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July - November 2017 Home >> Projects>> Manaymar, Ata According to UNICEF India an estimated 8.1 million children are out of school, majority of those belonging to the disadvantaged groups. In general high rates of female feticide prevail, along with high rates of violence against girls and women both domestic and on the streets and amongst the highest rates of child marriage in the world. Girls in India often feel unsafe, unequal and unwanted. Therefore continuous intervention and interaction is needed to empower girls and move towards a society where they are equal citizens. Study Hall Educational Foundation (SHEF) runs a network of schools and programs that cater to different groups in both rural and urban India, including girls, children with special needs, rural youth, and children outside the formal school system. Construction Period: Oct 2019 - Aug 2021 6 classrooms + 3 offices, lavatory Study Hall School, Pipersand will be a co-educational school with an aim to bring high quality low cost education to rural and semi-rural areas. The mission of the school will be to provide quality education to children from rural areas in a caring, nurturing and learning environment. The new school will encourage creative thinking among their students and nurture them into becoming lifelong learners and democratic citizens. It has the three interlinked goals of access, quality and equity. The new school will consist of 6 classrooms and 3 office/teachers rooms in one flat built up area. In the initial phase it will start with grade 1 to 5 and gradually grow from there. Ideally the each class will have 30 – 35 children with multiple sections depending on the number total students in each grade. A minimum of 25% of all pupils will come from highly underpriviliged backgrounds.

FNA & Biopsy Fine Needle Aspiration (FNA) or a Needle biopsy is a medical test performed by an interventional radiologist to identify the cause of a lump or mass, or other abnormal condition in the body. When Is This Procedure Conducted? An image-guided biopsy or FNA aims to provide diagnostic information by obtaining a sample of tissue from under the skin using imaging to navigate. The tissue sampled will usually be examined under a microscope by a pathologist and can also be analysed chemically. This procedure may not be suitable for you if you suffer from a blood clotting disorder or if the interventional radiologist cannot find a safe access route for the catheter. How Does This Procedure Work? If you are on any medication that prevents blood clotting, you will stop taking it before the procedure, if possible. You should not eat anything for at least four hours before the procedure starts. You may be asked to fast for longer, depending on the puncture and the complexity of your particular case. Before the procedure, the interventional radiologist will usually place a needle in your vein to make access easier during the procedure. The interventional radiologist may use one of a number of image-guidance techniques to plan and monitor the placement of the needle during the aspiration procedure, including ultrasound, CT, MRI and fluoroscopy. This depends on the location and nature of the lesion or fluid/air collection or abscess. Most biopsy procedures are performed under local anaesthesia or conscious sedation, so you will be awake but feel no pain. You may be asked to take antibiotics beforehand to reduce the risk of infection, but this is uncommon. You will lie down for the procedure – the exact position you will be asked to lie in depends on the access route that the interventional radiologist will use to safely approach the lesion. The procedure will be carried out in a sterile and safe environment. The interventional radiologist will choose which type of needle to use according to the organ and tissue type which needs to be sampled, such as bone, soft tissue, lung, etc. The interventional radiologist will insert the needle and will guide it using imaging until the needle tip can be seen inside the lesion. An image-guided biopsy and drainage can be performed as an in-patient or out-patient procedure. The site of the puncture and your vital signs will be monitored for 4-6 hours following the procedure. You will experience some mild discomfort around the puncture site during this time. If you undergo a lung biopsy, you will be given a chest X-ray 6-8 hours after the procedure to ensure that no air has been trapped in the cavity between your chest wall and your lungs. In most cases, you will be allowed to drink water a few hours after the biopsy procedure. How Will I Feel After The Procedure? You may feel some mild pain in the area of the injection site, which can be treated with pain medication. You will need to take it easy for the rest of the day and will be able to resume normal activities the next day. How Successful Is Needle Biopsies and Drainage? Image guided biopsies and FNAs are a safe and highly effective way of providing further diagnostic and accurate information to physicians in determining the nature and cause of lump masses and treatment protocols. Summary of Benefits of Needle Biopsies and Drainage - FNA & Biopsies provide diagnostic and accurate information to physicians in determining the nature of a lump mass - FNA & Biopsies are a safe and effective procedure Our supportive team is available to answer any concerns or questions you may have relating to FNAs and Biopsies. Please Contact Us for more information.

Valerie Ahyong / Floor Associates / Landscape Architect / Arizona State University, Masters in Landscape Architecture, 2011 / 04.18.18 Where is design going? Design is always changing and evolving. As our cities, communities, and environments continuously evolve and change, so does design. Design should continue to be at the forefront of any change that occurs, and be done in a methodical process, because change can provide unique design opportunities. How can design education be more relevant? Design education can be more relevant by staying up-to-date with current trends – understanding what other design education programs and schools are offering; what design professionals and firms are doing, and are seeking in ideal candidates. Understanding what the idea candidate should be can help influence design education on its program and offerings to help students get to that level. A design education program should be uniquely advantageous, and at the forefront of design education and innovation. What are the future skillsets designers need to learn now? Providing opportunities for students to have real world experiences that allow them to attain unique design skillsets and personal growth. Students need hands on experience through good internships and field visits, inter-continental and overseas travel, peer/professional mentoring; they need to understand how design translates from an idea on paper to something constructed and becomes reality. Sometimes these opportunities are so short lived or unattainable by students for various reasons or limitations. Future designers also need to stay up-to-date with design trends; understand fundamental design processes; and be fluent with current design software. Practical business and communications skills are also important. Every day you are interacting with people to some extent, and its important to have the ability to communicate your design to others and have meaningful discussions. When you enter the workforce you become a part of the business world to some extent – whether you are a sole proprietor, or working for a firm – large or small, fundamental business skills are part of your every day process. What should a design school do to prepare students for transdisciplinary work? Collaboration —- Working cohesively together with a team of diverse personalities, experiences, opinions, and skillsets, and the ability to adapt and work with those unique characteristics is critical. Providing opportunities to cross- or interact with other programs internally, or even other schools within the University. And even providing more interaction with professionals from different realms of design. What should a design school do to forward equity and inclusion? Find opportunities to be collaborative with and communicate to the surrounding community. Collaboration with schools at different age levels, and engage them with design; coordinate with other organizations and share how design can help impact their projects and/or programs; and communicate with the general public on what is design, and what the design school is doing and offering.

Unique and Nonunique Indexes Unique indexes guarantee that no two rows of a table have duplicate values in the key column (or columns). For performance reasons, Oracle recommends that unique indexes be created explicitly, and not through enabling a unique constraint on a table. (Unique integrity constraints are enforced by automatically defining an index.) You can create many indexes for a table as long as the combination of columns differs for each index. CREATE INDEX emp_idx1 ON emp (ename, job); CREATE INDEX emp_idx2 ON emp (job, ename); The absence or presence of an index does not require a change in the wording of any SQL statement. An index is merely a fast access path to the data. The query optimizer can use an existing index to build another index. This results in a much faster index build. Index multiple columns A composite index is an index that you create on multiple columns in a table. This can speed retrieval of data if the SQL WHERE clause references all (or the leading portion) of the columns in the index. Therefore, the order of the columns used in the definition is important - the most commonly accessed or most selective columns go first. Although indexes can be modified with ALTER INDEX abc REBUILD it is a commonly held myth about rebuilding indexes that performance will automatically improve. By contrast redesigning an index to suit the SQL queries being run will give measurable results. You can create indexes on functions and expressions that involve columns in the table being indexed. A function-based index precomputes the value of the function or expression and stores it in an index (B-tree or bitmap). Function-based indexes defined on UPPER(column_name) or LOWER(column_name) can facilitate case-insensitive searches. For example, the following index: CREATE INDEX uppercase_idx ON emp (UPPER(empname)); can facilitate processing queries such as this: SELECT * FROM emp WHERE UPPER(empname) = 'RICHARD'; To use function-based indexes you must gather optimizer statistics. (Not compatible with Rule-based optimization.) If the function is a PL/SQL function or package function, any changes to the function specification will cause the index to be automatically disabled. How Indexes Are Searched Index unique scan used when all columns of a unique (B-tree) index are specified with equality conditions. name = 'ALEX' Index range scan is used when you specify a wildcard or interval (bounded by a start key and/or end key.) name LIKE 'AL%' order_id BETWEEN 100 AND 120 order_book_date > SYSDATE - 30 Like any form of compression, Key compression can lead to a huge saving in space, letting you store more keys in each index block, which can lead to less I/O and better performance. Although key compression reduces the storage requirements of an index, it can increase the CPU time required to reconstruct the key column values during an index scan. It also incurs some additional storage overhead. Reverse Key Indexes Creating a reverse key index, compared to a standard index, reverses the bytes of each column indexed (except the rowid) while keeping the column order. By reversing the keys of the index, the insertions become distributed across all leaf keys in the index. CREATE INDEX i ON t (my_id) REVERSE; The values 4771, 4772, 4773 in the index are reversed to 1774, 2774, 3774 The more even distribution of "hits" on the various leaf blocks is the RKI's best feature. In a heavy, concurrent insert environment, rather than having everyone wanting access to *the* block, you spread the blocks being hit and hence reduce the potentially expensive buffer busy waits. The main disadvantage is the inability to perform index range scans as such values are now distributed all over the place, only fetch-by-key or full-index (table) scans can be performed. You can specify the keyword NOREVERSE to REBUILD a reverse-key index into one that is not reverse keyed: Indexes. Rebuilding a reverse-key index without the NOREVERSE keyword produces a rebuilt, reverse-key index. You cannot rebuild a normal index as a reverse key index. You must use the CREATE statement instead. Bitmap Indexes ( Enterprise Edition only.) In a bitmap index, a bitmap for each key value is used instead of a list of rowids. Each bit in the bitmap corresponds to a possible rowid. If the bit is set, then it means that the row with the corresponding rowid contains the key value. A mapping function converts the bit position to an actual rowid, so the bitmap index provides the same functionality as a regular index even though it uses a different representation internally. If the number of different key values is small, then bitmap indexes are very space efficient. Bitmap indexing is of great benefit to data warehousing applications. Bitmap indexes are good for: Low cardinality columns have a small number of distinct values (compared to the number of rows) e.g. Gender or Marital Status High cardinality columns have large numbers of distinct values (over 100). Bitmap indexes include rows that have NULL values, and can dramatically improve the performance of ad hoc queries. Bitmap indexing efficiently merges indexes that correspond to several conditions in a WHERE clause. Rows that satisfy some, but not all, conditions are filtered out before the table itself is accessed. This improves response time, often dramatically. Unlike traditional a B-tree indexes, Bitmap indexes are typically only a fraction of the size of the indexed data in the table. Bitmap indexes are also not suitable for columns that are primarily queried with less than or greater than comparisons. For example, a salary column that usually appears in WHERE clauses in a comparison to a certain value is better served with a B-tree index. Bitmap indexes are not suitable for OLTP applications with large numbers of concurrent transactions modifying the data. These indexes are primarily intended for decision support in data warehousing applications where users typically query the data rather than update it. The advantages of bitmap indexes are greatest for low cardinality columns: that is, columns in which the number of distinct values is small compared to the number of rows in the table. (See the Oracle concepts manual for an example of this) Unlike most other types of index, Bitmap indexes include rows that have NULL values. This can be useful for queries such as SELECT COUNT(*) FROM EMP; You can create bitmap indexes local to a partitioned table (not a global index). Bitmap Join Indexes A join index is an index on one table that involves columns of one or more different tables through a join. Similar to the materialized join view, a bitmap join index precomputes the join and stores it as a database object. The difference is that a materialized join view materializes the join into a table while a bitmap join index materializes the join into a bitmap index. See the Oracle concepts manual for a full example. Define hierarchical relationships between pairs of columns or column sets. (Typically data warehouse parent-child relationships.) The columns in a dimension can come either from the same table (denormalized) or from multiple tables (fully or partially normalized). To define a dimension over columns from multiple tables, connect the tables using the JOIN clause of CREATE DIMENSION HIERARCHY. The sequence generator provides a sequential series of numbers. The sequence generator is especially useful for generating unique sequential ID numbers. Individual sequence numbers can be skipped if they were generated and used in a transaction that was ultimately rolled back. A sequence generates a serial list of unique numbers for numeric columns of a database's tables. Sequences simplify application programming by automatically generating unique numerical values for the rows of a single table or multiple tables. For example, assume two users are simultaneously inserting new employee rows into the EMP table. By using a sequence to generate unique employee numbers for the EMPNO column, neither user has to wait for the other to enter the next available employee number. The sequence automatically generates the correct values for each user. Sequence numbers are independent of tables, so the same sequence can be used for one or more tables. After creation, a sequence can be accessed by various users to generate actual sequence numbers. "Mathematicians have tried in vain to this day to discover some order in the sequence of prime numbers, and we have reason to believe that it is a mystery into which the human mind will never penetrate" ~ Leonhard Euler

Every now and then a patient will come in with symptoms of a urinary tract infection. They tell me that maybe they’ve been drinking a little too much alcohol, not drinking enough water, and perhaps eating foods that are known bladder irritants. All these things can throw off the delicate pH balance of the bladder environment and contribute to getting a urinary tract infection. When this happens, I may have to prescribe antibiotics or other medications to help clear the infection. As I tell my patients who come in with these types of infections, there are simple, specific things you can do, foods you can eat, on an everyday basis that will keep your bladder naturally healthy and help prevent infections and other conditions. Here’s what I recommend: Keep Your Bladder Healthy If you’re like most of my patients, the last thing you’re probably thinking of during your busy day is how to keep your bladder healthy! Well, turns out, if you practice general good hygiene, eat a healthy diet, exercise and drink enough water, you’re already doing just about everything you need to do. Your bladder is the holding organ for “waste water” (urine) that contains a lot of elements that your kidneys have filtered out of your blood stream and wants to remove from your body. Depending on what you eat, drink, medications, and even supplements that you take, your kidneys and bladder are removing a lot of waste from your body every day. In order to you’re your bladder healthy try doing the following: ➢ Drink enough water – Drinking enough water every day is critical to your overall health. It helps remove all the toxins from your body through urine and waste. It also keeps the urine diluted and keeps your kidneys and you well-hydrated! ➢ Stay Regular – Becoming constipated is almost always a result of not drinking enough water and/or taking certain medications, notably prescription pain pills. Chronic constipation can also put pressure on the bladder causing it to fall forward and/or stretch muscles and ligaments that support it. Get between 25-35 grams of fiber a day. ➢ Eat Bladder Healthy Foods – Urine should stay slightly more acidic to kill bacteria that can collect. Foods like cranberries, bananas, yogurt, and whole wheat bread help keep a healthy pH in the bladder. ➢ Maintain Good Hygiene – Bacteria can enter the bladder/urinary tract system, especially in women, through inadequate bowel hygiene. Always be sure to move bathroom tissue away from your urethra, the tube that passes urine from your body. ➢ Avoid Irritants – Many foods and drinks can irritate the bladder and change the pH in it so that it becomes more susceptible to bacterial infections. Things like chocolate, caffeine, too much alcohol, carbonated sodas, citrus juice, tomatoes, sugar, and artificial sweeteners are known bladder irritants. If you have chronic bladder irritation, you should avoid these items until you get your bladder pH back under control and then re-add these foods slowly, and moderately, if at all. ➢ Get Enough Exercise – Believe it or not, adequate aerobic exercise every day, or at least 4 times a week, can help keep your bladder, and the rest of you, healthy. Exercise keeps the ligaments and muscles supporting your bladder and ureters strong so that they don’t stretch and cause the bladder to fall forward or backward which often times requires surgery, a cystopexy, to repair. Weight training helps keep your pelvic floor muscles strong and working correctly. ➢ Kegel Exercises – These are specific exercises that target the pelvic floor. These are not just for women! Men can benefit from pelvic floor strengthening the same way women do. The simplest way to do a Kegel exercise is to lie on your back with your knees bent, feet flat up under your thighs. Consciously pull your genital/urinary muscles in, as if you were trying to hold off urinating. Hold for a count of 30 seconds, then release. Repeat several times a day. Strengthening the pelvic floor can help incontinence and passing urine when laughing, sneezing, and coughing. They also help preserve sexual function! ➢ Bladder Friendly Supplements – As I mentioned earlier, cranberry keeps the bladder pH slightly more acidic which helps it kill bacteria. Vitamin C, a strong antioxidant, fights free radical damage to all your cells, including your bladder. A few herbs like Uva Ursi, Cat’s Claw and corn silk help keep the bladder and kidneys toned and draining urine well. FOS, FructoOligoSaccharide, also helps the bladder fight bacteria buildup. ➢ Intimacy Hygiene – Maintaining good urinary tract hygiene after sexual intimacy can help prevent bacteria from entering the bladder through the urethra. Try to hold urinating until after intimacy so as to flush any bacteria out of the urethra. Your bladder is a very important part of your natural detoxification system. It moves the final waste products from your kidneys out of your body. Make sure that waste transport is working optimally all the time. The above are some rather simple recommendations on how to keep your bladder working correctly and disease free to ensure that both you and your bladder stay naturally healthy!

Cats are really quite magical. Cats are smart and curious, but also cute and cuddly. This combination makes them excellent domestic animals. It takes work to be a good cat owner. Read the following article for an education on cat care. Cats often view small spaces as a fun challenge. A collar can be a dangerous thing to wear in such a place. Breakaway collars will “break” if they’re pulled too tight. This could save your cat’s life! If you own a female cat, you should have her spayed when she is old enough. Even if you own an indoor cat, it might produce many kittens if it escapes during mating season. Spray your cat so that this does not occur. Take your cat to the vet regularly to make sure they remain in good health. They need a routine check-up every year, maybe more of important shots are necessary. Cats should visit the vet right away if they are having any issues. Nice furniture and cat claws don’t get along very well. If you have a cat that is wreaking havoc, buy a scratching post. Teach your cat to scratch this instead of the legs of a couch or sofa. Although this may take time, your cat should eventually claw the device rather than your furniture. It can be tough to keep cats off the countertops. A cat will naturally want to be high enough to view everything around them. One good way to beat this problem is by giving your kitty some safe, high perches throughout the house. Placing a cat tower by the kitchen can keep cats from getting on counters. Location is key when placing a litter box. Do not place it in a busy area or close to where your cat eats meals. Put it in a ventilated area to reduce odors. Your cat and you will appreciate it. Little kids shouldn’t be left alone near cats. Show your kids the proper way to handle cats. Demonstrate how the cat should be petted and handled and encourage your children to be very gentle. Cats have weaker bones than dogs so should be treated carefully. When you get a kitten for kids, you have to set up a few rules first. Let them know which rooms and areas your cats should not be in. If your cat is going to be one that stays inside, let the kids know that it’s not allowed outside. Setting the rules in advance will ensure your children understand. Do you own a dog and a cat? Most dogs will not hesitate before munching on your cat’s food. Therefore, your cat’s food bowl should be placed in a high location that is out of your dog’s reach. Doing this will also help you avoid fights over the water bowl. Unique and magical creatures, cats make terrific house pets, provided that you are willing to take the time to educate yourself on proper cat care. Study the tips in this article very carefully. Put everything you’ve learned to use to keep your cat happy and healthy.

In a previous column I wrote about ornamental trees for your garden and the fact that winter is a good time to buy deciduous ornamental trees in their dormant, bare root forms-they will be about 30% cheaper than if you buy them potted up and in leaf, later in the year. This month I want to look a bit more closely at three of the most popular forms of deciduous ornamental trees-crab apples, elms and ornamental pears. Crab Apples (Malus)-there are at least 14 different forms of these small to medium size, spring flowering trees. Maypole Ballerina crab apple is a narrow tree growing up to 3 meters high and produces masses of dark pink flowers in spring followed by purple/bronze leaves and bright red fruit that is great for making crab apple jelly. Bechtel crab apple is a rounded tree growing up to 5 meters high-its mass of double, white flowers emerge from pink buds in late spring after its green leaves have emerged. Royal Raindrops is another crab apple growing up to 6 meters high, producing dark pink flowers in spring and attractive deep purple cutleaf foliage. Elms (Ulmus)-These are larger deciduous trees that can be great specimen trees in the garden or an avenue in larger spaces. Golden elms (up to 10m high and wide) are eye catching with their golden leaves-there is a great avenue of these on the highway on the eastern entrance to Molong. I have a silver elm as a specimen tree with striking cream speckled leaves in a circular drive in my garden. The dark green leaf, rounded English elm grows to about 15 meters. Ornamental Pears (Pyrus)-these have become very popular in recent years as street trees, lining driveways and as specimen garden trees. They have three great seasonal phases-dark green, glossy leaves in summer; brilliant orange/red autumn leaf colour and masses of white flowers in spring. Manchurian pear is a rounded tree growing to about 10 meters high and 7 metres wide. Capital is a much narrower grower, more suited to lining driveways.

- Navigation is defined as the act or process of planning out a route or directing the travels of a boat, ship, car, person etc.. When a GPS device plans out your route and tells you where to go and when to turn, this is an example of GPS navigation. These items are aides to navigation. - the act or practice of navigating - the science of locating the position and plotting the course of ships and aircraft - traffic by ship Origin of navigationClassical Latin navigatio - The theory and practice of navigating, especially the charting of a course for a ship or aircraft. - Travel or traffic by vessels, especially commercial shipping. (usually uncountable, plural navigations) From Latin nāvigātiōnem, accusative singular of nāvigātiō (“sailing, navigation”), from nāvigātus, perfect passive participle of nāvigō (“sail”).

RightAnswer Knowledge Solutions provides access to hundreds of data sources. Our premier and proprietary sources include fully-researched documents from well-established experts in the chemical and HazMat fields. A search in our system for this chemical would return results – all in one place -- in the following categories from the listed data sources. - Chemical Identification - Environmental Hazards - First Aid/Medical Treatment - Handling/Storage/Shipping/Waste Management - MSDS Documents - Personal Protection - Physical Hazards/Corrective Response Actions - Physical/Chemical Properties - Reproductive Risk - Toxicology/Health Hazards/Exposure |Example of Acute Exposure data from MEDITEXT.| Other Government Links Searched via RegsKnowledge: State Environmental Regulations Example Content from MEDITEXT for 124-65-2: Please note: this is an extract of information from a larger document. Full document and details are available by subscription. ACUTE EXPOSURE INFORMATION - Sodium cacodylate is an organic, pentavalent arsenical compound. It is a white or yellow, amorphous powder or crystalline solid which may be odorless or have a faint odor. It is advisable to treat all arsenic compounds as highly toxic. - Organic arsenic compounds are better absorbed by the dermal route than are inorganic arsenic compounds. The dust is irritating and corrosive to the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Anorexia, nausea, abdominal pain, and elevated urinary arsenic levels have been observed after dermal contact. Organic arsenicals may be more toxic by mouth than injection due to the rapid release of inorganic arsenic by gastric acid. Chronic laryngitis and dermatitis may occur after chronic exposure. - In experimental animals, sodium cacodylate has caused fetal deaths and fetotoxicity. Sodium cacodylate is regarded as a human carcinogen. - Acute arsenic ingestion generally produces symptoms within 30 to 60 minutes, but onset may be delayed for several hours if ingested with food. A metallic or garlic taste, vomiting, abdominal pain, dysphagia, and profuse watery (rice-water-like) and sometimes bloody diarrhea may occur. Dehydration, intense thirst, and fluid-electrolyte disturbances are common. Hypovolemia from capillary leaking ("third spacing" of fluids) is a common early sign. - Systemic arsenic poisoning from occupational exposure is uncommon. Arsenic workers have developed a hoarse voice, nasal irritation and possibly perforation of the nasal septum, irritation of eyes, skin, and mucous membranes, and rarely, cirrhosis of the liver. Nausea and vomiting are infrequent. Painful ulceration of the wrist and scrotal skin, lips, and nostrils may develop with dust exposure. - The primary target organs initially are the gastrointestinal tract, heart, brain, and kidneys. Eventually, the skin, bone marrow, and peripheral nervous system may be significantly damaged. The peripheral neuropathy appears to be similar regardless of the route of exposure. © 2011-2019 RightAnswer.com, Inc. and/or its licensors. All rights reserved. No claim to original U.S. Govt. works.

On November 9, 1606, German intellectual Hermann Conring was born. Conring made significant contributions to the study of medicine, politics and law. He made significant studies on blood circulation, and later in his career addressed himself to politics. Conring was polyhistor and Reichspublizist, as well as medical doctor and personal physician of Queen Christina of Sweden, Danish State Councillor and director of the Bremen-verdische Archive in Stade. He is regarded as the founder of the science of German legal history. In addition, Conring also conducted research in the fields of philosophy, physics and medicine. Youth and Academic Career Hermann Conring was born into a family of ministers in a town in East Frisia, a territory ruled at that time by the counts of Cirksena, which would later become Germany. Early, he became familiar with the Latin language and ancient classical writings. In 1623 Conring had to return to the north at the request of his parents due to the effects of the Thirty Years’ War. One year later he returned briefly to the university, but due to a plague epidemic in 1625 he already made his way back to his parents’ house. At the University of Helmstedt, Conring studied philosophy starting at the age of only 14. In 1625, Hermann Conring followed an invitation by Matthias van Overbeck to study at Leiden University. There, he developed his interest in science and medicine. From 1634 he turned therefore to medicine, since it was better to earn money here, was awarded a doctorate in medicine on 29 July 1634 and shortly thereafter, with a thesis on scurvy, also acquired the doctorate. Professor for Political Science Thereafter, Conring taught the son of Arnold Engelbrecht, at that time chancellor of the Principality of Braunschweig-Wolfenbüttel. Around 1632, Hermann Conring was appointed professor of philosophy and rhetoric at the University of Helmstedt. It is believed that around 1660, Conring began to lecture statistics as a forerunner of modern government statistics. But the topic he taught was political science. Now he was interested, among other things, in the teachings of Joachim Hopper and Niccolò Machiavelli and began to write a comparative study of states in which he examined the historical development of various states, but which never came to an end. In his “Dissertatio de optima principo” of 1652, he postulated the novel idea that, on the basis of the respective history and psychology of a people, there could be different forms of state and government suitable for different states. This preoccupation with the history of peoples led to a reflection on the pre-state period of a state of nature, which was also the subject of more influential contemporary philosophers of state such as Thomas Hobbes and John Locke.[5,6] Aristotelism and Polyhistorism The approaches he developed in the field of natural philosophy can always be traced back to Aristotle. Based on this, he always advocated polyhistorism in his lectures. During his teaching activity in the field of medicine he gave an extensive textbook entitled Introductio in universam artem mediciam singulasque eies partes (Introduction to the whole of medicine and its individual parts). Here, too, we find the approaches already advocated by Aristotle. Conring also dealt with William Harvey‘s teaching on blood circulation. In his lectures on the fundamentals of medicine, he attached great importance to practical experiments, although it was often extremely difficult to obtain corpses suitable for anatomy lectures. In addition to his work in medical research and practice, Conring was also a personal physician at various European ruling houses. The Father of Legal History Hermann Conring is regarded as the father of German legal history. It is believed that already at Leiden University, he developed a great interest in the topic and began to research into the development of German law. In 1643, he started to get involved with the constitutional law of the German Reich which he also reflected in his lectures in the years after. In his major publication De origine iuris Germanici from 1943, Conring refuted the Lotharian legend and proved that there is no legislative act of Emperor Lothar III of Supplinburg, who made Roman law into imperial law. Conring not only dealt with the history of laws in force in the German Reich, he further included the institutions issuing them in his deliberations and discussed against what background the laws had a certain effect. Methodically, Conring’s work did not deal exclusively with the history of laws in force in the German Reich. Rather, he also included the institutions that enacted them in his considerations and ultimately wondered against what background the laws had a certain effect. His book was published in three editions illustrating the development of German law from the time of the Germans to Franconian and post-Franconian times. However, the contemporary reaction to the work was mostly negative and Conring was even accused of plagiarism by Johannes Gryphiander. One of the last German Universal Scholars Hermann Conring was one of the last German universal scholars. He is regarded as the founder of the science of legal history. He supported the famous Wolfenbüttel library, today’s Herzog August Bibliothek, with expert opinions and advice. In his honour, the oriental field cabbage bears the scientific name Conringia orientalis. The Latin inscription on his tombstone, which stands on a manor in Gross Twülpstedt (his coffin is in the tomb of the church of St. Mary St. Cyriacus there), translates as follows: “In this hill is decided the adviser of kings and princes, doctor of public international law, connoisseur of all philosophy, practical and theoretical, an excellent philologist, speaker, poet, historian, physician, theologian. You think many are buried here? It is one: Hermann Conring, the miracle of the century.” References and Further Reading: - Hermann Conring and the European History of Law - Hermann Conring at the German National Library - William Harvey and the Blood circulation, SciHi Blog - Reckless Power Play Politics – Niccolò Machiavelli, SciHi Blog - Man is Man’s Wolf – Thomas Hobbes and his Leviathan, SciHi Blog - John Locke and the Importance of the Social Contract, SciHi Blog - Hermann Conring, Dissertation De optima republica, 1652 - Fasolt, Constantin (2007). “Hermann Conring and the European History of Law”. In Ocker, Christopher; Printy, Michael; Starenko, Peter; et al. Politics and Reformations: Histories and Reformations. Studies in Medieval and Reformation Traditions. 127. Brill. - Hermann Conring at Wikidata

Grace Jennings Carmichael (1867-1904) was a poet and nurse. She published Hospital Children, Sketches of Life and Character in the Children’s Hospital Melbourne in 1891 – a collection of articles previously published in periodicals and journals – which helped bring the suffering of the children to the attention of the reading public. Jennings Carmichael wrote graphically for her audience about the impact on children of domestic violence, disease and neglect. Says historian Patricia Clarke: ‘She wrote of a child victim of a “terrible hip disease” who wasted away “with blanched face and emaciated frame…until the cross of flowers is made for another childish figure in its mortuary shrouds”; of typhoid epidemics and of battered children: “…a dear little lad who recounted the history of certain bruises so reluctantly, and after entering into the details of flogging with a rope’s end, while strapped to a table, added wistfully – “But don’t tell the other nurses; I don’t want to disgrace my father”. She wrote of child patients with hair so matted it had to be cut off, clothes so filthy they had to be burned and bodies so ingrained with dirt that they defied the best efforts with soap and water. She wrote also of the despair of seeing children return to hospital with a recurrence of illness after being neglected and allowed to roam cold, windy streets in ragged, thin clothing while their mothers were out earning a pittance washing, or out drinking’ (1988, p198-9). Jennings Carmichael moved to England with her husband. He left her with a young family, and after she died her sons were put in an English poorhouse. Catherine Hay Thomson wrote a call for funds in the Argus in 1910, which raised enough money to help them. The Victorian government contributed by giving the three boys free passage home. They later dropped their father’s name and took their mother’s surname. - Clarke, Patricia (1988) Pen Portraits: Women Writers and Journalists in Nineteenth Century Australia, Allen & Unwin, Sydney/New York - Grace Jennings Carmichael – Poem by Henry Lawson. - Thomson, C H, “Jennings Carmichael: Her Children in a Workhouse”, Argus, 16 April, 1910.

Coloring Page Of Water Take a screenshot and use your favorite editing application to color we like markup. Coloring page of water. It is not as simple as it might seem. Everything that you need is to print. Fishes imaginary creatures of the deep. Coloring of pictures is perhaps one of the most bellowed types of having fun among children. Everything has been classified in themes which are commonly used in primary education. The different species include gold fish star fish and sea horse. Download and print for free. Water cycle coloring page make photo into coloring page unique turn picture into coloring page. More 100 coloring pages from nature coloring pages category. We are happy to share these free downloadable coloring pages of our designs with you. This is simple picture of water cycle. We ll be adding more as we go so keep checking back. If you don t have a printer at home here s a way to use them. Water cycle coloring page water cycle coloring page lovely easy and fun the cell cycle. Sign up for crayola offers. Coloring pages of water june 11 2018 admin leave a comment running water from tap coloring page sky and water coloring page water coloring pages glum me within rain and lightning coloring page. Here are our coloring pages related to the sea. Show us your artwork on. Such activity develops the creative thinking and drawing talent. About water cycle coloring page the water cycle also known as the hydrological cycle or the hydrologic cycle describes the continuous movement of water on above and below the surface of the earth. It is a beautiful pages to color where there is a very cute scene of under water containing. Free printable water coloring pages. Get crafts coloring pages lessons and more. Water cycle coloring page coloring pages watercle coloring page for kindergarten pages kids. Water cycle coloring page water cycle coloring page valid diagram worksheet of 8. Under water fishes coloring pages contains underwater scene where a variety of a number of fishes can be seen. Our site gives some great examples of coloring page of water for free. The coloring pages also contain images of some under water plants and weeds. You will be able to get away with these original drawings imagine that you are swimming in the middle of these fish and mermaids. - Qui Rime Avec Aquarelle - Raincoat Coloring Page - Rainbow Coloring Page Preschool - Rainbow Dash Cutie Mark Coloring Page - Queen Of Hearts Coloring Page - Realistic Watercolor Paintings Of Nature - Ravensburger Aquarelle Maxi - Rainforest Animal Coloring Page - Quilava Coloring Page - Recommended Watercolor Palette Colors - Quiet Coloring Page - Race Car Coloring Page Printable - Quel Materiel Pour Debuter Aquarelle - Quelle Aquarelle Acheter - Realistic Saber Tooth Tiger Coloring Page - Rainbow Coloring Page For Preschool - Rahab And The Spies Coloring Page - Red Tail Hawk Coloring Page - Red Tailed Hawk Coloring Page - Racoon Coloring Page

Does the SENCER approach work? Do students learn better in SENCER courses? What about the SENCER approach helps students gain more in learning, develop positive dispositions towards science, and increase their inclination and capacity to be more civically engaged? What can faculty members do to make continuous improvements to the quality of their courses? How do members of the SENCER community appraise the quality of the SENCER project? What assessment and evaluation tools are available from SENCER? Answering these questions--and developing tools and strategies for obtaining the answers--has been a key feature of the SENCER project from its inception. This section of the SENCER web site is designed to present evidence of program effectiveness and to provide access to assessment tools and resources. Analysis of the SALG (Student Assessment of their Learning Gains) data from September 2007 to September 2011 reveals that the SENCER project is succeeding on a number of levels. First, the data show that an ever-increasing number of SENCER faculty are using the SALG to assess and improve their teaching. Over the past four years, SENCER faculty conducted 1,314 SALG surveys, slightly more than 27% of the total number of SALG surveys delivered. The number of SENCER surveys has increased every year. The first year, 2008-2009, saw the largest increase, from 67 to 1,019. In the next year, 2009, the number of users swelled to 1,594 and expanded to 2,026 in 2010 and 2,174 in 2011. This substantial and consistent growth shows that SENCER faculty are getting useful data from the SALG. Learn more. Transforming undergraduate STEM education is the core objective of the SENCER program. The SENCER Impact Assessment Survey was conducted to find out whether or not SENCER program attendance influences the various objectives related to this goal. As the robust, descriptive results show, overall respondents perceive their pedagogical practice, perception of students as science learners, and ability to help students achieve 21st Century learning goals were influenced by attending SENCER programs. The description of the components of these objectives and the types of participants where there is more or less consensus on perceived SENCER influence can inform SENCER planning and contribute to addressing the challenges related to improving STEM education. Read full article. SENCER Impact Assessment Survey results show that, in general, across all of the questionnaire items, majorities or more have been positively influenced by SENCER experiences. To illustrate key program benefits, examples of results notable for their overwhelming consensus are highlighted. The highlights are followed by a summary by Janice Ballou of other outcomes that respondents report were influenced by SENCER program participation. Top Ranking SENCER Influences These highlights were selected to exemplify areas of notable consensus among the survey respondents. Reports of about eight-in-ten or more survey participants credit SENCER with contributing to: New Course or New Program Development Influencing pedagogical practices that increase student opportunities to: Helping their students achieve 21st Century learning goals, such as: With supplemental support from the National Science Foundation, SENCER contracted the University of Colorado, Boulder for a multi-year, independent program evaluation that included the development and validation of the Student Assessment of Learning Gains (SALG) evaluation instrument. Dr. Elaine Seymour has served as the evaluation consultant since SENCER's inception. She and Dr. Timothy Weston have served as the principal investigators of the multi-year evaluation project. The results of their evaluation are contained in a final report issued in December 2006. (You can access a copy of the project report below.) The results of the evaluation study are most encouraging. Seymour and Weston note that "SENCER's goal of encouraging faculty to teach courses with civic content and innovative pedagogy is a reality." The researchers also confirm that the SENCER reforms are durable, noting that they found that "92% of instructors believed that their courses would be continued in the future, and 80% considered their course part of the permanent curriculum at their institution." The data provided by >10,000 students in 345 SENCER courses who completed the SENCER-SALG have been analyzed. In addition to the important outcome of helping faculty make "meaningful changes to their instruction," the data tell who gains and what they gain from their study in SENCER courses. The researchers found it significant that: - Students gained most in the areas of science literacy, followed by general course skills. - Women gained more than men and non-science majors gained more than science majors on many of the items and composite variables (a fact that the evaluators note "is encouraging evidence given that females and non-science majors have traditionally been underserved or overlooked in many university science programs"). - The patterns of gains were in line with efforts by SENCER to encourage awareness of the link between civic issues and scientific content. - Roughly a fifth of students who had never engaged in civic activities said they were more likely to participate in these activities after a SENCER course completion. - Ten percent of students who on the pre-survey were not interested in taking additional science or mathematics courses reported on the post-survey that they were very or extremely interested in doing so. - Similarly, slightly more than six percent now say they would like to consider exploring career opportunities in science and nearly five percent are now "interested in teaching science." Final Report on the Evaluation of the SENCER Project (2006) Executive Summary of the Report (2006) Internal Evaluation Reports Evaluation is broad and deep within the SENCER project. All sub-awardees are required to file progress and final reports; all Institutes and major program activities have included process evaluations. In addition, from time to time, SENCER commissions "synthesis" reports that feature information on the effects of SENCER participation measured in terms of pursuit/receipt of intramural and extramural support, special recognition, records of tenure and promotion, and other outcomes. Review SENCER activities, community participation, resources developed, and project evaluation covering February - October 2012. 2012 Annual Report Feedback collected through SENCER's formative evaluation efforts informs future planning for symposia and new initiatives. We invite feedback from members of the community on our programs, resources, and initiatives at any time. - Symposia Evaluations Following SENCER regional and national symposia, participants are asked to submit comprehensive feedback to the National Office. We use this valuable information to evaluate all aspects of our programs, and to plan for future events or initiatives. We launched online evaluations for our SENCER Summer Institutes (SSIs) following SSI 2006 to ease both participant submission of feedback and data analysis. As a result of participant goodwill and persistent follow-up, we enjoy high completion rates of online evaluations by our SENCER Summer Institute participants. Attendees of NCSCE's annual Washington Symposium and Capitol Hill Poster Session as well as regional SENCER Center for Innovation events also complete post-conference evaluations. - Sub-Grantee Reports NCSCE awards SENCER-NSF Post-Institute Implementation Awards annually, subject to funding and following a competitive application process. Grantees are expected to complete three reports over the two-year term of each grant: a planning report filed 2-3 months into the project, a progress report at the year mark, and a final report after the close of the project. Reports are collected using the SENCER FastLane system.

The fourth tallest sky-scraper in China, once complete, will boast a very unique exoskeleton which marries traditional techniques with modern innovation. The Chengdu Greenland Tower is due to be finished in 2018. The colossal structure will be supported by a weight-bearing exoskeleton built upon the exterior of the building. An exoskeleton consists of a plethora of triangles, the most structurally-sound 2D shape. Dennis Poon, one of the leading design engineers on the project explains that “it’s an efficient structural system because you use the entire width of the building to resist wind.” Why is this Exoskeleton so Special? This next-gen exoskeleton, however, doesn’t just lie flat against the surface like older, conventional exoskeletons. Each adjacent triangle is positioned on a different plane within the Chengdu exoskeleton snaking and weaving across the sky-scraper’s surface. This clever design enables the futuristic structure to face many different directions, letting in as much light as possible and creating a feeling of extra-space inside. ““The ideal goal is for the exterior structure to reflect the shape of the building, almost like they’re bound together. It makes the building more transparent by allowing you a bigger view on the inside”, says an architect who worked on the Chengdu Tower, Fei Xu. There are many different weight bearing techniques, but the exoskeleton was chosen for practicality, as well as design. Using such a technique is great for controlling building costs, while maintaining safety of materials as today’s concrete and steel is much stronger. How was the Chengdu Tower Possible? Thanks to leaps and bounds in technology, engineers of today can explore more creative structural designs on specially built computer models to look at and assess the structural integrity of unconventional geometry. The Empire State Building, in contrast to Chengdu, was built using a slide rule, meaning all the calculations were done without the aid of fancy tech, but by hand instead. Why Don’t We Build Higher? Though we have the technology and materials to build up into the clouds these days, there are a 2 things which stop us. 1. There is no money in investing in super-tall buildings for developers as of yet. 2. Most cities have codes and laws enacted which prohibit building above a certain height because of disruption to flight traffic, or because it’s just deemed such a large structure would ruin the skyline of the city. Keep an eye on Engineer Jobs for the latest engineering related jobs, or follow us to stay up to date with our latest engineering blogs. Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on LinkedIn You might also be interested in:

Above is the natural arch at Tennessee Beach, California, before it collapsed on Dec. 29, 2012, and… …this above is the same seaside cliff minutes after tons of rock came tumbling down onto the beach. The entire collapse was witnessed by Robert Wills, a PhD student at Caltech. Here is an excerpt from his account: “As we were admiring the waves, a crack and the ensuing sound of a waterfall of rocks caught our attention and everyone on the beach spun to see a small stream of rock flowing down the cliff face below the arch… I could never have expected what happened next. Two minutes later, just as I was hoping, a few chunks of rock fell from the underside of the arch and I started my camera. Then the arch started to buckle in on itself and squeeze out rock from beneath it. With this, the collapse of the arch shortly followed and the entire surrounding hillside started to slip off into the ocean in a thundering roar as boulders the size of a piano crashed into the surf and the sand sending up a large splash of debris that got me a little nervous despite my 100-meter distance. It all lasted less than 10 seconds and left the beach quiet in comparison, the roar of the surf nothing compared to the thunder of the rockslide. The small crowd of 15 or 20 people stood in awe, wondering if the show was over. The main event was over, with only one smaller rockfall in the next 20 minutes, but the scene was still fascinating, with waves washing over the fresh pile of rock turning the ocean brown.” Below is a small version of the entire sequence. The larger version can be found here. Thanks to landslide researcher Dave Petley of The Landslide Blog for bringing this to my attention. Petley’s blog is filled with rare events like this one, which are increasingly being captured on camera. Image courtesy: Chris Wills, California Geological Survey

A Documentary Film “Konstantīns” The horrible first year of the Soviet occupation created things which were impossible during the previous 700 years. For the first time, Latvians who had suffered from Red terrorism, greeted the Germans as liberators, displaying much delight about the end of the Soviet occupation. The joy was premature, however. The Nazis created a new occupation, and Latvia lost nearly 100,000 civilians, including nearly all of the Jews who had remained in Latvia in the beginning of July 1941. The path between lost independence and recovery of freedom was created by an illegal political organisation – the Latvian Central Council. Its leader was Konstantīns Čakste, son of Latvia’s first president, Jānis Čakste. The Latvian Central Council did not achieve anything. Some of its members were arrested by the secret police in 1944, while others were arrested by the KGB during the Soviet occupation. More than 2,000 of the members emigrated abroad, and the path toward the recovery of independence in 1991 was thus marked out. From 1941 until 1945, some 7,000 Latvians were imprisoned at a concentration camp in Stutthof. Documents show that several thousand of them died along with other prisoners. Professor Konstantīns Čakste served as an example of a selfless and unbending hero of the nation. He died one night in February 1945 as he was returning from the Stutthof camp. Freedom fighters are respected not just because they sacrifice their lives, but also, and especially, because their struggle relates to the rights of each nation to sovereignty and freedom. Director and producer: Dzintra Geka Screenplay: Ēriks Lanns Camera: Aivars Lubānietis Editing: Armands Zvirbulis Video engineer: Jānis Kazulis

My father has false teeth, actually a second pair. A new second pair. I also have a biting block that I have to routinely wear each night for my sleep apnea. The important thing about any false teeth or mouth guard is to keep it clean or it can really wreak havoc on your teeth. But what got me more frightened recently is that MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) can live in your dental appliances for a long time, and then get breathed in. MRSA is a very serious Staph infection, and can sometimes be fatal. I found the following excerpt, a great remedy to getting the little buggers off of my dental work. I always suspect that my dental appliance is sometimes not clean enough, and after I read the following, I felt vindicated. I told my father, and he was also surprised to learn of the dangers of MRSA biofilms. And I don’t want them in my mouth anyway. Here’s an excerpt: Dirty dentures? Dangerous MRSA may be lurking, dentists say (By JoNel Aleccia) Denture experts say a daily scrub with a stiff brush is vital to removing potentially dangerous biofilms from false teeth. New research also shows that microwaving or soaking in a germicide rinse can disinfect dentures for up to a week. Here’s some bad news for the estimated 20 million people in the U.S. who wear full or partial dentures: There’s a good chance your choppers are covered with thin layers of icky, sticky bacteria known as biofilms. Worse, some of the biofilm germs may be bad bugs such as MRSA, or drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus bacteria, which can lurk on the dentures until they’re breathed into the lungs, where experts fear they may cause nasty, hard-to-treat infections. Fortunately, a team of scientists in Brazil has come up with two simple solutions that seem to work: Zap your dentures in the microwave for three minutes, or soak them in a solution of 2 percent chlorhexidine gluconate, a germicidal mouthwash, for 10 minutes. Either method is enough to disinfect dentures coated with the toughest MRSA biofilms for up to a week, according to a recent study in the Journal of the American Dental Association. A third option, soaking the dentures in sodium hypochlorite, was effective only in the short term… The article “Dirty dentures? Dangerous MRSA may be lurking, dentists say” was originally posted on http://www.msnbc.com/ I hope this helps you, and please go and read the full article for more details. I’m glad that the simple answers are usually the best ones, and I’ll be nuking my biting block tonight to kill all of the germs that might be there. Here is another link to MRSA information from WebMD.

Archaeological finds: war is the natural state of man The other day Kenyan military base in Somalia was attacked by militants of the Islamist group “Shabab”. At the time of the attack, Kenyan soldiers were sound asleep, and it was expensive. Dozens of soldiers and opened her eyes. As the Kenyan member of Parliament Yusuf Hassan, “It was a shock. We don’t Burundi, Ethiopia we don’t, we are not Uganda. Our country has no history of wars. With us this never happened”. It was at this same time, in the lagoon on the shores of lake Turkana in the Kenyan expedition of archaeologists tried to prove the opposite. She found traces of the massacre, which happened approximately 10,000 years ago – before people began to engage in agriculture. Apparently, one group of hunters attacked another group and were brutally murdered her. Talked about broken skulls, said arrows and spears in the skeletons. Last Wednesday the journal “Nature” published a report by scientists. It States that from 12 found the bodies of those killed 10 were with traces of explicit violence. In addition, they discovered the bodies of 15 people killed in the same battle. Remains found in Northern Kenya on the shores of the lake, talking about the cruelty of the massacre. So one warrior stuck two arrows, which pierced his skull, and his knees were broken with maces. A woman was found pregnant in sixth month, killed by a blow to the head, perhaps bound his hands before he died. Violence has always been present in people’s lives. But when it began to develop into war? This question is hotly debated in science. Some scholars argue that war is deeply rooted in human evolution. As evidence they point to the fights between different tribes of chimpanzees. Others stress the influence of complex and hierarchical human societies and the raids on the warehouses of the fruit farming. March Mirazon Lahr and Robert Foley from Cambridge University and Turkana basin Institute in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, and a group of other scientists, came to the conclusion, reported in “Nature”: was found near the shores of lake Turkana indicate the existence of wars between prehistoric hunting tribes. The authors agrees with Luke glowacki, a Harvard researcher evolutionary human biology. He says: “Such findings, as this has not yet happened”. Together with Professor of biological anthropology at Harvard Richard glowacki Raghama traced the evolutionary path of human warfare, inherent and chimpanzees. This shows, he says, “what war occurred before the invention of agriculture”. Douglas Frey, Professor of anthropology at Alabama a & m University, also agrees with the authors of the article in “Nature” that they found the remains resemble massacre, but said “running too far ahead” announcement this carnage of war. He writes that nomadski tribes could “make war.” And anyway they were already close enough from a sedentary life. Dr. Frey says, “I would like to see the fortification and the village, built in the defensive areas, I would like to see a weapon of war and the artistic or symbolic embodiment of war.” This is the only condition he agreed to call the Kenyan discovery scientists the war. What about nuclear weapons, Dr. Frey! The first of the scientists who stumbled upon the remains lying directly on the surface, was Pedro Ebeya from the Turkana basin Institute. Researchers began to test this larger area since 2009, is rich in fossils, remains of weapons, like harpoons, and some clay pots. At the end of the reconnaissance of Abaya said Dr. Lahr: “I have a bone for you”. Excavations began. The remains were born one after the other. Didn’t they have remodeling and burial. They fell on the battlefield, and so remained there ten thousand years. The authors of the report in “Nature” you write that the attack on a local tribe could be a RAID for food, or just a RAID of one tribe to another. Found the vessels said that the tribes already knew how to store food. The remains belonged to adults and children, under the age of six. Scientists suggest that the boys, the attackers were able to capture. Dr. Lahr said that allow of such a hypothesis. The local population began to multiply rapidly in those days, creating a conflict with neighbors and strangers, seeking “Lebensraum”. These were the conditions that led to the clashes and war, she says. So people fight each other at least ten thousand years, and its “succeeded” (From chimpanzee to homo sapiens. From stones to nuclear bombs). Frankly, all this does not inspire confidence that the war might end. no wonder now the whole world is at war. Even the scrap of land where people have found “evidence” of his multi-millennial madness.

- Isis was a very important figure in Egyptian mythology. She was known to the Egyptian people as a healer, magician, and exemplary wife and mother. What details of this sculpture show us that Isis is an important person? Crown or tall hat identifies rulers, deities, and/or important members of a community in many cultures. - An ATTRIBUTE is a distinctive symbolic feature that identifies a character. Identify Isis's attributes: a serpent (left hand), a vulture (wrapped around the base of Isis's crown), a jug of water (right hand). What is an AMULET? An object or charm, usually worn as jewelry. Look for the amulet Isis wears around her neck (the Isis-knot, a fertility symbol). Painting of Osiris from the Mummy Case Of Lady Teshat - Compare with the painting of Osiris (image 1). Both of these works of art are Egyptian, but their overall STYLES or design qualities are different. Describe the stylistic differences between Osiris and Isis. Consider: facial features, treatment of bodies and garments, and media. (Osiris's face, shown in profile, is consistent with Egyptian formulas for representing people. Isis has natural features more consistent with portraiture and meant to be seen from many sides. Isis's body is a sculpture with rounded forms, Osiris's body is a painting with flat, straight outlines and angles. Isis's garments have and descriptive folds, Osiris's mummy garment has no folds or descriptive elements. The artist who painted Osiris used color, the artist who sculpted Isis did not.) - Isis tricked Ra into revealing his secret name so that she could have Ra's power. Think about Isis' attributes and their symbolic meanings-what do you think she did with that power? Dart-shaped serpent a reference to the power Isis gained from Ra, vulture on crown symbolizes protective powers, Tyt a reference to her life-giving powers. See also Story section of Osiris, image - Isis was a superhero to the ancient Egyptian people. A superhero is a hero who takes human form but possesses supernatural powers. Can you think of any women who are superheroes today? (Wonder Woman, Xena Warrior Princess, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, X-Men's Storm, Jean Grey and Rogue, the Power Puff Girls, Dark Angel, and Tomb Raider's Lara Croft.) - Egyptian works of art you have studied in the World Mythology in Art image set all include of the gods they represent. Review Why did the Egyptian artists use attributes when they depicted these gods? To identify the gods.

A 36-Week Long Schedule for Tracking Down Good Grammar with Scout the Dog Designed for Students Ready to Learn Basic Parts of Speech and Sentence Mechanics Target Age Group: Grades 3 Type of Resource: Non-Consumable This Language Arts Guide The “Tracking Down Good Grammar” guide schedules enough material for a full school year. This program pulls together several great resources. This guide schedules: guided handwriting practice, creative writing, parts of speech worksheets, punctuation, sentence structure and types, spelling activities and practice, vocabulary workbooks, language activities, and language skills. The guide offers an abundance of weekly teaching notes, helps, and instructions on how-to-use the materials in this guide and so on. The answer key for the LA 3 Student Worktext Set is included as part of this guide. A rollicking-good time will be had with the LA 3 Student Worktext Set, guided by the endearing dog, Scout, whose adventures are sure to have kids learning and laughing. Students start out practicing print handwriting and move along into cursive practice. The script is a traditional cursive script and is included in the LA 3 Student Worktext Set. Creative writing topics coordinate with the topics taken from the student’s themed program for a truly cross-curricular experience. Students continue to improve their reading skills, reading suggested books that range in length from 65 to 250 pages, but which have a consistent reading level achievable for this age. Students are expected to read about a chapter a day. Introducing Ebook Language Arts! You’ll love the functionality and flexibility of our ebook language arts programs for grades 3-6. Each program is an ebook collection that includes a guide and most of your language arts resources. These ebook collections are specially formatted to make them easy to view on a tablet or laptop, or print from your home printer and use. The language arts worktexts, for instance, can be printed as worksheets at home or in WP’s booklet format at Staples. Best of all, your ebook purchase allows you to print as many copies of consumables as you need for your family. Printing consumables can really help you save on most language arts programs, as so many include several consumables. Another change this year is that we are no longer selling readers as part of our 3rd-6th LA programs. With the advent of personal reading devices, tablets, smartphones, and laptops, more and more of these books are available in a less-expensive ebook format. Reader sets are still scheduled and available as special order items, but we believe this offers flexibility to parents to choose to buy ebooks, or borrow books from a friend or library to reduce their homeschool costs. Instead, we are including eReading Schedules that schedule books and provide discussion questions. List of the Student Books - Wordly Wise 3000 – Book 3 Student Book - Spellwell B, Bb, & Answer Key Student Books - LA Student Worktext Set - Independent Student Reader Set* *IMPORTANT NOTE: This guide schedules independent reading, but as mentioned above the readers above are not sold as part of the LA 4 “Solving the Mysteries of Grammar” set. This guide schedules multiple independent reading options. Each reader option has a different historical or themed focus, such as: Early and Later American History, World Cultures, World History, and Animals. Each of these Independent Readers Set coordinate with our themed packages. Simply choose the Independent Student Reader Set that your student is most interested or coordinates with your themed study. Concepts LA 3″ Tracking Down Good Grammar” Covers: Week 1: Capitalization Week 2: What is a Sentence? Week 3: Declarative Sentences & Periods Week 4: Interrogative Sentences & Question Marks Week 5: Exclamatory Sentences & Exclamation Points Week 6: Imperative Sentences & Understood You Week 7: Writing Letters & Using Commas Week 8: What is a Noun? Week 9: Singular & Plural Nouns Week 10: Abstract & Concrete Nouns Week 11: Common & Proper Nouns Week 12: Possessive Nouns Week 13: What is a Verb? Week 14: Action Verbs Week 15: Helping & Linking Verbs Week 16: Verb Tenses Week 17: Subjects & Verbs That Agree Week 18: What is a Pronoun? Week 19: Singular, Plural, & Possessive Pronouns Week 20: Interrogative & Demonstrative Pronouns Week 21: What is an Adjective? Week 22: More About Adjectives Week 23: Other Words Work as Adjectives Week 24: What is an Adverb? Week 25: What is a Preposition? Week 26: Prepositional Phrases Week 27: What is an Article? Week 28: What is an Interjection? Week 29: What is a Conjunction? Week 30: Comparative Adjectives & Adverbs Week 31: Direct Objects Week 32: Contractions & Apostrophes Week 33: Question Marks & Compound Words Week 34: Synonyms & Antonyms Week 35: Nouns of Direct Address & Negatives Week 36: Review & Test

Children from all cultural backgrounds will enjoy reading this book as it relates to something many children have to think about – how to get a new bike! Although children are often given new things when they want them, this book shows how hard work and problem solving can allow children to be able to get things through their own efforts and planning. Billie and the blue bike’s illustrations are full of fun with it’s bright colours and bold lines. The use of visual storytelling is strong throughout this book, allowing children to discover more about the story themselves. Towards the end of the story is a great double page spread which allows children to see how Billie works towards buying her own bike through an illustrated flow chart. Readers can discuss how she is feeling as she does chores for her uncle to save towards her own bike as well as what she is up to. Billie’s new bike is an excellent book which also aims to develop children’s financial literacy and through this fun and relatable story it does this very well. Great links to the numeracy classroom for Early Stage One – Stage 1 students.

three Varieties of Monetary Evaluation and When They Matter Monetary evaluation is performed utilizing data posted on a business’ monetary statements to judge the present monetary place and the previous efficiency. Monetary Key efficiency indicators reminiscent of liquidity, profitability, and solvency amongst others highlighted by this course of are used to determine the monetary strengths and weaknesses of the business entity 동반. This evaluation will be carried out internally throughout the group to facilitate resolution making by administration. Exterior events and stakeholders reminiscent of auditors, regulators, monetary analysts, traders, and opponents may conduct their evaluation utilizing the out there information to determine the entity’s monetary place. These stakeholders equally make the most of the data for decision-making appropriate for his or her respective pursuits. Three forms of monetary analyses will be carried out with companies monetary statements are horizontal evaluation, vertical evaluation, and ratio evaluation. - Horizontal evaluation Horizontal evaluation of monetary data entails the evaluation and comparability of the relative modifications in particular gadgets in a monetary assertion over stipulated accounting intervals. The gadgets in query may very well be gross sales, income, and so on., and the accounting intervals will be months, quarters, years, and so on. Any such monetary evaluation is greatest utilized when searching for to find out the dynamic behaviour of an merchandise in order to look at the development of the merchandise over the desired accounting intervals. That is vital in figuring out the elements behind the development, whether or not constructive or destructive. For instance, the online revenue of a business will be tracked over a five-year interval. Nevertheless, there are two methods of conducting a horizontal evaluation, particularly; share evaluation and absolute evaluation. Within the absolute evaluation, the comparisons are carried out utilizing the figures posted within the monetary statements whereas in share evaluation, the comparisons entail presenting the relative change within the figures into percentages.

Standing in an elevator) with arousal of another affect of an opposite quality (e.g. Nursing care plan for ineffective coping. Warned of the danger and allows one to take action and tackle the threat. Nursing care plan for anxiety disorder. According to nanda the definition for anxiety is the state in which an individual or group experiences feelings of uneasiness or apprehension and activation of the autonomic nervous system in response to a vague, nonspecific threat. After several nursing intervention, the patient was able to. 1.0 nursing care plan (medication i) patients name_____ student’s name_____ date of care_____ subjective data: Mild, moderate, severe, and panic. Use cognitive therapy to focus on her correct faulty catastrophic interpretations of symptoms. The following are seven (7) nursing care plans (ncp) and nursing diagnosis (ndx) for patients with anxiety and panic disorders: In a nursing care plan for depression and anxiety, we’ll learn the following things. Here are the nursing responsibilities for taking care of patients who are stressed and anxious: Gradually increase the abby's activities and her involvement with others as anxiety is decreased. The most important part of the care plan is the content, as that is the foundation on which you will base your care. Verbalization of fears will reduce anxiety attack and will divert unwanted thoughts. Pathophysiology somatic symptom disorder (ssd), previously known as somatoform disorder, is a mental illness that causes unexplained physical symptoms such as pain that are. Review familial and physiological factors (e.g. Nanda anxiety anxiety is a signal to awaken; Three types of signs and symptoms are associated with anxiety patients. According to the research of the national institute of mental health, the united states is the largest state that has been suffering from anxiety disorders and mental illness nowadays. Anxiety is generally categorized into four levels: Dollard and miller (1950) believe anxiety is a learned response based on an. You or your family will decide on a nursing care plan for anxiety if you feel that you fail to meet your expectations, and the results are wearing you down. Warm glass of milk and personal hygiene promotes sleep. This disorder is more common in women than men. In such situations, a nursing care plan for fatigue is needed to overcome anxiety. Nursing care plan helping nurses, students / professionals, creating ncp in different areas such as medical surgical, psychiatric, maternal newborn, and pediatrics. Helps client to achieve physical and mental relaxation as the anxiety becomes less uncomfortable. Nursing care plan for anxiety and depression If you want to view a video tutorial on how to construct a care plan in nursing. Soft music if desired by client will lullaby him to sleep. Nursing care plans for anxiety disorders nursing care plan 1. Mild anxiety can enhance a person’s perception of the environment and readiness to respond. Nursing care plan for patients of anxiety disorder. Anxiety related to situational crisis of new cancer diagnosis as evidenced by decreased attention span, restlessness, shortness of breath, disorganized thought process, crying, and verbalization of feeling hopeless Nursing care plan for patients of anxiety disorder and adjustment disorder. This nursing care plan is for patients with anxiety. In this plan, a person is set free from anxiety attacks and panic attacks. Provide her diversional activities such as watching tv or listening to her music, before and after the operation. Nursing care plan for anxiety. Learning outcomes in nursing care plan for depression and anxiety. The care given a professional nurse helps. Panic disorder experienced by approximately 1.7% of the adult population. With proper care the anxiety patient is able to plan activities that reduce anxiety. The nurse needs to assess how bad the situation is, in order to know the interventions to make that are likely to bear fruit. Ad unlimited access to anxiety disorder market reports on 180 countries. Reports of the family divorce causing stress. Anxiety related to feeling uncertain / helplessness, emotional state does not have a specific object. Ad unlimited access to anxiety disorder market reports on 180 countries. Relaxation, exercise, biofeedback) strong enough to suppress anxiety. Anxiety, nervousness, inability to cope, and ineffective individual coping. Panic disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by spontaneous anxiety and episodic. Nursing assessment for nursing care plan for depression and anxiety. Tap into millions of market reports with one search This disorder is affecting 18% population of the us, i.e., 40 million. With constant care from a nurse the patient is able to identify the triggers of his anxiety attack as well as the threats and conflicts. Tap into millions of market reports with one search

Packing is one of the chapters taken from Beehive. It is well explained through Packing Introduction, Message, Theme of Packing, Title, Packing Characters, Summary in English, Summary in Hindi of Packing, Packing Word meanings, Complete lesson in Hindi Packing, Extracts of Packing, Long answers, Short answers, Packing Very short Answers, MCQs of Packing and much more. By- Jerome K. Jerome Jerome is the narrator of the story and the entire gamut of events are depicted from his point of view. He is overconfident and rates his packing skills a bit too high. He is also arrogant and expects his friends to carry out the tedious part of packing while he sits back and passes orders. His friends, however, do not take him seriously and finally, he has to struggle while trying to pack the bag. Jerome is both clumsy and forgetful. He first forgets to pack the shoes and they can’t recall if he has put in his toothbrush or not. He unpacks the bag twice clumsily to accommodate the missing items. When his friends fumble while packing the hamper, he sits at the edge of the table and watches them because now it is his turn to have fun at their expense. However, he is an ordinary boy who ignores the shortcomings of his friends in the same way as he ignores his own. George and Harris George and Harris are the friends of the narrator, Jerome. Both of them are as clumsy, ill-organised, forgetful and casual as Jerome. They commit mistakes even while doing ordinary tasks and keep repeating their mistakes. Like Jerome, they too are mistaken about their talent to pack stuff and are over-confident about their performance. They damage or spoil many things like cups, pies, tomatoes, butter and lemons while packing the hamper. Their action amuses the readers, especially when they misplace the butter and search for it all over the place. Somehow, in spite of making a fool of themselves, while packing for the trip, they don’t believe in any blame game and ignore each others’ mistakes. Montmorency – the pet dog Montmorency is the pet dog of the three friends – Jerome, George and Harris. He is a pampered pet and knows no restrains on his behaviour. His animal instinct to probe everything creates a nuisance for his masters. He likes to be a part of all the activities going on in the house and gets excited to see the boys packing things. He doesn’t mind being shouted at and does not even respond when they try to move him away from the packed stuff. He is a super energized pet and ’10 amount of scolding dampens his enthusiasm. He may ill-trained temperamental, destructive and meddlesome but he is loved by the readers as much as his masters. His presence in the story makes it more interesting and amusing’.

When Highland Beach's new water treatment plant is up and running this year, each day it will create enough industrial waste to fill about 375,000 milk jugs. While the town's water customers likely will marvel at the improved water quality, the plant's reverse osmosis process also will generate dissolved salts and other solids that can't be simply gathered up and thrown out with the trash. The unusable liquid -- a concentrated mixture of salt and other minerals that the state classifies as industrial waste -- will be disposed into a well thousands of feet below the earth. Getting rid of the waste is a major hassle for utility plant operators, which must get special permits from the state to dispose of the concentrate. It also is a big concern for some scientists and environmentalists, who fear the harmful effects on nature as more communities open reverse osmosis water treatment plants. Those issues are tying up permits from at least two South Florida cities that have reverse osmosis plants on the way. Yet reverse osmosis water treatment is becoming a more popular way of treating drinking water because it provides a way to tap previously unusable water sources to serve an ever-thirstier Florida. Process gains interest Reverse osmosis technology has been around for years, but its popularity in Florida has grown along with the search for new water sources. The reason: Digging ever deeper produces more -- but saltier -- water, said Paul Chadik, an environmental engineering professor at the University of Florida. As more communities began using the technology, the costs went down, Chadik said. More than 120 water plants throughout the state now use the technology. Cities such as Jupiter, Plantation, Miramar, and Boynton Beach have used a type of reverse osmosis for years. Pompano Beach and Cooper City started using reverse osmosis technology last year. Highland Beach, Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach have plants either under construction or in the planning stages. But disposing of the concentrate created by those plants can be a difficult environmental issue. Deerfield Beach had a state-approved permit to dump its concentrate in the Hillsboro Canal, but was turned down by Broward County's Department of Planning and Environmental Protection because county officials were concerned about further pollution in the canal. The Hillsboro Canal -- the dividing line between Boca Raton in Palm Beach County and Deerfield Beach in Broward -- is on state regulators' list of 16 "potentially impaired waters" that may require pollution limits and a cleanup plan. Deerfield Beach is awaiting a decision from a Broward Circuit Court judge on whether its permit should be granted. Boca Raton has a state-approved permit to dispose its concentrate through a pipe into the Atlantic Ocean, according to the state. Carl Jacobs, a resident who closely watches local water issues, has requested an administrative hearing with the state DEP about the permit because he fears the impact of flushing the concentrate out to sea. "I do not want this water dumped into the ocean under the conditions that we have, due to the dirtiest reef in Palm Beach County now," Jacobs said. "There's no reason to add to the problems, and that's all I feel we're doing." State officials said environmental effects and the amount of discharges from neighboring cities are considered before a new permit is granted. Among the state's 120 reverse osmosis water plants, about 40 have permits to put the concentrate into deep wells or water bodies such as canals or the Atlantic Ocean, said Vince Seibold, program administrator for the industrial wastewater section of the Department of Environmental Protection. Some cities also have the option of mixing the concentrate with reclaimed water, which is treated wastewater used to irrigate golf courses and lawns, although Seibold said many communities use the deep-well injections or put it into nearby waterways. The concentrate is considered industrial waste, so cities and counties with large treatment plants that use reverse osmosis to clean their drinking water must get permits to dispose it. When the concentrate mixes with ocean or canal water, it can hurt fish or plant life by changing the salt content, said Bruce Adams, a water conservation officer for the South Florida Water Management District. "You've got to be careful of where you're introducing that water, and whether it changes the salinity, either positively or negatively," Adams said. The potential for more cities and counties injecting more waste into wells or waterways concerns some environmentalists. Pitfalls of disposal

Early tests on an experimental anthrax vaccine suggest that it could protect against anthrax attacks by bioterrorists. The vaccine, which spurred the immune system to attack anthrax's deadly toxin and a close cousin of the microbe, expands the list of alternatives to the current vaccine, which is less than ideal for widespread use. The deadliest cases of anthrax begin when people inhale dormant bacterial cells called spores. When these come to life, they spread like wildfire and pump out two toxins that cripple immune cells. The only currently available anthrax vaccine, anthrax vaccine adsorbed (AVA), is given primarily to soldiers. But it's difficult to manufacture reliably and sometimes causes headaches, sore muscles, fever, chills, and nausea. It's also slow: Six shots over 18 months are needed to boost immunity enough to protect people from inhalational anthrax. AVA stops infections by provoking the immune system to make antibodies that block the toxins. Biochemist Julia Wang of Harvard Medical School in Boston and her colleagues figured that a vaccine that also triggered direct attacks on the bacteria might speed up protection with fewer side effects. So they chemically linked a toxin protein called protective antigen (PA), which is the key ingredient of the current vaccine and leading candidate vaccines in the pipeline, to a polypeptide called PGA that coats anthrax bugs. Mice injected just three times with this combination vaccine developed a powerful contingent of antibodies. In test tubes, the antibodies bound to PA and blocked it from killing cultured hamster cells. The mice also developed antibodies against PGA, and their immune cells destroyed more than 80% of a close cousin of anthrax in test tube experiments. The vaccine completely protected mice from lethal doses of anthrax toxin, according to results published online this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Despite these encouraging results, microbiologist Michèle Mock of the Pasteur Institute in Paris says that the acid test is whether the vaccine protects the mice against actual infections by virulent anthrax. (The researchers were unable to gain access to the handful of labs in the United States where live animals can be infected with the deadliest strains of anthrax.) But microbiologist Phil Baker of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which funded the work, says, "it's a very important observation ... whose relevance remains to be determined."

Iron is essential for building healthy red blood cells to carry oxygen for energy. Many women between 20 and 45 may not be obtaining enough iron. True Food Easy Iron offers a pre-digested food form of iron that is easily absorbed Iron, one of the most abundant metals on Earth, is essential to most life forms and to normal human physiology. Iron is an integral part of many proteins and enzymes that maintain good health. In humans, iron is an essential component of proteins involved in oxygen transport. Almost two-thirds of iron in the body is found in haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen to tissues. Smaller amounts of iron are found in myoglobin, a protein that helps supply oxygen to muscle, and in enzymes that assist biochemical reactions. Iron is also found in proteins that store iron for future needs and that transport iron in blood. Iron stores are regulated by intestinal iron absorption. The highest iron requirements are generally found in normally menstruating women. Young children, adult men and elderly women require less supplemental iron in their diets in order to help support and maintain good health. Because of the way the True Food products are made and absorbed in the body they do not have to be attached to a carrier. The body sees the True Food products as food which means there are many more opportunities (ie receptor sites) for absorption in the digestive tract than there are for regular supplements. True Food nutrient True Food nutrients also contain B vitamins, betaglucans, glutathione, choline, inositol, amino acids and other phytonutrients naturally found in fermented food cultures of Saccaharomyces cerevisiae (food yeast).

National Minority Health Month Bridging Health Equity Across Communities Are you aware that your zip code can be a predictor of your health? It's not just your your income and education level, but where you are born, grow, live, work, Bridging Health Equity Across Communities Are you aware that your zip code can be a predictor of your health? It’s not just your your income and education level, but where you are born, grow, live, work, play, learn, and age determines your quality of health. The choices we make each day – what to eat, when to work out and whether or not to see a doctor – are important. The social determinants of health, or your surroundings is the other part of the foundation upon which better health is built. Many Americans, particularly racial and ethnic minority populations, are significantly impacted by the social determinants of health and the resulting disparities, or inequities, in health and health care. Each April the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Minority Health (OMH) raises awareness about health disparities, their causes and the impact they have on minority communities and on the nation as whole as part of National Minority Health Awareness Month. This year, the HHS OMH joins its partners in communities throughout the country, building bridges to help end disparities in health and health care. Bridging health equity across communities goes far beyond public health—it focuses attention on the indirect social and economic conditions in which people live. By addressing the social determinants of health and working together across sectors, everyone can help eliminate health disparities and advance health equity for everyone, which means better health for all of us. National Minority Health Month 2017 focuses on access to transportation that makes it possible to get to a doctors appointments and health screenings; neighborhoods and communities where it is possible to exercise or play outdoors; and accessible grocery stores that make it possible to eat a healthy diet. Through collaboration with those who lead efforts to improve education, the safety of our neighborhoods, and other aspects of our communities, we can improve living conditions and help individuals live longer and healthier lives. To learn more about efforts to create healthier communities, visit the National Minority Health Month website and sign up for OMH email updates. Groups like the Women Survivors Alliance and some of those our NFD readers are involved in all can make a difference. You can also share information on your events and follow activities throughout the month via @minorityhealth, the HHS OMH Twitter account.

Also known as Physical Therapy, Physiotherapy is a branch of medical science that involves giving relief to the patient from a myriad of pain or to help them recover faster and stronger from an injury. The physiotherapy session is undertaken only by a qualified professional with training and expertise in reducing pain, different techniques for restoring flexibility & mobility of the joints, also significantly strengthen the body muscles and joints, and most importantly maintain a good body posture. Here, we take a look at the many benefits of physiotherapy to our lives- One of the most prominent reasons even why the doctors recommend us to undergo a few physiotherapy sessions; this is mainly to relief from pain during treatment. Also, if the physiotherapy techniques by implemented by an experienced physiotherapist Essex , Disability services can relieve you from your stubborn arthritis, neck, or even long-standing back pain. Postal Fracture Stiffness The fracture can contribute to the stiffness of the joint movement post-surgery. Physiotherapy is proven to be highly effective in enhancing the movement of body joints. The physiotherapy treatments are advisable by doctors for the strengthening of the weak muscles, and over a period of time, improve the quality of life. There are a number of conditions where surgery can be avoided, and physiotherapy can give treat the problem such as arthritis. Furthermore, taking physiotherapy is also helpful in reducing post-surgery complications. So, in a nutshell, you can stay clear of the hassles associated with surgery just by taking a few physiotherapy sessions. As an Assist to Surgery In a number of surgeries, surgeons recommend their patients to go for the physiotherapy session done by a trustworthy physiotherapist Essex in order to significantly strengthen the overall muscle health. A few surgeries where physiotherapy is mandatory including ligament repair surgery, hip replacement surgery, spinal surgery, and knee replacement surgery. Rehabilitation including Stroke Heart strokes can long-term impact of the overhauling quality of life. Several studies in the recent past have suggested that physiotherapy done for 3 to 4 months can play an integral role in reversing the effect of stroke on the body limbs. Recovery from Sports Injury Physiotherapy is pivotal when it comes to recovering from sports injuries. This is the reason why top sports personalities, from the Football to Tennis, have their personal sports therapist. Another benefit associated with physiotherapy is that it is highly helpful in managing body diabetes. A trained physiotherapist can guide you best with performing the right exercise, which in turn is important when it comes to diabetes. It is advisable, if you want to avail even any one of the above-listed physiotherapy benefits, you are required to devote your time to find a reliable physiotherapist in your region.

In this thrilling essay written in 1945, Mises lays out a theory of social organization in response to the Marxist critique of the free society. He explains that the Marxist view is wrong concerning its claim that there is a clash of group interests in the market order. He explains the difference in the competition between producers and a Marxian-type struggle. He shows how the relationships between labor and capital are essentially cooperative in that interests coincide over the long run - and so it is with all groups in a free society. However, he goes further to map out a theory of what he calls castes that form under interventionist systems. Here the privileged group really does live at the expense of the paying group in a manner which Marx suggests - but with the key difference that it is the state and not the market that makes this possible. In this way, argues Mises, the state is the cause of social conflict; the more it intervenes in the market order, the more conflict it creates, as taxes, regulations, and legal privileges of all sorts begin to blot out the harmonious relationships that would otherwise exist on the market. In his introduction, Rothbard explains the central importance of Mises's insight for understanding society and the market, and for providing a sound alternative to Marxian dialectics (which are still pervasive throughout academic departments today). Mises has unlocked many mysteries with this essay. This publication singles out this essay in particular because of its importance for the world today. There does exist a clash of group interests - and it is the state that creates them. The only real resolution is to do away with all forms of statism. If you would like to submit a video review of your own please contact the Mises Store. The impossible has happened: Human Action in a small pocketbook edition at an incredibly low price. This spectacular edition of the great ... Austrian Economics, Freedom and Peace

Attempting to hypothesize about the future of AI forces us to examine our own intellect. When we think about different levels of intelligence, we typically imagine an insect at the low end of the spectrum and then work our way up toward mammals like mice, monkeys, the average Joe, and then individuals we label as "geniuses," such as Albert Einstein and Marie Curie. But beyond the brains of even the most intelligent human beings lies artificial superintelligence, which will have the potential to grow infinitely intelligent at an unbelievable rate. Humans are weaker than bears and chimpanzees, but we're smarter, so they live in our zoos. What will happen when an AI possesses an unlimited potential for intelligence? Will we live in its zoo? The possibilities in the future of AI aren't just stranger than you might imagine -- they're stranger than you can imagine. But Nick Bostrom, a philosopher and expert on artificial intelligence ethics, is attempting to fathom the unfathomable so the human race can be ready. Subscribe for more from the Uprising series. The Limitless Future of AI Today, we have robots that are capable of navigating our homes and cleaning our carpets, similar to a mouse learning to wind its way through a maze. We have Alexa and Siri that can answer simple questions by accessing databases of fixed knowledge. Although they can remember our common driving routes and the items we frequently order online, they can't really learn the same way humans learn. Our intelligence is still greater than theirs. But not for long. In fact, AI are already in development that can recognize faces, carry on conversations, discern human emotions, and even generate some of their own thoughts. One of the most well known is Hanson Robotics' humanoid robot, Sophia. A collective comprised of experts in several fields is responsible for Sophia's advanced capabilities. She's the first robot to be granted citizenship, has been interviewed on national television, and is even a public speaker. Soon, machine learning will allow AIs like Sophia to progress far enough that they can be considered "artificial general intelligence." This level of AI is able to perform any task that a human can and has the same level of intelligence as a human. And the future of AI doesn't stop there. Once AI can learn and solve problems in similar ways to humans, it will quickly surpass our level of intelligence. AI has no limitations on the size of its "brain," and its information can travel at the speed of light. It has the ability to both know and consider everything at once, multitasking like nothing we've seen before. With the right hardware, AI will achieve superintelligence and far exceed our mental capabilities, problem solving skills, and capacity for understanding. In fact, it's likely that superintelligent AI will be the last thing humans ever need to invent because machines will always have the best ideas. Superintelligence and AI Singularity In physics, the term "singularity" refers to a point at the center of a black hole with infinite density and gravity. In or near a black hole's singularity, the laws of physics as we understand and experience them cease to exist. The nature of this environment is one which humans can only hope to comprehend. A singularity in reference to artificial intelligence is similar to the physics' term. Coined by author and professor of computer science Vernor Vinge, the technological singularity will occur when AI achieves superhuman intelligence. Vinge puts forth the notion that superintelligence will so vastly change the nature of thinking, inventing, and ideas, that it will lead to the rapid, runaway development of new technologies. As a result, the singularity will result in a post-human world, which humans can't even begin to fathom. Most experts agree that we could see artificial superintelligence in our lifetimes. Nick Bostrom, on superintelligence, says we'll eventually reach a point when, "the brains doing the AI research will become AIs themselves." The question is whether we'll still be living in a human's world, when AI takes over. "All these things, whether it's jet planes or art or political systems, have come into the world through the birth canal of the human brain. If you could change that channel, creating artificial brains, then you would change the thing that is changing the world," Bostrom said. Imagining the Potential Dangers of AI Most experts agree that we could see the development of artificial superintelligence in our lifetimes, and we're hopeful of the potential for positive outcomes, such as a cure for illnesses like cancer and the eradication of poverty. On the flipside though, the future of AI also has the potential to pose serious threats to humanity on several fronts. Many who fear artificial superintelligence are cautious of its unpredictable consequences. If this type of intelligence is given a role in the military or medicine, it would hold great power over humanity. In 2015, Bostrom discussed a scenario in which an AI machine is presented with the task of making people smile. We might imagine the computer telling us jokes and working hard to understand the types of things that make people smile. A superintelligent machine, however, would have no trouble finding an easier, albeit more sinister, way to make people smile, using electrodes that force our facial muscles to contract into permanent smiles. Regarding the commands humans give to AI, Bostrom emphasizes the need to be incredibly specific, using the adage, "Be careful what you wish for." He compares the act of thoughtlessly directing a superintelligence to the story of the greedy King Midas, who ignorantly wished that everything he touched would turn to gold. Granted his wish, tragedy befell the King, as his food and even his beloved daughter were turned into gold. The primary threats concerning AI are the unintended consequences of human desires and the fear of eventually losing the ability to actually control AI. According to Bostrom, AI will reach a level of intelligence which is completely incomprehensible to humans. This type of AI could anticipate and prevent human attempts to destroy or "unplug" it. If this type of intelligence is given a role in military tools of destruction, medicine, power plants, or even agricultural production, it would hold great power over humanity. A System of AI Ethics Could Prevent the Unthinkable When creating technology that will soon become smarter than humans, we have the enormous responsibility to make sure it's also safe for humans. This is a challenging task, given that the post-singularity world is yet to be discovered. So Bostrom has turned to his knowledge of philosophy to search for answers and help develop the ethics of artificial intelligence. When creating tech that will become smarter than humans, we have the responsibility to make sure it’s also safe for humans. Bostrom suggests that creating artificial intelligence to understand human values is essential to ensuring we will be safe. But inputting individual lines of code to teach a superintelligent robot what humans care about would be a nearly impossible task due to the complexity of human emotions and cultural differences. One potential solution to this problem is to program artificial intelligences with an initiative that prioritizes learning human values. With an AI taught to value people and the things that are dearest to them, humans could stand to enjoy the benefits of this technology. Until it exists, however, we won't truly know all the ways in which it will change the world as we know it.

Was the name of a manned balloon program carried out by the Soviet Union in the late fifties and early sixties. Like their american counterpart, the StratoLab program, the manned soviet effort used a pressurized gondola and two men crews on each flight. The program was closely tied to the Soviet space program and the design of high altitude aircraft of the time, serving as test platform of escape systems and parachutes to be used by pilots and cosmonauts in case of emergency. There is no much information available on the subject but apparently in 1958, under the direction of Gennadiy F. Chekalin, where built the firsts gondolas of the program, and the next year started the first unmanned flight tests. The capsule was basically a sphere mounted over a circular platform with eight legs, that counted with two small compartiments one for the commander and the other for the pilot. Almost 5 or 6 capsules were built (some sources say they were as many as ten) for use in ground test, manned and unmanned flights. The training for the pilots of the program was severe, including the familiarization with the internal panels of the gondola, low level balloon flights to learn how control ascent and descent of a balloon using ballast and tests in altitude chambers. Also several flights to the stratosphere were performed before the final jump, to carefully study emergency procedures, and fine tuning the whole operation. The operations were carried out from the Volsk airfield, in the Saratov region, close to the Volga river, hence the name as the program was known in the West. The more famous mission took place there in November 1st, 1962 . At left we can see several images coming from the official footage taken at the airfield in the moment of launch. Onboard the capsule were Major Yevgenny Andreyev and Colonel Piotr Dolgov, two experienced parachutists that were assigned to the Soviet Air Force's Flight Test Centre since 1950, and later were involved in the program. Andreyev was catapulted succesfully from the capsule at 24.460 meters using an ejector seat system built for the Vostok capsule setting a high altitude free fall world record that still today remains unbeaten. Dolgov should was wearing a full pressure Sokol space suit and jumped on his foots from the capsule a few minutes after Andreyev did. He exited the capsule from 28.640 m but apparently hit the border of the hatch, making a hole of the size of a pin's head on his helmet but big enough to allow the air to escape, depressurising his suit. Althought the automatic parachute system worked well, when Dolgov landed he was dead. Althought the sad loss, the mission received a widespread press coverage across the Soviet media, with high interest from the people. In december that year, both pilots were awarded with the title of "Hero of the Soviet Union" the highest distinction for heroic feats in service to the Soviet state and society. According to some sources there were plans for the continuation of the program to try to reach higher altitudes and beat more records, but after the tragic death of Dolgov, a government comission cancelled it. Nowadays one of the capsules -numbered as 5 in the series- is in display at the Central Air Force Museum in Monino, Moscow. Related terms.:. DOLGOV, Pyotr I. (1920 - 1962) .:. ANDREEV, Evgeny N. (1926 - 2000)

MODES OF ESTIMATING THE POWER AND PERFORMANCE OF ENGINES AND BOILERS. 209. Q.—What do you understand by a horse power? A.—An amount of mechanical force that will raise 33,000 lbs. one foot high in a minute. This standard was adopted by Mr. Watt, as the average force exerted by the strongest London horses; the object of his investigation being to enable him to determine the relation between the power of a certain size of engine and the power of a horse, so that when it was desired to supersede the use of horses by the erection of an engine, he might, from the number of horses employed, determine the size of engine that would be suitable for the work. 210. Q.—Then when we talk of an engine of 200 horse power, it is meant that the impelling efficacy is equal to that of 200 horses, each lifting 33,000 lbs. one foot high in a minute? A.—No, not now; such was the case in Watt’s engines, but the capacity of cylinder answerable to a horse power has been increased by most engineers since his time, and the pressure on the piston has been increased also, so that what is now called a 200 horse power engine exerts, almost in every case, a greater power than was exerted in Watt’s time, and a horse power, in the popular sense of the term, has become a mere conventional unit for expressing a certain size of engine, without reference to the power exerted. 211. Q.—Then, each nominal horse power of a modern engine may raise much more than 33,000 lbs. one foot high in a minute? A.—Yes; some raise 52,000 lbs., others 60,000 lbs., and others 66,000 lbs., one foot high in a minute by each nominal horse power. Some engines indeed work as high as five times above the nominal power, and therefore no comparison can be made between the performances of different engines, unless the power actually exerted be first discovered. 212. Q.—How is the power actually exerted by engines ascertained?

Alex. Carmichael: Carmina Gadelica; David Comyn: The Boyish Exploits of Finn; the Periodical, “Folklore”; Lady Gregory: Cuchulain of Muirthemne, Gods and Fighting Men; Miss Eleanor Hull: The Cuchulain Saga in Irish Literature; Douglas Hyde: Beside the Fire, (a collection of Irish Gaelic Folk Stories), Leabhar Sgeulaicheachta, (Folk Stories in Irish); “Irish Penny Journal”; Patrick Kennedy: The Fireside Stories of Ireland, Legendary Fictions of the Irish Celt; Standish Hayes O’Grady: Silva Gadelica; Wood-Martin: Traces of the Elder Faiths in Ireland, Pagan Ireland; W.Y. Wentz: The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries; Lady Wilde: Charms, Incantations, etc.; Celtic articles in Hastings’ Dictionary of Religion and Ethics. IRISH WIT AND HUMOR By Charles L. Graves. No record of the glories of Ireland would be complete without an effort, however inadequate, to analyze and illustrate her wit and humor. Often misunderstood, misrepresented, and misinterpreted, they are nevertheless universally admitted to be racial traits, and for an excellent reason. Other nations exhibit these qualities in their literature, and Ireland herself is rich in writers who have furnished food for mirth. But her special pre-eminence resides in the possession of what, to adapt a famous phrase, may be called an anima naturaliter jocosa. Irish wit and Irish humor are a national inheritance. They are inherent in the race as a whole, independent of education or culture or comfort. The best Irish sayings are the sayings of the people; the greatest Irish humorists are the nameless multitude who have never written books or found a place in national dictionaries of biography. None but an Irishman could have coined that supreme expression of contempt: “I wouldn’t be seen dead with him at a pig-fair,” or rebuked a young barrister because he did not “squandher his carcass” (i.e., gesticulate) enough. But we cannot trace the paternity of these sayings any more than we can that of the lightning retort of the man to whom one of the “quality” had given a glass of whisky. “That’s made another man of you, Patsy,” remarked the donor. “‘Deed an’ it has, sor,” Patsy flashed back, “an’ that other man would be glad of another glass.” It is enough for our purpose to note that such sayings are typically Irish and that their peculiar felicity consists in their combining both wit and humor. To what element in the Irish nature are we to attribute this joyous and illuminating gift? No one who is not a Gaelic scholar can venture to dogmatize on this thorny subject. But, setting philology and politics aside, it is hard to avoid the conclusion that Ireland has gained rather than lost in this respect by the clash of races and languages. Gaiety, we are told, is not the predominating characteristic of the Celtic temperament, nor is it reflected in the prose and verse of the “old ancient days”

Why US playgrounds must emulate the UK and Europe Meghan Talarowski is the founder and director of Studio Ludo, a non-profit research, design and advocacy company in Philadelphia, USA. Ahead of next week’s Child in the City international seminar on children’s play in the urban environment, where she will speak, Adrian Voce interviewed her about what motivates her work in children’s play, and what the audience in London can expect. Meghan, why do you think children’s play is an important issue for modern cities? For the first time in history, more people live in cities than elsewhere, and that trend will only continue to rise. As more people compete for finite public space resources, we must advocate for the role of play in creating happier, healthier urban communities. What are the main barriers? Play is not a priority in our success driven society. We eschew recess over results. Perceptions over the importance of play must change. We need to reset our value system, unbusy ourselves, and allow time and space for play. What is the theme of your presentation at the event? I studied the play behaviours of over 18,000 people in 16 London playgrounds and compared them to US playgrounds in 3 major cities. I found that the better designed, more naturalistic, and riskier playgrounds in London were vastly more popular and more active than the post and platform, rubber surfaced spaces we create in the United States. Additionally, the London playgrounds were cheaper and had less injuries. We spend astronomical sums on playgrounds in the United States, in the pursuit of “good, clean, safe” fun. We have succeeded in reducing our injury and death rate in playgrounds significantly over the years, but recently have seen an alarming trend in the opposite direction. I believe that play in the United States has reached “peak safety”. We have created a nation of homogenously safe and insidiously boring spaces that either: 1) invite children to play in unintended ways, falling on surfaces that are too expensive to maintain and have thus lost their protective value, or 2) have eliminated risk to the point that children are now too weak to play effectively without injuring themselves. As we look to the future of playgrounds in the United States, do we want to continue the trend of dumbed down, too safe play or are we willing to challenge our assumptions about danger and risk, in order to give our children opportunities to grow? What do you think local and citywide government should do in response to children’s need for space to play? We must align United States playground safety standards to the European standards. They are less restrictive, and yet have a lower injury rate than the United States. Additionally, we must adopt a ‘Declaration on the Benefits of Risk in Play’ in cities across the United States, or best case scenario, at the Federal level. We also need to make our cities more playful everywhere, not just in playgrounds. Bus stops, sidewalks, vacant lots…all should have invitations to play for all ages, to positively impact our citizens social, physical and mental health throughout life. What are the current challenges for practitioners and advocates for children’s play and child friendly cities? Most United States cities do not have a vision towards being child and family friendly. Designing for children means designing places for everyone: safer, happier and more comfortable for all. If a city adopts this vision, all departments should follow. Currently, there is a lot of fear related to city government decision making. With this unified vision, every department could develop concrete plans within their organization to align and frankly discuss the issues related to the vision, rather than have the onus be on the general public or designers to align from outside. Open dialogue and vision are the only way to push for play friendly cities. What do you think are the gaps, if any, in the research about children’ s play in the urban environment? Once we build places to play, what do people actually do in them? What do they want, how do they behave, what are the attracted to, what do they avoid? Direct observation is a powerful tool in understanding social behaviors. This information is critical for helping designers and policymakers understand the play needs of citizens within their community, and yet there are very few studies of these types of behaviors. We know more about the behaviors of most animal species than we do about our own children in the urban wild! What are your hopes for the Child in the City event in London? I’m really looking forward to connecting with like minded professionals and building research relationships across the globe. Meghan Talarowski was Interviewed by Adrian Voce Photo: Studio Ludo

Screening for a virus provides up to 70% better protection against cervical cancer than conventional smear tests, a study has found. Traditional tests involve examining cells under a microscope to detect changes that may indicate cancer. The new approach includes an initial test for human papilloma virus (HPV), which can trigger the disease. Researchers analysed data from four trials in England, Italy, the Netherlands and Sweden, using 175,000 women aged 20-64. The four trials lasted an average of six-and-a-half years each. Invasive cancer rates were similar for both groups during the first two-and-a-half years after the trials began. But after that, fewer cancers were detected in women who had undergone HPV screening Dr Guglielmo Ronco, from the Centre for Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, in Turin, Italy, said: "Until now, there have been no direct estimates of the relative efficacy of HPV-based versus cell-based screening for prevention of invasive cancer in women who undergo regular screening. "Our analysis shows that HPV-based screening appears to prevent more invasive cervical cancers than does cell-screening. "On this basis, we recommend implementation of HPV-based cervical screening with triage from age 30 years at intervals of at least five years." This means women discovered to be HPV-positive could be specially selected for a follow-up conventional smear test and referred for cervical examination. Sharon Montgomery, 35, has battled cervical cancer three times in the last three years. When she was diagnosed in 2010 she did not recognise the symptoms and admits she was completely unaware of the disease. "I found out through a sore back," she said. "I went to casualty. The consultant asked me several questions, and alarm bells had been ringing, and she sent me for a smear, which I hadn't had in five years." While Sharon welcomes the latest research from Italy, she is also cautious. She is concerned that women will get the wrong impression from it. "When I was diagnosed I set up my own support page on Facebook and a lot of women have come on and said that they have had the HPV test and it has come back negative," she said. "Then they have been advised not to get a smear because of this. Six months, a year down the line, it has turned out that they have cervical cancer." For Sharon the focus should be on raising awareness of cervical cancer and making sure women take a test when it is offered to them. She is spending her time in recovery setting up her own charity, Cervical Cancer Northern Ireland, to help and support women like her. Professor Julietta Patnick, director of NHS Cancer Screening Programmes, said: "These new results are incredibly exciting. "The relationship between human papilloma virus and cervical cancer has long been established, with the virus being found in over 99% of cervical cancer cases. "The new study suggests that by using HPV for primary screening, we could protect 60-70% more women from cervical cancer than the current method. "It also finds that by testing for HPV first we could test all women every five years. At the moment we test women aged 25-49 every three years." HPV primary screening was already being piloted at six English centres in Bristol, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Norwich and Sheffield, she said. This year, the laboratories will screen around 150,000 women for HPV.

With support from the, Spring Impact has produced a new piece of qualitative research to further understand how communities across the globe are strengthening community early childhood systems supporting children and caregivers. These place-based strategies to strengthen community early childhood systems are understood as cross-sector efforts focused on improving outcomes for all young children in a specific geographic area. The research draws together insights from international literature, remote interviews with practitioners, and three in-depth field studies to understand what place-based initiatives are doing well, how they have developed, and what practitioners, government partners, and funders can learn from their experience through the use of tools, frameworks, and recommendations. Case studies are drawn from - Monapo Nurturing Care Collaboration in Monapo District, Mozambique - Smart Start in Siaya County, Kenya - Urban95 ‘Crezco con mi barrio’ in Bogotá, Colombia Click the red “Preview” button for the full report and access the executive summary here.

|Home | Stars | Habitability | Life || Dupree, Ronald Gilliland, NASA and ESA (Larger ultraviolet image -- more). A highly evolved, orange-red giant star, Arcturus is still much smaller than the red supergiant Betelgeuse, at left. (See a Digitized Sky Survey image of Arcturus from the Nearby Stars Database.) Arcturus, or Alpha Bo÷tis, is located about 36.7 light-years from Sol. It is the brightest star (14:15:39.7+19:10:56.7, ICRS 2000.0) of Constellation Bo÷tes, the Herdsman or Bear Driver, forming his left foot. Furthermore, Arcturus is the brightest star of the northern hemisphere in Spring and the fourth brightest star in the Earth's night sky. Its name is a variant of the Greek for "Guardian of the Bear" -- the Great Bear of the northern hemisphere known as Constellation Ursa Major. Although satellite observations by the HIPPARCOS Space Astrometry Mission in the 1990s indicated that Arcturus might have a stellar companion, analysis of more recent observations suggest that it is a single star (Turner et al, 1999; in pdf). With the exception of Alpha Centauri, Arcturus has the largest proper motion (2.29" in PA 209░) of first magnitude stars observed from Earth. This motion was first detected by Sir Edmond Halley (1656-1742) in 1718. According to Robert Burnham, Jr. (1931-93), Arcturus is now at its closest proximity to Sol, having become visible at about half a million years ago but will fade from view in its motion toward Virgo in another half a million years. It may have been the first star to be observed by telescope in daylight, by Jean-Baptiste Morin de Villefranche (1583 - 1656) in 1635. The star is the title member of the Arcturus group. Arcturus is a orange-red giant star of spectral and luminosity type K1.5 IIIpe. The star has a mass that may be around 1.5 times Sol's (see Professor Jim Kaler's Stars page on Arcturus ), at least 24.5 times its diameter (0.019 - 0.027", according to the Yale Bright Star Catalogue, 1991 5th Revised Edition notes entry for HR 5340), and 113 (visual) to 215 times (with infrared) its luminosity (James B. Kaler, 2002, pp. 21-22). It is only 17 to 32 percent as enriched as Sol with elements heavier than hydrogen ("metallicity"), based on its abundance of iron which includes Fe-0.5 (James B. Kaler, 2002, pp. 21-22; and A. S. Gaudun, 1994). The European Space Agency has used ultraviolet spectral flux distribution data to determine stellar effective temperatures and surface gravities, including those of Arcturus. According to Robert Burnham, Jr. (1931-93), the star's spectrum "rather resembles [that] of a sunspot." Nigel Sharp, Kitts Peak National Observatory/NOAO/NSF (Spectrum of Arcturus from 4,000 to 7,000 angstroms -- larger image) ę Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc. (AURA). All Rights Reserved. 53 probable members of a group of old disk stars appear to be moving with Arcturus (O. J. Eggen, 1971). Arcturus may be a Population II star and a member of the Milky Way galaxy's thick disk. The thick disk is generally formed of old stars that may lie several thousand light-years (ly) above or below the galactic plane, unlike thin disk stars such as Sol which typically lie within a thousand ly. Such stars tend to have larger apparent motions, with rapid passages in highly inclined and elliptical orbits around the galactic core. Their movements tend to pierce the galactic disk that Sol moves within, leading to a large relative motion. As they were born when the galaxy was less enriched or outside metal-rich thin disk areas, such stars also tend to be low in "metals," averaging around 25 percent of Sol's. Thick disk stars make up only about four percent of all stars in the Solar neighborhood (Ken Croswell, 1995, page 62). Professor Jim Kaler suggests that Arcturus may even have originally been born in a satellite galaxy that merged into the Milky Way (see his Stars page on Arcturus). As the star is more massive than Sol, it has evolved faster into a helium-burning "clump" giant, possibly within five to eight billion years since hydrogen ignition (see Kaler's Stars page on Arcturus). It's sizeable mass, moreover, suggests that the star has not yet suffered substantial mass loss after leaving the main sequence onto the "ascending red-giant branch" (Ayres and Johnson, 1977). Arcturus exhibits both short- and long-period Doppler velocity variations with amplitudes of order 150 meters (492 feet) per second (Hatzes and Cochran, 1994 and 1993). It is a New Suspected Variable star designated as NSV 6603. According to the Yale Bright Star Catalogue, 1991 5th Revised Edition notes entry for HR 5340, its radial velocity varies over a 1.842 day period. Useful catalogue numbers and designations for the star include: alp or alf boo, 16 Boo, HR 5340*, Gl 541, Hip 69673, HD 124897, BD+19 2777, SAO 100944, FK5 526, LHS 48, LTT 14184, and LFT 1084. As a star that has evolved out of the "main sequence," Arcturus has fully shifted from the fusion of hydrogen to helium in at its core to the fusion of helium to carbon and oxygen, with trace activity of other nuclear processes. However, Arcturus is somewhat brighter than expected for a stable helium-burning star. Among the heavier elements and molecules detected in its stellar atmosphere have been iron (Fe-0.5) and CN. This helium-burning, orange-red giant stage is relatively brief, lasting tens to hundreds of million years (e.g., lasting around 700 million years for a star of one Solar mass like the Sun). Eventually, the star will lose much of its current mass, from an intensified stellar wind that eventually puffs out its outer gas envelopes of hydrogen and helium (and lesser amounts of higher elements such as carbon and oxygen) into interstellar space as a planetary nebula. The result will be a planet-sized, white dwarf core that gradually cools and fades in brightness from the shutdown of thermonuclear fusion. (Nearby white dwarfs include solitary Van Maanen's Star and the dim companions of Sirius, Procyon, and 40 (Omicron2) Eridani.) Any Earth-type planets that orbited Arcturus during its youth probably have been burnt to a cinder and fallen into the star. Currently, the orbit of an Earth-like planet (with liquid water) around Arcturus may be centered around 11 AU -- between the orbital distances of Saturn and Uranus in the Solar System. Astronomers would find it very difficult to detect an Earth-type planet in the water zone of this star using present methods. Alpha Bo÷tis B? Observations by the HIPPARCOS Space Astrometry satellite in the 1990s indicated that Arcturus might have a stellar companion. This result was unexpected because no companion had been reported previously and because the star's previously known characteristics (such as observed radial velocity variations) were incompatible with Arcturus as a binary system (R. F. Griffin, 1998). Analysis of more recent observations using the Mount Wilson 100-inch telescope suggests that it is a single star (Turner et al, 1999; in pdf). The following table includes all star systems known to be located within 10 light-years (ly), plus more bright stars within 10 to 20 ly, of Arcturus. |Star System||Spectra &| |Muphrid 2?||G0 IV | |BD+19 2881 AB||K2 V | |GJ 1179 AB||M4 V | |Ross 52 AB||M3.5 V | |CD Bo÷tis AB||M0-2 Ve | |Wolf 497||M1 V||7.7| |Ross 837||M3 V||8.3| |BD+17 2611 AB||K1-2 V | |LP 271-25||M9 V||9.2| |* plus bright stars *||. . .| |Beta Comae Berenices||F9.5-G0 V||12| |Diadem 3||F5 V | |Tau Bo÷tis AB||F6-7 V-IV | |Gamma Serpentis AB||F6 V | |Xi Bo÷tis AB||G8 Ve | |Sigma Bo÷tis||F3 Vw||16| |Lambda Serpentis AB||G0 V | |HR 5273 AB||G8 V | Up-to-date technical summaries on this star can be found at: the Astronomiches Rechen-Institut at Heidelberg's ARICNS and the Nearby Stars Database. Additional information may be available at Roger Wilcox's Internet Stellar Database. Most of the stars in Bo÷tes form a kite-shaped figure near the Big Dipper's handle (or Big Bear). Hence, a nightwatcher can imagine that Bo÷tes is chasing the bears (Constellations Ursa Major and Minor) around the North Pole with a pair of hunting dogs (Constellation Canes Venatici). For more information about the stars and objects in this constellation and an illustration, go to Christine Kronberg's Bo÷tes. For an illustration, see David Haworth's Bo÷tes. For more information about stars including spectral and luminosity class codes, go to ChView's webpage on The Stars of the Milky Way. © 1998-2007 Sol Company. All Rights Reserved.

Published on in International Update “It’s like the opposite of diabetes.” That is the simplest way to explain congenital hyperinsulinism (HI), a rare disease in which the pancreas makes too much of the hormone insulin, causing blood glucose to plummet. Depriving the brain of the sugars it needs to function can damage it quickly, so identifying and monitoring kids with HI is urgent and active work. More than 400 patients with HI have been evaluated and treated at CHOP’s Congenital Hyperinsulinism Center. The center’s expertise is so renowned that it draws children with HI from around the world. “CHOP is the only center in the USA that has a multidisciplinary team dedicated to caring for these children and doing research to improve the management of their condition,” says center director Diva De León, M.D. Currently, about half of HI cases can be treated with medication or cured by surgically removing portions of the pancreas. The CHOP team performs 18F-DOPA PET scanning, an innovative imaging technique that helps surgeons pinpoint abnormal tissue and focal lesions, sparing healthy cells in the pancreas, significantly reducing the risk of diabetes in patients with focal HI, and potentially leading to a cure. This technology can reduce unnecessary near-total pancreatectomies. However, for some patients the only option is to remove most or all of the pancreas. De León and her colleagues believe this is an imperfect solution and they are investigating an alternative approach that could revolutionize treatment for HI: a new drug that can help manage glucose levels in even the most severe forms of the disease — without surgery. It builds on a decade of research by De León to understand how insulin-secreting pancreatic cells work. Armed with that knowledge, she ultimately zeroed in on an investigational drug called exendin-(9-39), which showed success in decreasing insulin production in mice. Exendin-(9-39) is a modified form of exendin-4, a synthesized version of a protein derived from Gila monster saliva that is currently used to treat diabetes. The results of De León’s clinical trial, the first using this drug in humans, were published in the journal Diabetes. They showed that exendin-(9-39) successfully increased fasting blood glucose and inhibited insulin secretion in nine patients. This study provides proof of concept that will allow for larger studies in the future and hopefully FDA approval of the medication. The center is preparing an expanded clinical study for 2014.

A Notebooking Resource for “Adventures in the Sea and Sky” Target Age Group: Grade 3 and Up Type of Resource: Non-Consumable This Notebooking Resource This set includes 100 reproducible timeline figures that cover the history of sea and air travel. Produced by Homeschool in the Woods exclusively for WinterPromise, these black-and-white figures include descriptions of the event or person depicted. They can be copied for use by your immediate family, and can be colored by the student if desired.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - View original article A symptom (from Greek σύμπτωμα, "accident, misfortune, that which befalls", from συμπίπτω, "I befall", from συν- "together, with" + πίπτω, "I fall") is a departure from normal function or feeling which is noticed by a patient, indicating the presence of disease or abnormality. A symptom is subjective, observed by the patient, and cannot be measured directly. Constitutional or general symptoms are those that are related to the systemic effects of a disease (e.g., fever, malaise, anorexia, and weight loss). They affect the entire body rather than a specific organ or location. The terms "chief complaint", "presenting symptom", "iatrotropic symptom", or "presenting complaint" are used to describe the initial concern which brings a patient to a doctor. The symptom that ultimately leads to a diagnosis is called a "cardinal symptom". Non-specific symptoms are those self-reported symptoms that do not indicate a specific disease process or involve an isolated body system. For example, fatigue is a feature of many acute and chronic medical conditions, whether physical or mental, and may be either a primary or secondary symptom. Fatigue is also a normal, healthy condition when experienced after exertion or at the end of a day. Some symptoms occur in a wide range of disease processes, whereas other symptoms are fairly specific for a narrow range of illnesses. For example, a sudden loss of sight in one eye has a significantly smaller number of possible causes than nausea does. Some symptoms can be misleading to the patient or the medical practitioner caring for them. For example, inflammation of the gallbladder often gives rise to pain in the right shoulder, which may understandably lead the patient to attribute the pain to a non-abdominal cause such as muscle strain. A symptom can more simply be defined as any feature which is noticed by the patient. A sign is noticed by other people. It is not necessarily the nature of the sign or symptom which defines it, but who observes it. A feature might be a sign or a symptom, or both, depending on the observer(s). For example, a skin rash may be noticed by either a healthcare professional as a sign, or by the patient as a symptom. When it is noticed by both, then the feature is both a sign and a symptom. Some features, such as pain, can only be symptoms, because they cannot be directly observed by other people. Other features can only be signs, such as a blood cell count measured in a medical laboratory.

Cooler temperatures have arrived, clocks have been turned back and leaves have fallen, lots of them. This presents us with the annual task of raking and bagging leaves. It is important that during this time of rigorous, strenuous, and physically demanding activity that we safely and efficiently use our bodies to prevent injury. Proper lifting mechanics will be crucial in the completion of this task, but before any lifting even takes place it is vital that prior to lifting you assess the situation. By simply lifting one of the corners of the bag you will know if the load is too heavy to lift, in which case never be afraid to ask for help. Also, take into account how far you have to carry the load, any obstacles in your path, or if you would benefit from wearing gloves to get a better grip/protect your hands. Once you have assessed the situation and are prepared to lift a bag of leaves, or any item for that matter, be sure to follow these core principles of proper lifting mechanics: - Lift with your feet shoulder width apart, get close to what you are going to lift and center yourself over it; - Tighten your stomach muscles, as those abdominal muscles increase intra-abdominal pressure and support your back; - Get a good grip of the object and make sure that you keep it close to you. The farther away the load is from your body the heavier it will feel; - Use your legs! By bending your knees and squatting down—while being sure to keep your back at a neutral arch—you can properly utilize your leg muscles to lift. These muscles are far stronger than the smaller muscles located in your back; - Use a smooth motion when you lift making sure to not jerk the object you are lifting; - Do not twist or turn while you are lifting. Once you have lifted the item keep your head up and look straight ahead while keeping the item close to your body. (Nose and toes should always be pointing in the same direction.) Setting the load down utilizes many of the same principles you would use to lift the item up. Remember to bend with your knees and maintain the curves of your back. Again, make sure not to twist your body when setting the load down and never release the item until the load is secure. By following these core principles of proper lifting mechanics, you can ensure that you’ll be better able to prevent injury this fall while taking care of your yard. At Amity Physical Therapy we can teach you the proper way to lift items and maintain a healthy back. In the event that you do injure yourself while raking and bagging leaves, we can properly treat your pain and restore your body back to full function. Nathan Lindsley PTA is a graduate of the Mercyhurst University PTA Program in Erie, Pennsylvania. Previously he graduated with a BS Degree from Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, PA where he played varsity baseball and was voted Scholar Athlete of the Year. At Amity Physical Therapy Nate specializes in manual therapy techniques, neuromuscular reeducation and therapeutic exercise in order to individualize patient treatment. Amity Physical Therapy was founded thirteen years ago by Michael Dow MSPT and CEO/Clinical Director. The practice has three offices in Woodbridge, Hamden and Branford. Nate Lindsley can be reached at 203-389-4593 or visit amitypt.com.

Keywords : Visually impaired children European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine, 2021, Volume 8, Issue 1, Pages 1064-1068 Background: Visually impaired children suffer from many health problems which include orofacial trauma, dental caries, and periodontal disease. Out of these, orofacial trauma is the most common health hazards. The present study was conducted to assess traumatic dental injuries in children. Materials & Methods: 64 visually impaired children age ranged 4-14 years of both genders were recruited. The cause of the injury and the type of TDI was classified, according to the system described by Ellis classification. Results: The main cause of injury was fall was 24, cycling in 10, sports injury in 16 and accident in 14 children. Ellis class I fracture was found in 10, class II in 18, class III in 12, class IV in 8, class V in 4, class VI in 1, class VII in 2, class VIII in 5 and class IX in 4 children. The difference was significant (P< 0.05). Conclusion: There was higher prevalence of traumatic dental injuries in visually impaired children.

This Friday, March 22, is World Water Day – a day delegated by the United Nations to recognize the importance and need of safe water around the world. In honor of this important day, I am thrilled to be working with the Global Team of 200 and WaterAid to help raise awareness of the desperate need for safe drinking water and sanitation around the world. Safe water and sanitation transforms lives and is one of the keys to bringing people out of poverty. Did you know that 783 million people do not have access to safe drinking water? Step back and think about this statistic for a moment. What would you do if you were not able to simply turn on your faucet and fill up your glass or pot with clean, safe water? What would you do if you had to spend an hour or two each and every day fetching clean drinking water? How would you manage? How would you live your life? And more importantly, how would you care for your family? To most of us in the Western world, the thought of not having instant access to clean, safe drinking water is literally unimaginable. However, for 11 % of the world’s population, this is a tragic reality. When you combine having unsafe drinking water with poor sanitation, it leads to diarrhea which kills 2,000 children every single day. Something completely unthinkable to many of us. Millions of people are trapped in a world in which clean, fresh and safe water is not even a remote option and has led to dire consequences. Preventable deaths and diseases, wasted time spent fetching water each day, lack of access for girls to education due to no adequate sanitation, and lower economic output for the nations without safe water and sanitation. Not having safe water or sanitation keeps people trapped in a vicious cycle of poverty with little chance of escape. But there is hope as the problem of unsafe drinking water is entirely solvable. This Friday, join WaterAid and the Global Team of 200 to help spread the word about global water poverty. There are a variety of ways you can participate in this day and help spread awareness. How you can help: - Follow WaterAid on Twitter and Facebook and share our posts on the #20ways that water is just the beginning of the road out of poverty. Also follow along with the Twitter has tag #WorldWaterDay 2013 for the latest news. - Join the World Water Day Google+ Hangout at 1.30pm EST/ 5:30PM GMT on Friday, March 22 at http://ow.ly/iZCdj – WaterAid and other leading water organizations (such as +charity: water, +Water.org, +Water For People, +People Water) will be discussing the world water crisis and solutions in a celebration moderated by YouTube star Justine Ezarik and WaterAid America’s Head of Policy and Advocacy, Lisa Schechtman (@LSchecht). - Make a donation: as experts in practical, hands-on water solutions WaterAid has brought clean water to 17.5 million people. But we need your help to achieve our aim of helping 1.4 million more people this year. Please also watch WaterAid’s beautiful video “Water is Just the beginning” and share it. Lives are transformed when hours spent carrying water are instead spent with family, tending crops, raising livestock or starting a business. Simple access to water, toilets, and hygiene education keeps families healthy, women and girls safe, and children in school. In communities around the world, WaterAid has helped 17.5 million people take the first steps out of poverty. Together we can make the world a better place!

At the National Constitution Center, we make a big deal out of Constitution Day as an all-day event. But we aren’t the only Americans who are celebrating the 226th birthday of our founding document on Tuesday, September 17. NCC Staff's posts. Can you pass a 10-question quiz on the Constitution? Let’s see if you know the basic facts about our nation’s most enduring document. What to see what questions schools across America were submitting to the National Constitution Center on Constitution Day? Check out our live Hall Pass chat. With Constitution Day quickly approaching on September 17, here’s a look at 10 essential constitutional resources we use in our quest to explain and understand our founding document. Does the Constitution need a new amendment to clarify a separation between church and state? Vote now in our “Next 10 Amendments” project!

There is something about the aroma of baking bread that is warm, cozy, and inviting. One of my favorite times of day is when I walk into Ellie’s early in the morning, and smell the bread rising or already in the oven. With our hands and four simple ingredients (flour, water, salt, and yeast) we can make one of the oldest and most communal foods; a food enjoyed by our ancestors, used as currency, and even sent to the tombs of Egyptian royalty. This pure and simple and elegant food is one of the delights we share between Ellie’s and Gracie’s. In fact, it was the bread that we serve at Gracie’s that became the starting point for Ellie’s! Complimentary bread has long been a staple of Gracie’s dinner service, and now that bread is baked at Ellie’s. But what is it about bread that binds us to our community and to our humanity? How does bread trigger such a positive reaction in so many people? Bread is our connection to our past; it is one of the oldest foods made by modern humans. Estimates vary, but most archaeologists and food historians would agree that humans have been making bread for over 10,000 years, and maybe even 30,000 years. The earliest breads were unleavened, similar to a flatbread such as a tortilla or naan. Occasionally, wild yeast would “contaminate” the bread, resulting in a fermented bread. This fermented bread eventually became the early incarnation of many modern breads. The Egyptians mastered the process of making leavened breads and controlling the introduction of yeast approximately 7,000 years ago, and archaeological evidence suggests that Egypt had dedicated bread bakeries approximately 5,000 years ago. It is also believed that Egyptian bakers experimented with sourdough breads by saving sections of particularly good doughs to add to the next day’s batch. The History of Bread will continue in part 2.

In the scientific community, python is becoming the de facto scripting language. The obvious reasons are: 1. It is accessible, download and install in minutes. 2. The syntax is simple, just about anyone could program, read it. 3. It is dynamic, thus making it easier to test while you program. This is the so called, test-driven development. 4. In addition to its comprehensive set of standard libraries, there are amazing amount of packages available. The Python eco-system is flourishing, as more packages are wrapped using swig and other tools. 5. Cross-platform support is yet another huge advantage of python; most programs will run on mac, Linux and windows with almost no additional work. 6. Extreme productivity. I have seen network, fully functional GUI applications written in less than a few hundred lines. I am sure there are other benefits of python that I have not mentioned above. It is difficult to find another language that can beat Python on all of these points. How it works. Like any scripting (dynamic) programming languages. Python itself is slow, you would not want to write a simulation that requires hours of cpu time in pure python. However, there's a cure. You can wrap your existing C/C++ code using SWIG, by generating a python interface for your C code. SWIG is pretty strait forward to use, it pretty much amounts to defining an interface using SWIG's interface language, generate a loadable c module, load it into python and call the function. Say, you have a C program example.c printf(" Calling the C function "); Step 1. Write your interface (example.i) extern void my_C_function(); Step2. Generate the Python interface swig -python example.i You will find example_wrap.c in your directory. Step3. compile both the wrapper and the original c program. gcc -c example.c example_wrap.c -I/yourpythonIncludeDIR Step 4. dynamically link your example. ld -shared example.o example_wrap.o -o _example.so Step 5. run Python >>> import example 'calling the C function' Where to look? Using swig, package developers are able to bring tremendous amount of value to the Python community. Some of the most famous python packages for scientific computing includes: Scipy, numPY: solvers, lapack, blas, optimization, and much more. PyTables: built on top of hdf5, it is basically an efficient database store package for HUGE amounts of data. There are simply too many to mention, a good place to look is: Python runs well on windows Some of the windows developer may not have used python in the past. The good news is that MOST of these packages are NOT only available on windows, but they run better on Windows. One of the most frustrating things about running Python and utilizing its full power and packages is installation. I have spent hours if not days trying to get packages installed on Linux. The issue is that you will need to not only worry about versions of Linux, but also the various dependencies, and their versions. Sometimes RPMs or .DEB packages are not available, then you are on your own... building a tool Chain from the latest source is simply not accessible to most end users. Of course, this is getting better on Linux, but for most of us mere mortals, we just need a double click installation process. Luckily, the windows support on python even surprises me. python.org provides an MSI installation python2.5.2, and various packages can be loaded using the easy_install script. In the next blog, I will demonstrate how i was able to get enThought's scientific 3d scientific Visualization tool working in minutes on Windows. Though it may not be fair to compare here, but the last time I got it entirely working on Linux took me nearly two days to build all the packages. Python and .NET IronPython is a version of python that targets the .NET framework, that means you can script .NET code in PYTHON! That means that you can script WCF, WPF, Silverlight, and even XNA. You would be able to find out more at http://www.codeplex.com/IronPython Since mono is the .net equivalent on Linux, so are these extra functionality. Python is the best cross-platform, scripting language for scientific computing. It runs surprisingly well on windows, if not better than other platforms. As a python user, I would like to see more windows developers start utilizing the benefits of python, especially when it comes to writing tests. In the next blog, I will show you how to start doing scientific computing, serious 3d Visualization with Python in 30 minutes or less on the windows platform.

Most investors buy bonds to generate timely income. Technically, a bond is a loan made from an investor to a bond issuer. For most bonds, issuers promise both regular interest payments and the return of principal to bond investors. There are many distinctly characterized types of bonds, offering an array of potential benefits and pitfalls, underscoring the old adage “Buyer Beware.” Updated, this translates better to “Buyer Be Aware.” The following list of bond types and features can help you choose the best bonds. Government bonds are still considered the secure gold standard. All of these types of bonds are backed by the full faith and credit of the United States government, meaning their risk of default is essentially zero. All government bonds are tax-free on state and local levels. Five main types of government bonds are available: - Treasury bills, also called T-bills - Treasury notes - Treasury bonds, also called T-bonds or long bonds - EE savings bonds - Treasury inflation protected securities or TIPS Treasury bills are short-term securities with maturities of 52 weeks or less. They don’t pay interest; instead, they’re issued at a discount, with the face value paid at maturity. Treasury notes and bonds deliver interest every six months, with face value paid back at maturity. The difference lies in their term lengths: Notes mature in two, three, five, seven, or 10 years, whereas bonds mature in 30 years. EE savings bonds earn a fixed rate of interest for up to 30 years. Bonds used for higher education expenses might be able to avoid federal taxation. Treasury inflation-protected securities are issued in terms of five, 10 and 30 years and pay a fixed rate of interest. Their principal value rises and falls, however, with changes in the consumer price index. Government securities generally appeal to conservative investors looking to protect their principal. They’re also of benefit to investors in states with high income tax rates. Corporate bonds are issued by individual companies come in a wide range of maturities. Corporate bonds are not backed by the federal government, nor are they insured, so the only assurance investors have that they will receive their interest and principal is the financial strength of the issuing company. To help investors determine the quality of these types of bonds, most are rated by outside investment agencies, such as Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s or Fitch. The agencies rank bonds in four top categories, considering investment grade, whereas bonds rated below these are deemed high-yield or junk bonds. Typically, the lower the rating, the higher the interest rate the issuing company will have to pay investors. Corporate bonds are appropriate for investors looking for higher returns while willing to accept a higher level of risk. Municipal bonds are issued by states, cities and counties, often to fund public works projects, frequently involving infrastructure. Most municipal bonds are federally tax-free, providing the most attractive fiduciary benefit for investors. Most municipal bonds are also state tax-free for investors buying them in the state where they reside. A large number of municipal bonds are insured by outside agencies, giving them the highest rating of AAA on the Standard and Poor’s bond-rating scale. Even if the underlying entity goes bankrupt, the insurance company will pay back investors, making these types of municipal bonds significantly safer. Safe Investments: Municipal Bonds and 9 Other Low-Risk Options for Your Money Zero Coupon Bonds If you don’t need immediate income but are instead funding a long-term obligation, such as a college education, a zero-coupon bond might be the best option. These types of bonds don’t pay regular interest but are bought at a discount, as in the case of a Treasury bill, and they pay off the face value of the bond at maturity. The U.S. government issues zero-coupon bonds, known as STRIPS, and many municipalities also offer zero-coupon bonds. Corporate zero-coupon bonds also exist, but they aren’t as plentiful as government or municipal zeros. Government STRIPS and corporate zeroes have a “phantom tax” structure —although no money is paid until maturity, you’ll still be responsible for paying tax on them every year as long as you own them. Bond mutual funds are pools of money deposited by individual shareholders, collectively invested in bonds by professional money managers. Bond funds typically pay monthly interest, which makes them attractive to investors who need income more frequently, rather than semi-annually. Bond funds don’t have maturity dates, so there is no date at which principal is returned to investors. When individual bonds inside the fund mature, that money is immediately reinvested into new bonds. If you want to get your money back from a bond fund, you’ll have to sell your shares and accept their current market value. Choosing the Best Bonds For a bond buyer, choosing the best investment requires analysis of a number of different factors. Ultimately, your investment objective and time frame will direct the category of bond most appropriate for you. For example, if you’re in a high tax bracket, you might benefit from the tax-free nature of municipal bonds, or to a lesser degree, government securities. Investors looking for a higher return might turn to the corporate bond market, where higher yields are available in exchange for higher risk to principal. Investors who don’t want to put in the time to analyze individual bonds might be better off with a bond fund, providing instant diversification and the comfort of having a professional making higher risk choices. Regardless of type, all bonds carry risks. Although government bonds might have very little credit risk, mainly from issuer default, they still carry interest rate risk, meaning bond prices will fall as interest rates rise. Other bond risks include: - Inflation risk: the danger that your bond yield will not outpace inflation; also known as purchasing power risk - Liquidity risk: the possibility that you will not be able to easily find a buyer for your bond - Event risk: the hazard that some type of corporate action will damage a company’s financial position - Call risk: the plausibility that a bond will be taken away from you when the issuer refinances at a lower interest rate Not all bonds are subject to all risks. For example, TIPS are specifically designed to combat inflation risk, as their principal rises in response to increasing inflation. Government bonds are not subject to liquidity risk, as the U.S. Treasury market is the largest and most liquid market in the world. When choosing the best bonds, a buyer must balance risk and reward, as with any other type of investment. If you’re buying bonds to generate interest, look for the highest yield you can get while remaining within your sphere of risk tolerance. Consider the time needed to mature your bonds, as longer-dated bonds are typically more sensitive to shifts in interest rates. When comparing interest rates on bonds, factor in your tax bracket to determine if your net yield would be higher with tax-free bonds.

All these statements are matters of everyday familiarity at the present day, but it must be remembered that they are records of experiments made twenty years ago, and as such they entitle their author to a very distinguished place among the pioneers of electric science, and it is somewhat remarkable that they did not lead him straight to the discovery of the “action and reaction” principle of dynamo-electric magnetic induction to which he approached so closely, and it is also a curious fact that so suggestive and remarkable a paper should have been written and published as far back as 1864, and that it should not have produced sooner than it did a revolution in electric science.—Engineering. * * * * * THE ELIAS ELECTROMOTOR. We lately published a short description of a very interesting apparatus which may be considered in some sense as a prototype of the Gramme machine, although it has very considerable, indeed radical differences, and which, moreover, was constructed for a different purpose, the Elias machine being, in fact, an electromotor, while the Gramme machine is, it is almost unnecessary to say, an electric generator. This apparent resemblance makes it, however, necessary to describe the Elias machine, and to explain the difference between it and the Gramme. Its very early date (1842), moreover, gives it an exceptional interest. The figures on the previous page convey an exact idea of the model that was exhibited at the Paris Electrical Exhibition, and which was contributed by the Ecole Polytechnique of Delft in the Dutch Section. This model is almost identical with that illustrated and described in a pamphlet accompanying the exhibit. The perspective illustrations show the machine very clearly, and the section explains the construction still further. The apparatus consists of an exterior ring made of iron, about 14 in. in diameter and 1.5 in wide. It is divided into six equal sections by six small blocks which project from the inner face of the ring, and which act as so many magnetic poles. On each of the sections between the blocks is rolled a coil, of one thickness only, of copper wire about 0.04 in. in diameter, inclosed in an insulating casing of gutta percha, giving to the conductor thus protected a total thickness of 0.20 in.; this wire is coiled, as shown in the illustration. It forms twenty-nine turns in each section, and the direction of winding

In the 1980s, people treated foods that contained cholesterol as if they carried a disease, not realizing that trans and saturated fats were more harmful to their bodies than cholesterol itself. Eggs are one of the best and most affordable sources of high quality protein available to us. This protein-rich, satisfying food can also help you lose weight by keeping you full at only 70 calories per egg. Some foods, like the egg for example, provide a host of other benefits that supersede their cholesterol content. Eggs have been linked to aiding health from head to toe. Macular degeneration, the main cause of blindness, and cataracts, both diseases of the eye, may be prevented through eggs' rich content of lutein and zeaxanthin. Eggs are also a strong source of choline, a nutrient that plays a key role in brain and nervous system regulation. It used to be easy to buy eggs, but now it might take you longer to read an egg carton than a short novel. Not all eggs are alike, so here's what you can eggs-pect to see in the supermarket: -- Eggs classified according to a grading system: AA represents a superior rating indicating higher quality. -- The most common size, large, is the size typically referred to in recipes. -- Inspect eggs for cracks or breaks, and store them in the refrigerator in their original container with the pointed end facing downward. They will stay fresh for about one month. -- Brown eggs come from chickens with brown feathers; the color does not say anything about nutritional profile, taste or how the hen was raised. -- Omega-3 enriched eggs are higher in these brain-boosting and heart-healthy fats, and they come from chickens that have been fed a diet rich in algae, ground flaxseeds or fish oil. Some brands contain unique profiles, like Eggland's Best eggs, producing eggs that contain more than double the amount of omega-3s, two times more vitamin D, 10 times more vitamin E, 35 percent more lutein and 25 percent less saturated fat when compared to other eggs. -- If your carton says "cage-free" or "free-range/free-roaming," don't assume these hens are having fun, high-fiving each other in the great outdoors. Although they're not confined to cages, thousands of these hens may crowd the barn or warehouse floor. -- A "certified humane raised and handled" label speaks to how the hens are treated--but not necessarily what they're fed. -- Organic eggs come from hens whose feed is free of pesticides, herbicides, fungicides and commercial fertilizers. These hens have never been given antibiotics, and are cage-free with access to the outdoors. Organic chicken feed contains no animal by-products. -- Vegetarian-fed chickens are fed a diet containing no animal by-products, but chickens are omnivores and their diets may include insects and worms as a side dish to the vegetarian feed provided by farmers. So should eggs be back on your menu? Unless you're allergic, there's no reason you shouldn't enjoy them. Some people eat an egg a day and have healthy hearts, while others feel better when they eat egg whites, or even mostly whites mixed with a whole egg several times a week. Egg whites are an excellent source of protein, even without the yolks, and two eggs whites can be swapped for one whole egg in most recipes. In any event, if you're one of those people who have been avoiding eggs, there are lots of egg-citing dishes you can start serving your family. Eggs are incredibly versatile. Whether it's eggs for breakfast (scrambled), lunch (egg salad), snack (hard-boiled egg and whole grain crackers) or dinner (frittata with veggies), eggs can be woven throughout your daily diet. An omelet, for example, is also a great carrier for other important nutrients that we lack, such as veggies. They're quick and easy to prepare and can be conveniently incorporated into our busy lives. Although coloring and hunting for eggs are popular this time of year--be sure to eat a few, too! Hungry for more? Write to firstname.lastname@example.org with your questions, concerns, and feedback. Bonnie Taub-Dix, MA, RD, CDN, has been owner of BTD Nutrition Consultants, LLC, for more than three decades and she is the author of Read It Before You Eat It. As a renowned motivational speaker, author, media personality, and award-winning dietitian, Taub-Dix has found a way to communicate how to make sense of science. Her website is BetterThanDieting.com.

U.S. Presidents are often viewed with an untouchability. But these bizarre facts show that they are no different than the rest of us, some even weirder! While you may know something about each of these leader’s political leanings, their personal likes and dislikes may be lesser known. Our presidents have had their share of embarrassing moments or peculiar eccentricities – like Grant being ticketed for speeding or Hoover’s staff hiding in bushes at his request! These are the tidbits you probably were not taught in history class. We thought it would be fun to take a peek into the lives of the U.S. Presidents and see what unique information is out there. These may not be deep, dark secrets but they give great insight into the private life of those called “Mr. President”. We hope you enjoy this unique look at these leaders who have shaped our country and some of their bizarre quirks! 1 . George Washington, "The General" (1789-97) His false teeth and their composition are often the most remembered unusual fact shared about Washington. He started losing them in his 20s, and only one tooth remained at his inauguration. Instead, he wore dentures made of cow or horse teeth, and ivory – not wood– which a common misconception. One other vanity remains that is equally astounding. George Washington did not wear a wig. It was his real hair shown in paintings. Equally interesting is that he was a redhead but as was the fashion of his day, he powdered his hair to be white. 2. John Adams, “Sink or Swim” (1797-1801) He gained his nickname “Sink or Swim” due to his speech for Independence.“Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I give my hand and my heart to this vote.” But his nickname also gave a clue to his very strong personality. John Adams and Benjamin Franklin took a diplomatic trip together. Due to the customs of the day and the packed lodging houses, the men had to stay in the same bed together. Their tight quarters began the debate of a century – does cold air cause colds? Adams was adamant that Franklin’s desire to keep the window open would get them both sick. Franklin was determined that the stale air in the room was the cause of illness and that fresh air was just what the pair needed. After a heated exchange, Adams saw neither would “win”. He relented, opened the window, and was lulled to sleep by Franklin’s dissertation on the effects of fresh air on the human immune system! 3. Thomas Jefferson, “The Sage of Monticello” (1801-09) In 1786, Jefferson and John Adams visited the home of William Shakespeare. Apparently, so overwhelmed with the experience, he decided to take home a memento. He chipped off a piece of Shakespeare’s chair as a souvenir! As noted on Monticello’s website, there is indeed a chip of wood that remains and a note, written in Mr. Jefferson’s own hand declaring his deed. “A chip cut from an armed chair in the chimney corner in Shakespear’s house at Stratford on Avon, said to be the identical chair in which he usually wrote, if true, like the relicks of the saints, it must miraculously reproduce itself. Cut by myself in 1785.” 4. James Madison, "Little Jimmy" (1809-1817) Madison gained numerous versions of the “Little Jimmy” nickname because he was a very small and frail man. He holds the record for being the smallest US president at 5'4", 100lbs. Sickly since childhood, it was said that Madison had "a constitutional liability to sudden attacks, somewhat resembling epilepsy." Rotunda Express Perhaps his weakness led to a bit of self-awarding behavior. Ice cream was a very time-consuming task during the 1800s, but the Madisons were known to serve the frozen dessert frequently at White House parties. Apparently, Mrs. Madison loved oyster-flavored ice cream! Yum? 5. James Monroe, "The Last Cocked Hat" (1817-1825) Monroe was the last president to dress in the fashion style from the Revolutionary War era. However by 1825 when he was proudly sporting the style, it was considerably out-dated. Monroe gained his nickname by his choice of continuing to wear the "retro" cocked or bicorn and tricorn hats. "He is tall and well formed. His dress plain and in the old style, small clothes, silk hose, knee-buckles, and pumps fastened with buckles. His manner was quiet and dignified..." – Mrs. Tuley, 1825 6. John Quincy Adams, “Old Man Eloquent” (1825-1829) Perhaps John Quincy’s nickname should have been something more akin to “skinny dipper”. Indeed, he (and several of the presidents) were quite fond of taking a freeing swim now and then. Adams was particularly fond of early morning dips in the Tiber Creek – a tributary of the Potomac River – in the buff. (The creek was eventually altered and enclosed in a tunnel under D.C.) There are countless amusing stories. One such is of a female reporter who couldn’t get an audience with Mr. Adams, so she stole his clothing while he was swimming and refused to return it until he spoke with her. This story appears to be just that, a tall tale. While there may indeed be a grain of truth that began the lore, there is no evidence of the experience actually having happened. 7. Andrew Jackson, "Old Hickory" (1829-1837) Jackson was known for his tough personality, which gained him his nickname, “Old Hickory”. He also was known to carry a walking stick made of hickory wood that he would use to swat people! Jackson had a very exacting personality that would often result in spats with others. He is estimated to have participated in anywhere between 5-100 duels! One such duel was with a man named Charles Dickinson. During the event, Jackson was struck in the chest with a bullet but survived. He carried the bullet in his chest (along with another from a different duel) his entire life. 8. Martin Van Buren, "Old Kinderhook" (1837-41) Born in New York state, Van Buren was nicknamed for the city of his birth. At the time of his re-election run in 1840, a fad of shortened expressions being used in common conversation had begun. One such was taken from the common German expression, "Oll Korrect" abbreviated to "O.K." Seizing the opportunity to play off the popular phrase and Van Buren's initials, his supporters rallying cry was "Vote for OK!" Unfortunately, the play on words wasn't enough to nab the re-election for him that year! 9. William Henry Harrison, “Old Tippecanoe” (1841) What may not be known about this president is that it was he who inadvertently invented the inauguration parade. Harrison and his military procession marched up Pennsylvania Avenue before his speech. (Today the parade is typically held after the inauguration speech.) At the time of Harrison's election, he refused the offer to ride in the new presidential carriage pulled by four white horses. Instead choosing to ride his personal horse, Old Whitey. Behind the coatless new president followed sights such as log cabins on wheels, cider barrels, and rowdy crowds. Former president John Quincy Adams described that first display, "[it] was celebrated with demonstrations of popular feeling unexampled since that of Washington in 1789" Harrison is probably best known for his very short presidency. After being caught in a rain storm two weeks into his term, the new president developed a cold that turned into pneumonia. Less than a month later, he passed away, leaving his VP as President. Their campaign slogan “Tippecanoe and Tyler, too” proved to be more telling than expected! 10. John Tyler, "His Accidency" (1841-45) Tyler was never meant to hold the office of president (but he was the Vice-President who assumed office after Harrison's unexpected death). That being the case, he was extremely sensitive about being called by his formal title, “Mr. President” at all times. He even went so far as to refuse mail that was sent to ‘the acting president”. Prior to seeking a role in politics, John Tyler was an accomplished violinist and considered playing professionally. His dreams were altered however when he was pushed into studying law under his father. The rest is, as they say, history. 11. James K. Polk, “Young Hickory” (1845-49) When he was 17, it was discovered that he suffered from severe bladder stones that could not be passed. Without anesthesia or antiseptic, he underwent a surgery to have them removed. His only pain numbing option was brandy. Interestingly enough, in his presidential years the president refrained from all drinking. 12. Zachary Taylor, “Old Rough and Ready” (1849-50) Taylor found himself trying to unite a badly broken country, unsuccessfully. Historians now believe he may have been the victim of an assassination. He died after a short while as president, believed to have contracted cholera from eating bad cherries and iced milk. But there were no outbreaks that year. His cause of death was never confirmed. In 1991 his body was exhumed to determine if he had been poisoned by arsenic! It was noted that his body was well-preserved and easily recognizable. No traces of arsenic were found however, so while the possibility of poisoning is not off the table, arsenic wasn’t the chemical used. He remains the only president to not have a confirmed cause of death. 13. Millard Fillmore, “Wool Carder” (1850-53) Growing up in intense poverty (thus the nickname), Fillmore’s father apprenticed him in various occupations in hopes that he would change his lot in life. Millard found ways to educate himself and eventually was so successful that he became a school teacher. In order to improve his vocabulary, he carried a dictionary with him. Once he became president, he and his fellow school teacher wife, opened the first official White House library. 14. Franklin Pierce, "Handsome Frank" (1853-1857) Pierce had a thick curly mop of dark hair that had a mind of it's own. His hair was such a conversation piece that while his open casket was on national display, viewers commented not on his policies, integrity, or leadership but rather on his hair! "his mass of curly black hair, somewhat tinged by age, but which was still combed on a deep slant over his wide forehead." [New Hampshire Daily Patriot, October 11, 1869] 15. James Buchanan, “Old Buck” (1857-61) Sporting one blue eye and one green eye, Buchanan is believed to have suffered poor vision. In his portraits, Buchanan was almost always shown cocking his head to the left. It’s believed this was due to a wandering eye. 16. Abraham Lincoln, “The Rail Splitter” (1861-65) Lincoln was quite the tinkerer. He loved to analyze and create. He is the only U.S. President to hold a patent for one of his inventions (U.S. Patent No. 6469). After having spent time in his youth on river boats, he knew the necessity of being able to raise the boat above treacherous shoals. Lincoln’s design created a balloon or bellows system that would raise the ships higher in shallow water to avoid running aground. Lincoln has remained a dynamic character study for many. Not only because of his placement in U.S. history, but also due to his complex personality, and dramatic features. Garner Holt Production has recently created an animated Lincoln based on the facial expressions marked in photographs of him. While some of the expressions are downright scary, it’s truly fascinating to imagine what he would have looked like in life! WATCH: Garner Holt’s Animated President Lincoln Head credit: Youtube/Garner Holt 17. Andrew Johnson, "The Tennessee Tailor" (1865-69) Easily remembered as the first president to be impeached, Johnson had a rather rough start to life. As a child, he and his brother were sold as an indentured servant to a tailor. Being a servant wasn't for him, he successfully made his escape after 2 years. A reward was offered by the tailor for locating Johnson, but he was never turned in. This occupation is the basis of his political nickname, "Tennessee Tailor". Interestingly enough, he is noted as having made his own suits as president! 18. Ulysses S. Grant, “Unconditional Surrender” (1869-77) Grant was a great horseman and preferred to drive his own carriage during the early part of his presidency. He was known to love riding at break neck speeds. So much so that the president was actually stopped for speeding and issued a $5 fine. (Approximately equivalent to $143 in current rate). While the speeding incident should have slowed Grant down, he continued to use the streets of DC as his personal racetrack. Years later just outside of Washington, he actually ran over a young boy's foot. Of course, he sent a letter of apology. 19. Rutherford B Hayes, “Granny Hayes” (1877-81) Hayes chose not to drink, gamble, or dance and refused to allow it in the White House when he was present. His nickname was an insult to his reserved behavior. But even the straightest arrow knows when to have a little fun. Rutherford and his wife Lucy, hosted the first Easter “egg roll” on the White House lawn. While we are more familiar with the concept of an egg hunt, in 1878, it was popular to roll eggs on a lawn to celebrate. The Capitol green wouldn’t allow the children’s festivities because of the toll the party took on the lawn in years prior. Instead the children found Hayes on a morning walk and asked if they could roll them on the south lawn of the White House. After talking to his staff, Rutherford announced that if children arrived for the egg roll the following day they would not be turned away. The tradition continues to this day and is loved by adults and children alike! 20. James Garfield, “Gentleman Boss” (1881) Garfield was shot in an assassination attempt and suffered for 79 days before eventually passing away. While he lay injured, his doctor (who was oddly named "Dr. Doctor Bliss") contacted Alexander Graham Bell to try his new metal detector to locate the bullet. Unfortunately, the doctor demanded Bell check the right side of Garfield's body, but the bullet was lodge in the left side. Bell later realized that Garfield was also lying on a metal spring bed which caused additional errors in his experiment. But it wasn't Bell who was responsible for Garfield's death. Dr. Bliss ignored the studies on germs and continued to prod around Garfield's body with dirty fingers and unsterilized tools! The president died from a resulting infection. 21. Chester Arthur, "Elegant Arthur" (1881-85) Arthur was known for his great taste in clothing and furnishings. When he moved into the White House, he felt it desperately needed an update. Unfortunately, his keen eye for all things expensive didn’t mesh with the White House budget. The solution to redecorating was to sell off historical presidential relics. Among the 24 wagon loads of items were John Quincy Adam's hats and Lincoln's pants! Arthur raised the needed money and then hired young Louis Comfort Tiffany to redecorate the White House. 22. Grover Cleveland, "Big Steve" and "Uncle Jumbo" (1885-89) He is the only president to have served two non-consecutive terms (#22 and #24) and was the second largest of the presidents after Taft. (Thus the nickname!) Known for his love of cigars, it is not surprising to learn that Cleveland developed a tumor in the roof of his mouth where his cigars usually rested. A dangerous tumor-removal surgery was secretly performed on his friend's yacht so that the nation would not know of his illness. The risky surgery took 90 minutes without any visible damage to his face or famous mustache! The doctors were worn to secrecy. It wasn't until 24 years later that Dr. William Keen, one of the last living doctors from the team, came forward with the details of the hidden surgery. 23. Benjamin Harrison, "Kid Gloves" (1889-93) Benjamin Harrison was the grandson of former president William Henry Harrison. His nickname comes from a fashion choice. Harrison always wore kid gloves to protect his hands from skin infections. There is documentation that during the Civil War his hands were treated for an ailment. In recent years doctors and historians have suggested it may have been contact dermatitis, but the true cause remains unknown. 24. Grover Cleveland (2nd Presidency, 1893-97) He must have really hidden that surgery! The public voted him back into the office, the only president to have served two non-consecutive terms. 25. William McKinley, ‘Wobbly Willie” (1897-1901) McKinley owned an African parrot who he named “Washington Post”. Post the parrot was taught to whistle the entire “Yankee Doodle” tune on cue. McKinley believed his parrot was so smart that he appointed him the official White House Greeter! His parrot took the job very seriously and was especially was fond of women. As they would approach his cage he was known to retort, "Look at all the pretty girls!" 26. Theodore Roosevelt, “The Lion” (1901-09) On a tour of the American West, “Teddy” Roosevelt’s train stopped in Sharon Springs, Kansas. As the townsfolk gathered around his opulent train car, Roosevelt noticed a little girl who asked if he would like a pet badger. He gladly accepted, thinking it was a joke. She ran away and promptly returned with a baby badger! Roosevelt, a lover of animals wasn’t leaving the badger behind! "One treasure, by the way, is a very small badger which I named Josiah, and he is now called Josh for short. He is very cunning and I hold him in my arms and pet him." Roosevelt wrote his son, Kermit. [Presidential Pet Museum] The badger joined a menagerie of other animals at the White House, including a macaw, pony, snakes, and a one-legged rooster. As bottle fed Josiah “Josh” the badger grew, he became quite the handful nipping at visitors ankles and hissing. He was quickly transferred to the Bronx Zoo. 27. William Howard Taft, "Big Chief" (1909-13) President Taft was not a small man. He tipped the scales at over 350 pounds. He served as a Supreme Court Chief Justice, but is more popularly remembered as the president who found himself stuck in the White House bathtub! While there is no document to back up this fact, there is documentation to prove that while he was in office the White House installed a "super-sized" bathtub. More than 7 feet long and 41 inches wide, it shocked the nation when a photograph of four men sitting comfortably surfaced in the Engineering Review! 28. Woodrow Wilson, “The Professor” (1913-21) He went by Tommy for most of his younger life. It wasn’t until this late-bloomer went to law school (he didn’t learn to read until he was 11) that he started going by Woodrow, feeling it sounded more commanding. Having been born just before the Civil War, it is believed that this timing contributed to his late start at schooling. Others have suggested that he may have had dyslexia as well. 29. Warren G. Harding, “Winnie” (1921-23) Harding was an accomplished musician. He organized the Citizen's Cornet Band which played at various political functions. Not immune to his talents, Harding is noted as having said ""I played every instrument but the slide trombone and the E-flat cornet" He even played the tuba at the 1920 Democratic convention! 30. Calvin Coolidge, “Silent Cal” (1923-29) Coolidge collected an array of dogs, cats, birds, a wallaby and even a raccoon named Rebecca! The most memorable animal in his collection was a "pygmy hippo" named Billy. It was given as a gift to the president by Harry Firestone (yes, tires) after a trip to Liberia. Billy eventually grew too big to stay at the White House and was given to the Smithsonian National Zoo. The majority of pygmy hippos in captivity today are the descendants of Billy the hippo. 31. Herbert Hoover, “Grand Old Man” (1929-33) The multi-millionaire president had a difficult start to life when he was orphaned at age 9. Determined to overcome his ill fated life, he worked especially hard at his studies. He met his wife, Lou, while studying at Stanford University. They set sail for China together the day after they were married. While there, Lou became fluent in Chinese and frequently used this as her private communication with Herbert when in the White House. Hoover believed he should neither have to see or hear his staff when he and Lou were in a room. He insisted on the feeling of privacy. This unique demand resulted in staff diving into hiding whenever they heard Hoover’s footsteps. Whether it was piling into closets or bushes, the staff learned to become invisible. This pattern of behavior was kept up more for tradition than anything with the subsequent presidency of FDR but when Truman came on board, he wondered why there were people hiding in the bushes staring at him! 32. Franklin. D. Roosevelt, “F.D.R” or “The Boss” (1933-45) Most remembered as the president during World War II who gave the famous “day that will live in infamy” speech. Roosevelt suffered from polio and was in a wheelchair but worked hard to keep his weakness hidden from the populous. He had many hobbies but none such as passionate as his stamp collection. By the time of his death, he had over 1 million stamps! It is believed that a day never passed that he worked on his collection, started as a young child. “I owe my life to my hobbies – especially stamp collecting.” FDR, [Popular Mechanics 1934] FDR enjoyed the process of designing and brainstorming over new stamp patterns. He was known to have frequently met with the Postmaster General, James A. Farley to discuss the stamps for circulation. 33. Harry S. Truman, “Habberdasher Harry” (1945-53) Afflicted with poor eyesight his entire life. Truman was unable to play sports as a young boy due to his eyes. Instead he became an avid reader and piano player. He was very proud that he read every book in the Independence Public Library. After WWI, he and fellow serviceman, Eddie Jacobson, opened a haberdashery store selling all sorts of gentleman’s clothing and accessories. When the recession in 1922 hit, they were forced to close the store. Eddie continued in the clothing business but Truman went on to get a job in government that lead to his path as president. WATCH: President Truman Plays Piano credit: Youtube/Critical Past 34. Dwight D. Eisenhower, “General Ike” (1953-61) Eisenhower loved to golf and found putting particularly relaxing and clearing for his ever-busy mind. When he installed a putting green on the White House lawn, there was a problem. The furry D.C. squirrels found the new green a perfect place to bury their nuts! Obviously, lumps under the ground and divots from digging were not conducive to putting. Eisenhower had the squirrels banished. Many of the following presidents have enjoyed the putting green, and few have mentioned missing the large community of squirrels. 35. John F. Kennedy, “Boss” (1961-63) While he was working as a Senator in Florida, JFK and radio celebrity, Larry King had a fender bender. King wrote in his autobiography that he was new to the area, straight from Brooklyn. While driving he found himself distracted by swanky Florida homes. Through his recollection, King said that JFK was rather upset about the situation. "How could you?" Kennedy yelled. "Early Sunday morning, no traffic, not a cloud in the sky, I'm parked-how could you run into me?" Larry King shared that after calming down, JFK agreed to ignore the situation if King promised to vote for him in the next elections! 36. Lyndon B. Johnson, “Bull” (1963-69) Johnson loved riding in helicopters. His presidential campaign was built on his flying from stump to stump in a Bell 47D. The slogan? “All the way with LBJ” LBJ even had his very own green vinyl helicopter seat in the Oval Office. It was tricked out with a built-in ashtray. As is the custom with aircraft cushions, in the event of a flood, it could have been used as a flotation device! 37. Richard Nixon, “Richard the Chicken-hearted” (1969-74) One of his favorite pastimes was bowling. He loved to take a quick break from his schedule and bowl a few frames, even in his suit. It was Nixon who installed a one-lane bowling alley in the basement of the White House. But his wasn’t the first lane to grace the White House. In 1947, a two-lane alley was set up for then President Truman. Not an avid bowler himself, the lane was scrapped for a printing press and moved to the Executive Office Building. There staffers were allowed to start their own bowling team which competed across the country! 38. Gerald Ford, “Junie” (1974-77) Ford was a very talented athlete and was on both his All-City and All-County football teams. He played for University of Michigan and was voted an MVP. Afterwards, he was offered a position by both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers NFL teams. He turned down both offers in favor of a teaching position at Yale as a boxing coach and assistant football coach. Ford was very motivated to earn his law degree and worked out a deal to attend school at Yale while teaching. 39. Jimmy Carter, “Hot Shot” (1977-81) Carter is the only president to swear to having seen an Unidentified Flying Object “U.F.O.” Unashamedly, he discussed it more than once, including the campaign trail. “very bright changing colors and about the size of the moon” and that it “hovered about 30 degrees above the horizon and moved in toward the earth and away before disappearing into the distance.” While some have tried to point out that he probably saw the planet Venus, Carter was adamant that he knew his astronomy and couldn’t possibly have confused the two. 40. Ronald Reagan, “Dutch” (1981-89) In order to kick his tobacco addiction, Hollywood-actor-turned-politician Reagan took up eating jelly beans instead. “Dutch” (labeled due to his hair cut and appearance) wasn’t actually a fan of the beans, until he came across the brand Jelly Belly. His infatuation was so great with the candy that he was known to have kept containers all over the White House meeting spaces. Jelly Belly corporation sent countless batches of their jelly beans to the White House for the president to snack on. 41. George H. Bush, “Old Pop” (1989-93) Bush Sr. is known for having quite the appetite. But there was one time when he announced a change of pace for this palette. He wasn’t going to beat around the bush. He hates broccoli. "And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States, and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli!" Even after a young boy tried to convince the President of the virtues of broccoli, there was no way he was wavering. Proud of young Cooper’s interest in healthy eating. His declared love of broccoli is genuine, if also unpersuasive. pic.twitter.com/r5wHKvigDb - George Bush (@GeorgeHWBush) June 25, 2016 42. Bill Clinton, “Big Dog” (1993-2001) While he was in college, Clinton picked up an unusual apple-eating habit. Emulating one of his professors, he began to eat apples, core, seeds and all. In his autobiography he addressed the odd habit. "[Professor Deutsch] was the only man I'd ever met who ate all of an apple, including the core. He said all the good minerals were there. He was smarter than I was, so I tried it. Once in a while, I still do, with fond memories of Professor Deutsch." 43. George W. Bush, “Dubya” (2001-2009) As a great encourager, G.W. was a cheerleader in both high school and at Yale. He was so good at his crowd-leading skills that he was named “head cheerleader”! While he never considered himself particularly athletic, he was friends with most of the players on the teams for which he rooted. Perhaps this association with cheering and being rather cheeky is what drew him to give nicknames to all of the political leaders he interacted with while in office. Putin = Pootie-Poot, Barack Obama = Rock, Rumsfield = Rummie (to name a few). 44. Barack Obama, “Berry” (2009-17) As a teenager, this former president managed a job while he was in high school. While working at Baskin Robbins ice cream would be a dream job for many teenagers, it didn’t hold the same joy for Obama. Due to this job, he doesn’t hold the same love of the frozen dessert as most Americans. He saw the benefit of learning hard work and responsibility but shares that he had one to many free scoops! “Rows and rows of rock-hard ice cream can be brutal on the wrists,” he wrote. “As a teenager working behind the counter at Baskin-Robbins in Honolulu, I was less interested in what the job meant for my future and more concerned about what it meant for my jump shot.” 45. Donald Trump, “The Donald” (2017-present) His older brother, Fred Trump, suffered from alcoholism which eventually took his life in 1981. President Trump holds to this day that because of the urgings of his older brother to not smoke or drink, he rarely drinks alcohol and admits to having never smoked. "…he really helped me. I had somebody that guided me, and he had a very, very, very tough life because of alcohol. Believe me. Very, very tough, tough life. He was a strong guy, but it was a tough, tough thing that he was going through. But I learned because of Fred. I learned. And that's what I think is so important." Trump shared in a speech. There have been times where at diplomatic events a toast was required (recent U.N. meeting for example) and the President has been seen to raise his glass. Whether or not he abstained is still debated. What does seem to be clear is that he cared about his brother and the advice he gave him. The Dreams of presidents Whatever your political leanings or favorite presidential platforms, there is one fact that cannot be denied. All of the presidents believe(d) in their dreams for the United States. They all hoped to make it a better place, even if those views might differ from the leader before or after them. They were all imperfect, flawed beings like the rest of us. Each trying to overcome their own personal demons and while doing so hoping for a better tomorrow. We hope that these interesting facts about each of our presidents left you interested to learn more and see them in a new way! YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: ‘Mom For President' Ad Will Leave You Laughing

This is the second part of a two part series. The first part can be found here. Government Education to Mitigate Market Failure As dealt with in the first part, there are certain primary causes of higher education market failure, namely imperfect information, monopoly, positive externalities and public good. Government interventions provide solutions to deal with these specific causes. 1. Solutions to imperfect information- Imperfect information is a situation where the parties to an economic agreement do not have complete information or knowledge regarding the price or the quality of the product. With numerous targeted measures, the problem caused by imperfect information in the higher education markets can be solved. About the uncertain future returns, the government, by offering income-contingent loans, can mitigate the risks of non-payment and therefore attract the students to undertake higher education, making all parties better off. The market failures in credit markets underpin the rationale for governments to provide student finance, in the absence of provision by a private market. There are several grounds on which the government can intervene to deal with the issue of market failure, provided that such a step is either efficient i.e. the benefit outweighs the cost incurred, or it ensures equity i.e. helping the socially and economically vulnerable classes. To resolve the problem of information asymmetry i.e. imbalance of information between the parties that enter into an economic transaction, the government can direct the sellers in the higher education market to properly signal the quality of value of the goods or services. For example, higher education institutions can be asked to signal their govt. ratings and quality control certification. The government can also affix a minimum standard so that the poor quality goods and services are prevented from entering the market and the buyer is assured that he will not get a bad product or service in the higher education market. With regard to addressing the problem of the uneven presence of knowledge between the parties, the government can resolve this through various measures. Firstly, by requiring the firms to disclose all the information they possess. This can be done through consultation, regulation, coordination between the seller and the buyer, and incentivising the sharing of information by the government either positively through inducements and tax relief or negatively through penalties. Secondly, initiating various government programmes to assist the disclosure of information and organising various campaigns to inform the consumers about the product i.e. the higher education and various institutions. Therefore, through these ways, the government can maintain an equilibrium of information available to both the buyers and the sellers. 2. Solutions to monopoly: The problem of monopoly can only be solved with the increase in the number of firms selling the same product i.e. higher education in the market. If there is only one higher education institution, it will have the authority to regulate the price and the quality and quantity to be supplied and act as a price maker. However, if there are a large no. of higher educational institutions, no one single institution will be able to exert influence on the market and will be a mere price taker. There mustn’t exist a barrier restricting a firm to enter or exit a business. The government must ensure that such a situation doesn’t arise where there is only one higher educational institution. The entry of new higher educational institutions increases the competition and the quality of the education provided and also abolishes the concentration of market power in the hands of any single institution. A government can address this problem of monopoly through several measures. Firstly, the government can establish ownership of the institution if the situation of monopoly arises. Secondly, the government can enforce laws preventing the formation of trusts to ensure that the power and the control of the higher education system is not confined in the hands of a few people. Lastly, in cases where the monopoly arises naturally without any barrier to entry and exit of firms, the government can play an important role by encouraging the other higher educational institutions to come up, thus promoting competition. 3. Solutions to positive externalities- The positive externalities, which is one of the primary causes of failure in the higher education market can be addressed by the government intervention through a) introduction of public provisions, b) granting subsidies to those who cannot afford higher education, c) adopting positive advertising campaigns dealing with the importance of higher education to raise awareness and d) mitigating the transaction costs involved in parties negotiating solutions to externality problems through the creation of institutions. Positive externality exists in various forms in the higher education market. One of its most important forms is network externality which arises when the value of a specific good or service is determined by the no. of other people using it. This can be addressed by the government by providing support for higher education until sufficient subscribers allow a viable private provision such as coordination between the potential private providers. 4. Solutions to public goods- The problem of market failure due to higher education showing traits of a public good can be resolved through government actions. With regard to the problem associated with non-excludability, the government can – a) create tradeable permits, b) define and enforce private property rights and c) provide the good or service directly or indirectly through subsidies to private providers. Next, the problem of non-rivalries can be fixed through various methods. First, encouraging the sustainable use of resources through positive incentives or limiting the use through quotas. Second, motivating and encouraging the community to generate its own and excludable resource solutions. Lastly, providing information and defining private property rights to discourage the over-utilization of resources. Developing a Proper System of Institutions When the market failure in higher education is present and is confined to a specific place, it implies that the problem is specific. Institutional arrangements involve coordination of various economic factors, such as the sellers of higher education i.e. educational institutions, processing, materials flow, finance, information, knowledge, customers i.e. the students, finished products and governments. However, widespread failure of higher education markets reveals that there exists a systematic problem in the institutions. Thus, it is becoming necessary to identify the failure in the institutions and strengthen their foundations. However, this cannot be done by the market forces and would require different organisations to intervene. The system of institutions can be corrected in two ways, namely adopting new norms, values, rules and conventions and changing the basic structure of the organisations. International Pressure to Reform Markets International institutions such as the World Bank and the IMF (International Monetary Fund) exert a significant influence and pressure on the countries to reform their markets and mitigate any failure. In recent years, the importance of higher education has been stressed upon a lot by the international organisations. Although, in early times, these institutions did not pay enough attention to the social and institutional arrangements in different markets in a country, in modern times, it cannot be denied that these international pressures are constantly playing out in the international diplomatic arena. This has led to a significant improvement and has brought about several reforms in certain markets including that of higher education. The reforms which the members states in the European Union were compelled to implement is a good example of such international pressure. Evolution and Technology There are various instances where the markets evolve and the failure in the market is mitigated by the eventual balancing of the demand and supply. However, with the complete knowledge of the actors, a market system can be developed easily. Sometimes it just takes time for markets to evolve and for supply and demand to find the right products at the right prices. But it is possible to use the knowledge of the actors in the market to accelerate the development of a specific market system. Economists such as Rodrik contend that institutions for high-quality growth can be developed by implementing a bottom-up participatory approach that elicits and aggregates local information to create institutions and builds on the arguments of Adam Smith that the participants are the closest to the demand and supply constraints in the market. Likewise, the market of higher education can evolve from the grass-root level through various developments and innovations of the market participants. In order to ensure the right performance of the market, it is important that there exist the right enablers. In cases where there doesn’t exist a well-defined mechanism, market players invent their own localised solutions like informal contract enforcement. Similarly, technology can play an overwhelming role in overcoming market failures in higher education. It has truly changed the way markets function and has allowed a consumer to find whatever information he/she needs about the product (in this case higher education). It also prevents the seller from taking undue advantage of the consumer. Role of Market Forces The market forces i.e. the seller and the buyer also play a significant role in eliminating market failure. In higher education too, market forces may mitigate market failure without depending upon state intervention. In cases where a monopoly exists, the other sellers enter the market for earning profits and hence the control of the market goes away from the earlier existing sole seller. In the case of higher education, when sellers observe the monopoly of one institution, they also set up educational institutions to earn profits. No. of institutions rises till the sellers’ yield exception profits. After that point, there doesn’t exist an incentive for new sellers to come into this market. Thus, this is how market forces solve the problem of monopoly. Next, the problem of information asymmetry can be dealt with by the market forces through various Consumer advocacy groups and informed buyers. These consumer advocacy groups and informed individuals enhance the process of demanding and disclosing information regarding higher education and its institutions. With respect to the network externalities, the private market may start privately led initiatives to coordinate firms into providing the higher education goods or services with a network externality. The problem of non-exclusion can be resolved by the market forces if they somehow manage to make the particular product of the higher education exclusion. Thus, the overall problem of market failure of higher education due to it showing traits of the public good can be dealt with through a partnership between the public and the private sector where exclusion can be enforced and prices can be managed through mutual cooperation. Economists have always been interested in applying the economic principles in various fields including higher education. However, it is evident that for a market to succeed, there need to exist State intervention as the competitive behaviour of the free market relies highly on it. Views are personal. Image credits: Meltwater ABOUT THE AUTHOR Samarth Agarwal is currently pursuing law at National Law University Jodhpur.

You can’t beat that feeling of being inspired and discovering new things. Any adventure − whether big or small − always excites us, but there is something extra intriguing about finding beauty and creativity in even the darkest of corners. And out of the darkness comes the awe-inspiring photographic technique, light painting. Read our guide to perfecting the skill, which we are sharing with you as part of our #ThinkProject campaign. We want to inspire you to think about something you’ve never done before. Ever thought about trying something new and challenging yourself? After all, you may discover something you love and a talent you never knew you had… Firstly, what is light painting? It’s a distinctive photography technique which relies on the movement of light while the camera shutter is left open. By shooting in a dark location and using long exposure photography, you can ‘paint’ incredible trails of light across the scene without the need for post-production. https://youtu.be/Xj40DMF2ou4 What you need to get started: - A camera with manual controls: Just about every DSLR camera has a manual or bulb setting, which is what you will want to shoot in. However, it is key that your camera allows you to open the shutter for an extended period of time – anything from 10-20 seconds will be enough to get you started. Film cameras will also work, but a digital camera tends to be easier as you can make corrections as you go. - A tripod or solid surface: It’s essential that your camera sits perfectly still as you will be using long exposure. A tripod is a simple option - if you don’t have one you could try making one. (Check out this video for tips about how to make a tripod cheaply using materials including plastic bottles or sand!) - A light source: This could be anything as long as it emits light - a torch, a match, a glow stick, sparklers, your phone etc will all work. Different light sources will create different colours in your photograph, so don’t be afraid to be creative and experiment! - Colour gels: These photo filters are thin sheets of coloured materials (usually polycarbonate or polyester). Although not an essential part of your kit, they can be used to wrap over your lights to adapt the tint of your light and add colour. Now follow our guide to begin your light painting adventure: STEP ONE: Choose the perfect spot You can create a light painting either inside or outside, but you must avoid any light sources which could interfere with your shots - whether streetlights, car headlights or anything else. If you are inside, make sure you are in a dark room and if you are outside, it’s best to be somewhere fairly secluded so you keep in control of your image. STEP TWO: Get your camera in place Place your camera on the tripod or flat surface and take a sample shot with the flash or lights on. Here you can check you are happy with your composition, or experiment until you are. STEP THREE: Set the exposure Set the exposure to a relatively long value and stop down the aperture enough so your point of interest is in focus and sharp. STEP FOUR: Adjust the shutter speed Ultimately your shutter speed depends on your location, how much light is around you and the effect you would like to gain in your painting. Try with 10-15 seconds to start with, but experiment until you get the look you would like. STEP FIVE: Turn off the lights Remember to avoid any background lights which will interfere with your painting. STEP SIX: Release the shutter You can either use a remote for this, or can manually press the shutter button. STEP SEVEN: Turn on your light source and get painting Once you’ve released the shutter, quickly get into position, turn on your light source and start painting! Now you know the basics, check out our tips and tricks to perfecting your painting: - To avoid appearing in your own painting, make sure the light is aimed at the subject you would like to feature - and not yourself! Keep moving during the whole exposure, and never stand in one place for more than a couple of seconds or you’ll appear in your picture. Wearing dark clothing also helps to avoid this. - Ensure you keep the light moving the whole time to avoid creating any spots or harsh lines. - If you’re new to light painting, start with basic methods before working up to more challenging techniques. This could simply be drawing abstract mid-air images (just as you would with a sparkler) while you hone your skills. - If you want to create a more defined and abstract look, come in closer to the subject. If you keep moving and keep your light moving, you’ll avoid showing up in the photo while you do this. - Try using your smartphone to experiment with different colours in your painting. All you need to do is download a torch app that makes your screen glow any colour you’d like. Turn the light on and off to get the creative effect of discontinuous lines in your painting. Tempted to give it a go? Enter our competition to win an incredible light painting experience in Iceland. Visit our website to find out more details and to enter. Good luck! Light painting is just one of the skills we’re exploring as part of our #ThinkProject campaign. Over the next few months we want you to think about what you love doing with GORE-TEX products behind you. Think about what you’ve never done before, what you would like to try and what you never dreamed you could. We want to inspire you to get outdoors, help you discover new passions and to experience the unimaginable. All you have to do is THINK. Is there something you’ve always wanted to try, whether it’s to go on a once in a lifetime trip or learn a new skill? Let us know in the comments below.

1. Previous to 1937, where was Genghis Khan's soul? A Buddhist monastery in central Mongolia. 2. Who had henchmen execute approximately thirty thousand Mongols in the 1930s? 3. What is another name for a Spirit Banner? 4. What does a Spirit Banner proclaim? 5. What does the wind in the horsehair of a Spirit Banner inspire? A warrior to pursue his destiny. 6. When a warrior dies, where does his soul go? His Spirit Banner. 7. What kind of education did Genghis Khan receive? He recieved no formal education. This section contains 4,108 words (approx. 14 pages at 300 words per page)

The Grammar of Spice Even the most enthusiastic cooks and food lovers have jars of dusty powders inhabiting kitchen cabinets long past their expiration dates. We often don't know much about them, where they come from, or how to use them. And yet, spices can elevate the everyday act of making and consuming food to a higher plane of experience. Spices have played an intrinsic part in the human story, running through history, geography, anthropology, politics, religion, culture, art, and design. From alligator pepper seeds, which in the Yoruba culture are given to newborn babies to taste a few minutes after birth, to charoli seeds, which are used in traditional Indian desserts eaten during the festival of Holi, and caraway seeds, which were added to medieval love potions, each spice has its own significance in the lives of the people who use it. The Grammar of Spice is a practical resource for cooks that also changes the way we understand the role spices play in defining not only our food but also our place in the world. Featuring custom illustrations for each of the more than sixty spices featured here--inspired by the work of Owen Jones, one of the great designers and travelers of his time--this beautiful, informative book celebrates the world of flavors that spices open up to us.

The attributes which make any type of government unique are its characteristics. Chiefdom characteristics are peculiar. As a government form, some characteristics of chiefdomare benefits and some are not. These benefits are helpful for the development of any nation whereas the demerits of chiefdom can hamper its functioning. These disadvantages have to be overcome for any nation to run efficiently. It is now easier to get a general outline about the characteristics of chiefdom by studying the advantages of chiefdom, disadvantages of chiefdom, chiefdom structure! The factors representing characteristics of chiefdom include its advantages, disadvantages and structure such as Autocratic privilege, Dependancy on the leader, Single person in power, Inequality also Faster process for the system, Law making process simpler.The structure of chiefdom is also extremely significant in the study of this form of government and it gives us a glimpse of how the government functions. Besides this, there are some other elements of a type of government which explain it more. Now, get characteristics of chiefdom along with Chiefdom Definition, History of Chiefdom and Chiefdom Countries right here. These features describe this government form from all aspects! Every form of government has certain pros and cons. There are many chiefdom advantages and disadvantages which form the basic characteristics of chiefdom.These benefits and demerits affect the nation immensely. The socio-economic stability of a country depends on all these factors. © 2015-2021. A softUsvista venture!

The COVID -19 pandemic has had one of the most devastating impacts on humankind. Increasing paranoia and an uncertain future mar the current times. However, what also deserves attention is the looming hunger crisis. The current pandemic is likely to extenuate the people going hungry across the world raising questions around survival and morality. According to certain estimates, 265 million people are likely to go hungry post the crisis. This warrants an enquiry into the hunger crisis and the status of food security in not just India but across the world. Through a historical analysis, primarily with food crises like famines, we can better understand the dynamics of the current one. What is also required is to re-think the idea of the state and its role in handling such crises as they are now at the forefront of fighting pandemics. Capitalism’s legitimacy has also been challenged warranting reforms which bring in regulated markets to ensure stable supply and demand metrics. It is well known that lack of access to food especially in times of famines and other crises has little causal connection with availability of food. India, since the days of the Green Revolution has in numerous ways tried to win the battle against hunger and ensure food security. We shall now examine the status of global hunger as it exists in contemporary times and seek to find lessons for the Indian case. Global Food Security In Contemporary Times The current century is distinct from the previous one in two aspects – the high prevalence of democratic governments and an unprecedented development and application of technology. Yet, the story becomes much bleaker if one looks at the status of hunger. The Global Report on Food Crisis, 2020 gives us a glimpse of the problem. According to the Report, nearly 135 million people are estimated to be in a position of acute food crisis in 2019 across 55 territories and countries.The Report further stated that because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the crisis is going to worsen. While the harvest in 2020 has been good, access to food is likely to be affected in the light of rising unemployment and reduced purchasing power, affecting nomadic pastoralists, displaced people, daily-wage earners and service sector employees. As restrictions on movement increase, availability of agricultural labour decreases and this is likely to drive up food prices. In India, a little less than 200 million people do not have enough to eat.This is despite the fact the food stocks in the central pool hit a record high in April, 2020 at 73.85 metric-tonnes. As more and more people lose their livelihoods and are pushed to the brink of poverty, the numbers are likely to get far worse. New estimates show that the number estimated by the global report on food crisis, could double to nearly 265 million people. The grave nature of the situation cannot be stressed enough. Crisis, Famines And State Action Many have discussed the mismanagement of governments in handling the ongoing crisis. This brings us to a question of why states falter during food crises. There are no clear-cut answers, but a study of famines and consequent state actions could provide us clues which can enable us to find better answers. Famines are situations of wide-spread unavailability or inability to access foodthat have occurred in various parts of the world and have a unique place in Indian history. They have served as sites for states to evolve newer mechanisms of welfare and support to enable survival. Famines, their causality, effects, and state relief have been subjected to historical and economic analysis by scholars Their arguments can be broadly divided into two groups. One set of arguments are in support of free market policies which they believe provide better food security. In recent years of globalisation, it is claimed that the best panacea for a situation of food shortage is to let the market forces operate freely. The counter argument is provided by those who say that having food and other necessary commodities in the market will still not ensure that people actually have access to them. The state therefore must play a more active role in providing support to people’s incomes and livelihoods. This resonates with the position of Amartya Sen. In a major work, Poverty and Famine he used the evidence from the Bengal famine of 1943 to enunciate the theory of ‘exchange entitlements. His concept of ‘entitlements’ has transformed the way scholars have studied famines. Entitlements according to Sen are “the set of alternative commodity bundles that a person can command in a society using the totality of rights and opportunities that he or she faces”. It radically shifted the focus of analysis from food supply (Food Availability Decline i.e. FAD) to people’s ability to access them. Sen has argued that people “plunged into starvation” when their entitlement to food collapsed. The analysis by Sen has been ground-breaking but has also been subjected to criticism. In Stephen Devereux’s understanding, the limitations of the entitlement model are two-fold – first, a failure to recognize individuals as socially embedded members of households, communities and states, and second, a failure to recognize that famines are political crises as much as they are economic shocks or natural disasters.Other studies have pointed out that the role of the state expanded in times of crisis like famines. Sanjay Sharma, for example has argued that the colonial state in India when faced with acute famines in the late nineteenth century was forced to provide relief to its starving subjects. The colonial state as part of its famine relief policies offered work to the famished-on projects like canals, railways, roads etc. The colonial state established famine commissions, formulated famine codes, and started poorhouses to emerge as the principal source of welfare, relief, and institutional philanthropy.Therefore, the role of the state is very crucial in ensuring basic support to its citizens and that has got further highlighted during the current COVID-19 pandemic. This is the first part of a two part series. The second part will be available soon. Views are Personal Image Credits: Stanford University ABOUT THE AUTHOR Milind Malhar Sharma is pursuing law from O.P. Jindal Global University. Amartya K. Sen,Poverty and Famines: An Essay on entitlement and Deprivation, 497 (1981). Id. At 47. Stephen Devereux, Sen’s Entitlement Approach: Critiques and Counter-critiques, 29 Oxf. Dev. Stud.245,259 (2001). Sanjay Sharma, Poorhouses, and gratuitous famine relief in colonial North India, in A Cultural History of Famine 130-131 (Ayesha Mukherjee ed. 2019). Sanjay Sharma, Famine, Philanthropy, and the Colonial State: North India in the Early Nineteenth Century, 230 (2001).

- slide 1 of 7 Early Development and Toddler Memory Games According to Child Psychology writers Judith Hudson and Ellyn Sheffield, toddlers between the ages of one and three experience a crucial maturing of their memory capabilities. This includes vocal recall and also event recollection. As you seek to introducememory games for toddlers that help hone these skills, you can successfully build on item recognition and also object classification abilities that children in this age group most likely mastered during mid to late infancy. - slide 2 of 7 You are undoubtedly familiar with the study cards that hold various bright pictures, which are placed face down onto a table. The child turns over two of the cards, memorizes the designs, and if they don’t match, turns them over again. The game continues with different cards chosen, until the child successfully ferreted out all the pairs. This is a very effective game, but it requires you to purchase yet another box from the store. Rather than investing in a new memory game, why not try some different approaches? - slide 3 of 7 Online Memory Game Peuter Spelletjes offers the online version of the memory card game. Although in French, it features the much beloved Winnie the Pooh, and the child may click on the various question marks to match Tigger, Piglet, Rabbit and other characters. Children learn not only the fine motor skills involved in moving and clicking the mouse, but also engage in the memory game. This is a perfect solution for an at-home activity or for a classroom that is equipped with one or more computers. - slide 4 of 7 Color Memory Development Place a number of items the toddler can name around the room. Make sure that all of these items are of the same color. Explain to the child that this is a game where s/he will name all the items in the room of one color. For younger toddlers, reveal ahead of time which color will be chosen. Parade around the room with the child looking up and down and in all directions; next, take the child outside and ask to name all items s/he remembers of the one color. Take turns with multiple children or parade around the room with all of them and have them shout out what they remember once outside. Repeat with various different colors, gradually increasing the number of items you display. - slide 5 of 7 If the child can count one, two or even three items of one kind, this numeric recall game is a perfect extension of the color memory game. Rather than displaying items by color, display a number of different items in pairs or triplets, and then ask the child(ren) to name the groups. For example, you may place three apples, three red crayons, and three plush frogs in the room, alongside two bananas and two stuffed dogs. Ask the toddlers to name the items they saw in twos. As they children progress in their counting abilities, up the ante with the number of items you display. - slide 6 of 7 This is a game perfect for older toddlers. It hones not only memory skills, but also teaches cooperation between the children. Place a number of different objects – which the children know how to name – onto a blanket on the floor. For example, you might include an apple, a banana, a book, a pen, a frog, two keys, and a host of other items. Have the children hold hands and parade around the blanket. After a few rounds around the blanket, place another blanket on top of it. Encourage the children to name the items they remember. Go around the room and have each child take a turn. If a child cannot think of an item, ask the rest of the kids to help by raising their hands and only answering when called upon. Keep track of the items named, and later on compare them to the actual items on the blanket. On a side note, you may be amazed at some of the creativity you will see in your young charges! Some, when they cannot think of another item, will regale you with suggestions such as “dragon” or “whale!” This game may be as simple or as complex as you would like it to be. - slide 7 of 7 Memory Needs to Be Fed Of course, memory games for toddlers are only one aspect of maturing a child’s ability to recall items, colors, or numbers. Healthy food is another component that must not be overlooked. Why not go ahead and offer them – cut up in bite sized pieces – after the game activity as a healthy snack reward?

The 10° Computer and other Games by Gwyn Lyon Gates Elementary School Acton, Massachusetts The teaching of math to kids is traditionally divided into lecture and drill. In the re-thinking of a second grade math program, I decided to incorporate some different approaches to aspects of math computation. A game such as Input-Output can be noisily exciting, and effectively teach the relationships between sets of numbers. INPUT-OUTPUT A game for the Blackboard or Overhead Projector. Divide the acetate into two columns or make two columns on the blackboard. Place a numeral in the left or Input column. Through the function of the magic-black-box-computing-teaching machine, the number is transformed into a new number. teaching machine = ? Input 4 Output 7 Place a new number in the input column, and using the same teaching machine function, a new number appears in Output. Input 4 0 Output 7 3 answer: t.m. = +3 Continue to add numbers until a student guesses what function the teaching machine is set for. Second graders can do problems of this level of difficulty: teaching machine = ? Input 4 7 10 Output 11 17 23 answer: t.m. = 2x + 3 The game can be adapted for many types of algebraic equations: teaching machine = ? Input 9 25 4 Output 4 6 3 answer: t.m. = √x +1 As an added bonus, a child with such learning problems as would exclude him from the successful completion of a traditional worksheet can often excel in "head" games that require no written response. THE 10¢ COMPUTER The teacher must also begin to rely more on manipulative materials to move the child securely from the concrete to the abstract. Hence, the ten cent computer: Materials: a large grocery box. 1 sheet of acetate, 8" x 10". Method: Cut the box up so that you have one large sheet of cardboard, without seams, that will completely cover the stage of the overhead projector. Mine is 12" x 1l½", but measure yours to be sure. Cut four holes in the top third of your cardboard. Save the cut-outs! Tape the sheet of acetate so that it covers the holes. Then hinge the covers back over the holes with tape. A Simple Binary Game: Beginning at the left side, mark the numerals 1, 2, 4, 8 on each acetate-covered hole.* Close all the covers. Place the computer on the stage of the projector, and turn on the projector. Lift the first cover on the left. Computer now shows "1". Write on the blackboard, 1000. Close all the covers. Lift cover marked Write on blackboard, 0100, and explain that because the light is on in the "2" position, the binary notation is 0100. Close all covers. Explain that all numbers up to 15 can be shown with only the four lighted positions. How can you make 3? 7? 14? [image] Binary Numbers for the 1O¢ computer By this time, the children will have grasped the idea, and can work quite competently up to 32, using only the blackboard notations. If you want to carry on, you can make an "advanced" computer with 6 holes that can record numbers all the way up to 63! *Normal binary number notation goes right-to-left, i.e. 1 = 0001, 6 = 0110, 8 = 1000, etc. If you think your kids can grasp this, give it a try. Suggested Bibliography Ahl, David. Getting Started in Classroom Computing. Digital Equipment Corporation, Maynard, Massachusetts. Adler, Irving and Ruth. Numerals, New Dresses for Old Numbers. John Day, Company. New York, N. Y. Kenyon, Raymond. I Can Learn about Calculators and Computers. Harper and Row. New York, N. Y.

Perhaps the most famous parcel of land on Earth, the Holy Land is a sacred area for Jews, Christians and Muslims. A popular destination for religious pilgrimages, the area attracts worshippers and tourists from all over the world. The volatile political situation in the region makes it necessary for visitors to check travel warnings from the U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs before traveling to this part of the world. The Holy Land, an area that encompasses Israel and parts of Jordan, the Palestinian territories and Lebanon, holds religious significance in the Christian, Muslim and Jewish faiths. The city of Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, is the spiritual center of Judaism. The Western Wall in Old City Jerusalem is a gathering place for Jewish worshipers to pray and reflect. The city of Bethlehem (in the Palestinian West Bank) is important to Christians as the birthplace of Jesus. Muslims believe that Muhammad ascended into heaven from the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Old City Jerusalem. Many sites in the Holy Land are mentioned in the Old Testament, the Torah and the Qur'an. A number of companies offer trips to the Holy Land that include all faiths -- Muslims, Christians and Jews. Imagine Adventures (imagine-adventures.com) "Peacemakers in the Holy Land Tour" is customized to met the needs of any interfaith tour group. It stops in Jerusalem, Galilee and Bethlehem and features meetings with spiritual advisers who offer their interpretations of Christian prayer, Sufi chants and Kabbalah. A Jewish and Catholic interfaith tour of Jordan and the Holy Land is offered by 206 Tours (pilgrimages.com). A guided tour led by a rabbi and a priest, it includes visits to Nazareth, Galilee, the Dead Sea and Jerusalem. Self-Guided Catholic Pilgrimage The Holy Land is filled with sites sacred to Christians, including the Church of the Holy Sepulchre where Jesus was nailed to the cross, the Grotto of the Apostles and Mary's Tomb in Jerusalem. The Holy Land Pilgrimage (holyland-pilgrimage.org) recommends an eight-day tour that starts with a visit to the Mount of Olives (a mountain ridge that overlooks the city) and the Church of All Nations, which was built to commemorate Jesus's final prayer before crucifixion. Other stops should include the city of Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus, as well as a boat ride across the Sea of Galilee to visit a synagogue where Jesus taught. Many travel agencies offer secular tours to the Holy Land, with an emphasis on history and sightseeing. Gate 1 Travel (gate1travel.com) features an escorted nine-day tour package to the Holy Land. It includes round-trip airfare from New York to Tel Aviv, Israel; meals; and guided tours on a motor coach. The tour visits Old City Jerusalem; Caesarea, an ancient Roman port; and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. England's Longwood Holidays (longwoodholidays.co.uk) offers escorted tours of Jerusalem and Nazareth, the childhood home of Jesus. Jewish Heritage Tours The Holy Land, specifically the city of Jerusalem and its sacred sites such as the Tomb of King David in Mount Zion and the Western Wall (also known as the "Wailing Wall"), are visited by Jewish pilgrims from all over the world. Shalom Journeys (shalomjourneys.com), based in Miami, Florida, offers four different Jewish Heritage tours, along with customized private car and group tours. The 15-day Jewish Heritage tour includes an optional trip to the historic Jordian city of Petra. - U.S. Department of State: Bureau of Consular Affairs: International Travel - Holy Land Pilgrimages: Sample of Catholic Pilgrimage - Imagine Adventures: Peacemakers in the Holy Land Tour - Pilgrimages.com: 206 Tours: The Holy Land & Jordan - Gate 1 Travel: 9 Day Holy Land Pilgrimage - Longwood Holidays UK: Holy Land Highlights Tour - Hemera Technologies/AbleStock.com/Getty Images

NASA - Lighting in Outer Space - Learning Objectives Adjusting lighting for healthy Circadian System Russian cosmonaut Sergey Ryazanskiy, Expedition 37 flight engineer, attired in a Russian Orlan spacesuit, is pictured during a session of extravehicular activity. 2013 The Key to Better Sleep in Space? Some Nice, Colorful Light "Red-shifted light allows sleep, and bluish light wakes you up, so the next question is whether astronauts can sleep better and then perform better with wavelength-controlled illumination. By 2016, NASA plans to install the bulbs in the real crew quarters—and its astronauts can get some well-deserved shut-eye. ..." At-sea trial of 24-h-based submarine watchstanding schedules with high and low correlated color temperature light sources. "United States Navy submariners have historically lived with circadian disruption while at sea due to 18-h-based watch schedules. Previous research demonstrated that circadian entrainment improved with 24-h-based watch schedules. Twenty-nine male crew members participated in the study, which took place on an actual submarine patrol. ... " April 2015 The sun plays an important role in our wake and sleep cycles, know as your Circadian Rhythm. Our ancestors evolved under the natural cycles of daylight and dark nights. In artificial environments: outer space, Arctic research centers, and undersea natural light must be simulated with electric lighting. Light is energy that influences mind and body - many chemicals in our bodies are controlled by light. Melatonin is produced at night to direct our bodies to sleep. Exposure to blue tinted light can delay sleep for as much as two hours. Bold Endeavors: Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration The recognition of our circadian system and external influences is fairly recent and much research continues today. As Jack Stuster points out in his 1996 book, Bold Endeavors: Lessons from Polar and Space Exploration, the term circadian rhythms was coined in 1959 by Franz Halberg from the Latin circa (about) and diem (a day). In 1982 scientists were discussing internal circadian rhythms and external zeitgebers (from the German for time givers). "Almost all physiological, psychological, and behavioral parameters, including body temperature, production of serum and urinary corticosteroids and electrolytes, cardiovascular functions, muscle strength, alertness, mood, and memory, follow circadian rhythms. Although circadian rhythms are generated internal to an organism, they are regulated by external cues, primarily the cycle of light and darkness. ... If the individual is isolated without access to any time cues, however, the sleep / wake cycle and body temperature rhythms drift toward later times each day and are expressed in free-running periods of 25.4 hours; at this rate an individual's sleep /wake cycle could drift nearly 10 hours per week in the absence of diurnal cues. ... The imposition of period and phase control by environmental cues is called entrainment. ... Earth and Mars have nearly identical rotation rates (twenty-four hours and thirty-seven minutes for Mars) Earth and Mars also share a similar sequence of seasons because their polar axis are tipped almost identically." Former Astronaut Jack Stuster concludes this chapter, Study Results, with eight recommendations regarding sleep during long-duration space missions: schedules, tasks, zeitgebers, sleep hygiene, sleep chambers, exits, safety, shift work, and communication devices. Circadian Response Curve, blue light (480 nanometers) during the day, helps promote healthy sleep with melatonin production at night. Photopic vision, the ability to see colors, peaks in daylight (550 nanometers). Selecting lighting containing correct and varied spectral output becomes critical in artificial illuminated environments of space, Arctic, and undersea.

In the 1970's BBC comedy show Fawlty Towers, John Cleese manages to turn harmless everyday situations into total disasters, with very little effort. It is a marvellous example of how to inject faults into what could have been a smoothly operating hotel, and demonstrating just how things fall apart as the unexpected happens. Injecting faults isn't always that easy, unfortunately (or should that be fortunately)? I recently read an article by Steve Chessin in ACM Queue about fault injection, where he discusses how the UltraSPARC II and III systems from the late 1990s and early 2000s supported hardware fault injection in order to test the ability of the system to recover from faults. In this case, injecting faults was a bit more difficult than roaming around in a hotel beating your hapless waiter with a frying pan or insulting the guests. In the article, he makes a very important statement: Handling errors is just attention to detail. Injecting errors is rocket science The UltraSPARC systems in question had special facilities added to their cache controllers to make it possible to create cache lines and memory words with faulty ECC (error correction code) data, which would trigger errors when accessed at a later point in time. Without this hardware support, it would have been impossible to actually test the error handling code. Fault injection is hard, dirty, or even violent work. I have enjoyed many stories from embedded engineers about how faults were injected by pulling boards out of racks, putting chips inside radiation chambers, or taking an axe to a running system and breaking cables in order to test the ability to withstand sudden shocks. In the military field, literally shooting something to bits might be the best test there is. Being a peaceful person, I have a different solution to the fault injection problem. Use a virtual platform and inject the faults virtually. One of the nice features of a virtual system is the control you have over it, and the fact that nothing is hidden in the hardware. Injecting faults is basically as easy as writing a script that changes some aspect of the target at an appropriate point in time. In no time at all, Basil Fawlty can be let loose inside your system. Sometimes, target system models need to be extended to support fault injection in a clean and efficient way. For example, for the UltraSPARC II cache issues discussed in the article, the cache and its parity data would have had to be modeled in such way that the processor would trigger an error when a cache line was read. Another example is to include error states in models of communications buses, so that end-point devices can indeed detect that data has been corrupted in transmission. To continue our Fawlty analogy, you sometimes need to provide the rampant hotel manager with the tools needed smash things or guests to insult. For many targets, modeling how things break is just as important as modeling how they work. Here are some examples of errors that have been modeled with Simics in the past: - Dropping packets on networks - Injecting bad checksums on network packets - Transient and permanent memory corruption - Transient and permanent processor register corruptions - Data bus errors (intercepting operations and changing their value) - Address bus errors (sending operations to the wrong destination) - Cache errors - Spurious interrupts - Permanent subsystem failures (by disconnecting boards and other subsystems from the rest of the system) - Stopping a processor (to simulate a single core going bad) Injecting errors in a virtual platform does not have to be rocket science, but it certainly does require some attention to detail to make sure relevant error state are modeled in a way that makes them amenable to fault injection. For reliable systems, testing error handling is necessary, and a virtual platform is a great tool for doing it in a cheap and non-destructive way.

The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead This is the #1 New York Times bestseller and USA National Book Award Winner and picked as a must-read by Barack Obama. The Underground Railroad is an infamous passage from slavery to freedom and exists beyond the metaphor, as a network of train tracks and cars secretly connecting Southern states. It transports readers back to pre-Civil War America and the plantations of the South as a young slave, Cora, makes a desperate bid for freedom. Cora is a third-generation slave in Georgia who has never set foot off her master’s property and for whom the idea of fleeing is unthinkable-that is, until a fellow slave, Caesar, approaches her about hitching a ride on the rumored Underground Railroad to the North. With a ruthless slave catcher hot on their heels, they embark on a perilous journey through America in search of a freedom that feels increasingly elusive. This is historical fiction and a searing account of American racism and African American agency. I am very selective about which historical fiction I read and this has certainly not disappointed me. Although this book isn’t easy or light, and choosing to read a book about slavery means choosing to immerse yourself in brutality, violence, and inhumanity, it is deeply moving and very powerful and is a necessary read. Review by Jenny @ Great Escape Books

Deliberation and participation may seem like similar concepts. At their core, they kind of are: both deliberative and participatory democracies are systems that include citizens in governance. In both deliberative and participatory democracies, citizens play the starring role. And in both systems, citizens are empowered to let their voices be heard and weigh in on the way their community is governed. Still, participation and deliberation are not the same, and the terms shouldn’t be used interchangeably. In short, we can state that while participation focuses on empowering citizens to take action, deliberation focuses on discussion and debate between citizens and other stakeholders. While participation focuses on the actions themselves, deliberation focuses on the decision-making process that precedes policy-making. Examples of participation include polling, idea collection, surveys, and participatory budgeting. There are different participation methods that all have their specific value. A famous example of deliberation is a Citizens’ Thick engagement vs. thin engagement In the case of deliberation, reaching a consensus is usually the end goal. As this paper describes, “deliberative innovations are (…) not only about voicing opinions or demands; they also require interaction and exchange. Interaction among participants – which often involves different stakeholders, public and private – often creates forms of communicative exchange that make possible eventual changes of positions and preferences.” As Micah Sifry of Civic Hall so eloquently states: “thick engagement doesn’t scale, and thin engagement doesn’t stick.” Deliberation (“thick engagement”) means you have to bring citizens together, One of the main barriers to deliberation is the complexity of the process, which makes it difficult to scale and reproduce online. Our digital tools are usually designed for participation: they aim to reach large numbers of citizens and are geared towards action (ie a vote), but don’t allow meaningful in-depth debate. The interaction between both terms It is often said that the combination of participation and deliberation comes with its own challenges. The 3 desirable criteria of direct democracy (participation, deliberation, and equality) are all different vertices of the same triangle. Because deliberation requires more As, as the Jefferson Center suggests, there are ways to combine the two. “We can invite people to submit ideas and proposals online for consideration by participants who are meeting in person. Conversely, we can build on the recommendations and ideas generated at deliberative events to form the base of digital participation efforts.”. It is also possible (and necessary) to rethink our digital tools to allow for more deliberation. At CitizenLab, we are currently developing an online citizen workshop feature that enables small group deliberation and exchange of ideas on the platform. The future of citizen engagement cannot rely on one of these concepts alone. Participation used together with deliberation ensures meaningful engagement on a large scale, therefore giving a central place to citizens in the decision-making process. Hope this cleared it up for you! Are you hungry for more democracy or civic tech news? Head to our blog! Want to set up a participation project in your community? Get in touch with one of our experts. This article is a part of our “what’s the difference?” series. Browse through the others here:

KARACHI: As we celebrate the ‘Sindh Festival’ with great fanfare, it would be a suitable time to ask the Sindh government to share any vision, strategies, plans and projects that it may have to protect and promote the unique culture and lifestyle of this multi-cultural province. The protection of livelihoods and indigenous lifestyles of the communities residing in rural Karachi can be cited as one such urgent challenge. This is urgent in view of the uncontrolled urban sprawl in the city. Karachi’s urbanised settlements and its rural hinterland, though distinct in their socio-economic, administrative and environmental profiles, are linked inextricably by history and geography and can very effectively supplement the city’s sustainable growth as they can provide food security and act as a barrier to uncontrolled urbanisation. The consequences of urban sprawl can be seen in the rapidly diminishing natural supportive resources such as water and fertile soil, which in turn threaten the agro-livestock based livelihoods, residential security and cultural uniqueness of Karachi’s oldest inhabitants. Historically, Karachi has been a conglomeration of neighbourhoods – villages or goths – that included not only the ancient villages of Jokhios, Memons and Mir Bahars on the fringes of the old town, but also the picturesque and characteristic neighbourhoods of Silwats who lived in the central area of the city. The Silwats had migrated centuries ago from Jaisalmer in Rajasthan (now part of modern-day India) to live in the capital of Sindh. Karachi’s goths can be categorised into rural, coastal and ‘urbanised’. Sindhi and Balochi speaking communities that still inhabit most of these goths have also historically been the dominant ethnicities yielding influence in the region. Karachi lies at the foothill of the Khirthar range of hills and is not part of the Indus delta. It constitutes part of the territories of the chieftains who controlled the Hub Malir region and the Makran coast. This region, though part of Balochistan, has been a Sindhi-speaking area right up to the ‘Jamdom’ of Lasbella, the most important regional chiefdom. In the seventeenth century, the region was in control of the Kalmati Maliks who had dominated the area perhaps since the thirteenth century. According to the findings of the study – Informal Sector Housing Study of goths in Karachi, 1990, by Abdul Hamid Shaikh, in the early periods, the settlements in Karachi were mostly characterised by fishing villages. A British commander, Carless, who was deputed with the task of surveying the coast of Karachi in the 18th century, wrote that the population of Karachi largely consisted of seamen and fishermen – the total population nearly 14,000. The British surveyed the goths of Karachi in 1885 that were progressively converted into grazing land and then agricultural land through cultivation due to the increasing demand for vegetables and fruits in the market. Speaking about the existential threat faced by the rural Karachi’s inhabitants, it can best be qualified as a threat to its land use. The agriculture and grazing-based land use and its associated economy and culture are now being altered at an alarming pace through unplanned urbanisation. With the change in land use, the overall cultural, socio-economic and financial profile of the area is being transformed and distorted beyond recognition. Here arises the need to create private-sector linkages for assistance and investment in setting up agricultural support services and infrastructure – more employment opportunities for youth and create a financial incentive to sustain the agro-urban economy and its associated livelihoods. Before this is possible, however, it is important to declare that the land in these outskirts of the city will be used for agricultural purposes only. It is also important to invest in the protection and sustenance of the valuable resources such as water and land. The writer is an urban planner and runs a non-profit organisation based in Karachi city focusing on urban sustainability issues. He can be reached at [email protected] Published in The Express Tribune, February 10th, 2014.

Things You Should Know About Double Glazed Windows Updated: Feb 4 As the winter days draw in and the nights get darker and longer, you’re probably starting to brainstorm some ideas about insulating your home to perfection. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a wood burner to cosy up in front of or an open fireplace, and if you have a big house and family to warm up, then heating bills can burn so many holes in your wallet. One step you can take control of the environment and energy consumption around your home is by installing double glazed windows and doors in your home. There are countless types of windows with double glazing. While you can find ones with contemporary design and wooden frames, you can also find many that are made with durable and hassle-free uPVC frames. While installing these windows can fall under the chart of DIY projects, it will be better to get professional help as this will also affect the longevity of the windows you are installing in your home. Here we will tell you more about double glazed windows and help you examine what they actually are, the available options, their main purpose, and the many benefits of installing them in your home. Double glazing dates back pretty much further than you might think; after originating in Victorian Scotland, it became popular in America during the 1940s and 50s, before entering the United Kingdom in the mid-1960s. From the 1980s onwards, double glazed windows were the standard in most UK new-build homes. What is double glazing? Double glazed windows are made up of two panes of glass, separated by a gap of around 16mm filled with a layer of inert gases like argon, krypton, or xenon or a vacuum of air. They are also equipped with primary and secondary rubber seals, which are designed to stop heat from escaping the building. Glass is a good conductor of heat, so with single glazed windows, heat gets escaped easily. The gas or air space in between panes of double glazed windows is a poor conductor of heat, so this helps to prevent warm air from escaping. Most double glazed windows are engineered from uPVC frames and with low-emissivity (Low-E) glass. The primary purpose of double glazed windows? The primary purpose of double glazed windows is insulation for both noise and heat. Double glazing was originally designed to insulate properties and bring energy efficiency into the homes. Double glazing is also very effective at cancelling outside noise; the vacuum or gas in between the glass panes absorbs sound, and the added pane acts as a buffer, meaning excess noise won’t cause disturbance to those who are inside. Most modern apartment buildings and offices now have double glazed windows, especially if they’re built in the city centre or busy areas. Having two glass panes instead of one is naturally a lot stronger. This adds an extra layer of security to your building. The double-layer technology also prevents the appearance of condensation by maintaining temperatures, as air pocket ensures that the air inside the house doesn’t come in contact with the air outside. Condensation can cause musty smells and damps if not dealt with, which can cause harm to your property. But with double glazing, there’s a much less risk of it happening. Benefits of double glazed windows Here are many sensible reasons why you should choose double glazed windows for your home, which we will explore below in detail. Energy efficiency and cost-efficiency Double glazing saves you money by keeping your home’s temperature maintained with less energy output required – which helps reduce your energy bills. The Low-E glass is very energy efficient, and the thin coating on it reflects heat back to its source – keeping your home warm in winters and cool in summers. Adding an extra layer means there is twice as much to smash - not to mention the windows are extremely strong - which is a powerful preventive against burglars. It’s also almost impossible to break in through double glazed windows without making a lot of noise, so you can be relaxed that your home, family, and possessions are well protected. Practical and stylish Double glazed windows are easy to maintain and clean, and more durable than those single-paned windows so their curb appeal last longer. The uPVC and aluminium frames are environmentally friendly as they are both long-lasting and can be recycled after surviving wear and tear for long. Increase property value If you have plans to sell your home in the next 5 to 10 years, the addition of double glazed windows can add substantial value to your property. Many real estate agents agree that newly installed double glazed windows are a good selling point for modern homes. Convinced much about double glazed windows? Looking for an upgrade or extension in your house? Complete Property Solutions have got you covered. Get in touch with us now for a quote! Dial: 01925 223 297 for further queries.

Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon (Maimonides) also known as “The Rambam,” a Jewish scholar, decoded the 613 commandments or the “Taryag mitzvot” into 13 fundamental principles of Judaism faith. The Thirteen Principles of Faith or the “Shloshah Asar Ikkarim” is the summary of the 613 commandments filtered to understand the core meaning of them all. It is a Jewish custom to recite these principles of faith every day after their morning prayer or what they call “Shacharit.” The 13 principles of faith are recited every day so that the Jews will never forget them. This way, they can always observe their faith and help them be grounded in their message. 1. Faith that God alone is the creator. Maimonides stated that “There is a Being, perfect in every possible way, who is the ultimate cause of all existence. All existence depends on God and is derived from God.” 2. Faith that God is unique and one. Maimonides stated that “If one even allows himself to think that there is another deity other than God, then he violates the commandment, ‘You shall have no other gods before me.’” 3. Faith that God is incorporeal and incomparable. Maimonides explained that God has no physical body and cannot be compared to any other creations. 4. Faith that God is first and last. Maimonides explains that God is eternal and boundless. Nothing else that was created comes equally to His eternal unity. 5. Faith that we should pray to God alone. Maimonides believed that we should pray to God alone. Jewish faith doesn’t believe in mediators such as priests, saints, prophets or angels. God should be the only one we praise and treat as such. 6. Faith that the words of the prophets are true. The faith of Judaism is rooted in the words of the Hebrew prophets, and they have complete faith that their words are the truth and should be preserved. 7. Faith that Moses is the chief prophet. The Jewish faith believes that Moses is the “father of all prophets.” He, among anyone else, was the closest to ever communicate with God. Other prophets needed an intermediary but Moses did not. It is indicated in the Torah that God said, “Mouth to mouth, I will speak to him.” 8. Faith in the divinity of the Torah. The Jewish faith believes that the Torah is the same Torah that was given to Moses in Mount Sinai and that it has been preserved and passed down to guide us and the future generations to come. 9. Faith that the Torah cannot be changed. The Torah cannot be changed in any way. No words shall be added or changed as it is obsolete. 10. Faith that God knows all things. The Jewish faith believes that God is all-knowing. He sees and hears all, even our thoughts. 11. Faith that God will reward the righteous and punish the trespassers. The Jewish faith believes that God will reward those who follow his commandment and punish those who defy Him. 12. Faith that the Messiah will come. The Jewish faith believes that the “Maschiach” or the Messiah will come and bring Israel to greatness once more. 13. Faith in the resurrection of the dead. Lastly, Maimonides explains that the Jewish faith believes the dead will rise again when God wills. Maimonides believed in the Taryag mitzvoth of Torah, and he made the fundamental principles it is based upon. These principles are sacred. They are observed up to this very day and will be up until the end of time as it was stated.

I have introduced a few people I know to succulents and they are always astonished by their unusual appearance. They usually have so many questions about these plants and since I love succulents as well, I thought I should write an “Introduction to succulents” post. So, Succulents. What are they? Well the term succulent is an un-scientific term that refers to any plant that stores water in its structures, such as leaves, stems or roots. Succulents usually have thick, fleshy stems or leaves as these act as water storage organs. This feature allows them to survive in drought. By definition all cacti are succulents but not all succulents are cacti. However horticulturally, the family of cacti are usually dealt with separately from succulents and hence succulents usually refer to the non-cacti succulents. My experience with succulents have been with the non-cacti kind, that store water in their leaves so this post will be about these types of succulents. Most people I meet do not know about these amazing plants. I don’t think I noticed them either until 2 years ago while at a garden store. They caught my attention immediately. The most common succulent people new to succulents know is the Aloe. There are several different types of succulents all unique in their formation; from tight rosettes to trailing stems. Succulents have so much variety, I believe there is enough to appeal to everyone’s tastes. Regardless of what succulent you have, the care for growing them are pretty much the same. Below, you will find a simple care guide for the beginner. Light: Succulents prefer bright light and some can tolerate direct sunlight. I find the shape and colour of the leaves tell you if they are receiving too much or too little light. Too much direct sun, and the leaves may turn brown (scorch) or color may fade. Too little light and the plants will have a stretched appearance as if reaching for the light. They will have unusually elongated stem and spaced out leaves. This is termed etiolation. I have a few etiolated succulents which I will be writing about in the future so check back soon if this interests you. Water: Since succulents store water, then they do not need frequent water right? Right… and wrong. Succulents may not need frequent watering like other house plants, but too little water and they may barely thrive. During the growing season (when they are actively growing, usually Spring to Fall), succulents need regular watering. The frequency of watering depends on where your plants are kept and requires your own judgement. For example, my succulents are kept in a north facing window and in the summer, they are happy with once a week watering just when the soil dries out. When succulents stop putting out new growth, they are resting. This usually between late fall to early Spring when day light length is short with cool temperatures. I usually water them about once a month. Remember that over-watering which leads to root rot is the most common way to kill your succulent. Temperature: Most succulents do not tolerate freezing temperatures. A few are winter hardy and can be kept outside in winter. Normal indoor temperatures will suit succulents just fine. Potting: Succulents can be kept in plastic pots or clay/ceramic pots. The choice of either is usually based on people’s personal preference. I use both. Plastic pots are less expensive than ceramic pots. Succulents kept in plastic pots need less watering than those in clay (especially unglazed pots) as they are more moisture retentive. Pots with drainage holes are recommended as succulents do not like to sit in water. Succulents need fast draining mixtures. You can purchase mixtures made specifically for succulents at most garden stores. Fertilizing: You can fertilize your succulents during the growing season as you would other house plants. Cease fertilizing in the winter. Pests: Knowledge about pests that attack succulents is important, lest you mistaken a pest such as mealy bug or scale for a normal part of the plant (like I did 🙁 ). I have included a brief discussion of the most common pests here. - Fungus Gnats: I mistook these for fruit flies as they can be just as annoying. They are tiny black flies that are seen around the plants and on the soil surface. One way to get rid of them is to get rid of all soil until the gnats have disappeared. If you have only one plant, then this might be easy to change soil and isolate the plant. However if you have a whole collection of plants, this method will be difficult. Letting the soil completely dry to kill larvae and hinder egg development can also be effective. I have used sticky traps in the past and worked very well. Check the web for other natural products or your local garden store for products that can be used to get rid of them. - Mealy Bugs: These are very tiny insects ( about 3mm in length). They look like tiny white cotton balls from afar. They feast on plant sap causing the plant to eventually stop growing and die. A small infestation can be controlled by picking them up with tweezers or skewer sticks. You can also dab them with a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol which dissolves their cottony covering and leaves them defenseless. Large infestations may need insecticides. - Scale: These appear as raised brown or tan spots on the leaves of your plants. These brown spots are hard coverings that act to protect the insects. They also feed on plant sap. You can treat any outbreak like you would mealy bugs. - Spider mites: They are tinier than mealy bugs and hard to see with the naked eye. The only sign that may show that your plant is infested is by the webs that they spun on the leaves. A closer look, and you will see these tiny crawlers on the top and underside of leaves. They too feast on sap and can weaken your plants. One way to get rid of them is by wetting the whole plant. Spider mites do not like being wet. You may have to do this a few times to get rid of them all. I had to do this twice with my Jade plant. Major infestations can be eradicated with miticides. Insecticides may not be effective as spider mites are not insects but rather arachnids (like spiders). I hope this was helpful. If you have any successful methods of getting rid of any of the pests mentioned here, do not hesitate to comment below. Till Next Time Share the Plant love: Hi, I’m Barbara and I’m a little obsessed with house plants. I share my house plant adventures in the hopes of inspiring you to continue to enjoy the greens in your home. And if you have no plants (yet!) I hope this blog inspires you to add some green to your home. So go on! Try it! I think you might quite like it. And who knows? You may end up being … obsessed too.

Can I Compost Christmas trees?(From the Garden waste, Household waste category | 2 comments - join the conversation) Yes, you can compost real Christmas trees – though do remember to take the baubles off first ;) Because the needles are slightly “rubbery” and tough, they’re quite resilient to the usual composting bacteria so take ages to breakdown, and the trunk can take even longer: cutting up the tree or, ideally, shredding it will help a lot. Otherwise, it could easily be next Christmas or the one after that before you start seeing any progress. You can take advantage of the fact they’re slow to rot down by striping off the needles (if they’ve not already fallen off!) and sprinkling them over muddy paths in the garden. Other people use the bare boned tree to make habitats for wildlife & birds or grow climbing flowers/beans up them. (One thing to note: It’s a myth that pine needles will make your soil more acidic. Yes, they are generally quite acidic when fresh/on the living tree but by the time you’re ready to compost your Christmas tree, their acidity will have waned considerably: adding fallen/dry needles to your heap won’t disturb the balance too much and once composted, they’ll have little impact on the ph of your soil.) Alternatively, many councils are happy to take away real Christmas trees as “green waste” (industrial composting processes make short work of the tough trees) and some have even have schemes that use them in local environmental projects. Check your council’s website for details. Also see: How Can I Recycle Christmas Trees?

|Number of Pages In a world increasingly concerned about the impact of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere on global climate, the A Carbon Primer for the Built Environment will provide an understanding of the science and the public policy and regulation intended to tackle climate change. It will spell out the essential information needed for navigating through the growing regulatory maze with confidence. The book will: Provide an explanation of climate change, why carbon has been targeted as the main culprit and how this will impact the working lives of architects Explain key concepts such as: carbon footprinting, contraction & convergence, concentration based targets, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, decarbonising supply and reducing energy demand as well as the relevance of relevant government targets and international agreements Suggest an overall framework for achieving the carbon reduction targets and the requirements that will place on building designers Outline requirements and common standards and codes - providing guidance on compliance mechanisms Suggest and examine likely models for future practice The book will be essential reading for anyone wanting to familiarise themselves with the new landscape of carbon reduction in the built environment, with a particular focus on building design. It will also provide an accessible reference volume for information on particular policies, terms and initiatives as well as key data and numbers that will assist initial carbon calculations.

eLibrary A collection of digital content for K12 schools and students. Includes images, maps, websites, videos, and newspaper and magazine articles covering a wide range of subjects including business, education, health, language arts and sciences. History Study Center Primary and secondary sources for the study of history. Contents include reference books, essays, journal articles, historical newspaper and magazine articles, maps, rare books, government documents, transcripts of historical speeches, images and video clips. ProQuest Learning: Literature Critical inquiry into the world of poetry, prose, and drama. Explore over 180,000 full-text literary works, plus criticism, essays, author biographies, reviews, and interviews. ProQuest Research Library A research platform comprised of scholarly journals, professional and trade publications, and magazines covering over 150 subjects and topics. Includes: SIRS Discoverer Specifically designed for elementary and middle school students. Offers articles and multimedia resources on reading, language arts, current events, science, social studies, history, health, and technology. And includes Science Fair explorer for identifying and creating projects.

Both obese mice — and people — had more of one type of bacteria and less of another kind, according to two studies published Thursday in the journal Nature. A "microbial component" appears to contribute to obesity, said study lead author Jeffrey Gordon, director of Washington University's Center for Genome Sciences. Obese humans and mice had a lower percentage of a family of bacteria called Bacteroidetes and more of a type of bacteria called Firmicutes, Gordon and his colleagues found. The researchers are not sure if more Firmicutes makes you fat or if people who are obese grow more of that type of bacteria. But growing evidence of this link gives scientists a potentially new and still distant way of fighting obesity: Change the bacteria in the intestines and stomach. It also may lead to a way of fighting malnutrition in the developing world. Nikhil Dhurandhar, a professor of infection and obesity at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center, was not part of the research, but said it may eventually change the way obesity is treated. "We are getting more and more evidence to show that obesity isn't what we thought it used to be," Dhurandhar said. "It isn't just (that) you're eating too much and you're lazy." He said the field of "infectobesity" looks at obesity with multiple causes, including viruses and microbes. In another decade or so, the different causes of obesity could have different treatments. The current regimen of diet and exercise "is like treating all fevers with one aspirin," Dhurandhar said. In one study, Gordon and colleagues looked at what happened in mice with changes in bacteria level. When lean mice with no germs in their guts had larger ratios of Firmicutes transplanted, they got "twice as fat" and took in more calories from the same amount of food than mice with the more normal bacteria ratio, said Washington University microbiology instructor Ruth Ley, a study co-author. It was as if one group got far more calories from the same bowl of Cheerios than the other, Gordon said. In a study of dozen dieting people, the results also were dramatic. Before dieting, about 3 percent of the gut bacteria in the obese participants was Bacteroidetes. But after dieting, the now normal-sized people had much higher levels of Bacteroidetes — close to 15 percent, Gordon said. "I think that gut bacteria affects body weight," said Virginia Commonwealth University pathology professor Richard Atkinson, who wasn't part of the research team and is president of Obetech Obesity Research Center in Richmond. "I don't think there's any doubt about that and they showed that." The growing field of research puts more importance in the trillions of microbes that live in our guts and elsewhere, crediting it with everything from generations of people getting taller to increases in diabetes and asthma. People are born germ-free, but within days they have a gut blooming with microbes. The microbes come from first foods — either breast milk or formula — the exterior environment, and the way the babies are born, said Stanford University medicine and microbiology professor David Relman, who was not part of the study. For decades, doctors have treated bacteria in a "warlike" manner, yet recent research shows that "most encounters we have with microbes are very beneficial," Gordon said. "Much of who we are and what we can do and can't do as human beings is directly related to microbial inhabitants," Relman said.

A research study completed in 2017 found that two people with chronic digestive disease and a hair loss condition called alopecia universalis were unexpectedly able to regrow their hair. Both patients had a procedure done to restore healthy bacteria (microbes) in their guts. After their procedures, the patients, who had experienced a total loss of hair on their scalps and bodies, regrew some of their hair over time. What Are the Microbes in Our Guts? We generally think of microbes, also called microorganisms or bacteria, as bugs that make us ill. However, there are trillions of microbes that live in our bodies, and most of them are beneficial. In fact, microbes outnumber our cells by ten to one. The collection of microbes in our bodies—including bacteria, viruses and fungi—is called the microbiome. These bugs help with digestion, immune function and skin health. Scientists believe the microbiome in our guts may also help regrow hair in the future, though more research is needed. Research on the Microbiome and Hair Regrowth In the 2017 study, both patients with chronic digestive conditions underwent fecal transplantation—a medical procedure where stool is collected from a healthy donor and transferred to a patient’s intestinal track. The transplantations helped replace good bacteria that was missing in their guts. Both patients had alopecia universalis, an advanced type of alopecia areata, at the time of their transplants. This hair loss condition is an autoimmune disease where a person’s immune system mistakenly attacks their hair follicles, resulting in the loss of hair. Eight weeks after the transplant, one patient reported that hair started to grow on his scalp, face and arms. Three years after the procedure, the same patient continued to have hair growth in these areas. The second patient achieved significant hair regrowth on his scalp and body after his transplant, going from 95-99% hair loss to 25-49% hair loss. Evidence connecting a healthy microbiome with healthy immune function is growing. Since alopecia universalis, a form of alopecia areata, is an autoimmune condition, there is a possibility that replacing good bacteria in the gut of a person with alopecia may help them regrow hair in the future. Is Fecal Transplantation the Answer for Hair Loss? This procedure is still in the early phases of research, so it’s not yet available as a treatment for hair loss. More research is needed to determine if fecal transplantation could address certain types of hair loss. In the meantime, you don’t have to accept losing your hair. There are options available now. Hair Club offers proven solutions that work for men and women of every age and ethnicity with every level of hair loss. Make an appointment for a free, private consultation at your local Hair Club center and learn which solution is right for your needs.

It might not seem obvious why anyone should care what's happening on the other side of the Sun. But NASA can explain: our home star is a seething, roiling ball of superhot gas that goes through cycles of relative quiet, punctuated by violent outbursts. Every so often, the Sun spits out a blob of charged subatomic particles — and occasionally, one of them is aimed directly at the Earth. These eruptions, known as coronal mass ejections, aren't enough to hurt the planet physically; they're very hot, but also very insubstantial. What they can do is fry the electronics of communications satellites, and even put astronauts in danger of a radiation overdose. These electronic storms are part of the broader phenomenon known as "space weather," and it's good to have as much warning as possible when the Sun is looking angry. (See a total eclipse of the sun.) The problem is that its angry face might be turned away from us, and it takes 12 days or so for the far side to rotate into view. That's one major reason that NASA launched the twin STEREO spacecraft (for Solar TErrestrial RElations Observatory) in 2006 to take up positions orbiting on opposite sides of the Sun. The satellites constantly image the Sun in several different wavelengths of light, which come from various layers near the Sun's surface, because the sunspots and magnetic storms that generate space weather — just like hurricanes and thunderstorms on Earth — have a three-dimensional structure.

Dan McKenzie, professor of geophysics at the University of Cambridge and a pioneer in the development of the principles of plate tectonics, will deliver the Mrs. Hepsa Ely Silliman Memorial Lecture. Titled “Plates and Earthquakes: Why We Expect a Million Deaths This Century,” the lecture will begin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 28 in the auditorium of Luce Hall, 34 Hillhouse Ave. McKenzie wrote the first papers that defined the principles of plate tectonics, arguably the most important theory in the history of geological science. This theory provides a unified explanation for a broad range of geological phenomena including earthquakes, volcanism, and mountain building as a result of horizontal relative motion of a strong surface layer called “plate.” McKenzie’s contributions include a geometrical model for motions of “plates” and physical models of processes in the Earth’s interior behind a variety of geological activities based on the fundamental principles of physics and chemistry. For his contributions to the theory of plate tectonics and other areas such as convection inside of the Earth, formation of sedimentary basins, and the processes of magma generation, McKenzie has received numerous awards including the Fellow of the Royal Society, the Wollaston Medal, the Japan Prize, the Bowie Medal, the Crafoord Prize, the Order of the Companions of Honour by Queen Elizabeth II, and the Copley Medal. Established in 1901, the Silliman Memorial Lectures series is the oldest at Yale. It was established by a bequest from Augustus Ely Silliman of Brooklyn, New York, in honor of his mother, Hepsa Ely Silliman.

WHALES EVOLVED NOT While studying whale evolution and looking at what type of evidence is presented, I found that no macro evolutionary evidence was presented from a biological process for several critical integrated biological systems. The evidence was mainly from homology and fossil placement and it assumed undocumented and unexamined biological changes throughout millions of years. Evolution was given credit, without scientific analysis of biological processes. Of course, this is typical of evolutionary science. No mutational evidence was presented, but many things could be attributed to genetic malfunction rather than genetic innovation. For instance: hind legs and pelvis withering away or the esophagus and trachea failing to join together in the embryo stage, or in skull development, or fin development being a mutated outgrowth of blood vessels. The critical timing of these changes to make them work together was not addressed. Most evolutionists must therefore believe by faith, that through fortunate mutations, they arose when they were needed. But whales are not malfunctioning land mammals. How could the biological process of mutation account for the innovative features in whales? There were four features that stood out as being evidence against whale evolution through genetic mutations. The evolution of these four features also seemed to be unexamined using science. If they have been, no one is talking about it. - Changes in the breathing system. - Changes in reproduction behavior. - The innovation of the baleen system. - The innovation of the sonar system. Usually only baleen and sonar were addressed by evolutionists but only to indicate when they first appear in the fossil record. No scientific analysis of the steps required from genetic changes via system building mutations was addressed. This is indirect evidence that an analysis of stepwise genetic change is damaging to the “fact” of evolution. Evolutionists do sometimes attempt to examine the steps that might occur across an evolutionary path, but in order to make it look plausible they skip over difficult but important details, attempt to steer the examination away from elements that support the conclusion of intelligent design, start at a point where most of the supposed evolution has already happened or fill in gaps with thought experiments that go untested by real science. A prime example of this would be the evolution of the eye. A paper by researchers at Lund University in the 1990s impressed many evolutionists with its claim that the eye could evolve in a stepwise fashion in a period of only a few hundred thousand years. They started with a light sensitive spot, which included all the intelligently designed biochemistry they needed. That is, they didn’t start with something that had been demonstrated could evolve. Then they showed the steps that would need to be taken to change the structures of the existing materials in the light sensitive spot to an eyeball. But they used an intelligently designed path. All the evolutionists were impressed, but no one seemed to notice that their eye could never be functional. They forgot to include a very important part of the function of they eye. Signal processing. Without signal processing the better optical properties of the eye would be useless and therefore would not have been selected. Their target of better optical properties was completely unrealistic. Scientific American in July 2011, repeated the assumptions, but concluded that natural selection would have created the signal processing. Thus assuming that the mutations to create and coordinate signal processing were just there. According to Trevor Lamb signal processing would have just happened. He said, “With the advent of the lens to capture light and focus images, the eye’s information-gathering capability increased dramatically. This augmentation would have created selection pressures favoring the emergence of improved signal processing in the retina beyond what the simple connection of photoreceptors to output neurons afforded.” So the signal processing came about because there was more signal to process. Just believe. Would extra information gathering favor emergence? Scientifically wouldn’t we want to explain why or how it could emerge from multiple mutations? No one has proven signal processing, photoreceptors or neurons could evolve through mutation. We know the complexity of these things are specified and coordinated and that we can intelligently design systems that mimic their properties. In fact, I think that things like signal processing are convincing proof against evolution and it’s probably a major reason why it’s not discussed in evolutionary scenarios. Or as in the case above, brushed aside with a simplistic just-so story. Whales have two systems that depend heavily on signal processing, the baleen system and the sonar system. Neither can be attributed to a gradual, step-wise, mutation driven, evolutionary origin. The best that is offered from the evolutionists is when the physical features connected with them first appear in the fossil record. But the physical attributes are useless without signal processing. We know more now than we did in Darwin’s day, but evolutionary analysis still largely flows through the 19th century level of understanding. This did not require an understanding of variation, mutation or signal processing, but it is at the core of all biology. Echolocation requires advance signal processing. Could mutations cause the specialized organ for focusing sound, the sophisticated signal processing required to turn sound into a 3D picture or the instincts to use such a system? One recent discovery is that the sonar system in dolphins, already known to share multiple features with echolocation in bats, also shares many genetic and molecular elements. Evolutionists call this “convergent evolution.” What this means is that they believe it evolved more than once, not that they can explain it via the process of mutation, or have any science that backs such a belief. Molecular convergence caused one disheartened evolutionist to speculate that maybe a sonar creating virus was behind it. Why not just accept that science is confirming the need for intelligent design? Convergence, which should be extremely rare in evolution, is actually widespread. This is because it’s an illusion created by a misconception of how biological systems originate. We share numerous presumably convergent features with all sorts of organisms from jellyfish to birds. This would be expected if life is the product of intelligently designed systems, but it’s a problem for evolution. Evolutionists usually invoke natural selection as the cause for convergence because they are unsure how to deal with the implications of the multiple genetic mutations that would be needed to create the similarities. The origins of the genetic differences that make up any complex coordinated systems are answered by intelligent design. Baleen requires very precise movements to keep it from breaking under the pressures exerted when a whale is feeding. This requires a special organ that detects the pressures used to regulate movements. The organ would be of no use without the signal processing needed. The question isn’t when it evolved, which is what evolutionists convince themselves with, but how mutation could cause it to evolve. Organs such as this have no reason to arise, when there isn’t any purpose or survival advantage until it has an impact on a population. The gap isn’t answered by natural selection until the mutations to create the organ have been defined. We know that intelligent design is a viable answer, and evolutionists admit to it. Stephen J Gould said in speaking of the arm that “any engineer starting from scratch could design a better limb”. Trevor Lamb, mentioned above said that “if engineers were to build an eye with the flaws of our own they would probably be fired.” Of course these are false claims. No engineer can do genetic design to create an arm or an eye from scratch…because we don’t know enough yet. These evolutionists mistakenly think that if they find what they think is a flaw or a sub optimal design this means nature has the capacity to design it. But all this does is show their hand. They admit that they think that intelligent design is capable of designing life, and they believe by faith, according to their own admission, that human understanding and intelligence can do it now and do it better. But, in reality they can’t even get to the first cell without borrowing from future understanding. That is we still have to get smarter before we can even build a single cell of our own design from scratch, let alone structures, organs and systems and the signal processing and communication networks that tie them together. The other problem that is not considered in evolutionary scenarios is instinct. It seems that evolutionists assume that if you have a feature the instincts to use them automatically evolve along with the features. That is, mice jumping out of trees will eventually grow wings, develop sonar and the instincts to use them. Or land mammals wading into the water will eventually grow fins, develop sonar and the instincts to use them. Instinct would have to evolve, but that is not evidence that it would or did. For whales there are at least two instinctual behaviors that are critical to survival. They are reproduction and breathing. Blowholes are not just modified nostrils that drifted up the skull. They are the most noticeable aspect of a radically different system for breathing. There is no evidence to support the needed changes to soft tissue or behavior in the fossil record so they can go overlooked in evolutionary stories. This is a side effect of using geology to verify biology. A whale doesn’t breath automatically like other mammals. It must make a conscious decision for each breath. This means whales can’t sleep like other mammals. One half of their brain sleeps while the other must remain awake. Then there are the changes to the lungs to allow for more oxygen absorption and water pressure, changes in myoglobin levels to allow for more oxygen storage and other changes in metabolism to allow for aquatic survival. How many genetic changes needed to occur? At what rate? In what combinations? Evolutionists don’t answer these questions with science, but rhetoric, because science has already determined that mutation won’t produce these effects. Whales breathing system didn’t evolve, it was designed. We can only imagine how the land mammals that evolutionist’s call “whales” reproduced. At some point that method of reproduction had to change. The problem for evolution is that reproduction is driven almost completely by complicated instinctual behaviors and responses. Which means, at some point both the instinct of the adults and offspring had to change radically from what we know of other mammals. Reproduction is an absolute unforgiving requirement for life to survive. For evolution however, multiple mutations have to work together or there is no survival. And this is where evolution fails when examining biological systems. In the case of whales, there had to be a point where they began to give birth in the water. This had to coincide with the development of the instincts of both the parent and offspring telling them what to do. For example surfacing is not a concern when giving birth on land, but the single instinct of the offspring to surface is essential. One instinctual response of the evolutionist is to claim that it evolved before it was needed. Ok, but that’s not a scientific answer. It’s really not right to claim science is on your side and present faith based answers. But I think that’s just human nature. Whales didn’t evolve. It’s not that these matters are awaiting scientific investigation so that Evolutionists can find out the evolutionary origins of whales. Science has already demonstrated that mutations don’t create the kinds of effects that needed to occur if evolution were a fact. Whale existence is evidence that evolution is false, before the fossil evidence is even considered. The real connection between land mammals such as the pakicetus and the blue whale is that the same creator designed them both. Science doesn’t give us any reason to doubt that whales were intelligently designed. This is not true for evolution. Nineteenth century science made evolution seem plausible because it looked at shapes and sequences. But intelligent design using the codes and programming of life, and looking at the deeper questions this raises, has 21st century science on its side.

Most of us don’t get to see the male snow bunting in its snowiest attire—its pure white-and-black breeding plumage worn when the birds are on the Arctic tundra. In winter, when they are present across much of northern North America, both males and females are rusty and white with black wingtips. The snow bunting is 6 ¾ inches in length. The snow bunting’s calls are a whistled descending cheew! and a harsh, nasal brzzzt! given in winter flocks. The song is a musical warble full of tyeew notes. Summers are spent in the far North on the tundra. They return to the tundra in early spring because unlike most other arctic songbirds, they nest in rock cavities, so competition for high-quality territories is intense. In winter, flocks move south, where they prefer open areas such as beaches and farm fields (especially ones with freshly spread manure). From late fall to spring, the snow bunting eats mainly weeds and grass seeds largely covered in snow. Then from summer to early fall, they feast on a mixed diet of seeds, buds, and invertebrates, always foraging on the ground. They nest in rocky areas or boulder fields. Snow buntings hide their nests deep in narrow cracks and fissures and therefore, suffer lower rates of nest predation than open-nesting arctic songbirds. However, this safety comes at a cost. Cold rock cavities have harsh microclimates for developing eggs, which increase incubation periods or kills developing embryos. Mean clutch size increases with latitude. The females incubate for 10.5 to 13.5 days while the male brings food to her to shorten the incubation period and increase the hatching success. Typically, chicks depart from the nest asynchronously and continue to be fed by parents for 8 to 12 days. Baby buntings develop a distinctive begging call so their parents can locate the dispersed babies more easily. Snow buntings can handle extreme cold—as low as 58 degrees below zero. They may burrow into the snow to shelter from the freezing wind and stay warm.

It's an exciting milestone for parents when their child begins cutting teeth, but it can also be distressing to realize that your baby is beginning a period of irritability and discomfort that you cannot prevent or cure. There are, however, some symptoms you can recognize and methods to relieve the discomfort of the teething process for your child. There are other symptoms that might appear during this time that may seem to be related to teething but are actually indicative of another issue. Read on to learn the difference. Different children will suffer different symptoms to varying degrees during the teething process. Common symptoms include painful or sensitive gums, excessive drooling, lack of sleep, irritability and difficulties feeding, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. These symptoms can lead to an uncomfortable, cranky child and anxious, sleep deprived parents. So finding ways to alleviate the discomfort is important for both parent and child. What To Do - Give your child a cool, clean object like a teething ring. Chewing on something cool and hard can help alleviate some of his discomfort. - Be diligent about what you allow your child to chew on. Make sure everything he puts in his mouth is clean and safe. If a teething ring drops on the ground, be sure to disinfect it before giving it back to your child. - Rub your child's gums with a cold piece of gauze, a chilled spoon or your finger. This can help relieve some of the swelling and sensitivity. - Wipe your child's face with a cool cloth. Removing the excess drool from your child's cheeks and chin will reduce the chance of a facial rash. - Consult your pediatrician on what they recommend to handle teeth erupting in the mouth. Common sense is usually the best course of action when dealing with a teething child. Matching your interventions to the amount of discomfort and irritability your child is displaying is a good rule of thumb. Be Aware of What Symptoms Aren't Related to Teething According to a study in the Western Journal of Medicine, many severe symptoms, and even death, were historically attributed to cutting teeth. Even today, it is common for parents to attribute symptoms such as fever and diarrhea to their child's erupting teeth. It is unwise and potentially dangerous to shrug off what could be symptoms of a serious illness. During the period between six and 30 months, when teething occurs, infants are generally exposed to a wide variety of childhood diseases while their passive immunity from their mother's antibodies decreases. While a slightly elevated temperature and reddened cheeks may be symptomatic of tooth eruption, fever and diarrhea are not and should be addressed by a physician as soon as possible. Being aware of your child's teething symptoms and reacting intelligently and proportionately to them is the best way to deal with this difficult period in your child's growth. Alleviating the worst of the symptoms of cutting teeth while being aware of what is not related to teething can help both you and your child sleep, eat and enjoy your time together in health and safety.

When birds go shopping for an Iowa home, they look for food, water, shelter and nesting sites. Gardens that offer a mix of trees, shrubs, grasses and flowers will attract several bird species. Although deadheading flowers is a summertime garden chore, letting some blooms go to seed will help attract seed lovers, especially goldfinches. They are among the last songbirds to nest each summer because they depend on seeds for food. Gardeners also can attract other finches and cardinals with seeds of perennials like coreopsis, purple coneflower, and black-eyed Susan as well as seeds of ornamental grasses. Hummingbirds may be regular visitors to a garden with bright red, orange, yellow or blue tubular flowers that offer nectar. In my garden they visit perennials like azure salvia, columbine, coral bells, daylilies, monarda and penstemon as well as annuals like nasturtium and petunia. They also visit bright geraniums and marigolds. Many other flowers attract birds. Some of the best include annuals such as cornflower (bachelor’s buttons), cosmos, gaillardia (blanket flower), larkspur, portulaca (moss rose) and sunflower as well as perennials such as aster, phlox and yarrow. Birds that overwinter select a “birdscape” in which perennials and grasses are left standing and offer plentiful seedheads. Grasses that offer attractive winter interest to a garden as well as seeds for the birds include: feather reed grass ‘Karl Foerster’, northern sea oats, silver feather miscanthus, little bluestem and prairie dropseed. To learn more, download RG 401, “Ornamental Grasses with Winter Interest,” and RG 304, “Late Season Perennial Flowers” at https://store.extension.iastate.edu/. Send questions via email to email@example.com. Iowa Master Gardener training begins September 19 (register by 9/13). Call Boone County Extension for details, (515) 432-3882, or email firstname.lastname@example.org.

Day-to-day assessment in mathematics This CPD theme is aimed specifically at schools that wish to consider developing their use of assessment for learning in mathematics. It is relevant for the whole primary age-range, drawing specifically on examples within Years 1, 3 and 5. Initially this area contains an overview of professional development for schools and local authorities to support assessment for learning in mathematics. The overview builds upon the professional development themes of number concepts and calculation available within the mathematics area of the CPD section of the site. Further materials will be provided as they become available though the Assessment for Learning (AfL) area of the Primary Framework.

The elements in which the last electron enters the outermost s-orbital are called s-block elements. s-block has two groups (1 and 2). - Group 1 elements are called alkali metals. They form hydroxides by reacting with water that is strongly alkaline in nature and hence are regarded as alkali metals. - Whereas Group 2 elements are called alkaline earth metals. The oxides and hydroxides of these metals are alkaline in nature and exist in earth crust and hence are regarded as alkaline earth metals.

Museographical history Of the two fundamental core collections that have contributed to the museum displays of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples, the so-called “Pompeian Collections” are perhaps the most famous worldwide. The collections date back to the eighteenth century and are linked to the development of archaeological work in the area around Vesuvius, which began in 1738 and gradually evolved over the course of two and a half centuries. Furnishings, statues, mosaics, frescoes, tools and utensils from the Vesuvian area, which are now housed in the Naples museum, have come to form the largest collection of objects related to culture and daily life in Campania in the late first century AD. The new museum display, which is still under way, also includes the “Pompeian collections”. Many of them are still displayed according to the original organisation according to genre and material used by Fiorelli; this layout is gradually being ... Magna Graecia in the museum collections

Smallpox Information for Public Health Officials West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Smallpox: Information for Public Health Officials Unique Epidemiological Characteristics - No natural reservoir anywhere in the world - Implications for investigation: Case is BT until proven otherwise (i.e., lab accident) - Incubation period: 7-17 days - Person-to-person transmission by droplets > contact with contaminated clothing and bedding > aerosol - Mortality: 30% in pre-erradication era - Environmental: not environmentally hardy. - Prophylaxis: vaccine is effective if administered within 72 hours of exposure - Treatment: none - Implications: Hospital personnel must be trained in recognition of smallpox so that persons are presumptively isolated. - Vaccine and personal protective equipment recommended for persons who will have contact with smallpox-infected individuals - Contraindications (pre-event – not a comprehensive list): - immunosuppression, eczema or exfoliative skin condition, or pregnancy in vaccine candidate OR household member of vaccine candidate - Age < 18 - Vaccine component allergy - Employees who will have face-to-face contact with smallpox patients MUST have been vaccinated (with documented take) AND fit-tested with an N-95 mask. In addition, contact precautions (gloves, gown) are required. Lifesaving interventions – in order: - Recognition / reporting / case-finding + airborne and contact isolation of cases - Contact tracing and ring vaccination - Collect and analyze risk information to identify source AND - identify the exposed population to be place under surveillance AND - identify household contacts of exposed so they can be vaccinated - Physicians: recognition / reporting / isolation / employee health - ICPs: reporting, active surveillance procedures / vaccination / isolation / employee health - Labs: procedure for referral of specimens to CDC. - Local health departments, regional epidemiologists: Investigation / vaccination / isolation/ employee health - IDEP / DSDC / BPH: employee health / investigation / isolation / vaccination / priorities for prevention and control

Shipwrecks in the West Michigan Underwater Preserve The West Michigan Underwater Preserve promotes scuba diving and conservation of the wrecks located here in West Michigan. The West Michigan Underwater Preserve in Lake Michigan covers from north of Big Sable Point, Ludington in the north to the Southwest Michigan Underwater Preserve in the south. This area contains ten known shipwrecks, and almost certainly more waiting to be discovered. Read below to learn more about some of the known shipwrecks in the West Michigan Underwater Preserve area. Built in Cleveland in 1868, the Brightie foundered in Lake Michigan north of Whitehall on August 13, 1928.Read more about the Brightie In 50′ of water about 1/2 mile NW of the Whitehall Channel is a naturally occurring clay wall.Read more about the Clay Wall Approximately five miles north of Pentwater, the Comanche is a 75 – 100′ tugboat in 75′ of water.Read more about the Comanche The Henry Cort was stranded along the Muskegon Breakwall of Lake Michigan on Nov. 30, 1934.Read more about the Cort, Henry The Daisy Day is a 103′ wooden steam-powered bulk freighter that sank in Lake Michigan in 1891.Read more about the Daisy Day Davock, William B. The William B. Davock is a 420′ steel bulk freight steamer that sank in the Armistice Day storm of 1940.Read more about the Davock, William B. The Hamilton Reef is an artificial reef of cement rubble just south of the Muskegon Channel.Read more about the Hamilton Reef The Helen, a 90′ merchant schooner, sank in the gale of November 18, 1886.Read more about the Helen Built in Algonac, MI in 1893, the Interlaken sank in a storm in 1936.Read more about the Interlaken The Ironsides, a 218′ wooden twin prop steamer, foundered in heavy seas off the Grand Haven pier in 1873.Read more about the Ironsides Minch, Anna C. The Anna C. Minch was broken in two and went down in the Armistice Day storm in 1940.Read more about the Minch, Anna C. The Novadoc shipwreck is a 252′ steel bulk freighter that went down in the Armistice Day storm of 1940.Read more about the Novadoc The Salvor is a 253′ wooden pseduo-whaleback steamer. In 1930, she foundered in a storm while being towed.Read more about the Salvor State of Michigan A 165′ wooden passenger freight steamer, the State of Michigan was built in 1875 and sank on October 18, 1901.Read more about the State of Michigan

Blood has four main components, with red blood cells being the most abundant of the four. Erythrocytes or red blood cells perform many essential functions in the body. Most notably, red blood cells contain important molecules that allow them to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide through the body. Red blood cells begin as immature cells in the bone marrow and enter the bloodstream as they mature. They are flexible and can change shape easily, allowing them to fit through blood vessels of any size. Red blood cells possess a biconcave shape with a flat center. In other words, both sides of the cell resemble a shallow bowl, but with plump, torus-like edges. The increased surface area of the biconcave shape facilitates better gas exchange in comparison to cells with more spherical shapes. Because they are flexible and malleable, their size can vary. A typical human red blood cell has a diameter of between 6.2 and 8.2 micrometers. The thickest area of a red blood cell is just over two micrometers while the thinnest may be under a single micrometer thick. For comparison, a single human hair is between 60 and 120 micrometers wide. Generally, adult humans have anywhere between 20 trillion and 30 trillion red blood cells at any given moment. Men typically have higher red blood cell counts than women. Living at high altitudes tends to increase red blood cell counts in both sexes. A man will typically have around five million cells per microliter of blood while women have around four million. In comparison, there are fewer than 11 thousand white blood cells and 400 thousand platelets per microliter. Red blood cells account for 45 percent of the cells in the blood. In mammals, red blood cells lack many of the internal components other cells have. They lack mitochondria and therefore rely on anaerobic respiration. This means red blood cells do not use any of the oxygen they collect, allowing more oxygen to travel to areas that need it. Red blood cells also lack endoplasmic reticula so they cannot synthesize proteins. Instead, they contain structural proteins that allow them to change shape and maintain their structure. Red blood cells have a membrane that enables many functions. The membrane has three layers: the glycocalyx, the lipid bilayer, and the membrane skeleton. The glycocalyx is the most exterior layer and is rich in carbohydrates. The lipid bilayer contains many transmembrane proteins that allow for the exchange of materials through the membrane. Finally, the membrane skeleton consists of a structural network of proteins that sits on the inner area of the lipid bilayer. In vertebrates, red blood cells consist mostly of a metalloprotein -- hemoglobin. Within hemoglobin are heme groups with iron atoms that can temporarily bind to oxygen molecules. This is what allows the cells to collect oxygen in the lungs and transport it through the body. Hemoglobin is red, and gives red blood cells their signature color. The cells can change color depending on the level of oxygen in the cell, however. Hemoglobin with oxygen, oxyhemoglobin, is scarlet. After the red blood cell releases the oxygen, oxyhemoglobin becomes deoxyhemoglobin and develops a dark red color. Air sacs in the lungs or alveoli allow red blood cells to absorb oxygen from inhaled air. Then the red blood cells travel through blood vessels such as veins and capillaries until they reach capillary beds. These areas are extremely narrow and slow the flow of cells dramatically, creating a longer amount of time for the release of oxygen into the surrounding areas. Carbon dioxide enters the bloodstream, and some of it binds to the amino acids present in hemoglobin, becoming carbaminohemoglobin. The red blood cells then carry carbon dioxide back to the lungs, where they exchange CO2 for oxygen. If red blood cells experience shear stress, they release ATP to relax the surrounding blood vessels and promote normal blood flow. In addition, they release organic compounds that direct blood to areas of the body that require oxygen. Red blood cells also play a role in the immune system. By releasing free radicals from their hemoglobin, red blood cells can break down the cell walls and membranes of pathogens. Without their protective walls and membranes, the pathogens die. Erythropoiesis, the process by which the body produces new red blood cells, takes around seven days. In embryos, this process occurs in the liver. After birth, responsibility transfers to the red bone marrow of large bones. The body produces more than two million red blood cells per second in the bone marrow. Using glucose, lipids, amino acids, iron, copper, zinc, and B vitamins, the bone marrow creates a blood stem cell which may become a red blood cell. Reticulocytes are developing red blood cells that begin to flow from the bone marrow into the blood. Around one percent of circulating red blood cells are reticulocytes. On average, red blood cells have a lifetime of between 100 and 120 days. Over time, red blood cells undergo changes that allow macrophages from the bone marrow, liver, and spleen to remove them. The body breaks down the red blood cells and recycles their various components. Globin, the protein portion of hemoglobin, breaks down into amino acids, which may travel to the bone marrow for use in the production of new erythrocytes. The body stores iron in the liver or spleen, though it may also send it to the bone marrow for erythropoiesis. Non-iron portions degrade into biliverdin and then bilirubin, which the liver uses to manufacture bile. Many conditions and diseases can affect the body’s red blood cell count and cause harmful effects as a result. Low red blood cell counts can lead to fatigue, dizziness, weakness, headaches, shortness of breath, and pale skin. High red blood cell counts can cause similar issues, as well as joint pain, itching skin, and tenderness. Physicians may need to order additional testing to understand why a patient’s red blood cell count is above or below normal. This site offers information designed for educational purposes only. You should not rely on any information on this site as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment, or as a substitute for, professional counseling care, advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional.

Tiananmen Square massacre |Tiananmen Square massacre| |Demonstrator in Tiananmen Square| |Literal meaning||June Fourth Incident| The Tiananmen Square massacre took place when a series of peaceful pro-democracy demonstrations led by students, labor activists and intellectuals in China between April 15, 1989 and June 4, 1989, were broken up by the army. The death toll is estimated to be between 1,000 and 3,000 in Beijing alone. The demonstrations mainly took place on Tiananmen Square in Beijing, but large protests also occurred in several cities throughout China, including Shanghai. The crackdown was a source of friction between China and the West, and also between the visiting Mikhail Gorbachev and the Chinese Government. Tiananmen Square had been the scene of earlier significant demonstrations in Chinese history, notably those of May 4, 1919 protesting against concessions to Japan, and the demonstrations of April 5, 1976 following the death of Zhou Enlai, the latter being broken up by police. The square was also the venue in 1966-67 of giant demonstrations by the Chinese Red Guards during the Cultural Revolution. On June 14, 1989, Former President Ronald Reagan spoke about the massacre. He said: "The seeds of democracy have been planted. It may take years or even decades before the people of these countries can sit in the shade of democracy, but sit in the shade of democracy they someday will." - Tiananmen - the Rape of Peking. Michael Fathers and Andrew Higgins, 1989. - Reagan Gets A Red Carpet From British, The New York Times, June 14, 1989, "You cannot massacre an idea, you cannot run tanks over hope. You cannot riddle a people's yearning with bullets. Those heroic Chinese students who gave their lives have released the spirit of democracy and it cannot be called back. That spirit is loose upon the world this spring." - President Reagan Speaks Out on Tiananmen Square Massacre, NBC - Victims of Tiananmen Massacre, Beijing, June 4, 1989.

Academically near the top of most of her classes, her jaw dropped when she saw the red-circled grade at the top of her English essay paper. “I thought I’d done much better than this,” she remarked. “I really need some English writing help.” If you too share difficulties in writing English, here is some English writing help. Common Errors and English Writing Tips While there can be a broad range of difficulties and errors in writing in English made by both native and non-native speakers of the language, there are some kinds of errors which predominate writing in English. Here are some of the most common errors in writing English and English writing tips on how to avoid them. 1. Subject to Verb Agreement In writing English, sometimes proper subject to verb agreement is not followed. In English, the verb is conjugated in relation to the person and number of the related or implied pronoun. So, using the verb “to be,” for example, the correct conjugations are “I am,” “you are,” “he/she/it is,” “we are,” and “they are.” - INCORRECT: “I are a student.” “They is at home.” or “She are good in English.” - CORRECT: “I am a student.” - CORRECT: “They are at home.” - CORRECT: “She is good in English.” The third person singular form of present tense verbs can be especially troublesome when writing English. English present tense verbs typically get an “s” or “es” ending. - INCORRECT: “He like play soccer.” - CORRECT: “He likes to play soccer.” or “He likes playing soccer.” - CORRECT: “She wishes they were at the beach.” - CORRECT: “Larry dances salsa really well. 2. Verb Gerund – Infinitive Confusion In addition to normal conjugation for expression of tense and person, verbs have two additional, commonly used forms. They are the gerund and the infinitive. The infinitive verb form begins with “to” plus the base form of the verb (to dance) and is used for more defined, concrete actions or intentions. The infinitive is used to show purpose or function. The infinitive can also be used to say why a person does something. For example: - “A graph is used to show data" - “They went to bed to sleep.” The gerund, or present participle, form uses the base form of a verb with an “ing” ending (dancing) and has a more abstract function. The gerund is used as an object of some verbs to show purpose or function and after “like” or “enjoy.” A common error in writing is to misuse these verb forms as in these examples: - INCORRECT: “I like to dancing.” - CORRECT: “I like to dance.” - CORRECT: “I like dancing.” The two forms, infinitive with “to” or the gerund form (“-ing”) with “for,” are also used to express purpose or use of an item. - INCORRECT: “A watch is used for to tell the time.” - INCORRECT: “A watch is used for tell the time.” - INCORRECT: “A watch is used to telling the time.” - CORRECT: “A watch is used to tell the time.” - CORRECT: “A watch is used for telling the time.” 3. Plurals of Irregular Nouns English is loaded with rule exceptions and irregularities. One of these which is most troublesome to English language learners is the plurals of irregular nouns. One group of these irregular nouns which frequently cause errors in writing are nouns which end in “ch,” “sh,” “x,” “s,” or “o.” The plural of this group of nouns is formed by adding “es.” - INCORRECT: watchs, dishs, boxs, kissis, potatos - CORRECT: watches, dishes, boxes, kisses and potatoes Another set of plural nouns which end in “y” are also irregular. These generally form the plural by dropping the “y” and adding “ies” as with the nouns baby, candy, and city. - INCORRECT: babys, candys, citys, countrys - CORRECT: babies, candies, cities, countries 4. Use of “A” or “An” and “The” In Spanish, for example, most nouns carry an article, either masculine “el” or feminine “la.” In English, however, this is not the case. Nouns normally receive a definite determiner ("the," "this," "that," "these," "those") or an indefinite article (“a” or “an”) when a quantity is indicated or a distinction is made between general and specific. Generally, nouns which begin with a consonant sound get the article “a” as in "a table," "a house," "a car," or "a student." Generally, nouns which begin with a vowel sound receive the article “an” as in "an apple," "an elephant," "an octopus," "an ice cream cone," or "an umbrella." There are a few exceptions: we write “an MP3” because the letter “m” in the acronym has the vowel sound of “e.” Some nouns are exceptions: “a unicorn” and “a university” are two examples because both begin with the consonant sound "y." - INCORRECT: “This is an hat.” - CORRECT: “This is a hat.” Use of the Definite Article “The” Another frequently misused article when writing in English is the definite article. “The” indicates a specific or only entity or thing. It is used when a particular person or object is being referred to. Also, “the” is used when using the superlative. “The” can also be used for a singular countable noun. For example: - “I want the red apple, not the green one.” - “Please close the window.” - “The Houston Rockets are the best basketball team.” - “The clock is on the wall.” 5. Improper Use of “Some” or “Any” For small, indefinite quantities or amounts, English uses the nonspecific object pronoun quantifiers “some” and “any.” The English writing rules generally are as follows. Use “some” in positive statements and in questions when the expected answer is “yes”. For example: - “We need some eggs”. - “Could we have some coffee please?” Use “any” in a negative statement or most questions. Also use "any" with “if” and words such as "never," "hardly," "without," "refuse," and "doubt," which have negative connotations. For example: - “We don’t have any coffee.” - “Do we have any sugar?” - “They never have any fun.” Although most words can take both "some" and "any" depending on context, these two words can be used incorrectly. For example: - INCORRECT: “We don’t need some bread.” - INCORRECT: “We need any milk.” - CORRECT: “We don’t need any bread.” - CORRECT: “We need some milk.” Follow and Succeed Writing in English need not be a self-defeating cause if you follow these English writing tips to help to improve your English writing and English grammar usage. While there are numerous other aspects which should be considered, paying attention to these commonly made errors in English will offer rapid improvement in your English writing skills. - Guide to Grammar and Writing; http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/ - English Grammar Online; http://www.ego4u.com/ - English Grammar Usage and Style Reference Site; http://www.refdesk.com/factgram.html - Printed References: How English Works: A Grammar Practice Book by Michael Swan & Catherine Walter from Oxford University Press Mosaic One: A Content-Based Grammar by Patricia K. Werner from McGraw-Hill Cambridge Dictionary of American English from Cambridge University Press Webster’s New World Dictionary Third College Edition from Prentice Hall Fundamentals of English Grammar by Betty Schrampfer Azar from Regents/Prentice Hall - Daily Writing Tips; http://www.dailywritingtips.com/ - Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL); http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ - About.com English as a Second Language Grammar Reference; http://esl.about.com/blgrammar.htm

I am excerpting this post from my personal blog. This semester,in my “Evolution of Music in South Asia” course, I gave 2.5 lectures on Chapter 3 of Professor Janaki Bahkle’s book Two Men and Music: Nationalism and the Making of an Indian Classical Tradition— focusing on Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. In her book Two Men and Music: Nationalism and the Making of an Indian Classical Tradition(Oxford University Press 2005), Professor Janaki Bakhle extensively discusses Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860-1936), a musicologist largely responsible for the standardization of Hindustani Classical Music. Bakhle describes Pandit Bhatkhande as “one of Indian music’s most contentious, arrogant, polemical, contradictory, troubled and troubling characters. It may be better to view him not as a charlatan or a savior, but as a tragic figure, one who was his own worst enemy. All through his writings, there is ample evidence of elitism, prejudice, and borderline misogyny” (99). She goes on to note the irony that though Bhatkhande is revered as a great figure in Hindustani music, his vision for the art form is not being followed today. For example, Bhatkhande wanted to create a national tradition for Indian music, not necessarily a Hindu tradition. Yet today, much of Hindustani Classical music is “suffused with sacrality” (99). Bakhle describes how at a recent musical gathering in Bombay, Bhatkhande’s portrait was adorned by a marigold garland with a silver incense stand placed in front of it. She asks the crucial question: “How did it happen that a vision that began with scholastics, debate, and secularism culminated in garlands and incense?” (100). Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande was born on August 10, 1860, into a Brahmin family in Bombay. Although neither of his parents was a professional musician, he and his siblings were taught music. This was not unusual in a family of his class background. At age 15, Bhatkhande began receiving instruction in sitar and studying Sanskrit texts on music theory, a field of inquiry that would remain his obsession throughout his life. In 1884, he joined the Gayan Uttejak Mandali, the music appreciation society, which exposed him to a rapidly expanding world of music performance and pedagogy. He studied with musicians such as Shri Raojibua Belbagkar and Ustad Ali Husain, learning a huge number of compositions, both khayal and dhrupad (100-101). In 1887, Bhatkhande received his LLB from Bombay University and began a brief career as a criminal lawyer. After the death of his wife in 1900 and of his daughter in 1903, he abandoned this career to turn his full attention to music. The first thing he did was to embark on a series of musical research tours, the first of which was conducted in 1896. He traveled with a series of questions. His major project was to search out and then write a “connected history” of music and it began with these tours, which he believed would give him some clues to help recover some missing links. He was less interested in the actual performance of music than in the theory that underpinned the education of the musician. He kept several diaries of his tours, which served not only as an account of his travels but also as blueprints for his future writings. Bakhle notes that he “did not interview the people he met so much as he interrogated them, seeking out what he judged to be their ignorance. In all these encounters Bhatkhande met only men. He had little regard for women musicians and did not believe he could learn anything from them” (103). Bakhle describes several encounters that Bhatkhande had with various scholars of music. One that is particularly indicative of his attitude towards practicing musicians and to Muslims in general is the dialogue he had with Karamatullah Khan, a sarod player from Allahabad. During this conversation, Khan argued that knowledge of Hindustani music did not come only from Sanskrit texts but also from those in Arabic and Persian. He also stated that it did not matter if the ragas had come to India from Persia or Arabia or gone from India to those countries. This argument deeply upset Bhatkhande who was obsessed with finding a Sanskrit origin for an Indian national music. Bakhle writes: “From the vantage point of the late twentieth century, Karamatullah Khan was voicing a prescient and progressive claim against national, ethnic and religious essentialism when it came to music. But Bhatkhande was looking for a ‘classical’ music that existed in his time not one that used to exist in ancient times” (112). She goes on to note that Bhatkhande was “not unique among late-nineteenth and early-twentieth century nationalists in caring deeply about a classical and pure past… All nations ought to have a system of classical music” (113). Bakhle argues that “Bhatkhande’s search for the origins of Indian music was not a simple Hindu nationalist search. He emphasized that music as it was currently being performed belonged to a different period, one that was constitutively modern and adequately different from previous periods so that any reliance on texts such as the Dharmashastras as a guide for everyday life was seen by him as romantic at best and anachronistic at worst. [He] rejected the idea that the claim for an unbroken history of music could be sustained merely by asserting that Hindustani music could reach back into antiquity, to the Sama Veda chants, as the origins of contemporary music. He also came to discover that music’s relationship to texts more than two hundred years old was difficult, if not impossible to prove” (115).

Going green when it comes to home improvements and remodeling is now being discussed on a greater level than ever before. More people are becoming conscious of the fact that the planet needs to be protected in order to be saved, and if everyone plays a part, great strides can be made in preserving the earth and its resources. As noted on MSNBC’s website, many contractors and homeowners alike are still not certain just what constitutes going green. But there are improvements that can be done to an existing home or building techniques that can be used when working on a new home to help the environment and drastically cut down on pollution and the misuse of the planet’s natural resources. For an existing home, one of the main features that can be changed to help conserve power is the use of solar panels. They can come in the form of panels on the roof, walls or trellises. This type of system is being more widely used, and it is not unusual to see new homes going up with solar panels being used somewhere in the construction. Solar power can also be very useful for outdoor lighting. Solar lights for the outside of a property are charged by the sun’s rays during the daylight hours and automatically turn on at night without the use of electricity. The sun is the source of power for solar lights to do their job. Solar lights are available in a wide variety of styles and are a resourceful way of illuminating the exterior of a home. There are a number of things that can be done in the interior of the house to help the planet as well. Energy-efficientappliances, such as refrigerators, washers and dryers, are a good way to conserve on electricity and water. Many appliances are now available with some type of energy-saving capability. Even toilets are now manufactured that cut down on the amount of water that is used. The new models of central air conditioning units are more energy-efficient as well. In fact, when looking for a new appliance for the home, it is hard to find one that does not have energy-saving ability built in. Manufacturers of large and smaller appliances are becoming more aware of conserving energy and passing that awareness on to the consumer. The Energy Star rating for energy-efficient appliances can be found on many products, with the number of products containing this rating increasing all the time. Lighting the interior of the home with Energy Star light bulbs is another good way to conserve energy and cut down on electric bills. These bulbs last much longer than traditional bulbs and can be used in ceiling lights, table lamps, floor lamps, and other lighting fixtures throughout the house. At Energy Star, there is helpful information concerning Energy Star products that are available. This website also has advice for consumers regarding ways to make their homes more green and healthy for family members and the environment. Another energy saver is to put lights on a timer when away from home. There is no need to have lights blazing needlessly, and when lights go on and off at a certain time, it will give the appearance of someone being home even when the house is empty. This is a deterrent to any thief who might be keeping a watch on the residence. Yet another way to go green is to use natural cleaning products in the home. These products are safe for the planet as they are not composed of harmful fumes and chemicals. They can do a very good job of cleaning but are more gentle for individuals to use in the close confines of a house. It is surprising how much cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter can be lost from a home’s interior through cracks around windows and doors. A home improvement that can cut down on lost air conditioning and heating is to fill in these openings, no matter how tiny, and make the home more energy-efficient. The air inside the house will stay inside the house, and air from outside will not come in unless it is meant to through an open window. And windows bring up another home improvement topic. Old windows can be an eyesore. Properly fitting windows are not only an attractive addition to the home, but will also help to save on energy bills. And the new types of windows available now are more easy to clean, giving the homeowner more time to devote to other pursuits. One of those other pursuits can be tending a vegetable garden, which will put the backyard to good use and supply healthy, home-grown vegetables for eating. This is a home improvement measure that can greatly benefit all family members by providing the type of food that will benefit the body and promote good health. Plus, home-grown vegetables are not subjected to pesticides that can be very harmful. A home plagued with dry air can benefit from a humidifier, energy-efficient, of course. It will put much needed moisture back into the air and help to keep furniture from drying out. It will also make the air within the home more breathable and comfortable for the occupants. And if too much moisture and humidity in the air is a problem, an energy-saving dehumidifier will remove that extra moisture and keep harmful molds and mildew from building up within the walls of the home. This small appliance, either humidifier or dehumidifier, can do much to make the home more comfortable for all family members. Going green is a welcome method to improve homes and the planet as well. Recycling is an important step, but there is growing awareness of the need to conserve the earth’s natural resources. People are searching for additional ways to improve the home that will benefit both the planet and its inhabitants. If everyone does their part, planet earth will prosper as a result.

Highly dangerous and super expensive work to cover Chernobyl nuclear reactor Workers can only spend a few hours at the reactor site before they reach the maximum radioactive exposure limit, and work is thus progressing at a snail’s pace Despite the incredible lengths required to build the structure, it’s still only a band-aid This Massive Steel Structure Will Entomb Chernobyl’s Reactor 4 (GREAT PHOTOS) http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2013/11/this-massive-steel-arch-will-entomb-chernobyls-reactor-4/ KELSEY CAMPBELL-DOLLAGHAN 30 NOVEMBER 2013 When an unexpected power surge sparked the world’s worst nuclear accident in Chernobyl, nearly a quarter of a million construction workers risked their lives to build an ad hoc “sarcophagus” of concrete around the stricken reactor. It was a stop-gap measure — and now, almost 30 years later, one of the biggest engineering projects in history is underway to protect it. The BBC reports on the $US2 billion project to protect the decaying metal sarcophagus, using an even larger metal shield called the New Safe Confinement, or NSC. In simple terms, the NSC is a massive steel archway that is designed to protect the surrounding region if the 27-year-old sarcophagus eventually collapses. The design was proposed back in 1992 by a team of British engineers, but planning has taken more than a decade — the project is now halfway complete, with a target date of 2015 for final completion. There are myriad reasons it’s taken so long to get the NSC up and running, the first being the sheer scale of this 100m tall protective shield. Since it will cover the existing sarcophagus, the arch is big enough to house the Statue of Liberty and wide enough to accommodate a soccer field. It’s being built by thousands of workers and engineers from all over the world, each of whom has a monthly and yearly exposure limit based on where, and for how long, they work on the site. It’s not quite as simple as putting a cap on a pen, though. The biggest complication is a tall metal chimney above Reactor 4, which must be removed before the archway can slide into place. Workers can only spend a few hours at the reactor site before they reach the maximum radioactive exposure limit, and work is thus progressing at a snail’s pace: Work has started removing sections weighing up to 55 tons each. They must be cut off with a plasma cutter by teams of two men and removed by crane — a nerve-wracking process. If a crane fails, or an operator miscalculates, and a section falls into the reactor, this too could release a new cloud of radioactive dust into the atmosphere. Despite the incredible lengths required to build the structure, it’s still only a band-aid: Designed to last for roughly 100 years, it is a more sophisticated solution to a problem scientists still don’t know how to solve. The hope is that, within the next century, we’ll have the technology to extract the reactor and the spilled fuel and deposit them — maybe in glass — somewhere safe. [Studio-X NYC; BBC] 3 Comments » - 1 NUCLEAR ISSUES - business and costs - climate change - indigenous issues - marketing of nuclear - opposition to nuclear - politics international - Religion and ethics - secrets,lies and civil liberties - weapons and war - 2 WORLD - MIDDLE EAST - NORTH AMERICA - SOUTH AMERICA - Christina's notes - Christina's themes - rare earths - resources – print - Resources -audiovicual

Our foxgloves - the common foxglove, with the Latin name Digitalis purpurea, is commonly found in open woods, but also where the vegetation has been burnt. If the genus name Digitalis seems to jump out at you, it is probably because that is the name of a popular family of heart medications for people. If it is so toxic, why would we be giving its derivatives to people with heart problems? That’s a very fair question. Leonard Fuchs discovered the plant in the 16th century, but it was forgotten due to the severe toxicity and the deaths of some patients. But then in 1741 it was rediscovered by William Withering. He went to medical school in Edinburgh, where he became interested in botany, chemistry and mineralogy. After medical school he became a country doctor in Stafford, a small and very poor town in England. One of his patients was an old woman dying of dropsy (now known as edema or water retention). He expected her to die quickly, but she recovered. She had taken a mixture of herbs. Dr. Withering realized that the main herb was the flowering foxglove. Since the discovery, digitalis has been debated whether the toxicity outweighs the benefits. Interestingly, doctors still use digoxin when treating congestive heart failure, in spite of the modern know how of the pharma industry. The compounds are extracted from the leaves of the plant. Foxgloves were always used by folklorists. Once the usefulness of digitalis was understood, it was also used for the treatment of epilepsy and other seizure disorders. The entire plant is toxic, including the roots and seeds. Mortality cases are rare, but they exist. If one uses the foxglove for tea or eats them, nausea, vomiting, hallucinations will occur. It is said that Vincent van Gogh’s “Yellow Period” was the result of digitalis therapy, which he went through to control his seizures. Let me end with a poem about foxgloves, written in Dr. Withering’s time (unknown author): “The Foxgloves leaves with caution given Another proof of favouring heaven Will happily display The rapid pulse it can abate The hectic flush can moderate And, blest by Him whose will is fate, May give a lengthen’d day.”

Craft, Anna; Cremin, Teresa; Burnard, Pamela and Chappell, Kerry (2008). Possibility thinking with children in England aged 3-7. In: Craft, Anna; Cremin, Teresa and Burnard, Pamela eds. Creative Learning 3-11 and How We Document It. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books Ltd., pp. 65–74. About the book: The desirability of creativity in learning is being emphasized more and more in Europe, the East and the West. Creative learning derives its uniqueness from certain enabling conditions. Defining and documenting it is slippery and problematic, but has to be done if we are to develop it meaningfully in schools. This book explores new theoretical, practical and methodological directions for engaging with creative learning and for documenting it by offering: evidence-based research by researchers and practitioners in the UK, US, China, South-East Asia, India and Europe; case study accounts of practitioner research work with children in a variety of settings; and theoretical chapters reviewing research methods, theorizing about these processes, synthesizing findings and insights, and drawing on themes arising from the case studies. Creative Learning 3-11 is for everyone with an active interest in creativity in education'teachers, students, researchers, trainers, policy developers, and parents. It will be an essential reader on teacher education courses at all levels and will provide critical support material for schools seeking to understand creative learning and to develop more creative ways of teaching. Actions (login may be required)

Historical Significance or Value St Peter's Church has historical value for its long association with people and events in this settlement on the Wairoa River, and as a witness to the former wealth of the town. St Peter's Church is architecturally significant because of its association with the architect and priest Henry Barnard Wingfield, its simple wooden Gothic Revival style and its splendid kauri interior. The Church has social and spiritual value because it has served as a centre for community worship and events such as weddings, christenings and funerals in Te Kopuru for over 100 years. (a) The extent to which the place reflects important or representative aspects of New Zealand history St Peter's Church reflects important and representative aspects of New Zealand history, including Anglican religious affiliations in a major timber-milling community in Northland, and changing patterns of settlement in the Kaipara during the nineteenth, twentieth and early twenty first centuries. It provides evidence of the strong community desire in such towns to create and retain their own place of worship, as well as the considerable financial commitment required to establish a church building that was opened free of debt, and to maintain and conserve it. (e) The community association with, or public esteem for, the place The church and its curtilage are held in high regard by its congregation and closely associated with the local community, having been used as a place of worship and gathering for over 100 years. In spite of the diminished population of the town, the efforts required to maintain and conserve the building, and to celebrate its centenary in 2002 reflect the importance accorded to retaining a place of spiritual value, as well as the community values of a tightly-knit rural population. The small Anglican Church of St Peter's, Te Kopuru, dates back to an important period in the settlement's history. Te Kopuru developed into a significant town following the establishment of the kauri timber mill there in 1871. It was one of a number of towns which developed in the area, whose economy derived from the cutting of the kauri forests, the use of the Wairoa River to transport logs to the mill, the Kaipara Harbour to the South into which the river flows as the route for sailing vessels to export the processed timber. The peak years of the timber mill's production were 1901 and 1902. St Peter's Church was built debt free at the peak of this period of wealth. The residents of Te Kopuru sought to establish all the facilities that they believed a modern town should have. Besides the substantial mill itself, and its ancillary wharves, water supply reservoir and cottages for the mill-workers, the 1870s saw the erection of a police lock-up, public hall, school and Post Office. These were followed by a Customs office, grocery, drapery, butchery, tailors' and dressmakers', stables, theatre, hairdressers, billiards saloon, boarding house and bakery. Street lamps were installed in 1903. Against this background of urban development, the Anglican community sought to erect a place of worship. Anglican services had been held in area since the visit of Bishop Selwyn in 1863, with later clergyman holding services in the local hall. A church committee was formed in May 1884. In October 1896 the vicar Rev A.J. Beck (1869-1939; vicar at Northern Wairoa 1896- 1904) established a building fund, with the proviso that no actual attempt would be made to build a church until all the necessary funds were in hand. The foundation stone was laid in May 1902 by Mrs Lucie Beck. The church was opened in September 1902, and dedicated by Ven. Archdeacon Calder (1848-1923) of Auckland. The church was indeed built debt-free, at a cost of ₤247/12/- [$495.20]. St Peter's is one of a group of churches designed by the architect Rev. Henry Barnard Wingfield, then of Pokeno. Its simple wooden Gothic Revival style was an obvious choice for a kauri timber milling town. The kauri used for the interior lining was specially selected to show the beauty of the timber to advantage. The church building became the focus for Anglican and community events in Te Kopuru and the wider Kaipara. As the originally larger neighbouring mill town of Aratapu declined, St Peter's took on a role as the principal Anglican church south of Dargaville. At one stage St Peter's provided financial assistance to the church congregation in Aratapu to enable it to remain solvent. Eventually, the church building at Aratapu was closed and moved across the river to Mititai (NZHPT Register 425, All Saints Church, Mititai). A Sunday School was established at St Peter's in 1902. Mr and Mrs CE Smith served almost continuously as Sunday School Superintendents for 48 years - their service was celebrated by the community with a social gathering in tribute in 1950. St Peter's Mother's Union was formed in 1907, and many of the foundation members were still involved in the union in 1950. Between 1947 and 1980, there was a separate St Peter's Ladies Guild, which was formed to improve the grounds and raise funds for improvements for the church. The Ladies Guild contributed funds for the carpet, the font, the organ ($150 was raised at a single bring and buy event), the Communion cruets, as well as for the general upkeep of the grounds and church interior. In 1952 the Church Committee organised a Golden Jubilee celebration, and a commemorative booklet was published. In 1969, funds to reblock the church were raised by asking parishioners to 'stake a claim' at $1 per block. In 1971, the Anglican, Methodist and Presbyterian churches of Te Kopuru, with the support of the Roman Catholic Church resolved to work closely together, with services being shared between St Peter's and the Te Kopuru Methodist Church (NZHPT Register 426). In 1972, to mark the 70th birthday of the church, the exterior and the ceiling of the interior was repainted. A special celebratory service was held on 2 July 1972 attended by over 100 people. The 80th anniversary was celebrated with a service and luncheon on 4 July 1982, when the Primate of New Zealand Archbishop Paul Reeves officiated. On 5 November 1976, the main wall of the Sanctuary was damaged by fire, necessitating the replacement of interior linings and the carpet. As one example of longstanding community involvement with the church, in 1996 Mrs Elsie Guy celebrated her 100th birthday with a special communion service in the church. She and her late husband Jim had been married at St Peter's on 6 July 1920, and their four children were all baptised there. Mrs Guy was an active member of the Mother's union, Ladies Guild and Women's Fellowship, as well as supporting the Church Committee. In 1997, the Kaipara District Plan became operative. St Peter's Church Te Kopuru was scheduled by Kaipara District Council in its Register of Buildings, Monuments and Places of Heritage Value as a place of 'District', rather than simply 'local', significance. To commemorate the centenary of the church, substantial conservation work was undertaken in 2001-2 with financial support from the ASB Trusts. Making permanent structural repairs to the fire damaged sanctuary was an important part of this work, as was the removal of the pain t from the ceiling to reveal the original kauri finish. A special celebratory service was held on 30 June 2002 followed by a luncheon. The Anglican Primate of New Zealand Bishop John Paterson, together with the Bishop of Te Tai Tokerau, Te Kitohi Pikaahu and Pihopa Kaumātua Ben Te Haara officiated. St Peter's Church is situated on the eastern side of the main street of the village of Te Kopuru, 11 km south of Dargaville on the North Kaipara Peninsula. To the southeast its neighbour is the 1880s Te Kopuru School (NZHPT Register 3870). St Peter's is a simple rectangular wooden building, with a square entrance porch facing the road (southwest), and a three sided sanctuary at the north-eastern end. It has a square belfry tower with pyramidal roof surmounted by a wooden cross on its northern side. The church has timber piles and timber framed walls with painted horizontal weatherboards. The gabled roof is clad in corrugated iron. The square tower on the north-western side supports a splay footed square pyramid clad in sheet iron that rises to a peak surmounted by a plain wooden cross. The windows have timber joinery with opaque glazing and double hung sashes. The upper sash has a triangular apex, echoing the roof line of the church. There are two windows in the southwest end, either side of the entrance porch, four on the southeast side, three on the northwest side and two in the angled walls of the sanctuary. There is one window in the northwest side of the belfry tower. The entrance porch has double doors, with a single door in the belfry tower. The doors, which have vertical boards, have a central apex, again echoing the roofline of the church. There is a plain wooden cross at each gable end, on the summit of the belfry and on the apex of the porch. A concrete ramp with galvanised pipe handrails leads to the entrance porch, while two concrete steps sit outside the tower door. The walls are horizontal match-lining, painted cream. Below the line of the window sills the match-lining is vertical, above a deep wainscot. The ceiling consists of diagonal tongue and groove sarking. This has been oiled. Double kauri doors with leadlight glazing lead from the entrance porch into the body of the church. The kauri floor boards are polyurethaned, with blue carpet with gold fleur-de-lys in the sanctuary and aisles. The roof is supported by A-frame gable trusses. The altar is a rectangular kauri table with four turned legs, placed so the celebrant faces the congregation. The reredos from the original altar was retrieved as part of the conservation work in 2002, and is mounted on the end wall of the sanctuary. On the right of the altar (viewed from the congregation) is an octagonal white painted stone baptismal font There is electric power connected, with incandescent lights and infrared wall heaters. Foundation stone laid and Church opened Main wall of sanctuary damaged by fire. Wall patched with plywood panel. Conservation programme undertaken. Kauri timber, corrugated iron roof, flat iron spire cladding, concrete piles. 22nd June 2007 Report Written By St Peter's Te Kopuru, 50 Years of Worship 1902 - 1952 E. K. Bradley, The Great Northern Wairoa, (4th edn.), Auckland, 1982 Jude Hay (ed.), St Peter's Te Kopuru, 100 Years of Worship 1902 - 2002, 2002 A fully referenced registration report is available from the NZHPT Northland Area Office. Please note that entry on the New Zealand Heritage List/Rarangi Korero identifies only the heritage values of the property concerned, and should not be construed as advice on the state of the property, or as a comment of its soundness or safety, including in regard to earthquake risk, safety in the event of fire, or insanitary conditions.

A spectacular Temple in which Jesus can dwell when He returns to earth to reign for a 1000 years is outlined in today's chapters. A few years after the vision of dry bones, Ezekiel received another vision. In the five and twentieth year of our captivity . . . in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the Lord was upon me. . . . In the visions of God brought He me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain (Ezel. 40:1-2). This new vision looked far into the future, where Ezekiel beheld a glorious Temple, far more magnificent than the Temple built by Solomon. The measurements of the grounds and the many details concerning the building and its unusual architectural design are recorded; but no instruction was given to Ezekiel regarding who would build it or when it would be built. In striking contrast, God gave Moses detailed instructions for building the Tabernacle and even the names of the craftsmen who were to build it in the wilderness (Ex. 25:9; 31:1-11). But Zechariah foretold: Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts . . . Behold the man whose Name is The BRANCH (Jesus Christ) . . . He shall grow up out of His place, and He shall build the Temple of the Lord: Even He shall build the Temple of the Lord; and He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon His throne; and He shall be a priest upon His throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both (Zech. 6:12-13). Almost 2000 years have passed since the Romans destroyed the Temple, with no recovery of the Brazen Altar, Laver of Brass, Pure Gold Candlestick and Mercy Seat, Table of Showbread, or Altar of Incense. The Ark of the Covenant, representing the presence of God, disappeared in 586 BC, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem. The altar and the priests offering sacrifices for the sins of the people had all foreshadowed Jesus Christ, His atonement for our sins, and our relationship with Him through His sacrifice on the cross. Through the Romans who destroyed Herod's temple, God removed the opportunity for the Jews to offer further sacrifices. These laws were imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ being come an High Priest . . . by a greater and more perfect Tabernacle . . . by His own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us (Heb. 9:10-12; comp. John 4:21-24; Gal. 3:23-25; Col. 2:17). Thought for Today: Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you (Luke 6:28). Through the sacrifice (Ezek. 40:42). Jesus made the final once for all. . . . sacrifice for sins for ever (Heb. 10:10-12). Thus He became our only Mediator with God by dying for our sins. The patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us. . . . And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for Him shall He appear the second time without sin unto salvation (9:23-28). 40:17 thirty chambers were upon the pavement =30 rooms faced this pavement terrace; 40:23 over against =opposite; 41:24 turning leaves =hinged panels; 42:20 profane =unholy, common. Pray for Government Officials: Sen. Scott Brown (MA), Sen. Sam Brownback (KS), Rep. Ben Chandler (KY), Rep. Michael McMahon (NY), and Rep. Henry Waxman (CA) • Country: Bangladesh (125.7 million) in southern Asia • Major languages: Bangla and English • Present religious freedom may become limited • 86.6% Muslim; 12.1% Hindu; .6% Buddhist; .3% Christian; .4% Other • Prayer Suggestion: Pray to be sensitive to give God the praise for everything you do (Ps. 40:16). Optional Reading: Revelation 17 Memory Verse for the Week: Galatians 1:24

Energy of a Pendulum You will need: 1m of string 100g hooked mass 1. Make a pendulum by tying the string around the hook of the mass.Use the marker and the meterstick to mark points on the string that are 50cm , 70cm, and 90cm away frm the mass. 2. Hold the string at the 50cm mark. To swing the pendulum, gently pull the mass to the side, and release the mass without pushing it. Make 10 swings or the pendulum. 3. record the data. Consider how fast and how high the pendulum swings. Repeat steps 2 and 3 while holding the string at the 70cm mark, and the 90cm mark record the data. P.S. A pendulum is an example of a evice that converts potiential energy into kinetic energy and back.

Watch a Fungus Firing its Spores Nicholas Money, an expert on fungi at Miami University, has been playing around with very fast video technology. As in 250,000 frames-a-second fast. He knew exactly what this kind of video was made for. To film fungi that live on dung as they discharge their spores. These tiny fungi can blast spores as far as six feet away, boosting the odds that they’ll land on a clean plant that a cow or other grazing animal may eat. The fungi develop inside the animal, get pooped out with its dung, and fire their spores once more. Money’s results were not just significant, but beautiful. The fungi fire their spores up to 55 miles an hour–which translates to an acceleration of 180,000 g. Money calls it “the fastest flight in nature.” Money has just published his results in the journal PLOS One, and his students, in a justified fit of ecstasy, have created the first fungus opera.

This is a printable 9-page book about the sun and planets. A simple fact is included for each page. - All About Me Printable Book - I Know About Stars Printable Book - My Family and Me Book Activity - My Book of Space Words Printable Book - Crayon Colors Printable Book - St. Patrick’s Day Number Flip Book - I Can Draw Shapes Printable Book - Favorite Dr. Seuss Book Graphing Printables - Printable Writing Paper, Patterns, and Border Paper - Heart-Shaped Printable Writing Page - Planet Earth Printable Outlines and Shape Book Writing Pages - Class Book: “To School” Innovation - My Book of Space Words Printable Book Pin33kFacebookTweet Here is a simple mini-book you can use along with a space unit. It includes words and pictures for Earth, Moon, Sun, galaxy, star,... - I Know About Stars Printable Book Pin971FacebookTweet Here is a simple printable book for students to color, fill in the blanks, and read. I Know About Stars Printable Book Pin971FacebookTweet... - All About Me Printable Book Pin13kFacebookTweet A ten-page book for students to record facts about themselves. You can use some or all of the pages. All About Me Printable Book... - I Can Draw Shapes Printable Book Pin586FacebookTweet “I Can Draw Shapes” – Each page has dashed shapes with simple text. Students trace, color, and read! Shapes include circle, square, triangle, rectangle,... - Crayon Colors Printable Book Pin4.7kFacebookTweet A little printable book with the pattern, “I see a ______ crayon.” Students can color the crayons on each page and read the book....

Which species is right for me? This depends on a lot of things, but mostly what kind you like the most, and what is available. There are a few things that may help you decide. Your local climate may make some choices logical, especially if you keep the tortoise outside.. – Warm and wet? (American southeast) Forest species, like red- and yellow-footeds, hingebacks, etc. – Warm and dry? (American southwest) Arid and dry grassland species, like Sulcata, Leopards, and the Mediterranean species. – Short, dry summers and long winters? Russian tortoises do well here. Your local animals can help predict how comfortable a tortoise might be. – Eastern box turtle- good predictor for most tortoises. – Gulf Coast box turtle, alligators- good predictor for tropical and forest tortoises. – Three-toed box turtle- good for most grassland species. – Ornate box turtle- good predictor for Mediterranean species. – No local box turtles (for Americans)?- you need to work a bit harder to provide the right climate. – Very limited space- consider terrestrial turtles. Many are only 4-6 inches long. The very small tortoises are generally very endangered and/or expensive and/or hard to care for. – Limited space- Russian or steppe tortoises, Hingebacks (not the serrated), Mediterranean, and others in the 6-8 inch range. – Lots of space, like a very large back yard- African spurred (Sulcata), leopard tortoises; Burmese mountain and so on in more humid locations. – Interaction and personality- This is very subjective, and depends a lot on individuals, but red-footeds, Russians, and Sulcatas seem to get the more comments about being personable. – Ease of care- this comes down to Hermanns, Greek, Russian, red-footed, and if space allows, Sulcata and leopard. In general, the red-footed is a bit tougher since it needs a warm, humid habitat which is harder to establish and run, while the Sulcata and leopard can be tough due to sheer size. Overall easiest? (Cheap to buy, easy to feed, smallish space needs, etc.?) – The Russian tortoise is a popular beginner for just this reason- but remember that ANY tortoise is more of a challenge than most small caged animals or fish. Finding a healthy tortoise You generally have a few basic ways to get a pet tortoise: – Pet store – On-line source, either a retailer or breeder – Local breeder – Pet rescue, adoption – Local ‘for sale’ ads, like CraigsList – Reptile or pet expo or show Each source has its pros and cons, but try to use a source that lets you at least see current photos of the animal you are considering and can answer questions about it, such as when it was hatched, what and how often is it eating, etc. Also look for a source that offers some sort of guarantee- especially if the animal has to be shipped. If you can, check for: – Egg yolk scar is completely healed over – What it eats and how often it eats, as well as if it has defecated lately – Length and weight. If you see it, does it feel ‘heavy’ – Clear eyes and nostrils- no puffiness, discoloration, runniness, etc. – Overall condition – Pulls in tight when picked up, and/or claws like crazy to get away If possible, get a vet check-up before purchase with special attention to parasites Baby or older tortoise? Most people want to start with very young or baby animals for most pets, but babies generally take the most careful care, and many of them pass away for many reasons. There is also the issue that babies need smaller habitats, but as they get older, they need bigger ones quick. Lots of people get babies thinking they have plenty of time to build the bigger cage, only to get caught by surprise when the once little guy has outgrown the starter home. If you can, consider a year or two old tortoise. It will be past most of the hazards, be able to be placed outside from the onset, and still offer you a long life.

Brandenburg Gate – Ebertstrasse • Berlin • Germany Panorama view from the Tiergarten towards the Brandenburg Gate and the bordering buildings on the Ebertstrasse. Contrary to the popular view from the Parisian Square you cannot see the whole ensemble of the Quadriga on top of the gate, which is facing eastwards. The Brandeburg Gate was built by Carl Gotthard Langhans in the years 1788-1791 following an order by the king Friedrich Wilhelm II. It is the last remaining city gate of Berlin. Between 1945 and 1990 the Brandenburg Gate as well as the Ebertstrasse have been part of the border between East and West Berlin. After the fall of the Berlin Wall modern architecture arised left and right of the gate. To the far right you can see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (also called Holocaust Memorial). There are more Berlin streets we photographed in our archive, which you can find by yellow markers on our worldmap. In case you are interested in us creating a streetline montage for one of these streets please contact us.

- Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly, and the two countries at the forefront of AI are the United States and China. - The US government invests only $1.1 billion in non-classified AI technology, far lower than the $150 billion being committed by China over the next decade. - To address these concerns, President Donald Trump announced an executive order for a national strategy called the "American AI Initiative." - What is unclear in the president's new initiative, however, is how much AI funding is being provided and how it is being implemented. Artificial intelligence is advancing rapidly. It is powering autonomous vehicles and being applied in areas from health care and finance to retail sales and national defense. As noted in a 2018 Brookings Institution report, "AI is a technology that is transforming every walk of life. It is a wide-ranging tool that enables people to rethink how we integrate information, analyze data, and use the resulting insights to improve decisionmaking." Yet most of the current AI impetus in the United States comes from the private sector. America has many of the most innovative technology firms in the world and our talent pool is quite strong. Our system of higher education is the envy of the world and thousands of foreign students come to the United States every year to learn science, math, and engineering. But those achievements should not lull Americans into a false sense of complacency, or a false sense of security. There is considerable concern the US federal government is not doing enough to support AI research and deployment. The US is outgunned when it comes to AI spending As an illustration, OpenAI co-founder Greg Brokerman has testified before Congress that our national government invests only $1.1 billion in non-classified AI technology. That is far lower than the $150 billion being committed by China over the next decade. It also is worth noting that in addition to this Chinese investment and as a result of the 19th Party Congress, President Xi Jinping has called for China to surpass the US technologically by 2030. That kind of strategic vision, continuity of leadership, and nearly unlimited resources do not augur well for us. These are not just idle promises on the part of the Chinese. Scientists in that country have made remarkable progress over the past decade in AI research. According to a 2018 Tsinghua University report, "China leads the world in AI papers and highly cited AI papers." It also has "more AI patents than [the] US and Japan." The traditional interpretation that China lags American ingenuity needs to be updated in light of recent scientific advances. The 'American AI Initiative' offers vague solutions to a complex problem To address these concerns, President Donald Trump yesterday announced a new executive order for a national strategy called the "American AI Initiative." Michael Kratsios, the deputy assistant to the president for technology policy at the White House, has explained that America needs a national AI strategy. In a Wired op-ed, he argues "under the American AI Initiative, federal agencies will increase access to their resources to drive AI research by identifying high-priority federal data and models, improving public access to and the quality of federal AI data, and allocating high-performance and cloud computing resources to AI-related applications and R&D." The initiative outlines several welcome steps. It seeks to increase access to federal data, provide financial support for R&D, enhance digital infrastructures, and improve workforce development. Those are all noble goals where the United States needs to do better. For example, having better access to government data would strengthen the training of AI algorithms and help software overcome the inherent biases of incomplete or misleading information. And having faster broadband, more ubiquitous mobile networks, and faster computers is vital for AI deployment. New advances in autonomous vehicles, remote surgery, streaming videos, and national security require improvements in computing capacity. It will be impossible to take advantage of the full capabilities of AI without this type of progress. A related competition also is taking place in regard to 5G networks. As noted recently by Brookings Fellow Nicol Turner-Lee, this is the high-speed mobile communications technology that will enable enhanced communications and advanced technology solutions. China has invested billions there and this is just one more manifestation of the technology competition that the US needs to take seriously. What is unclear in the president's new initiative, however, is how much AI funding is being provided and how it is being implemented. Sometimes, new announcements such as the one formed to combat the opioid crisis have been introduced with great fanfare, but shown little impact. Without additional funding for research, workforce development, and infrastructure, the new initiative likely will fall flat. On the implementation front, there also are question marks regarding the executive order. It is one thing to call for inter-agency cooperation and coordination, and another to develop effective mechanisms that do that. Agencies need to coordinate, but they have incentives to pursue their own vision, not that of the White House or Office of Management and Budget. The Department of Defense is ahead of the game One promising sign is the US Department of Defense already has announced its implementation plan. In a press release put out this week and reported in the news, it said, "The impact of artificial intelligence will extend across the entire department, spanning from operations and training to recruiting and health care. The speed and agility with which we will deliver AI capabilities to the warfighter has the potential to change the character of warfare. We must accelerate the adoption of AI-enabled capabilities to strengthen our military, improve effectiveness and efficiency, and enhance the security of our nation." But the DoD is far ahead of many of the US domestic departments. It has set up a new AI Center, hired AI experts, and set aside money for AI deployment. Along with similar actions from federal intelligence-gathering agencies, these steps go beyond what has happened in the non-defense part of government. In those places, there has been little action, limited funds targeted on bringing AI into the government, and few people employed with AI skills. Moving forward, it will be important to bring the domestic agencies into the AI era. In the private sector, AI is improving efficiency, boosting productivity, and bringing creative digital solutions into organizations. We need to do the same thing across all of government so the public sector can show the same type of progress seen outside of government. Making progress on vision, funding, and infrastructure is important for national competitiveness and national security. Adversaries are deploying autonomous weapons systems, AI-based intelligence-gathering and assessment, and remote imagery based on satellite and drone data. Having systems that are faster, smarter, and more coordinated is necessary in order to protect the country. Until we see the details for the comprehensive implementation of the national AI initiative, it will be hard to assess the long-term impact and effectiveness of the president's AI executive order and whether it can redress the lengthening gap between the US and China on AI, 5G, and other emerging technologies.