality of a key provision of the Voting Rights Act.
That law, originally enacted in 1965, and most recently reauthorized in 2006, aims to enforce the guarantees of the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments, which respectively guarantee to all persons the "equal protection of the laws" and provide that "the right to vote shall not be denied or abridged on account of race" by any jurisdiction in the United States.
Such a challenge may seem like a step backwards, but in reality, the fact that the Supreme Court has a difficult decision to make here is a clear indicator of how much progress this country has made toward establishing genuine equality among the races.
In 1965, a full century after the end of the Civil War, several states and other political jurisdictions still systematically excluded African Americans and other minority persons from voting. Those states and communities had, for much of that intervening century, deployed literacy tests, poll taxes and other such devices as weapons to keep minorities from voting and to entrench white supremacy.
When those overtly discriminatory devices were prohibited, racist politicians invented still other techniques for excluding minority voters. They would redraw voting districts or, at the last moment, change the polling place to a place inconvenient, or perhaps even dangerous, for minority voters to approach.
Those measures were very effective. Across a swath of the old Confederacy, and in several places elsewhere, African Americans registered to vote at far lower rates than whites and were politically marginalized.
To solve the problem, the Voting Rights Act created two mechanisms for protecting voting rights. First, it authorized the U.S. Attorney General to bring suits to challenge any violation of voting rights, anywhere in the country. By 1965, this step was long overdue, and it is uncontroversial now.
In 1965, however, it was felt acutely, and at that time, it was demonstrably true, that remedial measures wouldn't suffice to protect voting rights. Remedial lawsuits take time, and determinedly racist jurisdictions could implement exclusionary policies, then change them for different exclusionary policies, before the Justice Department and the courts could really react to the first one. In the meanwhile, voting rights would have been infringed.
To solve that problem, the Voting Rights Act created a second and much more restrictive pre-emptive enforcement mechanism, that was applied to those jurisdictions that were especially discriminatory in 1964.
Once those jurisdictions had been made to adopt nondiscriminatory laws, they were forbidden from making any changes, large or small, to their voting procedures, without getting approval, in advance, from the U.S. Attorney General.
This "preclearance" provision was recognized at the time as an extraordinary measure, because it imposed a very significant burden on some communities but not others, and because it is an action that interferes directly with the ordinary prerogatives of self-government.
It was originally authorized to last for only five years, and it was expected that in those five years, firm government action would put an end to the most discriminatory practices. Since then, the provision has been reauthorized four more times.
The question before the court now is whether this "preclearance" provision, in its current form, still makes sense today. The gross abuses it was designed to arrest vanished long ago, and it is hard see that there is anything reasonable in punishing some states and communities today based on what was done in 1964.
Today, in some of the covered states in the deep south, blacks vote at a higher rate than whites, while in several other jurisdictions not covered by the "preclearance" requirement, one can find distressingly large shortfalls in minority voter registration and turnout.
On the other hand, some problems clearly remain in the covered jurisdictions, and the particular county bringing the lawsuit seems to have a record that could well justify strict supervision by the national government.
Moreover, the powers granted to Congress by the Reconstruction Amendments are vast and sweeping, and the Court may feel obliged to defer to the judgment of Congress that the "preclearance" provision is needed -- even if it wouldn't come to the same judgment itself.
Whichever way the Court decides regarding the "preclearance" provision, however, there is one point on which both sides agree: The Voting Rights Act has made what Solicitor General Donald Verrilli calls a "huge difference in transforming the culture of blatantly racist vote suppression that characterized parts of this country for a century."
Joseph R. Reisert is associate professor of American constitutional law and chairman of the department of government at Colby College in Waterville.
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War of the Roses » On the Tudor Trail - Retracing the steps of an immortal Queen
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War of the Roses
The Dawning of the Tudor Sunne
Article by Wendy J. Dunn
A very brief description of the War of Roses: Beginning after the captivity and death of Richard II, the War of Roses was essentially sporadic, bloody faction fighting between the noble families of York and Lancaster, both of them believing they possessed better right than the other to the ultimate prize: the English crown. Bosworth Field was the last battle between these two families.
On an English summer's day, in 1485, two young men, with their respective armies, gazed across at each other on a place known to history as Bosworth Field- so named because it was situated near the town of Market Bosworth.
One man, 32 years old, was an experienced leader. From his teenage years he had successfully campaigned in forays against his family's or country's enemies. For the last two years he had been England's King, the third one to bear the name of Richard; the army he commanded here was the stronger one.
The other man was 28. His claim to the English crown could be considered tenuous at the best. Indeed, if ever a claim shifted upon foundations of sand it was that of Henry Tudor. A descendent of John Beaufort, a by-blow (later made legitimate by an act of parliament) of Katherine Swynford and John Gaunt, fourth son of Edward III, Henry Tudor was also the grandson of a French princess who became Henry V's Queen and mother of the tragic Henry VI. Catherine Valois, daughter of the mad Louis of France, had been widowed in her early twenties. But in her household Owen Tudor, a handsome Welsh squire with duties in her wardrobe, caught her glance, and very soon given other duties.
In a relationship spanning something like ten years Catherine bore Owen Tudor five children. It is still debated whether or not they were truly married.* As this was a Catholic age, and Catherine would have had her own household priest, my own feeling is that they were. Catherine herself grew up in family steeped with scandal, with a father suffering periods of 'madness', and a mother who wasn't too sure who fathered some of her children. With a background like that for her own past history, I doubt she would have wanted any uncertainty for her own children. As well, even in our own times, a woman is unlikely to bear a man five children without being in some kind of permanent relationship with him - in the fifteenth century that generally meant marriage.
Catherine's grandson Henry was the posthumous son of the first of these children, Edmund Tudor who married Margaret Beaufort, a twelve-year bride who became a thirteen-year old mother. Henry Tudor, Margaret's one and only baby, grew up in extremely uncertain times, in the midst of the bloodiest conflicts of the War of Roses. These conflicts forced him to spend most of his first 28 years in exile to ensure his own survival, even so, despite the uncertainty of these times, there appeared at least one thing Henry was very certain about. After the deaths of Henry VI and his son Edward, Henry Tudor believed himself the scion of the Lancastrian family meant for Kingship.
Henry Tudor and Richard III- the last York King- two entirely different men, battling it out on this 22 day of August for life or death. Without digging away at the surface, at the beginning of the day it would seem Richard held the stronger hand to defeat this threat to his monarchy. Crowned and anointed King, a competent leader with a well-equipped and experienced army, he seemed to have all the pluses on his side. Except for one important thing. Richard the third at Bosworth Field was not the Richard of times past. Despite the fact he went into battle determined to 'do or die', even before this battle began I see him here as a defeated man.
Recently widowed of Anne Neville, his beloved wife, who had died a very hard death from consumption, his only legitimate son, Edward, died only months prior to his mother. Starting with Edward IV's death, a brother Richard served devotedly from his youngest years, life for Richard had been personal disaster after personal disaster with political disasters also inflicting him at every turn. Yes, for Richard, the youngest and last remaining son of Richard, Duke of York, being made King brought no good fortune.
Of all the Kings of England, Richard is one of my three favourites. Put against the context of the times, I have faith in Richard's sincerity and attempts to live a good life. Probably the most maligned of all English Kings, Richard was accused by the Tudor propaganda machine of slandering his mother (Edward IV born as a result of her unfaithfulness), murdering the saintly Henry VI in the Tower of London, just after he heartlessly killed his son Edward on the battlefield. Though he may have obeyed his brother's orders to 'put away' Henry VI, I think it unlikely Edward employed his nineteen-year old brother as some kind of henchman - even to the extent of having Richard arrange the drowning of their brother George in a barrel of his favourite wine.
In Richard's brief time as King the accusations continue. Some of Richard's supposed sins then include desiring to wed and bed his own niece, the eighteen-year old Elizabeth of York. Indeed, to achieve this end, Anne Neville's death wasn't because of consumption - rather her death was through poison, a poison administered nightly by her husband.
Yet, here is a man with a personal motto of 'Loyalty binds me', who served devotedly his brother Edward IV and clearly loved his wife. Risking a healthy debate on my hands, I take a lot of this propaganda with a grain of salt. I especially don't believe he killed his nephews. In my mind, it is more possible someone did for him, thinking it would please him. Just as Thomas Beckett had been murdered by Henry II's knights because they thought this was his desire. My own personal feeling is that the boys were killed through the machinations of another uncle, the Duke of Buckingham, a man who not only detested the Woodville family, the family of the young Princes' mother, but a man also a self-serving traitor.
Richard, in the short time he wore the crown of England, showed promise of being a very able monarch. He not only passed good laws protecting the common people but also encouraged the printing trade in England. But now, with the loss of his beloved wife and son - perhaps also knowing someone killed his nephews on his behalf- his heart just wasn't in the coming battle.
Even though he fought heroically, withstanding the betrayals of trusted men virtually on the battlefield, Richard seemed to know he was destined for death. After he died with his sword in his hand, Richard's body suffered the indignity of being stripped naked and abused before being strung across a horse. Days would pass before he was even properly buried. I believe the best epitaph for Richard comes from not one person but many. Knowing their beloved King no more, the city of York risked angering England's new monarch, proclaiming: King Richard, late mercifully reigning upon us, was, through great treason of the Duke of Norfolk and many others that turned against him, with many other lords and nobility . . . was piteously slain and murdered, to the great heaviness of this city. Thus, with the Battle of Bosworth unquestionably won, Henry Tudor's army crowned him King on the battlefield, some one placing Richard's gold circlet upon his dark head, and the Tudor era began.
Further reading: Murph, Roxanne C. Richard III: The Making of a legend. Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1977, reprinted 1984 Michalove, Sharon D. The Re-inventing of Richard III- paper presented at the conference 'Reinventing the Middle ages and the Renaissance, 1995.
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1.5 Conventions
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GLUT window and screen coordinates are expressed in pixels. The upper left hand corner of the screen or a window is (0,0). X coordinates increase in a rightward direction; Y coordinates increase in a downward direction. Note: This is inconsistent with OpenGL's coordinate scheme that generally considers the lower left hand coordinate of a window to be at (0,0) but is consistent with most popular window systems.
Integer identifiers in GLUT begin with one, not zero. So window identifiers, menu identifiers, and menu item indexes are based from one, not zero.
In GLUT's ANSI C binding, for most routines, basic types ( int, char*) are used as parameters. In routines where the parameters are directly passed to OpenGL routines, OpenGL types ( GLfloat) are used.
The header files for GLUT should be included in GLUT programs with the following include directive:
#include <GL/glut.h>Because a very large window system software vendor (who will remain nameless) has an apparent inability to appreciate that OpenGL's API is independent of their window system API, portable ANSI C GLUT programs should not directly include <GL/gl.h> or <GL/glu.h>. Instead, ANSI C GLUT programs should rely on <GL/glut.h> to include the necessary OpenGL and GLU related header files.
The ANSI C GLUT library archive is typically named libglut.a on Unix systems. GLUT programs need to link with the system's OpenGL and GLUT libraries (and any libraries these libraries potentially depend on). A set of window system dependent libraries may also be necessary for linking GLUT programs. For example, programs using the X11 GLUT implementation typically need to link with Xlib, the X extension library, possibly the X Input extension library, the X miscellaneous utilities library, and the math library. An example X11/Unix compile line would look like:
cc -o foo foo.c -lglut -lGLU -lGL -lXmu -lXi -lXext -lX11 -lm
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Why the Retinal Periphery Matters
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Why the Retinal Periphery Matters
Why the Retinal Periphery Matters
Peripheral changes often precede vision-threatening central disease
Dr. Gerson: One of the strengths of the optomap ultrawidefield digital retinal imaging is that it allows us to view the peripheral retina. Does the periphery matter when it comes to vision-threatening diseases?
Dr. Schaeffer: Optometry is very different than it was 10 years ago. Today, we do not refer patients to the retinal specialist unless they need surgery. Take retinal holes for instance. A week doesn't go by that I am not monitoring two or three patients with retinal holes. Now that I have the optomap, the patient no longer has to sit dabbing his tearing eye with tissues while I examine him for an extended period. I can use the optomap to direct myself right to the area of interest. I can compare images from different visits to check for changes. I am very comfortable following these patients, seeing them every 2 to 3 months if needed, with the optomap.
Anybody can see an optic nerve. Anybody can see a macula. It is the periphery that is hard to see in these difficult cases.
Field of View and Diabetes
Dr. Nelson: Increasingly, research shows that not only does the periphery matter, it may very well be the place where disease starts. In many cases, we see drusen forming in the periphery before we see it in the central macula. We see hemorrhages in the periphery before we see hemorrhages in the central macula. We see peripheral nonperfusion as well, particularly in diabetic patients. Nearly a third of macular edema is thought to be caused by peripheral nonperfusion. Optos technology, particularly ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography, has played a major role in what is being learned.
Dr. Schaeffer: The optomap facilitates precise monitoring and documentation of small peripheral hemorrhages in diabetic patients.
Figure 3. Retinoschisis
Figure 4. Peripheral reticular degeneration
Dr. Gerson: In addition, it can help us to diagnose diabetes in patients who are not aware they have it. Studies indicate that up to 20% of people with Type 2 diabetes already have retinopathy at the time of diagnosis.
Dr. Nelson: Diabetes is an imminent epidemic in the United States. Eye doctors are going to be on the front line working with primary care physicians to make sure people with diabetes are diagnosed early and receive proper treatment.
Figure 5. Diabetic retinopathy.
Dr. Schaeffer: I require optomap images for every diabetic patient, which is especially important for children.
Dr. Gerson: Does everyone on the panel scan young diabetic patients to obtain a baseline image?
Dr. Nelson: Yes, without question. The ability to view the different wavelength scans separately makes a big difference for detecting small hemorrhages. When I switch to the green laser separation, the hemorrhages light up in black, and it is much easier to see them. With just a quick scan, I can see whether diabetic retinopathy is present throughout the retina.
Dr. Rothschild: I scan all diabetic patients, too. I have seen some beautiful, healthy-looking posterior poles with hemorrhages all around the periphery in diabetic patients.
Dr. Gerson: What if you see a single peripheral hemorrhage? I think some people would make the argument, so what?
Dr. Schaeffer: Every time I see a hemorrhage in the eye, I think the patient deserves a physical. Even if a primary care workup finds the cause to be insignificant, it is important to follow through. Furthermore, it makes optometry part of the medical model, part of the entire team of physicians caring for that patient.
Dr. Rothschild: The Optos technology gives us the opportunity to reach out to other doctors in the community and let them know we are willing to make it available to their patients, especially young patients with diabetes.
Field of View and AMD
Dr. Gerson: Seddon and colleagues published a paper in 2009 about the association between peripheral drusen and reticular pigmentary changes and the development of macular degeneration.1 Their results opened my eyes to the importance of peripheral pathology and how it might change how we manage and educate patients with AMD and patients at risk for the disease.
Another good example of what we find in the peripheral retina really matters in relation to central vision-threatening disease is a study done in Reykjavik.2 That group of investigators reported on peripheral changes being predictive of macular changes. They also noted widefield images revealed considerable pathological changes at the periphery in AMD patients. OM
1. Seddon JM, Reynolds R, Rosner B. Peripheral retinal drusen and reticular pigment: association with CFHY402H and CFHrs1410996 genotypes in family and twin studies. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2009;50:586-591.
2. Geirsdottir A, Jonasson F, Cairns D, et al. Twelve-year incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in the Reykjavik Eye Study and initial characterization of wide field images. Presented during the 2009 meeting of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO). Presentation 269/A369; May 3, 2009.
Optometric Management, Issue: May 2010
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Orange County Health Dept- Florida
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ORLANDO —The Orange County Health Department is highlighting the importance of influenza (flu) vaccination by recognizing December 5-11, 2010 as National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) would like to remind the community to get their seasonal flu shot, if they have not done so already.
While the flu season in Florida, usually peaks in January and February, getting a flu shot now can still offer protection during the peak of the flu season. “Vaccination is one of the best ways to reduce your risk of getting the flu. Getting vaccinated could prevent serious illness and death,” said Dr. Kevin M. Sherin, Director of the Orange County Health Department.
Launched by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2005, each day of NIVW focuses on reaching a different part of the U.S. population. This season, NIVW will reach people of all ages with the message that “Flu Ends With U,” and that getting vaccinated not only protects you from the flu, but it can prevent you from spreading it to friends and family as well.
This is the first year that everyone 6 months and older is recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine. Children under 6 months are too young to receive the flu vaccine, but they are among the most vulnerable to develop serious, even fatal, complications from flu. This makes vaccination of their close contacts such as parents, siblings, and caregivers, especially critical.
Influenza can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. Most people who get influenza will recover in a few days to less than 2 weeks, but some people will develop complications (such as pneumonia) as a result of the flu, some of which can be life-threatening and result in death.
Flu shots for children and adults are offered at the Orange County Health Department’s Central Health Center located at 832 West Central Boulevard, Monday through Friday from 7:30am- 3:00pm on a first-come, first-serve walk in basis. The immunization program is closed the 2nd Friday of each month. The cost of the flu shot for adults is $28.00. Flu shots for children are free. We accept Medicare and some Medicaid. For more information about Influenza and clinic hours please visit http://orchd.com/personalHealth/immunizations/flu/index.asp
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Nose Termite Facts & Control - How to Get Rid of Nose Termites
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Subterranean Nose Termites
Of the two types of termites that plague North America, the subterranean termite is most common. The nose termite, or conehead termite (Nasutitermes corniger), however, is a drywood species that builds large aerial nests. They are found in tropical areas such as Central America but even have been recorded in extreme southern Florida.
Conehead termites get their name from the appearance of the soldiers which have a very distinct nose or snout. They are able to squirt a tacky substance from this cone as a means of defense. Attacking ants or other predators often find themselves coated and unable to move.
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Safety and Health Topics | Autobody Repair and Refinishing
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Autobody Repair and Refinishing
Workers in autobody shops are potentially exposed to a variety of chemical and physical hazards. Chemical hazards may include volatile organics from paints, fillers and solvents; diisocyanates, polyisocyanates, and hexavalent chromium from spray painting operations; silica from sandblasting operations; dusts from sanding; and metal fumes from welding and cutting. Physical hazards include repetitive stress and other ergonomic injuries, noise, lifts, cutting tools, and oil and grease on walking surfaces.
Autobody repair and refinishing is addressed in specific standards for the general industry.
This section highlights OSHA standards related to autobody repair and refinishing.
Note: Twenty-five states, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands have OSHA-approved State Plans and have adopted their own standards and
enforcement policies. For the most part, these States adopt standards that are identical to Federal OSHA. However, some States have adopted different standards applicable to this topic or may have different enforcement policies.
Frequently Cited Standards
A listing of the most frequently cited standards by Federal OSHA for Automotive Repair Shops Industry Group (SIC code 753) is available.
Other Highlighted Standards
General Industry (29 CFR 1910)
Hazards and Solutions
Many workers are unaware of the potential hazards in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to injury. The following references aid in recognizing and controlling some of the hazards associated with autobody repair and refinishing.
- Preventing Asthma and Death from Diisocyanate Exposure. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-111, (1996). Summarizes seven case reports of disease and deaths following occupational exposure to diisocyanates.
- Isocyanates. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Workplace Safety and Health Topic.
- Good Practices for Employees in Autobody Shops. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 77-229/National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Publication No. PB 276-677, (1977).
- HSG-Auto Repair and Body Shops. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 75-136/National Technical Information Service (NTIS) Publication No. PB 83-178-210, (1975).
- For additional information on hazards associated with autobody repair and refinishing, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
- Asbestos-Automotive Brake and Clutch Repair Work. OSHA Safety and Health Information Bulletin (SHIB), (2006, July 26). Informs employees and employers in the automotive brake repair industry of the precautions that must be taken when working with automotive brakes and clutches containing asbestos.
- Quickcard: Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-Powered Vehicles - Automotive Repair Industry. OSHA and Coordinating Committee for Auto Repair (CCAR) Alliance, (2010, February). CCAR developed a Quick Card addressing issues associated with CNG-powered vehicles, including basic safety requirements before working on CNG vehicles.
- Quickcard: Hexavalent Chromium - Automotive Collision Repair Industry. OSHA and Coordinating Committee for Auto Repair (CCAR) Alliance, (2009, January). CCAR developed a Quick Card addressing issues associated with hexavalent chromium, including precautions that must be taken when refinishing motor vehicle parts.
- Operating Motor Vehicles: A Guide for Employees in the Automotive Repair Industry. OSHA and Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR) Alliance, (2007, March). CCAR developed a guide providing workers with information on safe driving and their responsibilities while driving a motor vehicle for their company.
- National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Health Hazard Evaluations (HHEs).
- Matrix Auto Body, Englewood, Colorado [361 KB PDF, 27 pages]. Report No. HETA 95-0406-2609, (1996, October). Describes an assessment of worker exposure to isocyanates during spray painting of automobiles. Other concerns for worker exposure included solvents, total dusts, noise, carbon monoxide (CO), and metals.
- Spence's Carstar, Denver, Colorado [373 KB PDF, 26 pages]. Report No. HETA 95-0405-2600, (1996, September). Summarizes two NIOSH assessments of worker exposure to isocyanates during spray painting of automobiles.
- Martin's Carstar, Inc., Lakewood, Colorado [285 KB PDF, 27 pages]. Report No. HETA 95-0311-2593, (1996, August). Summarizes two NIOSH assessments of worker exposure to isocyanates during spray painting of automobiles.
- Control of Dusts From Sanding in Autobody Repair Shops. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-105, (1996).
- Control of Paint Overspray in Autobody Repair Shops. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 96-106, (1996).
- A Control Matrix for Spray Painting at Autobody Repair Shops. US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Public Health Service (PHS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), and the Division of Physical Sciences and Engineering, (1998, May).
- Heitbrink W.A., et al. "A Comparison of Conventional and HVLP Spray Painting Guns." Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 57(1996): 304-310.
- Heitbrink W.A., et al. "Control of Paint Overspray in Autobody Repair Shops." Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 56.10(1995): 1023-1032.
- Heitbrink W.A., et al. "Evaluation of Ventilated Sanders in the Autobody Repair Industry." Am Ind Hyg Assoc J. 55.8(1994): 756-759.
- For additional information, see OSHA's Safety and Health Topics Pages on:
Related Safety and Health Topics Pages
- Small Business Handbook. OSHA Publication 2209-02R, (2005). Also available as a 587 KB PDF, 56 pages. Assists in identifying topics that are applicable to all covered industries, including autobody shops. Provides help to small business employers in meeting the legal requirements imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 and achieve an in-compliance status before an OSHA inspection.
- Occupational Chemical Database. OSHA maintains this chemical database as a convenient reference for the occupational safety and health community. It compiles information from several government agencies and organizations. This database originally was developed by OSHA in cooperation with EPA.
- Occupational Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities to Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, 2003 to 2005. US Department of Labor (DOL), Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), (2007, May 23). Reports that mechanics are more likely than the average worker to be injured or killed on the job, as evidenced by higher rates of fatalities and injuries and illnesses. Their fatality rate was 5.3 per 100,000 employed in 2005, which was higher than the rate of 4.0 per 100,000 employed for all occupations combined.
- Automotive Refinishing Partnership. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)/Design for the Environment (DfE). A voluntary program that works in partnership with the collision repair industry and schools to promote best practices and technologies that reduce toxic emissions of diisocyanates, organic solvents, heavy metals, and other hazardous air pollutants. The program encourages the development of safer paint products and conducts train-the-trainer best practices workshops to promote outreach to shops across the country. Online resources include the Self-evaluation checklist of Best Practices and the Emissions Reduction Calculator, which estimates paint and cost savings, along with reductions in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and particulates.
- Collision Repair Campaign. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). A voluntary program between EPA and local communities that works to reduce and eliminate harmful air toxics from collision repair, or auto body shops, across the nation. This program provides free training, technical assistance, and community outreach to local collision repair shops. The program’s goal is to drastically reduce health and environmental impacts from collision repair shops at the national level. It also aims to help shops achieve early compliance and beyond with EPA’s Paint Stripping & Miscellaneous Surface Coating Rule by implementing best management practices.
- Auto Body Certification Program. State of Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management. Includes a historical perspective, new research findings, program elements, certification workbook, and more.
- Compliance Assistance for Automotive Repair Shops. Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). Features Florida's DEP program, which is designed to improve the environmental compliance of regulated facilities.
- Virtual Auto Repair Shop. Coordinating Committee for Automotive Repair (CCAR)-GreenLink. Provides information on a variety of environmental issues for automotive technicians and educators including "virtual shops" that show details of specific safety issues in service and repair shops, open bay areas, mixing rooms, and spray booths.
Accessibility Assistance: Contact the OSHA Directorate of Technical Support and Emergency Management at (202) 693-2300 for assistance accessing PDF materials.
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Zinc Supplements | Doctor | Patient.co.uk
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Zinc supplements (zinc sulphate) should only be given when there is good evidence of zinc deficiency or in zinc-losing conditions. Zinc supplements must be used with caution in view of the dangers of zinc excess and zinc toxicity.
- Add notes to any clinical page and create a reflective diary
- Automatically track and log every page you have viewed
- Print and export a summary to use in your appraisal
Indications for supplements
- Zinc deficiency and zinc-losing conditions, eg following trauma, burns and other protein-losing conditions, eg protein-losing enteropathy.
- Zinc acetate is used to treat Wilson's disease. Studies have also reported its use to enhance wound healing and slow macular degeneration.
- Zinc has also been claimed to ameliorate a variety of conditions including the common cold. The effect of zinc treatments on the severity or duration of cold symptoms is controversial and unproven.
- A zinc supplement is given until clinical improvement occurs but it may need to be continued in severe malabsorption, metabolic disease or in zinc-losing states.
- Total parenteral nutrition regimens usually include trace amounts of zinc. If necessary, further zinc can be added to intravenous feeding regimens.
Effervescent zinc sulphate tablets contain 125 mg of zinc sulphate (45 mg zinc):
- Adult and child over 30 kg, 1 tablet in water 1-3 times daily after food.
- Child under 10 kg, ½ tablet daily.
- Child 10-30 kg, ½ tablet 1-3 times daily.
- May accumulate in acute renal failure.
- A small study has suggested that zinc supplementation increases the levels of glycosylated haemoglobin in diabetics.
- Sufferers from haemochromatosis may absorb larger amounts of zinc.
- Zinc and copper are mutually antagonistic, each interfering with the gastrointestinal uptake of the other.
- Excess zinc may also decrease magnesium and calcium uptake. High levels of calcium in the diet can decrease zinc absorption.
- Zinc salts reduce the bioavailability of fluoroquinolone antibiotics, eg ciprofloxacin.
- Absorption of zinc is reduced by penicillamine and zinc also reduces the absorption of penicillamine.
- Absorption of zinc is reduced by tetracyclines and zinc also reduces the absorption of tetracyclines.
- Zinc supplements have been reported to cause gastrointestinal effects, including abdominal pain, dyspepsia, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, gastric irritation, and gastritis. This is more likely when supplements are taken with little or no food.
- Irritability, headache, lethargy, dizziness.
- Prolonged use of high doses of zinc can result in deficiency of copper.
- It has been suggested but not proven that excess zinc is atherogenic.
Further reading & references
|Original Author: Dr Colin Tidy||Current Version: Dr Colin Tidy|
|Last Checked: 22/03/2010||Document ID: 569 Version: 22||© EMIS|
Disclaimer: This article is for information only and should not be used for the diagnosis or treatment of medical conditions. EMIS has used all reasonable care in compiling the information but make no warranty as to its accuracy. Consult a doctor or other health care professional for diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. For details see our conditions.
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Dengue fever kills 16, infects over 13,000 people in two months - Pattaya Mail - Pattaya News, Commu
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Narong Sahamethapat, permanent secretary of public health, said that a war room meeting to monitor the dengue fever outbreak in 2013 found that the mosquito control was not satisfactory.
The Bureau of Epidemiology reported that from Jan 1 – March 11, dengue fever patients were found in every province.
A total number of 13,200 patients was recorded, or about 1,000-1,500 infection per week on average.
About half of the total deaths were children under the age of 14 years and fatalities are four times higher than last year’s record.
The survey conducted by the Department of Disease Control on mosquito larva population in 190 districts found that over 70 percent of mosquito larvae originated from water containers in households.
Deaths were reported in nine provinces – the highest death toll of five in Songkhla, followed by two in Nakhon Si Thammarat and one case in each province of Bangkok, Samut Prakan, Nakhon Pathom, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Rayong, Pattani and Yala.
The permanent secretary ordered public health offices to control the mosquito population and people are advised to use mosquito repellents.
People, and especially children who, experience fever for three consecutive days should see a doctor immediately for diagnosis and, if infected with dengue fever, to receive proper treatment.
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Harvard Advocate | FRONTLINE | PBS
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Traditional cinema provides viewers with a portrait of fictitious persons and
places that often is made relevant to spectators only by their concerted and
creative efforts to understand the filmmaker's intentions. As an alternative,
documentary film entered the world of popular cinema early in this century
using the images and stories of real life as its subject--which thus became
that much more grounded in life itself and arguably more "accessible." But the
subjects of these films were still apart from the life of the filmmaker; that
is, they still stood as removed, intermediary objects of experience between the
filmmaker and the viewer.
In his essay "The Documentary Gets Personal," the filmmaker and Harvard
professor Alfred Guzetti chronicles the development of a radical type of cinema
that expanded its scope to include those materials unaccounted for even by
documentary. "It was the American avant-garde of the 1950s," he writes, "that
took the first real steps toward a personal cinema...[with] film diaries [and
recorded images of the filmmaker's]...immediate physical and family
surroundings." Thus innovative filmmakers sought to personalize their subject,
developing a genre the French would christen "cinema verite" (literally, "truth
Many filmmakers, according to Guzetti, criticized the dominant cinema (to which
cinema verite offered a sharp contrast) for obstructing "the path to critical
reflection by effacing the act of authorship, the circumstances of production,
and the ways in which film is part of the world it portrays." In response to
this conspicuous omission, cinema verite built upon foundations of documentary
film by adding images from the filmmaker's actual experiences.
Several factors enabled this new movement in film to become both prolific and
popular. Of great significance was the development of the lightweight camera
and the synchronous audio-cassette recorder, which together made it possible
for a single person to make a film and include whatever personal details he
deemed film worthy. Moreover, several political and social developments made
such intimate film more widely accepted. Explains Guzetti:
[A]s the American opposition to the
Vietnam War and the campaign for civil
rights peaked, the debates about politics,
power, and values widened to include a
realm previously thought of as personal.
Under the attacks of the women's
movement, the distinction between the
personal and the political gave way.
This collapse of boundaries, in turn, gave filmmakers license to use their own
lives as vehicles for conveying large truths, for making statements that might
transcend the purely personal.
Guzetti observes that this movement in film was mirrored in literature, with
poets like Sylvia Plath and Elizabeth Bishop writing what is sometimes called
"confessional peotry" and with other writers like Norman Mailer and Tom Wolfe
experimenting by placing authorial personae at the center of their
Enter Ross McElwee, a contemplative filmmaker who focuses on the people and
events of his life and adds a new dimension to cinema verite by including a
stream-of-consciousness voice-over to accompany nearly every image in his
films. In his latest film, the celebrated Time Indefinite, the open
narrations range from despondent to humorous, and they enable the viewer to
become intimately acquainted with his witty and captivating world view. At the
most successful moments of his films, his narrations combine with images and
sounds to suggest what it might be like to enter McElwee's consciousness and
experience the world as he does. In Sherman's March, for instance, the
viewer fairly accompanies McElwee on his itinerant search for love. Commenting
on the uniqueness of McElwee's art, Stanley Cavell, a professor of philosophy
and aesthetics at Harvard, says, "You have to find a new set of cinematic
categories to capture the clarity of his films."
THA: A question that, implicitly and explicitly, pervades Time
Indefinite is how to deal with our mortality and that of those we love.
In what ways, if any, has filming those you love helped you to cope with or to
accept their mortality?
McElwee: One of the conclusions I draw towards the end of the film--an
obvious conclusion perhaps--is that one never really comes to terms with the
death of a loved one, but one can learn to move on from that point and to find
joy and satisfaction in other aspects of living--in my case, it was finally
having a son of my own. The pain isn't exactly assuaged by this event, but it
helps one to move on. The filmmaking itself, in its attempts to confront death
directly, to somehow paint it into a corner, turns out to be just another
denial of death--a way of distracting the filmmaker from dealing with death and
then getting on with life. That's why I think the chapter of the film that
deals with Lucille and Melvin's fiftieth wedding anniversary is important. I
think the viewer, not to mention the filmmaker, takes a particular delight in
observing the intricacies of the wedding preparation, and the humor and
happiness that surround the event. The images of family are not meant to
suggest salvation, exactly. But they do perhaps offer a sign of hope.
THA: What did filming Sherman's March teach you about love and
the process of looking for it?
McElwee: I'd never presume to make a pronouncement concerning what I
think relationships between men and women are all about. I think it's
abundantly clear, from Sherman's March , that I myself, haven't a
clue--at least at that point in my life. I guess the one lesson I might have
garnered from the experience of making Sherman's March was that true
love, whatever that is, was unlikely to present itself as long as I was
determined to track it down with a camera, and the audience knows this. But
the humor of this knowledge, this audience one-upmanship, is one of the reasons
why the film works--at least for most people who see it. In general, I'd have
to agree with the philosophy stated in innumerable Broadway songs that love is
likely to strike when you least expect it. That was certainly the case with me
and Marilyn, my wife. And from then on, it's a matter of redefining what love
means as you stay with someone.
THA: In general, how was the act of filming someone changed your
relationship to that person?
McElwee: It totally depends upon which person you're referring to when
you ask this question. But for me, generally speaking, filming
someone--especially someone I know well--has the paradoxical effect of both
distancing me slightly from that person while also leading me in many cases to
probe more deeply my relationship with that person, to go into areas of inquiry
or experience where I might not otherwise go. For instance, with my brother, a
surgeon, I might well never have had the conversation I had concerning my
father's death had I not filmed it. There's a way of avoiding such discussions
in the South, and it's quite likely we'd never have attempted to discuss my
father's death in any detail had I not wanted to film.
THA: Do you, or the other people you film, ever feel objectified or
commodified--reduced to images destined for viewer consumption?
McElwee: To answer this question honestly, you'd have to ask people who
have been filmed by me. As for myself, I can say that, on some level, I have
felt at times oddly objectified by being the subject of my own films. It's at
times a little awkward. When I've accompanied my films to festivals or
openings, I've had this odd sense that people feel they know me, that they have
me typed in a certain way. Perhaps it's similar to what actors feel when they
appear in public. At times it's disconcerting, but how can I complain? No
one's forcing me to make these self-reflexive films. And by and large, people
are quite respectful. But they are curious, and they do ask questions in
writing and in person that they certainly wouldn't ask other strangers. As for
other people who appear in the films, my hope is that they do not feel they've
been reduced to images destined for viewer consumption, as you say. I try to
render people's lives with as much complexity and--when appropriate--affection
as I can, which I hope prevents people from being reduced to mere images or
symbols. I think this problem is much more prevalent on television news shows,
where you have-types--the welfare mother, the flood victim, and so
on--described in a few brief strokes, in a sound bite or two.
THA: Would you describe your films as solipsistic or self-reflective?
McElwee: I hope my work can be described as being more self-reflective
than solipsistic. Solipsism is, of course, the great danger of working in this
genre. But I try to avoid the pitfalls of solipsism by using as much humor as
I can muster--often self-mocking humor--so that we don't take the solipsistic
view of the filmmaker too seriously. And I also try to make my films open up
to the world at large by allowing other people to occupy to screen, to have
important roles in the film. What I try to do is establish an oscillating
rhythm of sorts that moves from immersion in the outside world, with its
never-ending and fascinating panoply of real-life people and events, to
self-immersion and reflection upon my interactions with those people and
events. It's difficult to sustain that rhythm, and I'm sure I periodically
lapse into too much of one or the other. But I try to keep something of an
THA: When did you realize that you wanted to make films, and in
particular cinema verite films?
McElwee: I became interested in the filmmaking process during my senior
year at Brown, when I enrolled in still photography classes at the Rhode Island
School of Design, which adjoins Brown's campus. I think I gradually began to
think of myself more as a RISD student; I certainly spent most of my time
there. I was particularly interested in watching the student fimmakers edit
their work. I couldn't get into any of the filmmaking courses for various
bureaucratic reasons, but I was very taken with the process. I'd also seen
some interesting documentaries at Brown--films by Fred Wiseman and Richard
Leacock--and the simplicity and rough-hewn quality of their work somehow must
have lodged in my consciousness, because when I learned that Leacock was
heading up a new documentary program at MIT, I thought that might be a good
place for me to learn filmmaking. I applied and was accepted and I guess I've
been more or less on the same course ever since.
But I should also say that while at Brown I took two courses and independent
study with John Hawkes, a novelist who teaches literature and creative writing
there. I was very influenced by his course and by his writing and by his
emphasis on developing a voice in writing. For a while I was quite certain I
wanted to become a fiction writer. I had entered college declaring my primary
interest to be creative writing. And though I long ago abandoned any desire to
try to make a living writing fiction, I suspect that some of what I learned and
what I was interest in then has somehow leaked into my work through my attempts
to apply a layer of subjective, meditative, highly personal narration to
portions of my films--something not traditionally associated with documentary
filmmaking. The narration is meant to affect the way viewers respond. It's
meant to somehow lure them into my own psychological space.
THA: Beckett suggests in Waiting for Godot that life is just
how you pass the time before you die. Do you find that filming your life
hastens the passage of time or does it slow down? Does filming life make you
more or less conscious of its brevity?
McElwee: For the most part, it's hard to argue with Beckett about that.
I'd have to say that filming my life neither slows it down nor speeds it up.
If anything, having filmed my own life does set up an odd syncopated duality
between my present and my past. A kind of schizophrenia sets in as I edit, or
perhaps "retroprhrenia" would be a better word-- but, at any rate, an odd sense
of looking back from one present tense to what seems to be another very vivid
present tense, the world as apprehended by the filmmaker a few years earlier
with a cinema verite approach to his filmmaking.
As I neared the completion of Sherman's March, I kept thinking, that
can't be me pursuing those women so haplessly. It was really as if I
were watching the escapades of a younger sibling, someone who was like me
perhaps but was not me. It was eerie at times. In The World Viewed,
Stanley Cavell writes about the phenomenon of the child trying to understand
the statement "This is your grandmother" upon being shown a photograph of the
grandmother. At first the child does not accept that statement. Clearly, the
photo is not the grandmother but rather a representation of the grandmother.
The child is, for a day or week or whatever, baffled by this statement. But
then one day, mysteriously, the child suddenly accepts the convention of that
statement. Cavell asks what causes the child to suddenly accept the
convention. That's a little of what it's like to work on an autobiographical
film like this--at least for me. I'm constantly having to deal with the
paradox of the footage not really containing "me," whatever that is. And yet
it is me, or some version of me, dwelling in its own present tense--the
present tense of the film--quite apart from the "me" that's editing that film.
And, of course, the same was true with Time Indefinite. I couldn't even
begin to edit that material, especially the material that dealt with my
father's death, until several years after his death. And by then I was a
father myself. Life had moved on and I had moved with it, but still I needed
to reoccupy the personal past tense in order to re-create a present tense for
the film. So while filming my life neither accelerates time nor slows it down
for me, it certainly does lend a strangely disjointed sense to its passage.
THA: How do you decide what to say in your narrations?
McElwee: Occasionally I take notes on location, so to speak. An idea
about something I've just filmed might pop into my head and I'll jot it down on
a scrap of paper. But ninety percent of my writing is done ex post
facto. After a certain point in the editing process, I begin editing with
a word processor and a tape deck on the table beside me. I watch the footage
and type out various responses to it. I then make sound recordings of the
narrations and play them back as the scene runs. If it seems to work
reasonably well, I record the narration in a narration booth, transfer the
recording to 16mm magnetic stock, and cut it into my sound track. That all
sounds very methodical and straightforward, but in reality it's excruciating
for me to write my narrations. Partially because some part of me still resists
doing it. Coming from a tradition of cinema verite, I still feel slightly
queasy every time I narrate during one of my films. This is, after all, film;
one feels the strong compulsion to let the images tell their own story. And in
fact I try to let that happen as much as possible in my films. But then I have
to remind myself that I am trying to do something different from classical
cinema verite and that my approach to exploring other possibilities for the
genre has to do with subjective writing. And so I return to the word
processor. But it's very painful, trying to find the balance between whether
I've said too much or not enough. I go through literally hundreds of pages of
typed drafts and dozens and dozens of recorded versions of the narration track
before I finally accept a version that works for me. It seems that it
shouldn't be so difficult: after all, nothing I'm saying is terrifically
complicated; there's no poetry of complicated syntax to wrestle with. Yet it
takes me forever to get it right. I'm not sure why I find the writing much
more difficult than the editing of the picture.
THA: Throughout Time Indefinite , you film what many would
consider to be private or intimate moments. What makes you decide not to film
certain subjects or events?
McElwee: I suppose there's some undefined rule of restraint, of
discretion, a sense of wanting to challenge the viewer but not wanting to
alienate the viewer. I found there were certain moments from my own life I
simply couldn't film, for various reasons: my honeymoon, my father's funeral,
the birth of my son. I can easily imagine another filmmaker filming such
moments in various ways--it's been done. But for whatever reason, I chose not
to do so. With Sherman's March it never seriously occurred to me that
I should film, say, myself in bed with any of the women who appear in the film.
It seemed that it would be the gesture of an exhibitionist to do so. But there
are certainly a number of "personal" documentaries that have included such
footage. And there are moments in Time Indefinite where I may step
over the line. People have said they were very disturbed by the footage of the
mastectomy patient in Time Indefinite. But I felt that this footage had
to be in the film.
THA: Because the viewers of your films see, hear, and practically think
everything that you do as you make your films, they virtually experience the
phenomena of your consciousness. What do you think of virtual reality?
McElwee: Well, the difference between what I'm trying to do in inviting
the viewer to occupy my life for a while and what virtual reality tries to
accomplish, is that I do not cede to the viewer control of the film
narratively, spatially, or psychologically. The viewer is along for the ride,
and I guess you could say the ride takes place in "close quarters" but I
maintained control. In virtual-reality environments, as I understand them, the
thrill is that the viewer is in control, at least in the advanced versions of
the technology. You can enter the door to the left or the door to the right or
fly over the doors if you so desire. You certainly don't have that ability as
a viewer of one of my films. Interactive cinema, like the kind of being
developed at MIT's Media Lab, is a variation on this theme. The viewer is
allowed to choose between numerous plot developments in seeing a fiction film,
or to learn more about a specific area seen in a documentary film, merely by
touching the screen and opening a window into this new area. This technology
is all very seductive, but ultimately I guess I'm not all that interested in
exploring it, at least for now. There's something about the engaged passivity
of movie-going that still appeals to me. I like ceding the decision-making to
the filmmaker when I go to see a film. Life is too full of decision-making as
is. The authored story has been around since Homer. I think it is, in either
fictional or nonfictional form, still a valid concept.
THA: In Time Indefinite, you describe yourself as "Monet with a
movie camera." but aren't you also an actor? If not, then how do you prevent
yourself from "performing" for the films of which you are the subject?
McElwee: I don't exactly prevent myself from "performing" in my films.
My monologues are performances of a sort. My interactions with people as I am
filming are a kind of performance, a way of behaving that has to be somewhat
different than if I were not filming. It's strange--I've never had any desire
to try acting. I never tried out for high school plays or the like. It's just
never been of interest to me. But I began to realize with Backyard and
even more so with Sherman's March that what was required of me was, in
fact, a kind of muted performance based upon what was going on in my "real
life" at the particular moment of my filming--not all that different from my
"real" self, whatever that was at the time, but still somewhat different.
"Performer" isn't quite the word; perhaps it's more of a persona that I'm
evolving in the films. But I think the trick has been not to allow the persona
to deviate too much from the context of the filming, to keep the credibility of
the persona intact, which means allowing it to arise from the realness of the
situation sparked by the filming.
THA: How do you conceive of the relationship between life and art?
McElwee: I view the relationship with a certain amount of irony and
humor, since in this form of filmmaking life and art are so messily
intertwined. As a filmmaker lured into this form of filmmaking, I often find
myself falling into the crack between my films and my life. I allude to this
in the films themselves. But on another level, I guess I would hope that my
films, representing a direct intersection of "art and life" as they do, provide
a heightened awareness of the complexity of life, the fragility and yet the
durability of life as it's passed on from generation to generation. I would
hope that my films might say something about universally shared hopes and fears
of all kinds--philosophical, political, psychological, metaphysical. It's also
important for me that I try to convey humor, something of a comic and ironic
take on life. Life is so hard. Laughter's so important. That's one reason
why people love movies so much. Cartoons, Hollywood comedies. Laughter does
have that power to remove us, to transport us. We relish that--I do, at any
rate. So if my films can also manage to make people laugh, then this makes me
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Betelgeuse - A neighbor star near its explosive death [Astronomy] - Time for Science
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It is not long since i've learned about this star, and since then i was fascinated from its size and its position in the night sky. Betelgeuse (AKA Alpha Orionis, Orionis, Ori) is a red supergiant located in the constellation of Orion, one of the most well-known constellations (probably the most known one). During the winter time, the Orion constellation is visible from the Northern hemisphere. These days, is is visible in the eastern night sky from my house (i live in Greece - Athens). Here is how the constellations looks like:
The most visible stars are the 4 stars on the 4 corners and the three stars in the middle. These stars are called "the Orion's belt". When the ancients looked up to the sky, they saw drawings, symbols, animals and human forms. When they saw this constellation, they saw a Hunter, holding a club on one hand. The three stars in the middle belong to the hunter's belt:
I tried to get a photo from the constellation but my old Canon is... just an old Canon. Nevertheless, after heavy retouch, the basic stars are visible, among them Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky:
As a side-note, during this month, another spectacular celestial object is close to Orion, one of the gas giants, the biggest planet in our solar system, Jupiter. You just can't miss Jupiter! Take a look in the night sky, and you will see a glazing star, brighter and bigger than anything else! You've just found Jupiter!
Betelgeuse - The Red Titan
Titan is a humble adjective to describe the size of Betelgeuse. In astronomical terms, its size is 950-1200 R.. This means that it has 950 to 1200 times bigger diameter of our sun, or 11.7 Astronomical Units! If we place Betelgeuse in the place of our sun, it would completely swallow anything up to Jupiter, and maybe even further. If Betelgeuse had the size of a football stadium (120 meters), then our Sun would have the diameter of a CD (110mm). In that case, our Earth would have a diameter of 1mm!
This super giant is 640 light-years away from Earth. In terms of kilometer, it is 6.054x1015 kilometers, which may sound extremely far, but in astronomical terms we are somewhat neighbors.
In the final countdown
It is known that bigger start have shorter life expectancy than bigger stars. Our sun for example is expected to live some 10 billion years, currently being a middle-aged star around 4.7 billion years old.
Super giants like Betelgeuse have much sorter life expectancy, at around 10 million years. One might think that, being a star bigger should live longer due to its bigger mass - but a big star burns its fuel (primarily hydrogen) much faster than a smaller star (like our sun). Therefore, a big star runs out of fuel much faster.
Betelgeuse is already old, about 10 million years old. So it is reaching the end of it's life. Due to its massive size, it will die in a spectacular way - a Type II Supernova! When all of its fuel has been fused to heavier elements, the star will explode in a colossal explosion. This is how Professor J. Craig Wheeler of The University of Texas at Austin predicts Betelgeuse's end:
Betelgeuse's demise will emit 1046 joules of neutrinos, which will pass through the star's hydrogen envelope in around an hour, then travel at light speed to reach the Solar System centuries later 14providing the first evidence of the cataclysm. The supernova could brighten over a two-week period to an apparent magnitude of "1212, outshining the Moon in the night sky and becoming easily visible in broad daylight. It would remain at that intensity for two to three months before rapidly dimming. Since its rotational axis is not pointed toward the Earth, Betelgeuse's supernova is unlikely to send a gamma ray burst in the direction of Earth large enough to damage ecosystems. The flash of ultraviolet radiation from the explosion will likely be weaker than the ultraviolet output of the Sun. The year following the explosion, radioactive decay of cobalt to iron will dominate emission from the supernova remnant, and the resulting gamma rays will be blocked by the expanding envelope of hydrogen. If the neutron star remnant becomes a pulsar, it could produce gamma rays for thousands of years
Let me share some links that i've found on the net. First of all, the excellent sky-map org. It is one of the best on-line interactive sky-maps I've managed to find, with a huge database of photographs and other documents:
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What is the National Broadband Network? A glossary of NBN terms - alcatel-lucent, National Broadband
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What is the National Broadband Network? A glossary of NBN terms
- — 12 November, 2010 10:02
The National Broadband Network will impact every Australian, linking every premises and changing the way we connect with the important things in our lives.
As an enabler of innovation, the NBN will shake-up the way services are developed, how they are delivered and how organisations relate to each other and to their end-users. It will improve the efficiency of many of the things we do today and raises the potential for a whole range of productive future services and applications that we can hardly imagine – in health, in education, in business and right across the economy.
The NBN is also a massive engineering undertaking and like any project of this kind, is surrounded by a whole world of unique terms and jargon. Indeed, it could be said that the telecommunications industry has its very own language, seemingly intent on confusing any innocent and unwary individual straying into its technical realm.
This document aims to summarise some of the key terms and jargon used to describe the various parts of the NBN, and telecommunications more generally. It’s certainly not the definitive list, but we hope you find it a useful tool when navigating the technical specifics of the NBN.
A glossary of terms
Used to connect people and organisations to telecommunications services, bridging what is often called the ‘last-mile’ between the user and a point of interconnect to the telecommunications network, such as an exchange.
Examples of broadband access technologies include FTTP, DSL, HFC Cable, 3G Mobile, Satellite and other Fixed Wireless systems. Access technologies have different strengths and characteristics, some of which are defined throughout this paper.
Backbone and Backhaul
Just as a major highway carries vehicles that started their journeys on many smaller roads around the country, a backbone network carries aggregated data across mid-to-long distances and between major centres. Gathering together data from many users and transporting it via a backbone network to its desired destination, for example an exchange or data centre, is often referred to as backhaul.
Usually measured in kilobits, Megabits and Gigabits per second, bandwidth is the common way to describe the rate of data transfer over a network (eg. 100 Mbit/s = 100 megabits per second).
Bit (as in bits and bytes)
A single, basic piece of information or data used in relation to computing and telecommunications. It has only two values: either a “1” or “0”. Bit is an abbreviation of Binary Digit.
A method of providing and managing a wholesale open access broadband network. Aims to emulate a physical connection between a Retail Service Provider and end-user, providing secure and reliable transfer of data and applications as if the service was built on a dedicated physical network.
The National Broadband Network will offer a wholesale bitstream service to Retail Service Providers.
A bitstream service can be modified, moved, disconnected or reconnected without requiring any changes to the physical infrastructure, which is shared by many users and providers. This means that an end-user can switch providers easily, add and delete service features quickly and even receive multiple services from different providers at the same time.
Used to describe an area, usually remote or rural and sometimes on the edges of cities, in which broadband or other communications services do not function adequately or are unavailable. Reasons for blackspots are normally related to the limitations of technologies, geography or a lack of investment.
First introduced to define an Internet service providing data transfer at rates in excess of traditional ‘dial-up’ services. Often described as ‘narrowband’, dial-up services were first introduced at 50 bit/s (50 bits per second) and were ultimately developed to 56 kbit/s (56 kilobits per second) – a snail’s pace by today’s bandwidth standards.
Over time, the bandwidth capacity of broadband has vastly increased and services of 1 Gbit/s (1 gigabit per second) are now quite feasible. In this environment, there are calls to revise the definition of broadband and to eliminate lower speeds such as 256 kbit/s (256 kilobits per second) from the category altogether.
It is important to note that broadband is often used to describe high-bandwidth access to the Internet, but in reality, the term more generally applies to access to any data network, not specifically the Internet.
Broadband Services and Applications
At its most basic, this might refer to the delivery of data bandwidth to a location or device. In practice though, these are the things that broadband enables, the things that turn bandwidth into something relevant and useful to the user.
Currently, broadband services and applications include things like Internet access, email, voice and video calling, networked gaming and the ability to transfer files through applications such as peer-to-peer (P2P) networking. In the future, as higher bandwidth broadband is made more widely available and new business models evolve, an increasing array of services and applications will emerge.
A few early examples include Internet TV, IPTV and high-definition video conferencing and over time we can expect to see a whole world of services and applications we cannot even imagine today, utilising broadband to meet specific business or consumer needs.
Imagine the potential benefits of a health specialist monitoring and adapting treatment for diabetes patients in their own home. How about a social service or finance provider managing a distributed workforce of personal consultants across the country, dealing directly with clients via high-definition video and immersive communications techniques? Think about how an energy retailer could use its direct relationship with consumers to market a new set of applications to control appliances and drive energy efficiency.
The opportunities are virtually endless, limited only by the imagination.
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Dyckia sp. - Bromeliaceae
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Dyckia sp. is a stiff terrestrial bromeliad probably native to Argentina, Brazil or Paraguay. Leaves are up to 10 inches (25 cm) long by 0.75 inches (1.9 cm) wide and are in well armored basal rosettes. The overall height is 12 inches (30.4 cm). Leaves are grey-green above and much lighter underneath. The leaves are very rigid with marginal spines which make this a difficult specimen to handle. We have been growing this species for over 20 years now. Although it is quite an unusual bromeliad it is very easy to grow. Plants are hardy in USDA zones 9-10.
Blooming: Our plant in the greenhouse has never bloomed. I have tried all the tricks to get it to bloom to no avail. This year we are going to put the plants in the cool room for winter and hopefully they bloom in the spring.
Culture: Dyckia sp. needs full sun to partial shade with a well drained soil mix. In the greenhouse, we use a soil mix consisting of equal parts of loam and sand. We add small gravel to ensure good drainage. The plants are well watered and allowed to dry thoroughly before watering again. We fertilize the plants only once during the growing season with a balanced fertilizer. The plants are cold hardy down to 20°F (-7°C). We have never let our plants go below 50°F (10°C); this may be the clue to get them to bloom. We should know next spring if they are going to bloom. During the winter rest period we only water once a month.
Propagation: Dyckia sp. is propagated by removal of offsets and from seed when available.
Dyckia sp. was featured as Plant of the Week September 19-25, 2008.
Guide to Past Plants-of-the-Week:
Cal's Plant of the Week was provided as a service by the University of Oklahoma Department of Microbiology & Plant Biology and specifically Cal Lemke, who used to be OU's botany greenhouse grower and an avid gardener at home as well. If the above links don't work, then try the overview site. You may also like to look at the thumbnail index. ©1998-2012 All rights reserved.
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Make your own paper bag puppets
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Paper bag puppets can be made using all kinds of materials for a variety of fun themes. Preschoolers can enjoy making paper bag puppets to create friends and family, show off their own unique personalities and to explore story telling. You don’t have to use any particular materials, crayons or markers work just as well as all the extra embellishments. Get creative with your puppet making and have fun making up stories to involve the puppets and your preschooler’s imagination.
For these paper bag puppets, we used:
- Makers to color the bodies
- Yarn to make hair
- Buttons for eyes and other accents
- Puff balls and other fabric for embellishments
- Glue to adhere it all – liquid glue works much better than glue sticks
Remember, one unique aspect of using a paper bag to make a puppet is the mouth opening. The bottom fold on the lunch sack can open and close so you can create the inside of your puppets mouth if you’d like too. You can use craft scraps, pieces from your own stash and recycled materials when making paper bag puppets. Get creative, talk about body features and have fun!
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Did You Know?: Purdue water tower
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January 13, 2012
Did You Know?: Purdue water tower
Originally Purdue's water tower was painted red and white in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. It was repainted white with a black and gold Motion P in 2001 after Purdue received permission from the FAA. (Purdue University photo/Andrew Hancock)
The tower, which was constructed in 1960, holds 1.5 million gallons of water that are used on campus for cooking, irrigation, washing and drinking. The water in the tower fulfills everyday usage and fire protection needs including at fire hydrants and interior sprinkler systems. Average monthly water usage is about 85 million gallons of water for all of campus.
Nine wells located near the Recreational Sports Center and Intramural Fields pump water to the steel tower to maintain a water level between 18 and 34 feet at all times. In case of emergencies, the West Lafayette and Purdue water sources can interconnect if additional water supplies are needed in either water system.
Originally the tower was painted red and white in accordance with Federal Aviation Administration regulations. It was repainted white with a black and gold Motion P in 2001 after Purdue received permission from the FAA.
The interior of the water tank is cleaned every two years. A diver in a sanitized dry suit with a remote air supply conducts an inspection and sweeps any settled matter. A camcorder attached to the diver's helmet records the inspection and allows for closer examination and analysis if necessary.
Visual inspections of the tower's exterior occur each day, and water treatment equipment, which is housed in the base of the tower, is monitored daily to ensure compliance with clean drinking water regulations from the Indiana Department of Environmental Management and the Environmental Protection Agency. The tower is repainted approximately every 10 years and currently is scheduled to be painted in summer 2012.
Source: Jay Schwartz, operations and distribution manager for utilities.
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Identifying Our Feelings - Qedoc
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Identifying Our Feelings
This page describes a Qedoc learning module or quiz entitled "Identifying Our Feelings". You can download the module from this page to put on your computer. You can also launch the module straight off the web using the launch quiz link on the right-hand side of this page. Another way to access this quiz is to install the Qedoc Quiz Player and bring up its directory of downloadable quizzes. Whichever way you choose to use it, it's free.
Students will identify and describe different feelings in themselves and others.
All images displayed here are used by kind permission of "A Perfect World" at http://www.aperfectworld.com subject to the terms published on their website.
The module contains the following activities:
- Looking at emotions
- True and False
- Can you guess the emotion?
- Mixed emotions
- Feel good chemicals
- What am I really saying?
The following is a short sample of the questions in this module and may help to better assess the level, topic and suitability of the material for your purposes. Images are omitted and the questions may not make complete sense without the context of the interactive answer activities which follow them in the module. To best preview this module, click the launch link at the top right of this page.
- Some people hide their feelings, so it is hard to know how they feel. Here are some guidelines to help you tell how a person is feeling:Pay attention to the person's tone of voice. Look at the person's body language and facial expressions. Listen to what the person says. Be aware that special circumstances or events may be affecting the person (e.g. a death in the family)Below are the things to remember. Put them in order.
- Push play to start the slide show below, click the middle of the screen to go to the next slide. Read each slide carefully. There will be questions about what you read in these slides, so pay attention.
- Click on a box to see the emotion picture behind it. Find the other emotion picture exactly like it. You only get 8 chances. The little hearts in the corner tell you how many chances you have left.
- IMPORTANT!: PEOPLE EXPRESS THEIR FEELINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.Below is a list of ways people express their feelings. Choose the one that might describe someone who is feeling HAPPY
- Can you guess the emotion this person is feeling? Guess the letters in the word (like hangman). You get 10 chances. The hearts in the corner tell you how many chances you have left.
- Megan got and A on her science test. She is proud of herself, but she is worried that the other kids will tease her about being a nerd. Can you guess what her body language would look like?
- Lisa is overweight and often gets teased by the other students.She has just tripped in the hallway, and is feeling very embarrassed. Can you guess what Lisa's body language would look like?
- Below is a negative mixed emotion. Unscramble the letters to see which emotion it is. Hint: You feel this emotion when you tried to do something and you could'nt do it the first time.
- Below is a negative mixed emotion. Unscramble the letters to see which emotion it is. Hint: You feel this emotion when feel like something is going to happen but you are not sure.
- Below is a postive mixed emotion. Unscramble the letters to see which emotion it is. Hint: You feel this emotion when you did'nt know something was going to happen.
No screenshots have been uploaded yet. Authors are welcome to add their screenshots. See: how to add a screenshot.
How to use this module
To use a Qedoc learning module, the following procedure is recommended:
- Really easy: click the click here to launch hyperlink at the top right of the page. Then just wait and click your way (if necessary) through any dialogue screens. The module will launch straight off the web.
- Fairly easy: if you wish to have the module downloaded to your desktop, then start the Qedoc Quiz Player (which you can download and install on your computer if you haven't done so yet) and run through the starting dialogues until it presents you with a list of modules to load. Switch to the online learning modules tab, and the Qedoc Quiz Player will download a list of currently published modules from the web. Choose your desired module (this one) from the list. A local copy will then be kept on your computer for future use.
- Not so easy: click the download link at the bottom of the "quick facts" box and the module's ZIP file will download to your desktop. To actually use this, however, you must move it to the /player/modplay subdirectory of whichever directory the Qedoc software is installed in (usually /programme files/qedoc).
How to edit this module
You are permitted to edit this module - for example, to correct mistakes, extend it, or incorporate material from it into new modules or other educational resources. To find out how, please read How to edit a module.
No reviews have been added yet. Users are welcome to add reviews. For general discussion of this module, please use the discussion page instead.
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rare-diseases — National Organization for Rare Disorders
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Growth Hormone Deficiency
NORD is very grateful to Joe Head, NORD Intern and Richard A. Levy, MD, Director of Pediatric Endocrinology Section, Rush University, for their assistance in the preparation of this report.
Synonyms of Growth Hormone Deficiency
- No synonyms found.
- acquired GHD
- congenital GHD
- idiopathic GHD
Growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is a rare disorder characterized by the inadequate secretion of growth hormone (GH) from the anterior pituitary gland, a small gland located at the base of the brain that is responsible for the production of several hormones. GHD can be present from birth (congenital), resulting from genetic mutations or from structural defects in the brain. It can also be acquired later in life as a result of trauma, infection, radiation therapy, or tumor growth within the brain. A third category has no known or diagnosable cause (idiopathic).
Childhood-onset GHD may be all three: congenital, acquired, or idiopathic. It results in growth retardation, short stature, and maturation delays reflected by the delay of lengthening of the bones of the extremities that is inappropriate to the chronological age of the child.
Adult-onset GHD is most often is acquired from a pituitary tumor or trauma to the brain but may also be idiopathic. It is characterized by a number of variable symptoms including reduced energy levels, altered body composition, osteoporosis (reduced bone mineral density), reduced muscle strength, lipid abnormalities such as increased LDL cholesterol, insulin resistance, and impaired cardiac function. Treatment for GHD requires daily injections of recombinant human growth hormone (rHGH).
Patients with GHD that have no known cause are diagnosed as having idiopathic GHD. Genetic tests may reveal a congenital anomaly, but are often considered unnecessary after confirmation of GHD since they will have no effect on treatment. However, it is recommended that children be retested for GHD when they transition from pediatric to adult care since GH levels may normalize upon reaching adulthood. The level of GH considered normal for an adult is much lower than that for a child, especially one undergoing the pubertal growth spurt.
A child with GHD is usually of normal size at birth. In a few cases, the infant may become hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) during the newborn period. If male, the child may also have a small penis (micropenis). Later, children with GHD have delayed rates of development of facial bones, slow tooth eruption, delayed lengthening of long bones, fine hair, and poor nail growth. They may also demonstrate truncal obesity, a high pitched voice, and delayed closure of the sutures of the skull, leaving open spaces called fontanelles.
Growth increments are the most important criteria in the diagnosis of GHD in children. Normal levels of growth usually follow a pattern, and if growth during a recorded six to twelve month period is within those levels it is unlikely that a growth disorder exists.
Growth in the first six months of life is usually 16 to 17 cm. and in the second six months approximately 8 cm. During the second year 10 cm or more is normal. Growth in the third year should equal 8 cm or more and 7 cm in the fourth year. In the years between four and ten, an average of 5 or 6 cm is normal. Ten percent decrease in these norms results in a growth velocity insufficient for the child to keep up on his or her growth curve. When that is recognized, even before the child has fallen to a significantly low percentile (1.2% = -2 SD), he/she should then be tested for abnormally low levels of growth hormone.
An individual who acquires GHD later in life presents more generalized symptoms. They may notice a relative increase in fat mass, especially abdominal and visceral, along with a decrease in muscle mass. Decreased energy levels, anxiety, and/or depression are also common. Lipid levels are also affected, resulting in an increase in LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels.
Congenital GHD results from genetic error, and may be associated with brain structure defects or with midline facial defects such as a cleft palate or single central incisor.
Several genetic defects have been identified:
Growth hormone deficiency IA is autosomal recessive and is characterized by growth retardation in utero. Affected children are small in relation to their siblings. The infant usually has a normal response to administration of human growth hormone (hGH) at first, but then develops antibodies to the hormone and grows into a very short adult.
Growth Hormone Deficiency IB is also autosomal recessive and is similar to IA. However, there is some growth hormone (GH) present in the child at birth and usually the child continues to respond to hGH treatments.
Growth Hormone Deficiency IIB and III are similar to IB, but IIB is autosomal dominant and III is X-linked.
Classic genetic diseases are the product of the interaction of two genes, one received from the father and one from the mother.
Dominant genetic disorders occur when only a single copy of an abnormal gene is necessary to cause a particular disease. The abnormal gene can be inherited from either parent or can be the result of a new mutation (gene change) in the affected individual. The risk of passing the abnormal gene from affected parent to offspring is 50% for each pregnancy. The risk is the same for males and females.
Recessive genetic disorders occur when an individual inherits two copies of an abnormal gene for the same trait, one from each parent. If an individual receives one normal gene and one gene for the disease, the person will be a carrier for the disease but usually will not show symptoms. The risk for two carrier parents to both pass the defective gene and have an affected child is 25% with each pregnancy. The risk to have a child who is a carrier like the parents is 50% with each pregnancy. The chance for a child to receive normal genes from both parents and be genetically normal for that particular trait is 25%. The risk is the same for males and females.
All individuals carry 4-5 abnormal genes. Parents who are close relatives (consanguineous) have a higher chance than unrelated parents to both carry the same abnormal gene, which increases the risk of having children with a recessive genetic disorder.
X-linked genetic disorders are conditions caused by an abnormal gene on the X chromosome and manifest mostly in males. Females that have a defective gene present on one of their X chromosomes are carriers for that disorder. Carrier females usually do not display symptoms because females have two X chromosomes and only one carries the defective gene. Males have one X chromosome that is inherited from their mother and if a male inherits an X chromosome that contains a defective gene he will develop the disease.
Female carriers of an X-linked disorder have a 25% chance with each pregnancy to have a carrier daughter like themselves, a 25% chance to have a non-carrier daughter, a 25% chance to have a son affected with the disease and a 25% chance to have an unaffected son.
If a male with X-linked disorders is able to reproduce, he will pass the defective gene to all of his daughters who will be carriers. A male cannot pass an X-linked gene to his sons because males always pass their Y chromosome instead of their X chromosome to male offspring.
Acquired GHD can occur as a result of many different causes including brain trauma (perinatal or postnatal), central nervous system infection, tumors of the hypothalamus or pituitary (pituitary adenoma, craniopharyngioma, Rathke's cleft cyst, glioma, germinoma, metastases), radiation therapy, infiltrative diseases (Langerhans cell histiocytosis, sarcoidosis, tuberculosis), or, if without another diagnosis, it is considered idiopathic.
Prevalence and incidence data vary widely due to the lack of standard diagnostic criteria. While congenital GHD and most cases of idiopathic GHD are thought to be present from birth, diagnosis is often delayed until the patient's short stature is noticed in relation to their peers. Diagnosis most often occurs during two age ranges. The first is around 5 years of age when children begin school. The second is around 10-13 years old in girls and 12-16 years in boys associated with the delay in the pubertal growth spurt.
There is no apparent racial difference in the incidence of GHD. However, the National Cooperative Growth Study (NCGS), Genentech's now closed large North American database, revealed that 85% of patients receiving GH treatment for idiopathic GHD were white, 6% were black, and 2% were Asian. Similar distributions were seen with patients with other forms of short stature. In addition, patients from other racial groups tend to be shorter than their white counterparts at the time of diagnosis, reinforcing the assertion of, if not racial, a socio-economic disparity.
Growth hormone deficiency affects males and females equally except for GHD III which affects only males. However, given the greater concern for boys with short stature in most societies, diagnosis tends to favor males over females. 73% of patients with idiopathic GHD in the NCGS were male. Additionally, patients with GHD from organic causes such as tumors and radiation, in which no gender bias should be present, were still 62% male.
Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Growth Hormone Deficiency. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
Small for gestational age (SGA) generally describes any infant whose birth weight and/or length was less than the 3rd percentile (adjusted for prematurity). Children with SGA are shorter and thinner than his or her peers. Typical characteristics for these children include low birth weight, short birth length, inadequate catch-up growth in first two years, persistently low weight-for-height proportion, and lack of muscle mass and/or poor muscle tone. The FDA has approved growth hormone therapy as long-term treatment of children who were born SGA and who have not achieved catch-up growth by two years of age.
Short stature homeobox-containing gene (SHOX) deficiency refers to short stature caused by a mutation in one copy of the SHOX gene and is associated with some cases of Turner syndrome, Leri-Weil syndrome and dyschondrosteosis. Growth hormone therapy is FDA-approved for SHOX deficiency.
Idiopathic short stature (ISS) is defined as having a height significantly shorter than the normal population (-2.25 SD, that is shorter than 1.2% of the population of the same age and gender), a poor adult height prediction (generally defined by having less than the calculated midparental height or, as a rough guide, less than 5'4" for males and less than 4'11" for females), and no detectable cause for short stature. Growth hormone therapy is FDA-approved to treat ISS. Turner syndrome is a chromosomal disorder affecting 1 of 2,500 females and is characterized by short stature and the lack of sexual development at puberty. Other physical features may include webbing of the neck, heart defects, kidney abnormalities, and various other anomalies. Among affected females, there is also a heightened incidence of autoimmune disease such as Hashimotos's hypothyroidism and celiac syndrome. There appears to be great variability in the degree to which girls with Turner syndrome are affected by any of its manifestations since classical Turner, completely lacking one X chromosome, comprises only 60% of the total. The other 40% have a wide variety of genetic abnormalities including deletion of segments of the long or short arm of the X (or Y) and mosaicism with different populations of cells. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Turner" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Noonan syndrome is a genetic disorder that is typically evident at birth (congenital) and is thought to affect approximately one in 1,000 to one in 2,500 people. The disorder is characterized by a wide spectrum of symptoms and physical features that vary greatly in range and severity. In many affected individuals, associated abnormalities include a distinctive facial appearance; a broad or webbed neck; a low posterior hairline; a typical chest deformity and short stature. Characteristic abnormalities of the head and facial (craniofacial) area may include widely set eyes (ocular hypertelorism); skin folds that may cover the eyes' inner corners (epicanthal folds); drooping of the upper eyelids (ptosis); a small jaw (micrognathia); a depressed nasal root; a short nose with broad base; and low-set, posteriorly rotated ears (pinnae). Distinctive skeletal malformations are also typically present, such as abnormalities of the breastbone (sternum), curvature of the spine (kyphosis and/or scoliosis), and outward deviation of the elbows (cubitus valgus). Many infants with Noonan syndrome also have heart (cardiac) defects, such as obstruction of proper blood flow from the lower right chamber of the heart to the lungs (pulmonary valvular stenosis). Additional abnormalities may include malformations of certain blood and lymph vessels, blood clotting and platelet deficiencies, mild mental retardation, failure of the testes to descend into the scrotum (cryptorchidism) by the first year of life in affected males, and/or other symptoms and findings. Noonan syndrome is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder which may be caused by abnormalities (mutations) in a number of genes, four of which are PTPN11, KRAS, SOS1 and RAF1. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Noonan" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a genetic disorder characterized by low muscle tone, short stature, incomplete sexual development, and a chronic feeling of hunger that, coupled with a metabolism that utilizes fewer calories than normal, can lead to excessive eating and life-threatening obesity. The food compulsion makes constant supervision and food restriction necessary. Average IQ is 70, but even those with normal IQs almost all have learning issues. Social and motor deficits also exist. At birth the infant typically has low birth weight for gestation, hypotonia (weak muscles) with difficulty sucking which can lead to a diagnosis of failure to thrive. The second stage ("thriving too well"), has a typical onset between the ages of two and five, but can be later. The hyperphagia (extreme unsatisfied drive to consume food) lasts throughout the lifetime. Younger children with PWS have sweet and loving personalities, but this phase is also characterized by increased appetite, weight control issues, and motor development delays. As the child becomes older, there are more behavioral problems and medical issues. (For more information on this disorder, choose "Prader-Willi" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Primary growth hormone insensitivity (GHI), also known as Laron syndrome, is a group of extremely rare genetic disorders in which the body is unable to use the growth hormone that it produces. GHI can be caused by mutations in the growth hormone receptor gene or mutations in genes involved in the signaling pathway within the cell after growth hormone binds to its receptor, preventing production of insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1), the intermediary hormone responsible for the growth effects of growth hormone. Children with GHI who are treated with IGF-1 before puberty have improved growth, but, unlike children with growth hormone deficiency given growth hormone treatment, they do not have normal growth restored.
GHI is characterized by normal or high levels of circulating growth hormone, delayed bone age and onset of puberty, prominent forehead, low blood sugar and obesity in adulthood. Except for an extremely rare form of GHI, where the gene for IGF-I is defective, brain development is normal but some may have mild intellectual impairment. (For more information on this disorder, choose "primary growth hormone insensitivity" as your search term in the Rare Disease Database.)
Testing is very important in determining whether the child with growth retardation does indeed have growth hormone deficiency. Various agents may be used including insulin (hypoglycyemia), arginine, clonidine and l-dopa. These tests are meant to stimulate the pituitary to secrete GH allowing for the testing of blood samples for the levels of GH at timed intervals.
Physicians often test for other hormone deficiencies that may be the underlying cause of short stature. FreeT4, TSH, cortisol, celiac antibodies, etc. are measured to ensure they are within normal levels and deficiencies must be normalized with appropriate therapy before GHD can be diagnosed.
IGF-1, a protein produced primarily by the liver but present in all tissues in response to GH stimulation, can be measured to screen for GHD and later to titrate GH therapy.
Children with severe GHD should be re-tested after completing growth to see if they meet the requirements for GH therapy as an adult.
When a diagnosis of GHD is made, treatment may then be initiated. Children with GHD should be started on recombinant human growth hormone as soon as the disorder is recognized to optimize growth potential. The dosage is gradually increased to its highest during puberty, and discontinued at or near completion of skeletal maturation when the patient may require retesting to see if GH is needed as an adult.
The FDA has approved the use of somatropin (Nutropin [Genentech)] Humatrope [Lilly], Genotropin [Pfizer], Saizen [EMD Serono], Norditropin [Novo Nordisk], Tev-Tropin [Teva], and Omnitrope [Sandoz] for the treatment of growth hormone deficiency.
Information on current clinical trials is posted on the Internet at www.clinicaltrials.gov. All studies receiving U.S. government funding, and some supported by private industry, are posted on this government web site.
For information about clinical trials being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, contact the NIH Patient Recruitment Office:
Tollfree: (800) 411-1222
TTY: (866) 411-1010
For information about clinical trials sponsored by private sources, contact:
Contact for additional information about growth hormone deficiency:
Richard A. Levy, MD
Director of Pediatric Endocrinology
Rush University Medical Center
1725 W. Harrison St.
Chicago, IL 60612
Organizations related to Growth Hormone Deficiency
Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 19th Ed.: James B. Wyngaarden, and Lloyd H. Smith, Jr., Editors; W.B. Saunders Co., 1990. Pp. 1290-7, 2205.
Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation, 4th Ed.: Kenneth L. Jones, M.D., Editor; W.B. Saunders Co., 1988. Pp. 614-8, 762-3.
Diagnostic Recognition of Genetic Disease, William L. Nyhan, et al.; Lea & Febiger, 1987. Pp. 706-9, 712, 718.
Clinical Pediatric Endocrinology, Solomon A. Kaplan, : W.B. Saunders Co., 1990. Pp. 1-56.
Evaluation and treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency: an endocrine society clinical practice guideline. Molitch ME, Clemmons DR, Malozowski S, Merriam GR, Vance ML., J
Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011;96(6):1587-1609. http://www.endo-society.org/guidelines/upload/Evaluation-treatment-of-Adult-Growth-Hormone-Deficiency-Clinical-Practice-Guideline-NonCME.pdf
Brief Report: Short Stature Caused by a Mutant Growth Hormone. Y. Takahashi et al., New Eng J Med (Feb 15 1996; 334(7)). Pp. 432-36.
Short Stature due to Genetic Defects Affecting Growth Hormone Activity. Z. Laron, M.D., New Eng J Med (Feb 15 1996; 334(7)). Pp. 463-65.
Growth Hormone Therapy, Shulman, L, et al.; Am Fam Physician (May, 1990, (41;(5)). Pp. 1541-6.
Biosynthetic Human Growth Hormone in the Treatment of Growth Hormone Deficiency., Holcombe, J.H. et al.; Acta Paediatr Scand Suppl (1990; 367). Pp. 44-8.
Urinary Growth Hormone Excretion as a Screening Test for Growth Hormone Deficiency, J. M. Walker et al.; Arch Dis Child (Jan 1990; (65 (1)). Pp. 89-92.
Growth Hormone for Short Stature not due to Classic Growth Hormone Deficiency., Cara, J.F., et al.; Pediatr Clin North Amer, (Dec 1990; (37 (6)). Pp. 1229-54.
FROM THE INTERNET
Growth Hormone. Lab Tests Online Web site. http://labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/growth-hormone/tab/test . Updated 2011.
Kemp S. Pediatric Growth Hormone Deficiency. Medscape Reference Web site. http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/923688-overview . Published May 5, 2010. Updated 2010.
Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man, 9th Ed.: Victor A. McKusick, Editor: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1990. Pp. 377-80, 887-8, 1426-27. http://omim.org/entry/262400
The information in NORD’s Rare Disease Database is for educational purposes only. It should never be used for diagnostic or treatment purposes. If you have questions regarding a medical condition, always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. NORD’s reports provide a brief overview of rare diseases. For more specific information, we encourage you to contact your personal physician or the agencies listed as “Resources” on this report.
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) web site, its databases, and the contents thereof are copyrighted by NORD. No part of the NORD web site, databases, or the contents may be copied in any way, including but not limited to the following: electronically downloading, storing in a retrieval system, or redistributing for any commercial purposes without the express written permission of NORD. Permission is hereby granted to print one hard copy of the information on an individual disease for your personal use, provided that such content is in no way modified, and the credit for the source (NORD) and NORD’s copyright notice are included on the printed copy. Any other electronic reproduction or other printed versions is strictly prohibited.
Copyright ©1990, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2011, 2012
Report last updated: 2012/09/12 00:00:00 GMT+0
NORD's Rare Disease Information Database is copyrighted and may not be published without the written consent of NORD.
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STRANGE BUT TRUE- Pack animals: Dogs listen to bossman | The Hook - Charlottesville's weekly newspap
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STRANGE BUT TRUE- Pack animals: Dogs listen to bossman
DRAWING BY DEBORAH DERR McCLINTOCK
Q. Are dogs or cats more faithful to their masters? –E. Knight
A. Not to start a 7-year-canine-feline-war, but, as on all great matters polemical, you need to define your terms.
Tales of mistreated dogs staying by abusive owners are classic, says British cat welfare advocate and freelance writer Sarah Hartwell (messybeast.com). Basically, they don't know what else to do. Dogs live and hunt communally, and their survival strategy is as a tight pack with a strong hierarchy where every individual knows who its boss is, and who it can boss around. This way they catch prey larger than themselves and share with others.
Where the human owner fits in is as pack leader.
So are the dogs remaining faithful or just following their pack instinct?
"Many dogs are undoubtedly attached to their owners, but their innate social behavior can be mistaken for faithfulness," says Hartwell. Overlaid on this is breeding of dogs for puppy traits– barking, playing– further reinforcing low rank in the pecking order.
Cats will have none of this. They don't buy into a ranking and won't tolerate bullying but will leave instead. They are solitaryrather than pack hunters.
"Traditionally, cats were kept to control vermin. This did not require them to be faithful to individual humans," Hartwell says.
Still, cats brought up in a loving household will be faithful in return– but this has to be earned– and bring home "hunting trophies" to show appreciation. Cats, like dogs, can be trained, but they demand rewards such as food, not just lavish praise.
So, it's fealty to big dog boss vs. cat tit for tat.
Q. How much water can be stored in a camel's hump? –O. BinLaden
A. It's not for water but is a mound of fatty tissue for sustenance when food is scarce, says Arab.net. Overtaxed, the 80-pound hump can go flaccid and hang at the camel's side.
"Food and a few days' rest will return the hump to its normal firm condition" the website says.
The "ships of the desert," Dromedary (one-humped) camels can go for long distances without food or water, averaging 10 mph for 18-hour treks, downing large amounts of water when available, says "Information about Camels" site.
Reducing water loss, their kidneys can concentrate urine to be thick as syrup, with twice the salt content of sea water. Master recyclers, camels can actually extract water from their own fecal pellets, wasting nary a drop.
Q. Some people say they can awaken themselves at a predetermined arbitrary time without an alarm clock. Can they really do this? –F. Jacques
A. These claims have been verified in sleep labs, and the precision of the awakenings is impressive– often within 10 minutes one way or the other, says Peretz Lavie in The Enchanted World of Sleep. Most self-awakers exit sleep during a dream period.
"If, for example, we asked a subject to wake up at 3:30, he or she would awaken from the REM (dreaming) sleep closest to the target time- -say, at 3:15," says Lavie.
Most have no idea how they do it. But the brain is more aroused during REM, and may now be able to gauge the time and recall the instructions to awaken, says scientist William Moorcroft in the journal Sleep. Possibly the brain "clocks" the hour by counting off the number of dream periods elapsed through the night.
Q. If you had a mind to do it, is there a telescope strong enough to let you view the flag planted on the moon? –N. Armstrong
A. Assume the flag is 1 meter by .5 meter, on a 2- meter pole, poses UC-Santa Cruz optics researcher Eric Steinbring. The moon is about 385,000 kilometers away, so if you face it straight on, the angle subtended by the flag-pole turns out to be .001 arc seconds.
That's a tiny, tiny slice of sky space! Obviously, bigger telescopes have better resolution.
Fortunately, some telescopes like the giant twin Kecks (the world's largest at 10 meters across) use "adaptive optics" to remove the blurring effect by the Earth's atmosphere. The Keck resolution limit, then, drops to about .03 arc- seconds. That's getting there.
There's a plan to build a 30-meter Keck-like telescope good for visible light, says Steinbring. So, we can imagine getting down to .003 arc-seconds with that.
Next trick is "interferometry"– combining two telescopes simultaneously. Do this with the twin Kecks at, say, 100 meters apart, and this gets you to the magic value of .001 arc-seconds.
"Even so, this is only down to the size of the pole, not the flag. So I guess you still wouldn't be able to tell it was a flag, and certainly not whose it was. For that you'd need paired telescopes perhaps 10-100 times farther apart. That's many decades off yet, as far as I can tell," says Steinbring.
Send Strange questions to brothers Bill and Rich at [email protected]
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False Killer Whale - Mammalia Reference Library - redOrbit
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False Killer Whale
The False Killer Whale (Pseudorca crassidens) is a cetacean and one of the larger members of the oceanic dolphin family (Delphinidae). It lives in temperate and tropical waters throughout the world. As its name implies the False Killer Whale shares characteristics with the more widely known orca (“killer whale”). The two species look somewhat similar and, like the orca, the False Killer Whale attacks and kills other cetaceans.
Scientists have not extensively studied the False Killer Whale in the wild – examining stranded animals has derived much of the data about the dolphin.
The species is the only member of the Pseudorca genus.
Physical description & behavior
This dolphin has a slender body with a dorsal fin that may be more than a foot high. One of the species’ distinguishing characteristics is a bend and bulge (usually called the “elbow”) halfway along each of the flippers. The tips of the tail fin are pointed and the middle of the tail has a distinct notch. The False Killer is uniformly colored a dark grey to black. It grows to about 19 ft (6 m) long, may weigh 1.5 tons (1,500 kg) and lives for about 60 years.
The False Killer Whale is a social animal, living in groups of 10 to 50. It is a fast and very active swimmer. It may breach or jumps clear of the water and will often land on its side with a big splash. On other occasions the dive may be very graceful, leaving very little wake at all. It will readily approach boats and bow- and wake-ride. It may also emerge from the water head held high upwards and with the mouth open, revealing some of its 44 teeth.
Population and distribution
Although not often seen at sea, the False Killer Whale appears to have a widespread distribution in temperate and tropical oceanic waters. They have been sighted in fairly shallow waters such as the Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea as well as the Atlantic Ocean (from Scotland to Argentina), the Indian Ocean (in coastal regions) and the Pacific Ocean (from the Sea of Japan to New Zealand and the tropical area of the eastern side).
The total population is unknown. The eastern Pacific was estimated to have in excess of 40,000 individuals and is probably the home of the largest grouping.
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Church Polity, or, The Kingodm of Christ, J.L. Reynolds | The Reformed Reader
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A CHURCH IS A SINGLE LOCAL SOCIETY
THIS is clear:
1. From the meaning and use of the term. We read in the New Testament of "the Church" in a particular city, village, and even house, and of "the Churches" of certain regions; but never of a Church involving a plurality of congregations.56 "A bishoprick was but a single congregation."57 There is no trace of any other kind of Church, presbyterian, diocesan, or national.58
2 . From the history of the Churches in the New Testament. The Church at Jerusalem, the model after which the other Churches seem to have been formed,59 was a single congregation, which could meet together for social worship and the transaction of Church business.60 So also the Churches at Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, &c., were all single congregations.61
It has been objected that the members of these Churches were too numerous to constitute a single congregation.62 But if the New Testament alludes, in these cases, to only one Church, and affirms that "the whole Church" did meet together and transact business in common, the objection is negatived by the authority of Scripture. The argument which attempts to disprove the congregational polity of the Church at Jerusalem, is similar to that by which the baptism of its members has been assailed. The narrative in Acts plainly intimates that the three thousand converts were baptized, (or immersed.) But it is objected that they were too numerous to be baptized, and therefore must have been sprinkled. In either case the baptized congregationalist rejects the unwarrantable assumption.63
It is not, however, material to the argument to prove that the members of a Church actually did meet together for social worship. The Scriptures inform us that this was the case at Jerusalem. In other cities, where the number of members was very large, local convenience may have been consulted; and there may have been portions of the Church that held their religious meetings in different places, but still constituting, as in some of our large cities, branches or arms of the Church located in those cities. This is rendered probable, by the existence of a plurality of bishops. It is sufficient to show that the Churches of the New Testament were single societies, that the members of a certain locality constituted a Church, not Churches, and that they were addressed by the Apostles, as a unit and not a plurality. Even if it be conceded, therefore, that the number of elders, found in the primitive Churches, was rendered necessary by their habit of assembling in different places of worship, this does not affect the congregational character of these Churches; since each body of elders was addressed as the officers of "the Church," plainly evincing that the community to which they were attached, constituted a single society.
3. From the large number of distinct Churches which are mentioned in the New Testament.
Churches seem to have been instituted upon the principle of local convenience. Whenever a body of converts were found, who could conveniently assemble together for the discharge of the duties of Church members, there a Church was organized. Hence we find separate Churches contiguous to each other. The Church at Cenchrea was only nine miles from that at Corinth.64 In the epistle to the Colossians the names of four distinct Churches occur, located within a distance of five miles.65 Five and thirty different Churches are referred to in the New Testament, besides a great many more that are comprehended in the general designation, "Churches of Asia," "Churches of Macedonia," &c.66
This view of a Christian Church is so obviously scriptural, as to have commanded the assent of a large number of historians and theologians. The following are a few of many authorities that might be cited:
"The simplest conception of a Church is that of a community of believers, dwelling in the same place, and associated for the promotion of Christ?s kingdom." Schleiermacher. Kurtze Darstellung des theol. Stud. ?277.
In the primitive age "a Church and a diocese seem to have been, for a considerable time, coextensive and identical. And each Church or diocese, and consequently each superintendent [i. e. bishop or elder], though connected with the rest by the ties of faith and love and charity, seems to have been perfectly independent, as far as regards any power of control." Archbishop Whately, Kingdom of Christ, p. 136.
"A Church I take to be a voluntary society of men, joining themselves together of their own accord, in order to the public worshipping of God, in such manner as they judge acceptable to him, and effectual to the salvation of their souls." Locke, Letter I. on Toleration. Wks. fol. 2, p. 235.
"In no approved writers, for the space of two hundred years after Christ, is there any mention made of any other organical, visibly professing Church, but that only which is parochial, or congregational." J. Owen, Wks. 20, p. 132.67
The Reformed Reader Home Page
Copyright 1999, The Reformed Reader, All Rights Reserved
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Brain Implants May Help Stroke Patients -- REHACARE Trade Fair
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You are here: REHACARE Portal. Up-to-date. Archive. Stroke.
Brain Implants May Help Stroke Patients
Scientists have shown for the first time that neuroprosthetic brain implants may be able to help stroke patients with partial paralysis.
Researchers found that implants known as brain-computer interfaces (BCI) may be able to detect activity on one side of the brain that is linked to hand and arm movements on the same side of the body. They hope to use these signals to guide motorized assistance mechanisms that restore mobility in partially paralyzed limbs.
Partial paralysis on one side of the body results from stroke damage to the opposite side of the brain. "In recent years, though, we've come to realize that there's actually some ipsilateral, or same-sided control signals involved in movement," says senior author Eric C. Leuthardt, M.D., assistant professor of neurological surgery, of neurobiology and of biomedical engineering at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and a physician at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. "Now we've shown these signals can be detected and are separable from signals that control the opposite side of the body, which means we may be able to use a BCI to restore function."
BCIs bridge gaps from brain damage and other injuries by using implanted electrodes to link the brain to a computer. The implant relays brain signals to the computer, which interprets those signals to control prosthetic devices or other means of interacting with the environment.
BCIs formerly consisted of small electrodes implanted inside brain tissue to record from individual brain cells. Leuthardt and his colleagues have been developing a different approach known as electrocorticography (ECoG), which uses a plastic sheet filled with electrodes. The sheet rests on the surface of the brain, recording from many neurons at once.
Leuthardt's team has shown that the ECoG approach can reveal useful insights into what a patient wants to do by analyzing signals from groups of neurons, rather than single neurons. Examples include a desire to move a hand or to speak.
REHACARE.de; Source: Washington University in St. Louis
- More about the Washington University in St. Louis at: www.wustl.edu
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Sensitive Habitat in Santa Cruz County
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Sensitive Habitat in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County has a wide variety of different sensitive habitat types. From the stream corridors, lakes, ponds and wetlands, to the unique Sandhills habitat in the San Lorenzo Valley and North Coast, the salamander habitat around Aptos and Watsonville, the native grass lands of the coastal terraces, and the San Andreas oak woodland.
Sensitive habitats are often some of the last remaining habitat for plants and animals in danger of dying out due to low numbers of individuals per population, a limited number of populations, or a highly limited, fragmented, or vulnerable habitat. In Santa Cruz County, habitat is considered sensitive if it provides habitat for plant or animal species or communities that are locally unique, or are recognized by the State or Federal Resource Agencies as being rare, threatened endangered, or a species of special concern. Areas immediately adjacent to essential habitat for rare, threatened or endangered species may also be considered sensitive. Lakes, beaches, lagoons, reefs, wetlands and stream corridors are all considered sensitive as well.
As our society continues to grow, development threatens these last remaining refuges, and at all levels of government - Federal, State and Local - measures have been put in place to protect these species and their habitats from extinction. General Plan Chapter 5 and County Code Title 16 both regulate Development in Sensitive Habitat.
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Heatwave On The Top Of The World
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Mar. 7, 2007 The French Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC, or GIEC in French) has just announced the conclusions of its 4th report, which restates that global warming has increased the average temperature by 0.74°C over the last century. However, there is very little information about some parts of the planet, such as central Asia.
A new study by French researchers from the Laboratory of Glaciology and Geophysics of the Environment (LGGE, CNRS / Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble, France) and the Laboratory of Sciences of the Cliamte and the Environment (LSCE / IPSL, CEA / CNRS / Université de Versailles Saint-Quentin, France), in collaboration with Chinese, Russian and American researchers, proves that the recent warming has also affected the ice cap on Mount Everest, in the heart of the Himalayas. This result was published on February 7, 2007 in the European Journal "Climate of the Past".
Relatively little is known about climate change in the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau. There are very few meteorological stations, and instrumental records from glaciers, lakes or tree growth rings are rare and difficult to interpret. However, in 2001 and 2002, Chinese scientists drilled three ice cores in the eastern summit of the East Rongbuk glacier that covers the north pass of Mount Everest, at 6518 meters above sea level. These ice cores were analyzed in collaboration with the LGGE and the LSCE, and they have shown that a new climate marker exists, the ice core gas content, which can reconstruct the changes in summer temperatures on this very high site.
At these altitudes, the surface snow partially melts in the summer and the melt water percolates1 through the snow cover to refreeze deep down. This process affects the density and size of air bubbles contained in the ice, that is, its gas content. So the gas content is directly related to the intensity of the summer ice melt. By measuring accurately the gas content throughout two of the three ice cores taken from the top of Everest, researchers have been able to follow the changes over time, going right back to 2,000 years ago. They noted a very marked decrease in the quantity of gas trapped in the 20th century ice, compared with the content in older ice, which reflects recent increases in the summer melts on the glacier surface.
Although the team has not as yet been able to quantify exactly the temperature change over time using this new marker of trapped gas, their research clearly shows that global warming has also affected the ice cap on top of the world.
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Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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Why living things are the size they are -- and none other
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Apr. 19, 2010 If you consider yourself to be too short or too tall, things are looking up, or down, depending on your vertical disposition. New research published online in The FASEB Journal explains how we grow, how our bodies maintain correct proportions, and offers insight into what goes wrong with growth disorders and unregulated cell growth in cancer.
"We hope that these insights into the mechanisms controlling body growth will help us understand better the reasons for the excessive growth of cancer cells and also provide new approaches to turn growth back on in normal cells in order to regenerate damaged organs," said Julian C. Lui, Ph.D., a researcher involved in the work from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.
Scientists studied which genes were active in young animals (growing rapidly) and compared them to the same genes in older animals (growing slowly). Then they identified which genes were "turned off" simultaneously in multiple organs with age. To understand the consequences of these genes being turned off, the researchers experimentally turned them off in cultured cells and observed the effects. They found that rapid growth in early life is a response to the activation of multiple genes that stimulate growth. These same genes are progressively turned off during the maturation process, causing growth to slow. This process occurs simultaneously in multiple organs, which explains why organs all stay in proportional size as the body grows. This process is not controlled by age. Instead, genes are turned off when organs achieve a certain level of growth.
"This important work answers the question of why any animal- including us -- has a certain size," said Gerald Weissmann, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of The FASEB Journal, "As this study shows, growth is dictated by organ development, and no one wishes their organs to be abnormally large or small."
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
- Lui et al. Coordinated postnatal down-regulation of multiple growth-promoting genes: evidence for a genetic program limiting organ growth. The FASEB Journal, 2010; DOI: 10.1096/fj.09-152835
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When the giant ants went marching | Science News for Kids
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Today’s tiny ants are puny in comparison to some species that roamed North America nearly 50 million years ago. Scientists recently identified the fossilized remains of a giant ant queen two inches long. That’s as long as a hummingbird without its beak. If you saw one of these oversized insects approaching your picnic, you’d pack up and leave in a hurry. (Though, of course, there weren’t picnics back then; people hadn’t yet evolved.) But those giants are now extinct.
The new fossil is the first of its kind. Until now, scientists had never found the body of a giant ant in the Western Hemisphere. (They had, however, found a suspiciously large fossilized ant wing in Tennessee, but the rest of the ant remains missing.)
“Complete preserved specimens were not known until [the researchers] came up with this beautiful preserved fossil,” Torsten Wappler told Science News. Wappler, who did not work on the new study, is a paleontologist who studies ancient, giant ants at the University of Bonn in Germany.
In a new research paper, Bruce Archibald and his colleagues introduced the fossil. Archibald, from Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, Canada, is a paleoentomologist. He studies fossils to learn about ancient forms of insect life.
The fossil came from a 49.5-million-year-old rock originally dug up in Wyoming. But Archibald and his colleague Kirk Johnson at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science found it in the museum’s storage. The bug isn’t the largest ant ever found; slightly longer ants have been discovered in Africa and in fossils in Europe.
In general, larger ants are found in colder areas. But that rule doesn’t hold for the largest ant species in the world, which live in warmer regions. Those really big ants mostly dwell in the tropics, which are the warm areas of the world above and below the equator. (This region circles the planet like a wide belt.)
Archibald and his team say the ancient ant they found in the fossil probably also loved hot areas. The family of ants that the species belongs to is said to be thermophilic, which means heat-loving. This extinct family of ants lived in places where the average temperature was 68 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. These types of ants have been found on continents other than North America, which means that a long time ago, they must have gone on a long march.
The researchers suspect that these ants moved between continents by way of a land bridge that used to stretch across the North Atlantic Ocean. (The land bridge helps explain how many species, not just the ants, got from one side of the ocean to the other.) Other scientists who study the climate of ancient Earth say there were periods of time when the North Atlantic area warmed up long enough that ants could pass from one continent to another.
These stretches of warmth in the north also help explain why other scientists have found tropical species, like the ancient cousins of hippos or pollen from palm trees, in northern parts of the world that today have cooler temperatures.
POWER WORDS (adapted from the New Oxford American Dictionary)
climate The weather conditions in a particular area over a long time.
land bridge A connection between two landmasses, especially a prehistoric one that allowed humans and animals to colonize new territory before being cut off by the sea, as across the Bering Strait or the English Channel.
paleontology The branch of science concerned with fossil plants and animals.
species A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or producing offspring.
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Lead Paint Is No Match for Blinding Rays: Scientific American
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Intense pulses of light may be just the thing for stripping toxic lead-based paint from homes and buildings. Researchers at a small Massachusetts company report they can vaporize lead paint off of surfaces using a lamp that emits short but powerful bursts of light.
"We're trying to get away from the mess and toxicity of a chemical stripper and not create all the dust of a mechanical method," says Michael Grapperhaus, senior scientist at Phoenix Science and Technology in Chelmsford, Mass.
Grapperhaus and his co-worker Raymond Schaefer tested a device they call a surface discharge lamp, which consists of a cylindrical quartz tube inside a vessel full of xenon gas. When they send a high voltage pulse across the tube, it heats the gas inside into plasma and in turn produces an intense light pulse. A vacuum removes the resulting paint vapor and a rotating brush sweeps up the residue.
Six pulses were sufficient to strip two coats of dark green lead paint from a wood surface, which emerged unscathed, the researchers report in a paper published online November 15 in Environmental Science and Technology. The pulse is brief enough that it does not create significant heat, Grapperhaus says.
The method reduced the concentration of lead from 1.7 milligrams to 0.3 to 0.4 milligram per square centimeter, below the legal limit of 1 milligram. The lamp worked similarly on a steel surface, and air samples collected during the paint stripping tests were unable to detect significant traces of lead wafting from the samples, they report.
In many cases property owners end up covering lead paint with a sealant or another coating because of the potential hazards of removing it, says Wayne Schmitz, director of technical services at Flash Tech, Inc., of Hazelwood, Mo., a funder of Phoenix's work. "With this technology it may actually be possible to remove lead safely instead of covering it over," he says.
Some unknowns remain, however, including the speed at which the system would operate and whether it could effectively strip paint from tight corners and crevices, Schmitz says.
Flash Tech hopes to adopt the technology, he explains, because it is much gentler than the company's existing light pulse system, which strips paint but generates heat and leaves a sticky black residue.
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Mercury Flyby Reveals Active (but Shrinking) Core: Scientific American
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The first flyby of the planet Mercury in more than 30 years is resolving some long-standing puzzles about the closest planet to the sun. Among the findings: the planet's iron-rich core seems to be shrinking, causing its crust to buckle and crack.
These and other results, documented in 11 papers published today in Science, come from the first round of data from the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) spacecraft, which buzzed Mercury earlier this year.
Mercury, the smallest of the eight planets, is unusual among its brethren in that it is mostly core. Based on its density, researchers know the core is mostly iron, and they estimate that it makes up at least 60 percent of the planet's mass and accounts for 75 percent of its diameter.
The last time a spacecraft studied the planet up close was from 1974 to 1975, when the Mariner 10 probe flew past and took images of some 45 percent of the diminutive world. MESSENGER is the first spacecraft designed to orbit Mercury.
To do so, it will make three flybys of the planet, adjusting its trajectory after each encounter. During the first flyby on January 14, MESSENGER flew within 125 miles (200 kilometers) to snap new shots and perform other tests.
Mariner 10 revealed that Mercury has a magnetic field around its equator—the only one of the solar system's inner planets besides Earth that has one. That left researchers wondering whether it is generated by the core or if a field frozen in the crust is its source.
MESSENGER found no signs of widespread crustal magnetism, indicating the core has a flowing—molten—outer layer similar to Earth's core to support the electric currents necessary to generate a magnetic field.
The exact thickness of that layer is unknown, but as it gradually cools, it should form solid chunks that sink like iron snow into the denser, solid inner core, also of unknown size, says geophysicist Sean Solomon of the Carnegie Institution of Washington's Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, the mission's principal investigator.
Because solid iron is denser than the liquid form, "as you grow the inner core, the whole volume of the core shrinks," he says, causing the planet itself to contract. "We are understanding how much shrinking there has been."
That understanding comes from images captured by MESSENGER that show elongated "scarps," or steep slopes riddling the surface. Researchers interpret these as places where one piece of crust has slid underneath another and forced it upward.
MESSENGER took photos of an additional 20 percent of the planet that Mariner missed as well as areas that it had covered, but with light coming in at a different angle. This allowed researchers to identify additional scarps missed by its predecessor. They estimate that Mercury has one third more cracks than they had counted.
Another 30-year debate has revolved around smooth patches of rock in the planet's craters, which could represent hardened lava or material ejected during asteroid impacts.
Researchers say the new images reveal geological details indicating that the patches were indeed volcanic in origin.
In another study, the craft used its Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer to identify energetic charged atoms and molecules (plasma) caught in Mercury's magnetic field.
The MESSENGER data reveal charged silicon, sodium, sulfur and water, which researchers conclude was dislodged from the planet's surface by the sun's own stream of charged particles, the solar wind.
Solomon says that studying Mercury provides a useful test case for ideas about how planets assemble and operate. He says he expects to learn even more when MESSENGER enters orbit March 18, 2011.
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Hong Kong fails to meet air quality targets | South China Morning Post
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Hong Kong fails to meet air quality targets
Hong Kong has never met the air quality targets it adopted 25 years ago, according to an Audit Commission report released on Wednesday that reviewed the government’s efforts to improve air quality.
The commission’s report found the concentration of two pollutants – nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and the PM10 particles – at roadside had “persistently and significantly exceeded the targets set by the Environmental Protection Department in 1987”.
The air quality targets list the concentration levels of seven harmful air pollutants, including sulphur dioxide, NO2, and PM10 particles (those with a diameter of 10 micrometres or less).
The roadside annual average concentration levels of NO2 and PM10 exceeded the targets by 53 per cent and 11 per cent respectively, and both exceeded the World Health Organisation standards by 205 per cent, the report said.
The unsatisfactory results came despite adopting, since 1997, 16 major emission control measures, including the replacement diesel fuelled vehicles with those powered by liquefied petroleum gas, the requirement that newly registered cars be greener models and the introduction of emission caps on power plants.
The commission also noted that the Environmental Protection Department had failed to achieve a performance target that the air pollution index not exceed the “very high” health risk level of 100 on any day of the year.
However, the number of days with an API level over 100 showed an upward trend over the past five years, rising by 136 per cent from 74 days in 2007 to 175 last year.
And while the ambient air pollution was partly caused by the regional pollution in the Pearl River Delta, the report said roadside pollution – mainly caused by vehicle emissions – could be reduced by vigorous efforts by the government.
The report urged the government to give air quality improvement measures a higher priority to improve roadside pollution and to work closely with the Guangdong provincial government to improve regional air quality.
The roadside API levels exceeded 100 in Causeway Bay, Central and Mong Kok on Wednesday.
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Vertical Cable Balustrades and Pool Fencing – Sentrel – Blog
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Pool Safety – A Dynamic Activity
Pool safety is more than just a safe enclosure or a series of static procedures that are put into place to protect children. Pool safety is a dynamic activity, requiring ongoing attention and considerable vigilance.
Every Australian home with a pool must have a safety fence. Make absolutely certain that you keep ladders, tables, chairs and other items away from the fence. There is no sense or security in having an approved fencing enclosure if climbable objects like these are kept near (or can be moved to) the pool enclosure. Children are notorious climbers who see the challenge and not the danger.
Practice pool safety. For more, really valuable information on the subject of pool safety and children, see the Raising Children Network site.
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The March Brown
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The Winged Wet
A very, very traditional style of fly, the winged wet is *the* classic wet fly. Primarily designed to act just in or underneath the surface film, whereupon they are commonly thought to represent the hatching fly (emerger), the winged wet can prove a valuable asset to many an angler's collection. Unlike the spider pattern they have an altogether more orderly appearance, more symmetrical if you like, copying an insect just emerged or emerging as nature intended. The primary reason it took quite a few years for the spider pattern to firmly establish itself was down to the popular belief that the winged wet was more of an appropriate imitation. Look at it their way, how the hell could that scruffy wingless thing pass for a mayfly, the legs are all over the place, it's like an Essex girl on a Friday night.
The winged wet is simply trying to be more of a direct imitation than an impression. Wet flies of this style are most commonly fished under the surface, downstream and across the current, where it is nigh impossible to get a natural drag free drift. This has always fascinated me. I guess the idea most likely just came from someone who did it by accident and began catching fish as a result, a lucky bugger in other words.
The problem of why fish take imitations in varying positions throughout the water column where they - in theory - shouldn't be, is the easy part of the equation. Insects get washed about in riffles and by wave action on lakes and sink. It is based around the same reason trout take sunken dry flies and emergers more readily than those floating high upon the surface. Trapped victim: easy meal etc.; look at the spider pattern.
However, why down and against the current? Do mayflies have propellers? Are caddis pupae being cross bread using Ian Thorps DNA? As far as I can tell the possibility of Olympic quality swimmers being present in fly form is pretty low. Consequently, I very much doubt the likelihood of a drowned fly deciding to swim back up to the surface and successfully beating the current, as being a natural occurrence. So why do fish take flies behaving in this manner?
Personally I think we give fish too much credit, yes they can appear picky and intelligent, but sometimes the pure fact that they see an imitation not too dissimilar to that of they're prey item, in a similar position to those it has previously consumed that morning, just sitting there or temptingly curving around in the current is enough for the fishes predatory instinct (stomach) to momentarily take precedence over its survival instinct (brain).
Add some fast water to the equation and our quarry must make a snap decision as to weather or not to take whatever is coming towards him (or her, no sexism here).
However, in both cases there are elements of unnatural behaviour, more so in the former, and despite fish being largely accepting at times, the survival instinct will always be there as a reminder of the several hundred equally tempting, less fluffy, morsels passing by at the same time. This, not surprisingly, is why WC Stewart's upstream approach, as Paul recently explained, works so well. Take away the drag associated with downstream fishing and a major element of suspicion is removed, it is no longer why does he? But rather, why won't he? That's another kettle fish altogether though, every method has its value and every method catches fish. Although watch out for those super bugs swimming up stream, I hear they're real meanies.
The March brown
The March brown, if you want to get specific, imitates the March brown mayfly, no surprises there. If you want to get really specific it is also known as Rithrogena germanica, which is Latin for big fat hairy fly. It may also be Latin for big fat hairy German, although I think that's just a rumour.
Unfortunately, the March brown isn't all that common (useful these pattern articles aren't they). I find them quite a bit, despite fishing nowhere near their supposed north and western distributional limits, but most people do not. So if you're looking at this from an imitative fishers point of view please look away now.
If however you're one of more adventurous anglers amongst us then "STOP", don't scroll through that favourites menu just yet; randy housewives can wait. The MB's effectiveness as a general searching pattern is well documented (well it is now), so fear not, give it a go and you may be surprised.
It is a hare's ear with a wing, what more can I say, 1 + 1 = 2. You'll know by now of the hare's ear's any time, any place value, so is it safe to assume the wet version will work with equal effect? Well yes (whoopee), isn't life great.
What you'll need
Hook - Any general wet or dry fly hook. Partridge captain Hamilton YL2A, size 14 for example.
Thread - Any dark thread. Brown, black, dark olive, etc. I'm using Roman Moser power silk, I love this stuff, quite literally, my obsession makes Lars and his bags seem like a passing phase. If the inventor were a woman I'd happily marry her.
Tail - brown partridge or golden pheasant
Rib - fine copper wire
Body - Dark hare. For most of my hare patterns I like the very dark fur from between the ears and down the centre of the mask, pale hare fur just doesn't do it for me. Shop bought dubbing usually comes in the traditional pale sandy colour, dyed varieties in different shades are available but I find the best bet is to just buy a hare's mask, locate the dark areas, cut a few clumps and mix it to ensure an even blend of soft under fur and buggy guard hairs. To get an even buggier appearance simply add more guard hair.
Wing - Hen pheasant or Woodcock.
Legs/hackle - Brown partridge. Back feathers, the darker the better.
Step one - with the hook placed firmly in the vice, start the thread and wind on to the end of the shank, roughly opposite the barb.
Step two -
Select 3 or 4 partridge barbs for the tail along with a length of
copper wire for the rib and tie down, before winding forward over the butts
and back down to the tail.
You can if you want wind around the thorax area a few times to build up a slight tapered under body, your choice, do it the natural way if you prefer.
Step three - form a fine rope of dubbing and wind on to a couple of mm short of the eye, followed by the rib. Remember, ideally you want a slight taper up to the head.
Step four - take a partridge feather, hold it by the tip and stroke the fibres backwards.
The fibres should be long enough to extend just past the hook point when tied in.
Tie down the feather with the upper side facing forward and wind on one to one and a half turns.
Now trap the quill and trim the waste.
Step five - Now what we have here is basically a spider pattern,
but for this type of fly we want the legs to be underneath the fly in an all-together more orderly fashion.
To do this, separate the hackle evenly on both sides, now with your thumb and forefinger stroke the fibres
back away from the eye and below the shank. Hold in place and take several wraps of thread over the fold to hold in place.
If after this the fibres refuse to comply then manipulate fibres by gently rocking them further into position whilst adding
an additional wrap of thread.
Step six - Take your hen pheasant wings and choose a secondary feather from each wing. Make sure you choose corresponding quills so as to ensure they are as alike as possible. From each quill remove a slip of equal width, about three quarters of the hook gape is the general rule. There are many instruments available to ensure each slip is equal but the best by far is to simply use your scissor tips. Open the scissors to the desired width, insert the tips into the quill and slide them along to separate any adjoining barbs. DON'T CUT YET; you want to keep those scissors as they are to ensure you get the same wing width for the opposite side. Once two slips have been selected snip them out.
Why corresponding quills from opposite wings? There are two reasons. One, when tied in, the wing should appear the same on either side of the fly i.e. the upper, more vividly coloured side of the feather. If you were to cut slips from the same feather and put them together you would have an unmatched dark and light side. Two, the natural curvature of feather would ensure the wing curved to one side, rather than being straight. Taking the slips from opposing feathers on each wing ensures they fit together perfectly, with the natural inwards curve of the two slips counteracting each other to give a nice straight, evenly coloured wing.
Step seven - Hold the slips side by side, once you're sure they are identical (more or less) place the two slips together with the dull side facing inwards. Now line the wing up along the body, it should extend to around one and a quarter to one and half times the length of the hook shank. I go for one and a quarter, some prefer shorter, it's not important, just personal preference. You'll also notice that the wing can be tied in with the point sweeping either up or down. To have the point facing up is the traditional method, although having them pointing down arguably gives more of a natural outline. I tie in the former style, there are no reasons for this, I just do, go figure.
Once you're happy with the position, tie down using the pinch loop method, about three wraps should be sufficient and trim the waste. Take an additional couple of wraps over the stump to smooth out, no more though, when it comes to heads keep the thread wraps to a minimum, a fat head is undesirable, ask any woman.
Step eight - whip finish and varnish
Further notes: A wing and a prayer
Up until recently I'd never really thought of how I actually set a wet fly wing; it was always one of those do and don't think kind of things. However, a recent discussion has prompted me to look a little deeper into what determines a good (that's sexy) wing.
There are two main points to look at. One, the amount of pressure used to hold the wing in place as the loop is closed over the quill slips, and two, the amount of pressure applied with the thread itself as the slips are bound to the shank.
Ideally the fibres should compress on top of each other in a (roughly) straight line. If the first turn is applied with too little support the wing will fold or push over. On the other hand, if the wing is treated too firmly the thread may bite down a little too hard, resulting in a cut wing wet. Ending up with a good result is about finding the balance between the two. I tend to hold the wing very firmly in place right up until the last minute, whereupon I gradually ease off the pressure as I pull down over the slip. During this procedure I never open my fingers to the extent that the fibres can compress anywhere but on top of themselves (or as near to as possible). It's a feel thing.
A second point worth taking note of is that of wing position in relation to thread tension.
The first wrap (or two) determines the angle of the wing, e.g. the tighter I pull down; the higher it will point. I will therefore apply the first wrap to match the amount of tension needed for the wing to be set in the correct position, no higher than roughly (*very* roughly) forty-five degrees, it's a dry fly wing other wise. I'll then apply the next wrap a little tighter, and the next a little tighter still. What you effectively end up with is a slight taper from the tie in point down to the eye. As the first (and second to a lesser extent) wrap determines the wings angle, the latter wraps can be as tight as you like for security, whilst not effecting the wings position to any great extent.
This is all nit picking perfectionist stuff really, in fact it's borderline condescending; but I'm going through it for the sake of completeness. It's fly tying for the sake of fly tying, if you want perfect wings then go for it, if not, you're probably more interested in catching fish and chasing women. you decide.
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Rodents - info and online games
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In terms of number of species (though not necessarily in terms
of number of organismspopulationor biomass) rodents
make up the largest order of mammals, with over 40 percent of mammalian
species belonging to the order.
There are between 2000 and 3000 species of rodents, which are found
in vast numbers on all continents except Antarctica (they are the
only placental order other than bats, Chiroptera, to reach Australia
without human introduction), most islands, and in all habitats except
Most rodents are small; the tiny African pygmy mouse is only 6
cm in length and 7 grams in weight. On the other hand, the capybara
can weigh up to 45 kg (100 pounds) and the extinct Phoberomys pattersoni
is believed to have weighed 700 kg.
Rodents have two incisors in the upper as well as in the lower
jaw which grow continuously and must be kept worn down by gnawing;
this is the origin of the name, from the Latin rodere, to gnaw,
and dent, tooth. These teeth are used for cutting wood, biting through
the skin of fruit, or for defense. The teeth have enamel on the
outside and exposed dentine on the inside, so they self-sharpen
during gnawing. Rodents lack canines, and have a space between their
incisors and premolars. Nearly all rodents feed on plants, seeds
in particular, but there are a few exceptions which eat insects
or even fish.
Rodents are important in many ecosystems because they reproduce
rapidly, and can function as food sources for predators, mechanisms
for seed dispersal, and as disease vectors. Humans use rodents as
a source of fur, as model organisms in animal testing, for food,
and even in detecting landmines.
Members of non-rodent orders such as Chiroptera (bats), Scandentia
(treeshrews), Insectivora (moles, shrews and hedgehogs), Lagomorpha
(hares, rabbits and pikas) and mustelid carnivores such as weasels
and mink are sometimes confused for rodents.
The fossil record of rodents began after the extinction of the
dinosaurs 65 million years ago. By the end of the Eocene epoch,
beavers and squirrels appeared in the fossil record. They originated
in Laurasia, the joined continents of North America, Europe, and
Asia. Some species colonized Africa, giving rise to the earliest
hystricognaths. From there they rafted to South America, an isolated
continent during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs. By the Miocene,
Africa collided with Asia, allowing rodents such as porcupines to
spread into Eurasia. During the Pliocene, rodent fossils appeared
in Australia. Even though marsupials are the prominent mammals in
Australia, rodents make up almost 25% of the mammals on the continent.
Meanwhile, the Americas became joined and some rodents expanded
into new territory; mice headed south and porcupines headed north.
All text is available under the terms
of the GNU Free Documentation License
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Evans' account | State Library of New South Wales
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The expedition departed Sydney on March 26, 1812 on the Lady Nelson and arrived at Jervis Bay the following day. Evans led a survey of the surrounding land on 28 March that was completed by 2 April. It was during this time that Evans was bitten by a snake, and the work was further delayed by bad weather. The party commenced their trek back to Sydney on 3 April, a journey of around 145 kilometres.
On two occasions the party were required to construct bark canoes, with Bundle's assistance, to enable creek and river crossings. The first crossing was at Currambene Creek, just north of what is now Huskisson village. The second was at the Shoalhaven River, at Cabbage Tree Flat, just west of current day Nowra.
Faced with the almost impenetrable bush and cliffs of the Cambewarra Range, near the present day village of Berry, the party spent 10 hours navigating their way through dense undergrowth which nearly destroyed their clothing. Realising that it was impossible to continue climbing the Range, the party then descended into the valley at Bundewallah Creek and proceeded north along the coast through areas now encompassing the towns of Gerringong, Kiama and Wollongong.
Turning inland on 13 April they commenced their climb near Mount Keira, heading in a north-westerly direction towards the nearest European settlement at Lachlan Vale, near Appin. Having run out of food three days before, and with Evans suffering from cracked ribs after a fall in a river, the party was relieved to finally arrive at the Appin settlement on 15 April.
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Transcript: George William Evans, Journal of an expedition overland from Jervis Bay to Mr Broughton's farm near Appin, 25 March-17 April , Manuscript, C709
The entries here refer to the year 1812 [...]
The water mark is 1809. The Calendar shows the year to be 1812.
Wednesday 25th March
Embarked on Board the Lady Nelson the same Evening got under weigh and came too near Pinch Gutt Island for want of a Breeze
About 7 oClock A. M. sail’d to Rose Bay and let go the small Anchor to wait for the Boat, at 9 oClock began to beat out and clear’d the Heads of Port Jackson by 11 with a favorable Gale from the N. E., at 2 oClock P M. Botany Bay bore W 2 [degrees] N, a very disagreeable Sea the Wind about changing, at 8 oClock it Blew hard from the South
The Vessel stood on and off the Land during Night at day light found
found we lost no way the Current being in our favor, at 7 A. M. Wind S W blowing hard with a very rough Sea, at 10 the wind upon Change to the South, at 11 Jarvis Bay Heads bore West about 7 Miles distant, Wind veering to the S E, at 1/2 past 2 oClock P. M. anchored in Jarvis Bay West of Bowen’s Island in 7 Fathoms Water – Prepared for going on Shore in the Morning, and amused ourselves fishing, with little success from the number of Sharks in this part of the Bay, we caught a great number one of which measured 11 feet.
Was on shore before Sun Rise
landed and began my Survey from the South Head, about 3 oClock P M I closed for the day, on laying my lines down I found I had travelled about 10 Miles, I have noted down the Watering Places in my Survey. The Land and Timber I saw this day is not worthy observation, the best Land is from the South Head about 3 Miles round the Bay, the remaining part is very bad and Timber very unsound – at 1/2 past 3 went off to the Brig, I wished to have run a few more Miles, walking thro’ some long Grass in my last station, something bit me on the leg which turned me quite giddy and ill –
Remained on Board the whole day very poorly, my leg extremely painful and swoln nearly as large as my Thigh, – at 12 P M Mr Overhand went on Shore and took a few bearings. – No Natives has yet been seen. –
A Very wet Morning with a Violent Gale from the South, the Motion of the Vessel was equal to being at sea – my leg much better, and able to land again as soon as the Weather permits I think it was some Kind of Snake that bit me, I suffered on Sunday the
most excrutiating pains.
Tuesday 31st March
The weather abated, was on Shore by Sun Rise and proceeded on my Survey, about one oClock came to the Mouth of a Salt Creek the tide running in very rapidly the Boat off at the Vessel Mr. Overhand wishing to come on Shore with a party to cutt Honeysuckle we went thro’ the Creek up to our Chins and 1/4 of an hour after arrived at a Salt water River, 2 oClock the Boat came and put us a cross to the North side, left the Men to cutt timber Mr Overhand and self proceeded up the River a few Miles in the Boat, from which I took
took bearings of the different Reaches. The River resembles that of Parramatta to the West of the Flats, full of shoals with Mangroves on each side, Abt. 5 oClock we returned but could not possibly get off more than one log of Timber it being so large. Honeysuckle may be had here fit to build a twenty Gun Ship down to a Boat. I am sorry to observe the land thus far is very bad, and no kind of Trees worthy Notice except the aforementioned.
Wednesday April 1st
Continued my progress, the land as before remarked, very
scarse of Fresh Water not having fell in with a drop this day. Honey suckle in abundance, closed my survey at the Mouth of a 2nd. Salt River which takes a North Course it resembles the last but rather wider, the tide appears to flow abt. 7 feet perpendicular, I do not think any body of fresh water comes down either of the Rivers, as at low Water a Stream is scarsly perceivable, I have not seen a situation the least desirable for a Settlement, the land is very Barren, and no fresh Water. – I shall take my departure on Friday Morning from the South
South side of the 1st River in a N W direction, as from the appearance of it being low land I may fall in with Tracks worthy observation.
Preparing for tomorrows departure, laid down my Survey which from proofs I find correct, I have not fell in with any Natives since our being here.
Landed for our departure from the South side of a Salt River at the West extremity of the Bay, on landing saw several Natives who were very friendly, they presented me a Number of fine Oysters, I gave away two Tomahawks, a Blankett, some Tobacco, and Fish Hooks,
on taking my departure an Old Man to whom Bundle gave his Shirt cried very much, I shortly after left them, going off in a N W direction thro several Brushes, swamps, and bad Land, untill I met the River which was too deep to cross, I followed its course for some distance round several Lagoons untill it was too late to go over.
I set the Men to make a Canoe to convey our Baggage and 2 of the Men who could not swim across.
The River is about 4 Rods wide at this place, very deep, at low water, it is drinkable.
A great number of Cabbage Trees grow on its Banks, I think there may be Cedar farther up as I saw one small Tree.
Completed the Canoe and conveyed over our Baggage by a Man swimming a cross with a line which was fastened at one end, and my Chain to the other, by that means pulled it backwards and forwards untill every thing was on the North Side, I then proceeded N W over a miserable sandy track of Country for about 2 Miles, tormented by a kind of fly I never before saw, resembling the Native Bee, at length we got on forrest Land, but soon after came into a Brush of the Native Pine Apple Bush, and Briers, which continued nearly 2 1/2 Miles, at length last arrived at some Ponds of Water, we
was much in want of it, no having met with any this Day.
Alted for the Night being much fatagued, in some parts we could scarsly travel half a Mile in an hour; soon after we stoped some Natives came near, but on observing us they were much alarmed and Run off.
Proceeded on in a North Course, still in a Broom Scrub Brush with very lofty Gum and Iron Bark Trees, the land poor for 2 Miles, it then got sandy with low Trees, afterwards full of large Stones, until I came to a Rock nearly 2 Chains perpendicular, underneath is a small flat of Brush Ground 7 Chains to the River which I suppose empties int itself into Shoal Haven, at this place it
it is better than 100 Yards wide, equal as large as the Hawkesbury, the Water was not quite fresh but drinkable; the bites of Land are very Rich, but not quantity sufficient worthy of Notice, in these grow Cedar, Lightwood, Mahogany and Cabbage Trees, I saw but few Cedars but imagine there must be a quantity farther up, this part resembles the Hawkesbury about Sackville Reach, the Banks are not lofty but the Water is very deep, the tide appears to flow about 4 feet; a Very high bluff of Mountain bears N 10 [degrees] W from this station about 4 Miles distant; Crossing the Rivers detain my progress greatly, being under the necessity of going some distance to find Trees whose bark is fit to make a Canoe,
I should much like to proceed to its Source, it takes its direction as I observed from a Hill by a Mist arrising from it, S. W. through an extensive flat The Mountains bend off N W; – I do not see in either of the Rivers any Mark or signs of floods either by Rubbish lodging in the Trees or low lands, I shall be more able to ascertain its course tomorrow as my track lays over a very high Ridge of Mountains from which I shall be able to see a great distance.
It was dusk last Evening before we crossed the River, I ventured to Swim but felt the Cramp coming I returned to the shore, two of the Men could not swim which Bundle conveyed over in the Canoe, I remained till last fearful if I had used it first my weight might swamp
swamp her, as it was very bad and leaked much, I striped myself and sent my Cloaths over, it rained hard, and was in that situation nearly an hour, at last it came to my turn. I ventured into the Canoe and brought it down within two Inches of the Water, thank God I landed safe, we were 6 Hours making the Bank and conveying ourselves and Baggage over, it continued wet the whole Night and we were very uncomfatable; this Morning was a thick mist and turned out very fine, at 7 oClock started out over a Rich flat in which was a small Lagoon, on its edge was 2 Cedars, soon after we were again on Rocky land very high, I could disern at a great distance, there is not the appearance of any Mountains as far as I
could see from the West to the South, the Weather had got quite clear; I traveled a North Course nearly 2 Miles, the land exceeding bad untill we arrived at a Run of Water from the Mountains, on getting thro’ the Brush on its Banks, there was the finest forrest land I yet have seen; I changed my direction to North East, as the North dir Course led me to a Peaked Mountain which is their S. W. end, or termination, they show incline to the North of West, and to the S E to the Coast; at the foot of them is good Forrest land well watered by many runs from their Cavities; I never saw such fine and lofty [...] Gum Trees; I was in hopes to have been able to ascend the high hills this day but was obliged to come too, the People as well as myself being much fatagued.
Began to ascend the Mountains abt. 7 oClock this Morning, it was 1/4 Past 12 before we got at their summit abt. one Mile and a Quarter through the thickest Brush I ever saw; in some places we were under the necessity of creeping through the Vines; the largest timber I ever saw met with Grows on their sides, they are Chiefly Gum and a Tree with large Folage with a smooth Bark, Cedars & Rose Wood; the Ridges are also full of underwood; abt. 5 oClock came to a flat, on the highest part the Mountain quite clear and full of Swamps, from which was one of the finest Views I ever have seen, it would be impossible for a Painter to Beautify it, I took a sketch altho’ I was so much tired in
traveling 3 Miles, from this situation I observe a very large Sheet of Water to the South of Jarvis Bay – we stoped here for the Night.
This day has been so tiresome and very tedious in travelling that tomorrow I must make the Coast I am at loss for words to describe what we have gone through, we are all blood from the bites of Leeches, the Vines and Briers, have almost striped us Naked, been obliged to decend from Perpendicular clefts on the Mountain 30 & 40 feet high, by Trees and lower our baggage down by the Chain with lines fastened to it, I did not think any thing of what is past we go through, if I saw the least practibility of making a strait course to the district of Appin.
two of the Men are very much bruised by their falls. The Land we passed over is very poor, yet bears exceeding lofty Trees and Cedar, not a Blade of Grass is to be seen, the Brush prevents the Rays of the Sun reaching the Ground, which is quite thick with Rotten leaves, Sticks, and Trees quite decayed that causes a most disagreeable smell, I endeavoured to decend into a Run, which I accomplished, down which I directed my Course over the Stones, and lowering ourselves from one fall, to another, I was astonished to see in small ponds on the Mountains and in Wells formed among the falls a number of Fish, 6 or 7 Inches long, we did not procure any; it was Sun set when I alted for the Night on a Point of Ground full of Cabbage Trees and free from underwood.
Continued my trace down the Run for about 1 Mile, (on the Edge grows a great deal of Cedar,) I then turned my Course East through a Viney Brush for 1/2 Mile, when I came upon Forrest Ground and much better travelling until I again met the aforementioned Creek Stream of Water, which I kept on my Right hand walking through excellent good Land, and crossed several Brooks of Water, I at length came into a Brush, likewise excellent Soil nearly 1/4 Mile through, a Number of cedars grow therein; on the outside of the brush was Good Forrest Ground in Ridges, a red Loam Soil; for some distance on my Right hand in the Valley contains a great deal of fine Cedar –
These Valleys lead into a small river which take a North Course from the Main River of Shoals Haven, and runs through
through (as I observed from the Mountains) a most beautiful meadow, and looses itself in different branches, which are the Runs from the Mountains, and contain such fine Cedar; it is my opinion if the small river is Navigable this part of the Country would make a Beautiful Settlement, being so near the Sea Coast would must be a great convenience, On the North side of the Large River, and on the East of the small One, is a very handsome Mount which I think would answer for the Town or Seat of Government.
It is only my opinion from appearance, first it would be necessary for a compleat Survey to be taken of the place, with assistance of a Boat to traverse the Rivers & Creeks, but I can answer for the Land, I
have walked over part of this day to be as good as the best in any part of Port Jackson and well watered.
Travelled on very good Land for nearly a Mile and half when I got on a Stoney Ridge, after leaving it I passed through a thick Brush, and then a Swamp alternately, but was much disappointed to find a flat which I imagined to be a Meadow quite a Swamp, and passed through part of it, and another Brush to a Lagoon which was Salt Water, the tide comes into it, I went round the piece of Water, and then was obliged to go over a fresh Water Bog for a Mile and a Quarter up to our Knees in wet, the Ground in some places shook ender us; at last came to a Brush about 5 Chains Through, to excellent Forrest Land ascending a hill, on coming to the top I was most agreeably surprized to see the finest track of cleared Land I ever beheld, situated
situated most beautifully and well watered by a Run, the Ridges leading to higher land is also excellent, the track clear is about 200 Acres, the part I crosed measured 30 Chains, there may be about 10 Trees on the space with Grass up to our Middles, between this land and the Sea is a Brush likewise good soil; I could have no Idea of meeting with such a Country between the part we lately passed and the Coast, it quite astonished me, not a situation in Port Jackson is half so handsome and good. tomorrow I shall be able to speak of how it is between this and the Sea, which I think about a Mile off, I can see it through the Trees – I saw some Natives to day who were quite pleased, and Proud of two Tomahawks and some Tobacco I presented to them.
At 7 Chains from my last Station yesterday I came to a Brush & at 22 Chains on an East line met the Sea, the Brush was on very good Land, I proceeded to trace the Coast and stoped within 5 Miles of the Five Island Point, the underwood on the Ridges continues to the Shore, and grows Cedar, and Sacifas, the vacant spaces between the Ridges and Beach are large salt water swamps, the Surf breaks very heavy, it would be hardly possible for boats to venture to land on any part I have yet seen –
This Evening I had travelled 5 Miles to the North of Rod Point or 5 Island, the land on my left very low and full of very large salt Water Lagoons, this is our 10th day of being out, and shall tomorrow again endeavour to make the district of Appin
I think I might have made it had I proceeded up Shoals Haven a few Miles farther as the Mountains fall off N W – we have been very unfortunate in procuring Game and are on very short Allowance
I took my departure for Mr Broughtons 6 Miles North of 5 Island Point on a W 20 [degrees] N Course, which is the bearing my Chart gives me, I proceeded up a Ridge of very good Land better than a Mile when it became Stoney, and higher Ground, Ascending it was thick with Underwood, and very large Trees, continued so for a great distance over the Mountain untill I met a steep Rock which we got over, afterwards the Land was rather high but extremely wet, low miserable Trees, and Prickly Brush; on leaving the Beach we had only a Quart of Rice
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set came to a heavy Run of Water down falls that led me to believe it the Source of the Nepean, there we remained greatly fatagud
I traced the Run nearly 2 Miles but was necessitated to leave off Chaining from the difficult traveling, and deep Ravenes we had to Cross, which is out of my power to describe; not any of us having eat any thing for 3 days we were very weak; I altered my Course to N 53 [degrees] E being sure that line would make Mr Broughtons (which I was now certain I had overshot) or the Cow Pastures, walking about a Mile I came upon a high hill of Forrest Ground from which I diserned a Smoak exactly
I was certain of being near the district of Appin, the Men were very low in Spirits I beged of them to begin to ascend the Rocks, I got up about 7 feet to a ledge, my foot sliped, I caught hold of a small tree that broke and I fell upon my hip on a rock, which threw me head foremost into the River, which was very deep, I was helped out but unable to proceed for 3 hours from a violent Pain in my breast, I managed at last to get up the Rocks, and about 11 oClock made Mr. Broughtons Hutt, the Men were then supplied with Bread, Meat, and Milk, and Mr. Kennedy
ordered a Sheep to be Killed, tomorrow I intend to rest being very poorly from my fall, and on Sunday proceed to Head Quarters.
Yesterday Morning was the first of my seeing the Smoke on the hill, but could not disern the Flag, Mr. Kennedy informed me that in the Night a Gale of Wind had broke the flag staff which was 70 feet high.
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Infectious Diseases in Children: Recommendations for immunization schedule are constantly changing
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BOSTON Because there were so many immunization schedules developed by different organizations and because they were changing so rapidly, a universal immunization schedule was established in 1995. This schedule will be published annually and will provide ranges of ages for different vaccines.
"One major change in the immunization schedule for 1997 is the change from an OPV-based policy to expanded use of IPV. However, this change with polio myelitis vaccine recommendations is only one of the many changes that have occurred in recent years," Georges Peter, MD, said here at a symposium sponsored by North American Vaccine Co. Peter serves on the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Infectious Diseases, which produces the Red Book.
According to Peter, the reassessment of polio immunization has been ongoing for at least 20 years. In the late 1970s, a review was commissioned by the Institute of Medicine to look at the continued reliance in the United States on oral polio vaccine (OPV). At that time, OPV was reaffirmed as the vaccine of choice. Then, in the late 1980s, a second review indicated that OPV should remain the vaccine of choice until a combination product was developed that would allow the administration of enhanced inactivated polio vaccine (eIPV) in conjunction with other vaccines.
"During this period, a number of events took place that necessitated reassessment. The first is that we have not had indigenous poliomyelitis in this country since 1979. However, we've had eight to 10 cases of vaccine-associated paralytic polio [VAPP]. Importations have become increasingly rare, and we are making continued progress toward global eradication, which includes the current elimination in the Western Hemisphere of poliomyelitis," explained Peter, who is director of the division of pediatric infectious diseases at Rhode Island Hospital in Providence.
"Children have a greater risk of acquiring vaccine-associated polio than of acquiring natural disease in this country. This doesn't necessarily justify the change to IPV, because we know that OPV has the benefit of enhanced intestinal immunity. IPV also provides the patient some degree of mucosal immunity, but it is not to the same extent, at least as far as the gastrointestinal tract is concerned," he added.
After assessing these findings, three options were considered:
The Centers for Disease Control took the middle road an expanded use of IPV. "However, this recommendation does not undermine the support for global eradication with OPV for that purpose," Peter said.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended using a sequential IPV-OPV schedule as a transition until the time when IPV only could be given.
However, there are some problems associated with changing to an IPV-only schedule. Extra injections will be required until a combination product is available. Costs will be greatly in creased: it will cost $14 million per year per case of VAPP prevented for the sequential schedule and $28 million per year for IPV only. Another potential problem is decreased intestinal immunity.
According to Peter, other important developments include: the approval of varicella and hepatitis A vaccines; the addition of acellular pertussis to the primary series; including teens in the universal hepatitis B schedule; and the development of combination vaccines.
The National Vaccine Injury Act of 1986 is also an important development. "I think it is a watershed event in the history of immunizations in this country, because that particular act established the compensation program. This program was developed at a time when the future of vaccines as a commercial enterprise was threatened in this country because of rising prices, increased litigation and a paucity of manufacturers in the market. Today, prices have been stabilized as a result of the vaccine compensation program, physicians no longer worry as much about litigation, and the pharmaceutical firms realize that they now have some protection from frivolous suits. It creates a climate in which new vaccines can be developed, and it creates an economic marketplace that allows new companies to enter into the development of vaccines," explained Peter.
"In the future, we may see development of new vaccines for the adolescent immunization visit. Also, hepatitis A vaccination of in fants is a possibility once we have the appropriate combination product," Peter said.
"Some of the vaccines that are still under development include vaccines for group B Streptococcus Lyme disease, respiratory syncytial virus, cytomegalovirus, herpes simplex and HIV," he added.
Another interesting concept is the use of plants for the delivery of vaccines. "If this is successful, we just have to get children to eat their bananas in the morning, and they will be immunized. Physicians no longer would have to give vaccines, but I don't think it's going to happen within the next few years. The concept is that one could splice the gene from a given bacteria that's responsible for the production of a vaccine antigen into a plant. One can incorporate as many as 10 different antigens; and, through digestion, one would have both mucosal immunity and systemic immunity. It's an exciting concept," Peter explained.
You can express your views on this article, or other relevant themes, in the Infectious Diseases in Children Specialty Forums.
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Autumn Vegetable Gardening Tips | SouthGate Chamber
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If you live in the southern portion of the United States where the weather is mild during the fall, you may continue to have a productive garden after your summer vegetables have been harvested. This article contains tips to making the most out of the fall growing season.
First of all, your choice of vegetables to plant for a fall garden is extremely important. Common autumn crops in the south are lettuce, kale, spinach, cabbage and peas. In the Deep South it is also possible to grow cucumbers, tomatoes and squash as a fall crop. Melons and hard squash have also been known to grow in the fall.
It is very important to fully understand the fall planting schedule for your area. The planting schedule is determined by the average date of the first frost. If you live in the northern region of the South, then you will usually need to plant your fall garden no later than mid-August. If you live further south, you will probably want to wait until mid-September. You may need to call your local extension office to find out the date of the first frost. From that date, count backwards the average maturation time to determine the exact date for planting each particular vegetable.
Another question people often ask is should they use seeds or plants for a fall garden. Some people prefer to use seeds, as they enjoy watching the plant develop from a tiny seed all the way to producing vegetables. If you choose to use seeds for autumn gardening, it is important to germinate them indoors where it is cooler as they cannot tolerate the heat of late summer. When ready to transplant outdoors, it is best to gradually acclimate them to the warmer temperatures by taking them outdoors for part of the day. It may also be necessary to start from seeds, as garden centers may not have much selection of plants for autumn gardening.
Watering your autumn garden is as important in the fall as it is in the summer. Your plants may need as much as 1.5 inches of water each week. The best way to water your garden is with a soaker hose or drip irrigation, or spray it with a fine mist early in the morning. Harsh watering can be damaging to the plants. It is best to try to water all at once for the week to encourage maximum root growth.
You may also want to plant your fall garden in a zigzag pattern to make the most of a small garden area. This will allow you to plant more plants while maintaining the proper distance between plants. When harvesting, try using a cut-and-come-again approach to keep your plants producing longer. This works best with cabbage and broccoli. By cutting the main head high on the stalk, this will allow the plants to produce shoots and produce more heads.
Now that you know the basics of fall gardening, you are ready to have fresh vegetables on your table later this fall. While not all vegetables can be grown in the autumn, there are plenty that will fill your garden area.
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Ogden Company Launches Ground-breaking Satellite | SpaceRef - Your Space Reference
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Ogden, Utah — An experimental satellite, to be launched January 26th, from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, is the first satellite designed and built by One Stop Satellite Solutions (OSSS) of Ogden. The satellite, called JAWSAT (for Joint Air Force Academy-Weber State University Satellite) is actually a group of experimental satellites [for more information, see the web site http://cast.weber.edu/jawsat/]. It is built with a central structure called a multi-payload adaptor, which will first deploy four experimental payloads built by Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA), Arizona State University (Tempe), the Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, CO), and the Air Force Research Laboratory (Albuquerque, NM). The adaptor will then serve as the platform for two more experiments, one built by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (Hunstville, AL), the other a joint venture of OSSS and Weber State University (both of Ogden).
The three-year-old company [for more information, see the web site http://www.osss.com] had its beginnings in the successful satellite projects conducted by the Center for AeroSpace Technology (CAST), a unique undergraduate program at Weber State University. CAST students and faculty, working alongside volunteers from the aerospace industry, have attained worldwide acclaim for building spacecraft.
JAWSAT weighs about 400 lbs, which is small by satellite standards. However, its attitude determination and control systems — those that keep the satellite pointed in the right direction — provide a capability that is the equivalent of satellites weighing and costing many times more.
JAWSAT will be launched via a low-cost missile that reclaims decommissioned ICBMs for peacetime use. OSSS is confident that this mission will demonstrate a miniaturized satellite deployment and control capability that will greatly improve opportunities to perform increasingly complex tasks with smaller and smaller space vehicles, thus easing the pressure on space exploration budgets.
If you would like to see the launch live on the Internet, you may sign up at web site [http://www.webcastingtv.com/jawsat]. You will be given an access code that will allow you to connect to the webcast site.
For more information please contact any of the following:
|Dale Richards, President||
|Dr. Jay Smith, VP of Technical [email protected]|
|Lewis Boynton, [email protected]|
You may also contact the OSSS offices at the numbers and address listed below.
One Stop Satellite Solutions
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Skin Cancer :: Sun exposure early in life linked to specific skin cancer gene mutation - Health - S
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Early life sun exposure, from birth to 20 years old, may specifically increase the risk of melanomas with BRAF gene mutations. Skin cancers often contain different gene mutations, butjust how these mutations contribute to the cause of melanomas has been amystery.
A new clue comes from scientists at the University of North Carolina atChapel Hill Schools of Medicine and Public Health. Their researchindicates that early life sun exposure, from birth to 20 years old, mayspecifically increase the risk of melanomas with BRAF gene mutations. Adifferent mutation, on the NRAS gene, was found in patients who had sunexposure later in life (between ages 50 to 60 years old). The resultsindicate that different subtypes of melanoma are associated withdifferent risk factors
“The findings suggest that melanoma subtypes have different causes. Thisis important for learning more about how to prevent and treat skincancer,” said Dr. Nancy Thomas, associate professor of dermatology inthe UNC School of Medicine, a member of the UNC Lineberger ComprehensiveCancer Center and lead author of the study. This finding is expected tostrengthen current recommendations to protect children from sun exposurein order to prevent melanoma, Thomas said.
The study, published in the May 2007 edition of the journal CancerEpidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, presents some of the first datato link early life sunlight exposure to a specific mutation inmelanomas.
Researchers interviewed 214 melanoma patients in North Carolina abouttheir risk factors for melanoma and about the various places they hadlived. Each patient’s UV sun exposure was estimated from theirresidential history and satellite-base measurements. DNA from thepatients’ melanomas was then analyzed for mutations.
Patients with melanomas that contained the BRAF mutation, found in abouthalf of all melanomas, were more likely to report high levels of sunexposure before age 20. People with the NRAS mutation were more likelyto have had high exposure between the ages of 50 and 60. About 15percent of melanomas contain the NRAS mutation.
The findings come from the initial phase of an ongoing study that willultimately include more than 1,000 patients from the U.S. and Australia.The research was funded by the Dermatology Foundation, the NationalCancer Institute and the UNC Lineberger Cancer Center.
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TPN References/Tools: Signs & Symptoms
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WHAT IS ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY (A.B.I.)***?
It is the impairment of normal brain function due to a neurological insult, such as: open or closed head injuries (traumatic brain injury or T.B.I.), select cerebral vascular lesions (i.e., aneurysm, hemorrhage, brain stem stroke), hypoxic event, intracranial tumor, select neurological diseases (i.e., encephalopathy). Well, that is a technical definition. Not very satisfying, is it? It's very impersonal and doesn't really even begin to answer the question. For something as complex as brain injury, there are no easy definitions or answers.
HOW DO WE RECOGNIZE AN ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY?
Acquired Brain Injury has many levels of intensity. It is possible that someone can acquire a brain injury without loss of consciousness or external bruising or tangible confirmation (i.e., CAT Scans, Skull X-rays, EEGs, etc.). Individuals who have even a mild brain injury may continue to experience a wide variety of symptoms than can have life-changing implications. Keep in mind, however, that brain injury is different and unique for each person.
WHAT ARE THE SIGNS/SYMPTOMS & EFFECTS OF AN ABI?
Symptoms and related effects fall into four major groups: Cognitive, Perceptual, Physical and Behavioral/Emotional. Keep in mind that because of the uniqueness of each injury, some survivors may or may not face or exhibit some or all of the symptoms. The number of symptoms doesn't reflect on the impact that the injury will have on the survivors. Much of that depends on where the injury is located. The following is, by no means, a complete or comprehensive listing.
Behavioral and Emotional
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE TO RECOVER FROM AN ACQUIRED BRAIN INJURY?
Each injury is different and unique to the survivor and all survivors have different capacities for recognizing and compensating for the symptoms they exhibit. Much depends on getting the correct diagnosis and treatment and ensuring that good support systems are in place for the entire family. Changes and improvements continue although sometimes they are so slight they are hard to notice. It doesn't happen overnight!
TPN On-Line Maintained by: [email protected]
|[Home] [Prevention] [Interlinked] [Brain Map] [C.Contrecoup] [Effects] [Tools]|
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America's Shifting Western Frontier | Teachinghistory.org
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America's Shifting Western Frontier
What was Ohio like during the Old West?
It depends on what you mean by “the Old West.”
In 1828 a newspaper editor in Columbia, SC, referred to Kentucky as the “wild West.” About the same time, a group of humor writers were producing stories about the “Southwest” referring to Kentucky, Arkansas, northern Mississippi, and Alabama. The stories certainly made the area seem wild: they often featured untamed boasting frontiersmen fighting one another with long knives, gouging out eyes, wrestling bears, and generally having themselves a wonderful time.
Even earlier, around 1800, the “West” referred to land that lay to the west of the Appalachian mountains and so would have included the territory that is now the state of Ohio. That territory was opened to settlement after the Revolutionary War as part of the Northwest Territory. In the territory’s early years, the state of Connecticut claimed the northern part of what is now Ohio, referred to as the “Western Reserve.”
If you mean, by the phrase “the Old West,” the years portrayed in Western movies, dime novels, and “those thrilling days of yesteryear” when settlers moved across the Great Plains toward the Rocky Mountains and beyond, then that refers, very roughly speaking, to the period between the Civil War and the Spanish-American War.
Even at the beginning of the postwar period, Ohio had been thoroughly domesticated, in the sense that it was neither “wild” nor “West.” It was geographically part of the middle of the country and had been cleared for farmland for decades. Parts of the state were heavily industrialized, especially in the cities on and near Lake Erie (Toledo, Sandusky, Akron, Youngtown, and Cleveland) and the cities in the southwest part of the state (Dayton and Cincinnati) that depended on the Ohio River for transporting goods. This was the case even before the auto industry further transformed the commerce of the state (a network of railroads also crisscrossed Ohio by that time). According to the Federal Census, Ohio’s population in 1870 was a little over two and half million and by 1900 was four million, with most of the population being of German, Irish, English, Polish, and Italian ancestry.
R. Douglas Hurt, The Ohio Frontier: Crucible of the Old Northwest, 1720-1830. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1996.
Philip D. Jordan, Ohio Comes of Age: 1873-1900. Volume 5 of Carl Wittke, ed., The History of the State of Ohio. Columbus, Oh.: Ohio State Archaeological and Historical Society, 1944.
George W. Knepper, Ohio and Its People. 3rd edition. Kent, Oh.: Kent State University Press, 2003.
Grain elevator, “Operated by Union Railroad Elevator Company, Toledo, Ohio,” Calvert Lithographic Company, 1882. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
“Railroad engine.” W. J. Morgan, Cleveland, Ohio, 1874. Prints and Photographs Division, Library of Congress.
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Teachers TV: Collaborative Learning - Resources - TES
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Overall rating 4 out of 54 (1 rating)
Last updated 28 April 2013, created 20 May 2011, viewed 2,525
The use of different learning styles at Park Lane Primary
Downloadable: mov wmv wmv (low-bandwidth)
Please provide a rating.
A look at one schools approach to learning including AFL and how it is evolving.
TES Editorial © 2013 TSL Education Ltd. All pages of the Website are
reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any material on the
Website for any commercial purposes. TSL Education Ltd Registered in England (No 02017289) at 26 Red Lion Square, London, WC1R 4HQ
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American Folk Art Museum
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American Folk Art Museum
New York, NY
About the Museum
The American Folk Art Museum, founded in 1961, is the foremost institution devoted to the collection, exhibition, study, and preservation of folk art and the work of contemporary self-taught artists from the U.S. and abroad. Through the presentation of innovation exhibitions, educational programs, and scholarly publications, the museum explores the nation's diverse cultural heritage and related global expressions. It is home to one of the world's preeminent collections of folk art dating from the 18th century to the present, including paintings, sculpture, drawings, textiles, ceramics, and furniture.
The Museum offers on its website as of 2013 a listing of its exhibition catalogues including the 2009 catalogue Approaching Abstraction by Brooke Davis Anderson, 58 pages; the 2009 catalogue Kaleidoscope Quilts: The Art of Paula Nadelstern by Stacy C. Hollander, 26 pages; the 2008 catalogue Asa Ames: Occupation Sculpturing by Stacy C. Hollander,15 pages; the 2008 catalogue Dargerism: Contemporary Artists and Henry Darger by Brooke Davis Anderson, 42 pages.
The American Folk Art Museum is located at 45 West 53rd St., New York, NY 10019. Please see the Museum's website for hours and admission fees.
Editor's note: The following essay was written in 1996 and published on November 19, 2004 in Resource Library with permission of the Publications Department, American Folk Art Museum. See the Museum's citation for the essay in Resource Library editor's note. If you have questions or comments regarding the essay please contact: American Folk Art Museum at http://www.folkartmuseum.org, or, 45 West 53rd St., New York, NY 10019, or phone 212-265-1040.
A Place for Us: Vernacular Architecture in American Folk Art
By Stacy C. Hollander
This is page 1
Why was this sub-index page prepared?
When Resource Library publishes over time more than one article concerning an institution, there is created as an additional resource for readers a sub-index page containing links to each Resource Library article or essay concerning that institution, plus available information on its location and other descriptive information.
Unless otherwise noted, all text and image materials relating to the above institutional source were provided by that source. Before reproducing or transmitting text or images please read Resource Library's user agreement.
Traditional Fine Arts Organization's catalogues provide many more useful resources:
Search Resource Library for thousands of articles and essays on American art.
Copyright 2009 Traditional Fine Arts Organization, Inc., an Arizona nonprofit corporation. All rights reserved.
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Keeping an aerial eye on locusts
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Keeping an aerial eye on locusts
TINY reflective cylinders made of glass will be attached to the backs of locusts this spring in a research project that will track the movement of the juvenile insects from the air.
In a world-first project, Australian researchers are developing technology that will allow them to monitor individual locusts to gain a better understanding of how the damaging pests move.
The researchers are developing systems to be used on small unmanned aircraft, which will fly about 150 metres above large bands of locusts munching their way through crops and pasture.
They already know that cannibalism, where juvenile locusts eat other juveniles, is a key factor determining the movement of large bands of locusts. But they believe the research using unmanned aircraft will help them better predict how bands - which can contain millions of locusts - move and allow authorities to better target spray regimes.
Locust bands can be incredibly damaging, kilometres long and as dense as 15,000 locusts per square metre.
The aerial tracking project involves the use of GPS equipment, cameras, radar and the tiny reflective cylinders. The project, funded by the Australian Research Council and the Australian Plague Locust Commission, was discussed in a locust and mouse plague briefing hosted yesterday by the Australian Science Media Centre.
Greg Sword, associate professor of biological sciences at the University of Sydney, said the work aimed to improve the efficiency of the fight against the pest. ''From a management perspective, if we can predict the movement of these groups … then we can really potentially fine-tune the type of control. For instance, where to put pesticides on the ground out in front of the group,'' he said.
Graham Brooker, of the Australian Centre for Field Robotics, said the technology would allow the location of individual locusts to be pinpointed to within a metre. Aerial testing would be conducted within the next two months and the technology should be able to be deployed in the spring, he said.
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HONDA KITT OUT CAR WITH CRASH RADAR. - Free Online Library
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HONDA KITT OUT CAR WITH CRASH RADAR.Byline: MIRROR REPORTER
HONDA engineers have created a Knight Rider-style car safety system which predicts and prevents crashes.
The Collision Mitigation Brake System (CMS (1) See content management system and color management system.
(2) (Conversational Monitor System) Software that provides interactive communications for IBM's VM operating system. ) emits warnings if the motorist is at risk of a rear-end collision - just like David Hasselhoff's high-tech car KITT in the hit 1980s TV show.
The system also gently tightens the seat belt to warn the driver.
And if a crash seems imminent CMS takes control of the brakes.
The technology, a millimetre-wave radar which detects vehicles ahead within a 100-metre radius, determines the likelihood of a collision based on driving conditions.
When there is a risk of a crash a buzzer sounds and the message brake flashes on the steering dial.
If the distance between the two vehicles gets smaller, CMS brakes and tightens the seat belt two or three times.
At this point, if the driver brakes, the system activates the brake assist Brake Assist (BA or BAS) is a generic term for an automobile braking technology that increases braking pressure in an emergency situation.
The first application was developed jointly by Daimler-Benz and TRW/Lucas-Verity. function to reduce impact speed.
The system will be installed in the new Honda Inspire This page is about this vehicle's Japanese model, see Honda Accord for main article and Honda Accord (USDM) for the North American model
The Honda Inspire is a luxury sedan introduced by Honda in 1990 and based on the Honda Accord chassis. .
A Honda spokesman said: "We consider safety to be one of our core responsibilities."
KITT: Knight Rider car
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A 3,600-year-old ancient city excavated in Egypt | The Hindu
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Austrian archaeologists located a 3,600-year-old underground city, believed to part of the ancient city of Avaris, the capital of the Hyksos, the Ministry of Culture announced Sunday.
The city was located during the Austrian mission’s excavations in the Tel al-Dabaa area, north-east of Cairo, using a radar.
The photos taken give an overview of the urban planning of the city, which appears to be complete, with streets, buildings and temples, Zahi Hawass, Secretary General of the Supreme Council Of Antiquities, said.
Irene Mueller, head of the Austrian team, said that the geophysics archaeological survey work done by the team helped them identify one of the Nile river tributaries that passed through the city, as well as two islands.
The Hyksos were foreign kings who ruled Egypt for around 100 years, known as the Second Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt (1664-1569 BC), until Ahmose I defeated them and started the New Kingdom.
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How to detect heart disease with a smartphone [printer-friendly] • The Register
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How to detect heart disease with a smartphone
Finger on the iPulse
Scientists are touting a self-service heart monitor which transforms a smartphone into medical equipment, helping to diagnose cardio problems, while easing the fears of countless hypochondriacs.
The Smartheart claims to be the world's smallest hospital-grade ECG , measuring roughly the same size of an iPhone 4.
After connecting to an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android device through Bluetooth, it monitors the heart and performing an electrocardiogram in 30 seconds. The user then has the option of transmitting that data to their doctor.
Smartheart's developer, SHL Telemedicine , hopes to "enhance patient quality of life and maximise reliability in heart attack safety."
So while using a mobile phone may indeed give you cancer , it can also be used to detect heart problems and prolong lives. Another one of life's paradoxes.
Smartheart is available this autumn with a free app to accompany. Prices for the device are yet to be confirmed. ®
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Vanished Hamilton: A litany of loss
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Theatres, opera houses, shops, churches, mansions — beautiful structures made of marble and stone with stately facades, spires and striking towers — all gone. The march of time has claimed many a grand building in Hamilton and replaced it with strip malls, office towers or parking lots. Four volumes of the book Vanished Hamilton document this part of the city’s disappearing history. Here, in honour of Heritage Week, we take a look at just a few of the buildings our city has lost.
Grand Opera House
James and Wilson streets
This first-class theatre building, which opened in 1880, was constructed for $25,000. The architect George H. Lalor spared no expense on the building, which drew international stars to its stage. The Opera House attracted such crowds that it underwent several overhauls and expansions in ensuing years. But by the 1930s, interest had begun to wane. Finally, it was shuttered in 1961. Today, the site contains a strip mall.
Hamilton Public Library
Main and James streets
The cornerstone of this Victorian building was laid in 1889. Hamilton was praised as the first city in Canada to build a public library building. The building itself was a huge success. But unfortunately, the first librarian swindled three years’ worth of salary money to support a gambling habit. The library’s needs soon outgrew the space and the building went on to house an art school, a Soldiers’ Aid Commission and the public health department, which ran an unprecedented diphtheria inoculation program. Eventually, the building was judged obsolete and torn down in 1955. Now the site is a parking structure for the Pigott/Sun Life condos.
Hamilton City Hall
James and Wilson streets
This City Hall — Hamilton’s second — was built in 1888 and opened 1890. In 1929, an editorial appeared in The Spectator calling it “antiquated and inadequate.” By 1944, it was called a firetrap. Debates ensued for many years over location, construction and materials. Finally in 1960, the new $9.4 million City Hall in its current location on Main West opened for business. The old City Hall was torn down in 1961. Most of the rock was reduced to rubble and used as fill for the wharf extension at Catharine Street.
King West and MacNab streets
The Bruce Seed company was one of the oldest of its kind in North America. The company published catalogues beginning as early as 1862 featuring a wide range of vegetables, from cabbage to salsafy and vegetable oyster. It closed down in 1948.The building was demolished, likely during the late ’60s, for the Civic Square Project, which saw the construction of Hamilton Place and the Convention Centre. Today, the Ellen Fairclough building sits on the site. The Bruce building survived 4 fires where portions were gutted.
King and James streets
This downtown landmark, which became the Birks building in 1929, was originally built for the Canada Life Assurance Company in 1883. The five-storey Gothic building, built with Connecticut brown stone, was designed by American architect Richard A. Waite, who also designed the Ontario Legislature building in Toronto. The Birks company and the building made Hamilton famous. The clock tower, added in 1929, was a highlight of the core. In 1972, Birks announced it was moving into Jackson Square and the old Birks building would be demolished to make room for an office tower. The clock was saved and moved to the King Street entrance of Jackson Square.
Bank of Hamilton
King and James streets
In 1892, the Bank of Hamilton relocated to its final location, where it experienced steady growth, opening more than 100 branches across the country. In 1923, the bank merged with the Canadian Bank of Commerce. One of the first branches to close was the “Ladies’ Department” on James Street South — a bank with women staff for women only. The building was eventually torn down in 1985 to make way for an office tower. After major additions and modernizations the building was eventually torn down in 1985 to make way for a giant office tower on the same site.
The Crystal Palace
The cornerstone of the Crystal Palace was laid in 1860, in preparation for Hamilton to play host to the Provincial Exposition (which evolved into the Canadian National Exhibition). CNE). The building was key to the development of the city’s west end. Others soon followed — the Crystal Palace Hotel and King and Locke Streets and Crystal Palace Brewery. The site hosted a variety of activities, from baseball and fireworks displays. In 1891, the Crystal Palace and its buildings were auctioned off to the public. The palace was bought for just $450, and demolished two months later.
King and Catharine streets
In 1907, the Hamilton Terminal Company, a subsidiary of the Dominion Power and Transmission Company, opened this $250,000 station. It was used as the terminus for all electric radial lines and for the city trolleys of the Hamilton Street Railway. The heavily-reinforced building was a forerunner to Hamilton’s modern buildings. The lower part of the building was constructed of 4-feet-thick stone. The brick entrance was six feet thick. It was thought to be the most modern and elegant electric railway station in North America. Its demise came with the age of the automobile. It was demolished — with great difficulty — in 1959. It’s now the home of Effort Square.
York Street artery
York near Bay Street
This was once a key military route connecting Hamilton to Toronto (York). But beyond the views of Burlington Bay, Cootes Paradise and the Royal Botanical Gardens, the entrance to the city was thought to be rather decrepit. Pre-1950, it was lined with grocery and variety stores, tailors, service stations, butchers and barbers who catered to a working class clientele and a broad ethnic mix. In the 1950s, politicians decided it was an embarrassment that had to be eradicated. In 1957, the street was widened. In 1967, properties were expropriated to widen it even further, wiping out the business and residential community.
In 1902, Hamilton got its first Woolworth’s location. It was so successful, it moved to a larger three-story building at 29-31 King St. E. In 1947, a fire destroyed the building, but it was quickly reconstructed, becoming the most modern and largest of the 147 Woolworth stores in Canada. It featured “half a mile of (lunch) counter space to serve the public”. The most popular item was the 45 cent-roast turkey dinner. It was renovated again in the 1960s. On Dec. 29, 1990, it closed for good. The buildings remain but now house other businesses.
Hughson and King William streets
Hamilton once featured three daily newspapers. The Times was founded in 1858 as the voice of the local Liberal Party. In the late 1880s, the large, red brick building was constructed specifically to house The Times. The massive building, enhanced with galvanized iron cornice work, was opened with an elaborate and expensive ball. The newspaper went out of business in 1920, and the building was demolished in 1931.
Caroline and Jackson streets
William Eli Sanford’s amassed his great fortune, in part from developing an innovative manufacturing model. He became the first in Canada to offer inexpensive, ready-to-wear clothes. He inherited a massive estate from his uncle, where he spent 15 years constructing the palatial Wesanford, once of the city’s grandest homes. It had 56 rooms, each one decorated to celebrate a different period style. The home, completed in 1892, was one of the first in Hamilton constructed for the electric age. Sanford drowned in 1899 at his summer home on Lake Rosseau. In 1939, a construction company bought Wesanford with plans to demolish it in favour of single family homes, some of which remain today.
Stinson Street, between Emerald and Erie
The building, which opened in 1877, was for the children of “idle or dissolute parents, or of parents who were poor.” The home housed about 75 boys from five to 14. In 1948, the city decided to close the Boys’ Home and put the children in foster care. The site was eventually sold to the Grisenthwaite Construction Company in 1950 for $45,000, and demolished to make way for seven apartment buildings.
Cumberland Avenue, near Gage Avenue
The plant was built in 1916 at the peak of textile production in Hamilton. At one point, it employed 1,100 people at its three sites in the province. In wartime, it produced materials used in the military. In later years, it faced increasing competition and eventually closed down in 1955. It was demolished in 1983.
Vanished Hamilton, volumes I to IV, edited by Margaret Houghton, published by Gary Evans, North Shore Publishing Inc. Gary Evans.
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