M4.3-R4: INTRODUCTION TO ICT RESOURCES
1. There are TWO PARTS in this Module/Paper. PART ONE contains FOUR questions and
PART TWO contains FIVE questions.
2. PART ONE is to be answered in the OMR ANSWER SHEET only, supplied with the
question paper, as per the instructions contained therein. PART ONE is NOT to be
answered in the answer book.
3. Maximum time allotted for PART ONE is ONE HOUR. Answer book for PART TWO will be
supplied at the table when the answer sheet for PART ONE is returned. However,
candidates, who complete PART ONE earlier than one hour, can collect the answer book for
PART TWO immediately after handing over the answer sheet for PART ONE.
TOTAL TIME: 3 HOURS TOTAL MARKS: 100
(PART ONE – 40; PART TWO – 60)
(Answer all the questions)
1. Each question below gives a multiple choice of answers. Choose the most appropriate one and enter in the “OMR” answer sheet supplied with the question paper, following instructions therein. (1x10)
1.1 Virtual Memory is part of
C) HARD DISK
1.2 You install a(n) ________ to tell the computer how to use a new peripheral device.
B) Device Driver
1.3 Where is POST located?
B) Hard Drive
1.4 A file with extension of ‘zip’ indicates
A) a folder
B) a backup file
C) a compressed file
D) an encrypted file
1.5 Size of each sector in a hard disk
A) 512 bytes
B) 1024 bytes
C) 256 bytes
D) 128 bytes
1.6 BIOS software is part of
1.7 Convert digital data to analog and analog to digital
A) Mobile phone
D) Sound card
1.8 Before storing data in a new disk, it has to be
1.9 Switch is preferred over HUB because
A) Switch is cheaper
B) Switch uses less power
C) More computers can be connected to switch
D) Switch performance is better
1.10 Why dot-matrix printers are used now-a-days?
A) They are quiet
B) They are useful only for data processing applications
C) They are better quality
D) They are suitable for multi-part forms
2. Each statement below is either TRUE or FALSE. Choose the most appropriate one and ENTER in the “OMR” answer sheet supplied with the question paper, following instructions therein. (1x10)
2.1 When you copy a file to another location, the original file is deleted.
2.2 dll is the implementation of shared library in windows.
2.3 Any program can be deleted by deleting an icon.
2.4 Non impact printer cannot be used to print carbon copies or multiple copies in a single pass.
2.5 Never spray cleaning solution directly on the computer screen.
2.6 Guest login name cannot be changed.
2.7 Anti-virus software finds only known viruses.
2.8 Anti-virus software signatures are to be updated every day.
2.9 INTERNET applications work in Client/Server method.
2.10 Fiber optic cables are appropriate for military operations.
3. Match words and phrases in column X with the closest related meaning/word(s)/phrase(s) in column Y. Enter your selection in the “OMR” answer sheet supplied with the question paper, following instructions therein. (1x10)
X Y3.1 Linux A. Loads startup files
3.2 Simplex communication B. Firewall
3.3 10Base2 C. Data Redundancy
3.4 Ntldr D. A group of tracks
3.5 Gateway E. Laser Printer
3.6 Ping F. No host computer
3.7 Ring Network G. ICMP echo message
3.8 Toner H. Connects two incompatible networks
3.9 Cylinder I. Compression Utility
3.10 RAID technology J. Ethernet
K. Television transmission
L. Operating System
4. Each statement below has a blank space to fit one of the word(s) or phrase(s) in the list below. Enter your choice in the “OMR” answer sheet supplied with the question paper, following instructions therein. (1x10)
A. Recovery Console B. NIC C. ATM
D. SATA E. Shortcut F. CAT 5
G. Serial H. POST I. Firewall
J. Attrib K. BNC L. ATC
4.1 During ________, computer checks most of its parts.
4.2 A ________ is a pointer to an object in Windows.
4.3 Using ________, you can perform many administrative tasks.
4.4 ________ port can only transfer data one bit at a time.
4.5 ________ is a command to make a file to be hidden.
4.6 ________ is a hard disk interface.
4.7 ________ is an adapter card used to send and receive signals on a network.
4.8 ________ cabling is used to support up to 100 Mbps bandwidth.
4.9 ________ can provide for simultaneous data, video and voice transmission.
4.10 ________ prevents unauthorized access.
(Answer any FOUR questions)
a) Explain any five BIOS error codes.
b) Explain the procedure to install RAM.
c) Explain the functionality of ‘Recycle Bin’ in Windows Operating System.
a) Explain Low level and High level formatting of disk.
b) What is compression? Name any two compression utilities in Windows.
c) How System Restore works in Windows?
a) What are the symptoms of a computer virus infection?
b) Explain Local Area network.
c) What are the advantages and disadvantages of Coaxial Cable?
a) Explain the network layer of OSI model.
b) How to Share Files and Folders Over a Network for Workgroups in Windows 2000?
c) How many IP numbers are possible in a Class B network using IPv4 addressing scheme.
Give an example of one Class B network in the form of net id and subnet mask.
9. Explain any three of the following:
a) Laser Printer
d) Local user group in Windows


Is There Any Medical Potential for Marijuana? Marijuana is one of the oldest cultivated plants in the world (7). Since it became illegal in 1967 (5), there have been many questions of whether or not it is good for purposes, such as medicine. Debates between people that are for and against the use of marijuana in medicine have been heated and in recent years, referendums have been brought up in at least three states to make it available for medical treatment. Personally, I think that marijuana has the power to be a significant help with certain aliments, however, I think that more research is needed to prove its medical potential.
The first people to introduce the healing properties of marijuana, were the Chinese. About five thousand years ago, the people of the plains of Central Asia, just north of the Himalayas, began cultivating the plant. Though it is not exactly certain what cultivation of the plant was for, whether it was for its oil, fiber or medical properties, most experts believe that it was for its fibers. The fiber of the plant is so strong that it can be used to make thick, sturdy ropes.
Its seeds also contain oils that can be used as a varnish. In some countries the seeds are used as bird and cattle feed and also in the manufacturing of soap. Something else that you may not know is that the seeds can be roasted and eaten as food. It is actually the flowers of a certain type of the plant that is used for its medicinal and intoxicating property.
I say 'a flower from a certain type of the plant' because from my personal experience, many people believe that there is only one type of marijuana. Actually, marijuana is such a wild plant, that it easily adapts to any soil and new varieties it then emerge. This is when the plants with the strongest fibers, most superior oils, and a more potent drug content are selected. Only around 1000 B.
C. , in India and Southeast Asia, when the plant started to grow in that region, the intoxicating features were recognized and appreciated (7). So when was the plant introduced to the Western Hemisphere? There is archeological evidence that the plant was brought to Western Europe from Asia at around 1500 B. C. , by the Scythian invaders and later reached the Mediterranean region. However, the people of western Europe didn't begin cultivating it as a plant crop in their area until about 500 A.
D. When the plant first came to Europe, it was not introduced to all the countries. The rest of Europe did not find out about the plant until around the Christian era. No signs or evidence suggests that Europeans used marijuana for intoxicating purposes though. In the New World, marijuana was introduced in the 16 th century. It was brought over by both the Spanish and British settlers as well.
In the Spanish settled areas of the New World, it was used for its fibers. Its intoxicating properties were only discovered in the late 19 th century. In the United States, it was used for the production of rope and cloth until the 20 th century where it is now widely used as a drug preferably for pleasure (7). According to Nahas, it was about 1842, when an Irish physician named William O'Shaughnessy introduced the Western world to marijuana's medicinal properties. Although Dr. O'Shaughnessy used marijuana for many different aliments and diseases, he found it most helpful in the relief of pain.
In his practice, he also found that the drug was most effective for convulsions occurring from rabies, rheumatism, tetanus, and epilepsy. It also seemed to be a help when it came to menstrual cramps and in the delivery room; helping with increasing uterine contractions and reducing childbirth pains (7). In more recent times, the National Institutes of Health has claimed that marijuana may be helpful in the alleviation of chemotherapy, to reduce nausea. The drug also helps in the stimulation of appetite and reduction of the loss of lean muscle mass in AIDS patients and in the prevention of epileptic seizures.
It also aids in the reduction of fluid pressure in the eyes caused by glaucoma-which in fact causes serious damage to vision, if not blindness, and in the reduction of muscle pain and spasticity felt by multiple sclerosis patients. Many multiple-sclerosis patients say that when it comes to their motor functions (driving) marijuana has helped them a great deal. In other words it has helped them to sustain and live a little better with the dangerous disease (4). Some physicians even suggest that marijuana may be helpful to patients going through barbiturates, opiates, alcohol withdrawal, and even asthma. Though it has been said that the drug had very mild or no effects on asthmatic patients, some people claim that marijuana does help them in other ways: 'I'm not going to lie, I have been using marijuana for a while now. I smoke it.
I use the bush to draw tea. And what a lot of people don't know is that the ashes can be used for cuts and scrapes. Every time I burn a little 'bud', I save the ashes for whenever I have a bruise or I get a cut. It doesn't matter how deep it is, it dries up the wound within two days. As for colds, I don't suffer from them. I don't have to go to the doctor.
I can't tell when last I seen a doctor. And I ain't worried about getting lung cancer or brain damage, cause' Father put the herb here for us to use. It's stupid people along the way that put other chemicals in it and spoiled it. But if you ever decided to grow your own, it's the best remedy for anything.' (Personal Interview) As I stated before there are many different types of marijuana plants.
However, within one plant of any type of marijuana, there are more than 60 different attributes. Between the sixty, there is basically only one component that is being investigated (8). This component is called THC, also known as delta-9-THC (7). THC is the resinous oil in marijuana that can be extracted from the plant. There is already a THC counterpart on the market that is known as.
You could say this is called 'medical marijuana'. The is made into sesame oil and supplied in gelatin capsules (8). This is how the drug is described: Dronabinol is a controlled substance, which affects the receptors in the brain and spinal cord. It has been marketed for anorexia and AIDS patients for weight loss and cancer patients for vomiting and nausea. Some physicians also use it alone or with other drugs to treat epilepsy and glaucoma, and to relieve MS patients.
However, it is not a go-to drug; it is not the first drug that doctors recommend. It is only used when all else fails. But, it has proved itself most useful to treat the vomiting and nausea and stimulates the appetite when the other medications can not help (8). Besides all the good things marijuana has been suggested for there is still a negative association when it come to the drug. Some researchers say it causes brain damage, low sperm count, and lung cancer (7; 1).
However, though it is true that the sperm count is lower in some marijuana users, the infertility rate is the same as non-users (4). Though when it comes to background studies on the reproductive system and marijuana usage, it is mostly done on males. A study in 1982 focused on a group of women who had been chronic marijuana users for at least 3 years. During the length of the experiment they were smoking about five to sixteen marijuana 'joints' a day. The study found there was no change in their sexual hormonal production levels or the length of their menstrual cycle (7).
As for lung cancer and brain damage, some say: 'If marijuana ever caused a single death, it didn't leave any fingerprints.' (4). What these people are basically saying is though there have been claims that marijuana is a killer drug, there is no documented case that someone has actually died from using too much marijuana. However, some sternly stand by their beliefs that marijuana is a killer and has no place in medicine. They believe the whole campaign for marijuana to be drawn into medical mainstream is all a big mistake. According to Steve Forbes, 'an insidious effort is under way to legalize drugs' (6). Marijuana adversaries argue that there are other alternatives to marijuana, like Marinol, serotonin antagonists ondansetron HCI dehydrate, and granisetron HCI (8).
Marinol for example is a synthetic form of the chemical THC like dronabinol. It has already been approved by the FDA and is basically made for AIDS patients enduring chemotherapy (6). The HCI drugs have fewer side effects and can be also given to children (8). Basically, there are two concerns of having marijuana as medicine. The first, and not to sway from the main concern, has to do with the belief that the drug will be more abused than it already is. That is safe to say, since there have been cases to prove this.
For example in the Netherlands where marijuana usage is legal and they have little 'hemp bars', the rate of abuse is higher. So for instance, when Measure 57, proposed in Washington DC, which states that all you would need for access to the drug is a recommendation from the doctor, not even a prescription, there must be controversy. The proposal also allows the patient's primary caretaker, even a 'best friend', could help grow, use, or buy marijuana for the patient (6). Another controversial proposal was Washington State's Initiative 685.
It calls for the legalization of marijuana along with LSD and heroin. Again, no prescription is needed and anyone in the medical field can give a recommendation. Doctors, pharmacists, and even veterinarians can give the okay for the drug. Also the patient only needs to claim a 'serious' illness, no definition of serious is explained. And oddly enough the proposal calls for all drug-related criminals to be released (6). Seems like it may reap more havoc than be positive in helping those who it actually supposes to.
The main concern of having marijuana as an alternative medicine is the effects that it may have on the patients. The adverse effects that have reportedly happened to leisure users are a major concern. Apparently, marijuana has been accused of many things, such as affecting immune systems, smoke related health problems, and increased heart rate. Though these side effects are serious, supporters of marijuana as medicine say that these side effects are common when it comes to a number of prescription drug. Also, marijuana has been credited with creating psychotic episodes, memory losses and other manipulations of the nervous system (1).
AIDS patients are even discouraged from using marijuana because it is not known the actual extent that the drug may damage their immune systems further than it already is damaged (8). Some of the documented effects of leisure users are disorientation to time and place, and difficulty in controlling bodily parts, along with a great sense of anxiety and panic, a sense of floating, being one with their surroundings, and just mere hallucinations (1). One ex-marijuana user describes his experiences while he used the drug: 'First I used to feel good, having the giggles, laughing, etc. It started out as a once in a while thing, then as time went on, I started smoking on weekends, then it went up to everyday, so I could get that 'feeling'. I had to smoke just to think well and to relax. This went on for 4-5 years, just so I won't have to deal with everyday problems.
I had to stop because is started to make me paranoid. I thought that everyone was looking at me, examining me, analyzing me, wondering if they could smell my clothes with the weed scent, or if they could see my eyes red. Then I started to lose all ambition and became lazier as the days went on. I became a dependent on the 'smokes'.
Then one day, I decided it was either my life or the 'smokes'. and I chose my life.' (Personal Interview) Though marijuana has been associated with mental illness and just sheer craziness, early reports had to be discredited because of flaws and inadequacies. In 1969-70, a study on 100 marijuana users was conducted. Out of the 100, twenty-one percent had a probable affective disorder (affective meaning that there was a disturbance on the emotional state of the person); eight percent had definite affective disorder, six percent probable sociopath, and six percent definite sociopath. Three percent had asexual deviance other than homosexuality and there was even 1 who had a sch zio-affective disorder.
All in all fifty-two percent of the group received a psychiatric diagnosis. Some other effects that have been reportedly been connected with marijuana are unplanned change in appetite and weight, sleep difficulty, including hypersomnia. Complaints of loss of energy, agitation, irritability, withdrawal, suicidal ideas or death wishes, and self-depreciatory ruminations. The risk of these side effects makes some doctors hesitant to prescribe or even suggest marijuana as a medicine (1). However, to sum it all up, I basically feel that there are more positives about this drug than negatives. Since, there are basically so many components in marijuana and so many types of marijuana, there can be a lot more research done to get the full potential the drug has to offer.
The Federal government has definitely enough resources to do the proper research that is needed to pick apart what is good and what is bad. Since there is obviously therapeutic properties to this drug, I feel that if it at least gives a little relief to those who really need it then the proper authorities such continue to do what they have to too ensure that it continues. Though there is no concrete evidence so far that tells us that marijuana will be the best remedy for the aliments that has been suggested that it can relieve, there is enough proof that it helps in some ways. Besides providing relief in major aliments such as cancer, glaucoma, and AIDS, marijuana is also good for minor things such as colds, cuts, and scrapes. In conclusion, marijuana users say that marijuana has enriched their lives.
It enhances their creativity and provides happiness. 'It is a source of positive pleasure' (1). And if that is all the sick patients's uff ering from the many ailments that marijuana helps experience in the last days of their lives, then leave them be. Bibliography 1. ) Ernest Abel: 'The Scientific Study of Marihuana'2. ) web) web) Esquire Magazine October 1997 - Ben Dickinson: 'What if weed is exactly what you need?' 5.
) web) Steve Forbes 'Deadly deceit' Forbes; Sep. 8, 1997 7. ) Gabriel Nahas: 'Marijuana in Science and Medicine'8. ) Lori Tala rico 'Does marijuana have a place in medicine?' Patient Care; Jan. 30, 19989. ) web mj.
htm 10. ) web forbes read forbes. htm.


The Role of Physicians in Controlling Medical Care Costs and Reducing Waste
Stanley Feld M.D.,FACP,MACE
The Role of Physicians in Controlling Medical Care Costs and Reducing Waste by the RAND Corporation and David Geffen, University of California Los Angeles School of Medicine, Santa Monica was just published in the Journal of the America Medical Association (JAMA). I do not think the JAMA should have published this article.
1.Why would the JAMA publish such an article?
2. Why are physicians blamed for all the waste in the system?
3. Why is it the physicians’ responsibility to eliminate waste when they are not the cause of the greatest percentage of the waste?
“The amount of money spent on medical care is increasing faster than the gross domestic product (GDP), and the federal deficit is increasing.”
The initial statement assumes that the government deficit is increasing because physicians control government spending for healthcare.
This is only partly correct. The question I have is maybe patients should drive medical costs and not the government.
The government bureaucracy and the healthcare insurance industry has created this cost monster.
“Budget experts believe that the deficit cannot be reduced unless medical spending can be controlled. What role will physicians play in controlling health care cost growth? Are physicians even willing to play a role?
The article outlines the steps physicians must take to reduce waste and therefore the budget deficit. The assumption is physicians are the main source of the healthcare system’s waste.
The RAND Corporation does not consider the waste of the government bureaucracy, the healthcare insurance industry’s excessive fees, the hospital systems’ excessive billings, nor the pharmaceutical companies excessive charges for medication. Not considered is the excessive waste that results from the forced practice of defensive medicine because of the lack of tort reform.
If all these issues were addressed, waste and costs would be markedly decreased. There would be no need to try to commoditize physicians’ medical decisions.
I cannot visualize success in trying to commoditize the physician’s decision-making processes.
The healthcare system should be consumer driven with the consumers owning their healthcare dollars and making their own healthcare decisions. The government must help teach consumers to make appropriate medical care decisions with their own money. The government could provide the money. It would eliminate all the bureaucratic waste and secondary stakeholder abuse because it would create a true marketplace driven by consumers and not an artificial marketplace driven by government inefficiency. Consumers must make their own medical care decisions and be responsible for their actions.
The authors of the article suggest that physicians have three options for participation in controlling healthcare costs. The problem is it assumes the burden for controlling costs are the responsibility of physicians.
1. "Physicians can do nothing."
2. "Health care can be rationed."
3. " Physicians take the lead in identifying and eliminating waste in US health care system."
4. (We have tried to lead.)
5. (President Obama has ignored us.)
“Physicians could define waste by assigning all services to 1 of 4 types of care—inappropriate, equivocal, appropriate, or necessary”.
This is subjective busy work that is destined to fail. It will also stifle creativity, thinking, problem solving and innovation.
Physicians try to practice evidence-based medicine. There are defects in determining best practices. In many cases the conclusions drawn from clinical results are inaccurate. It is arbitrary based on the bias of the experts picked to be the judges.
1.Inappropriate care, the potential health benefit to the patient is less than the potential harm caused by the procedure, device, or drug
2. With equivocal care, potential harm and benefit are about equal.
3. With appropriate care, potential benefit to the patient exceeds potential harm.
Necessary care is appropriate, represents the only viable option, and produces a large health benefit.
Who decides appropriate and necessary care?
An excellent example is the difficulty deciding appropriate and necessary care in the use of post-menopausal hormonal replacement therapy. The study design of the Women’s Health Initiative (WHI) was defective, the execution of the study was ineffective and the statistical analysis was inaccurate. The conclusions of the WHI are suspect. Yet the WHI has been heralded as evidence based medicine for best practices. It has changed the course of women’s health forever.
A tool to measure clinical waste across all clinical services does not exist. This is because the definition of “clinical waste” is ever changing. Today’s best practices can be tomorrow’s clinical waste.
Physicians are constantly trying to define best practices. It must be the job of physicians. Physicians are constantly trying to teach other physicians best practices. Physicians are constantly trying to learn to keep current.
The best practices have to be put into context with changing scientific concepts. Potential bias must be evaluated.
The clinical decisions should not be the interpretations of policy wonks or bureaucrats.
None of this is black and white. Policy wonks, economists and bureaucrats have little understanding of the complexity involved in clinical decisions.
Their interest is to somehow try to quantitatively measure physicians’ clinical decisions against an artificially created set of standards defined as waste.
“Physicians prefer the medical definition. But it is not known how much clinical waste is in the system.”
Another excellent clinical example of the controversy is the treatment of choice for Graves Disease (hyperthyroidism). There are cogent arguments for the treatment of choice for Graves Disease with either radioactive iodine or medications such as PTU or Tapazole. There is no unequivocal scientific evidence for an advantage of either treatment.
Attempts have been made to prove an advantage of one treatment over the other. When there is a lack of unequivocal evidence for best practices, patients must be given a choice of therapy.
A defect in the attempts to determine best practice in clinical research is the elimination of patients’ freedom to judge and choose or participate in the best treatment choice for that individual.
It is physicians’ responsibility to defend and maintain that freedom for their patients. The reasons for waste in the healthcare system should not be determined arbitrarily by bureaucrats.
The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” are, mine and mine alone.


The next twenty years will see teachers under increasing pressure to convincingly justify their existence. Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies are already prompting calls for teaching to be automated, learner-driven and ‘teacher-proof’. While these technologies might still require non-specialised classroom facilitators and technicians, the role of the highly trained expert teacher is coming under increasing threat. There is a growing sense that “we don’t really need teachers in the same way anymore”.
Put bluntly, the entire premise of ‘the teaching profession’ faces an impending challenge. In a future where education can be reliably provided by machines, why continue to invest millions of dollars in training human experts to do the job? Given the likely trajectory of technological developments over the next few decades, is there anything that an expert teacher does that machines will never be able to do? As an education researcher and teacher, I would like to think that there is! Here, then, are six aspects of expert human teaching which are getting overlooked in the current rush toward automating the classroom:
There is clear benefit from being with someone who can pass on knowledge, especially someone who has previously been in the position of having to learn that knowledge. This latter qualification is a uniquely human characteristic. When a learner learns with an expert teacher, they are not simply gaining access to the teachers’ knowledge but also benefiting from the teachers’ memories of learning it themselves. Technology can be pre-loaded with content of what is to be learned. Yet, no AI technology is going to ‘learn’ something exactly the way a human learns it, and then help another human learn accordingly.
A human is uniquely placed to sense what another human is cognitively experiencing at any moment, and respond accordingly. In this sense, face-to-face contact with a teacher offer learners a valuable opportunity to engage in the process of thinking withanother human brain. On one hand, there is something thrilling about witnessing an expert who is modelling the process of thinking things through. Conversely, a human teacher is also able to make a personal ‘cognitive connection’ with another individual who is attempting to learn. As David Cohen puts it, teachers are uniquely able to “put themselves into learners’ mental shoes”. Despite the best efforts of computer science, many aspects of thinking cannotbe detected and modelled by machines in this way.
Teaching is a mutual obligation between teachers and learners. No teacher can stimulate the learning process without the cooperation of those who are learning. Good teachers make personal connections with their students, helping them gauge what might work best at any particular time. Before attempting to intellectually engage with a group, teachers will “take a mental pulse of students’ demeanours”. Teachers work hard to establish this mutual commitment to learning, as well as sustaining engagement through motivating, cajoling and enthusing individuals. All of these are interpersonal skills that come naturally to people rather than machines.
There is something transformative about being in the presence of an expert teacher talking about their subject of expertise. Listening to an expert talk can provide a real-time, unfolding connection with knowledge. A good speaker does not stick rigidly to a written text, but refines, augments and alters their argument according to the audience reactions. A teacher speaking to a group of learners therefore engages in a form of spontaneous revelation. Key to this is the teacher’s role in leading and supporting learners to engage in active listening. As Gert Biestareasons, being addressed by another person interrupts one’s ego-centricism – drawing an individual out of themselves and forcing them into sense-making.
The bodies of human teachers are an invaluable resource when engaging learners in abstract thought. Teachers use their bodies to energize, orchestrate and anchor the performance of teaching. Many subtleties of teaching take place through movement – pacing around a room, pointing and gesturing. Teachers make use of their ‘expressive body’ – lowering their voice, raising an eyebrow or directing their gaze. Crucially, a human will respond to the living biological body of another human in a completely different way to even the most realisticsimulation. Being looked in the eye by another person is a qualitatively different experience than being looked at by a 3D humanoid robot, let alone a 2D cartoon agent on a screen.
A key part of good teaching is the human capacity to improvise. Rather than sticking tightly to a pre-planned script, teachers will adjust what they do according to the circumstances. Like most performative events, teachers approach a session with a rough plan or structure. However, thereafter they improvise their way around these aims and objectives. Teaching requires acts of creativity, innovation and spontaneity – akin to dancing or playing jazz. Teachers and learners feel each other out, find common ground and build upon it. Teaching also demands a tolerance for imprecision, messiness and not knowing. Most human actions involve a degree of guesswork, bluff and willingness to ‘make do’. These are processes that computer systems are largely incapable of.
As these examples illustrate, an expert human teacheris able to support learning in ways that can never be fully replicated through technology. Unfortunately, these qualities remain largely unrecognised, even by teachers themselves. Many educators consider teaching to be an ‘unconscious’ act that is difficult to pin down and articulate. Yet such coyness does little to dispel the technology-driven arguments currently being made against the teaching profession. Teachers need to speak up and make an irrefutable case for the continued presence of expert professionals at the forefront of classrooms.
So how can we rehabilitate human teachers in the minds of their detractors? The uphill battle in countries like Australia is to revitalise schools and classrooms to allow teachers to work in the ways just outlined. These are all characteristics that a good teacher should have, but are considerably restricted in an era of ‘teaching out-of-field’, templated lesson plans and rigid standardised testing.
A first step in this direction might be to alter the ways that people think and talk about teaching. Teachers need to speak forcibly about these qualities – amongst themselves, within their professional associations, withparents, politicians, pundits and anyone else with influence. Teachers also need to argue directly against the tech industry and corporate reformers looking to replace them with machines. There is obvious value in the human expert teacher. Yet unless teachers are able to make a convincing case, they may well lose the argument before they even realise that there was one.
Neil Selwyn is a professor in the Faculty of Education, Monash University (Australia). He previously worked in the UCL Institute of Education, and Cardiff School of Social Science (UK). Neil is currently writing a book on the topic of robots, AI and the automation of teaching. Over the next six months he will be posting writing on the topic, hopefully resulting in: Selwyn, N. (2019) Should Robots Replace Teachers? Cambridge, Polity.
Neil can be found on Twitter @neil_selwyn


The United Nations has declared today World Autism Awareness Day. A recent federal study shows a significant increase in the prevalence of autism, bringing the nation in line with what New Jersey has been reporting for years. Dr. Jill Harris, director of program development at Children’s Specialized Hospital, told NJ Today Senior Correspondent Desirée Taylor that the new survey confirms what many thought — that the prevalence rate throughout the country was about equal to the Garden State.
The latest survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, was a phone survey and found about one out of 50 children have been diagnosed with having an autism spectrum disorder. “That is much more consistent with New Jersey’s most recent prevalence rates,” Harris said. “But it is still much higher than what had been shown in the past and in other states.”
The method of collecting data varies from previous studies. Harris explained that previous prevalence rates were based on reviews of health and school records.
“I think it confirms what we really suspected which is that probably throughout all of the states and probably throughout other countries as well the prevalence rate is probably equal. It was always a little confusing about why it was higher in New Jersey,” Harris said. “We thought that possibly it was because there might be increased awareness in New Jersey or more places where you can get a diagnosis. But now it’s suggesting that the prevalence is high nationwide and worldwide.”
While researchers believe there is equal prevalence of autism across all racial, ethnic, geographic and socioeconomic lines, Harris said statistics show there are disparities accessing diagnoses and services.
“That’s something that at Children’s Specialized Hospital we put a lot of emphasis in terms of looking at these traditionally under-served groups and seeing if we can improve access to services for this population,” Harris said.
Harris said she believes educators can play a role in diagnosing children. “One of the things that we’ve looked at is going into daycares or preschools — places where a lot of kids spend a lot of their time — and trying to educate the people who are working with those kids about what the early signs are for autism, what the red flags are,” she said. “So that if we could screen the kids where they are, in the community where they are, we think that we would be able to identify those kids that need services earlier and hook them up with effective services quicker.”
Some are worried that sequestration could impact the services offered for autism. Harris said while there is increased awareness about autism and increased services, more are needed.
“Even here in New Jersey where there is legislation for some insurance companies to cover applied behavioral analysis or ABA services,” Harris said. “Not all insurances cover that and indeed state Medicaid does not cover it. So when you ask if there are enough services, there aren’t enough services definitely not for adults and people as they age with autism. But also some of the services that are known to be highly effective don’t always have a payment source to cover the services.”
Adults with autism need additional services, according to Harris. “If you look at what people need, they need hopefully meaningful employment, they need a safe place to live, they need social opportunities, and that’s throughout the age span. And no, there definitely are not adequate services for adults,” she said.


Enhancing the development of phonetic categories in second-language speech perception and production through high-variability phonetic training
Enhancing the Development of Phonetic Categories
in Second-Language Speech Perception
and Production through High-Variability Phonetic Training
Speech perception in the native language (L1) is efficient, with listeners being able to recognize consonants and vowels (and ultimately words) in spite of the great within- and between-talker variability that characterizes the speech signal (e.g., a given sound is realized differently depending on its surrounding sounds, its position in the word and sentence, and the talker’s vocal tract, speech rate, and accent) (e.g., Bradlow & Bent, 2008; Clopper & Bradlow, 2008; Trude & Brown-Schmidt, 2012). To explain this efficiency, speech perception theories have proposed that listeners form phonetic categories of consonants and vowels by encoding the acoustic details of thousands of speech exemplars heard over time and extracting from these exemplars the acoustic cues that signal meaningful contrasts relative to the context in which these cues occur (e.g., Goldinger, 1996; Johnson, 1997). Native listeners’ ability to fine-tune speech perception as a function of contextual information stems in part from their many years of exposure to rich input in the L1.
Second-language (L2) speech perception is far more difficult, for several reasons: (i) by the time listeners begin learning an L2, they have formed robust and stable phonetic categories in the L1, making it difficult for them to create new phonetic categories (e.g., the longer the exposure to the L1, the more difficult the development of target-like L2 phonetic categories) (e.g., Flege, 1995; Flege et al., 2006; Flege & Liu, 2001); (ii) at least in a foreign language setting, listeners often receive limited exposure to speech in the L2, and the input they hear is often impoverished (i.e., limited in its variability) and not native-like (e.g., when the instructor is not a native speaker of the language being taught).
This raises the question of whether and how language instructors can help enhance L2 learners’ development of phonetic categories. One method that has gained popularity over the past two decades and been shown to enhance L2 learners’ perception and production of consonants and vowels is the high-variability phonetic training (e.g., Bradlow, Pisoni, Akahane-Yamada, & Tohkura, 1997; Huensch & Tremblay, 2015; Iverson, Hazan, & Bannister, 2005; Iverson, Pinet, & Evans, 2011; Lambacher, Martens, Kakehi, Marasinghe, & Molholt, 2005; Lively, Logan, & Pisoni, 1993; Logan, Lively, & Pisoni, 1991). This method enhances L2 speech perception and production because it emphasizes both input quantity and input quality, leading L2 learners to develop more robust phonetic categories in the L2.
In this workshop, I will discuss the different types of high-phonetic variability training that have been developed and their impact on L2 learners’ speech perception and speech production, focusing on both the theoretical implications and practical applications of this research.


May 10, 2012 | 4
Who makes your food? Do you live alone and do everything yourself, or are you part of a partnership, roommate situation, or extended family where food is shared? Most likely, the more complicated your living situation, the more complicated the food allocation. Perhaps one person buys the food and another cooks it, or everyone shares in the acquiring and making but you don’t all like the same stuff, so sometimes you have to make an extra peanut butter and jelly sandwich for the kid who hates curry night.
Humans share both food and labor. To some extent, we allocate food based on status (“The Big Piece of Chicken” from Chris Rock’s Bigger and Blacker – warning, profanity (and a splash of sexism) ahead!):
Maybe you’re the parent who always gets the big piece of chicken, or maybe you’re the roommate who always seems to have his leftovers stolen. The question is, why? What implications does this have for your own stress and energy stores, and ultimately your reproductive success?
The concept of pooled energy budgets
A series of papers over the last few years by Karen Kramer, Meredith Reiches, Peter Ellison and others raises exactly this question. In particular, they take on the paradox of slow human life histories – the fact that we take a long time to grow up, mature, be fully independent and have our own offspring – with fast reproduction – once we can have kids we are capable of having many overlapping, dependent offspring (Kramer and Ellison, 2010).
Consider that the age at first birth among many hunter-gatherer populations is in the late teens (Kramer et al., 2009), yet individuals in these populations often aren’t fully competent hunters and foragers until their thirties (Gurven et al., 2006; Kramer et al., 2009; Walker et al., 2002). Among industrialized populations, our average age at first birth is in the mid to late twenties (and here are CDC stats for the US only), but our average full financial independence equally late (that’s not to say there aren’t many teens and young adults fully independent from parents, but also many folks into their twenties and thirties are still getting loans, help with down payments, or gifts that help financially).
This gap would not do among non-human primates: most primates become independent foragers very early in their lives, and so what they collect, they eat. If they can’t get enough food to survive, they certainly won’t be allocating any of that energy towards reproduction, and so their reproductive success will be low or zero.
How do we handle the years between age at first birth and full independence? How do we take so long to mature, using up parental resources all the while, yet still manage to have a decent number of babies? Humans manage to circumvent our very slow and dependent juvenile period, and therefore have plenty of energy for reproduction, through transfers of energy (food, or in industrial societies money for food) and labor (especially childcare) between individuals.
When individuals hunt or forage, many are able to bring in more than they themselves will eat, and this gets shared among their family or community. Individuals in different reproductive states may even contribute more to their households to increase their indirect fitness, as has been found with grandmothers in Hadza foragers (Hawkes et al., 1997), and in suitors (Hawkes et al., 1997) or fathers (Marlowe, 2001), perhaps to offset potentially lower foraging capabilities of a pregnant or breastfeeding mother. And many increasingly agree that humans are a cooperatively breeding species (Hrdy, 2008), meaning that labor transfers of childcare can happen pretty often.
It’s great that we share, and that foraging and childcare behavior is responsive to one’s context and in the context of one’s family. This means that one’s social environment may play a significant role in the amount of energy and time you have for survival and reproduction (Reiches et al., 2009).
Why pooled energy budgets are cool
Understanding where our energy comes from – who has it easy and who has it hard in the daily labor of food acquisition – can help us understand a number of interesting things that vary among human populations. For instance, lighter juvenile workloads can contribute to faster juvenile growth. I’ve talked about the Pumé foragers before as an example of a population with relatively early reproduction. Kramer et al (2009) have shown that Pumé girls reach menarche and first birth earlier than most foragers (check out the first image in this post). These girls tend to have lower foraging expectations placed on them, which indirectly increases their energy budgets, as what would have gone towards foraging effort can now go towards maintenance and reproduction. This contributes to how they achieve faster growth and earlier reproductive maturity.
Understanding the nature of energy transfers can also help us understand cooperative breeding. In populations where pregnant and breastfeeding mothers’ foraging workloads are still high, are they getting respite from childcare to offset these costs? Who helps more: peers, fathers, maternal grandmothers or paternal grandmothers? What factors drive variation in allocare between populations? I wonder how varied these behaviors are even within a population: perhaps some mothers prefer foraging to childcare, or vice versa, and so find themselves doing more of one or the other. And I wonder if any of this could have an ultimate effect on reproductive success, depending on the environment and difficulty foraging.
But what I find really interesting is that some individuals may get more or less food through these energy transfers based on status, kinship, and friendship. That is, who you know, who your mother or father is, the kind of culture you come from and whether it treats some kinds of people better or worse, this may all have an ultimate impact on an individual’s energy budget. This is on top of the already documented impact of social environment on stress and health (e.g., Albert et al., 2008; Kiecolt-Glaser et al., 2010; Miller et al., 2002). So there are at least two very significant ways in which our social environment affects wellness and reproductive success: an energy-based mechanism and a stress-based mechanism, and they are not mutually exclusive paths.
Starting from the pooled energy budgets model resolves a lot of the bickering that can occur about which ecological factor is “most” important to reproduction. The reality is, no matter how much I and others love to talk about inflammation, stress, immune function and other stuff, all of these factors ultimately impact the body through allocation of resources – through energy. The pooled energy budget concept gives a space for all these factors, and a useful framework to understand them.
Albert MA, Ravenell J, Glynn RJ, Khera A, Halevy N, de Lemos JA. 2008. Cardiovascular risk indicators and perceived race/ethnic discrimination in the Dallas Heart Study. American heart journal 156(6):1103-1109.
Gurven M, Kaplan H, Gutierrez M. 2006. How long does it take to become a proficient hunter? Implications for the evolution of extended development and long life span. Journal of Human Evolution 51(5):454-470.
Hawkes K, O’Connell JF, Blurton Jones NG. 1997. Hadza women’s time allocation, offspring provisioning, and the evolution of long postmenopausal life spans. Current Anthropology 38(4):551-577.
Hrdy S. 2008. Evolutionary context of human development: the cooperative breeding model. In: Salmon C, Shackelford T, editors. Family relationships: an evolutionary perspective: Oxford University Press.
Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Gouin J-P, Hantsoo L. 2010. Close relationships, inflammation, and health. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews 35(1):33-38.
Kramer KL, Ellison PT. 2010. Pooled Energy Budgets: Resituating Human Energy Allocation Trade-offs. Evolutionary Anthropology 19:136-147.
Kramer KL, Greaves RD, Ellison PT. 2009. Early reproductive maturity among Pumé foragers: implications of a pooled energy model to fast life histories. American Journal of Human Biology 21(4):430-437.
Marlowe F. 2001. Male contribution to diet and female reproductive success among foragers. Current Anthropology 42(5):755-760.
Miller GE, Stetler CA, Carney RM, Freedland KE, Banks WA. 2002. Clinical depression and inflammatory risk markers for coronary heart disease. The American Journal of Cardiology 90(12):1279-1283.
Reiches MW, Ellison PT, Lipson SF, Sharrock KC, Gardiner E, Duncan LG. 2009. Pooled energy budget and human life history. American Journal of Human Biology 21(4):421-429.
Walker R, Hill K, Kaplan H, McMillan G. 2002. Age-dependency in hunting ability among the Ache of Eastern Paraguay. Journal of Human Evolution 42(6):639-657.


Thank you for contacting BibleAsk.
The Bible does not give the exact date for the birth of Christ. And there is no command to keep the day of Christ’s birth as a sacred day. While it might be a public holiday, it is not a biblical holy day.
December 25 was an ancient holiday for the birth of Tammuz the child of the sun-god. Later, December 25 was assigned by the emperor Constantine in 336 AD, as a day to remember Christ’s birth in an effort to make Christianity more attractive to non-Christians.
Today some people with good and honest conscience do not feel comfortable with the idea of associating Christ’s birth with a pagan holiday. And in an effort to avoid celebrating “Christmas,” they may lose the spiritual advantage of meditating on the fact that Christ was born into this world to save the lost. Such people should nonetheless set aside some time during the year to contemplate and celebrate the birth of Christ and His great sacrifice.
And there are others who do not feel that it is wrong to remember Christ’s birth during December 25th. To such, it will be a worthy challenge to focus on the saving meaning of Christ’s birth and to share material resources with the poor and needy instead of indulging self in the secular traditions of Christmas.
In blessing the poor, Jesus said: “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:34-40).
Therefore, whether observing Christ’s birth on Christmas or on any other day of the year, let all be done for the glory of God, “He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord” (Romans 14:6) and “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).
In His service,


Before installing the energizer make sure you have read all the instructions provided with your energizer. We recommend that you always install the energizer out of reach of children and animals.
Inside Installation: Mains Powered Energizers (We always recommend that you install plug-in mains units under roof and in a dry location)
Locate the unit near a power point or outlet. Preferably, connect it to a dedicated outlet line, separated from a series of outlets. Install a surge protector in the outlet then, plug your energizer into the surge protector. These surge protectors may be purchased at most hardware stores or electric supply. They will vary in price from $5 upward.
Follow the instructions that came with your energizer. As a generalization, there will be two or more terminals. Normally the red terminal is the output terminal that goes to your fence line. The other terminal is normally green (or black) and it goes to your ground rods (see grounding how to articles). Some energizers also have a third terminal that is referred to as a low output terminal. This terminal may be used as a separate fence in which you prefer to have less voltage on, such as around your back yard where children may be playing. On some energizers such as Speedrite, this third terminal may also be used for hooking up bi-polar systems, but that is another article in itself.
Grounding note: you may use either copper or galvanized ground rods, but do not mix them. In other words, if you use galvanized ground rods, then use galvanized wire back to the energizer. If using copper rods, then use copper wire back to the energizer. You will normally need about 3 feet of ground rod per output joule. Example: a 6 output joule charger will require about 18 feet of ground rods. That could be accomplished by using 3 six foot rods. The ground rods should be spaced no less than 10 feet apart. If you are routing your lead-out wire from the energizer to the fence line and you will be going through a wall, then we recommend that you route it thru conduit when going through the wall. We also recommend that you use insulated wire as your lead out from energizer to fence line.
Outside Installation: Battery or Solar Energizers Although battery energizers are generally made to handle the weather, rain, snow, etc. we would recommend that you build a roof shed or box to additionally protect it from the elements. It must however be ventilated so as not to over heat the electronics of the energizer. Keep this away from animals and out of reach of children. If necessary, build a small fenced enclosure around the energizer to keep livestock and animals away. Solar panels should be tilted in the direction where you will receive the most sun, and may need to be seasonally adjusted. We find that in Midwest USA, we get more intense afternoon sun and tend to tilt to the SW sky. This suggestion may vary depending on your location. Although most energizers have a warranty that includes damage from lightning, we highly recommend that you install lightening protection on your fence line. Read more about lightning protection in another article. These are some general comments on energizer installation please feel free to call us with any questions you may have at 417-741-1230.


Publication: Research - peer-review › Journal article – Annual report year: 2009
The abundance of bluefin tuna, Thunnus thynnus, in the east Atlantic and Mediterranean has declined in recent decades. The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), the regional bluefin tuna management authority, has developed a plan to promote recovery by 2022, while still permitting fishing to continue during the period 2008-2010. Here we predict that the adult population in 2011 will likely be 75% lower relative to 2005 and that quotas in some intervening years will allow the fishery to capture legally all of the adult fish. Population demographics (proportion of older fish and repeat spawners in population) indicate that buffering capacity against years of poor reproduction has been reduced. This population is at risk of collapse (90% decline in adult biomass within three generations, the criterion used by the IUCN for defining populations as Critically Endangered), even under the currently agreed recovery plan, unless new conservation measures are implemented in the next few years.
|State||Published - 2009|
|Citations||Web of Science® Times Cited: 25|
- Atlantic, Mediterranean, conservation, bluefin tuna, recruitment, exploitation, reproduction, management, recovery, collapse


Myth. The term “soft teeth” is usually used in reference to having teeth that are more susceptible to tooth decay or sensitivity. It is sometimes used to reference there being a lot of cavities in your family history, which has led you to have a gene pool that’s more vulnerable to cavities and decay.
The concept of soft teeth is a myth—you are in control of your own oral health and your teeth.
Cavities are 100% preventable and cannot be passed down as part of your family gene pool. Just because your parents, aunts, uncles or grandparents had a lot of cavities or decay, doesn’t necessarily mean that you will too.
Cavities and decay are a result of bacteria in your mouth and a lack of a proper oral hygiene routine for your specific needs. For example, if you are a smoker, you may need a different oral hygiene routine compared to someone who suffers from gum disease, and so on. Figuring out an oral hygiene routine that works for your specific needs is a big benefit of having regular check-ups and cleanings with your dentist. That becomes your time to ask any questions about your oral health, and make sure you are taking the appropriate steps to avoid cavities and decay.
What can I do to prevent tooth decay?
The bacteria in your mouth lives primarily on sugar. A good way to cut down the decay in your mouth is to limit the amount of sugary or starchy foods that you eat. When the bacteria in your mouth break down sugars, they produce acids that attack your tooth enamel and cause decay.
Another great way to prevent tooth decay and cavities is to make sure you are doing at least the basics of a good oral hygiene routine. The three basic steps of a good oral health routine are:
- Brushing your teeth twice a day
- Flossing your teeth once a day
- Visiting your dentist for regular check-ups and cleanings
If you have any questions on how you can avoid decay and cavities, visit a 123Dentist.com location today! We would be happy to assess your teeth and give you tips on what you can do to avoid cavities.
For additional tips on how to avoid baby bottle tooth decay for your infants, click here: https://www.123dentist.com/how-to-deal-with-baby-bottle-tooth-decay/


PK Sinha Center for Bioenergy and Renewables at IIT Kharagpur has organized the DBT National Workshop on Bioenergy (DNWB 2019) in Kolkata on October 17-18, 2019. Funded by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India, this workshop aims to bring together bioenergy scientists from around the country to promote a national conversation on and solve technological challenges towards achieving the national mission of deploying clean energy to fight climate change.
The workshop provides a rare opportunity to DBT’s five Bioenergy Centers, namely, the DBT-Pan IIT Center for Bioenergy, the DBT-ICGEB Center for Bioenergy, the DBT-IOCL Center, the DBT-TERI Center for Bioenergy, and the DBT-ICT Center for Energy Biosciences, to come together and discuss their bioenergy research, exchange new ideas, and collaborate towards building a renewable energy future for India.
“Climate change is the biggest threat to our species and our planet today. The reasons for climate change in the post-industrialization period are clearly anthropogenic, i.e., caused by human activity. In the last 168 years, the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere have increased by 45%, from 285 ppm in 1850 to 415 ppm in 2018,” said Prof. Saikat Chakraborty, Convenor of the workshop.
This sudden increase of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration in the post-industrialization period has drastically enhanced the Greenhouse Effect, leading to global warming. The year 2017 was the hottest on record (followed by 2018) without an El Nino boost, with an average global temperature rise of 1°C higher since the pre-industrial level in 1850.
“As we are fast approaching the warning limit of 1.5°C of global warming, set by the Paris International Climate Agreement signed by 175 countries, the changes in global climate will be sweeping and devastating. Many small islands will be wiped out, deltas and coastal cities will be submerged,” remarked Prof. Chakraborty.
The glaciers in the Arctic, the Antarctic and the Himalayas are already melting at alarming rates, leading to a whirlwind of severe weather events: floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, severe snowstorms, scorching heatwaves, droughts and wildfires.
“Two hundred living species of plants and animals are going extinct from our planet every single day. In short, life on earth is in peril in a way it’s never been before,” he added.
Coordinated by Prof. Saikat Chakraborty and Prof. Mrinal K. Maiti of IIT Kharagpur, DNWB-2019 aims to bridge the gap between researchers from academia and industries with other professionals within India through various keynote addresses, scientific and technical lectures and poster presentations encompassing the current situation and future trends on various aspects of bioenergy, including combating climate change through biofuels, algal biofuels, lignocellulosic biofuels, and cyanobacterial biofuels. Professor M.S. Ananth, two-time Former Director of IIT Madras, will be the Chief Guest at the workshop’s inauguration program, and Dr. Anjan Ray, Director, Indian Institute of Petroleum Dehradun, will be the Guest of Honour, while Dr. Sangita M. Kasture, Joint Director, DBT, will be representing the Ministry of Science and Technology, Government of India. The keynote addresses will be delivered by Dr. Anjan Ray, Director of IIP-Dehradun, Prof. Debabrata Das, Former MNRE Chair Professor at IIT Kharagpur, and Dr. Santanu Dasgupta, Senior Vice President at Reliance Industries Limited.
Currently headed by Prof. Makarand M. Ghangrekar, the PK Sinha Centre for Bioenergy and Renewables at IIT Kharagpur was incepted on August 31, 2009, by the hands of its founder and patron Dr. Prabhakant Sinha, an illustrious IIT Kharagpur alumnus. This Centre is India’s first Integrated Bioenergy Centre, which is involved in activities such as knowledge in action by partnering with the government, commercial organizations, knowledge dissemination through academia, industry and policymakers. Experts at the Centre are currently working in the areas of Bioethanol, Biodiesel, Biohydrogen, Biomethane, Algal biorefinery, Microbial fuel cells, Genetic engineering of energy crops, etc.
“We are also exploring various biological processes to innovate efficient, economically viable processes for the treatment of waste. Attempts have also been made to overcome the scale-up challenges of microbial fuel cells for the bioremediation of wastewater and electricity generation,” said the Centre’s Head, Prof. Ghangrekar.


The word entitlement is defined as "the fact of having a right to something" and "the belief that one is inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment."
When you have the belief that you are inherently deserving of privileges or special treatment at the expense of your neighbor and accept the idea of obtaining those benefits by the force and power of government you will engage in wantonness and Covetous Practices.
Welfare, Food Stamps, Social Security and even public education are all listed as entitlements but are provided by men who call themselves benefactors but who exercise authority one over the other. They are the fathers of the earth and those who look to them often try to Serve two masters but end up being Workers of Iniquity.
- Proverbs 23 "When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat."
- Romans 11:9 "And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:"
- Exodus 20:17 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour’s."
- 2 Peter 2:3 "And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."
- 2 Peter 2:22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
- While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 2 Peter 2:19
- And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven. Matthew 23:9
- "And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors'. But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve. For whether is greater, he that sitteth at meat, or he that serveth? is not he that sitteth at meat? but I am among you as he that serveth.
" Luke 22:25-27
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- : Mark 7:20-23 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness <766>, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
- Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness <766>, not in strife and envying.
- 2 Corinthians 12:21 And lest, when I come again, my God will humble me among you, and that I shall bewail many which have sinned already, and have not repented of the uncleanness and fornication and lasciviousness <766> which they have committed.
- Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness <766>,
- Ephesians 4:19 Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness <766>, to work all uncleanness with greediness.
- 1 Peter 4:3 For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness <766>, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries:
- 2 Peter 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy <766> conversation of the wicked:
- 2 Peter 2:18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness <766>, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
- Jude 1:4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness <766>, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
- Proverbs 26:11 ¶ As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.


Click above image for slideshow (23 photographs)
“Strong Like Two People”:
A photographer’s ode to First Nations’
special relationship with the land in Canada’s North
An environmental movement is stirring in indigenous communities across North America. The moniker ‘water protector’ came from the protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL), and the DAPL story is a powerful example of activism in the face of environmental racism. But environmental activism is often much more subtle than the headlines let on.
In Canada’s North, indigenous youth are stepping into leadership roles and families are recognizing the importance of relearning traditional activities not only as a form of conservation, but also as a way to preserve their culture in a time where Western values and technology are influencing these communities more than ever.
In the Northwest Territories, youth are encouraged by the words of Tlicho Chief Jimmy Bruneau, who in 1936, set out a vision to accept the worldview of the white man but to never lose the skills, teachings and traditions of the Dene. His words later interpreted to mean, “strong like two people”.


Up: Utrecht Echelle Spectrograph
The layout of the spectrograph is shown schematically in Figure . The slit
S is at the focal plane of the telescope. The light from the slit image (beam
a) is collimated (beam b) by an off-axis parabolic mirror C, and traverses the
three cross-dispersing quartz prisms P1, P2 and P3 before beam c is incident on
the echelle grating E. The axes of
beams a, b and c are horizontal. The light is dispersed in the vertical plane
(beam d) by the echelle grating (beam d) and is finally re-imaged by the
[ TIFF ]
of the Utrecht Echelle Spectrograph (UES).
The main components are as follows:
- Slit unit. The scale at the slit is 4.44 arcsec mm (1
arcsec = 225 m). The slit has a maximum length of
5 arcmin; a dekker of continuously variable width is used to define the slit
length. The slit width can be set to between 0.09 and 90 arcsec. The entire slit
assembly can be rotated from -12 to +11 degrees relative to the nominal
position; this is required to ensure that the slit image is perpendicular to the
direction of dispersion (along the spectral orders). A shutter is mounted at the
rear of the slit. The slit jaws are polished so that they can be viewed with the
acquisition TV or by the autoguider.
- Collimator. There is a choice of two collimators which can be
selected remotely. One collimator has been coated for best performance at
wavelengths below 4000 Å, while the other is silver coated for high
reflectivity longwards of 4000 Å. The collimators are off-axis paraboloids
with focal length of 2359 mm; the diameter of the collimated beam is 215 mm. A
Hartmann unit is available in front of the collimator assembly for focusing the
- Cross-dispersing prisms. Unlike most other echelle spectrographs
in use on 4-m class telescopes, UES uses prismatic cross-dispersion to separate
the echelle orders. The reasons which led to this choice are discussed in the
article by Walker & Diego referenced above. Compared with grating
cross-dispersers, prisms offer the advantages of higher efficiency and more
uniform inter-order spacing. In order to maintain high efficiency down to
3000 Å, the UES prisms are made of extremely homogeneous fused silica.
However, the prism size demanded by the optical design is beyond the limits of
current manufacturing technology. In order to provide sufficient
cross-dispersion, three smaller prisms are used in series; each prism is in
turn composed of three smaller units optically contacted together by means of a
UV transmitting fluid.
- Echelle grating. Two are available (and remotely selectable). Both
were manufactured by Milton Roy, have ruled area of 204 408 mm and
nominal blaze angle of 63.4 degrees. One echelle grating has a ruling of 31.6
grooves/mm, while the other has 79 grooves/mm. The spectral
formats produced by the two echelle gratings are detailed
in Tables and .
Both echelles provide the same linear dispersion at the detector, and
therefore the same resolving power for a given slit width. However, the free
spectral range of the former is 2.5 times shorter than that of the latter;
consequently, the spectral orders are 2.5 times closer together with 31.6 than
with the 79 grooves/mm echelle grating. Thus, the 31.6 ruling is the
preferred choice when continuous wavelength coverage of the echelle orders is
the overriding consideration, while the 79 is the grating most often used for
observations requiring accurate registration and subtraction of the sky signal
along the slit (the maximum slit length which can be accommodated with the 79
grooves/mm echelle is 2.5 times greater than with the 31.6).
- Camera. This is of folded Schmidt design with a field flattener
lens, and is described by Wynne 1977 (MNRAS, 180, 485).
The focal length is 700 mm. The nominal, unvignetted field of view is mm, the longer dimension being along the echelle orders.
- Detectors. Any of the detectors available on the WHT (see Chapter
) can be mounted on UES. The most commonly used detector is one of the thinned
Tektronix chips, which has a high
efficiency over a broad range of wavelengths. For observations of faint objects
the IPCS is the detector of choice, because of its extremely low dark count and
lack of read-out noise. Note that of the detectors currently available, only the
IPCS, with its 10 micron pixels, can sample the full resolving power of UES.
Table: Spectral Format of the 31.6 grooves/mm Echelle Grating
--- Sample Orders
Table: Spectral Format of the 79 grooves/mm Echelle Grating ---
Up: Utrecht Echelle Spectrograph
Tue Aug 15 16:42:46 BST 1995


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Significance and Use
5.1 This test method is designed to rank material couples in their resistance to the failure mode caused by galling and not merely to classify the surface appearance of sliding surfaces.
5.2 This test method has been shown to have higher repeatability than Test Method in determining the galling resistance. Test Method can be used for initial ranking of galling resistance.
5.3 This test method should be considered when damaged (galled) surfaces render components non-serviceable. Experience has shown that galling is most prevalent in sliding systems that are slow moving and operate intermittently. The galling and seizure of threaded components is a classic example that this test method most closely simulates.
5.4 Other galling-prone examples include: sealing surfaces of valves that may leak excessively due to galling and pump wear rings that may function ineffectively due to galling.
5.5 If the equipment continues to operate satisfactorily and loses dimension gradually, then galling is not present, and the wear should be evaluated by a different test method.
5.6 This test method should not be used for quantitative or final design purposes, since many environmental factors influence the galling performance of materials in service. Lubrication, alignment, stiffness, and geometry are only some of the factors that can affect how materials perform. This test method has proven valuable in screening materials for prototypical testing that more closely simulates actual service conditions.
1.1 This test method covers a laboratory test that ranks the galling resistance of material couples using a quantitative measure. Bare metals, alloys, nonmetallic materials, coatings, and surface modified materials may be evaluated by this test method.
1.2 This test method is not designed for evaluating the galling resistance of material couples sliding under lubricated conditions, because galling usually will not occur under lubricated sliding conditions using this test method.
1.3 The values stated in SI units are to be regarded as standard. No other units of measurement are included in this standard.
1.4 This standard does not purport to address all of the safety concerns, if any, associated with its use. It is the responsibility of the user of this standard to establish appropriate safety and health practices and determine the applicability of regulatory limitations prior to use.
2. Referenced Documents (purchase separately) The documents listed below are referenced within the subject standard but are not provided as part of the standard.
G40 Terminology Relating to Wear and Erosion
G98 Test Method for Galling Resistance of Materials
ICS Number Code 77.040.10 (Mechanical testing of metals)
|Link to Active (This link will always route to the current Active version of the standard.)|
ASTM G196-08(2016), Standard Test Method for Galling Resistance of Material Couples, ASTM International, West Conshohocken, PA, 2016, www.astm.orgBack to Top


Information identified as archived on the Web is for reference, research or recordkeeping purposes. It has not been altered or updated after the date of archiving. Web pages that are archived on the Web are not subject to the Government of Canada Web Standards, as per the Policy on Communications and Federal Identity.
Recovery Strategy for Multi-Species at Risk in Vernal Pools and other Ephemeral Wet Areas Associated with Garry Oak Ecosystems in Canada (Proposed)
This multi-species Recovery Strategy addresses the recovery of six endangered plant species inhabiting vernal pools and other ephemeral wet areas: bog bird's-foot trefoil (Lotus pinnatus), tall woolly-heads (Psilocarphus elatior), Juncus kelloggii (Juncus kelloggii), Ranunculus alismifolius var. alismifolius (water-plantain buttercup), rosy owl-clover (Orthocarpus bracteosus), and dwarf sandwort (Minuartia pusilla). In Canada, these species occur (or occurred) primarily in Garry oak and associated ecosystems on Vancouver Island and nearby Gulf Islands where they are largely restricted to low elevation, coastal areas. Although the range of all species extends into the United States, many of the species are widely disjunct from the U.S. populations. The Recovery Strategy comprises one component of the recovery program for Garry oak and associated ecosystems as outlined in the Recovery Strategy for Garry Oak and Associated Ecosystems and their Associated Species at Risk in Canada: 2001-2006.
Four main habitat types are distinguished in this strategy: vernal pools, vernal swales, vernal seeps, and seasonally wetted wetland margins. Vernal pools are spatially discrete, seasonally flooded depressions that form on top of impermeable layers such as hardpan, claypan, or bedrock. They occur under Mediterranean-type climatic conditions that provide for winter and early spring inundation, followed by complete or partial drying in summer. Vernal swales are similar to vernal pools, but are usually shallower with less defined boundaries and shorter inundation periods. Vernal seeps are shallow flows that occur where groundwater emerges on sloping terrain, usually on the lower slopes of hillsides. Seasonally wetted wetland margins are low-lying areas next to perennial streams, lakes, or marshes that experience temporary flooding during high water periods in the winter or spring, becoming dry again during the summer. These habitats are all naturally highly fragmented, occurring as small isolated patches along shorelines and on small islands. Urbanization has intensified their natural fragmentation, and species occurring within them face a diverse array of threats.
For successful implementation in protecting species at risk there will be a strong need to engage in stewardship on a variety of land tenures, and in particular on private land and on Indian Reserves. Stewardship involves the voluntary cooperation of landowners to protect Species at Risk and the ecosystems they rely on. It is recognized in the Preamble to the federal Species at Risk Act (SARA) that "stewardship activities contributing to the conservation of wildlife species and their habitat should be supported" and that "all Canadians have a role to play in the conservation of wildlife in this country, including the prevention of wildlife species from becoming extirpated or extinct." It is recognized in the Bilateral Agreement on Species at Risk, between British Columbia and Canada that:
"Stewardship by land and water owners and users is fundamental to preventing species from becoming at risk and in protecting and recovering species that are at risk" and that "Cooperative, voluntary measures are the first approach to securing the protection and recovery of species at risk."
Vernal pools and associated habitats are likely greatly diminished from their former abundance due to habitat conversion. Remaining habitat patches continue to be threatened by urban development and recreational demands, as well as by the encroachment of invasive alien shrubs, grasses and forbs. Fire suppression has further altered vegetation composition, hydrologic regimes and nutrient cycling, and increased fuel loading. Activities such as wetland draining, ditching, mowing, biking, dog-walking, utility maintenance, and garbage dumping also pose potential threats. Finally, as most populations are small and cover small areas, they may be inherently at risk from stochastic demographic and environmental events.
Further studies and trials will be needed to determine whether there are insurmountable barriers to the restoration of existing populations, the re-establishment of extirpated populations, and the establishment of new populations. However, following the precautionary nature of SARA, and to prevent undue extinctions or extirpations, the premise of this strategy is that recovery is technically and biologically feasible for all species.
Recovery goals and objectives
The long-term goals for recovery of each species include maintaining existing populations at current levels of abundance or greater, restoring species to their approximate historical area of occupancy and extent of occurrence through reintroductions or translocations, and ensuring longterm population viability.
The short-term (5-10 year) objectives for meeting the long-term goals are:
- To establish protection1 for existing populations through stewardship and other mechanisms.
- To engage the cooperation of all implicated landholders in habitat protection.
- To mitigate threats to habitat and survival from recreational activities, hydrologic alterations, and eutrophication.
- To mitigate threats to habitat and survival from secondary succession and invasive species encroachment.
- To restore to functioning condition a minimum of 10 historical (presently non-functional) vernal pools sites.
- To identify and rank 5-10 potential recovery (translocation) sites for each species at risk.
- To establish new populations (or subpopulations) of each species as per the recovery goal.
- To increase plant population sizes and/or population growth rates at extant sites as per the recovery goal.
- To establish Vernal Pool Conservation Areas at Uplands Park, Trial Island, Rocky Point, and Harewood Plains.
- To increase public awareness of the existence and conservation value of vernal pools and associated species at risk.
Broad strategies to address the threats and meet the recovery objectives include:
- Habitat protection and stewardship
- Landholder contact
- Ecological research
- Habitat restoration and site management
- Population augmentation and establishment
- Inventory and monitoring
- Public outreach and education
No critical habitat, as defined under the federal Species at Risk Act [s2], is proposed for identification at this time.
While much is known about the habitat needs of the species included within this recovery strategy, more definitive work must be completed before any specific sites can be formally proposed as critical habitat. It is expected that critical habitat will be proposed within one or more recovery action plans following: 1) consultation and development of stewardship options with affected landowners and organizations and 2) completion of outstanding work required to quantify specific habitat and area requirements for these species.
Following completion of key work such as development and implementation of a landowner contact program including stewardship activities, it is anticipated that proposed critical habitat may include habitat currently occupied by one or more species addressed within this recovery strategy, together with the adjacent upland areas that contribute directly to sustaining hydrologic functions within the primary habitat. A more complete definition of proposed critical habitat that also incorporates potential habitat will be addressed at a later date in the Recovery Action Plan stage. Based on current state of knowledge, potential critical habitat for recovery of these species may also include:
- Intact, naturally-occurring vernal pool, seep, or other ephemeral wet area greater than 1 m² on southeastern Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands having the necessary ecological characteristics to serve as future recovery habitat for species at risk, along with assessment of a 20 m buffer zone around said feature
- The associated watershed and hydrologic features, including upland habitat, that contribute to the filling and drying of the above vernal pool or ephemeral wet area, and that maintain suitable periods of inundation, water quality, and soil moisture for species at risk germination, growth and reproduction, and dispersal.
Examples of activities likely to result in the destruction of critical habitat identified in the future
Examples of types of activities that would be expected to result in the destruction of any critical habitat that may be proposed in a recovery action plan include residential development, recreational off-road vehicle use, garbage dumping, logging road construction, utility corridor maintenance, wetland draw-down, draining, ditching and dredging, and bicycle jump construction.
Existing and recommended approaches to habitat protection
Current levels of protection for sites in this strategy range from "none" to "effectively protected." Potential approaches to habitat protection include stewardship agreements such as conservation covenants (a legal agreement by which a landowner voluntarily restricts or limits the types and amounts of development that may take place on the land to protect its natural features), direct land acquisition.
Schedule of studies to identify critical habitat
A formal definition of critical habitat will not be made until after a multi-step process to:
- determine the physical boundaries, biological attributes, and current ownership of occupied and potential habitat
- estimate the proportion of such habitat required to meet recovery targets
- identify threats to this habitat
- work with land owners and land managers to protect the species through stewardship and other mechanisms
- obtain peer review
The recommended completion date for these and other necessary steps is 2009.
Anticipated impacts on non-target species
This strategy recognizes the importance of the entire vernal pool community and also that of associated Garry oak ecosystems. By focusing on habitat protection, maintenance of hydrologic regimes, habitat restoration, and public outreach, it is expected that the approaches recommended here will benefit not only individual species at risk but the wider ecological community as well. A program of research to identify specific impacts on associated species at risk will be provided in the Recovery Action Plan.
Social and economic considerations
Recovery of species at risk and restoration of imperiled habitats associated with Garry oak ecosystems will contribute to biodiversity, health and functioning of the environment and enhance opportunities for appreciation of such special places and species thereby contributing to overall social value in southwestern British Columbia. The natural beauty of Garry oak ecosystems in the lower mainland, Gulf Islands and Vancouver Island are an important resource for British Columbians that provide for a robust tourism and recreation industry. Protecting these natural spaces, biodiversity and recreation values has enormous value to the local economy.
Some activities occurring in and around vernal pools and other ephemeral wet areas can impact sensitive species at risk. Deleterious impacts on species at risk and the integrity of these spaces may occur through activities that:
- modify or damage hydrologic processes important for maintenance of these sites,
- directly or indirectly introduce species, native or non-native, that alter the biotic or abiotic environment in a manner detrimental to processes important for the perpetuation of the vernal pool complex,
- directly damage or destroy an individual species at risk (such as through trampling or wheeled activities), or
- modify or destroy vernal pools or other ephemeral wet areas (such as through in-filling)
Vernal pools and other ephemeral wet areas are rare on the landscape and the overall land area required for physical protection of these sites is relatively small. Effective mitigation of potentially detrimental activities can be accomplished through careful planning and environmental assessment of proposed developments and site activities and sensitive routing of travel corridors and recreational activities.
Recovery actions could potentially affect the following socioeconomic sectors: recreation; private land development; forestry; operational and maintenance activities. The expected magnitude of these effects is expected to be low in almost all cases.
To address current knowledge gaps, further information on the following is needed: species distributions and population status; vernal pool distribution and status; appropriate restoration targets for vernal pool communities; species demography and population dynamics; microsite attributes; optimal disturbance regimes; response of habitats and species (including non-plant species) to restoration activities; seed storage and propagation techniques; and impacts of climate change.
Evaluation and measures of success
Performance measures that can be used to evaluate the progress of recovery include:
- Stated targets for plant abundance, viability, and occupied range
- Formalization of critical habitat designations through a Recovery Action Plan
- Level of protection achieved for proposed critical habitat
- Knowledge gaps addressed
- Number of high priority sites protected by acquisition, conservation covenants, or other stewardship actions
- Number of vernal pool sites improved through restoration activities
Timeline for completion of recovery action plan (RAP)
It is recommended that a draft Recovery Action Plan be completed by October 2009.
1 This may involve protection in any form including stewardship agreements and conservation covenants on private lands, land use designations on crown lands, and protection in federal, provincial and local government protected areas.
- Date Modified:


The medial ligament of talocrural joint (or deltoid ligament) is a strong, flat, triangular band, attached, above, to the apex and anterior and posterior borders of the medial malleolus. The Deltoid ligament is composed of the Anterior Tibiotalar Ligament, Tibiocalcaneal Ligament, Posterior Tibiotalar Ligament, and Tibionavicular Ligament. It consists of two sets of fibres, superficial and deep.
Of the superficial fibres,
- the most anterior (tibionavicular) pass forward to be inserted into the tuberosity of the navicular bone, and immediately behind this they blend with the medial margin of the plantar calcaneonavicular ligament;
- the middle (tibiocalcaneal) descend almost perpendicularly to be inserted into the whole length of the sustentaculum tali of the calcaneus;
- the posterior fibres (posterior tibiotalar) pass backward and lateralward to be attached to the inner side of the talus, and to the prominent tubercle on its posterior surface, medial to the groove for the tendon of the Flexor hallucis longus.
The deep fibres (anterior tibiotalar) are attached, above, to the tip of the medial malleolus, and, below, to the medial surface of the talus.
The deltoid ligament is covered by the tendons of the Tibialis posterior and Flexor digitorum longus.
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy. As such, some of the information contained within it may be outdated.


Bristol Zoo is looking for youngsters with a talent in the garden and greenhouse to get to work and design its new edible garden.
The zoo, which is home to over 400 species of animals, is running a competition to create a new fruit and veg garden to go on display in the summer, according to the BBC.
Competition winners will see their ideas turned into reality by the zoos horticulture team and will even be able to put the first plants in themselves.
The competition will be open to both infants and children of school age and is run in conjunction with Bristol in Bloom.
"This is a wonderful project which raises childrens awareness of where their food comes from," said Bristol in Bloom chairman Mike Crook.
"The fruits of their labours will then be appreciated by all those who visit the zoo over the summer."
Home to gorillas, lions and penguins, the zoos edible garden will be wowing visitors throughout the summer months.
Growing your own food has become almost as popular as it was during the Second World War, when Brits were forced to grow food to supplement rations to help support their families.


Part fourteen of an ongoing series on higher standards in New York State.
Common Core critics sometimes argue that common standards are “one-size-fits-all,” to the detriment of our children, who are each unique and learn differently. In the case of the Common Core, however, standardization is leading to greater variety in the educational materials available to teachers and students.
Before the Common Core standards, each state had its own set of learning standards and its own definitions of “proficiency” at each grade level. These variations posed challenges for teachers, schools of education, test developers, and textbook companies when they were deciding what material to cover, and for students when they moved from one state to another. Rather than custom-develop materials for each state, publishers of tests and textbooks sought to save on development costs and increase profits by developing generic materials that covered the common elements of multiple states’ standards. In an attempt to cover multiple states’ standards in a single volume, textbooks often contained more material than could be taught in a single year. Through a series of mergers, the educational publishing industry became increasingly concentrated in the hands of a small number of companies.
The Common Core standards have transformed the market for educational materials. With the adoption of common ELA and math standards in more than 40 states, all the major publishers are competing to create Common-Core-aligned textbooks and tests, and newer/smaller developers are entering the marketplace as well. Groups of states have formed consortia to share the costs of developing standardized tests aligned to the Common Core. During the initial years of implementation, most teachers and districts have struggled to find good materials aligned to the standards, but over time, the Common Core standards are leading to a greater variety of innovative, high-quality materials at lower prices. Entities such as the New York State Education Department and the non-profit Khan Academy are developing and disseminating free Common Core curriculum materials online, and individual teachers can develop and share their own Common Core-aligned resources with one another via the American Federation of Teachers’ Share My Lesson portal. To aid districts and teachers in choosing among the many options, there are a variety of tools to vet Common Core-aligned curriculum materials, including an organization that provides online Consumer Reports-style reviews.
Thus, with publishers now benefiting from a larger market for each product they develop, and consumers benefiting from a larger selection of better-aligned materials at lower prices, there is tremendous economic momentum behind the Common Core standards.
Please click here to read part thirteen in this ongoing series.


Cassini’s Grand Finale is the gift that keeps on giving. NASA deliberately crashed the spacecraft into Saturn’s atmosphere as it ran out of fuel in September, 2017. But, the data it collected in its final maneuvers are still being read and deciphered. Most recently, Cassini data revealed that Saturn’s five tiny ring moons are coated in, and shaped by the ring matter itself.
In its final throws, Cassini performed a series of incredibly close flybys of Saturn, its rings and its ring moons. Because they were so close, Cassini’s Visible and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer (VIMS) was able to create a spectral map of Pan, the innermost ring moon. By analyzing spectra, VIMS determined the composition of materials found on all five tiny satellites.
Pan, Atlas, Daphnis, Pandora and Epimetheus have porous surfaces. That means that they’re made up of collected material that clung to the moons from the rings. And, their odd shapes are the result. Materials from the rings accretes around the moons’ equators, making them disc-shaped. “We found these moons are scooping up particles of ice and dust from the rings to form the little skirts around their equators,” Bonnie Buratti of JPL said. “A denser body would be more ball-shaped because gravity would pull the material in.” nasa.gov
The innermost moons have more ring material collected on them. The outermost moons are also collecting icy particles from the plume on Enceladus. That makes sense, as the outer “E” ring is composed of particles from Enceladus that are pulled in by Saturn’s gravity.
All of this information adds to what scientists know about how the universe and our solar system work. Buratti added, “We’re seeing more evidence of how extremely active and dynamic the Saturn ring and moon system is.”
More findings from Cassini’s Grand Finale are expected to be revealed in the coming months.
Actor, Improviser, Comic.
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