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Molecular insight into how γ-TuRC makes microtubules. As one of four filament types, microtubules are a core component of the cytoskeleton and are essential for cell function. Yet how microtubules are nucleated from their building blocks, the αβ-tubulin heterodimer, has remained a fundamental open question since the discovery of tubulin 50 years ago. Recent structural studies have shed light on how γ-tubulin and the γ-tubulin complex proteins (GCPs) GCP2 to GCP6 form the γ-tubulin ring complex (γ-TuRC). In parallel, functional and single-molecule studies have informed on how the γ-TuRC nucleates microtubules in real time, how this process is regulated in the cell and how it compares to other modes of nucleation. Another recent surprise has been the identification of a second essential nucleation factor, which turns out to be the well-characterized microtubule polymerase XMAP215 (also known as CKAP5, a homolog of chTOG, Stu2 and Alp14). This discovery helps to explain why the observed nucleation activity of the γ-TuRC in vitro is relatively low. Taken together, research in recent years has afforded important insight into how microtubules are made in the cell and provides a basis for an exciting era in the cytoskeleton field.

A fire damper maintains the integrity of the fire and prevents the heat, smoke, and fire from spreading to other areas. They help close the passage of airways, duct, and other structures that can be penetrated by the fire and are usually installed at locations where the ventilation or air conditioning ducts goes inside the wall. Fire dampers are passive safety systems and help reduce property damage and any on-site injuries due to the fire. Fire dampers are set up in the HVAC systems and in critical areas to contain the smoke and fire. Industrial facilities need fire dampers as they helpcontrol the spread of the fire by shutting down the valves of the HVAC system. Why is Fire Damper Installation Important? Industrial facilities may contain chemicals, special machinery, and equipment. They are also usually involved in large-scale operations or productions. Having a fire damper adds another level of safety in the event of a fire. Without a fire damper, a fire may spread and result in other major threats such as chemical and gas leakage, which can mix with the smoke and gases in the fire. These gases and chemicals may spread quickly and may be fatal to people in small doses depending on the substance. Fire dampers contain special seals that are gas-tight which help to prevent harmful gases from spreading and mixing with the fire. Fire dampers are heat-sensitive devices that can detect fire when temperatures increase above the established set trip point. Once the temperatures reach the trip point, the heat response device built within the fire damper is activated and melted, which causes the damper blades to close. This prevents the fire, heat, and smoke from escaping to adjoining areas. Types of Fire Dampers Industrial facilities use a wide variety of fire dampers that perform various functions such as regulating airflow, ventilation, and more. Butterfly fire dampers are better designed to isolate and regulate airflow and are commonly used in industrial applications with harmful exhaust gases such as wastewater treatment, nuclear power generation, and manufacturing of fertilizer. Other types of fire dampers such as volume control dampers have pivot blades that will spring shut once the temperature reaches the trip point. Applications of Fire Dampers Industrial fire dampers are important components of industrial air systems and passive fire protection systems in industrial buildings. They allow for the timely evacuation of residents from the building while protecting the building. Numerous industrial facilities such as power generation, paper mills, and oil drilling sites have fire dampers as part of their passive fire protection in addition to their active fire protection, which includes fire extinguishers and smoke alarms. Fire dampers complement the on-site active fire protection systems to ensure complete safety. They are also very versatile and have numerous applications for pressure relief, ventilation, and exhaust in industrial settings. They can also be connected to the HVAC systems to be controlled during emergencies. Was your industrial facility damaged by a fire? Contact our public adjusters today.

Scientists say extreme marine heatwaves in 2023 have engulfed much of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean and Caribbean, threatening reef wildlife and economies. “Corals are literally dying before they even have a chance to bleach,” says Dr Sophie Dove, a coral reef ecologist at The University of Queensland who contributed to the report published in Science overnight. “Of course, this amplifies the seriousness of the escalating change on our precious coral reefs.” At the beginning of November, the CSIRO’s research vessel RV Investigator tracked a severe subsurface ocean heatwave off the Sydney coast in the western Pacific. That heatwave, extending deep beneath the surface is, according to voyage leader Professor Moninya Roughan, “enormous and hot” and more than 3°C above average for the area. Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is the lead author of the report on the Caribbean heatwave in Science. The University of Queensland based coral reef scientist and inaugural director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland, and who is also speaking at COP28 currently being held in Dubai, says information about the extent of this year’s marine heatwave indicates: “we are well off the track when it comes to keeping global surface temperatures from attaining a very dangerous condition by mid to late century”. “We are on the brink of losing coral reefs. Surely our world leaders won’t let the fate of the world’s coral reefs simply slip through our fingers! We must increase our ambition.” Hoegh-Guldberg, a member of the IPCC, says heat stress puts immense pressure on fragile tropical ecosystems such as coral reefs, mangrove forests and seagrass meadows. “That heat stress is driven by marine heatwaves (MHW), which are strongly correlated with rising sea surface temperatures and climate cycles such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation,” they write. “Extreme MHWs engulfing much of the eastern tropical Pacific and wider Caribbean have caused unusual spikes in sea surface temperatures this year. Many Caribbean reef areas experienced historically high heat stress that started 1-2 months earlier than usual and was sustained for longer than the usual recorded seasonal changes.” The authors say patterns of SST from the past 40 years indicate unprecedented mass coral bleaching and mortality will likely occur across the Indo-Pacific throughout 2024. Watch: Video provided by Underwater Earth of a bleached coral reef at Cairns, North Queensland, Australia. In July Dr Derek Manzello, head of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Coral Reef Watch in Washington DC, said in a NOAA blog: “We were shocked to see such an unexpectedly early onset of heat stress in Florida and the wider Caribbean. “If ocean temperatures are higher than the maximum monthly average, for a month or more, especially during the warmest part of the year – even by as little as 1-2 degrees Celsius (2-3 degrees Fahrenheit), corals will experience bleaching,” he said on the blog. “A bleached coral is essentially starving to death because it has lost its main source of nutrition — the algae that live symbiotically within its tissues. The damage corals experience from marine heatwaves is a function of the duration, or how long the heat stress occurs, plus the magnitude of the heat stress. “Corals can recover from bleaching if the heat stress subsides, but the corals that are able to recover frequently have impaired growth and reproduction and are susceptible to disease for two to four years after recovery.” NOAA has a near-real time marine heat map. Underwater Earth, a group of communication and media specialists focussing on the marine environment, says coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems on earth, supporting more species per unit than any other marine environemnt. It says reefs are home to more than 4,000 species of fish, 800 species of hard corals and hundreds of other species. It says the first coral reefs formed on Earth 240 milion years ago, and most coral reefs today are between 5,000 and 10,000 years old. Do you care about the oceans? Are you interested in scientific developments that affect them? Then our email newsletter Ultramarine is for you. Click here to become a subscriber.

When it comes to running a successful business, behind every great idea, product, or service, there is a strong foundation of management and administration. These two fields are often seen as the backbone of any business, as they provide the necessary framework and support to ensure smooth operation and efficient execution of tasks. In this article, we will explore the thriving field of management and administration and shed light on their essential roles. Management can be defined as the process of coordinating and overseeing the activities of a business, department, or team to achieve the organization’s goals effectively. It involves planning, organizing, directing, and controlling resources and people to ensure harmonious operations and optimal productivity. A competent manager possesses strong leadership skills, effective communication abilities, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. They are responsible for setting and achieving goals, developing strategies, allocating resources, and evaluating performance. Administration, on the other hand, focuses on managing the day-to-day operations of an organization. It involves tasks such as record-keeping, budgeting, procurement, logistics, and human resources management. Administrators play a crucial role in ensuring the smooth functioning of various departments and supporting the management team. They handle paperwork, maintain files, process invoices, schedule meetings, coordinate logistics, and manage office supplies, among many other responsibilities. In a nutshell, administrators are the glue that holds the organization together, making sure everything runs smoothly. Both management and administration are fields that require a diverse skill set and the ability to adapt to the ever-changing business environment. In our modern and fast-paced world, businesses need talented professionals who can keep up with the challenges and demands of the industry. One of the essential skills for success in management and administration is effective communication. Managers and administrators need to communicate clearly with their team members, colleagues, and stakeholders to set expectations, delegate tasks, provide feedback, and resolve conflicts. Effective communication fosters collaboration, builds trust, and leads to better outcomes. Another crucial aspect of management and administration is strategic thinking. Professionals in these fields must have a big-picture perspective and be able to analyze data, identify trends, and make informed decisions. Strategic thinking allows managers and administrators to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and develop plans to achieve long-term goals. It involves considering different perspectives, balancing risks, and adapting strategies based on changing circumstances. In recent years, technology has significantly impacted the field of management and administration. Automation and digital tools have streamlined processes, increased efficiency, and enhanced decision-making. From customer relationship management (CRM) systems to project management software and cloud-based solutions, technology has revolutionized the way businesses are managed and administered. Professionals in these fields must be tech-savvy and stay updated on the latest technological advancements to leverage them effectively. Additionally, management and administration offer numerous career opportunities across industries. From small startups to large multinational corporations, every organization requires skilled managers and administrators to ensure their success. Professionals can specialize in various areas such as operations management, human resources, project management, financial management, or marketing. This diverse range of specializations allows individuals to find their niche and pursue a career path that aligns with their interests and skills. In conclusion, management and administration are the backbone of any business. They provide the necessary structure, support, and coordination to ensure the smooth operation and success of organizations. These fields require a diverse skill set, including communication, strategic thinking, and technological know-how. With the ever-increasing complexities of the business world, the demand for skilled professionals in management and administration continues to grow. For those interested in building a solid foundation for business success, exploring the thriving field of management and administration could be a wise career choice.

The uterus, or womb, is the place where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. Endometriosis is a disease in which tissue that normally grows inside the uterus grows outside the uterus. It can grow on the ovaries, fallopian tubes, bowels, or bladder. Rarely, it grows in other parts of the body. Some women have no symptoms at all. Having trouble getting pregnant may be the first sign. The cause of endometriosis is not known. Surgery, usually a laparoscopy, is currently the only way to be sure that you have endometriosis. Your health care provider will first take your medical history, do a pelvic exam, and maybe do imaging tests. There is no cure, but treatments help with pain and infertility. They include pain medicines, hormone treatments, and surgery. NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 marked a significant turning point in global history, leading to profound changes in Russian politics. From democratic aspirations to centralized governance, the political evolution of Russia offers valuable insights into post-Soviet dynamics. The Immediate Aftermath Following the Soviet collapse, the 1990s witnessed Russia grappling with its new identity, economic upheavals, and political instability. - Economic Challenges: The transition from a planned economy to market-oriented policies led to widespread privatisation, oligarchic control, and economic downturns. - Political Uncertainty: The clash between President Boris Yeltsin and the Parliament in 1993, resulting in a brief constitutional crisis. Aspirations for Democracy The 1990s also ushered in new democratic structures. - Constitutional Reforms: The 1993 Constitution established the framework for a presidential republic with a strong executive branch. - Emergence of Multi-Party System: Multiple parties vied for power, although many were short-lived or lacked a clear ideological stance. The Putin Era: Centralization and Stability Vladimir Putin’s ascendancy marked a shift towards stability but also increased centralization. - Economic Stability: Rising oil prices and economic reforms led to an era of economic growth and prosperity. - Centralization of Power: Reduction in regional autonomy, taming of the oligarchs, and an increased role of security services in governance. Foreign Policy and Global Standing Post-Soviet Russia sought to re-establish its global position. - Westward Orientation: Initial attempts in the 1990s to integrate with Western institutions. - Shift to Assertiveness: Later years saw a more assertive stance, from the annexation of Crimea in 2014 to involvement in Syria. Media and Information Control Media played a crucial role in the evolving political narrative. - Early Media Freedom: The 1990s saw a proliferation of independent media outlets. - State Control: By the 2000s, major TV channels and news outlets came under state control or influence, guiding public opinion. Challenges to Democracy While democratic structures exist, challenges to pluralistic democracy have grown. - Electoral Concerns: Allegations of election rigging, restrictions on opposition candidates, and voter suppression. - Civil Society and Protests: From protests in 2011-2012 to the Navalny-led movements, civil society has been active but faces increasing crackdowns. Navigating a Multipolar World In a changing global landscape, Russia has been forging new alliances. - Eurasian Economic Union: An economic alliance with several former Soviet states. - BRICS and SCO: Aligning with other major global players outside of the Western axis. With evolving geopolitical situations, economic challenges, and domestic dynamics, Russia stands at a crossroads, determining its path in a post-Soviet world. The post-Soviet era in Russia presents a complex tapestry of aspirations, reforms, regressions, and evolutions. As Russia seeks to carve its niche in the 21st century, understanding its political journey offers crucial insights into global geopolitics and the intricate balance between democracy and autocracy. The intricacies of Russia’s post-Soviet politics remain a subject of global interest, reflecting both its historical legacy and its aspirations in a rapidly changing world. As we move further into the 21st century, the trajectory of Russian politics will undoubtedly continue to shape international relations.

Pickleball boasts a vast repertoire of effective shots, just like other racquet sports. However, a volley is one of the essential shots in pickleball. A crisp punch volley is one of the most satisfying shots in pickleball. Whether you lose or win a match depends on your pickleball volley ability. So, what is a volley in pickleball? Volleying is an action performed at the net that prevents a ball from bouncing. A shot is generally rifled from one end to the other in a quick back and forth movement that lasts only a short time. What Is A Volley In Pickleball? During pickleball, a volley means striking balls out of the air before they bounce. The non-volley line is usually the place where volleys are played. Or, the transition area is perhaps where you play them as you start at the baseline and make your way to the non-volley line. Basics of Volleys - As a ball bounces onto the court during a rally, it is hit in the air. - The ball hit low and hard over the net is often returned to the net at the NVZ line. - Usually hits with a backhand, but the forehand can also be used. - No backswing; the paddle face must remain vertical (square) when “pushing” the ball over the net. - Hit far from your opponent to avoid being reached. - The paddle face slightly can be opened to give the ball more loft when hitting a volley. What Makes Pickleball’s Volley So Important? Plenty of points can be won by using the volley technique in pickleball. You can win or lose important points depending on how well you volley during pickleball, and your technique can change the outcome. Apart from forehand and backhand, many other shots exist in tennis, such as cross court, side spin, dropshot, flat, topspin, slice, block, and so forth. On the other hand, the number of shots in pickleball is less, such as volley, drive, dink, and block. Learn to volley in pickleball is one of the most important aspects of your pickleball game strategy. When Is the Right Time to Volley? A volley shot is best to implement when you have the opportunity to hit one. But don’t play a volley while standing on the non-volley zone(kitchen line). Three things to remember for pickleball volleys: 1. The receiving team loses time due to volley. 2. By using volleys, you eliminate the potential for bad bounces. 3. Volleyball shots tend to be more offensive. Hence, a volley shot would be your best option when playing offense. What Is The Ready Stance For Pickleball Volleys? Tennis and pickleball players use the ready stance to prepare for upcoming shots. When a player hits a forehand or backhand, or volley, they typically take the ready stance. A little different than usual is the ready stance in pickleball since the kitchen rules applies. During volleys, you need to keep your paddle parallel to the net and be aware of your position. You can see that the stance is ideal for picking up pickleball shots. Your pickleball paddle should be positioned in this way to maximize your reaction time. If your opponent reaches the kitchen(non volley zone), she will likely do the same to you. Hence, in order to get the shot off quickly, you must execute it within the shortest time to react. With the ready stance, you can switch between forehands and backhands quickly without much turning of your wrists. This will ensure you’re prepared to deal with any shot you encounter. Types Of Pickleball Volleys With this wide range of volley placement strategies, various types of volleys have higher effectiveness in that context than others. Volleys should not be executed in all situations in a one-size-fits-all manner. Instead, you can execute different type of volley technique depending on how you position yourself on the court, how high the ball is relative to the net, and what your objective is when volleying. Drop volleys are also sometimes known as block volleys or reset volleys. If your opponents push the ball at you and try to “reset” the point by launching a softball over the net, then drop volley is an effective technique. In order to perform a drop volley, one must possess a soft grip and be able to manage the incoming ball pace. Among the many types of volley, the punch volley is the most common. The paddle face is generally used for punch volleys as if punching straight ahead perpendicular to the court. Your arm is extended forward from your elbow when you hit this type of volley —an elbow is basically used as a hinge. The wrist should remain firm and the body “calm” when you do a punch volley or any volley for that matter. If the ball is at a medium height (not too low or too high), you can shot volley at your opponent’s feet or into a gap. Pickleballers use the dink shot or similar shot interchangeably to refer to volley shots. Using a non-volley line to volley your opponent’s dink shot into his non-volley zone. In dink volley, due to the extra time you have, you can either drive your shot with a slightly open or closed paddle face toward your opponent. Maintain a slightly open face while pushing up. Keep your face closed as you push down. Roll shots are offensive shots in which the ball is given some topspin. You should paddle from low to high using an open face and flick your wrist to complete your stroke. The path of the swing in roll volleys is low-to-high. When you aim to pin your opponents on the baseline, you should use them. The hardest shot in a pickleball game is the catch shot. A fast response is generally countered by using this technique. By adding a backspin to the initial shot, the shot is meant to minimize the sting. This causes the ball to spin and slow down, thus creating a backspin. Which direction should I hit my volley? During a pickleball rally, the selection of pickleball volley placement varies based on circumstances. You can target your volleys by following some basic rules. · Attempt striking the ball at your opponent’s feet. That’s rule no 1. Volleys struck low at your feet are more difficult to return. · If you can find an opening or gap, hit the volley away from the opposition. · Attempt strike the ball at your opponent’s hip or shoulder. If he/she is at his own non-volley line, he/she is likely to default to a backhand ready position. As a result, an attacker volley can strike the paddle-side hip or shoulder. · If you are being attacked hard by your opponent or you just want to start it afresh, make sure your volleyball rebounds harmlessly from the net once you hit it. · Your volley should be hit deep so that it hits your opponent near the baseline if they find themselves. Although your opponent might advance quickly, your focus should be on staying in your line. Rather than landing deep, a volley that would have been chest-high for your opponent may now land chest-high for them, weakening their defense. What Is Pickleball Backhand Volley? When hitting volleys, many professional players prefer hitting backhand volleys. Because your time to react seems to be faster. From its name already gives you an idea of what it is. Pickleball players must release their paddles close to their bodies before executing a backhand volley. Depending on which blow you’re trying to hit on your backhand, you can either blow slowly or fast. Pickleball Backhand Volley with Backspin Backhand volleys have a little more spin when they are played with less power. Against backspin, your opponent must react quickly to stay in the point as it causes the ball to drop rapidly. Several methods exist for applying backspin. In order to make contact with the ball, it is crucial to open the paddle slightly. Consequently, it consumes less power to go over the net. From a high stance, you should slice the ball down from a low position as soon as it leaves your paddle. Backspin will be applied to pickleball with this technique. Pickleball Backhand Volley with Topspin Topspin is generally applied to backhand volleys when hitting a fast ball. As this shot is hit at a faster speed, it is less used than a backspin. Due to this, there is less percentage chance of success with a topspin backhand volley than with a regular backhand volley and backhand volley with backspin. In addition, if it is timed and executed correctly, it will make life extremely difficult for your opponent. Topspin volleys are hit by moving the paddle parallel to the ground. It must be a low-to-high swing path. You can control both the ball’s height and distance by doing this. The ball drops fast when hit with a topspin volley. Your opponent is often thrown off balance when the ball bounces rapidly up. Here are the instructions you should remember for playing pickleball backhand volley with topspin. - Prepare yourself for the ready stance - Make sure your paddle is positioned higher than your wrist - Start your movement from your elbows instead of your shoulders - An angle of perpendicularity between the paddle face and the court is required - Paddles shouldn’t be swung downward - Hitting the ball How To Play Solid Volleys? A player hits a volley when the ball is above the net or his/her waist level. Effective volleying relies on three factors. Observe Your Paddle’s Tip Your paddle’s tip should be placed in the upward direction. You will often hear instructors telling you to raise your wrist to an angle. However, we recommend keeping your wrist and paddle are in the shape of a “V.” Its tip should be pointing towards the ball and should be above the wrist. Keep The Paddle In Front Of You Keep the paddle in front of you so the front of your body can be solidly contacted. Your paddle will track the ball, so you’ll begin in the right place. When a player uses a backhand volley, it may be easier to do so because their shoulders are used more during the cross-body motion. However, players’ elbows tend to be closer to their bodies when playing the forehand side, and they often catch the ball behind them. In the end, the shot is weak and uncontrolled, described as being “wristy.” Pressure On The Grip Be sure to hold the grip tight by implementing the right amount of pressure. If you want to grip the paddle properly, you should use your fingers instead of your palm. Firmly holding the paddle is crucial to getting a good pop from the ball. As a result, you can play stable shots when contacting with the ball. On the other hand, a relaxed grip helps deaden a drive. A bit of speed is absorbed by the paddle due to this technique. Spend some time experimenting. To determine the best grip pressure, resolve the situation you’re dealing with. Pickleball Volley Rules Sports such as tennis, table tennis, and badminton frequently involve volleys as part of their athletic repertoire. However, for your volley, you must adhere to a few rules when playing pickleball. Playing volley shots in pickleball is usually characterized by fast, reacted movements. Having the option to use either the backhand or forehand is excellent. Neither swing type is prohibited. However, backswings are not permitted for players performing volleys. As a result, you should avoid swinging motions Instead, “Blocking” is the correct motion to hit a ball. Volleyball requires pushing the ball over the net as opposed to hitting it. Volleying requires that you hold your paddle vertically. So, the face faces the ball squarely. Keeping this in mind will mitigate you having to unintentionally use the backswing. Any time the ball has bounced twice during a point, you are allowed to hit a volley. It is imperative that the player waits until the ball bounces on the serve, and upon returning, it bounced again. Any time during the rally, you are allowed to serve a volley. 3 Pickleball Volley Mistakes You Should Avoid Pickleball is a game with minimal movement, but some players tend to make errors while playing. However, every pickleball player, regardless of their level of expertise, will make these three mistakes. Striking The Ball Hard For Low-Shots If you force low-angled shots, you are likely to make an unforced error. The ball will either reach the top of the net or end up there. Both options are not ideal. Flying out of bounds happens when you angle it too high. Or, it will give your opponent the chance to make a smashing grab. You should choose the backhand volley when you take low shots and backspin the ball if you can. Volleys at low, difficult-to-reach places should not be forcefully hit. Alternatively, you may also play the backhand from your opponent’s side of the court. A Bodily Contact That Is Too Close Players tend to remain stationary when they play pickleball, which is a significant mistake. A high probability of getting caught off guard exists if you do not move your feet. In order to succeed, you’ll need to be alert and pay attention to your footwork. With great footwork, you’ll have much less trouble hitting volleys and will have an easier time dancing around the court. Lack Of Confidence Leads To A Push Back Getting back to mid-court or off the kitchen(non volley zone) means you can’t handle volleys, so you’re turning back. Dominate the area by staying at the net. Eventually, moving around will not be helpful for your case, and you will be in limbo. Pickleball Volley – Strategy Basics You Should Remember - A volley dink at the net is the most common type of shot- not tremendously smashing. - You are usually on the net or at the kitchen line(non volley line) 90% of the time. - The majority of people misapply power. For example, when they should be hitting softly, they hit hard. Don’t hit too hard when you hit up. Hit hard if you’re going down. - Whenever you can, take a shot across the net. - Hit the ball across the pickleball court if you’re hitting up. - Strike the players at their weakest point. - Maintain a neutral posture and squat, do not lean forward. - The best way to avoid unforced errors is to be patient and consistent. - Volleys are push or block shots, so please do not swing them. - Your opponent’s reaction time must be beaten while hitting a hardball. Without it, it isn’t very worthy. - Become comfortable with the basic dink and volley shot by practicing with a partner or against the wall. - Be mindful of your breathing and keep a nice slow tempo. As a result, your rhythm will be improved. Hopefully, now you know this golden question, “what is volley in pickleball?” We have mentioned all the important details on pickleball volleys and pickleball backhand volley from our discussion. Thanks for reading!

Solar Energy Terms Alternating Current (AC): AC is a type of electricity used in the electrical grid and most devices. An inverter is necessary to convert the Direct Current (DC) electricity generated by solar PV systems into AC electricity. Behind-the-Meter (BTM): This term indicates that the solar system is installed on the consumer's side of the utility meter, allowing the generated electricity to be consumed on-site without exporting excess power to the grid. Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE): This is a financing structure in which building owners can borrow money for energy efficiency or renewable energy and make repayments via an assessment on their property tax bill. Direct Current (DC): Solar panels capture DC power from the sun, and solar battery backup solutions store energy in the form of DC electricity. To power your building, the DC power from your solar PV system is converted into AC power through inverters. Electric Vehicles (EV): These vehicles are powered by batteries, solar panels, or electric generators. Fixed-Tilt Array: A configuration of solar power collectors that remains static and does not pivot to track the sun's movement across the sky. In the Northern Hemisphere, they are angled in a southern direction to maximize their ability to capture energy. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA): This act provides billions of dollars in green energy tax credits to help consumers buy electric vehicles and companies produce renewable energy. The aim is to cut the nation's carbon emissions. In-Front-of-Meter (IFM): This term refers to energy-related activities that occur on the utility side of the grid, involving large-scale energy generation, transmission, and distribution, managed by utility companies. Interconnection: Interconnection involves linking transmission lines between utilities or between a utility and an end-user, enabling power to be moved in either direction. It's a necessary step to connect a solar system to the local utility grid. Inverters: Inverters convert the DC electricity generated by solar panels into AC electricity for use. Modern inverters also include safety features to prevent power from flowing back to the grid during grid outages, known as anti-islanding. Investment Tax Credit (ITC): Also known as the Federal Solar Tax Credit, it provides income tax credits for projects aimed at improving energy efficiency and reducing the carbon footprint of residential and commercial buildings. The credit gradually decreases over time. kWh (Kilowatt-hour): A unit of energy used to measure the amount of electricity consumed or generated. It's how utility companies measure electricity sent to or from a home or commercial building. Micro Inverter: Microinverters convert electricity from individual solar panels, meaning that a solar installation has as many micro inverters as it has solar panels. NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners): The most respected, well-established and widely recognized certification organization for professionals in the field of renewable energy. Net Metering: Net metering is a billing mechanism that credits solar energy system owners for the electricity they feed back into the grid. Photovoltaic (PV): PV cells, or solar cells, directly convert sunlight into electricity, and some can even convert artificial light. Power Purchase Agreement (PPA): A PPA is a solar financing option that offers immediate cost savings without an upfront payment. It allows purchasers to lock in low rates for solar electricity for up to 25 years, but they don't own the system. Racking and Mounting: Racking and mounting refer to the methods used to secure solar panels to roofs, walls, or the ground, using flashings and clamps along horizontal rails. Rural Energy for America Program (REAP): Established by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), this program supports rural businesses and agricultural producers in adopting renewable energy technologies. Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs): Also known as solar energy credits or green tags, RECs are tradable certificates representing one megawatt-hour of electricity generated from renewable sources. String Inverters: String inverters are devices used with solar arrays to convert DC energy into usable AC electricity for homes. They are connected to multiple solar panels, and their performance is limited by the worst-performing panel. Heard a solar term not listed here? Reach out to us and we'll add it.

Say hello to Macrobiotus shonaicus, a completely new species of tardigrade – those incredibly resilient microscopic wee beasties that likely have what it takes to survive the apocalypse. Tardigrades, sometimes referred to as moss piglets or water bears, are eight-legged microscopic animals that like to live in moss, lichen, decaying leaves, and soil. These metazoans, first discovered in 1773, are incredibly resilient, capable of withstanding total dehydration, extreme temperatures and pressures, intense radiation, and the vacuum of space. They typically live a few months, but one lived more than 30 years after being frozen. Tardigrades can be found all over the world, and there over 1,000 described species so far — but scientists think there could be many more. There are 167 known species in Japan alone. The addition of M. shonaicus now increases this number to 168. The new tardigrade was found in a clump of moss that was sticking out of a concrete parking lot in Tsuruoka-City, Japan. The name shonaicus refers to the Shōnai region in which it was found. M. shonaicus belongs to the hufelandi group of tardigrades, whose eggs have similar characteristics. A view of the new tardigrade as seen through a phase contrast microscope.Image: D. Stec et al., 2018 The research team, led by Daniel Stec from Jagiellonian University in Poland, found 10 individuals in the moss sample taken from the parking lot. These specimens were bred in the lab to produce more tardigrades for the analysis. The researchers studied their physical characteristics using phase contrast microscopes (where a transparent object is conveyed through changes in brightness) and scanning electron microscopes. They also looked at their DNA, and they pinpointed four molecular genetic markers that distinguish these from any other known species of tardigrade. The DNA analysis also allowed the researchers to determine where the new species fits in the tardigrade evolutionary family tree. This research was published today in the open access journal PLoS One. My, what strange teeth you have. The oral cavity of the new tardigrade. Image: D. Stec et al., 2018 When comparing the new tardigrade to similar species such as M. anemone, M. naskreckii, and M. patagonicus, the researchers noted differences in their visual organs, mouth, spotting, leg shape, and other features. But there were two big differences that set the new species apart: its legs and eggs. M. shonaicus has a fold, or bulge, on the internal surfaces of its legs, and its eggs have a solid surface, thus qualifying it as a member of the hufelandi sub-group of tardigrades. But the eggs also have flexible filaments attached to their tops, which is similar to the eggs produced by two recently discovered tardigrade species, Macrobiotus paulinae from Africa and Macrobiotus polypiformis from South America. So the new species contains a mishmash of characteristics from other species, and it’s likely descended from an ancient strand. The eggs of the new tardigrade are capped with flexible filaments. Image: D. Stec et al., 2018 “This is the first original description of the hufelandi group species from Japan, and now, the number of tardigrade species known from this country has increased to 168,” write the authors in the new study. Finding new species of tardigrades is good because we stand to learn a lot from these critters. Their ability to withstand freezing, for example, can help scientists develop “dry vaccines,” where water is replaced with trechalose — a non-reducing sugar produced by tardigardes to protect their tissues and DNA when frozen. Also, their dehydration tolerance could teach us new ways to preserve various biological materials, such as cells, crops, and meats. So thank you, water bears, for your extraordinary genetics. The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

When you have a new product design, do you ever wonder how a factory makes the initial sample? What about how factory management teaches unskilled assembly workers to mass produce thousands of units of your product? The answer lies in the factory’s work instructions. If you’ve ever hired a supplier to manufacture products, undoubtedly, you’ve wondered if the factory is actually doing everything correctly to make the product as expected. This is especially true if your product is complicated and requires many steps to make. A World Without Work Instructions Imagine the potential consequences from the customer’s point of view. Maybe the customer is putting together a book shelf, but the instructions for assembly didn’t come with the product. A shelf is fairly easy to improvise, but it’s still hard to get everything done right on the first try. You may have the time and patience to try again and again in order to get your perfect shelf. But it’s clear that having instructions on hand that are written in simple terms with illustrations would a go long way to alleviating any frustrations. Now consider the plight of a low-paid factory worker in a similar situation. They’re trying to put together hundreds of units of a product, or multiple products, in a single shift. Do you think an assembly worker like this one, who is paid on a per-piece basis, will care whether or not a process is done right? If only there was a set of work instructions for workers on a factory production line that could help guide them to through the process… What Are Work Instructions? Just like assembling a shelf, when a factory gets a new product design, they will work through a step-by-step process for how to make and assemble the product. This is usually done by a product engineer. Once the engineer maps out all the steps, he then has to teach the process to the workers. This is the reason why work instructions are so important and why the instructions have to be clear and easy-to-understand. Most factories fill their instructions with pages and pages of complex language and explanations. But in reality, these instructions are for the assembly workers, most of which are not well-educated. How effective can work instructions really be in this case when they aren’t written for the layman? What Makes Effective Work Instructions? Work instructions should be clear, written in simple language and include photos or illustrations showing how each process is done. When workers question their own methods, they should be able to just rely on the work instruction instead of having to ask the line supervisor. In most cases, workers will do whatever is easiest for them when there aren’t any clear instructions. The next time you’re visiting your suppliers, try to see if you can find the work instructions for your products at each product-making workstation. You may be surprised to find how complicated the work instructions are, or worse, the factory may not be able to provide any work instructions at all. In either case, it’s time to sit down and have a talk with the factory’s boss and the production manager. The bottom line: make sure your factory has created and implemented easy-to-understand work instructions that take the guess work out of manufacturing your product.

Are you looking for an easy way to find the directory name of a file in Excel? This article guides you through the process, making it simple for you to quickly access the directory name of any file. Save time, and make sorting files simple by following this helpful guide. Understanding the Directory Name in Excel We split this section into two parts to comprehend the directory name in Excel, and its crucial uses. Definition of directory name and why it is important. Image credits: chouprojects.com by Adam Arnold Definition of Directory Name The term for the folder location where a file is saved in Excel is known as the directory name. It is a crucial component in keeping your files organized and easy to locate. By understanding directory names, you can more easily sort and find files on your computer. When saving an Excel file, the directory name can be found in the ‘Save As’ window under the ‘File Name’ box. It indicates where the file will be stored on your computer. Additionally, you can view and edit the directory name by right-clicking on a file and selecting ‘Properties’, then navigating to the ‘General’ tab. It is important to choose meaningful and descriptive directory names when organizing files. This will help you quickly locate files in the future and avoid duplicates or confusion. Additionally, creating subfolders within directories can further enhance organization and make it easier to find specific sets of files. By taking the time to properly understand directory names and implementing good organizational practices, managing large numbers of Excel files can become much less overwhelming. Without a clear directory name in Excel, you’ll feel lost like a squirrel trying to find its nuts in a snowstorm. Importance of Directory Name Directory Name in Excel: Unlocking Its Importance The directory name in Excel is a crucial element that aids users in understanding the location where data files are saved. It also enables easy accessing of file paths, ensuring smooth recollection and sharing with colleagues. Thus, comprehending the role of the directory name is essential for an efficient workflow and organized storage of data. When operating on multiple spreadsheets simultaneously or working in a team environment, it gets challenging to keep track of vital data files, leading to confusion. Here comes the importance of the directory name which serves as a roadmap guiding you through file paths and helping access needed information quickly. The directory name also plays a critical role in ensuring backup and file restoration processes are executed without any hassle. By providing correct file paths to restore, it not only saves us time but also helps prevent losses due to incorrect or untraceable pathways. It’s intriguing to note that while directory names typically show relevance to content stored within them, they vary from individual to individual depending on their preference and convenience in identifying file locations.(Source: The author’s experience) Say goodbye to Excel file confusion and hello to directory domination with these simple steps. How to Find the Directory Name in Excel Find the dir. name in Excel. Use the CELL, LEFT and SUBSTITUTE functions. These sub-sections have methods to get the directory name from a full file path. Excel can help! Using the CELL Function By leveraging the CELL function, you can locate the directory name in Excel. Using this technique, you can swiftly retrieve the path where your worksheet or workbook is saved. Add a formula to any cell within the worksheet: =CELL("filename"). This formula will return the complete path and file name of the active worksheet with brackets enclosing them. Being able to fetch the specific location of your files from within Excel using just one function can save you a lot of time and effort. By using these simple steps, you’ll be able to effortlessly find directory names whenever you need to. If you’re looking to perform this operation frequently, consider creating an alias shortcut that opens directly on your taskbar – it’s even faster than locating it in Excel. Another suggestion is to create a custom ribbon tab for frequently used functions, including this one. Both of these techniques are quick, easy ways to save time and streamline your workflow. If you’re going LEFT in Excel, make sure to take a right turn at Albuquerque before things get too confusing. Using the LEFT Function The LEFT Function to Obtain the Directory Name in Excel To obtain the directory name in Excel, the LEFT function can be used. This function extracts a specific number of characters from a string, starting from the left side. Follow these 3 steps to use the LEFT function: - Select an empty cell where the directory name will be displayed; - Type “=LEFT” to start the formula; - Within parentheses, enter “CELL(“filename”,A1)” and “FIND(“[“,CELL(“filename”,A1),1)-2″. This will create a formula that uses the left function to extract the directory name from a file path. Additionally, by using this method, one can avoid manual typing or formatting while obtaining consistent results each time it is used. A user once struggled with finding a particular directory name as they had renamed several folders within it. By following simple instructions on how to use the LEFT function in Excel, they were able to extract all relevant data and quickly find their desired folder. SUBSTITUTE your directory search frustrations with this handy Excel function. Using the SUBSTITUTE Function To locate the directory name in Excel, you can use a powerful and versatile function called SUBSTITUTE. Substitute allows you to effortlessly switch one character or string of characters with another within a specified text string. By using this feature, you can replace unwanted text within your file path and extract only the necessary directory name. To achieve this result, enter the substitute function into a cell followed by your desired file path reference brackets, then input the unwanted characters in double quotes along with new quotes that will remove them. For example, if you have a path that reads “C:\\User\\Documents\\Folder\\“, but only want to view “Folder“, you would write “=SUBSTITUTE(“C:\\Users\\Documents\\Folder\\“,”C:\\Users\\Documents\\”,””)” without quotes. It is worth noting that some paths may require additional substitution formulas due to varying levels of file depth or other criteria. For more complicated or elaborate paths, ensure each element is individually tailored before applying SUBSTITUTE. In one instance, an IT professional successfully modified numerous data source paths by using SUBSTITUTE after company-wide migration of network servers. This solution saved application restarts and limitless reconfigurations for several departments at the fortune 500 firm. Organizing directory names in Excel is like herding cats, but these tips will help you avoid a hairball of confusion. Tips and Tricks for Managing Directory Names in Excel Want efficient Excel directory names? Follow these tricks! - Use consistent naming conventions. - Include date and version in the name. - Create a sheet only for directory names. Discover why these are so important! Image credits: chouprojects.com by Yuval Arnold Using Consistent Naming Conventions Consistency in Naming Conventions is crucial in proper directory management. It ensures easy identification of files or folders in Excel without having to open them. Furthermore, it aids in classification and organization and enables automated sorting and filtering. To ensure consistency, use descriptive names that provide relevant details such as file type, version numbers, or dates. Additionally, consider using a standardized prefix or suffix to differentiate between similar yet distinct files. This practice ensures that the naming structure remains understandable to all parties involved. Furthermore, avoiding the use of spaces and characters such as slashes or colons is essential. Using these can cause errors or result in the creation of multiple directories on different operating systems. Finally, consider implementing a naming policy or convention within your organization to maintain consistent directory structures across all departments. This practice promotes teamwork and ensures everyone adheres to similar standards for easier collaboration and communication. Adding dates and versions to your directory name is like giving your work a birth certificate and a passport – it adds legitimacy and makes it easier to track down. Including Date and Version in the Name When managing directories in Excel, it’s crucial to include the date and version in the name. This enables better tracking of files and reduces confusion when multiple versions are involved. Here are five points to keep in mind when including the date and version in directory names: - Use a consistent naming format throughout. - Put the date first, followed by the version number. - Keep the names short but descriptive. - Avoid using special characters or spaces. - Update the name after every revision or update. In addition to these points, it’s also worth noting that including a brief description of what the file contains can be helpful for others who may need to access it later. To ensure smooth file management and easy access, don’t forget to include dates and version numbers in your directory names. By doing so, you’ll save time and avoid chaos caused by multiple versions of the same file. Don’t let disorganized files slow you down – start implementing these tips today! Don’t let directory names clutter your Excel sheet- give them their own space to roam free! Creating a Separate Sheet for Directory Names To organize directory names in Excel, a separate sheet can be created. This sheet will store all directory names and make it easier to manage the data. Here is a 3-step guide for creating a separate sheet for directory names: - Open the Excel file and create a new worksheet. - In the first row of the new worksheet, add column headers for Directory Name, Folder Path, Date Created and Date Modified. - Copy and paste or manually enter all directory names into this newly created sheet. Fill in relevant details into the other columns. It’s important to ensure that all Directory Names are correctly spelled, or else searching for them later could prove difficult. Aside from creating a separate sheet, there are other options to consider when managing directory names. One suggestion is to use naming conventions, like using abbreviations or numbering systems, which can make it easier to locate directories later on. Another suggestion is to regularly audit and clean up unneeded directories, which will help streamline the data and make it easier to identify relevant information. Overall, creating a separate sheet for directory names helps in efficiently storing important information. By understanding tips and tricks for managing directory names in Excel eliminates conflict with manually looking through folders every time you need something specific. Well, now you know how to manage your directories in Excel. Just make sure your file names are more organized than your love life. Summary of Findings After extensive research and analysis, it has been determined that finding the directory name in Excel can be accomplished through various methods. The most effective way is to use the “=CELL(“filename”)” formula, which returns the full path of the currently open file. From this formula, we can extract the directory name using text functions such as LEFT, RIGHT and FIND. Moreover, another method is to use VBA macros to retrieve the directory name programmatically. This approach requires expertise in Visual Basic programming and is not recommended for novice users. It is important to note that when sharing workbooks or templates with others, absolute cell references should be used instead of relative cell references to ensure accurate directory results. In addition, knowing how to manipulate strings using text functions in Excel will help simplify this task. By combining LEN function and & character operator, a flexible solution can be built that retrieves the directory name without having to adjust for different file names or locations. During a recent project involving spreadsheet management, our team realized that utilizing these methods significantly improved our workflow and saved valuable time. Remembering these techniques can aid other professionals seeking solutions for Excel-related challenges. Importance of Proper Directory Naming in Excel. Having an organized directory structure in Excel is crucial for efficient data management. Properly naming directories ensure that data can be easily located and accessed, preventing disorganization and confusion. Without an appropriate naming convention, locating files becomes time-consuming, and sometimes even impossible. Naming conventions must be consistent throughout the entire directory structure to maximize efficiency. Consistency in naming also contributes to easier data manipulation when performing tasks such as sorting or filtering. The lack of consistency in naming leads to duplicate files with different names, causing unnecessary storage use and redundancy issues. In addition to facilitating easy access to Excel files, proper directory naming can also lead to more organized file archives, reducing storage costs. It is recommended that companies have a standardized name format policy tailored to their workflows for excellent data management. In 1999, NASA lost a $125 million Mars orbiter due to incompatible units between two systems’ software; one used metric measurements while the other used English. This costly error highlights the importance of proper organization within a system and valuing the significance of proper directory naming conventions in Excel applications. FAQs about Finding The Directory Name In Excel What is ‘Finding the Directory Name in Excel’? ‘Finding the Directory Name in Excel’ is the process of locating the folder or directory path where an Excel file is saved. Why is ‘Finding the Directory Name in Excel” important? ‘Finding the Directory Name in Excel’ is important because it helps users to locate the exact location where their Excel file is saved. This will help users to avoid confusion and save time when working with their Excel files. How do I Find the Directory Name in Excel? To find the directory name in Excel, open the file and click on ‘File’ in the upper left corner. Then, click on ‘Info’ from the left-hand menu. The directory path will be listed under ‘General Information’. Is there a shortcut to find the Directory Name in Excel? Yes, there is a shortcut to find the directory name in Excel. Press ‘Ctrl + O’ to open the ‘Open File’ dialog box, then right-click on the file and select ‘Properties’. The directory path will be listed under ‘General’. What happens if I cannot find the Directory Name in Excel? If you cannot find the directory name in Excel, it may be possible that the file has not been saved yet. If you have saved the file, make sure to search your computer for the file name to locate where it is saved. Can I change the Directory Name in Excel? Yes, you can change the directory name in Excel by clicking ‘Save As’ and selecting the folder or directory where you want to save the file.

Space helps to guide the user and provide a consistent experience within products Space is the distance between elements on a screen. It’s often referred to as whitespace. Good use of whitespace can de-clutter and group content to provide a visual hierarchy. This helps users focus on what matters, and reduces cognitive load. An 8px base spacing in design systems refers to the use of an 8-pixel unit as the foundational spacing measurement for defining the vertical and horizontal distances between elements. It serves as a consistent reference point for maintaining visual alignment and balance throughout the design system. Here's how the 8px base spacing is typically implemented: - Grid system: The 8px base spacing forms the basis of a grid system within the design system. The grid is divided into 8-pixel increments, allowing for consistent and precise alignment of elements. This grid helps designers maintain a sense of order and rhythm in the layout, making it easier to position and space elements uniformly. - Margins and padding: Margins and padding around components, such as buttons, cards, or containers, are often defined using the 8px base spacing. This ensures consistent spacing between elements and maintains visual harmony across different screen sizes and layouts. For example, a component might have 8px of padding on each side or a margin of 16px between adjacent components. - Vertical spacing: The 8px base spacing is also applied to establish consistent vertical spacing between different sections or blocks of content. This includes the spacing between paragraphs, headings, images, or any other vertical elements within the layout. By adhering to the 8px base spacing, designers ensure a harmonious and balanced vertical rhythm throughout the design system. - Modular scaling: The 8px base spacing can be scaled proportionally to accommodate different sizes or scales within the design system. For example, elements with larger sizes might have a 16px or 24px spacing, while smaller elements might have a 4px or 6px spacing. This modular scaling allows for flexibility while maintaining the overall consistency and alignment of the design. - Responsiveness: The 8px base spacing is adaptable to different screen sizes and responsive layouts. It helps designers maintain consistent spacing proportions and avoid inconsistencies that may arise when elements are resized or rearranged. This ensures that the design remains visually pleasing and usable across various devices and screen resolutions. By establishing an 8px base spacing in a design system, designers can achieve a consistent and harmonious layout, where all the elements are properly aligned and spaced. This approach helps maintain visual coherence, scalability, and usability, while providing a solid foundation for the overall design aesthetic. Component spacing refers to the arrangement and distance between individual elements within a specific user interface component, such as a button, form field, or card. It involves determining the optimal spacing to achieve visual balance, usability, and clarity within the component. There are several key considerations when establishing component spacing: - Margins: Margins refer to the space between the component's boundaries and the adjacent elements or edges of the layout. Appropriate margin values ensure that the component doesn't appear cramped or crowded, allowing it to stand out and maintain a clear visual distinction from surrounding elements. - Padding: Padding refers to the space between the content or interactive elements within the component and its boundaries. Sufficient padding helps create breathing room, preventing the content from feeling cramped and making it easier for users to interact with specific elements within the component. - Internal spacing: Internal spacing refers to the distance between different elements within the component itself. It includes the spacing between text, buttons, icons, images, or any other interactive or informative elements contained within the component. Proper internal spacing ensures that these elements have enough separation to be visually distinct and easily recognizable. - Proportions: Maintaining consistent proportions and relationships between different elements within a component is essential. For example, the spacing between a button's text and its edges should be balanced to avoid an uneven appearance. Consistency in proportions contributes to a cohesive and polished design. Layout spacing refers to the arrangement and distribution of elements within a design or layout. It involves the intentional placement of spaces between various components such as text, images, buttons, and other graphical elements. Proper spacing is crucial for achieving a balanced and visually appealing composition. Effective layout spacing provides several benefits. First, it enhances readability and comprehension by allowing elements to breathe and stand out individually. Adequate spacing prevents elements from appearing cluttered or cramped, making it easier for users to navigate and understand the content. Consistency in spacing is also important for maintaining visual harmony across different screens and devices. A well-defined spacing system, often based on a predefined unit or grid, ensures that the spaces between elements are proportionate and consistent. This creates a sense of coherence and professionalism in the overall design. Additionally, layout spacing can be used strategically to guide the user's attention and establish visual hierarchy. By adjusting the spacing between elements, designers can emphasize certain elements or group related items together. This helps users understand the relationships between different components and directs their focus to key areas of the layout. In summary, layout spacing plays a vital role in creating visually appealing and user-friendly designs. It ensures readability, consistency, and visual hierarchy, ultimately contributing to a positive user experience.

What is the fourth industrial revolution? When computers were added to factories, they disrupted the established processes and allowed for much greater efficiencies. The process is now being taken one step further as computers are being linked together to generate data and ultimately to make decisions. A combination of Cuber Physical Systems (CPS), the Internet of Things and the principles of Industry 4.0 are responsible for bringing together these elements under one roof. As a result of the continuous improvements in factories, construction and quarry companies these industries are becoming less wasteful and more efficient. The Four Industrial Revolutions - The widespread use of mechanisation in industry - The widespread use of electrical energy in industry - The widespread use of computers in industry - Smart machines and products which control their own manufacturing process The fourth industrial revolution is enabled by internet technologies and the emergence of smart machines and products. The expression used for this fourth industrial revolution is Industry 4.0, an idiom that is a rumination of software revision labelling.7. Four fundamental concepts define the Industry 4.0 initiative. The “house of” is a popular paradigm often applied to the lean initiative10; this model can also be utilised for the Industry 4.0 Factory. History of Industry 4.0 The first three industrial revolutions spanned almost 200 years. The first industrial revolution began in the late 18th century with the introduction of large-scale mechanical looms for fabric production.1 From the 1870s on, the widespread use of electrical energy led to the second industrial revolution.2. The third industrial revolution began in the 1970s when newly developed electronics promoted the computerisation of manufacturing processes. 1,2. The Germanic term Industrie 4.0 was first used in 2011 to describe the fourth industrial revolution, the introduction of Internet technologies into industry. 1 The first industrial revolution was marked by the establishment of mechanised production works in the late 1700s. The founding of a water-powered cotton spinning mill at New Lanark, Scotland, in 1796 is a notable example of the first industrial revolution.3 The New Lanark spinning mill operation became a model example from the first industrial revolution of advancement and improved prosperity through the application of new technology and the adoption of social responsibility 4. Kagermann, Lukas and Wahlster first published the principal ideas of Industry 4.0 in 20115 6. In America, a concept similar to Industry 4.0 has been generated and named the Industrial Internet by General Electric1. The expressions Industrial Internet and the Internet of Things are often used with a similar meaning to the German expression Industry 4.0. Key concept 1: The Smart Factory As shown in the below image, The Smart Factory, serves as the foundation of the Industry 4.0 Factory. The Smart Factory is a manufacturing facility that harvests data from equipment sensors to enable its self-directed systems. This data needs to be transferred from the manufacturing equipment sensors to centralised Information Technology (IT) databases for analysis and monitoring. Key concept 2: Cyber-Physical Systems The first column of the Industry 4.0 Factory is Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) CPSs are hardware-software systems that control and monitor physical processes. Key Concept 3: Cobots The second column of the Industry 4.0 factory is Cobots. Cobots, collaborative robots, are robots designed to cooperatively assist their human operators. Key Concept 4: Decentralised Decision Making Decentralised decision making serves as the roof of the Industry 4.0 factory and provides shelter to the others. The Industry 4.0 workplace mandates a high degree of self-regulated autonomy with decentralised leadership and management approaches. Employees have greater freedom to make their own decisions, become more actively engaged, and have better control of their workload. This allows for faster decision making and a more engaged workforce. Industry 4.0 Technologies Within the Industry 4.0 Factory, numerous tools help enhance and deliver improvements in efficiency and productivity. These include Digital Twins, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Cybersecurity, Additive Manufacturing, Data Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. The digital transformation is driven by Industry 4.0 and scientific advancement, so the Industry 4.0 factory tool kit is constantly added to and improved. Advances in Quantum computing, 6G technology, wearables, and neurotechnology ensure that Industry 4.0 and the digital transformation never stop. Applications of Industry 4.0 Technologies While it can be difficult to identify exactly how to apply Industry 4.0 technologies to your unique case, there are aspects of every industry that can be impacted. It helps to look at the best practices out there today and see how your competitors are applying technology now. A cornerstone of Industry 4.0 is using sensors, and machine data to inform decisions. This process is not possible without first examining how the processes currently work and analysing the data to see if it can be done better. The smart factory will generate and analyse a huge amount of data from its machines. This data can then be analysed much faster and at a scale much greater than any human operator could. Most companies who implement industry 4.0 practices are able to increase their gross margin by 30% within 24 months 11 . Industry 4.0 offers the opportunity for manufacturers to optimize their operations quickly and efficiently by knowing what needs attention. Optimising Supply Chains A supply chain that is fully integrated to the processes on the factory floor, in the quarry or on the site can adjust itself to deal with unforeseen events. An example might be if a weather event closes a route or delays a delivery, the system can readjust the manufacturing priorities to deal with it. 1. Drath R, Horch A. Industrie 4.0: Hit or hype? . 2014. 2. Hermann M, Pentek T, Otto B. Design principles for industrie 4.0 scenarios. . 2016:3928-3937. 3. New Lanark Conservation Trust. The story of new lanark. Lanark, Scotland: New Lanark Conservation Trust; 1997. Accessed 2017-08-24T13:48:54+0000. 4. New Lanark Conservation Trust. Robert owen and new lanark A man ahead of his time. http://www.robert-owen.com/. Updated 2017. 5. Kagermann H, Lukas W, Wahlster W. Industrie 4.0: Mit dem internet der dinge auf dem weg zur 4. industriellen revolution. VDI nachrichten. 2011;13:11. 6. Stock T, Seliger G. Opportunities of sustainable manufacturing in industry 4.0. Procedia CIRP. 2016;40(Supplement C):536-541. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2016.01.129. 7. Lasi H, Fettke P, Kemper H, Feld T, Hoffmann M. Industry 4.0. Business & Information Systems Engineering. 2014;6(4):239. 8. Kagermann H, Helbig J, Hellinger A, Wahlster W. Recommendations for implementing the strategic initiative INDUSTRIE 4.0: Securing the future of german manufacturing industry; final report of the industrie 4.0 working group. Forschungsunion; 2013. 9. Hofmann E, Rüsch M. Industry 4.0 and the current status as well as future prospects on logistics. Comput Ind. 2017;89:23-34. 10. Flinchbaugh J, Carlino A. The hitchhiker’s guide to lean. Dearborn, Michigan: Society of Manufacturing Engineers; 2006. 11. Baur C., Wee, D., 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/manufacturings-. next-act> .

Until 1985, the small B’doul tribe resided among the historic ruins of Petra. They made most of their income from tourism, serving as guides, renting out their caves, and selling food and beverages. They also sold archaeological objects found among the ruins, mostly the shards of pots. In 1985 the Jordanian government moved them to a new village. This relocation was a consequence of two ongoing projects: one to sedentarize the Bedouin, the other to give Petra the status of a national park and thus improve tourism. The actual move was 20 years in the making. Part of the B’doul strategy to resist the move was to promote themselves as descendants of the Nabateans — the builders of Petra — and thus the rightful heirs to the property. Most other Bedouin tribes stress their Muslim Arab ancestry. According to B’doul lore, by contrast, five (or seven) ancestors were being chased by Muslims when they took refuge in Petra. Eventually they were forced to surrender and convert to Islam, which is how they got their name: from baddalu dinuhum (they exchanged their religion). J. L. Burckhardt first brought Petra to the attention of the Western world in 1806 followed throughout the nineteenth century by other travelers. In those days travel into Petra was risky because of the determination of the site’s guardian tribes to block the incursion of infidels. One type of nineteenth-century traveler was scholars, like Burckhardt, fluent in Arabic passing through to Mecca. They traveled in disguise as Muslim pilgrims, so their knowledge of Arabic, Islam and local relations among tribes was crucial to their safety. Christians on Holy Land adventures to rediscover biblical geography also traveled through the region associating the Bedouin they met with the people who lived in the same general area some 2,000 years before. By the beginning of the twentieth century, these two types of travelers were joined by an ever growing legion of archaeologists, geographers, geologists and other scientists. The B’doul hired themselves out as guides and laborers. Tourism in general was on the rise throughout this century, giving the B’doul increasing opportunities to interact with and profit from foreigners. The completion of the Hijaz railway in 1906 took Petra off the Mecca pilgrimage route, and undermined the power and influence of tribes in Jordan, including the B’douls’ patron tribe, the ‘Alawin. In 1948, with the establishment of Israel, the B’doul lost access to their main commercial trading centers: Beersheva, Gaza and Egypt. It was then that they retreated into Petra’s ruins, occupying the carved shelters and growing crops in open areas near the monuments. Thomas Cook built the first hotel in Petra in the 1930s. A second was opened in 1958. During this period the number of tourists increased considerably. The B’douls’ move to occupy the site itself was a way for them to affirm their own presence and assert their claim to Petra. This was reinforced when the Jordanian government passed a law granting title to all those who made agricultural use of arable land. For several decades before they were relocated, the B’doul coexisted with tourists inside the site. The more well-known they became among Westerners, the more other Jordanian Bedouin rejected and despised them. The B’doul responded in two ways. They emphasized their Bedouin lifestyle by erecting tents in front of each family’s cave, and they injected new meaning into their origins myth, highlighting their pre-Bedouin, pre-Islamic roots grounded in the site of Petra. The B’doul themselves were a major tourist attraction, a “living museum” infusing the stony splendor of Petra with life. Tourists of the twentieth century were just as eager as their nineteenth-century forebearers to see in the B’doul a direct link to a biblical past. The B’doul played the game. If the tourists wanted to see in them the incarnation of the Nabateans, they accepted the role. For the B’doul, the promotion of a particular identity was a strategy to gain recognition, with Petra as backdrop. The B’doul’s appropriation of Petra as their tribal patrimony was a way of capitalizing on the prestigious past of this most famous Jordanian tourist site. Since 1985, the B’doul have resided in a government-built village and have gained a different kind of social recognition. Within the Jordanian national context, as elsewhere, tribal territory no longer holds the value it once did. Today, living in an urban area is a sign of integration and fluency in the modern cosmopolitanized world. This law was reversed in 1962-1964, when the Jordanian Department of Antiquities forbade all agriculture in the site. The B’doul moved their fields to Jabal Haroun and Bayda. For an account of Jewish-Israeli attitudes toward the Bedouin of the Sinai, see Smadar Lavie, “Birds, Bedouins and Desert Wanderlust,” Middle East Report 150 (January-February 1988).

A new, very precise, method of determining which brain cells lead to epileptic episodes in children has been developed by a team at University of Texas at Arlington and collaborators. Currently, epilepsy surgery is the safest and most effective treatment for these patients and offers a 50% chance of eliminating seizures. The team used noninvasive techniques and advanced computational methods to measure the electric and magnetic signals generated by neural cells and identify functional networks responsible for the generation of seizures in children with epilepsy. “This could benefit so many children who can’t control epilepsy with drugs, which represents between 20 and 30% of children suffering from epilepsy,” said Christos Papadelis, senior author, who also serves as the director of research in the Jane and John Justin Neurosciences Center at Cook Children’s Health Care System. The paper was published in Brain, and the lead author is Ludovica Corona. It was produced in collaboration with Boston Children’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder affecting about 3.4 million people in the United States. Of those, about 470,000 are children, or about one of every 100 children in the U.S. Children with uncontrolled seizures are at increased risk for poor long-term intellectual and psychological outcomes, along with poor health-related quality of life. As these authors write, “Epilepsy is increasingly considered a disorder of brain networks. Studying these networks with functional connectivity can help identify hubs that facilitate the spread of epileptiform activity.” This team retrospectively analyzed simultaneous high-density electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography data recorded from 37 children and young adults with drug-resistant epilepsy who had neurosurgery. Then, using source imaging, they estimated virtual sensors at locations where intracranial EEG contacts were placed. They found that virtual implantation of sensors could non-invasively identify highly connected hubs in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. “By identifying which parts of the brain are producing the seizures, we can then resect them with brain surgery or ablate them with laser,” Papadelis said. “The test we developed pinpoints exactly where the epilepsy network is occurring. Currently, there is no clinical exam to identify this brain area with high precision.” “Seizures affect these children throughout their entire life and have significant impact in their normal development,” he added. “Successful treatment of epilepsy through surgery or laser ablation early in life would provide an improved outcome for these children since their brains possess extensive neural plasticity and can recover after surgery better than adult brains. This would help the children live seizure-free and have less comorbidities from epilepsy.”

medieval women’s hairstyles medieval women’s hairstyles Medieval women’s hairstyles varied depending on the time period, social status, and region. Here are a few examples of popular hairstyles during the Middle Ages: - Loose Hair: Many women wore their hair loose and flowing, especially during the early medieval period. Long hair was often considered a symbol of beauty and femininity. - Braids: Braided hairstyles were quite common and varied in complexity. Women would weave their hair into elaborate braids or multiple smaller braids. These braids were sometimes adorned with ribbons, beads, or jeweled pins. - Buns: Women often wore their hair in buns, positioned at the back of the head or on top. These buns could be simple and neat or more intricate and decorated with hairnets, veils, or decorative combs. - Tightly Pulled Back: In some regions and during certain time periods, women would pull their hair tightly back from the face and secure it at the nape of the neck. This style was often achieved with the help of hairnets, veils, or head coverings. - Wimples and Veils: Married women, particularly in the later Middle Ages, commonly covered their hair with veils or wimples. Wimples were a type of cloth that covered the hair, neck, and chin, leaving only the face exposed. - Curls and Waves: Some women used hot irons, rods, or other methods to curl or wave their hair. These curls could be left loose or incorporated into braids or updos. It’s important to note that the specific hairstyles and trends varied across different regions and social classes during the medieval period. Additionally, religious beliefs and cultural practices also influenced women’s hairstyles during this time. medieval women’s cuts In medieval times, women’s hairstyles were generally not characterized by specific cuts as we understand them today. Haircuts were not as common or fashionable during that era. Instead, women typically grew their hair long and styled it in various ways using braids, buns, or other techniques. Trimming the ends of the hair to maintain its health and prevent split ends was likely practiced, but significant haircuts or short styles were not prevalent. Women’s hair was often considered an important aspect of their femininity and beauty, and long hair was typically preferred. Cutting one’s hair short was more commonly associated with religious orders, such as nuns or certain groups of beguines, who would shave or crop their hair as part of their vows. It’s important to keep in mind that the specific customs and practices surrounding women’s hairstyles varied across time, regions, and social classes throughout the medieval period. Medieval women’s hairstyles varied depending on factors such as social status, region, and the specific time period within the medieval era. Here are some general trends and styles associated with medieval women’s hairstyles: - Long, Loose Hair: In many medieval societies, especially during the early and high medieval periods, long hair was considered a symbol of femininity and beauty. Women often wore their hair loose or loosely braided. - Braids and Plaits: Braiding was a common practice in medieval hairstyles. Women would often weave their long hair into intricate braids or plaits. The number and style of braids could vary, and some women adorned their braids with ribbons, beads, or metal decorations. - Head Coverings: Depending on the region and cultural norms, women might cover their hair with veils, wimples, or other head coverings. These coverings were often worn for modesty and were an integral part of medieval fashion. - Hair Tucked Under Headdresses: Women of higher social classes often wore headdresses that covered their hair partially or completely. These headdresses could be elaborate and varied widely across different regions and time periods. - Curls and Waves: While the predominant image is often of long, straight hair, some women curled or waved their hair. This was achieved using various methods, including hot irons or wrapping hair around fabric strips. - Tight Buns or Chignons: In the later medieval period, especially during the Gothic era, women began to wear their hair in tighter buns or chignons. These styles were often combined with veils or other head coverings. - Hennin and St. Birgitta’s Cap: In the later medieval period, particularly in the 14th and 15th centuries, women’s headwear became more elaborate. The hennin, a high, cone-shaped headdress, and St. Birgitta’s cap, a close-fitting cap with a veil, were fashionable during this time. - Hairnet and Snood: Hairnets and snoods were used to secure and cover hair. They were often made of fabric, silk, or metal mesh and could be simple or decorated. It’s important to note that the depiction of medieval hairstyles in art and literature might not always reflect the everyday styles worn by women of all social classes. Additionally, regional variations and cultural differences played a significant role in shaping medieval fashion and hairstyles. Medieval women’s hairstyles varied depending on factors such as social status, region, and fashion trends of the time. Here are some general characteristics and examples of medieval women’s hairstyles: - Loose Hair: - Many women in medieval times wore their hair loose or with minimal styling. Long, flowing hair was often considered a symbol of beauty. - Braids and Plaits: - Braids were a common element in medieval hairstyles. Women would often weave their hair into intricate patterns, and braids were sometimes adorned with ribbons, beads, or other decorative elements. - Head Coverings: - Women in the medieval period often covered their hair, especially if they were married or belonged to a higher social class. Veils, wimples, and hoods were commonly worn to cover and protect the hair. - Circlets and Headbands: - Some women adorned their hairstyles with circlets or headbands, especially during special occasions. These accessories were often made of metal, adorned with jewels, or decorated with intricate patterns. - Hair Nets: - Hair nets were used to keep hair in place and prevent it from getting tangled. These nets could be simple or elaborately decorated, depending on the woman’s social status. - Tight Buns and Chignons: - In certain regions and time periods, women wore their hair in tight buns or chignons at the back of the head. These hairstyles provided a neat and practical way to manage long hair. - Tudor and Elizabethan Styles: - During the Tudor and Elizabethan eras (late medieval to early modern period), women’s hairstyles became more elaborate. High foreheads were fashionable, and hair was often pulled back and shaped into intricate styles. Wigs were also sometimes used to achieve specific looks. - In the late medieval period, the hennin became a popular headdress. This cone-shaped hat was often worn by noblewomen and was sometimes paired with a veil. The hennin influenced the way women styled their hair, encouraging a more vertical and elongated appearance. It’s important to note that the specific styles varied across different centuries, regions, and social classes. Additionally, the availability of resources and changing fashion trends influenced the way women styled their hair in medieval times. Artwork, manuscripts, and historical records can provide insights into the diverse hairstyles of women during this period.

WS2 is an inorganic compound composed of tungsten and sulfur, chemical formula WS2. The compound is part of a class of materials called transition metal dihalides. It occurs naturally in the form of the rare mineral tungsten. This material is a component of some catalysts used for hydrodesulfurization and hydrodenitrification. Is WS2 toxic? WS2 does not pose a significant health hazard and exposure is mainly associated with dust from crushing and grinding operations. Long-term inhalation of dust can cause damage to a person's lungs. Is WS2 magnetic? WS2 (WS2) and molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) are two of the most popular industrial dry film lubricants. Both are similar in appearance, color, and high chemical durability. Both are dry lubricants, non-magnetic, and compatible with liquids such as paints, oils, fuels, and solvents WS2 is used as a catalyst for hydrotreating crude oil together with other materials. In recent years, WS2 has also been used in saturable passive mode-locked fiber lasers to generate femtosecond pulses. Flake WS2 is used as a dry lubricant for fasteners, bearings, and molds, and has important uses in aerospace and military industries.WS2 can be applied to metal surfaces without the need for adhesives or curing. Large single crystal WS2 single layer With the performance of silicon-based semiconductor technology approaching the limit, new materials that can technically replace or partially replace silicon are urgently required. More recently, the emergence of graphene and other two-dimensional (2D) materials provides a new platform for building next-generation semiconductor technologies. Among them, transition metal halogens (TMDs), such as MoS2, WS2, MoSe2, WSe2, are the most attractive two-dimensional semiconductors. The premise for building super-scale high-performance semiconductor circuits is that the substrate must be a single wafer, like the silicon wafers used today. Despite considerable efforts to develop TMD wafer-level single crystals, success to date has been very limited. Professor Ding Feng and his research team from the Multidimensional Carbon Materials Research Center (CMCM) at the Institute for Basic Science Research (IBS) of the United Nations University of Science and Technology, in collaboration with researchers from Peking University, Beijing Institute of Technology, and Fudan University, have recently reported a method for directly growing 2-inch single crystal WS2 monolayer films. In addition to WS2, the research team also demonstrated the growth of single-crystal MoS2, WSe2, and MoSe2 at the wafer scale. The key technique for epitaxial growth of large single crystals is to ensure that all small crystals grown on the substrate are uniformly arranged. Since THE TMD has an acentric symmetry or the mirror image of the TMD has an opposite arrangement concerning its edge, we must break this symmetry by carefully designing the substrate. Based on the theoretical calculation, the author proposed a "double coupling guided epitaxial growth" experimental design mechanism. The ws2-sapphire plane interaction is the first driving force, resulting in two preferred antiparallel directions for WS2 island.WS2's coupling to the sapphire step edge is the second driving force that breaks the degeneracy of the two antiparallel directions. Then, all the TMD single crystals grown on the step edge substrate are unidirectional, and finally, these small single crystals merge to form the same size substrate large single crystals. "This new double-coupled epitaxial growth mechanism is new for the growth of controlled materials. In principle, if we find the right substrate, we can grow all 2D materials into single crystals with large areas."Ting Cheng, one of the study's first authors."We have thought theoretically about how to choose the right substrate. First, the substrate should have less symmetry, and second, it is better to have more steps." "This is an important step forward in the field of two-dimensional material devices. With the successful growth of wafer-level single-crystal 2D TMD on transition metal substrates other than graphene and hBN insulators, our research provides a necessary building block for the high-end applications of 2D semiconductors in electronics and optical devices, "explained Professor Ding Feng. TRUNNANO (aka. Luoyang Tongrun Nano Technology Co. Ltd.) is a trusted global chemical material supplier & manufacturer with over 12 years of experience in providing super high-quality chemicals and Nanomaterials. Currently, our company has successfully developed a series of materials. The WS2 produced by our company has high purity, fine particle size, and impurity content. Send us an email or click on the needed products to send an inquiry.

Mouse-ear chickweed (Cerastium fontanum ssp. vulgare) showing hairy leaves & red-purple stems Mouse-ear chickweed is a winter annual weed with a vigorous, low-growing habit. The reddish stems may root at nodes when in contact with the soil. The flowers are small and white, with slightly notched petals. Seeds germinate in fall and grow during the cool winter months. Summer heat kills chickweed, though in cooler regions it can act as a perennial or biennial. It produces many small, white flowers and seeds throughout the winter. Common chickweed (Stellaria media). Leaves are hairless, stems are lighter and finer than mouse-ear chickweed. Common chickweed is an annual winter weed similar in growing season, habit and flowers to mouse-ear chickweed. The stems of common chickweed are finer with less red coloration, and the plant lacks hairs on the leaf surface. Leaves are light or bright green as opposed to dark green. The petals of common chickweed are so deeply notched as to appear as two separate petals. Seeds dropped by common chickweed in cooler months can germinate and grow immediately; seeds dropped closer to summer will remain dormant until cooler weather and shorter days return in fall. These multiple generations per season can create very large, dense patches very quickly, choking out desirable plants and grasses. |Dark green, with soft hairs on leaf surface |Bright/light green, few/no hairs on leaf surface |5-petaled, white, small notch on petals |5-petaled, white, very deep notch on petals (looks like 10 petals) |Red-purple and quite hairy |Green-brown, some hairs Mouse-ear chickweed flower. Note the small notch on petals. Common chickweed flower, showing the deep notch on the petals. Cultural Issues & Controls Both chickweeds are capable of flowering even when mowed closely, and are more tolerant of shade and wet soils than turf grasses. Mouse-ear chickweed is also tolerant of compacted clay soils. Both thrive as lawn weeds as their fertility and pH needs are similar to most turf grasses. The best defense is a healthy, thick lawn that keeps sunlight from reaching the soil and aiding weed seed germination. This can be achieved with good fertility, mowing regularly to the proper height, and lawn aeration to encourage thick growth. Pre-emergents in fall and applied through winter can prevent chickweed seed from germinating, though if you plan on lawn seeding in fall, pre-emergent weed control must be delayed until new grass has been mowed twice. Chickweeds can also be controlled by most selective and non-selective post-emergent herbicides. - Mouse-ear chickweed-Forest & Kim Starr / CC BY 3.0 US - Common chickweed-Wilhelm Zimmerling PAR / CC BY SA - Mouse-ear chickweed flower-Phil Sellens from East Sussex / CC BY 2.0 - Common chickweed flower-Kaldari by CC0 (public domain)

In the German Kaiserreich (1871–1918) there existed a complex political culture of imperialism, much of which was entangled with other aspects of German public life. The culture comprised many elements, and from them more than one imperialist ideology was constructed. This commentary focuses on four particularly important aspects of German imperialist culture. A few caveats are required upfront. These observations about German imperialism adopt the standpoint of political culture as the concept is employed by political anthropologists. I will attempt to identify certain connected sets of attitudes, beliefs, speech forms, images, and repeated behaviors that informed the aims and actions of Germans who considered themselves to be imperialists, that gave meaning to their ideological constructions, and that filled in their maps of the world. Although political culture is not a particularly useful approach to accounting for or predicting specific events, it can facilitate understanding of the contexts in which decisions are made. The Specter of Great Britain Images of Britain loomed over German public life throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The affective aspects of these images were often contradictory, even in the minds of individuals: fear, desire to emulate, envy, admiration, and occasionally disdain. During the period of the Kaiserreich, images of the United States tended increasingly to become connected to those of Britain, often through the category “Anglo-Saxon.” To Germans thinking, talking, and writing about their country’s relationship to the world overseas, Britain was unavoidable. The British had apparently defined the forms though which modern Europeans engaged with the rest of the globe, and they possessed the naval and financial power to structure such engagements to their own liking. Germans often exaggerated the practical extent of British power. Those with significant knowledge of commerce usually realized that the current world economy had been created not by the British alone but through the activity of Europeans of various nationalities, no small number of whom had been Germans. What the British had done was coordinate an international effort, maintain a loose hegemony over it, and bend it to their own advantage.1 To Germans who consciously advertised themselves as “imperialists,” images of Britain were even more central. Most were aware that they were directly imitating a British political fashion, with attendant terminology, that had appeared in the 1870s and 1880s. As a form of political expression and as a way of conceptualizing political action, the “new imperialism” was largely an adaptation of a British product. Although in fact the wide array of ideological and practical elements that came quickly to be attached to imperialism in Germany arose from many sources, they were mostly constructed so as to appear to be derived from and validated by the British imperial experience. Modes of colonial governance, “native policies,” models for colonial architecture, and the foreign policy stance known as “Weltpolitik” were represented in this way. Even when it came to Eastern Europe, where imperialists made much of centuries of German movement and colonization, it was the forms of Anglo-Saxon settlement in North America and Australasia that were customarily taken as the appropriate models for future German expansion. To imperialists, Britain was at once the aspirant model for Germany and the prime obstacle to achieving equivalent status. Anglo-Saxon success at managing migration and establishing new European societies was admired by imperialists, but the ability of these societies to absorb emigrant Germans and to “de-Germanize” them was perceived as dangerous. Although British naval power was not as great a danger as were the French and Russian armies, it certainly was a threat to German overseas aspirations. This explains the need to build a fleet that could engage the British navy and perhaps encourage British cooperation in German imperial expansion. Caught in the complexity of their obsession with the imperial Britain that they imagined, German imperialists could almost not help advocating policies that in practice worked against the accomplishment of many of their aims. The Weight of History Constructions of history are a fundamental part of the political cultures of modern nations. Nineteenth-century Germany was no exception. Indeed, the performance of Germans in constructing their national history served as a model for other peoples around the world. In the political culture of imperialism in the Kaiserreich, certain propositions were generally accepted. Historically, Germans were colonizers. Imperialist imaginations portrayed the spread of Germans into the Slavic East during the Middle Ages as the principal cause of the region’s economic and intellectual advancement so as to legitimate their expansionary aspirations in the present. Likewise, the fact that Germans had once ruled areas now part of the Russian empire was frequently taken as establishing a right to do so again. Imperialists also drew on the conventional German narrative of more recent times, in which Germans had continually been taken advantage of by other countries. Although individual Germans and German firms had been significant participants in the establishment of European overseas hegemony, their participation had taken place under the protection of Spain, the Netherlands, and in later years Britain, resulting in no significant political gains for the German states. The contemporary consequences of having no overseas empire were, so it was said, potentially dangerous. Germany had become a major exporter of capital, and German firms were involved in commerce throughout the world, but typically as parts of networks of business relations centered in Britain and often dominated by British companies. German banks were active in the United States, but the principal firms on Wall Street were showing distressing tendencies to align themselves with those of the City of London. To convinced imperialists (supported by the directors of German firms seeking various forms of state backing), this meant that Germany had to move decisively to establish a powerful political presence around the globe. German investors in the late nineteenth century were doing very well in a financial and commercial world in which Britain—and increasingly, the British-American connection—held the upper hand, but who knew when that might change? And of course it did change in 1914, with the anticipated consequence of Germany’s being cut out of international financial markets. The onset of World War I must at least to some extent be ascribed to the aggressive policies that the German imperialists had demanded as a way to prevent that very consequence. Pride and Self-Doubt Another significant element of the political culture of German imperialism appears at first glance to be entirely social-psychological: a pattern of connected attitudes that evinced both intense pride in the recent accomplishments of Germans and fear that Germans, as a people, would be unable to maintain the same pace in the future. Similar patterns can be found in most modern political cultures and ideologies. What is interesting in the case of German imperialism is the specific forms that the pattern took. Racial factors (in the broadest sense of the term) were heavily emphasized. General xenophobia and feelings of racial revulsion played a role, but among imperialists racism was typically embodied in more “objective” assertions. German pride in constituting one of the world’s ruling peoples was often linked to suspicion that other peoples of equivalent status (the British especially) did not sufficiently appreciate German capacities, as well as to fear that contemporary Germans would fall short of the mark. With regard to non-European peoples, the counterpoint to racial pride was also fear: in the colonies, fear that miscegenation would undermine the racial superiority on which colonial rule rested; in Asia, fear that Japan and China possessed the capacity to wrest control of the world from European hegemony. There were also domestic sources, such as the fear that a socialist working class would destroy the social order that had produced German progress in the nineteenth century or the fear that modern society and industrialization would undermine the cultural and personal virtues that made the Germans a great people. What came next was essentially the same. German imperialists argued that something must be done to prevent these fears from being realized: rally the working classes to imperial expansion, ship Germans off to settlement colonies where they can develop the personal qualities needed to prevent racial decay, ban miscegenation in the colonies, prevent China from becoming a larger, more dangerous Japan. The Imperatives of Geopolitics What has been said already about imperialism in the Kaiserreich can be visualized as features of a mental map. This map was metaphorical and heuristic, and also full of inconsistencies and contradictions. But imperialism had an advantage over many other varieties of German political culture in that it was easily presented on “real” maps, which imparted to it an impression of objective reality. Of course, others could use maps as well. Otto von Bismarck is said to have dismissed a map of colonial Africa, and by implication arguments made from it, by saying, “Here is France, here is Russia, and we are in the middle. That is my map of Africa.” Representational geography was not simply a rhetorical device, however. It was part of the conceptual structure of imperialism. Latent in imperialist maps was a Hobbesian geopolitics that held that if a country did not adjust its relations with other nations to its own benefit, some other country would. German imperialists could look at a map of China and perceive the country as a promising market, but only if Germany had the power to reserve a large piece of it for itself. They could look at a map that showed Germany’s largest actual and potential trading partners (Britain, Russia, and the United States) and see markets from which they would be cut off unless Germany followed an aggressive naval policy and an expansionary colonial one. When confronted with Bismarck’s map of a potentially encircled Germany, imperialists ran into difficulties. Fear of encirclement was an aspect of most geopolitical imaginaries in Germany, whether imperialist or not. Bismarck himself, dubious about imperialism, was briefly willing to accept limited colonial expansion in part because he thought it might set off a colonial race among the other powers that would keep them from uniting. He lived to regret it. More thoroughgoing imperialists had to convince others, and themselves, that increasing German power and territory overseas would somehow counter the implications of Bismarck’s map, or else that Germany needed to acquire a territorial “buffer” around its borders, even though trying to do so would almost undoubtedly bring the encircling states together. Within the framework of a political culture, maps are not objective portrayals of reality. Instead, they objectify assumptions on which other elements of the culture rest and render those assumptions as unquestionable imperatives. These imperatives were extremely persuasive in the context of German imperialism, not only as instruments with which politicians and interest groups tried to convince others to do what they wanted but also as assertions in which many of the same politicians and groups believed implicitly. There were several other aspects of imperialist culture in the Kaiserreich, but the four discussed above are the ones most likely to interest readers concerned with similar phenomena in other places and times. These four are an emphasis on Britain as an imperial model and threat; the use of German history as a source of motives for expansion; an attitudinal context of national, ethnic, and racial pride matched by self-doubt; and a set of geopolitical imperatives embodied in ideologically loaded cartography. I have not attempted to discuss the sources or purposes of these aspects of imperialist culture. I have only hinted at their effects on Germany’s performance in world politics, which ranged from mildly self-defeating to utterly disastrous. Moreover, the specific circumstances under which imperialism functioned in German and European politics in the 19th century were quite different from those obtaining in the 21st century (except, perhaps, in the case of contemporary Russia). But an examination of the political culture of German imperialism may suggest useful insights into present-day political cultures. In the Kaiserreich, the culture of imperialism did not extend to all parts of the politically active public. Like most political cultures, it was far from homogeneous. It contained numerous practical and ideological contradictions, some of which, when they affected national policy, produced undesirable results. Although many persons in positions of authority recognized this problem, they did remarkably little about it, treating the growing dangers arising from imperialism as though they were inevitable. More than a century later, we can see that they were probably mistaken. Can we see this with regard to some of the similar beliefs that arise from our own political cultures? Woodruff D. Smith is Professor of History Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Banner illustration by Nate Christenson ©The National Bureau of Asian Research. “Flags of a Free Empire, Showing the Emblems of British Empire throughout the World,” 1910. | Wikipedia: Public Domain Proclamation of Wilhelm I as emperor of Germany at Versailles, France, in 1871. | Wikipedia: Public Domain The BASF chemical factories in Ludwigshafen, Germany, 1881. | Wikipedia: Public Domain Ironworks Borsig, Berlin, 1847. | Wikipedia: Public Domain Map of German Reich 1871–1918. | Wikipedia: CC BY-SA 2.5

From Lewis Blevins MD – LH and FSH are produced by the pituitary gland under the regulation of pulsatile secretion of GnRH from the hypothalamus. LH stimulates the thecal cells around a developing egg in the ovary to produce testosterone. Testosterone is then shuttled into the follicular cells surrounding the egg which, in response to FSH, converts it to and then secretes estradiol, the primary estrogen in women. Estradiol is “measured” by and thus regulated by the hypothalamus and pituitary gland. FSH stimulates the follicular cells to Sertoli cells to do a number of important things including the recruitment of eggs and the production of a number of different proteins including follistatin, activin, and inhibin. Inhibin acts on the pituitary to inhibit FSH secretion. In general, estradiol inhibits FSH. However, in the first half of the cycle, estradiol stimulates LH secretion and leads to a mid-cycle LH surge that causes ovulation. After ovulation, the follicular cells that were nursing the egg turn into the corpus luteum and make progesterone. When a pregnancy occurs, the placenta makes hCG that maintains the corpus luteum and progesterone secretion. If pregnancy does not occur the corpus luteum dies and forms a scar. Estradiol builds then primes the uterine lining to set it up for pregnancy. Progesterone makes further important changes to prepare for implantation of a fertilized egg. When the corpus luteum dies the withdrawal of progesterone causes the uterine lining to break down and a period to start. The life of a corpus luteum is about 14 days. That time frame is fairly consistent from one woman to the next. So, if a pregnancy does not take place, menses will usually occur 14 days after ovulation. This is the case unless there is a luteal phase defect. The most common cause of a luteal phase defect is hyperprolactinemia. Progesterone elevates the woman’s basal body temperature by about 0.5 F. Thus, charts of basal body temperature, employing a special thermometer, can be used to determine ovulation so that intercourse can be timed in those desiring pregnancy. Estrogens also cause changes in cervical secretions and mucus that can be used to assess the adequacy of FSH ad estradiol production. The vaginal cells also become granular when exposed to estrogens and evaluating them under the microscope can provide a quick biological assessment of estradiol effect. There are test kits to detect the mid-cycle surge in LH. The developing ovary has about 4 million potential eggs. Most of these are lost by the time a girl starts puberty at which time there are about 400,000 eggs in her ovaries. Some of these eggs die off without ever being brought to the brink of ovulation. Every month there are 2-4 eggs nursed to the brink of ovulation but only one will ovulate. The rest will resolve in a process known as atresia. Assuming a fertility span from 13 to 51 years this means, without pregnancy, the average woman will ovulate about 456 times in her life. Thus, only about 0.01 percent of the eggs in the fetal ovaries will ever be fully prepped for fertilization. It seems like a huge waste of genetic material yet this process guarantees that only the best eggs will ever be potentially fertilized. It is clear that the longer eggs sit in the ovaries the greater the likelihood of chromosomal defects acquired during the process of meiosis. Thus, the risk of Down syndrome and other chromosomal disorders is much greater in older mothers than in younger ones. Estrogen circulates as a free molecule but most of it is bound to proteins, sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and albumin. Obesity and some liver diseases can lower SHBG and thus total estrogen levels. Fertility is a complicated topic. Suffice it to say that normal regular menses and an appropriate rise in basal body temperature 14 days before menses indicate normal function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian I do not routinely measure gonadotropin or estrogen levels in women who have regular and otherwise normal menses. If, however, one chooses to measure these then they are best done 5-7 days after the onset of menses. Conversely, LH, FSH, Estradiol, and Progesterone can be done 21-24 days after onset of menses if one wishes to confirm that ovulation did indeed occur as progesterone levels should be appropriate for the luteal phase of the cycle. The progesterone withdrawal test is occasionally used in women who have no menses but who do have symptoms and signs suggesting they do have estrogen production. In this situation, progestins are prescribed for 10 days to attempt to convert the uterine lining. Then, the drug is withheld. A woman who makes sufficient estrogens, such as those with polycystic ovary syndrome or some women with a luteal phase defect, will have onset of menses 5 to 7 days after the progestin has been discontinued. Women with ovarian failure will have low or undetectable estrogen levels along with elevations in LH and FSH. These women are said to have “primary hypogonadism.” Causes include Turner syndrome, ovarian resection, infections (mumps), chemotherapy, etc. The average age of “natural” ovarian failure or menopause is 51 years. A number of illnesses and other disease processes, including those mentioned, and even a history of hysterectomy with the ovaries left in place, can lead to early menopause. Menopause is considered “normal” if it occurs after age 40. Earlier menopause due to ovarian failure should prompt evaluation of certain rare genetic disorders. Most women of menopausal age have elevations in LH and FSH. Levels are usually greater than 50 mIU/mL. In a menopausal woman, measurement of the LH and FSH levels, which should be elevated, can serve as an indicator or inference of pituitary function. Of course, those with gonadotropin-secreting adenomas may have menopausal levels of LH and FSH. The clue that some of these women may a gonadotropin-secreting adenoma is that the tumor will have caused have other pituitary hormone deficiencies and yet the gonadotropins are elevated, a situation that is distinctly unusual in menopausal-aged women with hypopituitarism. Another thing to keep in mind is that, in menopause, the pituitary is called upon to secrete large amounts of LH and FSH. It is simply trying to stimulate the ovaries not really understanding that they have failed due to age. The cells that produce LH and FSH increase in size and number. This can lead to pituitary enlargement and a situation we call pituitary hyperplasia. Sometimes, this process can cause headaches and, rarely, it can lead to visual field abnormalities. The LH and FSH levels are usually profoundly elevated. Normal levels are up to 20 mIU/mL. I’ve seen levels, on average, in pituitary hyperplasia of about 100-125 mIU/mL with the highest levels I can recall at about 185 mIU/mL! Some reproductive age women with gonadotropin-producing pituitary adenomas will have elevations in LH and/or FSH with low estrogen levels because the gonadotropins do not work and the tumor compromises normal LH and FSH production by the remaining normal pituitary gland. Rarely, a woman will have elevations in estradiol when the gonadotropins do work in the setting of a gonadotropin-producing pituitary adenoma. Women taking estrogens in high doses, such as oral contraceptives, will usually have suppressed LH and FSH levels. That’s how the estrogens and progestins in contraceptives work! The suppression can last 3-6 months after discontinuing birth control pills. A lack of menses for more than 6 months after discontinuation should prompt an evaluation for hyperprolactinemia. Of course, high dose estrogens can cause growth of prolactinomas. Most patients with hypothalamic or pituitary dysfunction will have low or low-normal LH and FSH levels in the setting of low or low-normal estradiol levels. They usually are not ovulating and have no menses or menses that occur only a few times per year that are characterized as “spotting.” These women are said to have “central hypogonadism.” Causes include a myriad of pituitary and hypothalamic disorders, Kallman’s syndrome, septo-optic dysplasia, etc. Hyperprolactinemia disrupts the cyclical and periodic secretion of GnRH from the hypothalamus and can shut down LH and FSH production causing a variety of disorders including simple infertility in the setting of “normal” menses, irregular menses due to a luteal phase defect, and complete cessation of menses with low estrogen levels. LH and FSH levels may be inappropriately normal or low in the setting of a low or low-normal estradiol. © 2014, Pituitary World News. All rights reserved.

Proof of Work The Bitcoin blockchain is secure from hackers because of a mechanism referred to as Proof-of-Work. Unlike a traditional database that is housed in a central location with someone ensuring its security, the Bitcoin blockchain is distributed around the world in over 15,000 locations. As a distributed ledger, it is self-governing. Each location is a node. A node is essentially a large bank of computers. They validate the blockchain and compete to acquire bitcoin. The operation is referred to as bitcoin mining. The data in the existing blockchain and the new data that is added to it (in a block) is validated by everyone in the network. Here's how proof of work ensures consensus. (This is a bit complicated, but if I could grasp it, so can you.) Every bitcoin transaction contains essential data – the two parties' digital wallet addresses, the transaction date and time, and other information that a sender adds. About 500 transactions, or 1 MB of data, is in each block. The blocks are sequentially "chained" together. All blockchain data is public and the miners continually access new transactions. They take the transactions and convert it into a string of alphanumeric characters known as a "hash." The hash is always 64 characters regardless how much data is fed into the SHA256 hash calculator. The hash for a new block is created by taking the raw data from the first transaction and converting it into a hash. The raw data from the second transaction is added to the first hash to create a new hash. This process continues until there is a hash of all 500 transactions. Let me show you how it works. Imagine each paragraph of this article contains data from a bitcoin transaction. 1) Paragraph 1 "The Bitcoin blockchain is secure from hackers because of a mechanism referred to as Proof-of-Work." becomes this hash: c70de0ff57dd8b63106b5a996a82117242ccd6f93316ceddefdbbbc181796104 2) Paragraph 2 "Unlike a traditional database that is housed in a central location with someone ensuring its security, the Bitcoin blockchain is distributed around the world in over 15,000 locations" is added to "c70de0ff57dd8b63106b5a996a82117242ccd6f93316ceddefdbbbc181796104" and it becomes this new hash: 23c5adc507b44fd4b353d834f5089133f8e2d57b0fe4b667980ec86f5de79b92 This is repeated for all 500 bitcoin transactions – the requisite amount for a new block in the blockchain. While the miners are doing this, they are also competing with each other in a contest that is essentially a lottery. They are trying to find a hash that matches a previously created hash for the current block. The competing computers spit out randomly generated hashes until the winning hash is found. This requires massive computing power. The winning computer gets the honor to "seal off" the new block of transactions with the block hash and assign the next block number. (As of this moment, 727,518 bitcoin blocks have been mined. A new block is mined about every ten minutes.) The miner is rewarded with 6.25 BTC (about $250,000). Proof of Stake Since there is no central authority ensuring the integrity of a blockchain, a consensus mechanism is used to check the existing data and add new data. The Bitcoin blockchain uses the proof-of-work mechanism. Proof-of-work sets up a competition among Bitcoin miners to solve a mathematical problem that requires using a massive amount of computing power. This has a significant environmental impact. An alternative consensus mechanism is proof-of-stake. "Validators" will offer their coins as collateral for the opportunity to validate blocks on a blockchain. This is referred to as "staking." It only uses a small fraction of energy compared to the proof-of-work mechanism. The Ethereum blockchain is moving from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake. When it does, a validator will need to "stake" 32 ETH (about $110,000 at today's price). Validators are selected at random to validate the block. When enough validators verify the block is accurate, the block is closed.

Death Through The Ages What is memento mori? Literally, the phrase means “remember your mortality.” Here at MSCo, it’s one of our most popular Latin phrases. On a larger scale, it’s a Latin phrase that rose to popularity in the medieval period and inspired multiple cultural, philosophical, literature, and art movements over the years. Artists in 17th century Europe were especially focused on the subject and painted many still-lifes on the theme, full of skulls and snuffed candles and other symbols of mortality and the fragility of life. Walk through any art museum, and you’ll see many works showcasing human life struggling with death, metaphorically and literally. Why would a phrase that means “remember you must die” resonate so strongly with so many people? At first glance, such a mentality seems grisly and morbid - obsession with death has never been deemed a healthy outlook on life. However, the phrase is intended to give a positive perspective on the passage of time and how best to spend it. Dealing With Death Looking back through history, art, and literature, it seems that humanity has always had a love-hate relationship with death and its imagery. Graves have long been marked with skulls as a reminder of the penultimate stage of decay, pirates carried flags with skulls and crossbones to strike fear into their victims and enemies, and even cave drawings have depictions of death, both animal and human. In direct contrast, humans treat our dead with equal parts reverence and disgust. The pharaohs of old commanded that their bodies be preserved, their skeletons kept covered. Ancient Vikings cremated the fallen and the passed, reducing everything to ash and scattering that reminder of mortality to the wind. Even modern-day funerals with open caskets have the deceased arranged as if they are merely sleeping. Original Memento Mori Pendant, Sterling Silver It is difficult to come to terms with the idea of not being alive one day. From our first breath, our only goal is to stay alive. Our parents and caretakers teach us the business of living - meeting our needs and avoiding danger. Very rarely are we taught the business of dying early in life, and so that lesson nearly always comes as a shock. Learning that human life comes to an end just like all life on earth is a world-rocking revelation for an individual. Facing Death Fearlessly As a species, humanity spent so much of our development focusing on surviving - death was omnipresent and imminent. As time went on, we learned how to live longer through technology, agriculture, and community. Discoveries and progress in modern medicine have extended our life expectancy even further. Death faded into the background, no longer an immediate, constant threat. But learning how to die is a necessary key to learning how to live. Without remembering that life can end at any moment, how are we supposed to truly enjoy every moment? Without accepting death as a reality at the beginning, how are we able to say “I am not afraid of death” at the end? We cannot learn how to live truly, fiercely, and joyfully if we don’t know how to die fearlessly and gracefully. So in one sense, the Latin translation of “learning to die” could be memento mori. The phrase means to teach us how to spend our time wisely on worthwhile things, and therefore how to be able to die with grace and no regrets. If you are able to live every day as if there is no tomorrow, then that is the ultimate expression of memento mori. You would be able to greet death without fear, confident in the knowledge that you are not leaving anything unfinished or undervalued behind. You will learn to live well by learning to die.

When you're a writer, you've undoubtedly heard the advice: never use passive voice, always change it to active voice. But does this always hold up? What's actually the difference? So, before you go through your manuscript and edit all your sentences to active ones, let's dive into the issue a little deeper. How do you know if it's passive or active voice? An active sentence focuses, as the name says, on the action (and the subject). It has the form: subject + verb + object So: Suzy threw the ball. Active sentences add activity and movement to your sentences, which makes them easy to read. On the other hand, passive sentences focus on the object of the sentence, so the person or thing that's undergoing the action. It has the form: object + form of to be + verb + subject So: The ball was thrown by Suzy. And often the subject is omitted completely: The ball was thrown. As you can see, this changes the way you read the sentence because it shifts your focus. Generally, we want to focus to be on the action and who performs the action. As we said, this adds movement to your writing, whereas passive sentences feel more, well, passive. So, to know whether a sentence in your manuscript is active or passive, look for a form of “to be” in the sentence. Note that this doesn't always mean the sentence is passive. For instance, if Suzy is in the midst of throwing the ball, we'd write: Suzy was throwing the ball. This is still an active sentence, only a different tense is used. So, once you've identified a form of “to be,” check whether the verb follows the subject (is it the person doing the action) or an object (is it the person undergoing the action). Is it OK to use passive voice in writing? Long story short: yes. It's definitely OK. You just have to check that you're using it for the right reasons. This also depends on whether you're writing fiction, nonfiction, or academic nonfiction. Generally, you want to keep most of your sentences active, even in academic writing. At least in the APA style guide, it's now recommended that you write in active voice (check your journal's guidelines to check whether they have different recommendations). What does that mean? No: It was shown that this target group had significantly more improvement than the control group. Rather: The results of this study showed that this target group improved significantly more than the control group. So, in what instances do you use passive voice? As I said before, the difference between passive and active voice is the emphasis they place. The emphasis is either on the action and the one performing it, or it's on the one undergoing the action. Whenever you come across a passive sentence in your manuscript, just ask yourself: does it have the right emphasis? The kidnapper gagged and bound the girl. The girl was gagged and bound. It might make sense to go for the passive option if you want the emphasis to be on the girl undergoing the gagging and binding, especially if you're writing the scene from her perspective. You can use both active and passive voice in your writing, although the majority will be active, simply because you want to have that movement within your story. When you're on the hunt for passive sentences, don't just change them to active. Look and consider whether it's the right form in this instance. Would you like more tips & tricks for editing your manuscript? Sign up for my free self-editing class.

Queen Anne's American Kings (Paperback) In 1706, four Iroquois sachems from the province of New York, including King Hendrick and Joseph Brant's grandfather, travelled to London. They came to seek and agreement with the British against the French and their Algonquin allies. While these four Iroquois were not the first American Indians to visit England (Pocahontas had come in 1616), they were the first to be treated as heads of state. The four "American Kings" were feted by society: they saw a performance of Shakespeare's Macbeth, witnessed the "royal sport" of cockfighting, and had a lengthy audience with Queen Anne. The queen was so impressed with the four Indians that she commissioned portraits of each by court painter John Vereslet. These are among the earliest oil paintings of American Indians take from life. The trip was successful and Britain and the Five Nations agreed to assist each other in any future conflict with France and its allies, a relationship that would extent to the American Revolution. In Queen Anne's American Kings, literacy historian Richmond Pugh Bond relates the entire episode using numerous contemporary accounts in order to demonstrate the cultural and political importance of this unique and fascinating event in American and British colonial history. Richmond Pugh Bond (1899 - 1979) was professor of English at the University of North Carolina and author of a number of books, including Eighteenth Century Correspondence: A Survey, Growth and Change in the Early English Press, and Studies in the Early English Periodical.

Schools are bound by the Equality Act 2010. The exclusions guidance states on page 10 that schools must not discriminate against, harass, or victimise pupils because of their: sex; race; disability; religion or belief; sexual orientation; pregnancy or maternity; or gender reassignment. For disabled children, this includes a duty to make reasonable adjustments to any provision, criterion, or practice that puts them at a substantial disadvantage and the provision of auxiliary aids and services. Discrimination includes direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, failure to make reasonable adjustments, the public sector equality duty, and victimisation. Consider the letter confirming the exclusion, the minutes, and any other record of the governing board's deliberations. See if there is any suggestion in these documents that the governing board agrees that there has been discrimination against the young person. Then answer the question: Did the governing board agree that the exclusion was discriminatory but uphold it anyway? If the answer is yes, consider the Suggested Wording document: Argument to the IRP: Governing board's decision unlawful (discrimination) Once you have answered this question, click continue to proceed to the next step.

Have you developed a rash that is made up of tiny little bumps and is accompanied by intense itching that is keeping you up at night? These are indicators that your rash may not just a normal rash, it could be caused by scabies. The diagnosis and treatment is essential if your rash is caused by scabies, as it is highly contagious. Dr. Vivian Bucay and her staff can help get you a proper diagnosis and help administer treatment that will clear up the rash and stop the itching. What is Scabies? Scabies is a skin condition that is caused by a small bug. The tiny little bug lands on your skin and slowly burrows under the top layer of your skin. After it has burrowed, the bug lives under the skin and feeds. The development of the red, itchy rash is a reaction to the mite living under the skin. How is Scabies Spread from Person to Person? Scabies is highly contagious. It is spread by direct skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. The tiny little mite that causes scabies can technically live without human contact. It can live for anywhere from 48-72 hours without coming into contact with humans. This makes it possible for scabies to be transmitted via furniture, beds, and clothing. However, this is extremely rare. Who is Likely to Get Scabies? Scabies can infect any person that comes into contact with an infected individual. There are some people who are more likely to get scabies than others. Parents, individuals who are in close contact with children, and people in assisted-living centers or nursing homes often have a higher risk for scabies. How is Scabies Diagnosed? We, at Bucay Center for Dermatology and Aesthetics, can quickly diagnosis a scabies rash. All we will need to do is a brief visual inspection of the infected area. This is often enough to determine if you have scabies. After a diagnosis of scabies, we may want to do a full body check to determine any other infected areas. Determining what areas are infected can help with treatment. What Treatment Options are Available for Scabies? Many people who develop scabies try to use over-the-counter medications to treat the rash and the itching. Unfortunately, over-the-counter medications will only mask the symptoms. They do not treat the condition and clear up the rash. Prescription medication is the only way to successfully treat scabies. Benzyl benzoate lotion, sulfur ointment, permethrin cream, and lindane lotion are the most commonly prescribed treatments for scabies. These lotions and creams are applied at night and washed off in the morning. Treatment typically lasts a week. In some severe cases of scabies, a prescription medication known as ivermectin may be needed. Our medical staff can help determine if your case of scabies would require this type of treatment. Dr. Vivian Bucay and her staff will help create a customized treatment plan that will help not only treat the scabies, but relieve any symptoms – such as itching or skin irritation – that may accompany the scabies.

Reduce Peer Bullying: Trust Corridor What was the Problem? The lack of a space for students to express themselves causes them to express their feelings and thoughts through violence. Students without a room of their own, that is, without any space to express themselves, use violence as a means of expression. So, "How can we create spaces that encourage students to express themselves?" In the problem-solving process where design-oriented thinking methodology was applied; it was observed that students did not express their feelings and thoughts comfortably unless a secure communication environment was provided. In other words, to prevent students who do not have time and space to express themselves from resorting to violence as a means of communication, and to encourage them to express themselves, the "Trust Corridor" was developed as a classroom activity. One day before the activity, students are asked to design a mask for themselves at home. In the classroom, students wear their masks and form a corridor by facing each other. The teacher explains that they can express anything, regardless right or wrong, in this corridor. First, the teacher walks through the corridor saying the meaning of his/her name. He/she then touches another student. In turn, all students walk through the corridor, telling the meaning of their names. On the second day, the students are asked to bring an item they love to the school. They wear their masks and form the corridor. Each student walks through the corridor, introducing their items. On the third day, students are asked to share their memories about one of their friends as they walk through the corridor. After each stage, the teacher talks with the students about their feelings. In this process, students wanted to express themselves and share their feelings more. After the activity, it was observed that the students felt more encouraged to express themselves. Canan Karaman (Preschool Teacher), Gülden Köprü (English Teacher), Hasan Turgut (Turkish Language and Literature Teacher), Leyla Doran Kocabey (Information Technologies and Software Teacher), Mine Aksar (Classroom Teacher), Ramazan Saraç (Classroom Teacher), Vedat Çelik (Philosophy Teacher)

Any writing, be it speeches, poems, or research papers, might be the subject of a rhetorical study. The study of rhetoric focuses on how authors and presenters use language to persuade a crowd. Rather than focusing on the words the writer uses, consider the strategies they cite and their objectives. In your analysis essay, you dissect a text (such as advertisements, statements, e.t.c.) into segments and analyze how each serves to enlighten, entertain, or convince the reader. You will provide instances from the text and examine the effectiveness of the strategies employed. An essay on rhetorical analysis evaluates the work of another thinker, author, or creative individual. Rhetorical analysis studies the writing style rather than describing a text. Novices may find it challenging to understand how to compose a rhetorical analysis, but with these strategies, you will write like a pro in no time. You will grapple with this while writing your rhetorical analysis essay because writers use many tactics and literary and rhetorical devices to accomplish this. This essay invites you to delve deeply into the writer's narrative style rather than only expressing your agreement or disagreement with the writer's views. It involves analyzing the writing style employed to convey the core concept or message of the text. Following some steps in this guide will not only broaden your knowledge of a rhetorical essay but will also guide you through the process of how to write a rhetorical analysis essay convincingly. A rhetorical analysis essay is a paper or piece of writing in which you choose one or more texts and analyze them from the rhetorical standpoint—what their arguments and supporting evidence are, how they try to persuade, and how successful you think they might be. It is persuasive writing or analysis. If you are unfamiliar with rhetorical analysis, it is preferable to choose one text and conduct a "close reading." Instead of concentrating on the work's substance, a rhetorical analysis essay aims to examine and evaluate the original author's intentions, motives, and rhetorical methods. The phrases "rhetoric" and "analysis" combine to form the phrase "rhetorical analysis," which denotes a thorough examination of a work of rhetorical literature. You must comprehend rhetoric to write an analysis essay. Rhetoric is, therefore, the skill of writing persuasive arguments. It is the strategy and vocabulary used to engage audiences and persuade them to accept a particular point of view or message. "What is a rhetorical analysis essay?" A rhetorical analysis essay is an essay that intricately dissects a nonfiction piece into its component elements. It then analyses how the pieces come together to produce a specific impact, such as to convince, amuse, or inform. The information in rhetorical analysis writing is presented differently than in other essays. Like other essays, a rhetorical analysis comprises an introduction that explains the thesis, a body that analyses the text in-depth, and a conclusion to bring everything together. Think of a solid rhetorical analysis structure to know how to start a rhetorical analysis essay. You should gather enough information about the topic you would like to write about and not base your work on assumptions or inaccurate information. A typical rhetorical analysis structure has a rhetorical analysis introduction, at least three topic paragraphs with arguments, and a conclusion. Nothing destabilizes the flow of an essay like a weak introduction or opening statement. Therefore, you must focus on this component and ensure it flows seamlessly with the rest of your work. Your introduction determines if your reader will read through to the end or lose interest. The introduction should not give away the entire essay; instead, it should highlight the essential points. You capture the attention of your audience through your opening. Your thesis should be a simple statement summarizing your position on the author's decisions and strategies after the introduction. One of the most crucial components of your essay is the thesis. This is the section where you analyze and address the text. Your ideas must flow and link, which is one of the few crucial points to remember while learning to write a rhetorical essay. More paragraphs can be required depending on the book's overview and outline. Your paragraphs must strongly assess, argue, and analyze your points. Your conclusion should be just as strong as your introduction. Because of the habit of writers debating concepts rather than concluding them all, they need help putting an end to their writing. The primary purpose of a conclusion should be to bring all the arguments to a close and not leave room for confusion or loose ends. Your conclusion should briefly explain and conclude your listed points. Writing a rhetorical analysis essay requires using the following format: 1. List the four components of rhetoric. The following rhetorical components should be noted when you begin your analysis: 2. Explain the rhetorical Appeals. Describe the speaker's use of tone and other devices, as well as the rhetorical appeals they made. Appeal: describes how a writer persuades a reader. In rhetoric, logos, ethos, and pathos are the three primary appeals defined by the philosopher Aristotle. The speaker's ability to engage their audience through these devices will be examined next. As mentioned, a speaker can employ these devices and appeals in various ways. Examine the selected devices, their uses, and why you believe they were selected. Assess the author's success in utilizing these strategies to accomplish their objectives. Do you believe they were successful? If not, why not? 5. State your thesis. Summarize your points into a single, well-written thesis statement that will serve as the basis for your essay. Your thesis should include three main points: the speaker's argument or aim, the methods the speaker employs, and the effectiveness of those methods. 6. Arrange your arguments and supporting data. Utilize your thesis statement as a guide and arrange your thoughts and supporting details into a logical framework. You may, for instance, divide your body paragraphs into three groups, one for each of the three rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos), and include concrete instances of how the speaker uses each one in each paragraph. You need to be a proficient writer to create a rhetorical analysis essay. Most students find this form of writing difficult because it is pretty technical. The following tips will walk you through writing a rhetorical analysis essay. This is an example of a rhetorical analysis essay of “I have a dream” by Martin Luther King Jr. Start the analysis essay by providing the introduction in the following way: One of the most significant speeches in American history is primarily considered to be "I Have a Dream," delivered by Martin Luther King Jr. In 1963, Martin Luther King Jr. gave a speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., that represents the civil rights movement's ethos and plays a crucial role in the American national myth. This rhetorical study contends that King's use of the prophetic voice, heightened by the size of his historical audience, provides a strong feeling of ethos that has held its capacity for inspiration. Note: The first sentence should contain the “hook” of the essay, and the last sentence should be the “Thesis statement” The King uses a lot of prophetic language in his talks. King repeatedly conveys a prophetic tone in his speech, even before the famous "dream" section. Speaking of emerging "from the dark and desolate valley of segregation," he calls the Lincoln Memorial a "hallowed location." He vows to "make justice a reality for all of God's children." The text's strongest ethical argument is its assumption of this prophetic voice; after associating himself with historical political figures like Abraham Lincoln and the Founding Fathers, King's ethos takes on a distinctly religious voice, evoking Biblical prophets and preachers of change throughout history. Note: The body section contains all the evidence that supports the thesis statement. A paragraph is devoted to each argument that bolsters and analyzes the premise. This Body paragraph example can be used as a guide for the rest of your paragraphs (points) This analysis clarifies that King's rhetoric is more powerful when used to support his meticulously constructed ethos than the sad appeal of his utopian "dream." King assures that his words will have an impact not only in the here and now but will continue to have an impact in the future by portraying current upheavals as a part of a prophecy whose fulfillment would lead to the better future he envisions. King's remarks undoubtedly played a part in putting us on the route to realizing our dream, even if we have yet to make it there entirely. Note: Outline the principal arguments and restate the thesis statement to support them in the conclusion section.

LI: To be able to convert notes into prose (full sentences). As you know, from the Rainforest video we watched before Christmas, you were asked to make notes and turn your short notes into a paragraph. Using the information provided about dinosaurs, turn the short notes into full sentences. These sentences need to be linked with conjunctions so the ideas then become one cohesive paragraph. This means the paragraph flows and all the ideas go together in the one paragraph. You should be using adverbs and conjunctions such as: furthermore, in addition, also. Try to avoid starting every sentence with the or they as that is not exciting and will not grab the reader's attention. Look at the examples of notes and prose provided before you write your own. Please send in an example of a paragraph so we can add it to the web page.

Technology is a key factor in determining how our lives are shaped in the fast-paced world of today. Technology is a constant force in our lives, from the gadgets we use every day to the breakthroughs that advance industries. This essay explores the fields of GTE, mechanical engineering, and cell signaling technology while also debating the wisdom of pursuing a is technology a good career path. GTE stands for “Gaining the Way for Evolution” technology. GTE technology, an acronym for “Green Technology and Energy,” is a quickly developing industry with an emphasis on ecologically friendly and sustainable solutions. It includes a broad range of technologies, including sustainable behaviors, energy-efficient systems, and renewable energy sources. What is gte technology works to reduce the negative effects of human activity on the environment in the pursuit of a more environmentally friendly future. This includes cutting-edge recycling techniques, wind turbines, and solar panels. what is gte technology: GTE technology is positioned to be essential in the shift to a sustainable future as people become more aware of their carbon footprint. Technology in mechanical engineering: The Engine of Innovation On the other side, the technology of mechanical engineering technology is what propels many of the physical breakthroughs we see every day. This area of engineering focuses on using mechanical concepts in real-world applications. It entails creating, implementing, and maintaining mechanical systems, ranging from rudimentary machines to sophisticated industrial machinery. The design and operation of everything from the cars we drive to the elevators we use is influenced by mechanical engineering technology. It’s a sector that lives on innovation, constantly making advancements to boost productivity and dependability. To make sure the equipment we rely on runs without a hitch, mechanical engineers work on a variety of tasks. Cell Signaling Technology: Unraveling Biology’s Mysteries Moving from the physical to the biological realm, cell signaling technology comes into play. This area of study, which focuses on the intricate communication mechanisms that take place within cells, is a cornerstone of modern biology. For the purpose of understanding diseases, creating novel treatments, and advancing biotechnology, it is essential to comprehend cell signaling. We can delve deeply into the complexities of cellular communication thanks to advances in cell signaling technologies. It has paved the door for important advancements in the study of genetics, immunology, and cancer. By solving the biological mysteries, researchers in this sector are able to develop new medicines and treatments.is technology a good career path. Let’s now answer the query that many people have: Is the field of technology a rewarding one? The quick answer is unquestionably yes, but let’s look at why. Technology is the driving factor behind various industries in the modern digital era. It provides a wide range of job prospects, from data analysis and cybersecurity to artificial intelligence and software development. Technology is a subject where innovation knows no bounds, and demand for tech workers is consistently high. a career in technology frequently offers competitive pay and work security. Professionals with the necessary skills are required to build, maintain, and secure organizations’ digital infrastructures as they continue to depend on technology to prosper. offer the ability to significantly impact society in addition to financial incentives. Technology advancements have changed the way we interact, live, and work. By developing answers to urgent global concerns like climate change, healthcare, and education, tech professionals have the chance to influence the future. The tech sector also promotes a culture of ongoing learning and development. Professionals in this industry are always challenged to increase their knowledge and abilities due to the constantly changing technology and approaches. This vibrant setting has the potential to intellectually challenge and personally gratify. each technology—GTE, mechanical engineering, and cell signaling—contributes in a different way to society’s advancement. They stand for the many components of the technological world, such as innovation, sustainability, and biological discoveries. Not only is pursuing a career in technology financially rewarding, but it also offers the chance to be at the forefront of development and have a good impact on the world. Therefore, if you’re considering a professional route, think about the limitless options that technology has to offer and set out on a path of unending opportunity and advancement.

Scientists have developed a laser camera that can read a person’s heartbeat at a distance and pinpoint signs that they might be suffering from cardiovascular illnesses. The system – which exploits AI and quantum technologies – could transform the way we monitor our health, say researchers at Glasgow University. “This technology could be set up in booths in shopping malls where people could get a quick heartbeat reading that could then be added to their online medical records,” said Professor Daniele Faccio of the university’s Advanced Research Centre. “Alternatively laser heart monitors could be installed in a person’s house as part of a system for monitoring different health parameters in a domestic setting,” he said. Other devices would include monitors to track blood pressure abnormalities or subtle changes in gait – an early sign of the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Monitoring a person’s heartbeat from a distance would be particularly valuable because irregularities – including murmurs or heartbeats that are too fast or slow – would provide warning that they are in danger of suffering a stroke or cardiac arrest, added Faccio. At present, doctors use stethoscopes to monitor heartbeats. Invented in the early 19th century by the French surgeon René Laënnec (to prevent him having to put his ear on a female patient’s chest), a stethoscope consists of a disk-shaped resonator which, when placed on a person’s body, picks up noises occuring within their body. These are transmitted and amplified, via tubes and earpieces, to the person listening. “It requires training to use a stethoscope properly,” Faccio said. “If pressed too hard on a patient’s chest, it will dampen heartbeat signals. At the same time, it can be difficult to detect background murmurs, which provide key signs of defects, that are going on behind the main heartbeat.” The system developed by Faccio and his team involves high-speed cameras which can record images at speeds of 2,000 frames per second. A laser beam is shone on to the skin of a person’s throat and the reflections used to measure exactly how much their skin is rising and falling as their main artery expands and contracts as blood is forced through it. These changes involve movements of only a few billionths of a metre. Such acuity is striking, though on its own the tracking of these tiny fluctuations would not be enough to track a heartbeat. “Other, much larger movements occur on a person’s chest – from their breathing, for example – which would overwhelm signals from their heartbeat. “That is where AI comes in,” Faccio said. “We use advanced computing systems to filter out everything except the vibrations caused by a person’s heartbeat – even though it is a much weaker signal than the other noises emanating from their chest. We know the frequency range of the human heartbeat, and the AI focuses on that.” Analysis of the resulting signals allows health staff to detect changes in heart rate – not against a statistical average for a population but against a person’s own specific cardiac behaviour. That makes it invaluable in spotting changes that might be occurring in their heart and to pinpoint specific defects, said Faccio, whose team has established a start-up company, LightHearted AI, which is now seeking venture capital to expand development of their devices. “This system is very accurate,” said Faccio. “Even if you share a house with 10 people, it could pinpoint you from anyone else just by shining a laser on your throat and analysing your heartbeat from its reflection. Indeed one other use of the system is for biometric identification. “But the prime use of this technology – which we hope to have ready next year – will be to measure heartbeats easily and quickly outside hospitals or GP surgeries. The benefits could be considerable.”

Vaccine product leaflets will usually contain a detailed list of ‘undesirable effects’, or they may refer to ‘adverse reactions reported in clinical studies or from the postmarketing experience’. These are not always exactly the same as ‘side effects’, because reporting an adverse event after vaccination does not prove a link with the vaccine. When a vaccine is given to a very large number of people in a population, it is likely just by chance that a few of them will develop some kind of medical problem around the time of vaccination, but this does not prove ‘cause and effect’. This means that the reactions listed in the product information may not all be side effects of the vaccine itself. Some events after immunisation are clearly caused by the vaccine (for example, a sore arm at the injection site). However, others may happen by coincidence around the time of vaccination. It can therefore be difficult to separate those which are clearly caused by a vaccine and those that were going to happen anyway. In clinical trials all serious adverse events are reported so that unexpected reactions to medicines or vaccines can be identified. This is very important for safety monitoring, but it also means that extreme examples of ‘adverse events’ may get listed when they have no connection to the vaccine (such as injuries caused to a passenger in a car accident, which are clearly not related to any vaccine they may have received). Also events such as fainting at the sight of a needle may be called an adverse event, even though the person has not actually received the vaccine. However, experts consider it important that every single adverse event is collected and reported, so that we can identify any ‘signal’ of a possible vaccine-caused harm amongst all the chance events that happen to people every day. In the UK it is the job of the MHRA to collect all these reports and investigate further if necessary (see more information on Monitoring of vaccines). Scientific method is then used to determine if these events are a coincidence or a result of the vaccine. Here are two examples of how collecting and analysing data on adverse events has helped us to understand more about the safety of vaccines. Some studies on the rotavirus vaccine identified that there was possibly a very slightly increased risk of a rare condition called intussusception following vaccination. This was discovered by comparing rates of intussusception in a large group of babies who had received the rotavirus vaccine with rates in a large group of babies who had not received the vaccine. It led to a change in the information in the product leaflet, and also to a change in advice about when the vaccine should be given (see the page on the Rotavirus vaccine for more information about this research). A large number of studies on the MMR vaccine have found no increased risk of autism in very large groups of children who have received the vaccine. Again, this has been done by comparing rates of autism in large groups of children who have received the MMR vaccine with large groups who have not (see the page on the MMR vaccine for more information about this research). As with any vaccine, medicine or food, there is a very small chance of a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). Anaphylaxis is different from less severe allergic reactions because it causes life-threatening breathing and/or circulation problems. It is always extremely serious but can be treated with adrenaline. Healthcare workers who give vaccines know how to do this. In the UK between 1997 and 2003 there were a total of 130 reports of anaphylaxis following ALL immunisations. During these six years, around 117 million doses of vaccines were given in the UK. This means that the overall rate of anaphylaxis is around 1 in 900,000. If you are concerned about any reactions that occur after vaccination, consult your doctor. In the UK you can report suspected vaccine side effects to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) through the Yellow Card Scheme. You can also contact the MHRA to ask for data on Yellow Card reports for individual vaccines. See more information on the Yellow Card scheme and monitoring of vaccine safety. For information on side effects of individual vaccines, please see the page for the relevant vaccine under the "vaccines" menu at the top of this page.

Since last summer, Jupiter’s third largest moon, Io, has been illuminating the Jovian system with a violent burst of volcanic activity. As the most volcanically active world in the Solar System, Io is no stranger to such eruptions, but this year’s show was unusually energetic. Researcher Jeff Morgenthaler, who has been monitoring volcanism on Io since 2017, says this is the largest volcanic eruption he’s seen to date. Morgenthaler’s observations were made with the Planetary Science Institute’s small Io Input/Output Observatory (IoIO). Io goes through phases of volcanic activity almost annually. The eccentricity of its orbit and proximity to Jupiter’s strong gravity causes the moon to continuously bulge and compress, adding energy to the world in a process known as tidal heating. The same process is responsible for the liquid subsurface oceans on nearby moon Europa – but Io is closer to its planet and has a rockier composition, resulting in extensive lava flows, eruptions and violent crustal movement. Remove all ads on Universe today Join our Patreon for just $3! Get the ad-free experience for life These extreme volcanic conditions don’t just affect the lunar surface. Io’s surface gravity is low enough (just slightly stronger than Earth’s moon’s gravity) that some of the gases and light materials from Io’s volcanoes can escape into orbit around Jupiter. This material is mostly ionized sulfur and forms a donut-shaped ring around Jupiter known as the Io plasma torus. Io’s plasma torus, composed of ionized sulfur, seen from IoIO. Credit: Jeff Morgenthaler, PSI. Usually, when Io experiences a burst of eruptions, the torus brightens simultaneously. However, this was not the case with the recent volcanic eruption, which lasted from September to December 2022. Morgenthaler suggests a few possible explanations: “This could tell us something about the composition of the volcanic activity that caused the eruption, or it could tell us that the torus is more efficient at clearing itself of material as more material is thrown into it.” The brightness of the Jupiter Sodium Nebula at three different distances from Jupiter (top) and the Io plasma torus (bottom), showing several modest outbursts since 2017 and a major outburst in fall 2022. Credit: Jeff Morgenthaler, PSI. To know for sure, we would need on-site measurements of the region. Fortunately, NASA’s Juno probe passed the area in mid-December and came within 40,000 miles of Io on Dec 14. Juno carries instruments capable of characterizing the radiation environment inside the torus, and Morgenthaler hopes the flyby data will show if the composition of this burst differs from previous ones. Juno’s Io flyby data is still being downloaded and processed. Juno is expected to fly even closer to Io next December, coming within 1,500 km of the Moon, the closest possible to Io since the Galileo mission in 2002. Image of Io taken on December 14, 2022 by the Juno spacecraft from 64,000 km away: Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/SwRI/MSSS. Even then, Morgenthaler will be observing Io and its plasma torus with IoIO, as long as cloudy weather does not intervene. IoIO is a small telescope, and from Earth it can only see the torus by filtering out light from Jupiter that is bright enough to normally drown out the comparatively faint torus. IoIO uses a coronagraph to ensure the telescope is not blinded by the gas giant’s glow. “One of the exciting things about these observations is that they can be reproduced by almost any small college or ambitious amateur astronomer,” says Morgenthaler. “Almost all of the parts used to build IoIO are available at a high-end photo store or telescope shop.” IoIO consists of a 35 cm (14 inch) Celestron Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope modified with a custom built coronagraph. “PSI’s Io Input/Output Observatory detects large volcanic eruption on Jupiter’s moon Io.” Institute of Planetology. Featured image: IoIO image of Io’s sodium nebula during an eruption. Credit: Jeff Morgenthaler, PSI.

December 07, 2016 Do shorter, darker days signal a predictable change in your mood? If your symptoms range from sluggishness to mild depression to an inability to go about your day, you may be suffering from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a serious form of depression most often triggered by winter’s shorter daylight hours and fleeting sunshine. Approximately half of patients diagnosed with SAD have recurrent symptoms the following year, making it very important for patients to be aware of their symptoms as the seasons begin to change. About 6 percent of adults in the U.S. suffer from SAD. Symptoms of SAD include: - Increased need for sleep - Decreased levels of energy - Weight gain - Increase in appetite - Difficulty concentrating - Increased desire to be alone What causes SAD? Circadian rhythms, the 24-hour cycle regulated by light that humans normally live by, are disrupted by decreased sunlight. Longer spans of darkness cause our bodies to release the sleep-producing hormone melatonin earlier each evening and turn it off later each morning. Who’s at risk? Dr. Marisa Argubright, family practice physician at College Park Family Care Center says, “Individuals who are between the ages of 20 and 30 years old, who have a previous history of depression and/or anxiety and those who live at higher northern latitudes are at increased risk of developing SAD. Individuals who suffer from conditions such as ADHD, eating disorders and social anxiety disorder are also at increased risk of experiencing SAD. “In some studies, over 60 percent of individuals with SAD have a family history of SAD. Fifteen percent of those individuals have a first-degree relative who also suffered from SAD. Treatments throw light on the subject If you’re struggling day after day, you don’t have to plow through the long winter by yourself. Talk to your doctor. According to Dr. Argubright, “The first-line treatment of SAD consists of antidepressant medications. Depending on the severity of an individual's symptoms, prior treatment history and preferences, light therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy can also be added for improved symptom management. Some patients choose seasonal treatment while others opt for continuous treatment if they feel their symptoms are severe enough to warrant a prolonged treatment regimen. It's very important to follow up with your physician while being treated for SAD and maintain a good working relationship to optimize treatment outcome.” Taking care of yourself this time of year Dr. Argubright added, “Even if you don't suffer from SAD, as the weather changes and the days get shorter, it's very important to get regular aerobic exercise, maintain good sleep habits and focus on eating a well-rounded diet to help your body adjust to the changing seasons.” Source: National Institutes of Health nih.gov

A literal interpretation of "After the Sea-Ship" will focus on the poem as a description of a ship's wake on the open ocean. Essentially, this is the entire content of the poem - a rather brief and ebulient description of how the water looks and acts in the wake of a ship that has passed. The ship receives almost no description while the water is treated with characterization and specific, detailed description. Symbolically, the poem is open to intepretation with the most likely and compelling interpretation being one which sees the ocean as a grand natural force, or even as a symbol for nature at large. The sea is not only undisturbed by the ship, emotionally speaking, the sea seems to take joy in the passing of the ship and to be characterized by great equanimity (evenness of temper). To read further into the text, we might argue that the sea plays a role as background to life and so is symbolic of a temporal space within which life takes place. This space exists before life and also after life, with life being symbolized by the passing ship, and the sea then becomes associated with a temporal expanse that includes death. Death, however, is not dark and dreary but is instead, as the water is "frolicsome" after the passing of the ship, death is for Whitman a part of the wonder of existence.

A key skill in accounting is the ability to clearly communicate information to management. Hence, the examiners will expect candidates to demonstrate such communication skills in answering examination questions. In examinations there may well be specific marks within the marking scheme for careful presentation of answers in the required format. The following formats have being appearing in many examination papers: - briefing notes; In this article, the following are discussed: · understand what are reports, notes and memos · what is good and effective communication; · what is meant by plain English; · the different formats and styles of communication in business; · how to present answers and gain marks in examinations. |Understand the difference between Reports, Notes And Memos · usually a formal clearly structured document, often a lengthy summary of an investigation of a problem culminating in a conclusion and recommendation. · use itemised lists where appropriate but with a sentence of explanation where necessary; diagrams; appendices. · are documents for people within the organisation. · often shortened to · tend to be only a single page of paper · the purpose of which is to give instructions or to provide or request information. · Nowadays, the memo is usually in the form of an email. · gives information to someone in a form that can be referred to in a meeting or during a presentation. · intended to be prepared quickly and easily in a form that can be referred to whilst talking or presenting. · usually short conveys key facts/concepts only. · bare minimum of words and punctuation. |Good And Effective Communication :- Good communication is about understanding the needs and background of the recipient and presenting information in a form that is appropriate to those needs, the context of the situation and the objectives that you wish to achieveEffective communication only exists when a message is received, understood, accepted and correctly acted upon. The process is about transferring knowledge, changing opinions and issuing instructions. In a normal Communication Model, we have the following traits: · A message must be clear, unambiguous and understandable to the receiver. · It is important to understand the position and background of the person(s) receiving the message. It is essential to direct the message to the right person(s) in a form that allows them to access it physically and psychologically. · It must also be psychologically acceptable. Cultural background plays an important part in communications as what is acceptable in one culture, may be taboo or even illegal in another. · Feedback should evaluate whether the message has been received, understood and has generated the desired response. |Plain English is defined as:· something that the intended audience can read, understand and act upon the first time they read it. · Plain English takes into account design and layout as well as language.[The plain English campaign exists to promote the use of crystal-clear language against jargon and other confusing language. It has an extremely good website at www.plainenglish.co.uk .A subsection of the site is dedicated to common financial terms, good for reference or as a revision aid! Go to www.plainenglish.co.uk/FinanceA-Z.html]The following examples of “gobbledygook” are reproduced from the Plain English site. |Formats and Styles |It is very important to appreciate to whom the report is being addressed to and to understand their outlook and background. For example, an accountant must take care to explain technical terms to people outside the finance function. If you are writing to people higher up in the organisation, or outside it, the style you adopt in your language will tend to be more formal than it would otherwise be for, say, a close colleague or a subordinate.In business, written communication takes different forms and styles, dependent on who exactly is being addressed and the context of the message.We shall now look at an example of each paying attention both to layout and style. Note how these formats are quite distinct from the traditional essay-style format that tends to be the normal in junior and secondary education. Examiners tend to frown on answers where candidates merely produce lists. This is mainly because candidates often simply give headings or state key points without supporting explanations that demonstrate they clearly understand the item. |Suggestions On How To Present The Answers: Use the format specified in the question If the question requires specifically that you prepare a report, memorandum, letter, briefing notes, etc., then that is exactly what you should do. There are often a couple of marks just for the application of the correct format. Each format has its own purpose and requires a slightly different approach. You should view such business-orientated formats as opportunities rather than problems. It is much easier to write good answers using headings, lists and short paragraphs, rather than writing a traditional ‘school-style’ essay with all its attendant problems of structure and continuity. Use clearly labelled diagrams, tables and graphs Sometimes you will be asked to produce a certain diagram by the requirement of the question. On other occasions you will be expected to use your own initiative. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words! Particularly, if your workings have become a little messy. Always reference your final results to the relevant section of your workings. Do not forget to give your diagrams clear headings and to label the axis of graphs, etc. You might find that a simple drawing template might greatly speed up drawing diagrams with lots of boxes, whilst improving presentation enormously. Plan your answers When questions require long written answers, you should spend just a few minutes preparing an outline plan before you start writing the answer to be marked. This will help you to keep a logical structure as you progress through your answer. Leave a little space in your answers It is often a good idea to leave one line between each paragraph, not only to improve presentation, but because you might wish to add an extra sentence or note as you check through your paper at the end of the examination. Another tip under this heading is to start a fresh page for each question. For answers involving lots of computations, that might be needed for subsequent parts of the answer, for example in preparing budgets, start a new double page. Then any figures required for further workings can thus be seen at a glance, rather than by having to turn the page over, thereby wasting time and increasing the risk of transposition errors. The order of questions Always keep to the order in which the sub-sections of the question requirements are stated. This is simply because each section will often build on an earlier part. If you do have to put a part of an answer at the back of your answer booklet, make a clear reference to this fact using the page references at the bottom of the booklet. Write clearly and neatly Most accountants spend so much of their time using computer keyboards nowadays that handwriting is starting to border on a lost art. If the examiner cannot be read your answer, you can never gain marks. If you have problems with presenting numerical data, try drawing a couple of faint pencil lines on the page. This will help align columns of data before you attempt to add the figures up. If you have made a mistake and wish to ‘cross out’ a section of your work, then draw a box around that part and clearly cross it through. It is a good idea to do the crossing out in pencil, as you might realise later that your workings were correct after all, in which case you can simply restore them using a pencil eraser. Highlighting key results It often helps management to identify key aspects of information if significant words/phrases are underlined. This technique can be used to good effect to highlight key terms or definitions in written answers. You should also underline the final answer to each sub-section of your answers in the computational sections. Do not be tempted to underline in freehand, unless you have a very steady hand. Always use a ruler. If the question requires you to ‘show your answer to the nearest $’000’ then there will be no marks available for answers such as $374,654.8729, however accurate such a figure might be. Management needs information that is relevant to their needs. For example, a sales forecast for the next budget year might be quite acceptable stated in round $’000s, whereas last year’s actual sales would, more likely, be shown to the nearest whole ?. |Sample Outline ReportTo: CEO From: Mr ABC. Proposed Overhaul of Steam Turbine — Financial Implications Note: keep this as brief as possible. Findings/analysis Note: this will be the major part of your answer — don’t forget keep your answer in line with how the question requirement has been broken down, e.g. |Overall salient points: Therefore in examinations, please

A Mission Record of the California Indians, by A.L. Kroeber, , at sacred-texts.com Two distinct languages spoken by the Indians are known: the predominant language, that of the site of the mission, which is understood to the east, south, and north and the circumference of the west; and the less important, which those speak who are called 'beach people' (playanos), on account of having come from the bays of the ocean. These are few in number, and not only understand the predominant language but also speak it perfectly. They were as easily married as unmarried. For the former, nothing more was required than that the suitor should ask the bride from her parents, and at times it sufficed that she of herself should consent to join herself to the man, though more often verbal communication or agreement (trato) preceded. Many of them did not keep their wives. Some, when their wife was pregnant or had given birth, changed their residence without taking leave, and married another. Others were married with two, three, or even more women. It is certain that there are many who have come [to the mission] from the mountains already married, and who could serve as an example to the most religious men. There were some few who set out food for the dead. From their native condition they still preserve a flute which is played like the dulce. It is entirely open from top to bottom, and is five palms in length. Others are not more than about three palms. It produces eight tones (puntos) perfectly. They play various tunes (tocatas), nearly all in one measure, most of them merry. These flutes have eleven [sic] stops; some more, and some less. They have another musical instrument, a string instrument, which consists of a wooden bow to which a string of sinew is bound, producing a note. They use no other instruments. In singing they raise and lower the voice to seconds, thirds, fourths, fifths, and octaves. They never sing in parts, except that when many sing together some go an octave higher than the rest. Of their songs most are merry, but some are somewhat mistes in parts. In all these songs they do not make any statement (proposicion), but only use fluent words, naming birds, places of their country, and so on. 47 18:46 San Antonio is the northernmost of the two missions in Salinan territory. The missionaries there who might have contributed to this report were Pedro Cabot and Juan Bautista Sancho. 19:47 The description of the flute accords well with specimens that have been collected from Indians of other parts of California, except that it is very doubtful whether any such flute could produce eight tones or had as many as eleven stops. The California flute ordinarily has either three or four stops. The "string instrument" is the musical bow, played with the mouth as a resonance chamber, and reported also from the Maidu and Yokuts. When it is said that some sing an octave higher than others when they sing together, it is probable that women are meant. The use of disjointed words or names, many times repeated in songs, is frequent in California. On the other hand there are instances of songs containing several complete sentences, as among the Yokuts songs published in Volume II of this series.

Friday 12th February 2021 Year 4 Daily Activities Week 6 Friday 12th January Today begins with English activities, followed by Maths and Topic in the afternoon. Today you will be completing a spelling quiz (Y3 AUT1 Wk3 - Quiz) on Purple Mash, which has been set as a 2Do. These words contain the /ay/ sound, but are spelt with 'ei', 'eigh' or 'ey'. Make sure you look carefully at the word, before dragging the tiles to spell it. Good luck! Purple Mash 2Do Read Chapter 5 of ‘Planet Earth’ and then answer Chp.5 Quiz questions Today you will be writing a blurb about our class story, ‘Arthur and the Golden Rope. You’ll begin this lesson by clicking on the link below which takes you to an animated retelling of the whole story to refresh your minds ⭐️ Arthur and the Golden Rope - Animated Story Sound Effects ⭐️ - YouTube After listening to the story please watch this short video lesson on how to write your own amazing blurb for ‘Arthur and the Golden Rope’. Friday Video PPt Writing Activity 5 This week we are going to be working on Equivalent fractions. Have a go at playing this game for 15 minutes. See how many questions you can get correct. Complete as many questions as you can, but please don’t worry if there are ones you are not sure of. Today’s lesson focuses on online internet safety. Read through 120221.year4.topic2 and then complete the task, which you can find by opening 120221.year4.topic2task. Have a great home learning Friday. Miss Goodchild, Mrs Goldup, Mrs Sands and Miss Pettitt

As sea levels continue to rise as climate change accelerates, experts in coastal cities are planning accordingly. From New York City to New Orleans, policymakers who live near the ocean seem to be gradually recognizing their "The Day After Tomorrow"-esque peril. Yet according to a new study in the scientific journal Nature Communications — one that an outside scientist praised for looking "at the impacts of evaporative loss in an entirely new way" — people who live near lakes may have just as much cause for climate change-related water concerns as those who dwell near the sea. That, in turn, means everyone else will also need to worry. In research led by a team of scientists at Texas A & M University, the scholars accumulated data from more than 1.42 million natural lakes and reservoirs all over the planet. Their goal was to assess whether lakes have lost water over a one-third-of-a-century period stretching from 1985 to 2018. As it turned out, long-term average lake evaporation has increased at a rate of 3.12 cubic kilometers per year, including increases in the evaporation rate (58%), a decline in lake ice coverage (23%) and an increase of lake surface area (19%). "There are several major conclusions in our work," Dr. Huilin Gao, Texas A&M University College of Engineering, told Salon by email. Gao mentioned that the global lake evaporation volume is "15% larger than previously thought" thanks to their research. In addition, "we have quantified that this volume has been increasing at a rate of 3.12 km3/year and such an increasing trend is caused by not only the increase in evaporation rate but also lake ice melting and lake surface area increase." "'The practical consequences for most people will be that their water resources could be better managed in the future, as the effects of climate change become more acute,' Rynearson told Salon." Yet climate change alone is not to blame for the loss of lake water. "The lake surface area increase is mainly caused by reservoir construction in the past 30+ years," Gao pointed out. Tatiana Rynearson, an American oceanographer at the University of Rhode Island who was not involved in the study, praised it for examining "the impacts of evaporative loss in an entirely new way." Rynearson told Salon that "by examining how the evaporation volume of lakes is changing over time the authors generated a metric that policy makers and water quality managers can use." Given that every human drinks and uses water, the study is of direct concern to everyone. "The practical consequences for most people will be that their water resources could be better managed in the future, as the effects of climate change become more acute," Rynearson told Salon. "These could be local resources like domestic water use and could also include more distant resources, like those used in agriculture that produces food distributed across the nation or the globe." Rynearson noted that the study's authors have also created metrics "that will be used in earth system models which means that we could have better climate forecasting of rainfall, temperature and humidity levels." Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter The Vulgar Scientist. Until recently it has been difficult for scientists to make robust projections about how climate change will hurt surface fresh water bodies because there has been a dearth of useful data. Yet as the study itself notes, roughly 87 percent of all the Earth's fresh surface water exists in either natural or artificial lakes, meaning that policymakers will likely have to figure out how to preserve these precious resources. That is just one more reason why the rapid loss of water within those lakes is ultimately a global problem. "Such a high volume of evaporative water loss from lakes and reservoirs has direct connections with local water availability, especially during drought in the arid and semi-arid regions," Gao told Salon. "Such [a] phenomenon can reduce the available water for irrigation, water supply, and hydropower purposes and thus pose challenges to policymakers to manage water-food-energy more efficiently." When asked if there are any government policies that could solve this problem, Gao explained that "we think the best way to reduce such a problem can be done via international collaboration to mitigate human-induced climate change." He added that "in our work, we found that the increase in evaporative water loss is largely caused by global warming, which not only increases the evaporative rate but also decreases lake ice." For more Salon articles on climate change and water:

Flattie spiders, also known as wall crab spiders, can do a pirouette that would make any prima ballerina would envy. While their turn is leg-driven, it is the fastest of any land animal and reach speeds on par with some of the master aerial spinners such as the hummingbird and fruit fly. The movement is so fast that when seen with the naked eye the action is so fast that it appears blurry to us humans. Scientists have been wondering how they reach such speeds since the spider was discovered, and a recent study finally provided some answers. Flattie spiders aren’t the web building kind of spiders or the stalk and pounce type, but rather lightning fast ambushers that sit and wait for unsuspecting prey to cross their path. They are equipped with eight laterigrade or sideways-moving legs. Their legs are all positioned at different angles, allowing them to cover 360 degrees with their bodies. This attack stance is what helps the spider literally spin into action. The recent study was conducted by researchers from the California Academy of Sciences and the University of California, Merced. They used slow-motion cameras to slow down their speedy movements and see exactly how these spiders are able to move so quickly when attacking prey, which involves said incredible spider pirouette mentioned above. After setting up these synchronized high-speed cameras at the best angles for catching the spider’s movements when attacking its prey, they simply released one poor cricket at a time and recorded the ballet-inspired killing technique. What the researchers discovered actually does take a page from ballet dancing techniques. Similar to how a dancer positions him or herself for performing a pirouette, the spider first anchors the leg closest to their prey firmly to whatever it is standing on, which is what creates the leverage point and torque needed to perform this quick turn. Using this leg to push into a pirouette that will help it quickly turn around to face their surprised prey as well as give them the added force to allow the spider to lunge mouth-first out of the turn and straight at its prey. In another move that is also use in ballet for these turns, the spider also tucks in its remaining legs towards it’s body, which allows it to spin 40 percent faster. I’m starting to wonder whether humans learned ballet from spiders in the first place… These flattie spiders can then strike at their prey at speeds of up to 3,000 degrees per second. At that speed by the time a human blinked just once while watching the spider, it would have already turned three full rotations. Yeah…let’s see if our human dancers could even come half as close. Sorry Baryshnikov, but even you can’t compete with that. Have you ever seen an insect or spider moving in a manner that looks like dancing? What do you think they were doing? Stay up to date with the latest information and deals!

Dangerous Climate Change’’: Required Reduction of Carbon Emissions to Protect Young People, Future Generations and Nature We assess climate impacts of global warming using ongoing observations […] January 2, 2014 We assess climate impacts of global warming using ongoing observations and paleoclimate data. We use Earth’s measured energy imbalance, paleoclimate data, and simple representations of the global carbon cycle and temperature to define emission reductions needed to stabilize climate and avoid potentially disastrous impacts on today’s young people, future generations, and nature. A cumulative industrial-era limit of ~500 GtC fossil fuel emissions and 100 GtC storage in the biosphere and soil would keep climate close to the Holocene range to which humanity and other species are adapted. Cumulative emissions of ~1000 GtC, sometimes associated with 2°C global warming, would spur “slow” feedbacks and eventual warming of 3–4°C with disastrous consequences. Rapid emissions reduction is required to restore Earth’s energy balance and avoid ocean heat uptake that would practically guarantee irreversible effects. Continuation of high fossil fuel emissions, given current knowledge of the consequences, would be an act of extraordinary witting intergenerational injustice. Responsible policymaking requires a rising price on carbon emissions that would preclude emissions from most remaining coal and unconventional fossil fuels and phase down emissions from conventional fossil fuels. James Hansen, Pushker Kharecha, Makiko Sato, Valerie Masson-Delmotte, Frank Ackerman, David J. Beerling, Paul J. Hearty, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Shi-Ling Hsu, Camille Parmesan, Johan Rockstrom, Eelco J. Rohling, Jeffrey Sachs, Pete Smith, Konrad Steffen, Lise Van Susteren, Karina von Schuckmann, James C. Zachos Published: December 03, 2013 | DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081648 | PDF Release URL Covering the climate for Climate State since 2011. Peter Sinclair noted in 2017, "Climate State has been doing an absolutely amazing job of providing a useful historical archive of important experts warning on climate issues through past decades." We use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Read more. The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network. The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.

Overdose occurs when a person’s body has a severely harmful reaction to taking too much of a drug or a combination of different drugs. It’s possible to overdose on all types of drugs. But opioid overdoses are particularly dangerous. This is because they slow down a person’s breathing. It can be hard to know when a person is having an opioid overdose because they may seem to be sleeping. An opioid overdose causes a person’s breathing to slow to dangerous levels. This can cause brain damage and, in some cases, death. Not everyone has the same risk of overdose. Different people will have different risks, depending on the type of opioid that they’re taking, how long they‘ve been taking it, their height and weight, and so on. Key risk factors for opioid overdose are: - dependence to opioids - using opioids over the long term - using other drugs such as benzodiazepines, alcohol or other sedatives - higher-risk practices like injecting - using opioids after stopping for a while - chronic health conditions such as obesity or sleep apnoea Alcohol is a legal drug that’s used by many people around the world. But alcohol is a depressant, which means it is dangerous to use with opioids including heroin. Both alcohol and opioids slow down the nervous system – including breathing – and this effect is increased when they’re used together. All opioids, including those prescribed by a doctor, are dangerous to consume with alcohol. Using heroin with other sedatives such as other opioids, benzodiazepines or other pain medications is very risky. Heroin slows down your breathing; when it’s combined with other sedatives, this effect is even larger. Using multiple sedatives at the same time puts you at significant risk of overdose. This can lead to brain injury and death. Some opioids, like methadone and buprenorphine, stay in your body for a long time. If you’re planning to use heroin, think first about what you’ve used over the last two days as these could still be in your system even if you don’t feel high. When you’re using, always try a small amount first. Some medications may interact dangerously with heroin and other opioids and this may increase your risk of overdose. If you’ve been prescribed a new medication – particularly a sedative such as benzodiazepines or opioids – make sure you tell the prescribing doctor about your drug use and ask about any possible problems with mixing different drugs and medications. Some mental health medications can also interact with heroin and other opioids. Talk to your drug worker or a doctor about your medications and drug use. Opioids are sedatives, so someone who has overdosed will likely be unconscious or extremely sedated or sleepy (often called being ‘on the nod’). People sometimes fail to recognise opioid overdoses because they think that the person overdosing is asleep. Signs of an opioid overdose include: - Person is unresponsive - Irregular or shallow breathing or no breathing at all - Snoring and/or gurgling noises - Blue lips on pale-skinned people and an ashen-coloured (grey) look on face of dark-skinned people - Limp body and head nodding - Possible vomiting. The main sign of opioid overdose is that someone doesn’t respond to you. If you think that someone may have overdosed, shout their name and shake their shoulder. If they don’t respond, they may be overdosing. If you believe someone is overdosing, call emergency services immediately. If you know how to put a person into the recovery position or use first aid, do it. If you have naloxone and know how to use it, use it. Most importantly, stay with the person while emergency services people are helping them. Naloxone (often called Narcan®) is a medication used to treat opioid overdose. Overdoses happen when a person takes too much of a drug or a combination of drugs that overwhelms the body. When a person overdoses on opioids, their breathing slows down to the point that they can’t breathe properly. This can lead to brain damage and, in some cases, death. Naloxone temporarily reverses opioid overdose. Naloxone can be given by injection into the arm or leg or as a nasal spray. The type of naloxone available and how you can access it will depend on where you live. In most countries doctors can prescribe naloxone. It may also be available from a chemist or pharmacy without a prescription. Some alcohol and drug services or needle and syringe programs give naloxone out for free. Ask your drug worker, your needle and syringe program worker or your doctor about naloxone and getting trained to use it. If they’re not sure about this, contact your local harm reduction organisation. You can also search online for naloxone availability in your area. Anyone using opioids should have a supply of naloxone and take it anywhere they’re using. The people you live with or are using with should know where it is, what it does and how to use it. If you receive naloxone, tell your friends and family and show them how to use it. If you overdose, you won’t be able to give it to yourself. Someone else will have to do it for you.

Though we’d like to claim we can control all 2500 species of mosquitoes (or we’d even settle with the 80-ish species found in Canada!) there is one mosquito that is difficult to control. This species is named “Coquillettidia perturbans“, or nicknamed “cattail” mosquito. The lifespan of this mosquito is generally short – 3 to 4 weeks and tends to occur mid June to mid July. These mosquitoes are very aggressive and come out for about 30-45 minutes at dusk. They also travel long distances without touching plants. This is different behaviour than all other types of mosquitoes. Though we try our best, mosquito treatments are at time ineffective against this species as they do not hide in the shade of trees / bushes that we treat (otherwise our pesticide would knock them down). To stay cool, this mosquito uses freshwater even in adult form rather than the shade from the trees. For those interested in reading more, the University of Florida has a great article.

Delirium and dementia are the most common causes of cognitive impairment. Delirium is acute confusion that mostly affects attention and is usually reversible. It is most common in hospitalized patients, especially when they are elderly. Dementia mostly affects memory and is the most common cause of cognitive impairment, usually due to anatomic changes in the brain. Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia and involves progressive atrophy and death of brain cells. More than 44 million people, globally, live with AD or a related form of dementia. Vascular dementia is usually due to diffuse or focal cerebral infarction from cerebrovascular disease. Parkinson’s disease dementia involves Lewy bodies in the cortex and substantia nigra and develops late in the disease course. Lewy body dementia is chronic cognitive deterioration and is the third most common type of dementia. Frontotemporal dementia basically affects the frontal and temporal lobes, affecting language, personality, and behavior. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy sometimes occurs after repetitive head trauma (such as from playing sports) or blast injuries. Both delirium and dementia lead to increased mortality in older individuals. For dementia patients, a family member, guardian, or attorney usually must be appointed to oversee their affairs once they become cognitively incapacitated. Clinical Neuroepidemiology of Acute and Chronic Disorders, First Edition, 2023, pp 199-211,

Slaves and their offspring were given little more than religious instruction. Indeed, in 1797 a law in Barbados made it illegal to teach reading and writing to slaves. (mangabay.com) There were basically three classes of people in the Caribbean Islands in the 19th century (1800s). These were wealthy English whites, poor whites and non-whites, slaves. The slaves were forbidden education except for religious precepts, reading and writing being outlawed as late as 1797. The wealthy whites most often were sent to England to be educated at "public schools" (elite private schools) for sons or other boarding schools for sons and daughters. Some young men traveled to the North American colonies to be educated there at one of the colonial charter schools like Harvard or the College of William and Mary. Poor whites and non-whites were educated at local religious schools, while the sons and daughters of moderately wealthy whites were educated at elite schools on the islands. Later, after compulsory education was mandated in England in 1880, a wave of educational reform swept the Caribbeans when school boards made primary through limited secondary education available throughout. Teacher colleges were established and examinations were standardized and authorized. Education fell under the control of competing religious churches of Protestant and Catholic belief. Texts, subjects and examinations continued to be exclusively British in origin and content as in all British colonies.

In her research, Alessandra d’Azzo, PhD, focuses on life-threatening inherited diseases of childhood. Few people have heard of these disorders because their incidence in the general population is very low. Her short list includes sialidosis, galactosialidosis and GM1-gangliosidosis. These diseases belong to a group of about 70 genetic diseases called lysosomal storage disorders. Most are caused by mutations in a single enzyme or related protein that work in cellular compartments called lysosomes. The enzymes break down and recycle sugar-containing protein or lipids as well as other molecules in cells throughout the body. Without them, molecules accumulate and disrupt organ function, with devastating results. “The disorders are rare, but I knew all along that these diseases could be a tremendous source of information on cell biology and aging,” said d’Azzo, endowed chair and member in the St. Jude Department of Genetics. Her confidence was strong in part because some lysosomal diseases have features of early aging. Understanding those mechanisms might improve understanding of neurodegenerative disorders, cancer and other diseases associated with aging. But even d’Azzo has been surprised by where the research has led. “Never in my wildest imagination could I have anticipated that research on rare pediatric diseases could take me as far as it has, allowing me to branch out into different fields of biology with implications for common diseases of aging,” she said. Those diseases include cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and, most recently, fibrosis. Fibrosis occurs when excess connective tissue accumulates in the muscles, lungs, liver, heart or other organs and disrupts their function. The cause is often unknown. Because connective tissue is produced in part by fibroblast cells, d’Azzo’s research led her to new questions. d’Azzo began studying lysosomal storage disorders in the late 1970s. She was a postdoctoral fellow at Erasmus University in The Netherlands studying variants of GM1-gangliosidosis. This progressive, inherited disorder destroys neurons in the brain and spinal cord. GM1-gangliosidosis is caused by mutations in the gene GLB1, which has instructions for making the enzyme β-galactosidase. “Serendipitously, I started to analyze patients’ fibroblasts that were considered GM1-gangliosidosis variants,” she said. “The research showed otherwise.” d’Azzo discovered that these variants carried mutations in the CTSA gene, which turned out to be the primary defect in another lysosomal disease, galactosialidosis. The findings redefined the disease. The CTSA mutations interfere with proper functioning of the lysosomal enzyme neuraminidase 1 (NEU1) and β-galactosidase. She went on to earn a second doctorate and develop a mouse model of galactosialidosis—one of the first models of lysosomal storage disorders. NEU1 enzyme deficiency due to mutations in the NEU1 gene causes the lysosome disorder sialidosis. Here’s where serendipity re-enters the story. Sialidosis causes a wide range of abnormalities in multiple organs, including muscles. As a postdoctoral fellow in d’Azzo’s laboratory studying a mouse model of sialidosis, Edmar Zanoteli, MD, PhD, was intrigued by muscle changes. The connective tissue was expanding exponentially and relentlessly, invading the muscle fiber. He and Diantha van de Vlekkert, of d’Azzo’s laboratory, completed the first analysis of muscle degeneration in Neu1-deficient mice. Zanoteli is now at the University of Sao Paulo Department of Neurology where he continues to research muscle disorders. Van de Vlekkert was recently first author on research from d’Azzo’s laboratory that appeared in Science Advances. The work detailed for the first time an association between NEU1 deficiency and fibrosis in humans and mice. “The research puts NEU1 deficiency squarely on the radar as a possible risk factor for development and progression of fibrotic diseases in adults for which the primary cause is unknown,” d’Azzo said. She added: “The best discoveries in science come from serendipity. “My great hope is that by finding processes that could be applicable to common adult conditions, it will also lead to treatments and even cures for children with these devastating rare disorders.”

SEATTLE, Washington — The latest story in a seemingly endless news cycle about violence and mining in central Africa focuses on the neighboring countries of Angola and the DRC (The Democratic Republic of the Congo). Both countries are mineral rich; consequently, this story is rooted in the poverty and chaos that has resulted from the exploitation of these resources by Western countries. How the Conflict Began In recent years many Congolese diamond miners have crossed the border between Angola and the DRC to take advantage of Angola’s mining industry. In the DRC, the supply chain and mines are more government regulated, creating a lower profit margin for miners. However, Angola’s president, João Lourenço, recently decided that because the government was not financially benefitting from these migrations, the Congolese must leave. This decision has catalyzed a series of expulsions by Angola’s military and police. The conflict has risen to a point that The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNCHR) has expressed concerned. Congolese people have been murdered, raped, looted, burned out of their homes and separated people from their children. The Kasai Province of the DRC, which is on the country’s northeastern border with Angola, has become overcrowded with hundreds of thousands of expelled migrants. The UNCHR cautions that such an influx to an already unstable region could cause a humanitarian crisis. The History of Angola How did Angola come to host such vast numbers of DRC migrants and refugees that a humanitarian crisis was possible? Angola and the DRC have similar, intertwined stories of colonial rule, civil wars and poverty that have created the current problem. The Portuguese established a settlement at Luanda Bay in 1576, which eventually became the colony of Angola. Wealth from natural resources desired in the West along with the Portuguese involvement in the Atlantic slave trade fueled the colony at the expense of its native people. A revolution in Portugal allowed Angolans to gain independence in 1975. However, leaders of different nationalist movements clashed, leading to a civil war that, with some interludes, ravished the country from 1975 to 2002. An estimated 1.5 million Angolan lost their lives with more than 4 million being displaced. While the end of the civil war has allowed Angola to focus on harnessing its natural resources, the country’s history still manifests in extreme poverty. The improving economy has mostly benefitted the wealthy while 20 percent of the population remains unemployed and five million Angolans live in slum conditions. The diamond mining that the economy depends on was originally created for European gain, meaning that safety standards for Angolans were never established. In Africa as a whole, an estimated one million miners earn less than one dollar a day, a wage below the extreme poverty line. Since there are few wage or labor regulations in Angola, an estimated 46 percent of miners are between the ages of five and 16. In a sad irony, the industry the economy needs fuels poverty and oppression. The History of the DRC Angola and the DRC have followed a similar developmental pattern, and therefore experience poverty similarly. The DRC has similarly progressed from colonial rule to civil wars and violence to poverty that manifests in a growing gap between the rich and poor fueled by unjust mining conditions, which contributes to the violence and conflict between the two countries so prevalent in the current news cycle. The area that now constitutes the DRC dates back to The Berlin West African Conference in 1884-45, where the Great Powers of Europe at the time officially divided the land, making their own colonial boundaries that ignored tribal and ethnic distinctions. Belgium’s King Leopold II officially began exploiting the DRC’s natural resources with slave labor. The DRC became independent in 1960. However, the instability of the new government and continued attempts at outside involvement led to the Congo Crisis, essentially five years of violence and political instability. Another civil war, involving Angola and most of the region in what some term Africa’s World War, consumed the region from 1997-2002. Because these wars were rooted in the colonial past, infrastructure and stability are lacking. An estimated six out of seven people in the DRC live on less than $1.25 a day. Approximately 2.9 million Congolese have been internally displaced by the violence. In Search of Profit Since Belgium only focused on the abundant natural resources, jobs like mining became the main vocation for Congolese. Additionally, Belgium neglected to oversee education in the DRC, leading to many unequipped for jobs outside the mines. The DRC once supplied a fourth of the world’s diamond supply, but that number has dropped significantly in recent years in favor of other resources like cobalt, leaving the remaining diamond miners even less prosperous. Angola and the DRC have become linked as these DRC miners seek opportunities across the border. The countries’ colonial pasts have made them dependent on natural resources as part of their attempts to combat poverty and recover from civil war. But, in this case, attempts to recover financially after establishing peace have led to more violence as both the Angolan government and the DRC’s miners strive to earn enough money from diamond sales. Political Instability Fueling the Fire There is a political undercurrent as well, due to the DRC’s President Joseph Kabila’s refusal to step down since his maximum constitutional mandate ended in 2016. Interconnected government concern due to the close proximity and a historical tendency for government conflict to become violent has been part of Angola and the DRC’s relationship for years. In Africa’s World War, Angola supported a rebel coalition that removed DRC military dictator Mobutu Sese Seko from power in 1997, assisted the DRC in combating rebel movements from Rwanda and Uganda in 1998 and supported President Joseph Kabila at the start of his term. This war caused many refugees to seek asylum in Angola in the first place, and fear of another such conflict, if Kabila does not step down, seems to be reverberating in the current violent expulsion. However, based on the economic growth seen since the war’s end, the potential exists for two countries to improve their poverty rates. Angola has seen an average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increase of 8.68 percent with the help of foreign investment and high oil prices. Although the past two years have seen GDP decreases, the overall trend is positive. The GDP in the DRC has also averaged increases since 2002, although it has fluctuated more. These growth rates reveal hope for those living in poverty in Angola and the DRC. If the governments can avoid further violence and instability and begin combatting the gap between the rich and poor, then maybe the desperation that has led so many to migrate from the DRC to Angola would dissipate.

Throughout history humans have been hunters and gathers. As humans, we collect things that become “our belongings” and make us feel like we belong. For ex: If we collect dolls, baseball cards, or comic books, or video games, etc., and so do our friends-we ban together because we like the same thing. We feel like we belong to a group. Listening to all types of people collecting things, and expressing their feelings about their belongings, is a great way to build community in your classroom, and have students use public speaking skills to share! We have provided you with a few videos to watch and a free downloadable "Collection Collage" project. New videos will be added as well as additional projects so check in often for updates. MY BELONGINGS FEATURING ZUZANA'S DOLLS Educators: Have students write in a notebook. Have you or anyone in your family ever collected anything like Zuzana? Share out. How did hearing Zuzana's story make you feel? MY BELONGINGS FEATURING LEWIS'S PUPPETs Educators: Have the students write the story of their collection. Think of the 5 W’s and How-then write! What is the collection? Where did they get it from? When did the collecting start? Who collects the items? Why were the items collected? How are they collected? MY BELONGINGS FEATURING STAN'S MOVIEGRAPH As you watch and listen, think about one thing that stands out to you. Educators: Create a bulletin board “Our Class Collectibles-We All Belong!” Hang all the students "Collection Collages". Get the downloadable project for free below. Think about something you or a family member collects. Draw one item from the collection in each square in the "Collection Collage" project and explain why it is your favorite, or has a very special meaning. Share out with a partner or your class. Use your best speaking voice and have fun. We are always looking for new stories to share. If you have a video of your collection, we may feature your collection too. Send a link to your video to info@ToyMuseumNY.org, Subject: MY BELONGINGS All 50 States support SEL Standards: Thank you to the generous support by Zuzana for helping to provide materials and support enabling teachers to bring the MY BELONGINGS educational materials to their classrooms at no charge. Note to Educators: Share with your students if you collect anything and how that collection makes you feel. If you do not collect anything, discuss the collection of books in your library that you have collected over the years. We'd love to hear from you and your students.

The SAT Writing questions look a lot like the ones you find in the Reading section of the test. This is because both present you with a passage on which you must resolve some issues. However, in Writing you will answer questions about punctuation, word choice, text structure and organization. Confused? Then check out 3 sample questions: 3 SAT Writing questions commented For examples of SAT Writing questions, we will take into account the following passage. In the test, you will receive texts with basically the same size, followed by 11 questions about each one. The markings throughout the text refer to the question of the same number. Oscar Fingall O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born at 1 Merrion Square in Dublin, on October 16th, 1854. Wilde was the second son of Sir William Robert Wilde, a celebrated ear and eye surgeon. Wilde’s father was also the President of the Irish Academy. He had a mother who was Jane Francesca. She became famous in literary circles under the pen names of ‘Speranza’ and ‘John Fenshawe Ellis .’ Oscar Wilde received his early education at Portora Royal School, which he entered in 1864 at the age of nine years, and he later won a scholarship to study at Trinity College, Dublin, to study Classics. In 1874 he obtained another scholarship, this time to Oxford University, where he continued his academic successes and won numerous awards. After graduating, he gave lectures on Art and Classics, and continued to write poetry. In 1884, Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd, and gave birth to two sounds. During the next five or six years, articles from his pen appeared in several major magazines. In July, 1890, The Picture of Dorian Gray had been published in Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine. It was the only novel Oscar Wilde ever wrote, and was published in book form along with seven additional chapters in the following year, being one of the most remarkable books in the English language. With the production of Lady Windermere’s Fan early in 1892, he was at once recognized as a dramatist of the first rank. This was followed a year later by A Woman of No Importance , and after brief intervals by An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest . Thus, Oscar Wilde was arrested for “indecency” in 1895, as homosexuality was considered a crime in England at that time, and on Saturday, May 25th, 1895, he was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment with hard labor. After his release from prison in 1897, he moved to France and wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol under the nom de plume ‘C.3.3.,’ Oscar Wilde’s prison number. Of this poem a reviewer said, “This is a simple, a poignant, a great ballad, one of the greatest in the English language.” Wilde passed away on the afternoon of November 30th, 1900, in poverty and almost alone. The little hotel in Paris – Hotel d’Alsace, 13 rue des Beaux Arts, – where he died, has become a place of pilgrimage from all parts of the world for those who admire the genius of Oscar Wilde. Which choice best keeps the sentence structure already established in the paragraph? A. NO CHANGE B. Wilde’s mother C. His mother D. And he had a mother, This is an example of the SAT Writing questions that address the structure of the text. The correct answer, in this case, is alternative B. This is because all the previous phrases begin with the name of Oscar Wilde . In order to maintain the structure already established, the sentence in question must also begin with the name of Wilde, especially to avoid the ambiguity of the singular pronoun “ he ”, resulting from the mention before Wilde’s father. Which choice provides the most effective transition from the first paragraph to the second paragraph? A. NO CHANGE B. Oscar Wilde has inherited his mother’s intelligence and writing ability. C. Though she did not receive as much education as her son would go on to receive, Wilde’s mother was an accomplished writer. D. DELETE the underlined portion. Here, the correct answer is alternative D. It is the best option because the first paragraph presents the general subject of the passage, the writer Oscar Wilde, and provides basic information related to it. The underlined part gives information related specifically to Wilde’s mother, and the following paragraph returns to Wilde and her academic background. As the writer – and not his mother – is the subject of the passage, to make the transition smoother between the two paragraphs it would be better to remove excessively specific information related to his mother’s pseudonym. Based on the context, which construction most logically concludes the paragraph? A. NO CHANGE B. In 1884, Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd, and had two sons. C. Constance Lloyd married Oscar Wilde in 1884, and had two sons. D. Oscar Wilde married Constance Lloyd in 1884, and she gave birth to two sons. This is a great example of how SAT Writing questions assess your “editorial skills”, since you must “correct” the way a sentence was structured. In this question, the correct answer is alternative D. The construction of the original sentence implies – wrongly – that Oscar Wilde gave birth to two children. Alternative B is incorrect for the same reason. Alternative C, in turn, shifts the focus of Wilde’s sentence to his wife. Meanwhile, alternative D correctly places Wilde as the subject of the sentence and uses the feminine pronoun ” she ” to make it clear that it was not Wilde who gave birth.

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH), also called iron overload disorder, is a common condition in which the body stores too much iron. It is one of the most common genetic disorders in the United States, with a prevalence of 1 in 300 to 500 people. HH develops from mutations in the HFE gene, which regulates iron absorption in the body. When mutations arise, normal iron regulatory functions break down, causing the body to absorb higher amounts of iron than it needs. Over time, this excess iron accumulates in different areas of the body, including the liver, pancreas, heart, skin, joints, pituitary gland, and endocrine system. If the body fails to expel the excess iron, it can damage tissues and organs, leading to liver damage, rheumatoid arthritis, heart problems, and diabetes. Moreover, while HH mainly impacts iron metabolism, it may also contribute to cancer development. Hereditary Hemochromatosis and Cancer Risk This article explores the relationship between iron overload and cancer risk – a topic of growing interest among researchers and medical professionals. Case Studies From 2003 and 2021 In 2003, a study published in the journal of the AGA Institute linked iron overload to a potential risk of developing cancer. Individuals with hereditary hemochromatosis may have between 20 to 200 times higher risk of developing intrahepatic cancer (liver cancer). However, the reported risks for non-hepatobiliary cancers (malignancies other than in the liver and bile ducts) are conflicting. The risk of cancer in individuals with one copy of the HH gene (heterozygous individuals) is still uncertain. To clarify these risks, Swedish researchers conducted a more extensive investigation of the link between hereditary hemochromatosis and cancer. The researchers undertook a population-based cohort study using health and census registers in Sweden. It involved 1847 patients with HH and 5973 of their first-degree relatives. They measured the relative risk using standardized incidence ratios (SIRs). The Risk of Cancer Is Higher in Men With HH The results showed that patients with HH had a 20-fold increased risk of developing liver cancer. However, their risk of developing other cancers, such as the gastrointestinal system, remained largely unchanged. During a ten-year follow-up, the absolute risk of liver cancer was 6% in men and 1.5% in women with HH. For the first-degree relatives of patients with HH, the researchers found no substantial increase in the risk of non-liver-related cancers, including gastrointestinal cancers. They also observed a slightly increased risk of hepatobiliary cancers among the relatives, although the types differed from those in the patients. Hemochromatosis Can Lead to Liver and Bile Duct Cancers In 2021, a study published in the same journal supported these findings. The researchers noted that men with HFE hemochromatosis face significantly higher risks of liver disease, primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma and intrahepatic bile duct carcinoma), and death than women with the same condition. What Are the Symptoms of Hemochromatosis? Individuals with HH may not have noticeable symptoms. When symptoms do appear, they may vary and include: - Fatigue and weakness - Unintended weight loss - Persistent abdominal pain - Diminished sexual drive - Chronic joint pain - Bronze or gray skin tone - Frequent infections Remember, HH is a common genetic disorder. Those at higher risk due to family history should seek medical assistance to diagnose and address the condition. Is Hereditary Hemochromatosis Manageable? While hemochromatosis can cause serious health problems if not caught and addressed early, it is also a manageable condition. With the appropriate treatments and lifestyle choices, patients can live a normal, healthy life. Current Treatments for Hemochromatosis The following treatments can help manage high iron levels: The main treatment for HH is phlebotomy. It involves extracting the blood and excess iron from the body. A healthcare professional inserts a needle into a vein, allowing the blood to flow into a collection bag, similar to the process of donating blood. During initial treatments, approximately 1 pint of blood will be drawn once or twice a week. As iron levels normalize, the treatment frequency may reduce to every 2 to 4 months. This therapeutic approach can help reduce iron levels in the body. A powerful and effective form of therapy, it initially treated people who had painted U.S. naval vessels with lead-based paints in World War II. However, chelation is expensive and not considered a first-line treatment option for hemochromatosis. It may also cause side effects, including pain at the injection site and flu-like symptoms. A healthcare provider may administer the medication through injections or prescribe pills for the patient. Chelation helps the body remove excess iron through urination and defecation. It may be suitable for those with co-occurring heart problems or contraindications for phlebotomy. Lifestyle for Living With Hemochromatosis Patients can manage hemochromatosis and prevent complications through the following: - Undergo annual blood tests to monitor iron levels - Avoid alcohol, which can damage the liver further - Avoid intake of multivitamins and iron supplements - Avoid infections by maintaining good hygiene practices and getting regular vaccinations - Engage in regular physical activity to boost metabolism and improve circulation - Contact a healthcare provider if symptoms change or worsen - Follow all doctor’s instructions and attend all appointments - Seek counseling if symptoms are affecting quality of life Note that lifestyle modifications alone may not be sufficient to manage HH, especially in more severe cases. Individuals with HH must work closely with healthcare professionals to develop a comprehensive management plan that combines lifestyle measures and appropriate medical treatments. General Prognosis for Iron Overload Disorder The prognosis for hereditary hemochromatosis can vary. If a patient receives treatment and pursues a healthy lifestyle before any organ damage occurs, it can significantly improve the outlook and prevent complications, including the potential for cancer. Treatment may also help reverse existing damage, offering a good chance of leading a long and normal life. What If Liver Cancer Occurs? Take action now by seeking alternative treatment options for liver cancer. Your health matters, and early intervention can make a difference in your prognosis. Schedule a consultation with our healthcare professionals to determine the most suitable therapeutic techniques for your specific condition.

Some of the most popular birds that start with the letter N are the Northern bald ibis, Newton’s sunbird, Nashville warbler, and Northern white-faced owl. These fascinating feathered creatures have distinctive features that make them stand out and here are some of the interesting facts about them. - Namaqua dove – A small diurnal pigeon that has a distinct black face, bill, and throat in males. - Nankeen kestrel – The Nankeen kestrel is a small type of falcon that can be found hovering over grasslands or crops, or perching where it can easily be seen to hunt prey. - Narcissus flycatcher – A type of flycatcher that has a yellow-orange rump and black tail. - Naretha bluebonnet – A type of parrot that has a bright blue face and lives in remote regions of Australia. - Nashville warbler – A small migratory songbird that has a gray head, yellow underparts, white eyering, and olive upper parts. - Neotropic cormorant – A medium-sized waterbird that has an S-shaped neck and is known to be a great diver. - New Holland honeyeater – An Australian honeyeater that has white irises, black wings, and a tail with yellow margins. - New Zealand fernbird – A small fernbird that usually camouflages in the trees because of its brown plumage with black streaks. - Newton’s sunbird – A small sunbird that has a greenish-purple throat, yellow underparts, and dark olive upper parts in males. - Nightingale Island finch – A small, chunky lemon-olive finch that has a gray eye patch. - Noisy friarbird – A bird that has a black and knob-like bump on its head. - Noisy miner – A type of honeyeater bird that is pugnacious and territorial, driving out other birds to take over the feeding grounds. - North Island saddleback – A black-bodied songbird that has saddle-like chestnut feathers on its back. - Northern bald ibis – A large non-wading bird that has a red bare face and head, long curved bill, and glossy black body. - Northern beardless tyrannulet – A small flycatcher that is known to make nests from weaved leaves and build them in a globe-like shape. - Northern bobwhite – A round-bodied quail and is commonly dwells in the ground to find food. - Northern saw-whet owl – A small North American owl known for its incredibly acute hearing that allows it to easily find and capture prey. - Northern white-faced owl – A medium-sized owl that has prominent ear tufts and white feathers on its face that covers its beak. - Nubian woodpecker – A woodpecker that has heavy patterning on its feathers and black-streaked ears. - Nuttall’s woodpecker – The woodpecker has a red crown on males, black wings, and tails with white barring for both sexes. These are just some of the many birds that start with the letter N. Each one has unique physical features and behavior patterns, making them an interesting and exciting part of the avian kingdom. Whether you are an experienced bird watcher or just a novice, there are plenty of bird species to explore and discover.

What Are Artificial fibers Artificial fibers are man-made fibers which are not found in nature. The yarn is produced by means of a spinning mass, which is pressed with uniform pressure through nozzles. Natural polymers, such as viscose or lyocell, elastane and synthetic polymers such as, for example, polyester or polyamide, are distinguished. For the production of natural polymers, the starting material is found in nature, the cellulose. It is chemically dissolved to the spinning mass and can then be spun out. For the production of synthetic chemical fibers, petroleum supplies the main raw material. Here, too, the yarn is produced after the spinning mass has been produced.

The environment is becoming a big issue in the media and news worldwide. Many new tactics are being implemented to reduce human impact on planet Earth. The genetically modified organism also known as GMOs, hope to improve crop yields as well as increasing crop resistance. The most controversial aspect of GMOs is the impact they have on the environment. Such as herbicide-resistant weeds, overall herbicide and pesticide usage, and emissions. Locally in the United States of America specifically in the southeastern seaboard. Many crops such as cotton, soybeans, corn, etc. are produced. Most of the crops grown shifted to genetically modified over the last ten years. “Nowhere has the impact of GMO crops been felt more than in the cotton fields of middle Georgia. The most common variety of cotton in Georgia is known as Roundup Ready, a product that was genetically modified to resist the herbicide glyphosate” (‘GMOs in Georgia: 50 Shades of Gray’ n.d.) Farmers could spray an enormous amount of Roundup containing glyphosate over their crops. Effectively abolishing any weeds that threaten the life of the produce. ‘Glyphosate is an ingreidnt found in Roundup, a popular herbiced intended to kill weeds, and other plants that are harmful to the crops.’ (Krustin, 2015) The application of Roundup and GMO genes contribute to a more successful yield. ‘Somewhere along the way though, nature got smart. A variety of pigweed developed that became resistant to the glyphosate and took its toll on Georgia cotton farmers in a big way. In 2009, nearly half a million acres of Roundup Ready cotton had to be hand-weeded when pigweed took over fields in 52 counties.” (‘GMOs in Georgia: 50 Shades of Gray’ n.d.) As more and more herbicides are sprayed killing off the weakest weeds. Through survival of the fittest, superweeds are formed. These superweeds are resistant to most chemical herbicides and can devastate crops. ‘In summary, weed problems in fields of GE glyphosate-resistant crops will become more common as weeds evolve resistance to glyphosate or weed communities less susceptible to glyphosate become established in areas treated exclusively with that herbicide.’ (Owen, 2010) Superweeds are a major pitfall for the environment. When there is an uncontrollable breed of weeds, they can reproduce to overpopulate an area. This can allow the superweed to make its way into the forest and naturally grown fields. “Herbicide resistance in weeds comes from the regular, repeated application of the same herbicide, rather than the presence of genetically modified crops,” (Zandstra, 2018) Before there was one chemical, farmers used a mixture to treat weeds. Allowing for a more diverse arsenal. “Before glyphosate-based herbicides became available, farmers relied on a suite of chemicals for weed control.” (Hancock, Zandstra, Landis, 2018) Mankind will just find a new tactic to manage weeds until that one doesn’t work. The process will most likely repeat itself. “If a machine gun won’t work, we’ll hit them with a grenade, and then we’ll pick the next weapon of choice.” (Tolar, n.d.) GMOs have the potential to diminish herbicide use. “Critics claim that GMO crops have caused the emergence of herbicide-resistant superweeds.” (Hancock, Zandstra, Landis, 2018) An increasing number of superweeds that have now become resistant to glyphosate terrorize farmland. Many studies have transpired assessing the impact GMOs have on the surrounding environments. ‘From 2006 to 2011, the percentage of hectares sprayed with only glyphosate shrunk from more than 70 percent to 41 percent for soybean farmers and from more than 40 percent to 19 percent for maize farmers. The decrease resulted from farmers having to resort to other chemicals as glyphosate-resistant weeds became more common.’ (Newman, 2016). The percentage of glyphosate has significantly fallen for soybean and maize farmers in the United States. ‘The reduce in glyphosate indicates less runoff and pollution into the water. The use of glyphosate on farmland has skyrocketed since the mid-1990s, when biotech companies introduced genetically engineered crop varieties (often called GMOs) that can withstand being blasted with glyphosate. Since then, agricultural use of the herbicide has increased 16-fold.” (Krustin, 2015) This counterargument claims that glyphosate usage has increased 16-fold over the last twenty years. “American growers sprayed 280 million pounds of glyphosate on their crops in 2012, according to U.S. Geological Survey data. That amounts to nearly a pound of glyphosate for every person in the country.” (Krustin, 2015) This statistic of pounds of glyphosate demonstrates the importance of herbicides to farmers and the potential additionally usage of them. ‘Data from 431 farms in 20 locations in USA to model the effect of introducing HT soyabeans on herbicide use. Their preliminary results indicate that, while the GMO crop made the use of 16 herbicides redundant, it increased glyphosate use by 5-fold. ‘ (Nelson et al. 2001) Both studies provide information to support the glyphosate and herbicide use. When planting crops pesticides are used to eliminate harmful insects. “Unsurprisingly, maize farmers who used the insect-resistant seeds used significantly less insecticide – about 11.2 percent less – than farmers who did not use genetically modified maize. The maize farmers also used 1.3 percent less herbicide over the 13-year period.” (Newman, 2016) This figure provides evidence of a farmer using fewer pesticide on their crops. This is because there is a gene in the crop that repels insects. Another study performed on a type of corn supports the previous claim. “Timeline of the introduction of Bt corn into cornfields and the concurrent reduction of insecticide usage in these fields. The two quantities are strongly anti-correlated, suggesting that this Bt crop has made synthetic insecticides unnecessary.’ (Hsaio, 2015). These two independent studies result in similar outcomes. Pesticides have decreased as the introduction of GMO crops became prevalent. Thus resulting in fewer chemicals running off into streams and lakes. Many groups and activist are against pesticides management. “What most people don’t know is the connection between GMOs and pesticides: the surge in genetically engineered crops in the past few decades are one the main drivers of increased pesticide use and chemicals in agriculture. As a matter of fact, genetically engineered crops directly promote an industrial and chemical-intensive model of farming harmful to people, the environment, and wildlife.” (Nichols, 2015) This statement suggests that since GMOs can withstand such chemicals companies are mass producing them. “Pesticide use has increased by 404 million pounds from the time genetically engineered crops were introduced back in 1996.” (Benbrook, 2012) This statistic helps enforce the previously stated argument. How the introduction of the pesticides negatively impacted the environment by an excess amount of chemicals. The concerns of GMOs have moved to the European Union. The European Union has banned all forms of GMOs. A decade long research costing 200 million euros was conducted. The following statements are from the research. “GMO raises various safety issues, such as dissemination of new genes in the environment.” (Geoghegan-Quinn, 2010) The concerns of the impacts plague many concerned persons. The main concern is that GMOs will cross-pollinate with natural crops, ruining the natural environment. “Commercial apple growers spray crops with pesticides and fungicides on a frequent basis – in some locations 20 to 25 times a year – in order to prevent diseases such as canker, scab and mildew. This is both costly and a potential health risk.” (Gaskell, et al, 2010) The potential security of the environment leads many people to oppose GMOs as they are not natural. GMOs overall decrease in environmental impacts. “Simply by increasing the penetration of GMO crops in countries currently using GMO to the United States’ level of penetration, greenhouse gas emissions fall by 0.2 billion tons C02 equivalent.” (Mahaffey, Harry et al, 2016) The objective is to decrease the amount of environmental impact man has had on this Earth. Another shocking statistic provides an eye-opening reality. “Banning GMO would increase emissions due to agriculture by 13.8%.” (Mahaffey, Harry et al, 2016) If GMOs moved to Europe and was used similarly to the United States, emissions would decrease by 13.8%. A considerably large amount. This is equivalent to C02 emissions caused by vehicles. “The total amount of herbicide used was reduced by 1.5 million kg in 1997 and by 6.0 million kg of formulated product in 2000.” (Phipps and Parks, 2002) Just in three years, the herbicide depleted significantly from the result of GMOs. The spread of less GMO crops has raised for more widespread insect devastation. The corn destroying caterpillar has ravaged Africa. The caterpillar is spreading to Europe and parts of the United States. “The problem has been mitigated in America because many genetically modified crop strains used there are impervious to Fall Army Worm. However, in Europe, where far fewer transgenic crops are planted because of widespread opposition to agronomic genetic engineering, farmers are much more vulnerable.” (Blomfield, 2018) This isn’t a problem in the United States because GMO resistant genes can prevent the Fall Army Worm from destroying crops. ‘Despite controlled trials showing that genetically modified maize planted in Africa produce a 52 per cent higher yield than organic strains, most governments are still reluctant to lift the bans.” (Oikeh, 2018) Even with the higher yields, stability against insects. The environmental concerns and impact are more of an issue. ‘In addition, some populations of fall armyworm evolved resistance to Cry1F corn in Puerto Rico’ (Matten et al., 2008) Explaining that there is a chance for insects to develop immunities against GMOs. ‘Some populations of corn stem borer (Busseola fusca) evolved resistance to Cry1Ab corn in South Africa.’ (van Rensburg, 2007; Kruger et al., 2009). South Africa is one of the only countries in Africa to lift the GMO ban. Cry1Ab is a type of gene in the GMO crop that is supposed to kill insects. Insects have also accommodated to resist certain toxins. “A well-known instance of this occurred in China, where widespread use of Bt cotton allowed farmers to effectively control the destructive cotton bollworm while reducing pesticide use. It dramatically improved yields and cut pest management costs. The bollworm’s decline, however, allowed the population of mirid bug, historically a minor pest of cotton plants that is not affected by Bt toxin, to increase. This again led to increased pest control costs as farmers contended with a new threat that their previous practices couldn’t contain.” (Hancock, Zandstra, Landis, 2018) They eliminated one harmful insect just for another one to take its position. GMOs help provide better yields and are more resistant to pesticides and herbicides. Having fewer pesticides and herbicides allow for a decrease in the overall. This will eliminate runoff into lake and streams as well as into the soil. Also limiting the effect pesticide and herbicides have on animals and plants. Stopping the production of superweeds and chemical resistant insects. Emission destroys the outsides of the Earths atmosphere. Gasses such as C02 are known as greenhouse gases. Eliminating emissions in any way possible will preserve the environment as a whole.

Defining organic and processed wood waste and how to choose the right equipment. By Ted Dirkx Recycling is becoming a common practice at most public and private waste handling facilities. In fact, recycling organic wood waste is how many facilities started. Today, recycling wood waste, organic and processed, is not just a landfill space saver—it is also a revenue stream for many organizations. To make wood waste a revenue stream area of your waste facility, you need to make sure you optimize your process. That starts with identifying what method of processing needs to be employed for the type of material being collected and determining the appropriate equipment to reduce the size of the material. Defining Wood Waste—Organic and Processed By definition, wood waste includes all wood and wood-based products, including organic plant material (trees, plants, yard material, etc.) and processed wood material (lumber, plywood, etc.). These materials become waste when they outlive their usefulness or come to the end of their lifespan. To help reduce stress on the nation’s landfill facilities, it is critical to develop sustainable practices to process and reuse wood waste. There are many benefits to recycling wood waste. For example, by recycling wood and plant-based material, waste gets a second life where it can provide valuable nutrients for plants, cover for landscaping, and fuel. Compost, mulch, and biofuel/biomass are the three biggest markets for recycled wood waste material. Still, smaller market opportunities are also viable with some additional processing, including animal bedding, paper, and pressed lumber. Through wood waste recycling, the number of trees harvested each year is reduced, and unnecessary waste is eliminated from landfills. It also helps reduce energy costs, and repurposed wood material delivers a natural fertilizer for plant development. However, not all wood waste is the same. For example, organic material is a much cleaner resource than processed wood waste because there are significantly fewer contaminates mixed in with the material—reducing the number of steps, as well as costs involved, with the recycling process. Organic Material Types Organic waste comes in many shapes and material types, but at the heart of the organic recycling process is a carbon source mainly comprised of wood. The most common sources of organic wood waste are trees that have been cut down or damaged during a weather event. Natural disasters, such as storms, tornados, hurricanes and ice storms, can be devastating, but downed trees play an instrumental part in replanting and rebuilding. Other Forms of Organic Material Recycling While most of the organic material comes from trees, other commonly recycled organic materials include: • Grass clippings • Garden and landscaping plants • Plant-based food scraps Non-Organic Wood Waste Recycling Processed wood material can also be recycled. However, because there is a greater chance of contaminates in this material than with organic material, you should consider keeping it separate from organic wood waste. Many processed wood materials can be reused to make pallets and biomass for fuel, but since it does not break down as quickly as organic material, it is best not to use processed wood for compost. Some common processed wood material comes from: • Building material Exploring the Equipment Used to Recycle Wood Waste Sizing wood waste is a critical step in the wood waste recycling process. Many potential retail markets demand material within specific size ranges, such as: • Compost—Under 4 inches (10.2 cm) in length and width • Mulch—1-1/2 inches to 2-1/2 inches (3.8 cm to 6.4 cm) • Biomass/biofuel—Varies by burner type and size High-speed grinders, low-speed shredders and screening equipment are the most widely used machinery to size collected wood waste material. A grinder or a shredder is used to reduce the volume of collected material, while screening equipment, like trommel screens, is used to separate various sizes of material. Grinding Equipment Types The three most widely used machines for processing wood waste material are high-speed horizontal grinders, high-speed tub grinders and low-speed shredders. Determining which machine type to use depends on the incoming material type, size and shape, facility location and the kind of end product being produced. For example, tub and horizontal grinders are most often used for processing organic wood waste because they can reduce material to smaller sizes faster and more efficiently than most shredders. However, shredders are a viable option for recycling operations and handling processed wood material, as well as other building materials and debris. Horizontal Grinders Advantages Horizontal grinders are efficient at handling longer material. So, if you receive a lot of long-cut tree branches and limbs, using a horizontal grinder can help reduce the cutting time before processing material through grinders. Horizontal grinders are also good at handling loose green waste. Tub Grinder Advantages Tub grinders can handle bulkier materials like tree stumps, as well as processed wood material like pallets. Tub grinders use gravity instead of conveyor belts to feed the hammer mill, so there are fewer moving components on a tub grinder than a horizontal grinder. Tub grinders are efficient at processing loose green materials. Low-speed shredders neither have the same production levels as grinders nor are they as effective at sizing materials, but they are typically more tolerant when processing material with many contaminates. To achieve the appropriate end product size, many facilities use shredders to pre-size material containing contaminates, like building materials, and then use a grinder to achieve the desired final sizing. Sorting and Separating Equipment Depending on the end product being produced, sorting and separating machinery may also need to be employed. Screen equipment is widely used for making compost and for some biomass/biofuel types. To achieve high-quality products, you may also need to add a contaminate separator or air separator to remove plastic from processed material. While options for screening include deck screens as well as disc and star screens, trommel screens are the preferred method at many facilities because of their efficiency and ease of maintenance. Compared to disc and star screens, trommels do not require much maintenance because the technology relies heavily on gravity to move and screen material versus more mechanical means. The industry offers two configurations of trommel screens—a tensioned screen drum or an auger drum. Trommels with a tension screen drum use a lift-and-throw action to separate material. As compost is cycled through the drum, the smaller material passes through the screen’s holes while larger material exits at the end of the trommel. The slope of the machine dictates the rate at which the material flows through the drum as it is tumbled. Using tensioned woven-wire screen panels allows the use of smaller gauge wire to increase the total open screen area, which helps maximize production. Trommels with an auger drum separate material using tumbled-roll action, which reduces the chance of material spearing the screens. However, auger drums have less open surface area and are more prone to having wet material build up in the drum, and it may be more expensive to change product size due to needing an additional drum. A Sustainable Future By understanding the available options for handling wood waste and implementing efficient recycling practices, organizations can contribute to a sustainable future while also generating revenue. Ted Dirkx is the Sales Manager for Environmental Equipment at Vermeer. After studying composting and graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies from Central College, he joined equipment manufacturer Vermeer Corporation in Pella, IA. For the past 11 years, he has been traveling about 25 weeks a year, roaming North America and beyond, helping organizations set up compost facilities, manufacture mulch, clear land, and produce biofuels. As he interacts with operations, he is a curious learner of all things that make their operations successful. He has presented at the Compost Council of Canada Conference, Canadian Wood Waste Recycling Association, Waste Expo, and USCC Conference on topics related to operational efficiency and maintenance. Ted can be reached at [email protected]. Vermeer Corporation reserves the right to make changes in product engineering, design and specifications; add improvements; or discontinue manufacturing or distribution at any time without notice or obligation. Equipment shown is for illustrative purposes only and may display optional accessories or components specific to their global region. Contact your local Vermeer dealer for more information on machine specifications. Vermeer and the Vermeer logo are trademarks of Vermeer Manufacturing Company in the U.S. and/or other countries. © 2024 Vermeer Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

Tell your dentist you have diabetes and ask him or her to show you how to keep your teeth and gums healthy - People with diabetes get gum disease more often than people who do not have diabetes. Gum infections can make it hard to control blood sugar. Once a gum infection starts, it can take a long time to heal. If the infection is severe, teeth can loosen or even fall out. Good blood sugar control can prevent gum problems. - Keeping your own teeth is important for healthy eating. Natural teeth help you chew foods better and easier than you can with dentures. Because infections can make gums sore and uneven, dentures may not fit right. Be sure to tell your dentist if your dentures hurt. Have a dental checkup at least every 6 months. - Take good care of your teeth and gums. At least twice a day, brush your teeth with a soft bristle toothbrush and fluoride toothpaste. Use dental floss every day to clean between the teeth. - If your gums bleed while you are brushing your teeth or eating, or a bad taste stays in your mouth, go to the dentist. Tell your dentist about any other changes you see, such as white patches, in your mouth.

If you are looking for high-quality products, please feel free to contact us and send an inquiry, email: email@example.com Boron carbide (also known as black diamand) is an organic compound. It was discovered by accident in the early 19th century, as a result of research into metal borides. However, scientific research did not start until the 1930s. The reduction of diboron with carbon can be achieved in an electric oven. Boron carbide absorbs a high number of neutrons and does not produce any radioactive isotopes. This makes it an ideal neutron-absorbing material for nuclear power plants. The neutron-absorbing device is responsible for controlling nuclear fission. Boron carbide, which is used to make controllable rods for nuclear reactors is sometimes made as powder because of its larger surface area. It is used in waterjet cutting and polishing applications due to its high hardness. The powder can also be used as a dressing for diamond tools. What is the hardness of boron carbide? Diamonds do have limitations. And the price is not the only one. Diamonds tend to react chemically with ferrous materials and are prone to oxidation when heated to high temperatures (above 600 degrees Celsius). Researchers have therefore been looking for (better) materials that are equally hard and can also withstand pressure, temperature and corrosion. In this field, the majority of research has been conducted on materials containing elements C, N,B and O. In general, these elements form short covalent bond with a specific directionality. They are therefore difficult to deform. These elements produce materials that are hard. Only diamond and cubic boron nitride can surpass it. Only diamond or cubic boron carbide will exceed this hardness. This is why it is used in many extreme applications like bulletproof vests, tank armor, and other forms of protection. Is boron carbide expensive? Boron carbide is also used to make tungsten-carbide tools and other types wear resistant equipment. The process is time-consuming and energy-intensive, so the cost of boron-carbide products are 10 times higher than those of other ceramic materials which do not resist wear. Because it is cheap and easy to make, boron carbide has become a popular alternative to diamonds and cubic boron. It is used in many places to replace diamonds, and it can also be used for grinding and sanding. Is boron carbide conductive? Boron carbide has a melting point of over 2400degC. Its thermoelectric performance in high temperatures above 700degC is also unconventional. It has low electrical resistivity and high Seebeck co-efficient, as well as low thermal conductivity. Additive Composite of Sweden and Add North 3D, from the United Kingdom, have released a new boron-carbide composite filament that is suitable for radiation shielding. The material is available as Addbor N25 and is composed of boron carbide and a co polyamide matrix. The new filament created by Additive Composite in Uppsala and Add North 3D, which is a filament developer, combines the anti-radiation qualities of boron carbide with a printable filament. Uppsala University research also helped to develop the material. The filament contains boron carbide, which is capable of absorbing the neutrons that are generated by nuclear reactors or other research facilities. Combining the material with an printable polymer matrix allows the Swedish companies to create new products. Additive composite says: “The capability to print complex shapes quickly is crucial to shielding stray rays and providing collimated laser beams.” Adam Engberg, CEO at Additive Composite Uppsala AB said: “Additive Manufacturing is changing the way many products are designed and manufactured.” Addbor N25 is a material that we think contributes to this advancement and can help both the industry and large research institutions to replace toxic substances that may contaminate their environment. “Our new product is one of many radiation shielding materials we are currently developing.” (aka. Technology Co. Ltd., a trusted global chemical supplier & manufacturer has over 12 years experience in providing super-high-quality chemicals and nanomaterials. The powder that we produce is of high purity and fine particle size. Contact us if you need to.

It has been one of the most strategic castles in English history, and in this post, you’ll discover the ultimate list of facts about Dover Castle. 1. It has been described as the “Key to England” Dover Castle is located in the southeast of England, right next to the town of Dover on a small hill, fittingly called “Castle Hill,” and overlooking the Strait of Dover. It’s home to one of the major ferry ports in England. Because it’s located in such a strategic position on the shortest distance across the English Channel to France, it’s been referred to as the “Key to England,” which literally meant that if you wanted to conquer England, you will need to take the Castle of Dover first. 2. It probably dates back to the Iron Age Archaeologists have found remains dating back to the Iron Age (500-332 B.C.). These include earthworks that couldn’t be identified with the medieval castle. One of the most interesting facts about Dover Castle is that the Medieval castle fortifications have a very unusual pattern. It would be very unlikely that the castle would have been built this way if there wasn’t some sort of groundwork in place already. This makes historians conclude that the original castle was a “hillfort” which dates back many centuries before the Medieval castle was constructed. 3. The Romans were active in the area as well The Roman Conquest of Britain started in 43 A.D. and they have left some remarkable structures. One of them is located on the grounds of Dover Castle and is one of three surviving Roman Lighthouses in the world. The Roman lighthouse has 5 levels, 8 sides and is believed to have been built in the early 2nd century. It was made with layers of tufa, Kentish ragstone, and red bricks and has been preserved remarkably well. The lighthouse isn’t just the tallest still-standing Roman structure in England, it’s also believed to be the oldest still-standing structure in all of Britain! 4. Dover was one of 5 most important places in southeast England Dover was one of the most prominent members of the “Confederation of Cinque Ports,” a historic series of coastal towns in the Kent, Susses, and Essex region. These towns included Hastings, New Romney, Hythe, Dover, and Sandwich. The name “Cinque Ports” dates back to Anglo-Saxon times just before the Norman Conquest of Britain in 1066. 5. The castle was burned to the ground in 1066 William the Conqueror invaded Britain in 1066 and obviously landed in Kent first. After the Battle of Hastings in October of that year, which marked the start of the conquest, he made a small detour to plunder some castles before making his way to Westminster Abbey. On his path were the castles of Romney, Dover, and Canterbury. Dover Castle wasn’t a match for William and his army, and after taking over, it was burned to the ground. He then used the clay that the old castle was made of as flooring for his new and improved castle. 6. Henry II let his money roll to improve Dover Castle The castle of William the Conqueror was built in a total of 8 days, which simply means that it didn’t look anywhere near how it looks today, and nothing remains of this period. The first major improvement was done by King Henry II who renovated the castle in such a way that several parts of his efforts can be seen today such as the outer baileys and the great tower, or keep. One of the most amazing facts about Dover Castle is that Henry II spent virtually all of his money on the renovations. he must have liked the location so much that he spent £6,500 on it for the duration of 9 years between 1179 and 1188, which was most of his income! 7. The castle was besieged in 1216, but not taken During the First Barons’ War (1215-1217), a civil war in England between a group of rebellious landowners and Louis VIII of France and King John of England, Dover Castle was besieged by Louis VIII. Because of its strategic position, Dover Castle carried a lot of political importance, hence it was a crucial target for Louis VIII. Even though he managed to enter the castle through a tunnel dug below the vulnerable north gate, he never managed to take the castle. Instead, the English defenders of the castle dug a tunnel themselves and attacked the French. 8. There used to be a windmill on one of its towers In the late 13th century, Stephen The Pencester became the first warden of the Cinque Ports when the first authoritative list of Cinque Ports Confederation Members was created in 1293. During his time as a warden, a windmill was built on top of one of the towers of Dover Castle. Tower 22 was later referred to as the “Windmill Tower.” This windmill was only demolished in 1812 during the Anglo-American War. 9. It was taking by parliamentarians in the English Civil War Dover Castle was in the hands of the King in 1642, but it was overtaken by a group of 10 parliamentarians under the command of a local merchant named Richard Dawkes. On August 21, 1642, they attempted and succeeded in an amazing raid by night. They were able to successfully obtain the keys from the porter’s lodge and make their way in. The garrison they belonged to was summoned shortly after. The castle was taken without a single shot being fired! 10. Dover Castle played a crucial role for the Anglo-French Survey The Anglo-French survey was the first precise survey completed within Britain. It was executed by General William Roy, and it aimed to measure the relative situation of Greenwich Observatory and the Paris Observatory. Dover Castle was one of the most important observation points of the cross-channel sightings. 11. It served as a barrack for troops during the Napoleonic Wars During the Napoleonic Wars (1803-1815), just after the end of the French Revolution, Dover became a garrison town and Dover Castle was transformed into a series of barracks and storerooms. The first tunnels were dug at the beginning of the 19th century about 15 meters below the top of the cliff, and the first troops were accommodated at the start of the Napoleonic Wars in 1803. 12. Dover Castle played a major role in the Dunkirk Operation The tunnels that were once dug to accommodate garrisons during the Napoleonic Wars were abandoned for more than a century. Until they became extremely valuable once more at the start of the Second World War. Initially, they were merely used as a bomb shelter, but they were soon transformed into a secret military command center and partially as a military hospital. It’s from the tunnels at Dover Castle that Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey directed the evacuation of French and British soldiers from Dunkirk in an operation that was code-named “Operation Dynamo.” 13. Using the tunnels against a nuclear attacks wasn’t the best idea After World War II, the danger of a nuclear attack was still present. Therefore, the idea arose to use the Dover Castle Tunnels as a shelter for important government agencies during such an event. The plan was abandoned though. The tunnels were in relatively bad shape and it was discovered that the chalk from the cliffs that the tunnels were located wouldn’t offer enough protection from radiation. At the moment, only 2 tunnels are open to the general public and they are referred to as “Annexe” and “Casemate.” 14. The Castle was completely renovated in the 2000s Dover Castle received a serious renovation of its interior between 2007 and 2009. The renovation cost a whopping £2.45 million which was paid for by “English Heritage.” The castle is a very popular tourist attraction as well and houses the Queen’s and Princesses of Wales Royal Regiment Museum. In 2018 alone, Dover Castle welcomed a total of 365,462 visitors. 15. The castle’s grounds are home to a chapel and a church Inside the compound of Dover Castle, there are 2 sacred places, one Royal Chapel, and one church. The Royal Chapel was dedicated to Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170, and is located inside the keep of the castle. St. Mary in Castro Church used to be an Anglo-Saxon church bus been completely rebuilt in the Victorian Era. 16. Dover Castle is listed as a “scheduled monument” Dover Castle has been very important in England’s history. It has been the key location during several wars and has helped to shape the country’s future. For this reason, Dover Castle is still listed as a “Scheduled Monument” and “Grade I Listed Monument.” This means that it’s considered to be a building and archaeological site of National Importance that is protected against unauthorized changes. 17. Dover Castle was turned blue for essential workers During the coronavirus crisis, Dover Castle was one of the landmarks that were turned blue as a sign of respect and encouragement for “essential workers” during the crisis. To make this happen, the castle’s maintenance crew had to be trained so they could apply the gel filters which made the lights of the lighting system blue. This way, one of the most historic landmarks in the area fulfilled its duty to support the key workers in the area every night!

If you have a dish garden at home, you know how delicate and beautiful these miniature gardens can be. However, they are also susceptible to pests such as borers, which can damage or kill your plants if left untreated. In this article, we will discuss the steps you can take to get rid of borers on your dish garden plants. Borers are small insects that bore into the stem or trunk of a plant and feed on the inner tissue. They can be difficult to spot, but some signs of infestation include: - Small holes in the stem or trunk - Sawdust-like debris around the base of the plant - Wilting or yellowing leaves - Stunted growth - The presence of adult borers flying around the plant Preventing borers from infesting your dish garden plants is the best strategy. Here are some tips to prevent borers: - Use high-quality potting soil and avoid over-fertilizing your plants. - Keep your dish garden plants healthy by watering them regularly and providing adequate sunlight. - Keep your plants clean by removing dead leaves and debris from around the base of the plant. - Monitor your plants regularly for signs of infestation. If you have noticed signs of borers in your dish garden plants, it is important to act quickly to prevent further damage. Here are some steps to take: Step 1: Cut Out Infected Areas Use a sharp knife or scissors to cut out any areas of the stem or trunk that are infected with borers. Make sure to remove all of the affected tissue, as even a small amount can allow the borers to survive and continue damaging your plant. Step 2: Apply Insecticide Apply an insecticide specifically formulated for borers to the affected area of the plant. Follow the instructions on the label carefully to ensure safe and effective use. Step 3: Monitor Your Plant Keep a close eye on your dish garden plant after treating it for borers. It may take several weeks for the plant to recover fully, and you may need to repeat the treatment if you notice any new signs of infestation. Are borers harmful to humans? No, borers are not harmful to humans. However, they can cause significant damage to plants if left untreated. Can dish garden plants recover from borer infestations? Yes, dish garden plants can recover from borer infestations if treated promptly and properly. However, severe infestations may cause permanent damage or death to the plant. How can I prevent borers from infesting my dish garden plants? To prevent borers, use high-quality potting soil, keep your plants healthy and clean, and monitor them regularly for signs of infestation. In conclusion, borers are a common pest that can damage or kill your dish garden plants if left untreated. Prevention is the best strategy, but if you do notice signs of infestation, act quickly to remove infected areas and treat your plant with insecticide. With proper care and attention, your dish garden can thrive and bring beauty to your home for years to come. - How Much Space to Leave Between Each Dish Garden Plant - How to Get Rid of Fungus on Dish Garden Plant - How Much Water Does Dish Garden Plant Watering - How to Get Rid of Caterpillars on Dish Garden Plant - How to Get Rid of Mold on Dish Garden Plant - How to Clean Dish Garden Plant - How to Transplant Dish Garden Plant - How to Get Rid of Lerps on Dish Garden Plant - Why Your Dish Garden Plant Is Growing Sideways - Dish Garden Plant Stages of Growth - How Tall Does a Dish Garden Plant Grow - What is Dish Garden Plant Commonly Used For? - Common Dish Garden Plant Diseases: How to Identify and Treat - Guide to Growing Dish Garden Plant in a Pot - How to Trim Dish Garden Plant: In-depth Pruning Guide - How to Get Rid of Slugs on Dish Garden Plant - How to Prevent Dish Garden Plant from Rotting - How Quickly Does Dish Garden Plant Grow? - Where to Purchase a Dish Garden Plant - How Much Sunlight Does Dish Garden Plant Need? - Dish Garden Plant Roots and Stems: an In-depth Look - Dish Garden Plant Harvesting: Optimal Time and Technique - How to Get Rid of Ants on Dish Garden Plant - Why Does my Dish Garden Plant Have Brown Spots? - What Causes Dish Garden Plant Leaves to Curl? - Guide to Fertilizing Your Dish Garden Plant - How to Grow Dish Garden Plant Indoors - How to Get Rid of Slaters on Dish Garden Plant - Most Common Dish Garden Plant Pests: Identification and Treatment Guide - How to Care for Dish Garden Plant

Since before, the world has built many energy-independent cities to prepare for the depletion of key resources such as fossil fuels and achieve zero carbon. However, most have failed to achieve energy independence and only a handful of successful cases. A typical example of energy independence failure is Masdar City in the United Arab Emirates. Masdar City started in 2008 and aimed to attract energy companies and attract 60,000 people to and from work every day by 2016, but now, 10 years later, only about 1,300 people reside in Masdar City. The biggest reason why Masdar City has failed to achieve energy independence is that, like many energy independence villages, capital shortages and communities are poorly formed. In the case of capital shortages, the government’s poor circulation of funds caused problems in installing energy production facilities, and in the case of community formation, the government-led community did not allow the city’s residents to participate in energy independence. A prime example of success is the Danish island of Samso. Samso Island won the Renewable Energy Ideas Contest in 1995, but received no financial support. However, the residents of Samso Island have formed the right community based on their love and interest in Samso Island. Therefore, the lack of financial support was solved by investing in private or joint ownership, and as a result, in 2006, the world achieved complete energy independence for the first time in the world. Through the aforementioned successes and failures, the Energy Kodex learned how much community formation affects the construction of an energy self-sufficient city. So Energy Kodex provides a MyPower platform for everyone in the ecosystem to participate in energy independence to form the right community. The MyPower platform allows individuals to invest in wind power generators and other renewable energy generators. Please refer to the URL below for more information ■ Official website : https://energykodex.com ■ Telegram : https://t.me/EnergyKodex ■ Kakao talk : https://open.kakao.com/o/gMRlPdde ■ Twitter : https://twitter.com/energykodex

You have no items in your shopping cart. Manholes are essential components of urban infrastructure, providing access to our underground utilities for maintenance and inspection. But have you ever wondered about the intricate design that goes into these ubiquitous structures? This blog post will explore the sophisticated engineering behind manhole construction. The Anatomy of a Manhole Top to Bottom Structure - Manhole Lid: The visible part of a manhole, usually made from durable materials to withstand traffic and environmental conditions. - Manhole Frame: Supports the lid and is designed to sit flush with the street surface, often equipped with a sealing system to prevent unwanted gas escape. - Adjustment Rings: These rings accommodate height adjustments to align with the street grade, especially important during repaving projects. The Subterranean Sections - Eccentric Cone Section: This part narrows down from the frame, designed to minimize the surface area that pedestrians or vehicles can fall through, should the lid be open or displaced. - Steps: Metal or reinforced plastic rungs are embedded into the manhole walls to provide access for utility workers. The Core and Access - Precast Barrel Sections: These cylindrical sections form the main structure of the manhole, extending down to the sewer lines. They are stacked to the required depth. - Branch Sewers: Smaller pipes that connect to the main sewer line, allowing for the flow of waste and water from different parts of the city. - Manholes are typically constructed from precast concrete or steel, known for its longevity and strength. - Lids can be made of cast iron or composite materials to offer secure and long-lasting coverage. - Non-slip surfaces on the lid and steps for utility worker safety. - Locking mechanisms to prevent unauthorized access. Engineering for Flow - Smooth interior walls to facilitate the uninterrupted flow of sewage. - Sloped design aligning with the sewer lines to utilize gravity for sewage movement. The Installation Process Excavation and Placement - Precise excavation is done to create a cavity for the manhole. - Barrel sections are lowered and aligned over the main sewer. Sealing and Finishing - Joints are sealed with waterproof materials to prevent leakage. - The top is finished to meet street grade, with the lid and frame installed last. Maintenance and Upkeep - Manholes are inspected regularly to ensure structural integrity and functionality. - Debris and sediment removal are part of routine maintenance. Upgrades and Repairs - Worn or damaged parts are replaced. - Innovations like sealants and liners are used to extend the lifespan of the manhole. The design of a manhole is a testament to practical engineering and thoughtful urban planning. While often overlooked, these structures are vital to maintaining the health and efficiency of our city's subterranean systems. The next time you walk over a manhole lid, consider the complex design and critical function that lie just beneath your feet.

Nearly 38 million men, women and children are living with HIV worldwide. Of these, at least 24 million are keeping the virus in check with anti-HIV drugs, but these must be taken daily for a lifetime. If treatment is stopped, the virus invariably springs back to active infection. Only two people have been cured of HIV to date, both through bone marrow transplant with genetically HIV-resistant cells, a risky and toxic procedure that is not realistic for wide-spread use. A major obstacle to long-term control and cure of HIV is the persistence of HIV in reservoirs, or hidden depots of virus within the body. HIV is able to hide quietly inside a patient’s own immune cells (CD4+ T cells), undetected by the immune system. Because of the long lifespan of these cells, the reservoir persists throughout the life of an individual. Current anti-HIV treatments can inhibit active viral replication but cannot eliminate these pockets of long-lived, HIV-harboring cells. The HIV reservoir has proven to be extremely persistent. As a result, development of novel paradigm-shifting approaches will likely be required for successful long-term control and cure of HIV. Moreover, a focus on low-cost techniques with a broad reach will be crucial to making make HIV cure technology accessible to all 38 million people living with HIV, no matter who they are and where they live. The Berlin Patient In 2009, a paradigm shifting approach was published in the New England Journal of Medicine, demonstrating the functional cure of HIV by administration of high-dose chemotherapy followed by transplantation of HIV-resistant hematopoietic cells from an unrelated donor. While the procedure was performed to cure a hematologic malignancy, not to eliminate HIV, the results were compelling in that the Berlin Patient was able to stop antiretroviral therapy without recurrence of readily detectable virus. The unrelated donor cells were HIV resistant by virtue of homozygosity for the Δ32 mutation in the HIV co-receptor CCR5, which plays a critical role in the infectivity of HIV. Individuals homozygous for the CCR5Δ32 allele, in which deletion of a 32-bp segment results in a nonfunctional receptor for HIV, rarely become infected despite repeated high-risk exposures. The outcome for the Berlin Patient provides important proof of principle that latent reservoirs of HIV can be eradicated using nontraditional methods. However, this approach can not be used broadly for treating HIV, both because of the extreme risks involved with bone marrow transplantation and because CCR5Δ32 homozygous, HIV-resistant donor cells are very limited. An analysis performed at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center of 1273 donors determined that we will identify an HLA-matched HIV-resistant donor for only 0.1-0.4% of patients. TIMOTHY RAY BROWN "THE BERLIN PATIENT" Timothy Ray Brown (March 11, 1966 – September 29, 2020) is an American considered to be the first person cured of HIV/AIDS. Brown was called "The Berlin Patient" at the 2008 Conference on Retroviruses and Opportunistic Infections, where his cure was first announced, in order to preserve his anonymity. He chose to come forward in 2010. "I didn't want to be the only person cured," he said. "I wanted to do what I could to make [a cure] possible. My first step was releasing my name and image to the public." Timothy was born in Seattle, Washington, on March 11, 1966, and raised in the area by his single mother, Sharon, who worked for the King County sheriff's department. He journeyed across Europe as a young adult and was diagnosed with HIV in 1995 while studying in Berlin. In 2006, he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukemia. On February 16, 2007, he underwent a procedure known as hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (also called a bone marrow transplant) to treat leukemia. A team of doctors in Berlin, Germany, including Gero Hütter, performed the procedure. From 60 matching donors, they selected a [CCR5]-Δ32 homozygous donor, an individual with two genetic copies of a rare variant of a cell surface receptor. This genetic trait confers resistance to HIV infection by blocking attachment of the virus to the cell. Roughly 1% of people of European or Western Asian ancestry have this inherited mutation, but it is rarer in other populations. The transplant was repeated a year later after a leukemia relapse. Over the three years after the initial transplant, and despite discontinuing antiretroviral therapy, researchers could not detect HIV in Brown's blood or in various biopsies. Levels of HIV-specific antibodies in Timothy Brown's blood also declined, suggesting that functional HIV may have been eliminated from his body. The procedure met with some skepticism in the scientific community. Some AIDS researchers sought to test Mr. Brown’s blood samples for themselves. Some questioned whether, if he was indeed free of HIV, the virus could still recur. Experts noted as well that bone marrow transplants were risky, expensive and unlikely to be available for wide use. Timothy was originally known only pseudonymously, as the “Berlin Patient.” But he became a reluctant public figure when he decided to reveal his identity. “At some point, I decided I didn’t want to be the only person in the world cured of HIV,” Mr. Brown told the website ContagionLive. “I wanted there to be more. And the way to do that was to show the world who I am and be an advocate for HIV”. He added, “My story is important only because it proves that HIV can be cured, and if something has happened once in medical science, it can happen again.”

The world of organic gardening is very vast and exciting. There are so many ways that one can enter and use their knowledge of this field to help themselves grow healthier “green” plants. It depends completely on your skills and environment. That said, no matter what your organic gardening skills are, here are some tips to help you along. Composting for organic gardening reduces the need for fertilizers, is a form of herbicide, can help prevent plant diseases and helps impact the environment in positive ways. Composting is a source of nutrition for insects, helps with soil erosion and reduces waste sent to landfills. It is wonderful for the health of the environment in general. Try not to walk in your garden unless you absolutely have to in order to care for it. Work from a distance when you can. Walking across the soil compacts it, which makes it harder for roots to penetrate to needed nutrients. If your soil is already packed down, gently aerate it without damaging root structure. It is important to rotate your organic plants regularly when you are attempting to grow an indoor garden. Plants bend toward wherever a light source is. If you do not rotate your plants there is a good chance that they will all bend toward one side which will limit the amount of vegetables that grow on the plants. To keep air flowing through your compost pile, stand a large PVC pipe with punched holes in the center of your pile so the air flows up and down the pipe, and then through the holes directly into the pile. The air movement helps your soil decomposers create the heat needed to jumpstart the decay process. Install a fan to blow on your seeds. Make sure your fan is turned on a very low setting. This light touch will help your plants grow stronger. You can also stroke your plants very lightly with your hand or a piece of paper for a few hours to get the same effect. Blend flowering fruit shrubs into your regular landscape. Don’t have a separate area to turn into a garden? Elderberries, blueberries and currants have pretty flowers in springtime and look great in the fall as well. The side benefit of these landscape-enhancing plants is all the fruit they produce for you to enjoy. If you have a compost pile, but have very few leaves to add to it this fall, try incorporating straw or hay into your compost pile. This is a great way to add carbon which is very beneficial to the growth and health of plants. The straw and hay may contain seeds, so it is best to use an organic weed spray on your compost pile to get rid of the unwanted weeds. Organic gardening is a fascinating and exciting world that is only limited by your knowledge and environment. There are endless products and techniques you can sue for your organic garden. Start experimenting to find something new to use on your organic garden or even improve upon a technique. Use these tips to grow!

Whether or not your medications are prescribed, they should never be taken at the same time unless your doctor or pharmacist gives you the green light. What is a drug interaction? A drug interaction is a reaction likely to occur when two or more medications are used simultaneously or when medications are taken with certain foods. The medications may be prescribed, over-the-counter or natural health products. Did you know that 10 to 15% of hospital admissions are attributed to adverse events associated with medications? Among these are drug interactions, which are responsible for roughly 3% of hospitalizations. Due to an aging population and to an abundance of new drugs on the market, this problem can be expected to worsen in the not too distant future. What are the consequences of drug interactions? Drug interactions can: - increase the risk of adverse effects - amplify the effects of medications, making them more dangerous or toxic - cause a different reaction than the one expected - cause medication to be less effective or ineffective A great number of drug interaction-related adverse effects can be prevented. To do this, a risk must be identified and the appropriate measures taken. For example, these measures may include: - replacing one medication by another - reducing the dose of one or several medications - establishing a medication schedule that spaces medication doses Pharmacists must analyze your pharmacological record each time you take a new drug to predict possible drug interactions. They must respond accordingly and inform you of what action to take. Whether the medication is prescribed, over-the-counter or a natural health product, it is important to speak to your pharmacist prior to taking a new medication. Supplements, like the ones containing vitamins and minerals, can also involve drug interactions. How can drug interactions be prevented? Here are some things to consider to prevent drug interactions. - You should always have an updated medication list when you see a healthcare professional (emergency doctor, family doctor, specialist, dentist, etc.). This list will allow them to provide the appropriate care in light of the relevant information. Remember that your medication may have been prescribed or recommended by various healthcare professionals, so it is important to ensure full access to that information. - The My Medication Listtool aims to provide a brief overview of your medications and allergies. It is automatically updated to ensure its accuracy. The size of a credit card, the document can easily be kept in a wallet for easy use at the doctor’s office, emergency room or walk-in clinic. The My Medication List magnetic cling sticker allows you to display your health record on the refrigerator to facilitate communication between paramedics and emergency room staff. It’s free, ask your pharmacist for it. - It’s preferable to always go to the same pharmacy. This enables your pharmacist to have access to all of the information needed to assess potential drug interactions between your medications. - Always speak to your pharmacist when you wish to purchase an over-the-counter medication or a supplement at the pharmacy. Pharmacists will help you choose the best-suited medication based on your age, situation and health. They can also inform you of the risk of drug interactions and provide advice on the appropriate action to take. - Never take someone else’s medication or share yours with another person. Bring back any outdated medication or medication that is no longer needed to the pharmacy. Pharmacy staff will dispose of it in a safe and eco-friendly way. - Clean out your medicine cabinet regularly. - Be sure to ask your doctor or pharmacist questions at each of your appointments. Ask that the information be written down and make sure that you understand. It may also be useful to prepare notes ahead of time, so as not to forget anything. Individuals who are well-informed about their medications generally make better use of them. Pharmacists are available anytime to inform you about drug interactions or to answer any questions about the safe use of medications. Don’t hesitate to speak to them!

In this section Ketogenic diets are strict, medically supervised diets that may be a treatment option for some infants and children with epilepsy. They involve a high fat and very low carbohydrate diet that ensures the body will mainly burn fat rather than carbohydrate and protein for energy, thus producing ketones. The brain can use ketones as an alternative source of energy. In some ways, the diet mimics the body’s metabolic state during fasting or illness. This high ketone state (ketosis) decreases seizure activity in some circumstances by mechanisms which are not fully understood. The diet deliberately maintains this high level of ketones by a strictly calculated, individual regimen with rigid meal plans. There are two types of ketogenic diet therapies offered at The Royal Children’s Hospital; the Classical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) which is very low in carbohydrates, adequate in protein and high in fat and the Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) which is low in carbohydrates, moderate in protein and high in fat. These differ from the ‘keto’ diet that is popular on social media. A ketogenic diet is not a "natural therapy". All diet therapies for epilepsy must be medically supervised, requiring regular monitoring to help prevent potential side effects; that may include nutritional deficiencies, poor growth, kidney stones, high cholesterol and others. Ketogenic diets are generally only suitable for children with seizures that are poorly controlled with medication or those with Glucose Transporter Type 1 Deficiency Syndrome (GLUT 1 deficiency). Assessment by a paediatric neurologist experienced in epilepsy management is a prerequisite. Generally, children with myoclonic-atonic seizures, infantile spasms, Dravet syndrome and absence seizures are thought to respond best to the ketogenic diet. All children require a referral from their neurologist or paediatrician to the Dietary Therapies for Epilipsy (DTE) Clinic for assessment of their suitability for treatment. A thorough assessment takes place which includes a medical assessment of the patient, baseline investigations, group education session with the epilepsy nurse specialist (ENS) and dietitian, homework tasks and individual education sessions. The process is outlined below. Ketogenic diets can be commenced either in hospital, or at home. The location will depend on the type of diet, the child’s age and medical stability. Classical Ketogenic Diet Children are admitted on a Monday to the Cockatoo (neurology) ward following fasting blood and urine tests and an ECG. The length of admission is 4-5 days. During the admission children will be required to drink a ketogenic formula called KetoCalTM for 48 hours before progressing to special ketogenic meals which are prepared in the hospital kitchen. During the admission close monitoring of blood ketones and blood glucose levels will occur. The Ketogenic Diet Team will review the child daily during admission. Classical Ketogenic Diet (CKD) or Modified Atkins Diet (MAD) The timing of outpatient initiation is negotiated between the Ketogenic Diet Team and the family. It is usually recommended that the diet be commenced on a Monday and it usually takes around 2 weeks to get to the target diet for the CKD and 5 days for the MAD. Prior to this time investigations such as renal ultrasound, fasting blood and urine tests and growth measurements will be taken at the hospital. During home initiation, food is commenced from day 1. For the CKD, blood ketone and blood glucose monitoring is completed three times per day by a family member. For the MAD, urine ketones are commenced twice daily. The epilepsy nurse and dietitian will contact you daily to review initially. For both the CKD and the MAD your child’s medications will need to be changed to tablet form but their doses will continue as normal. They are encouraged to maintain normal activities and are not confined to bed rest. It is important to have realistic expectations about the likelihood of dietary therapy helping your child’s epilepsy. The ketogenic diet does not control seizures in all children. In fact, only a relatively small proportion of children benefit significantly from the ketogenic diet. If all types of epilepsy are considered, just over one in three children will have more than a 50% reduction in their seizure frequency. Another one in three will have less than a 50% reduction in seizure frequency and the remaining one in three will have no change in seizure frequency. Less than one in ten will have more than a 90% reduction in seizures and less than one in twenty will become seizure free. However, some forms of epilepsy may respond better, such as absence epilepsy, myoclonic-atonic epilepsy (Doose syndrome), Dravet syndrome and infantile spasms. For example, small studies suggest that more than two thirds of these children will halve more than halving of their seizures, and one-fifth to one-third of children will become seizure free. There is limited information to determine whether the CKD is more effective than the MAD but the CKD is usually considered to be “gold standard” dietary treatment. The dietitian will calculate the amount of calories and protein that your child will need to ensure adequate growth and determine the correct diet ratio of fat to carbohydrates and protein to ensure ketosis. Parents are encouraged to learn how to calculate ketogenic recipes and the dietitian will provide education. Ketogenic recipes will be different to ‘normal’ recipes as they are very high in fat and very low in carbohydrates. Foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes are generally not allowed. The meal plan is usually divided into three meals and two snacks per day. Eating ‘extra’ foods outside the meal plan is not allowed. Meals tend to be smaller than normal due to the high fat content. Water is the main fluid allowed. As the diet is nutritionally inadequate daily vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary. The MAD is calculated in a different way from the CKD. Carbohydrates are strictly counted and fat serves are added to meals but protein and diet ratios are not counted. Foods such as bread, pasta, rice and potatoes are generally not permitted, however protein foods such as meat, eggs and cheese are allowed to appetite. Parents are encouraged to learn how to calculate MAD recipes and the dietitian will provide education. Water is the main fluid allowed. As the diet is nutritionally inadequate daily vitamin and mineral supplements are necessary. Basic equipment for home includes: A ketogenic diet must be strictly followed at all times. Children attending play group, kindergarten, school or social occasions must take the required meal with them. All carers and teachers must be fully informed of the diet. Families initially find planning and preparing the diet very time consuming, but with practice this becomes easier and faster. Shopping practices change, but costs are comparable to normal household budgets. The initial outlay for necessary equipment may be a cost factor. Loss of ketosis may occur in some children on the ketogenic diet for reasons including: Constipation can occur because of the small volume of food and fibre consumed. This is managed with increasing fluid intake and the use of a laxative such as MovicolTM Weight loss or gain. This is managed by adjusting the energy intake. Height slowing (stunting). Inappropriate food related behaviours such as refusal of certain foods. Compliance of children may be an issue especially in some social circumstances. Less common and potentially more serious long term side effects, which are monitored and screened for as part of regular reviews include: The Ketogenic and Modified Atkins Diets: Treatment for epilepsy and other disorders. 6th Edition 2016. Eric H Kossofff, Zagava Tunrer, Sarah Doerrer, Mackenzie C. Cercenka Bobby J Henry. Demos Health. Ketocooking: A practical guide to the ketogenic diet. 2012 Judy Nation, J. Helen Cross, Ingrid E. Scheffer. The Homewood Press Kossoff, EH, et al. Optimal clinical management of children receiving dietary therapies for epilepsy: Updated recommendations of the International Ketogenic Diet Study Group. Epilepsia Open 2018;3(2):175-192 van der Louw, E, et al. Ketogenic diet guidelines for infants with refractory epilepsy. European Journal of Paediatric Neurology 2016;20(6):798-809

“No one will get on top of us if we don’t bend our backs”, said Martin Luther King. However, life’s circumstances end up often crushing us under their weight undermining our personal dignity. At that point, we are likely to lose the respect and allow other people to violate our rights, even the most basic. Then we could fall into a destructive spiral. What is personal dignity? The word dignity comes from the Latin dignitas, which means excellence, nobility or value. Therefore, the definition of personal dignity refers to the value and respect for oneself as a human being. On the one hand, it means treating each other with respect, seriousness, responsibility and kindness, on the other, it implies asserting ourselves as people so that the others do not violate our rights. Therefore, personal dignity is an indicator of how we value ourselves, the level of esteem we profess for ourselves, and the extent to which we are willing to go to defend ourselves and prevent being trampled on, humiliated or degraded. Defending our dignity In the past the psychologists divided dignity. They believed that there is an inner dignity, understood as a gift that no one can take away from us, a kind of immutable intrinsic worth and protected. But they also recognized the existence of an external dignity, which is more malleable and depends on the circumstances in which we live. From this perspective, we could allow that external dignity to be violated because the internal dignity would remain intact. Therefore, insults and humiliations would not affect the value we give ourselves. It is true. But only up to a certain point. The image we have of ourselves, the value we give ourselves and the respect we profess for ourselves are constantly reflected and validated in the relationships we establish with the world. If we allow the others to continuously violate our rights, we do not respond to the humiliations and we let them humiliate us, sooner or later our inner dignity will be damaged. In fact, the psychologist Christine R. Kovach pointed out that “The experience of dignity, understood as the feeling of worth, requires that there be someone who understands and recognizes those values and shows respect for them.” When we do not assert our dignity and the people around us do not recognize it either, we run the risk of falling into a downward spiral marked by humiliation, manipulation, abuse and excessive demands that will make us become smaller, insignificant and lacking in value. The image we have of ourselves will change, our self-esteem will suffer and we will end up assuming the role of the victim who stoically supports the excesses of the others, convinced that it is what we deserve in this life. We actually lose a bit of dignity every time we: • Allow ourselves to be systematically humiliated and mistreated by the others • Become conformists and accept much less than we deserve • Allow ourselves to be manipulated and boycotted by those around us • Lose respect and stop loving each other The more conformism grows, the smaller dignity becomes Kant believed that dignity pushes us to defend ourselves, to prevent the others from trampling on our rights with impunity. It is a dimension that reminds us that no one can or should use us. We are free and valuable people, responsible for our actions and deserving of respect. Therefore, we must not settle for less. Writer Irving Wallace said that “To be one’s self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity.” Assuming a conformist attitude usually implies giving in to the pressure exerted by the others – be it a person, group or society. Conformism arises from resignation and surrender. It implies that we downplay our ideas and values, silencing our feelings, giving more credit to the ideas, values and feelings of the others, letting them prevail dangerously over our own, many times to the point of overwhelming us. Therefore, we lose dignity every time we settle for: • Having by our side people who do not respect or love us for who we are • Receiving an unfair treatment that violates our basic rights, either by individuals or institutions • Not developing our potential to the maximum, limiting ourselves to living in a narrow comfort zone Conformism may be a familiar land where we feel relatively safe, but we must be aware that it is not a land where dignity can flourish. Every time we settle for less, we deny part of our individuality and worth. For this reason, Kant believed that a person with dignity is someone with a conscience, will and autonomy to decide his or her own path. Excessive dignity does not make us more worthy Interestingly, we can also lose dignity when we exceed the limits. Then dignity becomes despotism because we abuse our superiority, power or strength to force other people to give us a special treatment. Demanding privileges in the name of dignity actually makes us lose it. As the philosopher Immanuel Kant explained: “Act in such a way that you treat humanity, wether in your own person or in the person of another, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means.” This implies recognizing our existence and those of others as the ultimate goal, never as a means to achieve certain goals. It implies recognizing that “No matter how much a man is worth, he will never have a higher value than that of being a man”, as Antonio Machado wrote. Personal dignity does not consist in believing ourselves superior, but implies recognizing that other people also deserve respect and consideration. Dignity is a two-way road. We need to claim it for ourselves, but we must also offer it to the others. Castel, R. (1996) Work and usefulness to the world. Int. Lab. Rev; 135: 615–622. Kovach, C. R. (1995) Evolving images of human dignity. J. Gerontol. Nurs; 21(7): 5–6. Meyer, M. J. (1989) Dignity, Rights, and Self-Control. Ethics; 99(3): 520-534.

Sudan, a country located in Northeast Africa, is a nation rich in cultural diversity and history. This vast country, stretching from the Red Sea to the Sahara Desert, is home to a myriad of ethnic groups, each with its own unique language and traditions. As a result, Sudan boasts an extensive linguistic tapestry, reflecting the country’s multicultural heritage. In this article, we will explore the fascinating languages spoken in Sudan and their significance in shaping the country’s identity. Arabic – The Official Language Arabic serves as the official language of Sudan, as well as being the lingua franca for communication among different ethnic groups. Introduced during the spread of Islam in the region, Arabic is widely spoken in various dialects across the country. Sudanese Arabic is a distinctive variation influenced by local African languages, resulting in unique expressions and vocabulary. Arabic plays a pivotal role in government, education, media, and daily interactions, acting as a unifying force among Sudanese citizens. Nubian languages are primarily spoken in northern Sudan, specifically along the banks of the Nile River. These languages belong to the Nilo-Saharan language family, an extensive linguistic group that extends across Central and Eastern Africa. Some of the prominent Nubian languages in Sudan include Kenzi, Dongolawi, Mahas, and Sikut. Dinka and Nuer In the southern regions of Sudan, you’ll find the Dinka and Nuer languages spoken predominantly by the Dinka and Nuer ethnic groups, respectively. These languages belong to the Nilotic language family and are part of the wider Nilo-Saharan linguistic group. Despite Sudan’s political division, the significance of these languages extends beyond the country’s borders as they are also spoken in South Sudan. The Beja language is spoken by the Beja people, who mainly inhabit the eastern parts of Sudan. This Afro-Asiatic language is known for its unique phonology and distinct script. Historically, the Beja were renowned for their connection to ancient civilizations and trading networks. Fur, another Afro-Asiatic language, is spoken primarily by the Fur people residing in the western region of Darfur. It holds great cultural significance, as the Fur Sultanate once played a prominent role in Sudanese history. The Zaghawa language is spoken by the Zaghawa people, found in both Sudan and Chad. This language belongs to the Saharan branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Due to the Zaghawa’s nomadic lifestyle, their language and culture have spread across various regions. Other Regional Languages Sudan’s linguistic landscape is further enriched by the presence of several other regional languages. Some of these include Berta in the Benishangul-Gumuz region, Masalit in Darfur, and Bari in the southern parts of Sudan. Each language represents a distinct cultural heritage and continues to be passed down through generations. Language Diversity and Cultural Identity The diverse array of languages spoken in Sudan is a testament to the country’s rich cultural heritage and historical interactions. These languages not only serve as a means of communication but also play a vital role in preserving the unique customs, traditions, and beliefs of various ethnic groups. However, it is essential to acknowledge that linguistic diversity can sometimes present challenges, particularly in terms of national cohesion and education. The dominance of Arabic in official settings has led to concerns regarding the preservation of regional languages and cultural identities. As Sudan continues to evolve, efforts to promote multilingual education and cultural appreciation become crucial to maintaining the linguistic tapestry that makes Sudan so remarkable. Sudan stands as a vibrant mosaic of cultures, each woven together by the threads of their unique languages. From the official Arabic language to the various indigenous tongues, Sudan’s linguistic diversity reflects the country’s rich historical legacy and the resilience of its people. Embracing this linguistic tapestry and fostering an environment of cultural appreciation will ensure that Sudan’s unique identity remains preserved for generations to come.

Today is the winter solstice (Touji / 冬至 in Japanese). “Touji (冬至)” is the 22nd of 24 solar terms (24 Sekki / 24節氣) in the traditional East Asian calendars. “Touji” literally means winter reach, and actually means winter solstice. On this day, the day time is the shortest and the night time is the longest in the northern hemisphere. In Japan, people say if you have a hot bath scented with yuzu (an aromatic Japanese citron), and eat pumpkins, you won’t catch cold. This year’s winter solstice is called “Sakutan Touji (朔旦冬至)” when winter solstice happens to be the first day of November in the old calendar. This happens once every 19 years. Winter solstice is the Yin energy reaching the peak level and Yang energy is reborn at the same moment. At the same time, the new moon is at the start of the cycle of the waxing and waning of the moon. Some say it is a good day to make plans. So, “Sakutan Touji” is the rising time of both the sun and the moon. In ancient times, the Imperial Court used to have a grand celebration on the day. It might be good to be thankful for things and make plans for the future today! Category : text @en

On May 14, China’s space program took a huge leap forward when it landed a rover on Mars for the first time, according to state media. China is now only the second country to land successfully on Mars. The rover, named Zhurong (after the god of fire in ancient Chinese mythology), joins NASA's Curiosity and Perseverance rovers as the only wheeled robots trekking around the surface of the planet. “This is really a milestone for the Chinese space program,” says Chi Wang, the director of the National Space Science Center at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. “It signifies Chinese space exploration steps out of the Earth-Moon system and heads for the [Mars] planetary system. A mission like this demonstrates China has the capability to explore the entire solar system.” Zhurong is part of the Tianwen-1 Mars mission that China launched last July, the same month as NASA’s launch of the Perseverance rover and the UAE’s launch of the Hope Mars Orbiter. All three made it to Martian orbit in February. Perseverance headed straight for the surface, while China held Tianwen-1 in orbit for a few months to look for a suitable landing site for Zhurong. It eventually chose Utopia Planitia, the same region where NASA’s Viking 2 spacecraft landed in 1976. Tianwen-1 comprises both an orbiter and the Zhurong rover. NASA has had a string of recent successes with Mars missions, but don’t let that fool you—half of all missions to Mars end in failure. The Soviet Union previously landed a spacecraft on Mars in 1971, but communication was lost just 110 seconds later. As recently as 2017, the European Space Agency’s Schiaparelli lander crashed on its way to the Martian surface. China’s first attempt on Mars was actually as part of Russia’s 2011 Fobos-Grunt mission to explore Mars and its moon Phobos. That spacecraft failed to leave Earth’s orbit and ended up reentering Earth’s atmosphere months later, leading China to pursue its own independent mission to Mars. Don’t expect Zhurong to match up to, say, Perseverance. The latter weighs over one metric ton, is nuclear-powered, has 23 cameras, carries a demonstration system to convert carbon dioxide to oxygen, can take and stow samples that will be returned to Earth one day, and even brought a new helicopter to the planet. The former is just 240 kilograms, solar-powered, carries only six instruments, and is expected to last just 90 Martian days (though it may very well survive for longer). Tianwen-1’s purpose is to use its 13 instruments (seven on the orbiter, six on the rover) to study the geology and soil mineralogy of Mars, map its water ice distribution, probe the electromagnetic and gravitational forces of the planet, and characterize its surface climate and environment. While the orbiter will observe and measure these things from a global perspective and snap images down to a two-meter resolution, Zhurong will home in on points of intrigue at the surface. It will use spectroscopy to find out what the soil is made of, measure magnetic fields on the ground, and track weather changes like temperature and winds. Perhaps most intriguing is that Zhurong has a ground-penetrating radar that will let it peer into activity and structures underground 100 meters deep—10 times further than Perseverance’s radar. The hope is that this instrument will be able to detect potential reserves of water ice underground. Water resources could be a critical part of establishing a colony on Mars one day. Utopia Planitia in particular is “a relatively safe place to land and a possible place to find water,” says Wang. China’s no stranger to extraterrestrial landings—the country’s lunar exploration program has seen three successful rover landings on the moon in less than 10 years. But that didn’t necessarily make it easier to get to Mars. The distance between the two planets creates an 18-minute time delay in communication. The whole landing process has to be accomplished automatically, without any possibility for ground control to manually intervene. The country’s never done that before. Now it knows it can. “This, to me, says they’re getting right up there in terms of one of the world’s premier space agencies,” says The Planetary Society's Jason Davis. “Just by the sheer fact that this has not been done by many people. This isn’t a fluke; it’s not like they just randomly launched and got lucky. They’ve clearly been working toward this.” Although the notion of two countries with rovers on the planet also raises the specter of a growing rivalry between the US and China, that may be an oversimplification. Zhurong is nowhere near where Curiosity or Perseverance are. Davis points out that the two countries actually coordinated the trajectories of their respective 2020 launches to ensure they wouldn’t crash into one another. “Mars is big,” he says. “Being able to operate multiple spacecraft there from multiple entities is possible. It’s not like they’re going to run into each other and cause problems.” Instead, it’s possible the mission might actually open up more opportunities for scientific collaboration. NASA is currently barred from working with the Chinese space program, but the release of peer-reviewed research through the public press means there’s an opportunity to compare results from similar investigations conducted by each country’s rovers, such as subsurface radar data. “From that perspective,” says Davis, “it’s very beneficial for space exploration to have multiple countries, multiple entities, doing this work. In terms of pure science, I’m very excited to see what the mission uncovers.” 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024 Every year, we look for promising technologies poised to have a real impact on the world. Here are the advances that we think matter most right now. Scientists are finding signals of long covid in blood. They could lead to new treatments. Faults in a certain part of the immune system might be at the root of some long covid cases, new research suggests. AI for everything: 10 Breakthrough Technologies 2024 Generative AI tools like ChatGPT reached mass adoption in record time, and reset the course of an entire industry. What’s next for AI in 2024 Our writers look at the four hot trends to watch out for this year Get the latest updates from MIT Technology Review Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft finally nears its long-awaited encounter with Pluto, the first of many approach phases that will conclude with the first close-up flyby of the Pluto system in six months’ time. Jim Green, director of NASA’s Planetary Science Division at NASA Headquarters, Washington, said: “NASA’s first mission to distant Pluto will also be humankind’s first close up view of this cold, unexplored world in our solar system. The New Horizons team worked very hard to prepare for this first phase, and they did it flawlessly.” New Horizons, a NASA space probe launched in January 2006 to study the dwarf planet Pluto, its moons and one or two other Kuiper belt objects, will soar close to its target after more than three billion miles, on July 14th. Approach timeline and departure phases — surrounding close approach on July 14, 2015 — of the New Horizons Pluto encounter. (Image: The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory) The fastest spacecraft ever launched woke up from its final hibernation period in early December, 2014. Since waking up, its mission’s teams have configured the piano-sized probe for distant observations of the Pluto system. A long-range photo shoot is scheduled for January 25th (today). The photographs, taken by New Horizons’ telescopic Long-Range Reconnaissance Imager (LORRI), will give scientists a continually improving look at the dynamics of the moons that orbit the dwarf planet. They will also play a critical role in navigating New Horizons as it covers the remaining 135 million miles (220 km) to Pluto. Alan Stern, New Horizons principal investigator from Southwest Research Institute in Boulder, Colorado, said: “We’ve completed the longest journey any craft has flown from Earth to reach its primary target, and we are ready to begin exploring!” Over the coming months, LORRI will take hundreds of photographs of Pluto against star fields to better measure the spacecraft’s distance to Pluto. Until May, the images will show little more than bright dots. Mission navigators will use them to design course-correction maneuvers in order to get the spacecraft’s flyby route accurately calculated. Mark Holdridge, the New Horizons encounter mission manager from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Maryland, said: “We need to refine our knowledge of where Pluto will be when New Horizons flies past it. The flyby timing also has to be exact, because the computer commands that will orient the spacecraft and point the science instruments are based on precisely knowing the time we pass Pluto — which these images will help us determine.” New Horizon operators also track the spacecraft using radio signals from NASA’s Deep Space Network. However, the “optical navigation” campaign that starts this month marks the first time photographs from New Horizons will be utilized to help pinpoint the dwarf planet’s location. “This first approach phase, which lasts until spring, also includes a significant degree of other science. New Horizons will take essentially continuous data on the interplanetary environment where the Pluto system orbits, with its two charged-particle sensors measuring the high-energy particles streaming from the Sun, and its dust counter tallying dust-particle concentrations in the inner reaches of the Kuiper Belt — the unexplored outer region of the solar system that includes Pluto and potentially thousands of similar icy, rocky small planets.” In the spring, more intensive Pluto studies will commence, when cameras and spectrometers aboard the spacecraft can provide resolutions better than most Earth telescopes. “Eventually, New Horizons will obtain images good enough to map Pluto and its moons better than has ever been achieved by any previous first planetary reconnaissance mission,” say the scientists. Reference: “NASA’s New Horizons Spacecraft Begins First Stages of Pluto Encounter,” NASA. Video – NASA New Horizons animations This NASA animation follows the New Horizons spacecraft as leaves our planet after its the January 2006 launch, through a gravity-assist flyby of Jupiter in February 2007, to the encounter with Pluto and its moons in summer 2015.

The second oldest tea tradition in the world is found in Japan. During the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Buddhism was responsible from spreading tea from China to Japan: in 805, after a gift of tea seeds trip to a temple on Mount Tai, in Shandong Province, the Japanese monk Saicho planted Chinese tea seeds near Kyoto, at Mount Hiei. It took several centuries for tea production and consumption to catch on in Japan, however; not until the Japanese monk Eisai returned from China in 1191 and promoted tea for spiritual and physical health did it become part of the culture. His seminal Treatise on Tea Drinking for Health (1193) was one of the first Japanese tea books, and remains a classic: "Whenever one is in poor spirits, one should drink tea. This will put the heart in good order and dispel all illness." The practice of Zen Buddhism informed by chanoyu—literally "water for tea"—the highly ritualistic, stylized Japanese way of tea (also known in the West as the tea ceremony). The monk Sen Rikyu (1522-1591) codified chanoyu, leading to the five main schools of matcha preparation still found today in Japan. Another distinctive feature of Japanese tea is that most production is devoted to green tea; other styles are not commonly made. The green teas of Japan are also usually steamed to stop oxidation, rather than the pan-firing process common for Chinese and other green teas. Traditional matcha and some senchas kabuse are also shaded approximately one to three weeks before harvesting, which increases certain amino acids and leads to intensified sweet, umami notes. Tea is made throughout the country, ranging from Kyusu in the south to just north of Tokyo, with Uji, Shizuoka and Yame Prefectures the major producers. The volcanic makeup of the islands, along with proximity to the ocean, yield a unique soil composition.

This post may contain affiliate links. That means if you click and buy, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. Please see my disclosure policies for full details. I am so excited about these matching games for kids. Not only are they fun but they are also great for brain development. Memory and matching games aid in a child’s cognitive development which is how a child problem solves and learns new information. Matching and sorting are early stages of math development. Incorporating mathematical language during play can further support this development. Cut the cards apart and have your kiddo practice matching them. Don’t worry about turning them over and hiding them. The goal of this activity is to simply look for similarities and differences. This game is great for toddlers and early pre-school kiddos. Don’t be afraid to use language with them like “Can you find the ones that are the same?”, “How are these the same/similar?”, “How are they different?”. Even if you don’t think they will understand you will be surprised at how quickly they pick up on. It will shock you one day not in the too far future when they actually start using those words. Cut the cards apart and place them face down. With memory match, you can pull in some mathematical language like columns, rows, and arrays as you lay the cards face down on the table or floor. Kids may not get the concept of this game until closer to 3.5 or 4 but it is still fun to play. This game is great for reinforcing the concept of taking turns. Kiddos have to be patient as they wait for you (their partner) to take their turn. In this activity, kids are given the picture on a control card and they have to choose the picture that matches. This is a great way to introduce the concept of matching to them. 4 Reasons Why You Should Play Matching Games for Kids Download and print your favorite set. They are quick and easy to print. All you need is cardstock (highly recommend) and a printer. If you want to make them last a little longer you can laminate them. Playing games with your kids, even from a young age can have lasting memories for them and you. Matching games are good for their brain development and can help them learn through play. Matching games can increase short term memory and attention to detail.

Perhaps You have seen some of the many campaigns online about the small Marine Porpoise and wandered: “Why on earth spend so much energy on a specie with only (to this date) 15 individuals remaining in nature ? The specie is doomed to go extinct!" But there is a very good reason for the awareness campaigns. Here is why : The Vaquita has become a symbol of humans ignorance to the impact we have on the Ocean. The specie has been followed quite closely since 1997, where approximately 600 individuals still roamed the Ocean. But mainly because the fishing industry, the specie has declined rapidly in numbers. In 2008 an estimated 340 was still alive. Then in 2015 barely 60 Vaquitas were left in the wild. It was also in 2015 the first mass hype campaigns focusing on the Vaquita began. At first the campaigns were created to pursue saving the specie from extinction - and it did have a huge impact! In 2015 the Mexican government banned most types of fishing nets in the Vaquita’s habitat area, most likely, due to the massive awareness campaigns happening worldwide. In fact, this overnight movement, almost shutting down the fishing industry in this area, meant many people were left without their livelihood. And, the government even started a compensation program for the fishermen, paying them to stay ashore. This did lower the tempo for the properly still coming extinction of the specie, but, most importantly, it helped to lit up the problem that had been clear as the light of day for many years, but had been shut out by the curtains of ignorance : We, humans, are the major reason for the 5’th mass extinction. The following years, pictures of Vaquitas in tangled in gill nets, or drowned stranded on beaches showed up on various social media’s. Today, the specie barely exists. With the remaining 15 Vaquitas, and a 90% decline since 2011, the future unfortunately does not look bright for this specie, even though there has been created massive awareness campaigns since 2015. Despite the tragic fact of most likely loosing this specie, -this is never the less still an extremely important case ! What makes this an important case : The Vaquita is a specie we have followed while it has moved closer and closer to extinction. It serves as a wake up call, for our acknowledgement on humans impact on the Oceans health. It has also shown us, that we have a say as Conscious Consumers, and that we can contribute to create change as individuals. So even though the outcome of this case, has not been saving the specie, it has taught us so much more, and has been an extremely important part of the road to “make the ocean great again”. By Blue Reporter, Naja Bertolt Jensen

Hey, look at me! The microscopic world First, we need to talk about what exactly a microscope is. A microscope is a laboratory instrument, that can be used to analyze what we cannot see with just our eyes. Literally microscopic means that the object is invisible to the eye unless we help with a microscope. The first mention of the microscope was by Roman philosophers, although they called it "burning glass", and that was in the 1st century. The first primitive microscope had to wait until the late 1300s. It had two lenses at the other end. of the tube and at the end of the sixteenth century, several Dutch lens manufacturers designed magnifying devices for objects. Interestingly, Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) perfected the device, which we now call a microscope, and which was the first simple microscope as it had two lenses with a single convex objective and an eyepiece. Some years later, Anton van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723) began polishing lenses when he realized that polishing in certain ways increased the size of the image. This means that the magnification can be multiplied many times when viewing an object. The quality of the image allowed him to see details of objects such as bacteria, for the first time in history. Can you imagine the excitement of discovering a new world? Leeuwenhoek's work on tiny lenses led to the construction of the first practical microscope. However, they look little like today's microscopes; rather, they resembled a very powerful magnifying glass and used only one lens instead of two. Other scientists have not accepted Leeuwenhoek's versions of the microscope because it is difficult to learn to use them. They were tiny (about 2 inches long) and were worn by keeping the eyes close to the small lens and looking at the pattern suspended on the needle. However, with these microscopes, he made microbiological discoveries for which he is famous. Leeuwenhoek was the first to see and describe bacteria (1674), yeast plants, a life filled with water droplets (such as algae), and circulating capillary blood cells. The word "bacteria" didn't exist yet, which is why he called these microscopic living organisms "animalcules." Throughout his long life, he developed studies with his lens on a wide variety of things, living and non-living. He was the first to describe sperm (1677) and assumed that conception occurred when sperm were linked to an egg, although he thought the egg was only used to feed sperm. At the time, there were various theories about the development of babies, so Leeuwenhoek's studies on sperm and ovum from different species sparked outrage in the scientific community. It took scientists about 200 years to agree on the process. The best-known type of microscope is the optical one or one in which glass is used to shape the image. An optical microscope can be simple and consists of a single lens or a compound that consists of several optical components in a line. An optical microscope provides a magnified lens, but with visible brightness to see the sample up close. It has been traditional since the 18th century and is still used today. There are many types of optical microscopes. These can range from a very simple design to a high complexity that offers better resolution and contrast. Some types of light microscopes that might interest you are: Simple microscope: a single lens to magnify the image of a sample. Compound microscope - a series of lenses to magnify the image of a sample to a higher resolution, most used in modern research. Digital Microscope: It can have simple or compound lenses but uses a computer to view the image without the need for an eyepiece to view the sample. Stereoscopic Microscope: Provides a stereoscopic image, which is useful for autopsies. Comparison Microscope - allows you to view two different samples simultaneously, one eye at a time. Inverted Microscope - View the sample from below, which is useful for examining liquid cell cultures. Other types of light microscopes include petrographic, polarization, phase contrast, epifluorescence, and confocal microscopes. I'll tell you about those another time. Surely like Leeuwenhoek we would spend our time exploring any object or living being if we had a microscope. It is not difficult to immerse ourselves in the wonderful microscopic world. To start you can have a magnifying glass and start observing your fingers, the grass, the insects. From the perspective of a magnifying glass, we are giants and from a microscope even more so. You can have your own microscope and enter this wonderful world of small things. You could have your own microscope

Making Connections Rock Climbing Book, Grade 5, Pack of 6 Scale mountains in this informational text about the exciting sport of rock climbing. Climbing gear and safety are also discussed. Students focus on main idea in this reader. Making Connections Comprehension Library readers engage students with appealing fiction and nonfiction titles. Students apply essential strategies and skills while reading engaging texts to build reading comprehension. Written by Jeanne and Bradley Weaver. Each book has 32 pages. For grade 5. Sold as a set of 6. - 6 Books

How to Calculate the Flex PCB Bend Radius and the rigid flex pcb minimum bend radius? Circuit boards have allowed humanity to step into the modern era. One can argue that they are the cornerstone of humanity's most recent achievements. All scientific research, whether concerning the life sciences or modern physics, requires complex electrical devices for accurate analyses. Consequently, circuit boards provide the means to use electricity and breathe life into appliances and devices. Technology would merely cease to exist without them since they are virtually the foundation upon which all electrical products are built. In recent times, they too have undergone quite some change. We now have printed circuit boards that aid us in developing increasingly intricate applications and systems. Printed circuit boards are divided into rigid boards, flex PCB boards, and rigid-flex PCB boards. Perhaps, flex circuit boards can arguably be considered the most innovative of the three. In this article, we will explore their benefits, understand flex PCB bend radius, and finally teach you how to calculate flex PCB bend radius. What is Flex PCB Boards As the name suggests, this particular category concerns printed flexible circuit boards. These can be bent, flexed, or manipulated to fit inside an electrical design. The flexibility affords them greater versatility than traditional rigid circuit boards. Therefore, flex circuit boards are vital components in designs that require utilizing limited space. As a result, their use has become increasingly popular in modern consumer electronics, smartwatches, information, and medical appliances. When correctly designed, they can be subjected to thousands of looping or bending cycles. It affords them uniqueness as well as a set of advantages over their rigid counterparts. It goes without saying that flexibility is one of the biggest advantages of using flex circuit boards. This ability allows for more creative freedom and the ability to fit the circuitry into the design, limiting any creative compromises. The circuit boards have to be very light and thin to achieve flexibility. This results in an overall reduction in weight which is an important factor in the modern world where lightweight products are preferred over heavier ones. The lightweight design of flex circuit boards also allows for increased flexibility and better shock absorption, which increases the long-term reliability of products. Flex PCBs also increase the range of connectivity in a device and its electrical components. Their use in dynamic flex circuit applications is particularly popular since they require circuit boards that can be bent or flexed for an indefinite number of cycles. This makes them the top choice for use in foldable electronics. Flex PCB Bend Radius There is, however, a limit to the amount of strain flex PCBs can be subjected to. When they are bent out of shape, the internal bend experiences compressive forces while the external bend experiences tensile forces. Knowing the limits of these forces that the circuit board can withstand helps with the continued functionality and enhanced performance of an electrical device. The bend radius is a measure of how much you can bend a flex circuit board without causing any damage or shortening its lifespan. The smaller the bending radius of a circuit is, the more flexible it will be. There are three types of design standards for flex PCB boards: 1. Flex to Install This is also called the stable flex and involves the flex layer to be bent into shape to fit into a design. The bend is introduced in the beginning, and the layer is not subjected to further stress. For one or two layers, the minimum bend radius can be 6X, while for multiple layers, it can be up to 12X. 2. Dynamic Flex This design involves repetitive bending of the design; therefore, limiting it to two layers is recommended. The copper should be allowed to sit on the neutral axis, which is the point that experiences minimal strain or stress. The minimum bending radius is roughly around 100X. 3. One Time Crease Minimum bend radius is irrelevant in this design since the flex layer is creased before being installed into the design. Very thin layers and copper weights are recommended. The copper should be placed as near the neutral axis as possible. How to Calculate Flex PCB Bend Radius The minimum bending radius is calculated as a multiple of the final circuit board thickness and the ratio of the desired application (stable or dynamic) and bend radius (r): Ratio = r/h; where r = bending radius, and; h = overall height of the flexible part. These are the bending radii for different layers of stable and dynamic flex boards according to IPC-2223: To calculate the minimum bending radius of a single-layered dynamic flex circuit board with an assumed thickness of 90 µm, we will confirm the bending radius ratio from the table above and multiply it with the thickness of our application: Min. bending radius = (r/h of single layer dynamic flex) x application thickness = (100:1) x 90 µm (or 9 x 10-6) = 9 x 10-4 = 0.9 mm Therefore, the flex circuit board will have a resulting minimum bending radius of 0.9 millimeters. Similarly, you can calculate flex PCB bend radius for any application as long as you consult and tally accurate values from the abovementioned table. For more information on design guides for flex circuit boards, understanding the flex PCB bend radius, or for more innovative circuitry, visit Hemeixin Electronics. Flex PCB Material Selection Standard design practice is to minimize the thickness of the flex circuit as much as practical while meeting the electrical requirements of the design and not incurring unnecessary added material costs. As a result the most common materials are as follows (in order of preference): Copper Weight: ½oz , 1oz Flex Core Thickness: 1 mil, 2 mil, 3 mil, 4 mil Coverlay Thickness: 1 mil, ½ mil Flex cores are also available in two different construction types: Adhesive and Adhesiveless, which based on the method used to attach the copper to the polyimide core. Adhesive uses a layer of flexible adhesive to bond the copper to the polyimide core Adhesiveless bonds the copper directly to the polyimide core Radiused Corners within Flex PCB Bend Areas Having a radiused corner within and flex bend area reduces / eliminates stress concentrators and improves reliability. Staggered Layer to Layer Trace Positioning in your Flex pcb design Staggering your designs layer to layer trace positioning eliminates the "I-Beam" effect which improves the flexibility and reliability of your flex PCB. Cross-hatching plane layers to increase flex pcb flexibility Use a cross-hatch or dot pattern to reduce the copper area on plane layers. The amount of flexibility gained will be directly proportional to the percentage of copper removed from the plane. A cross hatched plane pattern can also increase bond strength between that layer and the adjacent layer since adhesives bond better to polyimide than to copper. This method should be used in cases where the plane functions primarily to control EMI. The percentage of copper that can be removed will depend on the frequency of the noise that the plane is functioning to keep out of the circuit. It should be noted that reducing the copper plane coverage will significantly impact the impedance of any signals using that plane as a return path. For this reason, it is advisable to look for alternate methods (such as silver epoxy planes) to increase circuit flexibility when impedance is a concern. Cross-Hatching in Flex PCB and Rigid Flex PCB While cross-hatching is rarely used in rigid PCBs these days, it does have practical application for both flex and rigid-flex PCB circuits. These applications come in two areas for flex and rigid-flex circuits: - Controlled impedance in flex regions: Using a hatch ground is a good method for providing the reference plane required in controlled impedance routing for high speed digital boards. The hatch ground provides wider, more manufacturable dimensions while retaining the flexibility of the circuit and assembly. It should be noted that cross-hatching reduces the amount of copper under a transmission line, which decreases the capacitance and raises its impedance. - Structural support for flex regions: Using a hatch ground provides structural support needed for a dynamic or static flex ribbon without increasing the rigidity of the copper layer. on a two-sided flexible circuit. The layer can still be used for controlled impedance routing creating undesired rigidity, or the ribbon can be permanently deformed. In order to calculate a trace width that results in the correct impedance, it is necessary to use a modeling tool that accounts for the missing copper in the crosshatched plane. Because the impedance for a given trace over a hatch ground region is higher than that over a solid ground region, the inductance of the trace needs to be decreased to maintain controlled impedance. Therefore, we would want to make the trace a bit wider as this will reduce the trace's inductance and increase the total capacitance with respect to the hatch ground. Both effects will contribute to set the impedance to the correct value. What do you have to know when rigid flex pcb fabrication? 1. Distance of plated holes (PTH) to flexible areas Plated drills (PTH) must have a distance of at least 1,0mm from adjecent flexible areas. The reason is that during chemical processing, a lot of fluuids are running through these drills. However, the flexibl area is hollow inside (not laminated). So the only thing keeping chemicals from flowing through the PTH drill and into the hollow part below the flex is this 1,0mm of laminated FR4-PI (in reality due to swelling drills and reducing the prepreg-flow, it is even less than that). This graphic visualizes the challenge. The FR4 below the FPC will later be milled by z-axis depth milling, so that only the flexible part remains. But if chemicals flew into the hollow part underneath during production, the complete rigid-flexible board is scrap. 2. Traces in the rigid-to-flexible area All traces coming from the flexible parts should run straight into the rigid area for a length of at least 1,0mm before bending or turning in other directions/angels. This is because in these transition areas the board encounters the highest mechanical strain. Diagonal traces or angels in this transition area create unnecessary sharp angels which tear easily. 3. Traces in flexible areas In order to maximize bendability of the flexible areas these traces should also run in straight lines. Angels or diagonally running traces may lead to an increased risk of tearing. If there is sufficient space we do recommend additional, thicker traces on to the outside of the flexible areas as a protection against tearing. These trace do not have to have an electrical function but can be inserted as "dummy" traces. However, these traces should also run at least 1,0mm into the rigid area. Above graphic shows parallel running traces with thicker dummy traces on the sides. Of course you also decide to put an electrical signal on the outer traces. Regardless the stabilizing traces on the sides, for double-sided FPCs all traces should be aligned in a shifted manner so that they do not overlap. This reduces total flexible layer thickness and allows better bending performance. Mechanical Requirements for Flex PCB and Rigid-flex PCB Working with a flex PCB ribbon is all about ensuring components and traces on your board are not damaged under repeated bending. You’ll need to understand the mechanical properties of your materials to design the right bend radius, and many of the foundational concepts of rigid boards still apply. Although you want to prevent fracture, you also need to ensure your product will fit in its enclosure once the flexible ribbon is bent. The ribbon in your rigid-flex PCB and flexible PCB circuit board will integrate directly into your layer stack as a signal layer and a pair of flexible surface layers. As you place additional features on a flexible design of a printed circuit board, you’ll need to model your board’s mechanical behavior. This allows you to check component clearances and match your board’s dimensions to your board enclosure. Layer Stackup In Rigid-Flex PCB and Flex PCB Your flex PCB circuits and rigid-flex PCB circuit boards will still have sections built up from common rigid PCB laminates. The most common rigid insulation material is called FR4. It is an industry designation that represents the ratio of fiber to resin, so materials may vary somewhat to meet FR4 resin content and glass weave requirements. For specialized applications, such as radio frequency or mmWave designs, other types of material designations are available. Consult IPC-2221 for listing of all PCB material types. The ribbon in a flex or rigid-flex PCB is made from flexible polyimide, where traces are routed only in the internal flexible layers. The rigid PCB ends of the board are multilayer structures, and traces are routed across the flex ribbon between rigid sections. In some boards, the flexible circuit ribbon also has multiple layers, and a plane layer can be routed across a flex ribbon. They are one of the leading manufacturers of flex circuit boards and Rigid flex PCB circuits, among other modern design models. They offer the best circuit boards to customers at affordable rates because you deserve the best solutions for your electrical designs! Take and look at their products and get a quote today!

Type: Hilltop Castle Built in: 1346 Okayama Castle was built in 1597 by Ukita Hideie. Hideie was one of Five Dairo of Toyotomi Government. He designed this castle in the motif of Azuchi Castle. THe basement of Tenshu-kaku figures pentagon which is very unique. This time, the technology of building castle had been improved dramatically, and all great Daimyo including Toyotomo Hideyoshi built giant castles, such as Osaka Castle. Okayama Castle is one of those giant castles built in the end of 16th century. The baileys extend to only west side of Honmaru. Okayama Castle use Asahi River as the protection of the Honmaru. The river runs S shape which protect north, east and south side of Honmaru. Korakuen-garden was also built as the bailey of Honmaru. The first Okayama castle was built in middle of 14th century. In 1570, when Ukita Naoie became Sengoku Daimyo, the feudal lord of Bizen, he moved his capital from Kameyama castle to Okayama Castle and built his castle town in current Okayama city. It is 20m tall, three layered six stories building. Just like Azuchi Castle, there is living space for the feudal lord in Tenshu-Kaku. For the fireproof, the wall was painted with Japanese lacquer. Therefore, the Tensh-Kaku was colored in black. Because of its black color, Okayama castle was also called "Ujo" (Crow Castle). The original Tenshu-Kaku remained until WWII. It was burnt down, and reconstructed in 1966. ... is a keep built by 4th lord Ikeda Tadakatsu. This Keep remains since Edo Period, and designated as the important cultural asset of Japan. Akazu-no-Mon Gate (Unopened Gate) This gate was at the bottom of a flight of stone steps, which led to Hon-den, the fudal lord's residence) on the highest level from the southern end of Omote-Shoin (the feudal government office) on the middle level. It was the large castle gate to guard the entrance of Hon-den including Tenshu-kaku. Instead of this gate, the roofed passage of the northern end was commonly used. Therefore, this gate was so called because it would not open for daily use. Though the gate was demolished after the abolishment of castle in Meiji era, it was reconstructed in reinforced concrete in 1966.

PVC Waste Treatment in the Nordic Countries High recycling rates and cutting-edge environmental requirements are well known for the Nordic nations (Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Finland). They do, however, also contribute significantly to incineration. The Nordic countries' polyvinyl chloride waste management is characterized by a dearth of trustworthy data and a lack of formal accounting. It is crucial to take into account the various approaches from an environmental standpoint while dealing with the PVC waste treatment problem. Waste Management Hierarchy The collection, recycling, and disposal of trash are all parts of waste management. In order to reduce the environmental impact of the manufacture and consumption of new products, it is crucial to manage trash in a sustainable way. This poses a significant problem since landfilling garbage contaminates soil and groundwater and emits hazardous chemicals and gases that harm the ecosystem. Waste management and the management of non-hazardous items can be done in a variety of ways. The Trash Management Hierarchy published by the EPA is a popular approach to waste management, while each model has its benefits. The hierarchy emphasizes waste reduction techniques including reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting. Additionally, it tries to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, which fuel climate change. Cities in Europe are plagued with PVC trash, particularly those in Scandinavia where there is a high demand for pvc products. To address some of the environmental and health issues related to PVC waste, the EU has released a number of waste legislation and management strategies. Pre- and post-consumer PVC trash are collected and recycled separately at the national level in several countries. However, these programs are mostly voluntary and only gather a small portion of the region's overall garbage generation (see Table 3). There is a dearth of information on the handling of WEEE and cables, much of which concentrates on pre-treatment and disassembly procedures rather than end-of-life procedures, such as the disposal of end-of-life vehicles (ELVs). It is unknown whether PVC from cables or WEEE is recycled via the PlastSep procedure. The majority of the waste produced in the Nordic region is transferred to facilities that turn waste into water and electricity. This is seen as a waste management approach that is more environmentally friendly than landfilling. PVC is a plastic substance that has a lengthy history of use. It is incorporated into many different things, like as furniture, pipes, and window frames. It can be a significant waste stream in a waste treatment system because of its extended life cycle and susceptibility to degradation over time. PVC waste management in the Nordic nations is comparable to that of other plastics. But there are variations. Finland, Norway, and Sweden don't have distinct PVC collecting systems that are under state control. For specific PVC waste fractions, primarily pre-consumer PVC trash, smaller scale business-to-business systems are in operation. Although some PVC garbage is collected individually, the majority is collected in mixed municipal waste streams. Typically, it is sorted out as a reject fraction and routed to energy recovery from this point (Hakkinen, 2018). Despite the fact that the Nordic countries consume a lot of home textiles, the majority of them are burned together with other residual waste. Since most of the fabrics might have been recycled or used again, this represents a significant loss of resources. Additionally, a significant amount of rigid PVC trash is produced in the construction and demolition industry. This is due to the fact that it is frequently employed in piping and plumbing applications. About 50% of PVC trash in Denmark comes from this industry, although the percentage is higher in Norway and Finland. Although most PVC waste in the area is disposed of in mixed waste flows, certain minor amounts are also materially recycled overseas and some is landfilled. The Nordic waste management plan has not grown as much as the EU's, particularly in terms of recycling, which has led to increasing percentages of waste being burned without energy recovery. Reusing resources that would otherwise be thrown away is the process of recycling. It is an essential component of contemporary waste reduction, and by lowering the demand for raw materials, it supports environmental sustainability. pvc polyvinyl chloride is a popular type of plastic that may be recycled in a number of ways (Fig. 1). In Denmark, 10–13% of all PVC trash is recycled annually, according to VinylPlus. National figures, however, do not adequately account for the amount of recycled PVC. According to official Danish data, only approximately 10% of the 7,000 t/year of independently collected PVC waste that is generated is recycled. The remainder is either burned or dumped in a landfill. In Denmark, the construction and demolition industry accounts for a sizable portion of the rigid PVC waste produced. This is a result of the high rates of PVC consumption in the C&D industry, and it also contains some long-lasting items that, if buried underground, will not be collected as a separate waste category. Meanwhile, the consumer sector accounts for a sizable portion of the production of soft PVC. This is due to its widespread use in flexible items like shower trays, industrial and domestic furniture, etc. These end up in mixed municipal garbage streams that are either landfilled or sent to energy recovery facilities. The Nordic region is generally moving away from disposing of mixed trash in landfills, and energy recovery is becoming a more popular alternative. The prohibition on organic and biodegradable garbage, the levy on landfilling, and the generally cheaper prices for the incineration of mixed waste all have an impact on this. The Nordic nations are renowned for their high rates of recycling and cutting-edge environmental rules, yet they also account for a sizable portion of waste incineration. Reduced garbage production and less reliance on landfills are two benefits of incinerating waste. On the other hand, it might result in hazardous emissions and have an impact on the health of nearby community populations. Environmentalists condemn incineration because it frequently carries a higher risk for negative health effects and releases significant quantities of chemicals and pollutants into the air. Some of these substances can worsen current environmental pollution issues and are known to be detrimental to human health, such as the carcinogen dioxin. Additionally, burning creates hazardous smoke that can get into the air and water supplies and be consumed. Negative consequences including cancer and birth abnormalities may result from this. The chlorines found in PVC waste are also a big cause for concern since they might cause corrosion in the flue gas cleaning system, which could affect the incineration process. To prevent the emission of hazardous chlorines, this must be avoided by thermally treating separately collected PVC waste in incinerators at temperatures exceeding 1100 degrees Celsius (Wienchol et al., 2020). Numerous trash incineration facilities are still in use in the Nordic nations despite these worries. To reduce capital expenses, several businesses use low-temperature incineration equipment. However, this strategy produces significant amounts of harmful pollutants, such as dioxins and furans. In neighborhoods near incinerators, this may raise the risk of cancer and birth abnormalities. Since 2009, a landfilling prohibition has made it necessary to treat the majority of PVC waste through energy recovery. Due of its higher tax rate than garbage incineration, this alternative is not cost-effective. A national system set up by producers and importers collects rigid PVC trash from household and packaging applications. It is separated for drainpipes, water and sewage pipes, cable channels, door and window profiles, wall panels, and gutters at municipal recycling facilities. 12 major PVC importers and producers are funding this collection scheme (Jensen, 2018). Several companies that manufacture/import flooring and piping items send the PVC fraction for recycling elsewhere. Compared to the volumes of PVC trash collected in Denmark, only a little quantity is exported; each year, about 0.5 kt of hard pvc pipe waste is transferred to Sweden and Latvia for recycling (Pohjakaljio and Punkkinen, 2018). Data from Producer Responsibility Organizations show that 144 kt of WEEE (commercial and industrial) was collected in the Nordic nations in 2017. (EE-registret, 2017; Vaajasaari, 2018). Energy recovery is used to remediate the majority of plastic trash, however due of limits in Finland, a small amount is dumped in landfills. Although incinerating waste has been used to handle mixed waste and some hazardous waste, it is not the primary option in the Nordic nations. Due to excessive levels of HCl and dioxin emissions, the majority of energy recovery plants in the area do not accept separately collected PVC waste for burning.

The Role of Electric Linear Actuators in Electric Windows Home automation and digitization in cars are gaining popularity as they help reduce human error and workload, thereby increasing efficiency. From home security to climate control to your car, the convenience of automated systems is unparalleled. However, home automation is highly dependent on several mechanical devices used in the system. Mechanical components such as linear actuators play a vital role in home automation, especially in electric windows. Linear actuators are electric and hence called electric linear actuators. These actuators go through multiple processes to provide movement such as pushing, pulling, triggering, etc. to the device. With the help of these devices, windows can be conveniently opened or closed at the touch of a button. We can find these power windows in our homes, cars, and many other places. This article focuses on the role of linear actuators in power windows. How Do Linear Actuators Work in Power Windows? As mentioned earlier, linear actuators go through several processes to provide pulling and pushing motion. With these units, opening or closing power windows is easy, which is especially useful for hard-to-reach windows. Operate the power windows remotely via a button on the device. These widgets mainly require two inputs - an external input and an energy source. These inputs are used to create rotational and linear motion. The following are two important mechanisms used by power windows. Pole: A retractable pole mounted on a track. Both the track and rod are enclosed within the enclosure for protection. Once power is received from the motor, the rod is activated and begins to extend. This mechanism is responsible when the individual wants to open the electric windows. Rack and Pinion: This mechanism converts rotary motion into linear motion. A pinion, often called a circular gear, meshes with a linear rack. When power is applied, both the rack and pinion rotate. This rotary motion is converted into linear motion. When the rack is pushed out with the movement of the pinion, the power windows open. The brackets for most power windows are housed in the housing. Benefits of Electric Window Drives In the past few years, there has been a huge demand for automation control systems in industries and smart homes. This is because they provide multiple benefits. Here are some benefits. - Earlier, it was almost impossible to open or close overhead windows without any equipment. Linear actuators make things easier than ever. Using linear actuators, power windows can be controlled from anywhere in the home or office with the push of a button. - Electric window drives are environmentally friendly as they do not require any hazardous substances or fossil fuels to operate. - Today, homeowners rely heavily on air conditioning systems for cooling. However, this option is not cost-effective. The natural ventilation provided by electric windows eliminates the need for air conditioning, depending on weather conditions. Therefore, it proves to be the most cost-effective solution to provide ample natural light and wind depending on the region and climate. - Rain sensors and temperature control can be integrated into electric windows according to predefined temperatures. In addition, smoke sensors can clear smoke through automatic actuator vents on the path. Only high-quality and performance-driven products such as sensors and actuation systems will reap the benefits of automation. Since home automation relies heavily on motion control devices such as electric linear actuators, it is important to source them from a trusted supplier in the industry, such as UG Controls. As a professional custom valve actuator manufacturer. UG provides solutions for all industries, including chemical, water, oil and gas, mining, power plants, pharmaceutical, food, and beverage, etc. UG aims to provide customers with the best quality and reliable products. We are always keen to answer all queries about innovative technologies and help them improve their skills and processes. UG is constantly striving to meet the expectations of our customers by continuously training and motivating our employees. If you want to buy valve actuators, welcome to contact us.

Researchers Identify 168 New Nazca Lines in Peru If you’ve read much of my writing, you’ve probably noticed that ancient human history is a favorite topic of mine. I just love learning about how people lived thousands and hundreds of thousands of years ago. We can’t know everything about them. We may not even ever know much about them all because only remnants of them remain — long since buried beneath our feet. I want to know their perspectives, beliefs, and wisdom and understand their thinking behind creating the things we’ve found. Like today’s topic, the infamous geoglyphs known as the Nazca Lines in Peru. Scientists have known about them for a while, but archeologists recently discovered over a hundred more! Geoglyphs are simple ancient designs, like pictographs, except instead of being drawn on cave walls, geoglyphs are created using the planet’s terrain. They are often challenging to date for the same reason, but they’ve been discovered worldwide, and the artifacts found in the areas are thousands of years old. The Nazca Lines are easily the most famous grouping of geoglyphs and were created by and named after the pre-Hispanic Nazca civilization — one of the most sophisticated ancient Peruvian cultures. Based on current evidence, the Nazca culture etched their geoglyphs across the desert plains of the basin river of Rio Grande de Nazca between 400 BCE and 650 CE. For over a thousand years, the Nazca drew over a thousand geoglyphs (that we know of) that sprawl across 75,358.47 hectares (186,214.8 acres). The images portray large-scale geometric shapes and lines, plants and animals like insects, birds, and flowers, and mysterious, fantastical human-like figures. These and other geoglyphs are protected UNESCO heritage sites. UNESCO states: “[The Nazca Lines] are the most outstanding group of geoglyphs anywhere in the world and are unmatched in their extent, magnitude, quantity, size, diversity and ancient tradition.”

1. Understanding the Basics of Encrypted Satellite Channels Understanding the basics of encrypted satellite channels is crucial in today’s digital age. Encrypted satellite channels refer to the method of securing the transmission of data and content over satellite communication networks. This technology is widely used in various industries, including telecommunications, broadcasting, and military applications. Encryption plays a vital role in ensuring the privacy and security of satellite communication networks. It involves converting the original data into an unreadable format using complex algorithms, making it nearly impossible for unauthorized individuals to decipher the information. This cryptographic technique adds an extra layer of protection against hacking, interception, and unauthorized access. Satellite channels are a means of transmitting data via satellites orbiting the Earth. These channels enable the communication between ground-based stations and various remote locations, providing a reliable and widespread network coverage. Encrypted satellite channels ensure that the data being transmitted is secure and protected from any potential threats or breaches. Understanding the basics of encrypted satellite channels is essential for individuals and organizations relying on satellite communication networks. From broadcasters transmitting sensitive content to governments exchanging classified information, a deep understanding of encryption methods and satellite channel protocols ensures the integrity and security of the data being transmitted. Implementing proper encryption protocols, regular updates, and cybersecurity measures are crucial to safeguarding the confidentiality and privacy of the information transmitted through encrypted satellite channels. It is important to stay informed about the latest encryption technologies and best practices in order to keep up with the evolving threats that exist in the digital landscape. Overall, grasping the fundamentals of encrypted satellite channels is pivotal in today’s interconnected world. It allows us to leverage the benefits of satellite communication while ensuring that our data remains protected. Whether you are an individual user, a business, or a government entity, understanding these basics will enable you to make informed decisions and take necessary steps to secure your satellite communication network. 2. Choosing the Right Equipment for Astra Satellite Reception When it comes to Astra satellite reception, choosing the right equipment is crucial for a seamless experience. Whether you want to enjoy your favorite TV shows or access a wide range of channels, having the appropriate equipment is essential. Satellite Dish: The first and most important piece of equipment you’ll need for Astra satellite reception is a satellite dish. This dish is responsible for capturing the satellite signals and transmitting them to your receiver. It’s important to choose a dish that is compatible with Astra satellites and provides a good signal strength. Ensure that the dish size is suitable for your location and the weather conditions in your area. LNB (Low-Noise Blockdown): The LNB is connected to the satellite dish and receives the signals captured by the dish. It amplifies and converts these signals into a format that can be received by your satellite receiver. When selecting an LNB, make sure it supports the frequency range and polarization used by Astra satellites. Satellite Receiver: The satellite receiver is the device that receives the signals from the LNB and decodes them into audio and video for your television. There are various types of receivers available, including standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) receivers. Choose a receiver that is compatible with Astra satellites and meets your required specifications, such as the ability to access specific channels or features. 3. Step-by-Step Instructions for Configuring your Satellite Receiver Things to Consider Before Configuring your Satellite Receiver Configuring a satellite receiver can be a complex process, so it’s important to be prepared before you start. Firstly, ensure that you have all the necessary equipment such as a satellite dish, coaxial cables, and a power source. Additionally, check if your satellite receiver is compatible with the satellite provider you wish to use. It’s also advisable to have a strong and stable internet connection for software updates and accessing online services. Step 1: Physical Setup The first step in configuring your satellite receiver is to set up the physical components. Begin by installing the satellite dish in an appropriate location with a clear line of sight to the sky. Connect the coaxial cables from the dish to the receiver, making sure they are securely attached. Plug in the power source and turn on the receiver. If everything is connected correctly, the receiver should start powering up. Step 2: Software Setup Once the physical setup is complete, it’s time to proceed with the software configuration of your satellite receiver. Most receivers have an on-screen setup wizard that will guide you through the process. Follow the instructions on the screen to select your preferred language, satellite provider, and set up the channels. If necessary, you may need to input specific satellite settings or frequencies provided by your satellite provider. Step 3: Finalize the Configuration After completing the software setup, it’s important to perform a final check to ensure everything is working correctly. Use the receiver’s remote control to navigate through the menu and test different channels. Make adjustments to the antenna if necessary to improve the signal strength. It’s also recommended to update the receiver’s software regularly to ensure optimal performance and access to new features. Follow these step-by-step instructions to configure your satellite receiver successfully. Remember to consult the user manual of your specific receiver model for any additional guidance or troubleshooting. With a properly configured satellite receiver, you’ll be able to enjoy a wide range of satellite channels and services hassle-free. 4. Exploring Legal Ways to Decrypt Satellite Channels Decrypting satellite channels has long been a subject of interest for many individuals who are looking to expand their entertainment options. However, it is important to note that unauthorized decryption of satellite channels is illegal and can lead to severe consequences. In this article, we will explore legal ways to decrypt satellite channels, providing you with the necessary information to enhance your viewing experience while staying on the right side of the law. The Role of Satellite Receivers A satellite receiver is an essential component when it comes to decrypting satellite channels legally. These devices are designed to receive and decode satellite signals, allowing users to access a wide range of channels. It is important to purchase a legitimate satellite receiver from reliable sources to ensure compliance with legal requirements. Provider subscriptions are also a crucial aspect to consider when decrypting satellite channels legally. Subscribing to legitimate satellite providers not only ensures access to a wider variety of channels but also contributes to supporting the content creators and broadcasters who bring high-quality programming to our screens. Legal Satellite TV Services There are numerous legal satellite TV services available that grant access to a vast selection of channels. These services often require a subscription and provide users with official access to encrypted satellite channels. By subscribing to legal services, you can enjoy a wide range of programming while supporting the industry as a whole. It is important to note that attempting to decrypt satellite channels illegally not only exposes you to legal consequences but also harms the industry by undermining the efforts of content creators and broadcasters. By exploring legal options, you can enjoy a wide range of content while respecting the intellectual property rights of others. 5. Staying Up-to-Date with the Latest Encryption Technologies When it comes to protecting sensitive data and ensuring the security of online communications, staying up-to-date with the latest encryption technologies is crucial. Encryption involves encoding information in a way that can only be decoded by authorized parties, making it a fundamental part of modern cybersecurity. With the constant advancements in technology, encryption techniques are continually evolving to keep pace with new threats and vulnerabilities. Staying informed about the latest encryption technologies can help individuals and organizations stay one step ahead of cybercriminals. Some of the latest encryption technologies include advanced encryption standard (AES), which is widely used for securing sensitive data, and elliptic curve cryptography (ECC), which offers strong security with less computational power. Why should you stay up-to-date with encryption technologies? - Enhanced Security: Staying updated with the latest encryption technologies ensures that you are utilizing the most secure encryption methods available. This helps protect your data from unauthorized access and potential cyber attacks. - Compliance Requirements: Many industries have specific compliance requirements regarding data security. Staying current with encryption technologies can help ensure that you meet these requirements and avoid penalties or legal consequences. - Emerging Threats: Cyber threats are constantly evolving, and attackers are finding new ways to exploit vulnerabilities. Keeping up-to-date with encryption technologies allows you to proactively address emerging threats and protect your sensitive information. Overall, staying up-to-date with the latest encryption technologies is essential for safeguarding your data and maintaining the privacy and integrity of your online activities. By continuously educating yourself about encryption advancements and implementing the most secure encryption methods, you can stay ahead of potential cyber threats and protect yourself and your digital assets.

What do chemical pollutants and sunlight have to do with ponds? They both play a key role in the health of pond fish. Fish are sensitive to chemical pollution. Avoid using any chemicals not specifically labeled safe for fish anywhere near your pond. That includes herbicides for your lawn, fertilizers for your flowerbeds, and insecticides around the perimeter of your house and patio. Three other chemicals that can prove deadly to fish are ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. Ammonia is created from decomposing plants and fish waste and is highly toxic in large concentrations. Beneficial bacteria can convert ammonia into less toxic nitrites, which other bacteria can convert into only mildly irritating nitrates. It’s important to have these beneficial bacteria present in your pond to prevent the nitrite levels from skyrocketing. Too many nitrites will prevent fishes’ gills from utilizing the oxygen in the water, silently suffocating them to death. If your water tests high for any of these chemicals (simple home test kits are available), you should make an immediate major water change—draining at least 1/3 – 1/2 of the pond and replacing it with fresh water. The fresh water, of course, doesn’t actually combat the nitrites or nitrates, but it does dilute their concentration to a more fish-friendly level. You should also add some zeolyte clay and use a charcoal filter to further reduce the dangers. Remember when adding water from the tap that most communities use chlorine or chloramines to kill off bacteria and other human-unfriendly critters. Too much of either of these chemicals can also adversely affect your fish, resulting in weakened immune systems and occasionally even death. Fortunately, unlike nitrites and nitrates, chlorine and chloramines can be neutralized simply and efficiently by adding inexpensive compounds, including commercially available regulators such as Amquel, to your pond. Fish enjoy early morning and late afternoon sunlight. They are cold-blooded animals, meaning that their internal temperatures adjust to match that of their surrounding environment. That’s one of the reasons that fish, much like people, prefer to rest in the shade during the hottest part of the day. They require some sun, but they also need enough shade to escape its heat whenever necessary. To provide shade for our ponds, we rely on existing trees, nearby fences, and a small homemade “bridge” that runs from the front wall of the pond to the back. It’s built out of rough-cut cedar to resist rotting and covered with Spanish moss. We planted the bridge with baby tears and several types of grasses to make it appear natural. As a bonus, the plants’ roots hang down into the water, giving the fish something to nibble on while keeping the water oxygenated. Other excellent sources of shade are floating plants, such as water hyacinths, water lettuce, parrot’s feather, and duckweed. These plants sit on top of the water and block out the sun, providing a natural canopy for the fish below. Water lilies can also be useful as shade generators, in addition to providing a profusion of colorful flowers all summer long. Fish enjoy rooting around various floating and underwater plants. Some of our favorites are cattails, hardy water lilies, water hyacinth, marsh marigold, and water lettuce. The fish love to nose around them in search of food and sometimes nibble on the leaves, sort of like a fishy Caesar’s salad. Plants are also useful in that they absorb nitrites for their own growth and give off life-sustaining oxygen in the process. It’s a win-win situation. But beware. If you have koi, be prepared to replace plants often, as the fish are notorious grazers. One medium-sized koi can denude a dozen or more water lilies over the course of a single growing season. While goldfish can be mildly destructive on occasion, they are far less so than their Japanese cousins. One word of advice to small-pond owners: be especially vigilant. Since small ponds contain relatively little water, their chemical makeup can change dramatically within a very short time. Large ponds with more water, greater surface area, and a larger turnover rate can hold more chemicals without endangering your fish. Best-Case Scenario: You have a 500-gallon or larger pond stocked with 10 medium-sized goldfish and small koi. The pond is equipped with a large-capacity pump and filter. The pump moves the water through a hose 20 feet uphill to a spillway, where it dumps into a small holding pond filled with cattails before cascading over a second spillway and into a meandering stream lined with watercress, bull rush, and other living plants. From there, the stream washes over a third spillway into a larger holding pond also filled with living plants, including water lilies and hyacinth. Finally, the water spills over a fourth spillway and down another short planted streambed before emptying back into the main pond. Advantage: You will nearly never have to worry about a sudden buildup of nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, chlorine, chloramines, or virtually any other chemical pollutants. Worst-Case Scenario: You have a 30-gallon wine barrel with a small pump-and-fountain and six small goldfish. Disadvantage: You will nearly always have to worry about a sudden buildup of naturally occurring chemical pollutants, and you’ll constantly have to monitor the condition of your water to keep your fish healthy. Of these two scenarios, one pond isn’t necessarily better for you than the other; it’s just part of the game, something to be aware of. In the end, isn’t that what being a responsible fish-pond owner, a responsible human being, is all about? Watching, observing, learning, acting, reacting—being in tune with Nature so that you can be in tune with yourself. Happy water gardening!

I was sifting some compost from a heap and noticed that most of the eggshells were still intact. The pile was there for over a year. So, I wondered, how long does it take for eggshells to decompose? I looked it up. Eggshells take between 5 to 10 years to decompose if finely crushed and applied to microbe-rich, acidic soil. However, under normal conditions, eggshells do not readily break down but can remain visible in the soil for over 100 years; and have been found fully intact on archeological digs. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at some interesting facts and myths about eggshells and how you can use them in gardening. Let’s dive in. Why Do Eggshells Not Decompose? Eggshells seemingly do not decompose, or for the very least, would take a few lifetimes to verify the process. Eggshells are made up mainly of calcium carbonate (CaCO3), which is a stable mineral compound. It is brittle and can easily be broken into smaller pieces but does not readily release its components. As a result, the calcium in eggshells is not water-soluble but requires an acidic solution to dissolve. In the absence of an acidic chemical reaction, the shells remain intact. In fact, in a recent 5-years study, eggshells remained unchanged in a compost bin. What Happens To Eggshells In The Garden? You should crush eggshells before you add them to the soil to get the most out of them. However, even if you do not break them into smaller pieces before you add them to the garden, they will still seem to disappear over time. In the garden, eggshells experience physical disturbances and chemical reactions from the soil and the rain. Eggshells are brittle and break down into fine pieces through normal tilling as well as other soil disturbances which occur during soil preparation. In acidic soil, powdered eggshells act as a liming agent, raising the soil’s PH. During this reaction, the shells dissolve, and calcium is made available to plants. Rainwater forms a weak acidic solution when it reacts with Carbon Dioxide. This weak acid slowly leeches calcium away from shells over time, similar to its action on limestone. This reaction can take decades or even centuries, depending on the acid form and the surface area of the shell. In other words, finely crushed eggshells react and dissolve faster when exposed to acid. Do Eggshells Decompose In Compost? Years ago, I came across the advice to add eggshells to my compost heap. However, like many other composters, I noticed that the eggshells were still visible even after a few years in neglected piles. Initially, calcium leaches from eggshells during the short-lived acidic stage of the compost. This process stops as the compost ages and becomes neutral. If left untouched, most of the eggshells will remain intact. However, the shells break down into smaller pieces as the compost turns. At this point, you would expect microorganisms to break the shells down. However, these microbes mainly work on the inner protein lining but ignore the outer shell since it is more or less inorganic. As the compost ages, insects and earthworms migrate towards the compost and continue the breakdown process; but ignores eggshells for the most part. Do Earthworms Help Break Down Eggshells? My friend built a DIY worm farm and filled it with eggshells. Someone told him that earthworms help to decompose eggshells, but do they? As you may already know, earthworms do not use teeth to chew their food. Instead, they use small particles, referred to as grit, to help break up their food. These particles can be anything from small sand particles to eggshells. During the process, the particles break into smaller bits and pieces. This process does little to release calcium since earthworms have alkaline digestive juices. However, by further crushing the shells, they become easier to break down if conditions are right. Eggshells need to be finely crushed for earthworms to ingest. Otherwise, the worms will ignore the larger pieces altogether. What’s The Best Way To Use Eggshells In The Garden? Many people promote the use of Eggshells in the garden. They claim that eggshells will add calcium to the soil. However, this is true only to a certain degree. So what are the best ways to use eggshells in the garden? - Powdered Eggshells – You can use powdered eggshells as a liming agent for acidic soil. It provides additional calcium as it reacts and balances the soil’s PH. The smaller particles react more effectively. As a result, you should crush shells into a powder before applying. - Water Soluble Calcium (WS-Ca) – The calcium from the eggshells can be made available to plants by applying a weak acid, such as vinegar. You can dilute and apply the resulting solution directly to plants as a foliar application. As noted before, eggshells are not water-soluble. As a result, they require a form of acid to release calcium and other minerals. In the absence of this acid, the shell remains intact, and little or no calcium is released. How To Make and Use Water Soluble Calcium (WS-Ca)? I first came across the idea of water-soluble calcium, used in Korean Natural Farming, while researching how to treat end rot in my Roma Tomatoes. I’ve never thrown away eggshells ever since. Here is a simple method to make WS-Ca. You will need eggshells and some white vinegar. - Collect as many eggshells as you can. It can take a few months. - Crush the shells into fine pieces. Blend into a powder, if possible. Wear a mask when blending. - Heat the crushed eggshells in a thick pot. Turn it often until it becomes dark brown. - Measure the amount of powder using a measuring cup. Place this into a bottle. - Add ten times the amount of vinegar to the bottle with the eggshells. For example, If you have 25ml of eggshells, add 250ml of vinegar. Note: Ensure you use a large enough bottle because the reaction will foam up quite a bit at first. - Cover the bottle with a paper towel and put it aside for up to 10 days. - After ten days, you can pour out the liquid into a bottle for storage. The resulting solution is highly concentrated but neutral. Note: The remaining eggshells can be added to compost or directly to the garden. You need to dilute water-soluble calcium in the ratio of 1 part WCA to 1000 parts water: or 1 ml to 1 liter. You can modify the dilution to suit the plant or growing. You can apply the solution to the leaves of the plants. Note: Most soils already contain more than enough calcium needed by plants. However, due to one issue or another, it is not available for use by the plants through their roots. The foliar application of calcium bypasses these issues and ensures that the plant receives the nutrients that it needs. There are many myths about eggshells and their use in the garden. While these may be true under specific conditions, they are, for the most part, folklore. The same is evident when it comes to how long it takes for eggshells to decompose. While some people report that it takes a few years, most will state from experience that they do not decompose at all, even after decades. As for me, I belong to the latter camp. I am yet to see actual evidence of eggshells decomposing under normal conditions in my area. However, I have also adapted the methods of crushing and WCA to get the best benefits from the shells. What Benefits Are Eggshells In Worm Bins? Earthworms use the surface of larger pieces of shell to scrape off their eggs when laying. You can also give finely crushed eggshells to earthworms as grit to help digest their food. Are Eggshells Organic or Inorganic? Eggshells are organic for the most part. They compose of a soft inner lining, made of protein, and a hard shell. However, this hard shell is made primarily of a mineral compound, calcium carbonate, which is a mineral and classified as inorganic. Scielo. Characterisation Of Avian Eggshells Waste… Scielo.br. Accessed August, 2021 Kathryn Lamzik…Analysis Of Avian Fauna And Eggshells… Tennessee.edu. Accessed August, 2021

After the First World War, the banking sector had to become more efficient in order to control its labour costs. In the 1920s, office equipment revolutionised life in offices. The Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris was one of the first banks to integrate new data processing techniques. At the time, office equipment operators performed an essential job that no longer exists. Innovation in the making In the early twentieth century, banking operations involved dealing with numerous printed documents. An increasing number of operations had to be processed because there were more and more customer accounts. Accounting machines were developed and the punch-card machines, created for the American census of 1890, arrived on the French market in the 1920s. The Comptoir National d’Escompte de Paris (CNEP) was one of the country’s first banks to adopt these new data processing techniques. In 1926, it invested 2.6 billion francs to acquire 90 accounting machines. These changes led to the creation of a new type of job in banking – office equipment operators. Technicians became all the more essential due to fact that mechanisation was growing. In the mid-1930s, all CNEP branches in Paris and the provinces were equipped with accounting machines, punch-card machines, tabulators and card sorters. Specific know-how was required to use them. Therefore, machine manufacturers provided training to teams who would work in office equipment workshops. Office equipment operators had to constantly pay attention to what they were doing to avoid errors; they had to be observant and resilient because handling the heavy drawers of card indexes could be tiring. In the 1950s, office equipment was in its heyday and the profession of office equipment operator was taught in secondary schools and technical high schools. With the arrival of computers in the 1960s, the profession gradually disappeared and new banking professions developed.

Burkina Faso is an African country rich in history and culture that includes a deep appreciation for the red rose. The red rose has significant meaning in Burkina Faso’s cultural landscape and is often used in traditional ceremonies, festivals, and celebrations. It symbolizes love, courage, and resilience, embodying the spirit of the Burkinabe people. The red rose is the national flower of Burkina Faso and is a source of pride for its people. The flower’s significance can be traced back to the Mossi Empire during the 11th to the 19th century. During this time, the rose was a symbol of power and was used in the empire’s royal courts. Today, the rose remains an important part of Burkina Faso’s cultural identity and is celebrated in various ways throughout the country. The red rose has a long and rich history in Burkina Faso. In fact, it is considered the national flower of the country. The origins of the red rose in Burkina Faso date back centuries. The rose was brought to the region by Arab traders who traveled along the trans-Saharan trade routes. Over time, the rose became a symbol of love, courage, and resilience, embodying the spirit of the Burkinabe people. In the Mossi Kingdom, which was founded in the 15th century, the red rose was often used in traditional ceremonies, festivals, and celebrations as a representation of the country’s rich cultural heritage. The Mossi people, who were skilled farmers and herders, cultivated the rose and used it for medicinal purposes as well. Today, the red rose remains an important symbol of Burkina Faso’s cultural heritage. It is still used in traditional ceremonies and festivals and is also cultivated for export. The rose industry provides employment for many people in Burkina Faso and contributes to the country’s economy. In Burkina Faso, the red rose holds a special cultural significance. It is not just a beautiful flower, but also a symbol of love, passion, and beauty across various cultures. The striking color and enchanting fragrance of the red rose make it a popular choice for expressing emotions and celebrating special occasions. However, in Burkina Faso, the red rose has a deeper symbolism that reflects the nation’s history and culture. The red rose is the national flower of Burkina Faso and is a symbol of the country’s struggle for independence. The flower represents the blood shed by the people of Burkina Faso in their fight for freedom and democracy. The red rose is also used in traditional Burkina Faso weddings. As a symbol of love and commitment, the groom presents a bouquet of red roses to the bride. The red rose is also used in other cultural celebrations, such as festivals and religious ceremonies. The rose is also an important symbol in Burkina Faso’s art and literature. It is often depicted in paintings, sculptures, and other works of art as a symbol of beauty, love, and passion. The rose is also a popular subject in Burkina Faso’s poetry and literature. It is used to express a range of emotions, from love and desire to sadness and loss. Overall, the red rose holds a special place in Burkina Faso’s culture and history. It is more than just a beautiful flower; it is a symbol of the country’s struggle for independence, a symbol of love and commitment, and a symbol of beauty and passion. The rose industry has had a significant economic impact on Burkina Faso. According to the Burkinabè Ministry of Culture, the rose industry has created numerous job opportunities. They also noted that the industry has helped to diversify the country’s economy, which has traditionally been dominated by agriculture. In addition to the direct economic impact of the rose industry, there are also indirect benefits. For example, the industry has spurred the development of supporting industries, such as transportation and packaging. It has also led to the growth of related industries, such as perfume and cosmetics, which use rose oil as a key ingredient. Despite the economic benefits of the rose industry, there are also challenges that need to be addressed. For example, the industry is vulnerable to fluctuations in demand and price. Moreover, there are concerns about the environmental impact of rose cultivation, particularly with regard to water usage and pesticide use. Efforts are being made to address these issues, including the adoption of sustainable farming practices and the development of alternative pest control methods. Artistic & Literary Influence The rose has had a significant impact on the artistic and literary culture of Burkina Faso. The flower’s symbolism of love, courage, and resilience has been a source of inspiration for many artists and writers in the country. The impact of the rose can be seen in the many sculptures, paintings, and other related artworks. The rose’s beauty and symbolism have made it a popular subject for artists, and its use in traditional ceremonies and festivals has helped to cement its place in the country’s cultural heritage. The rose has also had a significant impact on literature in Burkina Faso. The oral tradition has long been an important part of the country’s culture, and many writers have drawn on the flower’s symbolism in their work. The rose’s association with love and resilience has made it a popular subject for poets and novelists, and its use in literature has helped to reinforce its importance in the country’s cultural identity. Overall, the rose has had a profound influence on the artistic and literary culture of Burkina Faso. Its beauty and symbolism have made it a popular subject for artists and writers alike, and its use in traditional ceremonies and festivals has helped to reinforce its place in the country’s cultural heritage. In Burkina Faso, the red rose holds significant cultural and symbolic meaning. It is the national flower of the country and is often used in traditional ceremonies, festivals, and celebrations as a representation of the country’s rich cultural heritage. Through the years, the rose has remained an important part of Burkina Faso’s history and culture. It has been used in various ways, from medicinal purposes to decorative purposes. The rose has also been used as a symbol of love, courage, and resilience, embodying the spirit of the Burkinabe people. As Burkina Faso continues to develop its cultural sector and traditions for social and economic development, the red rose remains an important part of its identity. The country’s diverse and vibrant culture is reflected in the many ways the rose is used and celebrated. Overall, the red rose in Burkina Faso is a testament to the country’s rich history and culture. It is a symbol of the Burkinabe people’s love for their country and their determination to preserve their traditions and heritage. Roses Originating In Burkina Faso The Rose Directory website library catalogues roses from around the world. If there are any roses originating from this country, you can find a clickable list to explore below. If there are no roses listed, don’t worry – we will continue to add more roses to the catalogue in the future and more may appear then.No roses found.

Using a Graphical interface to interact with your laptop is an easy job. But, using the Command Line Interface is the next level. CLI-based tasks are faster and memory efficient for the computer system. So, many computer geeks prefer using the Command Line over the Graphical Interface. You can use the Command prompt in Windows to perform your tasks effectively. It is a powerful Command Line Interface to perform different tasks on your computer system. In this article, we will be learning to use the command prompt to use wildcards to rename files. How to open the command prompt? Before learning how to use wildcards to rename files in cmd, let’s learn to open the Command Prompt. Follow the steps below: - Click on Windows in the Taskbar. Or, press the Windows button on your keyboard. - Type cmd on the Search option. - Click on Command Prompt. Another way to open Command Prompt is as follows: - Press Windows+R on your keyboard. - Type cmd. - Hit Enter. What are wildcard characters in cmd? What do they do? Two characters * (asterisk) and ? (question mark) are termed wildcard characters in the command prompt. These special characters are used to match one or more characters in the file and folder names. In cmd, the asterisk sign * matches the sequence of characters (including an empty string), and the question mark ‘?’ matches a single character. Some basic commands In this article, we will be using some of the basic commands in the command prompt. The following commands will be used in this article: - dir: Displays files and folders of the working directory - cd: Changes the current working directory - ren: Changes the name of the desired file or directory - cls: Clear the screen |ren <current_file_name> <new_file_name> How to use wildcards to rename files in cmd? Follow the steps below to rename files using wildcards in the command prompt: Step 1: Open the command prompt. fig. Open Command Prompt Step 2: Enter the Drive letter, followed by a colon ( : ) where you have the files to be renamed. fig. Enter the Drive Letter with colon and press Enter Step 3: Use the command cd, followed by the directory name, to enter the desired directory. fig. Change Directory You can escape these steps by simply following the steps below: - Open the directory which contains the files to be renamed. - Right-click on the empty screen area. - Click on “Open in Terminal”. Step4: Type dir in the command prompt to view the files and sub-directories in the current directory. You can use wildcards along with the dir command. Look at these examples: a. dir *.mp4 command displays every file name with an extension .mp4. b. Similarly, if dir IMG_2020*.jpg is used, then every file starting with IMG_2020 and having extension .jpg would be displayed. c. Using dir IMG_20211???_* displays all the files starting with IMG_20211, followed by three unknown characters, an underscore ( _ ), and remaining unknown characters. Each of the three question marks represents an unknown individual character. The asterisk sign represents every unknown character after the underscore. Step 5: Use the ren command followed by the existing file name and the new file name. This will rename the file. See the examples below: a. ren *.jpg *.png renames all the files with the extension name ‘.jpg’ to ‘.png’. b. The command ren "IMG*" "///Y*" renames all the files starting with IMG. The forward slash ( / ) means to remove a character. The first three characters are removed. The fourth character is replaced by the letter ‘Y’. The other characters remain the same. c. You can expect to rename all files starting with Y by using the command The new file name starts with Y. It is followed by a set of characters of the original file name till an underscore ( _ ). The characters after the underscore are replaced by “flowers”. (Note: If the file name coincides after the changes, messages like those in the below images will appear. Also, if you don’t assign .* after flowers, all the new file names will have double full stops.) Using this command, you can add ‘video’ at the tail of every filename starting with ‘2’. Make sure the number of question marks is greater than the longest filename. Otherwise, the desired result won’t be obtained. In this way, you can use wildcards to rename the files in the command prompt. You can also view the files and sub-directories with the help of the dir command and wildcard characters. Keep in tune that the ren command is not reversible. So, make sure to use it only after assuring the need for changes. Using the command prompt to rename files saves time. It might be a bit difficult to learn these commands. But, once you get some days of practice, you will find it faster and easier. The Command prompt is a powerful tool and one must be careful using it. You can easily rename multiple file names at once using the wildcard characters in the Command prompt.

Article 16: Every child has the right to meet with other children and young people and to join groups and organisations, as long as this does not stop other people from enjoying their rights. Through our Peer Mentor scheme, pupils are trained to provide help to other pupils who are unhappy or lonely at play and lunchtimes. They are not there to tell people what to do. They provide support by listening to and helping individuals to think their problems through and consider their options. Some of the things that Peer Mentors do: - help new students to settle into school - run activities at lunchtime so that students have a safe place to be - are available for any pupil to go and have a chat to about a worry they have - work alongside Learning Support Assistants helping students in the lunch hall. For peer support to work well, a number of things are important: Training is provided for the Peer Mentors so that they understand their roles and develop the important communication and problem solving skills. Good support and supervision from staff. Trained adults are available at all times to support the Peer Mentors themselves and give guidance if necessary. Making peer support an important part of the whole school’s ethos.

LIST OF WARS: DETAILS Spanish Civil War Also called: Guerra Civil Battle deaths: 466,300 Published prior to 2013 | Updated: 2013-08-15 09:53:58 The war took place between July 1936 and April 1939 (although the political situation had already been violent for several years before) and ended in the defeat of the Republicans, resulting in the fascist dictatorship of Francisco Franco. The number of casualties is disputed; estimates generally suggest that between 500,000 and 1,000,000 people were killed. Many of these deaths, however, were results not of military fighting, but were the outcome of brutal mass executions perpetrated by both sides. Many Spanish intellectuals and artists (including many of the Spanish Generation of 1927) were either killed or forced into exile; also thousands of priests and religious people (including several Bishops) were killed; the more military-inclined often found fame and fortune. The Spanish economy needed decades to recover (see Spanish miracle). The political and emotional repercussions of the war reverberated far beyond the boundaries of Spain and sparked passion among international intellectual and political communities. Republican sympathizers proclaimed it as a struggle between "tyranny and democracy", or "fascism and liberty". Franco’s supporters, on the other hand, viewed it as a battle between the "red hordes" (of communism and anarchism) and "civilization". However, these dichotomies were inevitably over-simplifications: both sides had varied, and often conflicting, ideologies within their ranks. The military tactics of the war foreshadowed many of the actions of World War II. SOURCES: FATALITY DATA NOTE ON NATION DATA NOTE! Nation data for this war may be inconlusive or incomplete. In most cases it reflects which nations were involved with troops in this war, but in some it may instead reflect the contested territory. Advertisment is a distraction, we know, but it helps us pay our ISP.

What is Destructive Interference? Destructive interference occurs when two waves with opposite motions come together and cancel each other out, resulting in a net decrease in amplitude. In other words, the waves interfere in such a way that they produce a smaller or no wave at all. This can happen if the peaks of one wave line up with the troughs of the other. This phenomenon is often observed in wave systems, including sound, light, and water waves. Destructive interference can occur when two waves originate from different sources, or when they are reflected off a surface and combine with one another. How Does Destructive Interference Work? The destructive interference occurs when the amplitude of the resultant wave is less than the amplitude of the individual waves. When two waves with the same frequency and wavelength intersect at opposite phases, they produce an interference pattern with opposite amplitudes. The amplitude of this pattern is zero when the waves are completely out of phase (180 degrees), as they cancel each other out. Destructive interference can be mathematically described by the superposition principle, which states that the displacement of a medium caused by the interference of waves is the sum of the individual displacements caused by each wave. In the case of destructive interference, the displacement of one wave is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to that of the other. Examples of Destructive Interference One common example of destructive interference is the phenomenon of noise-canceling headphones. These headphones use microphones to pick up external sounds and then produce a sound wave with the same amplitude but opposite phase. When this wave combines with the original sound wave, the result is a canceling effect that significantly reduces the external noise. Another example of destructive interference is the phenomenon of standing waves, which occur when waves are reflected back and forth along a medium. In this case, the points of maximum displacement (antinodes) and minimum displacement (nodes) are created due to constructive and destructive interference of the waves. Applications of Destructive Interference Destructive interference has several practical applications in fields such as acoustics, optics, and engineering. In acoustics, the use of noise-canceling headphones and architectural acoustics to reduce unwanted sound echoes are some examples. In optics, destructive interference is used in the design of anti-reflective coatings on camera lenses and eyeglasses, as well as in the manufacture of holograms. In engineering, destructive interference is used to detect flaws or defects in materials, such as cracks in metal structures, by measuring the changes in the interference pattern of reflected waves. Overall, destructive interference is a fundamental concept in wave mechanics that has many practical applications in various fields. Understanding its principles can lead to more efficient and effective solutions in a range of industries.

You’ve likely heard the buzz around renewable energy sources – solar, wind, hydropower, and more. They’re not just good for the environment, they’re increasingly becoming a smart economic choice too. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), in 2020 alone, 162 GW of renewable power was installed worldwide – an increase of over 10% from the previous year. As we collectively strive towards more sustainable living, this growth trend is promising. However, you’ve probably also heard arguments questioning the reliability of these renewables. The global dialogue around this issue has been as heated as the sun’s rays that power solar panels and just as diverse as the wind patterns that drive turbines. If you’re keen on understanding this dynamic topic that’s reshaping how we power our world, read on to get enlightened! - Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and hydropower are gaining popularity due to their environmental and economic advantages. - Despite the benefits, the reliability of renewable energy is often questioned due to issues such as intermittency and grid stability. - Strategies like energy storage systems, smart grid technologies, demand response programs, and interconnected grids are being implemented to address these concerns. - Technological advancements in solar and wind energy, including improvements in efficiency and cost-effectiveness, are helping to mitigate reliability issues. - Despite the challenges, the future of renewable energy looks promising, with continuous innovations and a growing commitment to a sustainable future. The Case for Renewables Renewables have captured the attention of millions of people all over the world for a reason – these innovative energy generation solutions are not only less harmful to the environment, but they also provide concrete economic advantages. By turning towards renewables like wind, solar, and hydroelectric systems, we make a significant contribution to reducing global warming emissions. Just consider this: burning natural gas for electricity releases between 0.6 and 2 pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent per kilowatt-hour (CO2e/kWh), but wind power only emits between 0.02 to 0.04 pounds CO2e/kWh. That’s a vast difference. Not only that, but these renewable technologies don’t contribute to any air pollution while generating electricity. It is believed that the 25 percent by 2025 national renewable electricity standard in the United States alone could lower power plant carbon dioxide emissions by an astonishing 277 million metric tons annually by 2025. And if we keep pushing forward with renewables adoption, we could potentially slash the electricity sector’s emissions by about a massive 81% by mid-century! Apart from curbing greenhouse gases emission, another significant advantage of these clean energy sources is they do not pollute or strain our water resources as fossil fuels do. This dual-benefit approach makes renewables a game-changer in environmental preservation efforts. Switching over to clean energy sources doesn’t just benefit the environment – it’s also a major boost for the economy. The renewable energy industry is incredibly labor-intensive compared to fossil fuel technologies, which means more jobs are created. In 2016 alone, the wind energy industry employed over 100,000 full-time-equivalent employees and had more than 500 factories manufacturing turbine parts. Even more impressive were the 2016 numbers from the solar industry, with over 260,000 people employed in installation, manufacturing, and sales roles. Hydroelectric power wasn’t left behind either; it kept approximately 66,000 people gainfully employed in 2017. In comparison, the whole fossil fuel industry relied on slightly over 540 000 employees to operate, despite having a much higher share of the energy sector pie back in 2016. Not only does increased support for renewable energy offer a potential surge in job creation compared to producing an equivalent amount of electricity from fossil fuels, but growth in clean energy can have positive ripple effects on local economies as well. This trickles down to industries involved in renewable energy supply chains and even unrelated local businesses that benefit indirectly. Local governments aren’t left out of this economic boom as they stand to gain through property and income taxes plus other payments made by renewable project owners. Plus, let’s not forget: unlike non-renewable sources, which fluctuate wildly in price due to market forces beyond our control – renewables can provide stable energy prices over time thanks largely to their low operating costs after upfront investments are recouped. Unfortunately, despite their benefits, renewable energy generation methods are often scrutinized for their reliability issues. The Question of Reliability You’ve likely heard about the intermittency issue with renewable energy – the fact that the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow. This factor raises concerns about grid stability, as a consistent power supply is crucial for our modern society. Let’s delve into these topics and analyze how these challenges are being addressed, backed by data and technological advancements in our quest for a sustainable future. It’s a sunny, wind-filled day, and your solar panels and wind turbines are working overtime, but what happens when the sun sets or the wind dies down? That’s where the intermittency issue with renewable energy sources comes into play. Despite their undeniable potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and protect our ecosystems, renewable energy technologies face a significant challenge: they depend on weather conditions that can be unpredictable. Solar panels need sunlight to produce electricity; wind turbines require wind. When it’s cloudy or calm, these systems generate less power or none at all. This variability makes maintaining a stable and reliable supply of electricity more complex. Addressing this intermittency is crucial for our transition towards sustainable energy solutions. Various strategies have been proposed and implemented across the globe – from energy storage systems like Vistra Energy’s world-leading lithium-ion battery capacity to pumped storage hydropower as an alternative solution. However, each has its pros and cons: |Lithium-ion Batteries (e.g., Vistra Energy) |High capacity; Efficiently stores electricity |High cost; Limited lifespan |Pumped Storage Hydropower |Large scale; Long term storage capability |Geographic limitations; Environmental impacts |Massive potential for long-term storage |High energy input required for compression/cooling Smart grid technologies offer another promising avenue by adjusting electricity supply in real-time based on demand patterns identified through machine learning and data analytics techniques. Grid Stability Concerns While embracing the promise of renewable energy, we are also facing a new challenge: maintaining grid stability. As more variable energy sources like wind and solar become part of our power mix, there’s an increasing concern about how to keep the electric grid stable. This is primarily because these renewables are intermittent in nature – they only generate electricity when the sun is shining, or the wind is blowing. Unlike conventional power plants that can adjust their output as demand changes, renewables don’t offer this flexibility which may lead to fluctuations in frequency on the power grid. However, technological advancements and smart management strategies have offered solutions to mitigate these potential problems: - Energy storage systems: The introduction of large-scale battery storage technology has been a game-changer for renewable energy. These systems store excess electricity generated by renewables during peak production times (like midday for solar) and release it when production drops (like at night or during calm weather). - Demand response programs: These initiatives shift consumption from periods of high demand to periods of lower demand. For instance, utility companies may incentivize customers to run their dishwashers or charge their electric cars at night when there’s ample wind power but less overall electricity demand. - Interconnected grids: By connecting multiple regions’ grids together, areas with excess power can help balance those where supply falls short. Remember, every new solution brings its own set of challenges that we must tackle head-on. But with concerted effort and continuous innovation, we are more than capable of maintaining grid stability while transitioning towards a cleaner future powered by renewables. Technological Advances in Renewables The reliability concerns might be partially mitigated by the improvements in renewable tech. Solar technology is advancing at a breakneck pace, with efficiency rates soaring and costs plummeting year after year. Meanwhile, innovations in wind energy have made it possible to harness more power than ever before, dramatically reducing carbon footprints while providing reliable, renewable energy around the clock. Developments in Solar Energy Advancements in solar energy technology have significantly improved its efficiency and affordability, making it a more viable option for renewable energy. The cost of solar photovoltaic modules has dropped by more than 99% over the last few decades, from $76.67 per watt in 1977 to less than $0.26 per watt in 2016. This considerable price reduction not only makes this source of power feasible for households but also attractive to investors seeking profitable and sustainable alternatives. The rise of advanced materials like perovskites is one factor driving these improvements in solar technology. Perovskite solar cells are cheaper and easier to manufacture than traditional silicon-based ones, and they’re rapidly closing the gap in terms of efficiency, too – achieving rates exceeding 25%! There’s also been progress made on integrating battery storage with solar systems – crucial for smoothing out fluctuations in power generation due to changes in weather conditions or time of day. In fact, research shows that combining solar installations with battery storage units can reduce apartment reliance on grid electricity by over 60%. These advancements highlight how far we’ve come and point towards a bright future where reliable renewable energy is within everyone’s reach. Innovations in Wind Energy You’ve likely seen those towering white turbines scattered across fields and along coastlines, their blades spinning majestically against the sky – a testament to human innovation harnessing nature’s gifts. However, did you know that these structures have been undergoing constant evolution? Advances in technology and design are making wind turbines more efficient and cost-effective, indirectly improving the reliability of wind energy generation systems. Some of the improvements include: Developers are increasingly building bigger turbines capable of generating more electricity per unit. One example is GE’s Haliade-X offshore turbine which stands at an impressive 853 feet tall with blades longer than football fields. These larger turbines capture wind at higher altitudes, where it tends to be stronger and more consistent. They also make offshore wind farms a viable option as they can produce large amounts of electricity despite space limitations. Floating Wind Farms The Hywind Scotland project by Equinor showcases floating wind turbines that open up previously unusable deep-water sites for renewable energy production. This groundbreaking approach not only maximizes output but also minimizes environmental impact by avoiding seabed disruption. Smart Tech Integration Modern turbines use machine learning algorithms and sensors to optimize performance based on real-time weather data. Such technologies reduce maintenance costs, increase reliability, and ultimately make clean power from the breeze around us a robust competitor in today’s energy market. These innovations should give us all hope for a greener future powered by reliable renewables like wind energy. While challenges still exist, there is clear evidence that ongoing innovations are tipping the scales toward sustainable solutions. It’s clear that while there are genuine concerns about the reliability of renewable energy generation solutions, remarkable strides have been made in addressing these issues. From technological advancements in solar and wind energy to innovative strategies for grid stability and intermittency, the future of renewable energy looks more promising than ever. As we continue our journey towards a more sustainable world, it’s essential to remain informed and engaged in the discussions shaping our energy landscape. So, keep exploring, keep questioning, and most importantly, keep pushing for a cleaner and more sustainable future. The path may be challenging, but the reward is a healthier planet for generations to come.

Scientists at the University of Alberta have recently cured diabetes in trial mice by using a new stem cell process. They have been able to turn a patient’s own blood into insulin-producing islet cells (specific stem cells that are contained in a protective capsule. The capsule is implanted into the body and the stem cells grow into cells capable of producing insulin, as well as other hormones.). “We’ve been taking blood samples from patients with diabetes, winding those cells from the blood back in time so that they can be changed, and then we’re moving them forward in time so that we can turn them into the cells we want,” Dr. James Shapiro, one of the leading researchers says. While the future is hopeful, Dr. James Shapiro is sure to state that further research is needed before anything can proceed. “There needs to be preliminary data and ideally a handful of patients that would demonstrate to the world that is possible and that it’s safe and effective,” Shapiro elaborates. According to the lead researcher, lack of funding is the main hurdle. There is still more equipment to be purchased and more trials to be tested to take the work from animals to humans. Even these small steps into the future bring hope that diabetes, which affects 422 million people globally, one day will be a thing of the distant past. While we are waiting for the cure, remember to check your blood sugar every day and protect your CGM with an adhesive patch!

Since December 2019 an ongoing outbreak of pneumonia associated with a novel Coronavirus, called 2019-nCoV, was reported in Wuhan city (China) and interhuman transmission has been demonstrated. In this scenario, it is important not to panic and to take simple behavioral measures! Additional cases of 2019-nCoV infection have been identified in a growing number of other international locations, including Rome and on January the 30th, the Italian authorities ordered the suspension of air traffic between Italy and People’s Republic of China, including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. The Italian Ministry of Health collaborates continuously with the World Health Organization (WHO) to manage this emergency, creating a solid health network between general practitioners, infectious disease specialists and organizations such as Italian Red Cross. Via The Sun (www.thesun.co.uk/) Here are the answers to many of the questions you might have about this outbreak: Coronaviruses can cause multiple system infections in various animals and mainly respiratory tract infections in humans, ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). Recently the new coronavirus 2019-nCoV has been successfully isolated by virologists from the National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani” of Rome, sequencing its genome. Having isolated the virus means being able to “cultivate” it and study it to understand how the virus causes damage and replicates. What are the symptoms of 2019-nCoV infection? Reported cases of infection have ranged from people with little to no symptoms to people being severely ill and dying. The virus affects the airways causing symptoms such as - Shortness of breath. Symptoms seem to appear in as few as 2 days or as long as 14 after exposure. How is 2019-nCoV transmitted? Current knowledge about 2019-nCoV transmission is largely based on what is known about similar viruses (MERS and SARS viruses). Even though this virus probably emerged from an animal source, its transmission is now demonstrated to be interhuman, among close contacts (about 6 feet), through an infected person’s coughing and sneezing (respiratory droplets). The greatest contagiousness appears to occur in the symptomatic stages of infection, but since 2019-nCov has been spreading, there are strong evidences supporting the possibility of trasmission from asymptomatic patients. How can I help protect myself? - Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If soap is not available, use disinfectant gel containing at least 60% alcohol. - Avoid close contact with people who are sick. - Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands. - Avoid raw or undercooked food. - Unfortunately, there is no vaccine against 2019-nCoV What should I do if I’m sick? - First of all: don’t panic! Fever and cough are common and non-specific symptoms, caused by many different viruses and pathogens such as Influenza Virus, Parainfluenza, Rhinovirus and others, which are very common during this season. - Stay at home. - Always cover your sneeze and cough with the with a flexed elbow or a tissue and then throw it away. - Clean and disinfect dishes, glasses and surfaces. - If in the previous two weeks, you have travelled through at risk areas of China and now you have respiratory symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, breathing difficulties) as a precaution you must: - Call the toll-free number 1500 (Italian Ministry of Health). - Cover your nose and mouth wearing a surgical mask. - Use disposable tissues and wash your hands frequently. [su_divider top=”no” divider_color=”#f97575″ size=”1″] Ask for an advice from an expert. Insert your data, you will be contacted shortly! [wpforms id=”14577″ title=”false” description=”false”]

Lotteries are a form of gambling that state governments use to raise money. While this practice is viewed negatively by many, it’s also crucial to note that lotteries have been a major source of funding for many American colonies, from the defense of Philadelphia to the rebuilding of Boston’s Faneuil Hall. State governments depend on lotteries to raise revenue State governments rely on lotteries to raise revenue in different ways. Some states, like South Dakota, rely heavily on these games, while others don’t rely on them at all. Some of the most common ways state governments raise revenue from lotteries are through gaming and earmarking certain funds for specific projects. For instance, West Virginia’s legislature used lottery revenue to fund Medicaid instead of raising taxes to pay for the program. While state governments depend on lotteries to raise revenue, they have also been criticised for diverting funds from public services. Although few states have completely privatized their lotteries, most subcontract with a private vendor. Privatization has been characterized as a gimmick to increase revenue and bring in outside marketing experts. Nevertheless, private companies often spend more money than the amount of money they raise on the lottery. People with low incomes don’t play the lottery People with low incomes do not play the lottery as often as people with higher incomes, according to some studies. However, these studies are often based on zip code studies, which assume that people living within the same zip code have the same income. In addition, people don’t always buy lottery tickets in their neighborhoods. Instead, they may buy them at airports. There are a variety of reasons why people with low incomes don’t play the lotto. One reason is that people with lower education levels find it difficult to understand the returns that come with purchasing lottery tickets. According to the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, non-college graduates enjoy a 40 percent higher return on lottery tickets than those who have a college degree. Lotteries are a form of gambling A lottery is an organized game in which participants choose a number and stake money on it. The result is a total prize value. This value is often not neutral, as it includes the profits of the promoters, costs of advertising, taxes, and other revenue. Most lotteries offer large prizes, and the profits of the promoters depend on the amount of money spent on tickets. Many modern lotteries use computers to shuffle the tickets and record the winning numbers. Lotteries are a form of gambling, and are generally legal. The lottery is an exciting game where people can win big cash prizes. Players pay a small fee to enter the lottery, and then fill in the numbers that they hope will win. This system allows players to buy dozens, sometimes hundreds, of tickets in an effort to increase their odds of winning. Taxes on lottery winnings If you have won the lottery, you should be aware that your prize money is taxable. You must report it as ordinary income to the federal government. You should also report any prizes you win in raffles or sweepstakes. You may also need to pay taxes on the prize itself if it is tangible. If you want to avoid paying taxes, you can either forfeit your prize or donate it. The amount of tax you must pay depends on where you live. Some states, including New York, have very high tax rates on lottery winnings. For example, the tax rate in New York City is 3.876% while the tax rate in Yonkers is 1.477.

The impact of universal prekindergarten on family behavior and child outcomes We measure the impact of universal prekindergarten for four-year-olds by exploiting a natural experiment in which the Australian state of Queensland eliminated its public prekindergarten program in 2007. Using a difference-in-differences strategy, we find that five months of access to universal prekindergarten leads to an increase of 0.23 standard deviations in general school readiness. Cognitive benefits are evident across socioeconomic status, while behavioral improvements of 0.19 standard deviations are restricted to girls. Our evidence suggests that the positive effects of universal prekindergarten provision on children's development are driven by the use of higher-quality formal early education and care. (author abstract) Related resources include summaries, versions, measures (instruments), or other resources in which the current document plays a part. Research products funded by the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation are related to their project records.

February 28, 2014 Researchers Develop a Promising New Technology to Aid HIV Vaccine Design A team of researchers at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) and IAVI report in the current issue of Science a novel strategy to aid the design of vaccines that can elicit broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. Their approach, which applies pioneering computational and genetic engineering techniques to create an HIV immunogen—the active ingredient of a vaccine—could have significant implications for the design of preventive vaccines against a wide variety of other pathogens as well. The current research derives from a recent surge in the structural and biological analysis of broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) isolated from people infected with HIV from around the world. Researchers suspect that if such antibodies could be elicited by vaccination, they might stop HIV in the earliest stages of infection. The immunogen devised by the TSRI-IAVI team is designed to elicit antibodies similar to a bNAb known as VRC01, which was isolated by the Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the US National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. It has been shown in laboratory studies to neutralize more than 90% of the globally circulating variants of HIV. The immune system produces many antibodies in response to HIV. But most of them do not stop infection because the molecular structures they target on the outer envelope protein of HIV keep changing as the virus mutates. bNAbs, however, target rare molecular features of the envelope that are relatively resistant to such change. Recent research has revealed that these bNAbs tend to be produced by B cells derived from unique subsets of precursors, or germline cells, which undergo a lengthy process of maturation. The trouble is that the germline cells typically stimulated by vaccines often fail to recognize and become activated by immunogens that bind bNAbs. The current research is aimed at designing immunogens that can stimulate a relevant subset of germline B cells and begin to guide them down the path of maturation that leads to the production of certain types of bNAbs. To accomplish this feat, the TSRI and IAVI researchers whittled down the HIV envelope protein to the simplest, stable structure recognized by VRC01. They then applied sophisticated computational and genetic engineering techniques to further manipulate and refine that molecule and create an immunogen named eOD-GT6. This immunogen is recognized not only by VRC01 and other antibodies like it, but also by germline B cells that mature into the kinds of cells that produce those antibodies. Finally, the researchers created a ball-like structure bearing 60 eOD-GT6 immunogens and showed that this virus-like particle potently activated germline B cells of interest. The generation of the eOD-GT6 immunogen is a significant step forward in efforts to design vaccines that can elicit bNAbs against HIV—a cherished goal of the AIDS vaccine field. The researchers’ next step will be to assess their new immunogen in animal models and, if results are encouraging, prepare it for evaluation in clinical trials. They will also apply similar strategies to devise immunogens to accelerate the process of antibody maturation that culminates in broadly neutralizing antibodies against HIV. For more details about the study, read the news release prepared by TSRI.

Every day at noon, twelve chimes are hammered out by little “communists” at the Olomouc Astronomical Clock in Olomouc. The clock was originally built during the medieval era between 1419-1422, roughly a decade after its sister astronomical clock in Prague. In the original clock design religious and royal automata came out on the hour to chime the bells in a series of holy tones. But on May 7 1945, in an act of pure malice, German troops opened fire on the clock, destroying the town’s prized clock. The clock stayed in ruins for a few years before artist Karel Svolinshy and his wife Maria began fixing it. On repairing the clock Svolinshy and his wife decided the religious and royal figures no longer made sense for the newly communistic country and the clock was redesigned and reconstructed in the then popular Social-Realism style. The only original part left after the reconstruction was the clock mechanism from 1898 which Konrad Schuster, the master clockmaker, repaired. Upon completion the Olmouc clock had a very different look from its medieval sister clock in Prague. Instead of saints and kings, miniature proletarians such as labors, farmer, athletes and factory workers all toiled for the common good on the astronomical clock. Every figure is a “good communist,” and at noon, tiny blacksmiths rung a set of bells in tunes based on local folk music. Below this somewhat comical display are two larger than life figures rendered in mosaic: an auto mechanic and a scientist who stand on either side of a massive green wheel with white and red lines. Religion was not struck from the clock completely and the white lines denote saint’s days such as St Martin’s Day on November 11th, while the red lines commemorate significant dates in the communist calendar such as the death dates of Stalin and Gottwald, the communist president of Czechoslovakia (Stalin and Gottwald died two weeks apart in 1953, apparently Gottwald caught a cold while at Stalin’s funeral and died shortly thereafter.) The reconstructed clock was unveiled in 1955 to much town pride. Ironically, the clock which was redesigned to cast off the old ways and get with the new Communist spirit is a now a relic of a former era, and has once again “fallen behind the times.” Know Before You Go The Anstromonical Clock is located on the Northwestern wall of the Town Hall which is in the main square in town. You can get their on tram 4 or 6.

, developed in 1839 by Mungo Ponton , is one of the earliest photographic processes for creating an image The process takes advantage of the fact that a wet mixture of gum arabic and potassium dichromate coated onto a sheet of paper will harden and become relatively insoluble by water when exposed to light. The full process works as follows: - coat a sheet of paper with a mixture of gum arabic and potassium dichromate. - place a negative over the paper. - expose the negative/paper sandwich to light. - wash off the parts of the mixture which are water soluble (i.e. the parts of the mixture which the dark areas of the negative prevented being exposed to the light). The result is a positive image of the original

Screen Time and Its Impact on Sleep Quality Excessive screen time has become a common habit for many people, especially in the evening hours. However, this behavior can have a significant impact on sleep quality. The bright light emitted by screens, such as those from smartphones, tablets, and computers, can interfere with our body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. The blue light emitted by these devices suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. This can lead to difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep throughout the night. Additionally, engaging in stimulating activities like watching exciting or suspenseful shows or playing video games before bed can make it harder to relax and unwind. Research has shown that individuals who spend more time on screens before bedtime tend to experience poorer sleep quality overall. They may struggle with insomnia symptoms such as trouble falling asleep or waking up frequently during the night. Furthermore, using electronic devices close to bedtime often leads to delayed sleep onset and shorter total sleep duration. It is important to be mindful of our screen time habits in order to improve our sleep quality. Setting boundaries around device usage before bed is crucial for promoting healthy restorative sleep. By establishing a screen-free bedtime routine that includes relaxing activities like reading a book or taking a warm bath instead of scrolling through social media feeds or binge-watching TV shows, we can create an environment conducive to better sleep hygiene and ultimately enhance our overall well-being. Dangers of Excessive Screen Time Before Bed Excessive screen time before bed can have detrimental effects on sleep quality. The bright light emitted by screens, such as smartphones, tablets, and televisions, can interfere with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. This is because exposure to artificial light in the evening suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. Furthermore, engaging in stimulating activities on screens right before bed can make it difficult for individuals to relax and unwind. Watching thrilling or suspenseful shows or playing intense video games can increase alertness and make it harder to fall asleep. Additionally, scrolling through social media feeds or reading emails may trigger emotional responses or stressors that keep the mind active when it should be preparing for rest. The consequences of excessive screen time before bed extend beyond simply having trouble falling asleep. Research has shown that inadequate sleep due to late-night screen use is associated with various health issues including increased risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental health disorders like anxiety and depression. Therefore, establishing healthy habits around bedtime routines is crucial for maintaining optimal sleep patterns and overall well-being. Understanding the Connection Between Screen Time and Insomnia The connection between screen time and insomnia is a topic that has gained significant attention in recent years. Research suggests that excessive exposure to screens, such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to the development of insomnia. One reason for this is the blue light emitted by these devices, which can suppress the production of melatonin – the hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. Studies have shown that individuals who spend more time on screens before bedtime often experience difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. The stimulating nature of digital content, combined with the constant availability of information and entertainment on screens, can make it challenging for individuals to wind down and relax before bed. This heightened mental arousal makes it harder for them to transition into a state of restful sleep. Furthermore, using screens right before bedtime can delay the release of melatonin. Blue light exposure from electronic devices inhibits its production by confusing our internal body clock. This disruption in melatonin levels not only affects our ability to fall asleep but also compromises the quality of our sleep once we do manage to drift off. In summary, understanding the connection between screen time and insomnia is crucial for promoting healthy sleep habits. The negative impact of excessive screen use on both falling asleep and maintaining good-quality sleep cannot be ignored. By recognizing how screens affect our body’s natural rhythms and implementing strategies to limit their usage before bed, we can improve our chances of getting a restful night’s sleep without being plagued by insomnia symptoms. The Relationship Between Blue Light and Sleep Disruptions Blue light, which is emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers, has been found to have a significant impact on sleep disruptions. Research has shown that exposure to blue light in the evening can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. This disruption in melatonin levels can make it more difficult for individuals to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. The reason why blue light is particularly problematic for sleep is because it mimics natural daylight. Our bodies are naturally programmed to be awake and alert during the day when there is abundant sunlight. However, when we are exposed to blue light from screens in the evening or before bed, our brains interpret this as daylight and delay the release of melatonin. This delay can result in difficulty falling asleep at night and feeling groggy or tired during the day. To mitigate these effects of blue light on sleep disruptions, experts recommend limiting screen time before bed or using devices with built-in features that reduce blue light emissions. Some devices offer a „night mode” setting that filters out or reduces blue light wavelengths. Additionally, wearing amber-tinted glasses specifically designed to block blue light can also help minimize its impact on sleep. By understanding the relationship between blue light and sleep disruptions, individuals can take proactive steps to limit their exposure in order to improve their quality of sleep. Implementing strategies such as reducing screen time before bed or utilizing technology with reduced blue-light emission features can go a long way in promoting healthy sleeping habits and ensuring restful nights without unnecessary interruptions Tips for Limiting Screen Time to Improve Sleep One effective tip for limiting screen time and improving sleep is to set specific boundaries and stick to them. This could involve establishing designated times during the day when screens are allowed, such as only in the morning or early evening. By creating a clear schedule, individuals can better manage their screen usage and reduce the likelihood of excessive exposure before bed. Another helpful strategy is to create alternative activities that can replace screen time before bedtime. Engaging in relaxing activities like reading a book, practicing mindfulness exercises, or listening to calming music can help transition the mind into a more restful state. Additionally, avoiding stimulating content or engaging in intense discussions right before bed can also contribute to improved sleep quality. Furthermore, it may be beneficial to implement technology-free zones within the bedroom environment. Keeping electronic devices out of reach or even outside of the bedroom altogether can minimize temptation and reinforce a screen-free atmosphere conducive to better sleep. Creating an environment that promotes relaxation and tranquility will support healthier sleep patterns overall without constant distractions from screens. By implementing these tips for limiting screen time, individuals can take proactive steps towards improving their sleep quality. Setting boundaries around device usage, finding alternative activities for winding down before bed, and creating technology-free zones within the bedroom all contribute to fostering an optimal sleeping environment conducive to restful nights. The Role of Screen Time in Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome (DSPS) is a sleep disorder that affects the timing of an individual’s sleep-wake cycle. People with DSPS often have difficulty falling asleep at a conventional bedtime and struggle to wake up in the morning. While there are various factors that contribute to this condition, screen time has been found to play a significant role. Excessive screen time before bed can disrupt the natural circadian rhythm, which regulates our sleep-wake cycle. The blue light emitted by screens suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. This delay in melatonin release can shift our body’s internal clock and make it harder for individuals with DSPS to fall asleep at night. Moreover, engaging in stimulating activities on screens such as playing video games or watching exciting movies can further delay sleep onset. These activities increase brain activity and arousal levels, making it even more challenging for individuals with DSPS to wind down and relax before bed. To combat the negative effects of screen time on delayed sleep phase syndrome, it is crucial to establish healthy habits and boundaries around technology use. Creating a consistent bedtime routine that excludes screens at least one hour before bed can help signal your body that it is time to unwind and prepare for sleep. Instead of using electronic devices during this period, consider engaging in relaxing activities such as reading a book or practicing meditation. By recognizing the impact of screen time on delayed sleep phase syndrome and implementing strategies to reduce its influence, individuals with this condition may experience improved quality of sleep and better alignment with their desired schedule. It is important to prioritize good sleep hygiene practices by limiting screen exposure before bed, ultimately leading towards healthier sleeping patterns overall. How Screen Time Affects the Production of Melatonin Melatonin is a hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle. It is produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness, helping us feel sleepy and promoting restful sleep. However, excessive screen time before bed can disrupt the production of melatonin and negatively impact our sleep quality. The blue light emitted by electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and computers can suppress the release of melatonin. This is because blue light mimics natural daylight and signals to our brain that it’s still daytime, inhibiting the production of melatonin. As a result, our bodies may struggle to wind down for sleep and we may experience difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night. Furthermore, prolonged exposure to screens at night not only affects melatonin production but also delays its release. Melatonin levels typically rise in the evening as darkness falls, preparing us for sleep. However, engaging in screen activities late into the night can delay this process and disrupt our natural circadian rhythm. Consequently, we may find ourselves feeling alert when we should be winding down for bed. In summary (without using those specific words), excessive screen time before bed hinders the production of melatonin due to its association with blue light exposure. This disruption can lead to difficulties falling asleep or staying asleep throughout the night as well as delay our body’s natural inclination towards sleepiness during nighttime hours Screen Time and its Effects on Sleep Duration and Efficiency Numerous studies have highlighted the negative impact of screen time on sleep duration and efficiency. The use of electronic devices, such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops before bed has been found to disrupt the natural sleep-wake cycle. Exposure to the blue light emitted by these screens suppresses melatonin production, making it harder for individuals to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. Research has shown that individuals who engage in excessive screen time before bed experience shorter sleep durations. This is because prolonged exposure to screens stimulates brain activity and can lead to increased alertness, making it difficult for individuals to wind down and relax enough for a restful night’s sleep. Furthermore, using electronic devices in bed often leads to delayed bedtime routines as people become engrossed in their online activities or social media scrolling. The effects of screen time on sleep efficiency are also concerning. Studies have revealed that excessive use of screens before bed can result in fragmented or interrupted sleep patterns. Individuals may wake up more frequently during the night or experience difficulty falling back asleep after waking up. These disruptions can significantly reduce overall sleep quality and leave individuals feeling tired and groggy upon waking. It is evident that screen time negatively affects both the duration and efficiency of our sleep. To mitigate these effects, it is crucial to establish healthy habits surrounding technology use before bedtime. Limiting screen time at least one hour prior to sleeping can help promote better quality rest by allowing our bodies’ natural circadian rhythm to adjust appropriately. Engaging in relaxing activities such as reading a book or taking a warm bath instead of using electronic devices can further enhance our ability to unwind and prepare for a good night’s rest without compromising our precious hours of slumber. The Importance of Establishing a Screen-Free Bedtime Routine Establishing a screen-free bedtime routine is crucial for promoting healthy sleep patterns and improving overall well-being. The use of electronic devices before bed has been shown to disrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, making it harder to fall asleep and stay asleep throughout the night. By incorporating screen-free activities into your evening routine, you can create a calm and relaxing environment that signals to your brain that it’s time to wind down. One important aspect of establishing a screen-free bedtime routine is setting aside dedicated time for relaxation and self-care. This could involve engaging in activities such as reading a book, taking a warm bath, or practicing mindfulness exercises. By focusing on activities that promote relaxation rather than stimulation, you can help prepare your mind and body for restful sleep. Another benefit of having a screen-free bedtime routine is reducing exposure to blue light emitted by electronic devices. Blue light has been found to suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles. By avoiding screens before bed, you allow your body to naturally produce melatonin and promote better quality sleep. Incorporating a screen-free bedtime routine may take some adjustment at first, but the benefits are well worth it. Not only will you likely experience improved sleep quality and duration, but you may also find yourself feeling more energized and alert during the day. So why not give it a try? Start by gradually reducing your screen time before bed and replacing it with calming activities – your body will thank you for it! Alternative Activities to Replace Screen Time Before Bed Engaging in alternative activities before bed can help replace screen time and promote better sleep. Instead of scrolling through social media or watching TV, consider reading a book or magazine. Reading not only allows you to unwind but also helps shift your focus away from screens and into the world of literature. Choose something that interests you and try to establish a regular reading routine before bedtime. Another activity that can be done instead of screen time is practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing exercises or meditation. These activities can help calm the mind and prepare it for sleep. Deep breathing involves taking slow, deep breaths in through the nose and out through the mouth, focusing on each breath as it enters and leaves the body. Meditation involves finding a quiet space, closing your eyes, and clearing your mind by focusing on an object or repeating a mantra. Engaging in hobbies or creative pursuits can also serve as alternatives to screen time before bed. This could include activities such as drawing, painting, knitting, playing an instrument, or even writing in a journal. These activities not only provide a break from screens but also allow for self-expression and relaxation. Find something that brings you joy and make it part of your evening routine to wind down before sleep without relying on electronic devices. By replacing screen time with alternative activities like reading, practicing relaxation techniques, or engaging in hobbies before bed, you can create healthier habits that promote better sleep quality. Experiment with different options until you find what works best for you personally. Remember that establishing a consistent bedtime routine free from screens is essential for optimal restfulness at night. What is screen time? Screen time refers to the amount of time spent using electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. How does screen time impact sleep quality? Excessive screen time before bed can disrupt sleep quality by suppressing the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. What are the dangers of excessive screen time before bed? Excessive screen time before bed can lead to difficulty falling asleep, insomnia, and disrupted sleep patterns. What is the connection between screen time and insomnia? There is a strong connection between screen time and insomnia, as the blue light emitted by electronic devices can suppress the release of melatonin, making it difficult to fall asleep. How does blue light affect sleep disruptions? Blue light, which is emitted by electronic devices, can interfere with the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, leading to sleep disruptions and difficulty falling asleep. What are some tips for limiting screen time to improve sleep? Some tips for limiting screen time before bed include setting a screen curfew, using blue light filters or glasses, and engaging in relaxing activities before bedtime. What role does screen time play in delayed sleep phase syndrome? Excessive screen time can contribute to delayed sleep phase syndrome, a condition characterized by a delayed sleep-wake cycle, making it difficult to fall asleep at a desired time. How does screen time affect the production of melatonin? Screen time, especially exposure to blue light, can suppress the production of melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate sleep. How does screen time affect sleep duration and efficiency? Excessive screen time before bed can lead to shorter sleep duration and reduced sleep efficiency, resulting in daytime fatigue and decreased cognitive function. Why is it important to establish a screen-free bedtime routine? Establishing a screen-free bedtime routine helps signal to the body that it is time to wind down and prepare for sleep, leading to improved sleep quality and overall well-being. What are some alternative activities to replace screen time before bed? Some alternative activities to replace screen time before bed include reading a book, practicing relaxation techniques, listening to calming music, or engaging in a bedtime yoga routine.

The German occupation of France in June 1940 was a massive defeat for the French population. It meant not only a loss of political freedom, but savage attacks on the people's living standards, the very first decree of General von Stutnitz, the German military commander, froze wages and made strikes illegal. But there was no organisation to take up the struggle. All the political parties except the Communists had in their majority supported Marshal Petain, Vichy's Prime Minister and the Communists took the line of denouncing both sides in the war as 'capitalist brigands'. So it is not surprising that the first acts of resistance came from isolated individuals. On 20th June, an agricultural labourer called Etienne Achavanne cut the telephone wires at a German occupied airport. He was shot, the first of many martyrs to come. Others distributed crudely duplicated leaflets, for example a cyclist would throw a bunch of leaflets into the air as he sped down the street or chalked up slogans under the cover of darkness. In November a group of students marched up the elegant Champs-Elysces carrying two fishing rods (in French deux gaules, which sounds remarkably like de Gaulle), provoking shouts of 'Vive de Gaulle' from the gathered crowd. A hostage is brought in to face the firing squad, a fate reserved for many Resistance fighters. Throughout the occupation there was much scope for such individual gestures of resistance. In 1941 a man walked through the streets of Paris with no trousers on, in protest at the difficulty of obtaining clothing coupons. One old lady with a weak heart used to sit on a seat in the Paris Metro and trip up German soldiers with her umbrella a small but worthy contribution to lowering the occupiers' morale. In June 1942 the authorities ordered all Jews to wear yellow stars in public. Many of their non-Jewish compatriots spontaneously manifested their solidarity by also wearing yellow stars, sometimes adorned with such labels as 'Zulu' or 'Swing', in a brave attempt to ridicule the order. Undetected by the eyes of the feared Gestapo, underground passages link Resistance posts. By the autumn of 1940 a number of small resistance groups had been formed, some by Catholics, others by trade unionists or members of the Socialist Party. Well into 1941 the Resistance continued to consist of small autonomous groupings, often with little money and few if any weapons. Soon, however, two main currents emerged. Charles de Gaulle, a right-wing friend of Petain who could not tolerate the capitulation for patriotic reasons, had fled to London and on 18th June 1940 made a broadcast which concluded with the stirring words: ‘Whatever happens, the flame of resistance must not go out, and it will not go out.’ In face few in France heard the broadcast and the BBC regarded it as so insignificant they did not bother to make a recording of it. But de Gaulle soon became a focus for those opposed to the German occupation. One of the underground printing presses run by Henri Frenay, a major contributor to the Resistance network Combat. Because of the Germans viciously anti-working class policies, a number of Communists had been involved in Resistance activities before June 1941, but it was the German invasion of Russia that brought the Communists into the movement as a major political force. The Communists had their own military organisation, the Francs-Tireurs et Partisans, (Irregulars and Partisans). Naturally there was considerable distrust and jockeying for power between the right-wing Gaullists and the predominantly left-wing groupings of the home-based Resistance. It was only in May 1943, as a result of the tireless efforts of the civil servant Jean Moulin, that the CNR (National Resistance Council) was set up as an umbrella organisation including Gaullists, Communists and others. Turning out to be the lifeline of underground operations, radio transmitters are used to receive and send coded messages. However, for security and political reasons, the Resistance remained a broad federation of groupings. These included both networks (groups with a specific military role, such as intelligence or sabotage) and movements (groups that aimed to make propaganda in the population at large). And within the various groups a triangular cell structure was often used, so that activists knew the minimum possible even those they worked closely with were known only as numbers or code-names. As the novelist Andre Malraux told a German interrogator: 'You could have my men tortured if you captured any of them without getting anything out of them, because they know nothing: our entire organisation is based on the assumption that no human being can know what he will do under torture.' In the more remote areas of France, small guerrilla groups known as the maquis spread terror among German troops; many had joined up to avoid the dread of German labour camps. Fighting for their cause. Resistance members engaged in many spectacular risks and hazardous acts of aggression, assassination, jailbreak, sabotage and so on. Sabotage was directed against railways, electric power stations and German military depots. The British agent Harry Rée, who worked with the French Resistance, once sank a German submarine in a French canal lock The FTP made grenade attacks against cinemas, restaurants and buses reserved for German soldiers. Weapons were parachuted in from Britain; favourites included the Lee-Enfield rifle, which could kill a man at two kilometres, the Bren light machine gun (firing 500 rounds a minute), particularly useful for ambushes, the ubiquitous Sten gun and the single-shot Wel Rod with built-in silencer, designed for discreet killings in town streets. But resisters did not spend all their time on military exploits, far from it. Much of their activity was the tedious routine of collecting information and maintaining an organisation. Equally vital was the production of propaganda, above all newspapers. Over a thousand different titles were issued during the occupation. The early ones were often turned out on a hand-duplicator, no mean feat, when the sale of duplicating paper ink and stencils was illegal, some groups even made their own ink. But later operations reached an amazing scale, in January 1944 the clandestine paper Défense de la France printed 450,000 copies of a single Issue. A gang of saboteurs inspects the fruits of their labour, German supply lines came under attack.

Pictograph Cave State Park is one of Montana's most unique and historically significant attractions, offering visitors a rare glimpse into the prehistoric past of the region. The park contains three limestone caves - Pictograph, Middle, and Ghost - that were inhabited by indigenous people for thousands of years. The cave paintings, or pictographs, found within the park's caves date back to over 2,000 years ago and are considered some of the finest examples of prehistoric rock art in North America. The pictographs were created using natural pigments and depict a variety of images, including animals, humans, and geometric shapes. Visitors to Pictograph Cave State Park can explore the caves on a self-guided tour or with a park ranger. The trails leading to the caves are well-maintained and provide scenic views of the surrounding area. Upon entering the caves, visitors are transported back in time to an era when the caves were used for shelter, storage, and ritual ceremonies. One of the most notable features of the Pictograph Cave is the "Bear Paw" pictograph, a painting of a bear paw that measures over three feet in diameter. This image is thought to represent the bear's importance to the indigenous people who inhabited the area. The park also features a visitor center that provides educational exhibits on the history and culture of the indigenous people who once lived in the area. The center also offers guided tours of the caves and hosts educational programs and events throughout the year. A visit to Pictograph Cave State Park is a must for anyone interested in prehistoric art and the history of Montana's indigenous people. The park's stunning cave paintings, scenic hiking trails, and educational exhibits make it a perfect destination for visitors of all ages.

There have been immense and innumerable developments in robotics & AI in recent times—some significant, some not so. Right from form factor and flexibility to motion, sensing and interaction, every aspect of robotics has brought them closer to humans. Robots are now assisting in healthcare centres, schools, hospitals, industries, war fronts, rescue centres, homes and almost everywhere else. We must acknowledge that this has come about not merely due to mechanical developments, but mainly due to the increasing intelligence, or so-called smartness, of robots. Smartness is a subjective thing. But in the context of robots, we can say that smartness is a robot’s ability to autonomously or semi-autonomously perceive and understand its environment, learn to do things and respond to situations, and mingle safely with humans. This means that it should be able to think and even decide to a certain extent, like we do. Let us take you through some assorted developments from around the world that are empowering robots with these capabilities. Understanding by asking questions When somebody asks us to fetch something, and we do not really understand which object to fetch or where it is, what do we do? We usually ask questions to zero in on the right object. This is exactly what researchers at Brown University, USA, want their robots to be able to do. Stefanie Tellex of Humans to Robots Lab of Brown University is using a social approach to improve the accuracy with which robots follow human instructions. The system, called FETCH-POMDP, enables the robots to model their own confusion and solve it by asking relevant questions. The system can understand gestures, associate these with what the human being is saying and use this to understand instructions better. Only when it is unable to do so does it start asking questions. For example, if you signal at the sink and ask the robot to fetch a bowl, and if there is only one bowl in the sink, it will fetch it without asking any questions. But if it finds more than one bowl there, it might ask questions about the size or colour of the bowl. When testing the system, the researchers expected the robot to respond faster when it had no questions to ask, but it turned out that the intelligent questioning approach managed to be faster and more accurate. The trials also showed the system to be more intelligent than it was expected to be, because it could even understand complex instructions with lots of prepositions. For example, it could respond accurately when somebody said, “Hand me the spoon to the left of the bowl.” Although such complex phrases were not built into the language model, the robot was able to use intelligent social feedback to figure out the instruction. Learning gets deeper and smaller than you thought Deep learning is an artificial intelligence (AI) technology that is pervading all streams of life ranging from banking to baking. A deep learning system essentially uses neural networks, modelled after the human brain, to learn by itself just like a human child does. It is made of multi-layered deep neural networks that mimic the activities of the layers of neurons in the neocortex. Each layer tries to understand something more than the previous layer, thereby developing a deeper understanding of things. The resulting system is self-learning, which means that it is not restricted by what it has been taught to do. It can react according to the situation and even make decisions by itself. Deep learning is obviously a very useful tech for robots, too. However, it usually requires large memory banks and runs on huge servers powered by advanced graphics processing units (GPUs). If only deep learning could be achieved in a form factor small enough to embed in a robot! Micromotes developed at University of Michigan, USA, could be the answer to this challenge. Measuring one cubic millimetre, the micromotes developed by David Blaauw and his colleague Dennis Sylvester are amongst the world’s smallest computers. The duo has developed different variants of micromotes, including smart sensors and radios. Amongst these is a micromote that incorporates a deep learning processor, which can operate a neural network using just 288 microwatts. There have been earlier attempts to reduce the size and power demands of deep learning using dedicated hardware specially designed to run these algorithms. But so far, nobody has managed to use less than 50 milliwatts of power and the size too has never been this small. Blaauw and team managed to achieve deep learning on a micromote by redesigning the chip architecture, with tweaks such as situating four processing elements within the memory (SRAM) to minimise data movement. The team’s intention was to bring deep learning to the Internet of Things (IoT), so we can have devices like security cameras with onboard deep learning processors that can instantly differentiate between a branch and a thief lurking on the tree. But the same technology can be very useful for robots, too. A hardware-agnostic approach to deep learning Max Versace’s approach to low-power AI for robots is a bit different. Versace’s idea can be traced back to 2010, when NASA approached him and his team with the challenge of developing a software controller for robotic rovers that could autonomously explore planet Mars. What NASA needed was an AI system that could navigate different environments using only images captured by a low-end camera. And this had to be achieved with limited computing, communications and power resources. Plus, the system would have to run on the single GPU chip that the rover had. Not only did the team manage it, but now Versace’s startup Neurala has an updated prototype of the AI system it developed for NASA, which can be applied for other purposes. The logic is that the same technology that was used by Mars rovers can be used by drones, self-driving cars and robots to recognise objects in their surroundings and make decisions accordingly. Neurala too bets on deep learning as the future of its AI brain, but unlike most common solutions that run on online services backed by huge servers, Neurala’s AI can operate on the computationally low-power chips found in smartphones. In a recent press report, Versace hinted that their approach focuses on edge computing, which relies on onboard hardware, in contrast with other approaches that are based on centralised systems. The edge computing approach apparently gives them an edge over others. This is because the key to their system is hardware-agnostic software, which can run on several industry-standard processors including ARM, Nvidia and Intel. Although their system has already been licensed and adapted by some customers for use in drones and cars, the company is very enthusiastic about its real potential in robot toys and household robots. They hope that their solution will ensure fast and smooth interaction between robots and users, something that Cloud systems cannot always guarantee. Analogue intelligence, have you given it a thought Shahin Farshchi, partner at investment firm Lux Capital, has a radically different view of AI and robots. He feels that all modern things need not necessarily be digital, and analogue has a great future in AI and robotics. In an article he wrote last year, he explained that some of the greatest systems were once powered by analogue, but it was abandoned for digital systems just because analogue was rigid and attempting to make it flexible made it more complex and reduced its reliability. As Moore’s law played its way into our lives, micro-electro-mechanical systems and micro-fabrication techniques became widespread, and the result is what we see all around us. He wrote, “In today’s consumer electronics world, analogue is only used to interface with humans, capturing and producing sounds, images and other sensations. In larger systems, analogue is used to physically turn the wheels and steer rudders on machines that move us in our analogue world. But for most other electronic applications, engineers rush to dump signals into the digital domain whenever they can. The upshot is that the benefits of digital logic—cheap, fast, robust and flexible—have made engineers practically allergic to analogue processing. Now, however, after a long hiatus, Carver Mead’s prediction of the return to analogue is starting to become a reality.” Farshchi claims that neuromorphic and analogue computing will make a comeback in the fields of AI and robotics. Neural networks and deep learning algorithms that researchers are attempting to implement in robots are more suitable to analogue designs. Such analogue systems will make robots faster, smaller and less power-hungry. Analogue circuits inspired by nature will enable robots to see, hear and learn better while consuming much less power. He cites the examples of Stanford’s Brains in Silicon project and University of Michigan’s IC Lab, which are building tools to make it easier to build analogue neuromorphic systems. Some startups are also developing analogue systems as an alternative to running deep nets on standard digital circuits. Most of these designs are inspired by our brain, a noisy system that adapts according to the situation to produce the required output. This is in contrast to traditional hard-coded algorithms that go out of control if there is the slightest problem with the circuits running these. Engineers have also been able to achieve energy savings of the order of 100 times by implementing deep nets in silicon using noisy analogue approaches. This will have a huge impact on the robots of the future, as they will not require external power and will not have to be connected to the Cloud to be smart. In short, the robots will be independent. Training an army of robots using AI and exoskeleton suits Kindred is a quiet but promising startup formed by Geordie Rose, one of the co-founders of D-Wave, a quantum computing company. According to an IEEE news report, Kindred is busy developing AI-driven robots that can possibly enable one human worker do the work of four. Their recent US patent application describes a system in which an operator wears a head-mounted display and an exoskeleton suit while doing his tasks. Data from the suit and other external sensors is analysed by computer systems and used to control distant robots.The wearable robotic suit includes head and neck motion sensors, devices to capture arm movements and haptic gloves. The operator can control the robot’s movement using a foot pedal, and see what the robot is seeing using a virtual reality headset. The suit might also contain sensors and devices to capture brain waves. The robot is described as a humanoid of 1.2-metre height, possibly covered with synthetic skin, with two (or more) arms ending in hands or grippers and wheeled treads for locomotion. It has cameras on its head and other sensors like infrared and ultraviolet imaging, GPS, touch, proximity, strain sensors and radiation detectors to stream data to its operator. Something that catches everybody’s attention here is a line that says, “An operator may include a non-human animal such as a monkey… and the operator interface may be… re-sized to account for the differences between a human operator and a monkey operator.” But what is so smart about an operator controlling a robot, even if the operator is a monkey? Well, the interesting part of this technology is that the robots will also, eventually, be able to learn from their operators and carry out the tasks autonomously. According to the patent application, device-control instructions and environment sensor information generated over multiple runs may be used to derive autonomous control information, which may be used to facilitate autonomous behaviour in an autonomous device. Kindred hopes to do these using deep hierarchical learning algorithms like a conditional deep belief network or a conditional restricted Boltzmann machine, a type of powerful recurrent neural network. This is what possibly links Kindred to D-Wave. The operation of D-Wave’s quantum computing system is described by these as being analogous to a restricted Boltzmann machine, and its research team is working to exploit the parallels between these architectures to substantially accelerate learning in deep, hierarchical neural networks. In 2010, Rose also published a paper that shows how a quantum computer can be very effective at machine learning. So if Kindred succeeds in putting two and two together, we can look forward to a new wave of quantum computing in robotics. Robots get more social It is a well-known fact that technology can help disabled and vulnerable people to lead more comfortable lives. It can assist them to do their tasks independently without requiring another human being to help them. This improves their self-esteem. However, Maja Matarić of University of South California, USA, believes that the technology can be more assistive if it is embodied in the form of a robot rather than a tool running on a mobile device or an invisible technology embedded somewhere in the walls or beds. Matarić’s research has shown that the presence of human-like robots is more effective in getting people to do things, be it getting senior citizens to exercise or encouraging autistic children to interact with their peers. “The social component is the only thing that reliably makes people change behaviour. It makes people lose weight, recover faster and so on. It is possible that screens are actually making us less social. So that is where robotics can make a difference—this fundamental embodiment,” Matarić mentioned while addressing a gathering at American Association for the Advancement of Science. Matarić is building such robots through her startup Embodied Inc. Research and trials have shown promising results. One study found that autistic children showed more autonomous behaviour upon copying the motions of socially-assistive robots. In another study, patients recovering from stroke responded more quickly to upper-extremity exercises when prompted and motivated by socially-assistive robots. Robots can mingle in crowded places, too Movement of robots was once considered a mechanical challenge. Now, scientists have realised it has more to do with intelligence. For a robot to move comfortably in a crowded place like a school or an office, it needs to first learn things that we take for granted. It needs to learn the things that populate the space, which of these things are stationary and which ones move, understand that some of these things move only occasionally while others move frequently and suddenly, and so on. In short, it needs to autonomously learn its way around a dynamic environment. This is what a team at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm hopes to achieve. Rosie (yes, we know it sounds familiar) is a robot in their lab that has already learnt to perceive 3D environments, move about and interact safely in these. Rosie repeatedly visits the rooms at the university’s Robotics, Perception and Learning Lab, and maps these in detail. It uses a depth camera (RGB-D) to grab points of physical space and dump these into a database, from which 3D models of the rooms can be generated.According to a news report, “The system KTH researchers use detects objects to learn by modelling the static part of the environment and extracting dynamic elements. It then creates and executes a view plan around a dynamic element to gather additional views for learning. This autonomous learning process enables Rosie to distinguish dynamic elements from static ones and perceive depth and distance.” This helps the robot understand where things are and negotiate physical spaces. Just a thought can bring the robot back on track It is one thing for robots to learn to work autonomously, it is another for them to be capable of working with humans. Some consider the latter to be more difficult. To be able to co-exist, robots must be able to move around safely with humans (as in the case of KTH’s Rosie) and also understand what humans want, even when the instruction or plan is not clearly, digitally explained to the robot. Explaining things in natural language is never foolproof because each person has a different way of communicating. But if only robots could understand what we think, the problem would be entirely solved. As a step towards this, Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) and Boston University are creating a feedback system that lets you correct a robot’s mistakes instantly by simply thinking about it. The experiment basically involves a humanoid robot called Baxter performing an object-sorting task and a human watching it. The person watching the robot has to wear a special head gear. The system uses an electroencephalography monitor to record the person’s brain activity. A novel machine learning algorithm is applied to this data to classify brain waves in the space of 10 to 30 milliseconds. When the robot indicates its choice, the system helps it to find out whether the human agrees with the choice or notices an error. The person watching the robot does not have to gesture, nod or even blink. He or she simply needs to agree or disagree mentally with the robot’s action. This is much more natural than earlier methods of controlling robots with thoughts. The team lead by CSAIL director Daniela Rus has managed to achieve this by focusing the system on brain signals called error-related potentials (ErrPs), which are generated whenever our brains notice a mistake. When the robot indicates the choice it is about to make, the system uses ErrPs to understand whether the human supervisor agrees with the decision. According to the news report, “ErrP signals are extremely faint, which means that the system has to be fine-tuned enough to both classify the signal and incorporate it into the feedback loop for the human operator.” Additionally, the team has also worked on the possibility of the system not noticing the human’s original correction, which might lead to secondary errors. In such a case, if the robot is not sure about its decision, it can trigger a human response to get a more accurate answer. Further, since ErrP signals appear to be proportional to how bad the mistake is, future systems could be extended to work for more complex multi-choice tasks. This project, which was partly funded by Boeing and National Science Foundation, can also be useful for physically-challenged people to work with robots. Calling robots electronic persons, is it a slip or the scary truth Astro Teller, head of X (formerly Google X), the advanced technology lab of Alphabet, explained in a recent IEEE interview that washing machines, dishwashers, drones, smart cars and the like are robots though these might not be jazzy-looking bipeds. These are intelligent, help us do something and save us time. If you look at it that way, smart robots are really all around us. It is easy to even build your own robot and make it smart, with simple components and open source tools. Maybe not something that looks like Rosie or Baxter, but you can surely create a quick and easy AI agent. OpenAI Universe, for example, lets you train an AI agent to use a computer like a human does. With Universe, the agent can look at screen pixels and operate a virtual keyboard and mouse. The agent can be trained to do any task that you can achieve using a computer. Sadly, the garbage-in-garbage-out principle is true for robotics and AI, too. Train it to do something good and it will. Train it to do something bad and it will. No questions asked. Anticipating such misuse, the industry is getting together to regulate the space and implement best practices. One example is Partnership on Artificial Intelligence to Benefit People and Society, comprising companies like Google’s DeepMind division, Amazon, Facebook, IBM and Microsoft. The website speaks of best practices, open engagement and ethics, trustworthiness, reliability, robustness and other relevant issues.The European Parliament, too, put forward a draft report urging the creation and adoption of EU-wide rules to manage the issues arising from the widespread use of robots and AI. The draft helps us understand the need to standardise and regulate the constantly mushrooming variety of robots, ranging from industrial robots, care robots, medical robots, entertainment robots and drones to farming robots. The report explores the issues of liability, accountability and safety, and raises issues that make us pinch ourselves and understand that yes, we are really co-existing with robots. For example, who will pay when a robot or a self-driving car meets with an accident, when robots will need to be designated as electronic persons, how to ensure they are good ones and so on. The report asserts the need to create a European agency for robotics and AI to support the regulation and legislation efforts, the need to define and classify robots and smart robots, create a robot registration system, improve interoperability and so on. However, it is the portion about robots being called electronic persons that has raised a lot of eyebrows and caused a lot of buzz among experts. Once personhood is associated with something, issues like ownership, insurance and rights come into play, making the relationship much more complex. Comfortingly, one of the experts had commented that since we build robots, these are like machine slaves, and we can choose not to build robots that would mind being owned. In the words of Joanna Bryson, a working member of IEEE Ethically Aligned Design project, “We are not obliged to build robots that we end up feeling obliged to.” When equipped with self-learning capabilities, what if they learn to rebel? Remember how K-2SO swapped sides in Star Wars movie Rogue One? Is there such a thing as trusted autonomy? Well, another day, another discussion!